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After weeks of the "American Idol" judges practically promising us a Danny Gokey vs. Adam Lambert finale, a gentle folkie-rock-pop singer from Arkansas named Kris Allen crept up on judges, viewers, voters -- maybe even himself -- and quietly wedged his way into Tuesday's big showdown on Fox's popular singing competition.
And what a showdown it will be, this vocal and style matchup between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen -- two polar opposites unlike any pitted against one another on this show before.
Danny Gokey, considered a front-runner with Adam Lambert all season, received the least number of votes after last Tuesday's performance show. More than 88 million votes were cast, and only 1 million separated the top two singers, leaving judge Simon Cowell to say "None of us would have predicted this ... (The finale) could be what we call a big ding-dong."
Over the top
There's Adam Lambert, he of the Goth-Elvis-Black-Nail-Polish aura, and the strut 'n wail thing that propelled him through the auditions, Hollywood week, the Top 36, and finally the Top 13, where he quickly became the Idol Apparent, or at least the one to watch. Simon went on TV talk shows and blathered on about Adam's vast talent and immense "swagger."
To say Adam is theatrical is like saying "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a touch over the top. The dude can't sing without daring his viewers to rip themselves away from his beautiful face and flamboyant delivery. Every piece of music he turns his pipes to is a bold, dramatic affair, which is what makes him so compelling, vivid and watchable.
Somehow though, despite his enormously gifted vocals, 27-year-old Adam never really became the next great song-revamp guy that winner David Cook was last year. He showed potential for tune renovations, for sure. His smoky, creepy version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," which probably repulsed as many fans as it lured, was a sign he could give the judges what they wanted: "artistry." "Mad World," which caused Simon to become unforgivably biased toward Adam, was another example of his ability to make a song his own.
But then he started to sound the same, week after week, swaggering and howling those huge notes. "Born to Be Wild," "Slow Ride," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Cryin'" all seemed to be cast from the same loud and blustery mold.
That's not to say he didn't verge on "brilliance," to use Simon's favorite word. "Whole Lotta Love" was jaw-droppingly good stuff. But all the same, it started to feel like Adam was just doing his thing, despite the judges' worshipful feedback.
Kris Allen
Age: 23, married to Katy Allen
Hometown: Conway, Ark.
Occupation: Business major at University of Central Arkansas, leads worship at New Life Church in central Arkansas
Season 8 highlight: "She Works Hard For the Money" by Donna Summer, "Heartless" by Kanye West
Judge's comment: "You're definitely the softer side of rock," Kara DioGuardi said after his performance of The Beatles' "Come Together."
Did you know: Kris has done missionary work in Morocco, Spain, Mozambique, South Africa, Thailand and Burma. He plays guitar, piano, viola and ukulele.
Adam Lambert
Age: 27, single
Hometown: San Diego
Occupation: Singer, theater actor
Season 8 highlight: "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin and "Slow Ride" by Foghat (a duet with Alison Iraheta)
Judge's comment: "Words aren't necessary, but I'm going to give you a standing ovation," Simon Cowell said after Adam performed "Mad World" by Tears for Fears.
Did you know: Adam had a part in "The Ten Commandments: The Musical" at the Kodak Theatre alongside actor Val Kilmer and was the understudy for Fiyero in the touring and Los Angeles casts of the musical "Wicked."
Subdued and surprising
Then there's Kris, who grew on voters as the weeks unrolled. At first blush, he seemed too quiet and modest to make much of a splash, a mild-mannered college student/church worship leader who always seemed to have a guitar slung around his neck.
Where Adam was flashy, 23-year-old Kris was subdued, crooning, strumming and -- obviously -- stealing votes from his competitors, right under their glitzier noses. He's like the anti-Adam. Adam is Freddie Mercury to Kris' James Taylor.
Yet, according to Kalamazoo's Matt Giraud, who left the competition in fifth place, Adam and Kris are "the best of friends." "(Adam) has a passion for music; he's an artist ... a good friend of mine; we tease him a lot for doing so well," Giraud recently told Press Entertainment Editor John Gonzalez. "Kris Allen is a really good friend of mine; we were actually roommates when there were 150 of us all the way down to Top 13 ... . Extremely talented, very passionate about music, beautiful voice, and a really genuine person. I would love to do a duet with him."
Interestingly, it was Kris, not Adam, who became the cast's most distinguished song-makeover artist. "Ain't No Sunshine," "She Works Hard for the Money" and, especially, last week's bold effort, his slam dunk, cooler-than-Kanye version of West's rap smash "Heartless" were all risky, ingenious interpretations that paid off in big ways.
During Tuesday's live performances, the challenge of choosing Kris or Adam will boil down to sweet soul vs. swagger, a contest of extremes that can only mean fascinating television, no matter who wins.
Listen to highlights from Gonzo's interview with Kalamazoo's Matt Giraud, who was booted off "American Idol" a couple weeks ago:


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Optician Awards 2016
We are delighted to announce the winners for the Optician Awards 2016. Please click here to see the results.
The awards ceremony took place on Saturday 9th April at The Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham, hosted by the comedian and actor Miles Jupp.
Optician would like to congratulate all our winners and finalists. It is a fantastic achievement to make it onto the shortlist. Our finalists and winners are chosen by expert panels of judges. They looked for a passion for optics as well as hard facts.
Winning an Optician Award is one of the highest accolades optical professionals, practices and companies can achieve. Congratulations to our winners!
Many people, practices and products count an Optician Award among their most treasured possessions.
We look forward to receiving entries from you for next year's Optician Awards. Our winners are just like you; dedicated, hardworking and caring players in the optical scene.
Chris Bennett,
Kindly sponsored by:
Charity Partner:
Scroll through to see the winners for 2016
Buchanan Optometrists
Cameron Optometry
Parley Optometrists
Sponsored by:
Grafton Optical and its technology partners Visionix and EasyScan.
A1 Optician
Anstee & Proctor
Querido & Davidson
Simon Berry Optometrist
Specsavers, Burnham on Sea
Buchanan Optometrists
Lynne Fernandes Optometrists, Wells Road
Matheson Optometrists
Mongey Opticians
Urban Optics
Sponsored by:
Albert Road Opticians
Bespoke Eyewear
Concept Eye Clinic
Hammond and Dummer Opticians
The Specky Wren
Classic Eyes
Dipple & Conway, Norwich
Hammond and Dummer Opticians
Sponsored by:
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Companies
Amar Shah Optometrist
Bespoke Eyewear
Davies & Jones Optometrists
Patrick & Menzies Opticians
Specsavers, Chippenham
Specsavers, Salford
Buchanan Optometrists
Cooper & Barr Opticians
The Specky Wren
Sponsored by:
Clearcolor Phantom, Clearlab
Ortho-k, No 7 Contact Lenses
OptiExpert, CooperVision
ELYSIUM Lens Visual Lifestyle Analysis App, Waterside Laboratories
Eyezen, Essilor
Glacier Coatings, Shamir UK
Break 243, ROLF Spectacles
Find Me Connected Sunglasses, Avant-Garde Optical
Nanovista Optical Frame, Avant-Garde Optical
TAFT, SALT. Optics
WL4134, William Morris London
Heidelberg Engineering
Prospect Health
Thea Pharmaceuticals
Nick Black, BBR Optometry
Keith Pearse, Eye Emporium
Keith Tempany, Leightons & Tempany
Sponsored by:
James Dawson, Serendipity Optical Consultants
Shafik Haji, Eye Opticians
Sophie Johnson, Eyesite Opticians
Aziz Mohammed, Specsavers, Salford
Luke Smith, Specsavers, Nottingham
David Burghardt Vision Care
Eyewise Opticians
Hague Optical, Wolverhampton
Specsavers, Nottingham
Turners VisionCare
Ravi Chawda, Specsavers, Nottingham
Umarfarouq Jussab, The Eye Clinics
Elaine O'Donoghue, Urban Optics
Rama Venkatasubramanian, Specsavers, Burnham on Sea
Photos from the Optician Awards 2016
To view all of our images please click here.
Details about the event
The Optician Awards has been established for over 20 years and is the highlight of the year for Optical practices, attracting the UK's most talented Opticians, teams and companies. By attending the awards in Birmingham you will have the opportunity to network with over 500 fellow Opticians.
The gala dinner and awards ceremony for the annual Optician Awards will take place on Saturday 9th April, at the brand new cutting-edge Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham.
Your ticket prices includes champagne on arrival, an excellent three course meal including half a bottle of wine per person and live entertainment from a top class host, as well as attendance at the most prestigious awards in the optical industry.
Book now: Please use our online booking facility to book your table.
Date: Saturday 9th April 2016
Dress code: Black tie/ cocktail and evening dresses
Venue: The Vox Conference Centre, Resorts World, Birmingham B40 1PU
Please click here for details
|Champagne reception
|Welcome and dinner
|Awards ceremony
|After party
Accomodation: The Vox Conference Centre is part of the Resorts World Birmingham complex.
The Genting Hotel is based in the complex. For more information and to book your accommodation for the Genting Hotel please click here
Alternatively, the Hilton Birmingham Metropole is very close by. Please click here for more information and to book your accommodation.
Premium tables: Make your organisation stand out and your team feel exceptional by booking one of our limited premium tables. A premium table will guarantee you and your team a prime table position, a branded meeting point on arrival and two bottles of champagne on ice waiting for you on your table.
Prices: Tables hold 10 people as standard. There are also some tables available which hold 12 people.
|Premium table
|Standard table
|Table of 12
|Standard seat
|Standard price
Please note all prices exclude VAT.
Where the awards take place
The gala dinner and awards ceremony for the annual Optician Awards will take place on Saturday 9th April, at the brand new cutting-edge Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham.
The Vox Conference Centre
Resorts World
Birmingham B40 1PU
Sat Nav directions: B40 1NT
Accomodation: The Vox Conference Centre is part of the Resorts World Birmingham complex.
The Genting Hotel is based in the complex. For more information and to book your accommodation for the Genting Hotel please click here.
Alternatively, the Hilton Birmingham Metropole is very close by. Please click here for more information and to book your accommodation.
We have also teamed up with our accommodation partners HotelMap to offer you the best rate of hotels in the area around the venue. Click here for more information and to book your hotel.
The people that make the optician awards possible
Alcon® has a heritage of innovation which has improved the lives of millions of contact lens wearers and providing valuable support to Eye Care Practitioners helping them develop their clinical skills, understanding of contact lens wearers' needs and their eye care business.
Innovative products such as DAILIES TOTAL1® water gradient contact lenses, DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus™ with moisture release technology, AIR OPTIX® with Permanent Plasma Surface Technology and OPTIFREE® PureMoist® Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Solution with HydraGlyde® Moisture Matrix enhances wearers' experience with improved comfort and reduced deposition from application to removal.
Under the umbrella of the Academy for EyeCare Excellence, Alcon® supports eye care practitioners, students, support staff and business owners with education and training developed in association with independent experts.
Hoya Lens has had a presence in the UK for over 30 years. In that time, they have brought to the UK optical market the best quality lens materials, the most advanced lens designs and the most innovative treatments; all matched to the evolving needs of consumers and trade partners in the optical field.
Hoya's ophthalmic lenses are manufactured with the greatest care and precision and correspond to the strictest optical, aesthetic and cosmetic quality standards. Thanks to an extensive investment in R&D and the latest manufacturing methods, the Hoya lens design range offers a solution perfectly suited for every spectacle wearer.
Grafton Optical is one of the UK's leading suppliers of ophthalmic instruments, equipping and servicing independent and larger chain opticians as well as Britain's hospitals.
Grafton's reputation is based on our ability to source and supply the finest ophthalmic equipment at the best possible value for our customers. As an independent company we can choose the best instruments from across the world, including the USA, Europe, Japan and China, without pressure or compromise.
Our Technical Services Department comprises a talented team of individuals who are highly specialised in their individual engineering fields.
At Grafton we are proud of our level of customer service. Our dedicated team is here to help serve your needs.
Over twenty seven years ago Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Companies changed contact lenses forever when the world's first disposable contact lenses, ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses, were launched. Since then the ACUVUE® revolution has continued, right up to today with a revolutionary design for correcting presbyopia, 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST MULTIFOCAL and the upcoming 2016 launch of ACUVUE OASYS® 1-Day with HydraLuxe™ Technology. The #1 selling contact lens in the world1 unbeaten on comfort, now available in a daily lens.
At Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Companies, we are committed to supporting your success by delivering innovative technologies that address your patients' needs. ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses offer more than just vision correction. The unique EYE-INSPIRED™ Design addresses different needs and offers patients an exceptional experience that truly impacts the way they see, the way they are seen and the way they live their lives.
We are also committed to delivering best in class professional education aimed at Eye Care Practitioners, support staff and students. This is to help further develop the clinical, technical and communication skills that make a real difference to the service you deliver to your patients. We have a large professional team to support you with your learning and we are all passionate about education.
Starting with a wide range of hands-on interactive courses at THE VISION CARE INSTITUTE®, we aim to enhance clinical skills and inspire learning for over 1600 practitioners each year. In 2015 we launched our exciting new industry leading initiative STEP® (Step Through Education Program) which supports optometry students as they transition through to becoming newly qualified practitioners.
The Optical Consumer Complaints Service are excited to be supporting The Family Optician of the Year award. The OCCS mediates consumer complaints helping practitioners and patients to find a resolution and gives advice and guidance to consumers and practices. This work of the OCCS allows Jennie Jones and her team to gain insight into the importance of customer care within optics. In listening to patients and practices, it is clear that customer care is that the heart of encouraging patients to successfully engage in eye care and makes business sense!
Many practices across the UK are doing a fantastic job, and the OCCS are thrilled to support an award that recognises a commitment to long term patient relationships that extends to successive generations and approaches the running of the practice with family values at its heart. As Judges we look forward to seeing how practices across the UK define "family values" and how this benefits their business, their colleagues and most importantly their patients.
The people that make the optician awards possible
We help blind ex-Service men and women lead independent and fulfilling lives by supporting them with our in-depth expertise, experience and full range of services.
We give veterans much-needed support to adjust to sight loss, overcome the challenges of blindness and enjoy daily life. Our charity has been offering physical and emotional support to vision impaired veterans since 1915. Sight loss isn't temporary - we support every veteran and their family for the rest of their lives.
If you know of/or test a veteran with sight loss please do ask them to request a callback to discuss FREE support, or speak to us at the Optra Fair so they can receive our free support.
A huge thank you to the Optician for supporting us.
Frequently Asked questions
Please see answers to some frequently asked questions below. If your question is not answered here, please get in touch with the awards team on 020 7501 6782, who will be happy to help.
A: You must submit your entry/entries by midnight Friday 22nd January 2016.
A: It is FREE to enter the Optician Awards.
A: A practice can only enter a maximum of THREE of the practice awards. This does not include the individual awards.
A: The main component of your entry is the entry document. The entry document should be no more than 1000 words. All key information listed in the criteria for the category needs to be in the entry document.
Supporting material is optional and does not contribute to the 1000 word limit of the entry document. Supporting material may include, but is not limited to photographs, testimonials, graphs, pdfs of any printed material (adverts, brochures, news articles etc).
A: You should submit no more than 5 supporting documents. Each supporting document can have a maximum of 10 pages per file.
A: Once you have submitted your entries they will be processed by the awards team, ready for judging. Judging takes place in early February and the shortlist will be announced shortly after.
A: The Optician Awards will be judged by a panel of experts specialising in different areas of optometry and the optical industry.
A: The full shortlist will be published on this website in early February. You will also receive confirmation by email at this time.
A: The announcement of the winners will be made at the Optician Awards on Saturday 9th April at the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham.
A: Bookings will be open shortly for you to buy tickets to attend the ceremony on the 9th April
A: Please click here to read our terms and conditions
Don't Hesitate to get in touch with us...
Advertising Enquiries
Senior Advertising Manager
Optician Awards
Tel: 020 7501 6706
Send email

subset: commoncrawl


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We meet our perfect match here
Perfect match! Hi ThaiCupid. We meet our perfect match here. We chat and fall in love. After 2 months I finally got to visit my girl for 1 month and we know we are right for each other. We can't be separated. Visiting again soon and planning trips until get married early next year. Thanks TLL/ThaiCupid Treeya and Ben"


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We got this in Baseball Prospectus's stat of the day e-mail, so we're basically just stealing it from them. We can't find it on their site either, so here's an obligatory link to their site and a hat tip to them.
They listed the top-five AL MVP candidates for 2008, based on WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player), and it went:
Player, Team, WARP
Alex Rodriguez, NYA, 9.0
Miguel Cabrera, DET, 7.7
Grady Sizemore, CLE, 7.0
Evan Longoria, TBA, 6.8
Robinson Cano, NYA, 6.8
WARP is more specifically defined as:
The number of wins this player contributed, above what a replacement level hitter, fielder, and pitcher would have done, with adjustments only for within the season. It should be noted that a team which is at replacement level in all three of batting, pitching, and fielding will be an extraordinarily bad team, on the order of 20-25 wins in a 162-game season.
Like we said earlier today, A-Rod, 75 homers please.
It's very cool to see Robinson Cano mentioned among the top-five MVP candidates based on WARP. Cano is sometimes overshadowed by the Yankees' mega-stars, but he's arguably the best second baseman in the AL. And it's really interesting to see Longoria named, since the Rays have decided - in all their infinite wisdom - to have him start the season in the minors. (Actually, as Rob Neyer recently noted for ESPN, the Longoria decision is probably based more on financials than baseball.)
MVP campaigns are fun to watch, and A-Rod's was legit last year. The kind of season where every time he came up we watched, waited, and wondered what he was possibly going to do next. Hopefully he's got a few more of those in him.


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The Company undertook structural reforms of its business since the economic bubble burst in 1990 under the leadership of Michio Matsui, its current president & CEO, and its initiatives attracted industry-wide attention as these involved innovative services and products which went against then industry practice and tradition. In May 1998, the Company began its online brokerage services before many of its principal competitors and prior to the October 1999 deregulation of retail brokerage commissions in Japan. Since then, the Company has transformed itself from a small-scale conventional securities broker into a leading provider of online brokerage services.
The Company believes it has been an industry innovator in meeting the needs of its customers. For example, the Company introduced an innovative commission structure Box Rate based on aggregate daily transaction value regardless of the number of transactions, which was the first of its kind in Japan, focusing the advantage of price reductions on investors who traded actively. The Company was also the first in Japan to introduce online margin trading, providing experienced investors with a quick, reasonably priced means for making leveraged investments. The Company believes its market-leading services and innovative terms have enhanced its reputation as a brokerage of choice for the sophisticated retail investors.
In 2013, the Company has introduced "Margin Trading Service for Day-trades" which is designed to take full advantage of the benefits under the newly relaxed deposit rules for margin trading. Since then the Companys market share has risen with increase of the trading value for this service. In addition, the Company has introduced additional short-selling service under the platform of Margin Trading Service for Day-trades, namely Premium Short-Selling Services. It enables short-selling for unique stocks listed on JASDAQ and Mothers which are not currently available for short-selling on the normal type of margin transaction at any online securities brokers due to lack of stock lending inventory. Since the services have been well received by retail clients and the Company has succeeded in acquiring many of day-traders from competitors, some of other online brokers have completely copied the services and provide similar services.


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2 posts tagged with disney by stbalbach.
Displaying 1 through 2 of 2.
500 new German fairy tales discovered
"The Turnip Princess" is one of 500 German fairy-tales recently unearthed in an archive. They were collected by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth about 150 years ago, around the same time as the Grimm brothers were collecting fairytales. Some are variations of well known stories such as Cinderella, others are completely new like a Turnip Princess, or the story of a maiden who turns herself into a pond to escape a witch, who then attempts to drink the lake. A translator is working on an English edition.
Abandoned Disneyland in Beijing
As you leave Beijing traveling north on the road to visit the Great Wall of China you pass by this (map). It's unguarded, and various people have explored it, reporting back. There are two theories of its demise, local farmers, or Disney.
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9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pool
Please join us in honoring the victims of 9/11 with these resources. Get ideas for commemorating 9/11 in communities, schools, through social media or as an individual.
Join the membership program supporting our mission to honor the memories of those killed on 9/11 and educate future generations.
The 9/11 Memorial's volunteer program enables community member participation in its operations. The 9/11 Memorial seeks volunteers with compassion, patience, integrity, reliability and excellent communication skills to support the Visitor Services staff.
The 9/11 Memorial is grateful for the generous support from many corporations, foundations and individuals that have supported the organization at the major gift level.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is a nonprofit that does not receive city, state or federal funding, making donations critical to maintaining our operations.
A collection of stories of resilience and hope surrounding 9/11, as told today by New Yorkers.
Learn more about the official 9/11 Memorial Supporter badge.
Learn more »
October 21, 2016 | 10:44am
More from the blog »
Follow the 9/11 Memorial Museum on social media to stay connected
Learn more about ways to get involved and volunteer.
A dedicated section for the loved ones of those killed in the 2001 and 1993 attacks. Stay informed and plan your visit.More Information »
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Fabreeka International, Inc
Vibration Isolation, Shock Control, Resilient Laminated Pads
Fabreeka® is an international company focused on the development and manufacture of components to control vibration and shock. Fabreeka's® excellence in shock and vibration technology began in 1936 with the introduction of the unique Fabreeka® pad for shock isolation.
Later developments for vibration isolation include the Fabcel pad®, a high quality nitrile pad and DIMFAB 280, introduced to meet the specifications for the Distributed Isolation Material (DIM) specified for use in the US Navy submarines and surface ships.
An international presence demonstrates Fabreeka's® ongoing tradition of excellence in vibration and shock technology. Fabreeka's® dedicated employees are committed to providing superior engineering, quality products and outstanding customer service - worldwide.
Fabreeka Resilient Laminated Pads
Fabreeka® resilient laminated fabric pad is a scientifically designed and manufactured material composed of layers of tightly twisted, closely woven lightweight duck.
Each layer is impregnated with an elastomeric compound containing mold and mildew inhibiting agents.
The properties of Fabreeka® are exceptionally suited for the reduction of impact shock, vibration and structure-borne noise. Avoid metal-to-metal contact in mount attachments by including Fabreeka® Bushings and Washers.
Fabreeka® pads meet the US military specification MIL-C-882 and are impervious to most oils and solvents, while resisting the effects of steam, water, mildew and brine.
Thicker sections can be supplied by bonding standard thicknesses together, and the pads can be custom fabricated to any shape or size.
Distributed Isolation Material - DIMFAB
DIMFAB 280 is a low durometer elastomeric compound that meets the specification requirements for Distributed Isolation Material (DIM) MIL-D-24709. It is specified for use in US Navy submarines and surface ships.
DIMFAB is a proven solution where structure-borne noise, shock or vibration is a problem. These mounting pads are specifically designed to perform successfully in applications where DIM mounts are required.
A major feature of these pads is that they can be readily cut to any desired shape or size for easy installation in a wide variety of applications.
Additionally, DIMFAB pads meet or exceed Naval specifications regarding environmental requirements including salt spray, temperature storage, oil immersion, ozone, etc.
Soft Support Systems for Aircraft Ground Vibration Testing
Aircraft undergo ground vibration testing (GVT) to gather and analyze dynamic modes of the aircraft. The structural dynamic characteristics of a new aircraft are important because they reveal mode shapes, structural damping and more importantly are used to predict flutter behavior.
To obtain accurate results during GVT, the modal testing of the aircraft requires simulation of a "free-free" condition.
Fabreeka® has been successful providing soft support systems (SSS) for GVT for large and small aircraft. Vertical and horizontal natural frequencies as low as 0.4 Hz have been provided as well as jacking systems used in conjunction with the SSS, which reduce the set up time for the GVT.
Fabcel Vibration and Shock Isolation Pads
Fabcel® is a high-quality elastomer molded into 18" x 18" scientifically designed vibration and shock isolation pads. Fabcel® pads may be cut to smaller and used in multiple layers to obtain lower natural frequencies.
The Fabcel® pad surfaces have patented molded recessed offset cells to allow flow of the elastomer when under load, while maintaining lateral stability.
This design eliminates the shape factor usually associated with elastomeric materials. Fabcel® pads are available in load ranges from 5 to 300 psi and are typically used to isolates pumps, engines, generators and fans.
You are about to contact Fabreeka International, Inc. Please fill in the form below and your enquiry will be sent directly to the supplier' email address.
Contact details
+1 781 341 3655
Fabreeka International, Inc
1023 Turnpike Street, PO Box 210
MA 02072, Boston


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With Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Rachel Buehler and Karina LeBlanc all absent due to their national team duties, the Portland Thorns failed to score a goal against the Chicago Red Stars. As a result, the Thorns dropped to 6-2-1, good for second in the National Women's Soccer League.
Next up for the Thorns is a Thursday night tilt (7:30 p.m.) against FC Kansas City at Jeld-Wen Field. Check out highlights from Saturday's game below:


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A political forum for candidates in the April 6 elections in St. Tammany Parish will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Covington City Council's chambers at 222 E. Kirkland St. Doors open at 6 p.m.
The event is being hosted by the St. Tammany Parish chapter of the Alliance for Good Government.
The organization has invited candidates in the following special elections: 3rd District-Div. C judge in the state's 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, 22nd Judicial District judge for Div. G, and an at-large race to fill three seats on the Abita Springs Board of Aldermen.
An Alliance member will ask the candidates a series of questions.


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Donald W. Perrego, 81, a director of several bureaus in the former state Department of Environmental Resources, died Monday.
Perrego was the first Masters Candidate in the Civil Engineering program at Bucknell University. He joined the state in 1956 with the Department of Forests and Waters as a group leader in the design of flood protection projects.
When the Department of Environmental Resources was created in 1971, he was named Director of the Bureau of Consulting Services and later Director of the Bureau of Design. From 1982 until his retirement in 1986, he served as the Director of the Bureau of Water Projects.
During his long career with state government, the Dillsburg resident worked on 65 Pennsylvania State Parks projects, including the selection of the location of Little Buffalo State Park in Perry County and 153 flood control and water resource projects throughout Pennsylvania.
- Beers, Beverly E. Swain
- Bennett, Pauline N.
- Bonawitz, John W.
- Centini, Raymond Bruce "Tom"
- Cherry, Gina A.
- Danner, Beatrice May
- Foust, Alice Ann
- Frye, James E.
- Gibson, James H.
- Gibson, Lois R.
- Kobb, Keith Douglas
- Lebo, Gloria LaMae Iscovitz
- Lichtenberger, Pauline F.
- Littwin, Beatrice Elizabeth
- Murray, M. Frances deChantal


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Molokai reaches state volleyball quarterfinals
Another view from the inside
After another brush with local medical providers, we are once again left with a perplexing conclusion:
Health care is a complex issue.
When viewed at arm's length (i.e., neither you nor a loved one is currently using the system), it is easy to say it is too costly, fraught with waste and needs to be subjected to a good dose of real-world economics. News stories recount botched procedures and professional inefficiencies.
It is interesting how that snapshot changes when one sees the system firsthand, either as a patient or the worried relative of someone receiving care.
A loved one's recent health issue gave us a front row seat and the lasting impression that we took away was this: The caregivers you see over and over again in a hospital – the nurses, aides and therapists – almost universally work tirelessly to make patients comfortable and to speed their recovery. While one hears about mistakes, our experience showed redundant checks to make sure such misadventures did not occur.
Moreover, the physicians involved in the care were not only excellent, they took time to explain exactly how each procedure would be performed and what they were designed to do.
Once again, our family came through the ordeal with an immense admiration for the people who are in the trenches in health care.
There may well be some bureaucratic problems with our system. But the people who fight daily to save and improve lives are not part of that problem. It is a shame that the health care professionals who actually take care of the patients are sullied by criticism that should be more focused on billing, insurance and delivery methods.
In any event, we'd remind our readers that there are a lot of quiet heroes working in health care every day who are devoted to helping you and your family.
* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.


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Using Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) with AHSS does present some technical hurdles. AHSS are sensitive to heat inputs of GMAW and can potentially suffer from microstructure changes and reductions in mechanical properties. It's a problem made all the worse in the down-gauged sheet made possible by AHSS strength. In his GDIS presentation, Ford's Elliott outlined some of the company's ongoing work to optimize GMAW process variables and weld-line geometry. For example, he identified a number of variables that can increase fatigue life of a lap-welding joint between a 3.4 mm AHSS (DP 600) and a 3.8 mm mild steel. Among the variables are decreasing wire feed speed and travel speed while increasing torch angle, push angle and the contact-to-work-distance.
Take a more comprehensive look at Elliott's study.


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Chris Conrad is a court-qualified expert witness on cannabis (marijuana) who has testified more than 100 times, and directs Safe Access Now. He is author of Hemp: Lifeline to the Future, Hemp for Health and Shattered Lives: Portraits from America's Drug War, and other books. A curator of the Hash-Marijuana-Hemp Museum in Amsterdam, he grew and processed cannabis legally in Europe and worked at the famous Cannabis Castle.
He has worked with legal medical marijuana patients, caregivers and support groups in California and consults regularly with doctors, attorneys and legislators. His latest booklet, Cannabis Yields and Dosage, explains basic principles of cultivation and consumption of medical marijuana as well as the legal issues. He is also expert on industrial hemp and personal marijuana use.
- Cannabis Yields and Dosage
- Hemp for Health
- Hemp: Lifeline to the Future
- Human Rights & the U.S. Drug War
- Nostradamus and the Attack on New York
- Shattered Lives: Portraits From America's Drug War
Past Shows:
Brazilian Disclosure
Journalist Paola Harris and ufologist A.J. Gevaerd discussed the movement towards UFO disclosure in Brazil and around the world. Gevaerd detailed how he and a group of investigators had been pressuring the Brazilian military for some time to release files related to UFOs, and had gathered thousands of signatures on a petition through their UFO-related magazine. Finally on May 20, 2005, he and a... More »Host: George Noory
Medical Marijuana
Cannabis expert Chris Conrad spoke in favor of medical marijuana usage. "For some people, it is nothing short of a miracle drug," offering symptomatic relief for those with health problems that cannot be adequately treated by medications or surgery, he noted. It's also been shown to increase appetite for people suffering from diseases like AIDS or cancer, who otherwise might be... More »Host: George Noory


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Jeff Karteron and Jeff Martino teamed for 22 points as Blessed Sacrament beat St. Patrick's 42-35 in a Catholic Youth Organization Varsity A contest Friday.
Anthony Giordano and James Mahoney combined for 20 points in St. Patrick's 28-20 JV A win over St. Clare's.
John Castallucci (14 points) and Justin Council (13) fueled Holy Rosary's 43-37 victory over Blessed Sacrament.
John Azzato had 14 points and P.J. Delsani hit a late bucket to help St. Joseph/St. Thomas post a 26-22 JV B win over Holy Family.
Matt Gildersleeve and Rob Mandra teamed for 15 points as Our Lady Star of the Sea topped St. Clare's 28-22 in Tyro A.
Behind the combined 14 points from William Lopresti and Chris Fabozzi, Holy Family toppled St. Margaret Mary's 30-10 in Tyro B.
James Shay's eight points and Donato Cangro's five points led St. Joseph's over St. Patrick's 17-7 in Small Fry C action.
Jack Sicari and Michael Angelone split 12 points in Our Lady Star of the Sea's 24-5 Rookie A win over St. Joseph/St. Thomas.
Matthew Rose's 14 points lifted Our Lady Queen of Peace to a 18-10 Rookie B win over St. Joseph/St. Thomas.
Clare Mitchell, Meghan Driscoll and Stephanie Sabido teamed for 17 points in Sacred Heart's 23-15 Debs A triumph over Blessed Sacrament.
Marisa Tasca's 15 points lifted St. Joseph/St. Thomas past St. Teresa's 23-9.
In Gidget C, Emma Tupone notched the winning basket and Tara Curran supplied the defense as Sacred Heart edged Holy Family 8-7.
Lauren DiMartino (six points) and Racquel Longobardi (five) paced Our Lady Star of the Sea's 15-9 Novice A decision over Sacred Heart.
Victoria and Giana Brescia combined for 12 points as St. Teresa's edged St. Charles 14-10.
Kristan Rooney, Jordyn Castagliola and Lucy Hartnett led the offense as St. Patrick's beat St. Charles 10-2 in Novice B action.
Christopher Clancy and Gus Scelzo combined for 21 points as St. Charles topped St. Clare's in Bantam A.
In B action, Blessed Sacrament beat Our Lady Queen of Peace 18-9 as Mike Travers, Jake Dulligan and Noriega Walton teamed for 13 markers.


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Historic Sites
Museums Sites
Displaying 52
American Numismatic Association Money Museum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
|Through the discovery of money, America's largest museum dedicated to numismatics...
Anasazi Heritage Center
Dolores, Colorado
|The museum features permanent exhibits on archaeology, local history, & Native...
Argo Gold Mine And Museum
Idaho Springs, Colorado
|The five-story Argo mill was renovated and opened to the public as a historic and...
Aurora History Museum
Aurora, Colorado
|The museum strives to reach more and more citizens with local history programs and...
Bent's Old Fort
La Junta, Colorado
|William and Charles Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, built the original fort on this...
Black American West Museum
Denver, Colorado
|While famous for telling the story of Black cowboys, we are broader than this with...
Boulder History Museum
Boulder, Colorado
|The museum exhibits artifacts from its collection of over 35,000 objects of historical...
Buena Vista Heritage
Buena Vista, Colorado
|Located in the 1882 Old Chaffee County Courthouse, the Buena Vista Heritage Museum...
Buffalo Bill Museum And Grave
Golden, Colorado
|See Sitting Bull's bow and arrows, Buffalo Bill's show outfits, Frederick Remington's...
Byers Evans House Museum
Denver, Colorado
|Enjoy this distinctive house museum, which includes guided tours as well as a short film...
Clyfford Still Museum
Denver, Colorado
|The building will provide intimate, architecturally compelling spaces for the study and...
Colorado History Museum
Denver, Colorado
|Constructed in 1977, the museum preserves a collection of historic and prehistoric...
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
|The Museum has over 40,000 objects in its collection including nationally significant...
Denver Firefighters Museum
Denver, Colorado
|The building served as a working fire station until 1974. Now it offers hands-on...
Denver Museum Of Nature & Science
Denver, Colorado
|In 1868, pioneer and naturalist Edwin Carter arrived in Breckenridge, Colo., and devoted...
Durango And Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
Durango, Colorado
|Experience the adventure of traveling by a historic coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive...
Edwin Carter Museum
Breckenridge, Colorado
|Edwin Carter was a Breckenridge pioneer and famous "log cabin naturalist."...
El Pueblo History Museum
Pueblo, Colorado
|The museum building showcases the city's history and the various cultural and ethnic...
Estes Park Museum
Estes Park, Colorado
|The mission of the Estes Park Museum Friends & Foundation is to ensure that the Estes...
Fort Garland Museum
Fort Garland, Colorado
|Established in 1858 in southern Colorado, Fort Garland, with its garrison of over 100 men...
Fort Morgan Museum
Fort Morgan, Colorado
|The permanent and temporary exhibits at the museum showcase the variety of history and...
Fort Vasquez Museum
Platteville, Colorado
|This is the site of an 1835 fur-trading fort, following the paths of founders Louis...
Frisco Historic Park & Museum
Frisco, Colorado
|In 1983, the Frisco Historical Society and the Town of Frisco officially dedicated the...
Ghost Town Wild West Museum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
|During the Colorado Gold Rush of the 1860s & 70s, towns sprang up overnight and...
Golden Pioneer Museum
Golden, Colorado
|Exhibits in the museum include: Native American artifacts and timelines, pioneer domestic...
Grand County Historical Association & Museum
Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado
|The association has three museum sites: Pioneer Village Museum Complex, Cozens Ranch and...
Greeley History Museum
Greeley, Colorado
|Step inside the historic entrance or new glass atrium doors and begin exploring Greeley's...
Healy House Museum And Dexter Cabin
Leadville, Colorado
|James V. Dexter's surprisingly plush 1879 log cabin was the Leadville residence of the...
Hinsdale County Historical Society & Museum
Lake City, Colorado
|The society's major function is to discover and collect material which may help to...
Hiwan Homestead Museum
Evergreen, Colorado
|This 17-room log lodge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places because of...
Hotel De Paris Museum
Georgetown, Colorado
|The NSCDA in Colorado purchased the building in 1954 and now operates it as the only...
Kauffman House Museum
Grand Lake, Colorado
|The Kauffman House is an excellent example of an early residence and tourist hotel. It...
Lafayette Miners Museum
Lafayette, Colorado
|In December of 1913, coal miner William E. Lewis and his family purchased the home. from...
Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum
Berthoud, Colorado
|Once home to the Native American, trapper, cattleman, and homesteader, Little Thompson...
Littleton Historical Museum
Littleton, Colorado
|Located on 39 acres, the museum consists of two living history farms (one from the 1860...
Longmont Museum & Cultural Center
Longmont, Colorado
|Two of the four exhibit galleries, the Longmont gallery and the Longs Peak Room, contain...
Louisville Historical Museum
Louisville, Colorado
|The main building is historically known as the Jacoe Store and features a variety of...
Mcallister House Museum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
|Built a year and a half after the city was founded, when most houses were of vernacular...
Museum Of Colorado Prisons
Cañon City, Colorado
|The remodeled facility now welcomes visitors to explore 32 cells filled with exciting...
Museum Of Northwest Colorado
Craig, Colorado
|The Cowboy and Gunfighter Museum, housed within the Museum of Northwest Colorado,...
Pearce Mcallister Cottage
Denver, Colorado
|Today, the Pearce-McAllister Cottage is home to the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls...
Pioneer Town
Cedaredge, Colorado
|Visitors can experience a old-time Western saloon, marshall's office, barber shop, bank,...
Poudre Landmarks Foundation
Fort Collins, Colorado
|Incorporated in 1972, the mission of the Poudre Landmarks Foundation, Inc. is to preserve...
Prorodeo Hall Of Fame And Museum Of The American Cowboy
Colorado Springs, Colorado
|Opened in August 1979, with a first-year honoring of 69 two-legged plus 14 four-legged...
Rio Grande County Museum & Cultural Center
Del Norte, Colorado
|The museum offers visitors a glimpse into the cultural and natural history of the area...
San Luis Valley Museum
Alamosa, Colorado
|The museum has educational displays featuring artifacts, photographs, antiques and...
South Park Historical Foundation & Museum
Fairplay, Colorado
|South Park City is a remarkable restoration of these early towns, preserving the history...
St. Vrain Historical Society
Longmont, Colorado
Timberlane Farm Museum
Loveland, Colorado
|Timberlane Farm is a working farm museum intending to preserve the 1860 to 1940 life...
Tread Of Pioneers Museum
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
|The Western room, home of an extensive firearms collection, traces ranching life, the...
Trinidad History Museum
Trinidad, Colorado
|Landmark homes, local treasures, and lovely gardens make the Trinidad history Museum a...
Ute Indian Museum
Montrose, Colorado
|The museum lies on the original 8.65-acre homestead owned by Chief Ouray and his wife,...


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Ruffner Mountain will have a free Lorax Earth Day event Saturday.
Join us for this family fun Earth Day celebration! Dr. Seuss wrote about environmental concerns in his book "The Lorax," published in 1971, with a conservation message that still rings true today. We will kick off the celebration with a reading of "The Lorax" at 1:30. Activities will include: recycled and nature inspired crafts, a guided 1/2 mile hike at 2:30, meeting and learning about native Alabama animals at 3:30, and learning some of the ways we can help out our planet. FREE
Go here to check it out: https://www.facebook.com/events/626352170712827/


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The election of a Sudanese warlord accused of genocide to the United Nations Human Rights Council is now virtually guaranteed, since he has the full backing of the world body's African delegation. (FOX news)
Millions dead in jihadi wars in Darfur and southern Sudan, and this is the UN's pick for a seat on the "Human Rights" council, which includes Muslim slave-state Mauritania. The candidacies of Venezuela and Pakistan are also being protested by UN Watch and other human rights groups.
One of Barack Hussein's first acts as President was to reverse President Bush's policy and seek a seat on the UN Human Rights council back in March of 2009. The Bush administration rightly shunned the United Nations' human rights body to protest the influence of repressive states. Obama's reversal is part of his perverse and depraved transformation of American foreign policy. Once a force for good and freedom, we have become the very thing our nation once held in the utmost contempt.
"Outrage: Sudan's Al-Bashir, Indicted for Genocide, is Nominated for Seat on U.N. Human Rights Council" UN Watch, August 9, 2012
Rights group UN Watch urges Ban Ki-moon, rights chief Navi Pillay to speak out
GENEVA, July 12 - Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch urged United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to urgently speak out against the African-backed bid by Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir, indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court, for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Last week, the U.S. failed to get the council to pass a condemnation of what it said was a Syrian candidacy for 2014.
The NGO UN Watch also called on US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the EU's Catherine Ashton to denounce and fight against Sudan's candidacy.
"Electing Sudan to the U.N. body mandated to promote and protect human rights worldwide is like putting Jack the Ripper in charge of a women's shelter," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.
UN Watch already heads an international campaign of MPs and human rights groups opposing the candidacies of Venezuela and Pakistan.
The U.N.'s African group of states agreed behind closed doors to endorse the candidacies of Ethiopia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Because Africa has arranged for five countries to run for the same amount of allotted seats, Sudan's election is virtually assured.
"Technically," said Neuer, "Sudan must still receive an absolute majority of 97 affirmative country votes in the U.N. General Assembly's November election for new human rights council members. However, in the history of these ballots, names presented on a closed slate have never been rejected. It's just the way U.N. ambassadors work. And the fact is that Sudan has been chosen to head various U.N. groupings, so its election to the UNHRC, however outrageous, is a real possibility."
Neuer said that UN rights chief Navi Pillay, who hails from South Africa, could make a big difference by speaking out. "We need her to be the moral voice here, to urge other African countries to put their names forward, and to call for unequivocal opposition to Sudan's scandalous bid. Her role is crucial."
"Just a year after the human rights council sought to exorcise the ghosts of its past by suspending Col. Muammar Qaddafi's Libya -- which infamously chaired the body in 2003, and was reelected a member in 2010 -- it is now set to replace him with a tyrant wanted for genocide by the International Criminal Court. For how long must we have the inmates running the asylum?"
Neuer said that Sudan clearly failed to meet the criteria of UNGA Resolution 60/251, which established the UN Human Rights Council in 2006. General Assembly members are obliged to elect states to the Council by "tak[ing] into account the candidates' contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made thereto." The resolution also provides that consideration ought to be given to whether the candidate can meet the obligations of Council membership, which include (a) to "uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights" and (b) to "fully cooperate with the Council."
"The U.N. and the cause of human rights will be severely damaged if Al-Bashir's Sudanese regime wins a seat," said Neuer.
UN Watch also called on the U.S. and the EU to lead a vigorous campaign to defeat Sudan's candidacy, and to ensure there will be competition on the African slate of candidates.
"Last year, the democracies fought a successful campaign to defeat Syria, by persuading other countries to compete. Yet they said and did absolutely nothing in 2010 on Libya -- perhaps due to lucrative oil and business deals -- and Qaddafi won by a landslide. It's vital this year that the US and the EU announce early that they are opposed to having the oppressive Sudanese regime of Al-Bashir Assad judging the world on human rights," said Neuer.


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Review gets four out of five stars
You may have grown up listening to Buddy Holly. You may have grandparents who grew up listening to Buddy Holly. You may not know Buddy Holly from Mick Jagger or Britney Spears.
One thing's for sure — you're going to enjoy "Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story," the lively new musical about Holly's all-too-short music career that ended in a 1959 plane crash with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper.
That trio's ill-fated night in Clear Lake, Iowa, is the focal point of the second act of the show that opened Thursday at the Virginia Samford Theatre, but there's much more to it than that. We see Buddy Holly from his humble beginnings in Lubbock, Texas, refusing to sing the country music he's asked to and instead intent on creating his own brand of rock ¤'n' roll.
Director Norton Dill has found the perfect Holly in teenager Daniel Jackson. Jackson looks the part, acts the part and, most importantly, sings the part, whether it's a rollicking "That'll Be the Day" or "Rave On" or a lovely, acoustic "True Love Ways." That he and his band, the Crickets, play their own instruments is just added value.
But Dill doesn't stop with the title character. He has populated "Buddy Holly" with great performers, from Kyle Holman as the emcee of the Iowa concert to David Coker as Holly's hometown DJ to Ernest Sykes and Ashley Guin as two talented, and bemused, singers when Holly and the Crickets (Nick Fuller, Joe Cooley and Lee Wright) make their Apollo Theatre debut.
As good as Jackson is, he's nearly upstaged in the end by the hysterical Ben Burford, who looks way too comfortable in the Big Bopper's leopard-spot coat, and the energetic Brian Lindsey, who brings down the house as Valens singing and thrusting to "La Bamba."
Credit music director Katie Holmes and choreographer Carl Dean for helping make the musical numbers work as well as they do. Thankfully, the music is ever-present, because the script can get a bit clunky at times.
But one thing must go — urging the audience to stand as the show comes to a close.
Number one, if we want to stand, we'll stand. We shouldn't have to be urged to do it by people running up and down the aisles.
Secondly, standing ovations happen far too often anyway, which makes them less meaningful.
This cast may very well earn one without any cajoling, but they'll never know.
Note: After this review posted, I was told by folks associated with the show that the standing ovation was urged by an usher at the one performance (a final dress rehearsal) I attended. It was a one-time thing.


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Our View: 'Hamburger today'
Want to know where national Democrats truly stand in this now two-week-long (partial) government shutdown/debt ceiling impasse?
Take note of what one Democratic congressional aide told Reuters:…
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Friday, March 28th, 2008
Santa Clues: How Far Will You Go to Keep the Big Lie Alive?
Santa Clues is a decorative set slated for store shelves this autumn (sorry, no photo yet).
Intended for ages 3 and up, the set includes foot prints, torn coat fabric, glasses, a button, a sleigh bell and a "naughty and nice" list.
That's right, it's "everything parents need to convince their children (and themselves) that Santa really was in their home."
Oh, but is it everything? As long as we're going to extreme lengths to create the perfect deception, let's put a little more thought into it…
- Leave ash boot prints on the carpet.
- Rather than drink the milk left for Santa, spill it and leave a note of apology.
- Bake peanut butter cookies with your kids and leave the cookies for Santa. On Christmas morning, let your children find a spent EpiPen and a note from Santa explaining that he's allergic to peanuts.
- Climb onto your roof and stomp around while jingling bells.
- Plant lots of dog poop on the roof.
- Wake your kids in excitement, rushing them to the window to see the neighbor you paid to dress as Santa and hang out on his roof by his chimney. (The neighbor then goes down the opposing side of his house out-of-view.)
If you do the whole neighbor-as-Santa thing right, you'll probably brainwash your kid well into his early teens.
Can you think of any more amusing or realistic ways to deceive your kids?
And on a serious note, considering the Santa Clues product, how far are you willing to go? At what point does stirring your child's imagination switch over to weaving a complex lie?
See previous:


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Uploaded by Gustavo Z. on Nov 2, 2013
Uploaded by jason f. on Nov 2, 2013
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Gavin & Phillip in The Dude Show - HotHouse
Models: Phillip Aubrey and Gavin Waters
Film: The Dude Show: Reality Sucks!
Studio: Hot House
The guys get creative in the game room when Phillip challenges Gavin to a game of strip ping pong. According to the rules if you miss two in a row you have to remove a piece of clothing. Once both guys are naked they decide to up the ante; the next guy out gets fucked. Despite his claims that he's the ping pong master Gavin ends up on the table with his ass in the air. Aubrey fucks and sucks Gavin at the same time, then like any good match, the game changes and Aubrey gets his ass fucked too!


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Three people sustained serious injuries in a head-on crash yesterday at around 5:15 p.m. at American Way and Enterprise Avenue North, officials said.
According to a first-responder who was at the scene, the driver of a stolen sedan, who was intoxicated, swerved into a Nissan Murano, which had two people.
The first responder said the driver was arrested and taken to the Hackensack University Medical Center while the two people in the SUV were transported to the Jersey City Medical Center.
Police officials did not immediately return phone calls to comment, but Mayor Michael Gonnelli said firefighters extricated three occupants from vehicles.
The Nissan Murano SUV and the sedan came to a rest in the intersection. Both vehicles had heavy front-end damage. Debris from the crash, including a wheel, were piled up near the curb.
There were unconfirmed police scanner reports that the sedan was stolen out of Union City.


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Jets Should Punt On Geno Smith
Ten starts into his professional career and I'm willing to say it's time to pull the plug on Geno Smith. He should be demoted to the second string and Matt Simms should start for the rest of the year. The Jets can't afford to put him under center ever again. He's truly that bad.
In fact, Geno Smith is terrible. And not in the way many rookie quarterbacks are when they first enter the league. He's terrible in the way that can ruin a franchise for years. He can't be developed. Any attempt to do so will cost the Jets more than just a few more games. It literally has the potential to cost them years of frustrating setbacks. Years they shouldn't be willing to waste. Not fresh off the Mark Sanchez era in today's pass-friendly NFL.
Not with this defensive unit. Especially across the defensive line. These guys have the chance to be scary good. However, watching them constantly have to start on the wrong side of their own 50-yard line, multiple times a game, because Smith handed it to the other team, is a nightmare.
Smith holds the ball too long in the pocket. The alarm that should go off in every quarterback's head telling them it's time to get rid of the ball seems permanently set to snooze. He throws the ball to stationary defensive backs and linebackers far too often. I could see if these guys were making plays on the ball and picking it off but they're not. There are mostly just standing there and Smith is hitting them right between the numbers.
He slid to the second round in last year's draft and cautioned every team that passed on him they would be sorry. However, the only team sorry now are the Jets. Sorry they are stuck with this dead weight until his contract doesn't cost too much against the cap to cut him.
The Jets are on the playoff bubble this year. They have a great chance to make the postseason and secure Rex Ryan a job extension he deserves. The Jets are a couple of years away from being serious threats to go to the Super Bowl. They need some secondary help, some skill at the receiver spot and a legitimate quarterback under center. The first two they can draft and grab in free agency. The third is a lot trickier. It's why you make an offer for an Alex Smith when he's available. Can you imagine if the Jets had made that trade and then used the Geno Smith pick on Tyrann Mathieu instead? They'd be the East Coast version of the Chiefs right now. They could have grabbed Mike Glennon later in the draft like I was screaming they should and developed him under a Pro Bowl quarterback for a few years. Old-school style. But, like all things with the Jets, hindsight will drive you crazy.
Some people will read this and counterpoint that Geno Smith looked great against Atlanta, New Orleans and New England during the team's second meeting this year. However, anyone that knows anything about football knows you can't go to battle with a quarterback you can only depend on half the time. A quarterback that gives you no chance to win every other game. A quarterback the locker room has to be losing faith in rapidly.
Anyone watching Geno Smith play against Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati earlier this season and then Buffalo should feel like they've seen enough of him to last them a lifetime.
I certainly have.


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Cheats and Walkthroughs(39)
Rolling up the cosmos with the Katamari series has been a staple to the memories of many gamers. For the first time ever, the series will make it's appearance on the PlayStation 3 taking full advantage of the hardware horsepower. 1080p Katamari tribute!?! You ask? Why yes.
Join Namco Bandai's Localization Specialist Katherine Schilling, as she previews the vibrant and wacky gameplay of Katmari Forever for the PS3 with a 10-minute Direct-Feed gameplay walkthrough.


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Name Calling or general rude behavior is no longer acceptable in the Cafe, We are adults which means that we should be able to debate without resorting to name calling. Warnings will be given out if users fail to act appropriately.Dismiss Notice
Took a mouth swab today, will I pass?
Discussion in 'Legal Edge' started by BrandonPolk, Sep 4, 2012.


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Sun* in the second house may give good or bad results depending upon other factors. The indications of a benefic Sun will be that the native will be generous in nature and will earn wealth by his own efforts. The native will be skilled and will earn wealth through his natural talents. He will possess vehicles. He will not accept free donations from others.
The indications of malefic Sun in second house will be reflected on his wife and his financial situation will deteriorate. He will fail in love affairs and there will be frequent quarrels and ego clashes in the family. The native's mother and other females of the family will also suffer. There will be lesser number of females in the family. There may be disputes related to property in the family. Native will not hesitate in accepting free donations.
When Sun is placed in 2nd house and Mars (or Ketu) is placed in 9th house, native should try to get technical knowledge as this education will be used to his benefit in his profession.
When Sun is placed in second house and Rahu is placed in 9th house, native should take commercial arts as a subject while in school. He will perform very well in this subject and will win prizes and awards in drawing competition. This skill will be best utilized in painting and he can even make it as his profession.
When Sun is placed in second house and Mercury is placed in first house, he will be intelligent. He should should try for gaining technical education and profession.
When Sun is placed in second house and Moon is placed just opposite to Sun i.e. in 8th house; native should not accept any donations at all.
When Sun and Moon are placed in second house, it gives auspicious results. Native gains through government. He should keep good relations with wife, mother and other females.
When Sun and Mars are placed in second house, native experiences good results if he does not fight with his brothers and females of the house.
When Sun and Mercury placed together in second house, it makes the native intelligent. His financial position will be just above average.
When Sun and Jupiter are placed in second house, native will experience very good results. He will have beautiful house and he will be brave.
When Sun and Saturn are placed in second house, native will experience problems in family life. He may develop feelings of renouncing the world.
When Sun and Rahu are placed in second house, native will not have good relationship with in-laws. The bad results of such combination will effect the in-laws adversely.
When sun and Ketu are together in second house, it gives malefic results to his own son. His maternal uncles may also suffer.
The native should donate Mustard oil or almonds at religious place. Keep good relations with wife, mother and other females. Do not accept donations.
Kuber RA
*The results of Sun in second house will get modified through Rashi and Nakshatra occupied by Sun.


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So much for Big-Mo when it comes to the road fix package, which continues to languish in the state senate.
After the governor and the four legislative leaders did a victory lap over the bi-partisan package to help retirees in Detroit, there was speculation that that momentum might translate into a deal on the roads. Nope.
"Let's just say we went from a great kumbaya moment on Detroit to a very unproductive quadrant meeting," complains the senate Democratic leader Gretchen Whitmer.
Instead of inching forward on the roads, the meeting lasted a grand total of 15 minutes.
The senate GOP leader Randy Richardville says there was an agreement of sorts. "We agreed to keep talking. That's about it."
Richardville continues on his mission to round up votes for a monster road fix package of $1.5 billion or so over four years. He's got challenges on two fronts: in his own caucus and with Democrats.
Some of his colleagues want to raise the sales tax and scrub his election year tax hike. He is open to that but only if his funding package is approved.
Sen. Whitmer and friends want something in return if they put up votes for the GOP plan. So far she's got squat.
Mr. Richardville thinks this is not the time to talk about "50 other unrelated issues...this is about the roads." He tells her, via the media, that after she delivers Democrats for the roads then and only then can they move onto something else.
To which she bluntly retorts, via the media, "I don't trust them."
There's another challenge. Even if the senate somehow overcomes all these obstacles, what happens if you send a whopper of a tax hike to the Michigan House? Word out of that body is pretty clear: "We've already taken enough tough votes this year" as one insider puts it.
So why in the heck would senators vote for any new revenue knowing it might be DOA in the other house? The answer is they wouldn't. But Mr. R. thinks they should anyway.
However if the tax hike was linked to the sales tax ballot plan that might get legs in the house.
Even though Mr. Richardville says "we have got a fair amount of support...more than half-way to the vote with Republicans," his 13 votes is not the 20 needed to pass his bill. So he either needs more from his side to get there, or he has to deal with Ms. Whitmer.
She's waiting for the call.
Watch "Off the Record with Tim Skubick" online anytime at video.wkar.org


text:
NCAA Football
Oklahoma Sooners at TCU Horned Frogs Football
TCU is coming off a huge upset over the Longhorns last weekend, and would love to finish their season with an upset of the Sooners. They are likely pretty worn down having played six ranked teams in a row, but they have played well, and fought hard in every one of those games. Oklahoma survived in OT against their in-state rival Cowboys, and a win today could get them an invite to a BCS bowl.
Venue Information
- Amon G Carter Stadium
- Fort Worth TX 76129
More Details
Released - Saturday, December 1 , 2012 at 12:00 PM Local Time
Official Website
TV Network - ESPN
Official Website
TV Network - ESPN


text:
STOW - Poor weather and cooler temperatures kept most community members away from Saturday's search for the invasive water chestnut in Chautauqua Lake - but not Chautauqua County legislators.
The search party convened at the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry landing in Stow at 8 a.m. Organized by Jeff Diers, Chautauqua County watershed coordinator, the party consisted of four area residents, including legislators Vince Horrigan, R-Bemus Point, and Lori Cornell, D-Jamestown.
Diers distributed maps, portioning the entirety of Chautauqua Lake's shoreline into 21 zones, as well as detailed pictures and drawings of the plant to the participants.
Article Photos
Pictured at left, Jeff Diers, Chautauqua County watershed coordinator, discusses plans with county legislators Lori Cornell and Vince Horrigan, and Ruth Lundin, Jamestown Audubon Society president, during the scheduled mass search of Chautauqua Lake for the invasive water chestnut on Saturday.
P-J photo by Gavin Paterniti
Horrigan said he would be searching zone 12, which covers the area from the tip of Bemus Point to Arnold Bay, while Cornell investigated Bemus Creek from the mouth to the bridge area. Neither location was reported to have any sign of the water chestnut.
"It's hard to stop Mother Nature, but we're going to try," said Horrigan. "It's one of those things where, if we're able to get ahead of this and stay ahead of it and make everybody aware of this thing, I think we're going to stand a much better chance of fighting this invasive species. A lot of it is (about) surveillance and awareness. If people can see it, we can get on it."
Also in attendance was Ruth Lundin, Jamestown Audubon Society president. The Audubon will be hosting another "Big Pull" event at its Big Pond beginning at 8:30 a.m. this coming Saturday.
"To keep (the water chestnut) from getting out of hand is a much better idea than waiting until the cow gets out of the barn," said Lundin.
As for the shortage of community response, Diers attributed it to the late-night thunderstorm that rolled through the area Friday evening and Saturday morning.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "When I heard the weather yesterday afternoon, that (the storm) was rolling in and it was going to be significant, I just had this feeling that turnout was going to be low. Last year, there was a lot of support for the south basin, around the Bemus area and up around Chautauqua Institution. A lot of folks that live right on the water are routinely out there anyway. Since they're out there, they said they can spend some time (searching)."
Diers said he did receive calls from residents prior to the search saying they would be searching their respective zones on their own time throughout the week. According to Diers, only 17 water chestnut plants were found in last year's search of Chautauqua Lake, which makes for good odds that it hasn't spread.
"Last year, we published the zones with descriptions for anyone who is interested to go out into these areas on their own," he said. "People who want the map can contact me, and I can send it to them."
Additionally, he said there will likely be another attempt at holding a mass search later in the summer. For more information, contact Diers at 661-8915, or call the watershed hotline at 363-4499, 753-4499 or 661-7499.


text:
"The Hurt Locker" is the most harrowing, wrenching film to emerge from the Iraq War. For more than two hours, it grips a moviegoer, constantly yanking an audience into the fray.
But the fray here is not the shooting war. It is an unheralded group of men: those who defuse bombs. Director Kathryn Bigelow spares nothing: blood, missing limbs, even a man going into a child's chest to pull out a package of dynamite. Clearly, this is not for the fainthearted.
The film celebrates the unit without omitting danger's effect on the squad. One member continues to suffer trauma after seeing his friend blown to smithereens. Another is level-headed and semi-cautious -- a by-the-book defuser. Arriving to fill the vacancy of the dead man is a coldly confident young Marine who believes in taking risks.
Three defusers are portrayed clearly, despite only a few off-duty scenes. But that is sufficient. Jeremy Renner's arrogance as the supremely confident risk-taker stands out. It merits an Oscar nomination, as does the film, for boldness, suspense and authenticity. The last attribute must be credited to Mark Boal, who stitched together several stories from men he met while an embedded reporter in Baghdad.
Anthony Mackie's steady hand on the squad shows how his cohorts must react to their situations.
Bigelow long has been known for her tough films. This tops all of the previous. And, like Renner, she risks much for the finale, which punches a small hole in the saying "War is hell."
'Farce' has zip, zest
A pair of clueless cops are cut loose on a corruption case, and all hilarity breaks out in "Unnecessary Farce," Cortland Repertory Theatre's current comedy.
Shy Eric and klutzy Billie (Dustin Charles and Crystal Rona Peterson) set up a sting in which the city's new accountant (Morgan Reis) expects to nail the mayor for embezzlement. Even a seasoned cop would be hard-pressed to make this one come off with an arrest.
How could they? They discover they are dealing with a Scottish version of the Mafia. It pits them against the town's security agent, a bagpiper toting a gun and, well, the rest must remain secret for those still holding tickets.
This farce is, like most of its genre, nonsensical, but its ingredients and its cast handle the silliness with winning aplomb. Initially, it seems as if kilt-wearing, bagpipe-toting Joshua Murphy will emerge as the show's scene-stealer. Then along comes Erica Livingston as the mayor's wife, who walks off with that honor.
"Farce" is the only attraction of the Cortland Rep season to be staged by Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson. He does it with zip, zest and skill. His ensemble responds with the same.


text:
Decision Content
R. v. Pilon, [1990] 3 S.C.R. 1422
Richard Pilon Appellant
Her Majesty The Queen Respondent
indexed as: r. v. pilon
File No.: 21606.
1990: December 3; 1990: December 13.
Present: La Forest, L'Heureux‑Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier and McLachlin JJ.
application to quash an appeal
Criminal law ‑‑ Appeals to Supreme Court of Canada ‑‑ Appeal as of right ‑‑ Accused convicted of murder ‑‑ Dissent in Court of Appeal not on question of law ‑‑ Application to quash appeal granted ‑‑ Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C‑46, s. 691(1)(a).
Statutes and Regulations Cited
Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C‑46, s. 691(1)(a).
Jean‑Claude Hébert, for the appellant.
Jean‑François Dionne, for the respondent.
APPLICATION to quash an appeal from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal (1989), 29 Q.A.C. 31, dismissing the accused's appeal from his conviction for murder. Application granted.
//The Court//
The following is the judgment delivered by
THE COURT ‑‑ The present petition seeks to have quashed an appeal entered as of right pursuant to s. 691(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C‑46, that is on a question of law on which it is claimed a judge of the Court of Appeal dissents. In instructing the jury, the trial judge must explain the applicable law in a clear and accurate manner as it relates to the facts. In doing this, he must choose judiciously from the evidence presented to discuss particular points with which the jury might need help. It was in respect of this second task that the dissenting judge found the charge inadequate. By agreeing with the majority on all other points on appeal, he indicated that the trial judge had presented the law in an adequate way. His dissent was, thus, not on a question of law but on his appreciation of the adequacy of the facts selected by the trial judge in performing the second task mentioned. The motion to quash the appeal is therefore granted.
Application granted.
Solicitor for the appellant: Jean‑Claude Hébert, Montréal.
Solicitor for the respondent: Jean‑François Dionne, Ste‑Foy.


text:
Ballmer's bid to swerve 'Vista Capable' row comes unstuck
MS CEO Steve Ballmer has been ordered by a federal judge to testify in a class action lawsuit over the ongoing "Vista Capable" debacle. In September Ballmer tried to distance himself from the row by claiming he had no direct involvement in Microsoft's marketing campaign for the operating system. But US District Judge Marsha …
I for one
may have missed an old, old boat with this post, but I only noticed last night that on my mum's laptop (not a high end gaming rig, I hasten to add) which boasted a 1.4Ghz Celeron M with 256MB RAM and 64MB Integrated Graphics proudly displays what must be one of the first brood of the Vista Compatible stickers (from '06, when all this was fields). I can only hope they become collecters items post-lawsuit and I can sell it for a vast sum on a well known international flea-market.
Here's Hoping
That the judge finds the sweaty monkey dance as amusing as I did. I have cut down my viewings of the youtube clip to just 200 a day now.
To Quote Nelson
Ha Ha
Bet that cheered him up.
Anyone in the vicinity notice any suspiciously chair sized holes appear in the windows of the MS offices when that news broke?
He gets paid the big bucks
because his job is risky.
"The buck stops here", Ballmer.
(because Satan Jobs looks more like Satan Ballmer than Satan Gates does)
Set Theory is that ''Vista Capable' includes all versions of Vista
If they knew that these specifications would *only* be capable of running Vista Home, maybe, the label should have read as 'Vista Home Capable'. To really nail it down explicitly, 'Only Vista Home Capable (Maybe)'.
Therefore 'Vista Capable' has to be considered a fraudulent statement because they knew it to be untrue and would no doubt mislead some people to think that they could install the top-of-the-line Vista when it became available. Untruth in Advertising, ain't it just a shame?
They're trying to 'wiggle' out of their responsibility then, but I say 'No wiggling allowed'
(unless it's Paris of course, because she has a very fine 'wiggle' IMHO).
Hang him...
.. hang 'em high.
those computer are better off with XP, anyway...
let me be the first to say
/takes deep breath.... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I hope there are numerous transcripts of little stevie tap dancing around the questions. Oh maybe the judge will have to tell him to actually answer the questions or face contempt charges ~crosses my fingers~, one can only hope.
that is all
re: Set Theory...
JW Otherworld nailed it. They advertised "Vista Capable". Without specifying a specific version of Vista, the purchaser must conclude the computer is capable of running any and all versions of Vista.
To analogize, if you purchase a stereo system that is advertised as "iPod capable", do you question which iPod can be used, or will you assume they all can? How would you feel to find out that it's only the first-generation iPod that works, and not your brand new nano?
As for anyone who wants to argue the definition of "capable", here's another analogy. Any 33/45 turntable can play a 78, but that doesn't mean the audio produced will be as intended.
Dunno what you folks are getting excited about...
All this means is that he has to arrange a time and place to be "interviewed" by one of the other side's lawyers. Obviously no sane person wants to have to talk officially to a lawyer - maybe not even share a room with one [grin], but this could be as much a step on the way for our greedy friendsa to win this case as to lose it.
Suck On My Chocolate Salty Ballmer, Judge
'I wasn't involved. I can't be responsible. I'm just the CEO.'
WTF? It's a Corporation getting sued here. Hope the DJ stays with this case to the end. She ain't suckin' nobody's balls, and Steve will learn to hate when his balls stick.
Paris, cuz she prolly prefers it out of the box.
Leason learned
Never let marketing have that much control again. I wounder did this pass legal ???
Seems to me lark marketing seems to be the slimmest part of any company. They even make legal's skin crawl. Its marketing that says up to xxx speed. Unlimited access(just as long as you don't use the product)
@JW Otherworld
Now lawyers could make anything mean anything if they want to, however purely in terms of the English language you are talking nonsense.
To say a machine can run Vista does not in any way suggest it can run every version of Vista, it only tells us that it can run A version of Vista. It doesn't even tell us that it will run that version quickly just that it can run it. You cannot infer what isn't said just because you choose to do so.
I am continually suprised by the verdicts of the US courts and no doubt I will be suprised by this one, but then I wonder why. After all they've had a president for years who murders the English language on a daily basis, why should we expect their lawyers to understand it?
It's crunch time for Big Steve as he enters the witness box for the first time
will he be able to match Bad Billy G's record for getting his ass handed to him in courthouses around the world, or will his failure to emulate his mentor extend so far as to actually get Microsoft cleared of being a bunch of conniving varmints? We wait with bated breath...
lying liar caught lying lies
I so hope this judge gets to see this through and it's not just a sham of a testimony. They knew these machine were nowhere near "capable" and fleeced punter remorselessly. Here's hoping just for once the corporate fraudsters have to pay...
...I know it's a dream. But, you just never know!
@Set Theory is that ''Vista Capable' includes all versions of Vista
Or the small print that said "VISTA safe mode CAPABLE"
Did they ever pay their EU fine ? The EU should act quickly to get their cash, this fiasco will yield lots of dollars and there may not be enough for everyone !
Ballmer should fry - he was so senior and there is a nice little email trail... delegation of work is fine but delegation of responsibility does not work if you're at the top. I'd like to see him get angry with the judge...
To be generous to Microsoft, Marketing people everywhere are crooks. "HD ready" anyone ? Oh, sorry sir, what you need is Full HD for that...
Vista Capable screams Monkey Man
I don't know about everyone else, but to me the "Vista Capable" screams Dancing Monkey Man. Does it not seem that MS is getting worse and worse the longer Monkey Man runs it?
Not that I dislike Vista. I run 64bit Vista Ulitmate on a Single Core Athlon 3500 (Venice Core) with 2GB of RAM and over 2TB of storage. Complete with MS MCE IR remote and remote keyboard. It runs like a dream for me. However, I was an OS Mentor for MS Canada Tech Support, so would be pretty embarrasing if I didn't get it to run well.
With that said, I got burnt on the Vista Capable and the Hauppauge PVR 350. No 64 bit support thus "Vista Capable". Not a great loss, got a PVR 150 and moved the 350 to my girlfriends PC (her PC is 32 bit Vista). This is how I learned to watch out for the "Vista Capable", I thought it said "Vista Compatible". They (whomever) should not have picked a word so close to "Compatible", I truly feel "Vista Capable" was a poor choice of words (but I will stop short of purposely misleading, as I have no proof of that).
Jail time?
Will Ballmer get jail time, or a fine? He said *to the courts* that he was not involved with this, when E-Mails showed he knew EXACTLY what was going on, in detail, and advised on how to proceed. Courts tend not to be amused when they catch someone lying... in my book this is perjury.
Not even the home edition
Frankly, I have seen 'puters bearing the Vista labels despite being clearly unable to run even the most watered-down version of the OS (OS meaning, in this case, "obvious sh1te"). Ian's mom's laptop seems to be a good example too (MS specifies you need 512 MB RAM to run the Home edition). So it's not a matter of which version of Vista. They just tried to create some hype (and to please their OEM distributors) -and failed miserably. Let's take them to the nearest lamp post.
re: I for one
> I can only hope they become collecters items post-lawsuit and I can sell it for a vast sum on a well known international flea-market.
Sadly, probably not. There are just too many of them.
"Ballmer to get Hot Seat"
I hope the plaintiff's lawyers do a slow roast of Ballmer in the deposition.
Consider this visual of "Monkey Boy" skewered and being roasted over the coals.
That serves the b@$ta@rd right.
After they are done roasting him, a few (hundred) lashes with a Cat 5 cable would be in order.
Then as 'Monkey Boy' flies back in the corporate jet, it has a sudden, fatal accident. And Gates breathes a sigh of relief.
cart before the horse?
> JW Otherworld nailed it. They advertised "Vista Capable". Without specifying a specific version of Vista,
Maybe someone can help me remember -- Back in 2006, did anyone *know* what versions of Vista would be released? Did Microsoft even know? Or did Vista get split out into a dozen or so versions during the last minute panic to ship it, when they started to realize that the full "ultimate" version of the OS needed not-yet-invented technology to run adequately?
You've got a point
> To be generous to Microsoft, Marketing people everywhere are crooks. "HD ready" anyone ? Oh, sorry sir, what you need is Full HD for that...
That's true. How many people bought high-end "HD ready" graphics cards and then ended up staring at a black screen going "What the hell is HDCP? And why doesn't my 'HD ready' card have it?" It happens all the time, but that doesn't mean we should stop hunting down those involved. Just means the list is long. But we gotta start somewhere.
@ Gareth Jones
Hand J. Random a computer with a 'Vista Capable' sticker, and a box of software labeled 'Windows Vista'. They have a reasonable expectation that said computer can run said software. If it does not, they will feel that the labeling is misleading and deceptive. Saying "it can run A version of Vista" comes across as legal weaselese, trying to shirk responsibility on a technicality. In general, a claim is to be construed as broadly as possible, applying to any situation it does not explicitly prohibit.
If the narrow view of 'Vista Capable' as meaning only that it can run /some/ version of Vista were valid, you could make all sorts of interesting claims. A computer with a 5MHz processor and 1MB of RAM is 'Windows Capable' because it can run Windows 1.0 . Crysis could list as its system requirements just 'a computer with video card and Windows', because there exists /a/ computer matching that description that can run Crysis. See the problem with that interpretation?
A joke too far!
I wonder. Has anyone noticed the resemblance of the Ballmer's image to that of Fester from the 'Adams Family'?
MS and the Aero perception
As Ron said "Maybe someone can help me remember -- Back in 2006, did anyone *know* what versions of Vista would be released?"
Probably not, but MS did tout and brag up about the wonderful GUI and the aero desktop. If there was one thing that customers perceptions of vista were.. it was AERO. And it was AERO that capable was not capable of.
But I agree with one thing, that the capable compaign did in fact keep sales up in 06. VIsta had been long coming and sales would have probably dropped off considerably in the last two quarters of 06 had they not done the capable campaign. This was really pretty evil on Intel's and MS part in this. They knew the drawbacks of what they were doing and they knew the customer would have a really poor vista experience. Especially when many of these machines only had 512 megs of ram. That, IMHO, is not vista capable. Have you ever seen a machine run vista on 512MB of ram? Its pathetic. Yet MS and Intel put a bunch of low spec machines with 915 chip sets and a vista capable stickers. Vista, should not install on that kind of machine period. They did it for short term profits and to keep the last two quarters strong in 06. MS really needs to burn on this one. Although the experience did teach them a lesson and they are probably going to do right with seven. They still need to take responsibility for what they did
@ Gareth Jones
Hows about if you found yourself with testicular cancer and were given treatment described as 'cancer-reducing capable' but, after a precious year of intensive chemo and pill-popping, you found in the smallprint that the course was suitable for breast cancer only? I'm sure you'd kick yourself for being so damn presumptious. Or maybe just laugh your balls off......
@ Kanhef
Thing is, if its label vista capable it will be able to run any version ,just not run all teh different possible FEATURES (AERO interface etc) of vista.
This has been tested by multiple people and you can install different versions (Home Premium etc) on lower machines.
The intial argument was that AERO was vista , but thats like complaining because you bought a car that was advertised on tv but didn't get the satnav.
Vista bashing may be fun, but a bit of research may help before you do it!
@Gareth Jones
And Vista Ultimate is A version of Vista.
It doesn't run.
Shit you're stupid, man.
The judge sounds pissed off. Bet she's one of the many people who were forced to go back to XP.
"have a reasonable expectation"
"In general, a claim is to be construed as broadly as possible"
"the narrow view"
The above four words/phrases epitomise where you are going wrong in your thinking, I have to assume you are biased and just looking for a stab at MS.
The sticker says vista capable, so the only question to be answered is; "can a machine with this sticker run Vista?" If the answer to this question is "No, Vista cannot be run on this machine" then this is clearly misleading/deceitful/fraudulent, but if the answer is anything other than no, then clearly it is capable (to whatever extent).
It is simple case of the english language and words meaning what they mean rather than what you think/want/interpret them to mean.
@Gareth Jones
I take it that you work for M$ then, Gareth?
@Trent: 512MB barely counts as XP-capable. Surely that counts for something as well?
How fun is it to watch the fanbuoys squirm?
Very, very fun!
Thanks Gareth J and James C and a few shameful ACs for the show!
As previously said by me and others, some of the machines labeled Vista Capable are not able to run even the Home edition with all the bloat removed. None of them is able to run the high-end Fistas, which is _also_ a problem, but a different one. Try installing Vista on a machine with a 1 Ghz processor, 512 Mo RAM and a 32 Mo graphics memory (which are the official system requirements). Good luck with that. Now remember that some of the "Vista Capable" boxes had not even that.
Methink most "Vista Capable" stickers actually referred to the chassis and the power supply. Your box is Vista Capable, yessir. You just have to upgrade the processor, the RAM and the graphic card. And possibly the mobo too. After all, the sticker is on the box, not on the innards. It's not misleading at all. The chassis is clearly Vista Capable.
(not that anyone should want to run^H crawl Vista in the first place, of course. But MS, and Ballmer first, lied repeatedly and should be spanked hard)
Aw Poor Steve
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, well maybe Joseph Stalin.
PS If there is anybody there who actually bought Vista Ultimate, then I have a Nigerian friend in Lagos that has a once in a lifetime business opportunity for you.
HP Laserjet printers / @Gareth Jones
so, my laptop has a spec compliant with the Vista hardware list (all versions, before anyone asks) - but my printer - WTF - won't work with Vista because Vista can't speak Postscript properly. DOH.
To be a pedant (never .. )
"To say a machine can run Vista does not in any way suggest it can run every version of Vista, it only tells us that it can run A version of Vista. It doesn't even tell us that it will run that version quickly just that it can run it. You cannot infer what isn't said just because you choose to do so."
Actually, to say a machine can run Vista means it can run Vista - no qualification, no post-fixed version name, and therefore any such appended name is valid because no qualification is made. You are right to say it does not imply speed or efficiency, but I believe wrong in denying the qualification (although as I said, it could run like a dog and your position would be entirely correct!); on the other hand, this machine runs SO fast running it's Win2k VM (yeah, seriously) that Vista on the most modern hardware is somewhat embarrasing :-) Will try Win95 in a VM next time I get bored to see if it's faster - ran XP under VMware for a quick customer project last month, and it was faster than Vista running on bare metal on my g/f's -same spec - machine.
What is upsetting in the article is the revelation that my own people are unwilling to fall of the grenade for me! When every last MS employee ius supposed to say, "I know nothing, I see nothing", it turns out that we have whiners internally! Not just low level basement dwellers too, these rats are senior executives! These weaklings emails have been entered into evidence AGAINST MS!
Ballmer looks almost human in that picture.
It must be the specs!
Frank Jennings
Trevor Pott
Kat Hall
Iain Thomson
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More than 160,000 seniors live in Ocean County, making it a popular spot for those retirees.
That popularity now has a national appeal.
Ocean County was recently ranked in the latest edition of "America's 100 Best Places to Retire."
Ocean County was the fifth most populous city included in the rankings.
The top four most populous cities to make the list were, in order: Phoenix, Ariz.; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; and Greater Portland, Ore., according to the rankings.
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text:
Bob Beckel lets loose f-bomb on live TV
Bob Beckel showed his true colors during last night's broadcast of Hannity on the Fox News Channel when he screamed 'you don't know what the fuck you're talking about' at Tea Party activist Jennifer Stefano. The f-bomb went out on live TV for all to hear.
See NewsBusters story here.
I don't know what Hannity said off the air, but on the air he wimped out, as usual, and apologized for his pal, Beckel. Hannity is so wussified and so bland that it's really hard to watch him anymore – and I rarely do. But I don't want to make this about Hannity – maybe some other time.
Getting back to Beckel, what can you say about the man except that he's just a fucking scumbag? He's one of the reasons it's very hard for me to watch The Five from beginning to end. I usually wind up turning the channel when he starts flapping his big mouth. Life is far too short to listen to a prick like him!
The larger question is what is this fat turd doing all over Fox News? As I'm typing this I notice that he's in his usual seat on The Five. What, no suspension?
I would never actually do this because Beckel is too fat, old, and out of shape for me, but he's exactly the type that would find himself on the floor looking for his teeth if he spent more than 5 minutes in my presence. He's a bully, he's crude, he's arrogant, he's snide, and he's a liberal hypocrite. He's everything that makes my blood boil. But I'm sure I'm not alone when it comes to that.
P.S. I apologize if the language I used made anyone uncomfortable, but hey, if Bob Beckel can use that language on live TV, I figure I can do it on special occasions on my little blog.


text: In mid-June, Washington Dental Service (a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association) implemented cuts to provider fees from the Premier and PPO programs. The cuts are reported to be more substantial on frequently used procedures and average about 15% across all billing codes. In addition to these cuts, it has been reported that Washington Dental Service significantly reduced payments to out-of-network providers. In Washington, provider participation rate in this insurance network is extremely high and the network covers the majority of dental patients in the state.