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One of the veterans of the KL food truck scene is definitely La Famiglia. Their black and gold, Mafia-themed truck has built a steady following among KL foodies, and it's easy to see why...
The food truck you can't refuse.
Foodster's Verdict
Most times: SS15 Subang Jaya or Jalan DungunTel: https://www.facebook.com/thefamiglia/
Daily, 6pm onwards
Prices! Good pastas, great service
None, really
Muslim Owned
As you approach the truck, you can hear the familiar waltz tune in your head. You think about lavish weddings, covert meetings, dealings behind shady doors. Then, when you expect the guy behind the counter to speak with an Italian accent, or maybe call you 'paisan', you hear instead: "Hi, nak makan apa?" in clear, perfect Malay.
Daniel Marizd, the boss, simply says, "We love the Godfather movies. LOVE THEM. So when we decided to sell pasta, it seemed like a mafia theme was a perfect fit." This was an inspired idea. One of the first to adopt a theme around the food they serve, La Famiglia now is one of the most loved and recognized food trucks in Klang Valley.
Creamy carbonara ala Genovese!
The simple Italian inspired menu is peppered with references to classic Mafia fact and fiction. The name 'La Famiglia' is what the Mafioso refer to themselves as. Dishes include the Genovese (after Mafia boss Vito Genovese), a carbonara with a smooth, creamy and savoury sauce with bits of garlic in it.
All hail the boss
Another popular one is The Boss (of course!) Pasta: it's a cunning hybrid of their carbonara and Bolognese sauces, spiked with spicy chilli and topped with juicy slices of chicken.
Nope, can't refuse this pasta
Gambino, FYI, was the real life inspiration for 'Don Corleone' from the Godfather movies
And of course there is our favourite- The Gambino, aglio olio spaghetti tossed in hot and spicy olive oil with yummy, well cooked seafood on top.
"To keep to the theme, we try to use genuine Italian ingredients. Our olive oil, pasta... they're mostly Italian brands, whenever we can get them but we still try and keep prices low," smiles Daniel.
Now what better drink to have with this briny and slick pasta than a Seasons Tea, Malaysia's no. 1 Ice Tea. "In Italian cooking they use a lot of fresh flavours and often a squeeze of lemon finishes a dish perfectly. So the selection of refreshing Seasons Tea is the perfect match for our delicious pasta," says Danny.
Real gangsters eat pasta with tea!
Prices at La Famiglia are dead cheap, you swear your eyes are playing tricks on you the first time you see them. They are that affordable. The crew is friendly and fun too, always up for something new. Daniel has even held talks on entrepreneurship to budding food entrepreneurs.
For one day only, get La Famiglia's killer Gambino Olio with a can of Seasons Tea. It's the perfect match! Take a picture of yourself enjoying SEASONS with your meal and hashtag #seasonsteaperfectmatch
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Since 1998, FriedChillies.com has been a website dedicated to foodies from all over the world. FriedChillies Media writes, shoots, edits, produces, publishes and dreams about food. Food in all its alluring and appetizing forms.
We think there are endless ways to showcase food be it recipes, eating habits or just people obsessing about it. So we have shows to suit the foodie in everyone (check our shows here) and we have articles, reviews, gadgets, cooking tips and much, much more. Come to Friedchillies.com and we guarantee you'll go away hungry for more. Like us.
The highly interactive site is on its way to achieving its mission -- getting Malaysian food worldwide recognition.
Blogs like FriedChillies and Penang Street Foods have sprouted in recent years, deliciously chronicling the pan - Asia flavors of dishes.
A specialist topic content brand that provides food guides, editorial, reviews and community information for afficionados of Asian food including street food.
Plenty of mouth watering suggestions for the Epicurean
Bouyant, bold and thigh slappingly funny.
Listed for three consecutive years, Best 88 websites, 88 Most Noteworthy website
© Friedchillies Media Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. All information on this site is subject to change; all details must be directly confirmed with service establishments. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited.


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HILLSIDE—As part of its efforts to respond to the unprecedented need for emergency food among the poor and low-income, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has purchased a refrigerated mobile food pantry.
This pantry, designed specifically for food banks, will help get more food into the neighborhoods where it is needed most.
With this traveling pantry, the FoodBank can supplement the capacity of a neighborhood food pantry on its distribution day. The refrigerated truck also can serve as pantry for a day in communities that don't have one.
This mobile pantry is one of three provided to the state's food banks through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"During these difficult times many New Jersey families are struggling to put food on the table," said Jim Marks, senior vice president and group director for health at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "This new mobile pantry allows more food to be delivered to more people more quickly. We are very pleased to have been able to help the Community FoodBank of New Jersey respond to this need."
The Community FoodBank will end the year 2009 having distributed more than 33 million pounds of food and groceries—an increase of 42% over the prior year and reflective of the dramatic increase in the number of people seeking help. As the unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent and the economy remains weak, food bank officials anticipate an ever-increasing number of people turning to emergency food programs.
"This gift of a mobile pantry comes at a crucial time," said Kathleen DiChiara, founder and executive director of the Community FoodBank. "In more than three decades of food banking, I have never before seen so much need for our services," she said. "We have always served the chronically poor and now we are serving the newly poor as well," she said, referring to those who are unemployed and underemployed.
With the mobile pantry, the FoodBank will be able to distribute approximately 1 million more pounds of food annually.
The Community FoodBank, which distributes food to the needy through its member charities and through its own programs, has taken other steps to meet the growing need for emergency food in today's economy. These include the purchase of three new trucks for picking up and delivering food, and greatly expanding its Supermarket Gleaning Program and its child-feeding initiatives—Kids Cafes and BackPack Program.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Jeep Cherokee SPORT2018
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- Brake stability control and Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC)6 with Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM), Hill Start Assist and All-Speed
- Keyless entry and antitheft engine immobilizer
- Lock-on-sync tire pressure sensor, tire pressure monitoring display and tire service kit
- Compact spare tire ( standard with 4 X 4 models) (Option)
- ParkView Rear Back-Up Camera (Option)
- Air conditioning with rear HVAC outlets and air filtering
- Electronic Vehicle Information Centre (EVIC)
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- 17-inch steel wheels with 225/60R17 BSW all-season tires
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- Bi-xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (Option)
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* Manufacturer's suggested retail price. HST and licensing fees not included. Does not include current promotions. Price request online for applicable specialsPlease note the Drive Green government rebates are included if applicable.


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Dave's . . . On St. Clair
730 St. Clair Ave. W. (at Christie)
Mon.-Thurs., 4 p.m.-close, Friday, 1 p.m.-close, Sat.-Sun., 12 p.m.-close
Dave's is here, though it may not be the Dave's you know.
Co-owner Liz Guerrier says people still mistake her Hillcrest Village bar — which she left a teaching position at York University's anthropology department to take over in June of 2010 — for a revamped version of Dave's Gourmet Pizza. "Three years on and I still get people asking for their veal sandwich," she grouses, justifiably. No good deed goes unpunished, one supposes: as part of the community-oriented ethos of her bar, Guerrier wanted to pay tribute to the local parlour that had stood there for some 28 years while establishing an identity of her own. And that she did. Dave's filled a vacuum in a patchwork neighbourhood of bars and restaurants that were either too snobby or too divey to truly enjoy, with family-friendly dining during the day and open mic nights, a couple of which Gordon Lightfoot has frequented. Combine the star power with in-house pizzas and a wide selection of drinks, and you've got a rich and solid grassroots winner.
The vibe: Very eclectic here and it's down to the local help that Guerrier solicited, along with co-owner and partner Michael Amos. The maple wood-concrete bar top comes, in part, from west-end wholesaler Canadian Salvaged Timber Corp. Tabletops are made from the lanes of bowling alleys. Under the bar, see a sign for the old Dave's pizza parlour, referred to in a quick cutaway in Bruce McCulloch's "Daves I Know" music video featured on The Kids in the Hall. Small guitars and ukuleles from the Sally Ann and local second-hand stores decorate the walls along with gear from Amos's beloved English Premiership champs Manchester United. (For his part, Amos is eager to start a rivalry with Toronto's Man City hangout Opera Bob's). Open mic nights include comedy on Monday and music on Thursday: the latter has been attended by Canadian country roots rocker Russell deCarle of Prairie Oyster and legendary troubadour Lightfoot, due to daughter Meredith taking the stage.
The drinks: Decent selection here. Four draughts include Mill St. Cobblestone Stout, Steam Whistle, Creemore Springs and its guest tap, currently Mad & Noisy Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager, also from Creemore at around $6.50 per pint and $18 per pitcher. The fridge is an ever rotating collection of 60 or more Canadian craft and import tall cans and bottles ranging from $6.50 to $9, listing Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Hobgoblin and gluten-free Pilsner-styled New Grist. The top-selling mixed drink, says Guerrier, is the Dave's Caesar for $7 (1 oz. vodka, Clamato, horseradish Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and a secret ingredient). Another popular libation is the Jack and Gerry's Ginger (Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, ginger beer and in-house lemon bar mix, $7.50.).
The Food: Guerrier says the Dave's Burger is the top seller (meat ground and buns baked in-house with cheddar, garlic aioli and tomato-onion jam with fries for $12), while wings are available in conventional Buffalo or Asian style (citrus chili ginger glaze with sesame seeds and pickled cucumbers for $13). Another nod to the previous incarnation of Dave's, you can tailor own pizza with your choice of three ingredients (the list includes chorizo and Italian sausage, bacon, rapini, arugula and marinated jalapenos for $13, another $1.50 per extra topping.).
Dress Code: As you are
Must know: Credit, debit accepted


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To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
In the shadow of Prague Castle lies the 'Zlatá ulicka', the Golden Lane. The lane is named after the goldsmiths who were housed here by Emperor Rudolf II. Legend has it he commissioned them to find a substance that could turn metal into gold. In reality, the story is much less eccentric: back in the 16th century, these 11 tiny houses were built in this lane to accommodate the castle guards and their families.
The multi-coloured 16th-century homes in the Golden Lane are among the most photographed places in the city. In the 18th and 19th century the houses were occupied by squatters and later by artists, including the famous Czech poet and writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924). He lived for 2 years in the blue house at number 22, his sister's home.
The story goes that Kafka wrote his best works here, including the novel 'The Castle'. His former home now houses the Kafka bookstore and a small museum. The other houses accommodate souvenir shops that sell a variety of crafts. It would be hard to actually live in these houses; the ceilings are so low that an adult can barely stand upright. Another famous writer also resided at the Golden Lane: Nobel Laureate Jaroslav Seifert. And number 14 was once the home of fortune teller Madame de Thebes. She used her cards to forecast the future and was arrested at the end of the Second World War by the Gestapo after she predicted that Hitler would soon die.
At night or around dusk the Golden Lane is even prettier than in the daytime. The evening light casts a magical golden glow on the small picturesque houses. Would you like to see the lane from a completely different perspective? Then climb the stairs at number 24 to visit the defensive wall. Here you will find a display of suits of armour, wooden shields and spears. There is also a torture room with old torture instruments.


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Endogamy, also called in-marriage, custom enjoining one to marry within one's own group. The penalties for transgressing endogamous restrictions have varied greatly among cultures and have ranged from death to mild disapproval. When marriage to an outside group is mandated, it is referred to as exogamy.
Endogamy has been common among extant and historical aristocracies, religious groups, ethnic groups, and social classes. Expectations of caste endogamy persist in parts of India and the Indian diaspora, although many claim that this is a form of caste discrimination, a practice made illegal in the mid-20th century.


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US Airways To Present At National Press Club Speakers Luncheon
TEMPE, Ariz., July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC) today announced that Chairman and CEO Doug Parker will discuss the current state of the airline industry, the benefits of consolidation and US Airways' effort to merge with American Airlines at a National Press Club Speakers Luncheon on July 18, 2012. The presentation will be webcast live at 1:00 p.m. ET at www.press.org.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120103/LA28814LOGO)
A replay of the webcast will be available after the presentation concludes.
US Airways
US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,200 flights per day and serves more t…


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iPod transferable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc. was launched in October 2001. The incursion of iPods was a repercussion of digital hub scheme by the joint venture. While dealing with assorted production of miscellaneous natural philosophy gadgets, the organization saved that the extant digital auditory communication players were "big and awkward or undersized and useless" which led them towards the manufacture of iPods. It took more than a period of time to get the product built-up and the actuation took position next to the tricky heading "1000 songs in your small bag."
The linguistic unit iPod was the cognitive content of Vinnie Chieco, a self-employed copywriter, who was titled by Apple to illustration out how to inform the new participant to the national. The eldest laypeople protest rally of the iPod kiosks took set in New Jersey in March 1998, and commercialized use began in January 2000. The hallmark was registered by the USPTO in November 2003, and Grasso appointed it to Apple Computer, Inc. in 2005. Apple iPod were formed in the way that they can romp MP3, AAC/M4A, Protected AC, AIFF, WAV, Audiable sound transcript and Apple Lossless aural report formats.
All iPods work as general storage devices that can depot notes files. The primary difference concerning MP3 players and iPods is that simply illegal use sound or visual communication files to the propulsion beside a typic profile admin standing will not permit iPod to the right way admittance them. It is a essential for the soul to use computer code that has been freeway designed to repositioning media files to iPods, so that the files are playable and visible.Post ads:
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Posted on April 28, 2013 by Ranjana Jha
This is not a very common question anymore, and perhaps it is a little late to discuss this, but this question is still asked more often than not. Perhaps SEO needs a little more explanation.
Posted in What is SEO? | Tagged back links, content optimization, design optimization, Image optimization, industry specific sites, keywords, local search image search, meta description tag, meta tags, off-page optimization, on-page optimization, relevant content, search directories, search engine algorithms, Search engine optimization, seo, Seo best practices, titles, web site objective, website visitors | Leave a comment


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Follow These Great Tips On Physical FitnessIt's a given that practically everyone wants to be fit and stay fit, but starting a fitness program may be a little nerve-wracking at first, especially, if you are not sure how to go about it. This article has the helpful tips that you need to know, in order to get into shape.
When working out some soreness is normal, but pain is not. Working out is often uncomfortable as you are working to increase your endurance and limits; however, it should not be outright painful. If you ever experience severe pain when working out, stop what you are doing immediately. If the pain does not subside, head to the doctor, as you may have suffered an injury.
Sex makes an amazing weight loss tool. This is some of the most exciting and least work-like exercise you can do. Healthy sex will help you get fit and is a great way to include your partner in your pursuit for weight loss. You will get in shape and improve your relationship.
If you're working on your overall fitness with running and are looking to increase your stamina, pick up the speed. If you avoid lengthening your stride and rely instead on taking quicker short steps, your body will acclimate to harder training quicker. You'll be prepared for your next marathon in no time!
If you're an athlete who plays a variety of the usual sports, try your hand at something entirely new. Rock climbing, rowing, hiking, and sailing are all activities that most people have never tried but provide for a fun, new experience. Learning to like a new activity can keep fitness fresh and fun.
Choose the best time to exercise. While most people like to get exercise out of the way in the morning, sometimes it's better to wait. Lung function peaks in most people between 4pm and 5pm, so this may be better for you. Interestingly, midday is the time when exercise returns the lowest lung function. That being said, you should exercise at a time that suits you - your body will indicate that to you.
If you have locked down an exercise plan, make sure that after a few weeks pass, to add 5-10 minutes to your routine. This will help to challenge yourself and burn more fat off your body. Successfully finishing this extra time period will give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Donkey calf raises are a great way to build stronger and fitter calf muscles. They're a unique and effective way to make your calves stronger. Raise your calves as someone sits on your back.
If you want to improve your tennis game, you must train your eyes to focus quicker. When you are able to change your focus on a continual basis, you will be able to hit more winners. When you are riding in a vehicle, try focusing on an object in the distance. Then, immediately shift your focus to a closer object. Do this repeatedly, and you will begin to notice an improvement in your tennis game.
Have you made up you mind to change your lifestyle by beginning an exercise program to become better physically fit? If so, it is imperative that you evaluate yourself closely to see if you are physically ready for it. Doctors have recommended that males at the age of 45 and older and women at the age of 55 and older should check with their family physician first to get a medical clearance before beginning strenuous exercise.
Never use a weight belt. While many trainers will tell you that they are great for everything, weight belts actually weaken your abdominal and lower back muscles. They put heavy pressure on muscles you are not working, causing your muscles to pull from areas they normally wouldn't, namely your abs and back.
Before http://www.iamsport.org/pg/bookmarks/alan99reynaldo/read/32289388/getting-yourself-healthy-and-staying-that-way start out a fitness routine, you need to be realistic with yourself. Look at your schedule and figure out exactly how many days and how long you can really work out. Over committing yourself is one of the fastest ways to burn out, and give up.
Buy your own exercise machine for your home. If you don't have a gym nearby, or you just are not comfortable with the idea of working out in public, buying your own equipment may be your best bet. Many online stores offer inexpensive, but effective, machines that are meant to fit into your home, whatever size it may be.
Find hydrolyzed collagen benefits on skin that you want to go to. It may be because of the perks they offer, or the location it is in, but as long as you want to go, it does not matter why. Join a gym, and make sure you use your membership regularly, as it is the best way to get good results.
Study a little bit about how foods affect the body. Know what pasta does to your body compared to chicken. Understanding all of this will help you eat the right foods for your workout. Some foods should be eaten before a workout, and some should not. Get all the knowledge you can before starting.
Create a stronger core by doing sit-ups the proper way. You can get a better range of motions with sit-ups, thus making your abdominal muscles work more productively. It is important that you not anchor your feet while doing these because it can cause lower back distress, which will lessen your ability to continue.
Best Foods To Eat For Hydrating Skin - mindbodygreen
Best Foods To Eat For Hydrating Skin - mindbodygreen The night was bookended with collagen. To start, bone broth was one of the passed apps at the "happy hour" reception. There was one chicken, one beef, and one "glow," which was a combination of veggies and chicken all courtesy of Bonafide provisions. To end the evening, almond milk collagen hot chocolate was served with gelatin marshmallows—which are chock-full of collagen.
A great fitness tip to incorporate in your workouts when trying to achieve a physically fit body is to exhale forcefully when doing abdominal crunches. This will make the abdominal muscles work harder and, in the long run, it will help trim out the belly that you really dislike.
After a few weeks of exercising, you should feel different. Losing weight might take a long time but by being active, you become more comfortable about your body. Your appearance is not all about what you look like. It is also about how you carry yourself and how you feel about yourself.


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As a pre-medical student you will typically follow the Lindenwood curriculum for one of the following: a bachelor of science degree in biological science, a bachelor of science degree in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry, or a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with Emphasis in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Any of these degrees will get you the prerequisite coursework that you need to be a good candidate for application to a medical school. These courses include:
- General Chemistry at least 2 semesters (with laboratories)
- General Biology at least 2 semesters (with laboratories)
- Organic Chemistry - 2 semesters (with laboratories)
- General Physics - 2 semesters (with laboratories)
- English Reading and Composition - 2 semesters
- Behavioral Science – 2 semesters
- 2 or more semesters of math (including statistics and calculus)
- Two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology are generally desired
Generally, it is recommended that as you complete the degree. If you have specific medical schools in mind, you should work with your major advisor to make sure that you complete any specific courses that are required by that school.
For Medical Science minor requirements, please see catalog.


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Coach Gabi M
Welcome Back Coach Gabi,
Gabi is a former team swimmer, water polo player, and lifeguard. She has always loved the water, and has been swimming since she was 3 months old. Gabi truly enjoys teaching children to be able to save themselves and maybe even share the same love of water that she has.
Gabi is now a mother of two little ones and can relate to how a parent feels when their child starts swimming. and I know how great it program is compared to the competitors. Gabi started teaching with Mr. Blue in 2010, she took some time off to start her family and now is back in the water teaching. We are glad to have her be a part of Mr Blue's crew once again.
Until the whole world swims!!!
View Our Swim Articles
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The department of Pathology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, organised a two day international seminar on 'Amrita Annual Pathology Update 2017' (AAPUD) during July 15-16, 2017. Swami Purnamritananda Puri, General Secretary, Mata Amritanandamayi Math inaugurated the seminar. Dr. D. M. Vasudevan, Head, PG Programs and Research, Amrita University; Dr. Vishal Marwaha, Principal, Amrita School of Medicine; Dr. Prathapan Nair, Chairman, Admissions and Accreditation, Amrita School of Medicine; Dr Ajit Nambiar, Head, Pathology and Dr. Indu R. Nair, Organising Secretary attended the function.
The main theme of the seminar was "Pathology of Female Genital Tract." Many international and national experts delivered lectures to over 200 delegates. According to the experts at the seminar, gynaecological cancers are the most common form of cancer in women with a high mortality and morbidity hence it is an important public health issue. However with the advances in medical science, early detection facilities along with customised patient care and cure are now available. The seminar comprehensively reviewed the latest cutting edge diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.


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Immediate Family
half brother
About YUDHISHTIRA Pāndava
Yudhisthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, yudhiṣṭhira meaning "steady in war", from yuddha meaning war, and sṭhira meaning steady), the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War.
Maharaja Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira on the throne with Draupadi, surrounded by the other Pandavas Titles Dharmaraja Predecessor Pandu
Successor Parikshit
Consort Draupadi
Royal House Kuru
Father Pandu
Mother Kunti
Children Prativindya
Religious beliefs Hindu Kshatriya
In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, yudhiṣṭhira meaning "steady in war", from yudhmeaning war, and sthira meaning steady, also Bharata[1](descendant of the line of Bharata) and Ajatashatru[2](one without enemies)), the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later ofHastinapura (Kuru). For his piety, he was known asDharmaraja (which may be translated as either 'righteous king' or 'king of dharma'). He was the leader of the successful Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War. At the end of the epic, he ascended to heaven along with his five brothers. Contents
• 1 Birth and upbringing • 2 Coronation and Marriage • 3 Performing the Rajasuya • 4 Losing kingdom and exile • 5 Return to Indraprastha and Kurukshetra War • 6 Retirement and Ascent to Heaven • 7 Virtues of Yudhistra o 7.1 Son of Dharma o 7.2 Astute politician o 7.3 Piety and Dharma o 7.4 Test of patience at Hell • 8 Citations • 9 External links
Birth and upbringing
• •
Pandu Shoots the Ascetic Kindama Once a Brahmin rishi, Kindama and his wife were making love in the forest when Yudhisthira's father Panduaccidentally shot at them, mistaking them for deer. Before dying, Kindama cursed the king to die when he engages in intercourse with any woman. Due to this curse, Pandu was unable to father children. As an additional penance for the murder, Pandu abdicated the throne of Hastinapura, and his blind brother Dhritarashtra took over the reins of the kingdom.[3] After Pandu's disability, Yudhisthira was conceived in an unusual way. His mother, Queen Kunti, had in her youth been granted the power to invoke the Devas by Rishi Durvasa. Each Deva, when invoked, would bless her with a child. Urged by Pandu to use her boons, Kunti gave birth to Yudhisthira by invoking the Lord of Judgement, Dharma(also known as Yama). Being Pandu's eldest son, Yudhisthira was the rightful heir to the throne, but this claim was contested by the Dhritarashtra's son, Duryodhana. Yudhisthira's four younger brothers were Bhima, (born by invoking Vayu); Arjuna, (born by invokingIndra); and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, (born to Pandu's second wife Madri by invoking theAshwini Gods). If Karna, the son of Kunti born before her marriage by invoking Surya is counted, Yudhisthira would be the second-eldest of Kunti's children. Yudhisthira was trained in religion, science, administration and military arts by the Kuru preceptors,Kripa and Drona. Specifically, he became a master in using the spear.[4] Coronation and Marriage
MayaSabha Under the advice of Bhishma, Dhritrashtra decided to divide the Hastinapura kingdom between Kauravas and Pandavas. Yudhisthira gracefully accepted the arid and fallow region of Khandavaprastha that was offered to him. With the help of Yudhisthira's cousin, Krishna and the Devaarchitect Viswakarma, Yudhisthira constructed a new city,Indraprastha in the area offered to him. The Asura architectMayasura constructed the Mayasabha, which was the largest regal assembly hall in the world. Yudhisthira was crowned king of Khandavaprastha and Indraprastha. As he governed with absolute piousness, with a strict adherence to duty and service to this people, his kingdom grew prosperous, and people from all over were attracted to it. Yudhisthira married the Panchali princess Draupadi, who bore him a son, Prativindya.[5] Another wife of Yudhisthira was Devika, the daughter of Govasana of the Saivya tribe, who bore him a son named Yaudheya.[6] Performing the Rajasuya
King Yudhisthira Performs the Rajasuya Sacrifice After the coronation at Indraprastha, Yudhisthira set out to perform the Rajasuyayagna to become the Emperor of the World. His motives were not to obtain power for himself, but to establish dharma and defend religion all over the world by suppressing the enemies of Krishna and sinful kings. Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva led armies across the four corners of the world to obtain tributes from all kingdoms for Yudhisthira's sacrifice. The non-compliantMagadha king, Jarasandha was defeated byBhima and Krishna. At his sacrifice, Yudhisthira honoured Krishna in the Rajasuya for his slaying of Jarasandha. ]Losing kingdom and exile
Krishna and the Pandavas water their horses Yudhisthira succumbed to Shakuni's challenge in the game of dice, while being a novice in it. He lost all his kingdom in the game and was forced into exile for 13 years, which included one year in anonymity. Main article: Yaksha Prashna During exile, once four other Pandavas happened to drink water from a lake, which was haunted by a Yaksha. Yudhisthira went in last, answered many questions put forth to him by the Yaksha and released his brothers. This story is often cited as an example of Yudhisthira's upright principles.[7] The Yaksha later identified himself as Yudhisthira's father, Dharma and pointed them to the kingdom of Virata to spend their last year in exile anonymously. Along with his brothers, Yudhisthira spent his last year of exile in the kingdom of Virata. He disguised himself as a Brahmin named Kanka (within themselves Pandavas called him Jaya) and taught the game of dice to the king.[8] Return to Indraprastha and Kurukshetra War
Yudhishthira and Bhishma in discussion-- another version by Da'ud, 1598 When the period of exile was completed, Duryodhana and Shakuni refused to return Yudhisthira's kingdom. Yudhisthira made numerous diplomatic efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully but in vain. He was convinced by Krishna to wage war. The flag of Yudhisthira's chariot bore the image of a golden moon with planets around it. Two large and beautiful kettle-drums, called Nanda and Upananda, were tied to it.[9][10][11] Yudhisthira had to bend numerous rules of Dharma during the course of the war. Krishna made him trick Drona about the news of the death of Ashwathama. Yudhisthira also had to slay a number of warriors, including his own uncle,Shalya. At the end of the war, Yudhisthira performed theAshwamedha Yagna and crowned himself as the Emperor of Hastinapura. Retirement and Ascent to Heaven
Yudhisthira and His Dog, Ascending Upon the onset of the Kali yuga and the departure ofKrishna, Yudhisthira and his brothers retired, leaving the throne to their only descendant to survive the war of Kurukshetra, Arjuna's grandson Parikshit. Giving up all their belongings and ties, the Pandavas, accompanied by a dog, made their final journey of pilgrimage to the Himalayas. While climbing the peaks, Draupadi and four of the Pandavas fell to their deaths, dragged down by the weight of their guilt for their sins. Yudhisthira was the only one to reach the mountain peak, because he was unblemished by sin or untruth. On reaching the top, Indra asked him to abandon the dog before entering the Heaven. But Yudhisthira refused to do so, citing the dog's unflinching loyalty as a reason. Once again it turned out that the dog was his father, Dharma.[12] Virtues of Yudhistra Son of Dharma
Yudhistira loss in dice game Yudhisthira's true prowess was shown in his unflinching adherence to Satya (truth) andDharma (righteousness to fulfill one's moral duty), which were more precious to him than royal ambitions, material pursuits and family relations. Yudhisthira rescued Bhima fromNahusha. He also rescued his four brothers from Yaksha by exemplifying not only his immense knowledge of Dharma, but also understanding its finer implications. Yudhisthira's understanding of Dharma was distinct from that of other righteous kings. He married Draupadi along with his four brothers, he had Bhima marry an outcast Rakshasi, he denounced casteism, saying a Brahmin is known by his actions and not his birth or education, thus portraying a changeable Dharma that modifies itself to suit the times. Due to his piety, Yudhisthira's chariot did not touch the ground (until his deception of Drona), to symbolize his purity. This means he was well regarded as a wise and pious man even by his enemies. Yudhisthira was unable to refuse when Duryodhana's maternal uncle, Shakuni, challenged him to a game of dice. Thanks to Shakuni's mastery of gambling, Yudhisthira lost each game, eventually gambling away his kingdom, his wealth, his brothers and finally his wife. Yudhisthira was criticized by Draupadi and Bhima for succumbing to temptation and playing dice, an art he was absolutely unskilled at, making the Pandavas prey to Shakuni and Duryodhana's designs. Yudhisthira reproached himself for weakness of mind, but at the time he argued that it was impossible to refuse a challenge of any nature, as he was a Kshatriya and obliged to stand by the Kshatriya code of honour. During the thirteen years, his adherence to religious values in face of adversity was repeatedly tested. Astute politician
Death of Karna Yudishtira was also skilled in the art of political manoeuvering. Despite all the taunts from his wife and his brothers, he would not rashly make war upon Kauravas. He waited for right moment when Kauravas were at their weakest; that is, when their chief warrior Karna was deprived of his invincible powers. He also was a better war general than Duryodhana. Though Duryodhana's army outnumbered Yudishtira's, Duryodhan lost because of a lack of knowledge in war tactics. He also cursed the entire womenhood of not being able hide any secrets with themseleves after he was made aware that Karna was his elder brother after the holy war of "Mahabharata".[13] Piety and Dharma He was considered so pious that some sources say his ratha (chariot) used to fly four fingers above the ground in the battle of Kurukshetra. His chariot came down when he was economical with the truth to guru Drona about Ashwatthama being killed by Bhima. He did this on instruction from Lord Krishna. He was cheated multiple times by the Kauravas. But he as a king and protector of Dharma always felt for his subjects. He tried to avert the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas as far as possible. But since sins of Duryodhana kept piling he was forced to fight against Duryodhana. He was never greedy about the throne and always cared for the benefit of all beings. Even at the last battle between Bhima and Duryodhan he promised Duryodhana that he will give Duryodhana the throne if Duryodhana wins the mace fight. He was a deserving person and became the king after Duryodhan's death. This symbolises the victory of dharma over evil. He was an adept warrior with the spear and ratha. Test of patience at Hell
angel showing the pseudo hell to Yudhisthira Yudhisthira was carried away on Indra's chariot. On reaching Heaven he did not find either his virtuous brothers or his wife Draupadi. Instead he saw Duryodhana and his allies. The Gods told him that his brothers were in Narakaatoning their sins, while Duryodhana was in heaven since he died at the blessed place of Kurukshetra. Yudhisthira loyally went to Naraka (hell) to meet his brothers, but the sight and sound of gore and blood horrified him. Though initially he was tempted to flee, he mastered himself and remained after hearing the voices of his beloved brothers and Draupadi calling out to him, asking him to stay with them in their misery. Yudhisthira decided to remain, ordering the divine charioteer to return. He preferred to live in hell with good people than in a heaven of his enemies. Eventually this turned out to be another illusion to test him and also to enable him to atone for his sin of complying with Krishna in plotting Drona's fall and for risking women's (draupadi/wife) honor during game of dice. Thereafter Indra and Krishna appeared before him and told him that his brothers were already in Heaven, while his enemies suffered from Hell's torment in due time for earthly virtues.
YUDHISHTIRA Pāndava's Timeline


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Hat, gloves, scarf, warm down coat over top of layers of tops and socks have been necessary when venturing out of the house...
imagine the "Michelin Man" puffy coat
worn with a woolly hat that covers my ears,
a scarf
with just my eyes peeking out
and you get the picture...
the usual 60 minute walks are just not happening.
(I may need to resort to mall walking!)
I finally broke down and purchased a heavier pair of tights so that I could wear my skirts and dresses with my Chelsea boots.
I have not worn heavy tights since I retired from the school district and I was surprised when I looked for some...the prices are much higher than I remember.
As part of my job I was required to do outdoor supervision at recess and lunch and because I feel the cold I dressed like I was going to the North Pole...
Comfort wins.


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Teetotal for a year: why waking up to low and no is the trade's biggest challenge
Administrators for Cockburns of Leith say they are hopeful of finding a buyer for Scotland's oldest wine merchant.
The Edinburgh company, founded in 1796, called in Ernst & Young last Friday after falling victim to the economic downturn in the wine market.
The administrator reports strong interest in the business, which counts Charles Dickens and Sir Walter Scott among its past clients.
Five of the seven staff at the company - which sells wine online and as a wholesaler - have been made redundant and Ernst & Young is inviting bids for the stock and for the trading name.
Reports that managing director Ian Macphail is bidding for the business have been dismissed, according to the Scottish media.


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The Founder
Sarita Kenedy East, South Texas rancher and philanthropist, daughter of John G. and Marie Stella (Turcotte) Kenedy and granddaughter of Mifflin and Petra Vela de Kenedy, was born on September 19, 1889, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her grandfather was Mifflin Kenedy, founder of the vast La Parra Ranch in what was then Cameron County (now Kenedy County). She spent much of her childhood at La Parra, and her father named the new town of Sarita, located on the Kenedy ranch, for his daughter upon the town's founding around 1904. Sarita attended Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus Christi and then H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College in New Orleans. She also made her debut in New Orleans. She did not complete college, but instead returned to La Parra. On December 8, 1910, she married Arthur Lee East, a South Texas rancher. They did not have any children.
Mrs. Sarita Kenedy East was one of the most remarkable women in South Texas – one of the last of the Kenedy family that exerted great leadership in the development of South Texas.
Mrs. East was born in Corpus Christi on September 19, 1889, the granddaughter of Petra Vela Kenedy and Captain Mifflin Kenedy, pioneer rancher and investor. The town of Kenedy and the county of Kenedy are named in his honor. The county seat of Kenedy County is named Sarita, in honor of Sarita Kenedy East.
Sarita Kenedy married Arthur East, a South Texas rancher, at a home built by Captain Mifflin Kenedy, on the site of the present day Corpus Christi Cathedral. She was the daughter of John G. Kenedy and Marie Stella Turcotte of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mrs. East, like her mother and grandmother, gave generously to the Catholic Church, especially to the Diocese of Corpus Christi. She also gave many anonymous donations to museums, hospitals and other charitable organizations throughout South Texas. Because of her many contributions to charities and her many years of devoted service to the Catholic Church, Mrs. East received two special honors from the Pope – the medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice and membership in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Mrs. East died on February 11, 1961, bearing no children, but leaving behind a magnificent legacy that has left its impact on thousands of people in South Texas.
The Foundation
One year and one month before her death, Mrs. Sarita Kenedy East formed The John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation. It was set up as a non-profit corporation for religious, educational & charitable purposes – to honor the couple that gave birth to Sarita Kenedy East.
Mrs. East left the bulk of her estate to the Foundation. That estate was part of the financial and ranch holdings of her grandfather, Captain Mifflin Kenedy and her grandmother Petra Vela. Included were half of the 400,000 acre La Parra (Kenedy) Ranch, a smaller ranch in Colorado and oil and gas revenue from her holdings.


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This post is from friend and blogger Ben Edwards of Money Smart Life.
Stopping bullets with your mind is no easy feat. It took Neo quite a while to hack the laws of a computer program called "The Matrix" in order to achieve that outcome. In fact, he failed and nearly died a time or two before mastering that skill.
Do you ever feel like Neo, dodging the bullets of debt collectors and outrageously high bills with little hope of escape? Your debt doesn't have to kill you. You too, can bend your mind and find the freedom that seems so convincingly elusive. So grab a cup of water, gulp down the red pill, and absorb this debt advice from the Matrix that you can use to escape the prison of debt that's holding you captive.
1. The Matrix of Marketing
The Matrix held Neo for years without him knowing the truth. How? Marketing. The entire Matrix was a marketing scheme, designed to keep those within its grasp compliant and unaware of the truth.
The truth is that debt can be a trap. Lenders are not there to "help" you, they are there to make money in the form of interest. While there are certainly less sinister forms of debt than others, their end goal is to charge you interest and fees. Lenders have come up with brilliant marketing schemes to have you believe that you deserve what you can't afford, and show you the way to get it: to take on more debt.
Sure, transfer your debt to a credit card or personal loan with a low interest rate, but avoid taking on more debt. This one tip alone, if implemented, will eventually allow you to escape the debt trap. See past the marketing, and live within your means. Neo knew there was a better way, and you do too.
2. Downloading Information Into Your Brain
Knowing how to get out and stay out of debt is only the first step. In order to win the fight, you have to believe you can and that you will. You'll need the motivation it takes to start and stick to your plan.
Remember Neo's first fight? Morpheus understood that there was more to winning than knowing the moves. Neo had to believe he could defeat Morpheus. Or how about the jump program? Morpheus cleared it because of faith, Neo fell because didn't believe he could make it.
What you believe about your debt situation is important. Believe you can escape, and eventually, with time, you will! So plug in, learn how to get out of debt, and then believe you have what it takes to overcome it.
3. Agents of Opposition
Agent Smith and his minions focused their efforts on Neo. Why? Because Neo not only wanted to free himself from the system, but he wanted to free others as well.
If you're fired up about getting out of debt, expect opposition. Those who have bought into the marketing will mock your newfound budget, explain that monthly payments are a way of life, and destroy any hope you have of escape. Don't let the agents of opposition inject you with their way of thinking. Be free!
4. You're Living in Two Worlds
Neo soon found out that the world he thought was real actually wasn't – it was an illusion world created to entrap his mind.
Right now, this very second, understand that some of your beliefs about debt might not be true or right for your current circumstances. You might be enjoying a credit card you shouldn't be using, considering a bank loan for a home remodel that you can't afford, or thinking about a new car that is way above your pay grade.
Challenge your beliefs about debt with an open mind. While you might think a certain level of debt is acceptable in your life, it might be negatively affecting your overall financial plan, straining your relationships, or disabling you from overcoming unexpected bills and emergencies.
5. Find Your Morpheus and Trinity
Neo wasn't alone. He had Morpheus, Trinity, and many others who not only woke him up to the truth, but taught him how to operate within it. Once you decide to overcome and pay off your debt, you're going to need a team of supportive individuals.
If you're married, talk with your spouse about everything you'll be able to accomplish by when you're debt free. Perhaps you'll be able to take more vacations, fund your children's college education, or put more money toward retirement. Show your spouse the vision of what it will look like to be free from the bondage of debt.
If you're single and handling the finances on your own, be sure to find some accountability. Ask a good friend or family member to help you stick to your budget so that you can pay down your debt.
Neo understood the importance of his team being on the other end of the phone line. Make sure you have an open line of communication with your team when you become discouraged or need help removing yourself from a dangerous situation (for example, a shopping mall).
Like Neo, you can choose to think differently and discover freedom. Find the information you need, implement it, and break free. Hack your way to safety and start paying off your debt today!
What piece of debt advice or lesson do you most resonate with? What's helped you escape the matrix of debt in your life?
More Debt Advice from Debt Heroes
Of course Neo is a fictional hero, to read about real life Debt Heroes and how they got into and out of debt check out the book Debt Heroes. As part of a collaboration with the Debt Movement the book looks at your personal journey to get out of debt and looks at various methods of people who have successfully paid off their debt.
Ben Edwards is a co-author of the Debt Heroes book and writes about money over at Money Smart Life
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Mar, 2014
Tyler Mc Mahon, Film and TV production
When are you the perfect son?
When I lie – that would be the only way I could fool anyone into thinking I am perfect.
When are you not the perfect son?
When I tell the truth – that is when you see that I am just as flawed as everyone else.


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HomeSite also has CSS support. You can even drag n drop a link to a CSS file (only drawback is that it uses rel=style and src=style.css instead of href). Should not be quotes on anything but the typeface and there seems to be a blank property line. >h1 { >font-family: "Arial"; >font-size: "50pt"; >line-height: "80pt"; >font-weight: "bold"; >"; >} > Steve -:- City Gallery ed.- http://www.webcom.com/cityg PhotoGen list admin. -:- Steve Knoblock, firstname.lastname@example.com _/ Member: Natl. Stereo. Assoc. http://www.tisco.com/3d-web/nsa/nsa.htmReceived on Thursday, 6 March 1997 03:47:37 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Monday, 2 May 2016 14:26:42 UTC


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Here is information for consumers of what was discussed during the August 2017 AAFCO meeting.
The AAFCO Annual Meeting took place in Bellevue, Washington August 10 – 12, 2017 (there are actually two public AAFCO meetings per year – one in August termed the 'annual' meeting, one in January termed the 'mid-year' meeting). In our group (we called ourselves 'the Rebels') was Dr. Judy Morgan (holistic veterinarian), Dr. Cathy Alinovi (holistic veterinarian representing quality small manufacturers – Next Gen), Chelsea Kent (of Hero's Pets – independent pet store Colorado), Ashok Ramji (pet owner), Roxanne Stone and Billy Hoekman (Answers Pet Food), and Paul Raybould (KetoPets Sanctuary). We were joined after meeting hours by Kimberly Gauthier (Keep the Tail Wagging), D'Arcy Dent and Nikki and Guy Mael.
As typical of our experience with AAFCO – we are watched and listened to constantly (industry) so we tend to leave the hotel for safer (spy free) locations to relax after meeting hours. We were lucky to enjoy the fish market area of Seattle (including the gum wall pictured below – yes, that is thousands of pieces of gum).
Down to business…
Opening session of every AAFCO meeting is a roll call of attendees. Forty four different states (State Department of Agriculture members) were present, there were 404 total attendees representing 9 different countries. After roll call there was a talk from the director of Washington State Department of Agriculture and then a talk from Dr. Steve Solomon the new director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Dr. Solomon explained that the FDA has begun required 'Current Good Manufacturing Practices' inspections (per the Food Safety Modernization Act) in the animal feed industry. He also told the audience that "anything we do at CVM" has a "scientific foundation". I did not state it publicly (didn't want the new director of CVM to hate me right off the bat) – but I know with certainty that CVM does NOT have scientific foundation for everything they do. The ingredients that FDA allows into pet food – illegally – ingredients sourced from diseased and non-slaughtered animals have NO scientific foundation. A year or so ago I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for that science proving those ingredients are safe; FDA told me they have no safety information.
During the Current Issues and Outreach Committee Jamie Wiggins of the Northwest Food Processing Association gave a talk regarding "By-Products from Human Food Processing Plants" into animal feed. She shared that 73% of human food processing waste goes to animal food. And her organization was concerned that 36% (of the 73%) of human food processing waste will no longer be able to utilized (dumped) into animal feed due to Food Safety Modernization Act regulation. Us 'Rebels' wondered why the 'human food processing waste' industry doesn't reach out to various forward thinking individuals to find a better home for waste than animal feed.
During the Ingredient Definitions Committee Meeting AAFCO made 'official' the various poultry ingredients that were changed in years past. The protocol is – ingredient definitions are approved as tentative. Then at a later date are approved as official. The previously tentative poultry ingredients Poultry, Poultry By-Product Meal, Poultry By-Products, and Poultry Meal are now approved.
Another topic of discussion for was the use of hemp in animal feed. To date – hemp is not defined for use in any animal food (or any cannabis product). AAFCO and FDA has asked the hemp (and cannabis) industry to provide safety data – that information has not been provided to date. Regulatory authorities are more than willing – at least it appears so – to approve the ingredient (write a definition and then it is approved), but they need safety data first specific to any species it would be used for.
Complaints were made that hemp (and cannabis) products are currently being sold to the animal industry. The state of Colorado is very active in working with regulatory and industry – and will now a consumer advocate will join that group. Chelsea of Hero's Pets (from Colorado) will be consumer and retailer advocate joining the Colorado group.
I was asked if consumers want these products. I responded – yes, consumers do want the option for hemp products. Then I was asked why – why do consumers want pet products that include hemp. With much hesitation from me (I knew what would be coming at me after I made this statement) I responded consumers want these products as natural alternatives – as example – for seizures, arthritis. The crowd moaned. The FDA immediately jumped and said those are drug claims and hemp (cannabis) would be required to go through the drug approval process before those claims can be made. I explained that consumers don't look at hemp or cannabis products as a drug, that consumers want natural alternatives. Richard Sellers of AFIA (American Feed Industry Association) gave me a brief lecture that natural products are not always a good thing.
During the Pet Food Committee meeting the Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) – which is basically industry trade associations around the world AND Mars Petcare, Hill's Science Diet, and Purina – approached AAFCO asking for the Vitamin A levels in dog food to be increased.
Existing maximum level for Vitamin A in dog food is 62,500 IU per 1000 kcal (calories); the Global pet feed manufacturers want to increase that level to 100,000 IU per 1000 kcal. No decision was made however it was agreed that FDA and several scientist/veterinarian volunteers would look further into this topic. Dr. Jean Hofve and Dr. Cathy Alinovi asked to be a part of the discussion – it was NOT confirmed they would be allowed.
Another discussion topic was a verification process for pet food companies that don't quite meet the full definition of a human grade pet food – most specifically raw pet foods manufactured under USDA inspection. The suggestion was a program offered by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS). The USDA AMS provides a fee based verification service that could verify the human grade claim for raw pet foods that wish to make the human grade claim (verifying all ingredients are human edible, all supplements are human edible, and manufacturing abides by human food law). Again, no decision was made on this – there was only discussion.
It was also determined that two AAFCO website pages – The Business of Pet Food (content directed towards industry) and AAFCO Talks Pet Food (content directed towards consumers) will need to be updated more frequently. Decision was made to update these pages on a yearly basis (as they are currently out of date).
Next was reports from the Pet Food Label Modernization working group. This is the working group I am on but am not allowed to share information discussed with consumers. Because these reports were provided in the public meeting – I can now share. A little background information…after the 2007 pet food recall Congress wrote law requiring FDA to update pet food labels (and update ingredient definitions including standards of quality) – to provide consumers with more information. FDA was required to complete this task by September 2009. FDA has never completed that task (label updates or updated ingredient definitions and standards of quality). It is unknown if FDA made the request to AAFCO to complete this work – all we know is that the AAFCO Board of Directors requested a working group be formed (August 2016) to update pet food labels.
The Label Modernization working group consists of multiple members of State Department of Agriculture, multiple members representing Big Pet Feed and Big Pet Feed ingredient providers, Dr. Cathy Alinovi representing small pet food manufacturers and two consumer advocates (myself and Mollie Morrissette). Our full working group was split up into four groups (named below). The two groups I was in met almost weekly over the past year (one group on Tuesdays, another group on Wednesdays). Almost everything that I suggested to the group (directly from consumer input) has been rejected. The one exception is carbohydrate information (explained below under Nutritional Facts Box group).
Please know that none of the following reports are final – this is all very preliminary, a work in progress.
Nutritional Adequacy/Feeding Directions sub-group (I am a member of this sub-group)
The Nutritional Adequacy statement on pet food labels is the sentence that says something like this: (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition for adult cats. Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for adult cats. Current regulations allow the long statement to be anywhere on the pet food label – which makes it difficult for consumers to find. This group designed an easy to see oval that is suggested to be on the bottom right front of each label. The oval will be white with black text only providing the Complete and Balanced statement specific to what ever life stage (example: adult dogs). For pet treats or foods that are not complete and balanced, the group suggested the symbol should be a different shape for easy recognition – this symbol will be rectangle again providing brief information such as 'Snack' 'Supplemental Feeding'.
For feeding directions, the group addressed the inconsistency of feeding directions provided on pet food labels. As all pets are different, this group felt a better way for consumers to know the proper amount to feed would be based on 'body condition scores'. The group suggested AAFCO host a webpage with visual aids for consumers to determine body condition scores of their pet – enabling them to adjust the feeding amount accordingly. This group also felt that feeding directions should be required for snacks and treats (currently it is not required).
Safety Statement sub-group (I was not a member of this sub-group)
This group discussed if it should or should not be required for all pet food label styles (kibble, can, raw) and treats provide a safety statement (currently only raw pet food is required to include a safe handling statement). The group has requested recall history data from FDA, FDA has yet to provide that data to the group. No decision will be made until FDA provides information. A request was made by Chelsea Kent of Hero Pets (one of our Rebels) to also request data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). To date, kibble is the only style of pet food that is documented to have caused human illness (Diamond Pet Food – 2012). This group is also still in discussion if safe storage statements should be required on the pet food label.
Nutritional Facts Box sub-group (I am a member of this sub-group)
This group developed a Nutrition Facts Box to (hopefully) be added to pet food labels – similar to the nutrition facts box on human food labels. It has not been determined what nutrients will be provided within the pet food nutrition box. For certain, similar information to the current Guaranteed Analysis (protein, fat, fiber, moisture) will be included. A significant change (and requested by consumers) is carbohydrate information. (Hopefully) This will be stated through the calorie statement. This group proposed a calorie breakdown per container (for canned foods) or per cup to read something like this (example numbers): Calories obtained from protein: 45 kcal, Calories obtained from fat: 35 kcal, Calories obtained from carbohydrates: 65 kcal. The 'crude' protein/fat/fiber which is currently stated on pet food labels will be changed – 'crude' will be removed from the label (however the analysis method to verify protein/fat/fiber will still be 'crude' methods).
Ingredient Statement sub-group (I was not a member of this sub-group)
This group is still in discussions. One of their possible suggestions was to make it optional for manufacturers to list Vitamins and Minerals like this: Chicken, Chicken Fat, Potato, Minerals (Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement).
Of huge significance to consumers (this is what I so wanted to share with consumers but was not allowed to), this group determined there are "villain ingredients" in pet food. Villain in that consumers have a bad perception of these ingredients. This group decided it was in the best interest of consumers to change the names of these 'villain ingredients' (although it was later shared that the group was not in consensus). When I first learned of this (horrible) decision, I objected adamantly. During this meeting – I objected again, telling the committee "I am certain it is not in the best interest of consumers to put the villain ingredients into the witness protection program by changing their names. It is hard enough for consumers to know what they are buying because all ingredients are in the OP (Official Publication – away from consumer awareness)."
I cannot disclose what those villain ingredients are, as they were not mentioned in the public meeting (I am only allowed to tell consumers what was discussed in the public meeting). Consumers can probably correctly guess which ones are the villain ingredients. I was told any possible changes to ingredient names would move the discussion to the Ingredient Definitions Committee (and that committee chair asked if he could use my 'witness protection program' line – I gladly gave him permission).
With 5 minutes to go before the meeting was over, the last thing to happen at this AAFCO meeting was FDA's betrayal of pet food consumers. This is a story too long to continue here. And because what FDA did is so, so bad – it deserves it's own special post. Click Here to read what FDA did to pet food consumers.
After FDA's debacle (I'm being kind phrasing it that way), one last 'thing' happened. Eight members of AAFCO agreed to meet face to face with Nikki and her husband Guy – the owners of the pug Talula that died from Evanger's Pet Food. We all met in a quiet section of the lobby – back in a corner with no ears around us. Nikki brought pictures of Talula – baby pictures up to pictures of her in the veterinary hospital after eating the Evanger's Hunk of Beef pet food. Nikki told them the full story – she was crying through much of it – the AAFCO folks were crying too (honestly). They were very patient with her, listened to her every word, asked questions. They were wonderful. They admitted there are holes in the regulatory system that need to be fixed, they promised to look into this further. I think both Nikki and Guy felt good at how this discussion went (they did not feel the same with their discussion with FDA).
Though only time will tell, personally I think it was good for the regulatory folks to hear the detailed story of what happened to Talula. It is not an easy story to hear (I was crying too), but it is one the people whose job it is to protect our pets needed to hear. Special thank you goes out to Meagan Davis of Louisiana Department of Agriculture for making this meeting happen.
My sincere thanks to all of our group of Rebels. I remember the days when I was alone at AAFCO meetings – I hid a lot in my room. It is wonderful to have great people there to share the 'fun' of AAFCO with. Thank you all for going!
And my sincere thanks to pet food consumers for supporting this website so that I can go to AAFCO meetings. I couldn't do it without all of your support.
The next AAFCO meeting will be in Anaheim, CA in January. Information will be posted closer to time about that meeting should any pet owner wish to attend.
Again, to read the story about what FDA did to consumers at AAFCO – Click Here.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
Association for Truth in Pet Food
What's in Your Pet's Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the 'rest of the story' on over 4,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
The 2017 List
Susan's List of trusted pet foods. Click Here
Have you read Buyer Beware? Click Here
Cooking pet food made easy, Dinner PAWsible
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here


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These are the stats from the 1/9 session.
Comics collected: 19
Attendance: 4
Student efficiency: 4.75
Maximum possible: 16
Lesson efficiency: 1.19
Under the original lesson plan, the max possible would've been 36, with 9 comics handed out to each student. Since only the warm-up was completed, I modified this to reflect that only 4 comics were given to each student.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
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text: Artist Emma Uber, of Australia, paints incredibly colorful portraits. Her series of oils and pastels incorporate beautifully detailed—and mainly feminine—faces that blend into backgrounds filled with thick, vibrant strokes, drips and smears of paint, and bursts of colorful shapes and flowers. Her use of a strong color palette and aggressive strokes, set against the soft features and expressionless faces, sparks an intense curiosity about each of her subjects. Voyeurism to the extreme. The women featured within Emma's portraits are dripping with the seduction of James Bond's fierce femme fatales. To see more of Emma's beautiful paintings and works in progress, check out her website and facebook page.


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Credit: facebook.com/HumanePinellas
On Friday, September 29th, join the Humane Society of Pinellas for their annual Golden Paw Gala!
Join the Humane Society of Pinellas as they celebrate lives saved and happy endings along with dinner, cocktails, live and silent auctions. The event takes place on Friday, September 29th at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort from 6p-9p. The proceeds from the Annual Golden Paw Awards Dinner benefit the operation of the Humane Society of Pinellas, where over 2,500 lives are saved annually while programs and services are offered to help keep people and pets together.
For more information visit humanesocietyofpinellas.org.


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Current recommendationMembers Only
12 month rangeMembers Only
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Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited engages in the wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical and associated products to pharmacies in Australia. The company operates in three segments: Pharmacy Distribution, Retailing, and Manufacturing. It also provides finance origination and retail services to pharmacists under the Soul Pattinson and Pharmacist Advice banners, as well as offers product delivery, marketing programs, and business advisory services. In addition, the company purchases and sells health, beauty, and lifestyle products in the retail industry under the Priceline brand, as well as operates as a franchisor with approximately 150 Priceline Pharmacy stores. Further, it manufactures and owns rights of pharmaceutical medicines and consumer toiletries in New Zealand. The company was founded in 1910 and is based in Camellia, Australia.


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Do You Need A Lottery Win To Buy Happiness? These 8 Reasons Might Surprise You/
Are lottery winners happier? Here are some tips from happiness expert Daniel Gilbert, author of the bestseller "Stumbling on Happiness." He gives his ideas on how we can improve our happiness levels. See if you agree:
# 1. Buy more experiences and fewer material goods. This means we should go to more amusement parks and take more vacations. Buy fewer cars and new TVs.
# 2. Use your money to benefit others rather than ourselves. It seems giving is better than receiving. Giving improves social relationships, and our relationships are key to happiness. Giving makes us feel the relationships will continue, which bolsters well-being.
# 3. Buy many small pleasures rather than fewer large ones. When it comes to happiness, frequency beats intensity. One reason is that we're less likely to take for granted all the little things affecting us, than we are of the one, big rare event.
# 4. Forget extended warranties and other forms of overpriced insurance. Research shows we deal with bad events much more effectively than we think. Often we buy insurance to make us feel better, not because we couldn't actually afford to replace the item. And extended warranties are acknowledged to be a poor investment.
# 5. Delay consumption. Anticipating pleasure can sometimes be more enjoyable than the event itself. By delaying the good things we increase happiness.
# 6. Consider how smaller features of purchases may affect our day-to-day lives. Buying a summer cottage seems great -- because at a distance we don't think about repairs, a leaky roof, and mosquitoes. A bigger home may seem like a better deal, but if the fixer upper requires trading Saturday afternoons with friends for Saturday afternoons with plumbers, it may not be such a good deal after all.
# 7. Beware of comparison shopping. The truth is that most of the options we compare will end up having no difference in our enjoyment of the item six months from now.
# 8. Pay close attention to the happiness of others. Research suggests that the best way to predict how much we will enjoy an experience is to see how much someone else enjoyed it.
Read the full article here.


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About one and a half years ago I moved from Oppenheim to Jugenheim – a tiny, peaceful village in the south west of Germany, not far away from Mainz. I instantly felt comfortable here. Back then, I started to explore the surroundings of my new home and discovered that it took me exactly 157 steps to get to a funny red building. It immediately fuelled my curiousity.
The funny red LA SIESTA buildingRead More


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So once in a blue moon, Gonzo writes a paper that gets the brain juices flowing; and it just so happens that I take a tad of pride in this one. It's not necessarily the style and and flow of the writing that struck me with this bad boy, but more so the disturbing information I came across while doing research. Enjoy the read, and I hope it gives all my compadres a little slice of awareness and consciousness as it did to me.
The ever-growing uses and features of mobile phones – a product used by 75% of the world's population as of 2012 – contribute to its expanding consumer market (World Bank). In fact, according to a World Watch report released in 2013, because a number of mobile phone holders own more than one device, the sum of mobile phones has surpassed the world's population (World Watch). Not only is this concerning as it reflects society's dependence on technology, but the production of mobile phones has tremendous environmental and social impacts. In this life-cycle analysis, we will specifically look at the touchscreen component of mobile phones, and the extraction of a crucial ingredient in this feature: coltan (columbite–tantalite). Further analysis will look into how it is used in the process of primary production in order to create dry electrolyte tantalum capacitors, a vital component in touchscreen circuitry (Hayes and Burge 19). In addition, we will observe the secondary production (i.e. assembling the touchscreen); distribution methods; and consumption and disposal trends of touchscreen mobile phones.
Australia, Brazil, Canada and China are home to some of the world's coltan mining activity. However, because 80% of the world's coltan is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we will narrow our focus of extraction to the Kivu provinces, geographically situated near its border with Rwanda, where most mining activity takes place (The Friends of the Congo par. 2; Hayes and Burge 26). This process of extraction via manual labour (see Step 1 in Fig. 1) reveals a set of serious socio-cultural and environmental impacts.
It can be assumed that recent price hikes on coltan and increasing demand for mobile phones and other touch screen devices are just some of contributing factors to the many social and health impacts inflicted on civilians of the Congo. This booming industry worth billions of dollars a year (with prices ranging anywhere from $50 and $200 per pound) (Molinski par. 3), has become an incentive for militias from neighbouring countries including Rwanda and Uganda, as well as indigenous Mai Mai militias, to use forced civilian labour in order to achieve maximum extraction and regulate transportation of the Congo's coltan (Hayes and Burge 28). The demographics exploited for labour in this industry are scattered all along the spectrum: from men and women of working age, to children as young as twelve-years-old. In addition to the brutal working conditions in the process of extraction, "non-bureaucratic organization [and occupation] of [profit-driven] warlords" have also been the underpinnings of breaking down Kivu communities' social structures (Reno 218; Hayes and Burge 30). Deteriorating health and education statuses; escalation in sexual violence; collapsing judiciary systems; and other extreme violations of human rights are just some of the many harms that are tied to invading military authority and ultimately, the course of extraction (Hayes and Burge 30).
Not only does coltan extraction have immense socio-cultural consequences, it also has devastating ecological implications. One of the major environmental costs is the poor agricultural development because of labour transfer to the far-more profitable coltan industry. Because of this, "large areas that used to grow food crops … are now uncultivated" (Hayes and Burge 29). In addition to the ripple effect caused by the lucrativeness of this industry, coltan mining also has a direct impact on the indigenous fauna. In order to make extraction of this ore easier, forested regions with high concentrations of coltan – especially Kahuzi Biega National Park, home of the Mountain Gorilla – have been stripped (Cellular-News par. 8). This not only raises the obvious issue of deforestation, but has also slashed the gorilla population in half from approximately 258 to 130 within the Kahuzi Biega National Park region (Cellular-News par. 8). Furthermore, because of the poverty associated with the displaced workers (who are either recruited by militia, or families urgently needing income), "bush meat" (i.e. slaughtered gorillas) is sold to miners and rebel armies who control the area (Cellular-News par. 8). In fact, according to a United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report, "national parks in the region have lost up to 80% of their larger mammals" to the bush meat market (6).
We will now look at the earlier stages of assembling the touchscreen, following this immensely destructive extraction. Here, production requires the coltan to be refined into a heat-resistant powder known as tantalum in order to make tantalum capacitors, which hold high electrical charges. However, according to Judy Wickens, secretary general of the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center based in Belgium, the coltan exchange that occurs between rebel groups and local traders; local traders and regional traders; and later, regional traders and larger regional traders, makes tracing the origins of the coltan used by international manufacturers challenging (Essick par. 21). Nonetheless, statistics show that "more than 20 international mineral trading companies import minerals from the Congo via Rwanda alone": a disturbing fact considering that Rwanda's production in 2011 actually exceeded the region's level of coltan (Essick par. 22; United States Geographic Survey 162-163). This illustrates how difficult is to calculate where and how the coltan used in tantalum is extracted – does coltan that is supposedly 'ethically' extracted in, for example, Canada, actually originate in the black market in Central Africa?
Imports are primarily supplied to Asia, Europe and the United States. Two of the largest tantalum processors, German H.C. Starck – responsible for providing 50% of the world's tantalum – and Amerian Cabot (CBT) (Essick par. 23) are responsible for separating tantalum from the ore through a combination of gravity and magnetic separation (see step _ in Fig. 1) (Gongyi Forui Machinery Factory pars. 4-5). Firms then sell the heat resistant powder to capacitor manufacturers (some of the largest being AVX, Epcos, Hitachi, Kemet, NEC and Vishay) where a variety of tantalum capacitors are assembled (see step _ in Fig. 1) (Essick par. 23). Though the companies listed above have a relatively 'clean' record of direct environmental impact compared to other industries, some have still been involved in ecological scandals. In one example, trichloroethylene (a chemical in industrial greasers that can cause cancer and other health problems) traced to an AVX plant located in Columbia, South Carolina was linked to contamination of local groundwater (Wren par. 5).
The finished capacitors are then sold to some of the largest companies in the telecommunications industry, including BlackBerry, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung, to name a few where additional inputs are used in constructing the screen (see step _ in Fig. 1) (Hayes and Burge 37). It is in the companies' assembly factories that the environment and well-being and the social equity of their workers have been put to the test. According to Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, Nokia ranks in third place from first due to factors such as being "just shy of maximum points on hazardous substances" (e.g. antimony compounds) and failing to meet their renewable energy target (par. 2). However, it should also be noted that Nokia has implemented production efforts such as using renewable materials in their cell phones (e.g. bio plastics, bio paints, recycled metals), and a renewable energy target of 100% by 2020 (Green Conduct par. 21; Greenpeace par. 1). Unfortunately, a majority of companies do not strive to be environmentally sustainable. While most firms provide targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the process of manufacturing, Canadian-based company BlackBerry (formerly known as Research In Motion Limited or RIM) not only has no target, but also gives no disclosure of their current GHG emissions (Gersmann par. 2).
The issue of human rights is also at stake during the process of assembling touchscreen mobile phones. Take for example, Chinese electronic manufacturing company, VTech: a 2012 report from Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights revealed that Chinese employees in a Guangdong VTech factory were described to be working in sweatshop conditions (e.g. 12-15 hour shifts, low wages, and no health or social insurance) in order to manufacture electronics at low costsfor telecommunication companies, including Motorola. Furthermore, Samsung has been notorious for over-working their employees. General policies such as "overtime regulations and a system of fines for employees that [are] late or absent" illustrate how the company has come to its reputation (Latif par. 3). For instance, in a 2013 case, workers "in the Amazon region [were] given just 32 seconds to assemble a mobile phone" with some accounts of packing as many as 3,000 phones a day (Page, par. 4).
Though these are just a few examples of the environmental and human capital used in the manufacturing process, it gives us a basic understanding of the ecological and social consequences that continue even after the extraction of coltan from the Earth.
Because the telecommunications industry is so vast, we will look at a few alternatives that companies choose when strategizing distribution methods. Packaging practices that sit at the more eco-friendly end of the environmental impact spectrum include using recycled material and using soy ink – an alternative to petroleum-based inks which is renewable, biodegradable and lowers the cost of the recycling process (CleanTechnica, par. 1-5). At the other end of the spectrum, many of these companies fail to implement a paper procurement policy (which would exclude suppliers that are involved in deforestation and illegal logging) for the remainder of un-recycled material used in packaging (Greenpeace par. 3). Among the many other resources used in packaging are crude oil (for plastics) and ore (for aluminum). Getting mobile phones from their manufacturers to the consumer market is done via air, rail, road or sea, all of which require the use of fossil fuels, causing a disruption to the climate (Environmental Protection Agency The Life Cycle of a Cell Phone).
Once a mobile phone has reached the consumer market, its uses provide a laundry list of functions in addition to its initial (but now diminishing) purpose for spoken communication, including being a portable music player; a game console; an Internet browser; and what writer Dan Tynan foresees, a portable television set (par. 3). Despite its many uses – or perhaps because of – the lifespan of mobile phones is increasingly short-lived. Regardless of their five-year-average life expectancy, owners dispose of their working devices after an average of 18 months (Milovantseva and Jean-Daniel par. 5).
Although major mobile phone companies have implemented e-waste programs for users seeking a more efficient way to dispose of their devices, the United States Environmental Protection Agency revealed that discarded mobile phones made up 8% of the 25% of electronics that users chose to recycle (Environmental Protection Agency Frequent Questions: ECycling par. 2). Furthermore, the regulation standards of various e-waste recycling plants fluctuate. For instance, in a recycling plant situated in Guiya, China where 60%-80% of families work, blood lead levels higher than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL) were found amongst 70.8% of children in the area – who by definition have elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) (Zheng et. al 15-16). The remainder of disposed phones end up in landfills, with plastics, ceramics and trace metals that can leach into the environment for centuries (Milovantseva and Jean-Daniel par. 1).
From a dull black metallic ore; to the refining processes of international companies; to the hands of manufacturers for further production; to the lucrative mobile phone industry and multinationals for final stages of assembly and distribution; to its use by consumers; and finally to disposal in either landfills or e-waste programs, the journey of what has been coined as a 'conflict mineral', shows the social and ecological burdens that extend beyond the people and environment of the Congo. This life-cycle analysis illustrates the incessant cycle that stems from a seemingly-innocuous product used by 75% of the world's population (World Bank). It then raises the ethical question of whether or not there is any rationale behind creating the touchscreen feature of this gadget at the expense of the environment, and the health and safety of humans. Is extraction and further assembly of this raw material really worth the gruesomely raw ripple effect?
Works Cited
CleanTechnica. "Soy Ink: Five Ways It's Better for the Environment." CleanTechnica.Sustainable Enterprises Media, Inc., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/09/soy-ink-five-ways-its-better-for-the-environment/>.
Cellular-News."Coltan, Gorillas and Cellphones." Cellular-News.N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.cellular-news.com/coltan/>.
Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, DC. The Life Cycle of a Cell Phone.By Environmental Protection Agency.N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/life-cell.pdf>.
Essick, Kristi. "Guns, Money and Cell Phones." Global Issues.N.p., 11 June 2001. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.globalissues.org/article/442/guns-money-and-cell-phones>.
Gersmann, Hanna. "BlackBerry Maker Hits Bottom of Green Electronics Rankings."Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 09 Nov. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/nov/09/blackberry-greenpeace-electronics>.
GongyiForui Machinery Factory. "Tantalite and Columbite Mining Processing Equipment From China Manufacturer." GongyiForui Machinery Factory.N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014. <http://www.frjig.com/news/tantalite_columbite_processing.html>.
Greenpeace. "Nokia Moves up to 3rd Position in This Edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics." Greenpeace. Greenpeace International, Nov. 2012. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/>.
HantouchUSA. "How It Works: 4-Wire Analog-Resistive Touch Screens." HantouchUSA: Touch Screen Specialists. HantouchUSA: Touch Screen Specialists, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <https://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/LCD/HOW%20DOES%20IT%20WORK.pdf>.
Hayes, Karen, and Richard Burge. Coltan Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo: How Tantalum-using Industries Can Commit to the Reconstruction of the DRC. Rep. Cambridge: Fauna & Flora International, 2003. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://storage.globalcitizen.net/data/topic/knowledge/uploads/2010022412222515.pdf>.
Latif, Lawrence. "Samsung Supplier Audit Finds Overtime Violations but No Child Labour."The Inquirer. Incisive Financial Publishing Ltd., 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2227339/samsung-supplier-audit-finds-overtime-violations-but-no-child-labour>.
Molinski, Dan. "Colombia to Wage Battle Against Illegal Coltan Mining." The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. <http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304537904577277902985836034?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304537904577277902985836034.html>.
Page, Carly. "Samsung Workers Are given 32 Seconds to Assemble Phones." The Inquirer. Incisive Financial Publishing Ltd., 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2288775/samsung-workers-are-given-32-seconds-to-assemble-phones>.
Reed, Eric, and Marta Miranda. Assessment of the Mining Sector and Infrastructure Development in the Congo Basin Region. Awsassets.panda.org. N.p., Jan. 2007. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/congobasinmining.pdf>.
The Friends of the Congo."Coltan Facts." Breaking The Silence. Break The Silence Congo Week, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. <http://www.congoweek.org/coltan-facts.html>.
United Nations Environmental Program. The Last Stand of the Gorilla: Environmental Crime and Conflict in the Congo Basin. Rep. Ed. Christian Nellemann, Ian Redmond, and Johannes Refisch.Ås, Norway: Birkeland Printing, 2010. Print.
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. "DC Leakage Failure Mode." Vishay.com. Vishay Intertechnology Inc., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <http://www.vishay.com/docs/49268/tn0003.pdf>.
World Bank. "Mobile Phone Access Reaches Three Quarters of Planet's Population." World Bank. The World Bank Group, 17 July 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/07/17/mobile-phone-access-reaches-three-quarters-planets-population>.
World Watch. "Market Saturation Slows Mobile Phone Growth." World Watch Institute. Worldwatch Institute, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.worldwatch.org/market-saturation-slows-mobile-phone-growth>.
Wren, David. "S.C. Supreme Court Justices Mull Damage Claims against AVX in Pollution Case Involving Myrtle Beach Property Owners." The State: South Carolina`s Homepage. The State, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://www.thestate.com/2014/01/24/3224751/sc-supreme-court-justices-mull.html>.


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Most recently, I have been playing skirmish style games in which all models are based as individuals. I like this for the flexibility and the importance it gives to each individual character, but I dislike it for movement of formations and playing grand-scale battles. So, with this new English Civil War project that I have undertaken, I have decided to base my army in a more large-scale group method. I am working with 28mm models and the sketch below shows how I am thinking of basing these and how I will organize them into basic regiments.
Individual square bases of 40mm that will contain four models. This regiment formation will give me a frontage of 320mm with two rows of muskets and four rows of pikemen with some room in the front and center for the command figures, ensigns and musicians. I don't want to base my army for any particular rule set (although I do have a copy of Pike & Shotte on the way) and I hope this will be a nice compromise that will allow me to play any number of different rule sets. The musket to pike ratio and exact numbers may change based on specific regiments (throw in some longbows, swords and axes for some of the Royalist northern clan levies for example).


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The cocoon she had formed over time had cracked open. She was aware but consciously ignorant about it. A strange mix of discomfort and anxiousness was forming a deadly potion on her mind. Her sane being wanted to restrict exposure to the wild world, but the devil inside wanted to explore the uncertainties.
She floated in a sea of ecstasy as the first ray of externalities braced her soul. It felt exquisite, different and refreshing, from an otherwise mundane life. For once she wished to use all her might to leap forward, breakaway and free her soul. The new world was waiting with open arms, but will she succeed in breaking free from her cocoon? Only time would tell