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It's a KINDER Kind of Christmas!Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Now, uh... what was I talking about? Ah, yes! Row upon row of KINDER® goodness! Think I'm joking? Check out the endless sea of orange including the giant KINDER® SURPRISE® MAXI eggs.
So many varieties to choose from, I almost grabbed one of each.
Win a KINDER® Prize Pack Valued at $33!
This month, as a #KinderMom, I will be giving away a KINDER® bundle that includes the following:
- One KINDER® Advent Calendar
- One KINDER® Hollow Santa with SURPRISE®
- One KINDER® SURPRISE® 100g Christmas egg
- One KINDER® SURPRISE® MAXI 150g egg
Simply complete the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
We LOVE the advent calender!ReplyDelete
Lori R Jackson
the One KINDER® Advent Calendar my girls like themReplyDelete
My kids love the huge eggReplyDelete
- patty georgeNovember 12, 2014 at 7:32 AM
the advent calendar is always the best,,, a different treat each day... its a traditionReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 12, 2014 at 7:52 AM
Becky Best-I love the hollow Santa with surprise! :)ReplyDelete
the eggs are the best!!! tyReplyDelete
My son loves the Transformer kinder eggs.ReplyDelete
I love the giant egg!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 12, 2014 at 8:55 AM
I love the Christmas eggReplyDelete
I really like the Advent Calendar .ReplyDelete
I like the Advent Calendars!ReplyDelete
The Kinder eggs are really what the grandkids love the most. I'm always amazed at what they can manage to hide inside the eggs.ReplyDelete
My rafflecopter name is Julie G
We LOVE the advent calender! Tis a tradition with us but you have to go early as the Kinder ones sell out SO fast! We love the Eggs as well a Collection of the toys over the yearsReplyDelete
The Advent calender is a great addition, kids like the prize in the egg.ReplyDelete
I like the Kinder Surprise Maxi because it puts a big smile on my son's face.ReplyDelete
advent calendarReplyDelete
The Kinder Surprise Maxi is what we like the best. They are a treat at holidays and it is always fun to see what is inside! (Judy Cowan)ReplyDelete
The hollow santa :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 12, 2014 at 11:42 AM
the advent calendars are cool and one of our household favs!ReplyDelete
Christine Da Silva
I like the advent calender...a little bit of everything in thereReplyDelete
The Kinder Surprise Maxi :)ReplyDelete
I think the KINDER® SURPRISE® MAXI 150g egg would be fabulous! More g the better.ReplyDelete
I like the Advent Calendar!ReplyDelete
the small kinder eggs .. mmmmmReplyDelete
I like the Advent CalendarReplyDelete
I love the Advent Calendar!!ReplyDelete
The original Kinder Surprise Eggs,,so yummy!ReplyDelete
(Karla Sceviour)
- CatharineNovember 12, 2014 at 6:53 PM
Love the advent calendarReplyDelete
All of them yummy
Hollow Santa with SURPRISEReplyDelete
i like the kinder maxi eggReplyDelete
- veRONIcaNovember 12, 2014 at 9:28 PM
Their eggs are the best. Classic!ReplyDelete
The classic eggs are my boys favourite!ReplyDelete
My kids would love the advent calendar. That looks like so much fun.ReplyDelete
The KINDER® Hollow Santa with SURPRISEReplyDelete
he Transformer kinder eggs are a favourite in our homeReplyDelete
Dang, I don't think my comment worked. My kids LOVE these!ReplyDelete
I like the regular kinder eggs because they're perfect for anytime and on the go.ReplyDelete
I live the Kinder Surprise eggs the best. Great for stockings.ReplyDelete
Florence C
- DARLENE WNovember 13, 2014 at 1:37 PM
I like the Kinder Advent CalendarReplyDelete
Was hoping to get this so i could give to my son who's in college in Barrie,ReplyDelete
I used to get these for him as a child. However you can't find them in the u.s. where I am now. Crossing my fingers
love the advant calendarReplyDelete
I like the Kinder Advent Calendar the most.ReplyDelete
We love them all, but the Advent Calendar is fun!ReplyDelete
I like the KINDER SURPRISE eggs the most.ReplyDelete
- Victoria EssNovember 14, 2014 at 9:17 AM
I like Buenos bestReplyDelete
- Laurie PNovember 14, 2014 at 9:59 AM
Normally I'd say I love the classic Kinder egg, but we've gotten some pretty cool toys in the Maxi over the years. Never did get to try the calendar.....yet! Might have to scoop one up this year!ReplyDelete
I like the Girl Kinder Eggs the best.ReplyDelete
I love the Advent calendar - a new surprise every day for 24 days! How perfect is that!?ReplyDelete
I like the kinder advent calender.ReplyDelete
Huge fans of the Kinder Egg here.ReplyDelete
The advent calendar. I get my niece the kinder calendar every year, and she's already been asking when this years is coming. LolReplyDelete
The Kinder Surprise Maxi Egg is the Kinder product I love the most :)ReplyDelete
Transformer kinder eggs are my family's first pick!ReplyDelete
I like KINDER® Advent CalendarReplyDelete
I like the Kinder eggs :)ReplyDelete
KINDER® Hollow Santa with SURPRISE®ReplyDelete
I like the KINDER® Hollow SantaReplyDelete
Love the giant eggsReplyDelete
The advent calendar.ReplyDelete
(Debbie W)
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
I like the advent calendar for the grand kids! (WittyLynnie)ReplyDelete
I guess I am old fashioned - we love the eggs best!ReplyDelete
I like the Eggs and Kinder Bueno.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 15, 2014 at 8:48 PM
They all look so Delicious!ReplyDelete
I love their Advent Calendars -- so much fun!ReplyDelete
I like the Kinder Advent Calendar....a little bit of fun for every day.ReplyDelete
- Haylie LangwaldNovember 16, 2014 at 8:52 PM
I love the giant kinder eggs. My kid loves the bigger toy and I love sharing the chocolate.ReplyDelete
I think the advent calendar is really cool!ReplyDelete
I love my original Kinder eggs best!ReplyDelete
I love the kinder MaxiReplyDelete
The advent calendar looks awesomeReplyDelete
The Kinder Advent calendars are the best!ReplyDelete
The Kinder Surprise MaxiReplyDelete
The Advent calendar... looks like fun for the kidsReplyDelete
- tammy taNovember 17, 2014 at 1:33 PM
I like the small eggs best-yummy!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 2:49 PM
We love the original Kinder eggs the best. Audrey SkinnerReplyDelete
I like the regular eggs best but the advent calendar is pretty cool!ReplyDelete
I like the KINDER® Advent CalendarReplyDelete
I rather like the Advent Calendars...my granddaughters would just love them.ReplyDelete
The advent calender!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 18, 2014 at 4:41 PM
I love the advent calenderReplyDelete
The eggs of courseReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 18, 2014 at 9:40 PM
The eggs my son love the toy surprise firstname.lastname@example.com
I love the Kinder Bueno bars, they are deliciousReplyDelete
Kinder is great for giving ANYTIME!!ReplyDelete
(Debbie W)
I LOVE kinder eggsReplyDelete
- CandaceNovember 19, 2014 at 1:11 AM
I like the advent calendar the best! so much fun :)ReplyDelete
Advent Calendar is nice this time of year!ReplyDelete
The advent calendar for sure (for my daughter) she would love it!ReplyDelete
These all are so tasty it's hard to pick one, but the MAXI 150g egg would be twice as amazingReplyDelete
I love the original Kinder Egg! We fill our (grown) kids stockings every year with Kinder Eggs, hubs thinks I am crazy for keeping on with the stockings tradition, but I don't think there is an age limit to Kinder Eggs!! :)ReplyDelete
I would love to try the Kinder Advent Calendar. I hadn't seen these before.ReplyDelete
I would love the advent calendar for my granddaughter -thanks!ReplyDelete
The original Kinder Surprise eggsReplyDelete
The advent calendarReplyDelete
I like Kinder mini eggs the mostReplyDelete
- Yan DengNovember 22, 2014 at 1:17 AM
advent calender!!!ReplyDelete
- Melanie BNovember 22, 2014 at 11:15 AM
I love the advent calendar!ReplyDelete
Advent Calendar :)ReplyDelete
My fave is the advent calendarReplyDelete
I love the kinder surprise eggsReplyDelete
The advent calendar! My DD would love that, :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 24, 2014 at 8:00 PM
The kinder surprise eggReplyDelete
I love the kinder surprise maxi!!ReplyDelete
I like regular kinder eggs the most! I grew up with them!ReplyDelete
- nicoleroannefNovember 26, 2014 at 7:51 AM
The advent calendars are such fun.ReplyDelete
- Eldon LNovember 26, 2014 at 5:43 PM
I like the Kinder Advent CalendarReplyDelete
I love the Surprise Maxi!ReplyDelete
KINDER® SURPRISE® MAXI 150g egg - i get one very year for x masReplyDelete
the Advent CalendarReplyDelete
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment here on Toronto Teacher Mom. Hope you have a great day!


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
A very common question is, "How much DNA of an ancestor do I carry and how does that affect my ethnicity results?"
This question is particularly relevant for people who are seeking evidence of a particular ethnicity of an ancestor several generations back in time. I see this issue raise its head consistently when people take an ethnicity test and expect that their "full blood" Native American great-great-grandmother will show up in their results.
Let's take a look at how DNA inheritance works – and why they might – or might not find the Native DNA they seek, assuming that great-great-grandma actually was Native.
Every child inherits exactly 50% of their autosomal DNA from each parent (except for the X chromosome in males.) However, and this is a really important however, the child does NOT inherit exactly half of the DNA of each ancestor who lived before the parents. How can this be, you ask?
Let's step through this logically.
The number of ancestors you have doubles in each generation, going back in time.
This chart provides a summary of how many ancestors you have in each generation, an approximate year they were born using a 25 year generation and a 30 year generation, respectively, and how much of their DNA, on average, you could expect to carry, today. You'll notice that by the time you're in the 7th generation, you can be expected, on average, to carry 0.78% meaning less than 1% of that GGGGG-grandparent's DNA.
Looking at the chart, you can see that you reach the 1% level at about the 6th generation with an ancestor probably born in the late 1700s or early 1800s.
It's also worth noting here that generations can be counted differently. In some instances, you are counted as generation one, so your GGGGG-grandparent would be generation 8.
In general, DNA showing ethnicity below about 5% is viewed as somewhat questionable and below 2% is often considered to be "noise." Clearly, that isn't always the case, especially if you are dealing with continental level breakdowns, as opposed to within Europe, for example. Intra-continental (regional) ethnicity breakdowns are particularly difficult and unreliable, but continental level differences are easier to discern and are considered to be more reliable, comparatively.
If you want to learn more about how ethnicity calculations are derived and what they mean, please read the article Ethnicity Testing – A Conundrum.
On Average May Not Mean You
On average, each child receives half of the DNA of each ancestor from their parent.
The words "on average" are crucial to this discussion, because the average assumes that in fact each generation between your GGGGG-grandmother and you inherited exactly half of the DNA in each generation from their parent that was contributed by that GGGGG-grandmother.
Unfortunately, while averages are all that we have to work with, that's not always how ancestral DNA is passed in each generation.
Let's say that your GGGGG-grandmother was indeed full Native, meaning no admixture at all.
You can click to enlarge images.
Using the chart above, you can see that your GGGGG-grandmother was full native on all 20 "pieces" or segments of DNA used for this illustration. Those segments are colored red. The other 10 segments, with no color, were contributed by the father.
Let's say she married a person who was not Native, and in every generation since, there were no additional Native ancestors.
Her child, generation 6, inherited exactly 50% of her DNA, shown in red – meaning 10 segments..
Generation 5, her grandchild, inherited exactly half of her DNA that was carried by the parent, shown in red – meaning 5 segments..
However, in the next generation, generation 4, that child inherited more than half of the Native DNA from their parent. They inherited half of their parent's DNA, but the half that was randomly received included 3 Native segments out of a possible 5 Native segments that the parent carried.
In generation 3, that child inherited 2 of the possible 3 segments that their parent carried.
In generation 2, that person inherited all of the Native DNA that their parent carried.
In generation 1, your parent inherited half of the DNA that their parent carried, meaning one of 2 segments of Native DNA carried by your grandparent.
And you will either receive all of that one segment, part of that one segment, or none of that one segment.
In the case of our example, you did not inherit that segment, which is why you show no Native admixture, even though your GGGGG-grandmother was indeed fully Native..
Of course, even if you had inherited that Native segment, and that segment isn't something the population reference models recognize as "Native," you still won't show as carrying any Native at all. It could also be that if you had inherited the red segment, it would have been too small and been interpreted as noise.
The "Received" column at the right shows how much of the ancestral DNA the current generation received from their parent.
The "% of Original" column shows how the percentage of GGGGG-grandmother's DNA is reduced in each generation.
The "Expected" column shows how much DNA, "on average" we would expect to see in each generation, as compared to the "% of Original" which is how much they actually carry.
I intentionally made the chart, above, reflect a scenario close to what we could expect, on average. However, it's certainly within the realm of possibility to see something like the following scenario, as well.
In the second example, above, neither you nor your parent or grandparent inherited any of the Native segments.
It's also possible to see a third example, below, where 4 generations in a row, including you, inherited the full amount of Native DNA segments carried by the GG-grandparent.
Testing Other Relatives
Every child of every couple inherits different DNA from their parents. The 50% of their parents' DNA that they inherit is not all the same. The three example charts above could easily represent three children of the GG-Grandparent and their descendants.
The pedigree chart below shows the three different examples, above. The great-great-grandparent in the 4th generation who inherited 3 Native DNA segments is shown first, then the inheritance of the Native segments through all 3 children to the current generation.
Therefore, you may not have inherited the red segment of GGGGG-grandmother's Native DNA, but your sibling might, or vice versa. As you can see in the chart above, one of your third cousins received 3 native segments from GGGGG-grandmother. but your other third cousin received none.
You can see why people are always encouraged to test their parents and grandparents as well as siblings. You never know where your ancestor's DNA will turn up, and each person will carry a different amount, and different segments of DNA from your common ancestors.
In other words, your great-aunt and great-uncle's DNA is every bit as important to you as your own grandparent's DNA – so test everyone in older generations while you can, and their children if they are no longer available.
Back to Great-Great-Grandma
Going back to great-great-grandma and her Native heritage. You may not show Native ethnicity when you expected to see Native, but you may have other resources and recourses. Don't give up!
|Resources and Comments
|She really wasn't Native.
|Genealogical research will help and mitochondrial DNA testing of an appropriate descendant will point the way to her true ethnic heritage, at least on her mother's side.
|She was Native, but the ethnicity test doesn't show that I am.
|Test relatives and find someone descended from her through all females to take a mitochondrial test. The mitochondrial test will answer the question for her matrilineal line unquestionably.
|She was partly, but not fully Native.
|This would mean that she had less Native DNA than you thought, which would mean the percentage coming to you is lower on average than anticipated. Mitochondrial DNA testing someone descended from her through all females to the current generation, which can be male, would reveal whether her mother was Native from her mother's line.
|She was Native, but several generations back in time.
|You or your siblings may show small percentages of Native or other locations considered to be a component of Native admixture in the absence of any other logical explanation for their presence, such as Siberian or Eastern Asian.
Using Y and Mitochondrial DNA Testing to Supplement Ethnicity Testing
When in doubt about ethnicity results, find an appropriately descended person to take a Y DNA test (males only, for direct paternal lineage) or a mitochondrial DNA test, for direct matrilineal results. These tests will yield haplogroup information and haplogroups are associated with specific world regions and ethnicities, providing a more definitive answer regarding the heritage of that specific line.
Y DNA reflects the direct male line, shown in blue above, and mitochondrial DNA reflects the direct matrilineal line, shown in red. Only males carry Y DNA, but both genders carry mitochondrial DNA.
For a short article about the different kinds of DNA and how they can help genealogists, please read 4 Kinds of DNA for Genetic Genealogy.
Ethnicity testing is available from any of the 3 major vendors, meaning Family Tree DNA, Ancestry or 23andMe. Base haplogroups are provided with 23andMe results, but detailed testing for Y and mitochondrial DNA is only available from Family Tree DNA.
To read about the difference between the two types of testing utilized for deriving haplogroups between 23andMe and Family Tree DNA, please read Haplogroup Comparisons between Family Tree DNA and 23andMe.
For more information on haplogroups, please read What is a Haplogroup?
For a discussion about testing family members, please read Concepts – Why DNA Testing the Oldest Family Members is Critically Important.
If you'd like to read a more detailed explanation of how inheritance works, please read Concepts – How Your Autosomal DNA Identifies Your Ancestors.
I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase the price you pay but helps me to keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.
Thank you so much.
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text:
It's been forever since this blog has been updated and for that, my apologies... It's high time to pick it up and share what is happening in the greenbeanbaby world....because it's been full of good news!
While I am available for commissions and custom work, some of my artwork can be purchased for licensing through Imagezoo... And with this option, I am happy to say that Australia used several of these images in their "Save the date to vaccinate" campaign...
You can see the site here: http://www.immunisation.health.nsw.gov.au/ and you can even download the android or iphone app!
And with one of my images, they created a youtube video for the campaign:
Pretty neat, eh?!
In other news, I will have my site up and running by mid-September... It's been down for a LONG time [we are speaking of months here]... And while my flickr and instagram are currently updated, my portfolio sites and blog have been sorely neglected... Don't fret though, this will change as the school year hits and I get back in the groove of multi-social networking!
Happy Tuesday!


text:
Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and safety Kenny Phillips played on "Monday Night Football" against the Washington Redskins.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin confirmed to NFL.com's Kimberly Jones earlier Monday that the players would suit up against the Redskins.
The Giants initially thought they would have to face Robert Griffin III without Phillips, who was listed as doubtful with an injured right knee, and Pierre-Paul, listed as questionable with a back injury.
Redskins linebacker London Fletcher and left tackle Trent Williams are also active despite injuries that limited them in practice.
Fletcher hurt his left ankle against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 18. Williams, already dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries, picked up a left thigh bruise against the Dallas Cowboys when kneed by a teammate.
Giants receiver Domenik Hixon is inactive for a second game in a row with an ankle injury. But safety Kenny Phillips (right knee), defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (back) and offensive tackle David Diehl (shoulder) are active. Sean Locklear is expected to start for Diehl.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


text:
At a dinner party, a straight man put a question to my boyfriend and me. He assumed that we, being gay men, would have an answer for him. We did not, Dan, and so we turn to you. What happens to one if one has to fart while one is wearing a butt plug?
Gays Are Simply Stumped, Yes And Sincerely So
If one is wearing a butt plug ("wear: to carry or to have on the body or about the person as a covering, ornament, or the like"), GASSYASS, then one may pass gas, silently or noisily, as one is wont to do, because a butt plug worn as a hat or a brooch or an epaulet—that is, a butt plug worn on the body—presents no impediment. But if one has fully inserted the bulbous end of the butt plug into one's rectal cavity, and one's...
Want to read the rest and get in on the comments? Subscribe now to get every question, every week, the complete Savage Love archives, access to comments, special events, and much more!
At a dinner party, a straight man put a question to my boyfriend and me. He assumed that we, being gay men, would have an answer for him. We did not, Dan, and so we turn to you. What happens to one if one has to fart while one is wearing a butt plug?
Gays Are Simply Stumped, Yes And Sincerely So
If one is wearing a butt plug ("wear: to carry or to have on the body or about the person as a covering, ornament, or the like"), GASSYASS, then one may pass gas, silently or noisily, as one is wont to do, because a butt plug worn as a hat or a brooch or an epaulet—that is, a butt plug worn on the body—presents no impediment. But if one has fully inserted the bulbous end of the butt plug into one's rectal cavity, and one's sphincter muscles are gripping the neck of the butt plug, as they are wont to do, thereby ensuring that the bulbous end remains lodged in the rectal cavity while the flared base remains outside of the rectal cavity (one could, if one wished to be pedantic, argue that one wears the flared base of the butt plug against one's anus), what would then happen if one attempted to pass gas? The force of the gas would either dislodge one's butt plug, sending it flying across one's room, or, if one's butt plug failed to dislodge and take flight, cause one to simply explode.
I had a conversation with a friend who is an emergency-room physician. He told me about removing something—I can't remember what—from a gentleman's ass. My immediate response was to ask whether he had the flared-base talk with the gentleman after the fact. His response? "What are you talking about?" I explained that if the gentleman had used a butt toy with a flared base, he wouldn't have been in the circumstances that brought him to the hospital. He had never thought of that and thanked me for the advice. My partner is a physician and has treated patients with anal "encumbrances." He gives the flared-base advice to anyone who seems like they might benefit from it—but he tells me this isn't something they go over in med school. This shocks me because it seems like a topic where a little education could do a lot of good. You should use your column to bring this to the attention of medical school administrators.
Conscience Cleared
I am sharing your letter, CC, in the hopes that doctors all over the world read it and promptly incorporate your "flared-base" advice into their practice. If they don't, well, then we will just have to conclude that flared-base advice isn't given to patients by doctors—ER or otherwise—because doctors secretly enjoy digging various foreign objects out of the variable rectums of various gentlemen.
I'm a 19-year-old bisexual male. I've been in a two-year relationship with a girl who has a low sex drive, so we are in an open relationship and I occasionally have sex with guys. I really liked the last guy I got with and enjoyed having sex with him a lot. The problem was, I couldn't get hard. Is the problem that I'm still trying to figure out who I am and what I want? Am I not as attracted to guys as I thought I was? Or could it be guilt, even though my girlfriend is okay with it?
Bisexually Oriented Nervously Experiencing Reversal
You say you "occasionally have sex with guys," BONER, which means this guy isn't your first. He's just the first guy—perhaps the first person—that you couldn't get hard with. Let me guess: This has never happened to you before. Of course it hasn't—you're 19. But it happens to every guy sooner or later, and you're much likelier to seek an explanation or attach some deeper meaning to it the first time it happens. (Maybe I'm not bi! Maybe it was guilt!) Don't waste your time, BONER. Sometimes a soft dick is just a soft dick. If it keeps happening, well, then you may have a problem. But if you go on obsessing about an isolated incident—perhaps brought on by nerves (you liked this guy, right?)—you run the risk of creating a problem.
I was on a layover in San Francisco. My attractive, bearish, platonic, straight male coworker would like to know if it is weird that a guy complimented his shoes while at the urinal in the SFO bathroom.
Rhymes With Larry Craig?
As I was reading the letters in the last Savage Love, it occurred to me that the debate over polyamory as a "sexual orientation" is primarily one of definitions. Some folks who are poly see that as just as "core" to their nature as their gender preference. Therefore, I propose the following framework. We all have a sexual identity composed of four components:
1. Our gender identity ranging from cis to trans.
2. Our sexual orientation ranging from homo to hetero.
3. Our sexual exclusivity ranging from purely monogamous to purely polyamorous.
4. Our sexual interest ranging from asexual to highly sexual.
In my view, these four components are equal in that they are all things that we are rather than things that we choose. While it is possible to choose a lifestyle that deviates from one's sexual identity, in all cases doing so entails stress, cognitive dissonance, and some degree of self-loathing. Like all conceptual frameworks, this one is not necessarily complete. It fails to include sexual interest in animals, particular age groups, or any of several hundred kinks, all of which are traits that seem to be more identity than choice. That said, I do think there is something unique and universally applicable in the four-component scheme, and I think that we should as a society set a goal of acceptance and nondiscrimination surrounding all aspects of sexual identity.
Just My Thoughts
I like your model, JMT, but it has to be said: At a certain point, endless Tumblr-enabled debates about sexual identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual interests take on the flavor of those how-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin debates that obsessed theologians in the Middle Ages.
For the record: Each of us is free—and remains free—to identify however we wish and to apply the labels "identity" and/or "orientation" however we please. If a particular person isn't trying to take anything away from you, then the fact that the person holds slightly differing views on identity or orientation, or the meanings of those words, or just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, well, it really isn't an enormous fucking deal, is it? And, in my opinion, those who spend their time debating, classifying, and unpacking sex and identity run a very real risk of disappearing up their own ass in a puff of santorum. Which is my way of saying...
No, I won't be giving a column over to angry letters from buttsore people who feel that D/s is their sexual orientation, despite being told that I must because last week I suggested that, from my point of view, D/s is a sexual identity, not an orientation, and I gave a column to angry poly folks so it's only fair and blah blah blah.
@fakedansavage on Twitter


text:
Αυτός ο οδηγός προορίζεται για τους ιδιοκτήτες μικρών επιχειρήσεων που επιθυμούν να συμβάλουν στην προώθηση του Bitcoin και να το αποδεχθούν ως πληρωμή για τα αγαθά και τις υπηρεσίες. Είναι γραμμένο με την παραδοχή ότι θα λειτουργήσει μια κανονική επιχείρηση που πωλεί αγαθά ή υπηρεσίες σε ευρώ και ότι επιθυμείτε να δεχτείτε το Bitcoin ως έναν άλλο νόμιμο τρόπο για τις πληρωμές σας.
Να διευκρινίσουμε εξαρχής ότι το Bitcoin δεν έχει ακόμη αναγνωριστεί επίσημα από τις κυβερνήσεις και τις αρχές ως «νόμισμα». Στην πράξη όμως, η πληρωμή με Bitcoin δεν είναι διαφορετική από την αποδοχή πληρωμών σε άλλες μορφές, όπως μετρητά ή σε χρυσό ή με κάρτες δώρων ή σε ξένο νόμισμα.
Βήμα 1: Ξεκινήστε με μια πινακίδα
Ενημερώστε τους πελάτες σας ότι δέχεστε bitcoins ως μέσο πληρωμής
Βήμα 2: Ανοίξτε λογαριασμό στο www.bitcoinsgreece.com
Αφού ανοίξετε λογαριασμό στην πλατφόρμα, στην περιοχή 'Κατάθεση' μπορείτε να δείτε τη διεύθυνση του προσωπικού σας ψηφιακού πορτοφολιού. Μπορείτε να μοιραστείτε τη διεύθυνση αυτή – είναι σαν το email σας με τη διαφορά ότι το χρησιμοποιείτε για να λάβετε bitcoins.
Δείτε την τρέχουσα ισοτιμία bitcoin και ενημερώστε τον πελάτη για το ποσό που πρέπει να σας μεταφέρει στο ψηφιακό σας πορτοφόλι. Ελέγξτε ότι έγινε η μεταφορά (γίνεται στιγμιαία).
It has been suggested that this article is merged with Merchant Howto.
This guide is intended for small business owners who wish to help promote Bitcoin by accepting it as payment for goods and services. It's written with the assumption that you operate a regular business that sells goods or services for regular national currency such as dollars, and that you wish to accept Bitcoin as another legal way to pay, and that you intend to pay taxes on your Bitcoin income just like any other income.
With Bitcoin being touted as a way to conduct anonymous transactions and as way to compete with government currency, many small business owners wonder what's the right way to accept and account Bitcoin, or if it's legal or ethical, or whether and how they should pay taxes on income received through Bitcoin.
As far as we know, Bitcoin isn't yet formally recognized by governments and authorities as a "currency". But in practice, Bitcoin is likely no different than accepting payment in other forms, such as cash, or gold, or scrip, or gift cards or foreign currency. We think that it is pretty much the same as the local businesses of Great Barrington, Massachusetts choosing to accept their locally-printed "Berkshire Bucks" to support their local economy.
Starting to accept Bitcoin for transactions
Accepting Bitcoin at a small business is best started in whichever manner keeps the accounting simple for you. This will vary by the type of business you are operating.
Start with a sign
If you expect that the number of people interested in using Bitcoin is small, you might simply start by posting a sign or a note: "We Accept Bitcoin", and ask people to contact you directly in order to make a payment. Even if hardly anybody uses Bitcoin as a payment method, you're helping Bitcoin in two ways: one, by increasing awareness, and two, by making your customers more willing to accept Bitcoin as payment from others in the future, because now they know somewhere they can spend it.
Utilize a merchant solution
If you sell things on your website (goods or services), you'll want to use a Bitcoin merchant solution to accept the Bitcoins (you can usually opt to have them converted to USD or other currencies automatically with some services).
If you sell things in a brick and mortar shop, customers can pay using hardware terminals, touch screen apps or simple wallet addresses through QR Codes.
Smart Phone or Tablet
You can use a wallet address with any wallet. For that it's best if you can place a QR code near your cash register to which the customers can scan with their phone and pay (use http://ma.eatgold.com/accept to make a QR code sign). For a more convenient solution you can use a dedicated app or webapp that generates a QR code on the fly including the amount.
Solutions for smart phones and tablets:
Point-of-Sale hardware terminal
With custom hardware you can integrate with existing registers and point-of-sales solutions (examples: Coinkite, XBTerminal, BitStraat).
When a customer makes a payment, you might simply issue a credit to their account. Ideally, you want to enter it in a way that suggests you received a payment. You could consider entering it as a "discount", but you may want to consider whether this inappropriately disguises the nature of the transaction. If on the other hand, you're giving "discounts" for Bitcoins, but then you are selling the Bitcoins for currency and then counting that as income, then chances are good that your calculation of income is making up for it. Ask your accountant.
Businesses that offer gift cards
If your business sells gift cards or gift certificates, you may find that the easiest way to accept Bitcoin is to accept it only for the purchase of gift cards, and then require the gift cards to be used for actual purchases of goods or services. This way, the accounting practices you already have in place for processing gift cards can be put to use. The accounting for Bitcoins would then be minimized to tracking sales of a single SKU.
This method is also ideal for retail food establishments and convenience stores, where the payment of Bitcoins through a mobile phone for a small daily food purchase might be cumbersome or disruptive, especially in front of a line of other customers. Bitcoins in this case would be best used to reload prepaid cards that can then be swiped at point-of-sale.
If you don't accept gift cards, but you already accept credit cards through a swipe terminal, consider the possibility that you could add a retail gift card system through the swipe terminal you already own. Many point-of-sale terminals, including ones from VeriFone®, are designed around the ability to support multiple applications on the same terminal. Gift cards are also highly profitable because of "breakage", or in other words, the fact that a significant percentage of them never get redeemed.
You could consider adding a private label gift card program from a provider who specializes in this, not just as a jumpstart to accepting Bitcoins, but as an extra boost to income. A private label gift card service provider necessarily have to handle your funds - they can simply provide a solution that keeps track of the balance on the cards on your behalf, including features that allow users to check their balances by phone or by web. Such a solution, of course, is also what makes the cards swipeable through the card reader.
Businesses that mail invoices
Does your business send out invoices to customers? Adding one line may make a huge impact for the Bitcoin economy. Perhaps you list it as a payment option just after Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, even if that means your customer must call or e-mail to make a payment.
If you have access to the programming expertise such that you can generate Bitcoin addresses programmatically, consider generating a brand new Bitcoin address for each invoice, and print it on the invoice. When a Bitcoin payment arrives, you'll automatically know where it should arrive.
Customers might wonder how much BTC they should pay in order to satisfy an invoice in full. Your invoice might suggest an amount. For example, if your invoice is for $100 and BTC's are currently worth $1.24 each, your invoice might suggest that it can be paid in full "with a payment of 80.65 BTC if paid by (date)".
You might be able to anticipate the possibility that even though a Bitcoin address can be printed on an invoice or payment stub, that they are very cumbersome for most people to type, especially being a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. However, you should probably still do it anyway. The customer is probably going to want some paper trail for his payment. Giving him a pre-printed payment stub with a pre-printed address will satisfy that, because the customer can independently and publicly prove through Block Explorer that the payment took place.
Does your business have a website? On your invoice, consider allowing them to go to a special URL to get the address to make a Bitcoin payment just by typing in their invoice number. For example, https://www.yoursite.com/paybtc with a form they can enter their invoice number, or just https://www.yoursite.com/paybtc/60365 for paying invoice #60365. This way, they can see the Bitcoin address, copy and paste it directly into their Bitcoin client.
Use a brand new address for each invoice whenever possible, and use it only once. This benefits the customer as it removes any ambiguity as to which customer is making which payment and for which invoice.
Known payment systems supporting invoicing, and recurring invoice setup, Coinify
Online wallet supporting invoicing, subscriptions and recurrent payments, xCoinMoney
Avoiding fraud
You should also consider the possible risk that fraudsters could send counterfeit invoices to your customers, and entice them to make a payment to a Bitcoin address they control, instead of you. While that isn't likely in general - it depends on how well a fraudster could find out who your customers are in the first place - it would certainly be an unpleasant situation if it ever happened. One way you could control that is, whenever possible, never let people try to type Bitcoin addresses off payment stubs - instead, force people to get the full Bitcoin address from your website via secure SSL. But, still print most of the address on the payment stub (perhaps with four or five characters starred out), so that the customer's need for a paper trail can be satisfied, so they can prove they paid if there is ever a dispute. Merchants can also use the IP address geolocation to understand the close proximity of users. There is automated solution such as FraudLabs Pro that automates the screening of Bitcoin transactions to determine risk level.
Setting Prices
When a business accepts bitcoins for payment, there generally is the need to convert them to the currencies used for paying suppliers, employees and shareholders. Some merchants set prices based on the current market rate at the time the price quote is presented to the customer (merchant services like Polycoin, Coinify, BitcoinPay, Bit-pay, Coinbase or Paysius do this automatically).
Bitcoin Prices lists the exchange rate for many currencies on multiple exchanges.
When prices are determined using an automated process, the current market rate can be based on either a current price or on a weighted average basis. Bitcoin Charts provides a data feed that provides weighted prices. Bitcoin Average also offers a weighted average price index, featuring average price across all exchanges reachable in the world and in over 150 currencies. 24h sliding average price index is also available and all data is reachable through the API.
When bitcoin funds for purchases are received, some merchants instantly exchange those proceeds into the preferred currency used (again done automatically by Polycoin, Coinify, Bit-pay, Coinbase or BitcoinPay. Hedging for each transaction can nearly entirely eliminate exchange rate risk that the business is exposed to when accepting bitcoins for payment.
A sales contract might be used to ensure that specific terms are met to lessen the chances of a misunderstanding. For instance, the party sending payment is responsible for paying any transaction fee that might be necessary. A contract might specify that a transaction fee must be paid and what amount, so as to prevent the situation where the transaction is considered a low priority transaction and thus isn't confirmed quickly.
Other items that might be addressed in a contract:
- Requirement and handling of escrow through an escrow service.
- Jurisdiction for disputes.
- Refund policy (particularly with the exchange rate being volatile)
Paying taxes on Bitcoin income
Tax compliance is a topic of concern for small businesses. We aren't accountants or lawyers, and can't give legal or accounting advice.
But in many respects, Bitcoin transactions work very much like cash. Just like Bitcoin, cash is anonymous and doesn't leave a paper trail, yet is widely used in commerce every day.
Ask yourself how you would handle a cash transaction. Do you accept cash transactions? Do you normally pay taxes on cash transactions? The answer for Bitcoin should probably be the same.
As for how to decide what a Bitcoin transaction is worth... the IRS, as far as we know, has never issued a guide mentioning how to value Bitcoin transactions. But they probably have rules and guidelines on how to value transactions made in foreign currency or "cash equivalents". We imagine the accounting would be similar.
With Bitcoins, there's likely to be some difference between the value of BTC when you received them as payment, versus when you go to exchange them for another currency like USD, should you decide to do so. This scenario, likewise, would be no different if you accepted foreign currency or gold as payment. Under some scenarios, it might make sense to book the dollar value of BTC income as it is received, and then to book any difference incurred when it is exchanged for fiat currency. Under others, it might make sense to book the whole thing at the time of exchange.
Perhaps you might talk to your accountant. You don't need to get into a discussion with your accountant about block chains and private keys or the philosophy behind a decentralized currency. By comparing the fundamentals of Bitcoins to accounting concepts already well understood by the public, you can probably get all the answers you need. What would you ask your accountant if you decided that you wanted to accept Berkshire Bucks or 1-ounce gold coins as payment?
Merchant Services
- Apicoin.io A robust, secure api to connect to the bitcoin network.
- Bitcoin Transaction Coordinator Full Merchant Solution for organizations using the NetSuite Global ERP and eCommerce Platform
- BitMerch Provides HTML buttons to start accepting bitcoins instantly. No server side setup required.
- BitPOS Bitcoin payment processor for online and brick and mortar stores
- Blockchain.info Free APIs to process bitcoin payments. No sign up or account needed.
- BTCMerch Payment processor for bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. 0.5% transaction fee. Sandbox is available.
- Coinbase Offers payment buttons, checkout pages, shopping cart integration, and daily cash out to USD.
- CoinBox Bitcoin Point of Sales application for Android, with integration into various exchanges. Similar to Square.
- Coinify Payment Service Provider (PSP) specializing in the technical aspects of accepting cryptocurrencies - such as bitcoin. Supports Bitcoin Web Payments, Mobile Checkout, In-store Bitcoin Payments and Bitcoin Invoicing with recurring billing in bitcoin.
- CoinPip SMS and Physical Bitcoin Card Wallets, Process Bitcoin Payments and gives you the option to convert into your local currency automatically.
- Coinvoice Invoice in USD or BTC, Get paid in USD or BTC.
- Cryptopay European payment gateway with daily payouts in GBP, EUR and USD. Exchange and wallet integrated.
- Fasterco.in Bitcoin payment processing for merchants and day-traders
- Gourl.io Bitcoin Payment processor with ready to use php scripts - Pay-Per-Download, Pay-Per-Product, Pay-Per-Membership, Pay-Per-Registration.
- OKPAY Bitcoin payment processing for merchants
- Payful Accept bitcoin - point of sale, shopping cart plugins and API. Supports payment processing in US dollars, Euros and Canadian dollars.
- PocketPOS Bitcoin Point of Sale for Canadians, including merchant integration for CAD / BTC exchange.
- Snowcron Bitcoin Store Engine: Handles payments, sends your customers information they ordered (reg. codes, passwords...) No web programming required.
- XBTerminal Brick-and-mortar hardware POS terminals with payment processing integrations.
See Also
- BitCoins Mobile provides accurate up to date pricing from multiple exchanges from your Apple iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.
- Bitcoin PayFlow automates the process for accepting bitcoins
- Lazy API The lazy (and possibly easiest?) way to accept bitcoin payments on your website


text:
Last year ThumbsUp! created an '80s iPhone case transforming your fancy Apple creation into the clunky bricks of that era. This year the company's back with a '90s iPhone case that instead gives it the flip-style functionality that none of us actually miss.
Meet Microsoft's New Surface Laptops
While I can't see someone using this for anything other than irony, I will give ThumbsUp! credit since the case—designed to fit the iPhone 4 and 4S—has a working speaker in the lid and an aerial that can be pushed to lock the phone. It should be available sometime in the fall for about $24, sadly without the stylish belt clip that would certainly complete the '90s look. [Toys n' Playthings via Chip Chick]


text: Herald Gazette sportswriter and peerless local football historian Kenny Green is a patient at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon after suffering a stroke Tuesday.More information on his condition is expected today.Green was stricken four days before his alma mater plays in the first state championship football game in its history.UPDATE: Green will not require surgery and will be treated with medication. He can be weaned from his ventilator when he regains consciousness. Maybe he will wake up in time to see the big game Saturday!UPDATE: A fund has been set up to help defray medical costs for Green: http://www.gofundme.com/5q86mk


text:
More big news for St. Louis sports: Hulsizer agrees to buy Blues
The St. Louis Blues are on the verge of playing one of the most ignored games in their rich franchise history tonight, but their MLB neighbors won't be the only big news makers on Oct. 28. Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Matthew Hulsizer agreed to buy the Blues today.
Hulsizer's exact stake in the team isn't clear yet, but Rutherford reports that he'll be the majority owner.
The NHL's Board of Governors still needs to put its rubber stamp on the deal, but Rutherford points out that Hulsizer already passed the sniff test when he was campaigning to own the Phoenix Coyotes. In other words, that shouldn't be an issue.
With all due respect to the desert dogs, owning the Blues is a lower-risk endeavor for the Chicago businessman. The team is showing some solid promise with a roster heavy on young players, but it would be great to see Hulsizer bump up their budget much like Terry Pegula has done with the Buffalo Sabres.
We'll keep tabs on the sale being made official. Much like a horror movie villain, a done deal can turn into a big headache at the drop of a hat. Still, it seems pretty safe to say that Hulsizer will be the new owner of the Blues.


text:
Game Systems
If you are an artist interested in working on this project, please feel free to email me. I am looking for a pixel artist as well as a 2D character designer for portraits.
Some of the images used as placeholder art are copyrighted by their respective owner, Square Enix. These resources include custom sprites by the artists at http://ffhacktics.com/. Other resources seen are either created by myself or are credited to their respective owners on the Credits page.
If you see any media on this website that is not attributed properly is please let me know and I will fix it immediately.
Dusk Tactics, source code, media and information on this website are all copyright ©2014-2022 Dusk Tactics Project unless otherwise noted.


text:
And if you take one letter in the make of a car and turn it 90 degrees and another letter is turned 180 degrees the result is a fish.
Edit: A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
And if you take one letter in the make of a car and turn it 90 degrees and another letter is turned 180 degrees the result is a fish.
Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any hints that could lead directly to the answer (e.g. via a chain of thought, or an internet search) before the deadline of Thursday at 3pm ET. If you know the answer, click the link and submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.
You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't give the answer away. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the Thursday deadline. Thank you.
Another easy one, with just a bit of magic in the answer. ---RobReplyDelete
Dynamite clue, Rob.Delete
I used a bit of logic to solve this.
I wonder how many times this car manufacturer has appeared in the Sunday Puzzle in the last sixteen years or so.
Just getting my two cents in now while I can still hear myself think.
There are only two CAPITAL letters you can rotate 180° to obtain each other:M to W or W to M.ReplyDelete
_Ulysses_ fans will know that there might be another rotation for this letter: the Greek E which looks like a W with the point facing right. ---RobDelete
I think you mean the Greek S, not the Greek E. (I.e. Sigma).Delete
Hmmmm... Mr. Bloom reminds himself to include "Greek ees" in his clandestine correspondence. Looking at "Greek e" images on Google, I see the W (or M) rotated ninety degrees, and indeed this is the sigma, but it not called that by Mr. Bloom. ---RobDelete
"to obtain each other"? I think you added that part. If "dorscie" were a common girl's name, it would pass the test.Delete
Remember that the girl's name must be written in all capital letters.
The lowercase d may indeed rotate 180° into either an uppercase OR lowercase p, but not the uppercase D.
The girl's name is also the name of a movie.ReplyDelete
I was loadin' up the car for a road trip when the answer came to me.Delete
This car company gave one it's models a girls name.ReplyDelete
The bar's been set quite low on this puzzle.ReplyDelete
"The bar's been set quite Low(den)on this one." was a reference to "A Fish called WANDA" written, directed, and starring Barbara Loden. (And not a puzzle criticism ;-))Delete
This week's puzzle is a prescription for easy. It took me 7 or 8 seconds to solve.ReplyDelete
No writing this one down necessary.
What is with the all the giveaway clues above?
Not needed and, I thought, not welcome.
I can remember famous Shakira's name about half the time now.
Another easy puzzle, another bonus puzzle:
Think of a famous playwright's last name. Write it in all capital letters. Rotate one of these letters 90 degrees and another of the letters 180 degrees. The result will name a former kingdom. What are they?
HI. SHAW turns to SIAM, if the font is avec serif.Delete
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Yikes! Not the comment section I was hoping for on my first puzzle submission. I sent in a batch of puzzles quite a while ago (which included this one) with puzzles that were considerably harder than this one. However, even if you thought it was easy, I hope most of you at least found it enjoyable!ReplyDelete
Tyler: I think you've fared well on this critical platform. No one has said "lame", or "stupid", or "anagram" - the standard words of disdain.
I thought the puzzle was clever, but not very hard, took less than a minute.
I enjoyed it!Delete
Tyler, welcome!
Keep in mind that some of our phrasing is clueing the answer so the words may sound harsher than called for. . .
Yes, I enjoyed it! I hope WS will use some of your other ones.Delete
Congratulations, Tyler. 'Tis a fine puzzle which I enjoyed also. Will Shortz just seems to have been choosing easier-to-solve puzzles lately. Perhaps it's a "summertime-and-the-solvin'-is-easy" situation. Perhaps also, Will will opt to use some of your tougher puzzle submissions come autumn. (no intentional hints in this post)
The answer came to me at a moment in time.ReplyDelete
Tyler -
I thought the puzzle was fairly clever. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17ReplyDelete
The verses from Ecclesiastes refer to the ceaseless search for wisdom (which the author suggests is to some extent futile): "Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning." "Ceaseless search" connotes "wanderlust," while Mazda means "wisdom" in the original Avestan.Delete
A few members of a popular comedy troupe across the pond come to mind.ReplyDelete
Hmmm.... Anyone see Gerald McBoing-Boing, best animated short of 1950, story by Dr. Seuss, produced by my friend's father-in-law, John Hurley?ReplyDelete
This morning, as I answered a call of Nature, I had to walk by the computer and saw the new puzzle was up. I read it and returned back to bed where I immediately solved it. I don't know why the make of car came to mind first, but it did. The rest was very quick and easy to see, and so I then got up and posted the following at the end of last week's blog:
skydiveboy Sun Jul 02, 05:36:00 AM PDT
A very, very tired SDB is very happy that, again, we do not have to think hard to solve this one. Back to bed and lots more sleep, I hope.
No hint. It doesn't need one, although I had been thinking of one similar to Blaine's, but later saw his, and therefore I will leave it at that, and be happy I believe I have solved my car problem, except to say that while I am very familiar with the girl's name, I don't agree that it is common.
I had a friend who had that name.ReplyDelete
Nemo? Dory?Delete
My friend has disappeared from my list of current friends. I cannot seem to find her anymore. She was psychic and lived in a haunted house.Delete
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One of my coworkers had a long-distance relationship with a woman of this name, whom he visited regularly. Which called for revision of the dictionaries in our workplace to substitute this new, much more a propos word for the loan word that was found there before.Delete
I cannot recall ever having known or encountered anyone with this name, and I meet a lot of people. Just because we may all be aware of this name, and perhaps even knowing someone with it, does not make it a "common" name.Delete
How do we know we are not all talking about the very same woman?Delete
I do not think it is that common a name. My friend's name suited her now that I think of it. Never occurred to me before. I think I will look for her.Delete
SDB: She could be the same person!Delete
I worked with a woman who had this name. She and I share a surname; we aren't related, though, because our surname is pretty common.Delete
My coworker was seeing Wanda, who lived a thousand miles from here. So we xeroxed a page out of Webster's, removed the definition for "wanderlust" and substituted one for "wandalust," the ceaseless desire to travel to see Wanda.Delete
Take a synonym of mosaicist, then name a homophone of that synonym. Now take the plural form of a human body part and a fowl critter's body part, leaving no space between.
The result is the name of an excellent puzzle-making puzzlemaster.
This holiday, decorating criss-cross our back alley with my friend Olive and her old Christmas lights.ReplyDelete
Criss-cross our back alley, Diagonalley, the hidden street in Harry Potter's world where magical supplies could be purchased. Olive and her, Ollivander's, where Harry Potter purchased his magic WAND. MAZDA was also an old (pre-1945) brand of Christmas lights.Delete
I think the first person I knew of who had this name was a well-tempered French-Polish performer whose fame puts Shikara's to shame.ReplyDelete
Where's Zeke Creek these days? Maybe I should try and fill in for him just this once.
On the subject of "common" and what constitutes a name being common: Let's put it all in more understandable terms. Let us consider all the various varieties of potatoes and their distinctive names. Would you all agree that the Russet is most likely the most commentator?
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I knew Ida before she became a ho.Delete
If I were you I would be careful when around potatoes. They have eyes, you know. I don't mean to be tuber-acratic, but it could be offPutin.
Oh no....(turning Red).Delete
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Don't be a sucka Tash, and fall into a veggie pun-fest with SDB. We've bean down that path, nothing will a peas him. You don't know what will turnip, lettuce pray he won't beet you.
Shallot it ever end?
I want to squash this corny nonsense right now before we get into another rhubarb!Delete
I say don't be a yarrow-minded chickweed. Unless I miss my cress, veggie puns are in a leek of their own. Sure, it sounds ridicchio, but you must beetroot to yourself. Look at me. I yam what I yam. And I know SDB may know his onions when it comes to veggie puns, but his bok choy may be worse than his bite. At least they don't pay him a celery to do this. Besides, Natasha, what would a chickpea doing using veggie puns anyway? Most women don't even carrot all. A fine tomato like you shouldn't anyway. You might end up in the looney bean! If I were you, I'd squash this Whole Foods thing. Peas be with you.ReplyDelete
Excuse my little veggie pun tangent. I figured it wouldn't kale me to join the conversation. You may think it's small potatoes, or that I'm a lentil case. It just seems to me there's two sides to every corn. It's the chicory or the eggplant. In the endive been proven right.ReplyDelete
Lentil case?? That's hilarious!Delete
Catholic kids can't wait for the day Lentil be over. Especially since the advent of the Easter candy hunt.Delete
Jesus never found his Easter eggs, and was cross all day.Delete
While I have never watched the Simpsons, I thought I knew enough about the show to have the opinion that Bart did not attend a parochial school.Delete
I may not be able to post the answer at noon today as I will be attending a Rotary lunch with my uncle.ReplyDelete
"Keep in mind that some of our phrasing is clueing the answer so the words may sound harsher than CALLED for. . ." as in "A Fish CALLED WANDA.
SDB: Rotary Club had me worried about you.Delete
Actually I have attended several Rotary Club lunches as a guest of my 93 year old uncle who lives 2,000 miles East of me. For him Rotary was his religion, until he finally quit due to age. I found them very interesting, sorta like watching mold grow on cheese. I hated having to stand for the Pledge (furniture wax?) of Allegiance in order not to embarrass my uncle though.
Nothing wrong actually with rotary. My brother was a member.Delete
MAZDA > WANDA (one of the most "common" names in our history)
My Hint: "I may not be able to post the answer at noon today as I will be attending a Rotary lunch with my uncle." Rotary lunches are not exactly my thing, but it makes for a nice hint (which jan got quickly) as Mazda was known for their rotary engines.
I thought you were also hinting with "uncle" <-> "Wankel".Delete
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... and I always figured you for more of a Raccoon Lodge type ...Delete
jan, Good point. I had forgotten about the Wankel engines. What goes around; sometimes doesn't.
How about Uncle Vanya? Anyway we can Chekhov that one from our list.
From the mid 1920's to the mid 1960's Wanda was a relatively popular name, peaking in the top 50 in the late 1930's.
Much more popular than, say, Mark, is today.
Well, no Wanda!Delete
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Lettuce move on from the "fresh" vegetable talk. We get no celery for all the entertainment we provideDelete
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I just looked, and Mark is now listed as #14 on most popular U.S. male names.
Hmm, the website I was looking at had a lower number. But I'm glad you are proud of being so common.Delete
I'm glad we have something in common.Delete
The girl's name is also the name of a movie, Wanda. And there is also another movie named A Fish Called Wanda.
Regarding my comment about "loadin' up my car," loadin' is a homophone of Loden, as in Barbara Loden, the woman who wrote, directed, and starred in the film Wanda.Delete
> This must be Will's favorite car make. It's appeared in puzzles at least three times before.
On-air on January 25, 2009, and on March 29, 2009, and March 16, 2014.
> Hmmm.... Anyone see Gerald McBoing-Boing, best animated short of 1950, story by Dr. Seuss, produced by my friend's father-in-law, John Hubley?
"Hmmm" and "Boing" were key elements of Mazda's early ad campaign.
>> I had a friend who had that name.
> Nemo? Dory?
Or a fish named Wanda?
Or a fish called Ahura?ReplyDelete
Bonus Puzzle, same rules, famous playwright to former kingdom:
George Bernard SHAW becomes SIAM. Of course you have to use the right font for that to work.
My hint involved the word prescription, also commonly known as an Rx, and the numbers 7 & 8, alluding to the Mazda RX7 & RX8.ReplyDelete
MAZDA->WANDA. Mazda also made the "Carol", which looks like a rather fun car to drive.ReplyDelete
I too referenced "A Fish Called Wanda". It stars John Cleese and Michael Palin, two members of Monty Python. Funny there was no reference to comedienne Wanda Sykes.
My friend Wanda has both M and Z in her last name. She was quite magical, psychic etc that goes with the Wand in her first name. She is a nurse and saw ghosts in her Victorian home in Berkeley.ReplyDelete
WANDA. (Not a common name, currently ranked #979 in U.S. Births).
Rotate the "W" 180° to "M" and rotate the "N" 90° to "Z." This yields MAZDA.
Clotheslover: The Mazda CAROL.
This week's car puzzle answer pales to one of the more iconic car brands out there!
Girl: WANDA; car: MAZDA.
My clue, about taking part of the girl's name and part of a body part and rearranging to get something the car make was famous for, refers to the WANKEL (WANda/anKLE) engine, used in a number of Mazdas.
A worthwhile side effect of the Puzzle this week:
I am listening as I post to an LP I bought around 1960 with 20 sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti played on the harpsichord by Wanda Landowska.
I made mention earlier to her as a well-tempered Polish-French performer.
I learned some things about her interesting and varied life this week that I am not sure was very available back when I first heard of her.
Is it noteworthy that it doesn't make any difference whether you rotate N left or right to make Z?
Puzzleria! is now uploaded. We feature this week a very clever puzzle created by cranberry (aka Patrick). We also offer a handful of Shortz-Rip/Riff-Offs and a puzzle about carpenters, blacksmiths and members of another profession.
Here is the answer to the bonus puzzle I posted Monday:
Take a synonym of mosaicist, then name a homophone of that synonym. Now take the plural form of a human body part and a fowl critter's body part, leaving no space between.
The result is the name of an excellent puzzle-making puzzlemaster.
Answer: Tyler (tiler = mosaicist) Lipscomb, the puzzlemaster who is the creator of the WANDA/MAZDA puzzle.
This week's challenge comes from Martin Eiger of Montville, NJ. He's a member of the National Puzzlers' League, which is holding its 178th convention in Boston this weekend. Take a certain 7-letter word. Remove the first letter and you get a 6-letter synonym of that word. And the letter you removed is an abbreviation for the opposite of both words. What words are these?ReplyDelete
For NPR puzzle posts, don't post the answer or any hints that could lead to the answer before the deadline (usually Thursday at 3pm ET). If you know the answer, submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.
You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.


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One of the marquee features of iTunes 11 is Up Next, a new way to queue up songs for your listening sessions. Radically different from iTunes DJ, which this feature replaces, it can be a bit complex. Here's a look at how to get the most out of Up Next.
How does it work?
The first thing you need to know about Up Next is that it's always on—and you may add songs to it without realizing it. For example, if you start playing a playlist by clicking the arrow button next to its name, when it's displayed in iTunes, the Up Next queue gets filled with all the songs that playlist contains. The same is true if you start playing an album by clicking the arrow button next to its name in, say, Albums view or Artists view.
But in this case, Up Next is only adding the songs in the selected album or playlist, and that's not where the feature becomes useful. What makes Up Next a powerful feature is its ability to queue up songs from different playlists or albums.
Adding songs to Up Next
You can add songs to the Up Next queue in several ways. When you do so, the songs get added at the end of the queue, so you can keep adding songs as your day or listening session goes on, and always have a stream of music playing.
The quickest way to add a single song to the Up Next queue is to hover over a track, then press the Option key and click the plus (+) icon that appears to the left of the track name. This icon appears in any of iTunes' views (Artists, Albums, Genres, and so on), and for individual tracks or albums, or next to the name of a playlist. For albums in, say, Artists or Albums view, the arrow icon after the album name changes to the + icon when you hover with the Option key pressed.
If you select a track and press <Option>-<Return>, it will be added to the Up Next queue. However, if anything is in the queue, you'll get a window asking if you want to replace what's there (click Clear Songs to do so) or not (click Play Song). If you do the latter, your song gets added to the beginning of the Up Next queue; if you choose to clear songs, it replaces what's in the queue.
You can use the More (arrow) icon to add items to Up Next, as well as to perform other actions on them. This icon displays when you hover over a song or album in your iTunes library. Click it to display a pop-up menu. If you already have songs in the Up Next queue, you have two choices: Play Next and Add to Up Next. If you choose Play Next, iTunes adds the selected track to the beginning of the Up Next queue (that is, right after the currently playing song). If you click Add to Up Next, iTunes adds the item to the end of the queue.
The standard contextual menu also lets you add items to Up Next. Right- or Control-click on an item, then choose Play Next or Add to Up Next; these commands have the same effect as those described just above. You may prefer using the pop-up menu mentioned earlier, but the contextual menu is the way to add entire playlists to the Up Next queue, since there's no More button when you hover over playlists in the sidebar or the playlists column.
Finally, you can drag and drop items to add them to the Up Next queue. To do so, select one or more songs or albums and drag them to the iTunes LCD (the part of the window at the top that displays information about what you're playing). When you do so, the Up Next icon will flash showing that iTunes has added your items.
Working with the Up Next queue
Now that you're grooving to the music in your Up Next queue, you may want to change the order of the songs you've added to it. You can do so by clicking the Up Next icon in the iTunes LCD (or in the MiniPlayer); this shows the next 20 songs that will play. You can drag the songs up or down in this list to change their order, and you can delete any song by hovering over one, then clicking the X icon that appears to the left of its name.
You can clear the entire queue by clicking Clear, and you can also clear the currently playing song by clicking Clear again. And see that clock icon? Click that to see what you've played recently; you can then add any songs you want to hear again to the Up Next queue by hovering, clicking the > icon, and using the commands described above in the pop-up menu. (And you can access any of the other commands in that menu as well, such as rating songs, adding them to playlists, viewing them in the iTunes Store, and so on.) Click the clock icon again to return to the Up Next queue.
So long, DJ
Up Next is a valuable feature if you like to set up a queue of music to listen to. It lacks the ability that iTunes DJ had to choose songs at random from your music library, or from a selected playlist, and some iTunes users miss this feature. But try out Up Next and see how it fits with your listening; you may find that you like the way you can choose what music you'll listen to and how you can easily manage the list.


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The only foregone conclusion as Renault face the World Motor Sports Council today is what the verdict will be. Having revealed they will not contest the charges they caused a deliberate accident during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, a verdict of 'guilty' seems inevitable.
But there are many more questions awaiting answers, some of which we may learn today. What will their punishment be? Was anyone else involved in the conspiracy? Was Fernando Alonso? Has it happened on other occasions? And why did it take the FIA almost a year to discover it?
The scale of the conspiracy
So far we know about one conspiracy to deliberately cause a crash which involved three people. The obvious question now are: were more people involved, and were there other deliberate accidents?
Inevitably many people have seized on Alonso as having a lot to gain from the accident, as it won him the race, and therefore asked how it can be that he did not know about it. So far there is no evidence that he did. The stewards' initial findings said:
As regards Mr Alonso and the other engineers, the Stewards have found no evidence to suggest that they knew anything about any plan to cause a deliberate crash on lap 14.
You can find the summary of Alonso's remarks to the stewards on page five of this document (PDF). It is expected that Alonso will appear before the WMSC tomorrow to answer further questions. Hopefully this will settle the matter once and for all.
Renault's punishment
The nature of Renault's crime is serious – some are describing it as the worst seen in any sport. They cheated to win a race, put the lives of drivers, marshals and spectators at risk, and they kept quiet about it for the best part of a year.
In their favour, once the details of the scandal emerged they took action and Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds left the team. So far this seems to be a repeat of the 2007 'spygate' case, where McLaren concealed significant details at their first hearing WMSC hearing.
We have to go back to 1997 to find the closest comparable case to the Singapore crash, when Michael Schumacher infamously rammed Jacques Villeneuve during the 1997 European Grand Prix. That was different in several important ways: it involved a driver, not a team, the contact involved another competitor, and it was utterly blatant. The WMSC concluded that:
Michael Schumacher's manoeuvre was an instinctive reaction and although deliberate not made with malice or premeditation.
Despite ascribing these generous mitigating factors, the WMSC issued the following punishment (read the full PDF document):
The World Council decided to exclude Michael Schumacher from the results of the 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship for drivers. The final results of the FIA Formula One World Championship have been modified accordingly. The results of the Constructors' Championship remain unchanged. Michael Schumacher retains his points and victories recorded during the 1997 season. In lieu of any further penalty or fine, Michael Schumacher agreed to participate in the FIA European road safety campaign for a total of seven days in 1998.
For consistency Renault should at least be stripped of their fourth place in the 2008 constructors' championship. On top of that, as the teams earn money based on their finishing positions, I expect Renault will get a substantial fine, probably in the eight-figure-dollar range.
Renault do not have any suspended penalties hanging over them following their punishment at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. However the safety implications of crashing a car deliberately cannot be underestimated and the FIA will surely appreciate that in light of recent accidents. They may get the one-race ban they escaped last month – or longer – plus a suspended sentence.
Putting precedent and regulations to one side for a moment, we should ask ourselves whether the act of deliberately causing a crash with one car so the other car can win deserves anything less than a ban. I think it will reflect poorly on F1 if the FIA do not exclude Renault from at least one race. With Singapore the next event on the calendar, it would be especially fitting.
However any re-distribution of points from the 2008 race is out of the question – see this comment from Hakka for an explanation why.
As discussed here earlier, Briatore and Symonds are likely to go unpunished, but expect the FIA to discourage other teams from hiring them.
The politics
Unless the penalty is extremely severe, it is likely there will be suggestions the FIA softened it for political reasons. There were doubts over the future of Renault's F1 team even before the Singapore allegations blew up.
Losing Renault's F1 team could also mean losing another potential source of engines. Red Bull already use them (but are trying to get rid of them) and Williams are believed to be trying to source Renault engines for 2010.
Renault also run the World Series by Renault, which has helped the likes of Alonso, Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel into F1. And they supply engines for GP2, where seven of today's F1 drivers last raced before reaching Formula 1.
Just as Max Mosley admitted McLaren's 2007 spygate punishment was reduced for the sake of the drivers' championship, political imperatives may soften the blow to Renault today.
The investigation
While the WMSC presses Renault for more details I'm also hoping we'll learn new facts about the nature of the FIA's investigation. Specifically, why did it take so long for the FIA to start investigating the claim when Nelson Piquet first told Max Mosley about it at the Brazilian Grand Prix in November last year?
There may be useful lessons the FIA can take from the case as well. One key piece of evidence against Renault is the telemetry from Nelsin Piquet Jnr's car (PDF), which makes it quite clear that the accident was intentional. It's easy to say with hindsight that the FIA should have noted the unusual circumstances of Alonso's win and taken it upon themselves to look at the data right away. But this is something they should now seriously consider doing in future cases.
What do you think will be the outcome of the Renault hearing? How should they be punished? Have your say and share any developments from the meeting in the comments.
Renault Singapore crash controversy
- Singapore Grand Prix organiser says: ?���?�There?������s no such thing as bad publicity?���?�
- No punishment for Briatore or Symonds?
- Did more foul play by Renault scupper Schumacher in the 2006 title decider?
- Fernando Alonso should renounce his Singapore Grand Prix ?���?�win?������
- Briatore and Symonds step down as Renault accepts Singapore crash charge
- Piquet-Renault scandal: more new evidence and complaints about leaks
- Statement by Nelson Piquet Jnr on his Singapore crash leaked online
- Did Piquet crash on purpose? (Poll)
- Renault face Singapore crash hearing
- Nelson Piquet Jnr and Fernando Alonso in renault Singapore claim
- Piquet's scathing attack on Briatore
- Nelson Piquet Jnr dropped by Renault
- Alonso and the Piquet-Renault fall-out
- 2008 Singapore Grand Prix analysis
- Fernando Alonso's bad luck turns good for win (2008 Singapore Grand Prix)


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High bills are the direct result of high usage. FEC member services are always happy to assist you with your billing questions, but you may consider gathering the following information prior to calling. It may answer your questions or provide valuable information when you do call.
Review how much power you've used for the last 12 months. We call this the kilowatt hour (kWh) history.
This history is provided for you on every bill. You can compare your most recent month to that same month one year ago.
Weather fluctuations may be a factor in any major differences, but this is a good place to start your search.
The kilowatt hours you use are the main driver of costs on your electric bill.
Check to be sure this is a true high electric bill. Are there other charges beyond electric service? Any additional service fees (i.e deposits, connection/disconnection fees or returned check fees)?
•Have any past-due amounts from a previous bill been added to the total?
•Are there ancillary charges added to the bill for other FEC products or services (security lights, etc.)?
Check the number of days that are billed for your electric use. This varies from bill to bill due to the number of days in a month and a billing cycle may be a bit shorter or a bit longer due to the number of days in the month.
Is the number of days greater than other months in question because of meter readings or meter reading cycles? Is the daily average significantly different from other months in question?
Check the kilowatt hour total by month. From the history, are the winter months higher, indicating some form of electric heat, higher hot water heater use or space heaters being used in the home?
Do the summer months indicate air conditioning? Were temperatures higher or lower than normal during the period?
FEC offers a budget billing program to help Members with seasonal fluctuations. See the Budget Billing tab for details.
If you leave your home for an extended period of time for business or vacation, any appliance you leave plugged in or connected will continue to use electricity even while you are gone, especially your hot water heater, freezer, refrigerator, HVAC system, landscape irrigation, well pump, etc.
Most of us note that the TV and lights were not on, but we forget about these items.
No two households use energy the same way, so comparing your energy bill to your neighbor's is like comparing apples to oranges. It is best to compare your current use to your past use.
•Determine if the size of your household has increased or did someone stay at home more.
•Have you added a new swimming pool or hot tub in your back yard?
•Have you had "guests" stay for an extended period?
•Do you have hobbies that include the use of power tools, ovens and other high electrical resistance tools or appliances?
•Lighting, refrigeration, cooking and appliances account for 56 percent of the total energy use in the normal household. The location of refrigerators and freezers is very important.
•Never place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight or in unconditioned space such as a breezeway, garage or out-building. The refrigerator or freezer will have to work harder to overcome excessive heat during warmer months.
•Make sure that your refrigerators and freezers have adequate ventilation.
If an appliance is more than 15 years old, the efficiency of that appliance may be decreasing significantly and requiring more energy to do its job.
It is important to clean or replace the condenser, coils or filters on some appliances regularly. You may need to replace the appliance itself. Many times old electrical wiring will have loose connections resulting in increased electrical use and create potential safety hazards.
The additional heating or cooling load will cause an increase in electric use. Heating and cooling your home averages around 44 percent of you total energy use. Using space heaters, fireplaces, livestock heaters or vehicle block heaters in the winter can dramatically increase your energy consumption. Running a dehumidifier or watering of lawns, gardens and animals in the summer months will increase your energy use.
Lightning can sometimes damage your well pump, sump pump or appliances increasing the running of these devices. If underground wiring-insulation is damaged, an increase in electrical use may occur when the ground is saturated with moisture.
Has there been any underground excavation recently? If you have underground wiring, the electrical wires may have been nicked resulting in an electric fault. Many times these faults are high resistant and won't trip your breaker. When this type or fault occurs, the electricity flows directly into the ground thus increasing your electrical usage.
If after studying all the above information, you still feel there may be a deeper problem, we are happy to take your call and assist you. After handling the high bill complaint on the phone, we determine if a field visit is necessary to determine any energy efficiency problems. FEC's Member Services Department can offer efficiency solutions.
FEC encourages customers to look for the cause in the above situations first. Meter tests should be a last resort instead of first.
Meters measure energy use and because they are a mechanical device it is rare that they run fast. They are seldom the cause of a higher bill but often blamed.
Less than 1 out of 1,000 meters are going to be wrong when tested. This includes running slow or running fast. Most old meters will likely run slow.
A faulty meter would more likely run slow.
In the case of a meter check, FEC's Meter Technician will check the meter and give you a copy of the results. Because of the costs required to test a meter Fergus Electric charges a fee for this service. Please contact Fergus Electric for the current fee.


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Gospel greats and reality TV stars, Mary Mary has just released a new album entitled Go Get It. Touting old favorites like "Shackles," the album's new tracks "Sunday Morning" and "Go Get It" keep their momentum going. Elsewhere the duo's self-titled WE TV reality show, depicting Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell on stage and at home with their collective six children and two husbands, was renewed for a second season. The Campbell sisters also recently unveiled their participation in the Entertainers 4 Education's New York City "I Will Graduate" campaign, by appearing on a poster which New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Dennis Wallcott hope will encourage the importance of education among students.
EBONY chatted with Mary Mary about Go Get It, being a 'cool Christian' and the question of submission in marriages.
EBONY: Mary Mary's seventh album "Go Get It" is on shelves now, why release a best of album?
Erika: When we found out Tina was pregnant, we wanted to give fans something creative.
Tina: You can't promote a full CD in a limited time, which I've got since my new baby will be here in three months. But the new songs are incredible, "Go Get It" is a motivational anthem. "Sunday Morning," that was us because we had to do our part singing with the church choir, so it was wonderful to take ourselves down memory lane.
EBONY: How has your WE TV "Mary Mary" reality show affected your private lives?
Erika: We're the same, now people get to know who we are. We don't have a spiritual answer for everything. I was on Twitter — I've stopped since — and tweeted that I'm not having a good day. Then people sent all these messages like 'You can make it, hold on.' I'm like 'I know that, I'm just having a bad day and I'm allowed to say that!'
Tina: Many times in the Christian community, people think you have to qualify your faith by speaking Christian-ese. Every sentence must end with 'bless' or 'hallelujah,' that is not real life. Some think if you're not in that space, you're not representing Christ. I don't think that's what God smiles upon because that's trying to please people. We do what we're comfortable with, that's what you see on 'Mary Mary.'
EBONY: How do you find being the public examples of 'cool Christianity?'
Erika: I feel good about it. We've always had cool Christians who lived their lives in front of us.
Tina: Elder Johnny Thompson at the church we grew up in, Los Angeles' Evangelistic Church of God in Christ, was so cool. He'd say 'You can call me Johnny.' He would talk about his wife like she was his girl, not 'his spiritual partner.' He was true to who he was.
EBONY: During the screening for "Mary Mary," you ladies mentioned that your show might help women be more submissive to their husbands to mixed reactions — what exactly did you mean by submissive?
Erika: Our cool pastor talked about order, family is your first priority. In God's plan, the man is the head, the wife is the help and the children are in their place. When the father is out of place, the woman is forced to fill his space and it's really hard for the children to learn their place because the woman has to have a little more …
Tina: Masculinity.
Erika: And she's not free to be her most feminine self, not that that's not a strength in itself but in today's society, it's seen as weakness if you say 'Hey babe, do you mind if I do such and such.' I don't see that as weakness, I'm old school. I cook for my husband, I like doors opened for me, even though I'm capable of opening my own. I'm a business woman, I make my own money, but I like being taken care of and I like for his money to do it and my money do what I want. That's another part of the fun of being submissive, I don't have to stress myself about what's going on. I can let him worry about those things and love on him, and he in return loves on me. It's not like the 1950s where he's everything and you're nothing.
Tina: People see my strong personality and my husband understood that when he was marrying me. I know when to back down.
EBONY: When is that?
Tina: When he says 'Tina … ' I have to fall back and I don't like to. But this is my husband, am I going to be his husband? I have to decide who's going to be the wife in the relationship. I should be softer and tender, and in times where we don't agree, he should take the lead because he's the man. I love and trust him enough to do that. This idea doesn't fly in society today but if I did not have that attitude I'd be sitting up single. You have to allow a man to be a man but you have to choose the right one. It's not about pushing you around.
EBONY: How do you make sure that you're being submissive without being manipulated?
Tina: I told my husband, 'I got one daddy and his name is Eddie, not Teddy.'
Erika: Bossing me around is not going to happen.
Tina: If you don't want me barking down your throat, you have to treat me like your tender wife. There are certain things I don't do. Why does my tank only have four gallons of gas? Because I don't think about that, you're my husband, go fill my tank up! By the same token, you will not be in the house sewing buttons. If you're not taking the tender road and you're always taking the rough road, which road does your husband take?


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The Royal Opera House in numbers 2011/12
A look back at last season reveals some fascinating figures
Post originally published by Chris Shipman on the blog of the Royal Opera Houra (where I worked as a Digital Developer).
We've been looking at figures for the ROH during 2011/12 and found them so amazing that we thought we should share them.
7.5+ million engaged globally with the work of the Royal Opera House by attending performances; watching Cinema Season relays, TV and radio broadcasts, online streams or attending BP Summer Big Screens; and by engaging with our Education outreach work.
4.5 million watched BBC Two's Maestro at the Opera which featured the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, The Royal Opera Chorus, the Jette Parker Young Artists and the Royal Opera House Youth Opera Company working on and performing Act 2 of Puccini's La bohème.
2.4 million website users. Online ticket sales increased to 60%.
1 million tuned in to listen to The Royal Opera on BBC Radio 3 as part of the network's Opera on 3 seasons. Broadcasts included Puccini's Il trittico, Verdi's La traviata, Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
1 million viewed video from Royal Ballet LIVE on the day and in the following five months. Royal Ballet LIVE saw a full day's work live online and featured Daily Class, interviews and rehearsals.
1 million minutes of our YouTube content is watched each month.
692,608 tickets were sold to 428 performances at the Royal Opera House with 92% capacity. We achieved a break-even position for the 13th successive year.
500,000 were reached through our social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.
300,000 watched cinema relays of Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet productions in 30 countries around the world. A live screening of La fille mal gardée was the fifth-highest grossing film in the UK on the night of the relay.
27,238 The number of people who took part in Education projects. 21,207 people came to the ROH for the first time through targeted schemes for families, schools, students and isolated older people.
10s of 1000s Attendees of BP Summer Big Screen relays (despite one of the wettest summers for years!).
40% of our audience is under 45.
40% of our tickets are £40 and under.
30% of our tickets are £30 and under.
How did you interact with us during the 2011/12 season? Did you come to a performance in Covent Garden, attend an Education event in Thurrock or come to a Big Screen relay in Glasgow? Let us know – we'd love to know what you particularly enjoyed.


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Bring superior quality and many wireless capabilities to your home office with the PIXMA MX922. This printer has built-in Wi - Fi for printing and scanning virtually anywhere in your home. It also includes Air - Print, which lets you wirelessly print from your i - Pad, i - Phone or i - Pod touch devices. Cloud printing capabilities, an integrated 35-sheet Duplex Auto Document Feeder and Dual Function Panel are just some of the features that can allow you to multi-task easily. The MX922 also has a new high-capacity 250-sheet plain paper cassette so you can focus on your work and not running out of paper! This can bring office efficiency to all-new levels and help reduce costs at the same time. Superior 9600 x 2400 maximum color dpi and 5 individual ink tanks means incredible business document printing and efficiency with the option of a high yield pigment black ink tank to print more documents without changing the pigment black ink as often. The MX922 also allows you to turn your office into a photo lab. Print professional looking, borderless photos up to 8.5" x 11" in size. With My Image Garden software make organizing and printing your photos fun and easy with great facial recognition, Fun Filters, Calendar Organization, Automatic Layout Suggestions and more. The MX922 delivers outstanding business imaging quality and versatile solutions that will assist in bringing your home business to the next level.