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UPDATE: Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, weighs in on this PISA business (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randi-weingarten) in maybe not a terribly helpful manner, by managing to point out, in a round about way, that Finnish teachers, for instance, are 100% unionized—they are PISA all-stars—but then also talking up the wonders of the Chinese system where, she assures us, on the basis of a NYT article, that, in Shanghai at at least, "which outranked all its competitors," the emphasis is on "support for struggling teachers and schools." Let's stay on track here: my excruciatingly rigorous research tells me that your basic Finnish teacher starts at a salary of maybe $35,000, with oodles of Scandanavian-style benefits, of the sort that would make a Boehner buckle, while a pedagogue in old Shanghai starts at more like $3000 and good luck on the job security. The cheaper the labor the higher the "productivity" thereof, seems to be the mantra of the Duncans and their ilk, whose scoldings and proddings are in fact the only explanation for the willingness of our Weingartens to fall into these kinds of traps. Look out!
I wonder where the next model for excellence in education will come from? Bangladesh? Mars? Remember Japan? They were doing great for a while. At the moment China is having a good showing, with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in response to recent reports from PISA (Program for International Student Assessment, a kind of fashion contest and variety show produced by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), saying that the scores are "an absolute wake-up call for America," and that the "brutal truth" is that "we have to get much more serious about investing in education.''
Shortly thereafter, President Obama, his resolve no doubt stiffened by the urgency of his advisor's stout rhetoric, appeared in front of an audience at a North Carolina community college, to pronounce that "Our generation's Sputnik moment is back. In the race for the future, America is in danger of falling behind."
Actually, doesn't that mean that "our generation" already had a Sputnik moment? But, wait, Obama wasn't even born in 1957 when Sputnik went up. I was. I was five years old, and I was outraged that the commies had pulled off this extraordinary technological feat and I demanded that my parents immediately engage math and physics tutors for me and my brothers. So, maybe MY generations' Sputnik moment is "back" but not his. I mean, I accept that he was not born in Kenya and isn't a secret layer-of-the-path for the coming Mahdi—but he can be a little sneaky.
Anyway, have a look at "A True Wake-up Call for Arne Duncan: The Real Reason Behind Chinese Students Top PISA Performance," by Yong Zhao, University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University: Professor Yong has been "diligently reading xinhuanet.com, the official web portal for Xinhua News Agency, China's state-controlled media organization"—I bet Duncan hasn't been doing that, what do you think? And Professor Yong has not found the story trumpeting China's PISA results. Instead, Professor Yong discovers poignant testimony by parents that their children are being zombified by a stunning regimen of test preparation and he concludes: "That's the secret: when you spend all your time preparing for tests, and when students are selected based on their test-taking abilities, you get outstanding test scores."
Look too at NYT today, the article "China's Army of Graduates Struggles for Jobs." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/world/asia/12beijing.html?_r=1&hp
This details the difficulty that Chinese college grads are having with jobs—there aren't any.
But their PISA scores are good! Their college completion rates are great! So saith the Duncan!
At the end of the article is a quote from one young man who seems to have found some perspective. "Now that I see what the outside world is like, my only regret is that I didn't have more fun in college."
I hope he can hold on to that new found wisdom after the Duncans of his own country start telling him that education is a life-long journey and that we all need to keep our skills sharp in this ever-expanding global economy and that he should go back to school and get some new credentials that will boost his chances of getting a job as a prison guard or a phlebotomist or whatever it is that's going to be the big booming thing over there, guaranteed, plain as the nose on my face, 100%.


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Presentado por
By Shelby Klose
As summer nears, it is important to start planning ahead. With the right deals and opportunities you and your family could go on a great trip. Your dream vacation is within reach with the right information.
The economy is improving slowly but surely. This is positive news but it also means other prices are rising as well. One of the markets that is recovering from its slump is travel. Flight and hotel costs are rising so it is important to consider these cheap options (LA Times, 2012):
According to Catharine Hamm, from the LA Times, a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Seattle (2,270 Miles) would cost $920 in the Month of July. This same distance in the car would cost at most $363. Driving saves you money in travel fees, luggage fees, as well as car rental.
If you have to fly there are many cheap options to consider. First, make sure to buy your ticket for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. These are the cheapest days for travel. Second, shop for tickets at 2 PM (Central Time) on Tuesdays. This is the time that Airlines fight to post the lowest deals so you can get the best price. Third, you can use travel websites that post great deals. Examples of these sites are Priceline.com or Hotwire.com. The sites offer easy, quick travel deals for you to pick from. However, you must consider that these sites do not reveal times or routes so they are harder to plan around.
According to Mark Whalen, from About.com, the internet has many opportunities for cheap hotels and lodging. The same sites that you use for travel can be used to find a place to stay. On these websites there are many options to get a cheap room. On sites such as Biddingfortravel.com you can bid against others to get the cheapest deals. However, these sites pick the location of your stay. This opportunity is great if you are looking for a cheap, nonspecific room this summer. However, if you have a more specific location in mind, sites such as the two above as well as Travelocity.com allow you to enter a location and maximum price in order to find the perfect hotel for your needs. Make sure to plan ahead, however, because these deals change every day.
It is common for companies that require a lot of employee travel to use Preferred cards or Credit Card Points. However, you can take advantage of these deals as well. Whalen explains that if your family uses a certain chain of hotels, such as Holiday Inn or Hilton, you can get a card that will add up points every time you stay. After a few trips you can earn free stays. Another card option can be found at your local credit union. They often offer credit cards with the point option. Each time you use the credit card you will accumulate points. After a while you can get many gifts including frequent flyer miles. These add up and can be used to get a free plane ticket. Contact your local credit union for more information (About.com, 2012).
Published: 4-16-2012.


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A blog about the history of vintage leather jacket fashion and fashion production. I'm always looking for pictures of cool stuff send me some pics of your grandpa in a cool leather jacket and a story! I can also be reached at email@example.com. I am currently making my own leather jackets in Canada. Ask me and I will try and help you with whatever you need to know. Just click on comments at the bottom of each post to leave me a message or comment. ヴィンテージのレザージャケット ヴィンテージレザージャケット
Friday, May 14, 2010
Frank Frazetta, R.I.P. ...Why I Love Heros and Leather
Unknown to most of my readers I started out life as an unusually talented artist. I could draw realistic faces and humans by the time I was 5 years old. I have always been obsessed with drawing and painting and spent most of the eighties and early nineties making art. Between Film Studies, art making and vintage clothing I divided up and occupied most of my time. I taught myself to oil paint between 9 and 15 years of age. My inspiration was my massive Marvel comic collection and the cover art of every science fiction book that I could get my hands on and read.
I obsessed over the art of Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta. The raw sexuality of their images, the fantasy worlds they depicted of armour clad hero's, scantily robust women in repose, the renaissance lighting and composition fueled my teenage imagination. Between Conan the Barbarian and Wolverine and the X men, my mind waded through the morass of teenage pressures through pure visual escapism. When I laid paint to canvass copying the sumptuous curves of a Frazetta female or a Vallejo heroine I could feel the flesh in the paint. I loved these guys and today one of my hero's passed on into the abyss and into the pantheon of Scifi art gods. If you trace the styles and imagery of Frazetta, and look at earlier influences like Joseph Clement Coll and J. Allen St. John..you see the stamp of modern photography, film noir and the cool new aesthetics of the industrial age. These factors help create the sleek looks of new design in the garment industry that lead to the Flash Gordon like designs of Leather Togs, Buco and many of the great motorcycle jacket companies. It may seem tenuous but I owe a great deal to these great image makers.
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Robeco Groep, a Netherlands-based independent asset management company, has agreed to purchase Harbor Capital Advisors of Toledo, Ohio from Owens-Illinois, a manufacturer of glass and plastic packaging, for up to $490 million in cash, Robeco Group announced last week. Harbor Capitol Advisors oversees the Harbor Fund family of mutual funds, as well as Owens-Illinois'
pension funds. The Harbor Fund family has $14 billion in assets under management. Overall, Harbor Capital Advisors oversees $17 billion in assets. It is expected that Harbor Capital Advisors' offices will remain in Toledo. Harbor's management will probably be retained, according to Robeco Groep.
Robeco Groep is one of the largest independent asset managers in the world with approximately $100 billion under management, the company said. Harbor Capital Advisors will be part of the core business of its new parent. It was not a major business of Owens-Illinois.


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Jackson Hole & Grand Teton Fly Fishing
We offer fishing trips on all of Jackson Hole's best waters, including in Grand Teton National Park. We cater to expert anglers and first-time anglers alike. Whether it's one of our float fishing or wading adventures, every trip is designed around our guests' goals in areas loaded with majestic scenery and wildlife. Our friendly and experienced guides are not only great at instructing and getting you onto fish, they also have the highest safety and training standards in the industry.
We are the only fly fishing shop in Teton Village and we're happy to meet you at your location, whether staying in the village or most anywhere in the Jackson Hole region.
Water Levels
|Snake River at Flagg Ranch
|16:30 08/18
|Snake River at Moran
|16:45 08/18
|Canyon above Alpine
|16:30 08/18
|South Fork near Irwin
|16:30 08/18
|Green at Warren Bridge
|16:45 08/18
We are also proud to state that we hold our environmental responsibilities to the highest level and back our talk through membership in 1% for the PLANET, work with local non profits, and most importantly by reducing our " footprint " in every level of our operations. Grand Fishing supports the following organizations:


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I've blogged here at Typepad for 6.5 years now. That's kinda amazing to me. I can remember when I first went into Barnes and Noble trying to find a book on the "new thing" I'd heard about - blogging. I was quite pleased to find the young salesperson caught off-guard about a subject he had never heard about - made me feel like a techie - lol!
Before coming to Typepad I had a website named Approaching Glory. I had inspirational writings on it and I did the html coding myself (okay - so without Pete Levelle I wouldn't have been able to do anything) Anyhoo - lots of hours went into its creation and hopefully it ministered to some people. It's the first time I ever got a picture of the size of the Net. I heard from people all around the world. However, I got the notice this past fall that the host was taking the sites down - so I copied my files and figured I do something else with my writings sooner or later. Still trying to decide what would be the best way to post them again.
But somewhere in the midst - I came to Typepad. And somewhere in all of this, I've longed for the day when I would be able to have my own url. Today is that day. I start this year with my very own address, with endless possibilities ahead, and some new directions for my blog.
And let me tell you - I can NOT say enough good things about the folks at Typepad. They have been great hosts and super helpful. If you ever want a blog - they get my five star stamp of approval :)
PS - if you ever get bored out of your gourd and you want to read the past 6.5 years of my life - take a look at the archives!


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Chocolate Bundt Cake
• 13 January 2009
So anyway, I think I found a recipe that fits the bill. I served it with homemade whipped cream and I bet if you could find some great berries, it would be even more delicious.
The only thing I changed about the recipe this round was to add about 1/2 cup good quality semi-sweet morsels to the batter before pouring it into the bundt pan. I love a little gooeyness :)
See it here.
9 comments:
- Birdie in DC said...
looks yummy! i don't have a bundt pan-- what kind do you use metal or silicon?
- January 13, 2009 at 8:49 AM
I have used the recipe you posted that calls for the mix (our preference is to use mint chocolate chips!) but I am definitely going to make this new one next time. We are eliminating many of the nasty chemicals from our diet as well - we have no idea what kind of effect they will have on us in the long run....scary if you ask me!
- January 13, 2009 at 9:34 AM
- Joyce said...
This cake looks mmm... good! Thanks for sharing.
- January 13, 2009 at 10:15 AM
- Sabina said...
Very Nice!!
- January 13, 2009 at 10:18 AM
- Amber said...
Thanks I use that a similar Cake Mix Recipe for a perfect Chocolate cake but I'm excited to try this new one!
- January 13, 2009 at 1:17 PM
- Holman House said...
I"ve been thinking alot about hydrogenated oil as well as high fructose corn syrup, thanks for little reminders! By the way, what kind of pancake syrup does your family use? I would love to implement pure maple syrup, but the cost keeps me from really getting into it.
- January 13, 2009 at 3:30 PM
- Georgia said...
The secret, I believe, for the moistness is the sour cream...at least in my experience. I could go for a slice right now!
- January 13, 2009 at 6:01 PM
- Stephanie said...
Rachel, we do use pure maple syrup. You are right...it is more costly but tastes so much better and is so much better for you! I buy the "Western Family" store brand as it's least expensive. Target's Archer Farms pure maple syrup is also cost-effective. We don't have pancakes & such as often but when we do, we certainly enjoy them! Oh, and I've trained my kids to not overdo it on the syrup :) That saves $ too.
- January 13, 2009 at 8:49 PM
- Stephanie said...
Robin, I use a metal bundt pan from Williams-Sonoma. It's actually my mother-in-laws pan but she lets me babysit it :)
- January 13, 2009 at 8:50 PM


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FromYouFlowers, LLC charges sales tax on any order going to AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, IL, MA, NY, TX, or WI. We are not required to charge sales tax for any other delivery outside of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Washington DC, and Wisconsin.
Service Fee:
From You Flowers, LLC has a Service Fee for all orders. This service fee varies depending on product. There is an additional charge of $2.99 on orders placed for same day delivery.
In some cases, the delivering florist may choose to take a delivery fee out of the price of the arrangement. This is allowed by floral network guidelines.


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This blog is designed to allow my extended family an opportunity to learn more about our ancestors and their place in history. Like many of my generation, I have recently taken up the hobby of researching our previously unknown relatives and their stories. I am guilty of of ignoring our family's history until after the deaths of both my wife's and my parents, making the task of recording our story that much more difficult. That said, there are tremendous sources of genealogical information available to us if we take the time to look and use the numerous tools that are currently available.
About the Title
Stella Quarta Decima is Latin for The Fourteenth Star. Fourteen is a recurring number in my research to date. Fourteen is the approximate number of generations that my research covers to date. My great grandmother Sarah was one of fourteen children, the last of the large families in my tree. The longest period of time I worked for one employer was fourteen years. My wife's birthday is the fourteenth of the month.
As for the star, only a small number of the 7,475 individuals in my tree are well known, but they are all stars to me. We don't get to chose our relatives, so celebrating their achievements unconditionally seems to me the least we can do.
Lastly, Stella Quarta Decima was the motto of the Republic of Vermont during its short history as an independent nation from 1777 until 1791. During this period, Vermont, prevented from becoming the fourteenth State of the Union by a long standing territorial dispute with New York, apparently toyed with the idea of forming a union with Canada. As we will find out, some of our relatives were equally confused as to which nation they wanted to belong too.
What to Expect
The blog will profile the stories a number of our more interesting relatives, including both our direct ancestors as well as selected aunts, uncles and cousins. The material posted will consist primarily the research notes and the first draft of my book, tentatively titled Tinker, Nailer, Soldier, Sailer. As I anticipate travelling to Ontario and New England to confirm my initial research, I also plan to post photographs, stories and other research relating to Tinker, Nailer, Soldier, Sailer.


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By: Agatha Christie
Genre: British Detectives, Mysteries & Thrillers
Relase Date: 2003-12-15
Fashion design worlds#1 fan
Had to read it for a summer reading book for high school. A little bit confusing at first but turned out to be really good I didn't like the French part though that was hard to understand
Ajtan an Jan pri khy
A very interesting book, keeps you on your toes. Great plot and great characters!
It was awesome I could read it a million times and not get bored:-)


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100. If an employer transfers a debt to the
employee which is about to be paid to the employer, the value
of that debt is not high but when it is paid , if it is paid in
the full value, its value is higher.
(Mrs Scott) Yes.
101. If a manufacturer of chocolate bars paid
in chocolate bars, it would cost the employer much less than the
employee could sell it for. You tax it on the basis of what the
employee could sell it for. That is still treated separately from
benefit in kind?
(Mrs Scott) Yes.
Lord Goodhart: The gold bars and payment in
commodities was used in recent years to avoid national insurance
102. This is outside your remit but national
insurance views are not yet drafted in plain English. Is there
any prospect of this moving across and getting rid of these problems
whereby you can pay people with various commodities and avoid
national insurance?
(Mrs Scott) I think it has been fixed. I do not know
the details.
Dawn Primarolo: It is not quite fixed.
103. Every time Parliament has legislated to
cover some bizarre new commodity being used for payment, people
have thought of another bizarre commodity which they could start
paying out and which avoided national insurance. They are still
playing that game of catch-up, are they?
(Mrs Scott) They are still playing games, I understand.
Chairman: The definition of liability for national
insurance earnings for the purposes of national insurance is still
drafted in quite different language to the language you are now
using in income tax.
Dawn Primarolo: Because Parliament itself holds
the route for how national insurance legislation is processed.
It is administered through the Inland Revenue. The parliamentary
process has to be reformed itself to allow a course of alignment,
so there has been alignment where possible. It is never perfect
because there is always creativity in what the new mechanisms
might be and complete alignment is a huge policy issue about flags
in the national insurance system on entitlement. The Finance Bill
cannot legislate for national insurance without a fundamental
104. The rules are inconsistent because you
do not pay national insurance on health insurance or cars, although
they are treated as benefits in kind over the year. There are
artificially assigned amounts.
(Mrs Scott) I fear that we are getting slightly outside
our scope of expertise, but there are class 1A benefits under
the national insurance system which apply in respect of car benefits.
Chairman: Attempts are constantly made to get
them closer to each other. My examples are not totally irrelevant.
There was a brief time when people were paying the earnings of
some of their senior employees in debts like gold or silver, not
seeking to evade income tax, but they avoided all the national
insurance liability until that was dealt with. We talk about the
rewriting of the tax laws. Given that we have got rid of the Contributions
Agency, a step of which I wholly approve, and given that what
we are actually talking about is people's liability to make their
contribution on whatever they earn, there is a case for making
sure it is all drafted in the same sort of language and it can
then be read across more easily.
Lord Howe of Aberavon: We can give thanks for
the fact that we are not also grappling with the details of prices
and income support.
105. Can I go to an area which has been around
a long time, which is people being paid in non-cash vouchers?
Clause 84 of the Bill, page 42, deals with this matter. I would
be interested if you could give us a commentary on the before
and after effects of what you have done. How far back does the
tax law dealt with by clause 84 go and, given that there have
been all kinds of attempts in the past not just in the 20th but
the 19th and the 18th centuries to pay people without paying them
cash, how far back does the tax law go on this and how far do
you go in ensuring that you replicate in today's language and
terminology some of these effects of history in this part of tax
(Mrs Sampson) When we did the analysis, we went back
to the original drafting papers if we could not work out what
was meant by the statute as it was and looked at the correspondence
between the drafters and the instructor to find out what they
were trying to do. We built on that to come back to something
that we could put in clearer language, to break it down into the
clauses we have here, compared to the very dense sections 141,
142 and 143.
106. There were three different sections of
the existing tax law which constituted what is now clause 84 of
this Bill?
(Mrs Sampson) No. The non-cash vouchers come under
section 141 of ICTA. It was the analysis of all that plus drawing
on some of the general rules that come within section 144 which
we wrote back into here to try to make it clearer.
107. You have alerted us to an interesting piece
of methodology which you have used. Has that been in general the
way that you have approached not just this particular clause but
other parts of the Bill to ensure the line of purity of thought
in terms of ensuring that what we see before us today is what
Parliament meant in terms of the original wording of the original
legislation from which this Bill has now been drawn?
(Mrs Scott) In every provision that we rewrite, we
go back to look at the notes on clauses when the provision was
introduced. We will often look at drafting papers. They are not
always available. If you are looking at provisions first introduced
in the early part of the century, you stand precious little chance
of getting hold of the drafting papers. Notes on clauses are generally
available. We look at all the manuals and publications by our
specialists. We look at outside commentators' views of the law
and all the relevant tax cases. We bear them all in mind in weaving
together the various concepts that form the clauses in this Bill.
It is not necessarily true to say that we will always deliver
the original parliamentary intention. If there has subsequently
been a court case that establishes that the provision in ICTA
does not do what government thought it did when it was being introduced,
we cannot change the law to put it back to what government originally
intended. That would require a Finance Bill change.
108. If the court has changed the way people
thought the law was working, are those changes now incorporated
in this Bill?
(Mrs Scott) Yes, where it is a settled court decision.
When something has appeared in the High Court last month or in
the early part of this year, no, but we are not aware that there
are any cases where there is currently a dispute.
109. By and large, those court cases would have
affected the mechanism but not the purpose of the original legislation.
Would that be right?
(Mrs Scott) The original purpose of the legislation
may well have been to give a deduction in particular circumstances
and the legislation may have been drafted in such a way that the
scope of the circumstances in which the deduction is available
is different.
110. Users of the old tax legislation which
this replaces would have to have had the original Act together
with their knowledge of the court cases and an accountant advising
a client would have said, "This is what the Act says, but
so and so has now changed it." You have brought this together
so that people can chuck out their court cases because it is all
in the Bill.
(Mrs Scott) I would not recommend that people chuck
out their court cases. There is a lot of useful dicta in court
Mr Jack: In terms of real world use, this Bill
reflects court judgments which have changed tax law. In other
words, it has incorporated the modifications by the courts in
this Bill so that, if this Committee were to recommend to the
House approval of this, we have incorporated a court change into
the law.
111. I think what you are asking is this: you
have not taken the opportunity anywhere of reversing a court decision
in order to draft the law in a way that overturns the decision.
(Mrs Scott) No.
Chairman: The only other subject we have not
touched on is the drafting. We have been provided in the memorandum
of evidence with some before and after examples. In my opinion,
the Committee is debating drafting but it is essentially a written
exercise and it is a question of the Committee having a look at
the examples of before and after and then raise any comments if
they are dissatisfied or wish to comment about the way in which
it has been done. Can I ask whether anybody will be getting onto
the drafting or whether, having studied and taken note of appendix
five, we are content, this being the second Bill of its kind,
that the exercise of turning it into plain English remains very
valuable? There is a prospect that, this afternoon, we could turn
to the government amendments. Mr Jack, what is your view on how
we handle our general appraisal of rewriting in plain English?
112. You have made particular reference in our
deliberations this morning to getting rid of old language and
yet on appendix five I notice the word "spouse". Given
that we are into the world of partners, wives and various other
modern phrases to determine the arrangements between persons being
together in whatever way they choose, I wondered why "spouse",
which is quite an old word, survives.
(Mrs Scott) It is in the interest of general, neutral
drafting that you do not refer to "husband" or "wife".
If the source legislation refers to "husband" or "wife",
it would be a change beyond our remit to extend it to cohabiting
Chairman: A spouse is someone you are married
to and a partner is someone that you are not necessarily married
Mr Jack: You trespass into difficult waters
because you use the word "married".
Chairman: This is not the occasion for a radical
Mr Jack: I appreciate that.
113. Can I therefore conclude by asking whether
it might be possible this afternoon for the Minister and the team
to produce the annotated version of the amendments which you referred
to? Then we can start looking at the amendments. I apologise for
having given no more opportunities for private and deliberative
sessions this morning. My suggestion is let us finish the evidence
and turn to the amendments and wind up with one deliberative session
on the whole thing before deciding what we report back to the
House. If that meets general consent, I think the Committee should
now rise and, if it is physically possible to get the notes to
us this afternoon or put them on the board beforehand so that
people have a chance to read them, I would be very grateful, although
it means somebody working through their lunch hour.
(Mr Michael) The people who will be writing the notes
are the people who have been appearing before you this morning,
but perhaps we can get something by 3.30.
Chairman: If it is possible to finish it before
4.30, in both Houses there is a letter board system so Members
of the Committee can look from three o'clock onwards to see if
there is something on the board. If it is not possible, we will
have somewhat fuller proceedings this afternoon. If any Member
of the Committee wishes to table an amendment, their last opportunity
is between now and this afternoon. If none turns up, I shall take
it that nobody is proposing any amendments.
114. Would the officials group how they do the
amendments into one set which is purely corrections and technical
points and concentrate on explaining to the Committee the issue
where there was an inadvertent extension? That would be helpful.
(Mr Michael) We will do that.


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COMBO LIFE - Coming Soon to Accrington Garages
Arriving in Vauxhall showrooms autumn 2018, the all-new Combo Life is full of
innovations that make it a great choice for the whole family.
Ever wish for a vehicle that covers all the bases? That offers style and comfort, yet allows you to get on with things without a hitch? Wish no longer. The Combo Life is Vauxhall's new 'Leisure Activity Vehicle'. A car which offers looks with its loadspace, and smart safety with its seven seats.
From hops to the shops to house moves, the Combo Life will always have what it takes. This endlessly versatile vehicle allows you to get on with the business of living.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin…
There's room for more inside the Combo Life, whether you choose the 5-seat or 7-seat edition. Ferry large or extra-large families to anything from football practice to Christmas lunch in style. Accessibility is great for everyone as well, with sliding rear doors reducing strain when getting in or out.
As you would expect, space is extraordinarily generous. This is even more the case if you choose the XL edition of Combo Life. The long wheelbase increases the already ample legroom. It's also allowed the designers to increase the maximum load area to 2,693 litres with all the seats removed*. So, enough to handle any holiday or house move.
*Compared to 2,126 litres in the standard model
Style with your space
Combo Life is a car that can take you anywhere – and it looks the part, too. Its sleek bodywork is given extra presence by its wide grille and sharply-angled wraparound headlights. The vehicle offers the raised seating position of a van, offering great visibility. Large side and rear windows make the all-round view even better.
Open for business (or leisure)
Twin sliding rear doors make Combo Life a dream for busy families and outdoor adventurers. It's safe and easy to get in and out of the rear cabin. At the same time, removable seats make it simple to fit everything in. Loading and unloading is painless too, thanks to an easy-lift tailgate. So you're covered, whether you're taking anything from golf clubs to gardening tools.
Room at the top
Ample legroom and cavernous loadspace not enough for you? You can carry yet more equipment and cargo with the Combo Life's roof rails, roof box or bike carrier. Just what you need for outdoor activities, adventures and family trips.
(Note that roof rails are an optional extra. The versions in the illustration are not available in the UK).
The high seating position, large side and rear windows and chunky side mirrors ensure very un-van-like visibility. Make parking easier by adding an optional rear-view parking camera. Meanwhile, the ambient lighting and air conditioning make the toughest journeys a breeze.
Sometimes we all need a bit of extra space. Especially when, say, we've just taken charge of half a ton of flat-pack furniture. Nothing to worry about with Combo Life, though. Its large load area and flat floor mean that even the bulkiest and longest loads won't cause a problem.
Busy roads and motorways require your full concentration. Vauxhall's Head-Up Display* feeds you essential information without making you take your eyes off the road ahead.
*Available as an optional extra
Make chilly mornings less of a drag by choosing the optional heated seats and steering wheel. Spend wintry trips to the shops basking rather than shivering with this optional extra
The Combo Life has some of the most sophisticated safety features around. Active measures standard to all models include Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and Forward Collision Alert. There's also a range of optional range of clever driver assistance and safety systems.
Long journeys are tiring, both mentally and physically. That's where Combo Life's Driver Drowsiness Indicator comes in. The system looks out for signs that you may be distracted or in danger of falling asleep. An alarm sounds promptly, indicating that a rest and a coffee is probably in order.
The Combo Life's Blind Spot Awareness system enhances safety in hectic situations. It detects when objects are within three metres of your side or rear (your blind spots). If anyone's coming too close, it warns you with a flashing icon in your driver side mirror. Something which could save you some trouble in car parks or on busy one-way systems.
(Blind Spot Awareness is optional at an extra cost as part of the vehicle's Parking Pack).
Apple CarPlay™ or Android Auto™ functionality is standard to 'Energy' specifications and above. Use your chosen system to synchronise your smartphone and its satnav, music and news app services. You can easily control everything through the eight-inch touchscreen in the centre console. And if you're feeling really fancy, use Siri or Google Voice Control for hands-free operation.
The Combo Life's hassle-free inductive wireless charging system (optional) lets you avoid fiddling with cables. Just put your phone or tablet on its charging pad and you're ready to go.
Petrolheads will love the powerful and flexible 1.2 litre turbocharged 110PS petrol unit. It gives even the sizeable Combo Life enough power to cut a dash around town or on the motorway. Meanwhile, its six-speed manual gearbox ensures smooth acceleration.
Both of the Combo Life's 1.5 litre BlueInjection diesel engines feature Vauxhall's latest NOx emission-control technology. The smaller unit delivers 100PS whilst returning impressive fuel economy of 67.3mpg. The 130PS edition, however, is almost as fuel-frugal at 65.7mpg. Moreover, it comes with the option of a responsive eight-speed automatic transmission.


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In what appears to be the first large-scale act of illegal behavior from OccupyRNC, activists jumped over police barricades in an effort to storm the GOP's national convention.
The barricades, erected by law enforcement after various anti-RNC protest groups threatened to shut the convention down, mark the perimeter of the RNC grounds.
Law enforcement did a remarkable job in protecting the rights of the Americans participating in the RNC today, enduring bad weather, heat, and an OccupyRNC group seemingly intent on interfering with others rights of assembly and free speech.
The OccupyRNC group moved through the downtown Tampa area with police in tow, at times breaking up into small groups and scouting for holes in law enforcement's protection of the RNC.
OccupyRNC claimed up to 5,000 participants would join them, but only several hundred showed up. With the likelihood of greater numbers arriving throughout the week, attendees can expect more disruptive and even illegal acts from the Occupiers.


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Vornado Realty Trust of New York has sold the Boston Design Center as part of a portfolio of similar properties across the country, the company reported Monday. The transaction has not been finalized, and Vornado has not disclosed the buyer or the purchase price for the design center. But the company said Monday that it sold the eight-story building in the Seaport District and other properties for a total of $228 million.
Vornado purchased the design center in 2005 for about $96 million.
The building houses 87 showrooms and is known as New England's largest facility focused on home design. Also changing hands in the deal were the Washington Design Center, the LA Mart, and the Canadian Trade Shows.
Vornado remains co-owner of the former Filene's property in Downtown Crossing, where it has teamed up with Millennium Partners to propose a 600-foot tower with residences, stores, and offices.


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Update, 1:37 p.m.
WASHINGTON – Millions of dollars in federal and state funding, along with inter-county cooperation and cross-border initiatives with Canada, have all contributed to improved emergency communications in Maine since Sept. 11, 2001, says the head of the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
MEMA Director Robert P. McAleer spoke at a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing Wednesday examining the national state of emergency communications as the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 approaches.
Among the senators at the hearing, which also featured a federal Department of Homeland Security official and two other local and state emergency officials, was Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the committee's top Republican.
"As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, how first responders communicate with each other and how Americans receive emergency information remain challenges," Collins said. But, "My own state of Maine has done a great deal to increase the ability of first responders to communicate with each other."
Just since 2007, about $9.5 million of the federal homeland security grant money Maine has received has gone toward helping first responders, law enforcement agencies and other emergency personnel improve their ability to communicate in a crisis, both within the same department and across county, agency and even national lines, McAleer said.
Not all federal security funding going to Maine is for communications improvements, of course. In all, the Maine Emergency Management Agency says it has received $128.8 million in various homeland security funding – from money to train first responders in all aspects of handling a man-made or natural disaster to money to improve state and county emergency management centers – since 2002.
And that figure doesn't include millions more in federal homeland security dollars that have gone directly to local fire departments and to local departments and communities for programs such as port security.
A large chunk of what Maine received for communications improvements was made possible by a single 2007 public safety "interoperable communications" federal grant totaling about $7.5 million, including $236,000 for the city of Portland to upgrade the city's microwave communications system and $847,000 that went toward an effort to build a statewide communications system.
Plus, the state of Maine is investing $50 million of state funding to "essentially rebuild and expand the infrastructure backbone of the state's communications system," McAleer told the committee.
Other efforts carried out with the help of federal funding include placing caches of radios in remote border areas, buying new mobile towers and purchasing mobile radios for various first responder departments around the state.
A lot of time and money also has been spent training emergency personnel, especially unit leaders, on using all that new technology, and there have been cross-border communication working sessions with local, state and federal agencies on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border, McAleer said.
Maine also has received a $4 million border communications federal grant to help reduce communications gaps along that 600-mile plus border with Canada.
McAleer noted that Maine is a large, rural state with vast areas of limited population and some rugged terrain.
"Maine is also not a wealthy state," McAleer said. "These factors have made improving interoperability a challenge."
That's why the federal homeland security funding, which began increasing in the years following 9/11, has been so important, McAleer said. In 2003, for instance, grants included more than $477,000 to Portland to upgrade its communications capabilities, $71,000 to Augusta for a similar communications upgrade and nearly $267,000 was given to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office for a mobile data terminal system and to purchase mobile radios.
That doesn't mean that the state of Maine can stand pat, McAleer said, including the need to continue upgrading communications equipment so first responders can talk and send data across new and faster networks.
"During an emergency, if we do not have solid communications, then we will have no coordination," McAleer told the senators. "We will only have chaos."
AUGUSTA — The Director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency is telling a U.S. Senate Committee that emergency communications in the state have improved since 2007, thanks in large part to federal funding.
Robert McAleer is testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. His testimony today lists imrovements such as acquisition of a large number of modern radios for first responders.
But McAleer also says Maine's border with Canada has presented a unique challenge, which is met by conducting a series of cross-border communications working sessions with local, state and federal partners on both sides of the border.
The Senate committee is holding a hearing examining progress made since Sept. 11, 2001 in improving communications between first responders.
The committee's ranking member is Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
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The Original Sensible Seed Co present - DNA Genetics Rocklock
DNA Genetics Rocklock Feminized is the perfect mix of heavy indicas finishing in 8 weeks. DNA Rocklock Feminized is for anyone wanting big indy yields of heavy medicinal headstash! Go DNA Genetics Rocklock Feminized and go couchlock. Good for high density planting, large crystal covered buds and resin production. Rocklock is 80% Indica 20% Sativa. Rocklock Cannabis Seeds are the perfect mix of heavy Indicas. For anyone wanting big Indica yields of heavy medicinal head stash, this is the plant for you! Being one of DNA's original strains, Rocklock is perfect for the budding grower with big buds that require little attention. Rocklock is ideal for the novice horticultarlist.
Rocklock Specs
- GenderFeminized
- PhotoperiodNormal
- GeneticsWarlock x Rockstar
- CultivationIndoor & Outdoor
- CharacteristicsThis strain is for anyone wanting big indy yields of heavy medicinal head stash
- Indoor Yield600 gr/m2
- Average Yield500 gr/m2
- Flowering Time56 Days
- Type80% Indica
- Type20% Sativa
- Type: Non PercentageMostly Indica
- MedicalYes
- Grow Difficulty1/5
- EffectsCouch Lock


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Compatibility: SRP8030 | SRP9100 | SRP9120 | PA-BATH | PA-BATN | PA-BATL
Chemistry: 7.2V 3000mAh LI-ION
Stock Availability:
Special Order - Usually Ships in 4 to 5 Weeks.
Go To This Product's Detailed Information
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Be the first AL.com user to add photos or videos of Shop-Rite Foodland Super Markets
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Shop Rite Foodland Super Markets can be found at Woodward Ave 3001. The following is offered: Grocery Stores. The entry is present with us since Sep 10, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Muscle Shoals there are 7 other Grocery Stores. An overview can be found here.


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For a legal perspective, we asked attorneys writing on JD Supra to tell us what, in their experience, they most often found to be missing from workplace social media policies. We knew...
Via Vivienne Storey
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Vivienne Storey's curator insight, March 16, 2014 11:59 PM
Some interesting stats reflecting the rise and rise of social media in the workplace.
CYDigital's curator insight, March 11, 2013 1:03 PM
Use Vine as a teaser!
Lori Wilk's curator insight, January 7, 2014 3:32 PM
What is your strategies, objectives, and tactics that will get you the results you desire? When I interview experts about social media they impress upon me to discuss that it's important to have goals and objectives for social media not just to do it without a plan or purpose for the sake of doing it.
Tanya Smith's curator insight, January 16, 2014 9:28 PM
Metrics are not an easy thing. I know...it's part of my "day job". Some good points are made in this post about asking the right questions so you really understand how well your social channels are performing.
Roger Verhoeven's curator insight, February 23, 2013 3:22 AM
26 Ways to Market YourBusiness With Tumblr
Nicole Paquet's curator insight, April 29, 2014 10:12 PM
I chose to do a Scoop It on this particular article because I thought it would be interesting to do a little bit more research into how Tumblr fares in the world of promotion, specifically that of different brands. For the Caritas Smiles project, I was put in charge of the nonprofits' Tumblr page and I wanted to gain some more insight on how I should be looking at how we did and how we could have made it even better. In the first paragraph, writer Debbie Hemley mentions how three particular companies work well with this platform. These companies that she identifies are in the fashion, large website, and publishing/broadcasting media industries. Of course working with a nonprofit was already seemingly bleak for us in terms of her criteria but we still felt that there may be a way for us to do even more.
For our webpage, we utilized a free theme like the Huffington Post did. I found it to be interesting that even some businesses didn't pay for a different theme but Tumblr does offer a great selection of grounds to choose from that bloggers don't have to pay for. In their example for Ace Hotel, I also noticed that we too had made sure that blog had capability to link back to our actual website as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages. Some other tips that this article delves into is to simply be creative with your blog and try to make it refreshing and unique. CNET does this pretty well as they have a feature in which people can click to show them random postings from their archive. It's something very simple but also a thing that is not used in every blog you uncover on Tumblr. Overall, this blogging website is extremely versatile and it can be easily used by anyone, even an unconventional nonprofit.
Vivienne Storey's curator insight, March 17, 2014 12:01 AM
Some great tips to managing social media positively in the work place.
CYDigital's curator insight, February 1, 2013 10:12 AM
CYDigital's curator insight, May 23, 2013 6:54 AM
The first two cover the important FB ad tools at your disposal, and the last three are tips. You'll want to click through for a bit more detail on the first two.
Lori Wilk's curator insight, January 1, 2014 10:28 AM
This is sparking a lot of discussion about branding influencing and how to truly influence people. Who is doing it? What's working and what's not really working?What are the trends? Do you as a brand follow the trends or make your own?
Angela Watkins's curator insight, February 5, 2014 8:32 PM
Mobile Accessible - Mobile Marketing u don't need $1000's to test the market... There are frugal ways to enter this market as well... http://angelawatkins57.blogspot.com - http://pinterest.com/angeladwatkins


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2 Chainz hasn't released an album since 2013's Based on a T.R.U. Story II: Me Time, but that doesn't at all mean that the Atlanta rep and G.O.O.D. Music affiliate hasn't been killing it. Whether it's 2014's Freebase mixtape or re-make of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," keeping his name in lights was never Tity Boi's problem.
Last year, he released his Trap-A-Velli Tre mixtape, led by "Watch Out," the minimally invasive Fki-produced banger that's making serious waves, and has made an early entry on the charts, peaking thus far at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100. To help his campaign along, Chainz has released a hilarious, caricature-laden video for "Watch Out," directed by the talented Motion Family. Watch him dance, dab, and hit his "Why You Lying'" dance in the clip above.
Hopefully this means a more active 2016 from Chainz, who is due to release a joint project with Lil Wayne, Holligrove, and his third, yet-to-be-titled, LP.


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30 by 30: Croque Monsieur12
First, let me apologize for being a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad food blogger. Not only have I fallen off the consistent posting wagon, I've also been horrible at visiting and commenting on other blogs. Every time I open my Google Reader, I fear my computer may explode. I haven't had less than 3000 things in there in weeks. Le sigh. I have no excuse other than the fact that I'm pretty sure someone has stolen a few hours of my day and has left me with no time to navigate the food internets!
If I intend to finish my 30 by 30 list in time, I should have about 15 of the items completed by the end of the year. I have, in fact, completed…6. Which means I have a lot of work to do over the next 2 months (well, really, the next 8). This particular item, the croque monsieur, turned out to be the perfect one to scratch off the list a few nights ago. Tom had to work late, which meant I had to pick up the kiddo from daycare and hang with him until it was time for him to go to bed. This didn't really leave me any time to make dinner (not to mention the husband wasn't home to eat), so I opted to make something after Zachary had gone to bed for the night (and when I would have some company to eat dinner with). These came together in no time at all, thank goodness, because I was so hungry.
Croque monsieur sounds so much fancier than a ham and cheese sandwich, doesn't it? Obviously, this is not your standard ham and cheese (although, just so you know, a standard grilled ham and cheese ranks very high on my list of favorite foods). It has gruyere, which is one of the best cheese on the planet, and it's drenched with bèchamel, which, fascinatingly enough, is one of the best sauces on the planet. It's then placed under the broiler just long enough for the bèchamel to bubble and brown a bit. Heaven.
I'd love to tell you this is also extremely healthy but clearly it's not. I did, however, pair it with a simple field green salad with a lemon vinaigrette that I whipped up. This was a nice. light counterpart to the rich sandwich.
Croque Monsieur
Serves 2
Printer Friendly Recipe
2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 Tbsp. flour
2/3 cup whole or 2% milk, warmed
2 Tbsp. pecorino romano
2 oz. + 2 Tbsp. gruyere cheese, divided
freshly ground pepper
freshly ground nutmeg
4 slices white bread
2-4 oz. black forest ham
Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour. Whisk/stir until the raw flour is cooked off and you have a light golden color. Slowly add the warmed milk, whisking, and bring the mixture to a low boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the 2 Tbsp. of gruyere and the romano.
Use the remaining Tbsp. of butter to spread on the 4 slices of bread. Add half the ham and half the remaining gruyere to each sandwich (keeping the buttered sides of the bread on the outside). Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the sandwiches. Cook until golden brown on each side.
Preheat the broiler. Place the sandwiches on a broiler safe pan/dish (if you use cast iron for grilling the sandwiches, you can just use that). Spoon half the bèchamel sauce over each sandwich and broil for about 2-3 minutes until the sauce bubbles and browns a bit.