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Famine and state-building in Somalia, drought and hunger in Africa's Sahe l region, continuing reconstruction in Haiti and the deteriorating conditions in Syria are at the top of the 2012 priority list for the new Caritas Internationalis secretary general, Michel Roy. These make a full plate for Roy as he nears the end of his first year on the job leading the church's international umbrella agency for relief and development.
Roy visited New York on Feb. 24, just days after touring conditions in Haiti, and he used the opportunity to meet representatives from U.S. and Canadian Caritas groups, including the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services. Roy also managed to squeeze in a visit to the United Nations to speak with officials there about a number of pressing issues including the formation of an international conference aimed at finally resolving the decades-long state of crisis that has been Somalia.
"What we are pushing for," he said, "is there must be a lasting solution to the situation in Somalia. We can't just be looking at what is happening and when there is a drought or when there is a special upsurge in the conflict, then we come in" for an emergency response.
Roy said, "We have to get involved in finding a real solution by bringing all actors together around the country to discuss the future of the country and re-establishing a state in Somalia."
Roy expects that the famine crisis in Somalia will continue to require attention from Caritas through 2012. He added that drought and famine in Africa's Sahel—a regional belt of semi-arid land on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, stretching from Senegal to South Sudan—also promises to be a huge concern this year.
Representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the European Union and U.N. agencies met in Rome on Feb. 15 to begin preparing an international humanitarian response to this emerging hunger crisis. "Due to erratic rainfall and failed harvests, high food prices and rising conflict," wrote U.S.A.I.D. Assistant Administrator Nancy Lindborg in a blog post, "more than seven million people across the Sahel region of western Africa are at risk of plunging into crisis when the lean season begins this spring." The Famine Early Warning Systems Network is predicting that the most severe food insecurity problem could occur in southern Mauritania in just a few months. Moving into April and summer in the Northern Hemisphere, food insecurity could reach crisis levels in parts of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.
Beyond these persisting famine and hunger issues, Secretary General Roy said conditions in Syria have become an acute concern in Rome. "The bishops are very frightened about what is going to happen to the Christian community if things go on as they are now," Roy said. "The plea again there is stop violence; let us sit around a table and find a solution."
Christian communities in Syria, he said, "felt they were at peace with the lay, secular government" of President Bashar al-Assad and protected from religious intolerance by Assad's now embattled regime. That security may now be in jeopardy. All the same, he thinks, these communities are prepared to deal with Syria's changing political realities. "They are ready to move forward within another frame of a state," he said, "but they want to be respected and considered as equal to others in a new country."


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From the 'Land of the Pharaohs' to the luxurious waters of the Dead Sea, this immersive combination trip through Egypt and Jordan is awash with highlights. Lose yourself in sun-kissed Cairo, be dazzled by the grandeur of ancient Egypt, cruise down the iconic Nile River, and explore the fascinating cities of Alexandria, Aswan and Luxor. Cross over to Jordan and discover the sweeping desert and echoing formations of Wadi Rum, the hidden, hand-hewn facades of Petra and the ancient Roman ruins at Jerash. With lashings of comfort and heartwarming Nubian and Bedouin hospitality, this is a Middle Eastern odyssey to remember.
In 2019 the Jordan section of this trip will change order slightly. Previously Day 13 was spent in Aqaba, and Day 14 in Wadi Rum. In 2019 we will go directly to Wadi Rum from Amman. This small change has been made in order to maximise our time in Wadi Rum. There are no changes to the included activities.
Set sail down the Nile, one of the world's most iconic rivers. Relax in comfort as scenes of everyday Egyptian life stream by
Explore the marvels, mythology and mystery of Ancient Egypt, including the Pyramids at Giza and the tombs of iconic pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings
Cairo's Khan al-Khalili Bazaar is an essential Egyptian experience – lose yourself in the colours and aromas of this fascinating marketplace
Stand at the feet of Abu Simbel's monumental temples and marvel at the sheer scale of these stunning structures
Be awed by the towering, windswept rock formations at Wadi Rum, and note how the colours change as the sun makes its way across the sky
Get to know your Bedouin Camp hosts and their way of life, sleep under the stars in the desert Camp.
You never forget your first glimpse of The Treasury in Petra, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Spend a day taking in the majesty and mystery of this unforgettable place
Egypt can get hot in with the summer months of July and August, being the warmest but this is normally a dry heat and easier to cope with than humidity. Where possible we try and visit sites in the early morning before it gets too hot.
Accommodation aboard the Nile cruise is based on full board basis – all drinks served on board are at your own expense. An evening entertainment program is also available on board.
The walkways around ruins can be uneven, dusty and rocky, so be sure to bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes. At major sites such as the Pyramids, Petra & Wadi Rum, you can expect to be exposed to the elements at length, so be prepared with a hat, sunscreen and plenty of fluids. A reasonable level of fittness is required.
Cairo and surrounds traffic can be notorious as can the level of pollution so be prepared for one of the busiest cities in just North Africa
Accommodation aboard the overnight train is in two-berth cabins which convert to bunk beds. All bedding is provided on board and western-style toilets are located in each carriage. Keep in mind general train cleanliness may not be to the same standards you are accustomed to.
In Wadi Rum we stay in a permanent tented camp with shared bathroom facilities. Please be aware that while the desert may be very hot during the day, it will still be cool at night and warm clothes and a sleeping bag is highly recommended when travelling outside of the summer months
This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2019 - 31 December 2019
1. A single supplement is available on this trip. On the following nights the Single Supplement is not available:Day 14 Wadi Rum camp.
2. An airport arrival transfer is included. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking
3.ITINERARY CHANGE IN 2019: In 2019 the Jordan section of this trip will change order slightly. Previously Day 13 was spent in Aqaba, and Day 14 in Wadi Rum. In 2019 we will go directly to Wadi Rum from Amman. This small change has been made in order to maximise our time in Wadi Rum. There are no changes to the included activities.
Following recent safety incidents we recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest information on travelling in Egypt before your departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas of your itinerary. We have links to prominent government travel advisories and regular updates on issues affecting this trip on our Travel Alerts page - www.intrepidtravel.com/au/travel-alerts
Our Explore Egypt & Jordan trips score an average of 4.5 out of 5 based on 10 reviews in the last year.
This trip of Egypt and Jordan was wonderful covering many of the ancient sites that we longed to visit. Abu Simbel and Valley of the Kings in Egypt and Petra in Jordan were the highlights although our trip and overnight in Wadi Rum was extremely relaxing. The people were friendly and welcoming!
Review submitted 29 Apr 2018
It was great trip Egypt was best the pyramids & Cairo museum was great. I love the Nile cruise i love all the trip. But not the sleeper train .
Review submitted 03 Apr 2018

subset: commoncrawl


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(RPI) Restaurant Stock Outlook – February 2013 – Zacks Analyst Interviews
The year 2012 started on a relatively positive note for U.S. restaurants. That scenario changed gradually as sales momentum slackened in the sector as the macroeconomic tension, presidential election and the "Fiscal Cliff" raised uncertainties in the market.
Even this year, the industry remains on the receiving end of global economic concerns, fragile consumer confidence, a more expensive food cost environment in the U.S., a sluggish labor market, "Obamacare" and an excess of restaurants in the industry. As a result, we anticipate subdued store sales growth in the medium term.
Statistics also bear out this relatively unfavorable environment. A recent survey by the National Restaurant Association revealed that the Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), measuring the present condition and outlook on the U.S. restaurant industry, was 99.7 in December, down 0.2% sequentially. The figure dropped from the steady-state score of 100.
The Current Situation Index, which measures comparable store sales, traffic count, labor costs and capital expenditures in the restaurant industry, was 99.1 in December, down 0.7% sequentially. This was the fifth below-100 score in six months and the lowest level in almost two years. However, the Expectations Index, which measures the restaurant operators' six-month outlook on the above indicators, was 100.3, up 0.3% from November.
This RPI number connotes that the industry is stressed. Weak sales momentum, a sluggish labor market and slowdown in capital spending suppressed the Current Situation Index.
The Expectations Index managed to beat the safety threshold of 100 for the first time in three months, but the score still reaffirms operators' bearish outlook on the industry over the near term.
Performance of Key Players in Fourth-Quarter 2012
So far, industry behemoth McDonald's Corp. (MCD) delivered stronger-than-expected results in the fourth quarter while another renowned operator — Brinker International Inc. (EAT) — posted in-line earnings. However, most of the company's results are yet to release.
A look at the Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction – Zacks' proprietary methodology for determining which stocks have the best chance to surprise with their next earnings announcement) shows that the overall earnings picture for the industry remains mixed. To beat the estimate, a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, #2 or #3.
Among the leading players of the industry, Panera Bread (PNRA), AFC Enterprise (AFCE), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (KKD), Dominos Pizza (DPZ), Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. (RRGB) and Dunkin Brands (DNKN) will likely beat fourth-quarter earnings.
However, our proven model does not conclusively show that the companies like The Cheesecake Factory Inc. (CAKE), BJ's Restaurants Inc. (BJRI), Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM), Burger King Worldwide Inc. (BKW), Sonic Corp. (SONC) and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) will likely beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the upcoming quarter.
Road Ahead
Despite these hurdles, the restaurant sector is expected to sustain its pace of recovery this year, albeit at a slower clip. According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry is projected to expand in 2013 on the back of U.S. recovery, albeit at a slow clip. Like 2012, focus on cost containment, extra value-for-price and international expansion will be on most restaurateurs' wish-list to tide over the macro difficulties this year.
The National Restaurant Association estimates total restaurant sales to increase 3.8% year over year to $660.5 billion in 2013. However, inflation-adjusted sales suggest only 0.8% growth. If realized, this would mark the third straight year of total industry sales exceeding the $600 billion mark.
According to the industry association, while the full-service restaurant segment is expected to post 2.9% growth to reach $208.1 billion in 2013, the limited-service eating-place segment is expected to generate $225.4 billion in sales, up 4.6% year over year.
Tough Comps Waiting for 1Q13
Thanks to favorable weather and industry recovery after the recessionary impact faded, we believe most restaurateurs will fail to exceed the year-ago quarter's solid comparable sales numbers.
Continued Job Growth in the Sector
The restaurant industry has been one of the major contributors to job growth in the U.S. over the last couple of years. The sector employs around 10% of the U.S. workforce. According to the National Restaurant Association, in 2011 and 2012, total U.S. employment grew a respective of 1.0% and 1.4% while restaurant employment increased 1.9% and 3.0%.
The National Restaurant Association expects restaurant industry to create 2.4% more jobs compared to a projected 1.5% gain for total U.S. employment.
Global Unit Expansion
Besides expanding in their home country, the companies are also testing waters on foreign shores. Restaurateurs are primarily concentrating on emerging markets that provide ample opportunities for expansion. The burgeoning middle income population in emerging countries encourages the companies to shift their spotlight from the somewhat saturated domestic market.
Several food chains, including Denny's Corp. (DENN), Pollo Tropical (TAST), Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), Krispy Kreme and Dunkin are tapping the fast-growing Indian market. McDonald's and Yum! already have considerable coverage in India. They are aggressively expanding in China to capitalize on the fast-paced economic growth there. Latin America has also become a preferable venue for expansion.
Refranchising, Revamping & Menu Innovations – A Common Trend
Though refranchising was common in the restaurant sector, it has got a boost of late given the benefits of this business model amid an anemic economy. The franchise-centric model helps to reduce volatility in earnings and enhances cash flow generation. Companies like DineEquity Inc. (DIN) and Burger King are some examples of highly franchised brands.
Additionally, restaurants are responding in a variety of ways to address the issue of heightened competition in a somewhat over-supplied domestic market. Most of the industry players are remodeling their restaurants for an up-market feel, rolling out new and smaller prototypes to augment the perception of value and drive traffic, thereby reducing construction and occupancy costs and enhancing returns on capital. Operators like McDonald's, The Wendy's Company (WEN), Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) and Jamba (JMBA) are in this suit.
That's not all. Having stabilized their financial positions, the operators are constantly striving to bring newer offerings to their menu card in order to cater to the ever-changing palates of customers. Limited Time Offers, loyalty programs and usage of social media as a marketing tool are also gaining attention.
Restaurateurs are offering loyalty programs to enhance value dining as well as hone sales at a time when customers spend less enthusiastically on dining and seek incentives for doing so. Most of the operators rely on social media for promotions by incorporating Facebook (FB), online review sites, Twitter and blogs aggressively into their marketing mix. National Television advertising is also an important tool for promotion.
Breakfast & Beverage: A Breakout
Breakfast has accounted for nearly 60% of the U.S. restaurant industry and remains a key driver of traffic growth in recent years. Leveraging the trend, McDonald's, Jamba Inc., Wendy's and Yum! all have expedited their breakfast menus. Last year, IHOP, one of DineEquity's breakfast-oriented brands, launched a new blend of oatmeal in collaboration with The Quaker Oats Company, owned by Pepsico Inc. (PEP).
Non-alcoholic beverages remain another sweet spot in the U.S. eateries. The market also has the ability to grow further through innovation, especially in healthier solutions. We see juicing giant Jamba geared up to leverage the trend by adding all-fruits to its line-up.
There are other players like sector behemoths Starbucks venturing into the $50 billion category of healthy juices and McDonald's specializing in both frozen as well as hot beverages through its McCafe line.
Apart from Juicing, both Jamba and Starbucks are brewing more opportunities in the tea category. While Jamba acquired Chicago-based Talbott Teas last year in pursuit of continued innovation in the beverage line-up, Starbucks took over Atlanta-based Teavana Holdings this year.
Before acquiring Talbott Teas, Jamba had already tried various tea offerings such as Mightly Leaf, Original Spiced Chai and fruit tea infusion while Starbucks had an existing core tea business of Tazo tea. This bullish trend of the segment can be established from the National Restaurant Association's projection for snack-and-nonalcoholic-beverage bars' 4.3% growth to $29.1 billion this year.
M&A Activity Gaining Precedence
Merger and acquisition activity is also gaining momentum in the sector. The companies are looking at potential business partners to foray into different zones and unlock value. Private equity firms are citing potential in the restaurant industry and accordingly making buyout deals. One of the latest acquisition deals that is worth mentioning is the buyout of Caribou Coffee Company by JAB Group.
Apart from acquisitions, the companies are also divesting their relatively slow-moving brands in order to spur growth. One of the latest divesture deals that warrants a look is the sell-off of Mimi's Cafe concept of Bob Evans Farms Inc. (BOBE) to LeDuff America.
Currently, one stock in the restaurant sector is carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and that is Krispy Kreme (KKD). Companies with a Zacks #2 Rank (short-term Buy rating) include AFC Enterprises (AFCE), Luby's Inc. (LUB), Burger King (BKW), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Chuys Holdings (CHUY), Jack in the Box Inc. (JACK) and Dunkin Brands (DNKN). These companies have positive earnings estimate revision trends, highlighting the favorable momentum in their underlying businesses.
Bleak Economic Backdrop
The strengths aside, the companies are caught up with macroeconomic tensions like implementation of austerity measures in Europe owing to the sovereign debt crisis, decelerating growth in Asia and increasing commodity costs in the U.S.
Eurozone Problems: The overcast European financial atmosphere has slowed down the overall growth rate in the region since the second half of 2011. Some food companies that have hitherto endured the economic turmoil fairly well are finally under stressed by the implementation of austerity measures in Europe.
The pressure is now beginning to be felt on their top and bottom lines. The underperformance of McDonald's in European region is a perfect example.
Decelerating Growth in Asia: Growth has been moderating in Asia, especially in two major countries — China and India — where major eateries are exploring expansion opportunities in response to the saturation in the U.S. market. Steep declines in export to developed economies, lack of foreign capital inflows, and changes in internal fiscal and monetary policies led to the decline in the estimated growth rate in China and India. Here again, the recent same-store sales performance of McDonald's is indicative of this slowdown.
In fact, the International Monetary Fund slashed its growth forecast for China and India twice last year for both 2012 and 2013. The IMF has warned that the worsening debt crisis in the Eurozone will pose a "key risk" to these emerging nations. On Jan 23, the agency once again trimmed its growth estimates for some countries, including China and India. Another Asian country, Japan also continues to be a dampener as it is still on its way to recovery from last year's earthquake.
Commodity Inflation in the U.S.: We remain wary of rising commodity costs of the restaurant industry. Food costs account for about one-third of restaurant sales. After a high inflationary environment in 2012, we believe the threat for more inflation lurks in 2013.
As suggested by the USDA report, price inflation for all food is expected to remain in the range of 3-4%, up from the level of 2.25-2.75%. Commodities like beef, pork, chicken and other meats as well as most dairy products are expected to see a price rise in 2013, with beef facing the biggest threat.
The drought in the Midwest growing region last year raised grain costs, which in turn pushed up the feed costs. Further, the drought led to a sooner-than-expected supply of cattle in the market in 2012. This supply glut last year could result in a medium-term supply crunch this year.
Companies like Red Robin Burger, McDonald's and Texas Roadhouse (TXRH) have the broadest exposure to the beef market and will likely bear the brunt of price inflation.
Rising energy cost is another risk faced by restaurateurs. The industry accounts for one-third of the energy used by the retail sector in the U.S., as per the Green Restaurant Association.
Most of the restaurants safeguard their margins by passing the cost hike onto consumers. While big and established chains like McDonalds, Yum! Brands and Starbucks will survive the price increases due to their broad customer base and larger economies of scale, smaller chains will feel the cost pressure.
Healthcare Reforms to Hurt Margins
Since the sector plays a key role in the nation's employment picture, the recent Affordable Care Act by president Barrack Obama, commonly known as Obamacare, is expected to have an adverse impact on the operators' margins starting in 2014.
The law entails companies to provide coverage for workers or face government penalties, though not applicable for employees who log less than 30 hours per week on average.
To avoid these austerities, most the companies are trying out different labor models like involving more part-timers and cutting work hours in advance of the implementation of the healthcare reform. Darden Restaurants is one of these.
Shrinking Margins on Discounting & Value Menu
Restaurants have been trying to win back cash-conscious guests by revamping promotions and focusing on value-for-meal menus. An extensive focus on value proposition in the major domestic and international markets along with less pricing power could prove detrimental to margins if exercised on a long-term basis.
Stringent Food Standards
Consumers' inclination toward fresh organic menu as well as the fuss about nutrition is considered to be a tough benchmark in the restaurant industry. Consumers generally tend to visit restaurants offering locally produced food. Focus on children's nutrition has also become a priority. While these criteria are giving a competitive advantage to companies like Chipotle, many others are sometimes finding the standard difficult.
In the near term, restaurant and beverage companies in the New York area will face difficulties in doing business with Mayor Bloomberg trying to forbid the sale of larger-than-16-ounce sodas and sugar drinks. This ban, likely to be implemented in March 2013, could prove pricey for the fast-food industry, as soft drinks carry a high margin.
Given the lack of overall earnings catalysts, it's hard to be upbeat about a number of restaurant stocks. There are quite a few names on which we have a cautious outlook. These include Chipotle, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Wendy's, Cosi Inc. (COSI), Yum!, McDonald's, Kona Grill Inc. (KONA), Domino's and BJ's Restaurants all of which retain the Zacks #3 Rank (Hold).
Texas Roadhouse (TXRH), Ruby Tuesday Inc. (RT) and DineEquity (DIN) still carry a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). One of the industry's leading operators, Darden (DRI), currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) due to persistent deceleration in some of its core brands.
In Conclusion
The restaurant industry is still not immune to uncertainties in the macro economy. On the domestic front, although the economy has been improving, full-fledged consumer response has yet to be seen. Given the soft international backdrop we expect this aversion to persist in the near term. Only the cash-rich companies will likely survive this volatility.
AFC ENTERPRISES (AFCE): Free Stock Analysis Report
BJ'S RESTAURANT (BJRI): Free Stock Analysis Report
BUFFALO WLD WNG (BWLD): Free Stock Analysis Report
CHEESECAKE FACT (CAKE): Free Stock Analysis Report
CHIPOTLE MEXICN (CMG): Free Stock Analysis Report
DUNKIN BRANDS (DNKN): Free Stock Analysis Report
DOMINOS PIZZA (DPZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
DARDEN RESTRNT (DRI): Free Stock Analysis Report
KRISPY KREME (KKD): Free Stock Analysis Report
MCDONALDS CORP (MCD): Free Stock Analysis Report
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On Thursday's Vampire Diaries, the hunt for the cure took a deadly turn.
RELATED | Vampire Diaries' Joseph Morgan on Klaus' Mystic Falls Exit
After much talk about the destruction his rising would bring, a mummified Silas awoke… and promptly snapped Jeremy's neck! Guess it wasn't his arms we should have been worried about a couple weeks ago, but his everything.
This being Vampire Diaries, we have to ask: Do you think Jer's death will stick? Are you hoping he miraculously survives?
But first, let's rewind: The major cure news to come out of the episode is that, unsurprisingly, there is only one dose. So whoever wants the last cookie is going to have to fight for it. Klaus lets his sister, Rebekah, in on this intel. "I hope you get to live and die as you wish," he says. And I think he actually means it. She then shares the news with Stefan, but once it's obvious he'd just give the cure to Elena instead of taking it for himself, she snaps his neck and hightails it to the well.
RELATED | Claire Holt Joins Vampire Diaries Spin-Off
Meanwhile, Damon's been caught by the hunter
Shrek Vaughn, who informs him that it took shoving the cure down Silas' throat to keep the immortal being down. If he's awakened, that one dose is going to have to be used to kill him. While this is going on, Jeremy and Bonnie have made their way down to Silas' tomb. Shane got a broken leg during the spell rock-falling, so Bonnie simply says, "Best to stay off it then," and leaves him behind. In the tomb, she sees her dead Grams much like the professor saw his deceased wife, but Jer convinces her it's just a hallucination. Silas is just messing with her mind. What he's not messing with? His vice grip on the cure. They realize that in order to get it out of calcified hands, they'll need to feed him their blood and wake him.
Then there's Elena, who discovers another unexpected vampire in the well – Katherine, so good to see you! – and she's not having any of it. "Oh no," she mutters. But Kat must have gotten the upper hand, not to mention a hair straightener and a matching outfit, because she fools Bonnie and Jeremy into believing she's Elena. When Jer insists they help Bonnie, who's been stabbed by Vaughn, before getting the cure, she finally gets fed up.
"God, I forgot what a brat you are," Katherine says before biting into him and feeding his blood to Silas. Elena's brother barely has time to register what's going on before Silas snaps his neck and sends a lifeless Jeremy to the ground as Katherine takes off with the cure.
RELATED | The CW Orders Early Renewals for Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and Arrow
Meanwhile, back in Mystic Falls, Caroline pleads with Klaus to let Tyler go and live safely somewhere far, far away. If they're the same, as Klaus believes they are – they both like "being strong, ageless, fearless" and thus, wouldn't take the cure, he says – then she asks that he show compassion. Just as it appears that Klaus will be merciful against Tyler for Caroline's sake, he adds that it's just a head start. And so, the couple is once again forced to say their goodbyes in a heartbreaking scene. Tyler tries to convince Caroline that it's just temporary, but she knows that finding a solution could take a long time and she wants him to live his life. If this exchange didn't get to you, then you might want to have your ticker checked:
"I will live a happy life without you," he promises as tears stream down her face. "I will forget all about you. And I will never, ever think about you again."
"Until we find a way," she replies.
Vampire Diaries fans, what did you think of the episode's shocking twists? Are Jeremy and Bonnie both goners? Why do you think Katherine wants the cure? And did you cry during Caroline and Tyler's "break-up"? Finally, does Damon win Line of the Night for this: "Do I look like I know anything about tattoos? Look at my skin. It's flawless"?Follow @VladaGelman


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Two Steps Back, One Step Forward
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Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1479
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:38 pm
Post subject: Two Steps Back, One Step Forward
(the title is a pun on what happened to Lucky) Game was played on November 9th, 2007.
Two Steps Back, One Step Forward
A synopsis written through the eyes of Cooncarin Trunks
A night like so many others. After eating and prayer, saying goodnight to loved ones, I too hit the hay. But it wasnt a long and peaceful sleep. Mere hours into my slumber I awoke to the screams of my adopted son, Stir. At first I wasnt that concerned. Many of the recent nights Stir has been having nightmares. I even considered going straight back to sleep, but when I heard Lucky moving towards Stirs chambers I did so as well. Its a good thing I did. In the room at the feet of Stirs bed was the ghostly image of a young boy. I recognized him as a friend of Stirs, named Avery, right away. A couple weeks ago Avery had disappeared, but we thought nothing of it. He was a boy living on the street and children like him often go away or disappear without telling anybody. My original assumption that this was a ghost of Avery was wrong. I sensed no evil or undead in the room. To be honest, even to this day I have no knowledge of what it was, or how Avery contacted us. He was trying to speak, but the only info we really got from him was that he was being held hostage with a couple dozen other children in or near an auditorium that he thought was underground. We planned to set out in the morning. Stir began to pack his bags which begged the question, Where do you think youre going? Stir is only 15 years old, and we had agreed upon 16 as the age he could begin adventuring. But, he would have none of it. He was going.
The next morning I put Zomb in charge of locating other guild members or friends to accompany us on the journey. Meanwhile, Lucky and I headed to the castle to discuss the matter over with him. He was on his way out so we had little time to talk. We found out that about 20 children had gone missing from Givemea recently but the royal family was doing nothing about it. He had no idea where they were being taken. Our first assumptions were either ANEC or the original Entertainment Center dungeons. We didnt have much time to check out both, especially with ANEC being as far away as it is. Augury came in handy. It helped reveal the location as the Entertainment Center. This was good since it was much closer than ANEC.
By the time we got back to the guild hall Zomb had finished gathering the group. Other than myself, Zomb, and Lucky he had gotten Oswald (a fighter), Liger (a fighter we preferred to call Ligré), a good cleric friend of mine I call Nick, and lastly a new friend of the guild named Barent. Everyone was a fighter except for Nick and I. With Stir along that made 8 total.
We set out for the Entertainment Center right away, and had no trouble getting there. Except for getting lost once. The real action happened once we got there. We were almost instantly attacked by giant bats. Those were easy enough. Next came the worgs. Also not very difficult, but a couple did surround us and caused a little havoc. After killing them we moved inside for safety before anything else could come. (Yes, we went into the dungeon for safety. Ironic I know.) We went straight towards the auditorium where there was a play in progress. Interesting. Up on stage was a human performing Shakespeare by himself. His audience was a bunch of gargoyles and giant rats. They seemed mesmerized by him. We tried not to be a bother, but after just a few words he disappeared in smoke and the creatures left behind to attack. I guess they dont like having their show disrupted. The rats would be no problem at all, but we realized there was 20 of them, the same amount of kids that disappeared. So, we saved them for last. After killing the gargoyles Lucky killed one rat. It didnt change into a child, so we assumed it was safe. We searched the stage and behind it with little success of locating the children. We decided to sleep on stage for the night. During the evening shift that Zomb was on he noticed a figure moving by the seats. After getting everybody awake we went to investigate. It was the actor from earlier sleeping in the corner. I put a hold person spell on him and Lucky put a sword by his throat. I regret this decision now. As soon as the spell finished he woke up. It didnt hold him at all. He tried to spark up a conversation, but we would have none of it. Lucky used the medallion of thought projection to try and figure out if he was evil or not. The actor somehow knew what was happening though and fangs began to grow from his teeth, and he threw his cape back to reveal himself better. A vampire! Lucky was so close he had no choice but to fight. I got my Lightning Rod out but Lucky would have to fight a few rounds first. It looked good at first, but the vampire did score one hit. Because of this he drained 2 levels from Lucky. I got in 2 shots with the rod, and after Lucky hit him one more time he poofed into smoke. We knew this meant that he had to get back to his coffin to try and regenerate. We searched for
with no luck. All that we did was kill some orc like creatures, and blow up a ball creature that shot spores at us. One of the room had some spare clerical robes and gowns, so of course I threw them into the portable hole. You never know when extra robes will be needed. We also came upon some dreaded owlbears. I believe it was Oswald who first opened the door, but luckily he closed it as well. We prepared for the fight. Oswald thought he only saw four of them, so I prepared a lightning spell which would be able to weaken them significantly. Oswald opened the door again and off went the lightning. I hit 4 of them succesfully, and Lucky charged in. We found out right away that there was more than just 4. A total of 7. This was bad news since we hadn't cast any defensive spells, or fully healed from previous battles. The first 4 guys in took on the weak ones that I had hit, which left me with an uninjured owlbear to take on. I didn't have to much trouble, so I helped Barent finish his off. Looking around it looked like everybody else managed to kill their owlbears alright. But, with the owlbears dead we were still no closer to finding the missing children. The room was empty except for half a dozen owlbear corpses.
It was Stir who suggested searching for a secret door in a hallway behind the stage. Success! Inside were all the children, sleeping, and two coffins. We decided to deal with the coffins first. The first coffin had the friendly vampire from the restaurant inside. We removed the stake in his chest since we knew he could regenerate. The second coffin had his brother inside, so we ignored that for now. We then clothed the children with the robes we found earlier, and gave them any extra food we had. The vampire had been keeping them naked, and from what we could tell fed them practically nothing. My only guess is that he was preparing to turn most of them into vampires as well, or keeping them for a food source. I didn't really want the chance to fidn out from the vampire personally. We found another secret door in this room, which led to a much smaller room with only one black coffin inside. We took our positions and opened it up. I started to jam a steak into his heart while Nick held a holy symbol and threw holy water at him. The burn from the water woke him up, just in time for him to see me stabbing him. To finish the job Lucky cut his head off, and I filled his mouth with holy bread. He was finally dead for good. There was a good amount of magical items in this room which we collected. We got the children and headed home. We also took the vampires coffin since it was lined in gold and silver. Back home this landed us a quick 400 gold. A reminder to all the young adventurers who may be reading this, "Take it, take it all" If you think it may be worth something, try and sell it. And if not, it's always nice to have some large murals or extra clerical robes on hand.
We were going to use a restoration spell to bring Luckys levels back, but didnt have the 150,000 gold necessary to fully do the spell. Discussion with the King and church was unsucesfull as well. Apparently saving 20 children isn't as important as we thought. But, we were in no position to argue. Nothing we could do would get that spell cast, or get that price lower. Lucky wasnt that discouraged by the problem though since he had done so well and gotten experience from the adventure. The magic items ended up being a flying broom, folding boat, and necklace of fire beads. It didn't take to long to figure out the code words for the items, and they were quickly stored in the guild hall for safe keeping.
It was a great adventure, and that evening Stir slept without a peep.
Last edited by Sergio on Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:50 pm; edited 4 times in total
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Posts: 54
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:58 pm
Post subject:
too long
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Posts: 1479
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:22 pm
Post subject:
Well when you write a synopsis Lucas you can make it shorter.
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Mike L
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 343
Location: Minneapolis
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:09 am
Post subject:
Who's Lucas?
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Site Admin
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Posts: 1352
Location: Melrose, Minn.
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:39 am
Post subject:
Lucas Ellering
Jacob and Nick's brother
AD&D Dungeon Master
The master of all!
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Posts: 703
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:51 pm
Post subject:
Lucas wrote:
too long
Lucas, your particular message was to short. Next time I implore that you increase it's text length to a desirable degree.
Alex "not going to give my while name out on the internet"
Nice story Sergio, but you "forgot" to mention that we searched for an hour and a half before we found the door. Also the owlbears.
Also we could have avoided this whole adventure by just casting a sleep spell on Stir and going to Anec. Just saying.
Name: Oswald
Status: ????
Class: Fighter
Level: 6
17 stength
11 intellegence
12 wisdom
17 dexterity
15 constitution
15 charisma
49 hit points
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Posts: 1352
Location: Melrose, Minn.
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:09 pm
Post subject:
Nice job on the story Sergio. I like the way you ended it by refering to the opening of your story.
You should add in a paragraph about the owlbears though. It was a long fight afterall.
AD&D Dungeon Master
The master of all!
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Posts: 1479
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:28 pm
Post subject:
You're right, I completely forgot about the owlbears. I'll put that in.
Edit: I bolded the word hours to emphasize how long it took us
and added the owlbear section.
Also added in various other things I forgot the first round through.
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John Van Vechten Papers
John Van Vechten Papers
John Van Vechten (1822-1869) was the son of John Van Vechten (? - ?) and Letita Sebring (1790- 1854). Van Vechten's ancestors were among the early residents of New York City. It was through the extensive holdings of lumber interests in northern New York that he became a resident of Chateaugay when he came here to look after these interests.
This collection consists primarily of letters written from 1832 - 1877. It contains 15 folders of letters, receipts, and land agreements. The 15th folder in this collection contains postcards, and envelopes from 1900 - 1921 that do not have the corresponding letters with them. The three main locations that the letters were written from were: Chateaugay, NY, Albany, and New York City.
The collection was donated in 2005 to St. Lawrence University by Mary Smallman.


text:
Mr.Muktinath Vishwakarma started the seminar with the problems he has faced during his career. He
shared his experiences in IIT, Kanpur pursuing his MTech in Computer Science & Engineering. He is
currently the Director of Altius Research Lab & GATE Guidance Centre in Nagpur. In his seminar he
stressed on sheer hard work required for qualifying the exams. He shared few tips & tricks with the
students regarding the GATE Exam. He advised students on starting the preparation for the exams in
early days of their engineering. He motivated the students for pursuing their higher studies & its future
perspective in their career.
Detailed Report


text: The wait is over for many Garland residents who will be among the first to receive their new blue automated recycling containers. Beginning Monday, June 11 through June 20, Waste Rec, the company selected for container delivery, will drop off the first batch of recycling containers. More than 8,200 residents will receive the new containers. All deliveries will be curbside. However, the actual collection point for the recycling container will continue to be as it currently is--either at the alley or curb. The first automated collection route will be run the week of June 19 – 22 for residents in the yellow collection areas. The first automated collection route for residents in the blue collection areas will be the week of June 26 – 29. Visit the Environmental Waste Services website at www.garlandenvironmentalwaste.com for a map of the areas that will receive the new containers, as well as a collection schedule and list of items that can be recycled. For questions about the City's recycling program, please call EWS Customer Service at 972-205-3500.


text:
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text:
On this date in...
1965: On ANOTHER WORLD, Lee (Gaye Huston) wasn't happy when Dr. Lewis said she could go home at the end of the week.
1966: On THE GUIDING LIGHT, Leslie (Lynne Adams) tried to soothe Ed's (Robert Gentry) anger about his father's affair. She accused him of becoming a "cold blooded cynic."
1982: Renee Jones taped her first episode as Nikki Wade in DAYS OF OUR LIVES, a part she played until 1983. She left the show in 2012 after many years playing a different role, Lexie Carver.
1983: On ALL MY CHILDREN, Tad (Michael E. Knight) returned to Pine Valley and clashed with Opal (Dorothy Lyman).
1989: On AS THE WORLD TURNS, Ellie (Renee Props) told Brock (Greg Beecroft) she was much happier with Craig (Scott Bryce) than with him.
1989: At the end of that day's GUIDING LIGHT episode, Grant Aleksander (Phillip) did a voice over to go along with the "Christopher Bernau In Memoriam" image displayed before closing credits. Bernau had died on June 14, 1989, at age 49.
1990: On DAYS OF OUR LIVES, Hope (Kristian Alfonso) and Ernesto (Eric Mason) vanished after an electrical explosion.
1999: On AS THE WORLD TURNS, at the boathouse, Jack (Michael Park) gave Carly (Maura West) a compass so she could always find her way back to him.
2000: Burt Douglas, who played Jim Fisk on DAYS OUR LIVES in its first year, died at age 69.
2005: Mark Raffety aired for the final time as Darcy Tyler in Australian soap NEIGHBOURS.
2006: Red Buttons, who played Al Baker on KNOTS LANDING, died at age 87.
2009: On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Phillip (Thom Bierdz) revealed he was gay to his family.
2013: GLEE star Cory Monteith died at age 31.
Celebrating a birthday today are:
Patrick Stewart (ex-Fire Officer, CORONATION STREET) - 73
Carmen Thomas (ex-Hillary, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Karen, MELROSE PLACE) - 46
Amy Stewart (ex-Helen, UNDRESSED) - 40
John Colella (Don, VAMPIRE MOB)
Philip Barantini (ex-Danny, DOCTORS) - 33
Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES) - 25
Colton Haynes (Roy, ARROW; ex-Jackson, TEEN WOLF; ex-Brett, THE GATES; ex-Jesse, MELROSE PLACE; ex-Alexander, PRIVILEGED) - 25
Matthew Arnett (Devin, GOSSIP BOY) - 24
Dylan Patton (ex-Will, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 21
Hayley Erin (ex-Abby, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 19
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have a tip on a bit of soap history on this date or future dates, let us know. Send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Rosee on Family Tree Circles
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Journals and Posts
Looking for the birth Parents and Whanau of GEOFFREY STEVEN MACKINTOSH Born 17/9/1954
Wanting to do the Whakapapa (Family Tree) for my children. Geoff was their Grandfather. Geoffrey died on the 21st June 1994 and is buried at Kaponga Cemetery. The latest bit of information that I have received is that he was given to the Mackintosh family by a Henry Nuku when Geoff was about 10 years old. At that time the Mackintosh Family was living in Matau, Taranaki. I do remember seeing an oldish lady with a younger lady at Geoffs tangi (funeral) later to be told that that was in fact Geoffs birth Mother and Sister - if we had known then we could have made contact.
- Displaying 1-1 of 1 Journals
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text:
Rates and revenue: Obama's strange obsessionEDITORIAL
December 05. 2012 12:07AM
President Obama's fixation on raising the official tax rate on Americans with incomes of more than $200,000 a year borders on the pathological. Financially, it makes no sense. There are better ways to stimulate the economy, reduce the debt and balance the budget. But Obama is determined to force higher tax rates on higher-income Americans regardless of the effects on the budget or the economy.
"There can be no deal without rates on top earners going up," White House Spokesman Jay Carney said last week. "There's not going to be an agreement without rates going up," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on CNN on Sunday.
But raising rates does not necessarily raise federal revenue (see Thomas Sowell's column on this page). And Republicans have offered a plan that would raise $800 billion in revenue without raising rates. Based on a proposal from Democrat Erskine Bowles, it would reduce loopholes that allow richer Americans to avoid paying the higher rates already on the books.
Obama rejected it. A White House spokesman said it wasn't "balanced." It reportedly raises revenues by $800 billion and shaves spending by $1.4 trillion. Obama's offer raises taxes by $1.6 trillion, trims entitlements by $400 billion, cuts another $110 billion and adds $50 billion in new spending. There's a $600 billion gap between new revenues and spending cuts in the GOP plan, and a $1.04 trillion difference in Obama's plan. What's that about balance?
Balance is not what Obama wants. He wants total ideological victory over the Republican Party. For that, he is willing to risk plunging the country into another recession.


text:
(→Wiki: update link list)
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* [[Koji/CurrentKojiTags| Current Koji Tags]]
* [[Koji/CurrentKojiTags| Current Koji Tags]]
* [[PackageMaintainers/CVSAdminProcedure| CVS Admin Proceedure]]
* [[PackageMaintainers/CVSAdminProcedure| CVS Admin Proceedure]]
== Verification ==
== Verification ==
Revision as of 18:59, 10 November 2008
Adding Build Targets - SOP
Each new release we create a build target for the next release. This SOP will describe the steps necessary to prepare the new build target.
Adding a build target is a complicated task. It involves updating koji, CVS, fedora-release package, puppet, and a few wiki pages.
In koji a couple collection tags need to be made, and a target created to tie them together. We create a base collection tag named after the release, and a build tag to hold a few things we use in the buildroots that are not part of the distribution (glibc32/glibc64). Inheritance to the previous release is used for ownership and package data, as well as buildroot content data.
add-tag-inheritance, and
add-target commands are used.
$ koji add-tag --help Usage: koji add-tag [options] name (Specify the --help global option for a list of other help options) Options: -h, --help show this help message and exit --parent=PARENT Specify parent --arches=ARCHES Specify arches $ koji add-tag-inheritance --help Usage: koji add-tag-inheritance [options] tag parent-tag (Specify the --help global option for a list of other help options) Options: -h, --help show this help message and exit --priority=PRIORITY Specify priority --maxdepth=MAXDEPTH Specify max depth --intransitive Set intransitive --noconfig Set to packages only --pkg-filter=PKG_FILTER Specify the package filter --force=FORCE Force adding a parent to a tag that already has that parent tag $ koji add-target --help Usage: koji add-target name build-tag <dest-tag> (Specify the --help global option for a list of other help options) Options: -h, --help show this help message and exit
For example if we wanted to create the Fedora 9 build target, we would do the following:
koji add-tag --parent dist-f8 --arches=i386,x86_64,ppc,ppc64 dist-f9 koji add-tag --parent dist-f9 --arches=i386,x86_64,ppc,ppc64 dist-f9-build koji add-tag-inheritance --priority 2 dist-f9-build dist-f8-build koji add-target dist-f9 dist-f9-build
Multiple parts of the CVS system need to be made aware of new build targets (and thus new branches).
The branches and Makefile.common file need to be updated.
branches simply needs a new line defining the next release:
The first field is the branch name as it would be seen on the file system. The second field is the build target for that branch, the third is what dist would define to, and the last to define the family and release (which are used by other macros). Depending on when the new target is introduced, you may need to also update the definition of the devel/ branch so that it targets the correct build target.
Makefile.common has potentially three changes. The first depends on if a new build target is being added for pre-branch purposes. If it is, the pre-branch logic check near the top of Makefile.common needs to be updated with this information.
# check to see if this is an early branched package; we should make this more # generic in the future ifeq ($(BRANCH),devel) BRANCH:=$(shell cvs rlog rpms/$(NAME)/F-10/$(SPECFILE) >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "F-11" || echo "devel") endif
This chunk of code only operates on builds from the devel/ branch, and it checks the cvs server to see if there is an F-10 branch for the package in question. If found, the system assumes the package was pre-branched, and that the build from devel/ should go to the F-11 target, instead of the F-10 target of a non-branched package.
The second Makefile.common change involves some logic inside of it to determine which branches use koji to build and which use plague. When new targets/branches are introduced, this logic needs to be updated (this should go away soon).
ifneq (, $(filter devel F-9 F-8 F-7 OLPC-2, $(BRANCH))) build: koji else build: plague endif
Ensure that the new branch is listed in the set of branches for koji.
The third Makefile.common change is also related to pre-branch. When pre-branching, the branches that will be created need to use bodhi for the 'make update' target. To update the list of branches that use bodhi for updates change the following:
ifneq (, $(filter F-10 F-9 F-8 F-7, $(BRANCH))) update: bodhi endif
Ensure the branches that will be pre-created are listed.
Within CVSROOT/admin/ there are several files that deal with making CVS branches. They are mkbranchwrapper, pkgdb2branch.py, and tag-check.
mkbranchwrapper simply needs the
VALID_BRANCHES alias updated with the new branch:
pkgdb2branch.py needs something similar. Update
BRANCHES with the new branch information. The branch name maps to the branch that is its parent.
BRANCHES = {'EL-4': 'FC-3', 'EL-5': 'FC-6', 'OLPC-2': 'F-7', 'devel': None, 'RHL-8': None, 'RHL-9': None, 'FC-1': None, 'FC-2': None, 'FC-3': None, 'FC-4': None, 'FC-5': None, 'FC-6': None, 'F-7': 'devel', 'F-8': 'devel', 'F-9': 'devel'}
tag-check lists a set of tags that are valid and as such it needs to be updated with the tags that are created when a package is branched. These are branch starting tags and branch splitting tags. Each set needs to get updated with the new branch:
RHL-8-start | RHL-9-start | \ OLPC-2-start | \ EL-4-start | EL-5-start | \ FC-1-start | FC-2-start | FC-3-start | FC-4-start | FC-5-start | \ FC-6-start | F-7-start | F-8-start )
RHL-8-split | RHL-9-split | \ OLPC-2-split | \ EL-4-split | EL-5-split | \ FC-1-split | FC-2-split | FC-3-split | FC-4-split | FC-5-split | \ FC-6-split | F-7-split | F-8-split )
The Package Database has two tables that need to be updated with the new release information as well. These are the commands that were run to update for Fedora 9:
$ ssh bastion $ ssh db2 $ sudo -u postgres psql pkgdb Password: pkgdb=# insert into collection (name, version, statuscode, owner) values \ ('Fedora', '9', 1, 100351); pkgdb=# insert into branch (collectionid, branchname, disttag) \ select id, 'F-9', '.fc9' from collection where name = 'Fedora' and version = '9';
- name and version define the release.
- statuscode for a new release will always be 1 (Active).
- 100351 is Jesse Keating's id. Change this if someone else is the release manager for this release.
- branchname is the name of branch directories in cvs.
- disttag is the value for disttag in rpm.
Currently the fedora-release package provides the %{?dist} definitions used during building of packages. When a new target is created, fedora-release must be built for the collection with new dist definitions.
Puppet manages configs for our "static-repo" creation. When creating a new build target, it needs to be added to the list of static-repos so that users can access up to the hour repodata for this build target.
within puppet is the file that manages these repos. Add the new target to the TAGS alias and commit.
Various wiki pages need to be updated with the new target information. Below you'll find a (hopefully current) list of pages to change:
- In the comps module in CVS (CVSROOT: /cvs/pkgs), create and add a new comps file based on the previous release. (Just copying it should be fine.) Add the new file to
Given the complexity of all the changes necessary to create a new build target, the best way to verify is to attempt a build. Given that fedora-release has to be built before anything else so that dist tags translate correctly it is a good test case. For example, this was used to test the new Fedora 9 target:
- Use pkgdb to request an F-8 branch of fedora-release
- Use pkgdb2branch to actually make the branch
- Update fedora-release checkout (and common/ directory)
- Adjust .spec file in devel/ for new dist defines
- commit/build
- Track build in koji to ensure proper tagging is used
What this won't test is translations of dist at tag time given that fedora-release doesn't use dist in it's Release. Verifying with a second package that uses dist is a good idea.
Too many to list right now.


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Extreme Power Funk is massive and powerful composition with aggressive drums and percussion's, mighty bass and funky guitars and synths. You get also short version (0:42) which contains different arrangement and instruments. You can listen to both versions in the audio preview. This composition was designed for any kind of visuals and video projects like trailers, games, promotional movies and etc.
The both versions are available in MP3 and Wave format.


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Barry RubinKansas City Chiefs
Assistant Coach
Ht: | Wt:
News | Stats | Stat vs. Team | Targets | Injury | Depth Chart | Roster
|Chiefs | Hire several assistant coaches
Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:48:48 -0800
The Kansas City Chiefs have hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Tommy Brasher as their defensive line coach, former Eagles wide receivers coach David Culley as their assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, former Eagles tight ends coach Tom Melvin as their tight ends coach, former Eagles quarterbacks offensive quality control coach Matt Nagy as their quarterbacks coach, former Eagles assistant to the head coach Corey Matthaei as quality control coach and Temple graduate assistant Britt Reid as quality control coach. The team also hired Barry Rubin as their head strength and conditioning coach and Travis Crittenden as their assistant head strength and conditioning coach.
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|| Source: KCChiefs.com
|Eagles | Rubin promoted
Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:57:35 -0800
Jeff McLane, of the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports the Philadelphia Eagles have promoted Barry Rubin to run their strength and conditioning department.
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|Eagles | Two conditioning coaches fired
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:01:39 -0800
Bob Brookover, of the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports Philadelphia Eagles conditioning coaches Mike Wolf and Jay Merlino have been fired. No replacements were immediately hired for those jobs. Assistant Barry Rubin is the only member of the strength and conditioning staff to be retained. A team source said the Eagles felt they needed a fresh approach in the strength and conditioning department.
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|Eagles | Team hires Rubin as strength and conditioning assistant
Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:08:16 -0800
The Philadelphia Eagles announced that the team has hired Barry Rubin as the strength and conditioning assistant Wednesday, Feb. 20. Rubin was the head strength and conditioning coach with the Green Bay Packers from 1999-2005. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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|Packers | Rubin released
Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:24:05 -0800
The Green Bay Packers have released strength and conditioning coach Barry Rubin.
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Bombings, shootings in Iraq kill 19 people
Nov. 08, 2013
BAGHDAD (AP) — A bomb exploded on a busy street filled with shoppers in northern Iraq, part of a series of attacks that killed at least 19 people Friday, officials said, the latest in a wave of violence roiling the country.
The explosion struck a commercial street in Mosul, killing 12 people and wounding 30, police said.
Hassan Mahmoud, the owner of an ice cream shop along the street, said he was thrown on the ground by the powerful explosion.
"I went outside my shop to see pieces of flesh scattered all around the place with wounded people screaming for help," Mahmoud said. "The scene was horrific."
Earlier Friday, a bomb exploded just after Friday prayers as Sunni worshippers left the Ali Bin Abi Talib mosque in Baghdad's western Shurta district.
A second bomb, planted further down the street, exploded seconds later as worshippers tried to flee from the first blast, officials said. Police said the two bombings killed five people and wounded 15.
In the western city of Fallujah, a former al-Qaida stronghold 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Baghdad, gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint, killing two police officers and wounding two, police said.
Hospital officials confirmed the casualties in the latest attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Attacks on mosques, especially Sunni ones, have increased recently. While it's possible that Sunni insurgents seeking to stoke sectarian hatred could be to blame for them, Shiite militias also may be behind the assaults.
Friday's violence comes a day after a series of attacks across Iraq left 30 people dead, most of them soldiers who were killed when two suicide bombers drove their explosive-laden cars into a military base in the town of Tarmiyah, just north of Baghdad. Tarmiyah is also a former insurgent stronghold and home to Sunnis.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks of the past two days.
But suicide attacks and large bombings, especially against Iraqi forces but also civilians and places such as markets, cafes and mosques are a favorite tactic of al-Qaida's local branch. The terror group has recently escalated its campaign of violence in order to thwart the Shiite-led government's efforts to maintain security.
Violence spiked in Iraq since a deadly security crackdown on a Sunni protest camp in April, with the pace of killing reaching levels unseen since 2008. Friday's attacks bring the death toll across the country this month to 96, according to an Associated Press count.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills were unchanged in Tuesday's auction.
The Treasury Department auctioned $32 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.105 percent, unchanged from last week. Another $28 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.145 percent, down from 0.150 percent the previous week.
The six-month rate was the lowest since those bills averaged 0.135 percent on Oct. 1.
The discount rates reflect that the bills sell for less than face value. For a $10,000 bill, the three-month price was $9,997.35 while a six-month bill sold for $9,992.67. That would equal an annualized rate of 0.106 percent for the three-month bills and 0.147 percent for the six-month bills.
Separately, the Federal Reserve said that the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, a popular index for making changes in adjustable rate mortgages, edged up to 0.19 percent last week from 0.18 percent the previous week.
The weekly Treasury auction was held on Tuesday rather than Monday because of the federal holiday for Veterans Day.


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|This article describes a geographic region that covers various exchanges, currencies, indices and stocks. View articles referencing this region.
Bulgaria, the world's 74th largest country by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) joined the European Union on June 1, 2007.[1] Bulgaria's currency is the Bulgarian Lev (BGN), which was exchanged at 1.3 Lev per U.S. Dollar (USD) in 2008.[1] Since 2004, Bulgaria's economy has averaged more than 6% annual growth, attracting significant amounts of new foreign direct investment investment.[1] Between 2004 and 2008, foreign direct investment grew by 19.6% driven primarily by increased investments in Bulgaria's Real Estate, Energy, and Manufacturing sectors.[2][3]
Bulgaria's agriculture, industry, and services sectors account for 4.6%, 28.7%, and 66.7% of its GDP, respectively.[1] Bulgaria's primary agricultural crops include wheat, corn, barley, sugar beats, sunflowers and various fruits.[1] The country's dominant industries are Mining and Energy. Bulgaria's abundant natural resources like copper, lead, zinc, and coal are Bulgaria's main exports, accounting for 11.4% of Bulgaria's exports in 2008.[3] Additionally, over 40% of Bulgaria's energy is generated from coal.[4] Bulgaria's energy production industry accounts for 18.2% of the country's overall industrial GDP as its Southeast Europe's primary exporter of electricity.[5] Bulgaria's services sector is mainly comprised of financial services and tourism.[5] In particular, Bulgaria's natural landscapes attract almost 6 million visitors annually which contribute significantly to Bulgaria's economic growth.[6]
However, corruption in Bulgaria's public administration and the presence of organized crime remain challenges to Bulgaria's economic development.[1] Furthermore, Bulgaria's relatively high inflation rate (7.8% in 2008) and dependence on foreign direct investment impedes its economic growth.[1]
The Bulgarian Stock Exchange or Sofia had a market capitalization of BGN 12.46 billion at the end of 2008, down 57% from a year earlier because of the global economic downturn.[22]
Bulgaria's cheap labor and resources, coupled with favorable corporate tax rates render Bulgaria as somewhat of an investment haven. The average Bulgarian monthly salary is $165, compared to the EU average of $2,396.[23] Additionally, Bulgarians spend 14 years on average in school and 98.2% of the country's population is literate.[23] This cheap, well-educated labor helps minimize companies' labor costs without compromising the education and productivity of its employees. Furthermore, Bulgaria's corporate tax rate reaches 0% in some regions, maintaining higher profit margins for firms.[23]
Because of its reliance on foreign investment to foster economic growth, Bulgaria's economy is vulnerable to any downturns in the global economy that would reduce lending. In 2008, foreign investments accounted for 18% of Bulgaria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), ranking highest in the European Union in amount of foreign investments as share of GDP[24] In January 2009 foreign direct investments dropped 37% from a year earlier because of credit constraints associated with the 2008 Financial Crisis.[25] In particular, foreign investment in Bulgaria's Real Estate industry declined 66% in January 2009.[25] Stoyan Stalev, chief of Bulgaria's association of investments expects that the global financial crisis may reduce foreign direct investment in Bulgaria by up to 50% in 2009.[26] As a result, The Economist believes that Bulgaria's GDP growth will decrease by 3.8% during the year.[3]
Compounding Bulgaria's investment woes is its large Current account deficit- in 2008, Bulgaria's current-account deficit totaled $11.7 billion or 23.4% of GDP, up from 22% of GDP in 2007.[3] A high current-account deficit is bad for Bulgaria because it exacerbates their preexisting financial needs and may decrease foreign investor confidence. However, the 2008 Financial Crisis has reduced imports to Bulgaria and as a result, Bulgaria's current-account deficit has decreased as well- in 2009 the IMF expects that Bulgaria's deficit will shrink to 13.9% of GDP.[3]
Bulgaria's corruption issues throughout its judicial and financial institutions continue to impede its economic growth. Significant amounts of foreign aid and investment is lost or stolen each year due to corruption and fraud.[3] For example, 54% of respondents in a 2009 Transparency International survey indicated their beliefs that Bulgarian businesses pay bribes to secure favorable legislative decisions.[27] Because of these issues, the European Commission froze €800 million or about $1.1 billion in aid in 2009, with options of canceling the aid entirely.[28]


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Honda Civic Type R (Satin Yellow)
Ramin Niroomand
The legend... the Civic Type R in Satin Yellow with red accents and smoked accents! The sickest one on the road, look out for the full reveal video dropping today!!
Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
8820 Kenamar Drive #503
San Diego, CA, 92121
United States
(760) 845-3201
SD Wrap specializes in giving your car a unique and distinctive look to make you and your car standout in the crowd. Offering premium automotive restyle vinyl wraps and project builds/design, wheel powder coating, wheels, tint, paint protection, body work, and more.
Paint is out, vinyl is in...and it's the most functional aesthetic upgrade you can do to your car. Instead of devaluing your car by tampering with the stock paint by repainting your vehicle...you can give your car a stunning makeover while also protecting your paint and investment with color options not possible with paint. SD Wrap utilizes the highest quality vinyls (3M, Arlon, Avery) as well as knife less tape to avoid knife to paint contact. With a whole new lineup of colors and textures, you can dream up your one of a kind color combinations with either Matte, Satin, Gloss, Candy Paint, Brushed Steel Textures, Carbon Fiber, and Chrome Vinyls.
We offer Partial and Full Vehicle wraps: hoods, trunks, trim, mirrors, interior, or full car. Please contact us for a quote if interested, you're going to fall in love with your car all over again.
The legend... the Civic Type R in Satin Yellow with red accents and smoked accents! The sickest one on the road, look out for the full reveal video dropping today!!


text:
By Jessica Dye
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Bangladeshi man has been indicted on charges of attempting to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank last month with what he believed was a 1,000-pound bomb, court papers made public Thursday show.
The grand jury indictment charges Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempting to provide material support to a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, al Qaeda. He faces life in prison if convicted.
Nafis was arrested on October 17 after pulling up to the Federal Reserve and attempting to detonate what he believed to be a van packed with explosives.
In fact, the explosives had been provided to Nafis by an undercover agent as part of a sting operation, and were never in working condition, federal authorities said.
A criminal complaint unsealed last month against Nafis said he traveled to the United States in 2012, and eventually moved to Queens, New York.
There, he scouted out targets for a potential attack - including the New York Stock Exchange and a high-ranking government official identified as U.S. President Barack Obama - settling eventually on the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan.
Nafis attempted to recruit others to his plan, claiming he was in contact with al Qaeda operatives, the complaint said.
One of the individuals he brought on board was an undercover agent working for the FBI, who monitored Nafis' activities and helped arm him with the inoperable explosives, federal authorities said.
No date has been set for Nafis' arraignment, and he remains in custody, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn said. A lawyer representing Nafis declined to comment.
The case is U.S. v. Nafis, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, no. 12-965.
(Reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Todd Eastham)


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Annie Hopper
Rural Human Services Statewide Program Manager
Annie has worked for the University of Alaska, Fairbanks since 2006 when she helped develop Behavioral Health career classes for rural and urban high schools. This path lead her to the Tech Prep programs, developing health career pathways for distance education for rural high schools. The place where she is most at home is the Rural Human Services program where she worked as the Statewide Director for three years, and then returned to this position in October of 2012. With an emphasis on rural students, this 22 year old program is a gateway for students entering the behavioral health field. The mission of RHS is to "grow your own" and put a counselor in every village! RHS has three campuses in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Bethel.
Annie drew on her rural Alaskan experiences, when she came to Alaska in 1986 as the Director for the Upper Yukon Behavioral Health program in Ft. Yukon, Alaska. Annie also provided parenting classes and on-call mental health services in Barrow, AK. She arrived after finishing her Master's degree at the University of Denver in Colorado where she lived in the Rockies for over a decade. A love of the wilderness grew from the time spent in Colorado, working as an outdoor educator the Breckenridge Outdoor Education center, and as the Alcohol and Drug Coordinator for Summit County. Skiing and hiking became a passion and the transition to Alaska was seamless..
Annie spent several summers in Alaska, working on a commercial fishing boat and on the Glacier Queen in Prince William Sound. Raised as an Army brat, Alaska is now her home. Annie has worked with an array of populations including Vietnam Vets, military personnel and their families, Alaska Natives, substance abusers, families receiving welfare, persons experiencing disabilities, the elderly, and victims of sexual assault and teens. For many years, she worked as the Director for the Fairbanks Native Association serving homeless and runaway teens and their families. She provided ongoing professional development for the social workers as the Northern Region Representative for NASW. Annie has served on the board for "Stone Soup" and helped found the "Soup Off" annual event. She is known for her creativity, and also started the Gala Hat Affair, while serving as the Executive Director of the Breast Cancer Detection Center. She is resilient, resourceful, energetic, loves to play guitar and sing, hike and ski. Annie is well known for her newly acquired culinary skills.
Annie is married, to Michael Hopper, a local psychologist and builder, and they have two children, Huckleberry and Katie.


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The HL7200 high-speed, inline palletizer is the first in a family of high-level, high-speed palletizers that Columbia Machine will introduce this year. The HL7200 high-speed palletizer incorporates a safety package, flexibility, and high performance, and is easy to operate. The safety package includes Category 3 electrical safety components including dual channel safety interlocks and full height light curtains positioned on the full load discharge and empty pallet infeed. A dual slot automatic hoist pin latching system on the full load hoist and pallet dispenser hoist provide a redundant fail-safe protection system. Fully integrated upper and lower guarding with viewing panels and multiple access doors that incorporate a trapped key door access system provide the safety and function that meets OSHA requirements for Minor Servicing.
Columbia Machine Inc., Vancouver, WA 360-694-1501 www.palletizing.com
For related equipment reviews, articles, and news, visit our Packaging & Bagging Equipment Zone
Click here for information about International Powder & Bulk Solids Conference & Exhibition


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TRENTON – A Monmouth County financial adviser was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for defrauding investment clients of $9.8 million in a Ponzi scheme, Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced.
Maxwell B. Smith III, 73, of Fair Haven, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, including five years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Mary Gibbons Whipple in Morris County. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2009 to a state charge of first-degree money laundering. The Division of Criminal Justice initially charged Smith in May 2009. Deputy Attorney General Andrew C. Fried prosecuted the case and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau.
Smith's guilty plea in state court was part of a global resolution in which he pleaded guilty at the same time in federal court to charges of mail fraud brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. On June 5, he was sentenced to seven years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper in Trenton. The state sentence will run concurrently with the federal sentence. Under the global resolution, Smith must pay restitution to his victims of $7,847,823, which represents the amount taken from investors less amounts he returned as purported interest.
The New Jersey Bureau of Securities conducted a separate regulatory investigation of Smith. Smith entered into an administrative consent order with the Bureau of Securities that provides for payment of restitution and permanently bars him from working in the securities industry in New Jersey.
"Our global resolution with the U.S. Attorney's Office of the state and federal charges against Smith has ensured that he will serve a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes, which caused financial devastation for these vulnerable victims," said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. "These elderly clients trusted Smith as their financial adviser, and he rewarded their trust by stealing their life savings."
"We will continue to make prosecuting these financial fraud cases a priority in order to protect hardworking New Jersey residents as they save and invest for retirement and their children's education," said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. "We urge investors to be wary and to report suspected fraud to the Division of Criminal Justice or the Bureau of Securities."
In pleading guilty to money laundering, Smith admitted that he defrauded investors and used their money for his personal expenses, laundering the funds through bank accounts he controlled. An investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice revealed Smith defrauded at least a dozen mostly elderly investors of about $9.8 million between 1992 and 2009. He used investor funds for personal expenses that included fine dining, entertainment, about $400,000 in mortgage payments on his home and a relative's home, $120,000 in home renovations, $78,000 for luxury furnishings, and rental payments for a villa in Gordes, France, for several weeks each summer for almost 15 years.
Fried and retired Detective Sgt. Louis A. Matirko conducted and coordinated the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice.
Since 1974, Smith had been a registered agent with numerous broker-dealer firms registered to sell investment products in New Jersey. Smith worked for a firm based in Tinton Falls from January 2005 to April 2009, when the firm fired him and reported his alleged fraudulent conduct to securities regulators.
Since 1992, Smith marketed investments he called "Health Care Financial Partnership Direct Municipal Loans." He represented that Health Care Financial was an entity that made investments involving the financing and refinancing of health care facilities such as nursing homes and continuing care retirement centers for the elderly. Smith represented that the investments were safe and free from federal income tax, and he promised semi-annual interest payments of 7.5 percent to 9 percent. In fact, the investments did not exist. They were part of a Ponzi scheme by which Smith misappropriated approximately $9.8 million in investor funds.
The investigation revealed that the victims were instructed by Smith to make their investment checks payable to "Merrill Lynch" and send them to Health Care Financial at an address he provided in New York, which was actually a Mail Boxes Etc. mail drop leased by Smith.
Smith deposited the investor funds into a Merrill Lynch bank account in his name. Instead of investing the funds for the investors, Smith allegedly laundered the funds through a series of financial transactions to other bank accounts he controlled, using a small portion of the victims' own funds to pay them interest on the bogus investments. The interest payments provided a false impression to the victims that their investment with Smith was bona fide. The investigation also revealed that Smith created a false "Summary of Essential Information" prospectus for the Health Care Financial investment which he provided to the victims, as well as false investment confirmation letters sent to them after they invested their funds.
Deputy Attorney General Toral M. Joshi represented the New Jersey Bureau of Securities in connection with the administrative consent order. Rudolph G. Bassman, Chief of Enforcement, and Investigators Michael McElgunn and Richard Smullen conducted the investigation for the Bureau of Securities.
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sliding room divider with white polished metal frame and white gray also black screen panel. art deco panel mixed clear tempered glass for create sliding room divider combination with brown hickory harwood floor. Room Dividers Sliding Door for Separation Made From Natural Wooden Frame Mixed With Brown...
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Century-Old Estate with European Spa and Gourmet Dining
Built in 1912, the stately Elms Hotel & Spa was a haven for those visiting Excelsior Springs for the soothing effects of its natural mineral waters. Over the years, the elegant health resort has hosted several noteworthy guests, including Al Capone, "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and President Harry Truman, who stayed at the hotel on the night of his memorable "Dewey Defeats Truman" re-election in 1948. A $16 million renovation in the late '90s restored the Bavarian-style limestone building to its former grandeur, and today the Elms Hotel & Spa draws guests looking to unwind at The Elms's updated European spa. Here, you can take it easy inside a secluded grotto with steam showers and a bar stocked with exfoliating herbs and sea salts.
The hotel's interior decor also exudes a stately European vibe. In the guest rooms, you'll sleep on signature memory-foam mattress amid several contemporary amenities, including Keurig coffeemakers and iPod docking stations.
At the hotel's restaurant, Eighty-Eight at the Elms, chefs use locally sourced ingredients and seasonal produce grown onsite to craft the entrees on a gourmet dinner menu. Pink peppercorn butter adds a zesty touch to the 12-ounce grilled rib eye ($33), and sour-cherry gastrique gives the pan-seared duck breast ($27) a pleasantly tart bite. The restaurant also serves peanut-butter-and-jelly french toast ($11) for breakfast and lighter entrees and sandwiches at lunch./
Excelsior Springs, Missouri: Historic Mineral-Spring Town Outside Kansas City
Excelsior Springs lies about 35 minutes northeast of Kansas City, along the banks of the East Fork Fishing River. The town made a name for itself after a natural spring unexpectedly spouted up near the river. Admission is free at the Excelsior Springs Hall of Waters and Cultural Museum, which delves into the area's past. Housed in an art-deco-style building hung with brilliant chandeliers, the 1930s bathhouse is home to one of the world's longest water bars and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Outside the museum, in downtown Excelsior Springs, are craft shops, boutiques, and florists inside vintage redbrick buildings. Since Excelsior Springs sits in a riverside valley, there are several wineries in town and wine tastings are popular with tourists.
If you're visiting the region for the first time, consider a side trip up to Kansas City, where the ratio of fountains to barbecue joints is roughly 2:1—as in, 200-plus public fountains and more than 90 restaurants where you can order the city's signature slow-smoked meat.. Add a die-hard sports community and a downtown area named one of America's best by Forbes magazine, and the at-times overlooked Kansas City has all the makings of a memorable getaway: culture, Midwestern charm, and an endless supply of sauce-slathered ribs.


text: S. V. Date IRS Chief: No Evidence Of 'Intentional Wrongdoing' So Far By S. V. Date • Jun 24, 2013 That "be on the lookout list" used to flag Tea Party groups for extra scrutiny of their tax-exemption applications? It turns out it wasn't the only one the Internal Revenue Service had been using. There were also other lists, covering a "broad spectrum" of categories and cases, according to a preliminary IRS report released Monday. "Once we came to that conclusion, we took immediate action to suspend the use of these lists in the Exempt Organizations unit within IRS," said Danny Werfel, the new acting chief of the IRS, in a conference call with reporters. The 10 Biggest Tax Breaks (And How Much They Cost) By S. V. Date • May 29, 2013 The 10 biggest breaks, deductions and credits in the U.S. income tax code are costing the Treasury $900 billion this year, with more than half of that total benefiting the wealthiest 20 percent of taxpayers. Benghazi Review Leader Offered To Testify On Capitol Hill By S. V. Date • May 10, 2013 When the House held its much-anticipated hearing on Benghazi Wednesday, one major figure not at the witness table was Thomas Pickering, the former ambassador and co-chair of the Accountability Review Board that reported on last September's attacks. Why wasn't he there? That's somewhat in dispute. California Republican Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Pickering and report co-author Adm. Mike Mullen. The Democrats' Final Four On Gay Marriage By S. V. Date • Apr 5, 2013 In the U.S. Senate, it's down to the Final Four versus the Dynamic Duo. Only four Democratic senators remain who do not support same-sex marriage. Across the aisle, there are now two Republicans who have announced their support. The new alignments mean that a majority — 53 senators — now support a concept that 85 senators voted to ban in 1996 with the Defense of Marriage Act. Voter Cast-Off Charlie Crist Tops Florida Governor's Race Poll By S. V. Date • Mar 20, 2013 Democrats who haven't controlled the governor's mansion in Tallahassee in 14 years could have a good opportunity to win it back next November. In Florida, An Email Trail On Redistricting Raises Questions By S. V. Date • Feb 5, 2013 Florida voters in 2010 approved constitutional amendments by nearly 2-to-1 margins that forbade state legislators from coordinating with political parties or favoring incumbents when drawing new congressional districts. So what did lawmakers in Tallahassee do? The Republican leaders in charge of drawing new maps coordinated with Republican Party consultants to protect Republican incumbents. Rubio's New York Admirer Isn't Exactly Welcome By S. V. Date • Jan 30, 2013 Anyone else noticing the love New York Senator Charles Schumer is showing for Marco Rubio? He's been calling Rubio courageous for pushing an immigration overhaul that many in his party's base despise. Wednesday morning he likened Rubio's appearance on conservative talk shows to "Daniel in the lion's den."