text:
A team within Nokia had Android up and running on the company's Lumia handsets well before Microsoft and Nokia began negotiating Microsoft's $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia's mobile phone and services business, according to two people briefed on the effort who declined to be identified because the project was confidential. Microsoft executives were aware of the existence of the project, these people said.
Another person said the idea of Nokia using Android wasn't a part of Microsoft's discussions with the company about an acquisition, even though that was widely recognized as a possibility.
Windows Phone never fit into Nokia's DNA. It's too closed, too external, too controlled; Nokia had little influence over its own destiny with Windows Phone. It's not surprising that many of the brightest minds in the company left in the wake of the Windows Phone announcement (such as the team now at Jolla).
Nokia should have gone Android.


text:
The Beauty of Handmade
35 comments:
- Amy Bailes said...
Love the sweater, the mermaid is awesome and that baby boy outfit is totally the bomb! You have very talented SILs.
- September 28, 2011 at 2:36 AM
- Unknown said...
These handmade gifts are so so so so beautiful! You're very blessed to have such kind and talented family.
- September 28, 2011 at 2:36 AM
- Annie Cholewa said...
Oh my, he's gonna be one well dressed little fella when he turns up!
- September 28, 2011 at 3:33 AM
- Zenitude said...
How lucky! Handmade items have a special meaning due to all the love that went in them when they were being made. I love the knitted cardi and the sewed outfit is outstanding. Can't wait to see your little boy in them.
- September 28, 2011 at 4:13 AM
- Cambria said...
This is so sweet! Just what I needed after an emotionally charged weekend :) I love that little sweater. I had a student in one of my knitting classes that was working on that last month and it turned out beautiful.
And I loved the photo of your daughter with her mermaid doll, lol. What a happy little girl :) - September 28, 2011 at 5:05 AM
- Unknown said...
What beautiful gifts! So much time and love put into each and every one.
- September 28, 2011 at 5:19 AM
- Amy said...
Those are such lovely gifts! I love handmade items...you can see the love radiate out of them.
- September 28, 2011 at 5:54 AM
- T said...
What lovely gifts! Can Marlee share info on the pattern for the jacket pants and shoes? Too sweet!!!
- September 28, 2011 at 6:17 AM
- Jessica said...
You are so lucky to have such talented and wonderful sister-in-laws!!! Beautiful gifts!
jpeled on ravelry - September 28, 2011 at 6:55 AM
- Annwen said...
Such lovely gifts! There is no better than handmade items in my opinion :)
I think the jacket, pants and shoes patterns might all be from Anna Maria Horners book Handmade Beginnings! - September 28, 2011 at 6:59 AM
- Unknown said...
Such great gifts! Hand made gifts are always the best, and hand made baby gifts are just over the top awesome! They are adorable.
- September 28, 2011 at 7:40 AM
- Lori said...
Oh, those are both just gorgeous! It's it wonderful when you receive beautiful, handmade gifts instead of being the one giving them? While giving them is sheer pleasure, it is awfully nice to be the recipient now and then. :)
- September 28, 2011 at 7:40 AM
- Ertman-Trowbridge Family said...
Oh my goodness! Too sweet. I have my shower this weekend, but I don't think I will get anything handmade that is that amazing.
- September 28, 2011 at 7:57 AM
- drMolly, the BeanQueen said...
such great baby gifts & that mermaid is the cutest
- September 28, 2011 at 8:04 AM
- Unknown said...
The cardi and the jacket are both ADORABLE. Loving the Mermaid too. Your SILs both deserve great big hugs!
- September 28, 2011 at 8:11 AM
- Acorn to Oak said...
Such love filled, beautiful gifts. :-) Your daughter is so adorable with her new found friend. :-)
- September 28, 2011 at 8:46 AM
- Amy Olsen said...
I bet they take the time to make handmade because they know you appreciate the time and love that goes into making these beautiful gifts. They know they are appreciated by a fellow crafter. Beautiful and thoughtful.
- September 28, 2011 at 10:27 AM
- grandmastatus said...
Aww what wonderful gifts! (I love that toy book, too, and have been wanting to make the mermaid for a long time.) SO much love and thought went into these gifts- what a lucky baby :D
- September 28, 2011 at 11:32 AM
- christine m. said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- September 28, 2011 at 12:12 PM
- christine m. said...
all i can say is LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!
- September 28, 2011 at 12:15 PM
- Julie said...
ooh, amazing little gifts!! And what a thoughtful big sister gift- that mermaid is stunning.
- September 28, 2011 at 1:29 PM
- penelope10 said...
What lovely gifts!! Such talent!
- September 28, 2011 at 3:02 PM
- Evelyn said...
I'm truly amazed that you have so many talented women in your family! Each gift is incredible and the big sister mermaid will forever be part of your family.
- September 28, 2011 at 5:29 PM
- crookedknits said...
Such wonderful gifts! You're such a lucky mommy :o)
- September 29, 2011 at 6:10 AM
- Marina said...
Congratulations on your soon-to-be-born bundle of joy! Since it's a boy(!), does that mean we will see some designs for little boys soon? I hope so!;-)
- September 29, 2011 at 9:01 AM
- VTwin said...
- September 29, 2011 at 9:08 AM
- Deb said...
Absolutely adorable ! What a talented family you are!
- September 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM
- Lisa said...
oh my gosh! such beautiful presents! I am in awe of that jacket, onesis, pants AND shoes! He's one lucky little boy :)
- September 29, 2011 at 11:50 AM
- polkaknits said...
What a wonderful gifts! The sweater is soo adorable!
I have a D-day also in November. I'm not sure if it's a boy or a girl. I feel very happy and excited when I listen to your podcast and read about all baby things.
Best wishes! - September 30, 2011 at 1:05 AM
- kaystir said...
Wow such a talented family you have. All of those items are simply beautiful!
- September 30, 2011 at 3:38 AM
- janne said...
The best gifts of all are the handmade ones, so much though and love goes into them. They are treasures.
- September 30, 2011 at 5:07 AM
- Nuttygal said...
What special gifts. Handmade gifts are always the best. They are so sweet.
- October 1, 2011 at 8:46 AM
- HelenKnits said...
Gorgeous gifts!
- October 1, 2011 at 11:37 PM
- Campbell Kids said...
Wow! What amazing gifts - I love them all! You have some very talented sisters-in-law!
- October 2, 2011 at 10:48 PM
- drMolly, the BeanQueen said...
So cute! I really really love that jacket.
I am being blessed with a great-grand daughter in November so now I get to make LOTS & LOTS of girl baby things. I had 2 grandsons, so this will be a fun thing for me. - August 27, 2012 at 12:15 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
Not sure he quite sees the time line.... but... thanks for noticing.
ADDED: "Ten days of emailing ... and she was ready." I'm getting a little of that oh-those-heterosexuals-and-their-frivolous-marrying vibe.
AND: Here's the text of the email I sent to Andrew Sullivan:
Andrew, I don't think you've understood the time line here. And why link to the nasty Pandagon on this one? Your post is really disrespectful to me. If you'd watched the Bloggingheads you linked to, you'd know that my fiancé is someone who has interacted with me in writing on my blog for more than 4 years. We decided to meet in person after an exchange of email in December. We met in January and then, after a some additional email, decided to meet again in mid-February, and then we fell in love. We decided to get married after 2 more weekends and a 10-day spring break.
Why is this something that you choose to mock? Is there something ridiculous about a blogger coming to love someone who she first knew through writing in the comments and developed an affection for over a period of years? Or is it just that we decided to marry within 2 months of meeting each other in person? My parents met in the Army and got married 2 weeks later and loved each other until they died many decades later. I'd really like to know what part of my experience deserves "OMFG."
AND: Sullivan posts the time line part of the email I sent him and says:
I did watch [Bloggingheads], but got a little confused with the various timelines (I'm not much clearer now). And I'm all in favor of the right of straight bloggers to marry their straight commenters. It's a civil right. And more than I am currently allowed after living with my husband for almost five years.This isn't about legal rights. This is about how individuals treat each other, and I want to know why you disrespected me. Explain why you linked to Pandagon's scurrilous OMFG, which, as you know, means "Oh, my fucking God." Is that the way you mean to speak to me? Is that the way you talk about God?
For the record, I support marriage rights for gay people. Click my "same-sex marriage" tag below to see the profuse evidence of this.


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Home » Sound Art - Radio Art » BASCHET, BERNARAD AND FRANCOIS : Les Structures Sonores
BASCHET, BERNARAD AND FRANCOIS : Les Structures Sonores
Collated from many sources, including long deleted records (remember the Bam label?), this gives some idea of the extraordinary scope of the Baschet brothers� instruments. In a long career, starting in 1954, they produced families of beautiful, exotic, futuristic sculptures made from metal, sheet aluminium, glass, wire and plastic - in all sizes, some small, some over 20 feet high � all designed to be played: stroked, beaten, bowed, blown (even worn) and composed for. Here are compositions from various hands that exlore the amazing array of sonorities these objects can produce Some unfortunate vocalising now and then does not really detract. This is history. I recommended that you get this CD free with the Book � see the book section for details.L
Code: FMRCD63-0599
Price: £13.50


text:
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Some of the sanctions against Iran will be eased under an agreement reached between Iran and six world powers over the weekend. In return, Iran promises to temporarily curb part of its nuclear program.
There's widespread agreement that sanctions have worked, squeezing Iran financially and bringing its leaders to the negotiating table. Iran's economy is, by any measure, in terrible shape.
When Barbara Slavin visited Teheran in August, she was struck by the rapid deterioration of the economy. As an Iran analyst with the Atlantic Council, it was her ninth trip to the country.
"The cost of living has gone up so fast for Iranians that they are absolutely stunned, and people are simply not able to maintain the middle-class lifestyles that they used to," Slavin says.
Iran's official inflation rate is about 40 percent. By comparison, inflation in the U.S. is less than 2 percent, and many outsiders believe prices are rising even faster in Iran than the government says, especially for food.
"You see that people are not buying meat as much as they used to because it's expensive, so they're subsisting more on rice and vegetables," Slavin says. "Even vegetables and fruits are expensive in some parts of town."
Iran has struggled with inflation on and off for decades, but the massive plunge in the value of Iran's currency — the rial — over the past two years, has made inflation more pernicious. Because the rial is so weak, Iranians have to pay a lot more for imported goods. And oil, Iran's main export and the heart of its economy, is being sidelined by sanctions. Last year, the European Union joined the U.S. in an embargo on Iranian oil.
"That really had a devastating effect," says Danielle Pletka, who tracks the Middle East for the American Enterprise Institute. She says when it was just the U.S. refusing to buy, the Iranians could easily sell its oil elsewhere in the global market.
"[But] when the Europeans came on board and decided not to buy, it had a huge impact and it cut by more than half Iran's ability to sell," she says.
Those EU sanctions last year didn't just ban Iranian oil sales. They blocked Iran from the global clearing system used by banks to process financial transactions, and Danielle Pletka says that added to the pain.
"Iran is a part of the global trading environment and they live economically through the sale of natural resources," she says. "So when you go after their banks, systematically you destroy their ability to get money."
Piled on top of all this were missteps by Iranian leaders, especially former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Barbara Slavin says he missed big changes in energy production that have been underway in recent years.
"He didn't realize that the United States would have access to shale oil [and] all these unconventional sources," Slavin says. "Iraq would be producing more, other countries would be producing more and that the world would not need Iranian oil as much as it used to."
Rampant inflation, a currency in freefall, oil exports slashed and a brutal squeeze on the middle class; all of this in just the past two years.
"So when you combine all of that it almost equals a perfect economic storm for Iran," says Alireza Nader, an Iran analyst with the Rand Corporation. He says the economy was the deciding factor in the election last year of a more pragmatic, less confrontational Iranian president.
"Hassan Rohani was elected with a mandate to improve the economy," he says. "He has promised he will improve the economy and decrease Iran's isolation, and to do so he must reach a negotiated settlement on the nuclear program so sanctions can be lifted."
The six-month interim agreement stuck over the weekend gives Iran access to some of its oil revenues locked up overseas, but keeps sanctions on Iran's oil exports in place. A permanent and comprehensive settlement on Iran's nuclear program may or may not be in sight, but Iran watchers agree on this: negotiations would never have begun without effective sanctions.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Agile infrastructure management for accelerating IT service delivery
HP servers power the compute requirements of customers of all sizes around the world, from the top stock exchanges to the neighborhood travel agency, and everywhere in between. All of these customers have one thing in common– regardless of the size of their IT infrastructure – and that is the need for it to be fast to setup, easy to operate, control and support, economical when it comes to space and energy, all while keeping a cap on IT costs. That is exactly why HP provides a comprehensive set of server management capabilities specifically designed to manage the lifecycle for the HP Server portfolio – from towers, to racks to blades. We call it HP Server Management.
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Simply put, our goal is to build the best managed servers in the industry.
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Customer case studies
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text:
Give Peas a Chance
So, seeing as the last post caused, apparently, some headaches, and gave at least one person the spins, I figured that it might be time for a light photographic essay or two.
If U Ask Her What She Had 4 Breakfast
Starfish and coffee; maple syrup and jam...
...Butterscotch clouds, tangerine...
And a side order of ham.
Okay, so that last one was a banana. But you can trust me that the one before it really was butterscotch cloud infused with zest of tangerine. Organic, of course. The starfish was fresh-water farmed. And the coffee? Decaf.
That's how we do things Chez Bad Mother.
(I'd wanted to do some sort of literary commentary here, pairing up WonderBaby's foods with Great Works of Literature - War and Peas! Banana Karenina! - but it seemed forced. Prince lyrics, however, can never be forced.)
These blocks are currently WonderBaby's very favorite thing in the world. If she catches the slightest glimpse of them, or even hears the clack of wood block on wood block as Mommy's foot knocks by them (because, yes, I am lax, lax, with the tidying), she will hoot and whoot until she is within grasping distance. Preferably sitting up, with the box at hand to pull the blocks out of, but propped up on elbows on tummy will sometimes do. And she will sit and play with them for loooong stretches of minutes. And Mommy sits on the floor and plays with her for a while and then brings laptop and coffee to the floor and the two ladies sit quietly together, occupied with their letters. And it is good.
But I've recently noticed that some of the blocks - which have letters, numbers, and simple pictures stamped into them - are a bit odd. The numbers and letters are straightforward enough, but some of the images, well...
Okay, so that creature in the middle of the left column, that's some kind of stylized horse, right? That's my guess, but I'm not sure. The creature on the bottom right block is what, though? Whiskers but no ears; legs and a stubby tail. The head is seal-like, but the rest of it?
And the one on the uppermost right? A factory, maybe? Workhouse for children with smokestack? Or is it a rocket?
The uppermost left block is, the Husband says, a gondola. Which strikes me as an odd subject for a picture that is stamped on a child's wooden toy block. But then I thought that it was a bunny with a spear through its head, sitting on a hunk of mouldy cheese, so what do I know?
I don't even have words, funny or otherwise, for the picture on the block that is middle of the righthand column.
And the bottom left image is clearly a bottle of Ambien or Xanax.
So what, I ask you, is a child (or a parent, for that matter) supposed to make of these? What will I tell WonderBaby when she is old enough to ask what the pictures are? That's a picture of the bottle of little pills that help Mommy sleep, sweetie...
I suppose that the beauty of these blocks as playthings is that they will encourage her to make up words and to invent explanations for the pictures. A rockethouse! A kittyhorse! A jar of magical beans!
But until she is old enough to explain these pictures to me, I'll have to turn to you. Please, anyone, WTF are they?
Bad Mother Math


text:
US Core Portfolio
Fund Facts
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Pricing & Performance
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. For the most recent month-end performance figures, please select the "month" timeframe or call 1-800-548-7786. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and fund shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For additional important information, please click here.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Average Annual Total Returns
As of
As of
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The Portfolio's calendar year returns do not include the deduction of any applicable sales charges.
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Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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as of 05/31/2024
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Out of 1289 Funds.
Class I Shares Fund ratings out of 5 Stars:
3Yrs. 4 Stars; 5Yrs. 5 Stars .
Rankings are based on total returns, are historical and do not guarantee future results. Ratings are based on Risk Adjusted Return. For additional Morningstar information, refer to the disclosures below.
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Portfolio turnover is sourced from the fund's current prospectus. View current prospectus for the as of date.
Portfolio Managers
Andrew Slimmon
Head of Applied Equity Advisors Team
37 years industry experience
Phillip Kim
Executive Director
20 years industry experience


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Last Updated November 7, 2011, Version 2.0
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(b) We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to refuse to transmit or post, and to disclose, block or remove any Content, including but not limited to, Personal Content, in whole or in part, that we, in our discretion, deem to be in violation of these Terms or otherwise harmful to persons using the Services, regardless of whether this material or its dissemination is unlawful. We retain the right, but not the obligation, to monitor all transmissions and postings of Personal Content and other materials from time to time to investigate or prevent violations of these Terms. In addition, we may also take reasonable steps, including the limiting or filtering of the number of emails, chat messages or posts sent or received by a user or member.
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(m) "stalk" or otherwise harass another person or user or member;
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(o) disclose any telephone numbers, street addresses, last names, URLs or email addresses in any user or member profile that you create.
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Colorbond fencing is a very interactive fencing option and it can decorate your overall home exterior. There are different materials used in colorbond fencing. Steel is the main material for most of the fencing types because it is smooth, reliable, strong and very long lasting. Pvc coated steel is another option that can be used for fencing because it can be easily painted. Colorbond fencing has certain advantages over other types of fencing such as:
Colorbond fencing is used in residential areas for more privacy, secure and colourful garden. If you live in an area where you experience strong winds and too cold to handle, then colorbond fencing can be installed around your home.
This fencing type will prevent the wind from causing structural damage and keep home temperature at norm. If you can match it with your overall home exterior, it increases property value. You can also consult with your interior or exterior designer to ensure that you are using the right colour combination.
You can find the latest trends in Wills and then decide the best possible design. You should never compromise on the quality of material because substandard and ordinary material will deteriorate easily. You can search online for colorbond fencing and you will find some very high quality colorbond fencing designs as well as companies that provide you fencing options plus solutions in Wills.
"The level of service we received was very refreshing. We would recommend them to other customers. Keep up the good work."


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Kate Sutton Holiday Train Holiday Drawer Box Cards
Galison/Mudpuppy is a New York based company that offers beautiful stationery. They recently released the playful holiday line designed by Kate Sutton that includes holiday gift tags, magnetic pads, greeting cards, journal and much more. The products can be purchased from their website and amazon.com.


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Most defrag tools only allow you to defrag an entire drive. Defraggler lets you specify one or more files, folders, or the whole drive to defragment.
When Defraggler reads or writes a file, it uses the exact same techniques that Windows uses. Using Defraggler is just as safe for your files as using Windows.
At a glance, you can see how fragmented your hard drive is. Defraggler's drive map shows you blocks that are empty, not fragmented, or needing defragmentation.
* Give your hard drive a quick touch-up with Quick Defrag
* Organizes empty disk space to further prevent fragmentation
* Defragment while you sleep - and wake up with a faster PC. Set Defraggler to run daily, weekly or monthly
* Full Windows OS and Multi-lingual support
* Boot time defrag of system files
* Supports 37 major languages
Defraggler is made by Piriform, the company that also brought you CCleaner and Recuva, so is completely free!


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SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Will the Marlboro Man light up a joint soon?
The states of Washington and Colorado legalized possession of small amounts of recreational marijuana in the November elections, but it is unclear if any cigarette makers plan to supply either market.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. President Barack Obama indicated last week that going after individual users won't be a priority, but there's no firm indication yet what action the Justice Department might take against states or businesses that participate in the nascent pot market, which has the potential to be large.
For example, analysts have estimated that a legal pot market could bring Washington state hundreds of millions of dollars a year in new tax revenue for schools, health care and basic government functions.
Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA, maker of Marlboro, based in Richmond, Va., was vague when asked about the future intentions of the nation's largest tobacco company.
"We have a practice of not commenting or speculating on future business," Phelps said, adding "tobacco companies are in the business of manufacturing and marketing tobacco products."
Less mysterious was Bryan Hatchell, a spokesman for the second-largest cigarette maker, Reynolds American Inc., maker of Camel and Pall Mall, among many others.
"Reynolds American has no plans to produce or market marijuana products in either of those states," Hatchell said. "It's not part of our strategy."
But if major tobacco companies are not going to supply the new markets, it appears there are some ready to step in.
The Washington State Liquor Control Board is receiving plenty of applications from people who want to be certified to be able to grow pot legally, even though the agency is not yet soliciting such applications. Agency spokesman Brian Smith said Tuesday that some applications so far have come from people who have long been growing marijuana when it was against state law.
"We're getting a lot of interest from people that want to be producers," Smith said. "Some say they have been growing it illegally until now."
Indoor growing operations appear to be the most productive and secure for marijuana, Smith said.
"But we could have outdoor grows in eastern Washington," he said.
Since no state had previously legalized marijuana possession, Washington must invent a production system from the ground up, Smith said. Colorado did have a licensed system for growing medical marijuana, but that was very tightly regulated and probably more stringent than Washington needs, Smith said.
"We don't need to get to the level of oversight Colorado has in medical marijuana," he said.
Washington's new law decriminalizes possession of up to an ounce of pot for people over 21. But selling marijuana remains illegal for now. The initiative gave the state a year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage.
In Colorado, a 24-member task force began work on pot regulations this week. The state's Department of Revenue must adopt the regulations by July, with sales possible by year's end.


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WILLIAM McKINLEY Second Inaugural Address March 4, 1901
My Fellow-Citizens:
When we assembled here on the 4th of March, 1897, there was great anxiety with regard to our currency and credit. None exists now. Then our Treasury receipts were inadequate to meet the current obligations of the Government. Now they are sufficient for all public needs, and we have a surplus instead of a deficit. Then I felt constrained to convene the Congress in extraordinary session to devise revenues to pay the ordinary expenses of the Government. Now I have the satisfaction to announce that the Congress just closed has reduced taxation in the sum of $41,000,000. Then there was deep solicitude because of the long depression in our manufacturing, mining, agricultural, and mercantile industries and the consequent distress of our laboring population. Now every avenue of production is crowded with activity, labor is well employed, and American products find good markets at home and abroad.
Our diversified productions, however, are increasing in such unprecedented volume as to admonish us of the necessity of still further enlarging our foreign markets by broader commercial relations. For this purpose reciprocal trade arrangements with other nations should in liberal spirit be carefully cultivated and promoted.
The national verdict of 1896 has for the most part been executed. Whatever remains unfulfilled is a continuing obligation resting with undiminished force upon the Executive and the Congress. But fortunate as our condition is, its permanence can only be assured by sound business methods and strict economy in national administration and legislation. We should not permit our great prosperity to lead us to reckless ventures in business or profligacy in public expenditures. While the Congress determines the objects and the sum of appropriations, the officials of the executive departments are responsible for honest and faithful disbursement, and it should be their constant care to avoid waste and extravagance.
Honesty, capacity, and industry are nowhere more indispensable than in public employment. These should be fundamental requisites to original appointment and the surest guaranties against removal.
Four years ago we stood on the brink of war without the people knowing it and without any preparation or effort at preparation for the impending peril. I did all that in honor could be done to avert the war, but without avail. It became inevitable; and the Congress at its first regular session, without party division, provided money in anticipation of the crisis and in preparation to meet it. It came. The result was signally favorable to American arms and in the highest degree honorable to the Government. It imposed upon us obligations from which we cannot escape and from which it would be dishonorable to seek escape. We are now at peace with the world, and it is my fervent prayer that if differences arise between us and other powers they may be settled by peaceful arbitration and that hereafter we may be spared the horrors of war.
Intrusted by the people for a second time with the office of President, I enter upon its administration appreciating the great responsibilities which attach to this renewed honor and commission, promising unreserved devotion on my part to their faithful discharge and reverently invoking for my guidance the direction and favor of Almighty God. I should shrink from the duties this day assumed if I did not feel that in their performance I should have the co-operation of the wise and patriotic men of all parties. It encourages me for the great task which I now undertake to believe that those who voluntarily committed to me the trust imposed upon the Chief Executive of the Republic will give to me generous support in my duties to "preserve, protect, and defend, the Constitution of the United States" and to "care that the laws be faithfully executed." The national purpose is indicated through a national election. It is the constitutional method of ascertaining the public will. When once it is registered it is a law to us all, and faithful observance should follow its decrees.
Strong hearts and helpful hands are needed, and, fortunately, we have them in every part of our beloved country. We are reunited. Sectionalism has disappeared. Division on public questions can no longer be traced by the war maps of 1861. These old differences less and less disturb the judgment. Existing problems demand the thought and quicken the conscience of the country, and the responsibility for their presence, as well as for their righteous settlement, rests upon us all--no more upon me than upon you. There are some national questions in the solution of which patriotism should exclude partisanship. Magnifying their difficulties will not take them off our hands nor facilitate their adjustment. Distrust of the capacity, integrity, and high purposes of the American people will not be an inspiring theme for future political contests. Dark pictures and gloomy forebodings are worse than useless. These only becloud, they do not help to point the way of safety and honor. "Hope maketh not ashamed." The prophets of evil were not the builders of the Republic, nor in its crises since have they saved or served it. The faith of the fathers was a mighty force in its creation, and the faith of their descendants has wrought its progress and furnished its defenders. They are obstructionists who despair, and who would destroy confidence in the ability of our people to solve wisely and for civilization the mighty problems resting upon them. The American people, intrenched in freedom at home, take their love for it with them wherever they go, and they reject as mistaken and unworthy the doctrine that we lose our own liberties by securing the enduring foundations of liberty to others. Our institutions will not deteriorate by extension, and our sense of justice will not abate under tropic suns in distant seas. As heretofore, so hereafter will the nation demonstrate its fitness to administer any new estate which events devolve upon it, and in the fear of God will "take occasion by the hand and make the bounds of freedom wider yet." If there are those among us who would make our way more difficult, we must not be disheartened, but the more earnestly dedicate ourselves to the task upon which we have rightly entered. The path of progress is seldom smooth. New things are often found hard to do. Our fathers found them so. We find them so. They are inconvenient. They cost us something. But are we not made better for the effort and sacrifice, and are not those we serve lifted up and blessed?
We will be consoled, to, with the fact that opposition has confronted every onward movement of the Republic from its opening hour until now, but without success. The Republic has marched on and on, and its step has exalted freedom and humanity. We are undergoing the same ordeal as did our predecessors nearly a century ago. We are following the course they blazed. They triumphed. Will their successors falter and plead organic impotency in the nation? Surely after 125 years of achievement for mankind we will not now surrender our equality with other powers on matters fundamental and essential to nationality. With no such purpose was the nation created. In no such spirit has it developed its full and independent sovereignty. We adhere to the principle of equality among ourselves, and by no act of ours will we assign to ourselves a subordinate rank in the family of nations.
My fellow-citizens, the public events of the past four years have gone into history. They are too near to justify recital. Some of them were unforeseen; many of them momentous and far-reaching in their consequences to ourselves and our relations with the rest of the world. The part which the United States bore so honorably in the thrilling scenes in China, while new to American life, has been in harmony with its true spirit and best traditions, and in dealing with the results its policy will be that of moderation and fairness.
We face at this moment a most important question that of the future relations of the United States and Cuba. With our near neighbors we must remain close friends. The declaration of the purposes of this Government in the resolution of April 20, 1898, must be made good. Ever since the evacuation of the island by the army of Spain, the Executive, with all practicable speed, has been assisting its people in the successive steps necessary to the establishment of a free and independent government prepared to assume and perform the obligations of international law which now rest upon the United States under the treaty of Paris. The convention elected by the people to frame a constitution is approaching the completion of its labors. The transfer of American control to the new government is of such great importance, involving an obligation resulting from our intervention and the treaty of peace, that I am glad to be advised by the recent act of Congress of the policy which the legislative branch of the Government deems essential to the best interests of Cuba and the United States. The principles which led to our intervention require that the fundamental law upon which the new government rests should be adapted to secure a government capable of performing the duties and discharging the functions of a separate nation, of observing its international obligations of protecting life and property, insuring order, safety, and liberty, and conforming to the established and historical policy of the United States in its relation to Cuba.
The peace which we are pledged to leave to the Cuban people must carry with it the guaranties of permanence. We became sponsors for the pacification of the island, and we remain accountable to the Cubans, no less than to our own country and people, for the reconstruction of Cuba as a free commonwealth on abiding foundations of right, justice, liberty, and assured order. Our enfranchisement of the people will not be completed until free Cuba shall "be a reality, not a name; a perfect entity, not a hasty experiment bearing within itself the elements of failure."
While the treaty of peace with Spain was ratified on the 6th of February, 1899, and ratifications were exchanged nearly two years ago, the Congress has indicated no form of government for the Philippine Islands. It has, however, provided an army to enable the Executive to suppress insurrection, restore peace, give security to the inhabitants, and establish the authority of the United States throughout the archipelago. It has authorized the organization of native troops as auxiliary to the regular force. It has been advised from time to time of the acts of the military and naval officers in the islands, of my action in appointing civil commissions, of the instructions with which they were charged, of their duties and powers, of their recommendations, and of their several acts under executive commission, together with the very complete general information they have submitted. These reports fully set forth the conditions, past and present, in the islands, and the instructions clearly show the principles which will guide the Executive until the Congress shall, as it is required to do by the treaty, determine "the civil rights and political status of the native inhabitants." The Congress having added the sanction of its authority to the powers already possessed and exercised by the Executive under the Constitution, thereby leaving with the Executive the responsibility for the government of the Philippines, I shall continue the efforts already begun until order shall be restored throughout the islands, and as fast as conditions permit will establish local governments, in the formation of which the full co-operation of the people has been already invited, and when established will encourage the people to administer them. The settled purpose, long ago proclaimed, to afford the inhabitants of the islands self- government as fast as they were ready for it will be pursued with earnestness and fidelity. Already something has been accomplished in this direction. The Government's representatives, civil and military, are doing faithful and noble work in their mission of emancipation and merit the approval and support of their countrymen. The most liberal terms of amnesty have already been communicated to the insurgents, and the way is still open for those who have raised their arms against the Government for honorable submission to its authority. Our countrymen should not be deceived. We are not waging war against the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands. A portion of them are making war against the United States. By far the greater part of the inhabitants recognize American sovereignty and welcome it as a guaranty of order and of security for life, property, liberty, freedom of conscience, and the pursuit of happiness. To them full protection will be given. They shall not be abandoned. We will not leave the destiny of the loyal millions the islands to the disloyal thousands who are in rebellion against the United States. Order under civil institutions will come as soon as those who now break the peace shall keep it. Force will not be needed or used when those who make war against us shall make it no more. May it end without further bloodshed, and there be ushered in the reign of peace to be made permanent by a government of liberty under law!
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All rights to the products, photos and video - belong to their creators. We are not a dealer and do not sell products - all purchases you make movies the owners or their representatives. We do not store any video on our server. All the products are located at the owners or their dealers. All movies are legal and allowed the free market - submit complaints to the video their producers!


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Mitt Romney, 65, has spent the better part of a decade running for president. And as the son of a Michigan governor who headed a Detroit auto company, he's been in the public eye much longer.
Yet the former Massachusetts governor has remained an enigma to many voters, his political positions malleable, and much of his business and private life — including his Mormon religion — intentionally obscured.
Or simply declared off limits, like years of his tax returns.
In coming days, however, Romney, an unsuccessful GOP primary candidate in 2008, has the opportunity to begin dissolving the mystery of Mitt as he accepts his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
He'll arrive in Florida locked in a bitter, dead-heat national contest with President Obama, facing an uphill battle in important battleground states but within striking distance of the White House.
The convention, however, comes in the wake of a tumultuous political period that has put Republicans and Romney, who amassed great wealth as a Boston-based private equity guru, on the defensive about women's health and reproductive rights, and over the remaking of Medicare under the budget plan of his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Romney drove the conversation further off message Friday, when he made a joke in his home state of Michigan about how "no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate." It was a reference to the fringe "birther" conspiracists who, despite evidence showing that Obama was born in Hawaii, continue to question his birthplace.
It's far from the economy-and-jobs message the nominee-in-waiting intended to ride to Tampa and beyond.
But in the convention, Tropical Storm Isaac permitting, lies great potential for a national relaunch of Romney, who emerged from a rollicking primary season as the establishment candidate. And he's been giving clear hints of what he'll emphasize.
In recent days, Romney has touted lessons learned from his Bain Capital business experience and his work on the Salt Lake City Olympics. He's also talked about his late father's influence and taken a "drill, baby, drill" page from Sarah Palin's 2008 convention playbook.
As Romney moves to the big, potentially defining stage in Tampa, we looked at what the candidate might want to do to make a case for himself to a national audience.
Talk To Ohio
Ohio voters may be leaning toward Obama at this point in the race, according to two new polls, but the state with its trove of 18 electoral votes remains the ultimate battleground this fall.
Romney would be well-advised to imagine he is speaking directly to the Buckeye State voters, if not by name, because the payoff would resonate far behind the state's boundaries, says Eric Rademacher, director of the Ohio Poll out of the University of Cincinnati.
And that means talking about the economy — not selling a Medicare redo or defending an abortion position.
"We have conducted the Ohio Poll since 1982, and during that time I have been frequently surprised at the degree to which the attitudes and opinions match the attitudes and opinions of Americans as reflected in national polls," Rademacher says. "The current Ohio Poll is no different."
Released this week, it shows Ohio voters focused on economic conditions — jobs, lowering unemployment and addressing the budget deficit and federal debt.
"The president will continue to emphasize the positives on his record and his plan for the future," Rademacher says. "The onus is on the Romney campaign to critique Obama's presidency and to provide an alternative."
All other issues will be prioritized by how well they connect to economic considerations, he says, barring a significant foreign policy event.
There is still opportunity to persuade voters: In Ohio, 13 percent of voters supporting either Romney or Obama told Ohio Poll surveyors that they were open to changing their minds; 4 percent said they were undecided.
"Sometimes we forget that politics is not exactly the No. 1 passion of Americans," Rademacher said, pointing to this opportunity for Romney: "Many Ohio voters have not paid much attention to politics since the primaries."
Now, they are.
Embrace Religion, Gently
Romney will make history this week when he becomes the first Mormon to accept the presidential nomination of a major political party.
"It's a notable moment," says religion expert David Campbell, a political scientist who directs the University of Notre Dame's Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy. He is also a Mormon.
"This is the first presidential election ever where none of the presidential or vice presidential candidates are white Protestants, and that's really remarkable," Campbell says. "It says something about the diversity of American, not just racial, but religion, too."
With polls showing conservative Christians — a key part of the GOP base — uncomfortable with Romney's religion, the candidate has worn his faith lightly and only recently invited reporters to join him during a Mormon service.
He addressed his faith in a 2007 speech, but not specifically again.
Campbell suggests, however, that Romney's faith is a key to voters' understanding of him and how he leads his life.
"The course of this campaign has demonstrated that when Mitt Romney's experience as a leader in the church is covered in the press, it serves to deepen voters' understanding of him," Campbell says. "It humanizes him, and I think there's not much risk in opening that part of his life."
Chronicles of Romney's time as a pastorlike Mormon bishop in Boston include accounts of him meeting with couples struggling in their marriages and meeting with families, and have evoked powerful images.
"It seems to me that when that side of his faith is put on display, it can only help him," Campbell says. "Undoubtedly, in the campaign they are considering whether [if] they open that door, it will swing wide open and all questions about Mormonism will emerge."
A bit unfairly, it can be argued. Romney's vice presidential pick Ryan, and Vice President Biden, both Catholics, aren't quizzed on their church's belief in transubstantiation, Campbell notes. Nor was Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in 2000, who is Jewish, asked to authenticate the story of Moses parting the Red Sea.
Mormons, proud of the positive publicity the church received after Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, were surprised at the antagonism and resistance Romney faced for his beliefs when he ran in 2008, Campbell says.
Romney has a balance to strike, certainly, but if he can talk about his faith in a way that helps voters relate to him, it could be invaluable. Why? He continues to trail Obama badly among voters on that elusive "likability" measure.
Humanize, Humanize, Humanize
At the 1992 Democratic convention, the party introduced its candidate with a film called The Man from Hope.
It launched Bill Clinton, in all his promise and with a nod to his flaws, into the national consciousness and is considered the gold standard — no matter your feelings about the former president — in political messaging.
Hollywood film and television producer Harry Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, created the film and managed the president's image for years to come.
We asked Harry Thomason how Romney's team should introduce him next week; how the longtime married father of five, and grandfather of 18, could replicate the moment Clinton had two decades ago.
"They've got to pluck a few heartstrings," Thomason says. But he adds that creating a compelling human narrative for Romney presents more challenges than it did for Clinton, whose hardscrabble beginnings in the segregated South and burning ambition provided enough material for "three good acts."
"The problem is that [Romney] seems to have suffered very little adversity, and in storytelling it helps if there's something that doesn't go right," Thomason says.
"He seems like a very nice guy, a private person, and that's admirable," he says. "So you have to use the people who know him best to tell the story — family and very close friends. The kinds of things that you can make resonate — not something he can tell, but others can."
People who are going to vote are going to watch the conventions, said Thomason, an Obama supporter.
"I believe," he says, "this is terribly important for him."
On that, Obama and Romney supporters can agree.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Google Inc. avoided about $2 billion in worldwide income taxes in 2011 by shifting $9.8 billion in revenues into a Bermuda shell company, almost double the total from three years before, filings show.
By legally funneling profits from overseas subsidiaries into Bermuda, which doesn't have a corporate income tax, Google cut its overall tax rate almost in half. The amount moved to Bermuda is equivalent to about 80 percent of Google's total pretax profit in 2011.
The increase in Google's revenues routed to Bermuda, disclosed in a Nov. 21 filing by a subsidiary in the Netherlands, could fuel the outrage spreading across Europe and in the U.S. over corporate tax dodging. Governments in France, the U.K., Italy and Australia are probing Google's tax avoidance as they seek to boost revenue during economic doldrums.
Last week, the European Union's executive body, the European Commission, advised member states to create blacklists of tax havens and adopt anti-abuse rules. Tax evasion and avoidance, which cost the EU 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) a year, are "scandalous" and "an attack on the fundamental principle of fairness," Algirdas Semeta, the EC's commissioner for taxation, said at a press conference in Brussels.
'Deep Embarrassment'
"The tax strategy of Google and other multinationals is a deep embarrassment to governments around Europe," said Richard Murphy, an accountant and director of Tax Research LLP in Norfolk, England. "The political awareness now being created in the U.K., and to a lesser degree elsewhere in Europe, is: It's us or them. People understand that if Google doesn't pay, somebody else has to pay or services get cut."
Google said it complies with all tax rules, and its investment in various European countries helps their economies. In the U.K., "we also employ over 2,000 people, help hundreds of thousands of businesses to grow online, and invest millions supporting new tech businesses in East London," the Mountain View, California-based company said in a statement.
The Internet search giant has avoided billions of dollars in income taxes around the world using a pair of tax shelter strategies known as the Double Irish and Dutch Sandwich, Bloomberg News reported in 2010. The tactics, permitted under tax law in the U.S. and elsewhere, move royalty payments from subsidiaries in Ireland and the Netherlands to a Bermuda unit headquartered in a local law firm.
Last year, Google reported a tax rate of just 3.2 percent on the profit it said was earned overseas, even as most of its foreign sales were in European countries with corporate income tax rates ranging from 26 percent to 34 percent.
Foreign Taxes
At a hearing last month in the U.K., members of Parliament pressed executives from Google, Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) to explain why they don't pay more taxes there.
The U.K., Google's second-biggest market, was responsible for about 11 percent of its sales, or almost $4.1 billion last year, according to company filings. Google paid 6 million pounds ($9.6 million) in U.K. income taxes.
Matt Brittin, Google's vice president for Northern and Central Europe, testified that the company pays taxes where it creates "economic value," primarily the U.S.
Still, Google attributes some profit based on technology created in the U.S. to offshore subsidiaries, lowering its U.S. taxes, according to company filings and people familiar with its tax planning. Google paid $1.5 billion in income taxes worldwide in 2011.
'Fair Share'
In the wake of the parliamentary hearing, the House of Commons issued a report last week declaring that multinationals "do not pay their fair share" of tax. The committee also criticized the U.K.'s tax collection agency, Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, for "not taking sufficiently aggressive action" and called on the agency to "get a grip" on corporate tax avoidance.
A spokesman for HMRC said the agency "ensures that multinationals pay the tax due in accordance with U.K. tax law."
The French tax authority this year proposed increasing Google's income taxes by about $1.3 billion. The agency searched Google's Paris offices in June 2011 and removed computer files as part of an examination first reported by Bloomberg last year. Google is cooperating with French authorities and works with them "to answer all their questions on Google France and our service," the company said.
Italian Audit
In Italy, the Tax Police began an audit of Google last month and recently searched the company's Milan offices, as well as the offices of Facebook Inc. (FB), according to a person familiar with the matter. "It's very common for companies to be audited, and we have been working closely with the Italian authorities for some time," Google said. "So far we have not had any demands for additional tax in Italy."
Facebook, based in Menlo Park, California, is cooperating with the Italian tax authority and "we take our obligations under the Italian tax code very seriously," a company spokeswoman said.
In Australia, the country's assistant treasurer gave a speech last month outlining Google's tax avoidance strategies.
The use of offshore shelters to avoid corporate taxes has prompted calls for reform in the U.S. as well. The Treasury Department has repeatedly proposed since 2009, with little success, to make it harder for multinationals to bypass taxes by shifting profit into tax havens.
Transfer Pricing
Multinational companies cut their tax bills using "transfer pricing," paper transactions among corporate subsidiaries that allow for allocating income to tax havens and expenses to higher-tax countries.
In Google's case, an Irish subsidiary collects revenues from ads sold in countries like the U.K. and France. That Irish unit in turn pays royalties to another Irish subsidiary, whose legal residence for tax purposes is in Bermuda.
The pair of Irish units gives rise to the nickname "Double Irish." To avoid an Irish withholding tax, Google channeled the payments to Bermuda through a subsidiary in the Netherlands — thus the "Dutch Sandwich" label. The Netherlands subsidiary has no employees.
The Dutch unit's payments to the Bermuda entity last year were up 81 percent to $9.8 billion from $5.4 billion in 2008. Google's overseas sales have increased at about the same rate.
Google's overall effective tax rate dropped to 21 percent last year from about 28 percent in 2008. That compares with the average combined U.S. and state statutory rate of about 39 percent.
(Source: Bloomberg)
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From our Circular Beauty community <3
L-Lactic Cleanser
Size: 200ml | RRP $62
The Details
Opened: March 2024
Condition: Nearly New - About 95% full
This product has been assessed by a member of our team and meets our Beauty Product Criteria.
Note: Second Skin is a reseller and not affiliated with Skinstitut.
Unless otherwise stated, the image and listing description match exactly the item you are purchasing.
All orders are dispatched daily from our warehouse in Auckland and delivered between Monday - Friday by NZPost. We aim to have orders delivered 2 - 3 business days from the time of purchase.
Valid NZPost PO Boxes can be delivered to.
- Free shipping is provided on orders of $79 and over. This is standard, tracked shipping that doesn't require a signature.
- North & South Island Metropolitan - $5.50 (+$1.00 for a signature)
- North & South Island Rural - $9.50 (+$1.00 for a signature)
All items on our website are for final sale and not returnable. See our Refund Policy for more details.
Samples of your choice
Choose up to two samples with your order x
Feeling curious?
We've answered the questions you'll likely have about shopping with Second Skin.
Answered by Anastasia, our Founder.
Prior to launching Second Skin, I spent a significant amount of time and research on this matter, as without the confidence of our customers, we would not exist.
The outcome of my research was that the only way the business would work is by using a consignment model and having robust product criteria.
We are the middleman between our Sellers and our customers, ensuring that every item featured on our online store meets one set of criteria - ours.
Our Sellers submit their products to us and must declare all opened products along with the product's open date. We determine if the product meets our criteria based on an in-person assessment and the information provided by the Seller.
If the product is accepted, we create its listing (including taking our own images of each item, so what you 'see' is exactly what you get) and it is stored with us for the duration of its listing.
Absolutely not.
There are certain products that are unfit for resale and these are outlined in our resale-friendly criteria.
In short though, you'll never see the following for sale with us:
- Expired products.
- Opened/Used products with a reusuable applicator (think mascara, lip gloss, concealer).
- Opened/Used products that come in open-jar packaging.
- Used cream-based makeup.
Absolutely, yes. Read on for how each type of item is sanitised.
Unopened/Unused items are left unopened, and the outside packaging is santisied with isopropyl alcohol.
Opened products are sanitised according to the product type.- Pressed powders are wiped clean of excess powder and lightly spritzed with isopropyl alcohol.
- Tubes and bottles with a pump are cleared of existing product in the pump and wiped with isopropyl alcohol.
- Tubes and bottles without a pump are wiped with isopropyl alcohol.
- Dropper bottles are cleared of existing product in the dropper. The cap is wiped with isopropyl alcohol.
- Pressed powders are wiped clean of excess powder and lightly spritzed with isopropyl alcohol.
Our story
"I started Second Skin in April 2020 after purchasing a skincare product that my skin negatively reacted to. Although I had carefully researched the product, it wasn't until I had bought it and tried it for myself that I knew it wasn't for me – which left me with a near-new product that I had no use for and $55 out-of-pocket."
- Anastasia, Founder of Second Skin