text:
KeePassX is a password manager or or safe that helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key-disk. You only have to remember one single master password or insert the key-disk to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using AES or Twofish.
Packrat is a media collection manager application for Android. You can use it to add books, CDs, games, movies, etc. to your collection by scanning their barcodes and organizing them onto shelves. You can let Packrat organize your items into smart shelves, or manually stack items onto shelves of your own creation. You can also track items you don't have yet on a "wishlist" shelf.
Slackpack is a package manager for Slackware Linux. It has a friendly GUI environment and can install packages, list installed packages, remove Slackware Linux packages (.tgz or .txz), and convert to .tgz format from .deb or .rpm. It can download Slackware Linux packages from package repositories, and can create .tgz packages from an application's source code.
MuDownManager is a program for managing downloads from Megaupload and Rapidshare for premium members. It is lightweight and cross-platform. Downloads can be started in a batch by specifying a list of URLs. Links can be copied directly from your preferred Web browser and pasted into MuDownManager. MuDownManager lets you skip LinkBucks. It has a very simple and intuitive GUI. It is pluggable, allowing support for other download sites to be added in the future.
elFinder is a Web-based file manager that was inspired by the simplicity and convenience of Mac OS X's Finder. It attempts to make working with remote files as convenient as working with those on your computer. It supports QuickLook for most types of files, copy/move with drag and drop, hot keys, a built-in text editor, context menus, and much more.
DrugList is an Android application for scheduling drug prescriptions. The prescription names are entered into a database, along with the time they are taken. When you exit that activity with the "Save and Exit" button, the time and date for the next medication to be taken is computed, and a system alarm is set. When that alarm fires, you see a ListView with only the drugs due at that time.
V CAST Media Manager is an application to manage videos, pictures, and music on your phone and computer. It can be used to save the pictures and videos created with your phone onto your computer. It can transfer files between your computer and phone via a compatible USB cable. It can be used to create picture albums, slideshows, and video playlists. Its included editing tools can be used to touch up pictures. It can transfer songs from your computer to your phone. It can import music and playlists from other applications. It can rip and burn CDs. It can also be used with an optional online storage subscription account to upload and backup your files and download them later from the Web or a compatible phone.


text:
So I saw this on Bleacher Report (I know silly site take what it is with a grain of salt etc)
The players listed are intriguing to me though.
SG/SF Mike Dunleavy Jr.
SG J.J. Redick
SF/PF Carl Landry
PG Devin Harris
PF/C Carlos Boozer
C JaVale McGee******
PG/SG Jarrett Jack******
PF/C Luis Scola
I put*** beside the ones there are no shot of landing. J.Jack was already here and is likely going to stay in GS and Mcgee is a talented knucklehead likely staying in Denver. The list is interesting Toronto is in rumors for these players.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dodgers have even mix of incoming offense, defense
By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com
The future success of every Major League team lies largely in its Minor League pipeline. With that in mind, MLB.com is looking at each team's farm system, from the Top 20 Prospects to under-the-radar types.
The influx of spending by the Dodgers, both at the big league level and in the farm system, offers the club something every team wishes it had when it comes to developing young talent: time.
"It gives us an opportunity to continue to finish these players off and get them to be completed players, so that when they are ready to go to the big leagues, we're not in a hurry to rush them there," Dodgers farm director De Jon Watson said. "It buys us a little more time."
A little more time may be all the club needs, with a steadily improving farm system that projects a top five featuring a pair of arms that could make a significant impact down the road, and three bats filled with pop.
Offensively, it's Yasiel Puig atop our rankings. The Dodgers signed Puig out of Cuba for $42 million. Now, the 22-year-old outfielder is generating a ton of buzz for his power potential, though he struggled this winter in the Puerto Rican League. But Watson sees more than just home runs in Puig's future.
"You look at this guy's skill set, and his tools are pretty impressive," Watson said, noting Puig's speed as well. "It's going to be fun to watch him grow and develop this year. For him, it's about being selective and selective in the strike zone."
Joc Pederson and Corey Seager offer the Dodgers another pair of important young bats.
Seager will start the 2013 season at shortstop, though many have hinted third base will be the spot for him because of his size. That move most likely won't take place this season, but it may make more sense for the club down the road.
The Dodgers feel Seager, 18, has the athleticism and the approach such that a position shift would not mess with his progress. Offensively, Watson said Seager had one of the most advanced plate approaches of anyone coming out of high school in last year's Draft.
Pederson has hit just about everywhere he's been since being drafted in the 11th round of the 2010 Draft. This season should offer him a tougher test, however, as he is likely to make the jump to Double-A. Expect Pederson to spend most of his time in center field.
As for the arms, there's right-hander Zach Lee, whom the Dodgers managed to sign away from playing quarterback at LSU. Lee has four pitches that he can command and throw for strikes, but he lacks a go-to out pitch that could make him a top-level arm.
Chris Reed also made a splash when the Dodgers took him in the 2011 first round out of Stanford as a closer. They hoped he would be able to progress into a starter, and he certainly has three pitches with which to do so.
But Reed barely logged 70 innings last season. He's on track to start the 2013 season at Double-A, and it could be a vital year in his progression. At worst though, he projects as an impact lefty out of the 'pen.
"We're taking the reins off, and we're going to let him go out and compete," Watson said of Reed in 2013. "We'll see his skill set and how he matches up with the league. I think he's going to be one of those kids that really steps up to the opportunity."
Top 20 prospects
Puig, Lee, Pederson, Seager and Reed -- in that order -- mark the top five in our club prospect rankings this spring. But there's plenty more talent. The system has grown in depth, specifically younger guys who could make an impact down the road.
Onelki Garcia, a powerful left-hander, sits at sixth on the list, and with good reason. His fastball can touch the upper 90s, and if he can polish off his changeup, it would be a perfect complement for the heater.
Right-hander Matt Magill sits in seventh after a season in which his fastball velocity jumped about 4 mph, into the 90-95 range. The Dodgers are high on Magill not just because of his velocity, but also because of his poise, his competitiveness and his deceptive changeup.
The club also has three players who made their big league debuts last season cracking this spring's top-20 list -- catcher Tim Federowicz, lefty Paco Rodriguez and outfielder Alex Castellanos.
And the list doesn't include international signee Hyun-Jin Ryu because players who are least 23 years of age and have played as a professional in a league recognized by the Commissioner's Office for a minimum of five seasons are not eligible for consideration. The Dodgers committed more than $62 million to sign the 25-year-old Korean, who will slide into the middle of their starting rotation.
dodgers' top prospects
|Yasiel Puig
|Zach Lee
|Joc Pederson
|Corey Seager
|Chris Reed
Under the radar
Although Jose Dominguez will miss the first 25 games of the season for a violation of the Minor League drug prevention and treatment program, he still possesses one of the most live arms in the Dodgers organization.
With a fastball in the upper 90s and a slider that bites, he has two put-away pitches. He will most likely start the season where he finished last year -- at Double-A Chattanooga.
Also worth keeping an eye on is catcher Chris O'Brien, who the club believes handles a pitching staff very well and has gap power.
Hitter of the Year: Pederson
With Puig still shaking off some of the rust, we'll go with Pederson here. There's plenty to like about Pederson, who hit .313/.396/.516 with high Class A Rancho Cucamonga last season. And he is still developing in his selectivity at the plate. Expect him to hone that in this season and piece together a big year.
Pitcher of the Year: Garcia
In his first full professional season, Garcia, 23, could make heads turn right away. Despite his size, velocity and strikeout numbers, he is not solely a power pitcher. The Dodgers are very impressed with his pitching smarts as well. The club selected him in the third round in last June's Draft.
AJ Cassavell is a reporter for MLB.com Follow him on twitter @ajcassavell. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
More Credit Unions Join The Cards Club
Credit cards are likely going to continue their expansion into the credit union industry in 2013 as more credit unions start to issue cards and credit unions that already issue them expand their programs. In an era of steadily shrinking noninterest income, improvements in fraud detection and protection, combined with more targeted underwriting and card portfolio management will continue to make credit cards an important part of portfolios.
But there will be some shifts within the credit union card issuing industry. Credit union card reward programs, often offered through deals with payment CUSO's, may be overhauled and modernized. Many credit union card reward programs still rely on a catalog, whether in paper or digital format, filled with merchandise eligible for purchase with rewards points to drive their card reward programs. But affinity rewards are moving forward at a rapid rate, and credit unions will begin to offer other forms of rewards. such as cash back and slashes in interest rates as part of the affinity reward mix.
Instant issuing of both credit cards and debit cards will continue to elbow onto the scene. Instant issuing, studies show, sharply increases card activation and member satisfaction. In addition, instantly issued debit cards also provide for instantly issued PINs that the cardholders is able to select themselves, leading again to greater member satisfaction.
Next year will also likely see the interchange rate on credit union issued debit cards continue to drop, but debit card usage will only continue to expand, blunting the impact.


text:
FSC Certified
Made in USA
The Petit Collage Squirrel & Baby Collage on Wood is a limited edition collage made by Lorena Siminovich. Unique pieces of found, vintage, and painted papers from around the world are carefully selected, hand cut & applied to custom cut FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) Certified eco friendly, formaldehyde free maple plywood using non toxic adhesives. Sealed in a non toxic, water based finish with a final glossy UV coat. This collage is pre-drilled in the back & ready to hang.
Because collages are a limited edition variée of 50 and are made by hand one at a time (in our studio in San Francisco), each collage will include subtle variations in patterns and papers that make each collage one of a kind. Every collage is an original that is numbered and signed by the artist.
Avoid direct sunlight exposure for long periods of time. Use a clean and dry cloth to wipe the surface; for best results, do not rub the surface too roughly. If you plan on storing your collage, do not put any weight on top of the surface. Save the parchment paper we provide and use it to cover the collage to prevent damage.
Dimensions: 10" x 10" x .75"
Note: As this item is custom made to order, please allow 7-10 business days to ship. This item ships only in the contiguous USA
Petit Collage is the brainchild of San Francisco based artist, designer & illustrator Lorena Siminovich. Born in Buenos Aires, Lorena has had a life long love of drawing. She studied Graphic Design and has been creating works of art enjoyed by young & old alike. In 2001, Lorena moved from Buenos Aires to New York, where she worked for an award winning company that manufactures museum quality puzzles and toys for kids. Soon thereafter she began her illustration career and relocated to San Francisco, where she now creates these one-of-a-kind pieces treasured by young art collectors.
©2008-2018 Baby Eco Trends, LLC | Site Updated January 15, 2018 | info {at} BabyEcoTrends {dot} com


text:
Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the "One Laptop Per
Child" initiative, accused chip maker Intel of undermining the OLPC by
selling its own cut-price laptop, the Classmate.
Negroponte claims that Intel is trying to drive him out of the market. According to BBC, Negroponte said that Intel hurt his mission
in trying to distribute laptops to kids in developing countries
"enormously". Intel's chairman, Craig Barrett, has denied all
claims of undercutting Negroponte's mission, stating, "We're not trying to
drive [him] out of business. We're trying to bring capability to young people."
Though the hardware specifications differ between Intel's low-cost laptops and
Negroponte's, OLPC founder believes that the main problem is that his machines
use AMD processors, Intel's main competitor. "Intel and AMD fight
viciously," he told CBS. "We're just sort of caught in the
Professor Negroponte also claimed that Intel has distributed marketing
literature to governments entailing negative aspects of the One Laptop Per
Child and outlining superior aspects of the Classmate. Some of the
literature had titles such as "the shortcomings of the One Laptop per
Child approach". Intel responded by saying that it was just making
comparisons between the Classmate PC and the other device in the market.
Countries have until May 31 to place their orders for the first round of
PCs. The launch
price will be $175 but the goal is to get them down to $100 each.
Intel is taking orders for the Classmate for over $200 each.


text:
Onsite Coverage: PSCU CEO Worries About Checks
LAS VEGAS — Young people don't want checkbooks, and it's a reality that some credit unions may be ignoring.
Michael Kelly, president/CEO of payments CUSO PSCU in St. Petersburg, Fla., shared that message during a Thursday guest speaker luncheon at NACUSO's annual conference at the Encore Las Vegas.
"There are still way too many financial institutions issuing checks. We say 'we're worried about you,'" Kelly said.
More NACUSO Coverage:
- MBL Waiver Worry
- Walking Away With Awards
- Affordable Care Act Breakout Uncovers Concerns
- NFL Legend Joe Montana Talks Teamwork
- Debate Over Who's in Charge of MBL Diligence
- First 'Next Big Idea' Winner Named
Cash may still be king leading the pact over credit cards, debit cards and checks, Kelly said citing industry data, but with mobile transactions expected to replace cash and cards by 2015, credit unions can't afford to sit on the sidelines.
In 2010, mobile payments totaled $5 billion, Kelly said. In 2015, that figure is set to soar to $119 billion given that more Americans have smartphones and with the continued growth of mobile commerce and remote payments.
"Mobile is a super channel," Kelly said.
With innovations like Bitcoins, a form of virtual currency, and more merchant partnerships being formed such as between Square and Starbucks and PayPal and Home Depot, Kelly said there are opportunities for credit unions to be players as well.
PSCU is currently working with several credit unions on a Google Wallet project, Kelly said. He mentioned the $1.2 billion Lake Trust Federal Credit Union in Lansing, Mich., being the first credit union to launch MasterPass, a digital service that allows consumers to use any payment card or enabled device to shop. Mobile subscribers are up by 28% at the $1.5 billion GTE Financial in Tampa, Fla., he added.
"There are credit unions attacking each other and stealing members. I say 'people we have 6% of the marketplace.' If we lose our core competency, it will be a long road to hoe," Kelly said.
He acknowledged that some credit unions feel they can't make this shift to mobile. Collaboration with CUSOs can help with the transition. Overhauling or upgrading a current card program may be a good entry point as well.
"The thing is some credit unions will spend $3 million for a branch but not on a virtual space," Kelly said. "Credit unions have to be in the game."


text: Alaska in mid winter? Yep we went and checked it out. Scotty Lago, Eero Niemela, Pat McCarthy with Joe Carlino filming for the new TransWorld Movie Get Real out in Sept 09. I knew the Mountains were going to be big, and the Chugach Range did not disappoint. Our luck was all over the place, we got snow, then sun but with it wind (a lot of wind). We did get to fly 6 out of 8 days up there so here's a sneak peak from our trip, look out for the full story and online videos next year in TransWorld. Don't miss an issue subscribe Here


text:
Don't you guys feel like obito is really annoying? Complening about how kakashi (and now the yellow flash) let rin die? this is the ninja world, he should know more than anyone else that nothing is certain and that death is a ninja's best friend.
I always wonder why he doesn't blame HIMSELF. He was alive after all and he couldn't save her either.
It's doesn't look like rin was meant to be a ninja at all.At least sakura has a personnality


text:
economy in the U.S. has been rough on many companies over the last few years.
Many of the major U.S. tech companies have huge amounts of money sitting in
overseas accounts that they argue could be used to fund hiring and other
programs at home.
The catch is that the tax rate on bringing that foreign money home is a
blistering 35% according to CNN Money. These companies are backing
a major lobbying campaign to get lawmakers in Washington to give them a tax
holiday that would allow the foreign money reserves to be brought home at a
massive savings on tax day. The major companies are lobbying for a tax rate on
the money in the area of 5%.
The lobbying push is still in the planning
stages, but so far major tech firms Oracle, Cisco, and Apple are backing the efforts.
Other major companies include Duke Energy and Pfizer. Between these firms, they
have an estimated $1 trillion squirreled away in foreign accounts.
The lobby effort hopes to win that steeply discounted 5% tax holiday for
backers for a full year. The goal is to get the tax holiday included in the
reform package. If the overall reform package fails in Congress, CNN
Money reports that the firms will attempt to push their tax holiday
agenda separately.
The fight for the tax holiday is going to be hard on the companies and the
lobbyists. Congress approved a similar tax holiday in 2004 as part of a package
to promote new jobs in the U.S. and many of the companies that took advantage
of the holiday to bring foreign money home instead used the money as dividends
for shareholders. A study that looked at the holiday conducted by the National
Bureau of Economic Research found that for each dollar of cash brought home in
that holiday the companies bumped shareholder payouts in the area of 60 to 92
Kristin Forbes, co-author of the study, said, "A tax holiday would bring a
substantial amount of cash back to the United States and paying that out to
shareholders is good for the economy. But if you're a politician claiming this
will create a lot of jobs or new investment, it isn't supported by the
This time around the companies aren't hiding the fact that some of the loot
brought home would be handed directly to shareholders. However, the companies
are also claim that the tax holiday would allow them to boost markets and
increase consumer confidence and the tax revenue from bringing the funds home
could allow as much as $50 billion in credits to encourage new hiring.


text:
This morning I came up with the following Raptors/Gay trade:
Toronto gets Gay and Gortat
Phoenix gets Bargnani and 2nd rounder (from Toronto)
Memphis gets Reddick, A Johnson, 2nd rounder (from Toronto)
Orlando gets Fields
For Toronto I got the idea from the Matt Moore piece on RR last week. He suggested a trade of Gortat for Bargnani and I think Gortat would be a really great big to have in the line up to help JV become a better player.
Memphis needs to shed salary (this way they save $4.3M thus getting them below luxury tax this year), and get a shooter which they need. If Reddick does not resign they save an additional $6M once his contract goes off the books.
Orlando does a lateral move by swapping Reddick for Fields. Fields is younger and can play SF which is perfect since Turk is a pile of poop. Orlando would not get cap relief if Reddick doesn't resign but they would not be a free agent destination anyway.


text:
----------------------------James the Giant wrote:Ten years after I borrowed the money, I have finally paid off my student loan and credit cards.
It's an excellent feeling, being free of that damned obligation, that albatross.
And now I am free to ordain, wonderful!
Now I have a choice:
Immediately go to Bodhivana Monastery near Melbourne and become an anagarika there, or perhaps here in Perth at Bodhinyana.
Save for six more months, and then go visit Thailand, stay at Wat Pa Nanachat for a few months, and visit Sri Lanka, to get a taste of life in a Buddhist country.
Then find a good monastery, probably back here in Australia. (or Wat Pa Nanachat if I like that.)
I am inclined towards the first option, saving 6 months more and visiting Thailand. But I guess I will visit or live there for some time anyway, as a bhikkhu.
I have 4 or 5 thousand dollars now, which would be more than enough to get me through an anagarika year in Australia, in case I needed to see a doctor or dentist or visit home just before I became a novice.
Hmm choices, choices.
Your thoughts?
Dear James The Giant...I post this MILINDA-PANHA just for you..because of your decision to go forth.
Dear Members,
After I posted "The Debate : Going Forth" @ Sariputtadhamma/JTN.
a member asked me a question about "householders and monks". I couldn't answer so I searched the Milindapanha in details and I found this wonderful Thera Nagasena's answer...so amazing I wish To share with you all.
The Debate : Lay People and Monks
[www.as.miami.edu/phi/bio/Buddha/Milinda.htm - Cached]
King Milinda said: "Venerable Nagasena, the Lord has said: 'Right spiritual progress is praiseworthy for householders and homeless wanderers alike. Both householders and homeless wanderers, when progressing rightly, can accomplish, because of their right progress, the right method, the Dharma, that which is wholesome.' If, Nagasena, a householder, dressed in white, enjoying the pleasures of the senses, inhabiting a house overcrowded with wife and family, using the sandalwood of Benares, as well as garlands, perfumes and unguents, owning gold and silver, wearing a turban ornamented with gold and jewels, can, if he progresses rightly, accomplish the right method, the Dharma, the wholesome; and if a homeless wanderer, bald-headed, clad in the saffron robe, dependent on begging for his livelihood, careful to fulfil correctly the four Sections of monastic morality, submitting to the 150 Pratimoksa rules, and observing all the thirteen Austere Practices, without omitting any one, can also, if he progresses rightly, accomplish the right method, the Dharma, the wholesome; then, Venerable Sir, what is the difference between the householder and the homeless wanderer? Fruitless is your austerity, useless is the homeless life, barren is the observation of the Pratimoksa rules, in vain do you observe the austere practices! What is the use of your inflicting pain upon yourself if you can thus while remaining at ease win the ease of Nirvana?"
Nagasena replied: "You have quoted the Lord's words correctly, your majesty. To make right progress is indeed the most excellent thing of all. And if the homeless- wanderer, in the consciousness of being a homeless wanderer, should fail to progress rightly, then he would be far from the state of an ascetic, far from a holy life; and still more so would that apply to a householder dressed in white. But both the householder and the homeless wanderer are alike in that, when they progress rightly, they accomplish the right method, the Dharma, the wholesome. And nevertheless, your majesty, it is the homeless wanderer who is the lord and master of the ascetic life, and to be a homeless wanderer has many, has numerous, has infinite virtues. To measure the virtues of being a homeless wanderer is not at all possible. It is as with a jewel that fulfils all one's wishes; one cannot measure its value in terms of money, and say that it is worth so much. Or it is as with the waves in the great ocean, which one cannot measure and say that there are so many. All that the homeless wanderer still has to do, he succeeds in doing rapidly and without taking a long time over it. And why is that so? Because the homeless wanderer, your majesty, is content with little, easily pleased, secluded from the world, not addicted to society, energetic, independent, solitary, perfect in his conduct, austere in his practice, skilled in all that concerns purification and spiritual progress. He is like your javelin, your majesty. Because that is smooth, even, well polished, straight and shining dean, therefore, when well thrown, it will fly exactly as you want it to. In the same way, whatever the homeless wanderer still has to do, he succeeds in doing it all rapidly and without taking a long time over it"
"Well spoken, Nagasena. So it is, and so I accept it."
And Nagasena continued: "But, in any case, your majesty, all those who as householders, living in a home and in the enjoyment of sensuous pleasures, realize the peace of Nirvana, the highest good, they have all been trained in their former lives in the thirteen Austere Practices peculiar to monks, and through them they have laid the foundations for their present sanctity. It is because then they had purified their conduct and behavior by means of them, that now even as householders, living in a home and in the enjoyment of sense-pleasures, they can realize the peace of Nirvana, the highest good."
"But whosoever enters the Order of monks from bad motives, from covetousness, deceitfully, out of greed and gluttony, desirous of gain, fame, or reputation, unsuitably, unqualified, unfit, unworthy, unseemingly—he shall incur a twofold punishment, which will prove ruinous to all his good qualities: in this very life he shall be scorned, derided, reproached, ridiculed and mocked; he shall be shunned, expelled, ejected, removed, and banished. And in his next life, like foam which is tossed about, up and down and across, he shall cook for many hundreds of thousands of eons of years in the great Avici hell, which is a hundred leagues big, and all ablaze with hot, scorching, fierce, and fiery flames. And when he has been released thence, his entire body will become emaciated, rough, and black, his head swollen, bloated and full of holes; hungry and thirsty, disagreeable and dreadful to look at, his ears all torn, his eyes constantly blinking, his whole body one putrid mass of sores and dense with maggots, his bowels all afire and blazing like a mass of fire fanned by a breeze, helpless and unprotected, weeping, crying, wailing, and lamenting, consumed by unsatisfied longings, he that once was a religious wanderer shall then, now a large hungry ghost, roam about on the earth bewailing his fate."
"But if, on the other hand, a monk enters the Order suitably, qualified, fit, worthy and seemingly, content with little, easily pleased, secluded from the world, not addicted to society, energetic and resolute, without fraudulence and deceit, not gluttonous, not desirous of gain, fame, or reputation, devout and from faith, from a desire to free himself from old age and death and to uphold the Buddha's religion, then he deserves to be honored in two ways by both gods and men. He is dear and pleasing to them, they love him and seek after him. He is to them as fine jasmine flowers are to a man bathed and anointed, or good food to the hungry, or a cool, clear, and fragrant drink to the thirsty, or an effective medicine to those who are poisoned, or a superb chariot drawn by thoroughbreds to those who want to travel fast, or a wishing jewel to those who want to enrich themselves, or a brilliantly white parasol, the emblem of royalty, to those who like to be kings, or as the supreme attainment of the fruit of Arhatship to those who wish for Dharma. In him the four applications of mindfulness reach their full development, the four right exhorts, the four roads to psychic power, the five cardinal virtues, the five powers, the seven limbs of enlightenment, and the holy eightfold path; he attains to calm and insight, his progressive attainments continue to mature, and he becomes a repository of the four fruits of the religious life, of the four analytical knowledges, the three kinds of knowledge, and the six superknowledges, in short, of the whole Dharma of the religious life, and he is consecrated with the brilliantly white parasol of emancipation."
And yes, the member, who asked question, was very happy with Thera Nagasena's answer!!


text:
Upper South
July, 2012
Regional Report
Our comments have been disabled at this time. Care to share your gardening thoughts, insights, triumphs, or disappointments with your fellow gardening enthusiasts? Join the lively discussions on our FaceBook page and receive free daily tips!
report index | in my garden | reminders | resources | garden talk


text:
Illinois Credit Union Foundation Distributes Grants
The Illinois Credit Union Foundation has awarded $51,885 to support small credit union development, community service and marketing and business development.
Small credit union development grants that totaled $32,635 were awarded to 12 credit unions and one chapter: the Chicago Metro Chapter of Credit Unions, the $26 million Bell West Community CU in Oak Lawn; the $15 million Chicago Fireman's Association CU; the $8.5 million Chicago Fire Officers Association CU; the $1.8 million CTA C&M FCU in Chicago; the $1 million CTAFC FCU in Chicago; the $12 million CTASS&U FCU in Chicago; the $15 million NIU Employees FCU in DeKalb; the $9 million Ottawa Hiway CU in Ottawa; the $4 million Parish Members CU in Metamora; the $4 million Peoria City Employees CU; the $3 million Romeoville Community CU; and the $3 million Urbana Municipal Employees CU.
The ICUF also awarded seven community service grants totaling $3,750. This program is designed to encourage and reward chapter or credit union participation in local community projects. Recipients were the Bloomington Chapter of Credit Unions, the $2 million Alton Bell Community CU in Alton; the $34 million Altonized Community FCU in Alton; the $32 million Blackhawk Area CU in Savanna; the $33 million Heights Auto Workers CU in Chicago Heights; the $42 million Members First Community CU in Quincy; the $3.9 million Oak Lawn Municipal Employees CU in Oak Lawn; and the $189 million Streator Onized CU in Streator.
Four credit unions received marketing and business development grants that totaled $15,500: the $11 million Danville Bell CU in Danville; the $1.8 million Fairmont Village CU in Fairmont City; the $3.4 million South Side Community FCU in Chicago; and the $4 million United Methodist Ministries CU in Bloomington. These grants were established in 2006 to help credit unions with assets of up to $30 million to start or expand outreach efforts.


text:
Adjusting to the Realities of a New Year: Editor/Publisher's Column
Forget that jobless claims were revised upward, even higher than initial projections. The New Year is a time for optimism. As California CU League Economist Dwight Johnston wrote in his commentary in the Trust for Credit Unions e-newsletter, "This was the fifth year in a row of triple-digit gains on the first trading day of the year."
But while the stock market rallies, the economy does not necessarily follow. In addition to the unemployment numbers, the consumer confidence index is depressed and home-refinance applications, accounting for 82% of total mortgage activity, have declined for three consecutive weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
One bright spot appears to be the automobile market, which TransUnion announced just before the holidays, is forecast for record-low delinquencies and increasing amounts borrowed. According to the credit bureau, auto loan debt per borrower is expected to increase from an estimated $13,689 at fourth-quarter 2012 to $14,133 at year-end 2013. Loan delinquencies in the category essentially are expected to hold steady from 0.36% at yearend 2012 to 0.37% at year-end 2013.
In part there is great uncertainty as to whether and when Congress will pass and the president will sign a long-term solution to the fiscal cliff crisis. Every lender in credit unions knows you don't lend beyond a borrower's ability to repay or the credit union will likely lose the money.
Why anyone would lend more to the U.S. is beyond me, but perhaps the greater mystery is why the government continues to want to dig deeper into debt. Just one more reason we need more credit union professionals and volunteers in government in addition to supporting issues favorable to credit unions.
In line with congressional expectations and credit unions' desires, CUNA seems to have backed off business lending for now. The trade group's priorities list has been reprioritized, placing defending the credit union tax exemption at the top. Given that Congress will be looking at tax reform in general and repealing the tax exemption has already been introduced–albeit "accidentally"–in legislation, this is a wise choice. Additionally, some large, high-profile credit unions made a lot of noise about expending too much political capital on an issue that relatively few credit unions would take advantage of. Their dues dollars walked right out the door, just before the hopes of passing legislation to expand member business lending.
In an email addressed to the league presidents, CUNA board and governmental affairs committee that states that CUNA will pursue the introduction of legislation to expand business lending, President/CEO Bill Cheney acknowledged, "Going forward, we have to take some lessons from the failure to raise the MBL cap, understand the realities of the credit union vs. small bank influence in Congress, address those realities and build a system that will allow the passage of important pro-credit union legislation in the future."
Economic realities were happening in the business lending market all around, taking down a number of larger credit unions, like Texans and Telesis. The bankers were able to make hay out of it and even more of a stink than credit unions. Miffed by the bankers' opposition to expanded business lending, CUNA was able to help stop the community bankers from getting the Transaction Account Guarantee extension in an effort to demonstrate its reciprocal might.
We saw NAFCU turn the corner toward the tax exemption last fall with the study it commissioned and release during its Congressional Caucus that found that eliminating the credit union tax exemption would cost the federal government $15 billion in lost tax revenue, $148 billion in GDP and 1.5 million lost jobs over the next decade. A more unified front would have helped the chances for business lending, but it still appeared a long shot due to the bankers' opposition and lack of consensus among credit unions.
Still CUNA saw what it thought was a solid opportunity and took it. The trade group can't be faulted for that. What is at issue is whether it, or NAFCU for that matter, was following a false mandate in pursuing business lending. Member business lending elicits a mixed bag of emotions and responses from credit unions, but it is still on the list of advocacy priorities, though below a handful of others.
Reducing regulatory burden should shoot to the top, but it's not very sexy and is almost certainly an uphill battle with the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House, both of which favor the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a leading cause of credit union hand-wringing over what's to come.
Housing finance reform is another solid priority as well as supplemental capital, which seemed to take a significant back seat to business lending in 2012. Last year saw the expansion of The Coalition for Credit Union Access, launched specifically to supplement the supplemental capital effort because the trades were preoccupied with MBLs.
The New Year is a time of goal setting. Everywhere people are promising to quit smoking or lose weight or take up a new hobby. All of these resolutions are aligned with most human beings' innate will to live–depending upon the hobby.
What is necessary in 2013 to feed your credit union's stamina? I suggest political activity, no matter which side of the issues you're on. Just make sure the stances align with your credit union's future positioning so that it is something you're truly willing to get behind.


text:
Case study: Retirement communities need to do more to help residents cope with loneliness and depression
Researcher looks at personal and situational characteristics associated with loneliness and depression
As the nation's population ages, greater numbers of people are moving into assisted living and other retirement communities. While these facilities offer many advantages to the elderly, a recent research article concludes that they should consider doing more to alleviate the loneliness and depression that their residents often experience.
In an article titled "Loneliness and Depression in Independent Living Retirement Communities: Risk and Resilience Factors," the authors write, "With the number of older adults steadily increasing, greater attention must be given to the factors that contribute to loneliness, social isolation and depression among those who live independently or as members of a long-term care or retirement community."
Kathryn B. Adams, instructor at Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and a faculty research associate at the University Memory and Aging Center, was first author on the article, which appears in Aging & Mental Health.
The authors surveyed residents in the independent living sections of two retirement communities to determine what personal and situational characteristics are associated with loneliness and depression, what proportion of people who are lonely are also depressed and how loneliness and depression differ. They find that loneliness is a strong risk factor for depression among residents of the institutions, and that loneliness is associated with factors such as the size of a social network, grieving the loss of a loved one and having fewer visits from friends.
Depression is also associated with grieving, but in contrast, is more closely associated with lack of participation in activities and having more chronic health conditions.
Given these differences, the authors say, gerontologists need to recognize the differences between loneliness and depression and develop methods of helping their clients cope with each. For example, retirement communities might develop specific strategies to encourage residents to maintain relationships with outside friends and family, or to send reminder notes to those outside to encourage them to call or visit. They should also consider forming support groups for those most likely to experience loneliness, such as the recently bereaved, those who have recently moved to the facility or individuals who are shy, or lack social skills.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.


text:
We do not rent or sell your email address to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for details. You can unsubscribe at any time.
You'll receive email newsletters at the following address:
Comprehensive Prostate Formula contains potent levels of synergistic herbs, nutrients and phytochemicals that have been scientifically researched to support the health and wellness of the prostate gland.* This formula incorporates premier herbal extracts of Saw palmetto, African Pygeum bark and Stinging Nettle root, CardioAid plant sterols, and SelenoExcell, a superior form of the mineral selenium, nutrients that have shown documented benefits for prostate health.
Comprehensive Prostate Formula also contains effective amounts of vitamins D3 and B6, zinc, and lycopene, which research suggests play important roles in supporting optimal prostate function and general health and well-being.*
Vegetarian Capsules.
|Amount Per Serving
|% Daily Value
|Vitamin D3 (as Cholecalciferol)
|1000 iu
|Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride)
|50 mg
|Zinc (as Zinc Citrate)
|15 mg
|Selenium (as SelenoExcell)
|200 mcg
|Copper (as Copper Gluconate)
|1 mg
|Saw Palmetto Extract (berry) Emed-SP (Standardized to contain 290mg Fatty Acids and Sterols)
|640 mg
|CardioAid Plant Sterols 95%
|800 mg
|Nettle Extract (root)
|300 mg
|African Pygeum Extract (bark) Emed-PG (Standardized to contain 2.5mg Phytosterols)
|100 mg
|15 mg
|Decanox MTS-90 Mixed Tocopherols
|8 mg
Emed-PG and Emed-SP are trademarks of EUROMED.
CardioAid and Decanox are trademarks of ADM.
SelenoExcell is a registered trademark of Cypress Systems, Inc.
|Comprehensive Prostate Formula
|120 Capsules
|Save 48%
|In stock
|4 Capsules Contain:
|and more
Servings: 30
Serving Price: $0.60
Price Per Capsule: $0.15
Order by Phone 800-338-7979 24 hours | Customer Service 800-754-8000
†Compare price is the price compared to the manufacturer's suggested retail price or estimated selling price of the same or similar item at full-price stores. See Pricing Policy for details.
Information provided on this site is solely for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not use this information for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing of any medications or supplements. Only your healthcare provider should diagnose your healthcare problems and prescribe treatment. None of our statements or information, including health claims, articles, advertising or product information have been evaluated or approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products or ingredients referred to on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, diet or exercise program, before taking any medications or receiving treatment, particularly if you are currently under medical care. Make sure you carefully read all product labeling and packaging prior to use. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, do not take any supplements without first consulting and obtaining the approval of your healthcare provider. California Consumers – Proposition 65 requires sellers to notify California consumers of substances that are in many foods, plants, herbs and supplements with the following warning. WARNING: These products contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.©2000-2018 Nutrition Express Corporation. All rights reserved.


text:
Was $199.95 NOW $69.95
This is the iPhone controlled Mercedes SLS that enables a smartphone's personal soundtrack to accompany luxury grand tours. A free app allows you to drive the Mercedes up to 30' away via Bluetooth while music plays through the iPhone; when the car is stopped, its gulf wing doors open and music is streamed to the car's onboard speakers. The Mercedes can move and flash its lights in tempo with the music for fully synchronized joyrides. Motion-sensing accelerometers in an iPhone allow drivers to accelerate forward or backward and turn the car with simple tilts and pans of the smartphone. The app displays the authentic Mercedes SLS dashboard and steering wheel. Drivers can illuminate the car's turn signals, brake lights, headlamps, and interior light. Compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 4S/4/3GS; iPad 3/2; and iPod 4th/3rd generation. Requires iOS 5. Includes four AA batteries. 10" L x 4 3/4" W 3" H. (2 lbs.)
Lifetime Guarantee
The iPhone Controlled Musical Mercedes SLS comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.
Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to receive a response within three business hours or less.
Sale item quantities are limited — please order soon.
May we recommend:
COPYRIGHT © 2018 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W109147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


text:
good news for Tesla Motors is that the company has plenty of cash on
hand thanks to government
grants and an incredibly successful initial
public offering that raised $226M USD. The bad news is
that the company is burning through cash fast as it attempts to
develop new vehicles and expand its distribution network.Reporting
financials for the first time as a publicly traded company,
Tesla just
announced a loss of $38.5M USD for its second fiscal
quarter, 2010. Year-to-year it reports its revenue rose 5
percent, to $28.4M USD. A year ago the company only lost $10.8M
USD, though.Tesla is looking to begin producing and selling
its upcoming Model
S mass market luxury sedan in 2012, priced at $57,400 USD.
The car will retain some luxury trappings and have a range of 160
miles. Tesla will produce the new model at the the former NUMMI
factory, located in Fremont, California, which it obtained from
Toyota as part of a joint development deal. The factory had
been scheduled close after former co-operator GM pulled out, in the
wake of its bankruptcy.Tesla also has a hand in the
development of an electric
version of Toyota's RAV4 crossover SUV which will also hit
the market in 2012. Toyota gave Tesla a relatively meager $50M
USD to help develop the plug-in, but also gave it access to the NUMMI
plant and other perks. Tesla also recently revealed that it is
3 other vehicles internally -- another crossover/SUV, a
Cabriolet, and an electric van.Tesla also has been opening
new stores in recent months. Last month it shipped
its first
Roadsters to Canada and Japan.For Tesla, its current
financial predicament basically boils down to weathering the storm,
which is never an easy position for a company. If the company
can stay afloat through 2012 and make its deadlines for the Model S
and Toyota RAV4 vehicles, it will be poised well to return to
its short-lived
profitability of 2009.In total Tesla has already lost
more this year ($68M USD) than it did all of
last year ($55.7M USD). One promising sign, though, was that
Tesla significantly improved its gross margin to 22 percent, up from
8 percent from a year before. Gross margin is a measure of
profitability that weighs production costs versus sales costs.While
still above the $17 IPO price, shares of Tesla (TSLA) have plummeted
from a high of $22 earlier this week to $19.80 following the
financial report.


text:
Professional Upholstery Repair in Athens, IL
Upholstery repair services in Athens, IL are definitely worth looking into when you have any furniture at home that is in poor condition. If you have a chair or sofa with upholstery that is ripped or torn, it is important that you take the time to look into these services before making a final decision. Our Athens upholstery repair professionals will be able to repair all of your upholstery so it looks like new. The sooner you get your upholstery repaired, the more money you will save in the long term.
You will find that Athens upholstery repair services can vastly improve the way your furniture looks. No matter how bad the damage to your upholstery is, our professionals will be able to fix it. Regardless of the type of upholstery that is on your furniture, you will be able to get it fixed so that is looks brand new again. Upholstery repair services in Athens, IL will improve the overall look of your furniture as well as your home's interior, which is why you should start looking into them right away. Those who do not get their upholstery fixed end up having to spend a lot of money later on to have it completely replaced, which is the last thing you want.
AVC Costs For Upholstery Repair Companies($61) ($221) ($419)
What zipcode do you need Upholstery Repair Companies in?
Start Here, It's Free
What type of service you would like?


text:
Diagnosis of panic disorder can be difficult. Several other physical and mental disorders are related to panic attacks. You will need a thorough physical and mental evaluation before a proper diagnosis can be made. Diagnosis of panic attack is based on a proper evaluation and the standards outlined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
In the DSM-5, panic disorder is defined as repeating, unexpected panic attacks. It is followed by at least one month of concern about having another attack, worry about the consequences of panic attacks, and a change in behavior as a result of the attacks.
Your doctor will conduct an evaluation that may include the following:
Your doctor will ask about the following:
- Your medical history
- Symptoms you experience during an attack
- How long you have been having the attacks
- When the attacks started
- How often they occur
- When and where they tend to occur
- How long they last
- What effect they have on your ability to function
Your doctor will also look for and rule out medical disorders that could cause your symptoms including:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Heart arrhythmias
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Cushing's syndrome
- Carcinoid syndrome
- Parkinson disease treated with levodopa
- Heart attack
- Pulmonary embolism
- Episodic hypoglycemia
- Mastocytosis
- Pheochromocytoma
Your doctor should also ask about your intake of:
- Medications
- Foods
- Herbs and supplements
Use or withdrawal from addictive substances can cause symptoms of panic. Substances that can cause symptoms of panic include stimulants, such as cocaine and caffeine. Your doctor may also ask about your use of alcohol , nicotine , addictive medications (particularly sedatives), illegal drugs , and other substances.
Depression , generalized anxiety disorder , social phobia , substance abuse, and personality disorders often occur with panic disorder. You may be evaluated for these and other disorders.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD
- Review Date: 06/2017 -
- Update Date: 12/20/2014 -


text:
On Nov. 6, Colorado voters gave their blessing to make recreational use of marijuana legal in the state. With the historic vote, though, comes no small amount of regulatory housekeeping to say nothing of legal wrangling before the landscape for pot users becomes clear. It offers a rare opportunity to watch policy take shape through a number of avenues likely to include all three branches of government, as well as local, state and federal entities. It could result in a giant mess or an unprecedented achievement or both.
Amendment 64 made legal the sale and possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for those ages 21 or older in Colorado, and also gives the state, via legislative action, the right to regulate the industry from cultivation to sale including levying taxes. The amendment further gives local entities the right to regulate or prohibit cultivation, testing or retail facilities, as well as dictates that the first $40 million in taxes collected from marijuana sales each year be used to fund public school capital construction needs. These provisions invite lawmakers at the state and local levels to involve themselves in enacting the amendment, but they also invite attention from federal law enforcers, who are bound by a different understanding of how marijuana should be treated: as a Schedule I controlled substance.
As such, there is an inherent conflict set up between Colorado and the federal government one that has been neatly danced around up to now with the states tightly regulated medical marijuana laws. How the broadening of the states embrace of marijuana use will affect federal action remains to be seen. There is speculation that a federal injunction will be issued against Amendment 64 until the legal issues are resolved, and there is a decidedly unenthusiastic feeling about the amendment among Colorados top lawmakers. Gov. John Hickenlooper and Attorney General John Suthers have both made their opposition to the measure well-known.
Nevertheless, voters have spoken strongly and the law now says that marijuana possession and use are legal in the state. The states regulatory framework that has made the medical marijuana industry work so well in Colorado could provide a useful model upon which to build the recreational regulatory structure. That system closely monitors and accounts for all the marijuana legally grown, processed and sold in dispensaries across the state. In so doing, the state has avoided a marijuana free-for-all and instead has created a clear, navigable system by which growers and distributors can structure their operations.
This system does not consider the moral or social implications of marijuana use, nor should it, though that is ultimately what underpins much of the argument around evolving marijuana laws. With the passage of Amendment 64, Colorado seems to be moving beyond that question and is well on its way to working out the mechanics. What remains to be settled is how the federal government will respond, and which entities feelings on the subject take precedence.


text:
For Father's Day – Great Rum on a Budget
Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 12, 2012
Yesterday I posted a great list of budget-priced Canadian Whiskies suitable for Father's Day. Today, I am posting a similar list, for those who would prefer rum over whisky. Again, the list is qualified as being only those rums which can be found for under $30.00 in my locale, and those which I personally would love to receive as a Father's Day Gift.
And so in no particular order, I give you my list of 12 great budget priced rums suitable for Father's Day. Beside each rum is the approximate price here in Edmonton.
(You may click each selection to read my reviews of each particular rum if you wish.)
Screech (Famous Newfoundland Screech Rum) ($22.99)
Appleton Estate Reserve ($29.95)
El Dorado 5 Yr Cask Aged Rum ($29.95)
Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum ($24.95)
Flor de Caña Grand Reserve 7 Year Old ($29.95)
Bermudez Ron Viejo Blanco ($24.95)
Mount Gay Eclipse (Gold) ($24.95)
Diplomático Añejo ($27.99)
Amrut Old Port Deluxe ($24.95)
Angostura Royal Oak ($22.95)
3 Barrel Aged Rum (Travellers) ($29.95)
El Dorado 3 Year Cask Aged Demerara Rum ($28.95)
Happy shopping!
Cheers and Happy Father's Day!
3 Responses to "For Father's Day – Great Rum on a Budget"
June 13, 2012 at 5:37 am
Arctic Wolf, I think it's great that you posted these Bargain Rums and Whisky (Yesterday), I enjoy reviewing them as they are bargains!!
June 12, 2012 at 3:05 pm
So what you're saying is that I should leap on a bottle of Screech that's marked $9.99 in the remainders/bargain bin at a local store?
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


text:
Uncover Krav Maga In No Time, the best street fighting self-defense course.
Now You Can Learn at home with Krav Maga Wappenham
I have 30 years of experience in Krav Maga and have worked as a top instructor for police units and security services around the world. I have trained many civilian men, women and children as well.
Now you too can learn the exact same moves that are taught in my own classes. You will see in this special video course that I am not only presenting the right moves, but I also explain directly to you, the viewer, exactly what I am doing. In that way, there is no difference relative to practicing in my self-defense class. The only difference is one that benefits you, as you are able to watch the videos as frequently as you need, watching the exact techniques that you wish to master.
When there is a fight, you need to end it in seconds. Your major problem is to not hesitate. The solution to hesitation is to know how to respond automatically to the attack you may face. Learning Krav Maga by watching and practicing the techniques in the video course many times can lead you to a point where you will respond automatically towards an attack.
Learning self-defense can save your life; there is no question about it. I'm sure that there is no need to convince you about the effectiveness of Krav Maga. Krav Maga Wappenham is strictly designed for self-defense in real street fighting. Krav Maga is in use by elite units such as the CIA, FBI and the Israeli army. Its uniqueness is in its ability to end a fight in seconds. It's based upon the natural moves of the human body, thus it is easy to learn and remember. Learn krav maga directly from the Israeli source.


text:
Submit News
IRS, Obama Admin Aim to Kill Liberty Reserve With $6B USD Suit
Jason Mick
May 30, 2013 10:16 AM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
(Source: AP)
Gaming- and crypto-currency exchanges may soon be banned in the U.S.
Liberty Reserve (LR) was a Costa Rica based digital currency site, as well as a titular cyber currency. Like other popular digital currencies -- the Linden, Bitcoins -- LRs could be traded with real-world money via third-party partners. And like its counterparts, one key driver of the currency was its ability to grant anonymity.
Now LR is the first digital currency to be killed by the U.S. federal government. And if the ambiguous rhetoric of Obama administration officials are any indication it may not be the last -- other currencies
like the Bitcoin
may soon face similar takedowns.
I. Liberty Reserve Gets Taken Down Hard
In its twelfth year of operation, LRs have just hit a major roadblock -- the
U.S. Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) and
U.S. Department of Justice
the service's internet domains under criminal money laundering accusations (
18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(1)
) and charged founder Arthur Budvosky and six other exchange employees with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
The first charge (money laundering) carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the other charges carry up to 5 years each. Thus the defendants face a maximum (consecutive) prison term of up to 30 years in U.S. federal prison.
Preet Bahara United States attorney in Manhattan suggests anonymity in itself may be criminal, commenting, "The coin of its realm was anonymity." [Image Source: NYT]
Richard Weber, IRS's criminal investigation division chief in Washington, D.C., remarked at a press conference, "If Al Capone were alive today, this is how he would be hiding his money. Our efforts today shatter the belief among high-tech money launderers that what happens in cyberspace stays in cyberspace."
"As alleged, the only liberty that Liberty Reserve gave many of its users was the freedom to commit crimes — the coin of its realm was anonymity, and it became a popular hub for fraudsters, hackers and traffickers. The global enforcement action we announce today is an important step toward reining in the 'Wild West' of illicit Internet banking. As crime goes increasingly global, the long arm of the law has to get even longer, and in this case, it encircled the earth."
Unlike Bitcoin where anonymity is preserved via encryption, LR preserved anonymity by allowing users to register (allegedly) accounts on the exchange with false information, and then further cover their tracks by transferring in money through third-party money exchangers in regions with poor records keeping like Malaysia, Russia, Nigeria and Vietnam.
II. Freedom isn't Free
LR at its peak had over 1 million customers, 200,000 of which were in the U.S., according to federal prosecutors. The exchange conducted 55 million transactions over the last seven years and is accused of laundering $6B USD.
To register for an account on LR, all that was necessary was an email address -- you could use a pseudonym without challenge. In fact the feds cite "blatantly criminal monikers" in use by some accounts, such as "Russia Hackers" as "proof" of the site's criminal nature. One agent registered an account on "Fake Street" with the name "Joe Bogus" and an account purpose "for cocaine".
In total the feds seized five domains, including the primary exchange domain. They also restricted 45 bank accounts used by site operators and their partners.
Liberty Reserve stands accused of granting anonymity to users -- some of which are allegedly criminals. [Image Source: True Internet World]
The feds "graciously" allowed "legitimate" users to contact their office to get refunds on their now unaccesible accounts, while dismissing that most of the users were criminals (the site's userbase is referred to in the indictment as "overwhelmingly criminal in nature") and likely would not seek refunds.
The indictment comments, "[The site's users] included, for example: traffickers of stolen credit card data and personal identity information; peddlers of various types of online Ponzi and get-rich-quick schemes; computer hackers for hire; unregulated gambling enterprises; and underground drug-dealing Web sites."
Of course the most widely used criminal currency in the U.S. remains the U.S. dollar.
III. PATRIOT Act -- The Next Chapter
Some in the security industry praised the move. Trend Micro Inc. (
) VP Tom Kellermann tells
The New York Times
, "Organized crime and terrorist groups are now financing their operations through these anonymous payment systems. The financial sector no longer has a monopoly on moving capital around the world."
Some at this point may be wondering how the U.S. is shutting down a currency exchange based out of Costa Rica. The answer lies in the
(Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism) Act.
The PATRIOT Act has provisions that allow the U.S. to seize domains, charge foreigners, and restrict foreign bank accounts to "fight terrorism". This was the first time these provisions were used against a digital exchange, providing yet another example of the absolute powers granted by the PATRIOT Act.
Powerful forces have been working to erode Fourth Amendment protections in the U.S. over the last decade, clearing the way for an unchecked "police-state". [Image Source: Reuters]
The charges come at a less than auspicious time for the IRS. The agency currently is grappling with waves of resignations over a scandal that the organization targeted conservative groups -- including the "Tea Party" -- groups with "patriot" in their mission statement, groups seeking to reform the government, and Jewish political action groups.
But the IRS is backed in its latest action by the U.S. Treasury Department and other federal agencies.
IV. Takedown is an Attack on Privacy; Bitcoin May be Next
So what does all this mean for Bitcoin -- LRs' more popular sister digital currency? First, it's important to point out that Bitcoins operate via a much broader base -- a multitude of different exchanges in different jurisdictions. Plus their implementation of anonymity is much different (as outlined above).
The most immediate impact is the
loss of a key route to funnel real world currencies into an out of
the "Bitcoin economy"
. LR was a popular hopping point for Bitcoin fans when exchanging money.
Secondly, the takedown of LR has an overtone of the feds cracking down on the privacies afforded by digital currencies -- indicating that
Bitcoin may be next
. The Obama administration has gone to
great lengths
expand warrantless surveillance of Americans
internet surveillance
, while publicly preaching that it supports "civil rights" and "free speech".
The takedown of the LR should be viewed in a chilling light by
Bitcoin fans
Take the words of Mr. Weber who says we've entered the age of "the cyber age of money laundering", commenting, "[Criminals] are gravitating toward digital currency alternatives as a means to move, conceal and enjoy their ill-gotten gains."
Note that he indicts not just the LR, but digital currency in general -- a sweeping generalization that seemingly implicates Bitcoin and Lindens in unproven illegality.
But ultimately in today's era of PATRIOT Act actions proof is not really necessary for aggressive Orwellian federal crackdowns.
Remember, at the end of the day both Bitcoins and LR
lose anonymity as soon as their users put them to use in the real world
for purchases. In other words, if investigators did their jobs, this issue would be immaterial. But that's not what the Obama administration and federal politicians on both "side of the aisle" want. For the last decade they pushed to remove the "burden" of due process and put in easy routes to strip U.S. citizens of their privacy and anonymity.
Bitcoins offer a similar "threat" as LRs. [Image Source: Nerd Merit Badgets]
If LRs were being used for crime, then charge the criminals. The current charges adversely affect law abiding and law breaking citizens alike and hence run inherently against the spirit the nation was founded upon -- then again, of course, the nation has strayed far from the spirit it was founded upon as the protections of the Constitution have been slowly eroded as federal government has grown bloated and corrupt.
Don't be surprised if the feds come a-knocking on Bitcoin exchanges door next. After all the Bitcoin offers the same threat to unchecked federal power that Liberty Reserve did -- anonymity. And the administration's rhetoric seems to clearly set a foundation for accusing not just Liberty Reserve -- but all digital currencies of the ultimate "crime" -- wanting to preserve folks' privacy.
A popular aphorism regarding one of the great evils of the last century may one day be repurposed "First they came for the Liberty Reserve..."
U.S. Department of Justice
"There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere." -- Isaac Asimov
Related Articles
Canada to Bitcoin Miners: "Pay Yer Taxes"
April 29, 2013, 10:52 AM
Bitcoin Rollercoaster Ride Sees Currency Soaring to New High of $32/Coin
February 28, 2013, 3:39 PM
Conservative Supreme Court Justices Scuttle Challenge to Warrantless Wiretaps
February 26, 2013, 4:24 PM
Obama Admin. Plans $200M USD "Big Data" Spending Spree
April 2, 2012, 1:00 PM
EDITORIAL: Don't Count on Bitcoin for Safe Haven in Recessionary Economy
August 8, 2011, 7:00 PM
Latest Headlines
Record surge in atmospheric CO2 increase seen
October 30, 2017, 7:25 AM
Breakthrough technologies of Today and Future
October 29, 2017, 8:50 AM
FM Radio – Most smartphones are ready for it.
October 15, 2017, 7:55 AM
How do you build the next-generation Internet?
October 13, 2017, 5:45 AM
Air France plane engine fails over Atlantic
October 1, 2017, 6:16 AM
DNA surgery on embryos removes disease
September 30, 2017, 5:40 AM
More Headlines
Most Popular Articles
Latest Blog Posts
Google Amazon Feud affects Customers
Elroy Bethell
Dec 6, 2017, 6:55 AM
Amazon Marketplace – Now Features Pet Profiles
Elroy Bethell
Dec 5, 2017, 6:17 AM
Apple iOS 11.2 – Fixes bug in iOS 11
Elroy Bethell
Dec 3, 2017, 7:02 AM
Amazon Alexa – Recognizes Different Voices & Gives Different Reponsesma
Elroy Bethell
Dec 2, 2017, 9:25 AM
Kardiaband – FDA Approved Medical Device for Apple Watch
Elroy Bethell
Nov 30, 2017, 7:45 AM
Samsung Graphene Batteries – Promise 12 Minute Charging
Elroy Bethell
Nov 29, 2017, 7:20 AM
Samsung Galaxy S9 - May Launch with on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Elroy Bethell
Nov 28, 2017, 6:25 AM
Cyber Monday 2017 – Do's and Don'ts
Elroy Bethell
Nov 27, 2017, 7:38 AM
Givenchy VR Googles – Fashion Reality Meets Virtual Reality
Elroy Bethell
Nov 25, 2017, 8:40 AM
Firefox Quantum Browser – Soon to Detect Hacked Websites
Elroy Bethell
Nov 24, 2017, 8:45 AM
Elon Musk Completes World Largest Lithium Ion Battery
Elroy Bethell
Nov 23, 2017, 8:45 AM
Uber hacked – Pays Hackers for Secrecy
Elroy Bethell
Nov 22, 2017, 7:25 AM
German Regulators ban Children's smartwatches
Elroy Bethell
Nov 21, 2017, 7:30 AM
Fake Mobile Apps – Black Friday Shoppers Beware
Elroy Bethell
Nov 20, 2017, 6:54 AM
Quantum Chips and Google
Saimin Nidarson
Nov 12, 2017, 6:45 AM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2018 DailyTech LLC. -
RSS Feed
About Us
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information
Kristopher Kubicki


text:
The SSD for consumers still makes little sense when looking at the performance-to-price ratio. SSDs look completely different to enterprise users though with massive power savings and significant performance improvements that make the investment worth the money for many enterprise users.
EWeek reports that as more datacenters adopt SSDs to replace high-end and fast spinning enterprise level HDDs, the massive power savings that were predicted are starting to become a reality. While some of the power saving promises are coming true now, the real benefits are still a few years down the road when the SSD is in broader use in the data center setting around the country.
Research firm iSuppli issued a report on the potential of SSDs this month and according to the report, the deployment of SSDs may allow the world's data centers to slash energy consumption by 166,643-megawatt hours from 2008 to 2013.
It's hard to understand exactly how much power 166,643-megawatt hours is, however. EWeek reports that amount of power is slightly more than the total yearly energy production of the African nation of Gambia. The power savings in datacenters moving to SSDs is expected to rise by 58,000 Mwh by 2013. In 2008, the savings in Mwh from moving to SSDs was only about 7,000 Mwh.
iSuppli analyst Krishna Chander wrote in the report, "SSDs potentially could replace 10 percent of the high-end and high-RPM hard disk drives used in data centers that are 'short stroked' [used for rapid reads and writes of transaction data coming into these drives at fast speeds], rather for storage capacity."
Chandler continued saying, "Each of these 15,000 RPM serial-attached SCSI (SAS) drives draws about 14 watts during [a normal] day. SSDs, on the other hand, draw about half the power of these HDDs, at an estimated 7 watts. A 50 percent savings in power consumption is a noticeable improvement, so even a small penetration of SSDs in enterprise data centers could result in massive power savings."
Many analysts think that a conservative estimate for the number of data centers that will move to SSDs over the next four years is 10%. Some analysts think that the number of data centers that will move to SSDs will be significantly higher than 10% with increased pressure to save money on power costs and to go green. These analysts believe that by 2013, the migration from HDDs to SSDs in data centers could be as high as 20 to 40% of all data centers, greatly increasing the amount of power saved. The adoption rate of SSDs will also be helped as SSD prices drop. Intel reduced the price of some of its SSDs late last month.
Data centers in America draw huge amounts of power. According to the EnergyStar program run by the EPA, data centers in America use 2% of all power produced in the country. By comparison, the amount of power for all TVs plugged into the electrical network combined amounts to 1.5% of the power generated in the country each year.
Another big reason for the push to SSDs for data centers is that the amount of power produced in America today only barely meets the needs. More and more devices are being plugged in and power shortages will become much more common around the country. Power demand is expected to grow by 26% during the next 20 years.


text:
Next month heralds the 2008 Spring Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai, China. Pre-show briefings opened up with a quick mention on the status of Larrabee, Intel's upcoming graphics core.
Larrabee differs significantly from AMD's Radeon and NVIDIA's GeForce processors. For starters, Larrabee is based on the x86 instruction set found in CPU architecture. Intel vice president Steve Smith emphasized that Larrabee is not just a GPU, but a multi-core die capable of any stream processing task.
Intel's hybrid CPU and GPU chips are set to be released in
two flavors, both of which will be based on the Nehalem CPU architecture. The first
version, dubbed Havendale, will be a desktop chip, while the second version,
dubbed Auburndale, will be a notebook chip.
Auburndale and Havendale will have two Nehalem cores paired with a graphics subsystem. The twin cores will share 4MB of L2 cache and feature an integrated dual-channel memory controller that supports memory
configurations up to DDR3-1333.
The graphics subsystem will be initially
derived from Intel's G45 integrated graphics. This indicates that neither
Auburndale nor Havendale will be for heavy graphics processing, but will be
more of an integrated graphics replacement.


text:
Greetings, Mist01
I will be administrating your test and the rules are as followed:
-Rei's R&R
-You may only use water, wind, nin, tai and gen
-You may use custom jutsu only if they are related to the above techs.
-Breaking the rules will result in the failure of the test.
-I will be using all 5 elements
Please do not spam this fight. Only Myself, the participant, Admins, Mods, and Senseis (upon request) may post here.
I'll be using my Tōshirō Hitsugaya biography
Location: Barren wasteland with large boulders scattered throught the area
State your biography and I will begin. Good luck ^^


text:
Submit News
Judge's Ruling Upholds Apple Patent, Could Jeopardize Android's Future in the U.S.
Jason Mick
April 2, 2012 9:32 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Android phonemakers have essentially four possible routes to try to avoid a "doomsday" scenario
Thus far Apple, Inc. (
) has seen its patents narrowed or invalidated in U.S. court. At best it's cobbled together a handful of UI patents like gallery page flipping, kinetic scrolling,
, and a
bounce back animation
. Together, these patents could make Android a bit less pleasant, but it would be far from "game over" as Google Inc. (
) would be free to continue sales and continue to attack Apple with retaliatory litigation in hopes of
reaching a licensing truce
, while
pursuing workarounds
I. Monopoly is Almost in Apple's Grasp
But Apple has one strong hope of achieving its ultimate objective -- killing its top competitor and granting itself control over the U.S. smartphone market. That patent is
U.S. Patent No. 7,479,949
, Apple's
infamous "multi-touch patent"
The patent claims invention not of a particular narrow, precisely defined algorithm, but rather on an abstract description of
algorithms relating to the use of multi-touch displays. Basically, the patent covers how when your fingers are moving in semi-linear directions, the idea of removing the wobble in order to get a usable gesture.
Virtually every Android device sold today uses multi-touch. Without a method of allowing for accurate touch these devices would be rendered useless. And that's precisely what Apple is hoping for.
Apple scored a demoralizing victory over Android. [Image Source: ArsTechnica]
After scoring an early victory in January on the patent, Apple scored another win in a more in-depth judicial analysis of the claims in Apple's patent, and Google subsidiary/Android phonemaker Motorola Mobility's (the named defendant) complaints about the patent.
The presiding Chicago, Illinois
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
judge was
Judge Richard Posner
, a respected legal veteran and
University of Chicago
law instructor. In a March 29 ruling, he defended Apple's interpretation of the claims language in the patent as mostly valid and chastised Motorola Mobility's lawyers for providing invalid and repetitive arguments.
Responding to Motorola Mobility's insistence that the patent should only be valid for the 27 degree contact angle (error tolerance) discussed in the example implementation, he
, "I reject Motorola's argument (this is the third time they've made it and the third time I reject it) that the structure must be limited to the 27-degree angle used as an example by the specification."
The decision clears the way for a potential ban on all Motorola Android smartphone sales on infringement grounds.
II. Ubiquitous Patent Won't Expire Until 2028
Apple's attorneys cheer the news, writing, "[H]aving identified the problems associated with imprecise finger gestures, solved them, and successfully incorporated them into a commercial product, Apple should be entitled to the fruits of its innovation via broad patent protection, and the public is benefited by the disclosure of Apple's invention."
The patent will last through 2028, so by "public is benefited" Apple means that it hopes that the public will be "benefited" by a complete ban on Android for over a decade and a half.
Apple's lawyers hope to "benefit" the public with an Android ban until 2028.
[Image Source: Carlos Rull]
Such an event would seem astounding, but is not impossible considering the following:
Without multi-touch you might as well not sell a handset in the current market.
Without gesture detection heuristic multi-touch would be impossible to implement effectively
The validation of Apple's claims language clears the way for a preliminary injunction on all Motorola multi-touch handsets. Bans on Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (
) and HTC Corp. (
) would likely soon follow.
Apple has not indicated it is willing to license this patent.
This latest is outcome is largely a byproduct of a
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
that allows overly ambiguous nebulous software descriptions to be patented and then a judicial system which, in turn, allows them to be enforced with destructive, anti-competitive consequences.
But this incident is the most eye-popping example yet of the dangers of the current American intellectual property system as it has a strong possibility of radically transforming a vast market whose devices U.S. consumers use every day.
III. How Did We Get Here?
The wily Cupertino giant, the world's most profitable electronics company began its bid in early 2005. At the time Apple was enjoying a renaissance with its best-selling iPod, but it was curious if customers would buy a reimagined Apple Newton in a new ultra-slim form factor. In order to differentiate its product, Apple bought FingerWorks, a research and development company specializing in multi-touch gestures.
At that point Apple began patenting multi-touch implementation details at a frantic pace. The only remaining question was what kind of hardware to pair the algorithms with.
The answer came in 2006 when a handful of companies -- mostly Taiwanese display startups -- displayed capacitive multi-touch displays at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and other trade shows. Apple moved quickly to enter agreements to snatch up all the supply on the new displays.
Apple's crafty moves positioned it to potentially score its biggest anti-competitive win yet.
[Image Source: David Paul Morris/Getty Images]
This allowed it to enjoy a virtually untouched monopoly on multi-touch devices a year later, when its iPhone launched. While Apple's invention came largely second-hand via FingerWorks and the Taiwanese manufacturers, it appeared that Apple had "invented" multi-touch.
IV. Android Phonemakers Have Four Potential Routes to Avoid a Complete Ban
Now the clever strategy that ensured its risky smartphone project instant commercial acclaim and success could pay a second dividend in the form of an anti-competitive gift from the U.S. judicial system.
If Apple does score a complete sales ban, it has complete control over whether it opts to allow licensing at premium rates, or simply to allow Android U.S. sales to die. Either way Android phonemakers' only recourse would be to win a narrowing of the patent in similar Samsung/HTC cases, take the case to a higher federal appeals court in an effort to override Judge Posner's technical analysis, try to find enough prior art to convince the USPTO to invalidate the broad patent, or else win an equally damaging ruling against Apple, forcing licensing.
Is this game over for Android? Don't count Google and its allies out yet, they have several viable options to fight a complete sales ban. [Image Source: The Dark Furie]
If Google,
et al.
cannot find a way to accomplish one of those four reversal routes, Android is essentially soon to be dead in the U.S., barring some unforeseen circumstance. And if Android sales vanish in the U.S., the platform's global prospects are in jeopardy as well.
It sounds unbelievable, but Apple's ace could spell the virtual end of Android, currently the smartphone market's market share leader. Of course, on the flip side of the Android coalition has a lot of fight left in it and will likely look to exhaust each of the above options to avoid a radical market changing event in the U.S.
FOSS Patents
"We are going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet. A lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." -- RIM co-CEO Michael Lazaridis
Related Articles
Report: Apple Offers Android a Truce, Licensing for $5-$15 Per Device
March 7, 2012, 9:00 PM
Google Now Has Two New Unlock Patent Applications to Counter Apple's IP
February 17, 2012, 8:50 PM
German Judge Bans Androids for Swipe-Unlocking, Despite Prior Art
February 16, 2012, 7:11 PM
Judge Refuses Apple's Request for Preliminary Injunction Against Samsung
October 14, 2011, 11:38 AM
Apple Awarded Multi-Touch Patent
January 27, 2009, 2:02 PM
Latest Headlines
OnePlus 5T - Star Wars Limited Edition
December 3, 2017, 6:35 AM
Huawei Honor V10 – Officially Announced in China
November 28, 2017, 6:05 AM
Samsung S9 & S9 Plus – May arrive January 2018
November 23, 2017, 8:20 AM
Things that Apple didn't tell about iPhone X
November 13, 2017, 6:20 AM
Samsung introduces Exynos 9810 SoC, for Galaxy S9 smartphone
November 11, 2017, 7:45 AM
The CEO confirms, OnePlus 5T won't feature wireless charging
November 9, 2017, 7:05 AM
More Headlines
Most Popular Articles
Latest Blog Posts
Google Amazon Feud affects Customers
Elroy Bethell
Dec 6, 2017, 6:55 AM
Amazon Marketplace – Now Features Pet Profiles
Elroy Bethell
Dec 5, 2017, 6:17 AM
Apple iOS 11.2 – Fixes bug in iOS 11
Elroy Bethell
Dec 3, 2017, 7:02 AM
Amazon Alexa – Recognizes Different Voices & Gives Different Reponsesma
Elroy Bethell
Dec 2, 2017, 9:25 AM
Kardiaband – FDA Approved Medical Device for Apple Watch
Elroy Bethell
Nov 30, 2017, 7:45 AM
Samsung Graphene Batteries – Promise 12 Minute Charging
Elroy Bethell
Nov 29, 2017, 7:20 AM
Samsung Galaxy S9 - May Launch with on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Elroy Bethell
Nov 28, 2017, 6:25 AM
Cyber Monday 2017 – Do's and Don'ts
Elroy Bethell
Nov 27, 2017, 7:38 AM
Givenchy VR Googles – Fashion Reality Meets Virtual Reality
Elroy Bethell
Nov 25, 2017, 8:40 AM
Firefox Quantum Browser – Soon to Detect Hacked Websites
Elroy Bethell
Nov 24, 2017, 8:45 AM
Elon Musk Completes World Largest Lithium Ion Battery
Elroy Bethell
Nov 23, 2017, 8:45 AM
Uber hacked – Pays Hackers for Secrecy
Elroy Bethell
Nov 22, 2017, 7:25 AM
German Regulators ban Children's smartwatches
Elroy Bethell
Nov 21, 2017, 7:30 AM
Fake Mobile Apps – Black Friday Shoppers Beware
Elroy Bethell
Nov 20, 2017, 6:54 AM
Quantum Chips and Google
Saimin Nidarson
Nov 12, 2017, 6:45 AM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2018 DailyTech LLC. -
RSS Feed
About Us
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information
Kristopher Kubicki


text:
Latest Stories
Archive Calendar
Make a selection
Make a selection
Touring Exhibitions
Print Sales
Sign in / Register
Contact Us
About Us
Cart (0)
Advanced Search
Free Research
Featured Essays
Syrian Refugees
June 19, 2013
by Moises Saman
Another war, another refugee crisis. This recurrent dynamic has become all too familiar after years of working in areas of conflict. Standing in the middle of Zaatari, the sprawling refugee camp for Syrians in Jordan, I could squint and be transported back in time to similar scenes I've witnessed in places like Albania, Haiti, Afghanistan and Congo. These awful places share a common scent -a mix of dust, sweat and brewed tea- that at times is accompanied by the unnerving sound that wind makes against flapping tents. The countless testimonies of massacres, executions, rape, ethnic cleansing, escape, survival, merge into a single narrative, one that amounts to slightly different versions of the same horror movie.
I remember photographing the first wave of Syrian refugees in early 2012. Under the cover of a cold winter night, and a young couple held tightly to their baby girl while trying to balance aboard a rickety boat that was smuggling them across the Orontes River, from Syria's Idlib Province into the safety of Turkey. Since then more than 1.5 million Syrians have fled their homeland, seeking shelter wherever they can find it, renting apartments in east Amman, sleeping in makeshift tent settlements in the Bekaa Valley, or confined to fenced-in tent-cities along the borders of Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq.
As the war drags on, some of these camps are taking on the shapes of more permanent settlements. Cement structures and pre-fab trailers are slowly replacing the more temporary cardboard and plastic tents, echoing the past transformation of the original Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon or Gaza. Refugees, too, become hardened with time, and their initial openness to share their experiences with a visiting stranger turn to silence, anger and frustration.
I cannot help but feel a certain dose of guilt and pessimism when I chose to return to work in these camps. It is most agonizing when I encounter a Syrian family that I photographed in the past, only to find newly arrived relatives adding to the same small space; or when for the umpteenth time, a tired-looking refugee screams at me, demanding to know what good will the pictures do.
-Moises Saman, June 2013


text:
Welcome to the 2013-14 MeiGray Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program.
This is the program developed by the National Hockey League and MeiGray in 2002 and is the only Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program that has been endorsed by the NHL and recommended to its member clubs.
For 2013-14, MeiGray has agreements with these nine clubs: Boston, Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Washington.
One of the features of the program is the ability to pre-order your game-worn jersey. Because of our authenticity and security tagging procedures you can order your game-worn jersey now, watch your jersey as it is being worn on the ice, and then receive it after we obtain the jersey from the team.
Each team has structured its individual game-worn jersey program with MeiGray to best suit its fans and the collecting public.
Our program details remain the same as last season:
Once the jerseys are available and posted, you can pre-order a jersey online at meigray.com, or by calling us toll-free at 888-463-4472.
Jerseys available for pre-order online will appear with PRE-ORDER after the Game Type.
A 25% deposit will hold any jersey until it arrives at MGG. Balances WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY PROCESSED with the same credit card used for the deposit and jerseys will be shipped when they arrive unless the collector specifically notifies MGG to call or e-mail before processing. And in those cases, payment must be made within 10 days of notification or deposit will be forfeited.
Refunds will not be given on cancelled pre-orders. You may change from one pre-ordered jersey to another, or you can use your deposit without penalty on an individual in-stock retail-priced item of equal or greater value. Only one deposit can be used on an in-stock item if you choose to exchange a pre-order.
EXCEPTION: Full refunds will be given on pre-orders that cannot be fulfilled by the team or MGG due to non-delivery of the jersey, unavailability of the jersey due to circumstances out of the team or MGGs control, if a player does not play in the jersey, or if the jersey is retained by the club for historical purposes, or if the jersey cannot be made available due to NHL game circumstances beyond our reasonable control.


text: AirAsia X increase flight frequency to Chengdu in time for spring holiday season Offering fares from as low as RM419* from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, China to commemorate additional frequency. Sepang, 11 JULY 2012 AirAsia X, the Malaysian based long haul, low fare affiliate of AirAsia will increase its flight frequency to Chengdu, China from its current four flights to five flights weekly effective 3rd February, 2013. To commemorate the additional frequency, AirAsia X will be offering fares to Chengdu from Kuala Lumpur from as low as MYR419* (CNY979*) one way on Economy. The ultra-low fares are available for online bookings from now till sold out with travel period starting immediately till early 2013. For more details, log on to www.airasia.com. The increase in frequency is in line with the airline's re-alignment plan which was announced early this year to focus on expanding in its core markets in China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Korea. Currently, AirAsia X is the only airline with direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu. Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X said, "AirAsia X has recorded an encouraging response from our guests since we started flying to Chengdu in October 2009. We have seen an increase in load factor by 13% in year 2011 (85% load factor) compared to year 2010 (72% load factor). With the encouraging demand we are confident that the increase in flight frequency will help AirAsia X tap new potential travelers from China. The increase in frequency is also part of the airline's effort to expand and build scale in its core markets in Australia, Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan and Iran." Azran concluded that, "In addition to our overall expansion plans, we have also just increased our flight frequencies from Kuala Lumpur to Perth (9X weekly), and Taipei (11X weekly). The airline will also increase its flight frequency to Beijing from four weekly flights to daily services by August." Guests may also book our Fly-thru flights with fares from as low as CNY 1, 219 from Chengdu to, Indonesia (Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, Medan), Cambodia (Siem Reap), Thailand (Phuket, Bangkok, Krabi), Singapore, and domestic destinations in Malaysia (Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching)* and vice versa. The Fly-thru service allows passengers to seamlessly purchase two flight sectors and connect via Kuala Lumpur to their next flight without the need for immigration clearance or a transit visa in Malaysia. The service also eliminates the need to re-checkin luggage when connecting to their final destination. AirAsia X was the first long-haul, low fare carrier to introduce Flatbed seats, which have standard business class specifications of 20" width, 60" pitch and stretch out to 77" in full recline position. The Premium flatbeds feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen. Premium seat guests also enjoy premium complimentary products and services including Pick A Seat, Priority Check-in, Priority Boarding, Priority Baggage, 20kg Baggage Allowance, Complimentary Meal and Pillow & Blanket. AirAsia was named World's Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010 and 2011. AirAsia X was also awarded the Airbus Top Operational Excellence Award 2010-2011, for being the world's best Airbus A330-300 operator (small fleet category) excelling in operations, maintenance and safety systems. Guests can earn BIG Points with BIG, AirAsia's Loyalty Programme when they purchase flight tickets and travel packages. Sign up now at tune2big.com to redeem BIG Points for free flight seats with AirAsia. AirAsia keeps abreast with the social media community via their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Guests are able to receive real-time updates on latest promotions and interact with AirAsia via facebook.com/AirAsia and twitter.com/AirAsia. *Promo Fares include airport taxes and fees. Flights and fares are subject to availability and are for one way travel only. Promo Fares are limited and not available on all flights/days or at peak periods. Flights From Dates Departure/ Arrival Flight No. Day Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu 3 Feb - 30 Mar 2013 09:15/13:40 D7 320 Sunday 31 Mar - 22 May 2013 09:40/14:05 Chengdu to Kuala Lumpur 3 Feb - 30 Mar 2013 14:55/19:35 D7 321 Sunday 31 Mar - 22 May 2013 15:20/20:00


text:
Durango Herald publisher Richard Ballantine announced today he will step down as the head of the 132-year old newspaper, its parent company, Ballantine Communications Inc., and the other multimedia ventures the company encompasses, including three Montezuma County newspapers, Directory Plus and Buzztown.com.
Standing atop a worn wooden orange crate, Ballantine said he will be letting go of his titles as CEO of Ballantine Communications and as publisher of the four newspapers the company owns, The Durango Herald, The Cortez Journal, The Mancos Times, and The Dolores Star.
The announcement was made through a live video conference call to employees of the Cortez Journal.
After 30 years at the helm, Ballantine said he was ready to let new talent take leadership of the company.
"These times require somebody and a company that is nimble, adaptive and willing to try new things on the digital side," Ballantine said.
The announcement in no way means the company is for sale, he said.
Ballantine will remain as the chairman of the newspapers' editorial board and the board of directors of Ballantine Communications.
The transition has been in the works for a while, said Elizabeth Ballantine, the publisher's sister and a member of the company's board of directors.
The third generation of the Ballantine family to be involved in the company's operation is still fully committed and engaged, said Chris Ballantine, Richard Ballantine's son and a member of the company's board of directors.
A search committee composed of board of directors members will begin searching for a new CEO in hopes of having someone in place by mid-May.


text:
Varicella Virus Vaccine Live/Salicylates Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
The use of salicylates during natural varicella infection has been associated with the development of a condition called Reye's Syndrome.
What might happen:
The risk of developing Reye's Syndrome may increase. Symptoms of Reye's syndrome include drowsiness, confusion, seizures, coma. In severe cases, Reye's syndrome can result in death.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know if you have been taking any products that contain a salicylate, such as aspirin, before getting varicella vaccination for the prevention of chicken pox. Avoid using any salicylates for six weeks after your vaccination. If any symptoms of Reye's Syndrome develop, contact a healthcare professional immediately.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Varilrix (varicella virus vaccine, live, attenuated) Canadian prescribing information. GlaxoSmithKline January 10,. 1997.
- 2.Varivax III (varicella virus vaccine, live, attenuated) Canadian prescribing information. Merck Frosst September 21, 1997.
- 3.Varivax (varicella vaccine, live) UK summary of product characteristics. Sanofi Pasteur MSD Limited June, 2008.
- 4.Varivax (varicella virus vaccine live) US prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc. March, 2008.
- 5.Zostavax (zoster vaccine live) US prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc. February, 2016.