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Beryl Markham's Birthday!
"Beryl Markham was one of the most extraordinary of explorers. But she was also an emotionally deprived child and, as an adult, a serious outlaw of love. She died in 1986 at the age of 83; that year was the fiftieth anniversary of her historic solo flight across the Atlantic…Imperious, ravishingly beautiful and fluorescent with life, she charmed her way from one continent to another.
Though men baulked at her flagrant promiscuity, it didn't stop them being drawn to her. Her lovers included some of the most famous artists, adventurers and scoundrels of her day. But then, she herself was a scoundrel. She never let a lie stand in the way of what she desired…"
"She often rescued pilots who had crashed. Thinking they were doomed, they would see a plane land brilliantly in the bad terrain, then a willowy figure climb out, dressed like a Vogue model in the white silk blouse that was her trademark, pale trousers, a silk scarf at the neck, her hair coiffed and her fingernails carefully painted, handing them a flask of brandy and grinning."
She was a super-gusty hi-qi Sun in Scorpio with Venus, Mercury & North Node all in Libra, squared by Saturn & trined by Pluto in Gemini. Her Mars is early Virgo, sextiling her Sun and Neptune & squaring Lilith. It's hard to know sans birthtime, but that Mars of hers must surely do something else quite full-on. Her Moon's in Leo. Though Saturn-Pluto in hardcore natal aspect is amazingly motivating & regenerative…
Oh and she has a crater on Venus named after her.
"Did you read Beryl Markham's book, West With The Night? …She has written so well, and marvellously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen. But this girl, who is to my knowledge very unpleasant and we might even say a high-grade bitch, can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers … it really is a bloody wonderful book." Ernest Hemingway
Access Horoscopes, Insta-Tarot, Oracle and MoreAll Access Membership – This is not a recurring payment – you are not locked in.
Email Mystic if you would like to trial for a few weeks first.


text: You can play Loot Heroes free online car games at fogames. It has tags: Adventure,RPG,. It has 4718 total plays and has been rated 86.3% (27 like and 8 dislike), find the fun and happy day. If you want to play more car games, we find some of the game: Loot Heroes 2, Scrap Metal Heroes, Sacred Heroes and Strike Force Heroes 2. To play other games, go to the adventure games page, the rpg games page, or just check out the new games or best games page.

subset: commoncrawl


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Notifications of final regulatory action are the means by which Parties inform the Secretariat of their actions to ban or severely restrict a chemical for human health and environmental reasons. Summaries of new notifications of final regulatory action are published each June and December in the PIC Circular and are in the database of notifications of final regulatory action.
Article 5 of the Convention sets out the obligations of Parties with respect to notifying the Secretariat of their final regulatory actions. If a Party takes a final regulatory action to ban or severely restrict a chemical for health and/or environmental reasons, it shares the information with all Parties by notifying the action to the Secretariat. Upon receipt of a notification of final regulatory action, the Secretariat must verify whether it meets the information requirements of Annex I of the Convention. If the notification is found to be complete against Annex I, a summary is prepared and published in the PIC Circular. The summary briefly describes the scope of the action and the reasons for it, including information on hazards and risks of the chemical to human health and/or the environment, and the expected effect of the regulatory action.
Parties, in preparing the submission of notifications of final regulatory actions, may wish to consider giving priority to the following subsets of chemicals for which notifications have already been submitted to the Secretariat.
Chemicals for which one complete notification has been received: Appendix V of the PIC Circular lists chemicals that are not listed in Annex III of the Convention but for which the Secretariat has received one notification that was verified as complete against the information requirements of Annex I of the Convention. A second notification for that chemical from a Party in a different PIC region could then trigger the process for the consideration of that chemical to be subject to the PIC procedure.
Chemicals for which a rationale has been adopted: Where the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) has determined that only one of the notifications of final regulatory actions in support of a candidate chemical meets the criteria of Annex II of the Convention, a rationale is prepared which explains how the criteria have been met. This rationale becomes part of the report of the CRC meeting. A second notification for the chemical from a Party in a different PIC region would then be reviewed by the CRC for the consideration of that chemical to be subject to the PIC procedure. The information available for these chemicals includes: notifications of final regulatory actions, supporting documentation and the rationales explaining why the notifications meet the criteria of Annex II of the Convention.
Article 5
Procedures for banned or severely restricted chemicals
1. Each Party that has adopted a final regulatory action shall notify the
Secretariat in writing of such action. Such notification shall be made
as soon as possible, and in any event no later than ninety days after
the date on which the final regulatory action has taken effect, and
shall contain the information required by Annex I, where available.
2. Each Party shall, at the date of entry into force of this Convention
for it, notify the Secretariat in writing of its final regulatory
actions in effect at that time, except that each Party that has
submitted notifications of final regulatory actions under the Amended
London Guidelines or the International Code of Conduct need not resubmit
those notifications.
3. The Secretariat shall, as soon as possible, and in any event no later
than six months after receipt of a notification under paragraphs 1
and 2, verify whether the notification contains the information required
by Annex I. If the notification contains the information required, the
Secretariat shall forthwith forward to all Parties a summary of the
information received. If the notification does not contain the
information required, it shall inform the notifying Party accordingly.
4. The Secretariat shall every six months communicate to the Parties a
synopsis of the information received pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2,
including information regarding those notifications which do not contain
all the information required by Annex I.
5. When the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each
of two Prior Informed Consent regions regarding a particular chemical
that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I, it shall forward
them to the Chemical Review Committee. The composition of the Prior
Informed Consent regions shall be defined in a decision to be adopted by
consensus at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
6. The Chemical Review Committee shall review the information provided in
such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in
Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the
chemical in question should be made subject to the Prior Informed
Consent procedure and, accordingly, be listed in Annex III.


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Emraan-Soha's TUM MILE to surpass JANNAT records!Bollywood Trade News Network
The official music launch of Sony Music & Vishesh Films' much awaited film TUM MILE, the songs of which have already started to conquer charts and hearts alike, took place amidst high fanfare. The cast & crew of the film including Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan, Mahesh Bhatt & director Kunal Deshmukh along with Shridhar Subramaniam, M.D of Sony Music, were present to grace the occasion. Music Director, Pritam, with singers, Neeraj Shridhar, Mohit Chauhan and Javed Ali rocked the music launch event. TUM MILE is scheduled to storm the theatres all across on 13th November 2009.
The event started with the screening of film's theatrical trailor, followed by some songs of the film, which were screened exclusively for the first time. The cast & crew of TUM MILE shared their experiences about the film and the music. Finally the event concluded with Pritam, Mohit, Neeraj & Javed's unplugged performances.
On this occasion, Mr. Mahesh Bhatt said- "Vishesh Films has always catered and concentrated on quality music & our collaboration with Sony Music has given some of the biggest chartbusters like JANNAT & RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES. TUM MILE is going to be the Music of the year. This is Pritam's best album till date & I must say he has given an all new sound and feel to it. After giving chartbuster music for our films GANGSTER, WOH LAMHE, AWARAPAN & JANNAT, Pritam is yet again on the road to another smash hit album."
CHECK OUT : Emraan messed up Kunal's TUM MILE
The music maestro Pritam seemed quite confident of the music of the film and commented- "TUM MILE is one of my finest creations till date. The USP of the music is its freshness. Also for the first time in my life I have not used any remixes. All the songs are different and the lyrics really convey the mood. I hope it is cherished for years to come"
Mr. Mukesh Bhatt said, "Vishesh Films is known for its music. With every new project we release, the benchmark is set higher. It's a very tough task and hence I must congratulate Kunal Deshmukh and Pritam to have surpassed what they did in JANNAT. If you thought JANNAT was awesome, you should listen to TUM MILE!"
Shridhar Subramaniam, Managing Director, Sony Music, said, "TUM MILE is one of the most exciting films being released this year. Our partnership with Vishesh Films is built on bringing great musicals with a difference to the Indian audiences. The songs from TUM MILE are sure to top the charts and the complete soundtrack will be enjoyed in the years to come."
Kunal Deshmukh said, "The music of JANNAT was a landmark hit, Pritam and I were under some serious pressure. But I think Pritam has managed to surpass himself with TUM MILE. It makes us really happy that the album started creating waves even before its release!!"
Emraan Hashmi, commented- "TUM MILE is the best Music of my career till date. Pritam has done a fabulous job. The music of TUM MILE is the film's soul, and I am quite certain this will go down in history as one of the best soundtracks ever."
CHECK OUT : TUM MILE with WANTED and DIL BOLE HADIPPA
Soha Ali Khan couldn't hide her excitement. She said, "When I first heard the songs of TUM MILE, I just loved them. I felt these songs have a unique ability to stay with you from the first time you hear them. It feels good to know that now listeners and critics across have the same opinion!"
TUM MILE has been in news for various reasons - from rave reviews of its music to a very unconventional pair of Emraan Hashmi & Soha Ali Khan. The film has been directed by Kunal Deshmukh of JANNAT fame. The lyrics in TUM MILE are by Sayeed Quadri & Kumaar.


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Ever wonder how great singers have such bold stage presence? This workshop will allow you to nurture your natural abilities and grow towards having such talents and persona as experienced performers. After four fun-filled three-hour rehearsal sessions, the workshop culminates in a live performance at a renowned NY club followed a week later by a DVD Viewing Party where you and your classmates get to see yourselves in a new light as the "stars" that you are. A few of the skills that you will build over the course of the workshop: vocal and microphone technique, proper warm ups, working with accompaniment, experimenting with arrangements, and determining your key and tempo. You will be surrounded by an extraordinary production team in a nurturing, non-competitive, and supportive environment. You'll quickly see your abilities evolve from bashful beginner to proficient performer!
Note: By booking the first class on Vimbly, you'll sign up for the entire six week workshop. Classes meet the following five weeks, same day, same time, except for the fifth week, the performance, which is at 7:30pm on the same day.
Singing Experience Workshop
What to expect
- Learn singing, stage skills, and techniques to become a well-rounded, confident performer
- Develop a foundation for vocal and microphone technique, key, tempo, and arrangements
- Sing alone and with accompaniment to create adaption variation in your vocal abilities
Book nowSelect a time slot to book (212) 858 9559
About this Activity
Key Highlights
|$495.00 per guest
|Duration / Session
|3 hours
|# Sessions
About the Teacher
This workshop is led by two time MAC Award Winning director Linda Amiel Burns and a seasoned Musical Director/Accompanist.
Cancellation Policy
There are no refunds; all sales are final.


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+myConnections: Engage your community - connect to news, events and information you care about. View more information...
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View your community's facilities and features online with the new Facilities Module.
Personalize your online experience to stay up-to-date on news, events and other information.
The City of Norcross offers many beneficial activities to enhance the lives of our citizens and visitors. Our Cultural Arts and Community Center follows in this tradition.
The Cultural Arts and Community Center offers numerous programs to delight citizens of all ages. Among our offerings have been theatrical performances, youth summer camps, and author's book events, as well as classes on various subjects throughout the year.
Rental Facilities
Not only does the Cultural Arts and Community Center provide a venue for community activities, it is also available for rent. If you are looking for an excellent place to host family reunions, monthly meetings, youth groups, weddings, receptions, and corporate events, look no further.
Our staff members are available to help you with your booking or to give you a tour the facilities. You may reach us at 678-421-2025.
Additional Resources


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Click here so we may keep you informed!
Welcome to the Members Only portion of ESAAL's website. The information provided in this section is available to ESAAL members only and is one of the many benefits that ESAAL membership brings to you. Look here for ESAAL's newsletter The Vision; Member Alerts about an array of regulatory, legislative and other topics; "Dear Administrator Letters" issued by the NYS Department of Health; member resources such as a publicity tool kit that you may use in your efforts to raise public and media awareness about your residence and your mission and much more.
We vow to keep this section updated so that members will always have timely access to the important information that they need in their day-to-day operations.
First Annual ALR Conference, October 17-18, 2018
Fourth Annual ALP Conference, October 23-24, 2018
Case Management Seminar-Albany North October 30, 2018
Case Management Seminar-Long Island November 15, 2018
646 Plank Road, Suite 207
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: (518) 371-2573
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Communities developing resources and competencies for using their languages
Foundational understanding for language development work of all kinds
Publications, fonts and computer tools for language development, translation and research
SIL offers training in disciplines relevant to sustainable language development.
7,097 languages are spoken or signed. CLICK for map of world languages & regional websites.
SIL's dedication to language development past and present
Scripture Engagement involves accessing, understanding and interacting meaningfully with the life-changing message of the Scriptures.
Scripture Engagement specialists help language communities consider and plan for access to Scripture in the languages and media that serve them best. As appropriate to the context, they assist churches and other interested individuals and agencies that wish to facilitate access to and life-changing encounters with the Bible.
Scripture Engagement specialists advise on the production and use of appropriate Scripture products in multilingual settings. They can also advise on ways other communities have effectively used Scripture texts to address everyday concerns (illness, interpersonal conflict, life transitions) as well as more pressing ones (HIV-AIDS, trauma due to conflict or natural disasters). Music, drama and the visual arts can play a powerful role in helping people engage with Scripture.
Related consulting and training services include:
Scripture Engagement services of SIL are not available in all countries where SIL personnel are found. However, you may be able to access these services through other organizations. The Forum of Bible Agencies International has many excellent Scripture Engagement resources available on their website: http://www.scripture-engagement.org/


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The Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES:^DJI) continued their upward trajectory in early trading Wednesday, up 15 points as of 12:38 p.m. EDT. Investors were initially uncertain about the impact of U.S. gross domestic product data that was far weaker than expected, with a tough winter contributing to sluggishness in the economy. In addition, a report from the World Bank focused on the upward trend of China's economy growing to surpass the U.S. as the world's biggest economic power. But for long-term investors, the rise of China's economy should come as no surprise. In fact, it should create optimism about the prospects for Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Boeing (NYSE:BA), McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), and the many other companies both within the Dow and beyond that stand to profit from Chinese growth.
What the World Bank said
When you look at GDP figures based on prevailing currency exchange rates, the Chinese economy still has years to go before it will catch up with and surpass the size of the U.S. economy. But the World Bank report argued that when you look at actual currency purchasing power rather than nominal exchange rates, the Chinese economy was within 13% of the U.S. economy three years ago. Based on the faster growth rates that China has posted in the ensuing three years, its economy would be poised to pass the U.S. this year in terms of purchasing power.
Investors have long realized that a country with a population more than four times that of the U.S. would eventually pass it up in terms of raw economic size. But the more important issue is whether Beijing will fully engage with the global economy, or whether it will use protectionist measures and other tactics to benefit its domestic businesses over international companies seeking to enter the lucrative Chinese market.
So far, we've seen mixed results from China. On one hand, Chinese companies in many key industries, such as solar energy and base-metal mining, have ramped up production to the point that some counties have responded with allegations of improper trade practices and retaliatory measures such as tariffs. On the other hand, top U.S. brands such as McDonald's and KFC have had great success in penetrating the Chinese market, and despite short-term scares, prospects for top global brands in the China look strong in the long run.
For companies in the Dow Jones Industrials, the opportunities for further growth in China are extraordinary. Even once it becomes the globe's top economy, China will still have a per-capita GDP less than 25% that of the U.S., and that leaves plenty of room for further growth. The rise in demand for raw materials will bolster mining companies, and the need for greater construction and infrastructure will lead to a turnaround for Caterpillar and its sales of heavy equipment. A rising middle class will have all sorts of positive economic impacts, raising demand for everything from Boeing aircraft to U.S.-supplied entertainment. The huge investments that U.S. companies have made in creating powerful brands worldwide will pay off as Chinese consumers set goals for improving their standard of living and can spend more in order to achieve those goals.
Those with nationalist tendencies will mourn the passing of the U.S.' reign atop the global economy. But the U.S. stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials will have ample opportunity to participate in China's rise in coming decades.
Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends McDonald's. The Motley Fool owns shares of McDonald's. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Carrie Tillis
When a name like Tillis shows up with a lilting drawl, one might wonder if there is any relation to the trademark, country music name. The simple answer is yes. What is more surprising is the rest of the package that Carrie, daughter of country legend Mel Tillis and sister to superstar Pam Tillis, brings to the table.
With a resume that jumps from opera to Grand Ole Opry, Broadway to Branson, it seems like this Tillis has turned what could have been a serious identity crisis into a good thing. Any skeptics that once likened the idea of a Tillis being more than country to something like an Earnhardt Studying ballet, stand corrected as this Tillis shifts gears easily through the many styles she loves.
Performing opportunities with her famous family became a showcase for Carrie's many talents. While Carrie had gone further south to study her first love of theatre at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, she also fell into what she calls the happy accident of singing opera. Seems it was no accident as the genetic influence of Dad's rich baritone mixed with her own lyric saprono made for some serious singing chops. The family was so proud that Daddy Mel began incorporating Carrie's newfound talent right in the middle of his traditional country set. Between twin fiddles and steel guitars, Mel's famous comedy and trademark stutter, Mel would introduce the daughter that "sings opera…not Grand Ole Opry." Carrrie would first sing one of her Dad's big country hits then seemingly out of left field, step up to the plate in genteel southern demeanor, introduce the opera aria she's about to sing – then proceed to knock the ball out of the park to the unsuspecting audience. Rousing standing ovations don't lie.
When not touring with her family, Tillis trades her father's legendary Statesider Band for an even bigger orchestra. On her own, Tillis travels the country singing with symphonies and orchestras in her favorite format-live musical theatre and recreating the American songbook in pops concerts around the country.
Singing Rodgers and Hammerstein, Porter and Berlin, Tillis transports us with her authentic style and delivery, captivating the audience with a melody that makes us ache for the old days. Where she feels most at home, the symphony concerts may very well be the platform that sends Carrie into the wide recognition she deserves.
With a couple of CDs under her belt- Roundtrip a self penned country album and Just A Little Gift, her classical Christmas offering, Carrie has rounded out her presence, giving us just a taste of what she does. But to Tillis, it has been a wrangling of the last few years into a couple of packages that says this is just the start. "I'm catching up, just now showing what I've been up to. As soon as I get one thing done I realize I'm already a million miles ahead of that, but that's a little closer to putting this all together into something that is clearly defined as my style and that's so exciting", says Carrie.
In a family where a lesser talent might have been overlooked, it's clear that Carrie has stepped up to carry on the Tillis family tradition while carving out her own impressive identity. Whether country or classical, you'll be sure to get carried away. One can only look forward to the destination this Tillis is bound for.


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Q: How long have you been a professor at Rowan?
A: This is my fourth year at Rowan and this is my third year teaching.
Q: As a TV professor and advisor for RTN, the Rowan Television Network, what tasks or responsibilities must you take on each day?
A: Each day, my day starts with unlocking and firing up all the studios and production spaces, making sure everything is working, in anticipation of a full days activities. From students in various classes and clubs, also, you know, working with the students in the equipment room, making sure that facility is up and running, ready to go. Making sure everyone, all the student workers are in where they're supposed to be and everything is running like clockwork. That's my regular routine. On top of that, I help students with any type of technical or media problem that they might encounter with any of our equipment or facilities or even just questions about course work. So that's my day-to-day.
Q: Always busy…
A: Unfortunately…
Q: What made you want to be a TV professor?
A: When I was in school, I was always good at helping other people out and I liked to find different ways to explain different concepts and understand it. I just had a natural knack for that. I think part of it was upbringing. My parents were both in education and most people in my family are in education so it just runs in the family. When I was in school, I had some really great professors and I always thought that, you know, there are schools out there that need great professors and I'd love to go to one of those places.
Q: Very cool. You're a good professor.
A: Thank you. That's not very objective.
Both laugh
Q: Were you always interested in TV production? Did you take it in college?
A: When I was in high school, I think my sophomore or junior year of high school, when you start looking at colleges, where you want to go…um, I was always good in a lot of subject areas and I had just joined the high school TV club, just because it seemed fun and interesting and I like technology and video and that sort of thing. But that wasn't going to be the career, the career I was looking into was chemical engineering, chemistry, that type of stuff. I looked at colleges for both professions and I found myself enjoying television, video, film work more than beakers and Bunsen burners and things like that so I made the decision that I was going to go for a degree in media communications. Take the lab coat, hang that up and then not go back and I'm glad I did.
Q: What college did you go to?
A: I went to Temple University, that was for my undergraduate degree, and then I got a Master of Arts from Syracuse.
Q: Was that for teaching?
A: Uh no, that was all for television and film and media. When I was at Syracuse, I worked as a graduate assistant so I taught some courses and helped some other professors teach courses and I really enjoyed it. Teaching was always on the back burner. It was get a job in production, work for a while and then when my body can't take it anymore, go into teaching and settle in. It just so happened that teaching came a little sooner than I had planned but I don't regret any of it.
Q: Did you have to go back and take any additional courses to teach?
A: Not at all, at the college level, you're looking for people with advanced degrees, masters, PHDs, and at the college level, you just have a knowledge of subject area. Teaching experience is a plus, so I was a graduate assistant. That's teaching experience enough to teach at the undergraduate level. If I wanted to go into a high school or grade school type of setting, I would have to go and take additional course work and get certifications; but at the college level, no additional training's required.
Q: Did you stay on-campus when you went to college?
A: Yes, my freshman, sophomore and junior year as an undergrad I was in on-campus housing and then my senior year I had an off-campus apartment. In grad school, it was the graduate-learning community type of situation. It wasn't technically on-campus but it wasn't off-campus either; it was university housing. That was one of the perks of being a graduate assistant. They put us up there.
Q: What was it like moving back home?
A: I hated it. Hated it! But to save money and put a little in the bank, and have a roof over my head, that you know, wasn't a horrible, one room apartment somewhere in the ghetto, living at home was necessary. There was always food on the table. So, that was what it was. So, once I had a few months of income behind me, that's when I moved out and said, "Thanks. See ya. Bye. I'll be sure to write."
Q: Can you recall how much time went by between graduation and getting a job?
A: Um, yes. When I finished graduate school, the last thing I had to do was an internship and I interned at NFL Films. My internship ended in August and I had absolutely nothing in the month of September. No work, no calls. I had sent resumes everywhere and just like most of the graduates, you hear nothing back. Then the last week of September, NFL Films called me up and said, "Hey, we have a need for someone next Tuesday, are you available?" I said, "Yeah, sure. I can come in." And so it started at one day a week, then two, then three, and then for that season, by the end of October, I was there four days a week.
Q: Did you go on to work anywhere else before you started teaching?
A: Yes. When I was still in college at Temple, I worked professionally in a couple different places, just part-time work, nothing huge so I had some professional experience under my belt. Moving into graduate school, I just did that. Once I got out of graduate school, my first stop was NFL Films. I started working for the Philadelphia Phillies, Comcast Sportsnet, Comcast Spectacor, and also did some daily work for a couple different, non-profit agencies in Philadelphia and then worked for a company called Ali Pixel, which does corporate video, industrial-type work. I worked for them as an editor. That was my last running gig before coming to Rowan.
Q: Was it as competitive as they say it is?
A: Yes. Getting a job in this industry is…difficult. It really isn't as much what you know as who you know. You need to know a lot to get into this business but it helps to network and know people. Every job I have gotten in the past, with the exception of my job here, at Rowan University, has been because I knew someone or someone knew me and said, "We need to get you in." or "We have a need and Chris Winkler's the guy for you." So, I never filled out a formal job application until I applied for the job at Rowan.
Want to hear more? Click to play the video and hear the last few minutes of this interview on tips you should do to get ahead in the industry!
*Play the clip to listen to a few minutes of audio from a Q & A session with Rowan's Television Production teacher, Christopher J. Winkler.
(I apologize for the hissing sound you hear while playing the clip. It bothers me too. The original file doesn't have it, but by uploading it to the web, it became noticeable. I hope you enjoy the audio/video despite this annoyance!)
I hope you found this interview to be informative and helpful in answering any questions you may have for your future job searches after college.
Special thanks to Professor Winkler for his time and for sharing his experiences with us.


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Lawmakers next week will consider a proposal to change Maine's workers' compensation laws — a move that proponents call fair and reasonable and which organized labor termed "completely unacceptable."
Legislators on the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee last year were presented late in the session with a bill by Rep. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, that proposed overhauling the 20-year-old workers' comp system.
Leaders on the committee asked Paul Sighinolfi, executive director of the Workers' Compensation Board, to have a series of meetings with stakeholders — including labor, employers, Cushing, the insurer MEMIC and others.
After a series of meetings through the fall, Sighinolfi has drafted a new bill proposal. The committee is scheduled to have a public hearing on Cushing's original bill Friday; Sighinolfi's hope is lawmakers set aside that bill and instead consider the one he drafted.
"I think it simplifies the system, it clarifies what people's benefits are and it brings certainty to the system, for both employers and employees," said Sighinolfi. "And honestly — I think it creates a fairer system for everybody.
"My focus is let's get people who are injured benefits, and let's figure out a way to get them back to work."
James Case, a Topsham attorney with McTeague Higbee who represents injured workers and is counsel to the Maine AFL-CIO labor union, was in those meetings. He said Cushing's original bill was a nonstarter with labor. And while Sighinolfi's new bill jettisons some of what labor had objected to, there are still problems, Case said.
"Sighinolfi's bill is likewise unacceptable to us," said Case, "completely unacceptable, frankly."
The primary changes — and area of contention — have to do with workers who have suffered what's known as a permanent, partial injury. These aren't cases where you've broken your arm at work and are out on workers' comp until it heals. Rather, this is where you've been injured in such a way that will last forever — a lost limb or a seriously injured back, for example.
The workers' comp rules and laws are complex but, essentially, guarantee that for anybody within that category of injury, the 25 percent most significant would be eligible for lifetime benefits, while the remaining 75 percent would have a cap — currently at 520 weeks, or 10 years.
It's a strange part of the law, said Michael Bourque, senior vice president of external affairs at MEMIC. The threshold is set every two years, is always contentious and, depending on the nature of workplaces in Maine from one year to the next, variable. Someone with a certain injury may not qualify for lifetime benefits in one year, but would be able to the following year — with the same injury — depending on how other injuries in the state stood.
"It emerged out of a really hot, burning crucible of reform effort," said Bourque. "A lot of the reform was good. Sometimes you get what you can. After almost 20 years, I think it's fair to look back and say 'this part is crazy.'"
Those permanent, partial injuries are the outliers in Maine's system — not the norm. For example, in 2010, there were 2,210 overall workers' comp cases, and the average number of weeks collecting was 12.67. That was down from 7,126 cases in 1993, with an average time of 32.57 weeks.
But those permanent, partial cases are expensive — even in comparison to other states. Bourque noted that Maine's average costs for those cases are $186,000 per case, including medical costs and wage replacement, while the nationwide average is $89,000.
Sighinolfi's bill would remove the lifetime benefit for those injuries, capping them at 11.8 years, or 618 weeks. The vast majority of other states have set periods of time, running from a low of 400 weeks to an extreme high of 1,000, Sighinolfi said — though most are in the 450 to 500 week range.
The goal, said Sighinolfi, is to have a definite cap to benefits, so people are motivated to find a line of work they can do, even with the partial, permanent disability. Workers who are deemed totally disabled due to an injury would have no cap. And, if at the end of the 618 weeks of being on workers' comp, due to a bad economy and other factors, one couldn't find a job, that worker could ask for a review of the case based on extreme financial hardship, Sighinolfi said.
Putting that cap on benefits is the main problem labor has with the bill — though there are others.
"That is devastating for people with serious, long-term disabilities. They have nowhere to turn to support themselves and their families at that point," said Case. "These are people who have been out for a work injury for 11 years. They've been established [as unable to work] over and over again — you can't be out that long without being tested."
People's conditions tend to deteriorate as they age, rather than get better, Case added.
And while those who are wholly incapacitated would still face no cap, Case said that though the condition being capped is called "partial" incapacity, it basically means everyone.
"Virtually no one is deemed to be medically incapacitated," he said.
Sighinolfi said there are some people collecting workers' compensation now who are totally incapacitated. Bourque suggested that if this law were changed, he believed more patients who would today be rated as "partially" incapacitated would instead be given total incapacitation status.
Bourque said he supported the proposal by Sighinolfi.
"Overall we think there's generally some good thinking here, we think there's some good policy in it," said Bourque. "Any way to make the system work better, to have less friction, to have fewer dollars in the system going to attorneys is a good thing. Continuing to find ways to encourage people to get back to work wherever they can is important — that's something we work on all the time."
Kevin Gillis, an attorney with Norman Hanson DeTroy, represents mainly employers in workers' comp cases, and is the executive director of the Workers' Compensation Coordinating Council, an umbrella group which represents the interests of member employers and insurers. He was part of the stakeholders group, and saw the changes proposed as less a costs issue, and more of an attempt to change provisions that "just don't make sense and are difficult to administer."
He noted that it hasn't been determined yet if these changes would lower or raise premium prices. The National Council on Compensation Insurance will come back with an analysis next week, said Bourque.
All things equal, said Gillis, he thought the proposal made sense.
"Overall, if this were the package, assuming it doesn't have a major cost effect one way or the other — we think it's a reasonable sort of package to fix a lot of things," said Gillis.
The proposal makes other changes. Currently, those collecting workers' comp get 80 percent of their weekly benefits, capped at $634, which is 90 percent of the statewide weekly average wage, post-tax. The proposal would increase that to 100 percent, raising the weekly payout by $70.
Sighinolfi's proposal would also reinstitute the automatic right of appeal in workers' comp cases. Now, they are appealed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and the court can choose whether or not to hear them. They only choose to hear about 4 percent of the cases that are appealed, Sighinolfi said. Under the new system, a board made of hearing officers who were not on the case originally would review the appeal.
Case said labor was happy with some of the changes, including the raising of the weekly collection cap.
"It's a little bit of saccharine in a cup of very bitter coffee," he said.
Case noted that workers' comp premiums charged to Maine employers have gone down 57 percent since 1992. The system works, he said, and the bill is a solution looking for a problem.
"This is much more of a manufactured issue — an issue of opportunity," said Case.


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Yesterday I passed a small flea market on my way to town and -of course- I had to take a look. Most of the antiques were of the 'new-old' category, given an aged feel with dark shoe polish or machine made damages. But between the new-old mess I discovered an antique embroidery of a burning heart and a nice Baroque styled frame, both in pretty good conditions.
When I got home and opened the Baroque frame to remove the badly drawn flower painting that was in it, I found a photograph of a woman tucked between the backing board and the painting. In a soft, slightly dramatic lighting, she self-assured poses for the shot, wearing non matching jewelry and octagonal shaped glasses. I wonder who she is (or was). She had to face the back of a bland flower painting which only makes me even more curious. Was she a forgotten family member? Or perhaps an insufferable hag? Deceased?
Not only do antique frames tell a story of their own, a tale of a certain age or style, but sometimes they reveal even more of their origin, like this frame did. (Even though this one still leaves me with questions). That's why I love antiques.


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Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who hosts "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on CNN at 1 and 5 p.m. ET Sundays.
Fareed Zakaria says President Obama's speech in Cairo was a success but he should have addressed Iraq more.
(CNN) -- President Obama delivered his long-awaited and wide-ranging speech Thursday on American and Muslim relations, offering a hand of friendship to Islam and addressing an array of quandaries and conflicts dividing the two cultures.
At Egypt's Cairo University, Obama quoted from the Quran as he expounded on Islam's glories and rights, the legitimate rights of Israel and the Palestinians, Iranian nuclear aspirations, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, women's rights, economic development, and religious rights and democracy in the Muslim world.
The address, billed as a fence-mending mission between the United States and Islam, urged those present and the people across the globe viewing the speech on television to enter a new, productive and peaceful chapter in their relationship.
Foreign affairs analyst and author Fareed Zakaria spoke to CNN about President Obama's speech.
CNN: Do you think President Obama's speech in Cairo was a success?
Fareed Zakaria: Yes. This is what President Obama does very well. Take two points of view -- communities or groups of people who look at the world differently and then build a bridge. And build that bridge without doing any disservice or disrespect to either side and to either's world view.
He's done this with whites and blacks in America, with liberals and conservatives -- and now of course on a global scale he's doing with the world of Islam and broadly speaking the rest of the world.
CNN: What was particularly resonant in his speech?
Zakaria: The way in which President Obama was able to use the symbols and symbolism of Islam and his familiarity with it was very powerful. He was able to convey to the audience and to the world that he knew Islam and understood it.
He talked about generations of his family being Muslim, he talked about the Azzan, he said "Assalam-o-alaikum" translated as "Peace be upon you." He quoted the Quran. All these might seem small things to people in the West but they resonate powerfully because they send a signal -- that "I understand you."
CNN: Does it really mean that much to "be understood?"
Zakaria: Yes. Think about it. For so long the rest of the world has been forced to understand the West, and here he was trying to convey that he as a leader of the West understood the rest of the world as well.
Watch Fareed and his guests analyze Obama's speech »
CNN: Enough feel good stuff -- what about the substance of the speech?
Zakaria: Well that was there too. What was most striking about the speech from a substantive point of view, was of course the way in which he dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Most presidents get to this issue in the sixth or seventh year of their term when they are hoping for the Nobel Peace Prize or legacy.
Obama has gotten to it just months into his presidency. He talked about it fairly and honestly. He was tough on Palestinian terrorism but equally tough on Israeli settlements.
CNN: His comments on the Israeli settlements seemed to be new direction for an American administration. Would you agree?
Zakaria: It is something of a departure from the last decade of American foreign policy. It is an energetic effort to get the Israelis to stop the settlements because they make it very difficult to negotiate peace.
He was very eloquent in his defense of Israel and the Holocaust. I think no fair-minded Israeli could feel slighted. However, there was an insistence that the settlements stop and that was a notable from a policy point of view.
CNN: Anything else strike you substantively from the speech?
Zakaria: Yes -- Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had come to the White House hoping to get Obama to understand that Iran was at the center of all problems in the Middle East.
In this speech Iran is not framed in that manner. It only is discussed in reference to the need for nuclear-free Middle East, and even in that context, Obama talks about the legitimate right of Iran to have a nuclear capacity -- a civilian one, not a military one.
So all in all, de-emphasizing the idea that Iran is the great danger and great threat to regional peace or global peace: I don't think that Prime Minister Netanyahu will be happy.
CNN: Anything missing from the speech?
Zakaria: Something did strike me. In a strange way, the one place that Obama could take the most concrete actions that would change the dynamics within the Arab world and change America's image in the Muslim world is Iraq.
President Obama has the opportunity to create facts on the ground that will change the dynamics of politics in a major Arab nation.
Move a country from a repressive dictatorship which breeds extreme and violent opposition to democracy. He can present a model of an American engagement with a free Arab country that is productive, mutually beneficially and peaceful.
Iraq is somewhere President Obama has enormous control and leverage -- more perhaps that he does on any other issue in the Middle East.
But these are my thoughts. I have gathered an amazing group of people from around the Muslim world and the Middle East to present their perspectives on the speech. You should tune in on Sunday to hear what will surely be a lively discussion.
All About Islam • Benjamin Netanyahu • The Holocaust


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Pssst to conservatives. Liberals spend as much energy as you bashing the New York Times, but they prefer to do it at dinner parties rather than at press conferences. From Brookline to Georgetown to San Francisco, lefties bemoan the decline of the Times, express outrage at their coverage of WMDs and decry their timidity when under attack.
Times Editor Bill Keller's closing remarks on CBS News' Face the Nation Sunday are an example of what drives libs crazy. In a comfortable interview Keller gave an extremely cogent explanation for why the paper reported on the surveillance program which tapped banking records to detect how terrorist groups were getting their money. He said it was their duty to inform the public about how the government was conducting the war on terror and that the story wasn't news to the terrorists and wasn't even as big a bombshell as the NSA eavesdropping story. Then, Bob Schieffer gave him a chance to hit a home run. "If you had something to say to people in America on this Fourth of July weekend about all this, what would it be, Mr. Keller?"
Instead of an all out celebration of freedom and democracy, Keller asked for mercy. "I guess I would say if you're under the impression that the press is neutral in this war on terror, or that we're agnostic -- and you could get that impression from some of the criticism -- that couldn't be more wrong. We have people traveling on the front lines with soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. We've had people who've been murdered in trying to figure out the terrorist threat. You know, we live in cities that are targets, proven targets, for the terrorists. So we -- we're not neutral in this."
On Meet the Press, former Times columnist and Nixon speechwriter Bill Safire showed Keller a few tricks about knocking things out of the ballpark. Safire, a conservative who typically disagrees with the Times editorial positions, happens to agree with this decision. Here's his take: "Here we are on Independence Day weekend, 230 years ago, celebrating what was the resistance to a king who said 'We're going to hang you for treason.' And here we have a Long Island congressman, happens to be named King, who's saying 'treason' and 'put these reporters in jail.' I think there's a big fundamental thing going on here now, and across the board, of 'get the press, get the media.' And, look, I used to write speeches for Spiro Agnew, I'm hip to this stuff, and, and I can say that it gives you a blip; it gives you a chance to get on the offensive against the, the darned media. But in the long view of history, it's a big mistake."


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No Yield of Dreams After Good Jobs Report
Three point…oh!
In a classic "good news is bad news" reaction on Wednesday, investors initially jeered at surprisingly strong private-employment data. The reason is clear enough: A stronger economy will encourage the Federal Reserve to ease up on monetary stimulus sooner rather than later, possibly sucking some air out of asset prices.


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The health care reform bill (HR 3962) that just passed the House of Representatives is bad on so many levels it is difficult explain. As it stands, it will destroy both the doctor patient relationship and change the practice of medicine as we know it.
We have one of the finest health care systems in the world. It has been built on a foundation of choice. Doctors were free to choose the care that they deemed necessary to treat their patients, and patients were free to seek the medical care of their choice. Initially, the foundation was shaken by the rise of the managed care system with capitation. However, over the past 10 years, capitated plans which limit access to specialists have given way to the rise in power of insurance companies. They have used their anti-trust exemption to craft a system that has used monopoly to increase profits on the backs of both doctors and patients.


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Below is a list of insurance companies that currently participate with Lancaster General Hospital.
There is a possibility that your insurance policy has stipulations regarding authorization and special lab requirements (for instance, some insurance plans require members to utilize a designated lab and may not consider reimbursement for lab services provided by the Hospital).
Please contact the Member Services Department of your insurance company for specific details before receiving services.
(Some Primary Care Practices may not be accepting new patients at this time.)
NOTE: Dual eligible members are individuals who are entitled to Medicare Part A and/or Part B and are eligible for some form of Medicaid benefit.
(Some PFFS plans may no longer be offered in this area.)


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(The following commentary was submitted by regular commenter HoosierPoli. Aside from being generally interesting – albeit considerably longer than you're used to on this site – it is relevant to the current BP situation among other Obama-related issues. As inexperienced bloggers stand to benefit the most from feedback, I'm sure that the author would appreciate your reactions. Without further ado, I present "Barack Obama Is Not Your Personal Fucking Santa Claus.")
Lately, there has been an undeniable trend in the medium of modern discourse in which I find myself writing. I lack a better term for it, so I am forced to call it the "Self-Righteous Liberal Bitch-o-Sphere" (Actually, I take that back; that IS the best term for it). Anyway, since you're here, reading this, you know what I'm talking about: an endless procession of what passes in the US for leftists, saying at every turn how Barack Obama is actually a secret conservative Clintonite triangulator who'd just as soon sell out his dead mother to cash in on the old Washington games; a golden-tongued huckster who sold us on a Utopian ideal and then delivered more "business as usual". I'm not sure what's more distressing; that so-called educated and informed people have swallowed right-wing narratives hook line and sinker, or that they've convinced themselves that it's actually of their own devising.
This "movement" seems to consist of a number of readily-identifiable groups. You've got your standard neo-hippie cranks, for whom any economic or political event only serves to further validate their Glenn-Beck-in-hemp-underwear eschatology, to the point that they will ignore actual facts and burn heretics at the metaphorical stake for DARING to suggest that perhaps man's hubris and disregard for Gaia may not be, at this immediate point in time, destroying civilization as we know it. You've got your political idealists, whose first exposure to American politics in its most unfiltered form was the Obama campaign, and who, as a result, have a view of government functionality that can only be described as wildly hallucinogenic. You've got your lazy liberals, who feel that if they hit FireDogLake AND the Daily Kos in one day, they've done their part to make the world a better place. And you have, here and there, a smattering of people who either know what the fuck they're talking about and/or actually get off their asses and help improve the world, one small piece at a time. This last group is so tiny that they really don't fall within the scope of this criticism.
But what all these people have in common is this: They all view George W. Bush as something approaching the purest embodiment of evil in history, and if not, then he's a close second to Ronald Reagan. They blame everything from Katrina and Abu Ghraib, to 9/11 (in various forms) and the current Gulf disaster on the Bush Administration, sometimes shorthanded to just Bush. Either way, in their minds, Bush was personally involved in or responsible for almost all of the terrible decisions and policy disasters of the last two presidential terms.
I certainly understand the allure of this narrative; in fact, I admit that I fall prey to it with more frequency than I'd like. However, this narrative is misleading, and I'm not here to defend George W. Bush, but to show how it is distorting people's ideas about what Obama is, or should be.
There are two fundamental errors in the Bush as Antichrist mindset:
The first mistake is assuming Bush had anything to do with the disasters attached to his name.
Bush and Ronald Reagan were very different people, with very different backgrounds and ideologies. It's easy to forget now that Bush was a born-again and Reagan barely even WENT to church. But their administrations served remarkably similar priorities, and this stems from their most important commonality: They were both absolutely STUNNINGLY incompetent executives.
Neither of them had any idea what their various appointees were doing, or even necessarily who they were. The picture that has emerged of the Bush administration since its merciful departure has been not one of calculated malevolence, but one of almost pitiable impotence. Bush and Reagan were both quite personable campaigners who couldn't administer a government if their life depended on it. The consequence of that is that when they took power, the people around them who actually knew the score had a very easy time doing pretty much whatever the fuck they wanted with no consequences whatsoever. Reagan had his Ollie North, Bush had his Donald Rumsfeld, and these guys are not exceptions. The Minerals Management Service was not a case of the foxes watching the henhouse; it was a case of NOBODY watching the henhouse and the foxes just walking right in and doing whatever they pleased.
You can certainly argue that Bush bears MORAL responsibility for what happened on his watch, but that doesn't really mean jack shit at this point. He had no idea what people were actually up to underneath him. They simply gave him some marginal decisions to make, he would Decide them, then kick back feeling good about himself while they kept doing whatever the fuck they wanted. Just look at the financial crisis. When the shitstorm hit in September of 08, if you listen to the people that were there, Bush had literally no idea AT ALL what was happening. Not only did he not expect it, he didn't even understand it. And when it came time for him to be The Decider, who was it presenting him with the decision? The former head of Goldman Sachs, a man that I guarantee you Bush did not personally select to be Treasury Secretary, but rather was a name selected for him by some Undersecretary of Buttfucking the Taxpayer, which he signed off on and gave a nice speech and then kicked back with a nice run and an evening of reflecting on how history will validate his Leadership. So Mr. Paulson shows him a plan to give tons of money to banks and Bush says "OK, whatever you think, Mr. Smart Suit-Wearing Guy".
The point I really want to be stressing here is that at no point is one person in charge of all these terrible fucking decisions. It's a bunch of different people, all of them assholes, most of them on the take, doing whatever the fuck they please. There's nobody at the top, not even Cheney, and CERTAINLY not Bush. The second mistake is thinking that if Bush could get what he wanted, and Obama can't, then Barack Obama must either be a worse executive than Bush or he must be a secret conservative.
This is a well-worn tale: "Bush got trillion-dollar tax cuts with only fifty votes in the Senate! He got the Patriot Act and gutted regulations, etc. He knew how to bring the hammer down to get what he wanted, and so if Obama can't get (the public option/financial reform/energy bill/whatever) passed, he must not actually want it".
This is a steaming crock of bullshit and it should be obvious why by now. At no point during his presidency did Bush ever get a single thing he wanted. The closest thing I can think of to an actual idea that started with Bush would be either No Child Left Behind or possibly the Mars program, and he actually got neither; neither was funded, neither has had any noticeable impact, both were basically DOA. Recently Bush claimed that he believed that oil should be phased out and wind energy is the wave of the future and, call me crazy, I think he's telling the truth. If so, then it should be pretty fucking obvious that W was not the one calling the shots in his administration.
No, what Bush got was what OTHER PEOPLE wanted. Massive tax cuts for the ridiculously wealthy were, I promise you, not Bush's intellectual baby. It was an idea that one of his advisors said would be a good thing, and a bunch of Congressmen agreed, and Bush signed off on it. Every major piece of legislation Bush signed was something he AGREED to, not something he specifically TRIED to get. In other words, the 8 years of Bush's presidency, that long national nightmare, was really nothing more than bland acquiescence to an murderous and insane status quo. I expect that the outcome would have been identical if there had been no President at all.
A note about the Sympathetic Fallacy.*
The sympathetic fallacy is the very human tendency to attribute human characteristics to non-human things. It is the source of our unshakable belief that our computers can understand us when we curse at them. It is (probably) the source of belief in God (but let's not go there today). But, most relevant to our topic, it is the reason that we insist upon attributing human characteristics to governments, which may be made up of people but absolutely do not make decisions or in any way operate in the way that a person does. We like to say that the government "wants" this or that, but a government cannot "want" anything, because it is not a person. Unfortunately, this fallacy is really more on the level of a basic psychological illusion: even if we know about it, it won't go away. And because it is so pernicious, it even demands a face to go along with that personality, and today, the face of the Government is none other than Barack Obama.
And so we come back to our Criticism-From-The-Left Obama haters. I have culled just a few comments from a comment section at Unnamed Liberal Blog (see if you can recognize it!), which I have deemed to be representative (of course, the reader is free to make their own judgments):
"I've sadly come to regard Obama as a Rockefeller Republican, but maybe he's further to the right than that"
"It seemed clear to me during the campaign that Obama was more conservative than most of my acquaintances thought, and I think his actions since the election demonstrate that. He talks nicely, but he's just not comfortable with radical solutions to anything (with 'radical' defined in terms of "sudden, dramatic changes of course")"
"News flash folks — Obama is to the right of Clinton, and HE was to the right of Eisenhower."
I could do this all night, but you get my point. It started very early on, grew to an absolute fever pitch during the health care deba(cle)te, and has stuck around like a 4pm wine-and-Jagermeister hangover. If Obama is synonymous with "socialist" on the right, on the left it's synonymous with "sellout". On everything from Don't Ask Don't Tell to immigration, Obama is seen as, at best, a total pussy, and at worst, a JAP (Just Another Politician).
But let's be brutally honest with ourselves: Our last President showed us what the status quo is. Bush, by being essentially a rubber stamp (don't let anyone get it backwards; in the 2000s, Congress did the pushing, Bush did the rolling over), demonstrated what our modern Federal government, left to its own devices, will get up to. And yet, whenever the CURRENT Federal government comes up with something that looks unpalatably familiar, the blame is instantly and unthinkingly heaped at the feet of Obama, invariably with some intolerably clever comment involving either "hope" or "change".
Now I'm not here to be an Obama ballboy, but I do know this: Barack Obama is not a king. Barack Obama does not occupy 535 Congressional seats. Barack Obama's opinions and beliefs about the way this country should be going, how we should be handling gay rights and global warming and Social Security, these count for EXTRAORDINARILY little when it comes to the governing process. Forget that tripe you learned as a kid about "the most powerful person in the world"; the President has got very little power beyond the ability to nominate judges and pray that he can get the head of the Ways and Means Committee to go along with his budget priorities. Our eight years of Bushanoia have given us an incredibly distorted view of what a President can actually accomplish; we just assumed that it was Bush at the wheel, when in reality he was passed out drunk in the trunk of the car. And so insofar as our government has accomplished anything even REMOTELY progressive or positive (and, in case you've forgotten, it has) in the past year and a half, the credit belongs to the incredible energy and discipline Obama has instilled in his administration, both directly and through his appointees.
Of course, I can already hear the (and I borrow humbly the term of the excellent Al Giordiano) poutrage machine beginning to stir from its slumber. "Fucking Obamabot" it will begin, its wit as sharp as ever. "You're so stupid as to believe that Obama actually wants to change things. In reality, he WANTS offshore drilling, and he doesn't want to help out gays. He wants a weak energy bill, and a crippled healthcare bill, and watered down token 'progressive' legislation while he bails out the bankers and screws over the working guy. He's just another, differently colored cog in The Machine".
To which I say: You could certainly be right. I mean, given all the layers of abstraction and sausage-making machinery between Obama and the rest of us, there's really no way for us to tell. But if you make that argument, you have to make one conceit. If you actually believe that Barack Obama personally supports everything the Congress and Federal government have done so far in his presidency, you really have no choice but to admit that Barack Obama is the most talented political leader to ever walk the Earth. Because for an executive to always get what they "really want" on every single issue would be an absolutely unprecedented miracle of governance. If that is the case, then Barack Obama is playing some 11th-dimensional chess on a scale that has never before been witnessed.
Or, if you're like me and you prefer the more likely explanation, Barack Obama is probably a fairly progressive person (if you pay attention to what actually comes out of his mouth, especially before he ran for president, this seems reasonably probable) and, more than anything, a highly talented executive who has managed to wrangle an mind-bogglingly huge bureaucracy, based on a frail and nearly-obsolete Constitution, chock-full of ideological opponents, massive egos, fabulously wealthy interests, and just plain antagonistic assholes and backwoods idiots, and managed to do more good with it in eighteen months than anyone in the past forty years. And on that point, the record is mercifully clear.
So next time you start to go on a tear about how Obama wants this, or Obama did that, or Obama is ignoring the netroots, or Obama is defending this or that Bush policy, please remember the sympathetic fallacy. The government is not a person, and Barack Obama is not your personal fucking Santa Claus.
*I have borrowed this section in part from a much smarter and more insightful commentator than I, but unfortunately I can no longer remember the source. If anyone could let me know who I'm ripping off here, I would like to add a proper citation.


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Hello to all Internet stalkers and random peeps, today I bring to you a different style of article for once. Rather then just rant about how I hate something or something on those lines, I am actually going to say some things I actually like.
Now this will be three different articles and each one will cover a different top ten and the three I will be covering are listed below.
- Top five favourite movies. (the one you are reading now)
- Top five favourite games.
- Top five(ish) favourite songs.
Now please be warned, these is going to pretty much be one hell of a long articles full of videos and other lovely flash objects I can whack in to make your browser experience as hell as possible. So, without any further delay lets start.
#1 The Lion King
First up we have The Lion King. This movie is seen as one of the massive hits movies in our history and in total three movies was made, a TV series called The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, video games for pretty much everything, Broadway musical and a few other stuff.
The story of The Lion King was originally influenced from Moses from the Book of Exodus, Joseph from the Book of Genesis (both of those being from the Jewish Torah) and influenced by William Shakespeare play Hamlet.
Now the story is a simple one however because I believe pretty much everyone has watched this file that I do not need to say about it.
Now for those whom have not seen it, the original trailer is embedded below.
This film is very good and worth way more than a quick viewing. If you have not yet seen this, go out and buy a copy today.
Rating: 10/10
#2 South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
The four boys from South Park are back and this time, they are in a bigger problem then they would ever want to be in (then again, they travelled space and much more other crap during their time). South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut has pretty much a very basic plot that created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
In a way, I would call South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut a musical. Now while I am sure most people who views Tweaked for your Pleasure would have seen this movie, below is a very quick run down of the plot.
It starts out with Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman watching the going to watch a rude movie from a show they like (the idea is that you are doing the same watching this movie) and basically Kenny kills himself. The kids parents gets pissed off at Canada and Kyle's mother is able to get the USA to go to war against Canada.
The ending results involved Saddam coming up with Satin to rule earth. How Saddam and Satin came up together, that is for you to watch the movie. For those whom may have not seen the movie, below is the originally trailer.
Get the movie now and make sure to buy a second copy just incase your first one breaks.
Rating: 10/10
#3 Escape from New York
Escape from New York is one of those films that the acting is not the greatest and the plot is not the best but yet it is a very good film. Escape from New York is based after World War III which involved the United States and the Soviet Union. Due to this war, Manhattan is turned into a massive maximum security prison.
Skipping apart of the movie, the president is kidnapped after Air Force One is taken down. It is at this time, an Ex-Special Force and "legendary fugitive" Snake Plissken is offered a chance for a full pardon should he get into the prison and back out with the President.
Now, I will not ruin the story as I do not think most of my viewers would not have seen it but you may have noticed the names seems to strike a best.
If you have played the hit winning series Metal Gear Solid you would have heard the name before. Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series is based very strongly on Snake Plissken from this movie. This is even seen in Metal Gear Solid 2 in which Solid Snake uses the name Plissken to hide his real name from Raiden.
For those whom may have never seen it, the trailer is below.
Quite a good film and enjoyable. Very watchable.
Rating: 9/10
#4 Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is one of those movies you just can not find a fault with. The story basically is about a clown fish called Marlin whom is very overprotective of his son called Nemo.
Nemo goes missing and it is up to Marlin to go and find him. O n the way, he is joined by a forgetful regal tang called Dory and a vegan shark called Bruce. The whole story is pretty much based on Marlin travelling across the oceans following hints about where Nemo is.
Ultimately, he find Nemo and learns that Nemo is able to look after himself and that they all go home happy.
Unlike quite alot of other movies, this one worked together well and you can actually see how much work as been put behind the movie.
Now this movie is quite simple with the plot idea and personally I found it a very good movie. Now for those whom have not seen it, the originally trailer is listed below.
A very good movie to watch, go and rent it now.
Rating: 10/10
#5 – Under Siege
Now I honestly do not know what to say about this movie. This movie stars Steven Seagal whom if I am to be honest is not the best of actor in the world and that pretty much all the movies he stars in that he is always an Ex-Special Forces and either have to save everyone or revenge.
Do not get me wrong this one is a very good movie and the others are very good movie but you just never know what makes it a good movie. Anyway, this movie is based on an ex-marine whom is working on a chef which was a part of a deal then going to prison. The whole movie is action packed and enjoyable.
This movie was such a success, that a second one was made which in my eyes was still as good as the first one but once again I do not know why. There is even another one being made to do with something about IslÄmic Terrorists or so I hear.
Unlike most other films he has done, this one does not have too much martial arts in but when it does, it is very well done and this is one of the movies I have to say in which there is a good plot behind it and not just focusing on martial arts.
Now for those whom have not seen it, the trailer is one again below.
I would go out and rent this movie if you do not owe it as it is an enjoyable film that I would watch again and again.


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Short break
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From DKK 1395
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Romantic dinner. Junior suite with Jacuzzi.
From DKK 1250
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Combine your passion with a stay at Montra Hotel Sabro Kro.
From DKK 935,-
Hotel Magazine
What to see and do when staying at Montra Hotel Sabro Kro


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If you do use CDs or DVDs to backup your photo library – please read this.
After burning the disc, don't label it. The top of the disc, NOT the bottom, is the most fragile part! Most damage comes from labeling the disc. The adhesives used in labels, and the dyes used in ink pens, are applied directly to the foil layer of the disc. If that gets damaged, you will be very unhappy.
I don't put labels on my discs. I also don't write on them. I simply put them into a sleeve or jewel case that has been labeled. Yes, the CD could become disassociated with the sleeve or case, but if that happens, I just need a second to read the disc to see what it contains. I can then resleeve and relabel it.
This system assures the best care of the fragile foil layerof the CD. But if you do apply a label to your CD, make sure to get one with acid-free materials. This will cost more but will last longer. Eventually, the adhesive will probably damage the CD, so make sure to backup your backup every few years as a precaution.
NOTE: I have tested several special pens and adhesives that claim to offer a safe alternative for writing on CDs, etc. These are long-term tests that I started in 1997. So far, none of those claims has been true and all the products I started testing are now off the market. Approach these products with some caution and do your research.
Scott Bourne
Latest posts by Scott Bourne (see all)
- It's the picture that matters — not the process - September 29, 2018
- Traveling abroad? Things U.S. photographers need to know - August 17, 2018
- Being in the Zone — Photographically - July 2, 2018


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How to Combine PDF Files
Do you have 2 or more PDF files that you'd like to combine into one? Maybe you'd like to upload, electronically-fax, or email just one PDF to a recipient, but you only have single-page PDFs. You probably don't have Adobe Acrobat X Pro, and, at $199 and up, it's completely not worth buying for just joining a bunch of PDF documents together (but I do give you directions below if that's the way you want to go).
Here are 4 options that you can consider, depending on how much time and money you have, as well as how technically adept you are. Let me know in the comments if they work for you, too!
Method: Free software (freeware)
I tend to like this option best, because it usually takes less than a minute to download the software on your computer and run the program. Within about 5 minutes, you can have your combined PDF ready.
Pros: Fairly quick and predictable
Cons: Some are only free during a trial period; some require giving your email address; some are difficult to use unless you're technically-inclined
The programs I've used with varying degrees of success have been:
- Combine PDFs (free trial; $30 to buy) - Mac OSX only
- Nitro PDF (free trial; Nitro PDF Express costs $50) - Windows only
- PDF Merger Pro (free 14-day trial; $11 to buy) - Windows only
- CutePDF Professional (free trial; $50 to buy) - Windows only
- PDF Splitter & Merger (free 9-day trial; $60 to buy) - Windows only
- PDF Merge for Mac (free trial - can only combine 3 PDFs at once; $19 to buy) - Mac OSX only
- PDFTK (truly free, but is command-line only, so a bit more difficult to use) - Windows only
- PDFedit (free) - Unix/Linux
Method 2: Free website
I've had mixed success with this kind of Website, but they occasionally work well. Sometimes I need to have a merged PDF pretty quickly, and after waiting for 20 minutes with no email, I break down and download some software to do it instead.
Pros: Don't have to install anything new on your computer; don't have to pay for anything
Cons: Can take some time to process the PDF; some leave watermarks on the merged PDF; some will market to you via email or even spam you
The site I suggest trying out is mergepdf.net. Occasionally you can find other services that do the same job, and, sadly, a lot of these companies go out of business after a year or two.
Method 3: Use Adobe Acrobat
This is the most expensive, but easiest, option. If you have a copy of Adobe Acrobat X that you can use, then this method will work in a jiffy.
- Open Adobe Acrobat X.
- Open what you would like to be the first page of your combined PDF
- In the top-left section, find the Combine Files icon and click it.
- Select the files from your computer that you want as subsequent pages in your combined PDF.
- Rearrange the files in the order you'd like them to appear in your combined PDF.
- Choose a file size for the outputted combined PDF. If you want to host the file online only (72 dpi), choose the low setting. If it will eventually be printed out by you or someone else (150 dpi or higher), then choose the high setting.
- Choose Single PDF file
- Click Create.
Method 4: Geeky options
Know how to code? If you're a programmer, you can make use of open source libraries that enable this sort of thing. Provided you don't plan to sell your product and it's for personal use only, you can use one of the following:
- iText PDF (Java and C#)
- Merge PDF (.NET)
- Apache PDFBox (Java)
- pyPdf (Python)
Thanks for the info. I am a teacher dealing with all types of documents and PDF documents seem to be the challenging one. I appreciate your instructions and different options. Very Useful!!
Nice list of utils there. I use PDFSAM, never had any problems with it and it's free as well. Not the best at getting used too but once you figure it out works like a charm
Nice!! Thanks for putting this super helpful guide together. I'm going to bookmark it for future reference- I know it'll really come in handy!
I had a tough time the other day just trying to copy the text in a PDF to word or notepad. ultimately, I had to download a program just to do that. (yes permissions on the document were passworded)


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Indiecade 2016, The 9th Annual Indiecade festival has come and gone and it is time for reflection and adding more games to my "Must have list".
Indiecade is the premiere international festival for independent games. Created by game designers from all walks of life, attendees experience the various games over four days. In between those games, are seminars, summits, conferences, and panels addressing a wide variety of topics such as diversity and game development. Held at USC this year, people were spread out across the USC Cinematic Arts Complex playing consoles, virtual reality, night games, table top, and more.
The festival is separated into several parts. One part will feature the games from Playstation, another part is sponsored by Intel with the Gaming For Everyone Pavilion, another part features the nominees up for awards, and so on. Every one is invited to come up and just play the game. Most of the time, the game designer is just right there, ready to guide and answer any questions. For anyone who seeks to design games, this festival is a golden opportunity to meet those who have and share thoughts. It is a festival where inspiration can come from a game, talking to a designer, or just by watching the reactions from those around you. Or if you just want a refreshing game to play.
FangirlNation has covered Indiecade for the past three years and no year is ever alike. Every time there is cry for more of this or more of that, the game designers featured at Indiecade have answered those and answered questions. Every year there is a game that this correspondent didn't realize was ever missing in her life. Only the creativity and open environment stays constant. Every game designer has been more than happy to invite people to play their game. They have worked really hard on it and every single person is beaming.
This year, it was no surprise to see how virtual reality has grown. Last year, a lot of the focus was on Oculus Rift. Now the virtual reality game landscape has expanded into a room of its own. Those waiting to play the games could see what the player was seeing on the screen. From what I had glimpsed, they all look fantastic. Since motion sickness never strays too far when I attempt a virtual reality game, I sat this one out. No one seemed be hurling after playing the VR games , though, so improvements must have been made.
Of all the console games premiered, it was Earth Night that stopped me in my tracks. This hand painted 2D runner game was just stunning. Absolutely stunning to watch. It is set in an apocalyptic world where humans have been thrust out into space. It is up to Sydney and her friend Stanley to ride down the backs of space dragons to make their way down to Earth. This is an intense game where one slight mistake can send you reeling off. The graphics is just off the charts and I seriously cannot wait until this is released.
The console games were always a popular draw but the surprise game this year came from Threadsteading. Created by Gillian Smith, the game used a reverse engineered sewing machine to create a board. Each player raced to claim as many "town" squares as they could. The machine would follow the patterns and sew a design specific for that player. The whole game was so intriguing and easily nabbed curious eye balls everywhere. It is no wonder that Threadsteading claimed the Indiecade Technology Award this year. Other awarded games can be checked out here.
Once again, Indiecade was able to showcase games that made you think, expand the horizon, all the while you're having fun. It was really great seeing so many different players coming together and enjoying the games. There is more to gaming and Indiecade is just one way to see that.
An overview of the Indiecade can be seen here:
Interviews with some of the game designers can be seen here:
- Courtney Chavez- Bread Quest
- Evan Hernandez- Trials of the Damned
- Gillian Smith- Threadsteading


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Jesse Ryder will miss the Indian Premier League with a groin injury, New Zealand Cricket announced on Thursday.
Both NZC general manager of cricket Geoff Allot and Ryder's manager Aaron Klee said that Ryder's main focus now was to be fit in time for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in May in the West Indies.
"Jesse is understandably disappointed about not going to India for the IPL, but he is realistic about returning too early and aggravating his groin injury," said Klee.
"He is better to be completely recovered and play a full tournament in the West Indies than risk rushing back to play IPL and jeopardising his involvement in both tournaments.
"He had a taste of the IPL last year and he certainly wants to earn his place in the 2011 tournament.
"Jesse has his career in front of him and is well aware that when he gets back to full fitness, there will be plenty of opportunities to play in tournaments like the IPL, but the priority is always playing for the Black Caps."
Ryder will miss the series against Bangladesh that starts next week and is likely to out of the upcoming Australia series.
He will spend the next month at the NZC High Performance Centre in Christchurch working with NZC medical and coaching staff.
Jesse Ryder out of IPL with injury
Jesse Ryder will miss the Indian Premier League with a groin injury, New Zealand Cricket announced on Thursday.


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Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Escazu
San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
Hotel Specials
Package Specials
Package Specials
Standard Room
- Sofa
- Chair, oversized
- Alarm Clock
- Safe, in room
- Desk, writing / work, electrical outlet
- Iron and ironing board
- Bottled water, for a fee
- Coffee maker / tea service
- Instant hot water
- Mini-refrigerator
- Marble bathroom
- Shower/Tub combination
- Bathtub
- Bathroom amenities [Neutrogena]
- Hair dryer
- Phones: 2 voicemail and speaker
- High speed Internet, complimentary
- Wired Internet, complimentary
- Wireless Internet complimentary
- TV features: remote control, 37in/94cm, and LCD screen
- Premium movie channels
- Cable/satellite
- CNN, ESPN, and HBO
- Radio
- iPod dock
- This room type offers mobility accessible rooms
- This room type does not offer accessible rooms with roll in showers
- This room type does not offer hearing accessible rooms
Located by Plaza Itskatzu, the Courtyard San Jose Escazu Hotel provides access to a large shopping, restaurant and bar complex in San Jose and nearby Plaza Roble and Forum Corporate Park which houses renowned international companies.
Why Stay Here
Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Escazu hotel`s onsite outdoor pool and 24-hour fitness center allow guests to relax and undwind from a day of adventure or work. Near Plaza Itskatzu, many of the popular San Jose, Costa Rica restaurants, nightlife and boutique shopping are located near the hotel.
Resort Details
This San Jose, Costa Rica hotel is convenient for business travelers with a location that is near industrial parks, downtown businesses and corporate offices. When your meetings in Costa Rica are done, we are also within minutes of shopping and some of the best restaurants and nightlife in San Jose. If you are here on a relaxing Costa Rican vacation, you may also venture to nearby attractions such as Poas Volcano, rainforests and coffee plantation tours.
- Express check-out
- Fitness center
- Restaurant on-site
- Pool
- New Lobby
- High-Speed Internet Access. Guest rooms: Wireless, Wired. Lobby and public areas: Wireless. Meeting rooms: Wireless, Wired.
- Complimentary on-site parking
- All public areas non-smoking
- Beauty shop, nearby [referral at front desk]
- Car Rental
- Coffee/tea in-room
- Concierge desk
- Foreign exchange
- Gift/newsstand
- Housekeeping service daily
- Laundry on-site
- Laundry on-site, coin operated
- Local restaurant dinner delivery
- Mobility accessible rooms
- Newspaper in lobby
- Safe deposit boxes, front desk
- Vending machines
- Virtual Concierge Available
- Accessible guest rooms have a 32 inch wide opening
- Fitness center entrance is accessible
- Main entrance is accessible
- Pathway to registration desk is accessible
- Registration desk is not accessible
- Route to accessible guest rooms is accessible
- Service animals allowed for persons with disabilities
- Business center entrance is accessible
- Hotel has on site accessible self-parking
- Meeting spaces are all accessible
- Pool entrances are not accessible
- Restaurants and lounges are all accessible
- Self-operating lifts are not available for pools
Accommodation Details
Spacious guest rooms feature Marriott`s new bedding, free high-speed internet access and are tastefully decorated in colonial decor that reflect Costa Rica`s distinctive cultural heritage and warm hospitality.
Restaurants, Lounges & Bars
- Centro Restaurant: Enjoy a menu of international dishes any time of day at this bistro-style restaurant in Escazu. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dress code: Casual
- Local restaurant dinner deliverySundry/Convenience store
Meetings & Conventions
- Business center
- 3 meeting rooms, 1,797 sq ft of total meeting space
- Certified Meeting Planner
- Business Services
- Copy service
- Fax service
- Fee for each additional page of outgoing fax
- Fee for first page of incoming fax
- Messenger service
- Network/Internet printing
- Beauty Shop/Salon (nearby) (+)
- Business Center
- Business Services (+)
- Car Rental Desk (+)
- Coin Operated Laundry (+)
- Concierge Desk
- Conference Rooms
- Currency Exchange
- Express Check-Out
- Fitness Facility
- Free Breakfast
- Free Parking
- Handicap Services
- Laundry Services/Laundry Facility
- Non-Smoking Property
- Restaurant (+)
- Swimming Pool
- Vending Machines
- Wheelchair Access
- Wireless Internet
- Wireless Internet Access
(*) = Free, some restrictions may apply


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Michael Fassbender Hot Pictures
He's Self-Effacing About His Looks
Michael told Elle UK, "I've never really thought of myself as good-looking. I think of myself as, you know, all right. I used to have bad acne as a teenager, so all of this is a bonus now, the fact that I don't have pimples anymore. And my hair was also, you know, unfortunate. I had really long hair. I mean, I tied it back most of the time, but I had all these frizzy bits coming off the top, and whenever I let the hair down, it went like this [indicates big, bushy frizz]."


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Team Azon Pro Membership By Ryan Stevenson – The Best Professional Amazon Affiliate Coaching Team With Ryan Stevenson That Including Reviewing Your Niche Choices And Your Complete Amazon Website And Also Access His Complete Amazon Affiliate Software And Training Library..
Team Azon Pro Membership.. WHAT IS IT?
Ryan Stevenson's entire affiliate marketing career's worth of knowledge is packed into his member site, called Team Azon Pro, to give you a complete library of amazon affiliate software, hands-on training, personal coaching and much more. In addition, to all of his existing Amazon software and training, you'll also receive new training, new niche research, and live coaching with him every single month you remain a member. With all of this training, software and personal help, you'll have step-by-step guidance to build an Amazon affiliate empire as big as you want it and someone to call on when you need it. The ongoing training will ensure that you stay up-to-date with important changes in the industry so you can continue growing your business.
If you have not found success as an Amazon affiliate yet, it may be because you have been trying too many different pieces of strategies without having a complete gameplan and a clear focus for your work. Maintain your focus on one project at a time and see it to completion, and whether it is a success or a failure, you will make progress as an affiliate marketer. When you jump from one project to the next, you basically guarantee a 100% failure rate, and that failute will likely continue because you can't learn from incomplete projects. You also want to be sure that your approach can produce results when it is used over and over again – combine this with focusing on completing each project you begin to put yourself on the fast-track to success. Introducing the Team Azon Pro Membership. The offer that will give you 11+ Commercial WordPress Plugins, 65+ Affiliate Marketing Training Videos, 11 HTML/CSS Code Generators, Design Templates, Graphics, Custom Plugins and More.
What you get with Team Azon Pro Membership :
- 11+ Commercial WordPress Plugins (Developers Licenses for Unlimited Domains)
Ryan Stevenson has created 11 WordPress plugins for Amazon affiliates and actively maintain all of them. With this arsenal of software, you'll be able to create a wide variety of types of Amazon sites and types of Amazon ads. You'll get fully upgraded developers licenses for all of them and lifetime upgrades.
- 65+ Affiliate Marketing Training Classes (90+ In-Depth, Over-the-Shoulder Videos and 40+ eBook Guides)
Ryan Stevenson's complete training library includes three full walkthroughs to teach you his methods, step-by-step for building three different kinds of Amazon affiliate sites with WordPress. These in-depth, over-the-shoulders classes allow affiliates of any experience level to duplicate my approach. Other classes teach essential web design and website management skills, Amazon niche research and targeting strategies, in-depth WP theme training and much more.
- 11+ HTML/CSS Code Generators
Ryan Stevenson like to make his websites stand out from the generic looking websites that others build with WordPress, but you wont need web design knowledge to make attractive site like Ryan Stevenson's site. These code generators allow you to enter simple text and get code back that you can copy and paste into WordPress to build stylish websites like those Ryan Stevenson creates in the training classes.
- Site Design Templates, Graphics, Custom Plugins and More
Many of Ryan Stevenson's training classes include additional course material to help you make the most out of his guidance. You'll be able to duplicate his tactics with less time and effort, and even save yourself a lot of cash with by avoiding outsourcing services for some web design, graphics and custom programming.
The Benefits of Coaching – Team Azon Pro Membership :
- New, Monthly Amazon Training Classes (Two Affiliate Marketing and One Niche Training)
Every month, Ryan Stevenson releases three new training classes in the members ares. Two are geared towards teaching you important industry news, new affiliate site tactics, new marketing and traffic tactics and more. The this class dives deep into a different niche each month to give you a crash course on the industry along with his personal recommendations for targeting it as an affiliate.
- Live, Monthly Online Coaching with Ryan Stevenson
Join Team Azon Pro creator, Ryan Stevenson, every single month for a live coaching session via online webinar. You can receive help with your work as you progress as an Amazon affiliate. Just imagine how much easier it will be when you can get live, personal help with your training, direct from the creator.
- Ryan Stevenson's Future Amazon Software and Products
Ryan Stevenson has been developing software for Amazon affiliates since 2010 and still have a lot more planned to create in the future. As a member of Team Azon Pro, you;ll get free access to all of his future Amazon software and products. In fact, you'll be the first to receive everything new he creates – often a month or two before they released to the general public through a launch.
- Personal Niche and Site Reviews
There is simply no better way to ensure you are on the right track than to have the creator of this training and software personally review your niche selections and completed Amazon affiliate websites. This type of service is typically quite expensive, but you get it included for free as a member.
- Other Periodic Surprises
In addition to all of the monthly benefits of being a member of Team Azon Pro, Ryan Stevenson also releases other bonuses at random times. These bonuses include things like bonus training classes, free commercial plugins, special live training sessions, guest training, his annual "State of the Jungle Address", and more.
The types of sites Ryan Stevenson will teach you to build can be created over and over again for any niche market yo want to target. You'll be able to attract free, targeted traffic for many years, one of the keys to creating a strong recurring income with Amazon. Ryan Stevenson 's sites have survived through countless Google Updates including those that specifically targeted a lot of low-quality affiliate marketers, and his tactics continue to work today. When you follow Ryan Stevenson 's guidelines and focus on completing one project at a time, you will be able to create successful Amazon affiliate websites. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed when you purchase Team Azon Pro.
Team Azon Pro Membership – The Best Professional Amazon Affiliate Coaching Team With Ryan Stevenson That Including Reviewing Your Niche Choices And Your Complete Amazon Website And Also Access His Complete Amazon Affiliate Software And Training Library


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The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE) has announced the results of the initial public offering (IPO) of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).
A total of 77,804,122 shares were sold, representing 3.47 per cent of charter capital, bringing in over VND1.1 trillion ($48.4 million).
The highest sale price was VND38,300 ($1.7) and the lowest VND13,100 ($0.58), with the highest order being 14.29 million shares and the lowest 100 shares.
There were 152 investors meeting the price, including 133 individual investors and 19 institutional investors. Foreign investors bought 63.7 million shares, or 82 per cent of the total.
ACV operates 22 airports, including seven international airports and 15 domestic airports.
After equitization ACV will have charter capital of VND22.4 trillion ($985.6 million), with the State holding 75 per cent, staff 1.4 per cent, and strategic investors 20 per cent.