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Mike's Auto Spa is a full-service car wash with convenient locations to serve you better. We also provide complete automotive detailing, fleet services, and windshield chip repair in Broomfield. We are a locally owned and operated business that values the relationships and trust we create in our communities, as we put our customers first and promise to provide the best wash and vac in each visit.
At Mike's Auto Spa, we also understand the responsibility we share in creating and maintaining a thriving and healthy community, so we actively support local schools and organizations with fundraising campaigns; plus we are environmentally conscious and take great pride in being one of the first certified Green Car Washes in Colorado! We recycle up to 85% of our water and only use environmentally safe soaps and polishing/cleaning products.
Comprehensive Car-Wash Services in Broomfield
Mike's Auto Spa has been providing top quality, full-service wash and vac since 2009. Our company operates with the best practices and technology in the industry, and we have an unwavering commitment to providing only the best personalized customer service, vehicle care, and cleaning services in Broomfield.
The exterior no-brush washing systems that we use are safe for your vehicle. A combination of computer controlled sprays and the gentleness of soft cloth provide an added shine that will leave no marks and no dull finish. We use a touchless hot air drying system that will safely dry your car and prevent spotting. Then, we finish drying by hand with microfiber towels to remove any remaining water.
Professional wash and vac Services That Clean and Protect Your Vehicle
Mike's Auto Spa is more than just a regular car wash shop. We offer superior car care and cleaning services in all three of our locations across Broomfield at reasonable and affordable prices. All of our staff is fully trained with the best wash and vac techniques and is customer service oriented.
We can wash most types of vehicles, ranging from mini-vans and pick-ups to 4x4s and full-sized vans up to 83 inches high. Our proprietary blend of eleven washing and polishing solutions are non-abrasive and environmentally safe, so you can be sure that your car is receiving thorough cleaning and detailing services without damaging it or the environment.
What makes us stand apart from our competitors is our signature high-quality wash and vac at an affordable price. We offer unparalleled customer service, have the best-qualified staff, and the most convenient prices and memberships in the business. Our experienced service advisors will examine your vehicle and recommend a particular car wash program and detail services that will restore your vehicle to its greatest potential.
Don't wait any longer! Visit Mike's Auto Spa today and see for yourself why we are the premier car wash provider in Broomfield. We only use state of the art equipment and focus on providing a personalized customer service experience for great added value during your visit.


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Larsson-Danforth Makes First Team
PRINCETON, N.J. - Seven Yale players have been selected to the 2010 All-Ivy Baseball Team that was announced today, including first-team pick Trygg Larsson-Danforth.
The Bulldogs had one first-teamer, a pair of second-team selections and four players who were honorable mention after going 21-22-1 this spring.
Junior second baseman Gant Elmore and sophomore outfielder Charlie Neil earned second-team honors, while junior pitcher Vinny Lally, sophomore shortstop Matt Schmidt and junior outfielders Andrew Kolmar and Trey Rallis were all honorable mention.
Larsson-Danforth, a senior first baseman, was fifth in the Ivy League (second on the team) with a .373 batting average. He led the Blue with 44 RBI and 11 home runs.
Here is the entire 2010 All-Ivy team.
2010 All-Ivy Baseball
* - Unanimous Selection
Player of the Year: Tom Grandieri, Penn
Pitcher of the Year: Pat Lowery, Columbia
Co-Rookies of the Year: Dario Pizzano, Columbia & Chris O'Dowd, Dartmouth
First Team [17]
P - Pat Lowery, Columbia (So., Oakdale, Conn.) P - Brent Suter, Harvard (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) RP - David Rochefort, Cornell (Sr., Arcadia, Calif.) C - Matt Colantonio, Brown (Jr., Garden City, N.Y.) C - Dean Forthun, Columbia (Sr., Glendora, Calif.) 1B - Trygg Larsson-Danforth, Yale (Sr., Belmont, Mass.) 2B - Chris Tanabe, Brown (Sr., Jupiter, Fla.) 3B - Dan Williams, Penn (Jr., Southhampton, N.J.) SS - Sean O'Hara, Harvard (Jr., Gloucester, Mass.) OF - Josh Feit, Brown (Jr., Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) OF - Dario Pizzano, Columbia (Fr., Saugus, Mass.) OF - *Tom Grandieri, Penn (Sr., Media, Pa.) OF - Jeremy Maas, Penn (Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.) UT - Mickey Brodsky, Cornell (Jr., Encino, Calif.) UT - Pete Greskoff, Brown (Jr., Paoli, Pa.) DH - Michael DiBiase, Brown (So., Weston, Mass.) DH - Alex Aurrichio, Columbia (So., Dix Hills, N.Y.)
Second Team [9]
P - Dan Bracey, Columbia (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) P - Tony Bertucci, Cornell (Sr., Belleville, Ill.) RP - Cole Sulser, Dartmouth (So., Santa Ysabel, Calif.) C - No selection 1B - Jason Brooks, Dartmouth (Jr., Westlake Village, Calif.) 2B - Gant Elmore, Yale (Jr., Bloomington, Ind.) 3B - Ryan Zrenda, Brown (Jr. Old Lyme, Conn.) SS - Joe Sclafani, Dartmouth (So., Palm City, Fla.) OF - Jake Carlson, Dartmouth (So., Woodlands, Texas) OF - Charlie Neil, Yale (So., Dallas, Texas) UT - No selection DH - No selection
Honorable Mention [16]
P - Corey Pappel, Cornell (Jr., Mississauga, Ontario) P - Kyle Hendricks, Dartmouth (So., San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) P - Vinny Lally, Yale (Jr. Tampa, Fla.) RP - Reid Terry, Penn (Sr., Atlanta, Ga.) C - Chris O'Dowd, Dartmouth (Fr., Cherry Hills Village, Colo.) C - Tyler Albright, Harvard (Jr., Long Beach, Calif.) C - Will Davis, Penn (Jr., Atlanta, Ga.) 1B - Jason Banos, Columbia (Jr., Lynnfield, Mass.) 2B - Steve Gable, Penn (Sr., Emmaus, Pa.) 3B - Jon Eisen, Columbia (So., Nashville, Tenn.) SS - Alex Ferrara, Columbia (Jr., Huntington, N.Y.) SS - Matt Schmidt, Yale (So., Grayslake, Ill.) OF - Billy Rumpke, Columbia (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) OF - Dillon O'Neill, Harvard (Jr., Naperville, Ill.) OF - Andrew Kolmar, Yale (Jr., Mendham, N.J.) UT - Trey Rallis, Yale (Jr., LaCanada, Calif.)

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hi,I have multi server setup. On Slave i can create clients and directories were created right on slave . But when i select Master for a client its directory structure is not created. in Webpanel it shows that new client but in filesystem the respective client directory is not created. any hint ? Zeeshan


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Solid-State Lighting: An Opportunity for Nanotechnologists to Address the Energy Challenge
Published on
Dr. Sands received his Ph.D. in Materials Science at the University of California, Berkeley in 1984. Following nine years as a Member of Technical Staff and as a research group Director with Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Bellcore) in Red Bank, NJ, Sands joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. In 2002, he became the Basil S. Turner Professor of Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, with a joint appointment in the Schools of Materials Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering. Sands has published over 200 papers and has been granted 12 patents in the areas of metal/semiconductor contacts, heteroepitaxy, thermo-electric materials, ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials and devices, semiconductor nanostructures, laser processing and heterogeneous integration. His present research efforts are directed toward the development of novel nanocomposite materials for applications in solid-state lighting, direct conversion of heat to electrical power, and thermoelectric refrigeration. In November of 2006, Sands became Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue's Discovery Park.
Sponsored by
NCN@Purdue Student Leadership Team
Network for Computational Nanotechnology
The Institute for Nanoelectronics and Computing
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
EE Building, Room 317


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The Citgo gas station and convenience store at 4941 Lamar Ave., at the corner of Lamar and East Shelby Drive, has sold for $975,000.
An entity called 4941 Lamar LLC bought the 3,927-square-foot combination gas station and convenience store in an April 16 warranty deed from Kimberly A. Sartain, who paid $1.4 million for the property in 1999.
Built in 1997, the Citgo station sits on 1.7 acres across from the BNSF Railway Co. Tennessee Yard intermodal facility. The Shelby County Assessor of Property's 2013 appraisal was $762,300.
In conjunction with the purchase, 4941 Lamar LLC filed an $850,000 deed of trust through First Capital Bank. Sardar A. Aman and Badruddin Kheraj signed the deed as chief manager and member, respectively, of the borrower.
Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports
– Daily News staff
Leaders of the holding company that owns Raleigh Springs Mall expressed concern Thursday, May 1, about Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.'s plans to turn the mall into a town center.
Michael Aschenbrener, attorney for Raleigh Springs Mall LLC, says the group has been working diligently to renovate and revitalize the mall since it bought the property a year ago.
That includes $1.5 million spent on a new roof for the mall, which has approximately 15 tenants and has signed leases for three more.
Aschenbrener said the owners had been talking with the city about a renovation of the mall until those talks stopped late last year. He said the owners hope to have future discussions.
Wharton's plan is to demolish parts of the mall and locate city government services on the site, including moving the Old Allen police precinct, the citywide police traffic precinct and a public library to the mall property.
Raleigh Springs Mall is one of three town centers Wharton has proposed, including one at the Southbrook Mall in Whitehaven. The Southbrook plan has drawn opposition from the nonprofit group that owns that mall and instead wants $1.5 million in city funding to repair the roof and heating and air conditioning system. The administration has said city funding can't be used because it would be public funding for a private use.
The third town center site is the Soulsville Town Center in South Memphis.
All three plans are built on the concept of moving city government offices to the sites and using them as a catalyst for private development.
– Bill Dries
Entercom Memphis has launched ESPN 790 AM, offering around-the-clock national sports coverage and national ESPN personalities to complement its local station 92.9 FM ESPN.
Among the personalities and shows that will air on 790 AM: Colin Cowherd, Van Pelt & Russillo, The Dan Le Batard Show and a special broadcast of the Paul Finebaum Show. Local sports content and personalities can be heard on sister stations 92.9 FM ESPN and 680 AM.
In addition to the national ESPN content weekdays, ESPN 790 AM will continue to feature select games for the St. Louis Cardinals and University of Tennessee, as well as other select college football and basketball games and the NFL.
– Don Wade
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis has received a $25,000 contribution from the Walmart Foundation's Tennessee State Giving Program to assist with its Job Ready program.
The Job Ready program prepares Boys & Girls Clubs members and alumni ages 16 to 21 with skills to secure employment and be successful at work. Using the comprehensive program materials and assessment tools that Job Ready provides, club staff can tailor the program to meet members' specific needs.
Participants learn how to identify job opportunities, write effective resumes, perform well in interviews, dress appropriately, develop good work habits and work effectively with others.
In 2013, the Tennessee State Giving Program awarded more than $1 million to organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs, Feed America First of Tennessee and the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.
Former Criminal Court Judge Joe Brown's March contempt citation in Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court is set to be heard by a special Criminal Court judge Friday, May 2.
Senior Judge Paul G. Summers, acting as a special judge in the case, denied motions by Brown's attorneys to delay the hearing to correct what they say are errors in the March 24 contempt order.
Juvenile Court Magistrate Harold Horne cited Brown multiple times for contempt as Brown challenged Horne's authority to hear a case and said, "This sorry operation needs to stop."
Horne says Brown disrupted the court by continuing to challenge the court.
Brown, who is the Democratic nominee for district attorney general, also claimed that Horne lacked the authority to have him jailed for contempt and could only fine him $10.
Brown was released from jail later that day on a Criminal Court order pending a hearing in Criminal Court.
Attorneys Taylor M. Eskridge and Andre Wharton, representing Brown, wanted to delay Friday's hearing to add details of the decision by Juvenile Court Judge Curtis Person Jr. to set bail and release Brown that day before the matter got to Criminal Court.
They claim Brown's attorneys were denied a hearing before Person on the matter.
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. says the city is ready to host members of the British royal family should they come for a wedding of a friend.
While not officially confirming Thursday whether Princes William and Harry will come to Memphis for a Saturday wedding, Wharton did say that the affair is a private event.
Wharton did not disclose what steps were being taken regarding the visit, including what security measures would be in place.
It's a busy weekend in Memphis, with the beginning of the annual Memphis in May tourist event. The Beale Street Music Festival is scheduled to take place this weekend.
Wharton did acknowledge that a possible visit from the royal family would be good public relations for the city and said he has received a deluge of calls from national and international press about the visit.
– The Associated Press
Michelle Nixon, director of alumni programs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has been honored with the Imhotep Award from UTHSC's Student Government Association Executive Council.
Council President Ben Maddox presented the award, which acknowledges outstanding service to students. Nixon, who joined UTHSC in 2012, works in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs and has supported a number of student initiatives that give back to the UTHSC community, including Student Philanthropy Week in April.
During Philanthropy Week, nearly 100 students reached out to those in need through drives for used cellphones, bone marrow donor registration and feeding the homeless. Students also helped to execute oral cancer screening, a senior caregivers health fair, and a health careers simulation experience with MIFA COOL high school students.
The annual campaign by fred's Super Dollar to collect money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has brought in almost $780,000 in customer donations.
The campaign ran from Feb. 25 through April 20. Shoppers were offered a chance to buy paper Miracle Balloons for $1 each at any store location. All proceeds benefit the Children's Miracle Network hospital closest to the Super Dollar where the balloon was purchased.
Since 2006, fred's Super Dollar has raised more than $4.9 million, one Miracle Balloon at a time.
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is a nonprofit organization dedicated to generating funds and awareness for children's hospitals and their programs across the country.
– Andy Meek
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Chicago Bears defensive lineman Henry Melton was arrested early on Sunday on suspicion of public intoxication and for assaulting the manager of a suburban sports bar in Dallas, Texas.
Melton, 27, was asked to leave the restaurant in the suburb of Grapevine, but refused to go. He then became violent, the Grapevine Police Department said in a statement on Monday.
"Melton allegedly punched the restaurant manager in the face and bit him on the arm," the statement said. .
Police said it took four security guards to restrain the 295-pound (134 kg) National Football League player until police arrived.
He was released from police custody after posting a $1,000 bond.
Melton has been out for most of the season after suffering a knee injury in the third week of play, the Bears said on its website in a report about the arrest. There was no comment from the team mentioned in the report.
Melton played high school football in Grapevine and was selected for the Pro Bowl last season.
Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bernadette Baum


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Over the past several decades, Native Americans on rural reservations have flocked to big cities. Now roughly seven of 10 American Indians and Alaska Natives reside in a metropolitan area, according to Census Bureau data released this year, compared with 45 percent in 1970 and 8 percent in 1940.
In the article Quietly, Indians Reshape Cities and Reservations, The New York Times draws attention to the old and new challenges created by this geographic shift.
While job opportunities lured many to urban centers, the unemployment rate for the Native American population in major cities is hardly better than the rate on some impoverished reservations, the Times reveals. And the problem is exacerbated because federal money has not followed their move. The Indian Health Service puts only about 1 percent of spending toward urban programs.
Poverty rates approach 30 percent in Denver, Phoenix and Tucson, for example; and 25 percent live in poverty in Chicago, Oklahoma City, Houston and New York—the cities with the highest concentrations of Indians. At the extreme end, more than 45 percent live in poverty in Minneapolis, and Rapid City, South Dakota's poverty level among Natives exceeds 50 percent.
Despite this bleak situation, urban Indian nonprofits are continuously working to better the lives of Natives in metropolitan areas. The Times spotlights two Minneapolis-baesd organizations fighting to affect change: the Native American Community Development Institute, a social services agency offering legal and job training programs specifically for Natives, and the ittle Earth of United Tribes, a housing complex with Native preference that offers a wide array of social services like community safety, school success, a community farm, baby space, empowerment counselors, bike rentals and more. The typical resident is a single mother (61 percent of residents).
According to Bill Ziegler, the housing project's president and chief executive officer, progress is not made overnight but in daily efforts. "It's like the Lakota hunters bringing down a buffalo. It wasn't one shot. It was a series of errors that led to success," he said.


text: 0 Happy Quotes Quotes Helen KellerNo matter how dull, or how mean, or how wise a man is, he feels that happiness is his indisputable right. Dale Carnegie Drake More Quotes Mothers Day QuotesQuotesJohn Henrik Clarke A people's relationship to their heritage is the same as the relationship of a child to its mother.Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesKatha Pollitt Abortion is part of being a mother and of caring for children, because part of caring for children is knowing when it's not a good…Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesAnna Getty Becoming a mother has been the best thing ever for me. It's become my life's work. Not just parenting, but sharing information and encouraging other…Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesRudyard Kipling An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesSophocles Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life.Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesHenry Louis Gates Everything my mother and father did was designed to put me where I am.Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesCoy Bowles God Bless my mother and father for all the hard work they've done for our family.Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesGilbert Parker For when a child is born the mother also is born again.Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesRachael Ray Good food and a warm kitchen are what makes a house a home. I always tried to make my home like my mother's, because Mom…Read More share Mothers Day QuotesQuotesMagic Johnson God blessed me with two unbelievable parents, and I am just like both of them. I have the smile and charisma of my mother and…Read More share


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Join Frequent Traveler Programs
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has several Trusted Traveler programs which provide an improved passenger experience, while enhancing security and increasing system-wide efficiencies. The programs are customized based on travel needs and many of them have reciprocal benefits. See below for guidance on which program may be best for you or click here for a comparison chart.
Start Here
Learn more about available Trusted Traveler Programs, eligibility and how to sign up:
- FAST Program (CBP) - Free and Secure Trade (FAST) is the trusted traveler program for commercial truck drivers at the Canadian and Mexican land borders. FAST allows expedited release to approved commercial truck drivers making fully-qualified FAST trips between the U.S and Canada or to the U.S. from Mexico.
- Global Entry Program (CBP) - Participants proceed to Global Entry kiosks at international airports airports, present their machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. Travelers must be pre-approved and all applicants undergo a rigorous background check and interview before enrollment.
- NEXUS Program (CBP) - Provides expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers by United States and Canadian officials at dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry, at NEXUS kiosks at Canadian airports where preclearance is available, and at marine reporting locations.
- SENTRI Program (CBP) - Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) is U.S. Customs and Border Protection's trusted traveler program for approved frequent border crossers at southern land borders. SENTRI allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers access to dedicated commuter lanes, which expedites crossing between the U.S. and Mexico.
- TSA Pre✓™ (TSA) - TSA Pre✓™ is an expedited screening initiative that is expanding to airports across the country. Implementing a key component of the agency's intelligence-driven, risk-based approach to security, TSA Pre✓™ enhances aviation security by placing more focus on pre-screening individuals who volunteer to participate to expedite the travel experience. Certain frequent flyers from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, US Airways and certain members of CBP's Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS who are U.S. citizens are eligible to participate. In addition, passengers 12 and younger are allowed through TSA Pre✓™ lanes with eligible passengers.
Though intended for frequent international travelers, there is no minimum number of trips necessary to qualify for the program. If you join the program you can expect to reduce your average wait time to under five minutes.
Currently available at 25 U.S. international airports, Global Entry streamlines the screening process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric identification. More than one million trusted travelers are in this program and enjoy the benefit of expedited entry into the United States:
- 70 percent reduction in average wait times
- Processing time under five minutes for more than 75 percent of travelers
The Global Entry program is another way DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are helping to promote these efforts and stimulate our economy, while maintaining the highest standards of security.


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Finally after around 3 years and a bunch of $$$ its time to go see what goes on with the Nova .
weather is looking good and as its a night meet 5.00-10.00pm promises too be good air.
Spent the week checking everything over and making sure my too take list was longer than I will need
compared to what some of you guys are doing this occasion is not so big but for me its the fullfilment of a dream when i was a kid back in the UK only partially completed when i raced a 10s bike back thereI have a couple of friends who said they will try get there so if I can get video and pix I will post as soon as I can.
Thanks for all the help
To the track
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Scottish Contemporary Art and Picture Framing since 1976
Hamilton : Larkhall : Lanarkshire : Scotland
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>Eilean Donan Castle (Light on the Loch III)
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Gillian McDonald
Light on the Loch III
Eilean Donan Castle
Signed and numbered edition of 850 prints
Mounted ready for framing using two neutral off white
'Artcare' archival mountboards
plus Artcare backing board.
A subtle impression of depth is further achieved with the addition of a V cut channel around the aperture.
Mounted size 355mm x 550mm approx
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Friday he saw bottles of urine being smelled by DPS officers last week and 'bags of feces', although the Department of Public Safety reported finding one bottle of urine and "18 jars" of feces.
Dewhurst insisted he saw the items after being asked about the incident by Toby Marie Walker, a member of the Waco Tea Party, during a radio interview (begins near 27:00), as the Texas Observer reported.
"It did. It did. It did. I saw some of it," he said. "I walked over to the where (DPS officers) were screening and they were getting bottles out and smelling them – they were getting water bottles out and smelling and they had urine in it," Dewhurst said. "They were bags they had set aside they were going to put in the trash and throw it out – of feces."
Steve McCraw, director of DPS, responded Wednesday to a probing letter from state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, asking for details of the DPS's report sent last Friday amid a heated abortion debate. The DPS statement cited "one jar suspected to contain urine, 18 jars suspected to contain feces" that were discarded by officers screening legislative spectators.
McCraw's letter said activists intended to throw the items at lawmakers during the floor debate. Howard said McCraw's response didn't "pass the smell test."
A call to a Dewhurst spokesperson was not immediately returned.


text: Finance Shopping for a new car when your old one is about to give up isn't most people's idea of a good time. It's not deciding what kind of car you want that's the problem. Most people are able to think seriously and be realistic about what kind of car they can afford to own. They'll happily settle for a sedan, even if they dream of a sports car. However, your credit might get in the way. If you've got less than great credit, car dealers can make you feel like a second class citizen. They don't want to take the risk of selling you the car you need, so they steer you towards other, less desirable models. They don't want to waste their time on you if you are not going to qualify for financing. Very few people have perfect credit these days. There's always an occasion where you miss a few payments on a credit card or other bill, or get laid off from your job and have to put off the least vital bills. However, even if things are now different and you can deal with your financial responsibilities, you'll still have that black mark on your credit. Credit bureaus can keep the information about those missed payments on your record for a long time. When you start investigating your options for financing your new car, they're sure to turn up. This means that you're on the defensive, and have to relive the period when you weren't able to live up to your responsibilities. It's necessary for you to explain to the dealership what happened, why you weren't able to make those payments, and to justify your ability to make them now. Here's some information to help you do this more easily. The first thing you should do is realistically figure out how much you can afford for your new car payment. Don't make the mistake of being too optimistic about your ability to save money or reduce expenses. Buying a new car shouldn't affect your quality of life. If it's necessary to stretch your budget that thin, you should put off getting a new car until things improve. When you are realistically figuring out your budget, remember that cars do not drive on air. You will need to put gas in them and it would be a good idea to set aside money every month for maintenance like tires, oil changes, etc. Also, it's important to retain a good sense of reality in regards to how much you'll get when you trade in your car. You probably won't get the blue book price. For instance, if your car is worth $6000 as a trade in, realize that this is only $6000 off the sticker price of the new car. If you receive a discount on the sticker price (rarely do people ever pay the sticker price!), you probably won't get as much for your trade-in. Sometimes the amount that the dealer discounts your trade in turns out to be the same as if you'd paid the sticker price in the first place. However, should you be able to work things out with your dealer and arrive at a fair price, you still need to shop for a new car loan. Even if you're getting a good deal on your trade in vehicle, you'll almost certainly need to borrow money to buy a new car. What kind of loan you get is almost as important as picking out the car. If you happen to have a good credit rating, you can often get a good deal on your new car financing through the dealer. They'll use the manufacturer's lending resources to help find you the right financing. The best deal you can get is a zero percent finance rate. There's no interest with a zero percent rate. You can also get one point nine or two point nine percent interest rates, which are a lot better than you can get through most other lenders. Therefore, if you can get a good deal through the dealer, you should probably go for it. However, those with less than perfect credit may need to look at other options for their new car financing. You may be able to find attractive loan programs through other lenders. These programs are designed for people with a few credit problems. You can even get loans designed for people with very poor credit or even those who've filed bankruptcy. However, you should be careful with these kinds of loans. Slipping up with them can put you in line for lots of fees and penalties, and the interest rate is going to be higher because they will consider you a higher risk. Remember, when you buy a new car, shopping for the right car loan is just as important as picking out the perfect car. If you go with the first financing you're offered, you may find yourself paying several thousand dollars more than you would have if you had bothered to shop around. Don't underestimate the value to you of getting the right financing. There's an option available for you, no matter what your credit history looks like. About the Author: 相关的主题文章:


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Photos: Deborah Harry Performs with Miss Guy at WIP in NYC
Photos by G.
In the wee hours of the morning of February 8, 2012, Deborah Harry stopped by the club WIP in New York to perform with Miss Guy of The Toilet Boys, whose new video was premiered tonight. In other amazing news, the Toilet Boys will be opening for Guns N' Roses at their shows this weekend in Manhattan. Back to tonight – Deborah Harry performed 2 songs including the disco classic "New York Groove" with Miss Guy. This was my first time at WIP and the club is really cool. I saw art from several street artists including Dick Chicken on the walls and the crowd were dressed to the 9s in a scene reminiscent of the old Studio 54 days. The nearly impossible to get into show was also served as an unofficial kick off party for Fashion Week.


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Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop shingles. But your risk is greater if you:
Are 50 years of age or older
Have an illness that weakens your immune system, such as HIV/AIDS
Have cancer, especially Hodgkin disease or lymphoma
Take medicines that weaken your immune system
The first sign of shingles is usually pain, burning, tingling, or itching on one part of your face or body. You may also feel as if you have the flu, with fever and chills.
A red rash with small blisters appears within a few days. The rash may appear as follows:
The blisters can occur anywhere, but they're most common on the back, chest, or abdomen.
They usually appear on only one side of the body, spreading along the nerve pathway where the virus was inactive.
The rash can also form around an eye, along one side of the face or neck, or in the mouth.
In a few people, usually those with weakened immune systems, shingles appear on more than one part of the body at once.
After a few days, the blisters become dry and form a crust. The crust falls off in days to weeks. The blisters generally do not leave scars.
For most people, shingles heals on its own in a few weeks. But treatment is recommended to help relieve pain, speed healing, and reduce the risk of complications. Antiviral medicines are prescribed within the first 72 hours of the appearance of the rash. To lessen symptoms:
Apply ice packs (wrapped in a thin towel) or cool compresses, or soak in a cool bath.
Use calamine lotion to calm itchy skin.
Ask your healthcare provider about over-the-counter pain relievers. If your pain is severe, your healthcare provider may prescribe stronger pain medicines.
Shingles often goes away with no lasting effects. But some people have serious problems long after the blisters have healed:
Postherpetic neuralgia. This is the most common complication. It is severe nerve pain at the place where the rash used to be. It can last for months, or even years after you have had shingles. Medicines can be prescribed to help relieve the pain and improve quality of life.
Bacterial infection. Shingles blisters may become infected with bacteria. Antibiotic medicine is used to treat the infection.
Eye problems. A person with shingles on the face should see his or her healthcare provider right away. Shingles can cause serious problems with vision, and even blindness.
Very rarely shingles can also lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, brain inflammation, or even death.
Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:
Symptoms that don't go away with treatment
A rash or blisters near your eye
Increased drainage, fever, or rash after treatment, or severe pain that doesn't go away
You can only get shingles if you have had chickenpox in the past. Those who have never had chickenpox can get the virus from you. Although instead of developing shingles, the person may get chickenpox. Until your blisters form scabs, avoid contact with others, especially the following:
Pregnant women who have never had chickenpox or the vaccine
Infants who were born early (prematurely) or who had low weight at birth
People with weak immune system (for example, people receiving chemotherapy for cancer, people who have had organ transplants, or people with HIV infections)
Shingles vaccines are available to help prevent shingles or make it less painful. Vaccination is recommended for adults 50 and older, even if you've had shingles in the past. Talk with your healthcare provider about the most appropriate time for you to get vaccinated, and which vaccine is best for you.


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The actor playfully poses in his birthday suit for a series of ads slated to run in October
Courtesy Charisma
Talk about a sexy bedfellow! The Playboy Club's Eddie Cibrian stars in the latest campaign for Charisma bath and bedding products, in a series of ads set to hit magazines in October. The handsome actor, who married LeAnn Rimes in April, poses in various states of undress in his photos, even donning a robe — and jumping into a tub! Cibrian has never been shy about flaunting his toned physique: he hits the beach with his new wife quite often, and to stay in shape, regularly visits the gym (and even the slopes in the cold winter months). Cibrian follows in the footsteps of some smoldering past spokesmen: Sex and the City's Jason Lewis and Halle Berry's ex Gabriel Aubry have both been in the buff for Charisma, too. Find the line exclusively at Bloomingdale's — and keep an eye out for Cibrian's multi-media campaign this fall. Tell us: What do you think of Cibrian's sexy shots? —Kate Hogan
Courtesy Charisma


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Kings County - Brooklyn
Biography of Justice Carolyn E. Demarest
JUSTICE CAROLYN E. DEMAREST received her B.A. from New York University and her J.D. from New York Law School, where she served on the Editorial Board of the Law Review. She began practice in 1972 as an associate with a large corporate law firm in the private sector. Justice Demarest served for seven years as Assistant Chief of the Appeals Division of the New York City Law Department prior to her interim appointment by Mayor Koch to the Civil Court of the City of New York in 1983. In 1985, Mayor Koch appointed Justice Demarest to the Family Court of the State of New York, where she continued to serve until her appointment to the Supreme Court by Governor Cuomo in 1990. In 1991, Justice Demarest was elected to the Supreme Court. As a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Demarest has been assigned to both criminal and civil IAS Parts, and has presided over a wide diversity of cases, including torts, commercial, matrimonial and medical malpractice cases. She is one of the Judges designated to handle capital and complex cases in the Criminal Term.
Since 1989, Justice Demarest has served on the Civil Law and Skills Curriculum Committees for the annual Judicial Seminars and is the editor and an author of the Kings County Criminal Term Manual. She is also a frequent lecturer for State Bar Association CLE courses and was a member of the New York State Bar Association Task Force on CLE. Justice Demarest is one of two Justices designated to develop and preside over the Commercial Division in Kings County, which opened in December 2002.


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Does this data make my shape look funny?
If you have been following my articles over the last few months, you have seen that even though statistical process control (SPC) charts are very powerful tools for examining a process, it turns out that there are a lot of ways to mess up SPC. This month, I am going to finish up with a few more things to watch out for as you use them, so you never have to ask, "Why doesn't SPC work here?"


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Introduction to the Rein Audio X-DAC
USB DACs are hot items now because you can play music from your computer through them and into a set of headphones or to your main hi-fi rig. Some of these DACs only have a USB input, (no S/PDIF inputs) because their main purpose is for use with a computer. Of course, all computers come with audio ciruitry on the motherboard, and if you have a sound card installed in one of the PC card slots, it may very well have an S/PDIF output. However, their quality is often questionable due to the typically low cost of the sound card. Rein Audio, a German manufacturer, makes the X-DAC, which is a 24/192 DAC with both coaxial and Toslink optical S/PDIF inputs, but also, it has a USB input (24/96) to be used with your computer, giving you better sound quality than you would get from your computer's audio circuit.
- Design: DAC
- Native Resolution: 24 Bit/192 kHz (24/96 via USB)
- Digital Receiver Chipset: Wolfson CS8416
- Digital Decoder Chipset: Wolfson WM8740
- Output Chipset: AD797 Fully Balanced in XLR Output
- MFR: 20 Hz – 20 kHz, -0.5 dB
- Output Impedance: 100 Ohms
- Analog Output: 2 Volts RMS
- Inputs: Two Coax, One Toslink Optical, One USB
- Outputs: XLR and RCA
- Dimensions: 2.5″ H x 7.5″ W x 8.8″ D
- Weight: 5 Pounds
- Rein Audio
- SECRETS Tags: Comects, Rein Audio, DAC, USB DAC
The Design of the Rein Audio X-DAC
Although USB DACs may be on you mind because there are so many coming out on the market right now, you should also consider how the unit performs as a regular DAC using the S/PDIF inputs, and is more on this below.
The Rein X-DAC uses Wolfson CS8416 chipset for digital receiving and the WM8740 as the decoder. The analog output stage consists of AD797 op-amps, run in balanced configuration for the XLR output.
The front panel has an on/off knob on the left, an indicator LED when using the USB input, and the input selector dial on the right. It selects Coax 1, Coax 2, USB, and Optical.
The rear panel, shown below, has the analog outputs on the left (the RCA outputs use a different output op-amp), followed by the optical digital input, the two digital coax inputs, and the USB input.
There are three basic types of USB digital audio interfaces used with DACs. One is called "Synchronous", and this means that the USB DAC uses the computer's digital clock that times the bitstream. As you can imagine, the quality of the digital audio circuitry in a typical computer is not very high quality, so there is a lot of jitter in the bitstream, which results in significant amounts of harmonic distortion in the analog output. I say significant in the relative sense, in that there is more distortion than if the USB DAC utilizes an "Asynchronous" interface. The asynchrounous USB interface has its own clock, and the bitstream is fed into a buffer, reclocked at a much lower jitter rate, and then decoded, with the result (presumably) being lower distortion than it would have been with a synchronous interface. The less expesive USB DACs are synchronous, due to cost. The third type of interface is called "Adaptive", which is somewhere in between Synchronous and Asynchronous. It looks at the incoming data and adjusts the original timing rather than reclocking it altogether.
The Rein X-DAC utilizes the adaptive interface. That does not mean it is not as good a USB DAC as any DAC that has a synchronous USB interface, because it is the sum total of the entire circuit that gives you good or not-so-good sound, not any one individual circuit in the signal path.
Because the Rein X-DAC has coax and optical inputs as well as the USB, I would consider this product to be a DAC, period. It has, as a feature, an adaptive USB digital input, along with conventional digital inputs.
The Rein Audio X-DAC In Use
I used the X-DAC with an OPPO-BDP-95 as a transport, Pass XP-20 preamplifier (XLR inputs), Classé CA-M600 monoblock power amplifiers, and Carver Mark IV ribbon speakers. Cables were Wireworld.
Beginning the tests, I listened to CDs and two-channel SACDs using one of the digital coax inputs. The sound was neutral, with a hint of warmth. It was smooth and mellow, without any harshness or grit. I was really kind of surprised at the quality of the sound, considering it is less than $800 (probably an additional $50 to ship it to North America from Europe). I have to give Rein Audio credit for designing a DAC that produced a level of sound purity that just a few years ago, would have cost thousands. Of course, DAC chipsets and op-amps for the output stage have improved greatly during that time as well. But, you could take a sack full of the best quality parts in the world and design junk. It definitly takes engineering prowess to put them all together to produce audiophile-quality sound.
Now for the USB. I have never used a USB DAC interface before, so I was a bit apprehensive about whether it was going to be plug-n-play, or unmentionable language and frustration.
It turned out to be plug-n-play. I simply connected the included USB cable to my computer, the computer said, "Your device is installed and ready for use," and I selected "USB Audio" as the output in my audio device menu, clicked on some of my favorite albums that I have stored on my computer, and out came the music. Simple, simple, simple.
So . . . . to my astonishment, the sound coming from my computer sounded at least as good as playing a CD on the transport. In a double-blind test, I might very well have thought the USB sound was a tinge better. But, that was for CDs. I can't put my SACD soundtracks on my computer. I can put 24/88.2 DVD-A music, such as tracks downloaded from HDTracks, and they worked fine as well through the USB input.
The output voltage when using the S/PDIF inputs as well as the USB input is sufficient for most preamplifiers, and in fact, the very low distortion from the Rein X-DAC makes it a good contender for a high end audio system, using these inputs. The distortion from the USB input is a bit higher than with the standard S/PDIF inputs, but it is still low enough to be considered good quality.
This is my favorite jazz album, partly because it just swings, but also because of its prodigy drummer, Buddy Rich. I heard him live in Seattle many years ago, and my soon-to-be-wife Susan was with me at the table, which was about 10 feet from his kit. Sue was sleepy, and began to doze during the music, and Rich commented that the audience was falling asleep. He was referring to Susan. I played it with the transport using the coax input and also directly from the computer to the DAC with the USB input. This album is so old, the recording quality is not really up to 21st century standards, and I couldn't really hear any difference. The album sounded as good as it could, with either source. Buddy's cymbals were clear and crisp, without harshness or being overly sibilant. I would sure love it if the producers could find the original tapes and convert them to 24/88.2 or 24/192 PCM high rez downloads.
For classical music, I chose this Brahms Early Piano Works album that I had downloaded from HDTracks. Its format is 24/88.2 PCM. Played from the computer through the USB connection, it sounded terrific, with high notes not having any glare that they do when there is significant distortion. My overall impression is that the X-DAC sounded a bit towards analog rather than being totally digital. Warm and smooth. To most audiophiles, that is a good thing. The detail was better than typical tube products, courtesy of the low IM distortion. There was no rolloff at either end of the spectrum. Violins and string bass sounded completely natural.
The Rein Audio X-DAC On the Bench
Distortion measurements were made within an 80 kHz bandwidth. The connections were XLR for the analog signal path, and coax or USB for the digital input. The bitstream format is specified on each graph, i.e., 24/48, 24/96, etc.
First, the coax S/PDIF results:
At 1 kHz, using a signal at 0dBFS (the highest loudness level that can be recorded without clipping), distortion was only 0.003%. Output (XLR) was 2 volts RMS.
Using the same signal, but at – 5 dB, distortion was still only 0.003%. The output dropped to 1.2 volts.
With 24/192 sampling, there were actually a few more distortion peaks than there were at 24/48 sampling.
With 19 kHz and 20 kHz sine waves, the B-A peak at 1 kHz was 110 dB bewlow the fundamentals.
IMD was extremely low, at 0.002%.
The measured frequency response was ruler flat out to 48 kHz, using 24/96 sampling.
Now, let's take a look at the results using the USB interface.
At 1 kHz, and 16/44.1 sampling (which is most likely what the typical consumer would be using, having ripped their CDs to their computer), distortion was more than with using the S/PDIF, at 0.04% with the signal at 0 dB (first graph below), and 0.002% at -5 dB (second graph below). The output voltage was about the same at 0 dB test signal as with the S/PDIF inputs (2 volts RMS).
Using the coax digital input (S/PDIF), and 16/44.1 sampling, with the 1 kHz output at 0 dB, distortion was 0.004%, which is lower than it was using the USB input (0.04%), and at – 5 dB, S/PDIF distortion was 0.005%, which is actually higher (considered an insignifcant difference) than it was with the USB input (0.002%).
Conclusions About the Rein Audio X-DAC
This has been one of my first experiences with a DAC that has a USB input, and like my first experience, it is enlightening to say the least. The only thing still annoying is that we cannot play SACD tracks from our computers or portable music players without their having been converted from DSD to PCM before decoding. When that finally happens – and it appears that there is progress in the world of the McIntosh – the disappearance of hard media (music discs) is well within sight. But don't throw your Universal player away just yet. There are still Blu-ray movies to contend with and it is going to be awhile before the studios relent and allow us to download high definition movies with the same bitrate as on the disc (24 Mbps) and store them on our computers for playback through HDMI outputs on the video card.
Although the Rein Audio X-DAC is a very good product, it has strong competition in that price range.


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We recorded Episode 16 of the Hinderaker-Ward Experience Friday evening. The show features an interview with Ralph Peters, talking, among other things, about his brand-new book, Lines of Fire, as well as his forthcoming novel about the Civil War, Cain at Gettysburg.
We talked about the events of the day, including the GOP presidential debates and the fortunes of the various contenders. And, of course, we awarded our Loon of the Week and This Week In Gatekeeping trophies.
You can listen to the podcast by playing it right here, or you can go to Ricochet to download or subscribe to the podcast in various ways, or you can hit the subscribe button in the graphic above to subscribe on iTunes or elsewhere. Or you can use Stitcher. There are many ways to experience the Hinderaker-Ward Experience!


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Date(s) - February 25, 2015
9:30 am - 10:30 am
EPOCH Senior Healthcare of Brewster will host its monthly blood pressure clinic at the Dennis Council on Aging on Wednesday, Dec. 24 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. EPOCH nursing staff will administer the blood pressure tests and be available to discuss elder-care topics. As high blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, regular screenings are an important preventative measure for protecting your health. EPOCH hosts these free clinics every fourth Wednesday of the month. For more information or to RSVP, please call 508-896-7046.
The Dennis Council on Aging and Senior Center is located at 1045 Route 134, South Dennis. EPOCH Senior Healthcare of Brewster is located at 873 Harwich Road.


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If you want something to feel particularly good about this, heading into the 4th of July holiday, why not relive the moment we learned that the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act?
Nothing quite captures the moment like this Take Action News video of the moment when health care supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court got the news.
Also, Rahdika Raman was on the scene, and got some interviews with health care reform supporters waiting for the Court's ruling.
Finally, Paul Krugman reminds us who the real winners are.
So the Supreme Court — defying many expectations — upheld the Affordable Care Act, a k a Obamacare. There will, no doubt, be many headlines declaring this a big victory for President Obama, which it is. But the real winners are ordinary Americans — people like you
How many people are we talking about? You might say 30 million, the number of additional people the Congressional Budget Office says will have health insurance thanks to Obamacare. But that vastly understates the true number of winners because millions of other Americans — including many who oppose the act — would have been at risk of being one of those 30 million.
So add in every American who currently works for a company that offers good health insurance but is at risk of losing that job (and who isn't in this world of outsourcing and private equity buyouts?); every American who would have found health insurance unaffordable but will now receive crucial financial help; every American with a pre-existing condition who would have been flatly denied coverage in many states.
In short, unless you belong to that tiny class of wealthy Americans who are insulated and isolated from the realities of most people's lives, the winners from that Supreme Court decision are your friends, your relatives, the people you work with — and, very likely, you. For almost all of us stand to benefit from making America a kinder and more decent society.


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Contact: Chris Gallegos
(202) 224-7082
Domenici Welcomes Initial Agreement for New Mexico Tech to Buy Hildago County Town
Phelps Dodge Decision on Playas Could Aid Homeland Security Training
WASHINGTON, D.C., MAY 21, 2003 -- U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today welcomed news that the Phelps Dodge Corp. will move forward with plans to allow New Mexico Tech, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to purchase the town of Playas.
Domenici, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, was today notified that the copper mining giant will begin negotiations with the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and its partners, on the purchase of the company-planned community that was put up for sale late last year.
"I am pleased with this decision, and for negotiations to move forward. I believe selling the property to New Mexico Tech will have a variety of benefits. It should bring new activity to the town and it will give the nation an excellent venue for honing homeland security training," Domenici said. "I commend New Mexico Tech for being aggressive and forward-thinking in working out a plan for using Playas and all its attributes to advance homeland security."
Domenici has been encouraging the federal government -- primarily the Homeland Security Department -- to purchase the Hidalgo County town and use it for first responder training and bio-security research. New Mexico Tech has developed a collaborative effort to establish, support and operate a National Emergency Response Training, Research and Development Center (NERTRDC) at Playas.
New Mexico Tech, with New Mexico State University as a partner, has proposed using existing federal FY2003 funds to purchase and renovate Playas facilities. Domenici has also formally requested additional FY2004 DHS appropriated funding to support the purchase and development of the NERTRDC.
The proposed Playas center would provide standardized emergency operations training for First Responders, as well as advanced training capabilities for emergency operations personnel, emergency medical personnel, and private sector responders. In addition, the proposal would incorporate research on biological security related to American agricultural and natural resource assets.
In April, Domenici asked DHS Secretary Tom Ridge to allow New Mexico Tech to use FY2003 appropriations to purchase and begin developing Playas.
The town of Playas, located in Hidalgo County, was developed in the late 1970s by the Phelps Dodge Mining Company to provide housing and services for approximately 1,000 workers employed at its nearby copper smelting operation. The town has been almost empty since the Phelps Dodge copper smelting operations were temporarily suspended in 1999. The community includes 259 homes, 25 apartment units, a community center, bank, gas station, post office, fire station, medical center, and recreational facilities.


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2017 Masonry Industry Legislative Conference
Express your concern and care for the actions in D.C.
The Masonry Industry Legislative Conference will be held May 16-18, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
The conference is the perfect opportunity to meet with elected officials and discuss important issues affecting your company and the masonry industry. The main focus of the program will be getting our issues and our positions in front of key congressional figures and tell them our story as to how their votes impact our industry.
Appointments will be made with attendees' members of Congress, as well as appointments with key swing vote representatives. One of the most important things you can do in today's business environment is take time to meet with and inform those responsible for regulating, taxing and setting rules for business how it will impact not only our industry, but the economy as a whole.
The Masonry Industry Legislative Conference will be a great opportunity to express your concern and care for the actions of the few in D.C.
Please contact Jeff Buczkiewicz at the Mason Contractors Association of America at 800-536-2225 if you have any questions regarding the Masonry Industry Legislative Conference.
For more information and to register, visit www.masoncontractors.org/legislative-conference.
About the Author
Jeff Buczkiewicz is the President and CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of America. Jeff has worked in the masonry industry for several years as the Executive Vice President of the Building Stone Institute and the Director of Marketing and Membership for the Mason Contractors Association of America. Jeff has also served as Secretary on the Board of the Natural Stone Council and is a former Board Member of the StonExpo Federation.


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Attorney General Pam Bondi to Meet with National Monitor and Stakeholders on National Mortgage Settlement
TALLAHASSEE, FL – March 14, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Pam Bondi will be meeting with the National Mortgage Settlement Monitor, Joseph Smith, and those on the front lines of assisting homeowners with the relief available under the national settlement, such as housing counselors and legal aid providers. The meeting is intended to facilitate a discussion on how the implementation of the settlement is working for Floridians and what elements of the implementation remain to be done or enhanced.
Following the private roundtable discussion, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the National Monitor will be available to speak with the media.
WHO: Attorney General Pam Bondi and National Monitor Joseph Smith
WHAT: Media availability following private roundtable discussion among Attorney
General Pam Bondi, National Monitor Joseph Smith, and professionals
who provide housing-related assistance.
WHEN: Friday, March 15, at approximately 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Attorney General's Office in Tampa, located at 3507 East Frontage Road,
Suite 325, Tampa FL, 33607
Media Contact:
Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150


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Sunday, March 30, 2008
Like Tears In The Rain
It's at moments like this I like to reflect that, many billion years hence, the sun will swell with such power and ferocity that it will engulf the Earth, and all of the accumulated wisdom and works of man will be obliterated from the universe in a celestial blast of atomic fury.
Ahh, there we go. I feel better already.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Christ, Are They Still At It?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Pipes of Peace
They're speculating that this is a coded signal from Sir Paul that he's a bit miffed about handing over a substantial wedge to his semi-hysterical mentalist ex-wife.
By a freak coincidence, I've just discovered that Sir Paul's Dad might have been sending coded messages too, since Paul McCartney, author of The Frog Chorus, Give My Regards to Broadway and Wonderful Christmastime is an anagram of Nu-Treacly Camp.
We can only hope that was what Mr. McCartney Snr. was getting at however, or Sir Paul could be in for a series of rather nasty bum infections - Paul McCartney is also an anagram of Puny Rectal Cam.
Really. When I was a kid, bands were perfectly content with incorporating backwards messages from Satan, Father of Lies and Lord of the Inferno on their albums, and there was none of this anus-based tomfoolery.
n.b. Honestly, the post title could've been worse. I came this close to calling it No More Lonely Shites.
Common Sense
I think you'll agree that the author's absurd contentions fly in the face of my personal experiences and political beliefs, and are flatly contradicted by a number of economists, historians, political theorists and/or philosophers whom I have either met, read or merely heard of.
Speaking as an ultra-libertarian socialist with strong authoritarian leanings, I firmly advocate a loosely centralised communist state based upon orthodox free market neo-liberalism, and this article manages to violate all of those basic principles.
I ask you, is this flatulent nonsense the norm in newspapers, online journals or personal weblogs these days? This is the most glaring example I've ever seen of the stupidity, iniquity, hypocrisy, ideological insanity and/or bovine, fuck-faced twattishness of those who share the author's political affiliations, religious beliefs, national identity and/or intellectual tradition.
I must regretfully conclude that the author is under-educated, ideologically-fixated, mendacious, partially retarded and/or a collossal, gibbering prick full of cock-knocking bullshit, and that he or she should be entirely disregarded, mocked, fired from his or her post or immediately tried and imprisoned for incitement to violence.
I mean, that's just common sense, isn't it?
Saturday, March 22, 2008
What I Thought When That Iraq War Invasion Thing Was Being Planned And How I Decided Not To Support It, Because It Was a Stupid Idea, And That
Note - I'm posting this long and self-indulgent piece here so I can crib from it later if I find myself in a pie-fight with some joker on the internet.
Recently, I was accused of projecting an "ordinary bloke just trying to make sense of stuff whilst being genuinely shocked by these swivel-eyed ideologues" schtick.
Well, that's probably true, especially when I'm addressing swivel-eyed ideologues. I've been running this blog for more than eighteen months, most of which I've spent taking the piss out of pro-war types. Reading this excellent piece, it occurs that it isn't really fair to criticise without setting out my own position, so here's my tedious, po-faced thoughts on the matter.
FR, your Prime Minister was the most eloquent proponent of the Iraq invasion. Do you have anything to say about his arguments?
In a word, no. Tony gave some very effective speeches in the run-up, and employed the appeal to emotion like a true professional. Whatever else he may have exaggerated, there was no doubt that the majority of Iraqis lived grim lives under Saddam, and I didn't doubt that a majority of them would be glad to see the back of him.
No matter how noble Blair's motivations were, however, this was not his war - it was George Bush's, and anybody backing it was signing up to a war led by a belligerent, hard right-wing moron and his cohort of insane ideologues. This cannot be emphasised enough, and the final nail was banged through the coffin-lid on this issue on the eve of war when Tony was told that Britain could sit on the sidelines if our participation was too difficult politically.
Blair's priorities probably were democracy and freedom for the Iraqis. Sadly, Tony was not in charge - Rummy, Wolfie and co. were, and their priorities were 1) exorcising the ghost of Vietnam so they could 2) Establish American dominance once and for all and 3) give their reptilian pals the opportunity to get their noisome probosces into the Federal Treasury.
This should be stressed to the left wingers who spent the pre-war period lecturing us all about Reagan and the fall of the Soviet Union etc. The people who brought us the Iraq invasion were the same people who gave us those freedom-loving death squads in central America, and it amazes me to this day that anyone could possibly have believed that the Republican leopard had finally changed its spots.
To gauge how honest the Republicans were about their empathy for the suffering Iraqis, I'd suggest paying attention to their efforts on welfare "reform". They're full of rhetoric about how they want to save welfare for the future, but all of their supporters want to destroy it and salt the earth in which it grows. Everyone should instinctively distrust anything the Republicans have to say, because they're liars and assholes.
If you think that's harsh, try to imagine how many nights' sleep Dick Cheney lost over the Iraqis living under tyranny... Then tell me how many nights sleep he's lost about the African AIDS epidemic.
Exactly. If I can summarise my thoughts on American-led campaigns for freedom, it would be only if the grown-ups are in charge.
It's particularly worrying that so many on the left fell over themselves to grant continents of intellectual charity to the Republicans, trusting them with the lives of 25 million people when they wouldn't trust the Tories to run a free bar. The Republicans' ideological lunacy makes the British Conservatives look like committed Marxists.
But after backing and arming Saddam for so long, didn't we have a duty to the Iraqis to depose him?
Ah, the Hitchens gambit. He's been asking this question for years, and always appends it with "Answer comes there none," like some corpulent, boozy Yoda. In all the times he's asked this question, I'm staggered that nobody has said "Yes, but only a gibbering lunatic would trust the self-same fuck-heads who did the backing and arming to do the liberating."
This, I suspect, is why Hitchens has had the Bushies' backs for the last seven years.
You were vehemently opposed to the invasion of Iraq. If you had to reduce your objections to a single word, what would it be?
That's easy - Vietnam. You know, small southeast Asian nation, major wars up until the eighties.
Again, this is a point that should be internalised by those trying to persuade us that we should support liberal democracies when they decide to take on dictatorships. Even with segregation, the US was as liberal as could've been hoped for at the time, but it still found itself balls-deep in a hideous bloodbath.
Thing is, the Americans were right - the Viet Cong really were horrible people, and likely the lives of the South Vietnamese would have been better in a US client state. Sadly, large numbers of South Vietnamese disagreed and fought covertly for the Viet Cong, because the Yanks were foreigners and the Cong were Viets.
That should have made us think twice about invasions of middle eastern countries, which are not known for their Yankophilia.
Vietnam is the prime example of the law of unintended consequences. The US fought in the name of freedom and democracy but wound up in a conflict that killed millions, while spraying poison over one of the poorest agrarian societies on earth.
It's appallingly ironic that a war the neo-cons thought would erase the stain of Vietnam has instead rubbed it further into the fabric.
What about those Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Look, everyone on Earth thought Saddam would have some Sarin or VX gas. Nasty stuff if it's pitched into your bathroom, but about as much of a threat to human civilisation as athlete's foot, and certainly no justification for the ridiculous scaremongering that preceded the war.
While I was deeply suspicious of the sudden, desperate need to castrate Saddam, I gave the WMD thing a chance. If a nut like Saddam was covertly working on nukes, that was something that had to be stomped on immediately.
When we got to the dreaded aluminium tubes and the terrifying model planes filled with Anthrax, however, it was patently obvious we were being fed bullshit. Model planes?
Tote it all up - the planes, the aluminium tubes, the Niger documents, Dick Cheney and Dr. Rice on TV talking about mushroom clouds... The intelligence report the British government cribbed off the internet, for Christ's sake. All of these were shot down by experts who had nothing to gain by protecting Saddam, and it then came down to a straight choice.
Who do you believe - the neutral experts or the fiercely pro-war politicians? If you decided the experts were telling the truth, then everything the politicians said became totally unreliable. At that point, the case for war collapsed.
That didn't stop the world's media throwing their moist underwear at Colin Powell after his speech at the UN, of course.
A lot of people say that previous UN resolutions gave the US authority to invade Iraq, but others disagree. Do you think the war was illegal?
I don't care at all about the legality. Since the dawn of international law, it's been pretty obvious that laws are for little people, and the Big Dawgz do what they like.
Whether it was legal or not, it should be pretty fucking obvious that those who voted for Gulf War I did not think they were writing the Americans a blank cheque for the next twenty years. It would be foolish to imagine that this obvious abuse of trust won't have knock-on effects for voting on future Darfurs and Rwandas.
Anything else?
Of course, I can never shut up. The final straw was the reception pro-war propaganda got in the US. You can intuit a lot about government policy by looking at how it's received by their supporters, and I think it's fair to say that Republicans went absolutely batshit with war fever.
Where to start? The Dixie Chicks, the Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys, the Freedom Fries or the Axis of Weasels?
If there's a historical example of a nation rife with naked xenophobia, patriotic grovelling and wilful ignorance producing a positive outcome, I can't think of one.*
But didn't we have to invade Iraq because 9/11 Changed Everything?
I'm not even going to dignify my own question with a response.
Did you predict the suicide bombings and Islamist insanity?
No. I did, however, think that every nation in the region would interfere, that the plan would go to hell as soon as it met resistance and that a large number of Iraqis would hate the Americans on sight.
Can you provide any contemporary evidence to prove that this isn't all just wisdom gained with hindsight?
No. I didn't blog in those days, because I (correctly) thought that bloggers were attention-seeking loudmouths... You'll just have to decide whether I've been trustworthy in the past.
So, you disagreed with the invasion. Surely we should now support the Iraqis and show solidarity?
Depends. Is that "support" and "show solidarity" in the Decent Left sense? Because if it is, it means Don't criticise the continuing occupation and don't call for withdrawal.
It should be obvious that the American "surge" (they would've called it an "escalation" in the sixties) amounts to bribing the lunatics to fight on the American side. Sooner or later, it'll be back to insurgency and civil war.
This isn't rocket science. The Americans have created an artificial state, but everything that's wrong with Iraq needs to be sorted out by Iraqis. The sooner we're out, the better for us and them...
...Because, like many others, I believe that self-determination is the key. Peoples have to struggle for their own freedom, and the hardships they have to endure to achieve it is what makes their chosen political system endure.
Cheers, and apologies to anyone who read this far. This post was brought to you in association with Stella Artois - the reassuringly expensive lager that gets you wellied after six cans.
*Obviously, this depends on whether you think the Russians could've fought off the Nazis without Stalin's ruthlessness, inhumanity and propaganda.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The object of the game is to control the entirety of Iraq, a badly degraded former dictatorship with a ruined infrastructure.
Approx. 3 trillion U.S. dollars, around 1.5 million combatants, several million tons of light and heavy armour, air superiority (optional), political support (optional), cassus belli (optional), extensive reserves of oil, strong stomach/religious mania.
A game for two - twenty five million players.
Spend several years cherry-picking dubious intelligence reports, then begin scaremongering, before launching an all-out military invasion of a defenceless, resource-rich middle-eastern dictatorship.
Alternatively, stockpile weapons, high explosives and a violent contempt for humanity.
The U.S. Government is The Banker.
All players can apply to The Banker for cash payouts, although these are easier to secure if the player is a private security/reconstruction firm owned by a dedicated Republican activist.
The Banker retains complete freedom of action and may rewrite the rules at any time it chooses.
The Bank
The Banker is responsible for doling out Title Deeds and Property to players, although players can wrest control of Deeds and Property from each other. Initially, The Bank will only grant Property and Cash to The Iraqi Government, although after five years of play it will begin to fund all players.
Moneys paid to Republican activists are written off and cannot be reclaimed by The Banker, especially if said moneys have been spent on behalf of Iraqis.
The Bank never goes broke, unless the Chinese refuse to fund its overdraft any longer, at which point all players are declared bankrupt.
The Play
At the start of the game, The Banker immediately awards all Properties, control of the Iraqi Army and complete independence to The Iraqi Government, while still retaining ownership of all Properties, the Iraqi Army and The Iraqi Government.
The other players then attempt to wrest control of Properties by bribery, coersion or force.
The game lasts until The Banker declares it is over, or until all other players have been eliminated.
Chance Cards
You have been blown up by an IED - Miss all turns.
Congratulations, you have been liberated from tyranny! Stay where you are and don't make any sudden movements.
You have been posted to Baghdad - Collect your underwear once it has been laundered.
The Bank makes an error in your favour, but local militias have declared usury un-Islamic - pay $400 then Go To Jail
Your Meals-Ready-To-Eat are unsanitary - miss a turn in the infirmary.
You have been captured by the Iranian Navy - miss twenty turns while Britain engages in humiliating negotiations and hysterical moral panic.
You have been posted to the Green Zone - Collect $150,000, but slowly, so that nobody notices... That's it... Now, put it in that bag... Yes, you're getting the idea now...
Community Chest
You are Ahmad Chalabi - Collect $500,000
You have found some fork-lift trucks - give them a fresh coat of paint and Collect $1.2 million.
The U.S. Army Med-Evacs you to Germany - collect $2000 pension for the rest of your life.
Ooops - An American attack helicopter strafes your house! Collect $1000 blood money.
Special Rules
The Iraqi Government must remain within the Green Zone, although it may respectfully request that The Banker move on its behalf.
Sectarian Militias are permitted to ethnically cleanse Properties, with or without funding from The Banker, although The Banker is free to eliminate any Sectarian Militia or Iraqi Civilians on adjecent Properties at any time of its choosing, in any manner it chooses.
Republican Civilian Contractors aim to buy the Utilities, following which they must refuse to maintain them and charge The Banker several billion dollars every turn until the end of the game.
Republican Security Contractors may move freely and do as they please, and may exercise their GET OUT OF JAIL FREE card at any point.
British Prime Ministers must attempt to influence The Banker, unless The Banker does not wish to be influenced, at which point British Prime Ministers must pretend to influence The Banker.
Iraqi Civilians must PICK UP $200, following which they must pay $200 to The Banker in petrol duties. The Banker may order any Iraqi Civilian to GO TO JAIL at any time it pleases, where they must stay until The Banker decides they may be released. Iraqi Civilians must also pick up a Chance card every turn.
The United Nations Rapporteur on Torture must GO TO JAIL, where he will be refused entry by The Banker and must then return to Geneva.
American Soldiers must remain on one Property until The Banker tells them to move to another Property. Armoured Infantry may exercise their FREE PARKING on, in or under any other player's property whenever they choose.
British Soldiers must remain at Basra Airport until a British Prime Minister thinks up a way to move them to Afghanistan without annoying The Banker.
Iranians may order all Iraqi players on the South of the board to hand over money or Property at any time.
Players are declared bankrupt when The Banker, The Iranians or a Sectarian Militia declare them bankrupt. The player must then GO TO SYRIA.
Rules For a Short Game
There are no short games in MONOPOLY: IRAQ EDITION. This is a generational game.
End of the Game
The Banker declares victory every turn, on Tuesdays and Fridays, Christmases and New Years, when noteworthy players are eliminated and annually on the anniversary of the game's commencement.
n.b. My contribution to the March 19th Blogswarm - FR.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Five Years Ago Today...
He had some damn good reasons for doing so.
The Depravity of the Rich
In shocking news, an inquiry has now discovered that royal butler Paul Burrell removed Princess Diana's ring from her body after her death.
Issues of taste and hygiene aside, it beggars belief that a mere butler would be allowed to perform the autopsy, however well-developed his surgical skills.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Attention, Dipshits - It's Not About Us
The consequences are grave, and not just for Iraq. It will colour the decision that future leaders take when they contemplate using military power for any purpose other than self-defence. It is a blow to the idea of 'liberal intervention'. But does that blow have to be fatal?
That's just a taste of the editorial, but a representative one.
Let's imagine that Dr. Bollocks, lead surgeon at Bumcrack County Hospital, announces a bold new strategy for combating cancer - say, an experimental vaccine. I'll call it the Bollocks Formula.
The staff proceed to administer the Bollocks Formula to cancer patients, who start to show signs of improvement. After a few weeks, though, they start dying... In ones or twos at first, but the trickle becomes a flood and suddenly even patients who haven't even been vaccinated are dropping like flies. Within months, thousands of patients are dead or gravely ill.
Dr. Bollocks is distraught, and calls a press conference... At which he warns the public about the grave dangers of refusing to treat cancer patients at all, and bemoans their wavering faith in the Bollocks Formula.
Or let me put it another way - after we took an action, in the face of strident opposition, that was supposed to improve the lives of Iraqis but instead killed hundreds of thousands of them and condemned them to live in a chaotic failed state at the mercy of U.S. taxpayer-funded militias at best... Well, I'd say that the damage done to the doctrine of liberal intervention is the least of our fucking worries.
Because that's the deal... It's not about us, dipshits. Britain is long beyond the point where anything we say or do can ameliorate the situation, and frankly, if our reaction to the Iraq invasion clusterfuck is to bleat about how it has shit in our ideological chili, maybe it's time we ordered a tall drink of shut-the-fuck-up.
I always thought that the biggest problem the British public had was hardcore ideological lunatics, determined to bend the world to their vision. Now, after five years of this bad, bad craziness, I'm starting to think that the biggest problem is well-meaning morons who just will not ever learn from their mistakes.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Tony Blair - A Life In LOLs
I could hardly resist a challenge like that, could I?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
"The Guy Was a Fraud - Black, One-Eyed Jews Get All The Breaks"
Reuters, 13th March 2008
In Defence Of Justice
Legal concepts such as "beyond reasonable doubt", the presumption of innocence, mens rea, the not proven verdict, time bar etc. are very easy to understand, but just try explaining them to someone who is determined to see malign conspiracies in judgements... I've tried, once, and I managed to chew off my own fists then violently puke them through the screen of my laptop.
Try cleaning that up with only stumps...
Still, I think that people should be aware that the system draws on hundreds of years of tried-and-tested methodology and precedent. To that end, I've randomly picked a historical case, and would like to use it to illustrate how the legal system adapts to changing requirements.
The nation was horrified and transfixed by the case of Crown v Edison, a 1969 prosecution brought against a suspected double murderer.
The defendant, Maxwell Edison, who was majoring in medicine at the time of the alleged offences, was accused of the brutal murder of his girlfriend and his teacher with a deadly weapon.
The prosecution alleged that Edison had waited until his victims were distracted, before sneaking up behind them and striking them twice to the head with a hammer. Forensic evidence showed two further blows, "to make sure (they were) dead" - clear proof of premeditation.
An unusual, but not unheard of case today - it is the sheer incompetence of court officials that I wish to draw attention to.
Firstly, the defendent's family were allowed to scream at the court from the gallery, receiving only a mild rebuke from the presiding judge. Orderly conduct in the courts is sacrosanct in the modern day, and anyone causing such a disturbance would be charged with contempt of court and swiftly removed to the cells.
Amazingly, the defendant then used the distraction to somehow slip from the dock to attack and fatally wound the judge, all without police intervention. This lapse is doubly stunning, since PC 31 had himself given evidence to the fact that the defendant was "a dirty one." When it emerged that, not only had the defendant managed to slay the trial judge, but had done so with the self same weapon that he had used to murder his first two victims, the full scale of the debacle was apparent.
That kind of official negligence would not be possible today, as offenders with a history of violence, playing the fool or causing unpleasant scenes are handcuffed to agents of the court. Unruliness is not tolerated and weapons such as hammers are held by the prosecution and destroyed at the close of proceedings.
That is how our system works - it learns and adapts to ensure the best possible outcome.
For those interested, a full court report can be found here.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
How Not To Counter Scottish Nationalism
It's fallen to Scottish energy minister Jim Mather to give the devolved government's response to this suggestion, presumably because all the other SNP ministers were too busy high-fiving each other, swilling champagne and smoking massive cigars.
Those that aren't still doubled up on the floor breathless with hysterical laughter, that is.
I'm stunned that Jim Mather managed to keep a straight face when the reporter asked him if it was a good idea... If I'd been him, I'd have managed to say This is an astonishingly brilliant and well-thought-out plan, that should be immediately implemented in all Scottish schools before I cracked up and started pounding the floor and howling like a lunatic.
Honestly, I sometimes wonder what universe our leaders inhabit. I've no truck with anybody's nationalism*, but I can't imagine any move that Westminster could propose that would be met with more hilarity north of the border.
If Wee Gordon Broon and his cohort want to foster a stronger sense of British identity in the Celtic fringe, they'd be better advised to stop coming up with initiatives like this, which only serve to expose their total isolation from the actual, existing people of the country.
Good God, can you imagine the reaction when head teachers start sending out letters to parents telling them that their kids will be told to read out the following?
"I ….. swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God."
Hell, forget a referendum on independence, there'd be burning barricades at Gretna by sundown.
*Unless there's football involved. Then, it's compulsory.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
Incredibly Unpopular Opinion
I don't often nail my colours to the mast with a prediction, but I'm betting that this was another case of some lone guy taking the hump with the world he lived in, then shooting it up. You don't need decades of ethnic conflict for that, as recent history indicates.
I'm ready and willing to post a very lengthy apology if I'm wrong - apologies,too, if you expected a punchline, and may all those who celebrated this attack suffer a long and painful bout of gastroenteritis.
Update: On rage murder, in case anyone thought I was overly selective.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
One People, United
Well, he'd better keep his head down if he knows what's good for him, for the Great British SobFest now heads into White Working Class Misery Month, courtesy of the BBC.
To recap on the state of the UK for non-Brits, the ranks of Britain's marginalised and oppressed now includes all minorities, including Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Catholics, Protestants and atheists; homosexuals, heterosexuals and metrosexuals; white working class people, the middle classes and impoverished landed gentry; Northerners, Southerners, islanders, highlanders and lowlanders; Scots, English, Welsh and Irish; Farmers, long-distance hauliers, fishermen, lawyers and entrepreneurs; smokers, dopers, no-hopers and interlopers; immigrants, emigrants and indigents; men, women, children, the young and the elderly.
There are others, but I'm sticking with only the most persistently victimised. By my estimate, this means that over 99% of the British population are now ignored or actively oppressed by the British state.
This is a wonderful achievement, and should be celebrated. Our ancestors dreamed of a country of absolute equality, and now it has arrived - a country populated entirely by whining, self-pitying, resentful victims.
Not a Utopia, exactly, but I firmly believe that the world is the way it is because a large number of people like it that way. All this misery and paranoia makes no sense to me, but people keep telling me it's perfectly reasonable, so there must be something in it.


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Tartine Bread: Baking while home was in a state of anarchy
I've come a long way since I first posted on TFL few months ago, attempting to troubleshoot my starter. I have now a starter with a strong leavening power and I use it to bake almost every day. My sourdough bread baking skills are improving nicely. I need to do better with my scoring and shaping skills but I believe I'll achieve good results with practising, failing, reading, watching videos, failing again... until I get the hang of it. The good thing is a failed attempt at bread baking is never truly a total failure. We still can enjoy the imperfect bread.
It was this past week though that I truly felt how I've come a long way with sourdough bread baking. Our kitchen is in a state of chaos as we are renovating it, a house guest was moving in with the help of his family and friends to stay with us for an indeterminate period of time and our furnace died on us on Thursday, with forcasted temperatures for the rest of the week at about minus 6°C (20°F) at day time and minus 18°C (minus 2°F) at night, setting our household in a state of panic to get the house heated, fast!
I have a very low tolerence to stress. I tried to shield myself from all the commotion as much as possible while contributing to the emergency at hand: Heating the house! I baked, and baked, and baked some more. At least the kitchen and the nearby living room and dining room were staying warm thanks to the oven. I also was able to lower the impact of the stress by keeping up with timing for S&F, bulk rise and baking timetables in general.
Yesterday was the climax of the state of anarchy in our home while family members of our house guest came to visit, see how he was installed and bring the last of his stuff, the kitchen floors was in its last stages of installation and we were still trying to have all 8 oil-filled radiators (temporary fix to the lack of heating system) to work all at the same time and together with other electric appliances without causing breakers to switch off.
Still baking to help raise temperature overall in the house, it's the day I chose to make, among other breads, my first Tartine loaves. I was bold and made the recipe twice, one immediately after the other. I got 4 beautiful breads as a result, not perfect of course, but still incredibly nice in the circumstances as I lost count and track of S&F timing, which dough I made first and which was last, when started the bulk rising and widely varying temperature in the kitchen, ranging from 17°C to 27°C (64°F to 81°F).
Here's one of the Tartine Loaves shot on it's best profile
And here's the same Tartine bread showing its less desirable features, i.e. fewer holes towards the bottom of the loaf:
The taste is great. The mildly acidic taste that comes with the "same day baking" rise at room temperature, the crackly thin crust, the soft lustre inside the large holes (in those that actually formed)... It's great, eventhough the crumb isn't uniform and more dense toward the bottom of the loaf and maybe this one particular loaf could have benefited from 5 or so additional minutes in the oven.
I didn't slice all the 4 loaves yet. We already ate one yesterday and I must admit I didn't had time or inclination to check how uniform was the crumb (too much activity going on).
Bottom line: I guess I'm beginning to bake instinctively as opposed as carefully following recipes and technical instruction. I relied more on the way the dough felt rather than timing and number of folds. I'm a happy levain bread baker.


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ADDISON COUNTY — Officials at Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects (HOPE) are trying to recruit some more elves for Santa in the run-up to Christmas.
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The package came on Christmas Eve and I just tore into it before I remembered to stop and take pictures. Everything was beautifully wrapped.
It looks perfect with my red and lime decor for Christmas.
Thanks so much Kathy, I love it all.
Marty, you lucky ducky! Have a Happy New Year!
You are very lucky ! Wonderful gifts !Happy New Year !
What great gifts Marty! Kathy is so talented!
Happy New Year.
Congratulations on your win Marty!!!
You lucky duck!! What an awesome win!!ReplyDelete
Oh WOW!!! Lucky you!
I ordered a whole bunch of her tea towels as gifts this year. She does transfer nicely.
Congrats, Marty!
Awesome Congrats ! All are so lovely . Have a great day !ReplyDelete
Such beautiful things...I love the tea towel! It is so much fun to win..congrats! Hugs, PennyReplyDelete
Congrats! That is the best win ever!! Such beautiful items.ReplyDelete
Congratulations Marty - Lucky You! I love Kathy's creations and just purchased my third ruffled towel from her. Enjoy your goodies - PeggyReplyDelete
Congratulations...what wonderful gifts you won!
So glad it did make it there before Christmas, Marty! I'm so glad you like everything ~ enjoy!ReplyDelete
Congrats on winning this wonderful gift package from Kathy! She is such a sweetie and so talented too.
Happy New Year, friend!
So funny but when I look at my cloches around the house, I always think of you.
Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy new year.
What a huge giveaway! Congrats Marty...what a fun way to start of 2013! XO, AimeeReplyDelete
Congrats, Marty! What pretty things to win. Wishing you a blessed and happy 2013.
xx, Sherry
Very Nice! Congratulations on winning!ReplyDelete
Fabulous!!! Congratulations Marty, couldn't happen to a sweeter girl!ReplyDelete
Congratulations! What a great prize!!!!! xo DianaReplyDelete
Wow! What a great prize to win!ReplyDelete
Congrats! Winning is so much fun! Happy New Year!ReplyDelete
Toutes mes félicitations...
Je vous souhaite une année 2013 très créative couronnée de succès.
Une petite pensée pour vous en ce passage très prochain de l'année 2012 à 2013.
Gros bisous.
Congratulations! You're right, the pillow goes beautifully with your red and lime decor. Happy New Year!ReplyDelete
Congratulations Marty! What lovely gifts....Kathy is so talented!! Happy New Year, GailReplyDelete
Wonderful treasures! Happy new year!ReplyDelete
Wonderful treasures! Happy new year!ReplyDelete
Marty,what beautiful things and what a generous blogger!
Marty,what beautiful things and what a generous blogger!
WOW- Lucky Lady- Everything is so pretty. I've won two of her pretty tea towels. She is so generous.Happy Healthy New Year to You-DeniseReplyDelete
Congrat's.Beautiful Gifts.Happy New Year To You And To Your family.Love...Sujatha..:):):)
Congratulations on your win!!!
All the gifts are lovely...but that pillow was made just for you!!!
I had to giggle when you said you just tore into the gifts...I do the same!!!
Have a Happy New Year, dear friend!
Congrats on your win, Marty. That eas a tresure trove of beautiful gifts!!! Kathy is very talented for sure. Happy New Year, PinkyReplyDelete
How wonderful, Marty. Winning is so much fun :)ReplyDelete


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Memesu wrote:Nemomon wrote:And I hope NOT to see Mimi ever again...
Why not?
Because Mimi was so annoying in the first series. While all other children tried to do anything about the situation they were in, Mimi all the time was thinking about herself. And in the Zero Two she looked... like a deluxe woman from brothel (IMO of course).
Zenthisoror wrote:I was a Yamato and Gabumon fan, so, of course, fingers crossed for their comeback! Well, we all have the characters we disliked (Daisuke for me - I couldn't stand him when I was younger) but I'll accept whatever they bring out so long as it has a solid storyline.
Agreed, Nemomon, the Cthulu influenced stories were fun. I'm hoping, probably in vain, that as the characters are older and a lot more mature we'll have a similarly more grown up and complex plot....oh wait, maybe not complex...morally complex? I'm failing to articulate myself....Just something more challenging and suitable for a group of teens who are closer to being adults than kids. I certainly wouldn't mind it to be darker and scarier - cliche, I know, but I like to see characters being pushed to their limits, and that's more difficult with older characters.
I wonder how integrated digimon are going to be in the human world since the end of 02?
I think Gabumon and Yamato will show up. After all Yamato was Taichi's rival . Not to mention that Taichi will be unable to go Omegamon without Yamato. But yeah, even while I despised Mimi very much, if her appearance will be changed in this new series, I might stop disliking her.
Zen, do You remember the "His Master's Voice" episode of Zero Two? Despite the fact that it was an episode fully related to the Cthulhu myths, it was an example of good episode. The Scubamons tried to rape Hikari, and the whole episode was so dark, and in fact mature. I would like to see such episodes in the new series too.
While I do liked all the seasons of Digimon (yes, I do like the Xros Wars too), I think the most mature season was the Zero Two - the night, Demon, BelialVandemon, Oikawa's storyline. I could feel the danger in it roaming from each corner. I didn't feel the same danger in the Adventure. Despite seeing the scenes of Wizardmon's death (my favorite Digimon), and Gottsumon & Pumpkimon deaths.
One more thing, I think Digimon fans could enjoy seeing in the series. Basically two things. First is the "real" Ryou (from Wonderswan games) and his and Ken's storyline. I for sure would not mind if again the scenes from the Wonderswan games would appear in the new series. The scene of the dark spore of Millenniummon affecting Ken in the Zero Two series was great.
And the other thing is the "original" DigiDestined. We know nothing about them, except that their silhouettes look exactly as the current DigiDestined, and that they sealed Apokarimon. They would be great villains if they were corrupted somehow during the flow of the series. Or even if not, their addition could be good to the plot, given if the Digimon Staff would do a good usage of them.
About the Zero Two's ending. I think we can be sure that the characters survived the events of this new series... But I think we can tell that even before the series started, after all we know how the seasons of Digimon were looking like. But there's another option. For example Bagramon. He's still alive, and while he isn't a villain anymore, he still has the power to change the time flow. The new season would take a place in a different time space, and therefore the happy futures of the DigiDestined may never happen.