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2013 Annual Review & Outlook - Government
2013 Annual Review & Outlook - Government
The U.S. government enters 2013 with a huge opportunity, but also stiff challenges. Although the November elections retained the status quo — President Obama in the White House, Republicans in control of the House and Democrats leading the Senate — a new sense of bipartisanship appears to be emerging. The chief concern, of course, is avoiding the fiscal cliff, and although an 11th hour deal on Jan. 1 averted the most dire of consequences, new cliffs are approaching that could send the U.S. economy flailing. On the policy front, motor carriers and shippers are watching anxiously as new hours-of-service regulations approach this summer, and as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gets more aggressive in its fight against unsafe operators with its CSA initiative. U.S. Customs, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with its Automated Commercial Environment and signing agreements with overseas partners to facilitate trade while protecting it against terrorist attacks. And, of course, all eyes will be on what Washington does to upgrade infrastructure on U.S. roads, bridges and inland waterways.
Index of all Annual Review & Outlook comments, alphabetical by company

subset: commoncrawl


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Executive Director
FM Sunil Weeramantry
NSCF's founder and executive director is FIDE Master Sunil Weeramantry, a nationally acclaimed instructor who has over 40 years' experience teaching and developing award-winning programs.
Sunil is a pioneer in the field of curricular chess instruction. Starting in 1979, he developed a comprehensive chess program at Manhattan's Hunter College Campus Schools, a leading laboratory school for talented and gifted students. This program evolved to the point where chess is now a required subject for all students in kindergarten through fifth grade and when the school offered pre-Sunil taught chess to those students as well. Over a 10 year period, over 500 4-year-olds were introduced to chess through weekly classes.
A staunch advocate of the value of chess in education, Sunil has worked closely with many different schools over the past 35 years. The NSCF program implemented under Sunil's direction at Jr. High School 45 in the Bronx ran for seven years and is still regarded as a shining example of total community involvement. Curricular chess classes, active parent involvement, support from local businesses, early morning chess games with police officers, visits by the chess team to homes for the elderly, all these were key ingredients in shaping character. Not only did this team win several awards, the majority of its members went on to attend college.
More recently, Sunil designed a pilot program for Greenwich Academy, an elite all-girls school in Greenwich, CT. The program was so successful that chess is now established as a curricular subject in the Lower School from grades 1-3.
Another exciting collaboration is with the Speyer Legacy School, a private school in Manhattan designed to meet the needs of advanced learners through an accelerated and enriched curriculum. Sunil teaches and directs a chess program that provides curricular instruction twice a week to all students, kindergarten through fourth grade. Middle school students (grades 5 through 8) can participate in a chess elective that meets three times in each six-day cycle. The school recently designed a state-of-the-art chess room with audio-visual and computer support.
Sunil served as the first Chairman of the US Chess Federation's Committee on Chess in Education from 1990 to 2000, and produced Chess in Education workshops across the country. These events featured such distinguished speakers as Dr. Robert Ferguson and Dr. Laszlo Polgar. In 1998 he coordinated a Symposium on Chess in Education in the United States Senate with Senator Carl Levin as the keynote speaker.
An appointed member of the USCF Scholastic Committee from 1986 to the present, Sunil was elected co-chair of the Scholastic Council from 2012 to 2014. For his work in scholastic chess, Sunil earned the 1998 USCF Scholastic Service Award and the Meritorious Service Award in 1986 and 2004. In 2005 he was named "Chess Educator of the Year," a prestigious national recognition by the University of Texas at Dallas. In 2007 he earned the FIDE Trainer certification(1).
A two-time New York State chess champion, Sunil is also one of the most successful chess coaches in the nation. He has coached over 200 individual and team champions in national and international youth competitions. These include the Hunter Junior High team that won the 2000 World Schools Chess Championship, Hunter's high school students who won three consecutive National High School team titles from 2010 to 2012 and Speyer Legacy who are the 2015 National K-1 and National K-5 team champions.
Sunil has coached US teams at the World Youth Chess Championships on several occasions. Many of his students have medaled at this event, among them John Viloria, who won two consecutive gold medals (1987 and 1988) and Sunil's stepson Hikaru Nakamura, who won a silver medal in 2001. A three-time national scholastic champion, Hikaru has gone on to become the youngest American Grandmaster, a four-time U.S. Chess Champion and one of the top 5 chess players in the world.
Sunil is the author, with Ed Eusebi, of the best-selling chess book, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach published by Random House. He is also co-author of Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History, a new blended learning textbook targeted to middle and high school students that helps the student improve at chess while being exposed to the game's cultural development. The book was released in November 2017 by Mongoose Press.
(1) FIDE, Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation, is the international governing body for chess.


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With Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire raising the roof, it was only a matter of time before Madison Square Garden started raising prices.
Season tickets will soar 49 percent next season on average for the Knicks, and 23 percent for the Rangers — a spike Garden execs insist has nothing to do with the acquisition of new stars and everything to do with the $850 million transformation of the arena under way.
However, they admitted team performance is a factor in ticket hikes, noting that prices have stayed stagnant the last six years in part because of the Knicks' lackluster play.
Most of the increase will be borne by ticket holders in the Garden's lower bowl, with the seats just behind courtside and rinkside nearly quadrupling.
The upper half will see modest increases of zero to 15 percent.
Spike Lee's courtside seats will increase 20 percent from $3,000 this year to $3,600 next, but the seats a row just behind courtside will jump a whopping 173 percent at Knicks games and 198 percent for the Rangers. The Garden, however, would not reveal the prices of old tickets or new ones.
In return for all those extra Knickerbucks, a select 100 season-ticket holders will get free food and non-alcoholic drinks at their seats and in the posh 1879 Club, named for the year of MSG's founding.
The next best 800 seats will get a similar all-inclusive amenity, at the just slightly less luxurious Delta Sky360 Club.
High-end food, drinks and fancy digs account for the lion's share of the hike, MSG Sports president Scott O'Neil said. "If you take out the all-inclusive, you are at a 28 percent increase," he said.
The reason the Knick increase is higher than the Rangers is that the Rangers have raised prices in each of the past five seasons, he said.
Upper bowl season-ticket holders may have been largely spared this time around, but once the renovation is completed in two years, with new, wider concourses, lobby, and sky bridges, prices on those seats likely will go up, too, O'Neil said.
Slam dunk on fans
Madison Square Garden's ticket price increases
* 49% average increase for Knicks season tickets
* 23% average increase for Rangers season tickets
* $600 per-game increase for courtside seats to $3,600
* 173% to 198% increase for seats in row directly behind court or rinkside
* Best 100 seats get free food and non-alcoholic drinks at seats and in posh "1879" club
* Next best 800 seats get free food and drinks at seats and in the Delta Sky360 club


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Loudoun County school officials will consider closing four small schools in the western part of the county to help close a budget gap.
The county school board has voted to hold a public hearing on the matter on April 21.
Board Chairman Eric Hornberger says closing Lincoln, Hamilton, Hillsboro and Aldie elementary schools could save an estimated $2 million a year in operating costs.
Supporters of the schools say they have been centers in their communities for generations, but some board members argue that the cost of maintaining the old schools with tiny enrollments doesn't make sense.


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If you have had relationships that did not last long or if you have trouble finding someone who wants to get involved in a long-term relationship, the idea of having a long and happy relationship may seem difficult to achieve. Luckily, there are steps you can take to improve the ...Read More »
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Happy Valentines Day With Love 10 best ways to suggest a girl Updated: 11-10 Source: network consolidation advertisement Girl's greatest dream is her perfect proposal. Every girl has a dream to ask the question. But what and how propse a gir ? Guys are lacking in the romantic and creativity ...Read More »
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Make your this February an ever remarkable by picking Valentine's Day Ideas 2016
With amazing fact! The years 2016 is coming with fantastic Valentine's Day Ideas 2016 as well. You know the time is changing and thus so the traditions are. Limit to the flowers is now over. The ideas are expanding with expanded technology. If we particularly talk about the year of ...Read More »
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Thank you for racing with us in Syracuse. We appreciate the efforts and support of the city, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone else involved in putting on this race. We would also like to thank all of the athletes who have raced with us here. We appreciate your dedication and understand your disappointment at not being able to race.
Please consider one of the following IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events:


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BAREA, Ohio – Just a day after Stephen Morton became the MIT's 22nd NCAA Individual Champion, Jacqui Wentz followed that up with a National Title of her own with an impressive performance in the 3000 meter Steeplechase. Wentz cruised to a comfortable 14 second victory, setting a new MIT record in the process.
Entering as the No. 2 overall seed in the meet, Wentz made her move halfway through the race, pulling away from the field to finish in 10:16.16. With the third fastest in Division III history, Wentz improved upon her fourth-place finish in 2009 to earn the first Championship in the women's program history.
"I feel like I had a good performance in me today," Wentz said. "A few weeks ago, I set my time to qualify to get in here. I knew if I ran my race, I could better that time and do well today. I am very proud of my performance today."
Earlier in the day, Portia Jones qualified for the finals of the 100-meter hurdles with the second-fastest overall time, 14.07 seconds.
Through two days, the women's team sits in 11th place with 10 total points while the men are in fifth with 13 points.
The National Championship meet wraps up on Saturday with Tech athletes slated to compete in the men's triple jump, men's and women's 1500, women's 100 and 400 hurdles, 200m and 4x400 relay.


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Have you ever heard the expression, "green is ground the world around"? I have, many times. But do you ever personally check the green conductor to see if it actually is connected to ground — and is at ground potential? Unfortunately, an employee in a Florida print shop did not — a decision that ultimately led to his death.
As retailers in the United States and around the world continue to recall thousands — if not millions — of toys, tubes of toothpaste, and other miscellaneous products manufactured in China, I am reminded of this particular case — a case that involved electrically powered printing equipment also manufactured in China. The equipment installed in the print shop did not display a UL or similar label; nor was it inspected or installed by a licensed electrician. When an original Chinese pump motor failed and was replaced with a motor manufactured to U.S. standards, the stage was set for serious injury or death. As this case will demonstrate, what you don't know can kill you.
The accident
The site of the electrocution was a small specialty print shop. The accident occurred when the owner of the business and two other employees were adjusting what's called a "glazing machine" or ultraviolet coater.
Depositions, statements, and police reports taken after the incident indicated that the owner and one employee were working on one side of the machine while the victim was working on the other. Attempting to clear a paper jam — or possibly make some other type of adjustment — the group was working in the area of the machine where coating solution was applied to the paper. During this process, the victim suddenly called out and then fell silent. When the owner walked around the equipment to check on his employee, the victim was non-responsive, appearing to have caught his arm in the machine. Although the owner immediately disconnected the electric supply to the machine in an effort to free the man's arm, the victim slumped to the floor.
Emergency medical services quickly responded, attempting to resuscitate the worker, and transported him to a local emergency room — where he was pronounced dead by the E.R. physician. According to the medical examiner, the cause of death was electrocution.
The lawsuit
The estate of the deceased filed suit against the company that manufactured the printing equipment and the company that imported the printing equipment from overseas. In that lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged (among other things) that the suspect printing equipment was defective — and that the defendants (the importer and the manufacturer) knew, or should have known, that the equipment was defective and a potential source of lethal electrical current. The plaintiff's employer, the print shop, was not named in the lawsuit.
I was called as an expert witness by the importer's counsel to analyze the forensic evidence.
The investigation
Because I became involved in the case some time after the date of loss, it just so happened that the print shop had gone out of business, the site had been re-let, the new tenant had remodeled the space, and a creditor had repossessed the equipment in question; therefore, it could not be located. Given the situation, my task was to reconstruct the accident from the historical evidence and advise counsel on my conclusions.
I quickly learned several issues of importance were not in dispute or were quickly confirmed. Invoices clearly showed that the print shop where the deceased was working had purchased the ultraviolet coater from the defendants. The owner of the print shop had seen a similar ultraviolet coater, of European manufacture, at a trade show and subsequently heard that a "Chinese copy" of the ultraviolet coater could be purchased at a significant savings. Next, he located, purchased, and imported the ultraviolet coater from a Chinese manufacturer through an importer in Florida and an agent in California.
The chain of possession of the ultraviolet coater started with the manufacturer, continued through the manufacturer's agent in California, then through the importer in Florida (the company I was helping defend), and finally ended with the print shop. The installation took place with the assistance of Chinese nationals, employed by the manufacturer's agent, who reportedly spoke little (if any) English. Furthermore, the manuals that came with the equipment had only a title page in English; the balance of the document was in Chinese. There was also no evidence that a licensed electrician performed the installation.
My investigative efforts also uncovered some red flags relating to service issues with the ultraviolet coater. Some items were replaced or repaired under warranty. However, as the ultraviolet coater continued to fail to meet expectations, factory support slowed and then stopped.
The findings
After a small 3-phase pump motor failed, the stage was set for impending danger. The motor and pump powered a reservoir that stored the glazing or ultraviolet coating solution. Little was known about the motor, as it contained no manufacturer's label or similar information. Usage would have indicated that the pump was wired for 230V, 3-phase, 60 Hz. Size would have indicated that it had a fractional horsepower output.
The solution was pumped out of the reservoir to charge the ultraviolet coater and then returned to the reservoir after use. Although connected as an integral part of the ultraviolet coater, the reservoir was actually a separate metal tank, with the pump and motor mounted on top. It was connected to the balance of the ultraviolet coater by an electrical service cord and a rubber hose. In what was apparently a money-saving effort, the owner located and obtained a replacement pump motor from a local supplier to solve the problem, and the deceased installed it himself.
The deceased was described in depositions and reports as an experienced pressman. Nothing was noted, however, that indicated he was experienced in the troubleshooting and replacement of 3-phase motors. More to the point, the deceased was reported to have warned his fellow workers to be careful of the repaired reservoir, as it was producing electrical "shocks" — apparently without realizing the underlying danger. This action (the repair of the reservoir) produced the only piece of physical evidence I was able to inspect — the original failed pump motor had been saved. The junction box of the original motor, showing wire connection lugs, is shown in Photo 1.
Another illuminating piece of evidence I discovered was a report from a local electrician who was hired by the owner of the print shop after the electrocution to make an onsite inspection. Possessing excellent credentials, the electrician had been licensed and active in the trade for many years. He was retained as an expert witness by the plaintiff's attorney.
In his report, the electrician maintained that the reservoir was energized relative to ground and sitting on sheets of cardboard, which effectively isolated it from earth contact and ground. He also noted that the electrical service cord between the control panel of the ultraviolet coater and the reservoir contained three insulated conductors colored black, red, and green (Photo 2). The replacement pump motor contained four conductors (black, red, white, and green). At the time of his inspection, the supply conductors and motor conductors were connected black to black, red to red, and green to green and white — an arrangement that proved to be fatal (click here to see Figure).
A review of police reports and photographic evidence indicated that the deceased was found in a position between (and in close proximity to) the ultraviolet coater and the previously described reservoir. As part of my investigation, I located an exemplar ultraviolet coater in use at another location, making arrangements to visit the site to inspect and photograph the equipment. Although the exemplar was identical to the subject equipment, it had been rewired by its owner. Much of the original wiring harness was abandoned in place, so the exemplar was similar enough to confirm the physical parameters of the accident scene. The owners were able to relate in considerable detail what they had found in the original electrical wiring as well as what changes had been made to their equipment. I was able to locate, confirm, and photograph the original supply cord between the control panel and the reservoir pump motor.
I also inspected and photographed the original pump and motor. The original had been saved after it was replaced prior to the electrocution. As you can see in Photo 1, the wiring connections in the pump motor housing were indeed colored; however, the colors did not include green. A separate threaded hole was provided for a grounding screw, but I observed no scratches or similar evidence to indicate it had ever been used.
Based on my investigation, I offered the following conclusions. The deceased was electrocuted by electrical current flowing from the energized reservoir to the grounded ultraviolet coater frame. The ultraviolet coater was wired for (and connected to) a nominal 3-phase, 230V electric supply. The wiring error in the connection of the replacement pump motor had energized the housing of the pump motor, pump, and reservoir with phase voltage relative to earth ground. The position of the deceased allowed for simultaneous contact with the metallic reservoir and the grounded frame of the ultraviolet coater. The current path was through the body core.
The deceased, who was neither experienced in this type of work nor a licensed electrician, created the danger when he replaced and mis-wired the pump motor on the reservoir. However, the use of a green insulated conductor as a phase conductor could have fooled even an experienced electrician.
A settlement was reached for an undisclosed amount prior to the case going to trial.
The lesson
There are several lessons to be learned from this tragic accident. First of all, if you don't know what you're doing, leave well enough alone.
The pump motor was replaced without the benefit of an experienced electrician. For the deceased (the pressman who replaced the pump motor), this was a fatal lesson. Although he expected the green wire to be ground, he clearly did not have the experience to understand the relationship between the number of conductors in the cord and the requirements of a 3-phase pump motor.
The equipment involved was imported from China at a significant savings over comparable equipment from Europe. I have investigated a number of electrical incidents that related to electrical goods manufactured in China. In some of those cases, as in this case, there was no evidence of a UL or similar tag. In some cases, there was a UL tag; however, the tag was counterfeit. In this case, absent a UL or similar label, an inspection should have been made of the equipment, once it reached the United States to determine if it was safe and appropriate for its intended use. The owner failed to have such an inspection and relied entirely on the manufacturer.
The equipment was installed without the benefit of a licensed electrician as required by local and state codes. Although the use of a licensed installer would not have prevented this death, the installer might have noticed the non-standard use of color coding, coupled with the lack of grounds, and warned the owner. Nevertheless, it would have been up to the owner to bear the expense of re-wiring the equipment — a cost he would likely have been unwilling or unable to bear.
Falany is a registered professional engineer and certified electrical contractor in the state of Florida. He is an expert witness and forensic investigator with FORCON International Corp., Brandon, Fla.


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Wow, a new year already? 2011, we hardly knew you. Wait, I'm sorry, we did know you and you sucked. My bad.
2011 was a weird year for the suck. Don't get me wrong, it blew- big time- but it just seemed like it blew on a different scale than other years. Whereas 2008, 2009 and 2010 were like giant Michael Bay-esque blockbusters of suck, 2011 was more like an Indy film. It was like the shitty economy even affected the way things suck and the universe had to pull James Cameron off the "Untitled 2011 Sucks Project" and replace him with Aronofsky, or Cronenberg. The quality and weight was still there, but suck seemed to have trouble getting financing, so everyone had to work for scale. So, instead of winning the Super Bowl, Tim Tebow only won a playoff game. No Michael Jackson or Heath Ledger type figure died, so the star of our most mediocre sitcom left his gig, came up with a few catch phrases, and did a one-man show. And the biggest action star in film history- who married into the Kennedys and ended up becoming the Governor of California, had a love child (!) he kept secret for 14 years (!) with…the maid, who looks like this. (?)
Even the final chapter in the Michael Jackson story seemed like the whole suck-production ran out of money. Convicting Conrad Murray is more like the lower third/ subtitle type thing that comes up on a film right before the credits, than the final scene of the movie. I mean yeah, he's a shitty doctor who allowed Michael Jackson to use anesthesia as a sleep-aid, but really the way that whole thing should have ended was with a Jacko-Resurrection, not some half-baked manslaughter thing initiated by LaToya.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like suck took a break- it didn't- for Christsakes Nancy Grace was on Dancing With The Stars! What the holy fuck was that all about? That's okay now?! You can put someone who can't dance, and who isn't a star, on a show called "Dancing With The Stars"? I mean, it's a booking coup for "Dancing With The Horrible People", but how does a conference room filled with experienced producers and successful network execs break going forward with that? That must have been a fucked up, long meeting-
PRODUCER: Hey everyone, thanks for coming in so early. Hey, before we get started anyone see that horrible, evil crow-woman Nancy Grace foaming at the mouth last night on this Casey Anthony thing? She is horrendous!
PRODUCER: No one will know who Olivia Newton-John and Jennifer Beals from Flashdance is! Who was pitching Nancy Grace before- not THAT'S an idea!
And isn't it time we did something with the name of that show? I'm not even saying change it right away- ease into it- at least add an asterisk.
Follow What Sucks on Twitter!
And yes, here and there suck did splurge as if it had the backing of a huge suck-studio. Japan was hit by a Tsunami that destabilized their nuclear reactors! In a horrific scene, a mentally ill man went on a shooting spree in a Safeway parking lot in Arizona, killing 6 individuals, including a 9 year-old girl and seriously wounding a Congresswoman. And kids, peacefully protesting the vast inequality between the rich and the poor, were taught a lesson by some scumbag campus police, backed by a equally douchey, college chancellor (Linda Katehi) about the vast inequality between being soaked with pepper spray, and not.
But in general suck was relegated to a more complex, "annoyance" status.
Kim Kardashian got married and made 17 million dollars from it, then got divorced 72 days later and everyone acted like they were offended. Folks, everything Kim Kardashian does is faked so she can make money off of it- wake up- the sex tape, TV show, marriage, sister Khloe in actually being a brother named Karl- it's all staged!
It wasn't a good year for marriage in general. Even the all-time classic "fairy-tale" marriage, the Royal Wedding, devolved quickly into the world stopping what it was doing to check out Harry's new sister-in-law's ass.
In between, Rebecca Black put out music that was so bad people actually made death threats to her, which in this time of heightened awareness of bullying was
reasonable considering the song
"Jack and Jill" came out and while it looked like it could have been the worse movie ever, there is one thing you have to admit- it did not feature a vampire birth, so hate all you want but at least those guys knew where to draw the line.
And for a while every billboard that wasn't telling you the world would be over this weekend, featured Whitney Cummings saying something vaguely cunty. People planked, Tebowed and continued to gain weight (that's meme, right?)
I guess it wasn't all bad by the way- The Giants won the Super Bowl, Osama Bin Laden finally saw his last thing and it was a Seal Team 6 member putting a bullet through his douche-head, and the Republicans debuted this incredible new reality show, "Who Wants To Be The Worst Person On Earth?" Which is kind of like American Idol except, Americans don't vote for the winner.
That said, the detestable ten…
10) Michele Bachman
For years, when the National Shit-For-Brains polls were released, both AP and BCI, Michelle Bachman would always find herself in the shadows of Sarah Palin. Seemed like it didn't matter what she did, Palin was always ranked number one, and Bachman, somewhere down the list. Perennial runner-up status. Like some kind of bridesmaid to Palin's bride, at a gay wedding officiated by Marcus Bachmann.
Well, the tide has turned. 2011 has brought America a new douchey-girlfriend and Sarah, clinging to her last gasps at relevance can only muster up a few shit-for brains stunts like going on some sort of motorcycle/ bus tour for like a day before packing it in. Palin's last hurrah came when, after Gabby Giffords was shot, and people thought in retrospect that perhaps putting crosshairs over her district on her website was a little inappropriate. Did Palin apologize? No. Did she act kind of humbly and inspire people with talk of coming together in this difficult time? No. She spoke into someone's flip cam and flung around the term "Blood libel". A day later the Prez gave a great speech, and basically Sarah went away, hopefully forever relegated to "Where Are They Now, Douche-bag Edition" status.
Finally given her shot at the spotlight, Bachmann ran with it. Like a retarded Luke, learning at the hand of a retarded Obi Wan, Bachman buried Palin in 2011. She went on a rampage of saying horrible things about homosexuals, lying about health care and grossly mistaking historical events in a way that had to have made Palin's head spin.
Running for President on the orders of G-d, she won the meaningless Iowa straw poll and commenced to stand out at the early Republican debates by saying crazy shit- no small feat at those debates by the way. Among her greatest hits? The HPV vaccine causes mental retardation and that gay people CAN in fact get married in this country, as long as it is to a person of the opposite sex. ED NOTE: I would now like to take this opportunity to invite you to cough in your hand and say, "like her marriage".
Throw this into the mix of Bachmann saying she is fervently anti-government despite getting receiving subsidies to aid her dairy farm and buy a house, and you will see a douchebag at the top of her game, changing from fringe-lunatic to fully-formed-household-name psychopath. Congrats, you monster! You horrible, clueless idiot. Congrats!
9) Mariah Yeater
2011 was full of under-the-radar douchebags, many of whom you may not have heard of… (DRAMATIC STING) yet. There's James O'Keefe, the horrible, Andrew Brietbart employed, video-shooter guy who deceptively edits his videos, leaving out facts and taking statements out of context, all in the effort to make things harder for poor people. His weird-ass sting operation to lure a CNN reporter to a yacht so he can frame her with a bunch of dildos should be the lead story of every newscast ever.
Then there's Steeler running back Rashad Mendenhall, who, post Bin Laden getting shot in the face, tweeted this…
And you know, no matter what the year is, Curt Schilling is usually pretty hard to take.
But for real, under the radar a-holishness, don't sleep on, or with, for that matter, Mariah Yeater. Who is she? Well, to some she could be viewed as a nervous, maybe even desperate, 20 year old mom. (More likely she's an idiot, but indulge me.) Nervous, unmarried, her real baby-daddy in the slammer, and realizing there is no MTV show called "20, Stupid & Pregnant" (yet), perhaps she thought to herself- "I have to do something to support this baby. I have to trap someone into thinking they are the father so he can support my child..."
Sure, it's a shitty plan, and morally wrong, but in a panic, I could maybe understand coming up with it, until…
Yes, that Justin Bieber, the famous lesbian. Ugh. I hate when people who suck, can't suck the right way. Bieber? What are you thinking?! You could have basically chosen ANYONE else. How bout an NBA player? How bout just about any other musician? You may have even gotten money from Steven Tyler, that guy has no idea who he's F-ing. But Bieber? That's just a terrible job. Shortly after the news hit, Yeater then went on TV and detailed how she supposedly got pregnant, saying after one of Bieber's shows, she had sex with him for "30 seconds". Hey dummy- little late to start building credibility! Of course some time after that a series of text messages came out which showed Yeater in the planning process of this incredibly stupid plan and a couple of others where she begs a friend to erase text messages where she admits who the actual dad is. For his part, Biebs submitted to a paternity test to prove he was not the baby's father, you know, in case everyone on earth looses their eyesight and memory of who Justin Bieber is.
8) Chris Brown
Granted, Chris Brown has had douchier years. Like the year he took Rihanna to the Grammys, then later that night took her face to the Source Awards. This year the police report on that night came out and we learned that not only did Rihanna get the shit beat out of her, she also almost had her fingers bit off (!) when she was tried to fight back. Fingers! Chris Brown isn't on the list this year for that though, although the fingers thing is insane. He's here because of the INCREDIBLE indignation he shows every time someone brings up the concept that, yeah maybe he shouldn't have beaten the living shit out of Rihanna and tried to bite her fingers off!
This year when it was brought up, Brown routinely tweeted, like a little bitch I might add, about how everyone needs to "get over it" whining incessantly, asking how many times he had to apologize, before throwing a chair through a window at Good Morning America after being asked about it on air by Robin Roberts. One of those "tough to break" windows in skyscrapers, by the way- like Bruce Willis in Die Hard had to SHOOT to get through- it was basically like throwing a chair through a windshield!
Making matters worse, Roberts then took serious heat for asking the question. Hey jag-offs, what are you mad at Robin Roberts for- she didn't almost bite Rihanna's fingers off! Roberts even received death-threat tweets, which is just disgraceful that we're tweeting death threats now. Ooooooh- better make sure you get your death threat in under 140 characters! What, is being in something called "Team Breezy" not intimidating enough? UNFOLLOW!
By the way, memo to Chris Brown- hey jerk, these people are asking you about the incident to give you the chance to apologize SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BOOK YOU ON THEIR SHOWS!
Here's how it works- a show puts you on. Before they do, no matter how good your song is, they have to weigh putting a woman-beating scumbag on their show. Most TV people have no soul but they do have a sense of self-preservation, so they say to themselves, "well, if he acts like he has remorse, we can probably get away with it." So they let you perform, knowing their viewers will enjoy the song, but also that they might say, "Wait, isn't this that animal who beat up Rihanna?"
Now, no matter how good your song is, in order to avoid a huge backlash, they need to bring up the incident because the audience is uncomfortable, because, hey, if I could beat the shit out of my significant other and make money on Good Morning America, what's to stop me from doing it? This is where you apologize- again if you have to- so the person at home can at least say "Well, at least that scumbag is sorry."
This isn't about rubbing your face in it, it's about giving the people at Good Morning America cover for booking you. Also, done correctly, makes it easier for other shows to book you as well. They're asking for your own good, dickwad.
As for me, I don't need an apology from you- having added up all your half-assed ones, I'm fine but please get on top of this for the new year. We now live in a world where every time you're your name comes up, people have to give a "Only his music!" disclaimer for you and that is extremely irritating. All this being said, date
Gwyneth and all is forgiven!
7) Anthony Weiner
Here are a few things I need. A change to our health care system that would allow me to buy affordable insurance. A check on banks and the banking system so that when the shit inevitably hits the fan- and it will hit the fan, people, like myself, who do not work anywhere near the banking or finance industry, who don't even own homes, do not have their economic world turned upside down and lose their jobs. I could also use a smart, sometimes funny, New York voice against the status quo. Here's what I don't need- the guy who speaks with the right intonation towards the evil health insurance companies and the politicians they own, to be sneaking away from his pregnant wife, tweeting cock-pics to whores all over the country. I do not need that.
Now, I could give a shit about Anthony Weiner's personal life and behavior. He's not a douche because he's a perv, or a dick-pic tweeter. Well, I guess maybe he is, but to me, he's even more of a douche because he's a dude who, confronted with a picture of his own junk, can't even deny or admit it's his. He's a douche because he goes down in an enormous, disgraceful scandal without technically touching another woman and somehow I'm finding it worse. He's a douche because he gets totally and completely pwned by Andrew Breitbart as his own resignation press conference- I guess what I'm saying is, dude, next time, just screw another woman.
6) Kris Humphries
Oh my god, for the way he just TALKS to Kim he belongs on this list alone. It's clear that he never had any intention of making a real go at marriage because HE JUST DIDN'T EVEN TRY! Kim deserves so much better than him and I know that if she just is herself it will happen for her, she will find the right guy BECAUSE SHE JUST HAS TO! It just has to happen, OKAY? IT JUST HAS TO HAPPEN!
Jennifer Petkov
Although Jennifer Petkov began her quest to be the worst person in the world in earnest in October, 2010, I'll still list her in 2011. Two reasons: one, I forgot about her when I was doing 2010, and two, I'm a little amazed someone from such humble, unlikely origins could, if it were put to a vote, garner the kind of consideration Petkov could for "Worst Person on Earth". What can I say, I like underdogs.
Petkov's emergence on the scumbag scene is pretty remarkable when you consider we're talking about someone who does not have vast amounts of wealth and an unlimited vehicle for broadcasting (Rush Limbaugh), or their own personal army that they can unleash on their own citizens, (President of Syria, Rush Limbaugh), or the ability to break the law without consequences (The Joker from Batman, Rush Limbaugh). Standing toe to toe with those heavyweight douchebags, relying only on her own white-trashiness and a little social networking, is a pretty impressive anti-accomplishment. Petkov is the woman who, because her kids were snubbed on a birthday party invite, took to 7 year-old Kathleen Edward's Facebook page, as she was dying of Huntington's Disease, and relentlessly trolled and cyber-bullied her. In a world of needless, petty and mean internet commentators, of which none are needed- seriously, no one needs anyone leaving a comment on the internet- she truly stood above the rest. I mean, what's the best you can say about her, she was "first"?
Petkov also makes the list for 2011's Worst Art Directors from her work photoshoping pictures of Kathleen's mom's head into the Grim Reaper's arms, and posting it on the little girl's Facebook page. Not done yet, she then photoshopped Kathleen's head onto crossbones. And still, Zuckerberg will not make a "dislike" button.
Oh, by the way, not on Facebook? Petkov was obviously thinking of you when she set up stuff on her lawn mocking the sick child, and then, with her douchebag husband, attached a coffin to her truck and repeatedly drove by the Kathleen's house beeping the horn. On top of this, as people aired their disbelief in what a piece of garbage she was, she told THEM to go fuck off.
Finally, a judge had to step in and order this piece of garbage to move out of the neighborhood and stay away from this family at all costs. But Petkov had already made her mark and proved her point, in this country, as long as you are willing to work hard, it doesn't matter where you come from or what resources you have, you can be a tremendous, tremendous douchebag.
5) Donald Trump
Before this year, Donald Trump was a bad-haired, young-wife juggling, jack-ass who occasionally was entertaining, and sometimes contributed to the good of the city, but basically, (unless you were African American looking for housing in New York), harmless. Then, this year he got involved in the race to be the worst person on the face of the earth when he joined the illustrious list of wackos such as, Lawyer/ Dentist Orly Taiz, Islamaphobe Pamela Geller, and this lady, jumping on board- hell jumping in the driver's seat of the "birther movement".
Trump caused major waves going on every talk show that would have him, exposing his vague charges that the President was not a citizen, that he was sending his own team of investigators to Hawaii, and that his findings would blow all this out of the water. He even said that he was considering running for the Presidency himself- AND, I shit you not, had some people supporting him. A guy invested in the USFL- a guy who went bankrupt a few times IN THE CASINO BUSINESS! But, whatever.
What happened? Well, the President, who had released his birth certificate long ago, went ahead and released something called his "long-form" birth certificate, proving again that he born in Hawaii. Then about a week or so after that, he went to the National Correspondent's Dinner, and proceeded to made Trump his bitch…
Oh yeah, and two days later, he had the Seal Team 6 shoot Osama Bin Laden in the head. So, nice work Trump, you a-hole!
4) Casey Anthony
Let's just say this is NOT what I had in mind, when back in the 80's I chose to stand and fight for our right to party.
Casey Anthony will go down in history as one of the worst human beings to ever take a duck-face picture. Her awfulness is made up of equal parts stupidity, irresponsibility, thoughtlessness and selfishness all coming together to form a "shitty-person Voltron" which left in its wake, the tragic death of a little girl, and a bunch of horrible MySpace pictures.
The head of Anthony's Voltron, the Black Lion, if you will, is her horrible lying. And by that, I don't mean that she lies a lot, which she does, but literally, that she is horrible at lying.
There's something about someone who is not good at lying, yet insists on being a liar that is doubly insulting. Any gentleman bullshitter will tell you, the people you are lying to deserve the effort of a good lie. A good lie, is a work of art. It's a seduction, you can get laid or paid from lying- when you lazily lie, your insulting your "client" twice, once by the initial lie, and secondly by assuming they are so dumb they'd be okay with your weak-ass, piece of crap lie. It's a skill people! Did you ever hear the phrase, once you tell one lie, you have to tell another? It's because done well, you create a demand!
Anyway, Casey Anthony was a remarkably shitty, yet prolific liar and her greatest hits include the following:
- Her daughter was abducted by her nanny "Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez".
Turns out Anthony didn't have a nanny for her daughter. "Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez" turned out to be a real person, but someone who did not know Anthony. So, it would seem, she basically made up a name of a Latina person, but couldn't decide which common surname to use, so said "fuck it, use 'em both."
- That she worked as an event planner at Universal Studios.
This one turned into a George Costanza-type face off with coppers who took her to an office building at Universal, where she walked down the hall for a little bit presumably looking for her cubicle, before breaking down and admitting to cops she didn't work there.
- She had a friend and co-worker named Juliette Lewis.
Anthony told police and her parents that she was friends with a person who didn't exist named Juliette Lewis, whose name she came up with while watching…the first few minutes of "Old School?" Ah, we're here for the gangbang?
There are many more, including insisting to police that she would drop her daughter off at "her nanny's", everyday, when in fact that apartment she was referring to was proven to be vacant and undergoing renovation at the time. Also there were the numerous reports of her daughter being "missing" for weeks and her not mentioning it to any of the men she was staying with or friends she was partying with. The list goes on and on for this monster who basically stuffed her dead three-year old in a trunk and went all Girls Gone Wild however running them down gets depressing, fast.
This is a woman about whom a Judge said "showed woeful disregard for the welfare of her child" and remember, this is Florida!
And by the way, you're not hot.
3) Scott Walker
Even in a world of scumbag, jag-off politicians who make no effort to hide the strings their puppet masters use to control their every movement, Scott Walker stands out as a major douchebag. Working in conjunction with an equally scummy Republican legislature, and funded in large by out-of-state donors, Walker served as a catalyst in an experiment conducted by an Illuminati-esque libertarian right (read: rich dudes who don't want to pay taxes) to severely curtail the rights of state workers and terminate their ability to negotiate their contracts. He slashed state budgets for education, health care, enacted a voter ID program and in a bold attempt to win the "Enormous Balls Award", even attempted to charge people for the right to protest against him. Although to his credit, it would have been a cash-windfall, as this asshole was highly protest-able.
Well, at least his policies proved right as Wisconsin soared to the highest job growth in the country and the state enjoyed its most profitable period in 100 years, oh wait, the opposite of that happened with Walker even being forced to admit his changes did not save any moola whatsoever.
Throw into the mix an under-reported conversation Walker thought he was having with libertarian poster billionaire David Koch- but who turned out to be a guy from the great Buffalo Beast duping him, where Walker admitted he was considering planting troublemakers in the crowds protesting him to make them look bad and you have the makings of a Governor on his way out via recall.
2) The Debt Ceiling Players
For an excruciating month or so in 2011 all everyone seemed to talk about was the completely created and self-inflicted "debt ceiling crisis". Memba that? Fun. Real quick, the "debt ceiling" is the cap that is set by congress on the amount of money that the government can borrow. When the cap is exceeded, which it often is, it needs to be raised as a formality so that the government can pay back the money or make payments on the money it has already borrowed. The key phrase here is ALREADY BORROWED. This isn't about setting strict limits on the amount of money that we SHOULD borrow- this is money these jag-offs were already complicit in taking, that they were now stomping their feet wildly at, under the guise that we were spending too much money, when the money was already spent. It's like going to a restaurant, and ordering everything on the menu, then freaking out when the bill comes. Like, hey asshole, the time for this discussion is when you're ordering 14 appetizers. So what was basically a formality, became a sideshow designed to posture and mislead. What ended up happening was an embarrassment. Standard & Poors lowered America's credit rating, but what really was the problem was that Americans had to sit and watch the indignity of the people elected to help facilitate their lives, once again stalling from doing anything, thus making the current difficult economic position they were in, more difficult. In clearer terms- let's say you're a middle class family basically struggling to get by for the last two years. You're out of work, or working sporadically- having to deal with that kind of stress takes a toll on your health, your marriage, your family- you don't need anyone making shit harder.
Then you look up and see these cocksuckers posturing for weeks about something that is completely made up like the debt crisis, spooking people and business, not getting other things that need to get done, done, and generally making things worse. It's unforgivable. And it's all bullshit. At the end of the day, the people we owe money to get paid, of course they do- the US Government can't steal from the people they borrow money from- the country is too dependent on borrowing money! So all this was for what? Time on the evening news? What a disgrace. You know, they say don't hate the playas, hate the game, but hate these playas.
Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell has famously said that his number one priority is to make Barack Obama a "one term President". That's his number one priority. Not, as it has been pointed out by many, to do his job, but to make sure someone else gets booted from theirs. This is the leader of the Republican party. A guy who's big push is to get someone else fired. Nice ideas. So systematically, he's led the charge to block nominations, votes and say no to any proposals the President makes, no matter how much or if at all they'd help the country, all so, and this is where people who point this out fail to take the point "all the way", Mitt Romney can get elected! MITT fucking ROMNEY!
Nah, that's okay- I'm gonna do what I can to tank the country, so Mitt Romney can get in there. Can you imagine someone saying that? Incredible.
Seriously, his epitaph should read "Fucked up the country for 3 years to give Mitt Romney a better shot at being President." And then, underneath that it should say "MITT ROMNEY!"
By the way, if Mitt Romney DOESN'T win the Republican nomination, and let's say Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum does, he would have fucked the country for 3 years so one of THOSE assholes could be Prez. Again, incredible.
These cocksuckers sat by with the fingers in their ani (plural of anus?) while the corporations that were ruining the economy, ruined the economy. But what was a major part of the subprime mortgage debt implosion? The fact that the loans that were being swapped, which were grade Triple A horseshit, also happened to be rated Triple A (a perfect score) by these same cock-knockers who, then, post-debt ceiling crisis, downgraded the US' credit rating. Seriously, you want something with a huge rating, how bout rating the balls on these douchenuts.
Eric Cantor
At least Mitch McConnell seems to know he's a scumbag. He keeps a somewhat low profile for a Minority Leader in the Senate and seems to prefer screwing the country over from behind closed doors. Not this asshole who holds the distinction of possibly being the biggest jag-off involved in this whole debt ceiling thing. Numerous, apparently were the times that even John Boehner thought a deal could be worked out, only to have Cantor fuck things up further by making deal-killing demand after deal-killing demand. This is a dude who, before he'd let emergency funds for Hurricane Irene relief be released, demanded an equal amount spending be cut to offset the disaster relief.
The thing is Cantor never had any intention of coming to an agreement. None of his actions speak to wanting to tie this up, even after several concessions from the President, he still refused to make a deal and then childishly walked out of negotiations. His desire to make the President look bad his only driving force. How do I know this? Aren't I just speculating about what was happening in his head? Keep in mind no matter what happened, the debt ceiling was going to be raised. You just can't refuse to not pay your credit card- trust me I know.
John Boehner
This orange colored, habitually crying, asswipe found himself dead center in the debt ceiling crisis circus. He was in the unenviable position of being charged with getting a deal done, knowing that one would get done, and yet not being allowed to get it done as that was the opposite of what the people he was representing wanted. Confusing? Yes. What would solve his dilemma? Having enough testes-matter to tell his asshole cohorts to cut the shit, take the deal they were being offered- a pretty decent one by most accounts when it came to deficit reducing- and put the country first. Did he stand tall amid the chaos and admit the charade had gone too far or did he cry like Bronson Pinchot in the elevator scene in True Romance? Answer here.(Scroll to 1:55)
Unable to get a deal done, unable to reign in the people he was apparently representing, he saw his leadership ability openly questioned time and time again. Sadly, because of weasels like Cantor walking out of negotiations they never had any intention of fulfilling, Boehner was the one left to clean up the mess and take the lion-share of the bad pub in the process.
Jon Kyl
This douche-nugget may be best known for his lie about Planned Parenthood in which he said 90 percent of their funding was used to facilitate abortions, when the actual number is closer to 3 percent. Then, when confronted with this wild inaccuracy, subtly added that what he said on the floor of the US Senate was, and I shit you not, "not intended to be a factual statement". Incredible. You might also remember him as one of those guys who loves to talk about 9-11 unless its in regard to giving first responders the health coverage they need as their lungs slowly disintegrate. He's also the guy who bitched and moaned, even going as far to suggest he was being discriminated against because of his Christian faith when he was asked to stay at work a few days over his Christmas break, never mind the millions of people he represents who don't get a Christmas break, or the troops he loves to send out in harms way who don't get a Christmas break, this bitch wants a Christmas break.
As for his role in the debt ceiling crisis, Senator Jag-off was brought in on the Super Committee (see below) end of it guns-a-blazing looking to trim something like "2.5 Trillion dollars" in cuts, then when told he wasn't going to be able to do that without some kind of revenue raise, he walked out essentially ending the whole thing. Why not just walk in there and say, "let's cut the entire deficit" if you're just gonna turn around and walk out when someone says, okay, how the hell are we going to do that?
The Super Committee
So, as the debt ceiling doomsday clock ticked down to midnight, and the republicans continued to posture and pontificate, the concept of a "Super Committee" was born. It's mission was to limit bipartisan bickering and come forth with an agreement that could be agreed to by a "yes or no" vote, with no amendments allowed by either party. The committee would be made up of 6 prominent Republicans from the House and Senate, and 6 Democrats. Built into it were "automatic" budget cuts, that would be triggered should the committee fail in its endeavor. These were devised to "deter" super committee members from failing at their job and not getting anything done.
Now, just to recap how we got here:
- The debt ceiling has been raised without incident about 74 times since 1962.
- All of a sudden, the Republicans decide to make a major issue out of it, threatening not to raise it if their demands for certain cuts are not met.
- No matter what happens, it has to be raised.
- Republicans demand cuts to programs Democrats live and campaign on, without agreeing to any kind of tax increase for the richest Americans- a political move they know has no chance of happening.
- Still, Democrats actually put forth substantial deficit cuts, insist however on raising revenue on the richest Americans.
- The Debt Ceiling still has to be raised.
- Republicans balk as they can not go back to the House having done a deal that in any way allows the President to A) get something done B) look good in any way C) have taxes raised pursuant to their agreement with Grover Norquist, some douchebag who makes Republicans pledge not to raise taxes, then if they do, funds their opponents in their next election and defeats them via his weird-ass, how-can-it-be-legal think tank group. So, having grandstanded extensively and now in a place where they need cover because the Speaker can't sell his caucus a deal in which the President doesn't completely lay down (although he almost did), the Super Committee idea is born.
- The Debt Ceiling is raised (because it has to be) the details of the deal to be worked out by said Super Committee.
What does the Super Committee do? Shit the bed of course, because it was never intended to do anything else because this entire exercise was one of bullshit and posturing. Committee members drop out left and right, pathetically portraying themselves as victims unable to work in the system they agreed to.
All this would be fine however, if the rest of the country wasn't so on edge about everything involving the economy. Instead of 2 months of the people hired to represent us actually working on solutions, we had to watch this useless, uncalled for, shitty-ass soap opera unfold. The result? Debt Ceiling raised, automatic cuts scheduled to kick in. Amount of time wasted, tensions raised and dignity lost? Incalculable.
Which brings us to the number one position in our dastardly countdown. Who will it be?
But before we get to the number one, let's take a moment to roll the "Suck in memoriam". It's just like the in memoriam at the Academy Awards, except we're not sad to see these douches go. The suck has lost a lot of people this year, sadly they'll be many more to take their place.
1) Students, Legendary Old Coaches, Administrators & Retired Defensive Coordinators at Penn State
In a year when so many individuals set new heights in sucking, at the end of the year, you have to take your hat off to the Penn State Nittany Lions for coming out ranked #1 on the BCI and AP suck-polls. A horrendous child abuse scandal spanning the course of decades? Check. A failure by an actual witness to go to the police upon walking in on the abuse? Check. A colossal cover up by school administrators with a legendary coach implicit, in order to maintain the reputation of the football program? Check. A riot by students to protest removal of said coach, who, just to be clear, made the situation worse and allowed other children to be abused by not involving the authorities. Check. And then, finally let's not forget the horrendous abuse itself committed by Linebacker U Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky that got the whole thing going in the first place. Make no mistake, this was a real team effort here to be scumbags, Joe-Pops would be proud. This is arguably the greatest black spot in the history of Penn State (Blair Thomas! Taken #2- The Jets could have had Emmitt Smith?! Okay, fine.)
Well, there you have it- the lowest of the lows, but just because you weren't mentioned here or didn't make this list, doesn't mean you don't suck. I'm talking to you, people who booed the gay soldier in the republican debate, and you guy who stabbed Ghafaffi in the rectum (you don't want the link), and you, formerly adorable now creepy, no one-coming to your birthday Kirk Cameron.


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Two months and three days after breaking his left shoulder diving for a ball at third base, Rockies veteran Michael Cuddyer is making quick work of his injury rehab stint.
In two games at Billings, Mont., for the rookie-level Grand Junction Rockies, Cuddyer is 5-for-7 at the plate, with three doubles, three RBIs and three runs.
"I feel good. I feel real good," Cuddyer said Friday by phone from somewhere in Montana between Billings and Great Falls. "The shoulder feels good. I haven't had any issues with it. And I've taken every type of swing."
Cuddyer got his first game action since June 5 on Wednesday as a designated hitter, going 2-for-4 with a double. Then on Thursday, he played first base, went 3-for-3 and was hit by a pitch.


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How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business
Accounting software packages are available for businesses of every size, from small home-based businesses to multinational corporations. Accounting software is a booming business, which means you have a lot of choices. Except for larger entities that employ their own proprietary accounting software and information technology experts, most businesses need the advice and help of outside consultants to choose, implement, upgrade, and perhaps replace accounting software.
Here are some words of wisdom about accounting software:
Choose your accounting software very carefully. It's very hard to pull up stakes and switch to another software package. Changing just one module in your accounting software can be difficult.
When evaluating accounting software, consider three main factors:
Ease of use
Whether it has the particular features and functionality you need
The likelihood that the vendor will continue to be around to update and improve the software.
Security! You need very tight control over all aspects of using the accounting software and who's authorized to make changes in any of the modules of the accounting software.
Online accounting systems that permit remote input and access over the Internet or a local area network with multiple users present special security problems. Think twice before putting your accounting system online.
Know how to mine your data. Although accounting software offers the opportunity to exploit your accounting information (mine the data), you have to ask for the exact type of information you want and insist that it be pulled out of the accounting data.
Give your software your business's personal touch. You need to design your business's specialized reports and make sure that these reports are generated correctly from the accounting database.
Set up internal controls to limit input errors. Data entry errors can be a serious problem in computer-based accounting systems. You can minimize these input errors, but it's next to impossible to eliminate them altogether. Strong internal controls for the verification of data entry are extremely important.
Make sure your accounting software leaves very good audit trails. The lack of good audit trails looks very suspicious to the IRS.


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From Coventry to Sussex: Spence exhibition celebrates university's architectural heritage 50 years on
What does an architect do after rebuilding a great English cathedral?
In the case of Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976), one of the most eminent Modern architects of the postwar period, it was to design the first of a new wave of universities – the University of Sussex.
This year, the University celebrates its 50th anniversary alongside Spence's Coventry Cathedral.
To mark Spence's enduring contribution to Sussex, art historian Professor Maurice Howard has brought together for the first time the University's own collection of original drawings (some by Spence), models, photographs and artifacts relating to dining and ceremonial at the University to evoke a sense of the early years of Sussex.
The exhibition space, a room in Arts A that overlooks the main square and core campus buildings, takes advantage of a view of campus from the window which brings the final results of the first phase of building into sharp focus.
The exhibition, which opens on May 10 and runs until 14 June, explores the phases of development, public and press reaction to the scheme, the early use of the buildings and the landscaping of the environs, as well as the buildings' place in Spence's distinguished career.
Original research by Professor Howard and by the country's leading Spence scholar, Louise Campbell of the University of Warwick, brings out the significance of the buildings, while Spence himself will be seen giving his views in archive film as part of the visitor experience. Professor Howard was assisted by art history graduates Sally Johnson and Mike Davy.
Professor Howard says: "I have been involved in many exhibitions for national museums and learned societies, but the chance to work on this show about the historic legacy of buildings at my own university has been an extraordinary experience.
"Working with a team of professional designers has meant that the exhibition looks very beautiful, the objects present a strong sense of artistic merit and yet it is clear they served as the practical means of planning the university's listed buildings.
"To bring all this together has meant consultation with the country's leading scholars of Basil Spence, his family and business associates, but also people who knew the university in its early days. I hope that the exhibition will elicit more memories and information since I see this very much as the starting-point of the next stage of valuing the university's buildings and planning their future."
The exhibition is partnered by a lecture given by Sussex alumna Dr Campbell and introduced by the architect (son-in-law and practice partner of Sir Basil Spence) Anthony Blee, on Spence, Sussex and the Sixties, on 23 May.
Spence's modernist vision for a university fit for a brave new world required a bold, innovative concept, but the architect was also sensitive to the beauty of the downland setting and the value of local, traditional building materials.
Spence said at the time: "Bricks and mortar can provide a background that is sympathetic to young and energetic minds which are growing and developing apace."
The resulting buildings, including Falmer House, the Library, the Arts buildings, the Gardner Arts Centre (now the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts), Chichester I and Pevensey I remain at the heart of campus today and became the first 1960s buildings in the country to be listed (Falmer House, in fact, shares Grade I listed status with Coventry Cathedral). Spence's practice designed 17 buildings in all for the University.
This exhibition is free and open to all daily, 10.30am – 5.30pm (Closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays) in Room 108, Arts A, on the University of Sussex campus. Look for building number 22 (Arts A) on the campus map.
Louise Campbell Lecture: Chichester Lecture Theatre, University of Sussex campus, 23 May at 6.30pm.
Notes for Editors
Professor Maurice Howard is principally an architectural historian of Early Modern Europe whose researches have encompassed the arts of painting and the applied arts. He was Honorary Research Fellow at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London from 2002 to 2007, when he was elected Director of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Visitors to the exhibition will have a chance to meet the curator on a number of dates, when Professor Howard will be on hand to talk about the creation of the exhibition and the individual exhibits. Dates and timesas follows:
Monday 14th May 1pm-1.45pm
Tuesday 29th May 1pm-1.45pm
Thursday 7th June 1pm-1.45pm and 4pm-4.45pm
For more information on the life and work of Sir Basil Spence, visit the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project web site.
Dr Campbell's co-edited book on Basil Spence - Basil Spence: Buildings and Projects,
eds Louise Campbell, Miles Glendinning and Jane Thomas (RIBA Publishing), is reviewed online in the architectural publication RIBA Journal
University of Sussex Press office contacts: Maggie Clune and Jacqui Bealing. Tel: 01273 678 888. Email: email@example.com
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The Baker WinTATS traction armature test system is a rugged, field-proven system for testing armatures in motor manufacturing and quality control operations. It combines common process electrical tests into one automated instrument. AC hipot, DC hipot, surge and resistance tests are standard.
This semi-customized instrument is assembled from standard components to the customer's specifications. The tester's capabilities are not limited to those described here; additional features and fixtures are available. Contact SKF Condition Monitoring Center - Fort Collins at 970-282-1200, or send an email message to firstname.lastname@example.com to request more information.
This semi-customized instrument is assembled from standard components to the customer's specifications. The tester's capabilities are not limited to those described here; additional features and fixtures are available. Contact SKF Condition Monitoring Center - Fort Collins at 970-282-1200, or send an email message to email@example.com to request more information.
Baker WinTATS operation
Baker WinTATS is comprised of a rack-style cabinet that contains a Windows 7-based computer, power supplies and measurement circuits, plus a CAM RST armature indexing stand. In operation, the test armature is loaded onto the RST indexing stand, test contacts are positioned next to the armature commutator and testing is begun at the "start test" command. The standard test sequence consists of DC and/or AC hipot tests, a resistance test and a surge test.
- Automation: The Baker WinTATS is a fully-automatic, master-less armature test system. The operator does not set the test voltages or pass/fail limits before each test. All test parameters and pass/fail limits are pre-programmed in a master file. The Baker WinTATS is programmed using a simple pull down menu and the operator is prompted to input test parameters and pass/fail tolerances for each test. Typical programming time for a new master file is only a few minutes. To conduct a test, an operator simply recalls a master file. The armature is connected to the tester and then the tester automatically sets the test voltages, takes the measurements and gives a pass/fail signal. The test data is then displayed on the screen for review.
Software: The software package included with the Baker WinTATS manages and records test results. The Baker WinTATS maintains all master and test results on the hard drive. During normal operation these files are saved and organized for easy access by the user.
Baker WinTATS testing
- AC and DC tests: For AC/hipot testing, the Baker WinTATS uses arc detection to sense breakdowns to ground or between windings that may otherwise go undetected using average current measurement techniques. Capacitive compensation capabilities are also available. This measures the resistive portion of the leakage current, rather than the total current. DC/hipot testing checks the integrity of the insulation system with high DC voltage. Leakage current is then measured in micro amps rather than milliamps.
- Surge test: The high-voltage surge or impulse test checks for insulation problems between turns, coils and bars.
Resistance test: A weld fault is the most frequent fault encountered in the manufacturer of armatures. It is a poor connection between the coils and commutator. It becomes apparent when either a high resistance is measured or an open condition is detected at the faulty connection. The resistance test is conducted to find this problem, as well as wrong wire size, stretched wire, bad connections and dead shorts. It uses an auto-ranging DC constant current supply to measure the resistance of a winding. With the use of Kelvin connections, low resistance winding tests are accurate and repeatable. Resistance measurements are temperature corrected to the equivalent resistance value at 25 °C (77 °F) or to a customer specified temperature.
Test fixtures
A rugged, custom test fixture is provided with the Baker WinTATS for testing armatures. Since many armatures are heavy and cumbersome, the purpose of this fixture is to provide a quick connection of armatures to the tester and provide a higher degree of safety to the operator. SKF has this fixture custom built to meet your specific needs. The armature is rotated by a rubber drive wheel contacting the core of the armature. The wheel is driven by a stepper motor under computer control. Usually, one or two optical sensors are used to sense the commutator slots as the armature rotates. Either an encoder or the stepper motor pulse count is used to sense the distance between slots to confirm they are similar when indexing the armature.


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Last January Salma Jaffar was shot while she was going door to door in Karachi, giving children drops of the polio vaccine.
"Even when they took out the pistol, I couldn't understand why he was taking out the gun," Jaffar says of the two men who pulled up on a motorcycle and started shooting at the vaccination team.
"But when he opened fire, that is when I thought it was the end of the life," she says. "My first thought was that I won't be able to see my children again."
Jaffar was shot four times: twice in her arm and twice in her chest. She spent the next three weeks in an intensive care unit.
Three of her colleagues weren't as fortunate and died in the attack. They are among the more than 60 polio workers who have been killed since the Pakistani Taliban banned polio immunization in 2012.
Today the militant group continues to threaten to kill not only vaccinators but also parents who get their children immunized. That threat has had a chilling effect on anti-polio efforts nationwide. And it completely halted vaccination drives in some Taliban-controlled areas. It's in these places that the crippling virus has come roaring back — and threatened to stymie global efforts to wipe out polio.
The worldwide campaign to eradicate polio has been going on for more than two decades. It has cost more than $10 billion. Now the success of the campaign hinges on whether Pakistan can control the virus.
At its peak in the 1950s, polio paralyzed about 350,000 people a year around the world. This year, so far, there have been only 128 cases recorded. Ninety-nine of them have been in Pakistan. And the South Asian nation is the only country in the world where the number of polio cases is rising significantly.
The edict by the Islamic militants to ban immunization was in response to the CIA's setting up a fake hepatitis vaccination campaign in Pakistan. The covert operation was part of an attempt by the U.S. spy agency to verify whether Osama bin Laden was holed up in the city of Abbottabad.
The polio problem in Pakistan right now is a result of the CIA's actions in the country, says Mufti Muneeb Ur Rehman, a prominent and moderate cleric in Pakistan. He personally accepts the polio vaccine. He encourages people at his mosque to get their kids vaccinated.
"But there are certain areas in Pakistan where the people resist [the polio vaccine] because the CIA used the polio campaign for intelligence purposes," he says.
Like many Pakistanis, Ur Rehman erroneously says the CIA operation against bin Laden used a polio campaign for cover, even though it actually used a fake hepatitis B campaign. "The one who can use hepatitis for intelligence," he says, "they can use polio for intelligence."
And the CIA's actions were an insult to Pakistan, he says. As a result, more children are now being paralyzed by polio in Pakistan than anywhere else in the world.
Before the Taliban prohibited polio vaccinations, the country was on the verge of eliminating the disease. In 2012 it notched only 58 cases. "The whole thing just then got reversed when vaccinators started to be targeted and killed," says Elias Durry, who leads the World Health Organization's polio operations in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government is doing what it can to keep the outbreak from spilling out of the Taliban-controlled area and into the rest of the country, Durry says.
The Health Ministry runs mass immunization campaigns that involve about 200,000 vaccinators, trying to reach millions of kids. There are polio roadblocks on major highways, where vaccinators immunize kids passing through in cars and trucks. Vaccinators also ply bus stations, railway stops and even airports immunizing any child that appears to be under age 5.
But all this hasn't been enough to wipe out the disease. As long as the Taliban blocks vaccinations in the territory it controls, Durry says, the virus can't be defeated either in Pakistan or the world.
The immunization ban is in the North and South Waziristan districts, along the Afghanistan border. Officials think about 250,000 kids there are missing their vaccinations.
In the regions under government control, the country is doing all the right things to curb the polio outbreak, Durry says. "But to win the war," he warns, "we have to be able to access children who are currently not available for vaccination."
And there's no indication when the armed conflict between the Taliban and the government will subside — or when the Taliban will allow vaccinators to reach all the children of Pakistan.
The global effort to eradicate polio has been going on for more than two decades at a cost of over $10 billion. In the 1950s, polio paralyzed 350,000 people a year. This year, there have been just over 100 cases recorded. Health officials say they're on the verge of wiping out polio entirely, except in one country, Pakistan. The effort to eradicate polio there is being derailed by the Pakistani Taliban. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports.
JASON BEAUBIEN, BYLINE: In a small house, down a small alley in Karachi, Salma Jaffar still waits for a phone call that's never going to come - a call from Anita Zafar, her friend and fellow vaccinator. Months after the two of them were shot, Salma still struggles to accept that Anita is dead.
SALMA JAFFAR: (Foreign language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED TRANSLATOR: She says that I still believe that she will call one day and will say she was busy and was not able to call her. She said she can't die. So she is unable to believe this.
BEAUBIEN: On January 21 of this year, Salma and Anita were going door to door in Karachi as a part of a mass polio immunization drive. They were in a crowded slum in this crowded city of 2 million people on the Arabian Sea. Small, blue ice chests were slung across their shoulders. The vaccine coolers with the words, end polio now, on the front, have become emblems of the polio eradication campaign. Suddenly, two men on a motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of them. The man on the back pulled out a gun.
JAFFAR: (Through translator) Even when they took out the pistol, I couldn't understand why he's taking out a gun. But when he opened the fire that was the moment I thought that it is the end of the life.
And the first thing which came to her mind was that I will not be able to see my children again.
BEAUBIEN: Salma's friend, Anita, and two other vaccinators were killed in the attack. Salma herself was shot four times - twice in the chest and twice in her arm. She spent the next three weeks in an intensive care unit. Now she's still recovering from her injuries at home. In Pakistan, the fight against polio is no longer a medical issue or just a public health campaign. The battle against polio in Pakistan has become embroiled in an armed conflict between Islamic extremists, the Pakistani government and the West. It's a clash that's leaving children paralyzed and vaccinators dead in the streets. Salma Jaffar, however, says she won't be cowed by armed extremists. And she plans to rejoin the door-to-door vaccination campaigns as soon as she's healthy.
JAFFAR: (Through translator) I'm not afraid at all because God has given me this life. And he will say look apart from this incident. I'm alive so I'm not afraid of death.
BEAUBIEN: The three vaccinators killed in the January attack, on Salma's team, are among more than 60 polio workers who've been gunned down in Pakistan since 2012. That's when the Taliban put out a ban on polio vaccination. The edict was in response to the CIA setting up a fake hepatitis vaccination campaign in 2011, to gather intelligence on Osama bin Laden. The militants threatened to kill not only vaccinators, but also parents who got their kids immunized. This had a chilling effect on anti-polio efforts nationwide and halted vaccination drives completely in some areas. Mufti Muneeb Ur Rehman is a prominent, moderate cleric in Pakistan. He runs a madrasa on the northern outskirts of Karachi. Mufti Muneeb says he personally accepts the polio vaccine and encourages people at his mosque to get vaccinated.
MUFTI MUNEEB UR REHMAN: But there are some certain areas in Pakistan where the people resist because the CIA used the polio campaign for intelligence purpose.
BEAUBIEN: I tried to point out that this is technically not correct and that in the CIA operation against bin Laden, it was actually a hepatitis B campaign.
REHMAN: The one who can use hepatitis for intelligence - they can use polio for intelligence.
BEAUBIEN: And he says the CIA using a humanitarian medical campaign as cover for espionage was unacceptable. He says it was an insult to Pakistan.
Is it solely because of the CIA that this has become so controversial?
REHMAN: Yeah, when I consult with those people who are in those areas, according to them, this is the main cause.
BEAUBIEN: Now, because of that insult, more children are being paralyzed by polio in the Taliban-controlled swath of the Pakistan-Afghan border than anywhere else in the world.
ELIAS DURRY: Almost three-fourths of cases, globally, this year, is coming out of Pakistan.
BEAUBIEN: Elias Durry is the World Health Organization's point man on polio in Pakistan. He says before the ban, Pakistan was on the verge of eliminating the disease. In 2012, the country only recorded 58 cases.
DURRY: The whole thing just then got reversed or got in trouble, where vaccinators started to be targeted and killed.
BEAUBIEN: Pakistan is currently in the low season for polio. Yet, the country has already recorded more than 88 cases this year. And almost all of those cases are in the Taliban stronghold. Pakistan is doing what it can to keep the outbreak from spilling out into the rest of the country. In Northwest Pakistan, police have set up a polio roadblock along the main highway entering the Punjab province. This is the historic Grand Trunk Road that traverses the subcontinent from Calcutta to Kabul. The motorway cuts through the rest of federally-administered tribal areas, where the Pakistani military, along with the help of U.S. drone strikes, is battling Taliban militants. Polio vaccinators move through the stream of Toyota vans and large Daewoo buses, searching for children to immunize.
MUBBASHIR SARDAR: We are going to prevent it - to come into the Punjab.
BEAUBIEN: One of the vaccinators, Mubbashir Sardar, says because vaccinators can't get into the Taliban-controlled areas, west of here, the goal is to vaccinate children as they come out.
SARDAR: Because if the people will travel, automatically the virus will come with them from there.
BEAUBIEN: And right now, this is the strategy against polio in Pakistan - repeatedly vaccinate all the kids you can in government-controlled areas through mass immunization drive. When you can't get inside an area to reach kids, try to vaccinate around the edges. In addition to polio vaccination posts on major roadways, immunizers ply the bus and railway stations across the country, vaccinating any child that appears to be under the age of five. But all this isn't enough to wipe out the disease. Elias Durry at the World Health Organization acknowledges that as long as the Taliban block vaccination in territory they control, the virus can't be defeated - either in Pakistan or the world.
DURRY: Yes, we will do all of this supplementary activity and maintain to keep the immunity level of the majority of the country. But I think to really win the war, we have to be able to access children who are currently not available for vaccination.
BEAUBIEN: And there's no indication when the armed conflict between the Taliban and the government will end or when the Taliban will allow vaccinators access to all the children of Pakistan. Jason Beaubien, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Croque-monsieur is the classic French grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich, topped with cheese sauce and passed under a broiler until it's golden brown and bubbling. The recipe usually calls for nutty Gruyere cheese only, but this decadent version includes Fontal cheese, a semi-soft Italian melting cheese, and Camembert, which adds a note of richness and dimension. The sweetness of caramelized onions nicely balances the cheese's tang.
Mornay sauce is a fancy term for cheese sauce, made by adding grated cheese to bechamel, a fancy term for white sauce. Fresh nutmeg makes all the difference in the sauce; what you have at home probably is well past its prime and will not have the same, if any, brightness. The recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of the sauce, and you might end up with about 1/4 cup left over.
Deli ham in grocery stores often is loaded with water. It is a good idea to portion the ham for your sandwiches, place the portions on a plate between a double thickness of paper towels and microwave the ham for 30 seconds. This releases a lot of the water. Blot the ham with the paper towels as much as possible.
MAKE AHEAD: If you make the components ahead of time, assembling the sandwiches to order will be much easier. The onions can be prepared several days in advance. The Mornay sauce can be made a day in advance. From David Hagedorn.
Oniony Three-Cheese Croque-Monsieur
Makes 4 sandwiches
For the onions:
1/2 pound (1 medium) yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
1 small fresh bay leaf
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Mornay sauce:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
A few grates of fresh nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup warm milk
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
For the sandwiches:
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup grated Fontal cheese
8 slices country bread, about 7 inches across and 1/2-inch thick
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup caramelized onions
6 ounces Camembert cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 ounces very thinly sliced Virginia or Black Forest ham
1 cup Mornay sauce
For the onions: Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for several minutes. Spread the onions evenly in the pan, along with the bay leaf, and let them sit untouched for a couple of minutes. Drizzle the oil evenly over them and dot with butter. Do not stir them for several minutes. (The goal is to let some of the onion's moisture evaporate and to get some good color on the onions at the start. Once you stir, water will be released, and the caramelizing will end until that water evaporates.)
Stir the onions, using a flat-edged wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the onions cook, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown and nicely caramelized. The yield is about 1/2 cup.
For the Mornay sauce: Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it bubbles. Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, to create a nutty-brown roux. Slowly whisk in the milk, beating constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook the sauce for 2 or 3 minutes, until well thickened and bubbling. Remove from the heat and add the cheese, stirring until it is melted. The yield is about 1 1/4 cups.
For the sandwiches: Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine the Gruyere and Fontal cheeses in a small bowl.
Completely cover each slice of bread with butter on one side and with mustard on the other side. Place 4 of the slices in a large nonstick skillet, buttered side down. Top each slice with 2 tablespoons of caramelized onions, Camembert slices, ham slices and 1/4 cup of the grated cheese mixture. Top each with a slice of bread, buttered side up.
Cook the sandwiches over medium heat until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, lightly pressing down on them with a spatula to ensure even toasting.
Carefully turn the sandwiches over and toast them on the second side until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the sandwiches to the baking sheet and spread about 1/4 cup of Mornay sauce over each one. Broil for 3 or 4 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and nicely browned. Serve right away.
Nutrition per half-sandwich: 410 calories, 19 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 26 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 950 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar.


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Raleigh Project Night
Raleigh Project Night meets on first Tuesdays. Have a project you want to show off, share, seek help with, or just get some work done surrounded by like-minded Python lovers? Join us for our monthly project night and do just that! Don't have something to work on? Just need some help with Python? Show up and enjoy the energy, sprint on an open source project, find something interesting to contribute to or be inspired by! The setting is informal and there is no schedule, so don't worry if you show up past the start time. Whether you are a Python newbie needing help or have an open source project you want to share, come hang out and hack. Park in the City Center deck behind Red Hat (the Red Hat elevator in the deck goes into the main Red Hat space, not the Annex). Bring your laptop.
For more information, visit
- What
- Project Night
- When
- 2019-05-07 from 18:00 to 21:00
- Where
- Red Hat Annex, 190 E Davie St, Raleigh
- Name
- Kevin Howell
- Contact Email
- email@example.com


text:
Reproductive research and treatment raise numerous ethical and legal
concerns. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has issued a number of
statements about ethics and responsibility, which you can review on its website at www.asrm.org/EthicsReports.
Transferring several fertilized eggs during assisted fertilization
techniques (as for
in vitro fertilization) increases the likelihood that
you will conceive two or more fetuses at once. Multiple pregnancy increases the
risk of prematurity, low birth weight, mother and infant health complications,
and disability of one or more children. Talk to your doctor about how you can
increase your chances of conception while decreasing the probability of having
a multiple pregnancy.
If you are planning to use
assisted reproductive technology to conceive, your
clinic may offer to freeze (cryopreserve) extra fertilized eggs for future
conception attempts. Whether or not your clinic asks you to sign a consent
form, be sure to provide written instructions for the handling of any
fertilized eggs that you don't use. As you do so, think about what you want done
with them in the case of death, divorce, or separation, and also what you want done
with the eggs if the clinic is
unable to contact you in the future.
If you are planning to use eggs or sperm from someone you know or
to have a woman carry your fetus until birth, talk to your clinic or an
attorney experienced in this area. Draw up a contractual agreement that defines
the extent and limits of all parties' rights and responsibilities to the future
child and your family.
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Last Revised:
December 7, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipes
View All | View Summaries
Fluffy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
11.19.09 by Jackie
When Lulu and I first got married, we invited Lulu's uncle and his family over for dinner. I made grilled steaks and pommes mousseline (mashed potatoes in French). Five years later they still talk about the meal, so here is the recipe for my garlic mashed potatoes just in time for Thanksgiving.
The secret to incredibly fluffy mashed potatoes is to use a combination of heavy cream, crème fraîche and butter. I know, it's not the healthiest mashed potato recipe, but once you try it, you'll never want to go back. For added flavor, I roasted a head of garlic and squeezed the contents into the dish, along with chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Try to resist. I dare you!
Full Recipe...


text:
Last week's FFftAW is hosted by Priceless Joy. Also, this is not the recent music challenge but the previous one, Music Challenge #19, with the song "Ordinary World" by Green Day Featuring Miranda Lambert.
Credit: Fandago
"Ordinary World" by Green Day Ft. Miranda Lambert
Gemma was furious, she strode to the back yard, grabbing her keys from her purse, sputtering off in her old Toyota. She heard her parents both yelling as she squealed away. She exited onto a highway, then into New York, the city of shining lights.
At sixteen she desired her own apartment downtown, near the train and whichever university fit her design passion. A place where her mom didn't search through her stuff. She had collected a great deal of buried treasure for her future apartment. Gemma was extraordinarily intelligent and had the marks to attend any university, with a full scholarship, even at age sixteen.
The sunrise blinded her as she drove past the downtown core. At dawn, she got out at her favorite park with the tree with twisted roots. Here she had met Ethan. Together they existed in an Ordinary World of small dreams and endless moments. He supported her but convinced her time and again to return home only for another two years.
When she came home after her advanced high school classes, she was besieged by her mom and dad. She gazed apologetically at their worried faces, trying to find the right words. She knew they had big plans for her. They didn't want her to be ordinary like them, but it was what she wanted most.
©Mandibelle16. (2018) All Rights Reserved.


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