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Mix-and-Match Meals: The Plan
You can eat more and lose more with this personalized eating plan. How it works: Mix and match 21 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and 14 snacks, and you'll never feel deprived or bored.
Want waffles every day for breakfast? Go for it! Need quick takeout ideas? We've got 'em.
It's all up to you — choose and enjoy whatever foods you like. On this diet, you're the boss.
You can mix and match snacks — like a 1/2 cup of raspberry sorbet for 100 calories. Yum!
Mix and match breakfasts — like sliced pear and almond-butter toast for 350 calories. Yum!
Mix and match lunches — like an avocado and black-bean wrap for 400 calories. Yum!
Mix and match dinners — like garlic-basil shrimp and zucchini pasta for 450 calories. Yum!
And for more ideas, check out our Create a Diet Menu Planner:
350-Calorie Breakfast Choices
Whole-Grain Waffles with Berry & Walnut Compote
2 frozen low-fat whole-grain waffles
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4cup strawberries
1 ounce (14 halves) walnuts
Make it: Toast waffles. Top with mashed fresh berries and walnuts.
Florentine Egg Scramble on an English Muffin
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooked fresh spinach
1 whole-grain English muffin, toasted
1 cup cut cantaloupe
Make it: Scramble eggs with spinach. Serve on English muffin with cantaloupe on the side.
Sliced Pear & Almond-Butter Toast
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 medium pear, sliced
Make it: Toast whole-grain bread. Spread almond butter on toast and top with fresh pear slices.
Tart Cherry Muesli with Vanilla Soy Milk
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup dried cherries
Make it: Pour light vanilla soy milk on raw old-fashioned oats (prepare the night before and keep in the fridge overnight for softer oats). Mix in dried tart cherries.
Tomato-Basil Ricotta Toast
2 slices whole-grain bread
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
5 fresh basil leaves
4 slices tomato
Make it: Toast whole-grain bread. Spread with low-fat ricotta cheese and top with fresh basil leaves and tomato slices.
Banana & Honey Smoothie
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1 small banana
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oatmeal
1 tablespoon flaxseeds, ground
Make it: Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Lemon-Blueberry Granola Parfait
3/4 cup blueberries
6 ounces low-fat lemon yogurt
1-ounce crunchy granola bar
Make it: Top blueberries with low-fat yogurt and crushed granola bar.
400-Calorie Lunch Choices
BBQ Black-Bean Burger & Slaw
1 black-bean burger
1 whole-grain hamburger bun
1 tablespoon low-sodium barbecue sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
Make it: Microwave burger according to package directions. Serve on bun with sauce. Combine vegetable mix with vinegar and oil.
Tuna, Red Grapes & Walnuts on Greens
2 cups spring greens
3 ounces chunk light tuna
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
3/4 cup red grapes, cut in half
2 tablespoons low-fat
vinaigrette dressing
Make it: Top greens with tuna, walnuts, and grapes. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Takeout! From Panera Bread
Black-bean soup and 1/2 Classic Cafe salad (mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions) with fat-free poppy-seed dressing
Turkey, Pear & Swiss Sandwich
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 slices whole-grain bread
5 thin slices turkey
1 medium pear, sliced
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
Make it: Spread mustard on bread. Top with turkey, fresh pear slices, and cheese.
Avocado & Black-Bean Wrap
2 whole wheat tortillas
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/5 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons bottled salsa
1 cup bagged romaine lettuce
Make it: Wrap black beans, avocado, salsa, and lettuce in tortillas.
Takeout! From McDonald's
Hamburger and Side Salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette
Apple Dippers with Low-Fat Caramel Dip
Balsamic Chicken Salad Pita
1 cup precooked and diced chicken
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 whole wheat pita
1 cup bagged mixed salad greens
Make it: Mix together chicken, vinegar, scallions, and celery. Fill pita with chicken mixture and salad greens.
450-Calorie Dinner Choices
Takeout! From Applebee's
Southwest Cobb Salad: grilled chipotle chicken, shredded cheese, broccoli, diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, corn, and black beans served on a bed of mixed greens with cilantro ranch dressing
Garlic-Basil Shrimp & Zucchini Pasta
1 cup whole-wheat pasta noodles
3 ounces frozen precooked and shelled shrimp, thawed
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make it: Cook pasta. Mix hot noodles with remaining ingredients.
Spicy Peanut Chicken Wraps
2/3 cup precooked chicken strips
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons peanuts
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup shredded cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix
2 whole wheat tortillas
Make it: In skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute chicken, scallions, peanuts, hot sauce, and shredded vegetables for 8 minutes. Wrap in tortillas.
Takeout! Sushi
Miso soup (1 cup)
Tuna roll (6 pieces)
Small seaweed salad
Three-Pepper Cilantro Fajitas
1/3 cup each sliced red, green and yellow bell peppers
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup canned low-fat refried beans
2 whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Make it: Saute peppers and onion in olive oil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Warm refried beans; spread on tortillas. Top with sauteed vegetables and cilantro.
Artichoke & Tomato Panzanella Salad
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup chopped canned artichokes, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/2 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons low-fat Italian vinaigrette dressing
Make it: Toast bread and cut into small squares. Add artichokes, tomatoes, white beans, toasted bread squares, and Italian vinaigrette and combine.
Hoisin Grilled Fish & Summer Vegetables
4 ounces fish, such as salmon or tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (Chinese barbecue sauce found in the Asian section of grocery stores)
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
1/2 cup pea pods
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
Make it: Spray a sheet of tin foil with cooking spray and place fish, hoisin sauce, yellow squash, pea pods, and carrots on it. Fold and seal. Cook packet on grill for 10 to 12 minutes (vegetables should be tender and fish should flake easily with a fork). Serve over brown rice.
150-Calorie Snack Choices
Eating between meals is a good thing! Choose two of these treats each day — each is under 150 calories!
Skinny Cow Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich
1/2 ounce raisins and 2 tablespoons soy nuts
10-ounce light yogurt smoothie (such as Stonyfield Farm)
14 almonds and a small apple, peeled
1/2 cup raspberry sorbet
12-ounce Caramel Frappuccino Light (without whipped cream)
1 ounce chocolate-covered almonds
18 soy crisps
FAGE Total 0% Greek yogurt and 3/4 cup blueberries
100-calorie mini bag popcorn
1 ounce string cheese and 4 whole-grain crackers
Edy's Creamy Coconut Fruit bar
1/4 cup hummus and 1/2 cup baby carrots
Root beer float (1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt, 12 ounces diet root beer)


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HelpEnter your e-mail address, you gave at the time of registration!
In a couple of minutes, you will receive an automatic e-mail, which contains a link. Click on the link!
Attention! If you did not receive the e-mail in a short period of time, then check your spam folder for it. It can happen that the e-mail has been moved there by mistake.Then you can set your new password!

subset: commoncrawl


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The First Long-Travel Suspension
Inside Ford's I-Beam And Twin-Traction Beam Front End
In 1965, Ford Truck engineering introduced its twin i-beam front suspension on the F-100 pickup. At the time, Ford's marketing campaign claimed the new suspension would "provide a car-like ride, yet still work like a truck." We doubt it's what truck owners were looking for 43 years ago, but whether they knew it or not, America's first long-travel suspension had arrived.
The idea behind the engineering was simple: replace the traditional one-piece solid-beam axle with two separate suspension beams designed to move independently. This new twin i-beam suspension would allow both tires to be isolated from one another and theoretically allow them to stay in better contact with the road. The design sought to maximize durability and simplicity over a conventional A-arm suspension by using long beams that would pivot from the opposite sides of the truck. The long beams meant the tires would see less camber change as the suspension cycled through its range of travel. To locate the beams front to rear, radius arms were mounted in parallel with the truck's frame, and coil springs were used to carry the load.
During World War II, Ford built a larg forging plant in ohio. it was a natural fit to forge the new twin i-beams from steel. The forging process meant that the beams would be extremely strong and compact. To the off-road community, the forged beams translated into robust durability, and it allowed enthusiasts to rework the beams for more suspension travel. modifying the twin i-beams was first done by heating and bending the beams, and then more recently by cutting, rewelding, or even fabricating longer beams all together.
When Ford launched its redesigned truck line in 1980, the four-wheel-drive F-series trucks also received a twin i-beam suspension. in this application, the driverside beam carried a differential and an articulated axleshaft arrangement fed torque to both front wheels. The forging plant in ohio was scheduled to be shut down, so the new Twin-Traction Beams (TTB) were stamped from steel. The two-wheel-drive forged i-beams were also dropped in favor of a cast i-beam design. The 1980 TTB suspension architecture was similar to the two-wheel-drive truck's twin i-beam design, save for the few tweaks required to pack- age the axles and driveshaft.
With TTB came the first mass-produced independent front suspension four-wheeldrive truck in America. Again, the core truck owners mourned the loss of their solid front axles, but with TTB came the possibility of a long-travel 4x4 front suspension. By modifying the stamped-steel axle beams and adding longer radius arms, the aftermarket suspension builders were able to tune the TTB frontends on Ford trucks for doubledigit wheel travel.


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April 19, 2012
In-Service tomorrow, Wellness Fair at noon
Don't forget to visit the Wellness Fair tomorrow during In-Service Day, where you will find dozens of health and wellness vendors ranging from AFLAC to Varckette Family Chiropractic. The Wellness Fair will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Nestor Hall Lounges. Vendors such as Delta Dental, American Diabetes Association, Bridgeview Golf Course, Consider Biking, Columbus Parks & Recreation, Education First Credit Union and many more will attend. You'll find plenty of information, giveaways and even a raffle for those who collect at least 25 stickers from booths at the Wellness Fair. So head over before or after lunch!
Mark French
Last week we profiled Parking Supervisor Vanessa Cummings who is in a brand new position at the college. This week, there are two more new arrivals you should meet!
Mark French joined Columbus State in February. He's the new Facilities Services director, replacing Paul Goggin, who had served in that role for more than six years. French is no stranger to Columbus State. He received his associate degree here in Facility Management and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2002. Three years ago he earned a bachelor of science in Applied Management from Franklin University.
Before arriving at Columbus State as a staff member, French was the assistant director of Facilities at The Ohio State University. In all, he spent 21 years at OSU. "I was not looking to leave OSU but applied at Columbus State when I heard about this job because of the positive experience I had as a student," says French. "I was a working adult while taking classes. I saw firsthand what a difference Columbus State can make in someone's life and I wanted to be part of providing the same opportunity for others."
Rhonda Ward also recently joined Columbus State as the director of Budget and Financial Planning. She's had more than 20 years of experience in the accounting profession. She arrives after ten years at Urbana University where she most recently served as vice president of Administrative Services and chief financial officer.
Ward earned both of her degrees at Urbana. She has a bachelor of science in Accounting, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1996. She then earned a MBA in 2007.
"In My Own Words" writing event at Delaware Campus to be repeated Spring Quarter
Instructors from Columbus State Delaware Campus and OSU Marion participated in a pilot program last quarter to celebrate the written words of their students.
Essays featured in the "In My Own Words" reading event were selected by instructors and their students in various Columbus State/OSU Marion freshman writing courses during Winter Quarter. The quarter culminated in a public reading, held March 7 in the balcony area of Moeller Hall's Cyber Cafe.
The selected student writers each received a $10 gift card in recognition of their great writing. Additionally, a panel of judges comprised of instructors from both institutions (and unaffiliated with the selected students) determined the three best essays of the entire group—these winning student writers received $25 gift cards, and their essays were posted online.
Students and instructors involved in the "In My Own Words" pilot program felt it was so successful that it is being repeated this quarter.
The writers whose essays were judged Best in Show were Sue Snyder, "Dinner at Five" (Sue Oakes, Instructor, OSU Marion); Shanna Peyton, "Cactus Hollow" (Kathryn Denton, Instructor, Columbus State); and Kirsten Dunster, "The Dark Cloud with a Silver Lining in My Community" (Nancy Pine, Instructor, Columbus State). You can read these essays online here.
Computer security tip: Protect your password
As a member of the Columbus State community, you shouldn't forget that your passwords safeguard your privacy and personal information. The passwords we use to access college computing systems (email, Blackboard, Colleague, etc.) should be as secure as possible.
What you can do:
Don't share your user name and/or password with anyone (friends, co-workers, or third party vendors)
Don't write your password down
Be aware of phishing attempts
As a reminder, Columbus State will never ask you for your password. If someone is asking you for your user name and/or password, don't give out your information. If you think someone may have guessed or knows your password, please call the I.T. Support Center at ext. 5050 and they can help reset your password. If you have any questions about information/computer security, please call Rob Clifford at ext. 3686.
Cost saving mailing tips from Mail Services
Did you know that your department can save money simply by mailing at the cheapest rate? Mail Services is available to assist you with your mailing needs and provide money-saving options. Envelope size and postage rate classification are two of the key components of postage cost.
Mailing cost difference in envelope size
|Option A
|Option B
First Class Mail
First Class Mail
Four Unfolded Sheets of Paper
Four Sheets Tri-folded
Flat 9"x12" Envelope
Standard Business Size Envelope
Cost: $1.20
Cost: $0.42
Mailing cost difference in postage classification when mailing 200 identical pieces or more
|Option A
|Option B
First Class Mail Rate
Non-Profit Mail Rate
Based on size and weight (increases every 1 oz.)
3.3 oz. and less
Cost: between $0.45 to $1.05 each
Cost: between $0.11 to $0.19 each
Mailing Equipment and Services
When sending large mailings (200 pieces or more), you can email your distribution list to Mail Services and they will use special software to verify your address listing for accurate and current addresses. Your mail will be delivered to the intended recipient the first time and at a much quicker rate. Mail Services also has paper-folding and envelope-inserter equipment that can fold and stuff your envelopes to save you time. Contact Mail Services at firstname.lastname@example.com , ext. 2154, Eric Johnson, Mail Room coordinator ext. 2568 or Steve Eldridge, Mail Room supervisor, ext. 2783.


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Uninformed people will make uninformed decisions
Who in their right mind would really want to elect a convicted criminal who falsely claimed to have a college education, lied about his parents, and made up a resume which included hundreds of false claims such as excelling in sports and being an American hero? Even worse, if you could vote for such a person knowing the these bad traits, would you still consider voting for him when you learned he was in prison for threatening his fellow citizens? As I say, I doubt anyone in their right mind would seriously consider having such a person as the leader of the free world and commander-in-chief of our nation's military.
Recently, the news media made a big to-do over the fact Russell Judd, a federal inmate, polled 41 percent in the Democratic primary of West Virginia. The story seemed to imply such a result in that primary was a reflection on President Obama. Unfortunately, it says more about the voters in West Virginia than it does President Obama.
The lesson to be learned here is that when voters do not pay attention and vote without being well informed, it is possible to make extremely bad choices. I will concede that usually the choices are not bad enough to elect the sort of fellow who ran against Obama in West Virginia, but there are cases where a result almost as bad has occurred. Here in Texas, for example, the electorate selected a person for the Supreme Court of Texas who had been involved in a murder plot and who was later discovered to have been nothing more than a criminal.
Unfortunately, the sin of voting while not well informed and failing to pay attention is not limited to the average voter. Members of our own Texas Legislature can, and have, been guilty of equal gullibility or worse. I recall in the '60s a legislative upset that gained quite a bit of publicity throughout the media.
It has been customary since there has been a state legislature for members of the House and Senate to pass congratulatory resolutions as a matter of everyday business. The process allows the Legislature to commend or recognize citizens who generally have done good things. Unfortunately, the practice is so common as a part of the daily routine of the Legislature that little attention is paid to the substance of the resolutions and approval is given generally without debate or serious inquiry as to the content of each resolution. In the early '60s, in order to bring focus to the procedure, a legislator from Waco who was a former district attorney from McLennan County introduced a resolution commending a gentleman for his efforts at population control. After the resolution had been passed unanimously, signed by the speaker and clerk of the House, it was then revealed to the public that the person being congratulated for his efforts at population control by the House of Representatives of Texas was none other than the Boston Strangler.
The lesson to be learned is almost as simple as legal advice given by lawyers every day to clients who enter into contracts to purchase insurance, or deal with titles to property. Read what you sign. Read what you subscribe to as a part of your belief or statement of fact. The advice is valid, certainly for the voting public.
It takes more than watching the evening news one or two evenings a week. It takes even more than reading regular periodicals such as national magazines or a newspaper. To be a good citizen and cast a meaningful vote, one needs to study the day-to-day activities of our government, and understand the rules of the process and how government works at every level, and then do a close examination of what can be learned of each candidate in order to determine whether or not that candidate is qualified to serve in the office, and more importantly, whether or not that candidate, if elected, has interests aligned with your own.
All of this is said to make the point that if you wouldn't vote for a criminal and a fraud, why would you vote for a person who shared little in common with you, catered to billionaires and marched to the drum beat of the monied special interest?
Carl Parker has practiced law in Port Arthur since 1958. He is a 1958 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and the Senate in 1976, Parker continued to practice law while writing and sponsoring hundreds of bills that became laws relating to every aspect of life in Texas, including many regarding consumer safety. His e-mail is cap1934 [at] aol [dot] com.


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Fully understanding your unique market, we analyze your website and major competitors. We find opportunities to maximize your company's exposure through many on-site adjustments, page improvements and page link building techniques. >Search engine marketing details
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What sets us apart from other website design companies, is that we don't use store bought templates or recycle old websites. Don't settle for the cookie cutter approach to webdesign, every website we develop is made to look great and land on the first page of search results.>Website design details
Pay-Per-Click Ad Management
Pay per click advertising can be one of the most effective parts of any search engine marketing (SEM) campaign. Jupiter Research reports that by 2010, online marketers will spend $7 billion dollars on PPC advertising. Qualified customers searching for products and services will reach your website within minutes of setup. Your website will get first page search placement, as if it had been on the Internet for years.>Pay per click advertising details
Click to Verify


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'The Bachelor': They Really Said THAT?
A roundup of some of the most memorable lines and moments from 'Bachelors' past.
Remember when they said that? Read on for some of the most memorable quips and quotes from past episodes of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette."
"You know what they say: 'Nice guys finish last.'"
-- Wes Hayden, "The Bachelorette," season 5.
"If you don't know me, watch your mouth, I will put you in your place. If you don't want to talk about it, don't bring it up. Walk off... walk off..."
-- Marshana Ritchie, "The Bachelor," season 12.
Watch the full story tonight on "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET
"Nice to meet you. Wanna hug? Wanna make out?"
-- Charlie O'Connell, "The Bachelor," season 7.
"I can tell everything about a girl with her feet. I think I could find a girl that I could marry within 10 seconds just by looking at her feet."
-- Tanner Pope, "The Bachelorette," season 5.
"I can't look you in the eye and tell you that I love you."
-- Brad Womack, "The Bachelor," season 11.
"I would let him ravish me any time. I would want him to (bleep) and like (bleep) like (bleep) a couple of times and maybe (bleep) and then call it a day. Who wouldn't want that. I'm trying to think of something G-Rated."
-- Hillary Reisinger, "The Bachelor," season 11.
"That girl is floating on twinkle-toes. I think she might dream in cartoons. I'm just sayin', I think it's possible."
-- Vienna Girardi, "The Bachelor," season 14.
'You Don't Find Me Attractive?'
"You spent the day with her, come spend the night with me."
-- Trish Schneider, "The Bachelor," season 5.
"You don't find me attractive? I'm too short? I have small boobs? What?"
-- Allie Garcia-Serra, "The Bachelor," season 8.
"People are mean to me, you know, sometimes, when, because of the way I look. You know and I mean it sounds, like, so stupid, but like, like people hate me because I'm beautiful. I mean like, no matter what, like, there is a huge prejudice and racist."
-- Sarah Welch, "The Bachelor," season 7.
"If that's what he wants, I am not what he wants. How can he look at her and think she could be his wife?"
-- Ali Fedotowsky, "The Bachelor," season 14.


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The Dalles
If you are searching to assist yourself or somebody you know fighting with substance abuse in The Dalles, OR, SoberAssistance.com offers a large online database of recovery services, as well as a host of other options. We can help you find drug and alcohol treatment facilities for a variety of addictions to cocaine, Xanax or any addictive drug or alcohol. Search for a great rehab center in The Dalles now, and get started on the road to recovery.
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*NEW* Current Version on STEAM: 16.026Logfile: EN, DEWebchat:Visit the chat
You need to make sure that you are compiling for Android. Select the Android platform configuration in "PROJECT/OPTIONS" and then compile for Android (Compiler/Build Multi-Platform/Android)- it will create 3 .APKs in the Distribute folder as long as you have JAVA installed correctly.You can then send the .APK to anyone or host on your own site.
Bad Behavior has blocked 4470 access attempts in the last 7 days.


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The Emmanuel Arts Academy, EC's Fine Arts resource for all ages, is proud to announce the opening of this falls' registration for classes. Sign up now through September 9th for classes that start September 12th and run 10-12 weeks.
Group classes offered this session include:
§ Kindermusik(18 mo.-3yrs)
§ Beginning guitar (youth & adult)
§ Kids voice
§ Musical theatre
§ Sacred dance (2 classes: kids and adult)
§ Kids tap dance
§ ZUMBA (all ages)
§ Kids art exploration
§ Adult digital photography
Also,private music lessons are offered for all ages in piano, voice, strings, brass, drums and woodwinds.
Class descriptions, times, and course fees are available at HERE or contact Dr. Deborah Stark (Phone: 706-245-2870 or EC ext. 2650).
EC for the community … faithful training in the arts


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It's been over a month since my last Ukraine SITREP.
and the Saker's Ukraine SITREP covering the latest "democratic" elections in Ukraine.
Nothing has changed since then. It seems that Ukraine experiences Groundhog Day over and over again. Even worse, since Russia has commenced its fight against ISIS in the Middle East, since the beginning of the Middle Eastern and African refugee crisis in Europe, since the Paris terror attack and since the closing of the EU borders and the establishment of the European Union army, Ukraine has been all but forgotten in the Western media. Unfairly so, because everything that's going on in Ukraine, starting with the fascist putsch in February 2014, is a horrifying sick farce, but a very European farce nevertheless, with its brutal anti-culture, anti-history, and anti-Russian nature.
I must say here that I have never blamed the Ukrainians for wanting to have better lives. Their desire to be a part of a prosperous, peaceful and law abiding community is fully understandable. Things get murky, though, when it comes to the question of who would be paying for Ukraine's European prosperity. Never ever, not even once a Ukrainian has said that they were going to work hard, and to sacrifice everything to build their own Ukrainian dream. No.
Since the American occupation of Soviet Union in 1990s, Russian economy and society lived under the Constitution and laws written by the US State Department organization USAID. Somewhere there was a provision that Russia had to sponsor Ukraine, and Russia had been supporting Ukraine to the extent of $100bln annually in direct money infusion, payments for Sevastopol ports, deep gas and oil discounts, cheap electricity, free markets for Ukrainian goods, visa free regime for Ukraine migrant workers, and who knows how else. When the Russian people would express their outrage towards this enormous draw on the Russian economy and consequently on their own livelihoods, the Russian government would explain that it was a price to pay for keeping Ukraine neutral and not joining the EU and NATO. It was easier to pay the Ukrainian government and support Ukrainian society, the Russians were told, than to fight NATO on our borders. "Don't you forget," the Russian government was saying since Gorbachev. "They're our people, we can't abandon them."
This strategy of paying for friendship worked for twenty some years, until the financial crisis of 2008 started the biggest wealth transfer from the people of the Western and not so Western nations to the private Central banks. As a consequence, consumption dropped, commodity prices dropped, petrodollar died, and $700 trillion in toxic derivative debt issued by the Western "developed" countries rose up over the world economies seeking redemption. In comparison, the entire globe's annual GDP is $70 trillion.
That's why in 2013, the NATO countries decided that they wanted Russia to support them fully via Ukraine. Washington and Brussels in their eternal political wisdom decided that they would take over the Ukrainian government, and make Ukraine's economy that was fully sponsored by Russia to be a part of the European Union economy. The free trade agreement with Ukraine would let them to dump cheap low quality European goods and produce on the Russia's market and get back trillion dollars from Russia to support and grow their own economies and workforce. Meanwhile, the Washington people in the Russian government and the Russia's Central Bank would do everything to keep Ukraine awash with Russian monetary infusions and to continue pumping cheap gas to the EU via Ukraine, being a "gas station masquerading as a country" (John McCain) and all. Meanwhile, NATO military basis and fleet located in Crimea and along the Russia borders would guarantee the Russians compliance with this brilliant scheme.
Something went terribly wrong, though.
Washington and Brussels, and the Western nations en mass, underestimated the horrible trauma that Russian society has been enduring since the Great Patriotic War against fascist Europe, when all the European countries came to Russia (or USSR) to "kill all the Russians." Since the victory of the Soviet Union, the Europeans and the Americans insulted, belittled, and mocked the superhuman efforts and losses the Russian people endured to push the murderous European hordes back to Europe.
The Western nations underestimated the horrible trauma that the Russian society experienced in 1990s when the Russians peacefully surrendered their society, their lands, their economy to the West, hoping to be accepted and treated as equals by the "world" community. Instead, the West dealt with the Russian skillfully, decisively, and mercilessly, just like the American Indians were dealt with by the colonizers. The Russia was gutted, scalped, and hanged on a cross to die slow and painful death. Some say that Russia like a cat has nine lives. Others say that Russia died and resurrected like Phoenix or Jesus. Open wounds have not healed yet, when after the February 22nd 2014 putsch in Kiev, and publication of the US Department of Defense tenders on the constructions of facilities in Sevastopol for the US fleet and NAVY everyone in Russia, including its government, understood that it was a declaration of war, and stood up in arms.
What has that spelled for Ukraine? The country turned into an economic wasteland, with an openly fascist, ultra-nationalist government, endless civil war, tortures, kidnappings, murders of the opposition to the Kiev junta, the systemic shutdown of the whole manufacturing sector, transfer of the state owned arable lands to new owners like Monsanto, Dupont, Saudis, and Germany; discontinuance of the free trade with Russia from January 2016; discontinuance of the visa free regime with Russia starting with December 2015; deportation of about 1.3 million migrant workers back to Ukraine; discontinuance of the free electric power, free coal from Russia plus $800 million in subsidies to keep Crimea on the Ukrainian power grid; discontinuance of the supplies of maintenance parts, and fuel for the Ukraine's failing nuclear power stations. Ukraine has turned into a hub for the ISIS Jihadists to travel in and out Europe, for illegal weapon trade, hub for slave trafficking and human organs trafficking, List goes on, and on, and on. Instead of Russia supporting Ukraine and Europe as planed, the US and EU have Ukraine on their financial life support. The full scale of this support is not known, but most likely it's in hundreds of billions per year.
As for the Ukrainians, they declared that they wanted to get rid of the Russian market, because they don't need Russia due to being an integral part of the European Union. Who cares about some Asian country of mongoloids, when you are part of the pure blood white Arian Europe? Turns out the EU cares, because they wanted an open door to Russia and China, and instead got a trapdoor to the Ukrainian outhouse, booby-trapped and filled with rotten corpses.
Ukraine SITREP
In preparation of this report, I used the generous assistance of thesaker's research assistant Baaz.
1. 2016 budget of Ukraine was prepared by the foreign company. [source]
According to the Rada member Sergey Taruta, the state budget for 2015 was prepared by two unnamed persons one of them is dead now, and the second one was fired. In his resent interview for a TV program 112 Ukraine, Taruta said that the Ministry of Economy doesn't seem to know who prepared the budget for 2016. He also said that the Ministry is more interested in creating zones of complete economic desolation, rather then prosperity.
TASS reported in November that the budget of Ukraine is completely oriented to financed the war on Donbass. IMF required Ukraine to cut at least 25% of spending. Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko earlier said "difficult decisions" were required to cut 2016 budget expenditures by at least 60 billion hryvnia or possibly by 200 billion hryvnia ($8.7 billion), i.e. by 25% The Ukrainian finance minister also proposed cutting budget expenditures at the expense of health care and education.
Now, in mid December there are some voices in Ukraine government that talking about serous pension cuts or even elimination pensions altogether.
2. Ukraine political cleansing continues.
Something weird is happening right now:
SBU claims that it has arrested "Russian spies/diversionists" in a "special operation", says – two dead, one is "Russian" the other is from SBU's Alpha assault unit. [source]
Then it says that the leader of the group was a Ukrainian citizen (surprise, surprise): [source]
And just after that there is another operation in Krasnogorovka (Donetsk oblast, under govt. control), 85 arrested: [source]
Killed" Russian" was Right Sector member and buddhist monk, but anyway "FSB agent for 100%" [source]
This gets even more surreal:
Killed leader of the group of "Russian spies" comprised of 3 Ukrainians and two Russians was a "former" member of Right Sector Oleg Muzhyl (not sure how credible is that former part), aka Sergey Amirov, aka Dorzhe-Jambo-lama, a buddhist monk (sic!).
Other members of Right Sector claim that he was kicked out because "he was 100% FSB agent".
Russia confirms that there are Russian citizens among detained 5, but they don't know anything specific on the matter: [source]
It seems he was senior RS member [source]
That article claims that in summer of 2014 his unit "destroyed columns of Russian vehicles" and "committed raids in Rostov oblast." Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
That's also a nice reading from summer 2014 – [source]
Especially the part of his cooperation with SBU and now being killed by SBU.
3. December 11 – Yatsenyuk denies responsibility for corruption, gets attacked by lawmaker (VIDEO)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, giving his annual report in Verkhovna Rada on Dec. 11, said government is not responsible for corruption, much to the annoyance of lawmakers. Minutes later, he got attacked by one of them – Oleg Barna of the Bloc of President Petro Poroshenko — and in a way that was exceptional even for the often misbehaving Ukrainian legislators. [source]
The pro-Poroshenko lawmakers lifts Yastsenyuk up like a little doll and almost slammed him on the floor. A brawl ensued afterwards. Hilarious video.
Anyhow Saakashvili who has harshly criticized Yats his nomination as Odessa's governor in May, is going to replace him soon. Then there will be a open war (the underground one is already going on) between Poroshenko and Saakashvili on one side and Yatsenyuk and his crew on the other.
4. Crimea Blackout: Ukraine Was Just Inches Away From a New Chernobyl
Cutting power to 'occupied' Crimea might not be such a good idea when you simultaneously cut power to your own nuclear power stations [source]
As Vasily Volga explains, nuclear power plants require regular preventive maintenance to prevent accidents on a Chernobyl scale.
"We can't tell the core of the reactor and its ancillary systems "We don't have money, so continue working and we'll do preventive maintenance later". When operating instructions say the gasket in the main centrifugal pump has to be changed every year, it should be changed every year".
The systems used in the Ukrainian nuclear reactors are produced in the Ukraine or in Russia. Currently, due to poor relations, scheduled preventive maintenance at nuclear power plants is not being done. Kiev knows this, but doesn't talk about it because to fix it would require a call to Moscow. Or maybe they just don't understand how dangerous it is to run the nuclear power industry with whatever funds they can scrape together.
5. Dec 6: Kiev junta celebrates Nuland's visit to Ukraine by increasing the shelling of Donetsk, because the US Democracy feeds on human sacrifice.
6. Poroshenko, Yastsenyuk and Co. failed everything including the EU visa-free regime. [source]
Порошенко, Яценюк и Ко провалили все, в том числе – безвизовый режим
Суббота, 12 Декабрь 2015 Николай Азаров
7. NATO Ukrainian armed forces started advancing and taking over the villages and towns inside the Minsk outlined neutral zone. In following ethnic cleansing, 10% of population is being arrested. [source]
СБУ зачистила донбасскую Красногоровку: арестовано 10 % населения
7. Dec 10th, Rada ratified the New EU dictated law for the Ukraine's government making the Ukrainian language the only state language, the Russian language status is not even mentioned by this law.
Dec 10
Everyone in the government of Ukraine is obligated to use only Ukrainian language, for the exception of the President, the Head of the President Administration, all the Ministers and their teams, the members of the Parliament of Ukraine, and their local deputies.
8. Ukraine's infrastructure minister resigns, says the ministry can't rely on volunteers
"This is my personal decision," the minister said. "It's really difficult to work for Hr 6,000, very difficult to ask people to work for Hr 4,000-5,000. This is the average salary in the ministry. It can't just be based off of volunteers," the minister said during the press briefing.
His two deputy ministers, Volodymyr Shulmeister and Volodymyr Omelyan, will also resign,
An average salary in the ministry is less then 200 euros a month. It's impossible to keep the highly professional staff with salaries that low, only incompetent to find new job and corrupt will stay in state institutions. [source]
1. A commander of the "sixth separate motorized rifle Cossack regiment of People's Militia," Pavel Dryomov, has been assassinated, the LPR media report with reference to the so-called "prosecutor general of the LPR."
The online resources claim that he was allegedly killed near the town of Stakhanov.
"On December 11, Dremov married a St. Petersburg resident, and today (December 12) he was killed after wedding celebrations at Nika restaurant… On the way out of the city of Pervomaisk to Stakhanov his car got blown up near the gas station, his driver was seriously wounded and died without regaining consciousness," the report reads.
All the killed ones (Bednov, Mozgovoy, Dremov) were:
1) high-profile LPR commanders;
2) first-wave self-defender Novorossia idealists;
3) in conflict with the head of the LPR Plotnitsky at some point .
2. The only military hospital of the Donetsk People's Republic is closed [source]
The only military hospital in Donetsk with 150 doctors who for free for a year treated 11000 wounded defenders of Donetsk, now closed. The doctors with the unique experience in treatment of war wounds are being let go. The hospital itself is being transferred to the ownership of the Ukraine citizens with the connection to Kiev junta.
3. Kiev's military open fire on Donetsk north-western suburbs – media
December 12, 13:22 UTC+3
Once again under fire were the Spartak settlement near the Donetsk airport and Staromikhailovka in the west
Valery Sharifulin/TASS
MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Over the past night, the Ukrainian military shelled the northern and western suburbs of Donetsk from an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), a source at the military authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said on Saturday.
In conclusion:
Here is an interesting pro-Ukrainian rant that summarizes the major misconceptions and lies that the Western society construed about Ukraine and Russia relations.
If this following is what you think about Russia and Ukraine, this message is for you.
For the true history of Ukraine as a part of Russia, read the Essential Saker book that you can buy here on Amazon
Saker tells the history of Ukraine and Russia in simple, concise, fact driven way that you cannot find anywhere else in the Western press.
The Western nations make up lies about Russian, and then act upon those lies with heavy weaponry, armies, and sanctions. Do yourself a huge favor; don't exist in a blissful ignorance, educate yourself and read the Saker's book. If we all die in the Western war on Russia, at the very least we will die knowing the true meaning behind this war.
Originally posted by Sephirote
"The biggest problem with Ukraine since their independence was that they had no history of their own, they have basically been a weak vassal state with nothing to talk about for hundreds of years, so to create an Ukrainian national identity Ukraine had to create fairy tale myths about the "Glorious and pure Ukrainian nation and people" and that the evil Russians are the eternal enemy of Ukraine. Russia was simply used for a long time to create an Ukrainian identity, the sad truth for Ukraine and Ukrainians is that their country is an artificial state whose sole historic reason for existing has been to be a buffer for the Russian empire. Conflict is the only thing that can sustain Ukraine as an entity. Basically the sole reason for Ukraine to exist has been to be a worthless vassal, there is no glorious history of Ukraine and Ukrainians. It was not Ukraine who built one of the biggest empires in world history, it was not Ukraine which defeated the golden horde, nor defeated Napoleon, nor defeated Hitler. Ukraine is the artificial buffer state, Russia is the state with the glorious history. But the Russians have also told some lies, Ukraine is not and has never been a "Fraternal country". Russians have never cared at all about Ukraine, their only purpose has been to be a worthless vassal, nothing more, nothing less. The Ukrainians have always hated Russia out of a great jealously of their lack of achievements compared to Russia. Independent Ukraine has achieved nothing positive on any front. Instead of blaming themselves they took the easy way out and blamed their much superior neighbor for all their problems…
Think about it, even the borders of Ukraine was artificially created by Russia to best match the geopolitical goals of Russia. Ukraine was never meant to become an independent state, it was created to be a vassal and buffer and to serve Russian interests and this policy worked for a very long time. The case of Ukraine pretty much shows how resentment and jealousy are naturally created when a country is totally dominant over the other. Ukraine tired to be in Russia's shadows and knew very well that if they went over to the US side they would be showered with love and affection by the Washington elite who loves a geopolitical gift such as Ukraine. That is one thing Americans are much better at than Russians, Americans know how to sweet talk you even if they have no respect at all for you as a country while Russia can't bring themselves to sweet talk someone they have no respect for, Putin and the rest of the Russian elite has no respect for Ukraine, they see Ukraine as pretty much a weak vassal state. The US elite see Ukraine as a joke as well but gaining control over Ukraine and placing US bases all over the place is too good an opportunity for them to miss. In the end i have a hard time seeing a place such as Ukraine ever becoming a success story, specially not with the radical ethnic nationalism that is taught in every school in Ukraine. The main problem for Ukraine is that hatred against Russia has always been the sole driver for an Ukrainian identity, their raison d ́etre, thus Ukraine always needs to be in conflict with Russia to achieve internal legitimacy and stability. Without the hatred of everything Russian there is nothing to bind anyone in Ukraine together. Ukraine is pretty much Poland except even crazier in their total hatred of Russia, and yes this was a reality long before the current conflict started.
Ukrainian schools basically teach small children that they should hate Russians because Russians are "Asiatic hordes, mongol barbarians" and the list just goes on and on. The Ukrainian mentality is not fit for modern day Europe, their thinking is mostly based on old ethno-nationalism ideology that was popular in the 1930s. Ukrainian identity is founded upon the old ideology of blood and soil and the idea of a pure bloodline. In the same vein they are thought that the Asiatic Russians have always been their eternal enemy. This is an ideology that needs conflict to thrive. They have no ability to achieve any sort of success in any field, their only ability will be to create hatred and be in an eternal struggle against their enemies. To even compare Ukraine to a civilized European state is ridiculous, this is a country whose official ideology actually talks about Ukrainians being superior to Russians solely because Russians are supposedly wicked mongols and other racist crap. The only future Ukraine as a state has is a paranoid ultra racist state serving as an US launch pad at the Russian border, they will never achieve a single economic objective or success."
Thank you for your time,


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On Sunday's "Dateline," Al Roker admitted he pooped his pants while covering a White House event shortly after his March 2002 gastric bypass operation.
While the internet can't stop talking about Roker's deadpan, embarrassing revelation, the "Dateline" segment also revealed how the once 340-pound weatherman maintains his now 208-pound frame.
While Roker admits he used to eat Krispy Kreme doughnuts "by the dozen," today the chipper NBC weatherman keeps a strict diet and works out regularly.
In 2010, Roker even completed the New York City Marathon.
While Roker says the easy part is the initial weight loss, the hard part is keeping it off.
Roker details his successful diet and exercise regimen in his new book "Never Goin' Back" and discussed it in the below "Dateline" segment:
- Every morning at 4:30 AM, he bikes two miles to the office.
- At the office, he uses a treadmill desk.
- A diet of whole, unprocessed foods that are high in protein and low in carbs.
- For breakfast and lunch, he drinks protein shakes with almond milk and berries.
- His workout routine, called "The Slow Method," requires he exercise for 30 minutes three times a week. The strength training plan creates more lean body mass which in turn burns more calories.
Now watch Roker at home revealing his family's healthy new lifestyle:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
SEE ALSO: Al Roker admits he pooped his pants at the White House >


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Philly's more fun when you win a trip to China or India! If you go to The Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show at The Pennsylvania Convention Center this weekend, you have the chance to win an extraordinary trip for two on Friendly Planet Travel's Taste of China tour or the Taj Mahal Express tour. And those two trips aren't the only prizes attendees can win. We're also giving away a Nikon S8100 digital camera.
Friendly Planet Travel will be exhibiting at the show at booth #514 where attendees can register to win. It's that simple. The winners will be randomly selected and announced right here on the blog on Monday.
If you do make it to the show, please stop by booth #514 and say hello! I'll be there all weekend. I'll also be giving two presentations. "7 Exotic Locations for the Price of a Vegas Weekend" will reveal the exotic spots on the globe that offer your family an unforgettable experience of a lifetime for the cost of the typical week down the shore or a long weekend in Vegas. That's slated for Saturday at 12:15 p.m. on the entertainment stage.
And "How to Compare Travel Offers for the Best Value" will teach you how to compare different packages and uncover hidden fees to slim down your cost without slimming down your experience. That's scheduled for Sunday at 11:15 a.m. And I'll be answering your travel questions after each presentation.
If you haven't bought your tickets yet, you can still do so online. Adults are $10 and kids under 18 are free. So for just $10, you could win a trip to China, India, or a pretty snazzy camera. Not a bad deal, right? And that's in addition to the abundance of travel information and fun planned for show visitors.
There are 63 booths in addition to Friendly Planet Travel's, although I personally have a preference for booth #514! We will have lots of material, an international slide show with amazing images of the many places around the world we visit, and special, show-only discount coupons valid for many of our tours.
Here are more details on our prizes. The Nikon S8100 features a 3-inch, high-resolution clear color display. It has 12.1 megapixals with a 10X wide Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens, covering 30-300 mm. It also comes with Optical VR Image Stabilzation, high ISO sensitivity to 3200, and a new flash control system. Plus, you can record full 1080p HD movies with stereo sound.
The winner of the Taste of China tour visits three of China's most dynamic and culturally awe-inspiring cities: Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Included are roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles via Air China including fuel surcharges; all ground transfers; all intra-China flights; deluxe and first class hotel accommodations with private bath; many meals; comprehensive sightseeing with a local, English-speaking expert guide; and more. Jump back to my previous posts on the tour find out all the sights you'll see in each city.
The Taj Mahal Express tour includes roundtrip airfare from New York on Emirates; superior first-class hotels; daily buffet breakfasts; an authentic Indian farewell dinner in Delhi; expert guides throughout the journey; fuel surcharges, transfers, and much more.
While in India, we take you on expert-guided tours of the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikhri, Jaipur (known as the "pink city"), and the Amber Fort, with an ascent on elephant or a Jeep. You also get a one-day tour in Delhi that takes you to its most important sites, such as the Laxmi Narayan Temple, Raj Ghat, the Red Fort, and more. Your tour concludes with a rickshaw tour through Old Delhi's most popular street market, Chandni Chowk. There's so much more, but you can read about it in my recent posts.
I hope to see you this weekend! If you can't make it, you'll have another chance to see us at The New York Times Travel Show where we'll be exhibiting on Feb. 25 to 27. But more to come on that in a future post.


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I think it finally happened. We'd all been expecting it for a while now, but not quite so suddenly or emphatically: Steve Ballmer has gone completely insane.
It happened at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference. Somebody must have asked him why Microsoft waited three years before attempting to take on the iPhone and Android with Windows Phone 7. According to CNN, Ballmer replied: "We're early; there's no question we're early.... I think we kind of nailed it. When you see it, you just go 'ooooh'."
[ Also on InfoWorld: Woody Leonhard says about Ray Ozzie leaving Microsoft: "What took him so long?" | For a humorous take on the tech industry's shenanigans, subscribe to Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Underground newsletter. ]
Ooooh, indeed.
I suppose if we're talking geological time, then Ballmer's right, Microsoft is on the cusp of the smartphone epoch, and the dinosaurs just went for a dip in the tar pits. But in a market where a three-month-old device needs to be checked for liver spots and signs of dementia, spotting the competition three-plus years and then coming up with something that almost meets the smartphone standards set in 2007 is not exactly being early. It's certainly not "nailing" it -- unless we're talking about a coffin.
Also, quoth Ballmer:
"Make no mistake about it, we're all in," Ballmer declared. "I get all kinds of questions about 'what if you don't do this or that,' or blah, blah, blah. BOOM, baby, that's what we're going to do!"
BOOM, baby -- either a small incendiary device just exploded or John Madden entered the room.
Now, I haven't played with a Windows 7 phone, so all I know is what people tell me. Reviewers by and large agree that Microsoft has made strides with Windows Phone 7, while at the same time noting major gaps -- like the lack of copy and paste, multitasking, or support for Flash. In all, it seems like a fine but flawed phone.
Fine but flawed isn't going to cut it. Fine but flawed doesn't win horse races. They don't put the Miss America crown on the head of the girl with pretty eyes and a nose like a rutabaga. You don't come back from the dead (or Windows Mobile 6, which is worse than being dead) and topple Apple, Google, or BlackBerry with a phone that's fine but flawed. You have to do better than that.
And you certainly don't do it if you think you're "early" and that you've beaten everyone else to the punch. That's delusional thinking at best.
It's possible that this is merely Fear Undercertainty & Doubt 2.0. Or maybe Ballmer thought "Heck, I'm the CEO of an enormous tech company. My first name is Steve. If the reality distortion field works for Jobs, it can work for me too."
But I'm thinking he's starting to lose it. I'm serious.
Think about it this way. You just lost the guy who was supposed to drag your company out of the last century and into the new one. He was preceded out the door by a half-dozen of your top lieutenants -- the ones who weren't already lured away by Google or Facebook. Financial analysts are asking you point blank if your company is, if not toast, then possibly a soggy bagel with mold around the edges. Despite buckets of profits, journalists are writing your obituary.
You'd probably go crazy too. And he's never exactly been the most even-keeled guy on good days. (Remember the Steve Ballmer Monkey Dance video?)
If I had an office anywhere near the C-level on Microsoft's campus, I'd want to make sure all the sharp implements were carefully hidden and all the chairs were nailed to the floor.
At least I have my Halloween costume all set. I'm going as Frankenballmer. He's just the kind of guy you could see laughing maniacally while chasing people down the street with an axe. I can't think of anything scarier.
Who do you think is the scariest person in tech? Cast your votes below or email me: firstname.lastname@example.com.
This article, "Has Steve Ballmer gone bonkers?," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog.


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B&B Giardini
In a charming building in the old
city centre of Venice, just fifteen minutes
on foot to st. Mark's square and right
beside the Modern Art "Biennale" site and
the "Arsenale", the "Giardini" B&B is a
little niche full of ospitality.
The B&B is in the characteristic "Castello"
area, at the end of "Via Garibaldi", a
well-known street which still maintains the
features of the old Venice and of course you
also have a lovely "view of the canal".
powered by


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Remember books? You know, the most distributed content delivery technology ever? Folios may be on their way out, and internet content may reach more people than ever, but it's pretty amazing to look at how widely our favorite narratives have been distributed.
Who knew that Pride and Prejudice has had more editions than the King James Bible? The infographic may not exactly be a who's who of the Amazon best-seller list, but it's a fascinating stroll down classic memory lane. [Visual.ly]


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Social Media Tips
Last Updated on Monday, 07 July 2014 15:39
Social Media Safety Tips
Never use the same password. This is a common mistake. Do not use your pet, address, child's name, phone number, etc as a password especially if they are mentioned anywhere on you social media page. Be creative as well. Don't use "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8" because it is the most common password.
Limit usage of social networking sites to personal use only. Do not write about work issues. Always assume everyone in the world will be able to see what you're writing even if the site limits your post to your friends exclusively. Businesses may be able to use that to terminate your employment or prevent you from being hired.
Try to avoid mentioning where you work, where you live, or where you currently are; so that if you mention something you thought innocent (but that might be valuable information for criminals) they will not know who to target. Definitely don't mention you are enjoying your vacation away from home because you don't want to advertise to criminals looking for a house to break into!
Do not log on to your social network page from public computers such as internet cafés where someone might have installed a key logger and would later get access to your credentials. Always make sure you have a good anti-virus, secured internet and your computer is up to date.
Do not automatically trust that posts are from who they claim they are; if your workmate sends you a private message asking for some confidential information first verify that he/she did really send you that message as their account might have been compromised.
Do not send confidential information through a social networking site even if someone who has legitimate access to that information asks you to. See point number 2.
Beware of what links you click and what software you download and install. Do not trust links/software sent by your friends implicitly as they themselves might not be aware it includes malware or their account might have been compromised. You should always do your own research and verify links by other means instead of just clicking on them.
Always be skeptical and wary. If someone asks to be friends on a social networking site and the profile appears to match a work mate, check personally with that person before accepting him as he could be an imposter. Also be skeptical of any offers or prizes you might have been told you won, they might actually be phishing attacks.
Ensure your computer is up to date and has good antivirus protection; social networking sites are frequent targets of malware attacks.
your child may have more than one social media. It is common for children to have one that they show their parents, and the other is the one they don't want you to know about.
Additional Social Media & Networking Resources:
Federal Trade Commission: Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens
Connect Safely: Smart Socializing Starts Here
Safety Web Online
Microsoft Safety & Security Center
Remember-once it's posted, there's no getting it back. Even if you think you erased it, it can still be found.
Please enable it for a better experience of


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Dual microphones, capacitive volume control, a built-in six-band equalizer, and the ability to pair with eight phones make the Spracht Aura EQ bluetooth headset sound as insanely futuristic as it looks. Heck, it might make bluetooth headsets appealing again. Maybe.
I'm not—and suspect that I never will be—crazy about any sort of headset, but the robotic alien symbiotic look of the Aura puts it among the more appealing headsets I've seen in a while and it doesn't hurt that it's got more features than it can handle phones. Considering that the gadget will go for about $80 when it hits shelves in March, I'd say it might be a hit. [Engadget]


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Blue Angels Emmy Dunn and Anasthasia Uhland, coached by Anthony Scolini and Paul Enea, try to tag out the Gold Rush player Tatum Vomund, coached by Craig Howard and Jeffrey Weil, on third base. The Gold Rush won 10-4 in the San Ramon Valley Girls Softball; first and second grade division game at Danville Montair softball field. - Apr 24, 2010
Submitted by Jeffrey Weil on Apr 27, 2010


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70 Responses
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a good 15 minutes ahead
Wow 15 minutes! Just enough to be famous :)
15 Minutes ahead? Insider trading moves to a new platform...
And do I get points for knowing the difference between # and @ ?
I love how a certain generaton of tv presenters don't instinctively know that an email address never starts with "www".
Hash (#) an' at (at)? Hash init :) You get points man.
Ok I'll just say Merry happy Damian and moving right along now.......
Now the twitterverse goes feral. Power blackout in Sydney and on Twitter there is much mention of the zombies.
Gudday Damien--
As a belated birthday present: your life expectancy may be higher than you think.
NZ male life expectancy at birth is 77.9 (2006 census figures) and climbing (it was 76.3 in 2001). The figure for Maori is a shocking 8 years below that overall average, the figure for Pakeha slightly higher; but both are rising.
But that's life expectancy at birth . You actually have a few extra years' life expectancy because you have reached 35 . You can therefore legitimately put off Middle-Agedom for at least another year.
I don't have more recent figures to hand, but the following data came from a 2002 Statistics NZ report, based on the 2001 census:
Life expectancy by age and ethnicity
Additional life expectancy at age:
0 years (newborn); 25 years; 45 years; 65 years; 85 years
Pakeha male 77.2; 53.3; 34.4; 16.9; 5.2
Pakeha female 81.9; 57.7; 38.3; 20.2; 6.5
Maori male 69.0; 45.6; 27.3; 12.7; 4.2
Maori female 73.2; 49.3; 30.4; 15.1; 5.2
So: a Pakeha male reaching age 25 should live to 78.3 on average, and a Pakeha male reaching age 45 should live to 79.4 on average: or, respectively 1 year, and 2 years, over the at-birth expectancy in 2001. These corrections are unlikely to have changed much, so we can apply them to the 2006 estimate, and say that a 35-year-old NZ male currently has a life expectancy of roughly (78+1.5) = 79.5 years, and so middle age won't start until at least 39.
Happy birthday from linger ... who just turned 39.
(er, that last "life expectancy" should read "an expected total life span". But you knew what I meant, eh.)
Must say Don Christie is taking the title of this post rather well, considering.. :)
You seem to be assuming that a twat is inherently a Bad Thing.
Dude, you have 15,000 days left.
what are you doing right now?
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See now I have people following me... expecting stuff... I'm just going to let them down, sooner or later.
DC. Please. Middleaged? Do not ever refer to 35 as middleaged again. I implore you. It's not fair to those of us who are <ahem> not 35. Nor are we 40. Nor are we......you get the picture.
The 5 stages of Twitter acceptance. I'm still at stage 1.
I love my friends. Many of them are good writers and excellent wits, who can say what they are doing right now in 140 characters or less with verve and charm. But I don't care.
Is it me? I don't think its my age. I get the Facebook, 4chan, that sort of thing. But I just don't want all this information, all the time.
Right now, I'm wearing green Chucks.
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The 5 stages of Twitter acceptance. I'm still at stage 1.
Ha, yup that's me, number two...
The 5 stages of Twitter acceptance fixt
The 5 stages of Twitter acceptance was posted by someone who has made 7,159 uploads to Flickr. So who has issues?
Oh God, I'm microcommenting.
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Would the twitter equivalent of pwnd be twatted, twatd or Twtd ?
I'm a stage five, I guess. I use Twitter for conversations, and I love the odd discipline of writing to the message length. The only problem I have with it is that it makes me wish I lived in Wellington even more than usual.
the only problem I have with it is that it makes me wish I lived in Wellington even more than usual.
Because your Welly twitter friends are so cool?
I ma having conversations, and wasting far too much of my time posting inanity.
But the original reason I signed up was that lots of the smart and interesting people I know were on it, and posting links to smart and interesting things.
Because your Welly twitter friends are so cool?
But of course, love.
Though to be fair my Welly non-Twitter friends are also so cool.
Also since I made those comments about the hunky wood-man I'm now being followed by an Angelean porn star. How cool is that?
How cool is that?
I am impressed. I do wonder how they found you, though. Exactly what do you search to come up with that sentence?
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The 5 stages of Twitter acceptance fixt
Liked that... in fact, even an equivocal endorsement from the PAS crew's enough to get me on board... I think I will!
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Our roots are showing
When I was a kid, if my ol' man saw me shaking too much salt on my dinner, he'd say, Are you trying to flavor it or preserve it? A little bit of salt is all it takes to flavor a whole lot of food.
The Suede Palace, the smallest portion of the Grand National Roadster Show, has been part of the event for only five years, but in that time the flavor of the nostalgic, traditionally styled hot rods and customs that fill this building has seeped into every corner of the GNRS, including the AMBR competition.
As always, the Suede Palace was organized by Alex Axle Idzardi and his wife, Celeste, who receive tons of help from numerous car clubs from all over the country. The vendors, clubs, 'stripers, bands, Trophy Girl contestants, spectators, and cars in Building 10 have turned Axle's efforts into the coolest corner of the GNRS, flavoring the whole show and preserving traditional hot rodding.


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Topic Page: Zagreb (Croatia)
(zä'grĕb), Ger. Agram, Hung. Zágráb, city (2011 pop. 790,017), capital and largest city of Croatia, on the Sava River. Zagreb is Croatia's largest industrial, manufacturing, and financial center and, prior to Yugoslavia's disintegration in the early 1990s, was also Yugoslavia's largest. It has industries that produce machinery, machine tools, electrical and metal products, and chemicals. It is also the cultural center of Croatia, with an Academy of Arts and Sciences (founded 1861), a university (founded 1669), an institute of nuclear physics, an observatory, and several fine museums and art galleries. Zagreb is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop, an Orthodox Eastern archbishop, a Protestant bishop, and a grand rabbi.
The ancient Roman town of Andautonia was southeast of the modern city, which developed from 2 nuclei: Gradec and Kaptol. It was made an episcopal see of the Western church in 1093. In 1242, the year of a Mongol invasion, Gradec became a free royal city and later in the 13th cent. became the chief city of Croatia and Slavonia, which were then joined with Hungary in a personal union under the Hungarian crown. Although the Ottoman Turks attacked Zagreb in the 16th cent., they never conquered this part of Croatia. The bishopric of Kaptol and the city of Gradec merged in 1850. During the 19th cent. Zagreb was a center of the Croatian nationalist movement. With the formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1867, the city became capital of autonomous Croatia. It has since been, successively, capital of an Axis-controlled Croatian puppet state (during World War II), the constituent republic of Croatia in Yugoslavia (1945–1992), and the independent Republic of Croatia (since 1992).
A fine modern city, Zagreb has its historic center in the old Kaptol district, with the Catholic cathedral (begun 1093) and the Catholic archiepiscopal palace (18th cent.), and Gornji Grad [upper town], with its baroque palaces and churches.
متعلقہ کریڈو مضامین
Full text Article Zagreb
Capital of Croatia, on the River Sava. Founded in the 11th century, it became capital of the Hungarian province of Croatia and Slavonia during...


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AXA Discovery Process
Welcome to AXA Advisors' financial planning and discovery process.
We take your privacy seriously at AXA Advisors. AXA Advisors is committed to keeping all information we have about you confidential and secure. To see how we protect your privacy, click here.
If you have any questions about the differences between my role as an investment advisor and as a registered representative, please contact AXA Advisors Broker/Dealer Services at 1-866-AXA-4545, Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm ET.


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The Gold Cufflinks complement any outfit especially when added to our matching Gold Satin Ties and Handkerchiefs. The Chrome backed cufflinks are packed loose and perfect for the finishing touch.
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LOS ANGELES, June 4 (UPI) -- NFL Hall of Famer Deacon Jones died in Southern California Monday at the age of 74, the Washington Redskins said.
"The #Redskins have learned via EVP/GM Bruce Allen that @ProFootballHOF David 'Deacon' Jones has passed away from natural causes," the team said in a tweet.
"Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history," Allen told Redskins.com. "Off the field, he was a true giant. His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him" said Allen. "He was cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother."
Jones coined the term "quarterback sack" and was known as the "secretary of defense." He played defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams (1961-71), San Diego Chargers (1972-73) and the Redskins (1974). He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.


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CGC Vision, Mission, and Accreditation
The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, was established in 1842. In 1966, the coeducational Evening College was founded. In 1968, as part of its mission to serve the State and particularly the Lowcountry, The Citadel initiated graduate degree programs. In 1994, The Citadel Board of Visitors approved the formation of The College of Graduate and Professional Studies. In 2007, the name was changed to The Citadel Graduate College to help people more closely identify and recognize an important part of The Citadel experience. Programs under the Graduate College are open to all qualified students regardless of sex, race, age, or ethnic origin. Students do not wear uniforms nor are they a part of or participate in any of the military structure of the college that relates to cadets.
While separate and distinct from the South Carolina Corps of Cadets in its operations, The Citadel Graduate College retains the institution's core values of Honor, Duty, and Respect and its commitment to developing and equipping principled leaders. In keeping with these goals, the vision of The Citadel Graduate College is to:
Provide innovative and quality higher educational opportunities for both graduate and evening undergraduate students.
Foster scholarly and practical expertise through graduate research, teaching, and other professional development opportunities.
Create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for students that models The Citadel's core values of Honor, Duty, and Respect.
An important component of a positive educational experience for students involves an intentional effort to meet their needs and offer service that underscore The Citadel Graduate College's commitment to principled leadership.
Service: Creating a culture that values service, fosters mutual respect, and makes the student's needs the most important priority; implementing new technologies that enhance our services; and providing timely, efficient, and accurate information to all requests.
Performance: by ensuring a quality educational experience through administrative oversight of programs and the regular review of policies and procedures; conducting analysis of existing data and generating reports to identify patterns and trends within the Graduate College; creating research opportunities for students and faculty; and assisting departments with implementing creative delivery methods of academic programs.
Integration: By providing welcoming and rewarding experiences, graduate students and evening undergraduates, both past and present, feel a part of the larger Citadel community and play an important and significant role on campus.
While the Provost and Dean of the College is the chief academic officer of the institution, the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate College is charged with the administration and supervision of all graduate study. The Citadel Graduate Council, a governing body that establishes standards and polices and approves the creation and modification of academic programs, consists of the Provost, the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate College, the Director of the Library, and a representative of each academic department with a graduate program.
Within the Graduate College office, the following activities include:
Recruitment of prospective students and promotion of all graduate and undergraduate programs.
Collection and processing of applications.
Coordination with academic programs, departments, and student services.
Assisting new students in adjusting to graduate and/or undergraduate study.
Assisting students with course registration, course withdrawal, and other administrative matters.
Monitoring academic eligibility.
Generating reports that highlight student and institutional trends, such as enrollment, student profiles, number of prospective students, acceptance rates, and the number of applications.
Processing applications for graduation.
The Citadel's Evening Undergraduate Studies Program
A part of The Citadel Graduate College, the Evening Undergraduate Studies (EUGS) program is designed to address the needs of non-traditional students who wish to complete a Citadel degree in the evening. The EUGS population is not a part of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets, do not wear uniforms, and have slightly different degree completion requirements than cadets.
The mission of EUGS is to:
Serve the distinctive needs of adult and non-traditional students who are attempting to complete a four-year degree and/or further their professional development.
To create and support innovative academic opportunities for adult learners who must pursue a four-year degree in a non-traditional manner.
To collaborate with local communities, agencies, and organizations that will facilitate effective workplace preparation for students in a demanding, technologically advanced global marketplace.
There are six academic majors within the EUGS: Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Civil Engineering, Political Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.
The Citadel is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredits The Citadel to award Bachelor's, Master's, and Specialist degrees.
Programs for the preparation of secondary education teachers at the bachelor's and master's levels, for the preparation of guidance counselors at the master's and specialist degree levels, and for the preparation of school superintendents at the specialist degree level are accredited by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the
Council on Postsecondary Accreditation. The head of the Department of Education serves as the Director of Teacher Education.
The School of Business Administration is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
The Clinical Counseling program is accredited by the Masters in Psychology Accreditation Council.
The Civil Engineering program and the Electrical Engineering program are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The School Counseling Programs that offer a Master of Education in Counselor Education (Elementary or Secondary Certification) were granted full eight years CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) in July 2013.
The School Psychology Program is fully accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists.
All Title IX and Compliance information can be found here.


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Reports on the enrollment status at other institutions of your prospective, current and former students.
A single StudentTracker subscription can be used by all collegiate areas budgeted from institutional funds that are not funded or reimbursed by outside entities.
There are three options, you can:
Reports on the post-secondary enrollment status of outreach program participants nationwide.
*If you have more than 20,000 records to track, please contact us to discuss available options.
*Enrollment is equal to the fall enrollment (headcount) as reported to the federal government (IPEDS). Fee schedule effective as of July 1, 2008.


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"You get what you pay for" — the aphorism normally holds true, but not always. Sometimes it's possible to get more than you pay for.
The Dodge Durango is a case in point. It shares a substantial portion of its underlying hardware with the Mercedes GL-Class SUV, and that shared heritage shows in the Durango's refined ride and handling.
The bottom line for the two-wheel-drive V-6 entry-model Durango I tested recently was $34,740, including shipping and options such as GPS navigation, satellite radio, Smartbeam automatic high beam headlights and automatic windshield wipers.
2011 Dodge Durango Crew
Base price: $33,195
Price as tested: $34,740
EPA fuel economy: 16 city/24 highway
Pros: Placid ride denies the existence of expansion joints, plenty of cabin space and a nicely detailed interior.
Cons: Still slurps a lot of gas, looks a lot like a Highlander from the rear three-quarter view and the navigation system's graphics are behind the times.
Verdict: The best value in the three-row crossover segment.
Standard equipment: 290-hp V6, five-speed automatic transmission, dual zone climate control, power windows with one-touch up and down on the front windows, power front seats, Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity.
Major options: Garmin navigation, SmartBeam automatic high beam headlights and automatic rain-sensing windshield wipers.
Safety equipment: Front, side and side curtain airbags, active head restraints, electronic stability control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, back up camera and parking sensors.
The Durango's "Crew" trim level includes goodies such as keyless start, power seats, Bluetooth connectivity, remote start, 500-watt stereo and a rear back-up camera. It has cloth seats to remind drivers that they could have upgraded to a higher trim level, but in terms of value, the Durango Crew is hard to beat. Plus, there's leather on the steering wheel.
How far the Durango has come from the stone ax-simple pickup truck-derived model that debuted in 1998. The new Durango boasts the smoothest ride in the three-row crossover class, while the old truck felt better suited for hauling lumber.
But that isn't to say this Mercedes-derived crossover won't do any hard work. When outfitted with the optional 360-hp Hemi V-8 rather than the tested 290-hp Pentastar V-6, the Durango can tow 7,400 pounds, which the company notes is the same weight as a 24-foot boat and its trailer.
Most unibody crossovers are front-wheel drive, with a V-6 as their largest engine, so the rear-drive layout and available V-8 give the Durango a solid advantage for doing actual work rather than just serving as a minivan alternative for suburban families.
And the new design is 25 percent stiffer than the old one, giving it a stronger foundation that avoids the squeaks and groans of a twisting, flexing body-on-frame vehicle. Combined with a 14 percent reduction in aerodynamic drag and the corresponding cut in the resulting wind noise, the atmosphere inside the Durango is placid at speed.
Another plus on the practicality side is roof rails that contain crossbars that fold inside the rails, stowing the crossbars out of sight (and out of the wind), but keeping them handy for rooftop cargo during that trip to grandma's or the home improvement warehouse.
Inside, the Durango features a spaciousness unimaginable inside any body-on-frame midsize SUV, thanks to the greater space efficiency of its unibody construction. Flip-forward second-row seats provide decent access to the reasonably spacious third row, though the kids who are typically sent back there might have difficulty operating the flip mechanism and tend to just scramble over the seat.
This would be fine if they didn't leave mud or snow behind on the second-row seat in the process. Fortunately, Dodge has thought to include kid-whackers in the third row for reminding them to be more careful next time, or to stop squabbling with each other. OK, they aren't technically called "kid-whackers." Dodge calls them "remote headrest fold-downs," but there is a handy button on the dashboard that causes the third-row head rests to flop down, smacking unruly kids in the process. (The only trouble comes when they start giggling and demand that you do it again.)
Of course, Dodge insists the kid whackers are really intended to make it easier to see out the back when the third row is unoccupied, which is probably most of the time. That, along with back-up sensors and a rear-view camera that is part of the Crew trim package, makes it easier to parallel park the 16-1/2-foot Durango.
The cabin appointments are typical for the new Fiat-backed Chrysler, which is to say that the blight of abominably hard, cheap, shiny plastic has been lifted, with plush matte-finished, soft-touch materials used in its place.
Similarly, the seats now offer sufficient support and adjustability to achieve suitable comfort for long drives and the instruments are thoroughly contemporary in appearance. The in-dash navigation system is programmed by Garmin, so its operation will be familiar to Garmin customers. But familiar or not, the clunky Garmin graphics and operation are a step (or two) behind the better nav systems available in competitive models, so this is an area for Dodge to improve.
Otherwise the touch screen controls for the entertainment system are simple and obvious to use with none of the hassles of the various BMW iDrive wannabe systems or of Ford's poorly executed new MyFordTouch touch screen interface.
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The Durango rides on a wheelbase that stretches seven inches longer than that of the new Ford Explorer, contributing superior legroom and ride comfort. This usually comes at the cost of inhibited maneuverability, making long-wheelbase cars hard to park because they need so much space to turn. But the Durango's turning circle is only 37 feet, making it easy to slot into parking spaces, especially compared to other vehicles of similar size. That is foot tighter turn than the Toyota Highlander, which is nearly a foot shorter in overall length.
Consumers typically rank difficulty of parking as one of the top turn-offs for largish crossovers and SUVs, so the Durango's unexpected agility should give parents a bit more confidence that they can dock this kid-hauling barge in the local Whole Foods parking lot without calling ahead for a harbor pilot or tug boat.
Of course, execrable fuel economy is the No. 1 reason for consumer aversion to such big vehicles, and even with its all-new V-6 engine or the Hemi that can run on four cylinders to save gas, the Durango remains thirsty.
The two-wheel drive V-6 model I tested is rated at 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway, but in cold-weather around-town driving with gas containing 10 percent ethanol (which contains less energy per volume than gas), using the remote starter for warm-ups and seat heaters we saw 15 mpg on the trip computer. That's better than the old Durango, to be sure, and better than some of its competitors, but that fuel economy hurts when gas is north of $3 a gallon.
Still, if fill-ups are financially painful, it's likely the only area where Durango ownership doesn't seem like a great fiscal value, thanks to solid construction, lavish appointments and a Mercedes-based platform.
Sometimes it is nice to not get what you pay for.
© 2013 msnbc.com. Reprints


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A New Bern woman was cited after she drove her car into a pond at the Carolina Pines Golf and Country Club.
A New Bern woman was cited after she drove her car into a pond at the Carolina Pines Golf and Country Club.
Sarah Brown, 23, was charged with failing to report an accident, unsafe tires and reckless driving, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
According to a report filed by Trooper J.D. Leitschuh, the wreck was reported at 7 a.m. Sunday but happened sometime during the overnight.
Brown was driving a 2002 Chevy passenger car west on East Palmer Drive. The road takes a sharp right turn, but instead Brown crossed the center line, ran off the left shoulder of the road and continued straight, running off the road and into the pond, according to the report. Brown was apparently not injured and left the scene, failing to report the crash.
A woman on a walk Sunday morning discovered the vehicle in the pond and contacted authorities. The front part of the vehicle was submerged but the back end was only partially submerged and still visible from the nearby road.
A tow truck was needed to haul the vehicle from the pond, which is located on the 18th hole of the golf course. The vehicle left trenches to part of the course but an exact amount of the damage was not known. The course remained opened, and the incident did not impede any golfers.