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Supporting Role
This story appears in the November 1998 issue of . Subscribe »
As a small-business owner, you could probably use a little help answering the telephone, typing letters, maintaining customer mailing lists and paying your bills. If you can't afford to hire a full- or part-time employee--or don't yet need help on a regular basis--consider another option: contracting with a company that offers business support services. You'll find just the help you need, whether it's transcription, word processing, bookkeeping or general office administration.
"You can cut your office staffing costs and still enjoy the security of on-call personnel when you contract with a professional business support services firm," says Carole Holland, owner of At Your Service Too, a business support services firm in Jersey City, New Jersey.
"When you're just starting out or working on your own, you think you have to do it all. But you can't answer your e-mail or develop marketing materials if you're out prospecting for new business," Holland adds. "This way, help is always available, whether you need it 20 hours a week or just one hour a week."
Before choosing a business support services firm, interview several to find out about the specific services they offer and the fees they charge. You might be asked to sign a contract requiring a monthly retainer. This means you pay a regular monthly fee depending on how many hours you think you'll use the firm. (Any additional hours are billed to you.) In return, you get top priority when you need help. Or ask if you can pay on an on-call basis. "With this option, you pay an hourly rate for the work you need," explains Holland.
To give you an idea of how much a specific job will cost, the business support services firm should be able to show you a document that lists industry production standards for work performed. The document will estimate the average time it should take to complete various office tasks.
"You'll find out how long it should take a word processor typing 70 words a minute to complete a three-page letter or a 10-page marketing plan," Holland explains. "The actual fee will be set by the business support services firm and determined by market conditions in the community."
To find a firm to help you with your office needs, contact the Association of Business Support Services International (ABSSI), a trade association representing about 900 firms in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica.
The ABSSI's Web site (http://www.abssi.org) offers a full directory of its members' names and phone numbers listed by state; or contact the association at 22875 Savi Ranch Pkwy., Ste. H, Yorba Linda, CA 92887, (714)?82-9398. You can also check your Yellow Pages listings under "Secretarial Services" or "Typing Services," or ask other business owners for referrals.
As your business grows, you might opt to never hire your own staff and instead continue using a business support services firm. The latter option has certain advantages: "You don't have to buy office equipment, furniture or supplies," notes Holland. "You continue to operate as a sole proprietor and call us to back you up. We have several clients who do business this way, and they're very happy with the arrangement."
Carla Goodman is a freelance writer in Sacramento, California.
It's Your Party
Voting for candidates who support small-business issues isn't the only way to make a difference in government. You can make an even bigger contribution by getting personally involved in the political process.
Start right at home by learning about issues affecting business development in your community. These could include local sales taxes, zoning, business retention services, and plans to expand or reduce retail or commercial developments. Your local chamber of commerce is a good source of information about which government agencies are responsible for which issues.
Once you have a sense of the issues, get to know your representatives. Write to your city council members or board of supervisors about an issue that affects your business or industry. Or voice your support or opposition by speaking before your city council or board of supervisors when they review and vote on an issue.
For issues you feel strongly about, you might want to meet with your state legislator face-to-face. The best time to do this is during a legislative recess. Call the legislator's district office and ask to make an appointment for a one-on-one meeting.
If you want to learn firsthand how the political process works, apply for a political appointment. Local and state governments have huge networks of commissions and committees whose seats can be filled by qualified entrepreneurs. Start by expressing to your local government leaders or state representative your interest in an appointment.
The best way to multiply your effectiveness as a small-business advocate is by joining a business or industry organization. There's strength in numbers, and as part of a group, your impact is felt all the way to Capitol Hill.
"Individually, small-business owners have always been in positions of influence. They run the local chamber of commerce and Rotary club and serve on committees for their local congressperson," says Todd McCracken, president of National Small Business United, a Washington, DC, advocacy group. "In recent years, they've become more organized and view themselves as a small-business community--an organized force that is having an important impact on the political process."
Kid Stuff
By Janet Cass
More than one-third of American households include children. According to a 1996 U.S. Census report, 35 percent of households included at least one child under age 18, and 7.5 percent of the total U.S. population was under age 5.
How can your business profit from this? By becoming family-friendly. It doesn't cost much, and you'll turn grateful parents into devoted customers.
To keep kids occupied while their parents shop, have books and toys (none with batteries or tiny parts) on hand. Treadle Yard Goods in St. Paul, Minnesota, uses a corner away from the store's door and cash register. "Some types of businesses have to accommodate customers with kids," says co-owner Mary Daley, who's "never had complaints" about tots. Daley loses less than $100 annually in kid-damaged merchandise. "Not a meaningful amount," she says, given her $450,000 gross annual sales.
Jackie Kanthak's clothing store, Sprog Togs, also in St. Paul, includes a small box of toys and a rocking horse. Toys don't detract from income-producing floor space because dresses are displayed on a wall above them--still allowing Kanthak to present her merchandise at the customer's eye level.
Here are some easy tips to help make your business more family-friendly:
- Keep toys with multiple components tidy so no one trips over them.
- Regularly clean toys and books with disinfectant, making sure they're completely dry before putting them back. Check your state health department for specific guidelines.
- Display breakable items several feet off the floor to keep them away from inquisitive little fingers.
- Spend a few extra dollars for electrical-outlet protectors to protect those little fingers.
The payoff for accommodating children? Parents can spend more time--and often more money--in your establishment. Once parents know your business is kid-friendly, you'll achieve what every entrepreneur hopes for: word-of-mouth advertising.
Contact Sources
At Your Service Too, (201) 432-6325, http://www.atyourservicetoo.com
National Small Business United, (202) 293-8830, http://www.nsbu.org
Treadle Yard Goods, 1338 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105, (651) 698-9690


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Two Restaurants: Traditional Tex Mex and authentic Mexican Food
Hola, y'all. There are two restaurants in town that combine traditional Tex Mex and authentic Mexican cuisine in one menu.
El Potrillo Grill and Bar at 2950 Eastex Freeway in the Toys "R" Us shopping center and 10 de Mayo Grill and Bar at 8350 College near Major are family owned and operated and have a wide selection of favorite regional dishes as well as family recipes straight from Mexico.
Go all the way Tex Mex when you start with nachos stacked with beans, chile con queso, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos, or go Mexico with the flameados (flaming cheese) with chorizo and monterey jack or camaron (shrimp) and monterey jack.
Choose from an extensive list of combo platters like the 10 de Mayo Special which includes guacamole, chile con queso, beef taco, stuffed bell pepper, cheese enchiladas, tamale, rice and beans. The Maria Felix is another Tex Mex favorite that includes sour cream enchiladas, rice, beans and guacamole.
Everything that's best about Tex-Mex is available including chimichangas, deep friend burritos filled with meats and cheeses, beans and rice; and tacos al carbon, meat, onions and peppers grilled to perfection and stuffed in flour tortillas.
Scoot in a booth with friends and order fajitas for up to four and sip homemade Maria Margaritas over your serape covered table. The Margaritas are made with fresh lime juice and flavored anyway you like – mango, strawberry, peach. Choose your tequila and your flavor.
Feeling more Tex than Mex? Order a fajita baked potato filled with your choice of meat – beef or chicken – and everything and anything else you'd want stuffed inside. Lettuce, tomato and guacamole – you just name it.
Speaking of stuffed … one of the most popular menu items is the stuffed avocado. Large generous avocados are peeled and cut in two and stuffed with your choice of meat, seasonings and butter, put back together and then fried until crispy and delicious. If you love avocado, this selection is as good as it gets.
Leave Tex behind and go further south by ordering the El Presidente. This rich specialty dish is made by marinating fajita steak that is grilled and combined with sautéed onions and bell peppers and served up sizzling with rice beans, pico da gallo, guacamole and tortillas and topped with hot shrimp.
If you crave Gulf Coast delicacies, try the Hot Shrimp Apaseo, six stuffed shrimp with jalapeno peppers and wrapped with Monterrey Jack cheese and bacon; it's served with lemon slices and charro beans.
Chicken Diablos is another Mexican platter and features chicken stuffed with jalapenos peppers and cheeses served with beans and rice, pico da gallo and avocado slices.For something completely different, select the torta, a Mexican sandwich made with fajita meat, barbeque breaded steak and served on a Mexican bun.
The Manriquez family cooks all meals daily; there is no mistaking the flavorful food made with the freshest ingredients as ordered.
Kiddos are catered too also and can select from a variety of Tex Mex meals as well as "kid" food, like grilled cheese and hamburgers.
Prices are just right for lunch. Both restaurants offer a little Tex Mex and a little Mexico, as well as lighter fare, like the Jonathan Salad, chicken or beef fajita meat over lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrots and avocado, for as little as $5.49 and as much as $7.49. Soup season is upon us, so try one of several varieties of vegetables soups.In addition to offering traditional sopapillas, the restaurants also serve flan, fried ice cream or tres leche cake for dessert. Mexican candy is available at check, too.
10 de Mayo is open for breakfast Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. El Potrillo is open from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sundays 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Gracias, and y'all come back now!

subset: commoncrawl


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Macy's eported quarterly earnings that surpassed analysts' expectations and raised its full-year profit outlook on Wednesday, despite powerful storm Sandy disrupting the lives of shoppers and sales associates in northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
After the earnings announcement, the department store retailer's shares initially rose but later turned negative in pre-market trading. (Click here to get the latest quotes for Macy's.)
Macy's reported that its net income rose 4.3 percent to $145 million, or 36 cents a share, from $139 million, or 32 cents a share, a year earlier.
Macy's revenue ncreased 4 percent to $6.08 billion rom $5.85 billion a year ago.
Sales at stores open at least a year, a key industry metric known as same-store sales, rose 3.7 percent.
Analysts expected the company to report earnings excluding items of 29 cents a share on $6.08 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.
For the holiday quarter, when Macy's estimates same-store sales will rise 4.2 percent, Macy's expects to earn $1.94 to $1.99 a share. This range fell short of analysts' estimates of $2.04 a share.
Macy's also increased its full-year 2012 guidance range by 5 cents to $3.35 to $3.40 per diluted share. According to Thomson Reuters, analysts were expecting Macy's to earn $3.40 a share for the year.
Nearly one quarter of Macy's stores suffered a disruption last week when super storm Sandy hit. Macy's said last week, when it reported October sales, that it expected to make up any lost business.
On Wednesday, Macy's Chief Executive Terry Lundgren said he was confident about sales and profit growth in the holiday quarter, despite the storm.
The earnings release follows the company's announcement on Monday that its store locations will open at midnight on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and a crucial shopping day for retailers.
Macy's also announced that, as of next year, it will stop reporting monthly sales, joining Kohl's, Saks, and J.C. Penney among department store chains that have decided this year to abandon the practice.
The company has been investing in the opening of distribution centers to fuel its online growth and investing in technology to make it easier to use mobile devices to shop inside stores. It is also in the early stages of a $400 million renovation of its Manhattan flagship.


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SAN BERNARDINO – Former San Bernardino International Airport developer Scot Spencer pleaded not guilty Friday to criminal conspiracy and other charges during his arraignment via closed-circuit television in San Bernardino Superior Court.
Wearing orange jail scrubs and sitting before a video camera at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, Spencer sat quietly while Judge Kenneth Barr entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.
Spencer, 48, is accused of bilking more than $1 million from taxpayers in a fraudulent claim against the San Bernardino International Airport Authority.
Barr set Spencer's next court date for April 9 with a preliminary hearing on April 11.
Spencer is charged with two counts of criminal conspiracy, two counts of perjury, and one count of preparing false documentary evidence to the Grand Jury. A criminal defense attorney did not appear on his behalf Friday because Spencer has yet to retain or be assigned one, prosecutor Robert Brown said.
Spencer did not waive his right to a preliminary hearing within 10 days of his arraignment.
Spencer, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, and his business affiliate, Felice Luciano, were charged March 22 on suspicion of drafting a fraudulent charter jet lease agreement that Spencer presented to the San Bernardino Grand Jury in 2010 as part of an inquiry into suspected corruption at the airport.
Prosecutors allege Spencer filed a $1.75 million claim against the Airport Authority in 2008, alleging an airport official mistakenly leased out to a blimp manufacturing company hangar space that Spencer had already reserved. The mistake, Spencer said in his claim, cost him and Luciano a lease agreement with the Democratic National Committee to charter a jet for three months at $250,000 a month. Luciano's company, Unique Aviation, was to provide the jet to the Committee, Spencer said in his claim against the Airport Authority.
Instead of challenging Spencer in court, the Airport Authority opted to settle with him for $1.02 million despite never seeing the lease agreement. Prosecutors now say the contract never existed until 2010, when Spencer produced it "out of thin air" for the Grand Jury. Spencer even made a trip to New York City to have Luciano sign the sham agreement, prosecutors said.
Legal counsel for the Democratic National Committee told district attorney investigator Schyler Beaty the Committee never had any such contract with Spencer, according to Beaty's 13-page investigative report that served as the basis for the criminal charges.
Luciano, 69, of Tempe, AZ., surrendered to authorities Thursday afternoon, He appeared before Judge Dwight Moore for arraignment, pleading not guilty to two criminal conspiracy charges. Moore lowered Luciano's bail to $500,000, which Luciano posted.
Moore also ordered Luciano to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and to give 24-hour notice for any interstate travel, with the exception of travel between New York City and New Jersey.
Luciano owns a business in New York City and a home in New Jersey, and commutes back and forth, Brown said.
Brown said he had been in contact with Luciano's attorney, Daniel Nixon, since Monday, arranging for Luciano's surrender.
"(Nixon) made arrangements very quickly for Mr. Luciano to surrender himself," Brown said.
Luciano will next appear in court on April 17 for pre-trial hearing.


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Not content with telling us how to raise our children, what constitutes a "proper" family, who can and can't get married and how we conduct ourselves in the bedroom, now this right-wing fundamentalist christian hate group are telling us what we can and can't read.
While the segment on Close Up tonight did make Bob McCoskrie and his cronies look like a bunch of humourless wowsers, I'm growing more and more concerned with the amount of air time these asshats, and others like them, are getting in the run up to the election.
God help us all if people start taking these asshats seriously. (little joke)
Views: 216
Giving any piece of bull hackery air time lends credence to it. So yea I can see your concern. Unfortunely i'm on the other side of the world so dunno how much or what kind of air time they are getting?
There's a psychic over here called "psychic Sally" and she's going on tour around the country. I'm just flabbaghasted that she actually has air time on the TV to peddle false hope to very distressed people. But she's uncontested, she doesn't do interviews and only does shows so no one can rebuttle her to her face. At least the xtians can get their asses handed to them :)
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Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World
The Story
It's the spring of 1987 and with less than three months of high school to go, Stephen Shulevitz finds himself in serious trouble when he falls in love with exactly the wrong person. Written for anyone who remembers being young in a dark time.
"...Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, 'not the end of the world' is utter bullshit. Sometimes it really is the end of the world. Sure, everything's continuing the same as it ever did, but there's been a shift. People will do things that leave you baffled. Or maybe you'll surprise yourself, start acting like a person you don't recognise. And you have to live in it now, this new world. You can't ever go back.
The end of the world doesn't have to be floods and fires and screaming and Nostradamus and the Mayans hanging around looking smug. It can be, say, two o'clock in the morning in the TV room in the basement with the light from the screen freezing all the cigarette smoke into shapes like ectoplasm. My best friend Mark leans forward to light another cigarette and – boom – the world ends. "
Want to know more? Read away...
It's the spring of 1987 and Stephen Shulevitz is feeling especially restless and bored with the small town in rural Nova Scotia where he's spent most of his life. Stephen is a bright, socially awkward teenager who often thinks he'd rather be living in a Smiths song than on planet Earth. He has a complicated relationship with his parents – his father is an emotionally distant ex-hippy whose rejections are a constant source of heartbreak and frustration, and his well-meaning mother seems to have a special talent for embarrassing him.
But all this is nothing compared to the revelation that hits one night in front of the TV while drinking a couple of warm cans of Moosehead: he's in love with his best friend Mark and has been for years. Mark is a loyal friend, but he has a scary temper and a history of being the schoolyard hit-man. What's needed now is a cool head and a lot of self-control. Unfortunately these are qualities that Stephen completely lacks...
What the critics are saying:
"Don't be fooled by its frothy title....As with most coming-of-age stories, Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World has its share of lighthearted and tender moments. But it also has emotional depth that distinguishes it from most of its genre counterparts. Where this novel truly excels is in its ability to tackle several difficult subjects with clarity and conviction. From homophobia to bullying to parental abuse, Cameron doesn't shy away from the complexity of her material, and the effects are heart-wrenching. This stunning debut will surely appeal to both teenage readers and adults." - Suzanne Gardner for Quill & Quire, Canada's magazine of book news and reviews, June, 2013 issue, starred review
"Cameron's portrayal of 17-year-old Stephen Shulevitz is astonishingly good. There's an alchemy here that not every writer who takes on a character so different from herself can achieve....Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World is a good summer read because a juicy coming-of-age story, especially one with a twist, fits well into a beach bag. But it's also an important read. Cameron spools out the story of Stephen so that you feel his heartache, self-revulsion and abject terror in painful increments. You understand what it might feel like to come out as gay, not just in the insular town of Riverside, N.S., but anywhere." - Marissa Stapley Ponikowski, for the Globe and Mail, June 8, 2013
"[B]rilliant debut novel....(Stephen's) acid wit and biting sarcasm make him an instantly likeable protagonist....(Cameron's) attention to the details of setting add deliciously to scenes that will ring out in nostalgic, possibly embarrassing familiarity for anyone who grew up in a small town, particularly in the 1980s....left me breathless....It's tragic, but also very funny; I laughed almost as much as I cried. This is a beautifully wrought story of those horrific hallmarks of the teenage years....Witty, devastating, with a melancholy humour, it's an impressive debut that begs to be read in one emotional, tear-streaked rush." - Susan Morrell for The Sunday Business Post Magazine, April 21, 2013
Check out the review page on this website for more.
Comments on the manuscript:
"One of the best reading experiences I've had for years...the emotional depth of the book is terrifying and brilliant." – Peter Sheridan, author of The Liberty Suit and Forty-Seven Roses
"...the mood and atmosphere of growing up in the 1980's and all the songs were spot on....a very likeable and accessible novel, with a great deal of wit and humour...You have captured the texture of teen life..." – Dr. Eibhear Walshe, author of Cissie's Abattoir and Oscar's Shadow


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In a media release from the Governors office, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead states he is looking forward to the Wyoming Broadband Summit, which is to take place in Cheyenne on October 23. The purpose of the Summit is to showcase how broadband contributes to a better future. Governor Mead explains, " Broadband access is part of the transformation of the economy. It is important to our education system, the way health care is delivered, and how services are provided by government." Mead also states that the expansion of high speed Internet connections is essential for our citizens and businesses.
Summit participants will be encouraged to discuss the best practices in broadband expansion, network with Internet service industry professionals, meet leaders in the state, address broadband innovation and growth, and identify strategic actions to build a better broadband future. Business Council CEO Bob Jensen believes better broadband access means a better competitive edge for Wyoming when it comes to attracting business or helping our current businesses grow.
For more information or to register for the summit, click here.


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The boss of home improvements chain B&Q has warned that investment would be put on pause in Scotland if there is a vote for independence.
Sir Ian Cheshire, whose multinational firm Kingfisher owns the DIY outlets, said there are too many uncertainties surrounding currency and Scotland's place in the EU.
The prospect of a Yes vote in September also puts on hold plans for a further 23 Screwfix shops, he said.
Sir Ian, speaking at his newest B&Q warehouse in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, insisted he will not pull out if Scots decide to leave the union.
But he said: "It would put a pause on everything.
"If we have differences on VAT, currency, it just puts everything into hibernation as we try to figure out what it will mean.
"At the end of that we have to consider what is the trading environment.
"Because Scotland is such an important part of B&Q, there's no way we're going to let it go, but it would be more complicated, probably more costly and less likely to attract investment, given we could invest in 11 other countries around the world."
B&Q employs more than 2,600 people in Scotland and around 20,000 across the UK. Screwfix, which Kingfisher also owns, has 27 shops in Scotland employing just under 400 people.
Although Sir Ian's company operates across borders, the impact of change would cause him problems.
The company's UK-wide IT system would have to change and thousands of products may have to be repriced in B&Q and Screwfix, he said.
He insisted his warnings are from a purely business angle, and that it would be wrong to say Scotland would not be capable of being independent.
"Whatever the result of the referendum, we will be here," he said.
"In some of the early stages of the debate there were some extreme claims being thrown about on both sides.
"Some claimed Scotland couldn't possibly survive on its own as an independent state, which is clearly ridiculous - of course it can be.
"There are equally some scare stories on the other side."
But he said he would "strongly advise" a vote against independence.
"There are lots of other reasons you might believe in, historical, political reasons for independence, I totally respect that," he said.
"From a business point of view I would strongly not advise it. There's no way I can make that decision and I'm very conscious that, given the polls, a large chunk of our customers will also be voting Yes, and again I respect that.
"As a business, through our lens, it is clearly better to be part of the UK."
He would have to "wait and see" if conditions were good enough to open more stores, including plans to take the number of Screwfix outlets up to 50 in Scotland.
"Those may or may not happen as a result," he said.
He highlighted competing versions of how quickly or seamlessly Scotland might fit in to the EU as a member state.
"Technically, the UK is part of the EU and if you leave the UK you will have to reapply," he said. "I spend a lot of time in Brussels and I've been told this consistently by a large number of people.
"We see a real problem here and see a real problem with the currency because I just don't see any way in which the UK Government in Westminster is going to agree to a currency union.
"I've heard this up close and personal from both sides of the Coalition, so there has to be some sort of alternative.
"There's always a way of making things work, but the question is, basically, is this better than the current situation? I would say not. I can see the downside, I can't really see the upside."
Earlier this year, Chancellor George Osborne and other UK party leaders ruled out the Scottish Government's preferred option of creating a sterling union across the border after independence.
The Scottish Government's White Paper on independence also sets out the case for smooth transition to EU membership within the 18 months between a Yes vote and formal independence in 2016.
Sir Ian, who is not eligible to vote on September 18, discussed his views on the referendum with Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont and local Labour MSP Duncan McNeil during his visit to Port Glasgow.
Pro-independence group Business for Scotland argues that keeping a currency union is in the best interests of the rest of the UK.
It also says the UK Government is choosing not to get clarity on potential Scottish membership of the EU because ministers know the answer would be in Scotland's favour.
And it warns that remaining in the UK could see Scotland pulled out of the EU regardless after a promised referendum on European membership.
Tony Banks, chairman of Balhousie Care Group and Business for Scotland, said: "We welcome Sir Ian's confirmation that his companies and associated jobs will remain in Scotland after a 'Yes' vote. Inward investment is of course at a record high and Scotland's economy is out-performing the rest of the UK in the lead up to the referendum.
"Sir Ian has quite rightly dismissed as ridiculous the scaremongering of the 'No' campaign that Scotland could not survive as an independent country.
"We will seek a discussion with Sir Ian to clarify some misconceptions about independence promoted by the self-styled Project Fear.
"An independent Scotland will remain in a common market and we believe there will be no change of currency. A senior UK Government minister has admitted the currency union will be continued. There will be no barriers to trade and in actual fact significant opportunities through the tax system to reduce costs for companies operating in Scotland.
"The only risk of red tape and barriers to trade comes with a 'No' vote after which it looks increasingly likely Scotland will be dragged out of Europe by the rest of the UK. Kingfisher could usefully consider re-locating its headquarters to Scotland. If and when they do, we will welcome the company, more new investment and jobs with open arms."
Scottish Labour MP Anne McGuire said the union is good for firms and good for jobs.
"Why would we want to put that at risk by putting up a barrier between employers and their customers elsewhere in the UK?" she said.
"B&Q is just the latest in a long line of large employers in Scotland who have warned about the risks and uncertainties of separation.
"Sir Ian is right to call for a plan B on currency. What we need to hear from (First Minister) Alex Salmond is what would replace the pound if we leave the UK? Would we rush to set up the euro or would we set up a separate unproven currency? The idea that the nationalists can keep this information hidden from Scots before the vote simply isn't credible.
"As part of the UK we can have the best of both worlds - our strong Scottish Parliament, with the guarantee of more powers for Scotland, backed up by the strength, security and stability of being part of the larger UK. Only separation puts that at risk."


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BOGOTA, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Alize Cornet advanced to the second round of the Copa Claro Colsanitas Monday with a straight-set win over Elina Svitolina.
Cornet needed a second-set tiebreaker to best her Ukrainian opponent 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) on the red clay court at Bogota.
Joining her in the second round will be France's Mathilde Johansson, who pulled out a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Canadian Stephanie Dubois.
Argentine Paula Ormaechea posted an opening-day win as well, dispatching Russian Nina Bratchikova 7-5, 6-2, while Luxembourg's Mandy Minella also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over German Tatjana Malek.
Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic is the top seed in this year's Bogota event.


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Connect With Us
Final Filing Date: February 17, 2017
Visit our web page: Career Opportunities
Call (916) 419-2582 or
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Amber Alert
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Nerf guns, toy light sabers, shooting Spiderman webs, being a kid is awesome. But then kids grow up and foolishly lose their enjoyment for toys even though they're getting paid to pretend to be an adult.
Build an arsenal of toy weapons people! You never know when you'll be able to use them as weapons like these adults in Andrew M's Toy Wars video.
The Cozy Coupe car chase sequence slayed me.


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Alphabet Ready made Old English style logo design with eagle-dragon and a shield icon. Such logos suitable for branding security company, academic studies, Insurance, law firm etc.
- Exclusive design rights to the buyer – sole ownership
- This brand also comes with double sided business card
- We Customize your Name & Info Free of charge


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The Patriots, much to the surprise of the majority of pigskin prognosticators, kept three quarterbacks when they reduced their roster to 53 players Saturday in accordance with NFL rules.
It was only the second time in the past six years they had done so with this throwing trio consisting of Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett and rookie Jimmy Garoppolo. Speculation had the Patriots trading or releasing Mallett due to the unexpectedly rapid development of Garoppolo in training camp.
"Was it a hard decision? No, I wouldn't say so," coach Bill Belichick said Sunday morning. "Fortunately, we have three good players at that position, three players we have a lot of confidence in. I'm sure there are some teams in the league that don't have that feeling about that position. They may not have one, I don't know.
"I've been in that position before and it's not a good place to be. We're fortunate we have three good players there. It's a good situation."
It's a situation that was altered a few hours later when the Patriots shipped veteran QB Mallett to the Houston Texans in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2016 draft.
The Patriots drafted Mallett in the third round (74th overall) in 2011, but they weren't going to get anything close to that type of return on their investment after Mallett failed to impress in the preseason.
It was a trade that was first discussed around the time of the NFL Draft in May and one that makes sense for both sides.
Mallett didn't play a snap last season and, with Brady aboard, was expected to see the same amount of inactivity this season barring an unexpected incident. The fourth-year pro will become an unrestricted free agent in March and, due to the presence of Garoppolo, wasn't expected to be re-signed, so the Patriots cut ties now and took the pick.
They also saved a modest $776,976 in salary cap space, pushing their available total to a whopping $14 million. More importantly, it opened up a valuable spot on the 53-man roster and created a situation where Garoppolo can get some quality snaps in practice, which wouldn't have been the case if he were relegated to third on the depth chart.
Some might argue the Patriots have left themselves vulnerable should Brady get injured. However, Mallett showed nothing in his three seasons in New England that should give anyone confidence he could come in and operate the offense any more efficiently than Garoppolo, a 2014 second-round pick (62nd overall) who exudes leadership qualities and possesses an accurate arm.
Those are two vital traits Mallett seems to be in short supply of.
As for the Texans, they're thin at quarterback with Harvard graduate Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has an abysmal career passer rating of 77.5, the starter and rookie Tom Savage backing him up. So the addition of Mallett should at least create some competition.
And should Mallett overtake Fitzpatrick it would be great news for the Patriots since the conditional tag to the draft pick they received is likely tied to playing time.
The Texans are hoping Mallett, who only attempted four passes in regular-season play during his three seasons in New England — with one completion and one interception — will blossom under coach Bill O'Brien, who was his quarterbacks coach with the Patriots as a rookie.
In addition, the Patriots claimed undrafted rookie defensive linemen Bruce Gaston (Cardinals) and Kelcy Quarles (Giants) off waivers and released linebacker Chris White to keep the roster at 53 players.
Contact Rich Garven at email@example.com.


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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Dell Inc. delayed Friday's vote on founder Michael Dell's plan to take the computer maker private. The postponement came after Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners added a special dividend of 13 cents per share on top of an already sweetened bid of $24.6 billion, or $13.75 per share. They originally had offered $24.4 billion, or $13.65 per share.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) � Dell Inc. delayed Friday's vote on founder Michael Dell's plan to take the computer maker private. The postponement came after Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners added a special dividend of 13 cents per share on top of an already sweetened bid of $24.6 billion, or $13.75 per share. They originally had offered $24.4 billion, or $13.65 per share.
The company is now giving shareholders until Sept. 12 to consider the offer. The meeting will be held at Dell's headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, near Austin.
Activist investor Carl Icahn and the Southeastern Asset Management fund, which own 13 percent of the company combined, are trying to defeat Michael Dell's offer in hopes of persuading shareholders to back a competing proposal.
Here's a closer look at the two plans:
As has been the case since it was struck, the deal would take the company private if it's approved. Michael Dell, the CEO and the largest shareholder, is throwing in all of his stock and $750 million of his $15 billion fortune to help finance the sale to a group led by investment firm Silver Lake. Dell's stock-and-cash contributions to the deal are valued at about $4.5 billion. The plan calls for paying for most of this through loans, including $2 billion from longtime Dell partner Microsoft Corp.
As an additional enticement, Michael Dell and Silver Lake will pay stockholders a one-time dividend of 13 cents per share. Michael Dell and Silver Lake also are guaranteeing payment of Dell's regularly scheduled dividend of 8 cents per share for the fiscal quarter ending in early November.
In exchange for ensuring shareholders will receive the extra money, Michael Dell and Silver Lake received a key concession. Dell's board agreed that the deal can go through as long as it gains support from a majority of votes cast, excluding Michael Dell's nearly 16 percent stake in the company. The original bid required a majority of all outstanding stock excluding Michael Dell's stake, a provision that meant that abstentions counted as a part of the opposition.
Dell's board also changed the voting eligibility. All shareholders holding company stock as of Aug. 13 can cast ballots instead of the previous cutoff date of June 3. That creates a new pool of voters, including many investors who bought the stock in the past few months and stand to profit from the sweetened offer.
If it succeeds: Michael Dell is hoping to evolve the company into a more diversified seller of technology services, business software and high-end computers � much the way IBM Corp. had successfully transformed itself in the 1990s. He believes he has a better chance of turning the company around in the long run if it didn't have to worry about Wall Street's quarter-to-quarter expectations.
Criticisms: Some big investors still oppose the deal. Icahn believes the offer undervalues the company's long-term prospects and gives Michael Dell and his backers an unfair opportunity to profit from a turnaround. The deal would saddle Dell with more than $15 billion in debt, which could raise doubts about its financial stability among its risk-averse corporate customers.
The status: The plan has the backing of Dell's board. Michael Dell won't be able to vote his nearly 16 percent stake in the company, so the deal will need a majority of the remaining shareholders who submit ballots. Shareholders representing at least 20 percent of the votes were known to be in opposition before the offer was raised and the special dividend was added.
Icahn and Southeastern Asset have proposed that the company buy back 1.1 billion shares at $14 each. They added another element last month that would give stockholders warrants to buy additional shares. Icahn has valued his plan at $15.50 to $18 per share. That plan calls for rewarding shareholders with some cash now, but leaving about a third of the shares outstanding for shareholders to benefit from a successful turnaround.
If it succeeds: Icahn and Southeastern want to replace the Dell board with their own slate of candidates and put their plan in effect. Icahn plans to oust Michael Dell as CEO, but hasn't said whom he has in mind to run the company. To pull off his mutiny, Icahn needs to have Dell's annual meeting held on Sept. 12, the same day that shareholders are scheduled to vote on Michael Dell's deal.
But Dell's board has scheduled the annual meeting for Oct. 17. Icahn is suing in Delaware court to force that date to be changed.
Criticisms: A special committee of Dell's board calls the plan risky and short on details. One shareholder-advisory firm, Glass, Lewis & Co., says the certainty of a cash payout under the Michael Dell plan is better than the risk in continuing to hold Dell shares.
The status: No vote has been scheduled, and it may never happen unless Icahn can prevail in court.


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Chris, Ilya, Michael and Gang
I received My Adagio 2006 Calendar today.
It is large, colorful, and beautiful, I can only dream to one day visit some of the Memorable places, that are perfectly photographed in this Lovely Calendar. I would like to thank
Adagio for such an exquisite Piece of Art, the lovely personalized card attached, but mostly for the wonderful "High" classed Tea company Adagio Tea is, one that I will purchase my Tea from, forever. Today, my gift, made me feel "special". I ask you how many companies make you feel special? All I can add is WOW... Thank You Again Guys, I feel like you are my friends.
Merry Christmas.
Lana Y
2006 Adagio Tea Calendar
If we've got something important to say, you'll hear it here first.


text:
- Item
- December 1961
This document contains some of the history of Hampton and surrounding areas.
This document contains some of the history of Hampton and surrounding areas.
A slip of paper advertising William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" directed by Andrew Garrod at Saint Johns High School Auditorium at 8:00 pm. Ticket prices were advertised as $3.00 and students $2.00.
"Beginners please; my life in amateur theatre"; by Bert Williams
This is a photocopy of a bound volume of Bert William's "Beginners Please My Life in Amateur Theatre". The work discusses his early life, including growing up in a working-class neighbourhood of Bolton, Lancashire, England; attendin...
Williams, Bert
"Best Cheese" at Saint John Exhibition
A diploma that was awarded to a man for having the best cheese.
"Cheese - processed out along way"
A newspaper article titled "Cheese - processed out along way," from The Kings County Record. The article details the history of cheese production in Kings County, from 1892 to 1978.
"Friendship" Alumni Oration by Wallace Broad
An address delivered by Dr. Wallace Broad in 1927 in Fredericton and printed by him, at the Beacon Press. It was the 50th anniversary of his graduation from U.N.B. Alumni oration delivered at the Encaenia of the University of New Brunswick, Frede...
"G Company and Everyday Life of the R.C.R."
2 copies of the book "G Company and Everyday Life of the R.C.R." by Russell C. Hubly. It describes his experiences in the military.
"Gems from Shakespeare" Robertson Collection
A little booklet with some of Shakespeare's most famous lines from his sonnets.
A photocopy of the poem "Lumber Camp Pranks" by Joan McKenzie and the original poem.
"Northern Messenger" Publication of Montreal
These newsletters contain short stories and real local stories of the area.


text:
Near Russian Federation
Near Russian Federation
I would like to sell cars Tesla in Russia
I really don't know how else you could go about doing this, but you're not going to make any headway in this by posting on this forum. Tesla operates their own stores. Whether or not they plan to sell in Russia, they have likely already thought about it.
"where I can get complete information about the content and details of the machine and all of it?"
You have to work for Tesla to get this information. You can find interviews and articles online where Tesla has discussed some of the technologies and processes they use. In terms of features and functionality, you can find all of that information on this website.
"And how much is the cost of cars in America?"
This information is also on this website. On the very bottom of this page, there is a little flag icon next to the text "Choose Region" (it might be in a different language). Select 'United States'. Then in the Model S menu at the top of this page, select Options and Pricing to see a listing of the prices. You can also use the Design Studio to configure a car and see the exact price for a particular configuration. The base price is $69,900, and if you select every available upgrade, it tops out at $119,170. The prices shown on the website (when you select America as your region) show the price after a federal tax credit of $7500, paid for by the US federal government for residents of the US only.
"Written from 500 to 1000 dollars a month, during which time you need to repay the loan?"
I'm not sure exactly what your question means, but you can use any loan calculator to estimate loan costs and pay off times. Try this one:


text:
Panel to probe 'abuse' duty of care
A Hillsborough-style independent inquiry is to investigate the handling by public bodies of allegations of child sex abuse, Home Secretary Theresa May has announced.
The announcement in the House of Commons came after Prime Minister David Cameron promised to leave "no stone unturned" in seeking the truth about widespread allegations of a paedophile ring with links to the establishment in the 1980s.
The inquiry will be given access to all Government papers it requests, and could be converted into a full public inquiry if its chairman feels it is necessary. It is unlikely to report before next year's general election, but Mrs May promised that an update on its progress will be given to Parliament before May 2015.
Like the probe into the Hillsborough football disaster, which reported in 2012, it will be a non-statutory inquiry initially focusing on documentary evidence, but it will have the power to call witnesses, subject to the need to avoid prejudicing any criminal investigations.
Meanwhile, a separate review, led by NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless, will look into an investigation conducted last year into the Home Office's handling of child abuse allegations made over a 20-year period, as well as the response of police and prosecutors to information which was passed on to them.
Mrs May said she was confident that the work commissioned last year by Home Office permanent secretary Mark Sedwill was "carried out in good faith", but added: "I know that with allegations as serious as these the public need to have complete confidence in the integrity of the investigation's findings."
Mr Wanless is expected to report within eight to 10 weeks and will look at concerns that the Home Office failed to act on allegations of child sex abuse contained in a dossier handed over in by former Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens to then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in 1983.
Last year's investigation found 13 items of information in Home Office files about alleged child abuse dating back to the period 1979-99, and passed police details of four of the items about which they were not already aware. But Mrs May told MPs that, while records of a number of letters from Mr Dickens were found, there was no sign of a "Dickens dossier".
The investigation found that 114 potentially relevant files were not available, and were presumed "destroyed, missing or not found", although the independent investigator made clear that he found no evidence to suggest that the files had been removed or destroyed "inappropriately".
Lord Brittan welcomed the announcement of the Wanless probe, and said in a statement that allegations that he failed to deal adequately with Mr Dickens's allegations as home secretary were "completely without foundation".
Mrs May said that the independent inquiry panel will be made up of experts in the law and child protection, chaired by "an appropriately senior and experienced figure", with a remit to consider "whether public bodies - and other non-state institutions - have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse".
She told MPs: "I want to be clear that the inquiry panel will have access to all the government papers, reviews and reports it needs. Subject to the constraints imposed by any criminal investigations, it will be free to call witnesses from organisations in the public sector, private sector and wider civil society.
"And I want to make clear that - if the inquiry panel chairman deems it necessary - the Government is prepared to convert it into a full public inquiry in line with the Inquiries Act."
Mrs May - who spoke to Mr Cameron about the child sex allegations on Sunday - made clear that the independent inquiry panel will look into failings by police, social services and schools in relation to abuse by celebrities like Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris as well as the systematic abuse of vulnerable girls by gangs in cities like Derby, Rochdale and Oxford.
She indicated that the "non-state institutions" whose record on protecting children from abuse could include the BBC, churches and political parties.
"I think this has to be wide-ranging," Mrs May told MPs. "It has to look at every area where it is possible that people have been guilty of abuse and we need to learn lessons to ensure that the systems we have in place are able to identify that and deal with it appropriately."
She promised that the Government will do "everything we can" to allow the prosecution of abusers and to learn lessons from any past failings and will take an approach of "maximum transparency" in making information public.
Speaking ahead of Mrs May's announcement, Mr Cameron said: "I am absolutely determined that we are going to get to the bottom of these allegations and we're going to leave no stone unturned to find out the truth about what happened - that is vital.
"It is also vital we learn the lessons right across the board from these things that have gone wrong.
"And it's also important that the police feel that they can go wherever the evidence leads and they can make all the appropriate arrangements to investigate these things properly."
Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, whose questions in Parliament last week about the Dickens' dossier fuelled pressure for an inquiry, welcomed Mrs May's announcement.
"I am pleased the Government has shifted its position significantly in the last few days and announced a Hillsborough-style inquiry," said Mr Danczuk. "This is the right thing to do and I welcome the fact that the Home Secretary has recognised the public mood and acted accordingly.
"Of course, the devil will be in the detail and I hope that the inquiry will have powers to hold the intelligence services and special branch to account where investigations into powerful child abusers have been discontinued or blocked... I also hope it will give an amnesty for retired and serving officers to give evidence on what they know about establishment paedophiles without fear of losing their pension or other repercussions."
For Labour, s hadow home secretary Yvette Cooper welcomed Mrs May's "changed position", saying: "Too often the system has failed young victims, not hearing them or believing them when they cried out for help and failing to protect them from those who sought to harm them.
"There have been particularly troubling cases of abuse involving powerful people and celebrities and the failures of institutions to act. When those allegations go to the heart of Whitehall or Westminster, as members from all sides of this House and all parties have made clear, it is even more important to demonstrate strong action will be taken to find out the truth and get justice for the victims involved.
Lawyer Alison Millar of Leigh Day, who represents alleged victims of a paedophile ring at the notorious Elm Guest House in south west London, said that the wide-ranging inquiry must approach the allegations "from the perspective of a survivor".
"Survivors must be provided with a safe environment in which to come forward with the correct support mechanisms, for them and their families," she said.
It was reported today that police have traced an alleged victim who has "implicated a senior political figure" in abuse at the Elm Guest House.
The man, who is now in his 40s and based in the US, has given a detailed account of how he was assaulted by the politician, but has so far refused to make a formal statement to detectives, said The Daily Telegraph.
The Home Office is also facing claims that a leading member of the notorious Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) used its premises to store material.
According to the BBC, Steven Adrian Smith boasted in a little-seen book in 1986 that he had clearance to work as an electrical contractor at the Westminster building while chairman of PIE in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and hid files in locked cabinets there "where no police raid would ever have found them".
Mr Wanless said: "It's important to discover everything we can about what happened to these files, not only to help those who may have been victims of abuse many years ago but also to protect those children at risk now.
"The NSPCC is known for its independence and I will approach this review with the due diligence and dedication it warrants, which is what all children have every right to expect."
The chief executive of children's charity Barnardo's, Javed Khan, said: "There is much greater awareness of, and much less tolerance of child abuse now than there was 20 to 30 years ago.
"However, the outrageous failure of agencies to work together to protect children remains a serious problem and continues to lead to children being failed.
"The public need to be reassured that no-one is above the law when it comes to child abuse. Any allegations, whether they are current or historical, must be taken seriously and fully investigated by the police.
"Children who have suffered sexual abuse bear the emotional scars for the rest of their lives. Anyone who has used their power to escape punishment for committing sexual crimes against children must now be brought to justice.
"The inquiry announced this afternoon should not seek to duplicate the many current reviews under way. It should look at whether there are overarching lessons which can prevent similar abuses in the future."
Tory former MP David Mellor, who served under Lord Brittan as a Home Office minister in the 1980s, cast doubt on the quality of the evidence produced by Mr Dickens and called on people to "lay off" his former boss.
He said that while Mr Brittan had been "absolutely right" in what he did, the "fetid" atmosphere which had developed meant the inquiry was the right approach.
"Geoffrey Dickens came into the Home Office, he was seen by Leon Brittan and the information he had - which I very much doubt, knowing Geoffrey as well as I did, was a particularly carefully thought through set of representations - was then passed on to the relevant people within the department," he told Channel 4 News.
"People should lay off Leon Brittan. They should stop saying that Geoffrey Dickens somehow had the answer to life. Geoffrey didn't; he wasn't that kind of guy.
"He wasn't dissatisfied with Leon Brittan so why should anybody else be?"
He also hit out at former cabinet colleague Norman, now Lord, Tebbit for stating that there may well have been a cover-up.
"I don't know where Norman Tebbit was coming from. I know what he said deeply upset Leon Brittan and I'm not sure whether Norman, at this stage of his career, needs evidence to make these kind of headline-grabbing assertions.
"But the point is this review should be able to get to the bottom of this."
Former head of the civil service Lord Butler, who was principal private secretary to prime minister Margaret Thatcher at the time Mr Dickens submitted his claims, said he had not been aware of any rumours of a paedophile network at Westminster.
"I never heard anything about it at all," he told BBC2's Newsnight.
Given the number of files involved, he added, "it's quite difficult to imagine there could have been a cover up without quite a lot of people knowing about it".


text:
UK editor-in-chief, TechRepublic and ZDNet
Steve Ranger is the UK editor-in-chief of ZDNet and TechRepublic. An award-winning journalist, Steve writes about the intersection of technology, business and culture, and regularly appears on TV and ...radio discussing tech issues. Previously he was the editor of silicon.com.
Steve Ranger has nothing to disclose. He does not hold investments in the technology companies he covers.
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Carole Morin novelist
'Sylvia Plath with a sense of humour' The Herald
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This article has been post on The Huffington Post. Click on the link to read it at Huff Post.
America has come to an important crossroads.
One party has lost their way and has no clue how to get out of the nightmare they're in or which path will take them out of it.
What's at stake is control the most powerful nation in the world.
Years of hypocrisy, subcutaneous prejudice, and a narrow vision of democracy, has caught up with, and left, the Republican Party questioning their direction, positions, and values.
They've become the party of derision — a level of animus never this openly displayed by the Republican Party.
So what direction will the GOP take?


text:
Statement by HE Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi, DRC Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the UK:
17 Dec, 2012, 07:00 GMT
LONDON, December 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) decision to suspend its loan to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a deeply upsetting development.
We have worked closely with the IMF for many years to cancel our debt, which was mainly racked up by the corrupt Mobutu regime. In doing so, our Government has established a strong working relationship with the IMF. Together, we designed a government economic program that would comply with all the conditions required to qualify for the cancellation of that debt under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries program. When that was achieved we embarked on an economic program that would allow the country to move forward after years of decay and civil wars.
Much economic progress has been realised despite difficult circumstances:
- between 2009 and 2012 the overall annual growth of our economy went from 2.8% to 7.2%.
- The inflation rate was brought down from 46% to 3%.
- The Congolese Franc is stable.
- Direct private investments are on the rise.
- Public revenue as well as the national wealth has doubled.
- The government has introduced a VAT that has helped the tax system for companies.
- The DRC has joined the OHADA, the African Organisation for the harmonisation of Business Laws that gives security to foreign investments.
- Special zones of activities with tax relief have been created in order to boost job creation.
- The government launched a system whereby salaries are paid through the banking system to fight corruption and to feed the banks with fresh cash every month.
- For the first time in decades, mineral production has reached the historical levels of 1980.
It is this positive trend that the IMF has decided to slow down by its decision to suspend the remaining portion of the loan.
The international community, and our bilateral aid donors in particular, know that we have been cooperative, transparent and above board in all our dealings with the IMF.
The decision to suspend the remaining portion of the loan at this time is in direct support of opposition forces aligned with those who work for the destabilization of our country and its government. This is a political attempt on the sovereignty of our nation and will alarm many other African and developing nations throughout the world.
Despite numerous challenges, we are working for a brighter future for all Congolese, and the cancellation of this loan will damage our foreign currency reserves and could destabilize our economy. It will directly hurt the people such loans are intended to help. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) who spread innuendo and claim corruption - without any evidence to back up their claims - need to take responsibility and realize the damage they are doing to economic prospects of the DRC and our population. They need also know that in such instances they are doing more harm than good to nearly 70 million people.
We can only presume that individuals and groups with political agendas against the Government of President Kabila have influenced the IMF representation in Kinshasa. When the DRC Government has given all the answers it can to all the questions put by the IMF, why now should the IMF office be singling out one contract as the basis for stopping loan disbursements of some $225 million? Have they fully considered the consequences that cancelling these loans will have on the DRC because they were unsatisfied with paperwork on one contract out of over 130 contracts?
The Government of the DRC has and will continue to work with the IMF and other international financial institutions. It is in our best interests to do so for numerous reasons, including that such international assistance further helps us put in place the institutions that President Kabila, who has restored democracy to the DRC after years of misrule, believes are essential to sustaining the progress we have made. We want to work with international partners who are demanding but understanding, critical but lucid, and respectful of our independence and sovereignty.
Those who lobby for the cancellation of vital loans - and those who are influenced by such hollow reasoning - are recklessly harming the prosperity of the DRC and its people."
SOURCE The Democratic Republic of the Congo ambassador to the uk


text:
We didn't exactly walk away impressed with Logitech's unorthodox Cube mouse, but the company's just-announced M600 features a more traditional form factor, bearing a striking resemblance to Apple's Magic Mouse as it also sheds buttons for a touch-friendly surface.
Instead of wheels or a bevy of assignable buttons, fingertip gestures are you used to scroll, flip through photos, and navigate the web. And with Logitech's optional Flow Scroll software, using the mouse on a PC is promised to feel exactly like using the touch screen on your smartphone, with fluid scrolling for longer documents. And it's even reprogrammable for left or right-handed users.
Available sometime in February for around £60, the M600 also includes a tiny unifying USB receiver, which basically means you can connect up to six different wireless Logitech devices to your computer, while only needing a single free USB port. And because one of the biggest complaints about wireless mice is their weight, the M600 will happily operate on just a single AA battery for three months of use, or the standard two AAs if you want to double its battery life to six months. [Logitech]


text:
Tuesday, 5th February 2013 | 7:00 pm
Join us at T2F this Tuesday for an open mic session featuring emerging talent.
T2F's Open Mic, is a platform for musicians, poets, and comedians to perform, improvise and experiment in an informal setting.
Performers do not need to pre-register. Just show up with your voice, instruments, and props. Look for our hosts, Saif Ali and KC Leftblank who will put your name down on the list. Musicians get 15 minutes/3 songs and everyone else gets 10 minutes.
Date: Tuesday, 5th February, 2013
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Donation: Anything you like. Please support our vision of intellectual poverty alleviation by donating generously.
Venue: PeaceNiche | T2F
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a 'first come, first served' basis. No reservations.


text:
Duck hunters rescued by Orange County Sheriff
Two duck hunters stuck in the marsh near Adams Bayou and the Inter-Coastal Waterway in Orange were rescued by Sheriff Keith Merritt after calling the Orange County Sheriff's Office for help on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at about 7:40 a.m.
According to a news release from OCSO, the hunters were attempting to navigate a duck blind when the boat became stuck in the icy muck. The two men reportedly tired to free the boat for several hours but were unsuccessful.
After receiving notification of the incident from dispatch, Sheriff Merritt launched the OCSO airboat and located the men. He brought the grateful men safely onto the airboat and was able to pull the hunter's boat into navigable water.
The sheriff said he "wants the citizens of Orange County to kow that when you are in an emergency situation, whether it be on land or in the waterways of Orange County, please call the sheriff's office and we will do everything we can to help. That is what were are here to do, help people."
Call (409) 883-2612 in Orange County to reach the sheriff's office.


text:
Southend Interactive
Massive Entertainment acquires Southend Interactive
Massive Entertainment, which is working on Tom Clancy's The Division, has acquired Swedish developer Southend Interactive.
Southend Interactive headlines
Southend Interactive splits from Tactel Holding AB, now "100 percent indie," says CEO
Southend Interactive has announced it is now a separate entity from its parent company, Tactel Holding AB. The firm announced the split today, which also marked the release of its digital title, Sacred Citadel. The firm is now 100% independent, and while the years with Tactel were "great for Southend," now is "the right time […]
Sacred Citadel launch trailer shows off tons of side-scrolling, beat 'em up action
Sacred Citadel, the side-scrolling action brawler from Southend Interactive and Deep Silver, has arrived on XBL, Steam and the US PS Store. In the game, each character has its own combos, special moves, skills, and equipment, and will play differently from the others. It will arrive on the EU Store tomorrow. Watch the launch trailer […]
Deep Silver bringing side-scrolling action brawler Sacred Citadel to PSN
Deep Silver has detailed Sacred Citadel, its upcoming side-scrolling action brawler, over on the US PS Blog.
Ilomilo plus out now on Windows 8, tablets
Xbox Live Arcade puzzler ilomilo is now available on the Windows 8 store, rejoicing in the new appellation of ilomilo plus, although sadly still lacking in proper capitalisation. This PC and tablet version has two new chapters packed with puzzles and story and supports control pads, touch screen or mouse and keyboard controls. It'll set […]
Sacred Citadel includes mounts
Sacred Citadel gives a nod to classic side-scrollers with a variety of beasts prepared to bear you into combat.
Sacred Citadel to grace console networks ahead of Sacred 3
The Sacred series is taking a temporary turn for the light-hearted with side-scrolling beat-'em-up Sacred Citadel.
Ilomilo developer working on new game for Deep Silver
Southend has announced it has signed with Dead Island publisher Deep Silver on a new multiplatform game. Details of the new title are expected in an official reveal soon. The Swedish team is best known for Xbox Live Arcade effort ilomilo. Thanks, Polygon.
ilomilo released on XBLA
SouthEnd platforming-puzzler ilomilo has been released on XBLA.
Meaty square-shaped hero shows up in Southend's Ilomilo
Meat Boy may not be prepping for a sequel, but that doesn't mean you can't have another encounter with him in something else.
Southend Interactive latest
Southend Interactive splits from Tactel Holding AB, now "100 percent indie," says CEO
Sacred Citadel launch trailer shows off tons of side-scrolling, beat 'em up action
Deep Silver bringing side-scrolling action brawler Sacred Citadel to PSN


text:
Fast. Duplexer for printing on both sides of a page. Prints through the cloud.
A little larger than most inkjet MFPs. Below-par graphics and photos.
Bottom Line
The HP Officejet Pro 8600 e-All-in-One inkjet MFP offers most of the features you might want in a micro, small, or busy home office, but comes up short on graphic and photo output quality.
One step down in HP's line from the Editor's Choice HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One ($299.99 direct, 4.5 stars), the HP Officejet Pro 8600 e-All-in-One ($199.99 direct) leaves out a few luxury features, like a legal-size flatbed. However, it also costs only two thirds as much. That potentially makes it a better choice if you don't need the extras. The one catch is that it's not simply the same printer with fewer features. It's also a tad slower and prints slightly better quality text, but slightly lower quality graphics.
Similar Products
Like the 8600 Plus, the 8600 is aimed primarily at micro or small offices or at home offices with relatively heavy-duty print needs. It's not surprising, then, that it offers all the same basics. It prints, scans, and faxes; works as a standalone copier and fax machine; and it lets you scan to or print from a memory card or USB memory key. It will let you connect by Ethernet, WiFi, or USB, use Apple AirPrint to print over WiFi, and use HP's ePrint to print though cloud. With ePrint, the printer gets its own email address, so you can print a document by sending it as an attachment to an email message.
One other feature the two printers share is a touch screen interface. However, the screen on the 8600 is smaller, at only 2.65 inches. As with the 8600 Plus, you can use it with HP's Web Apps, including Biztree Forms App and Financial Times News App (Free, 3 stars) that I've reviewed. However the smaller size of the screen makes both the apps and the printer's own menu system a little more cumbersome to use.
One feature missing from the 8600 that's in the 8600 Plus is direct email sending. The 8600 will let you scan and email, but only by way of an email client on a computer.
Paper Handling and Size
Paper handling in the 8600 is excellent for the price and suitable for most micro offices, with a built-in print duplexer for printing on both sides of a page and a 250-sheet tray. For offices that need more, you can add a second tray ($79.99 direct) to boost the capacity to 500 sheets. As with the 8600 Plus, the 8600 includes an automatic document feeder (ADF), with a 35-page capacity in this case, to complement the flatbed for scanning. One of the luxury features it leaves out, however, is duplexing for the ADF, so there's no easy way to scan originals printed on both sides of the page.
As with the 8600 Plus, the 8600 is big and hefty for an inkjet MFP, at 11.8 by 19.4 by 18.9 inches, so you might want it near your desk rather than on it. Assuming you have room for it, though, setup is absolutely standard.
Speed and Output Quality
The 8600 is a tad slower than the 8600 Plus, but it's no less impressive given the lower price. On our business applications suite (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing), I clocked it at 5.7 effective pages per minute (ppm), making it nearly tied with the 8600 Plus at 5.9 ppm.
In reviewing the 8600 Plus, I noted that any number of lasers cost more yet are slower than it; that statement applies even more to the less expensive 8600. The Editors' Choice Dell 1355cnw Multifunction Color Printer ($419.99 direct, 4 stars), for example, managed only 4.5 ppm. Note too that the 8600 also did well on photo speed, averaging 54 seconds for a 4 by 6.
The printer's output quality, unfortunately, is a mixed bag. Text is above par for an inkjet, graphic output is below par, and photos barely qualify as being up to par. Text is easily good enough for most business needs. Also very much worth mention is that it's water resistant, at least on ColorLok paper. In my tests, it smudged only a little when I rubbed it with a wet tissue.
Graphics quality is good enough for any internal business use. However most of the graphics in our testing showed obvious banding in the default mode. I'd hesitate to hand the output to an important client or customer who I was trying to impress with a sense of my professionalism.
Photos were also easily good enough for almost any business need, but photos on photo paper were at the low end of what you might expect from drugstore prints. The biggest problem I saw was with shadow detail (details in dark areas), which didn't show very well.
Other issues
One last strong point that the 8600 shares with the 8600 Plus is a low claimed running cost, at 1.6 cents per black and white page and 7.2 cents per color page. That's cheaper than the 2.8 cents for black and white and 8.2 cents for color that Kodak claims as a key selling point for its MFPs. Print enough pages, and the running cost can make the 8600 cheaper to own over its lifetime than a less expensive, far less capable MFP with a higher cost per page.
Unfortunately, I also saw one moderately serious issue with the 8600, and I saw it with two different printers. Fresh out of the box, both printers had clogged nozzles that needed extensive cleaning before they would print at their best quality. The problem was so bad with the first printer I tested that even after running all three levels of the printer's cleaning routine four times, I couldn't get rid of it, although it improved with each cleaning. With the second printer, I had to run all three levels twice, after which the problem disappeared.
The fact that the problem showed up on two different printers means you can't dismiss it as a fluke. But it also suggests that it might be an easily fixed issue on HP's production line, with some particles getting into the ink system and clogging the nozzles. HP says it's investigating the issue, and, if it can replicate the problem, will do what's necessary to fix it.
In any case, although the clogged nozzle issue takes a little of the shine off the printer, the HP Officejet Pro 8600 e-All-in-One's balance of speed, output quality, paper handling, MFP features, low running cost, and price would have made it a shoo-in as an Editors' Choice otherwise. Hopefully, HP will fix the problem, so it will no longer be an issue. In the meantime, if you don't mind dealing with the possibility of clogged nozzles in a new printer, and are willing to take the time to clean them, you'll still wind up with a printer that's well worth getting.
More Multi-function Printer Reviews:
Canon Color imageClass MF741Cdw
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C5790 Color MFP Supertank Printer (2019)
Canon Pixma TS5320 Wireless Inkjet All-in-One
Canon Pixma TS3320
Canon Pixma TS8320 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer


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The Xbox One Launch Games You Should Buy Right Now
Sony dominated video game headlines last week, but now it's Microsoft's turn. Redmond's Xbox One made its long-awaited retail debut at midnight and thus officially entered the eighth-generation console war.
On the face of it, you might think Microsoft is at a bit of a disadvantage, with a bungled pre-launch media blitz and with the Xbox One. arriving a week later than PlayStation 4 and costing $100 more (not to mention the $50 you'll have to pay to the Xbox as a media-streaming device). Does that all add up to the kiss of death for Microsoft's latest console? Well, no; not necessarily. Not even close.
Say what you will about the aforementioned challenges, it's hard to deny the strength of Xbox One's launch-day lineup. The Xbox One sports numerous enticing, exclusive day-one titles that will let gamers engage in hard-hitting combat, thrilling races, and intense shooting action. In fact, if you factor in the Xbox One's television and Kinect features, the PS4 looks rather ho-hum in comparison. Right now, at least.
Our recommended Xbox One launch games are the titles that will carry you through to 2014 (the year when the really hot games will begin to pop up in stores and the Xbox Live digital marketplace).
That said, many day-one third-party Xbox One titles are intergenerational games that also appear on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Naturally, the Xbox One versions will likely have graphical improvements and/or extra game modes, but don't expect a radical change. Some critics may state that the Xbox One's launch library isn't very strong, but if you're an early adopter who must have Microsoft's latest video game console as soon as humanly possible, consider these the must-have titles.
As always, please let us know your Xbox One lineup thoughts in the comment section below. Which games are you looking forward to playing on the Xbox One's launch day?
1 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
2 Battlefield 4
3 Dead Rising 3
4 Forza Motorsport 5
5 Killer Instinct
7 Ryse: Son of Rome


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Accounting Research BULLETINS December, 1944 No. 23 Issued by the Committee on Accounting Procedure, American Institute of Accountants, East 41st Street, New York 17, N. Y. Copyright 1944 by American Institute of Accountants Accounting for Income Taxes THIS bulletin deals with a number of accounting problems which arise currently in the reporting of income and excess-profits taxes (hereinafter referred to as "income taxes") in financial statements. The problems arise largely where (a) material items entering into the computation of taxable income are not reflected in the income state-ment and (b) material items included in the income statement are not reflected in the computation of taxable income. The bulletin does not purport to cover the entire subject of the treatment of these taxes in such statements. SUMMARY STATEMENT (1) Income taxes are an expense which should be allocated, when necessary and practicable, to income and other accounts, as other ex-penses are allocated. (2) Where an item resulting in a material increase in income taxes is credited to surplus, the portion of the current provision for income taxes which is attributable to such item should be applied in reduc-tion of the credit to surplus and taken up as a credit in the income statement, specifically disclosed and appropriately described, either as a deduction from the aggregate current provision for income taxes or as a separate credit. (3) Where an item resulting in a material reduction in income taxes is charged to surplus, the amount of the reduction should be applied against the charge to surplus and included as a charge in the income statement, specifically disclosed and appropriately described, either as an increase in the provision for income tax allocated to income included in the income statement, or as a portion of the item in question equal to the tax reduction resulting therefrom. (4) Where an item resulting in a material reduction in income taxes is charged to or carried forward in a deferred-charge account, 183


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"It was his use of color," Shire says, "besides his amalgamation, combination, and adaptation of past influences and styles that he brought together. Josh did it in such a way as to be original and to make it seem new. He had the history and the language from the past, but he could put it all together. Most people have the influences, but they don't put it all together. And he has a very wry sense of humor."
"Most people call it 'Shag style,'" Agle says of the current vogue for neo-'50s art, "which is flattering to me. It's not so flattering to the other artists when people tell them, 'Oh, you're doing that Shag style.' I wanted to make sure I owned that style. I didn't want people to say, 'Your paintings reminds me of that other artist.'"
Shag has become so successful—his paintings sell at galleries for $10,000 and up, his prints in the hundreds of dollars, and he does not do commissions, thank you—that a wary observer might accuse the artist of cynically pandering to the mid-century masses.
As Shire noted in the book, 'Shag: the Art of Josh Agle,' "He has become arguably the most merchandised artist since Peter Max."
Could a Shag painting be seen as the equivalent of a Thomas Kinkade cottage but with a butterfly roof?
Not hardly. Nobody who spends any time with Agle could doubt his sincerity. The guy—despite his orange-tinged hair—is just too darned straightforward, and so obviously in love with what he draws. "I just paint the stuff I like and the stuff I'm interested in," he says.
And Shag's art, far from being treacly and sweet, is sharp and colorful, cartoony—yet mysterious.
It also helps that Shag has his own vision of the era. "There was an optimism," he says. "When you bought a mid-century modern house and you filled it with modern furniture, you were looking forward, and I appreciate that optimism.
"And also to me, sophistication. Obviously most of the houses built in the 1950s weren't mid-century modern, but the people who were building them were more sophisticated, more artistic—and that's what appeals to me as well. And it also to me implies hedonism—the great cocktail parties, the smoking and the drinking. 'Playboy' magazine from the '50s and early '60s embodies that. It was okay to be a hedonist."
"I see the '50s as being mostly square, with little pockets of hipness," he says, "and it's those little pockets of hipness that really interest me."
"He just creates," says Lee Joseph, a record producer and deejay who knew Agle before he became Shag (the name blends 'Josh' and 'Agle'). "The market found him."
Joseph remembers when Agle would charge all of $175 for designing a band's entire look, its LP and CD covers plus posters. And Agle never sent a bill. "Josh," Joseph would say, "I really appreciate this, but you have to start charging me."
Agle himself got into modern design in a typically Southern California 1980s kind of way, by imbibing the Tiki ethos along with tropical drinks at his favorite Tiki bars, while picking up '50s and '60s LPs, chosen for their covers, at thrift stores in Santa Ana and Long Beach. Soon Agle was furnishing his apartment with mid-century furniture he found alongside the records.
One of nine children in a Mormon family that lived in Sierra Madre, in the mountains above Pasadena, Agle, who intended to follow his father's profession of accounting, did commercial art to pay for his studies—then switched his major to art.
Meanwhile, Lee Joseph recalls, "The surf-lounge-exotica-garage genres were peaking, in kind of a cult sense," and Agle designed covers and posters in a variety of styles for such bands as Witchdoctors A Go-Go, Del Noah and the Mt. Ararat Finks, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Agle also worked as a record company art director, designing albums for Big Sandy, among others.
Agle also played lead guitar and sang with the Swamp Zombies ("a little bit rockabilly, some folk influence, a little punk," he says) and ran his own label, Mai Tai. He quit music in 2000. "Creatively," he says, "I was spreading myself too thin."
Agle focused on commercial art "because I knew that way I could make a living. I had friends in art school who wanted to be fine artists and ended up working at Aaron Brothers selling frames."


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Filed Under (Harley Davidson) by admin on 21-03-2011
REMOVE CLUTCH CABLE 1. See Figure 1. Loosen clutch adjuster to obtain slack in the clutch cable (2) by performing the following: a. Locate cable adjuster (1) and slide off rubber boot (4). b. While holding cable adjuster with 1/2-inch wrench, loosen jam nut (3) using a 9/16-inch wrench. c. Turn cable adjuster until there is a large amount of free play at hand lever. 1 2 3 4 is 00889 1. Cable adjuster (1/2-inch) 2. Cable end 3. Jam nut (9/16-inch) 4. Rubber boot Figure 1. Clutch Cable Adjuster 2. See Figure 2. Remove the retaining ring (1), pivot pin (2) and clutch cable anchor pin (3) from the hand lever. 2 3 1 is 00891 1. Retaining ring 2. Pivot pin 3. Clutch cable anchor pin Figure 2. Clutch Cable Compoments 3. See Figure 3. Drain transmission lubricant and remove fill plug dipstick. Remove the six screws that hold the clutch release cover in place. Remove the clutch release cover, being careful not to damage the gasket. NOTE The clutch release cover gasket (P/N 36801-87B) will need to be replaced if torn or damaged to prevent transmission fluid from leaking from the release cover. 4 3 5 2 6 1 is 00894 Figure 3. Clutch Release Cover Screw Sequence 4. See Figure 4. Note position of retaining ring opening. Retaining ring opening must be positioned in approximately the same location during reassembly. Remove retaining ring (1). 5 4 1 3 2 is 00895 1. Retaining ring 2. Inner ramp 3. Cable fitting 4. Clutch cable 5. Ramp coupling Figure 4. Clutch Cable Connection 5. Pull inner ramp (2) and coupling (5) out of side cover. Hold inner and outer ramps together to keep balls from falling free. 6. Rotate the inner ramp to a position that will allow the coupling (5) to be disconnected from the inner ramp lever arm. Disconnect coupling from inner ramp. Disconnect cable end from coupling. 7. Back out threaded cable fitting from side cover. Ensure that o-ring is removed with cable. Discard o-ring. INSTALL CLUTCH CABLE 1. See Figure 4. Obtain braided stainless steel clutch cable from kit. Apply a light coat of oil on new o-ring and install o-ring (Part Number 11179) onto threaded portion of clutch cable (4). Insert clutch cable fitting (3) into clutch release cover. Do not tighten cable fitting at this time. 2. Connect cable end to coupling. Rotate ramps for best access and install coupling on inner ramp. Place ramp assembly in position in side cover. 3. Install retaining ring. Position retaining ring opening so it is located approximately over the outer ramp tang (the stop that prevents rotation). NOTE Replace clutch release cover gasket if torn or damaged. 4. See Figure 3. Place gasket, if removed, on side cover and install side cover. Tighten the six screws in the order shown to 84-108 in-lbs (10-12 Nm) . 5. Tighten the clutch cable fitting to 36-60 in-lbs (4-7 Nm) . 6. Place a few drops of oil inside cable housing. 7. Route clutch cable as follows: SOFTAIL MODELS FXSTD, FLSTS, FXSTS and FXST – Route clutch cable from the clutch release cover, across the frame, up along the front frame downtubes and across the front of the handlebars. Cable straps (item 1 in service parts illustration) to be used in same location as original equipment straps. FLSTF and FLSTC – Route clutch cable from the clutch release cover, across the frame and up along the front frame down- tubes, up to and behind the handlebars. Cable straps (item 1 in service parts illustration) to be used in same location as original equipment straps. DYNA MODELS FXDWG – Route clutch cable from the clutch release cover, under frame and across to the left side. See Figure 5. Insert cable (1) into clip (2) at the bottom left side of the frame


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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The state Senate has passed a bill that would develop a system to measure the performance of teachers, superintendents, principals and other educators.
House File 72 is part of the state's ongoing education reform effort to better prepare Wyoming students for college and careers.
The bill heads back to the state House for consideration of Senate changes, which include dropping the requirement of identifying specific teachers with student performance.
Lawmakers involved in the education reform say it's impractical and difficult to identify the so-called teacher of record because of the multiple teachers that may be involved in educating each student.
The bill mandates a system of measuring the performance of education leaders, such as superintendents, begin in 2015 and teachers in 2016.