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Campground Reviews is now Available through the RV LIFE App on iPhones, iPads, and Android Devices.
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18 RV Parks near Bal Harbour, Florida
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida 0.39 miles SW
Surfside, Florida 0.92 miles S
Biscayne Park, Florida 3.4 miles SW
North Bay Village, Florida 3.56 miles SW
North Miami Beach, Florida 3.61 miles NW
We did however find 18 campgrounds within 25 miles of Bal Harbour. You can also find a list of cities with campgrounds or RV Parks near Bal Harbour in the left hand column.
3120 W Hallandale Beach Blvd Hallandale Beach, Florida 33009 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 157 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 2 Reviews
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Apr 2017 - $24.00
This is an Encore park and I expected better from them. The roads are paved and so are the spots. The spots are one on top of the other with barely room to open the slide. The utilities are on the wrong side so the cords and hoses have to be drug under the camper. Site 391 is possibly the worst one. A huge tree in the back so you can only back up so far. Then the utility hook ups are honestly at your door. After plugging in, the power would not work until hubby wiggled the plug. There was no room for our car. We had to park in a neighbors spot. We brought this to the attention of the manager with no satisfaction. - esta34950
Oct 2015 - $35.00
This is a "trailer park" that allows RVs. Old park with sites not designed for modern RVs such as sewer dumps found under trailer parking sites, electrical connections with face plates missing and open to the elements. - Scenic Cruiser
5931 Polk Street Hollywood, Florida 33021 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 48 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 14 Reviews
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Feb 2019 - $85.00
The neighborhood seems a little dicey when you first arrive but after you settle in it is fine. You are packed in like sardines but you have a nice little patio made of pavers. We felt safe and they have lots of security cameras. There is a Walmart across the street. The bathroom is nice. The laundry room is nice. It is a great central location for the Miami area - we were visiting family to the north, the south and out by the beach and the drive in all directions was easy. Go to Miami Subs just south of the campground - it is yummy fast food! You pay extra for the Wifi and we couldn't ever get it to work so we gave up and used our phones as hot spots. - OurBigAdventure
Oct 2018 - $80.00
They had a spot for us at last minute in January! So that's good, sites were really small but they all had a nice table and chairs. We squeezed our 36' fifth wheel into a little while and were able to open the slides, but nice grass area nearby to run the dogs. Pretty pricey. - Tim Thiemann
Jan 2018 - $85.00
This park is VERY tight! Some of the sites were recently redone, and now are so close together when your neighbor puts out his/her slide, it encroaches on your patio. You pay for the use of a patio and grill and can't use it because of the RV next to you. The wifi is basically non-existent, even though they claim to have wifi. This park has no amenities and sits along a busy highway right in town. It is way overpriced. If there were amenities, I could understand the high cost, being in the city. There is a pet fee, with no dog park or any amenities for your pet. I would not recommend this park to anyone!!! - Mr Bates
3300 N Park Rd Hollywood, Florida 33021 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 61 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 47 Reviews
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May 2019 - $30.00
Nice campground within a huge park. Well maintained and very clean. Great size sites.
Nice walking trails and a water park. - Fran_Dawn
Apr 2019 - $45.00
Nice campground, no matter what spot you're in you will hear the trains going by but it did not bother us. Coming into the park there are VERY low tree branches, so be sure to drive slow and pay attention. We got here on Easter and the park was packed with people. The park is usually pretty busy on the weekends. Gates close around 11pm and reopen around 5:30am - Megan Davis
Jan 2019 - $44.00
Nice County Park. Need to watch for some semi low tree branches but we had no problem with a 13'2" high MH. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. The only negative, as others have stated, was the location of the utilities. Waaaaay at the back of the site. Obviously, whoever designed the RV portion of the park never used a MH or other RV type. - Johngflyer
801 E. Dania Beach Blvd. Dania Beach, Florida 33004 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 70 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 1 Reviews
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Jan 2019 - $36.00
Misleading ads. It is a mobile home park in the process of closing soon. Management is advertising for RVers to fill up empty spaces for cash flow until it gets demolished. No amenities. Access road is in rough shape with potholes. I was misled. There is NO lift station. water is contaminated and not potable. Only grass parking without slabs. All lots flood when it rains. Higher rent than the nice parks. Grass doesn't get cut and dumpster is always overflowing. Not a safe area. Rent is by the month. After my bike was stolen I complained and got kicked out and lost my prepaid rent- no refunds. Lock up your valuables. - Mike RV guy
4500 Ravenswood Rd Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 35 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 14 Reviews
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Aug 2018 - $80.00
This park is great! I had stayed here for 4 and half years and love it! If you drive around to other RV parks you will see why this one is the best. It's not for kids. That's perfect for me! The owner is the best! She's super sweet! The park was always kept up and clean. People have complained about no laundry no pool, the site is very clear that it does not have laundry nor pool. Also every single RV park will make you pay extra for pets, extra cars. Angie is very fair in her prices. I love this place and oh the planes, well they did not ever bother us. We thought it was very cool. If we were inside watching tv, they never heard them. Other RV parks flood and crammed in together. This park is neat and great size lots. - Angie Burttschell
Jul 2017 - $1.00
The park is directly in the flight path of Ft. Lauderdale airport. Planes start about 6am and don't end until about 10am. the planes are so low it cuts out the TV signal!!! No laundry, no restrooms and what are supposed to be cute Palm Fron shaded "huts" have no roof and just the frame is sitting there. This is where you go when you have no where else to go. I should have listened to the older reviews on this place, they are clearly the only honest ones. - RV maniac
Feb 2017 - $30.00
I stayed at this park from May 2016 until February 2017. I am a construction worker and had a project in Port Everglades. This park deserves a 9 or a 10 due to the owner and her commitment to her guests. The park is clean and well maintained. We had absolutely no problems with the park or the staff. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations. I gave the park an 8 because of the airport primarily. It is probably unfair to down rate it just for that reason but it is a significant inconvenience. I joked about there being wheel marks on top of my trailer. Those planes come in low and loud. They generally stop by 11pm and do not typically restart until after 5am but there are times when there are flights overnight and those can be annoying. I would/will stay here again even knowing what I know. I paid the off season rate because of the time of year that I got here. Our cost did not change just because the season changed and the snowbirds started flocking in. The owner told me up front that my rate would stay consistent during my stay. She could have been greedy but she wasn't and that's honorable. The yard guys come around once every couple of weeks and her maintenance guy is in there cleaning up and looking after the place. She does not let the yard guys start at the crack of dawn which is respectful. I would absolutely stay here again. I absolutely recommend this park. - jeffj
2323 State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 250 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 38 Reviews
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Mar 2019 - $52.00
Rate is based on their high season (snowbird) rate. We chose this park due to its' proximity to the cruise port. We took an 11 night cruise and were concerned about leaving the RV unattended. Fortunately we were next to a seasonal person who I felt comfortable enough would keep an eye on our RV. We came back to a RV just as we left it. The staff was very professional & fair. The park is also part of a marina with boat slips for lease while you stay. Our site was "off the water" and was on broken down asphalt but, did have a nice raised patio. We didn't get to checkout/experience the amenities due to our very short time there before & after the cruise. - rracer5
Feb 2019 - $52.00
We have a 25' motorhome. The spot we were assigned was too narrow for us to back in to. Let me start at the beginning. The person at the front desk was perfunctory. After I got back in our motorhome, I went back in to the office to ask about cable and wifi. No cable and she handed me a slip of paper with the wifi code. We drove to the site she assigned. I knocked on the door of the neighbor and asked her to move her car for fear of hitting it. Her car was properly parked. She was very nice and moved it, saying she didn't think we would be able to back in anyway. After several failed attempts, I walked back to the front desk. I asked for a different slot. I walked to the newly assigned slot to view it. A small trailer was parked in it. I walked back to the desk and suggested another slot that was open. She said "take it" and she would work things out. It was narrow, but we got in. The park seems to be mostly full-timers who are pressed for money. I may be wrong. I did see a $30,000+ motorcycle go by. As to wifi, I could not find it using a booster. If I were driving a Class A or pulling a fifth wheel, I would ask before making any reservation. Only if desperate would I stay here again. - Roboat
Mar 2018 - $65.00
Sites are close together, but then again we are close to Ft. Lauderdale and surrounding cities. Site backed up to a canal and amazing yachts passing all day. Streets are tight and very "rolling" so your RV will be rocking in and out. No place to hook up the tow vehicle so everyone backs up and blocks the exit road so the locals get aggravated. Most sites are occupied by winter seasonal residents and we definitely felt like outsiders. We waved, they looked and turned away. That said, the office staff were very nice. - Russell01
3055 Burris Rd Davie, Florida 33314 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 380 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 2 Reviews
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Feb 2019 - $85.00
We had to move from a park that was closing permanently. We were charged more than double for a tiny site with terrible water pressure. In order to use the laundry, you must drive to the back of the park and buy a card for $5.00 with no credit on it, then load money on the card and if you need more credit on it, you drive back to the machine to load more money on it. There is a need for quality parks in the Fort Lauderdale area. - J59T
Jan 2014 - $65.00
This is a large park, with many permanent sites. Very small sites, all paved. It is located in a highly industrialized area of Ft. Lauderdale, surrounded by scrap metal yards, lift rentals, etc. Most of the traffic on the road to the park is dump trucks and it is surrounded by highways. It is also located directly under the runway approach for landing aircraft to Ft. Lauderdale airport. On the good side, it was fairly friendly, the Wi-Fi was mostly OK, although it was intermittent at times. It is centrally located, so you can get to wherever you want to go fairly well. What I found most interesting is that English is the minority language. It is overwhelmingly French Canadian. - gsgroff
3055 Burris Rd Davie, Florida 33314 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 370 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 11 Reviews
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Feb 2014 - $65.00
If you enjoy sitting at the departure end of a major airport and hearing screaming jets fly over every few minutes, then this place is for you! In addition, we were given site S4, which is one of the sites right up against busy Burris Road. Let me out of here! Thankfully, it was only a 3-night stay, and I have no idea how the hundreds of Canadian folks can live here for weeks or months. The woman who "greeted" us at the front gate was not at all friendly, and I'm sure she won't mind that we'll never be back. Sites for RV's were very tight, although the concrete pad was nice and level. Water pressure was extremely high - don't forget your regulator. 50-amp power was adequate. Verizon reception was great, and a strong picnic table was available at most sites. Bathrooms were very nice, and clean, but the showers did not provide shelves or benches for items I would want to take with me. The laundry machines required that you purchase a $5.00 card and charge it at their machine - no thanks, I'll wait for the next stop! There was a nice walking/biking path along nearby Orange Drive that we enjoyed. Good grocery stores and other services were fairly close by. I'm sorry, but I fail to find anything about this park that warrants $65 per day. Oh, here comes another jet - gotta go! - LowesTravels
Jan 2014 - $60.00
Sites are small, close together. Most are permanent or semi-permanent. The location is convenient to the highways, in an industrial area. It is also directly under the landing path for Ft. Lauderdale airport, so there is a continuous stream of jets overhead. At our site, the WIFI was mostly OK. Water was good. Staff was friendly. It is a very popular place for Quebecois, so many of the guests here are French speaking. Kind of a culture shock, but interesting! This is not necessarily a negative, just an observation. - gsgroff
Mar 2013 - $60.00
Staff are very helpful and can provide lots of info for the area even if they don't appear to love their jobs. The website and site brochure are a bit misleading as the 8 laundry locations have been reduced to 3 and some other facilities have changed. The park is on the flight path for the airport which can be very busy. They park is generally well maintained especially in the large area occupied by the seasonal Quebec population. Most signs in the park are only in French. Wi-Fi is okay and they offer RV storage. We would stay again if in the area for a short time. - lrp374
900 N Flamingo Rd Pembroke Pines, Florida 33028 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 83 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 47 Reviews
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Dec 2019 - $47.00
Very nice park and campground - no security - anyone in the park can drive through the campground which I didn't like. Site #69 is very nice on the lake. The sewer is close to the road so ensure your hose is long enough if your connections are at the rear of your rig. Wifi is terrible, I can see the tower from my kitchen table with my laptop and service is sketchy, kicks you out, hard to get on and to find. Complained about it, but nothing has changed and we are here for 6 weeks. The park is nice and quiet so far, very pretty with lots of wildlife. - CarenL
Dec 2018 - $40.00
Nice park, close to the interstate and shopping areas. There is a curvy road getting into the park, but it wasn't too much trouble. As some noted, there are a lot of trees and some did overhang over the road. They were in the process of trimming them, while we were there. This is a city park, with a RV campground, so they have other activities going on, and the park is busy on the weekends, so there is some noise during the day. There is also noise from the airliners flying overhead and planes from the small airport nearby. You will hear sirens, day and night, as well as people hot-rodding on the 4 lane street near the park. If you are looking for a place with no to little noise, this is not it. It is a good place to stay, if you want to check out the Miami area. OTA and satellite TV worked well, as did our AT&T cell phones and hotspots. Their wifi didn't work most of the time and when it did, our computers wouldn't connect to it, but phones and tablets would. We would stay here again. - Bbtj
Dec 2018 - $40.00
As others have noted, this park is centrally located in a busy metroploitan area. It is well maintained and features paved roads and sites and is priced fairly. It has a lot of what we want in an rv park but its not perfect. There were a lot of overhanging trees that need to be trimmed. Everyone in our pull through row exited by backing out of their site. Too many trees in the way of a front exit. During the week and on all overnights there is no gates or security on site. I didn't have any problems but locals do cruise the park. I will not book a weekend again. 9 hour concert on the saturday we were there. We couldn't take the booming bass so we went out during the day to escape the noise. Came back about 3pm and had to wait in line about 15 minutes to enter the park. Cars filled the park everywhere....lots of concert goers strolling the park. It was over shortly after dark. Sunday was much better but a ski boat towing hollering tubers all afternoon was less than peaceful. The location and nicely maintained park make up for the inconveniences so I'll likely be back but not on a weekend. - Kbob
3800 SW 142 Avenue Davie, Florida 33330 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 114 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 9 Reviews
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Jan 2019 - $75.00
This park served its purpose as we needed an overnight stop between Disney and Key West. It is conveniently located off of I-75. Consistent with other reviews, this location would not be comfortable for an extended stay. I do want to point out that the staff was very helpful. I called ahead because we were arriving late. They waited for me, guided us to our site and even dropped off some firewood. - g8r80
Dec 2018 - $75.00
Much too crowded for large units. Help is friendly. Electric no good. Water ok. No place to park. Our slide was up against a tree. Very old park, needs updating terribly. Will not be back. - big foot
May 2018 - $45.00
As mentioned by other reviewers the park needs a lot of work - it seems they're working on improvements as the shower/restroom is brand new and excellent. Our site was level and convenient but we were directed to another site that we couldn't get into because of randomly parked trucks or cars. The staff is extremely helpful. Wifi was OK and sites not too crowded. - Catsinatrailer


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PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) manufactures, markets, and sells various foods, snacks, and carbonated and non-carbonated beverages worldwide. The company operates in four divisions: PepsiCo Americas Foods (PAF), PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB), PepsiCo Europe, and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA). The company is a dividend aristocrat which has increased distributions for 41 years in a row. The most recent dividend increase was in February 2013, when the Board of Directors approved a 5.60% increase in the quarterly dividend to 56.75 cents/share.
PepsiCo's largest competitors include Coca Cola (KO) and Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS).
Over the past decade this dividend growth stock has delivered an annualized total return of 9.60% to its loyal shareholders.
The company has managed to deliver an average increase in EPS of 7.40% per year since 2003. Earnings growth has been almost non-existent since 2009 however. Analysts expect PepsiCo to earn $4.39 per share in 2013 and $4.77 per share in 2014. This would be a nice increase from the $3.92/share the company earned in 2012. Over the past decade, PepsiCo has consistently managed to repurchase 1.10% of its outstanding shares every year, on average.
PepsiCo has recognized that carbonated drink sales are not going to grow significantly in the future, which is why it has focused on fast growing non-carbonated soft drinks. The company's innovation in the area has been successful with the introduction of Aquafina , Gatorade and Propel, Lipton teas and Tropicana. Pepsi has also started to emphasize on health and wellness, and has worked to minimize the amount of trans fats in its snack foods. Future earnings growth could also come from synergies associated with the acquisitions of its bottlers, streamlining of operations and cost cutting. The distribution networks of the bottlers acquired could be used to push some of PepsiCo's non-beverage products such as snacks and other foods. Earnings growth could also come from strategic acquisitions, as well as product innovations in health and wellness food and beverage section. In 2011, PepsiCo acquired the leading Russian food and beverage company Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD), in an effort to position itself in the growing emerging market in Russia and to build its nutrition business.
PepsiCo is also undergoing a strategic initiative in order to cut costs by $3 billion through 2014. In addition, the company is heavily investing in its brands in North America, by increasing advertising budgets. The company is also increasing prices in its products in order to offset inflation costs. These price hikes could make consumers more resistant to PepsiCo's products.
The company has a high return on equity, which has remained above 30%, with the exception of a brief decrease in 2005 and 2012. Rather than focus on absolute values for this indicator, I generally want to see at least a stable return on equity over time.
The annual dividend payment has increased by 13.60% per year since 2002. A 14% growth in distributions translates into the dividend payment doubling every five years. If we look at historical data, going as far back as 1965, we see that PepsiCo has actually managed to double its dividend every five years on average. Dividend growth has slowed down over the past few years, mostly due to flat earnings since the end of the financial crisis.
Over the past decade the dividend payout ratio has increased from 30% in 2003 to 54% in 2012.. A lower payout is always a plus, since it leaves room for consistent dividend growth minimizing the impact of short-term fluctuations in earnings.
Currently, PepsiCo is fully valued at 20.70 times earnings, yields 2.70% and has a sustainable dividend payout. In comparison Coca Cola (KO) yields 2.70% and trades at a P/E of 20.90.
Full Disclosure: Long PEP and KO
Relevant Articles:
- Dividend Aristocrats List
- The World's Best Dividend Portfolio
- Most Widely Held Dividend Growth Stocks
- Sixteen Great Dividend Champions on Sale
- Best Dividend Stocks for 2013, and beyond
Friday, June 7, 2013
PepsiCo (PEP) - A great dividend stock for long-term investors
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subset: commoncrawl


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Quick Search: Choose Model and Year, then enter search topic.
Page: 89
A - Defrosting the windshield
B - Heated rear window
C - Temperature sensor
D - AC OFF button (air-conditioning compressor off/on)
E - Recirculating-air button
F - Temperature button
G - AUTO button (automatic mode)
H - Air distribution to footwell
I - Air distribution to central and side vents
J - Air distribution to windshield
K - Blower speed button
Automatic Air Conditioning System
The automatic air-conditioning system controls the preselected interior temperature completely automatically.
If necessary, the automatic system can be manually adjusted.
Automatic mode
All automatic setting functions can be individually changed.
This setting is retained until the appropriate function button is pressed again or the AUTO button is pressed.
Setting temperature
To suit personal comfort, the interior temperature can be adjusted between 61 °F and 85 °F/16 °C and 29.5 °C.
Recommendation: 72 °F/22 °C.
If "LO" or "HI" appears on the display, the system is operating at maximum cooling or heating power.
Automatic control is no longer active.
If the preselected temperature is changed, the blower speed can increase automatically in automatic mode.
The desired temperature is reached more quickly this way.


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Princess Party Inclusions
Loaded with fun and engaging activities for all of the children, we make every party unforgettable for your child!
*activities may vary with character
Grand Entrance
The princess of your choice will make a royal entrance to the party! Have your camera ready to capture your child's reaction when they first see their princess!
Interactive Storytime
Our princess will gather the children for an interactive story as she recounts her adventures and experiences!
Watch and record as we serenade the birthday child and all their guests with songs from their world/theme!
Princess Training
Your child will learn how to walk, talk and act like a princess. Who better to show them than the princess herself!
Glitter Face Painting
Our princess will paint simple designs, with a dash of glitter, on any child who would like one!
Birthday Ceremony / Photos
We wrap up the party by having our princess lead the Happy Birthday song and cake cutting–then take plenty of photos!
Elsa Parody Party
Our Elsa Parody party character is a gracious and kind queen who knows that it's much better to open up to her friends and family than to shut them out. She rules with wisdom and justice, but she's not all business. She loves to have fun with her ice power by making gorgeous decorations for special occasions and creating winter wonderlands for everyone to play in. If your party could use a little snow, have Party Princess Productions send an Elsa Parody party character to you. Bring on the wintery magic!
Belle Party
Everyone says that our Belle party character is beautiful, and she knows that true beauty is on the inside. She loves to read and learn, and she uses her strong mind to help others whenever she can. She's a gentle and strong-willed girl who always puts her family and friends first. Our Belle party character loves to attend parties, so contact Party Princess Productions and let her bring her intelligence and charm to your celebration!
All Princesses
*character availability may vary by location
Princess Party Packages
60 MinutesRecommended for up to 10 children
- 1 Princess
- Grand Entrance
- Storytime
- Sing-along
- Princess Training
- Glitter Face Painting
- Birthday Ceremony / Photos
90 MinutesRecommended for 15 or more children
- 1 Princess
- Grand Entrance
- Storytime
- Sing-along
- Princess Training
- Glitter Face Painting
- Birthday Ceremony / Photos
90 Minutes DeluxeRecommended for 15 or more children
- All standard features plus:
- Costumes for up to 12 children.
- Add 12 additional costumes for $50
- Additional characters starting at $235
120 Minutes DeluxeRecommended for 15 or more children
- All standard features plus:
- 2 full hours
- Costumes for up to 24 children
- Additional characters starting at $285
Party Add-Ons


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International Serious Eats Day: February 25, 2012
We've finally decided on a date!
International Serious Eats Day will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2012. A day where serious eaters will meet up in cities all over the world? Why yes, that is exactly this day!
Find a meet-up near you: We're using Meetup.com to establish various self-organizing meet-and-greet-and-eats around the world!
So far, SE'rs in and near the following locations have started meetup pages. Find one near you! (Don't see one? Start your own—more on that below.)
If You Want to Attend ...
You can use Meetup.com to register your interest. Once you're signed in, join in the discussion regarding venues and time. Many of the cities still don't have venues or meeting times, so do your fellow SE'rs a favor and suggest a good place for a group to meet up!
These are self-organizing, so venue and time are up to SE'rs in the various locations. We have suggested a 2 p.m. start time, but feel free to deviate from that.
A suggestion on choosing venues: It's best to pick a place that can readily and casually handle a group. The New York City meet-up is being held (for the second year) at a large biergarten/bar with a tasty snack menu (like sausages and pretzels). That way, attendees can pay for their drinks and food as they go—and no one will get stuck with dividing a bill or having to make up for any forgetful person who left early (not that any SE'r would do that, right?).
But What If I Can't Meet on February 25th?!?
In our minds everyday is International Serious Eats Day! So we encourage you to organize a meet-up with fellow SE'rs on any day of the year. We picked 2/25 after asking y'all to vote here.
Proposed Cities and Venues (So Far)
- NYC: Radegast Hall & Biergarten, 2 p.m.
- Chicago: Revolution Brewing, 2 p.m.
- Philadelphia: Brauhaus Schmitz, 2 p.m.
- San Francisco / Oakland: Zeitgeist, 2 p.m.
- Los Angeles: Wurstküche, 2 p.m.
- San Diego: Cremolose, 2 p.m.
- Seattle: Mezcaleria Oaxaca, 1 p.m.
- Washington, D.C.: Boundary Stone Public House, 2 p.m.
- Little Rock, AR: OW Pizza Downtown, 2 p.m.
- Portland, OR: Bunk Bar, 3:30 p.m.
- Atlanta, GA: Ormsby's, 2 p.m.
- Boulder, CO: Tangerine, 12:30 p.m.
- Salt Lake City, UT: Penny Ann's Cafe, 2 p.m.
- Milwaukee, WI: Oscar's Pub and Grill, 2 p.m.
- Saint Louis, MO: Milagro Modern Mexican, 12 p.m.
- Boston: 528 Commonwealth Avenue, 2 p.m.
- Baltimore: TBD, 2 p.m.
- Tampa: TBD, 7 p.m.
- Kansas City: TBD, 2 p.m.
- Rochester: TBD, 2 p.m.
- Plano, TX: Whiskey Cake, 2 p.m.
- Raleigh, NC: Neomonde Restaurant, 2 p.m.
- Mexico City: La Covadonga, 8 p.m.
- Singapore: TBD, 7 p.m.
- Jerusalem: Gan Sacher, Sderot Ben Tzvi, 2 p.m. [Note: This meet-up is on Sunday, 2/26]
- Nantes, France: TBD, 2 p.m.
- Stuttgart, Germany: TBD, 6 p.m.
Note: We'll be adding more cities to the above list as the meet-ups are created.
Don't See Your City? Tips on Starting an SE Meetup of Your Own
- Instead of asking here on this post if anyone's interested in XYZ city, just go to the Meetup.com page and create one! Since we don't have the fancy messaging doodads here, the Meetup.com page will be the easiest way to do this and keep in touch with SE'rs near you.
- It's best to join the nearest, biggest meetup instead of creating a smaller one. For example: Don't create a St. Paul MN meetup — just join the Minneapolis one! Don't create a Malibu event, just join the L.A. one! We'll get more folks at each one if we don't fractionalize them
Questions? Please don't hesitate to ask in the comments here!
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Salem development being handed over to Seatribe as Paradox phases out involvement
Salem, the permadeath sandbox MMO from Seatribe, has been dropped by publisher Paradox Interactive.
Seatribe headlines
Salem: The Crafting MMO has gone into open beta
Paradox has announced Seatribe's free-to-play crafting MMO, Salem, has gone into open beta. If you wanna try the game with permadeath which takes place in the colonial period of America, click here. Too give you an idea of what to expect, a new video featuring "Tarp Marpton" should provide you with plenty of information on […]
Salem players can face permadeath even when offline
Seatribe's creative director, Björn Johannessen, has said the team decided to add permadeath to its upcoming free-to-play MMORPG, Salem, because for one, it "enforces a subtle form of roleplaying."
Paradox to reveal seven unseen titles this month
Swedish strategy-specialist publisher Paradox Interactive is on its way to New York for its annual convention, and is promising seven new reveals to liven the two day game-a-thon in late January.


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....you get what you pay for. I would get rid of the cheap cable and buy a genuine one to avoid damaging your iPhone.
Beware! I just bought a cheap, knock-off Lighning-USB cable on eBay for my iPhone 5. It behaves like a dimwitted cousin of the original Apple. The Lighning connection is not as readily reversible. It's erratic at best and easily confused. A bit "hit and miss". Although, once connection is established, it seems OK.


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Piston pumps PVT series PVT10-2L5D-C04-SQ1 has been designed and optimized for demanding use in heavy duty industrial and marine applications. With pressure ratings of up to 420 bar and high speed ratings this open circuit, swashplate type axial piston pump provides high productivity and power density to its users. Beside its robustness and exceptionally long service life Piston pumps PVT series PVT10-2L5D-C04-SQ1 is also characterized by a very high conversion flexibility. As a standard every Piston pumps PVT series PVT10-2L5D-C04-SQ1 comes with an integrated pre-compression volume which ensures low ripple operation and reduced noise emissions. A wide range of displacements and control options allows for a wide range of applications. Piston pumps PVT series PVT10-2L5D-C04-SQ1 Markets: • Primary Metal Refining/Process • Rubber & Tire Processing • Miscellaneous Industrial • Machine Tools • Marine (Non-Military) • Oil & Gas • Power Generation • Construction Equipment • Material Handling Equipment • Rail Piston pumps PVT series PVT10-2L5D-C04-SQ1 Features/Benefits: • Displacements from 16-360 cc/rev – covers wide range of applications and flow requirements. • Operating pressures of up to 350 bar (continuous) / 420 bar (intermittent) – high power density. • Accurate, highly dynamic controls – outstanding response characteristics and productivity improvements. • Excellent suction characteristics and high self-priming speeds – increased productivity. • Integrated pre-compression volume – reduced pulsation and noise level. • Robust, heavy duty design – long lifetime and service intervals. • Modular approach and frame size design – easy conversion and reduced inventory expenditures. • HFC capability up to 210 bar – suitable for usage in hydraulic systems where fire-resistant fluids are required. Piston pumps PVT series PVT10-2L5D-C04-SQ1 Applications: • Presses / Material Forming Machinery • Scrap Shears • Continuous Rolling Mills • Marine Lifts & Hoists • Marine Winches & Cranes • Marine Diesel • Wind Turbine Pitch Control • Piling Equipment • Railway Maintenance Machinery • Test Rigs & HPU's / Integrated Systems Delivering exceptional functionality and durability, Hydraulic Equipment Distributor Supplier's extensive line of hydraulic pumps deliver ideal performance in even the most demanding industrial and mobile applications. Hydraulic Equipment Distributor Supplier's comprehensive line includes gear pumps, piston and vane pumps, gold cup hydrostatic transmission pumps and flow dividers and intensifiers. Another contributor to Hydraulic Equipment Distributor Supplier's success from the earliest stages of the company's creation is employee empowerment. The Win Strategy's emphasis on Engaged People reflects the idea that encouraging employees to take action and ownership in their work will enable us to improve our performance and achieve our goals. Hydraulic Equipment Distributor Supplier is the global leader in motion and control technologies, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. Hydraulic Equipment Distributor Supplier can be found on and around everything that moves. At Hydraulic Equipment Distributor Supplier we have an unmatched breadth and depth of products that originate from a global leadership position in nine core Motion and Control technologies that include aerospace, climate control, electromechanical, filtration, fluid and gas handling, hydraulics, pneumatics, process control, sealing and shielding. We can apply these products and technologies individually to solve customer challenges that are simpler, or we can combine them to develop systems that address challenges that are complex.
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|Long-legged Warbler Trichocichla rufa
©BirdLife InternationalWebsite
No 3 day hike or drive into a jungle to catch a glimpse of a bird, most of the native life flyaround the island and the resorts all day and night!
It is a tropical bird watcher's dream come true!
Kadavu has the additional attraction of the 4 endemic species found only on Kadavu and these species, like the Kadavu musk parrot, can all be seen on the grounds of most resorts.
Fiji - Bird Watching,Resources for Bird Watching by the Fat Birder
'via Blog this'


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Other Pool Timers
For other Pool Timers and equipment for pool timers, Pool Center has a selection of dependable products. This 24 hour Timer comes with a weather-proof rain shield feature. It has 5 settings to select from, and an easy touch operation.
Showing 1-1 of 1
Showing 1-1 of 1
The 5 settings to select from on the 24 Hour Pool Equipment Timer are 4 hour, 6 hour, 8 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour program settings. For use with holiday lights, outdoor lighting, pool lights, pool filtration systems and robotic pool cleaners.


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Robert Pattinson Breaking Dawn Birth Scene Interview (Video)
Robert Pattinson on Breaking Dawn's Birth Scene and Being Seduced by Kristen Stewart
We caught up with Robert Pattinson Friday at the Breaking Dawn Part 1 junket in Beverly Hills, where he joined forces with Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and several of their castmates to begin promoting the film. The highly anticipated fourth installment in the Twilight franchise opens on Nov. 18, and Robert told us he wasn't immune to the pressure to live up to the fans' expectations. In fact, he said he was especially apprehensive about the birth! Rob gave us some behind-the-scenes scoop on how they filmed that gory scene, recounted a moment in the film where Bella tries to tempt Edward with a lingerie fashion show, and even responded to a Twitter account set up in his dog Bear's name. Check out our interview with Rob!


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Machias, ME - The University of Maine at Machias men's basketball team extended it's win streak to 4 games Sunday afternoon beating Central Maine Community College 73-53.
The Clippers came out with strong defense holding the Mustangs to just 32% from the field in the first half. The strong play from the Clippers led to a 39-23 lead at the half. The Clippers were led by Zach Armstrong with 20 points including 4-6 from the three point line. Freshman David Mendez had a strong performance scoring 13 points and dishing out 3 assists without committing a turnover. Jeremy Tolbert and Hampton Mack each reached double figures with 11 and 10 respectively. Mack led all players in rebounds with 15. Will Lewis led the way in assists with 7.
The visiting Mustangs were led by Nick Hinkley with 16 points.
Coach Brac Brady was pleased with the Clippers effort, "We are starting to understand the team concepts and execute them on both ends of the court. It is showing up in the stats as our shooting percentages and numbers of assists are going up. We have also committed ourselves to playing harder on the defensive end. I am excited about what the future holds for this group."
The Clippers return to action on Monday, December 19 at the University of Maine at Augusta. The game will be played at the Augusta Civic Center and will tip at 4 pm.


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Remember back when every time you went shopping you didn't bring the entire internet with you to weigh in? Those were good times! But now, good luck buying something as simple as an folding chair; there's a better than decent chance that it agitated Amazon reviewer oswego13's sciatic nerve. You don't know what that means, but you definitely don't want it in your house. [xkcd]
Why Online Reviews Make Shopping Impossible


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It's not that brilliant, Colorado sunshine bouncing off of snow isn't gorgeous, but if you're like me, you're ready to contemplate something different, and I don't mean the snow mold that turf types are worried is burgeoning beneath those brilliant banks of white.
I mean something like this.
Rosa glauca. If you had this big, beautiful rose, right now its red branches and stunning rose hips would be showing up against those white snowbanks. You'd be looking forward to its pink and white blooms and deep-purple foliage.
Glauca is one of the seven plants that Plant Select, a collaboration between the Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and the green industry in Colorado, chose for its 2010 introductions. They do this every year, and every year I feel like Steven Martin in that old comedy sketch, yelling, "The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!" I can't wait in January to see just what they've picked. This year there are some old standbys, plants that people in Colorado know about and grow, but that were little known beyond the Front Range.
And there are some new stunners. Stunners like this:


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Saturday 18 Jul 2020, 19:30
Please note that you may apply your Season Ticket credits once you have selected your tickets. Season Tickets may only be used for Loft Theatre Productions.
1. Choose Seats (Click the Seating Plan to select each Seat in turn , up to 10 in total)


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Bringing literature to life has been the focus of the Huntsville Literary Association (HLA) since 1967. HLA sponsors or partners with other groups to bring a spectrum of literary activities and events for anyone who delights in books, poems, and plays.
HLA is an all volunteer, non-profit organization with hundreds of members from the North Alabama area. Annual dues and grants are the primary source of income for HLA's successful programs.
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22 September 2019
Wine and Cheese Membership Party
Date: 22 September 2019more >>
News and Events
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 Young Writers Contest. The winners can be seen by clicking the above link.
Click here to see what our members are reading this month.
Share our site
Next page: About HLA


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Nearby Cities
"We take photographs, as a return ticket to the moment that was otherwise gone". For anyone who wants to linger on a moment for long, there are lessons you can take for photography in Navi Mumbai. You can enroll yourself into one of the photography workshops in Navi Mumbai and get to master the art. Once you learn this, you can exhibit them or turn this learning to a professional business. There is a lot to learn in terms of techniques and otherwise which you can, through the long list of classes, workshops and photography courses.
Keep an eye on all the upcoming photography events in Navi Mumbai here!


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Bridal Lehengas
Browse through our carefully chosen picks of exquisite bridal or wedding ghagra cholis. From softly delicate to intricately rich patterns, you can find many varieties that will take your breath away in a jiffy. From glowy goldens to marshmallow pinks and vibrant reds and fuchsias, there is one for every bride to be!
Bridal Wedding Lehengas
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2 Items


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You are here
Share your experience
If you have experienced poor care, or know that poor care is being provided somewhere you can report it to us, anonymously if you wish. You can also tell us when you feel you have received good care.
This is NOT a complaint form. Find out more about the purpose of this form on the Share your experience guidance page.
Get started, finding the service you want to share your experience of...


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The prehistoric ruins on the hill Vrčevan
Hill Vrčevan Kasteja and the peninsula are home to prehistoric forts that were built during the Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Pre-Romanesque Sculpture of Saint-Pierre
Excerpts from a pre-Romanesque sculpture found on the hill St. Peter. Area Medulin has numerous archaeological sites for lovers of history, which makes this a true choice to choose the destination for holidays.
Vižula is big ancient archaeological complex located in the center of Medulin Bay and contains the remains of ancient tombs, remains of settlements from the Neolithic period and the remains of a Roman country villa. Vižula is of paramount importance because it confirms the existence of human culture in the present Medulin is a culture that goes back to the stage during the early Neolithic.
In the twentieth century, during the excavation of the foundation for the hotel Arcus discovered the remains of an ancient cemetery.
White Beach
Medulin is a well-known tourist destination with an exceptional range of accommodation and facilities. It has a beautiful coastline and numerous islands scattered around him, and a large choice of beaches. The most famous beach in Medulin Bijeca the beach, which extends a mile along the coast. The beach is sandy with a gentle entrance into the sea, which is suitable for children and elderly people and young people will be attracted to play volleyball in the shallows. On it you can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas, children will playfully hours descend down a water slide. Above the beach you can find a place in a pleasant shade of trees, and beach Bijeca you can spend the whole day. There are many restaurants and shops and bars. Medulin is a perfect place to relax where you can find peace, and good fun
Horseriding in Medulin
Istra Star Ranch is located in Medulin, near Pula, just two kilometers from the sea. We are engaged in recreational riding, horse riding, Western riding and breeding Paint and Quarter horses.
Our specialty is going with the horses to the sea and swimming with them and visit various archaeological sites riding through a beautiful countryside.
Ride with us in Medulin through almost untouched nature that gives you satisfaction and pleasure riding through woods, meadows, olive trees and stone walls and bays and coastline with crystal blue sea.
We will share with you this blue-green lagoon!
Istria Star Ranch is a place where you can enjoy the freedom and fun in nature with help of coordinated team: Tamara, Maya, Sana, Jana, William, Solange, Hilly, Long, Duma, Sunday, substantial, Mimi, Mick, Sokol, indie and Istria.
If you want to experience a harmonious combination of peace, wildness and tameness, if you're curious person, or an adventurer, an experienced rider or have never touched and smelled the horses, visit the ranch and share with us the joy of spending time with horses.


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Posted: Mar 14, 2012
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-Nine players registered goals as the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's men's lacrosse team defeated visiting MIT, 13-3, in a non-conference game at Cressy Field Wednesday.
Tied 1-1 after the first quarter, UMD scored six consecutive goals in the second quarter to take a commanding lead, which they never gave up. At the 13:45 mark, UMD senior midfielder Christian Roberto (Wakefield, MA/Malden Catholic HS) broke the 1-1 tie, scoring off a pass from sophomore midfielder Todd Davis (East Sandwich, MA/Sandwich HS), and giving the Corsairs a 2-1 lead. Six minutes later, UMass Dartmouth rattled off three goals in less than 30 seconds. An unassisted goal from junior attacker Nick Brett (Loudon, NH/Merrimack Valley HS/AIC) came at the 7:49 mark, followed by a goal from freshman attacker Connor Gaffney (Andover, MA/Andover HS) 20 seconds later, then a tally from sophomore attacker Adam Niden (Walpole, MA/Walpole HS) came with 7:20 left to play in the second quarter. The Engineers added a pair of goal in the final minutes of the first half. MIT junior attacker Gabe Blanchet (Hadley, MA/Deerfield Academy) scored with 4:14 remaining, followed by a goal from freshman attacker Jake Slonaker (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North), cutting the Corsairs lead to 7-3 going into halftime.
UMass Dartmouth added three goals in both the third and fourth quarters. Niden scored the first goal of the half for UMD, followed by a goal from sophomore midfielder Justin Lawless (Quincy, MA/Archbishop Williams HS) at the 3:47 mark, and then sophomore midfielder Jordan McPherson (Westwood, MA/Westwood HS) netted a goal with 1:04 left in the third quarter, giving UMD a 10-3 lead. Brett netted his third goal of the game with 11:17 to play. UMD got late goals from Davis and freshman attacker Riley Baxter (Groton, MA/Groton-Dunstable HS) en route to the 13-3 victory for UMass Dartmouth.
"We played well at times and other times we played poorly," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Kevin Mahoney. "We still haven't put together 60 minutes of good lacrosse. We had a little bit of an advantage with this being MIT's first game. We attacked the cage well today, we finished our transition game, our defense was solid and [sophomore goalie] Nick Thayer (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford HS) had a good day. We just have to get better. We need to pick up our intensity in practice this week to get ready for Roger Williams. They are the real deal and we are looking forward to playing them. Sometimes road games can get you focused and we're hoping for that."
For UMass Dartmouth, Brett led the way with a game-high thee goals with an assist. Roberto and Niden each netted two goals, while Gaffney, Lawless, McPherson, Baxter, Davis, and senior midfielder Alex Reposa (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsbury HS) each added one goal during the contest. MIT had goals from Blanchet, Slonaker, and senior attacker Ernie Park (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North) in the loss. Thayer made two saves and junior goalkeeper Pete Foley (Northbridge, MA/Blackstone Valley RVHS) also had a save, while MIT junior goalie Christopher Rullan (Wexford, PA/North Allegheny HS) stopped six shots for the Engineers. The Corsairs outshot the Engineers, 30-13, during the contest.
UMass Dartmouth improved to 3-1 with the victory, while MIT dropped to 0-1 with the defeat. The Corsairs will return to action when they visit Roger Williams Saturday afternoon. The Engineers will host the University of New England Saturday.


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Hi moderator, please remove the 'Chicken Head' label under my username. Thank You.
daria was a BOSS. she lived by her own rules and didnt allow others to define who she was. she marched proudly to the beat of her own drummer. she was totally okay with who she was. a transcendent person.
why is daria in ur avatar
the info from the post was removed.
Can you delete this thread? http://www.wutang-corp.com/forum/sho...20#post2274420
Robby posted my addrezs and phone number and personal info
Thanks and Peace
peace can u move this thread to the sound shack http://www.wutang-corp.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=115987
who is the girl in your avatar
ban my account homes!
there should be a name change request thread in the dear admins forum.
Vik Slick
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
Are U aware I ban @ will?
Kung Fu Alter Ego
big wooly mammoth


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Free Shipping Over $99. Military APO FPO Shipping Always free! Call 800-372-6523 while we remodel our store if you cant find something
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|Instrument: PRISM : Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping
Instrument Category:
Earth Remote Sensing Instruments
Instrument Class: Passive Remote Sensing
Instrument Type: Spectrometers/Radiometers
Instrument Subtype: Imaging Spectrometers/Radiometers
Associated Platforms
Spectral/Frequency Information
Wavelength Keyword: Visible
Spectral/Frequency Coverage/Range: 0.52 ?m - 0.77 ?m
Related Data Sets
View all records related to this instrument
The Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM)
is a panchromatic radiometer with 2.5-meter spatial resolution. Its
data will be used for extracting highly accurate digital elevation
model (DEM).
The PRISM has three independent optical systems for nadir, forward and
backward looking to achieve along-track stereoscopy. Each telescope
consists of three mirrors and several CCD detectors for pushbroom
scanning. The nadir-looking telescope provides 70 km width coverage;
forward and backward telescopes provide 35 km width coverage each.
The telescopes are installed on both side of its optical bench with
precise temperature control. Forward and backward telescopes are
inclined + and - 24 degrees from nadir to realize a base-to-height
ratio of 1.0. PRISM's wide field of view (FOV) provides fully
overlapped three-stereo (triplet) images (35 km width) without
mechanical scanning or yaw steering of the satellite. Without this
wide FOV, forward, nadir, and backward looking images would not
overlap each other due to the Earth's rotation.
[Summary provided by JAXA.]
Online Resources
Instrument Logistics
Instrument Owner: JAPAN/JAXA


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Spaetzle in Erbil
Is there a sky over Germany? Does it rain there? Is there night? These were the kinds of questions Bebak faced when he returned to Iraqi Kurdistan from Saxony Anhalt, Germany, over five years ago. He and his family had lived there in the city of Stendal for six years.
One year before finishing secondary school, his father decided it was time to leave Germany and return home. "I found it difficult," recalls the 24-year-old, "very difficult." When Bebak arrived in Germany, he could not speak German and had to repeat a grade. Back in Kurdistan, his Kurdish had since become weak.
Caught between cultures
Once again, he had to repeat a grade. "I could speak Arabic better than Kurdish – and German best of all." In Stendal, he had German and Arab friends. Even today, Bebak feels caught between cultures. "Germany has left its stamp on me," he says. He was a teenager there, and it was where he grew up.
Thousands of Kurds are currently going through similar experiences to Bebak and have been returning to northern Iraq from Europe. Germany is home to the largest Kurdish diaspora outside of Kurdistan. Estimates place the number at around a half a million.
Most come from Turkey. Since the Kurds that have come to Germany are originally from various countries – Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq – they are not registered as an ethnic group. According to information from the German Ministry of the Interior, almost 80,000 Iraqis were living in Germany last year. It is assumed that the majority are Kurds.
Two completely different worlds collide
Some 10,000 have already returned in the years since the fall of Saddam Hussein, says Nihad Qoja, Mayor of Erbil and a returnee from Bonn, where he had lived for 23 years. He is convinced that the return of Kurds from Europe will continue for quite some time. Since the German airline Lufthansa introduced flights from Frankfurt to the Kurdish metropolis in May this year, the airline has seen a steady increase in families making the trip.
"Many only come for the first time on vacation," says Tarek from Bielefeld, who took advantage of the fall school break in Germany to take his family on a trip to Kurdistan. "The decision to return for good requires a lot of consideration," says the father of three, reflecting on the difficulties one encounters. "Two completely different worlds collide here!"
The German school in Erbil, which opened its doors in mid-September, could make the decision easier for those considering a return. With 131 children, five elementary classes and a pre-school class, including kindergarten, it already holds the record for a new German school abroad. Two thirds of the pupils are returned refugees from German-speaking countries in Europe.
Emigration in retrospect
There are three periods in which Kurds have left Iraq en masse. In the 1970s, when Saddam Hussein seized ever-greater power in Baghdad, the Kurds tried to establish their own state. The Peshmerga, Kurdish freedom fighters, took up arms and fought against the central government.
Then in the late 1980s, as the war with Iran became increasingly bloodier, Saddam accused the Kurds of collaborating with the Iranians and attacked Kurdish villages with poison gas. According to Kurdish sources, the dictatorship murdered around 180,000 Kurds – a genocide against the country's own population.
And, finally, in the mid-1990s, there was a third wave of emigration when a civil war broke out between the two leading Kurdish clans, the Barzani and the Talabani. Since then, the conflict has been resolved and the former warring parties have joined in an alliance to form a common regional government. They even jointly represent the region at the national level in Baghdad.
Over the past ten years, Iraqi Kurdistan has been able to develop undisturbed. An almost seamless surveillance by the police and intelligence service has prevented terrorist attacks, which have ravaged the rest of the country since the invasion by American and British troops. The number of bomb attacks in the three Kurdish provinces of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk during the last seven years can be counted on one hand.
A a good security situation
One is just as secure or insecure in the Kurdish areas as in Europe. In view of the stable security situation, a number of countries, including Britain, Sweden, and even Denmark, have been sending their Kurdish refugees back home. At present, Germany has not deported any of its Kurds, but is no longer prolonging their temporary "toleration" status, leaving them as illegal migrants. Many, therefore, prefer to return to northern Iraq.
The majority of Kurds in Germany, however, possess valid residence permits and their return is voluntary. And many who came to Germany in the 1970s have since acquired German citizenship.
Such is the case with the brothers Nidschewan and Botan. Their unmistakable Swabian accent immediately reveals where the family lived for 26 years. "I always say Stuttgart," says Nidschewan, the elder of the two. "No one knows where Reutlingen is!" There is no way they are going to give up their German passports, even though they have since established themselves in the Kurdish city of Zakho, Iraq's only border city with Turkey.
"Being able to travel to Germany at any time helps us to continue here," admits Botan. The 26-year-old got married to a returnee three years ago. His son was born in Stuttgart. After the birth, the young family returned to Zakho.
Easing homesickness in Erbil's "Deutscher Hof"
Living between two worlds has become a reality for Botan and he manages to cope quite well. It is a different story for his brother Nidschewan. Sometimes, the 42-year-old industrial manager is overcome by homesickness for Germany. Then he listens to German music, phones his German friends, drives to Erbil to the "Deutscher Hof" to eat spaetzle, or climbs to the top of "his mountain," as he calls the elevation in Zakho, from where one can enjoy a majestic view of the border city with its population of 180,000 and its famous bridges dating back to the Romans.
This is where the brothers operate their pool hall and organize wedding parties. Sometimes, Nidschewan simply disappears for a few days, without even a word as to where he is going. Then a surprise phone call with a 0049 country code betrays his location in Germany. "It was just time to go again."
Bebak would also like to travel to Germany once again to visit his friends in Stendal, feel the rain, and breathe the cool air. Yet, his residence permit has expired. He didn't live long enough in Germany to be eligible for a German passport.
He has since begun to study sport at the university in Erbil. He says of himself that he has arrived between two worlds. "I'll do my Master Degree in Cologne," says the young man confidently.
Birgit Svensson
© Qantara.de 2010
Translated from the German by John Bergeron
Editor: Lewis Gropp/Qantara.de
Iraqi Refugees in Germany
Stripped of Asylum Status
Over three million Iraqis have been forced to leave their country, resulting in the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since 1948. At the same time, the German government has been revoking the asylum status of Iraqi refugees. Beate Hinrichs reports
A Portrait of Sherko Fatah
Reality Is an Adventure
The German-Iraqi writer Sherko Fatah spent his first childhood years in the GDR. The son of a Kurd from Iraq and a German mother learned early on to step back from his experiences and reflect on his own point of view. A portrait by Volker Kaminski
Iraqi Christian Refugees
Finding a Safe Haven in Damascus
The history of Christianity in Iraq dates back to the first century AD, but since the outbreak of sectarian violence in the country following the US invasion of 2003, many Christians are fleeing their homeland and finding sanctuary in Syria. Stephen Starr reports from Damascus


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Tom & Jerry, Electra Glide in Blue, The Last Exorcism, Pt 2, Jethro Tull, Bad Girls & more
Afternoon, folks. We've got reviews for you today and we've got release news too.
But first, we've got cover art! Our own Russell Hammond has updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking to them through our links goes to help support our efforts here at the site and we salute you for it. Much appreciated!
Now then… the good Dr. Jahnke has carefully inspected a pair of new Shout! Factory titles for your protection and found them worthy: Sam Raimi's Crimewave and the 1990 live action version of Captain America. Crimewave arrives in stores on 5/14, followed by Cappy a week later on 5/21. Enjoy the reviews!
Speaking of Shout!, the studio has set Electra Glide in Blue for release on Blu-ray on 6/4. Extras will include audio commentary and an introduction by director James William Guercio, and the film's theatrical trailer.
And Shout will release the animated The Angry Beavers: The Complete Series on DVD only on 7/30.
Warner has set the all-new, animated and direct-to-video Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 8/6.
Sony will release The Last Exorcism, Part II on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/18. Extras will include a commentary track with director Ed Gass-Donnelly and producer Eli Roth and 3 featurettes (Hair Salon Scare: The Last Exorcism Part II goes Viral, Nell's Story and Shooting in New Orleans). The film will also contain unrated footage not seen in theaters.
Eagle Rock has set a 4-disc Jethro Tull: Around the World Live collection for release on DVD on 6/25 (SRP $39.98). It'll include classic performances, behind-the-scenes material and even a collector's hardback book packaging.
Well Go USA Entertainment will release Tai Chi Hero on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/2.
Magnolia Home Entertainment has set the horror title 23:59 for Blu-ray and DVD release on 6/4.
And finally, our friends at Blue Underground will release the Bad Girls Behind Bars collection on DVD on 7/30 (SRP $29.98), set to include the films Amazon Jail, Bare Behind Bars, 99 Women: Unrated Director's Cut, Sadomania and Women Behind Bars.
Back with more tomorrow. Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt


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ExploitShield: Highly Innovative or 'So 2004'?
As a rule, I don't review beta products, but I broke that rule last month for ExploitShield. Currently a free beta from ZeroVulnerabilityLabs, this product promises to block browser exploits by protecting the browser itself using "innovative patent-pending application shielding technology." A planned corporate edition will extend that protection to Microsoft Office applications and other frequent victims of exploits.
To demonstrate that ExploitShield catches malicious exploit payloads well before most security products do, the company maintains a realtime list of all exploits found by installations of the beta and submits each to VirusTotal for analysis. In many cases, VirusTotal reports that at the time of ExploitShield's detection very few (or none) of 40-odd antivirus products detected that payload. Indeed, when I exposed the product to malicious URLs, I immediately saw the payloads appear online.
How to Test?
The problem was, my only easily accessible source of exploit-hosting URLs was my contact at ZeroVulnerabilityLabs. I tried generating exploits using the Core IMPACT penetration tool, but the exploits it produces aren't the type that this initial beta can block.
Figuring I'd need a better way to test the final, released product, I started asking around. At PCMag's Security Watch Summit I met Dan Guido, CEO at Trail of Bits, an independent security research company. Guido had a few ideas for testing, but also had the initial impression that ExploitShield was nothing new.
Independent Analysis
It turns out that my question sparked Guido's curiosity. He obtained a copy of ExploitShield and subjected it to intense scrutiny. The end result was a Trail of Bits blog post titled "Ending the Love Affair with ExploitShield."
The post flags a number of problems with the program. It runs in user mode, it hooks specific known Windows functions, it attacks the payload rather than blocking the exploit itself, it exposes its IOCTL interface incorrectly... yes, the descriptions get pretty technical. Guido's post states that ExploitShield relies on "security by obscurity, and that once it becomes well known, attackers will circumvent its protection with ease.
Calling ExploitShield "a time capsule containing the best host-based security technology that 2004 had to offer," the report concludes that there's no real innovation in this product.
ZeroVulnerabilityLabs Response
Pedro Bustamante of ZeroVulnerabilityLabs responded to the Trail of Bits report in a post titled The Objective of ExploitShield beta. He clarified that ExploitShield is meant to be part of a layered protection approach, working along with standard antivirus protection, and that the company released this current beta to "to provide the community with a free utility they could start using ... to fight against the plague of exploit kits which are infecting thousands of users every day."
Bustamante grants a few of Guido's points, noting that "beta versions serve not only to find and fix bugs but also to proof technical concepts." But he rejects the claim that ExploitShield relies on security by obscurity, noting that the product will "evolve and adapt to protect against exploits in-the-wild as needed." In a late update the post also refutes several of the technical claims made in the Trail of Bits post.
So... How to Test?
A recent test by NSS Labs subjected thirteen widely-used security products to a variety of exploits and found that quite a few of them weren't very effective at blocking this type of attack. The exploits used in this test weren't new; some dated back as far as 2008. Given that ExploitShield promises protection against even the newest zero-day exploits, one might suppose it would have aced that test. Alas, as a new and relatively unknown beta it didn't meet the criteria for inclusion in this test or in a followup test that challenged the same products to block exploits disguised using evasion techniques.
I continue to cogitate on ways to test ExploitShield without relying on URLs supplied by the vendor. Let's hope I have a new plan ready by the time the product comes out of beta.
For more from Neil, follow him on Twitter @neiljrubenking.


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Orioles sign RHP Freddy Garcia to Minor League contract
The Orioles today announced that they have signed RHP FREDDY GARCIA to a minor league contract.
In his 14-year major league career, Garcia, 36, is 152-101 with a 4.15 ERA (2,183.2IP, 1,006ER). He was an American League All-Star with Seattle in 2001 and 2002 and finished second in Rookie of The Year balloting in 1999, when he went 17-8 with a 4.07 ERA (201.1IP, 91ER) in 33 starts for Seattle.
Over the last two seasons with the New York Yankees, Garcia was 19-14 with a 4.29 ERA (254.0IP, 121ER) in 56 games (42 starts).
Garcia's 152 career wins are the most by a Venezuelan-born pitcher in major league history.
Read More: Baltimore Orioles