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Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg will host a $3,800-a-seat campaign fundraiser for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at his Palo Alto home next month.
This is Zuckerberg's first foray into political fundraising and likely means the Facebook founder seeks more outside influence, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
It's also news because Christie is a Republican -- a far cry from Silicon Valley's usual liberal leanings. However, Christie has shown moderate colors recently after Hurricane Sandy when he defended the president's quick action to the natural disaster when critics suggested President Obama was slow to act. The fact that Christie had been a critic-turned-admirer of Obama raised partisan eyebrows.
Zuckerberg has previously donated millions to charities and nonprofits, but it's a real shot to the arm for Christie's campaign. Not only is Christie being offered Silicon Valley billionaire money, but he's also getting a little tech cred.
So far, Zuckerberg hasn't announced his political leanings (and he's not registered to any political party according to Santa Clara County records) but he has given money to both Democrat and Republican candidates.
A Facebook spokeswoman said that both Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, met Christie through education when Zuckerberg donated $100 million two years ago to improve Newark, N.J. schools. That donation got Zuckerberg a spot on the Oprah Winfrey show where the two sat side by side for a full hour.
U.S. & World
The Feb. 13 fundraiser should be an interesting one to watch, especially to see which other tech titans might be in attendance.


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Milk chocolate sauce
There's nothing complicated about making your own homemade milk chocolate sauce. And there's nothing more delicious than serving it lavishly on top of great desserts. Or better yet: serve the chocolate sauce in a separate little sauce cup, so your customers can serve themselves. It adds a lot to the experience. Full-bodied, with nice intense cocoa flavours and more creaminess than a dark chocolate sauce, this recipe always works. For the perfect end result we recommend using Finest Belgian Chocolate or a Single Origin milk chocolate if you want more sophisticated flavours and aromas, great for food pairings. Best pick the standard fluidity, indicated with 💧💧💧 on the packaging, to achieve the perfect texture and gloss.
Recipe components
Milk chocolate sauce
|Heat together.
|Mix together and then mix into previous mixture. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
Add, emulsify and leave to cool in refrigerator.

subset: commoncrawl


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Owner of the domain
Avantgarde Limousine SL (hereinafter Avantgarde Limousine)
C / Sant Ferrán, 38 3rd 1st
08330 - Premiá de Mar (Barcelona)
Phone: + 34 639 317 573
email: Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.
The graphics and texts contained on this website are the exclusive property of Avantgarde Limousine.
The content of this website has been registered before a Notary and in the Intellectual Property Registry to demonstrate that Avantgarde Limousine is the first entity to use these contents. If you copy partially or totally any of the contents of this page or any other of this website is violating the Intellectual Property laws (Royal Decree 1/1996, of April 12), Law 32/1988, of 10 November, of Trademarks and Law 11/1986, of March 20, of the legal regime of Invention Patents and Utility Models.
Before any partial or total copy, both of its design and its contents, the owner of this website will submit the corresponding lawsuits demanding the maximum indemnities that it establishes and allows the current legality.
Avantgarde Limousine reserves the right to make changes to the information contained in this website at any time and without prior notice.
To keep you informed of new promotions, services and products.
Avantgarde Limousine collects your data and uses it exclusively. Only one of our suppliers has access in a timely manner, which once the communication or provision of service contracted directly by Avantgarde Limousine has been made, eliminates any registration or data. These providers are not authorized to perform any tracking or to link any activity with a specific user. We do not share data with third parties or use them for purposes other than those already indicated.
At any time you can exercise your right of access, opposition, rectification, cancellation, limitation of the processing and portability of the data in the cases and with the scope established by the applicable regulations at all times.
This privacy policy is in line with the new General Regulation of Data Protection of the European Union, which is in force from 05/25/2018. The purpose of this privacy policy / Legal notice is to make it easier and more understandable for you to understand what data we keep and for what purpose.
Who is responsible for your data?
Owner: Avantgarde Limousine SL (hereinafter Avantgarde Limousine)
Registered office: C / Sant Ferrán, 38 3rd 1ª - 08330 Premiá de Mar (Barcelona)
Contact telephone number: + 34 639 317 573
Delegate of Data Protection (hereinafter, "DPO"):
Email: Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.
Web: http://www.avantgardelimousine.com
Phone: + 34 639 317 573
What categories of data do we deal with?
Avantgarde Limousine addresses the following categories of data:
Identifying data: name, surname, postal address, email address, zip code, telephone.
Traffic data and location.
Data of commercial information.
Some of the personal data requested are mandatory, so that the refusal to supply them will imply the impossibility of carrying out the provision of the contracted services.
In case the user provides data of third parties (directly linked - employee / employer - or indirect - family / friend / known -), he / she declares to have the consent of the same and undertakes to transfer the information contained in this clause , exempting Avantgarde Limousine from any responsibility in this regard. However, Avantgarde Limousine will be able to carry out the verifications to verify this fact, adopting the due diligence measures that correspond, according to the data protection regulations.
The data that appear on the forms provided by Avantgarde Limousine through the Platform marked with an asterisk (*), will be necessary to comply with the established contractual or legal purpose, or for the possible provision of the contracted service. Therefore, if the user does not provide them, it will not be possible to register them or attend to their request.
For what purpose and for how long will we process your personal data?
Avantgarde Limousine, will treat the user's data, manually and / or automated, for the following specific purposes:
Manage your service request on the website.
Periodically send (via email, via post and / or SMS) electronic communications with offers, promotions and news related to our website, unless otherwise indicated or the user opposes or revokes their consent.
Periodically send commercial and / or promotional information related to the sector of products and services contracted through the Platform and of added value for end users, unless otherwise indicated or the user opposes or revokes their consent.
Perform anonymous statistical reports regarding access habits and activity developed by users on the Platform. These reports do not identify the user (mail / registration).
Comply with the legally established obligations, as well as verify compliance with contractual obligations, including the prevention of fraud.
How long do we save your data?
Avantgarde Limousine will keep the personal data of the users only for the time necessary for the realization of the purposes for which they were collected, while not revoking the consents granted. Subsequently, if necessary, the information will be blocked by the legally established deadlines, in any case, the term: 5 years, or the period established by law for any action that may arise from the treatment.
In the case of the data you provide us in relation to the job offers you wish to subscribe to, they will be kept for 5 years from the date of the last update. After this period, without having been updated, the data will be deleted, unless you indicate otherwise.
What security measures do we implement to take care of your data?
Avantgarde Limousine to protect the different types of data reflected in this privacy policy will carry out the technical security measures necessary to avoid its loss, manipulation, diffusion or alteration.
In those cases in which Avantgarde Limousine has service providers for the maintenance of the platform that are outside the European Union, these international transfers have been regularized according to the commitment of Avantgarde Limousine with the protection, integrity and security of the data. personal of the clients.
What is the legitimacy for the treatment of your data?
The legitimacy for the processing of user data by Avantgarde Limousine to carry out the registration and registration of the user on the website is in the consent of the interested party, requested for the specific case.
For its part, the management of the procurement of products or services through the website, payment, billing and corresponding shipments, is legitimized by the execution of the contract itself.
The processing of data in order to send electronic bulletins with offers, promotions and news related to our website, commercial and / or promotional information, the preparation of anonymous statistical reports regarding access habits and the activity developed by users on the web and the creation of commercial profiles using data derived from the management of the products and services contracted with Avantgarde Limousine, are based on the legitimate interest of Avantgarde Limousine to carry out said treatments in accordance with current regulations.
The consents obtained for the aforementioned purposes are independent, so the user may revoke one or several of them without affecting the others.
Likewise, the user's information may be used to comply with the different legal obligations of Avantgarde Limousine.
To which recipients will your data be communicated?
The State Security Forces and Bodies by virtue of what is established in the Law.
Within the commitment of Avantgarde Limousine with the privacy and protection of personal data, we inform you of other data treatments that can be carried out, within the framework of the relationship with customers, specifically, in relation to the care services to the client.
In this sense, Avantgarde Limousine will treat your data in order to improve the quality of our services, as well as manage the request made and provide, where appropriate, the services that have been required. If you wish, you can contact us, through the telephone numbers enabled for this purpose, the legal basis of the treatment will be the adoption of pre-contractual measures or the development of the contractual relationship itself, as well as, in certain cases, your own consent.
The processing of customer service data is based on the legitimate interests of Avantgarde Limousine and, in particular, on the need to detect and improve the service provided through the customer service channel. The treatment of data for the attention of your requests.
What rights does the interested party have?
You can send us a letter to Avantgarde Limousine, at the above address or if you have a digital signature issued by the National Currency and Stamp Factory, through the contact form. At any time and for free, the following rights:
Revoke the consents granted.
Access your personal data.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
Request the deletion of your data when, among other reasons, the data is no longer necessary for the purposes that were collected.
Obtain from Avantgarde Limousine the limitation of data processing when any of the conditions provided in the data protection regulations are met.
In certain circumstances and for reasons related to their particular situation to the processing of their data, the interested parties may object to the processing of their data.
Avantgarde Limousine will stop processing the data, except for compelling legitimate reasons, or the exercise or defense of possible claims.
Get human intervention, to express your point of view and to challenge automated decisions to be taken by Avantgarde Limousine, where appropriate.
Request the portability of your data.
Claim before the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (www.agpd.es) when the interested party considers that Avantgarde Limousine has violated the rights that are recognized by the applicable regulations on data protection. This claim will be subsequent to the communication sent to Avantgarde Limousine, the response time of this 60 day claim by Avantgarde Limousine being not superior.
Last update: 05/25/2018
Copyright © Avantgarde Limousine SL - All rights reserved.


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2KW9KW Electric Sauna Heater Stove W/ Internal or External Controller for 2-13m³ Room. This listing is to introduce you 5 type of electric sauna heater machine with different control way: Built-in controller or external controller. This is our new 2-9KW sauna heater with controller for home & commercial use.
Apply high quality stainless steel shell, crafted heating coil, it is fast to heating and power-saving. Wall-mount design, This sauna heater suits sauna room ranges from 2m³ to 13m³(selectable), connect 110-120V or 220-240V. You can easily adjust temperature and time, and enjoy a cozy & comfortable sauna experience. The sauna heater should be wall mounted 18cm height from the ground. Internal Control Sauna Heater Details.
Time Mode: 8+4 running timemax. Working time: 4 hours, max. Divided line: 4:00, the heaters running time is 4:00-0:00; unworking time is 12:00-4:00(heater Doesnt work).
If you dont want to start the heater at once delay 2 hours to automatically start. The time is set at 6:00.Temperature Adjust: adjust the knob on sauna heater to change the temperature, the highest temperature is 90. External Control Sauna Heater Details. Control Sauna Room Lights: Designed to Control the turn on/off of max. 60W lights in sauna room.
Mode A: 8+4 running timemax. Divided line: 4:00, the heaters running time is 4:00-0:00; unworking time is 12:00-4:00 (heater Doesnt work). If you dont want to start the heater at once (delay 2 hours to automatically start heater). Mode B: Heater starts working immediately after setting(no unworking time), max. Time Adjustment: Press upward key or downward key to adjust time, 3 seconds later, it goes into countdown from setting time and it will automatically turn off when screen show 0:00, default time is 2:00.Temperature Adjustment: Temperature range: 40-105 (104-221), press upward key or downward key to adjust temperature, 3 seconds later, present temperature will be displayed. Control on/off of Sauna Heater. With Temperature Sensor: 3M-length to be installed inside the room, heat-resistant cable.
Over-Heat Protection: When the temperature reaches 150, it will auto turn off to prevent scald. Product Details- Power: 2KW/3KW/6KW/9KW(optional); Working Area: 2-13m³(Select). Professional sauna heater provider, give you a cozy wet & dry sauna experience. Control Way- Have 4 types of internal controlled sauna heater, 1 type of sauna heater with external controller. With different power, it will work for different room space.
Temp & Time Adjust- Internal Control Machine: adjust temperature by knobMax. 90; Time setting mode: 8+4 running timemax. External Controller Machine: Control panel to change temperature(40-105); Working Mode: Mode A: 8+4 running time; Mode B: Continuous. Assemble Ways- Both type of sauna heater should be installed wall mounted, and it has good heat dissipation design for machine durability and prevent over heating.Diverse Use- These products have passed CE tests, thus are safe & reliable on use. Used for dry sauna and spa, help to relax muscle, relief fatigue, help to improve your sleeping quality, perspire sweat & body waste etc.
Excellent 430 stainless steel shell(2-9KW internal control), thick aluminum alloy shell(9KW external control) powder-coated for anti-rust & durable. Internal & external controlled sauna heater support different temperature setting and time adjust between: 40-105or Max. High efficient product, crafted stainless steel heating coil, fast to heat and power-saving. No need to wait for a long time.Wall-mount design, good heat dissipation function. Good dry sauna heater stove, easy to install and operate. This sauna heater need to connect electric wire, and we don't provide with plugs, please in kind prevail. Input: 110-120V(2KW); 220-240V(3KW/6KW/9KW). Sauna Type: Wet & Dry. Wire: 32.5(Nmm2); 310(Nmm²). 2KW Type: 2-3m³(70-106cubic feet); 190cm Height. 3KW Type: 2-4m³(70-140cubic feet); 190cm Height. 6KW Type: 5-9m³; 190cm Height. 9KW Type: 9-13m³ ; 190cm Height. Sauna Stone Need(Not Included).
Suitable Sauna Room: 9-13m³; 190cm Height. Product Size: 410280570mm / 15.81122inch. Product Weight: 12kg / 26.4LBS. 1 X Sauna Heater Stove. 1 X External Controller(9KW External Type).
1 X Temperature Sensor (9KW External Type). We believe that it is our vision and mission to provide innovative products with best service and competitive price to satisfy you.Our goal is to make sure that you can find exactly what you are looking for and make it easy for you to place your orders. Caifornia Warehouse: 18501 Arenth Ave, City of Indus-try, CA 91748. 300 W Airtex Blvd, Suite 200, Houston, TX 77090. 2125 Gateway Blvd, Hebron, KY 41048. 1000 High Street, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861.
If you need to return, please check twice to confirm the item not work and contact our customer service representative, let us know the detailed problem and send us some pictures for confirmation. Please make sure that item has NO man-made sabotage. Used items will not be accepted for return. All emails will be responded to within.Special circumstances will be listed clearly in the listing. Please do check everything carefully after you received the parcel, any the damage except DOA (Dead-On-Arrival) would not be covered if it's your fault.
A: The item ships from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, United States. A: Please log on your account.
Q: How do I return an item? Please contact our customer service before you return an item.
The item "Sauna Heater Stove Wet&Dry Stainless Steel Internal External Digital Control US" is in sale since Thursday, February 14, 2019. This item is in the category "Home & Garden\Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living\Pools & Spas\Saunas".The seller is "world-etrade" and is located in Ontario, California. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, Mexico.


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HARRISBURG – Progress on a public-private partnership (P3) to quickly replace hundreds of structurally deficient bridges continued yesterday, as PennDOT hosted an industry forum to educate potential, private-sector stakeholders on the project's scope and requirements.
The forum was held in Hershey and was assembled after the project was approved by the P3 Board on Sept. 27.
"While we look to the legislature to act on transportation funding when they return to session next week, we're continuing to use our existing dollars more efficiently. Increased partnership with the private sector is part of that commitment," PennDOT Secretary and P3 Board Chairman Barry J. Schoch said. "Bringing in a third party to help with this bridge project effectively uses the P3 law signed by Governor Corbett, but the project could have even more impact if the state had more dollars to invest."
Through the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, 200 to 300 structurally deficient bridges of similar design would be replaced under one contract to streamline design and construction. The successful low-bidder would manage the bridges' design, construction and maintenance. Cost savings are anticipated since the same basic design and construction standards could be used for multiple bridges. The low-bidder would also maintain bridges for a yet-to-be-determined number of years.
As the project scope is based on current PennDOT funding availability, the project could be adjusted or have additional bridges added if the General Assembly passes a transportation funding plan.
In September 2012, Corbett signed into law the Public and Private Partnerships for Transportation Act, which authorized P3 projects in Pennsylvania. This law allows PennDOT and other transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining and financing transportation-related projects.
As part of the P3 law, the seven-member Public Private Transportation Partnership Board was appointed to examine and approve potential public-private transportation projects. If the board determines a state operation or project would be more cost-effectively administered or delivered by a private company, the department or appropriate transportation agency can advertise a competitive RFP and enter into a contract with a company to completely or partially deliver the transportation-related service or project.
To learn more about P3 in Pennsylvania, visit www.P3forPA.pa.gov.


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Illegal mowing: Teens can't be paid to cut neighbors' grass https://www.wftv.com/news/trending-now/illegal-mowing-teens-cant-be-paid-to-cut-neighbors-grass/949700359[Read More...]
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Illegal mowing: Teens can't be paid to cut neighbors' grassMay 17, 2019 Author: voice
Hey everybody,
Just feel free to write whatever you want, your mad, madness, upset... . Release all of your stresses as you want. Currently, this site doesn't depend on any advertisement, then there is no limited of talking as long as not violation to the local authorities or illegal stuffs which may be shut down by the hosting company. I keep it [the site] running as long as I can afford.
Also, you can post anything to sell... on classified section; it's FREE, but once again, no illegal stuffs are posted here please.
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Review Archives (Staff Reviews)
You are currently looking through staff reviews for games that are available on every platform the site currently covers. Below, you will find reviews written by all eligible authors and sorted according to date of submission, with the newest content displaying first. As many as 20 results will display per page. If you would like to try a search with different parameters, specify them below and submit a new search.
|Available Reviews
Mass Effect 2 review (X360)Reviewed on January 28, 2010
Defending Mass Effect has never been easy, since the games unpolished mechanics, cumbersome driving segments and barren, repetitive environments form a strong case against it. The case against it is so strong, in fact, that I often have questioned my own enthusiastic evaluation of the game. So thank you, BioWare. Thank you for taking all of the criticism to heart, for fixing nearly everything that was wrong with the first game and for giving me a sequel for which I no longer need to make excuses. Mass Effect 2 is as extraordinary as its predecessor was, but it no longer needs justification. It really is that good.
Torchlight review (PC)Reviewed on January 27, 2010
To its credit, Torchlight is much more than just a cash-in on our nostalgia. As much as it is an homage to its diabolic predecessor, Torchlight easily stands on its own as a game. Rather than using those familiar Diablo elements as a crutch, it takes those elements and gives them just enough of a twist to make them fresh again.
Bayonetta review (X360)Reviewed on January 24, 2010
The nimble and unusual lead character perfectly matches the fast-paced, responsive combat. Bayonetta features a blend of third-person melee and gunplay similar to Devil May Cry; sword slices are followed by pistol shots, although you're free to personalize your fighting style by attaching different weapons to each appendage. If you don't care for the sword-and-pistol combination, then use the whip to toss angels into the air, and blow them away with the Kilgore cannon!
Death By Cube review (X360)Reviewed on January 24, 2010
You might call it a post-apocalyptic battlefield simulator, or a Geometry Wars clone or perhaps you'd even call it art. Certainly, the minimalist approach makes a case for that last descriptor. There's something beautiful about the simple way that the beautiful red oil splays across the screen, blood-like in its consistency. There's a subdued grace, too, as your robot glides over the desolate grid that makes up his world's landscape. There's even a certain emotional element driving his quest to set things right in a world he finds so different from the one that he once knew.
Bakugan: Battle Brawlers review (X360)Reviewed on January 23, 2010
Bakugan: Battle Brawlers manages to accomplish more than expected from a licensed product. It injects life into the game by taking normally mundane aspects, like throwing the Bakugan, and making them a focal point. By daring to reshuffle the game's fundamentals, Battle Brawlers is transformed into a more interactive experience.
The Treasures of Montezuma 2 review (PC)Reviewed on January 21, 2010
You'll likely spend most of your time in said Adventure mode, both because you're initially compelled to do so and because the developers were wise enough to include rewards for working your way through its individual stages. Each success in that mode results in some in-game currency that you can use to purchase upgrades as you progress through the subsequent stages, ensuring that you have reason to keep playing at least for the first 10 hours or so. Once purchased, the upgrades activate if you manage to clear certain icons from the board, or if you eliminate pieces from the same color twice in a row.
Wedding Dash review (DS)Reviewed on January 19, 2010
The problem is that everyone is different. Betty is a snotty rich woman, so no one wants to sit next to her. Chloe, on the other hand, is so popular that all the other guests want to be with her. Chuck is impatient and wants to chow down as soon as he arrives. If you dont keep track of someones demands, theyll eventually get angry and start docking points from your overall score. Not only do you have to keep the guests satisfied, but youll also have to deal with several other hazards as well. Weddings make Aunt Ethel go into tearful hysterics, so youll have to keep her from going berserk. Same goes with Uncle Ernie, who loves getting drunk and making an ass out of himself.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition review (PC)Reviewed on January 17, 2010
It's hard enough dealing with an action game that switches into "surprise bullet time" at the drop of a hat, yet the game's shockingly sluggish performance is far from its only problem. Graphical glitches abound, ranging from the merely annoying to outright show-stoppers. Doors, computer consoles and other objects will occasionally flicker or disappear outright, although they remain solid enough to impede the player's movement. More seriously, in one instance a platform I was required to move with my Force powers also went missing, leaving me unable to progress through the game until, after several futile, frustrating minutes and a quick Google to make sure I wasn't completely off-base about what I was supposed to be doing, I exited and restarted the game.
Remington Great American Bird Hunt review (WII)Reviewed on January 17, 2010
The one thing keeping this game from being a total failure is its multiplayer. Up to four people can play either at the same time, or in separate rounds. Having everyone shooting it out on the same screen makes for potential hilarity; with so many people frantically scrambling for targets and mocking the announcer, it makes the game seem far less tedious.
Syberia review (PC)Reviewed on January 16, 2010
Syberia tricks you with subtlety on a drip feed: the games focus, aim and characters all change so naturally over time that its not until youve worked your way to the end that you can look back over the whole picture and understand just how well realised the entire experience was.
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth review (WII)Reviewed on January 14, 2010
Here you'll find Death with his sickles and blades whirling madly around him, possessing a visage rendered more menacing than ever before by redrawn artwork. Here you'll find the Colossus with a hulking frame that fills the entire screen and shakes the whole chamber around him, here the familiar vampire bat that you've been battling since the original Castlevania.
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island review (DS)Reviewed on January 14, 2010
Nearly every action costs precious time, in fact, and there are no do-overs (though you can play through the whole adventure again after the credits roll and keep any of the items that you gathered on your first run). The setup works nicely, ensuring that more ambitious players can find a decent challenge in developing their empire while younger siblings and other amateur adventurers are free to take their time enjoying other less challenging aspects of the game.
Wacky Races review (NES)Reviewed on January 13, 2010
Each of the 10 levels looks different and is divided into multiple parts. Muttley's opposition varies from level to level, as well, which at least gives the illusion you're doing something different in each stage. Sure, for the most part, you're running and jumping from left to right on the screen while avoiding or disposing of foes, but when the monsters and locales are constantly changing, it at least tricks me into not realizing that most of the game's "variety" is superficial.
Fable II review (X360)Reviewed on January 10, 2010
I slew phantom pirates to steal their legendary treasure and shot stone gargoyles just for a moment's reprieve from the uncouth lies that spilled from their mouths. I invested in a town rotten with corruption and helped turn its fortunes around and I spent a hell of a lot of time playing fetch with my dog. Theres a lot to do in Fable 2, even if a lot of it's repeated endlessly until the appeal is unredeemable dulled. But, in how it all slots together, it makes something memorable.
The Quest Trio: Jewels, Cards and Tiles review (DS)Reviewed on January 08, 2010
The puzzles themselves are the driving force behind The Quest Trio. All feature minor variations from the expected, and they roll out dozens of configurations to keep you busy. Just when you think you've figured out the system, a new little wrinkle arises. Can you resist falling to the same obsessions as some of those heroes? With games this addictive, good luck.
Shimano Xtreme Fishing review (WII)Reviewed on January 07, 2010
There's blood in the water. When your sharp shots puncture a fish's scales, a satisfying red cloud disperses around your unfortunate target. Your high-powered harpoon will make short work of anything that moves.
Our House review (DS)Reviewed on January 04, 2010
The main flaw that Our House suffers from isn't a technical one, however. It's the much more mundane issue of repetition. While nearly every one of the included mini-games are fun the first few timesor even the first 10 or 20they can only amuse for so long. It's neat to be able to remodel rooms, but there's never any real motivation to do anything more than place the required objects in the room (perhaps without even giving much thought to artistic arrangement, which seems to be rated almost arbitrarily as long as you don't have a bureau's drawers opening into a wall or a toilet in the middle of the floor).
Lunar: The Silver Star review (SCD)Reviewed on January 04, 2010
Lunar is not an epic. There are no warring factions, political agendas, or corrupt religions. The game's not even long — it can be completed in a day. Lunar is a short story for children and children-at-heart, full of knights, dragons, damsels in distress, and brave damsels in dress.
Ys III: Wanderers From Ys review (SNES)Reviewed on January 03, 2010
Adding to Adol's problems is the sad truth that everyone in Redmont (including Dogi) is completely worthless, so he'll have to bail everyone out with little help beyond getting pointed in a given direction and sent off with a hearty, "You can do it, dude!" And then there's Chester. The brother of potential romance option Ellena falls into the category of erstwhile hero/tragic villain/unbelievably idiotic dumbass, as he combines arrogant blustering with possibly the least intelligent plan for revenge imaginable.
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop review (DS)Reviewed on January 03, 2010
Many of the steps that you encounter while preparing new recipes have also been switched up a bit in an effort to make that aspect of the game more robust. Some of these work out for the better and recall earlier diversions, such as when you must chop a carrot or potato into small bits. Others aren't familiar to me but work well anyway, such as when the game asks the player to circle eyes on old potatoes to remove them. Then come the zany additions, like when you find yourself catching falling marshmallows on a skewer while avoiding dog bones. I like a bit of zaniness in my games or I wouldn't be playing Cooking Mama in the first place, but some of the stuff included here still had me scratching my head.
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Bohemian Club's long-term logging plan draws fire
By Patricia Lynn Henley
On the east bank of the Russian River slightly northeast of Monte Rio lie 2,700 acres of prime forestland. Portions of the property are home to old-growth redwoods, those rare survivors of extensive clear-cut logging that slashed through this region in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of these ancient giants have been growing here for a thousand years or more. They stand proudly among what's known as second-growth redwoods, trees that have thrust their branches skyward relatively undisturbed for more than a hundred years. The steep hillsides also hold towering Douglas firs as well as tanoaks and other less lofty flora.
This green area known as the Bohemian Grove will be the focus of intense national and international attention starting July 13, when it hosts the Bohemian Club's annual summer encampment. The somewhat boozy all-male gathering of world and business leaders relaxing privately together in the woods always raises concern because of its elite and secretive nature. But while it's good not to miss the forest for the trees, in this case it's equally important not to miss seeing the trees because of the activities of the people.
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After eight decades of a hands-off policy, the San Francisco-based Bohemian Club began logging its Russian River land in the 1980s, taking out about 500,000 board- feet each year, for a cumulative total estimated at 10 million to 11 million board-feet of timber. For the past year, the club has pursued state approval for what's known as a nonindustrial timber management plan (NTMP), giving permanent permission to cut down more than 1 million board-feet annually without a lot of additional review.
Like anything associated with the Bohemian Club, the NTMP application has generated controversy. The related files at the California Department of Forestry (CDF) office in Santa Rosa are more than five inches thick, stuffed with letters of support and opposition, and filled with conflicting advice and reports.
Club officials say expanded logging is needed to sharply reduce the fire risk and to restore a forest that was deeply disturbed by clear-cutting more than a century ago. The money from the timber sold, they say, will be used to pay the costs of shoring up access roads and clearing away underbrush, tanoaks and other potential fuel sources.
Opponents argue that the plan will increase rather than decrease the fire danger, destroying habitat on the land and in the two streams that cross the property. They charge that the club is treating its relatively pristine property like an industrial tree farm.
These conflicting viewpoints are based on differing visions of what an undisturbed forest in this area once looked like, and the steps needed to preserve and protect this increasingly rare stretch of riverside forest.
Sustainable Harvest?
"They call forestry a science, but there's a heck of a lot of art in it," laughs Ron Pape, a CDF employee who's worked in forestry for more than 30 years. He's responsible for leading what's officially known as the second review process for the Bohemian Club's NTMP application.
"The rural-urban interface is a real sensitive issue in general," Pape notes in a phone conversation from his Santa Rosa office. "I think because of where this is and who this is, the [Bohemian Club's] NTMP is probably drawing a little more lightning."
Prior to the early 1970s, Pape says, landowners could file a single piece of paper with the state and start cutting down trees the next day. They could log extensively, including next to rivers or creeks, without regard to erosion, sediment or the loss of wildlife habitat.
That has changed. According a 2003 CDF report, they have to file a timber harvest plan (THP) and do environmental impact reviews, a process that can cost roughly $6,000 to $40,000 for each THP. The plan lasts for three years, but can be extended for another two. Any additional logging requires the extensive review process of another THP.
However, small landowners with less than 2,500 acres of forestland can choose to file for an NTMP. Getting one approved costs 25 percent to 50 percent more than a THP but it's a single-shot deal; there is no expiration date. Once an NTMP is officially in place, it's no longer necessary to file a THP for each logging operation allowed by the plan, just what's known as an operations notice. The Bohemian Club property totals 2,700 acres, but it's applying for an NTMP on the 2,470 acres that are heavily forested.
The CDF estimates that there are more than 300,000 private non-industrial forest owners in California. They collectively hold about 3.2 million acres of trees, with another 4.2 million acres belonging to commercial companies. Started 17 years ago, NTMPs give a break to owners of smaller properties, cutting the red tape and overall costs for those who aren't harvesting trees on a commercial basis. In exchange, the state gets a promise to avoid clear-cutting and to abide by a timber plan tailored for that specific property.
An NTMP is intended to yield a sustainable harvest, where the number of trees removed is less than the predicted annual growth. The reviews required by state and federal forestry, fish, wildlife and water resources officials cover such aspects as erosion, water quality, sediment control, stream crossings, wildlife habitat and access roads.
It sounds straightforward, but critics say the CDF is too harvest-oriented, and that once an NTMP is approved there's not enough oversight or accountability, or any way to incorporate new methods and the evolving knowledge about forest ecology and preservation. The Bohemian Grove NTMP approval process has prompted a range of opinions on the impact of proposed logging, such as whether the fire danger will be increased or decreased by methods like opening up the overhead canopy to allow more light and space into the forest.
"It's not clear-cut," Pape says. "You've got scientists on one side who support the opening up of the stand, and you've got scientists on the other side. Whatever one side says, you've got somebody on the other side [saying something different]. It's battling scientists and experts."
Save the Grove
The Bohemian Club's NTMP is based on the concept that at some ideal point in history, North Coast redwood forests had widely spaced trees, open canopies, multi-age trees and a clean understory, says Don C. Erman, emeritus professor of biology at UC Davis. He disagrees with that image.
"Such a picture is surely the condition that will prevail under the proposed plan, but it has little basis in science as the natural condition," Erman asserts in a letter sent to the CDF on April 25. "The description of this early condition sounds quite similar to the myths used to claim that the Sierra Nevada forests looked the same way before intensive logging. Such a picture also implies that larger, older trees are a fire hazard, when all evidence suggests that these aged trees are the most fire-resistant."
In a phone conversation from his Davis office, Erman says that what particularly bothers him is the way fire danger is being used as a threat or weapon.
"There's a certain amount of the sky is falling, everything's going to burn down' as a means for driving otherwise reasonable people to say, Oh my gosh, I've got to get rid of everything that might burn.' I don't think this approach is good, particularly in the redwood region."
Approving the Bohemian Club's proposed NTMP, he believes, will create a developed harvest area with a permanent road system, fewer large (and slower growing) old trees and the use of herbicides to control undergrowth, instead of the tall stately trees and ample wildlife habitat that current exist.
Also opposing the proposed NTMP is Philip W. Rundel, distinguished professor of biology at UCLA. Having studied both Sierra and coast redwoods, Rundel asserts that the Bohemian Grove NTMP appears designed to maximize the logging of redwood and Douglas fir trees.
"This is not meant to maintain natural resources and ecosystems," Rundel charges in a phone conversation. He adds that the idea that these forests were historically open is based on looking at a very narrow period of time, which isn't accurate or backed by scientific evidence. Cool redwood forests, even those containing other trees, don't burn easily.
"If their goal was really to reduce the flammability, they wouldn't cut any large trees. Large trees don't burn in redwood forests," Rundel explains. "As long as you keep that humidity in there, it's not very flammable. But open it up to the light and put cut branches on the ground and it's going to burn really well."
In a letter to the CDF, Rundel argues that the NTMP overestimates the annual timber yield by including the old growth redwoods in the main encampment as part of the total annual growth. Since that area won't be logged, Rundel says, this inflates the amount of logging allowed in other places. "The areas where they're actually logging will not be sustainable. They can only say it's sustainable if they count the areas they're not cutting."
Log the Grove
Bohemian Grove logging will be carefully managed and completely sustainable, claims registered professional forester Nick Kent, who's creating the NTMP for the Bohemian Club. The proposed timber yield isn't based on a percentage of growth as Rundel assumes, Kent explains, but was created using a computer modeling program called Cooperative Redwood Yield Project's Timber Output, or CRYPTOS.
"The old growth area is treated independently," Kent explains. "Each area that harvests and grows is independent of other areas. We're not lumping it all together and determining a percent of inventory [to decide] how much we're cutting. We're cutting less than what will be growing over time. We will be checking those figures every 10 years. We'll be monitoring to be sure we're getting the growth modeled by CRYPTOS."
The computer program is a modern forest-industry tool, but in this case, Kent says, it's being used for preservation and restoration, not maximizing output. Right now, Kent adds, the grove is an extremely dense second-growth forest, with the majority of the large trees dating back to the heavy clear-cutting of a little over a century ago.
"What you've got is a dense overstory with very little regeneration of younger trees. There's not enough light reaching the forest floor to get a regeneration of trees," he says. "It's not a natural condition."
Critics argue that many of the century-plus second-growth trees are acquiring old-growth characteristics that make them perfect for habitat and forest restoration, and they should be saved. Under the NTMP, true old-growth trees with diameters of 40 or more inches and specific old-growth characteristics will not be harvested. However, larger second-growth trees could be cut to let in light and reduce the fire fuel.
But the allegation that the NTMP will maximize timber output is completely false, Kent says.
"I've never been told [by the Bohemian Club that] we need to harvest trees to generate money. They've told me that all the money that's coming off the forest [is] going back into the road system and reducing the fire hazard. They really want to protect their forest."
He adds that the NTMP is the club's direct response to realizing there's a high and continuing fire danger on the property. Bohemian Club general manager Matt Oggero says the club is doing what's best for the grove and the entire region to maintain the forest while reducing the risk of catastrophic fires, such as the one that hit the Sierras recently.
"The experts that we've consulted--and we have some of the biggest names, the best experts in the country--contend that the best way to manage the forest is to eliminate overcrowding which can lead to serious crown fires that can be devastating not only for loss of property but for loss of life," Oggero stresses. "We want to see the grove continue and flourish, and we think this is the best way to do that. Be assured that we're not talking about clear-cutting in any way, shape or form. This is selective logging."
One of the Grove's consultants is Tom Bonnicksen, professor emeritus of forest science at Texas A&M University. He's a staunch supporter of President Bush's Healthy Forest Initiative, which calls for allowing increased logging on federal lands, then using the timber money to pay the costs for thinning fire-prone areas. Environmentalists counter that this gives timber companies an excuse to overcut national forestlands.
Bonnicksen says he created a conceptual plan for the Bohemian Grove based on his 35 years of experience and his understanding of the area's historical condition.
"This is not your typical foggy redwood forest as you would find on the coast," Bonnicksen explains by telephone from his Florida home. "This is a redwood-fir forest with tanoaks. If anyone is picturing this as a wet redwood forest, they don't know what they're dealing with."
He says he's not familiar with the specifics of the Bohemian Grove NTMP, but that critics who assert that selective logging heightens the fire risk are "saying the same old things. They're using information from limited sources and generalizing from it in ways that are inconsistent with science."
It's important, Bonnicksen adds, to use history as a guide in managing forestlands. This, to him, means creating a more open forest. "You can't have big tress if they're all crowded together. Nor can you have a big harvest of corn if they're all crowded together. You're not going to get big trees if they're overcrowded in the forest. There is a way to manage the forest to protect the big old trees that you have and to provide room for new ones to grow. It's ultimately philosophical."
'It's political, says Richard Coates, executive director of the Cazadero-based Forest Unlimited and the owner of 40 acres of timberland between Cazadero and Fort Ross. Forest Unlimited's mission, Coates says, is "to preserve, enhance and protect the forests of Sonoma County." In the past 15 years, he's read hundreds of timber plans and NTMPs. The Bohemian Grove proposal, he claims, will increase the fire danger. "When you want catastrophic fire, what you do is cut as much of the redwoods as you can."
Coates claims he's not opposed to timber harvests per se, but asserts that while individual CDF employees are dedicated and hard-working, the department itself and the entire review process is skewed in favor of landowners and industrial interests.
"It's a systemic problem that the landowners are allowed to purchase the opinions of people like the foresters and geologists and so on. That sets up a conflict of interest," Coates says. "The real problem is at the political level. The whole agency is tied up politically, because there's a lot of money involved. It's a classic case where the industry has captured the regulators."
On the contrary, argues San Mateo-based professional forester and Bohemian Club member Ralph Osterling, the high profile of the Bohemian Club has caused unreasonable delays in the standard NTMP process. In an April 18 letter to the CDF, Osterling argues that this effectively prevents "the property owner and their RPF [registered professional forester] from implementing legal and sound management practices, all of which are clearly within the forest practice rules. These rules apply equally to all property owners, yet it appears that this proposed NTMP is being singled out for added scrutiny by others."
Political Party
The Bohemian Club has certainly been scrutinized over the years. The nonprofit, nonpartisan group was founded in 1872 for socializing and enjoying the arts. Mark Twain, Bret Harte and Jack London were among the early members.
Held the last three weeks of July, the annual summer encampments by members and their guests began in 1899. The club acquired its 2,700 acres near Monte Rio over a period of several decades in the early 1900s, buying up properties that were considered relatively worthless after they were extensively logged.
Over the years, the membership-by-invitation-only club has attracted the nation's wealthiest and most powerful men, as well as well-founded criticism and far-fetched conspiracy theories prompted by its exclusionary and secretive ways. Club members say they simply want privacy as they relax with their peers in the forest. Opponents of the annual summer encampments allege that it's an elite gathering where friendships are formed between powerful men, who later negotiate with each other over lucrative government contracts and decisions that shape this country's future.
In a 2005 radio interview, Ralph Nader argued that no one in the government serving as a judge or on active military duty should attend this "exclusive, corporate-dominated, no-trespass confab. You can be sure that inside this grove they're not planning the salvation of Africa or abolition of poverty, universal healthcare, a living wage for people working to support their families on measly wages like Wal-Mart.
"What are they doing? They're getting to know each other, to reacquaint themselves from last year and to see each other in uninhibited poses that develops a kind of personal cement that further tightens the ruling cliques."
The annual summer encampment has continued despite repeated protests. The property's extensive forest was left untouched until, in the 1980s, citing concerns about the dense amount of potential fuel on the property, the club began logging operations under the guidance of professional forester Edward Tunheim. But the Bohemian Club and Tunheim parted ways in 2004, and club leaders hired Kent to create an NTMP allowing them to remove timber more rapidly and use the proceeds to remove fire-feeding tanoaks and brush. Tunheim declined to comment.
Kent says Tunheim brought out 500,000 board-feet annually from less acreage, and that the proposed NTMP will better manage the forest by cutting 1 million board-feet a year from a larger area, as well as creating what's known as shaded fuel breaks around the old growth to protect it from crown fires. The forest is mostly Douglas fir, Kent says, with redwood scattered throughout. Logging will be on a 20-year cycle, giving a relatively long interval between harvests. Stands of tanoaks will be removed and replanted with conifers, mostly redwoods.
"We will be monitoring those areas for brush control and regeneration," Kent explains. "If we need to replant those areas, we will. We're not just walking away. We're monitoring those areas."
Speaking for the Trees
John Hooper's great-grandfather, grandfather and uncles were all Bohemian Grove members, and as a kid he visited the grove with his grandfather. An organic farmer and avid hiker, Hopper was thrilled to become a member in 1999 and immediately started exploring the property's backcountry. He wasn't thrilled, however, when he saw the impacts of ongoing logging.
In 2001, Hooper raised concerns about a specific group of large trees marked for harvest, and club officials held things up until they could be sure no old growth was being inadvertently cut. But Hooper continued to come across logging-related damage.
"I'd go out on hikes, and a place that I loved had been logged the year before. It just got to be no fun."
Yet his ongoing questions were virtually ignored, he says. In July 2004, he discovered a remote little valley in a steep area along Kitchen Creek, home to several acres of large, majestic trees. Many were more than 40 or 50 inches in diameter, yet still splashed with blue spray paint as a sign that they would soon be cut down and turned into timber.
"When I saw the old growth trees marked, I just thought it was a mix-up," Hooper remembers. Once again he approached the club leaders, but this time, he says, "they pretty much ignored me."
In December 2004, discouraged and having been accused of "un-Bohemian" behavior, Hooper resigned his Bohemian Club membership but not his determination to fight for the property's preservation. He alleges that the original NTMP didn't disclose the existence of nine stands of magnificent redwoods on the property, that the logging will create a younger, smaller forest, and that important habitat will be lost. He charges that the property is being mismanaged and that the majority of Bohemian Club members don't understand what's really going on.
"This NTMP is proposing to double or triple the logging," Hooper charges. "Even with the modest level of logging that was going on in the last 20 years, a lot of damage was done."
Not true says Launce E. Gamble, a club member for 28 years and a property owner who's managed his own timberlands in Napa County. He says he's walked the Bohemian Grove property after it was logged and was pleased at how well the process was managed and how little damage was done.
"It's very environmentally correct. It's selectively done," he says by telephone from his San Francisco office. "It's a parklike atmosphere, and they have worked very hard to reduce the fuel loads all through the place, particularly up on the ridge tops."
He dismisses the concerns of professors Erman and Rundel. "Oftentimes, experts tend to not have a lot of practical experience. While they're entitled to their opinion, I would say they're wrong. By managing the property as it is being managed, it offers the community a buffer, not only for wildlife enhancement but the loss through fire."
Largest & Oldest
Wildlife habitat is one of Stacy Martinelli's chief concerns. Just as water-resource specialists and geologists have done in the past year, Martinelli, a staffer with the California Department of Fish and Game, Bay-Delta Region, has visited the property and reviewed the NTMP. She's mapped out about 20 acres of old growth stands that weren't listed in the original plan, and she's recommending they be preserved from logging. The Bohemian Grove, she says, has a "higher component of large old trees than most [NTMPs] in Sonoma County," and she believes a tentative agreement has been reached to protect the specified 20 acres.
"Most of our concern at this point is keeping the largest and oldest trees on the landscape and providing some recruitment for those trees, letting them develop over time," Martinelli explains. "When these trees fall down, leaving hiding and nesting places, there will be big trees to replace them."
When an NTMP application is filed, a first review is done on paper. Then representatives of interested agencies visit the site for what's called a pre-harvest inspection. The next step is the second review, a back-and-forth between the agencies and the landowners' forester to create a final NTMP document.
Because this NTMP has been delayed, the California Water Resources Department is working directly with Kent and the Bohemian Club to fix existing roads and stream crossings on the property this summer, before the rainy season. A National Marine Fisheries biologist recently filed a 46-page review, reporting that after logging resumed in the grove in the 1980s the road system roughly doubled. More roads are planned, but the federal report asserts that the total road miles should be reduced, and that "Instead of converting the site through industrial silviculture and adding to existing disturbances, the Bohemian Grove should be protected and enhanced."
The next (and possibly final) second review session for the Bohemian Grove NTMP will be held in August. It's open to the public, but it's not a public meeting; questions must be addressed to the government officials, not to the representatives of the landowner. Kent will have about 10 days to reply to the second review recommendations and then, because of a recent court decision, the public will have 30 days to review the final NTMP document.
Stacey Martinelli hopes people will pay attention. "Essentially, the public will not have the opportunity to comment on timber-harvesting activities in the Bohemian Grove ever again. This is it."
And Hooper still hopes Bohemian Club members will take a more in-depth look at what's being proposed and save more of the tall, beautiful trees on their property.
"They've already done irreparable harm," he says of the logging operations. He adds wistfully, "When you get into those really old trees, you're walking into a cathedral."
Send a letter to the editor about this story.


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Time magazine self-censors over Northern Rock
From WikiLeaks
January 23, 2008
Time magazine appears to have retrospectively censored part of a story about the Northern Rock banking collapse involving Wikileaks.
Since November 14, 2007 Wikileaks has made available a sensitive injuncted report relating to the 24 billion pound Northern Rock Bank (UK) sub-prime banking crisis.
On Jan 20, 2008, Wikileaks released an article on the censorship of the UK press over this report:
Searching google news for 'wikileaks' at the time of writing, via:
Brings up the following story:
- Between a Northern Rock and a Hard Place
- TIME - Jan 21, 2008
- A Newcastle fan holds a sign announcing the return of Newcastle United Manager Kevin Keegan. Ask a Geordie, as natives to Newcastle are known, ...
The above means that when the Google indexing robot last visited the time site, the word "Wikileaks" was on the page. [update: the Google robot has now indexed the new, censored page]
However clicking on the link:
Shows that there is now no reference to 'Wikileaks' on the page, or even in the page source.
Given that the subject of the article is 'Northern Rock', a reference to Wikileaks would be about the censored executive briefing document, since Wikileaks has no other involvement with Northern Rock.
Hence that part of the story was pulled offline sometime after initial publication, likely because of the 13th of Nov 2007 UK censorship injunction which directs, according to London lawyers Schillings (representing Northern Rock):
- Pursuant to an Order of the Royal Courts of Justice dated 13th
- November 2007 ("the Order") no person shall publish or communicate or disclose to any other person (other than by way of disclosure to legal advisers instructed in relation to the proceedings for the purpose of obtaining legal advice), inter alia, the information contained within the "Northern Rock Executive Summary"
- The Order also provides that any person who knows of the Order and disobeys it or does anything which helps or permits any person to whom the Order applies to breach the terms of the Order may be held to be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.
This part of the order expired on the 20th of November, but presumably Time Magazine was not aware of this fact, since Schillings have been careful to refuse to give out the full order.
Time demonstrates how a country with poor press freedoms (UK) is able to undermine a country with strong press freedoms (US). In this case to the degree that Time not only refuses to provide copies of an important leaked report, but even goes so far as to censor its reporters when they simply mention the name of a publication that does!
The full report remains available at Wikileaks.
Time magazine was asked for comment, but did not respond by the time of this release.


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By Rida Fozi
With healthcare becoming less affordable across the country, thousands dream of quality medical care that won't break the bank. When Al-Shifa Medical Center partnered with ICNA Relief to launch a mobile clinic in Southern California, that dream became a reality.
"As a doctor I encounter many patients who are in dire need of care but can't afford its hefty price tag," says Khalid Memon, Director ICNA Relief Southern California and administrator at Al-Shifa Medical Center. "Al-Shifa Medical Center in San Bernardino was founded to address these very concerns, but we quickly realized that there were thousands of people we weren't able to help because of our clinic's fixed location. That's when the idea of a mobile clinic was born."
Al-Shifa teamed up with ICNA Relief, the social services branch of the Islamic Circle of North America, one of the largest grassroots American Muslim organizations in the United States. With a staff of trained physicians provided by Al-Shifa, and a van and numerous invaluable resources provided by ICNA Relief, the mobile clinic began to take shape.
The road to the clinic, however, was not without its bumps. ICNA Relief was the target of hate early last year when its fundraising dinner in Yorba Linda caught the attention of hate group Act for America. Protesters jeered at attendees, hurling insults at families and terrifying many of the young children entering the Yorba Linda Community Center.
"We were shocked by the allegations being made against ICNA," says Salman Syed, President ICNA Southern California. "There were false claims about what the money would be used for, with some saying we support the Muslim Brotherhood and others saying we finance terrorism. But those funds were put towards ICNA Relief projects right here in Southern California, including this mobile clinic."
The clinic provides primary medical care and operates out of a custom, fully equipped van that serves as an exam room for patients. The current staff includes Dr. Carla Toms, experienced street physician and assistant professor of family medicine at Loma Linda University, along with two certified medical assistants. Patients are treated to basic care, including blood pressure testing and general checkups, and, if needed, may be referred to a team of specialists at Al-Shifa Medical Center.
The clinic's inauguration in late January was a huge success according to Memon. "We've received a great response from the community thus far. Many leaders came out in support of the clinic, and have advertised our services during their Friday prayers. People are looking forward to our visits to their mosques and other community venues, and we feel confident that by the grace of God we will be able to address their health concerns."
The clinic currently operates on a weekly basis, visiting a different mosque in the Southern California area every Sunday. The clinic's first stops to mosques in Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga were met with success, with an average of 16-17 patients being seen each week. The organizers eventually plan to visit other types of locations such as churches, public libraries, fairs and other community locations in order to reach a more diverse group of patients. They also hope to expand their services after a year by adding more vans and volunteers.
"This clinic, like all of ICNA Relief's work, is about honoring Islamic values and following the example of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him," says Memon. "Many people have been misinformed about our faith, and don't know that our Islamic principles drive us to do good. We hope that projects like this clinic can challenge those misconceptions."
"God states in the Quran, 'And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he had saved all of humanity.' Prophet Muhammad also stressed the importance of helping others, saying that, 'A person is not a Muslim who fills his stomach while his neighbor is hungry.' We've worked in our community for years, and this project is just one of the many ways we choose to care for our neighbors and give back."
mashAllah, great endeavor! May Allah reward everyone involved in this project & bless it!


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Written by Charis Cook
One of the important ways that plant scientists are working to improve the lives of malnourished people in developing countries is through the development of staple crops that improve human nutrition. The most successful of these "biofortified" crops in Africa is the orange sweet potato, which should serve as a model for future enhanced varieties.
According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition this month, eating orange sweet potato reduces the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children in Uganda and Mozambique. Vitamin A is critical for the development of good vision as it is an essential component of rhodopsin, a pigment in photoreceptor cells in the eye. Consequently in poor communities in Africa and south-east Asia, where diets poor in vitamin A are widespread, vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness. Healthy levels of vitamin A are also necessary for normal organ formation and maintenance. Orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties contain more than 50-fold more β-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A after ingestion, than the yellow or white varieties commonly eaten in African countries.
The study monitored the effects of the Orange Sweet Potato (OSP) project, which was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and coordinated by HarvestPlus. The conclusions predict a promising future for the use of biofortified foods bred for increased nutritional value. It was the first large-scale study of its kind, involving 24,000 households from Uganda and Mozambique. Nutritionists and farmers educated communities on the health benefits of orange sweet potato and on growing, storing, and commercializing orange sweet potato crops. Local women were also given recipes and information about hygiene practices.
When the OSP project started, less than 10% of sweet potato crops in Uganda and Mozambique were orange-fleshed varieties. Two years later, roughly 50% of sweet potatoes grown were orange sweet potatoes. Children and women were eating two thirds more orange sweet potato than previously and in Mozambique, sweet potato provided 78% of their vitamin A uptake. This figure was 53% in Uganda.
The OSP initiative is undeniably a success. HarvestPlus is scaling it up to reach 255,000 households by 2016 and the International Potato Center hopes to introduce orange sweet potato to 600,000 households across 10 countries by 2015.
Future attempts to introduce biofortified crops would be wise to use the OSP model. The initial education phase was crucial for local participation in the project and for sustainable orange sweet potato production. HarvestPlus understood the necessity of communicating to the women who feed their children and grow the sweet potatoes, as well as the men, who control the family income and can commercialize the crop. Additionally, orange sweet potato was embraced easily because children like its taste and appearance, and their mothers were comfortable preparing and cooking it.
Importantly, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are naturally occurring and the biofortified varieties used for the OSP project were specifically bred by plant breeders. There was no 'frankenfood' stigma, unlike the much-hyped golden rice project, which so far has been a non-starter.
The use of genetically engineered crops is highly regulated and will never be straightforward, but if the OSP model is adapted, future successes with synthetically biofortified foods may be possible. The only difference between OSP and golden rice is genetic intervention: golden rice also improved vitamin A uptake in children who needed it, and both foods are easily incorporated into normal diets. Presumably, though I was unable to verify this, the orange sweet potato varieties are registered to an owner, but no one seems to have a problem with that – while they do with patented GM plant products like golden rice. While gene transfer between GM rice and other rice crops is possible, a perimeter of a few meters around the crop is enough to prevent this.
Perhaps if a strong emphasis had been placed on delivering high standards of information and education about golden rice, more progress would have been made toward its use in the real world. Future endeavors with biofortified foods, like soybeans containing high omega 3, may make faster progress if they use the OSP project as a model as far as possible.
This post is cross-posted from Weeding the Gems.
Written by Guest Expert
Charis Cook has a PhD in Biological Sciences from Royal Holloway, University of London. She has used her scientific expertise in a variety of science communication roles, including as Senior Business Interaction Manager at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Communication Officer for GARNet, a network to support UK plant scientists.


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Alger calls for "Return to Madison," vows to strengthen ties with Montpelier
At the gravesite of James Madison on what would have been his 262nd birthday, JMU president Jonathan R. Alger called for a return to the Madisonian ideal of a civil society and pledged to strengthen the university's relationship with Montpelier to help bring more attention to the man and his legacy.
"Perhaps more so than any other president or founder, James Madison is responsible for the creation and miraculous endurance of our republic," Alger said. "The sacred fire of liberty lit by Madison's ideas burns to this day and draws us here to honor him."
Madison's great innovation was to devise a system of government that allows for differing opinions and competing interests, Alger said. Without them, he said, our system eventually would topple.
While Americans today are professing respect for the Constitution, too often public discourse on the important challenges we face degenerates into shouting matches, name-calling and a cry for the elimination of opposing views on political, social, economic and cultural issues, Alger said. "We need a return to Madison," he said.
"If Madison were here today, I believe he would remind us of his level-headed assessment of our human limitations when we encounter and react to views that differ from our own, and of how we can all benefit from trying to listen to and understand the views of others with civility and respect, even as we hold and espouse our own cherished points of view," Alger said.
As the university named for James Madison, JMU can best honor his legacy by fostering and modeling civil and respectful discourse on the great issues of our time, Alger said. "If we enlighten ourselves through education and believe that we all are connected — even to those whose ideas, opinions and beliefs we might find repulsive — we honor Madison. I intend for this idea to be a hallmark of my administration at JMU."
JMU will also seek to partner in new and exciting ways with Montpelier. Some of those ideas are already taking shape, Alger said. For example, the JMU history department and the Adult Degree Program are working with faculty in the Center for the Constitution to create a course about James Madison and his ideas that will include online and in-person instruction as well as visits to Montpelier. The course will be available to JMU students and the general public. JMU will also honor the memory of James Madison's wife, Dolley, through a new initiative called Women for Madison that will celebrate the vital role women play in leading and cultivating a culture of philanthropy. Finally, in a symbolic gesture, President Alger said he and JMU study-abroad students will take Madison's spirit with them this summer when they visit the gravesite of Machiavelli — a big influence on Madison's political thought — at the Basilica di Santa Croce in central Florence.
"Let's go from this ceremony with a renewed sense of our roles as citizens and the power we have to live the ideals James Madison handed down to us through the ages," Alger said.
Alger's speech at Montpelier capped a weeklong celebration of his inauguration as JMU's sixth president.
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Ron Jeremy, Twin Playboy Bunnies Involved in Failed Scheme to Ensnare Psycho Killer Luka Magnotta in 2011
An animal rights group sought to enlist the services of porn icon Ron Jeremy for a 2011 sting operation intended to bring animal abuse suspect Luka Rocco Magnotta to justice.
Before he became infamous for allegedly murdering and dismembering Chinese university student Lin Jun, Magnotta, an aspiring porn star, posted videos to the web of himself torturing kittens.
Rescue Ink hoped twin Playboy centerfolds Sia and Shane Barbi could assist them in convincing Jeremy to lure Magnotta to Los Angeles with the promise of a part in a porn film, but The Hedgehog backed out at the last minute out of concern for his safety.
"It's like an episode from some TV show. The [guy] comes to the set with lube in one hand and his schmeckle in the other thinking he has a job, and the cops tackle him to the ground," Jeremy told the Canadian Press. "That's good for the movies. That doesn't work in real life."
Rescue Ink is a Queens-based organization that relies on its members' law enforcement and military background to employ more direct methods in dealing with animal abuse suspects. Their motto is "sometimes the road to redemption isn't always a peaceful one."
Jeremy said he wanted to help out, but was "spooked" when Sia Barbi mentioned that Magnotta "could eventually harm humans." Jeremy suggested a larger shoot with multiple participants, but his schedule did not afford him the time to organize it.
Magnotta was arrested last month in Berlin and charged with Lin's murder. He later appeared before a judge in Montreal and pleaded not guilty to the crime.
[photos via AP]


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|Llewellyn's 2019 Daily Planetary Guide
|Yoga for the Creative Soul
|The Pure Heart of Yoga
Dr. Joe Slate and I have written a book entitled Psychic Empowerment for Everyone. Joe is a parapsychologist, a practicing psychologist, the author of sixteen books in three languages, a clinical hypnotist, founder of the International Parapsychology Research Foundation, and a retired professor from the University of Northern Alabama. As for me, I've been publishing books for a half-century and am a life-long student of parapsychology, the occult, Jungian psychology, astrology, magic, Wicca, and most related subjects. Basically, I'm an observer and a philosopher.
What's the difference between "Psychic Phenomena" and "Psychic Empowerment?"
Yes, it may be entertaining and helpful to be in the audience of a TV show where the host or guest communicates on your behalf with the recently deceased, and answers questions about life-after-death, assures you of your own spiritual immortality and of continuing love between the worlds—but how much more helpful it will be to do all this yourself?
Yes, reading, listening, and watching are all easy, safe, and non-challenging ways to learn more about the paranormal world—but how much empowering would it be to be doing it yourself?
You can do it yourself. Everyone has psychic powers, and anyone can develop psychic skills to turn those powers into ways to live a more exciting life, ways that will provide you with helpful enhancements to all that you do and experience, and ways to give your life greater meaning and purpose. Psychic empowerment is available to you and to everyone.
That's the difference between relating to phenomena from the outside and producing it from the inside. That's the difference between being an observer and a being an active doer with intent. That's the difference between being a receiver and being a giver. Psychic empowerment is about your own psychic skills.
To become empowered is to have it all. To become psychically empowered is to grow in ways that bring personal benefit and spiritual attainment. Psychic empowerment expands your awareness and understanding of everything that is happening and gives you the means to participate in change. In this book, the authors open your eyes to the fascinating inside view of the world and open your heart and mind to being part of that world. In this book, the authors provide you with the means to become more than you are and to fulfill your life purpose. Psychic empowerment gives your life meaning and purpose.
Psychic Empowerment for Everyone shows that you already have Psychic Powers and teaches you how to turn them into Psychic Skills that will enhance your Relationships, improve your Job Skills, increase your Self-Knowledge and Self-Understanding, and set you on the Path of the Great Adventure of Living more Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, and Spiritually full. The choice is yours to make.
What IS Psychic Empowerment?
Psychic Empowerment is about the growth and development of the ninety percent of the under-developed human psyche. It's about becoming more than you are now and awakening your whole being to realize the potential.
Psychic Empowerment is actually about your full empowerment—emotional, mental, and spiritual; it's the development of your Etheric, Astral, Mental, and Spiritual bodies. Psychic Development is an essential part of this as your Whole Self is realized.
We don't use the full potential with which we are all born—mental, psychic, spiritual, and physical—and, for the most part, we're content to leave it that way. A good analogy is the physical body: many people neglect their physical bodies, instead of realizing their full physical potential. We are familiar with people who convert their natural physical powers to physical skills through training and practice. We need not become Olympic Champions, but we do need to work responsibly with our birthright to gain greater health and a longer and more complete life.
But, we are more than just the physical body. Our Mind is more than the brain, and our Emotions are more than the hormones coursing through our body and sending signals to the brain. We start with Self-Understanding to move through Self-Improvement to Self-Transcendence. Our goal is Self-Fulfillment.
Why Develop Psychic Powers?
Everyone has psychic powers: you were born with them. But like other things you were born with, you need development and training to turn these powers into skills. That doesn't mean that you have to become a professional psychic to use your psychic powers. The truth is that you are using them all the time without being aware of doing so, and in many cases denying yourself the benefit that could easily improve your life in many ways.
The goal of psychic empowerment is not specifically the development of psychic powers but rather the expanded awareness that accompanies opening our psychic "doors and windows." The easiest way to discuss this is in terms of a three-fold model of consciousness: 1) the Subconscious Mind (also called the Lower Self); 2) Ordinary Awareness (also called the Conscious Mind); and 3) the Super-Conscious Mind (or Higher Self), with its access to the Collective Unconscious.
Basically, we are confined—through self-choice, ignorance, and the cultural milieu modeled by science and religion—to Ordinary Awareness or what we think of as our day-to-day consciousness and reality. Our awareness of the Subconscious Mind is largely that of the few dreams we may remember. And only very rarely is there any awareness at the Super-Conscious level and only passive contact with the contents of the Collective Unconscious.
Everyone has Psychic Powers; some few people have psychic experiences in the form of hunches, premonitions, feelings, and dreams. Others may access their Psychic World through creative brainstorming sessions, inspirations, and "sleeping on" problems.
Some people will have trained Psychic Skills of Clairvoyance, Aura Reading, Channeling, traveling Out-of-Body, and Dream Interpretation. And there are other people who have mastered particular tools to gain access to the Psychic Dimension such as the Tarot, Pendulums, I Ching, and Runes. Even with Astrology and its mathematical foundations and astronomical references, the successful astrologer has integrated its practice in ways that involve psychic skills even unknowingly. In addition, the Tarot and Kabbalistic Pathworking are particularly dynamic methods not only to access the Unconscious but also to expand Conscious Awareness into aspects of the Collective Unconscious and the Astral and Mental Planes. Meditation, Self-Hypnosis, and Prayer are also dynamic methods of Psychic Expansion.
I believe that success in any endeavor results from some psychic skill. But with understanding and psychic development, your success will increase.
How Can We Develop Our Psychic Skills?
Instead of this esoteric terminology, we can use the psychological model of the subconscious mind, the middle consciousness of everyday awareness, and the super consciousness with its connection to the collective unconscious. Your middle consciousness that you are when you're awake is only a very small part of your whole self. The other parts make up more than ninety percent of the real you.
We explore the greater you in our book, but I want to remind you that you do use some of your psychic potential already. You sometimes have hunches, sometimes you have flashes of intuition, sometimes your feelings give you information about a person or situation, your dreams sometimes give you information that's difficult to interpret, and sometimes things happen that save you from an accident or other harm. You need to start paying attention to these "nudges" from your greater self. You have to give them respect and learn their "language" of signs and symbols and feelings. When you pay attention, you expand your awareness beyond the narrow band of ordinary consciousness. You have broadband capacity and many channels; these are illustrated in Psychic Empowerment for Everyone.
You do open the door to the subconscious mind when you go to sleep—but that's the problem. This whole, vast, resource is closed off because you're "asleep at the switch" and don't know how to turn the lights on! Dreams are doorways into the subconscious, but you have to learn to interpret them and understand how to make them work for you. Meditation is another tool, and so is prayer. As previously mentioned, there are other various tools you can use to open windows to the subconscious, including the Tarot, the pendulum, runes, the I Ching hexagrams, and others. And you can learn how to "dream true" as a very easy way to mobilize the subconscious' immense resources.
One of the most reliable tools is self-hypnosis, which provides you with very specific keys to reach in and get what you want from the subconscious. And self-hypnosis is also a reliable way to access the astral world, to recover memories and past life experiences, to discover skills from past lives, and to access the "akashic records" for specific information you want or need.
But the most important thing you can do is to actually change your world. And when enough people change their personal worlds they can start changing the bigger world we share with everyone else. We can make the world a better place; we can have Peace, Prosperity, and Progress; we can have Enlightenment, Enrichment, and Empowerment.
Psychic Empowerment is not only your birthright, but also your responsibility to develop to fulfill your potential and to use your expanded conscious as a Human Citizen to aid all humanity and the health of home planet move on to the real New Age.
What you can do (and what we can do together) as you unfold and integrate your psychic powers has no limit. But it does require some effort, and some practice, and above all desire to grow and become more than you are.
All of this and more is detailed in Psychic Empowerment for Everyone.
Carl Llewellyn Weschcke (Minnesota) was the owner and chairman of Llewellyn Worldwide, the world's oldest and largest metaphysical publisher. He played a seminal role in the rise of Wicca and Neo-Paganism in the 1960s and ...