text:
I haven't won anything, but I have a question - how do the bloggers get the stuff that they give away for free? I am assuming that they don't pay for it themselves... clues? Thanks!
Some of you may recall that I used be a hardcore sweeper. My past winnings included everything from trips to cash to a private movie screening. In the years since I wrote that article, the landscape of prize promotions has changed drastically. More specifically, blogs have gotten in on the action, and many brands are choosing to work with them over their traditional online promotional methods. If you want a piece of the prize pie, check out these tips for scoring sweet giveaway offerings via blogs.
Why blog giveaways? Prizes can be small in value (less than $5) or large (like a new iPad or a backyard play set). The number of entries, however, are reasonable. My own blog (with a monthly reader count of less than 10,000) has given away a variety of prizes over the years. For some, like a $25 Walmart gift card, the entries were in the hundreds. For others, there were less than 10 entries! With odds like that, it pays to enter. (You just don't see odds like that on national promotions, where the entries are often in the tens of thousands!) (See also: 6 Signs That a Winning Notification Email Is a Fake)
Now that you're certain you want in, here is how to find those blog promotions:
Back in the early days of blog giveaways (2007 or so), you had to crawl the web to find giveaways. Sites like IceRocket were useful for plugging in search terms like "giveaway" and "contest" to see who was giving away what. If you were lucky, you could find three to five new blog giveaways a day that no one had heard of. Now, of course, there are thousands of blog giveaways going on at any one time, so this method is a bit vague. If you insist on searching specifically for blog giveaways, be sure to plug in prize descriptors to narrow down the results. (Try searching "blog giveaway Tony Hawk Shred," for example, if you want to find that particular prize being offered.) There are no guarantees that your results will net only active giveaways, but it is a start. IceRocket is still a very good tool for this method.
As the number of blog giveaways increases, so does the giveaways' influence on sites like Online-Sweepstakes.com. When I joined there over eight years ago, there was no such thing as a "blog giveaway" listing. Now they make up over half of the active giveaway listings. Some longtime sweepers complain about this (they find the system of commenting for prizes more annoying than just filling out a form with automatic form-filling software). Others welcome the chance to get entered in prize drawings with a smaller number of entrants than a national prize promotion. The odds are just better. Sites like OS and SweepsAdvantage have updated their systems to accommodate the requirements for blog entries, so if you like what they have to offer, they are a great way to stay organized with your entries.
If you've had enough of the traditional sweepstakes altogether and want to focus solely on blog giveaways, there are a number of great directories to help you out. Among my faves are Prizey.net and Blog Giveaway Directory, both of which selectively choose which giveaways to list. Tip Junkie also allows users to add their own to the directory.
One of the best ways to find a great number of giveaways at one time (in one place) is to stay on top of blog-link roundups. Link roundups are posts within popular blogs that allow other bloggers to link up their own giveaways in hopes of helping them get promoted. Sites that do this well include Deal Seeking Mom's Giveaway Gathering and A Nut in a Nutshell's Giveaway Parade. Both offer over 200 active blog listings each week!
There is always a reward for being a loyal blog follower, and that's evident by the number of blogs that give away prizes specifically for their email or RSS feed subscribers. To ensure that you're eligible for these "subscriber-only" promotions, be sure your subscriptions are updated and that you check your feed and emails regularly. While you can't closely follow every blog that gives away prizes, by staying true to a handful, you can increase your odds of jumping on promotions while they are hot and the odds are in your favor.
Yep, even Twitter is getting in on the action. Just do a search for #giveaway at any time of day, and see hundreds of Tweets promoting prizes from bloggers and brands. Keep in mind, however, that you'll see a lot of clutter via this method, but it can be an effective way to find and enter blog giveaways that are closing soon or that are looking for last-minute entries for a poorly attended promotion.
As with any method of winning, it takes persistence and patience to see the prizes come in. I can tell you for a fact, however, that consistent entering will pay off. There are frequent visitors to my blog who enter every promotion, and they have won more than a few times. If you're willing to put in the work of visiting blogs, commenting, and waiting, you could be a winner, too!
Have you won a prize from a blog lately? Tell us about it!
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I haven't won anything, but I have a question - how do the bloggers get the stuff that they give away for free? I am assuming that they don't pay for it themselves... clues? Thanks!
Hi, Erin! Thanks for your question. Most bloggers receive the prizes free from companies that wish to have their products promoted on the blog. For example, if a cleaning products company wanted blog readers to know about a new soap they offered, they would work with the blogger to hold a giveaway on the blog, providing the soap prizes for free. I know of bloggers who have purchased their own prizes, as well. You can usually (but not always) find a disclosure at the bottom of many of the posts (or within the context of the post) stating who provided the prizes. At the conclusion of the giveaway, the blogger is either responsible for mailing the prizes directly to the winner, or the company may do so for them. This is similar to how radio stations, newspapers, and magazines get prizes for their promotions. I hope this answers your question!
Really great tips, Linsey!
I don't enter blog contests much, but if I come across one it's always ideal to get in on the action. You never know what can happen. In fact, I won the wedding rings my husband and I wear from a blog/online jeweler partnership that was seeking the best "how did you meet?" story. Winning those rings saved us a couple thousand dollars and it's another great story to tell.
No way! That's an awesome prize, Mikey! I have to admit that now that I'm running so many giveaways for other people, I don't have the time or heart to hit it hard like I used to. Back in the day (when I was winning lots of prizes), I was spending an hour a day or more entering. It was worth it, however. Now, I just enjoy watching other people win ;)
I have won some pretty cool things from blogs. Some of the things that I have won: wii games, iPod, Northface jacket, Coach purse, tons of jewelry and books, not to mention the toys! I have a storage container always full of random toys to give for birthdays and holidays!
People seem to think that their hard-luck stories are needed to win blog prizes. Such a turn-off. What do bloggers or companies particularly look for from contestants or have people won on a totally random basis? I've had success at winning a few times on one particular blog giveaway that I've entered so I'm wondering if it was based on what I wrote or not. Thanks for your tips!
It is my great pleasure to visit your website and to enjoy your excellent post here. I like that very much.
I recently won a Bracketron Ipad 2 cover from a twitter giveaway. I do not own an Ipad 2, but none the less it will come in handy for when (hopefully), I am able to purchase one. Surprisingly, I received it in two days after the announcement.


text:
Virtual Users And Domains With Postfix, Courier, MySQL And SquirrelMail (Mandriva 2010.0 x86_64)
Version 1.0
Author: Falko Timme
Follow me on Twitter
This tutorial is Copyright (c) 2010 by Falko Timme. It is derived from a tutorial from Christoph Haas which you can find at http://workaround.org. You are free to use this tutorial under the Creative Commons license 2.5 or any later version.
This document describes how to install a Postfix mail server that is based on virtual users and domains, i.e. users and domains that are in a MySQL database. I'll also demonstrate the installation and configuration of Courier (Courier-POP3, Courier-IMAP), so that Courier can authenticate against the same MySQL database Postfix uses.
The resulting Postfix server is capable of SMTP-AUTH and TLS and quota (quota is not built into Postfix by default, I'll show how to patch your Postfix appropriately). Passwords are stored in encrypted form in the database (most documents I found were dealing with plain text passwords which is a security risk). In addition to that, this tutorial covers the installation of Amavisd, SpamAssassin and ClamAV so that emails will be scanned for spam and viruses. I will also show how to install SquirrelMail as a webmail interface so that users can read and send emails and change their passwords.
The advantage of such a "virtual" setup (virtual users and domains in a MySQL database) is that it is far more performant than a setup that is based on "real" system users. With this virtual setup your mail server can handle thousands of domains and users. Besides, it is easier to administrate because you only have to deal with the MySQL database when you add new users/domains or edit existing ones. No more postmap commands to create db files, no more reloading of Postfix, etc. For the administration of the MySQL database you can use web based tools like phpMyAdmin which will also be installed in this howto. The third advantage is that users have an email address as user name (instead of a user name + an email address) which is easier to understand and keep in mind.
This tutorial is based on Mandriva 2010.0 (x86_64). You should already have set up a basic Mandriva system, as described in the chapters 1 to 7 of this tutorial: https://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-server-mandriva-2010.0-free-x86_64-ispconfig-2. Please leave out chapter 6.1 Creating An Auto-Update Script, because if there's a Postfix update, it will replace our custom-built Postfix that we will build in chapter 3!
This howto is meant as a practical guide; it does not cover the theoretical backgrounds. They are treated in a lot of other documents in the web.
This document comes without warranty of any kind! I want to say that this is not the only way of setting up such a system. There are many ways of achieving this goal but this is the way I take. I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!
Preliminary Note
The system should have a static IP address. I use 192.168.0.100 as my IP address in this tutorial and server1.example.com as the hostname.
1 Install Apache, MySQL, phpMyAdmin
First we update our package database:
urpmi.update -a
We can install the packages with one single command:
urpmi MySQL MySQL-client lib64mysql-devel phpmyadmin db4-devel html2text lib64sasl-devel openssl-devel openldap-devel pcre-devel postgresql8.4-devel rpm-build
2 Install Courier And Saslauthd
To install Courier and saslauthd, we simply run:
urpmi courier-authlib courier-authlib-mysql courier-imap courier-pop cyrus-sasl lib64sasl2 lib64sasl2-devel lib64sasl2-plug-plain lib64sasl2-plug-anonymous lib64sasl2-plug-crammd5 lib64sasl2-plug-digestmd5 lib64sasl2-plug-gssapi lib64sasl2-plug-login
3 Apply Quota Patch To Postfix
We have to get the Postfix source rpm, patch it with the quota patch, build a new Postfix rpm package and install it.
cd /usr/src
wget ftp://wftp.tu-chemnitz.de/pub/linux/mandrakelinux/official/2010.0/SRPMS/main/release/postfix-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.src.rpm
rpm -ivh postfix-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.src.rpm
The last command will show some warnings that you can ignore:
warning: user mandrake does not exist - using root
warning: group mandrake does not exist - using root
Now we patch the Postfix sources with the postfix-2.6.5-vda-ng patch (from http://vda.sourceforge.net/):
cd /root/rpmbuild/SOURCES
tar xvfz postfix-2.6.5.tar.gz
gunzip postfix-2.6.5-vda-ng.patch.gz
cd postfix-2.6.5
patch -p1 < ../postfix-2.6.5-vda-ng.patch
cd ..
mv postfix-2.6.5.tar.gz postfix-2.6.5.tar.gz_orig
tar -pczf postfix-2.6.5.tar.gz postfix-2.6.5/
rm -fr postfix-2.6.5/
gzip postfix-2.6.5-vda-ng.patch
Then we build our new Postfix rpm package with quota and MySQL support:
cd /root/rpmbuild/SPECS/
rpmbuild -ba postfix.spec
Our Postfix rpm package is created in /root/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64, so we go there:
cd /root/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64
The command
ls -l
shows you the available packages:
[root@server1 x86_64]# ls -l
total 3388
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 230449 2010-03-08 17:29 lib64postfix1-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1351340 2010-03-08 17:29 postfix-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1763590 2010-03-08 17:29 postfix-debug-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 30266 2010-03-08 17:29 postfix-ldap-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 25460 2010-03-08 17:29 postfix-mysql-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 25617 2010-03-08 17:29 postfix-pcre-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 25476 2010-03-08 17:29 postfix-pgsql-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
[root@server1 x86_64]#
First uninstall your current Postfix package...
urpme postfix
...then pick the postfix and the postfix-mysql packages and install them like this:
rpm -ivh postfix-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm postfix-mysql-2.6.5-2mdv2010.0.x86_64.rpm
4 Set MySQL Passwords And Configure phpMyAdmin
By default, networking is not enabled in Mandriva 2010.0's MySQL package, but networking is required by ISPConfig. We can change this by commenting out the line skip-networking in /etc/my.cnf:
vi /etc/my.cnf
[...] # Don't listen on a TCP/IP port at all. This can be a security enhancement, # if all processes that need to connect to mysqld run on the same host. # All interaction with mysqld must be made via Unix sockets or named pipes. # Note that using this option without enabling named pipes on Windows # (via the "enable-named-pipe" option) will render mysqld useless! # #skip-networking [...]
Afterwards, we create the system startup links for Apache and MySQL...
chkconfig mysqld on
chkconfig httpd on
... and start both services:
/etc/init.d/mysqld start
/etc/init.d/httpd start
Now check that networking is enabled. Run
netstat -tap | grep mysql
The output should look like this:
[root@server1 x86_64]# netstat -tap | grep mysql
tcp 0 0 *:mysql-im *:* LISTEN 14395/mysqlmanager
tcp 0 0 *:mysql *:* LISTEN 14403/mysqld
[root@server1 x86_64]#
Next, run
mysqladmin -u root password yourrootsqlpassword
mysqladmin -h server1.example.com -u root password yourrootsqlpassword
to set a password for the user root (otherwise anybody can access your MySQL database!).
Now you can direct your browser to http://server1.example.com/phpmyadmin/ or http://192.168.0.100/phpmyadmin/ and log in with the user name root and your new root MySQL password.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Third-Party Interventions before the European Court of Human Rights
Amicus Curiae, Member-State and Th iAmicus Curiae, Member-State and Third-Party Interventions
Over the past decades the European Court of Human Rights has been increasingly engaged in constitutional decision-making. In this time the Court has decided whether abortion, assisted suicide, and surrogate motherhood are human rights. The Court's judgments therefore do not just affect the parties to a particular case, but individuals, other member states, and often European society at large. Unsurprisingly, a variety of entities such as non-governmental organisations, try to participate in the Court's proceedings as third-party interveners. Acknowledging a certain public interest in its decision-making, the Court accepted the first intervention in 1979. Since that time, interventions by individuals, member states and non-governmental organisations have increased. Yet despite this long-standing practice, third-party interventions have never been fully theorised.
Third-Party Interventions before the European Court of Human Rights is the first comprehensive and empirical study on third-party interventions before an international court. Analysing all cases between 1979 and 2016 to which an intervention was made the book explores their potential influence on the reasoning and decision-making of the Court. It further argues that there are three different types of intervention playing different roles in the administration of justice: amicus curiae interventions by organisations with a virtual interest in the case which strengthen the Court's legitimacy in its democratic environment; member state interventions reinforcing state sovereignty; and actual third-party interventions by individuals who are involved in the facts of a case and who are protecting their own legal interests. As a consequence, the book makes a plea for applying distinct admissibility criteria to the different type of interventions as well as a more transparent procedure when accepting and denying interventions.
Dr Nicole Bürli has been a human rights adviser with the World Organisation Against Torture since 2014. Prior to this, she was a research associate at the University of Zurich (2008–2012) and a visiting fellow at the University of Copenhagen (2012) and the University of Cambridge (2013). Nicole Bürli holds law degrees from the University of Bern and the University of Zurich.
|Type of product
|9781780684611 / 9781780685939
|600 g
|Number of pages
|lii + 214 p.
|Access to exercice
|Publication Date
|Aug 1, 2017
|Available on Jurisquare
|Available on Strada Belgique
|Available on Strada Europe
|Available on Strada Luxembourg
- Table of Contents
- Chapter 1. Introduction
- Chapter 2. Amicus Curiae Intervention
- Chapter 3. Member-State Intervention
- Chapter 4. Actual Third-Party Intervention
- Chapter 5. Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index


text:
Upon A Burning Body have posted a new music video for "Sin City," a track off the band's latest album, Red. White. Green., which was released earlier this year through Sumerian Records.
The video, which was directed by ambitious.films, was filmed live in Stuttgart, Germany. You can check it out below.
Keep up with Upon A Burning Body on Facebook and at Sumerian Records' website.


text:
Girl Next Door: February 2007
Stats: 34-23-33
Height: 5'4" l Hair: Brown l Eyes: Green
Number of pics: 44
Photography: Justin Price
Laura has that sexy look of a thin girl with big boobs, and there are some great shots in this pictorial as she shows off her figure. There are some great, artistic shots from Justin Price using shadows and then plenty of body shots showing off her "tits on a stick" figure. Very sexy!
Hot Videos & Galleries!
Sexy Slideshows
Photo after photo of beautiful women for your viewing pleasure.
Bond Girls in bikinis
Check out this slideshow of some of the most iconic bikini-clad Bond Girls to show up in the series.
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.
Sexy Girls and Cars
Check out this slideshow of hot babes and cool cars.
Audrina Patridge
The Hills sexy star, Audrina Patridge recently posed for Ralph Magazine!
Jenn Sterger Gallery
Here are some of the best Jenn Sterger pics. We can see why Brett Favre became obsessed with her.
Celebrity Slideshows
Check out all the hot celebrity babe photos in these celebrity slideshows.


text: Scroll down for the video.The Green Puck campaign started in Gelsenkirchen just before Team USA and host nation Germany opened the 2010 IIHF World Championship in front of a then-world record crowd of 77,803 fans.For the 2011 IIHF World Championship it will be used for the warm-ups of all 56 games in Bratislava and Kosice.The messages of the campaign are simple and clear. "Doping is not hockey" and "doping is offside" are the slogans written on the green pucks that are used for the warm-up and that are supported by prominent players, coaches, referees and other hockey personalities from around the globe that can be seen on the video below this text.The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) believes in the true spirit of sports and rejects any use of doping and drugs. This message is underlined in the campaign in co-operation with the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).Personalities including Zdeno Chara, Peter Forsberg, Wayne Gretzky, Sergei Kostitsyn, Jari Kurri, Kim Martin, Mark Streit, Hayley Wickenheiser and Henrik Zetterberg bring their messages to the future of hockey in different languages to encourage players to stay away from performance-enhancing drugs.An e-learning tool where you can earn a certificate was launched with the campaign and the Green Puck leaflet is available for download in nine different languages: Croatian, Dutch, English, Estonian, French, German, Romanian, Russian, Spanish. "The IIHF was one of the first international federations to be WADA Code compliant," IIHF President René Fasel said. "Although doping is a rarity in international ice hockey, we realize that we are not immune to people who want to cheat by taking banned substances. This is why the IIHF, together with WADA, has launched the Green Puck campaign. Our main goal is to create awareness about the risks of doping."The IIHF is the first international sport organization to use the concept of green sport equipment for such a campaign together with WADA. Other federations are also being encouraged to adopt the idea to promote the spirit of sport without doping.The opening game in May 2010 was the first time in IIHF history that pucks of another colour than black have been used.Since the premiere the green pucks have been used in all events of the 2011 IIHF World Championship program to bring over the strong message against doping, and the campaign continues in Slovakia.The Green Puck Video


text:
Bone Density Scan (QDR)
Your doctor has ordered a bone density scan (QDR). The role of this procedure is to diagnose osteoporosis or to be a follow-up for patients who have been treated for osteoporosis. Our team of specialized doctors, nurses and technologists is led by Alessandro D'Agnolo, MD, and Louise E.J. Thomson, MBChB, co-chiefs of Nuclear Medicine.
- Why choose the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center for a bone density scan?
- To schedule an appointment, please call 310-423-8000.
Before Your Exam
- You can print and fill out the Bone Density Questionnaire before arriving to speed the registration process.
- Please wear comfortable clothing with no metal or zippers to the exam. You may be asked to change clothes prior to the exam if necessary.
- No nuclear medicine scans or contrast studies should be done one week prior to this exam.
- Please notify us if you have had back surgery or a hip replacement using metal clips.
- If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.
- We want to make your waiting time as pleasant as possible. Consider bringing your favorite magazine, book or music player to help you pass the time.
- Please leave your jewelry and valuables at home.
During Your Exam
- Once in the exam room, the technologist will explain your exam and answer any questions you may have.
- You will be asked to lie flat on your back with your arms at your side.
- We will be measuring the mineral content of your bones.
- The scan will be done with a low energy X-ray beam that produces very little radiation.
- The scan will be painless and will take approximately 15 minutes.
After Your Exam
- There are no post-exam instructions.
- Your study will be reviewed by an imaging physician specialist and the results sent to your physician. Your physician will discuss these results with you and explain what they mean in relation to your health.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 310-423-8000.
The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center provides a full range of advanced imaging, both radiology and cardiology, as well as interventional radiology and interventional tumor (oncology) treatments to the greater Los Angeles area, including Beverly Hills, Encino, Mid-Cities, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Studio City, Toluca Lake and West Hollywood.


text:
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you
Woo woo woo...
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson
"Joltin Joe" has left and gone away?
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey!
—Paul Simon, from Mrs. Robinson (The Graduate)
Just before the Easter weekend, the Wall Street Journal's Dollar's Decline Speeds Up, With Risks for U.S. spelled out the alarming decline of the dollar.
The U.S. dollar's downward slide is accelerating as low interest rates, inflation concerns and the massive federal budget deficit undermine the currency.
With no relief in sight for the dollar on any of those fronts, the downward pressure on the dollar is widely expected to continue.
The dollar fell nearly 1% against a broad basket of currencies this week, following a drop of similar size last week. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index closed at its lowest level since August 2008, before the financial crisis intensified...
The main driver for the dollar's decline is low interest rates in the U.S. compared with higher and rising rates abroad. Lower rates mean a lower return on cash—and the pressure from that factor could intensify next week when the Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee is expected to signal that U.S. short-term rates will likely remain near zero for many months to come. On Wednesday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to give the central bank's first-ever press conference following a policy-setting meeting.
But it is worry about the U.S. budget deficit that is intensifying the selloff. On Monday, investors were spooked by a warning from Standard & Poor's that it might take away the U.S. government's coveted AAA rating status amid concerns the Obama administration and Republicans in Congress might not be able to agree to significant reductions in the deficit.
In addition, Chinese government officials have stepped up rhetoric hinting they might diversify their $3 trillion of currency reserves away from U.S. dollars. Such a shift would chip away at what has been a substantial source of dollar-buying in recent years.
Just as Tim Geithner, Paul Krugman and other China bashers have wanted, the Chinese have allowed the Yuan to rise in value, in part to dampen their severe inflation problem.
China has in recent weeks been allowing its currency, the yuan, to appreciate steadily. This poses two challenges to the dollar.
- First, the more Beijing lets its currency rise, the less it needs to buy dollars to offset yuan strength.
- Second, other Asian countries that compete with China for exports may also allow their currencies to strengthen against the dollar.
Washington has been pushing Beijing to let the yuan rise against the dollar and other currencies, in order, among other things, to help reduce the U.S. trade deficit. But a continued decline in the value of the dollar is a double-edged sword for the U.S. economy.
It's a "double-edged sword" for our economy because the weakening dollar raises the price of imported goods for Americans, including the price of oil. That's the Bad News. The Good News, we've always been told by Krugman and the rest, is that a weaker dollar supports American exports.
A weaker dollar is a boon for U.S. exporters by making their goods more competitively priced. This has been a tailwind for technology companies and manufacturers, a bright spot in the otherwise slow economic recovery.
Since the recovery started in the third quarter of 2009, exports have contributed about 1.4 percentage points to the nation's 3.0% annualized growth rate, marking trade's biggest share of growth over an 18-month stretch on record.
There is a source of comfort, the Journal's Tom Lauricella tells us.
One source of comfort for the government is that the dollar's decline has been orderly. Against a broad basket of currencies, the dollar is down 9.1% from a year ago. In 2003 and 2004—a period of very low interest rates engineered by Mr. Bernanke's predecessor, Alan Greenspan—it registered annual declines of closer to 10%.
An orderly decline. That makes me feel better! I think this is a good time to throw in the long-term dollar chart, don't you?
There is little doubt that a weak dollar is the "unofficial" policy of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Even as I write this, I can hear the feverish, fearful cries of the Dollar Collapsers, the Gold Bugs, the Hyperinflationistas, and many others calling out to me, telling me in no uncertain terms to buy gold, silver, oil, corn, wheat—anything with tangible value I can get my hands on. But like the vast majority of Americans, I am not in position financially to buy any of these things. I must use dollars. As CNBC tells me, if I don't like a weak dollar, I might as well get used to it. Get used to it?
In short, as trader Dennis Gartman noted Thursday, "the rout of the US dollar" is in full effect.
"Panic dollar selling is setting in," Gartman, a hedge fund manager and author of "The Gartman Letter," wrote in his daily commentary. "This may carry farther than any of us dream of or, worse, have nightmares of."
How low can it go?
Rick Bensignor, chief market strategist at Dahlman Rose in New York, said the dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of select other global currencies, has scant technical support "that has any meaning" between its present level and the historical low of 70.70...Food prices also are on a steady climb higher. In both cases, a weak dollar is at least somewhat to blame as it drives commodities, which are priced in dollars and therefore cheaper and more attractive to speculators in the global marketplace.
But the stock market has enjoyed the weak dollar.
The Standard & Poor's 500 and the dollar have had almost a perfectly inverse relationship this year, with the stock index gaining just over 6 percent in 2011 and the dollar losing 6.5 percent.
Thus we have the usual story. The predominantly wealthy investors in the stock market are thriving, while the rest of us seek shelter from the storm. And what if those crafty Chinese start dumping dollars—they're holding over 3,000,000,000,000 of them—like there's no tomorrow? And who will buy our Treasury bonds? And why do I have this sinking feeling? Why am I filled with unsettling, nebulous feelings of impending ruin? I hope our esteemed Fed chairman, Dr. Ben Bernanke, will address these questions during his upcoming Wednesday press conference. Like the rest of you, I hang on his every word
How low can the dollar go? I think we're about to find out.


text:
14K Single Letter Signet Ring
Regular price
Sale price
Unit price per
Exceptional Quality, Unbeatable Values
At TVON, we take immense pride in offering our customers the best in fine jewelry at exceptional prices. It starts with the top-quality, natural gemstones meticulously curated by our ownership and their generations of experience in the gemstone trade. Our wide selection of award-winning designs means you can always find something to elevate your look. All of our jewelry is expertly handcrafted with solid 14 karat gold and VS diamonds, giving you the sparkle and shine.
We Are Here For You
We are committed to helping you own your dream piece. We offer the option to buy now and pay later through Affirm. We guarantee free 2 day shipping on all orders in the contiguous United States. All of our jewelry comes with a lifetime warranty, so you can always send your piece back for cleaning, resizing, and repairs.
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Category: Minifigure, Legs Assembly
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As homeowners, we have all gotten in over our heads and found ourselves overwhelmed by those tricky home repairs and improvement projects. Deciding we are fully capable of accomplishing a project, we often find ourselves wishing we had hired more capable hands. Contractors are skilled and experienced in their respective fields and are always on hand to provide excellent service to those in need.
Home improvement is often riddled with unforeseen problems that an inexperienced homeowner cannot anticipate. Contractors, with their abundance of experience, can often anticipate problems before they occur and find solutions to any problem that may arise. This is the difference that many homeowners do not consider before making the decision of whether or not to hire a professional.
With a great deal of problems that may arise, more complex projects such as home exterior painting should always be left to professional contractors. Sometimes, a homeowner will be skilled and experienced in a certain field, such as home painting, and in these cases, doing the work oneself may prove to be a better option. However, these skilled homeowners are few and far between, so for the majority of you homeowners, hiring a professional to do the home improvement work on your house will pay dividends in the end. Not only will the project look much better upon completion, but having a professional do the work will allow you to relax and trust that your project is in excellent hands. With so much experience and training in the field, contractors are valuable assets to any project.


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Lady Gaga's manager says the pop star is "doing unbelievable" a month after she had hip surgery that caused her to cancel her U.S. tour.
Vincent Herbert said in an interview Tuesday the 26-year-old Grammy winner is "doing wonderful, doing great."
Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, canceled her "Born This Way Ball" tour last month. She'd hurt herself while performing some time ago.
Herbert says Gaga is finishing her new album, "ARTPOP," and is "ready to get back to work."
He calls the new album "very, very refreshing" and says the "Born This Way" singer continues to "push the envelope."
Herbert adds: "I can't wait for the world to hear her new music and see her come back healthy, strong and better than ever."
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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Here is video of the talk I gave at re:publica 2010 in Berlin on The German Paradox: Privacy, publicness, and penises. (Don't be frightened by the first moments in German; it's just an introduction and a joke — with fire extinguisher — about how I had threatened to Hendrix my iPad on the stage in Berlin.)
My subject is all the more relevant given this week's letter to Google with privacy czars in a handful of countries trying to argue that Google Streetview taking pictures in public violates privacy. In my talk, I argue that what is public belongs to us, the public, and efforts to reduce what's public steals from us. Journalists should be particularly protective of what is public; so should we all. (The czars also argued, amazingly, that Google shouldn't release betas. They come, you see, from an old world of centralized control — and the myth that processes can be turned into products, finished, complete, even perfect — instead of the new world of openness and collaboration.)
With so much discussion — even panic — about privacy today, I fear that we risk losing the benefits of publicness, of the connections enabled by the internet and our interconnected world. If we shift to a default of private, we lose much and I argue that we should weigh that choice when we decide what to put behind a wall — and there are too many walls being build today. But we're not discussing the benefits of the public vs. the private. I want to spark that discussion.
I use Germany as a laboratory and illustration of the topic not only because I was there but because they have something nearing a cultural obsession on the topic of privacy. What's true there is true elsewhere, including the U.S., though only to a different level. I also only skim the surface of the topic in this video; there is so much more to talk about: how publicness benefits the ways we can and now must do business; how it affects government; how it alters education; how it changes our relationships; how young people bring a new culture that cuts across all national boundaries and expectations; how it multiplies our knowledge; how it creates value; how it leads to a new set of ethics; and much more. But that's for another time and medium.
In the talk, this all leads up to the Bill of Rights in Cyberspace, which is really about openness and protecting that.
At the end of my time on stage, I invited the room to continue the discussion next door in the sauna, Four guys did show up. Here's the proof.
If you prefer, here is are my slides with the audio of my talk and discussion, thanks to Slideshare:
The coverage of the talk in German media amazes me. It made the front page of three papers and coverage in more and a prime-time TV show plus radio. Coverage included Welt Kompakt and Welt, Welt again, Berliner Zeitung, Berliner Zeitung again, Zeit Online covers the talk, then Zeit feels compelled to respond and start a reader-debate, Spiegel, the German press agency, the Evangelical News Service, Berliner Morgenpost, Berliner Morgenpost again, Bild, Taggespiegel, taz, taz again, taz again, Berliner Kurier, Berliner Kurier again, 3sat, Süddeutschezeitung, BZ, Frankfurter Rundschau, business magazine WirtschaftWoche, L'Express in France, ORF TV in Austria, and more than one blog. And today add der Freitag. A week later comes an interview in the Berliner Zeitung.
And here is a slice of an illustration of my talk by AnnalenaSchiller.com (who tweeted beforehand about having to draw a penis for the first time in her talk-illustration career) that appeared in the German paper Der Freitag this week:
Yet more: Here's an interview with dctp.tv in Berlin that summarizes my views:
: LATER: Penelope Trunk, who lives in public, writes: " The value of your privacy is very little in the age of transparency and authenticity. Privacy is almost always a way of hiding things that don't need hiding.. . . And transparency trumps privacy every time. So put your ideas in social media, not email."
: AND: I just got a message on Facebook from the woman I talk about in the Sauna in Davos, the one I said was an American freaked by the mixed, nude crowd of sweaty Russians and me. She thought it was quite funny … especially because she's French (living in America).


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text: Exaltation See also Atone, Atonement; Celestial Glory; Crown; Eternal Life; Man, Men—Man, potential to become like Heavenly Father The highest state of happiness and glory in the celestial kingdom. In thy presence is fulness of joy, Ps. 16:11. They are gods, even the sons of God—wherefore, all things are theirs, D&C 76:58–59. The Saints shall receive their inheritance and be made equal with him, D&C 88:107. These angels did not abide my law; therefore, they remain separately and singly, without exaltation, D&C 132:17. Men and women must marry according to God's law in order to gain exaltation, D&C 132:19–20. Strait is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation, D&C 132:22–23. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have entered into their exaltation, D&C 132:29, 37. I seal upon you your exaltation, D&C 132:49.


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JEFF BELL with MICROSOFT
THE GAME REVIEWS: We recently got the chance at CES to sit down with Jeff Bell; here is what he had to say…
THE GAME REVIEWS: When is XNA going to really take off?
JEFF BELL: This year. We are very proud of the progress that it has made. [XNA] has about 5,000 people in the community making games. We have four games that have now been put up on Arcade and been monetized for the independent directors.
TGR: Those were good games too!
JEFF BELL: And they were good games, but you will see more and more coming, especially at GDC. LOTS of GDC for us on the XNA and how we are going to take that to the next level. So, with XNA, do you, I mean, do you still have to be an official basic, or really just a scripter, C++ Sharp.
What about simple interfaces and scripting so anyone can design a game?
We have some things internally out of the R & D that are very, very simple, drag and drop game development. But it is too simple.
JEFF BELL: It was really put together more for almost pre-school and kindergarten education tools as part of our education software, which you know Bill talked about last night as a big passion. So somewhere between these two, you know, we will find something that will be a lot easier and more fun for people to work on. I do think that the first application of simplicity would be more like Map Editor and add-ons to existing games and doing more things around, you know, armor or appearance, or personalization, customization.
THE GAME REVIEWS: It is like the Forge?, the Forge in Halo III was a HUGE success.
THE GAME REVIEWS: I don't know if you were looking at YouTube about the guy, what he did was, he basically set up like this 30 step process to do suicide.
JEFF BELL: Oh my god! <laugh> No I didn't!
THE GAME REVIEWS: Yes, so he starts off with a sticky bomb right? Throws the sticky bomb, jumps through a portal, the sticky bomb, you see the sticky bomb in two different portals and says, jump in, its jumping, jumping, jumping, he jumps through this one portal, dadadada, ends up jumping into a jeep, the sticky bomb hits him in the ass and they explode.
JEFF BELL: Oh my god that is awesome!
JEFF BELL: You just talked about another game though that just absolutely blew me away was Portal. I will tell you what. I enjoy that game because you could kind of do the levels on a very consistent basis. Go for thirty minutes and they you are going through it, and the last one was a little longer, but that was one where I couldn't wait, that 19! Again, whew! I went all the way through it and enjoyed it.
THEGAMEREVIEWS.COM: The cool thing about Portal is that there isn't that time and intensive nature, where people are trying to kill you…
JEFF BELL: It is a puzzle solving. It took puzzle solving to a new place, and that is what I loved about that game, it was solving a problem, and I thought you know what? In an interesting way, there is a relationship of that to cognition and education. It is just a step. For me that was a giant light bulb. Like Wow!
THE GAME REVIEWS: Well, I know it is a competitor, but Nintendo DS and Brain Age. Brain Age is a wonderful simple average age game.
JEFF BELL: I agree! 100%! Listen, I am on record, I cannot say it often enough. I THANK NINTENDO for what they have done for our industry. To open people's minds to this, as not being a threat, or exclusive group, this is an inclusive and open environment. Gaming is fun! That is what it is about. It can also be educational. It can be informative and developmental. It is D, All of the above! Not just one thing and you know….
I have a good friend, Suzanne Seggerman, and you may know that we did have a partnership right now with Games for Change out of the Parsons School and the New School in New York City. So we got 9,000 entries by the way from University students around the world that are making games with XNA, on the issue of Global Climate Change. We are going to see those games land in about the June or July timeframe. We are going to be giving away money and internships to MGS.
Suzanne makes a point, she says, "We in the gaming business are about where films were in the 1930's and 40's," meaning there was just a single genre. Documentaries did not arrive until the 70's and 80's. OK, I mean, if you think about the educational, the historic and the different approach to film and so the genres continued to multiply. Gaming is going to go the same way. More and more development of different experiences…
JEFF BELL: And you can see it a little bit, I mean, he didn't say virtual reality last night, but I mean, Bill said, "Look, convergence of high definition experiences and natural user interface." So look, the human body is your interface. So I mean our emotion is going to have to be recognized by devices so that our physicality can engage. Well, in a world where we think it is real, and it is actually not, high definition. The goo in the middle, which I actually didn't think he articulated as clearly as he should, is our ability to safely and securely maintain your identity and your data, including friends, and what you played and what you don't and what you watch and everything, to bring those things together, right?
THE GAME REVIEWS: Absolutely. How do you feel about gaming addiction and parental control of children's gaming habits.
JEFF BELL: We are trying to do everything that we can, these will be getting parents involved with their children, and you know in some ways you are going to argue that parents were friends. I don't know about intervention, or whatever, but I mean, you want everyone to be knowledgeable about what is going on. Access to the right content to the right individuals… You want to make sure that the content is appropriate and that the time that they spend is appropriate. So, more education, more tools, in a more…let me put it this way. You can use our timer controls to wean yourself off like methadone.
JEFF BELL: So that you could use to wean yourself. Like my wife says to me, "You have been doing this for 90 minutes!" No! <laughing>.
THE GAME REVIEWS: I can say this, I mean I was a EQ addict. You know, my name is yada, I am an EQ addict. Now, but you know, Everquest, I played that for 5 years…
THE GAME REVIEWS: Literally, every waking moment, I was on EQ. You know, going on raids, just everything and it was really a community aspect that really got you so into that. But when they came out with the timer, it was a brilliant move. Really helps bring you back into reality.
JEFF BELL: There ya go! Brilliant move! Yeah, well we are going to continue to be pushing on that, you know, retail got a little bit of a lower grade, they need to be like cigarettes or alcohol, you need to be serious about it if you have the ERSB ratings, you can't just give the games out to anybody, and you know, so… I do think that you know again, we are going to evolve. We are just not into censorship. You know, that is what we are, we are in favor of freedom of speech. We don't support AO. That is not something that we are interested in. We don't think that is good, but if somebody else wants to do that, that's fine. Yea, let it go that way, so there are limits to it, but I mean for the most part, we believe in the free market, you know, people are going to choose what they want to do and there will be extremes.
THE GAME REVIEWS: That is right.
JEFF BELL: So people will not be able to control things as well as others, but the more education. We don't want it to be a dirty little secret, you know, we want to talk openly and honestly about it. What it is about it in a good way, and then what things are available for people to use to maintain control.
THE GAME REVIEWS: Are you tracking how many people are using that timer function?
JEFF BELL: It has just launched and you know, surprisingly, and I will tell you that this is a big… this is a focus for us going forward. We don't gather as much information as you might think that we do. It is just that… I mean for instance, we can't tell you how many people are playing online or offline… Right? Because we don't know, I mean, we just didn't set it up that way. We didn't set up Xbox live like the internet…
TGR: Like Big Brother.
JEFF BELL: Yea, we just didn't set it up that way.
TGR: May I ask something? With the introduction of Home. Xbox would be perfect for a virtual world. Well, there has been a rumor on the internet; is it something that MS is considering?
JEFF BELL: Hmm, you know, I will give you my point of view, and again, I am just one person, so never say never, and whatever, but, I actually feel that our role is to humanize technology. I think that we should allow our games, whether they are more online, MMO's, whether it is PC, that are potentially coming into the console, role-playing games, whether it is sports or all the different things. To me, that is the escape. That is the fantasy. I believe that whether it is the camera, or the voice chat or the chat pad, we are trying to humanize the technology to make more real community as opposed to virtual community. So for that reason, we talked to Second Life since I have been here and well before that. They would really love to come in and be on Xbox Live. I just don't know if that is the right thing. I am really questioning it. I can't say that I am done with it, but in many ways the Gamer's Tags are fun, but we are seeing more and more people be more and more transparent about who they really are, as opposed to being kind of "I'm hiding, or I am trying to be a voyager," or something else. So, I think that right now, if you wanted my position, we are trying to humanize the technology and let the games and entertainment be the escape. So we really are not as focused on that kind of Second Life experience. Yeah, well let me give you an example, ok?
JEFF BELL: Ok, Micah is, it works on windows live, so she did a demo last night and she said I have a couple of these photographs. We have the ability with a product called Photosense, that I am not sure we are going to brand, or we are going to roll into the Windows Live Suite, that basically says, if you up load your photographs into Flicker or other services, we have a piece that, for instance, all the shots of Las Vegas, if the public, you give access to all the different photographs that people took during their vacation, we have a piece of software… you combine them all, and it will eliminate duplications and you will get a 3-dimensional panoramic of the entire thing.
THE GAME REVIEWS: Are you talking like panoramic kind a like how they have for hotel room sites…or like 3D modeling?
JEFF BELL: No, 3D modeling. For instance, here is how it goes, we were talking with General Motors this last year on remaking the web experience, so that you literally walk into the store, and or you walk into the Dealer and it has this 3 Dimensional photograph representation, and so you know, that to me, we are going to do to the web, with our clients, so that makes this concept of the avatar, less meaningful. Meaning that the web is going to be the shopping experience, much like surface that we have talked about as well, because that, you walk into a store literally, but Bill showed last night, it is, you walk up and you just work with a display, whether it is vertical or horizontal, and you know, design this and it will photograph you. You can drag and drop clothing to see how you look. You know, so things can go faster, you can order things and they can be delivered to your home, whatever the case may be. But also on the web, it is going to be a much more real experience, we will know who you are and what things you like and what things you travel too and try to match things together. So, I think that we will try to push more, again to humanizing technology on the web and make some of that virtualization, less meaningful. Again, let the games be the escape, let that be the fantasy part. So, we will see. Now, Web 2.0 we've talked about. Live 2.0 is coming. So, it will not be like the first generation. We are very proud of the blades, we think that worked. It was very innovative at the time. But you will see us evolve to make an even more assessable approachable user interface, that is playing upon where things have been going in the last 5 years.
TGR: Voice chat?
JEFF BELL: Possibly. I will tell you that voice chat for instance, the whole voice thing… I am on a crusade. I remember when 360 was launched and there was an awful lot of promises, it was more like eBay, giving feedback and getting reputations went up. I think that we just scratched the surface there. We have got to do a much better job with limiting the negative hate talk and the trash talking. That has really got to evolve or we have got to make that segregated into only the underground where people know, Enter At Your Own Risk. People are going to use profanities, vulgarities, sometimes go to places that I don't personally think is appropriate.
THE GAME REVIEWS: Well, let me ask you something, I know that there are voice technologies like you use in masking or matching, right?
JEFF BELL: Yes.
THE GAME REVIEWS: So, if you had something that could basically filter before it gets to the user, where if somebody is saying, shit, or whatever it is, you know, it comes out as something else…….or
JEFF BELL: I will tell you, the one thing that is possible, is if I said the "F" word, there is a technology that recognizes that and will censor you. Ok? So, that would probably be more "possible" because the other one, like a time delay, that monitoring, is just very expensive and very people intensive more then you would imagine. But I think that there again, I think that we didn't do a good job, I don't know what the difference is between pro and underground for instance… There aren't that many people there anyway…
THE GAME REVIEWS: Well, it doesn't seem to be enforced…
Jeff Bell: We should have taken this seriously, perhaps we should redefine the whole thing….families, family….recreation is massive, pro and underground we should rationalize, but perhaps we should use this to say, "No, choose your place, but these are the rules of engagement, in which you violate those rules, you will be censored". Well, then we have to be serious about it… we got to get on that, because the problem that I have is that the voice is so promising, but right now, it is more trash talking then it is communication. We've got to be able to absolutely bring that to a new place.
JEFF BELL: Yes, yes, I am with you. Like I say, we have room for improvement, I mean, part of it, we can't create a police state, but we have to do a better job of putting the right tools in place to be able to, and that was unexpected by the way, we thought that Grandma and you know little Sally were going to be playing UNO with each other, and I am telling you that within 24 hours, it went to a whole other place that we had no idea that it was going to go too… so, that is why we then changed the default settings to extraordinarily restrict them and you have to change the back.
TGR: Real quick, are there any new developments on the Peter Jackson project? Or is that on the back burner? I haven't heard about that? It's exciting to me!
JEFF BELL: Well, I don't think that we have anything specific to announce. I know that, and it is not really my area, but kind of re-thinking and re-visiting and looking again at what is the Halo franchise and how do we want to engage that. You know, there was a movie, and then there wasn't a movie and I think that kind of needs to be sorted a little bit before we get ahead of ourselves. The other projects, what I am interested in and what I, at least my conversations with Peter were about, how do you view some content, I mean it is a little bit like the seg ways that kind of bridge the story for game play, but how do you watch some content, and then play for as long as you would like to play around that content? Just use, whether it is Lost, or its Heroes, if you think about what they introduce in a 48 minute segment, probably you could even do it in less….something about character, something about story. There are an awful lot of missions if you will that you can spawn off of that…
Things that you could explore… simulation type of thing, that I do believe is exciting and interesting. That is kind of where Peter Jackson's mind is. We didn't know exactly what to call this, other than interactive entertainment. That he could stimulate and introduce a story, but then there are an awful lot of ancillary stories that develop character, a character again that you could save uniquely for yourself, in terms of the way a character develops and evolves you know would be different for every participant and then being able to handle missions or find more back story, before you engage in the next episode of content. There is a main story that is going to be told, but your interpretation and your activation of that story will be unique. I think it will be, I really do. So it is just getting it figured out when and how. We really want to manage the Halo IP very, very carefully and intelligently, so it is getting that also in a steady rhythm, we don't want to do too much too soon, we have Halo Wars coming, so we have got things coming and we just want to get the right cadence I think.
TGR: Lets talk a litlle about movies and the delivery over xbox live. How do you feel about it and what do you think the future will bring us?
TGR: The selection leaves me a little um…unsatisfied though, I watch all of the big ones, but….I was wondering, I know that the cable networks are like, HBO, SHOWTIME, are really hesitant to merge with that sort of….if I could watch the handful of shows that I watch on HBO and SHOWTIME, I would do that exclusively.
JEFF BELL: I am with you, I will tell you what, let me just say that if this was a seed that was gently, but you know, I would say fairly casually put into the ground, give it a little bit of water, and then, it just started growing, but no one really had any idea that we would be the largest downloader of high definition content in the world, one year later, that we would be the second and largest provider of downloadable standard and high def in the US, so now, the rate by the way in Europe is twice the rate that we saw at launch in the United States, so I mean, this is just one of those things that I would argue, it is just kind of growing and growing, and growing, and a lot of people had questions and to the conservative attack for instance, we will give you that window, of the traditional theater and then pay download and then DVD, we will give you that window, and then you are on and then you are off, so it was very much the rules as they were defined by the industry. What about the back catalog, "well, let's see how things go…" you know, so now some back catalogs come out. I think you will see it getting bigger and bigger. Second – We didn't anticipate the success and ingestion both of the content to get it loaded and then the pipe to get it presented, it is not free and it is not infinite. So, we are trying to manage that, we are really straining under the growth of the system. We are getting smarter, and we are learning and growing. I think that the answer is, we are not done. Sorry, a little patience, but be confident that we are going to add more and more.
TGR: I dream of Netflix on there.
JEFF BELL: I am with you on that, and I will tell you that even with the announcement of IP TV coming into Xbox 360 now with BT, they are going to be able, if you are an Xbox 360 owner, you can download and join their system and have inter-protocol television right there, with British Telecom. We have got tests that we are running of that software with AT & T down in Texas, they have not yet adopted Xbox 360 both for existing and then they will deliver out of the van a 360 to your home, kind of like the new DVR upgrade, so that is kind of that whole business model is very exciting for us as well.
TGR: A 360 in every hotel room.
JEFF BELL: Exactly. Right, right, no, I agree with you. I agree with you. So it is going, that is one of those things from small things, big things grow. We are just kinda slowly and steadily getting into a space that we are trying to learn. I mean, Microsoft has a lot of bets…you kinda heard that from Robby last night, so whether it is disc space or its downloaded, whether it is streaming, there are a lot of different chips on the table if you will.
THE GAME REVIEWS: Like planting seeds….
JEFF BELL: Yea and we are not confused or don't know where, it is just nobody knows what is going to really work. So they went with the television shows mainly because it was backed catalog, but because we are doing new releases, that is why it became a rental model, so I think that when we open up the larger catalog, you will probably be seeing "to own" model.
TGR: Vhanks for taking the time to talk with us…


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First the green Mao.
Now this:
What's with the insignia on her shoulder?
But unlike Rosa Klebb, the killer KGB agent famous played by Lottte Lenya in "From Russia With Love", Hillary hasn't equipped her stilettos with razor sharp blades dipped in venom.
At least Lotte's sleeves were the right length,


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Written by Sasha
Hi Sasha! So here's the deal: Last November I met up with a guy through lavalife for the sole purpose of hooking up. We met up for a drink and I had an instant attraction for him, not just because he's hot but his personality and sense of humour are killer. We made each other laugh the whole night. Sasha, I have never gotten along with a guy so well and had this kind of chemistry. So we went back to my place and had hot (safe) sex. Woo! But we both made it clear from the beginning that it wasn't serious; he had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and I have no idea what I'm looking for. So we're f-ck buddies. We've been hooking up every few weeks and it's great. The problem is that I'm developing serious feelings for this guy. Now I'm not the type of girl who falls for every guy I f-ck. I normally fling them away pretty easily but this dude is special. Sasha, I want to date him so badly it's killing me! So what do I do?? Should I just continue to have the best fling of my life and bury my feelings or should I spill? He hasn't let on at all that he wants to date, and although he has suggested going out to see a movie, we haven't done that yet. Sasha, what should I do? C
So you're the f-ck em' and chuck em' type, huh? Well, this must be an interesting turn of events for you then. Listen, there's ALWAYS one person that's more 'in like' at the start - it's just the way it goes and while you may have never been that person, it looks like it's your lucky day. I think I'm safe in assuming that you're the type that likes to keep your heart pretty protected so I get that you'd be fearful to dive in but if you're asking my advice, I think it's time to own these feelings of yours. F-ck if I know how buddy's going to react but either way he's gotta know where you stand, because there's no way you can continue boning this dude while still keeping cool. It doesn't matter how level headed of a chick you are, you're not going to be able to bury those feelings for very much longer without turning into a crazy lady.
And I'm sorry to give you more bad news but you know that fling? Well, that fling as you know it, is over. Once real feelings come into the picture, that freestyle kind of f-cking is donezo – you're in it for real.
Now something that I've noticed – which gets complicated if left too long - is when people right off the bat express they don't want anything 'serious'. I get why people do that, because lord knows if you want to tap out of it quickly it's the best excuse, but sometimes that declaration can actually prevent things from going to the next level. So my hunch is that there's a good possibility that he might feel the same way you do, but is too scared to say anything because you both agreed to not get serious. I mean, that's the reason why you're afraid to say something, right? No one wants to look like the emotional pussy in the situation but the only way to find out is for one person to grow some balls and say what they want – so C, I say you pony up and go get what you want.
Obviously don't wig him out and confess your love but I definitely think you should start doing things with him in the real world. So yah, next time he suggests a movie, take him up on that and actually set a date. Actually even better - why don't you ask him? Oh and make sure that when you do decide to go on that date, you haven't swapped fluids with him that day. Okay? Good.
It's been 4 months already so to me this sounds like a sh-t or get off the pot situation. Ya know? The sex, no matter how mind blowing, will get empty - quick. You're at the stage where you want more, and if you're not getting that from him I'll bet money on it you'll start to feel used. And sh-t, if he gets scared off by the idea of a movie or a dinner, then he's a pansy ass loser.
Either way though I think you should start changing the dynamic of this relationship - it would be a shame to not see where this could lead. So stop denying what you feel and take a risk. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Dear Sasha, I have a huge dilemma, my best friend and I have been friends since high school, and I'm 22 now. She hasn't been the best person, she's slept with a guy I kissed at a party ten mins after I left, she's a nasty drunk and sleeps around, which would be fine but she's always lying. I'm still her friend because I guess when it doesn't have to do with boys she's great. Lately she's started liking a guy named, let's say Alex. Now Alex doesn't like her back and everyone's told her but she's convinced there are "signs". A few weeks ago a group of us all go away to the beach for a couple of days and Alex and I got on really well, we opened up about past relationships (I, until 8 months ago had had a bf since I was 16 and like my ex, Alexs' ex cheated on him) and yes I know, but I'm developing feelings for him. One night we couldn't get to sleep so we were watching a movie on the couch and he sort of held my hand, now I don't know if he was just being friendly or what- since I've been out of the game for so long, and some of my other friends have noticed he's always trying to sit next to me and finds excuses to touch my hair or playfully shove me. If my best friend has noticed anything, she has not mentioned a word of it and I don't know what to do. I know I can't go out with him or anything, but is he flirting with me?? Do I have to tell my best friend that he tried to hold my hand? Can I somehow keep my best friend and maybe him too? I know I should feel guilty about liking him, but she lies to him all the time telling him she was cheated on (when she cheated on her bf repeatedly a few times with his own brother, and I find it really offensive because my ex cheated on me and I know exactly how horrible it is ) and lies to him saying she's not seeing/sleeping anyone (she's sleeping with another guy regularly) and I just want to scream out "SHES LYING!!" . HELP ME! How do I handle this situation? Thanks T
Gawd, your friend sounds like a major liability. I'll try not to bag on her too much but T, I hope you don't trust this girl with too much because she really doesn't sound all that stellar. Having said that, slutty crazy people can sometimes be pretty amusing to have around.
Anyway the answer to your question is pretty simple - do whatever the freak you want to do. Just because your friend pisses in circles around every guy it doesn't mean you have to abide by her insecure ways. Remember Rayanne from My So Called Life? Oh god, you're probably too young to know this show, but if you ever watch the series, which you totally should, you'll get the Rayanne reference – your friend sounds totally like her. Ok, where was I? Oh right. In my opinion this doesn't seem like a poaching situation at all. Obviously I believe in girl code, so yes, you should never go near someone your friend actually has real feelings for or has seriously dated in the past but this 'Alex' guy is free game.
First things first – when a guy tries to hold your hand, um, they aren't doing it to be friendly. Even I know that. And all this shoving and hair playing is making me giddy, as it should you – so if you're trying to figure out if he's flirting, yes, he is. Now whether or not it means he wants to go steady, I don't know, but I think you have the right to find out.
As far as what you should say to your friend. I think you should sit down with your homegirl and tell her that Alex tried to hold your hand the other day and you really liked it and you really like him. Also acknowledge the fact that you feel weird and uncomfortable about the situation (because she's expressed her like for him in the past) but you really want to be honest with her so that she doesn't feel like you're doing anything shady. Now be prepared, she might get really upset but I think as long as you're honest with your intentions then you've played the situation right.
Let me know how this pans out! I have a good feeling she'll be marking her territory on some new guy before you know it.
I am 37 and decided to get serious about finding someone - went on the dating sites, stopped dating non-potential (but really hot) guys, etc. So I meet someone while out one night with a friend. Nice, cute, good job....and 7 years younger than me. Now I always counseled my friends about such things, but I figured, why not, go on a few dates. It's been a few months and we are both really into each other. Now, let's put aside Demi everyone else, bc I live in the real world. Is the gap too big? It may not be noticeable now, but what about say, 7 years from now. Please don't say just have fun. I would like to have kids one day and just don't want to waste my time. Thoughts? Mrs. Robinsion ;-)
Okay I get why you don't want to talk Demi and Ashton – they're grating in-your-face relationship is one big yawn. So instead, can I talk about John Corbett and Bo Derrick? I just saw them on Oprah the other week and holy sh-t they are an adorable couple. The ease and adoration for each other was palpable and I think that's what everyone should be on the search for. I mean they're 6 years apart and can you tell? Yah, sort of, but it really doesn't matter. But here's the deal…the difference between an Ashton/Demi and John/Bo is the quality of their relationship. Ashton and Demi's relationship is based on like fart jokes and who can twitpic faster whereas John and Bo, well, they actually have a real foundation. So Mrs. Robinson, if this guy has everything you're looking for then don't get in the way of it. If you find someone who gets you and loves you then I really don't see why age is a big deal. Really, don't make me have to get Aliyah on your ass.
Buddy is 30, he's a big boy, so he can make his own decisions and if he's down with you then what's your ish? And I'm sorry, but this 7 year difference doesn't even make me flinch. Once people get into their 30's, 40's and beyond they all look the same kind of oldness (yes, I know this isn't a real word). My only bit of advice for you would be to not make mention of this age gap often -- if you make it an issue then I can guarantee you it will become one.
Now, the only instance where the age difference may get tricky is with this whole baby making situation. As you're well aware you'll need to get cracking on this pretty soon, so if I were you I'd wait about 4 more months before dropping the baby bomb – you'll be able to gauge his mind frame pretty damn quickly. Of course there are a lot of guys his age who would bolt in the other direction but surprisingly I actually know quite a few who were into nesting at 30 - so fingers crossed he's one of them.
So there you have it, I hope this helps! And I know you don't want to hear it, but yes, HAVE FUN! Open yourself up and don't place barriers where there doesn't need to be any.
Attached – Bo Derek on Oprah.
Photos from Wenn.com


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The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally enforced these protections.
The government usually respected religious freedom in law and in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the reporting period.
There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice.
The U.S. government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has an area of 183,568 square miles and a population of 20.4 million. 69 percent of the population is Christian, 21 percent Muslim, and 6 percent animist. Groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Orthodox Jews, the Bahai Faith, and persons who do not associate themselves with any particular religious movement. The Christian population is divided between Roman Catholics (38.4 percent of the total population), Protestants (26.3 percent), and other Christian denominations (including Jehovah's Witnesses) (4 percent).
Muslims and Christians are found in every region, although Christians are concentrated primarily in the southern and western regions. Large cities have significant populations of both groups. The two Anglophone regions of the western part of the country are largely Protestant, and the Francophone regions of the southern and western areas are mostly Catholic. In the northern regions, the dominant Fulani (or Peuhl) ethnic group is mainly Muslim, but the overall population is fairly evenly divided among Muslims, Christians, and followers of indigenous religious beliefs. The Bamoun ethnic group of the West Region is predominately Muslim. Indigenous religious beliefs are practiced in rural areas throughout the country but are rarely practiced publicly in cities, in part because many of these beliefs are intrinsically local in character.
Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
Please refer to Appendix C in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for the status of the government's acceptance of international legal standards //2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/appendices/index.htm.
The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally enforced these protections.
The government observes the right of individuals to choose and change their religion. It also observes and enforces the right to practice the religion of one's choice, and any citizen has the right to sue the government for the violation of any constitutionally protected freedom.
The Law on Religious Congregations governs relations between the government and religious groups. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD) must approve and register religious groups for them to function legally. It is illegal for a religious group to operate without official recognition; however, the law prescribes no specific penalties for violations, and numerous unregistered small religious groups operated freely.
In order to register, a religious denomination must legally qualify as a religious congregation. The definition includes "any group of natural persons or corporate bodies whose vocation is divine worship" or "any group of persons living in community in accordance with a religious doctrine." The denomination then submits a file to MINATD. The file must include a request for authorization, a copy of the group's charter describing planned activities, and the names and functions of the group's officials. MINATD reviews the file and sends it to the presidency with a recommendation to approve or deny. The president generally follows the recommendation of MINATD and grants authorization by a presidential decree. Although official recognition confers no general tax benefits, it allows religious groups to receive real estate as tax-free gifts for the conduct of their activities.
The government does not register indigenous religious groups, stating that the practice of traditional religion is a private concern observed by members of a particular ethnic or kinship group or the residents of a particular locality.
The law does not restrict religious publishing or other religious media. The Catholic Church operated one of the two modern private printing presses and published a weekly newspaper, L'Effort Camerounais. These private printing presses also printed several privately held secular newspapers. The state-sponsored television station and radio stations broadcast Christian and Islamic religious services on a regular basis, as well as religious ceremonies on national holidays and during national events.
Several religious denominations operated primary and secondary schools. The law charges the Ministry of Basic Education and the Ministry of Secondary Education with ensuring that private schools run by religious groups meet the same standards as state-operated schools in terms of curriculum, infrastructure, and teacher training. The government gives an annual subsidy to all private primary and secondary education institutions, including those operated by religious denominations. There were also several religious universities in the country.
The government observes the following religious holidays as national holidays: Good Friday, Ascension Day, Assumption Day, Eid al-Fitr, Feast of the Lamb, and Christmas.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The government generally respected religious freedom in law and in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the reporting period.
There were no reports of abuses, including religious prisoners or detainees, in the country.
Section III. Status of Societal Actions Affecting Enjoyment of Religious Freedom
There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice.
Christians and Muslims organized ecumenical ceremonies, including a November 25 Prayer Breakfast, to pray and promote a spirit of tolerance and peace.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.


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GeForce Go 6800 Ultra: Powering the Dell Inspirion XPS Gen 2by Derek Wilson on February 24, 2005 3:04 PM EST
- Posted in
- GPUs
IntroductionBack when we first took a look at the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 we mentioned that NVIDIA was able to run their part at much higher 450/600 clock speeds (the part we tested was running at 300/300). It was much easier for OEMs to drop graphics solutions into existing designs DTR designs using the Pentium 4 and GDDR1 RAM for the video card. Using the hot Pentium 4, much of the Thermal Design Power (TDP), the limit on how much power can be dissipated as heat, is taken up by things other than the graphics core. DDR1 also runs hotter than DDR3, and thus memory clocks are also limited by the thermal restrictions.
Today, Dell is introducing their Inspirion XPS Gen 2. The DTR notebook features a 2 or 2.13GHz Pentium M and a GeForce Go 6800 Ultra with 450/550 core/memory clocks. Rather than just ship their Go 6800 at the high core speed, NVIDIA has given it the Ultra moniker to differentiate the product.
The "new" GeForce Go 6800 Ultra graphics card is exactly the same as the original Go 6800, except that we are finally seeing it at the high clock speeds NVIDIA originally promised we would see. For an explanation of the differences between NVIDIA's mobile and desktop products, please see our initial review.
Aside from simply exchanging the Pentium 4 setup for a Pentium M, Dell has also invested more time in improving its thermal solution. The result is a thinner (it's still not thin), lighter (still feels like a brick) efficiently cooled desktop-in-a-notebook. NVIDIA informed us that the TDP for the chassis is 65W. This is not something we will see anywhere but the DTR segment. Most of the large TDP is taken up by the graphics solution, as Dothan based Pentium M processors and DDR2 system memory run at comfortable temperatures. The new Inspirion XPS Gen 2 is also Alviso based.
This is a fairly significant design win for NVIDIA as Dell's previous XPS graphics solution was ATI's Mobility Radeon 9800.
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jays83gsl - Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - linkI'm the owner of this laptop (thanks to Dell's Holiday contest :D ) and can definately attest to the speed of this laptop.
There were a couple people asking about battery life, though. In this, the Dell seems to fail.
Now, I've never owned a laptop before, so I can't really compare, but the battery is VERY quick to run out. Even just running windows media and surfing the web wirelessly, it sucks through the battery in less than two hours (down to 5%). Without wireless enabled, it lasts about an hour more (give or take).
It plays all the games I have (NFS U2, GTA SA, couple others) at GREAT framerates, with all the goodies turned on, resolution turned WAY up (19something x something).
The big hit, though, as seen in the tests, comes with anti aliasing. The games become almost unplayable with AA on at higher resolutions, and a bit dissapointing at lower resolutions (still playable, though).
The other thing I saw questioned was the heat. During intense, long term gaming (NFS U2 being the test dog here), the lower area (keyboard, mouse pad, wrist resting areas) are damn near cold. Room temp at worst.
Up near the screen, things get REAL hot, as well as around the GPU and processor fans. It seems the keyboard vents are almost useless at drawing out heat, as I can hardly ever feel air coming out of them.
If you guys want anymore information on the laptop, I'll have it for a while. I also have a much weaker desktop that I can compare to if need be, though it only has an Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 (horrible card by todays standards).
firemachine69 - Monday, February 28, 2005 - linkWhoa... But yes, there's so many variables, it's nothing more really then saying "this laptop is fast".
Now what bothers me is those heat numbers... There's just noooo way Nvidia got it so low... Think about it... It's like what? 120W+ for a desktop 6800 Ultra? They'd have to lower the fab, or gotten really lucky with a batch... Me thinks Nvidia used some type of reference formula, such as "for every "xx" hours of gaming, "xx" hours will be in low power mode.
Now we only need batteries to catch up. :D
coldpower27 - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkWould there be a need for a third version of the Geforce 6800 GO Series?
I mean, that would make them have 3 different models all with the same Quad/VS Configuration of NV41M's 12x1/6 style.
This generation it seems like Nvidia wants to maintain a maximum of 2 models per configuration style.
Anemone - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkThe Pent M doesn't have much of a heat problem, nor as much of a performance delta compared to the AMD solutions in the mobile arena. I think Dell going with that chip instead of the P4 was a good idea.
Interesting read:
BOLt - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkMaybe NVIDIA will finally gain some ground in the notebook sector... Hopefully we'll see AMD in the DTR field soon, because these big-time manufacturers like Dell are having heat problems, and voila, AMD runs cooler, faster, better.
On with the revolution!
DestruyaUR - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkAlso, why the hell didn't they simultaneously launch a GT version for those who can live with 10-15 less FPS and less cost?
DestruyaUR - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkAs for the people saying that battery life will be impacted during DVD watching because of the PureVideo - I submit the following: software decoding - beggars can't be choosers at 35,000 feet.
Anemone - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkNow when they put Yonah into this machine, it'll be time to own one :) Thanks much was great to see the review. I for one am about ready for a DTR notebook pc - and so this was a good article to see. Right direction for Nvidia too.
Side note: Quite a few articles show the P-M coming out quite well in gaming as you ramp the clockspeed up. Might be nice to see one of these machines with 1-2gb of good low latency DDR2 but hard to say if that would change things much.
Yonah, with SSE improvements and a clockspeed boost should be the machine to get. 6800 GO ultra is quite the beast and the right kinds of improvements. Now if they drop that to 65nm and bring a bit more speed and lower power useage and it will be a monster :)
Howard - Saturday, February 26, 2005 - linkInspirion, eh?
trikster2 - Friday, February 25, 2005 - link34/35/36 I think this may have been already posted but here you go again:
If toms can be believed, the 6800 ultra is two to three times faster than your antique model-T 9800....


text: Jason Hosking News & Awards AWARDS Over the years I've had the good fortune to pick up awards in a number of New Zealand and international photo competitions, including Nature's Best, New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year, LAUPS International, NZ Professional Photography Awards (AIPA), Oceanz International, and the NZIPP Iris Awards. My work has been exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and has appeared in a number of local and touring exhibitions. Grand Prize Winner | NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year 2015 29th October 2015 | Jason Hosking named Grand Prize Winner at the 2015 NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards. Each year special recognition is given to a photographer whose submitted portfolio exhibits a coherence of visual approach and technical excellence across all categories entered. Jason Hosking's entries added innovation to those qualities also. A professional photographer of a decade's experience, Hosking recently took to the skies in search of perspective, building a drone, mounting a camera, and finding entirely new angles on his subjects. The new aerial images complement his regular documentary work in a compelling way, adding unexpected and artful interpretations on the world below—fruit-pickers harvest a grapefruit orchard with red crates among trees billowing with fruit, the drone captures a new view high above the well-touristed Muriwai gannet colony, and a wakeboarder scythes down a river, weaving a fine white ribbon through forest and water. Turning his lens upon human society he captured a photo essay of the sheep meat industry from life to lamb, challenging viewers and consumers alike, and submitted a frame into the Society category of a performer and engineer quietly going about a last-minute sound check backstage at the Golden Guitars country music awards in Gore. Perhaps his most powerful frame, however, was judged runner-up in the Landscape category; a breaker rolling into Palliser Bay—an image of raw natural power, but delicately back-lit by evening light. These are images of our environment and society captured with ingenuity, commitment and empathy; the values that have always powered the world's finest photojournalism, and also appear to drive the 2015 New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year. Random House 2013 World renowned Kiwi photographer Jason Hosking has won the landscape category of the New Zealand Photographer of the Year Award with his stunning photograph of an ice cave. Jason is also the photographer of the stunning book Wild About New Zealand by Gus Roxburgh. New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards 2013 Overall winner in the Landscape Category at the NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards 2013. Macpac 2013 Tuesday September 3rd saw the opening episode of brand new series Wild About NZ premiere. We are so excited about this six-part series that uncovers the very heart of New Zealand and travels to iconic and majestic locations around the country. We loved being a part of the series, supplying gear and clothing to the camera crew and producer, Gus Roxburgh. Our mountain legend Marty Schmidt features heavily in one episode, guiding Gus up MT Cook. The series features Fiordland, Mt Cook and Tongariro amongst other locations and is a magnificent exploration of New Zealand's National Parks. Random House are producing a book to support the series, featuring photography from Jason Hosking. We also had the opportunity to dress all photographers involved with this publication, allowing them to get up close and personal with harsh locations and environments. We are stoked to be able to support such a fantastic showcase of NZ's natural wilderness. Hopefully this celebration of our natural wilderness will encourage you to get outdoors this summer and explore it for yourself! The series screens at 8.30pm, Tuesday nights, TV ONE. Don't miss it! Wild About New Zealand Published 2013 A comprehensive guide to all 14 New Zealand National Parks, with bird's-eye-view maps, Wild About New Zealand: Our National Parks is based on the Natural History New Zealand-produced television series made to celebrate the 125th anniversary of New Zealand's first national park. This comprehensive book with magnificent photographs and lively text, digs deep into what each of New Zealand's 14 national parks, plus the Hauraki Gulf marine park, offers the visitor.The generous sections on each park include an overview essay that covers the park's history and outstanding natural features, compelling interviews that give the 'character' of each park through profiles of people who live work and play in the parks, a helpful 'visitors' guide' of 'The Five Top Activities' in the park and what to do if you have one day, 2–3 days, or 3–5 days, also fantastic bird's-eye-view maps that show the key points of the terrain. Mostly written by outdoor adventurer Gus Roxburgh (the TV series appealing presenter) and generously illustrated throughout with outstanding photographs by Jason Hosking, Wild About New Zealand is both an entertaining and useful guide as well as being a stunning celebration of New Zealand's amazingly diverse national parks. Campbell Live 2010 Watch the TV3 feature on Jason's long term project about Tui which featured on Campbell Live A man, a camera and a family of Tui. New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards 2010 Highly commended in the Wildlife Category. Jason Hosking waited for days for the opportune moment to capture the magnificence of our most famous native songbird in his work Tui Rising.


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Maps of Segregated Coal Lands, with Descriptions of the Unleased Segregated Coal Lands by Joseph A. Taff, Department of the Interior Circular Nos. 1-6, 1904
Report of the United States Indian Inspector for the Indian Territory to the Secretary of the Interior, G.P.O., 1905
Report of the Mine Inspector for Indian Territory to the Secretary of the Interior, G.P.O., 1906
Auction Sale of Coal and Asphalt Deposits, Leased and Unleased in the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, Oklahoma by the U.S. Government, 1918
Reports on land
Coal County Unsold lots in town of Phillips, vacant land townsite additions, unsold lots in town of Lehigh, unallotted tracts in Atoka County, unsold lots in town of Coalgate, unsold segregated tracts in Coal County, segregated tracts in Atoka County, and reserved surface asphalt tracts, 1945
Latimer County Vacant lots in town of Wilburton, vacant lots in town of Gowen, segregated lots and tracts, and acreage in Wilburton Reservation, 1945
Haskell County Acreage in McCurtain Reservation, and unallotted tracts, 1945
LeFlore County Unsold lots in townsite additions, segregated lots in Mountain Townsite, and unsold segregated tracts, 1945
Boxes 41 and 42 contain the incoming correspondence of the law firm of Wilkinson & Hudson, Attorneys at Law. Hampton Tucker's connection to this law firm is unclear.
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There's something odd about this. No, not this particular bread but the situation around it. You see, Punkin hates bananas but LUUUVVVVS banana bread. So it's a rare occasion when I do buy bananas since I know they're rather disliked. A lot. I'm told it's the texture and/or the smell. And some excuse about humans having evolved passed them… or something. I'm sure he's joking. (I think.) Hey, I can live without bananas if it will keep Punkin happy.
So this week, I decided to pick up some bananas because I just had a hankering. However, I bought five that were, well, riper than I was expecting, I wanted to put them on cereal or in a PB&B sammich but they decided to go brown on me rather soon. No prob! Because there's a great Banana Bread Recipe online over at the Fresh Loaf. I've made it before and, in spite of finding bananas gross, Punkin will eat this bread up like nobody's business.
I don't ask. Cause I have even more "I don't likes" myself (I blame it on my mother's terrible cooking skills) so it's a decent trade off from my end. No green peppers on my stuff, no nanners in the house, 99% of the time. And usually when they do make it past the front door, some Nanner Bread comes out of the deal. Like now.
As it's been a long while since I made it and I've never done a Step-By-Step of the process, I figured this was a good time to do so. Go grab the recipe linked above (there's a "printer friendly" link near the bottom) and follow along. If you happen to have two or three ripe nanners at hand, it's a seriously quick bread so you could probably mix it up as I go. Seriously, the "10 minute" claim isn't off the mark (unless you're also taking photos and need to make the process somewhat presentable. Then it may take 15.
Oh and in case anyone's wondering, this isn't part of the BBA Challenge, just a little side trip.


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Developer: LEVEL-5 Inc.
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Puzzle Adventure
Release: Aug. 24, 2009
Puzzle master Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, have stumbled upon another
mystery. It's up to them to navigate their way through numerous puzzles to determine who –
or what – caused the death of Professor Layton's mentor, Dr. Schrader. Was it the
mysterious Elysian Box, rumored to kill all who open it? Professor Layton and Luke find a
clue that begins their adventure: a train ticket for the Molentary Express.
"¢ Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box features a riveting new mystery and more than 150 new brain
teasers, riddles and logic puzzles to challenge and delight players.
"¢ Beyond the puzzles found in the game, players with a broadband Internet connection who connect their
Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi™ systems to Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection will get access to downloadable
bonus puzzles. A new puzzle will be available each week for 33 weeks after the game launches.
"¢ The new game includes a significantly greater amount of voice work and animated movie scenes compared to
the original.


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A great way to start my brithday: BP in hand for a day in St. Barth's
SBHSt. Barth's
Cruising over the Caribbean at 1500 feet.
Gorgeous views on final approach into St. Barth's
Looking back up the runway after landing. That hill is no joke!
Inside what is likely the largest room on the island
Some crazy statues surrounding the main government building
Stunning views at every turn.
The drought conditions are severe, but somehow that makes it look more incredible
A typical approach path for flights in to SBH; that steep nose down is "normal" here
Overlooking the main harbor
Harbor, ships, sun and blues
A bit of planespotting, because I can
The lighthouse atop Gustavia hill
Shortly before getting chided for crossing the fence line
A SBH departure, likely headed to St Maarten
Yes, the planes really are that low as they land
A quick dip down the hill to the runway
The fence line at the other end of the runway, extending out into the water
Not a bad way to enjoy my lunch
A less common landing approach headed the "wrong" way in to SBH
And then we wandered about on the apron for a bit
Gotta stay close to the hill, but not actually hit it, to nail this landing
Up, up and away...leaving St Barth's
See you again soon, perhaps