text:
Return to Transcripts main page
Fear Hits Stocks: Don't Panic!; Spend, Baby, Spend
Aired June 22, 2013 - 09:30 ET
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST: The most important man in the world right now is not a president or a prime minister. He doesn't need Congress or the executive branch to approve his policies. He controls the most important decisions that affect your money. I'm Christine Romans. And I'm talking about Ben Bernanke. He's the nation's top economist, a depression historian trying to prevent one today. And this week, he put the economy in terms we non-economists understand. It's like a car. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: To return to the driving analogy, if the incoming data supports the view the economy's able to sustain a reasonable cruising speed, we will ease pressure on the accelerator by gradually reducing the pace of purchases. (END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Not put on the brake but was ease off accelerator. With the pedal to the medal, the Fed has been buying $85 billion a month in bonds. That money rushes right now into the economy, fueling a huge rally in stocks, a huge rally until this week. It keeps interest rates low on your home and your car loans. But investors are nervous that tapering, taking the foot off the gas will end the big gains. Just the fear of Ben Bernanke easing up on the gas pedal sent the Dow down 500 points Wednesday and Thursday. And regardless if you own any stocks, your money is on the line. Terry Savage is the nationally syndicated financial columnist and author of the "Savage Truth on Money"; Brian Belski is the chief investment strategist of BMO Capital Market. Terry, welcome to the program. Let me start with you. You say all of the worrying about when stocks will pull back is a good thing. Explain. TERRY SAVAGE, SYNDICATED FINANCIAL COLUMNIST: Well, I'm not saying that it's a good thing for your psyche to be worried about your investments overnight. But the fact is, as you pointed out -- a lot of money flooded into, well, not so much the economy but mostly into the stock market, with so much uncertainty overhanging economy about regulation, health care and so forth, a lot of the money has not come out of the banks and into loans to businesses or consumers. It's gone straight into the stock market. And money moves markets. Now, you're right, the Fed did not say tightening up. It said just not adding as much. And the paradox is, Chairman Bernanke said, we'll stop adding as we see the economy is strong enough to do it on its own. So, really, that's not bad news for stocks. A growing economy. The idea that a lot of excess money will flow into the market, of course, scares -- that it will stop happening, scares market participants. ROMANS: You know, another surprise out of the news conference, moving the goalpost. The Fed chief says when the jobless rate hit 7 percent, the Fed will likely pull back. We're at 7.6 percent. Bryan, explain how lower unemployment could lead to negative results for the market. BRIAN BELSKI, CHIEF INVESTMENT STRATEGIST, BMO CAPITAL MARKETS: Well, it's one of these things where if things go up too fast in terms of the economy then the market participants, in particular those institutions who have now become reliant on monetary policy to drive stocks they may force Mr. Bernanke to become more aggressive and take the pedal off -- put pressure off the pedal and start to taper a little bit faster. I think that's what most people are worried about. We think it's nonsense. We think that, from a longer term perspective, fundamentals drive stocks and we're in the mid of a grand transition from dependency on monetary policy to dependency on fundamentals. And we think there's volatility along the way. ROMANS: Yes, I think you might be right. Volatility is something that certainly real normal investors like me and people I know are going to care. Terry, I want to talk about who's invested in this market and their 401(k), their nest egg, their retirement. I mean, look at savings numbers here for the beginning of the year you can see the average 401(k) account hit a record high of $80,900. People with -- 55 and older, people 55 and older, they also hit a record high, $255,000 on average in retirement accounts. They had come so far since the deficit of the recession. But, Terry, if there's going to be a lot of volatility and a lot of Fed getting how does someone with a retirement account like that protect themselves? SAVAGE: And that's a very good question because 401(k) retirement plans are designed to accumulate and grow wealth. It's not just the match. It's the investments in them, assuming they have low fees. And the ideas that most of the investments inside your plan are designed to grow wealth tax deferred. So, if you're getting closer to retirement one of the things you want to do in the market up is rebalance so you have the appropriate amount in the stock funds. But since there are not a lot of places to hide -- you don't want to be in bonds when rates are rising -- it's important to save outside your 401(k) plan. That can be in cash. I know bank deposits pay little. ROMANS: Yes. SAVAGE: But that offsets the risk and the opportunity for growth that's designed to be inside your plan. That doesn't mean you get out of your plan. It doesn't mean you stop contributing. It means you save more in addition to those stock market funds. ROMANS: Save more, save more, save more. I say that every week. People give me hate mail. I can't save more because I can't make the money last as long as the month. But the key here is saving more. You know, Brian, last word to you. You see the Dow down more than 350 points like it was on Thursday. I mean, really, sometimes the first time people notice, really, when the market's down so much. People become frantic and approach me on days like Thursday with one question, should I sell? My answer is always no, don't panic, don't lock in losses. You've got a number of folks like regular folks, not traders and market professionals, just want free advice when they see the Dow plunge. What is your free advice to normal people when they see the market move like it did this week? SAVAGE: We would say this. We're blessed with perspective of doing this for almost 24 years. So, that kind of we've been through the cycles. What we would say is don't try to time the markets. Stick with your analysis and process in terms of what you're buying, be diversified, university opportunities like this to meet with financial adviser and talk about goals longer term. But this is what creates opportunities. We believe that we're heading into a 15 or 20-year equity bull market and the issue with U.S. investors in particular is, we think now they're under exposed equities and that's a real opportunity for the next 15 to 20 years to be reallocated. ROMANS: You made me feel better, Brian. Thank you so much. Terry, stick around. We've got a lot more to talk about. Thank you, both of you. Coming up: former President George W. Bush once told Americans, he told them how they could help the economy. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT : I encourage you all to go shopping more. (END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: So, is a recent surge in spending saving the economy or dooming us to repeat history? (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROMANS: Spend, baby, spend. You the consumer are supposed to be the engine of this economy. But a quick check on the hood shows all is not well. Investors are worried the economy's not strong enough to survive a wind down, a taper of stimulus from the Federal Reserve. Adding weakness in Europe and slowing growth in China, uncertainty is back. But many of you, you never felt certain to begin with. A new CNN/ORC poll finds 44 percent of those surveyed say they're worse off than a year ago, just 36 percent say their financial situation has improved. And yet you are spending. Consumer spending rose 3.4 percent, the fastest pick up since the fourth quarter of 2010. The U.S. economy relies on your consumption to thrive. But that spending is coming at the expense of something else, saving. Americans saved 2.3 percent of their disposable income in the first quarter. That's a post-recession low, and a huge drop off from the previous quarter. Too much spending, too little saving. Isn't that what got us into this trouble in the first place? Terry Savage is still with us. And I want to welcome Kai Ryssdal, host and senior editor of "Marketplace" on public radio. Nice to see both of you. Terry, just this week, the National Institute on Retirement Security said the retirement crisis is worse than it thought. Even after a big stock market rally, it says the typical working age household has only $3,000 saved for retirement. The message is, spend, spend, spend, spend, it's good for the economy. Wwe need it for America to recover. But shouldn't it be save, save, save? SAVAGE: I think it's a seesaw and it belongs somewhere in between. Healthy spending is good for the economy. I mean, just think back to 2009, when nobody spent anything out of fear. And restaurants were empty, so everybody got laid off, waitresses and busboys. And car show rooms were empty, so auto manufacturers laid off employees. We need healthy spending. Consumers have learned a very important lesson about dangers of excessive spending, credit and debt. So, we do need spending to keep the economy going. We don't need people to spend their way into debt. And belatedly, I hope the younger generation learned the lesson that a little bit saved for retirement in your 20s, time works magic if you let it grow and invest. People who are approaching retirement are realizing that they only can save their way out of it and that's a real tough spot to be in, especially when your job is insecure and you play not get to work the extra three years that may make up the difference. ROMANS: I think everyone needs to save more earlier and save more, but also spend more smartly, right? Some of the things we spend money on are not necessarily the best priorities. And that just comes from being smart. You know, Kai, I know you've been asking this question, can we afford this consumer economy? Can't we? KAI RYSSDAL, HOST, APM'S "MARKETPLACE": Right. Well the short answer is, no, we can't, not if we keep going the way we're going now. You know, we are Americans, right? We want what we want when we want it. ROMANS: Now. RYSSDAL: The problem is -- right now. The problem is it's not sustainable on a bunch of level. First of all, the kinds of job the economy -- is the kinds of jobs, rather, the economy is creating, right? It's creating part-time jobs. It's creating lower wage jobs. That creates consumers who can't spend when they want to and boost the economy. It creates people who can't plan for the future. It creates people who work 30 hours a week and thus doesn't get benefits instead of 40 hour a week with full-time benefits. There are real costs to what's going on in the economy. And I think the problem is that there are going to be long-term costs and nobody can see quite yet. And that's really the big issue. ROMANS: I'm scared to death so many of the jobs we've created in the recovery are low wage jobs, jobs making $13 or less. Two- thirds of the jobs in America -- a third of the jobs in America make $24,000 a year or less. I mean, that's really terrifying for saving for retirement and saving to sending kids to college. You know, Terry, Americans have been repairing balance sheets at the same time. Household debt at its lowest several since 2006. But there's a big exception. Student debt has been exploding. Are we graduating a generation of debtors who won't even have the ability to spend to buy a house, to buy a car, to move forward? That's going to reshape the economy. SAVAGE: Oh, absolutely. You know, I've been saying this, you've been saying this for a long, long time, we're graduating students into debt and no jobs. But these economic cycles unfortunately take a while to unwind. And what we're seeing now is colleges competing for students offering more aid out of their endowments, cutting their prices, cutting their offerings to be sensible about how they spend resources. I just can't paint the pictures so negatively because we never know what's around the corner. In the '80s, there was a great fear that we were in grips of the OPEC oil embargo for the beginning of the decade. We thought we had a heartland recession that would never bring back manufacturing. And who knew the Internet and technology would bring us tremendous growth and productivity. Now, as you look forward, we don't know what the next thing is around the bend but one thing is: cheap energy. America's about to be awash in oil. That could change everything, the components into growth. Energy is a big key component. So I don't think the picture for the future is necessarily so bleak. ROMANS: Yes. SAVAGE: Yes, you have to save, yes, you have to invest. But you don't have to crawl under a rock not lib your life. We need to readjust our priorities. ROMANS: And I've been spending time talking to college kids, I gave a commencement earlier this spring. And I'll tell you, they don't know what they don't know, which is kind of cool, and they're really optimistic. I mean -- SAVAGE: Yes, they should be. ROMANS: -- they don't know what we've gone through over the past four years. If they do, they don't have the perspective to put it in. So, that means creativity. They're born wired. I mean, these kids, I think, Kai, are going to be -- they have all of the adversity but they're actually -- it's up to them to fix it all. RYSSDAL: I think that's exactly right. I mean, you know, so one of our reporters, (INAUDIBLE), has been doing a piece out of Cincinnati on kids coming out of a high school there, the oiler school. They're actually looking forward to getting out into the economy, going to college, figuring out what's what. They are seeing the economy is growing, right? It's growing in terms of jobs. It's growing in terms of GDP. Not as fast as we want, not as fast as anybody wants, but it is growing. So, unlike five years ago, and college graduates were looking around, going, man, what I'm going to do? At least now, today's college graduates have a hope. They have some chance that things are going to work out and they're going to be able to find a job that means something. ROMANS: Terry Savage, Kai, it's nice to see both of you on the show this weekend. Great conversation. Let's have it again soon. Thanks, guys. SAVAGE: Thanks. RYSSDAL: All right. See you, bye-bye. ROMANS: Up next, is this housing market hot or just full of hot air? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NINA PEDERSON, SEATTLE HOMEOWNER: We literally own the air above this house. (END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: I'm going to show you why a Seattle couple who bought the space above the neighbor's home and why others are doing the same thing. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROMANS: Six years now after home prices collapsed in the U.S., the housing market is back. It's booming in some parts of the country. The pace of building is picking up. Existing home sales are up almost 13 percent in the past year, home prices, prices, up more than 15 percent. Now, before you break out the champagne, consider inventory. It is tight. What does that mean? It means very few homes are on the market, and those that are going often sell quickly. Flash sales are heating up in once hard hit markets like Texas, California, Florida, Arizona. It's tough to get in. Many homeowners are learning to love the homes they already have. In Seattle, that may mean protecting a view. One couple actually bought and sold the house next door but retained the air rights above it. That way future neighbors can't build up and block their view. In It cost them a cool $100,000. It's a growing trend in that area. In Boston there's something else going on less extreme. Zain Asher is with us to tell us that story. Hi, Zain. ZAIN ASHER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Christine. In Boston, it is all about construction. That is the game to be in right now. People are doing very well in construction right now. And here is why: during the recession you had a lot of construction companies that were forced to close down, forced to lay people off. Now that housing is back, you have more construction work to be done but fewer construction companies doing the work -- obviously great news for anyone in the business. I actually spoke to one boss who said for the first time in his eight-year career, he has so many offers to work, he's actually having to turn some of them down. Take a little. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ADAM RICCI, BUILDING CONTRACTOR: We can cut the pieces. ASHER (voice-over): Adam Ricci has a problem many people in this recovery only dream of. RICCI: Instead of the stress of not finding the work, I have the stress of too much work. ASHER: It's more proof that the recovery in housing is real, and a big change from the height of the recession when he was forced to close down. RICCI: One of the hardest things to do as an employer is to tell the people you're feeding that they don't have work anymore. It was one of the most difficult times in my career. ASHER: Across the country, contractors building single family homes are applying for new permits faster than at any time in the last five years. But here in Boston, space for new construction is limited. NICOLAS RETSIANS, SENIOR LECTURER IN REAL ESTATE, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL: People do value living close to the center city. We don't have in the Boston area large plots of land available for large- scale development. As other parts of the country do, the southwest, southern California, Florida, other parts of the South overall. ASHER: The solution? Buy an old home and then renovate it. RICCI: This was and will be the living room. ASHER (on camera): OK. (voice-over): The cost of gutting and rebuilding this interior, $400,000. RICCI: We just decided to pull the trigger and do a 100 percent gut on walls, electrical, and plumbing. ASHER: Renovation spending is expected to rise 20 percent this year. Homeowners who are staying put are also spending. The cost to renovate this kitchen, $60,000. CHRIS MAYER, PROFESSOR OF REAL ESTATE, COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL: People have their financial resources and the desire to live in a home, that's what they want. ASHER: It's a pretty nice pay day for Ricci, but he worries rising home prices and interest rates may discourage potential buyers. (on camera): What's going to happen to your business? RICCI: I honestly don't know. I don't think we'll be getting as much as the $200,000, $40,000 jobs. My focus right now to keep the company on progressive growth without growing too big. It's not fun to lay people off. (END VIDEOTAPE) ASHER: And I think the takeaway from all of this, Christine, is that even though housing is back, even though it's slowly taking upwards, it is still from fragile. I think it's going to be very interesting to see now that we know that Ben Bernanke does plan to ease up that stimulus later on this year, I think it's going to be very interesting to see what happens to housing. We know that housing is up for three reasons, high demand, low supply, and, of course, those low interest rates. And when interest rates slowly start to tick up, I think it's going to be -- I'll be curious to see how the story ends. ROMANS: My hope is when you have interest rates start to rise, but you have more inventory, you get a healthier balance in the housing market, and that means more jobs, that means more money in people's pockets. ASHER: We do need more inventory, though. ROMANS: We definitely do. All right. Zain, nice to see you. Thanks. The school year is ending. Final report cards are out. Are your personal financial grades bad enough to earn a spot in summer school? I'm going to show you the five things you need to do right now to get to the head of the class. Remember, smart is the new rich. A crash course, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROMANS: How would you grade the economy? If you don't have a job, you might give it an "F," but if you're in the stock market, it might get an "A." The economy is still on fragile ground but the recovery is for real. A new CNN/ORC poll shows a growing percentage say economic conditions are good. Thirty-five percent, a number that's been steadily rising since the end of 2012. That's how you're feeling. But I have been conducting a little poll of my own. The school is out for summer, the report card for the economic recovery is in. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROMANS (voice-over): Summer is here and the stocks are in turmoil after a 13 percent gain. Unemployment is still too high. Investors are making a fortune in housing, but nearly 10 million people owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. There are a rash of statistics to measure this recovery, but let's look at it this way. Let's give it a good old-fashioned letter grade starting with a man whose firm manages $2 trillion. MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CEO, PIMCO: I would give the economy a B to a B-plus. It's getting better but not fast enough. ROMANS: He buys and sells bonds. These guys are real estate tycoons. DON PEEBLES, CEO, THE PEEBLES CORPORATION: I would say it's a C-plus. ROMANS: What do you think, Mort? MORT ZUCKERMAN, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORTRE: C-plus. ROMANS: And here's a Harvard professor. NIALL FERGUSON: I think it's a B-plus at this point. We should be creating way, way more jobs. ROMANS: And the view from the stock market? JEFFERY KLEINTOP, MARKET STRATEGIST: I think a B-minus, this economy has held up well. Maybe more of a "C" plus, I give B-minus, because the government sector is fading. Remember, government job growth is fading. ROMANS: He's talking about Washington belt-tightening -- belt- tightening at exactly the wrong time says this former Clinton adviser. LAURA TYSON, FORMER CHAIR, COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS: On fiscal policy from the Congress, I'm afraid I will not give a passing grade right now. ROMANS: "Wall Street Journal" editorial writer and critic of the Obama administration. STEPHEN MOORE, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: I give it about a B- minus but I'm optimistic about the future. You've got the low interest rates. You've got the housing recovery. I'm pretty optimistic that we may see that B-minus turn into a B-plus. ROMANS: And, finally, the former chair of President Obama's economic team doesn't give a grade but nails how many Americans are feeling. AUSTAN GOOLSBEE, FORMER CHAIR, COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS: I don't know. On the economic conditions, I'd say modest at best. (END VIDEOTAPE) ROMANS: OK. So, the average for the U.S., it's about a B- minus. Let's say it's a B-minus. What about Europe? The eurozone gets a D. And what about China? That grade is a B-plus, but it is slipping. So the U.S. is doing pretty well compared with the rest of the world, but these grades matter less than how you grade your personal economy, right? Here are five ways you can improve your marks. These are all pass/fail. Spend less than you earn. Cut your debt. Save for college and retirement, rebalance your investments. Do it now. And refinance your mortgage. All right. Thanks for joining the conversation this week. Join me at 2:00 p.m. Eastern for a brand new edition of "YOUR MONEY." A dysfunctional government, crumbling infrastructure, crushing levels of student debt, stagnant wages. Do you feel like you're living in an American that parallels Rome before the fall? I'll be back at 2:00 Eastern today with the facts on that. Until then I want to hear what grade you are giving to your personal economy. You can find me on Facebook and on Twitter My handle is @ChristineRomans. "CNN NEWSROOM" starts right now.


text:
Engine building should go well if everything is done correctly. Once all the parts have been machined to the correct tolerances, assembled with the correct clearances and protected with the right kind of lubricant. Or, it can end disastrously if parts are too tight or too loose, if there's not enough lubrication when the engine is first started, or if the motor oil being used during the break-in process fails to protect the cam and lifters or doesn't allow the rings to seat. A lot of things can go wrong during those first few minutes following the initial start-up of a freshly built engine. The engine has to build oil pressure quickly so all of the critical wear surfaces will receive lubrication. Assembly lube is designed to cling to surfaces better than ordinary motor oil so there will be a protective film of lubricant until the engine is cranked over and started. From that point on, oil pressure should take over and flush away most of the assembly lube. That's why priming the oil system prior to starting it is so important. Priming prevents a dry start and reduces the lag time for oil to reach the bearings, cam and upper valve train components.
Ordinary motor oil can be used to lightly lubricate cylinder walls, lifter bores, wrist pins, piston rings, timing chains and bearing surfaces. But if the engine sits for more than a few days, much of the protective oil film will trickle back into the crankcase. Adding a viscosity improver such as STP to ordinary SAE 30 motor oil will help it cling to critical surfaces longer, and adding a dose of extreme pressure additive such as zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) or zinc-moly will provide additional protection for the cam lobes and lifters if the engine has a fl at tappet cam.
Engine builders around the world have grown increasingly concerned that many modern motor oils do not provide adequate wear protection for new engines, particularly those using fl at-tappet cams. Royal Purple has addressed this issue by developing a engine break-in oil. Royal Purple Break-in Oil is formulated to allow optimal ring seal and protect rotating assembly components, such as the camshaft and valve train, from initial start up wear. Royal Purple combines highly refined mineral oil, preferred for engine break-in, with advanced additives containing high levels of zinc and phosphorus to optimize protection in flat-tappet and roller engines. Royal Purple Break-in Oil is a fully formulated conventional 10W- 30 engine oil and does not require the use of any other chemical additives. Royal Purple recommends using their high performance synthetic motor oils after engine break-in for maximum engine performance and protection.
For more information visit www.powerlube.co.za,
or contact us on email@example.com or +27 11 466 1268

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Intimate. Interactive. Inclusive. The buddy system works. Start or join a small group (2-6) of individuals dedicated to achieving similar fitness and performance goals. Research shows that participants working together in small groups have a higher success rate of achieving their goals. By training with friends, colleagues or like-minded individuals, participants create a support system that motivates each other to get the most out of every training sessions.
Build strong relationships and enjoy the benefits of teamwork and camaraderie in a fun atmosphere that makes high quality fitness coaching more cost effective for each team member.
Do you have a small group interested in a custom-tailored training program?
Contact us to learn about programs that have successfully worked for others. Some popular small groups include, but are not limited to, "Expecting Moms", "Strong Officers", "Firefighters Unite" and "Top Sales Closers."
All small groups also enjoy these added benefits:


text:
How the Upside Down Braid Changed the Way I Think About Updos
A lot of us dream of mastering the art of braiding because there is something so cool and effortlessly chic about braided a hairstyle. But there is one particular type of braid that few women dared to conquer – the upside down braid. Most of you probably thought this was something that only the most skilled hands should take on. It's one hairstyle that has gotten the hair-crazy world lusting after but could not quite replicate… until now!
Styling your hair in an upside down braid is actually easier than you think. It is a fun hairstyle to try if you want to mix things up, especially if you are bored with the same old French braid looks. It is basically the same series of steps only done in a different direction.
Follow these six easy steps to create your own upside down braid masterpiece and have everyone in awe about how you did your hair!
Step 1:
You need to start by gathering the accessories or items you need to create the upside down braid hairstyle. These tools include a brush, a set of elastic bands, bobby pins, and optional items like hairspray or styling mousse. If you want to make your life easier creating the upside down braid, it is best to work with day old hair as freshly washed locks tend to resist styling.
Step 2:
Gently brush your hair to get rid of any knots that might have formed. Prep your hair by working in a small amount of styling mousse. This will give more texture and grip to your hairstyle. Also, you can do a bit of teasing to enhance volume, especially around the top part of the hair/
Step 3:
When you are done prepping your hair, divide it into two sections. Start from one side of the ear to the crown of the head and then the other side. Use a hair clip to secure one side of your hair at the crown area. Getting the hair out of the way makes it easier to braid your hair at the lower half.
Step 4:
Flip your head to bring hair upside down. Then, brush your hair again to smooth out the strands as you begin to do a French braid. Start with the hair on the nape of your neck and continue braiding until you reach the crown. Use an elastic tie to secure the braided section of the hair.
Step 5:
At this point, you can remove the clip that is securing your hair at the top of the head. Use an elastic band to tie the hair and the form a high ponytail with the braided hair together with the rest of your hair. From there, form your hair into a bun. If you have thin hair and want to add volume, you can use a bun roll. Use bobby pins to secure the hair in place. If you want to skip out on the bun roll, you can also try to tease the hair to create a somewhat messy look.
Step 6:
Finish off the style with a spritz of hairspray while you smooth the frizz.
One of the reasons why the upside down braid has caught so much craze is due to its uniqueness. However, this hairstyle can also work for an elegant look without losing its versatility. It can be sophisticated and sleek but fun and relaxed at the same time. Wherever you go with this hairstyle, you are sure to turn a few heads!
Have you mastered the upside down braid?


text:
Anonymous Claims to Have Video of Bill Clinton Raping 13 Year Old Girl?
Not to sure about this one.
From Gateway Pundit:
Anonymous says there is video of Bill Clinton raping a 13 year-old girl on Jeffrey Epstein's "Orgy Island."
Anonymous claims the video will plunge the presidential race into chaos. The video will be released this week.
Bill Clinton was a frequent flyer on the registered sex offender's infamous jet. Flight logs show the former president took at least 26 trips aboard the "Lolita Express" — even apparently ditching his Secret Service detail for at least five of the flights.
Anonymous claims there is video of Bill Clinton raping a 13 year-old on the island.Having listened to the video, I seriously doubt the veracity of this report.
Jews, Israeli Intelligence, and Hillary's conspiracy with Donald Trump to fix the 2016 election.
Does anyone actually have proof that this story really comes from "Anonymous"?
All 33k deleted Emails are going to be released by November 1st, probably in 4 - 5 sets, these emails are going to be the complete undoing of the Democratic Party. We are purposely holding them back so they cannot have time to replace Hillary.
Also we are not Russian, despite what CNN tells you, we already have inside info that HIllary being held for Treason and ending up with the same Terrorist they have influenced - by this time next year.
Don't give up the fight, Julian and his staff 100% know Hillary isnot going to be President. Hillary knows once the emails get released she's done, and that is why she is crying Russia and Obama is willing to start a war to hide their crimes, or at least draw attention away from their crimes."
Also there is documents and videos coming this week, that will destitute any faith left in the Democratic Party, specifically with HRC's campaign. We have them committing felonies on camera, the kind that make the voter fraud that we have released, look like a JWalking ticket (bribes and threats) to control the Media and Election officials.
The information will be released we rely on everyone to help spread the truth. [more]
Wait a week and then look at the polls you guys are bsing your arrogance upon, we also have information 9/10 polls that are posted from right before the debate - today have been sampled to show favor to HRC and create a false drop for Donald.
This election is closer than any of you know and Donald is actually leading Hillary in the only un-biased poll with the largest sample group.
It's painfully obvious that Clintons campaign is hurting, the only negative arguments and narratives they constantly push are the TrumpTapes, which he was prepared for and immediately appeared to hurt him, but actually has helped him, since it opened up his ability to use actual rape victims.
They also are clinging to the taxes, which 100% legal and Donald will release them soon and HRC can no longer attack himon that when he does (he is purposely holding them off to show that his last 5+ years will make all of HRC's bashing look horrible, since they show him paying much more than she does.)
HRC is attempting to pay/force a woman to lie that Trump sexually assaulted her.
HRC is trying to Blackmail a member of the Apprentice staff for a Tape that does not exist, but she played right into our hands and we have a video and audio of members of her campaign staff threatening/trying to Bribe the staff Member (no tape exists, we literally played her)
HRC is done you can claim victory all you want but the facts will show on November 8th


text:
September MDG Networking
Transitioning Into and Within the Medical Device Industry
Videos of Event can be found at the bottom of this post
At this popular annual event, hear from several seasoned veterans on entering or moving within the medical device industry. Additionally, a number of past speakers are invited back as special guests.
Come and get your new Elevator Speech ready!
Who Should Attend
- Professionals and students interested in entering the medical technology industry
- Anyone seeking to move from one sector of the industry to another
Anyone desiring to utilize their skill set and experience and move into a medical device company or to another device company
Program Description
The medical device industry is a diverse industry that develops and manufactures devices to diagnose or treat the spectrum of diseases and afflictions. Companies range in size from small start-ups to large corporations.
This annual meeting is for anyone seeking to enter or move laterally within the medical device industry. Our panelists, moderator and special guests bring diverse experience and backgrounds.
They will provide ideas and guidance on how to successfully navigate this exciting market.
This will be an inspiring evening to discuss transitions both into and within this exciting industry.
Our panel of industry veterans will talk about their varied experiences with transitions and provide insights to help you in your career.
This session is designed for those looking to enter the medical device industry as well as medical device veterans. Historically, this is the most well-attended MDG networking event of the year, so register early.
5:30 – 6:15 Registration, Dinner & Networking
6:15 – 6:30 Announcements
6:30 – 7:00 Audience Interactive
7:00 – 8:00 Panel Questions & Q/A
8:00 – 8:30 Remarks & Networking
Our Distinguished Panel
Nancy Briefs, MBA, CEO & Co-Founder, Infobionic 30+ years in the medical device industry
Vincent Barry
In 2005 Vin transitioned from Aerospaceto Medical Devices and joined Abiomed as a Principal Engineer to increase the reliability of the AbioCor Artificial Heart
Dave Buzzeo transitioned as a Mechanical Engineer into/within the Medical Device Industry
Lisa Sasso, MBA, CPCC, ACC
Lisa rose from Accounting Manager at Filene's to CEO of Radi Medical Systems, Inc. (a start up that grew from $0 to $28M).
Nancy Briefs,MBA, CEO & Co-Founder, Infobionic, 30+ years in the medical device industry
Nancy is a serial entrepreneur and has been an integral team member responsible for successfully developing and commercializing innovative paradigm shifting technologies with five prior med-tech startups.
Having raised over $300M in venture capital and four successful liquidity events (including an IPO with Goldman Sachs) she has proven the ability to lead teams from concept through commercialization and value creation.
She has served on the Boards of: MDMA (Medical Device andManufacturers Association), CardiAQ Valve Technologies, Direct Flow Medical, Eleme and InfoBionic. An entrepreneur inventor she is listed on seven issued and two pending US patents. Nancy has an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Golden Gate University and a BA and BSB from Emporia University.
Vincent Barry
In 2005 Vin transitioned from Aerospaceto Medical Devices and joined Abiomed as a Principal Engineer to increase the reliability of the AbioCor Artificial Heart. In 2007 Vin was promoted to the Director of Mechanical Engineering and has primarily focused on the Impella minimally invasive heart pump platform.
Vin attended Boston University under a full academic scholarship and graduated in1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree inMechanical Engineering. Vin is a registered Professional Engineer and holds two international patents.
Dave Buzzeo transitioned as a Mechanical Engineer into/within the Medical Device Industry. Dave is currently a Senior Manager for Global Contract Manufacturing at Haemonetics and oversees a $75M spend of disposable products. Previously,Dave held similar sourcing management positions at Medtronic, EMD Millipore and Jabil.
Moderator & Champion
Lisa Sasso, MBA, CPCC, ACC
Lisa rose from Accounting Manager at Filene's to CEO of Radi Medical Systems, Inc. (a start up that grew from $0 to $28M). Lisa is a past President of MDG and currently serves on its board. She is also President & Executive Coach at Medical Development Partners, Inc. (2005-present) and Past Co-Founder, President/CEO of Radi Medical Systems, Inc. (1998-2004). As President/CEO of Radi Inc., she grew the company from inception to revenues of $28M with profitability.
Currently, as an Executive Coach, Lisa empowers Medical Device leaders and executives to embrace their passion and achieve their personal and professional goals with confidence, accountability and balance. Lisa was recognized and ranked #28 out of 100 women-led businesses in Massachusetts in 2004.
She received a BBA in marketing and a BA in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her MBA is from Bentley University where she graduated with honors.
Cost (Includes sandwiches, beverages, dessert)
$25 for members or nonmembers
$15 for students
For more information, please visit the MDG website (MDGBoston.Org)
Location (Free Parking)
Regis College, Fine Arts Center
235 Wellesley St, Weston, MA 02493
About MDG
The Medical Development Group (MDG) is a community of individuals professionally committed to the Medical Device and other Medical Technology Industry segments united by the belief that innovation and advances in technology lead to substantial improvements in health care. MDG pursues this mission through the organization of educational programs and forums: the facilitation of cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration; the creation of venues for networking and information sharing for current and aspiring professionals, clinicians, and entrepreneurs; and the development of alliances with complementary organizations.
Video Part 1: Welcome & Introductions
Video Part 2: Sponsor Information & Medical Device Industry Update
Video Part 3: Panel and Q&A


text:
Posts From The Past Week:
Happening This Week:
I've been really lacking in my reading this past week - too many celebrations and too many paintings to complete. I apologize for the lack of content on my blog :( I'm so grateful for all of you guys that take time out of your days to check my blog out!
NEW Books added to my shelf this week:
The Fill-In Boyfriend By Kasie West (I absolutely loved The Distance Between Us & so this was sort of an auto-buy for me!)
The Night We Said Yes By Lauren Gibaldi ;D
Extraordinary Means By Robyn Schneider (The Beginning of Everything had great writing so I am very interested in seeing how Extraordinary Means is - I've heard such great things about it!)
~That's it for now lovelies♥ Let me know how your week went in the comments below ;)


text:
|Page 1
I commemorated the audition and D-Day
Enjoying the garden.
Some of the cards used were from the Kraft Project Life kit and others were from a batch of scrap papers I'd cut down to 3x4 and 6x4.
I like the burlap letters from Hobbycraft I used for my title.
|Page 2
|Page 3
I used cardstock to unify the photos from the same event and draw a single border around the whole thing. I also only rounded the outer corners to make it stand out. The papers and elements on the Scout mini-layout were from Simple Stories Awesome, my fave boy collection.
To tie the 2 large blocks of green and red together with the rest, I pulled out some black&white elements from the Midnight Edition as well as some bakers twine and washi from The Works.
I like the 2 filler cards I made to add to the summery feel of the spread. First time I've done that.
|page 4
As the previous page was fairly heavily biased towards to R, I also wanted to record all of M's achievements this month - less photo-worthy but every bit as impressive in their way.
She got new glasses and took up the loom band craze with gusto
She is busy rehearsing for not one, but two shows and is excited about her cute 'rag doll' costume for ballet. She has received 4 good behaviour cards this month and school and 1 'golden leaf' for academic work. She is really growing into a lovely young person.
|page 5
And finally, some pictures of P and myself - rare and definitely worth their own 12x12 pages as well., when I get time.
It is the end of term and one of the families at P's school invited all the staff and spouses for a very posh meal at the local golf club. A great excuse to get a babysitter and a taxi and to get dressed up.My students are much less wealthy but no less grateful so I recorded some of the nicest written feedback I received.
I organised a trip for my 6th form students to the city of Guildford. Although they had been there to shop, they had no idea of the amount of local history so it was satisfying to play tour guide and show them the castle and the old buildings. It was also a good Scavenge Hunt opportunity, but that's a story for another post.
My colleague took some pictures of me too.


text:
Frederick George Donnan, (born Sept. 5, 1870, Colombo, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]—died Dec. 16, 1956, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.), British chemist whose work was instrumental in the development of colloid chemistry.
Donnan was educated at Queen's College in Belfast, N.Ire., and at the Universities of Leipzig, Berlin, and London. From 1904 to 1913 he taught at the University of Liverpool, and from 1913 to his retirement in 1937 he was professor of chemistry at University College, London.
In 1911 Donnan studied the conditions under which equilibrium is established between two electrolytic solutions separated by a semipermeable membrane—that is, by a membrane through which the solvent and some, but not all, of the dissolved ions can pass. In the absence of such a membrane, the solvent and every species of dissolved ion will diffuse freely from each solution into the other, until the composition of the two solutions becomes the same. The semipermeable membrane, however, prevents the transfer of at least one ionic species, and the preservation of electrical neutrality limits the diffusion of that species' oppositely charged partner. Nevertheless, some movement of mobile ions does occur, and the compositions of the solutions change; as a result, the final distribution of the ionic species is unequal, and there is a measurable difference in the electric potential of the solutions on each side of the membrane. The nature of the equilibrium and the existence of the potential have both become associated with Donnan's name.


text:
Another misconception opponents have of affirmative consent is that it will deny due process to those who are accused. But that line of attack is wholly unrelated to the debate around affirmative consent. Simply changing the question from 'Did you get a no?' to 'Did you get a yes?' does not change the amount of evidence needed to bring forth disciplinary action."This is simply wrong. First, the question has never been "Did you get a 'no'?" The burden has always been on the prosecutor/the school to prove the absence of consent. Second, the new affirmative consent laws sweeping the nation shift the burden of proving consent in rape cases to the accused (see here.) Third, forcing a man or boy accused of rape to prove that his accuser consented does raise due process concerns. Here's what the Washington Supreme Court recently wrote when it overturned some bad caselaw that shifted the burden of proving consent in rape cases to the defendant: "Requiring a defendant to do more than raise a reasonable doubt is inconsistent with due process principles. . . . . The defendant cannot be burdened with proving consent . . . ." State v. W.R., 181 Wn.2d 757 (2014). The court held that prosecutors must prove every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt -- including lack of consent -- and placing the burden on a defendant to prove consent has it backward. (The case is a good primer on this issue -- check it out.)
Allow me to digress. Not only is shifting the burden of proving consent in rape cases unconstitutional, it is an idea long pushed by extremist victims' advocates. Linda Brookover Bourque's Defining Rape said in 1989 that the ultimate objective of rape reform is shifting the burden of proof from "the victim" to "the offender." Mainstream feminist extremist Jessica Valenti advocates that America look to Swedish law as its legislative model for rape, and "activists and legal experts in Sweden want to change the law there so that the burden of proof is on the accused; the alleged rapist would have to show that he got consent, instead of the victim having to prove that she didn't give it."
Serious feminist scholars have written extensively on the subject in an effort to change the law. Criminal law professor and feminist Michele Alexandre would make the sex act a presumed crime whenever a woman cries rape. See M. Alexandre, 'Girls Gone Wild' and Rape Law: Revising the Contractual Concept of Consent & Ensuring an Unbiased Application of 'Reasonable Doubt' When the Victim is Non-Traditional, 17 American Univ. Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law 1, 41, 55-56 (2009). In Addressing Rape Reform in Law and Practice (2008), Professor Susan Caringella of Western Michigan University's Sociology Department, not only refused to pay lip service to insuring that the innocent aren't punished with the guilty, she goes so far as to declare that men accused of rape are "overprotect[ed]." She writes: "It is high time to give victims a fair shake, to dismantle the zealous overprotections for men accused of this crime, which have been buoyed up by the myths about false accusations, ulterior motives, and so on, commonly embraced when rape charges are levied." Prof. Caringella advocates a shift in the burden of proof by enacting affirmative consent laws.
Shifting the burden of proving consent would transform the act of lovemaking -- something that occurs every second of every day around the world -- into a presumptive crime whenever a woman cries rape. That legislatures are now making new laws to allow this sea change on campus ought to be alarming to every thinking person.
Back to Davila's article. She declares, with no authority beyond her serene ipse dixit: "The undisputed point is that sexual assault on college campuses is at crisis levels." She cites the debunked "one in five" stat, apparently unaware that it unraveled last year. The lead author of the principal one-in-five study, Christopher Krebs, told Emily Yoffe that it simply is not a representative statistic that can be relied upon when discussing American college women in general. Earlier last year, the Washington Post concluded that the stat couldn't be relied on as representative. Then, at the end of the year, the Washington Post said it is "misleading to suggest that [the one in five stat] is representative of the experience of all college women." The New York Times declared the stat as "flawed." And even Scott Berkowitz, head of the national advocacy group RAINN, says the 1 in 5 stat "is probably too high." Most important, late last year, the Department of Justice said that it's not 1-in-5 college women who are sexually assaulted, it's more like 1-in 52.
Then Davila declares that "these staggering numbers" (she means the debunked one-in-five) "do not include the many more victims who do not report incidents of sexual assault." Sigh. Um, yes, Davila, they do. That's the whole point of the one-in-five. You see, Davila, reported figures show that sexual assault is extremely rare -- one in hundreds or thousands -- and the whole point of the one-in-five canard is to supposedly capture unreported rapes.
Sadly, if I tried to address every article like this, I would spend my every waking moment and still not be able to address all of them. All persons of good will need to stand ready to correct errors like these whenever they rear their ugly head.


text:
Giving you access to your data in the way you want to use it.
It isn't conceivable to produce a concise report for every question that could ever be asked of you. To solve that we have a two main options.
Firstly, within FuelsPricing there are a number of data reports available that enable you to take data extracts from the system, either to view on the web or download to Excel.
Secondly, if you need access to a specific data point(s), then ad-hoc analysis can be enabled either in the Web or Excel. FuelsPricing uses XLCubed tools to give you direct access to the Advance Reporting Module (ARM), which gives you control of exactly the same tools that are used to build all the dashboards and analytics reports in the system.
Why is ARM access so powerful? Queries and immediate answers.
The ARM uses Multi-Dimensional cubes, essentially a pre-aggregated set of data that reflects your FuelsPricing solution. These cubes contain measures (price, volume, margin, etc) and dimensions (Site, Date, Product, etc). When the cube is processed it contains aggregations across all of these dimensions. This aggregation means that when you create a report you have the ability to query in business terms and have the answers immediately available.
For example, with a few clicks of the mouse you can run reports to show:
This type of access can be termed 'self service business intelligence', using the same tools and databases that are used by the world's largest oil companies, but now available to all.
Taking this a step further, with true Enterprise functionality you can schedule multiple reports, embed them in SharePoint and/or distribute them to multiple devices.
Making and implementing the right pricing decisions is now a key process for us during this period of growth. We identified FuelsPricing.com as the best available solution.
Euro Garages


text:
When it comes to purchases, the prices and quality are two factors that are most crucial. The common logic is that if any particular object costs more, it invariably is of good quality and the similar lower priced object is understood to be of inferior quality.
This logic is by far correct; however, there are exceptions to everything. Everything that costs more is not necessarily of the best quality nor does it assure that you have got something unique. At the same time, a lower priced object does not always mean it is of cheap quality. As a shopper, one has to play smart and try and find deals where they can get the best object at the best price possible.
The same logic applies to purchase of sex toys. The general norm is that sex toys are expensive. But again, that is not always the case I got them at loveplugs.co and they are of the best quality at the lowest possible price. There is a wide range of sex toys to choose from. Each and every toy has been acquired from a trusted source and the quality of each product is top class.
Quality in case of sex toys is crucial as they are used in delicate areas of the body, and so compromising quality for the sake of money could result in serious health hazards. The key is purchase best quality at the lowest possible prices.
In order to make sure you are not getting ripped off in your sex toy shopping, it is important to do some research. You can try and check out the prices for same or similar sex toys in retail stores as well as online stores. Taking care that you are not lowering the quality standard of the product you can choose from the platform that offers you the best price. Buying sex toys does not mean one has to empty their bank balance. It is all about buying from a smart source.


text:
|Early Spring Flower Red and Yellow Tulip Bud. Broadway between 73d and 74tg street.
The genus Tulipa commonly called Tulip, contains over 100 species of flowering bulb plants in the family Liliaceae.
If This image is subject to copyright in your jurisdiction, i (sookietex) the copyright holder have irrevocably released all rights to it, allowing it to be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, used, modified, built upon, or otherwise exploited in any way by anyone for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, with or without attribution of the author, as if in the public domain.


text:
Symptoms of high blood sugar include weight loss, frequent urination, increased thirst and high levels of sugar in the urine. Although this condition rarely causes noticeable symptoms, its severity increases with time if not treated, according to Healthline.
High blood sugar, also called hyperglycemia, interferes with how the body processes sugar and is common in diabetics. The recommended range of blood sugar levels in the body is between 200 to 350 milligrams per decimeter in adults and between 200 to 240 milligrams per decimeter in children. If the blood sugar level of a patient is constantly higher than these figures, he may experience symptoms such as urinating more than normal, unexpected weight loss and increased appetite. The patient should drink enough liquid to replace the fluids lost from the body and to prevent symptoms of dehydration, such as dry mouth, dry skin and increased thirst, explains WebMD.
In severe cases, the patient may have symptoms such as blurred vision, light-headedness and difficulty waking up. Diabetics who have hyperglycemia may also experience deep breathing, a fast heart rate, belly pains and fruity breath odors, notes WebMD.
Common causes of high blood sugar include stress, eating more carbohydrates than normal, being less active and skipping insulin injections in diabetics, says Healthline.


text:
Recent Posts
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Words of "Wish-dom"
Note: This is for my beautiful niece Morgan, in honor of her college graduation from Texas State University tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
When I first thought of writing this blog to my niece, I immediately thought, "Who am I to give this amazing young woman advice?" I thought, "Its not like I've lived my life, since my own college graduation, so famously." I've decided to dedicate this blog to her because I can't think of a more tenacious, more courageous human being in the world to receive it. I'm writing this because I love her and I'm so proud of her. I count myself as one of the lucky "ladies of the land" that had the privilege of helping to raise her after my beautiful sister's and her wonderful mother's death in 1995, when she was only 8 years old. I got to be her cheerleader when her Mom had stress tests every week for several months prior to her birth. Her Mommy and I would coax her to move just a little with our pleas of "'Come on baby girl, you can do this!' or 'I can't wait to meet the little girl you are going to be!" Upon hearing us, she'd move and we could leave and get my sister a gi-normous tea with "rat turd" ice and lots of lemon. On June 11, 1987, Morgan Ashley Avary came into this world and changed my life forever. I spent her formative years imposing myself into every possible event, birthdays, piano recitals, sleep-overs, Christmases, Easters, spring breaks, summer breaks, school projects, and movie nights watching Doris Day in Pillow Talk or Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl, while we inhaled truck loads of popcorn and oceans of cola. Thank you and your Dad for receiving my presence so graciously.
I came across a quote made by Art Linkletter that says, "Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out." My Morgan must have been one of those people that Mr. Linkletter was referring to. And although I am just slightly biased, I think she is one of the best people that I know and I would like to pass a wish list, of sorts, on to her, a point of reference to guide her in this new chapter of her life, an application, if you will, to become her mentor, just as her Mommy was in my life.
So, here goes:
• Like you, while I was in college, I only did laundry six times . . . a year . . . you might want to up that to at least 12.
• When I finished school with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, I was completely lost. I did everything - I waitressed, I worked in retail, I worked for a newspaper, I sold advertising, I had no idea. And I thought I'd just finally settle in some ordinary job, where I would make enough to pay my rent, maybe have basic cable, or maybe not, I didn't really have a big plan. My point is, that, by the time I was your age, I really thought I knew who I was, but again, I had no idea. For example, after my college graduation, I thought antiques and vintage stuff was for old ladies or men with suspiciously good taste. And look at me now.
• When choosing a path, don't measure success by the amount of money it will make for you, or by the number of people it will please. Choose a path that is unique to you. Just always remember, that there is a difference in people who have money and people who are rich.
• More importantly, don't live in fear - free yourself from that and never look back! Challenge the known and EMBRACE the unknown.
• Dream big - expect that life will be all that you want it to be - set high expectations - whether you expect to succeed or fail, you're probably right!
• While you are out there figuring out what things you want in your life, remember that I love you and want those same things for you, too.
• Live your life as an honest and compassionate person. Help people every chance that you get.
• Follow your passion and stay true to yourself. Never follow anyone else's path . . . unless you're in a new city and you're lost and you see a path, and by all means you should follow that or turn on the GPS or something!
• Don't ever give advice, it will come back and bite you in the booty.
• Try not to take yourself too seriously - laugh and learn from your mistakes and failures.
• Don't take anyone's advice . . . So, my advice to you is to be true to yourself and everything will be fine . . . Sorry, I couldn't resist!
Finally, I know that you are concerned about your future, my darlin' girl, but there's no need to worry. The economy is turning around, the job market is wide open, the world is your oyster! It's gonna be great! You've already survived the worst. What else can happen to you? And as you know all too well, that some of the most devastating things that could happen to you will be the things that teach you the most. And remember what your Mommy used to tell you, even before you were born:
"'Come on baby girl, you can do this!' and 'I can't wait to meet the young woman that you are going to be!'"
Follow my blog with bloglovin
7 comments:
- Alyssa and Kevin said...
Beautifully written for a beautiful girl! Tell her congrats for us!
MISS YOU ALL so much!!
- August 13, 2009 at 7:54 PM
- French-Kissed said...
What a gift this beautiful and accomplished young lady has in you her auntie and in your wonderful advice.
- August 15, 2009 at 11:21 PM
- Mikey said...
Congratulations to your niece. I just graduated from Texas State this past December. And it IS quite an accomplishment. I'm sure she received a wonderful education.
But also congratulations to you for being such an invaluable part of her life... to have been a guiding force in her success.
- August 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
- Gretchen said...
LeAnn- While catching up on my bloggin after a bit of a break, I noticed your photo on my blog and didn't recognize who you were. I came to your sight to learn a bit about who you are and love the post you've dedicated to your niece. Wow, what an incredible girl she must be, and what a fortunate gal to have a wonderful lady like you in her life. She surely has been blessed.
Thanks for sharing your awesome tips as well. Wish you had been my Auntie when I graduated from college. lol I could of used most of those tips.
- August 16, 2009 at 6:55 PM
- Annie said...
Thanks for signing up as a follower to my blog, because it pointed me to your wonderfully written blog.
Congratulations to you both!
P.S. I grew up in Austin...graduated from McCallum HS.
- August 17, 2009 at 12:22 PM
- Candi said...
This is the most beautiful post! I love your advice to her. It's funny, when I graduated from college almost 3 years ago, I thought I knew what I wanted. I had decided I was going to get into sales to pay off my debt, and get into writing. I had no love nor appreciation for antiques either....like you, I thought they were my mom's thing. Well, the economy turned sour, I didn't get into sales, I'm still doing the same thing before I graduated, working as a caregiver for my grandmother with dementia, but I am working on my new business. I had never ever thought of being a photographer...I worried for my friend who majored in photography. I thought who does that, she should get into something stable. Hmmmm....if I had only known God's plan for me! Life is a beautiful thing! :) Thanks to my blog, I am enjoying writing, and I can't wait to see what the future holds!
Congratulations to your niece!!! She's just as lucky to have you in her life, as you are to have her!
We almost share a birthday, mine's the 12th of June!
- August 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
- Lindsey Conrad - Nabors said...
Your niece is so lucky to have you!! She sounds like an amazing you woman with a great life a head of her! I know your sister, her mother, would be so proud!
Oh and I used to watch Pillow talk when I was in Elementary school - I always loved that movie!! Doris Day and Rock Hudson were 2 of Hollywoods best treasures in that movie!!
- October 12, 2009 at 10:48 PM


text:
On The Straits Times
I'm not sure how long this will be up but there is an
online version you may read in its entirety.
While I am gratified to be written about in The Straits Times, there are three corrections I wish to make:
- My mother has ALS but she had it for about two years
- She didn't exactly ask me to use my voice to tell stories. She did however support my decision to study journalism before she even had ALS. And even now, she still supports my assignments (yes, even if I need to go to an area of armed conflict)
- I wanted to study Mass Communication in the School of Film & Media Studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic since I was 14. A friend pointed out that the math does not add up; I was already in Year Two three years ago. On another note, some of my peers found the headline quite interesting.
You may also want to read another perspective published by the School of Film & Media Studies in their News updates.


text:
February 2, 2011 1:50:00 PM
Authorities are trying to find out who dumped the carcasses of nearly 50 dogs and several cats in a creek in north Mississippi.
Sheriff Randy M. Tolar said the carcasses were found this week under a bridge on a rural county road in Prentiss County near the town of Baldwyn. Some of the animals appeared to have been shot.
Tolar said the animals included a "wide range of breeds and ages" and were in various states of decomposition. At least one deer carcass was found. A video of the scene has been circulating on the Internet. The carcasses have since been removed.
Tolar said authorities don''t know why the animals were killed or who dumped them.
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information in the case.
The animals were taken to a veterinarian for necropsy, but many were too decomposed to determine a cause of death, the Humane Society said Wednesday in a news release.
This is at least the second time this year that Mississippi authorities have investigated a major dumping ground for cats and dogs.
An animal control officer in Canton, about 25 miles north of Jackson, was accused last month of killing as many as 100 dogs and cats and dumping the carcasses into a creek.
Both cases have renewed calls for Mississippi lawmakers to adopt more stringent animal cruelty laws. Mississippi is one of four states that doesn''t have a felony animal cruelty law against dogs and cats.
printer friendly version | back to top
preed commented at 2/3/2011 10:20:00 AM:
This makes me sick!!! PLEASE pass an animal cruelty law that will punish and hopefully discourage these stupid people from getting dogs and cats that they do not take care of! Pets require responsibility from their owners. If you don't want that responsibility DON'T GET A PET!!!! And if it turns out Animal Control Officers are doing this they should be fired and jailed!! Or taken to a ditch and shot!
headringer commented at 2/3/2011 9:44:00 PM:
It makes me sick that you can murder an unborn child but people are worried about animals.
ckirby commented at 2/3/2011 10:02:00 PM:
And there's something disturbing about someone who protests treatment of unborn children but ridicules others whose sensitivities go even farther, to include domesticated animals, pets and friends of other species. I believe the right word is hypocrite.
headringer commented at 2/3/2011 11:26:00 PM:
I am not ridiculing anyone, nor do i support mistreating animals. Our priorities are out of place is all I am saying.
ckirby commented at 2/4/2011 6:38:00 AM:
The same statement you made is heard from anti-abortion proponents all the time and it's a time worn, but unsuccessful, public relations technique. An attempt at embarrassment and it it assumes a falsehood, that people who protest the abuse and mistreatment of animals support abortion or don't support anti-abortion legislation. That is not a good way to win over hearts and minds, smacks of pompous self-righteousness and maligns people who are probably more supportive of both human and animal rights than people who consider animals mere property, such as those who demean attempts to reduce animal cruelty. If you or other anti-abortion proponents want to change the status quo, perhaps taking on the nine people on the Supreme Court would do more than demeaning animal rights activists.
1. Arrest report for 2-15-19 AREA
2. Lime scooters becoming headache for MSU STARKVILLE & OKTIBBEHA COUNTY
3. Walters out of jail on bond STARKVILLE & OKTIBBEHA COUNTY
4. The New Dude: MSU's $68-million baseball stadium opens to rave reviews STARKVILLE & OKTIBBEHA COUNTY
5. Harrison joins District 2 supervisor race COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY


text:
I James Dante Wood (Jim Wood) was born July 20, 1964, in Orange, CA. I was born to a family that is English, German, Italian, Russian, French, American Indian, Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish. Coming from a military, law enforcement family, I am the black sheep and 84% of you are the blind sheep, until I give you the same peripheral vision. The black sheep have now metamorphosed into lone wolves, eating shepherds conceded to by the blind sheep who have long conspired to make cold-hearted examples out of whistle-blowers, victims, and those who try to help, and get wealthy in the process. I have a B.S. degree in Physics from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in 1987, an A.S. degree in Computer Science from Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, in 1988, a Micro-computer Repair Certificate from International Business Institute, Lake Forest, CA, 1995, and an A.A. in Graphic Design from Platt College, Newport Beach, CA, 1998, and graduate physics studies at Cal State Long Beach, 1989-1991. I am a pathological INTJ (introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judgmental) which means relentless innovator, 3% of the male population, 1% of the female population. I am an automation
expert (let's just say "specialist"), working myself, my co-workers, and my supervisors out of a job everywhere I go, hated by them, loved by stock holders and CEO's, and I'm going to work you out of a job! Now is the time for you all to become self-employed and put the robots to work like me!
I was a key member as a technician and materials engineer in companies that were leaders in semi-conductor, printed circuit, and hard drive component technology specializing in electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and other instrumentation to perform failure analysis and generate millions of dollars of revenue. I am one of the pioneers of chip-implant technology, inventing MABAS (Magnetically-Aligned Ballast Antenna System) and co-inventing ALS (Automatic Location System) with software and TurboCAD schematics and descriptions submitted to joint venture capitalists, and instructing key symposiums on how this technology is revolutionary for finding missing people, locating people with failed vital signs because of bio-transducers, and broadcasting the locations of sex offenders and parolees for in-house arrest. I am currently working on widgets that will allow smart phones to perform triangulation to acknowledge location, identity, and vital signs of people and animals with these implants, and report to ALS and public-to-become-private authorities, with consent except for parolees (if there is no coercion, the implants become necessary for purchasing goods and services as they are more secure and more convenient, necessary to extend one's life span, and the insurance companies will gladly pay for the surgery and implant as they will save a lot of money as vital signs are known without the patient being in the hospital for $1200/day), so smart phone possessors can acknowledge location and health of loved ones and parolees and have alarms go off when vital sign thresholds are met or in close proximity to parolees. This will require cooperation with Apple, Google (Chrome), and Microsoft to implement technology. I was also a software engineer who designed the entertainment system for Air Force 1 and contributed to Turbo Tax, the number 2 software package in the world.
I was one of the co-founders of the Minuteman movement in 2004, working harder, raising more money, and involved in the most pinnacle of events to effect the illegal immigration climate leading to a substantial reduction of illegal aliens in this country according to census data since 2005 when I and a 11 other Minutemen were attacked by 400 protestors (30 violent assaults) in July of 2005 in Campo, CA. I was the webmaster of two defunct websites, NoInvaders.org, and BorderFenceProject.com, which raised millions of dollars to black list illegal alien employers and build fortifications on Mexican border, mostly chain link reinforcing pre-existing cattle fencing and the invention of SPRAVU (Self-Powered Remote Audio Video Units), covert solar powered cameras that uploaded video of border to Internet, designed to privatize immigration law enforcement, while embarrassing federal government to do more immigration law enforcement and causing a substantial reduction in illegal attempted crossings of the border since 2005.
As sole proprietor of Anarchy Forever (licensed in Laguna Hills, CA, August, 2015), I hope to create a major tax-free peer-to-peer network of self-employed workers that will expand from blog to multi-faceted portal, which now offers information, sell lottery tickets to register the Anarchist Party in all 50 U.S. states, attracting candidates and pursue referendum serious about winning elections, offering tax audit insurance, tax audit lottery tickets, and tax audit charity as a legal, peaceful way to bring down government, offer tax relief and educating people from around the world how to use tax shelters to deny the public sector of potentially all of their tax revenue, instruct people how to collect more social service money and engage in a dynamic to bankrupt the public sector around the planet, a news service, a podcast, a search engine, social networking, a store, and various mechanisms instructing people from around the world how to privatize the responsibilities of what will be the former government.
Based on theory which becomes fact, if for no other reason but self-fulfilling prophesy, free-will determinism, and the inevitability of a campaign for peace and justice like the world has never seen, I challenge the skeptics to dispute the talent of the prophets to prevent the invocation of perfection, which will verify that as the consummate optimist, everything evolves except God, and I will soon convert the world into believers, as synergy leads to consensus, fate, destiny, no such thing as coincidences, and history will never record a more important extravaganza as the one that leads us to heaven on earth.
When this crusade is over with, I will not weep a tear for Big Brother like Winston Smith from "1984", and I will not hang myself like John the Savage from "Brave New World", I will die an American soldier on American soil, because it's the American way, and be martyred a Christian. So if you think I am going away, like Judas Priest said, "You've got another thing coming". I'm just like Jason, you can hack me to death, you can set me on fire, but I'm just going to keep coming back for more…
James Dante Wood
Sole Proprietor
Anarchy Forever


text:
Adwise 2002 : Sam Balsara
Sam Balsara, born 1951, is a Management Graduate (from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute, Bombay) and has ov er 25 years experience in Managerial positions Marketing ] Sarabhai' s & Cadbury's and in Advertising with Contract ( a subsidiary of JWT/HTA), Mudra and Madison
He joined Mudra in 1984 when the agency's billing was under Rs. 4 crores and contributed to its meteoric rise over the next four years . Mr. Balsara was also directly responsible for organizing the Reliance Cup in India (Cricket World Cup) and marketing the cup in India and abroad.
He founded Madison Advertising in 1988 with 3 Blue chip accounts Godrej, Tata (Nelco) and Mafatlal and the agency has steadily gained in stature and billings and today its client includes, Procter & Gamble, BPL and Coke with current media billings of Rs.350 crores. Though Madison is not a very large agency it features in the Economic Times listing as the Fourth Most Admired Agency in India.
He is also Chairman of MOMS (Madison Outdoor Media Services) and Director of Anugrah Madison, the rural advertising unit of Madison. He also runs a Public Relations unit.
He is a prominent member of the Indian Marketing and Advertising profession. He has been President of The Advertising Club, Bombay ( arguably the world's largest Advertising Club with 3000 members) for almost 3 terms and has been editor of Solus -the Ad Club's magazine for many years. He was the Vice President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India and is currently Chairman, Triple A Awards. He is currently Chairman of NRSC Technical Committee and serves on the AAA-IBF joint Committee. He is also the immediate past
Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India and a founder member of ECO-India, an organisation to promote environment- friendly actions.
He is a regular speaker at Seminars and forums pertaining to Advertising and has served committees and judging panels.


text:
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., March 26, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The percentage of women attending the Chicago Auto Show went from 42% in 2013 to an unprecedented majority at 54%. "This is the first time in six years of measuring dozens of auto shows and surveying thousands of auto show attendees that we've seen attendance skew toward women," said Steve Bruyn, CEO of Foresight Research, and an expert in auto show marketing.
"We've noticed that the percentage of women attendees was growing for the past couple of years," Bruyn said, "in fact, it was compelling enough that we are already planning to publish a report on the impact of women at auto shows, but we never expected women to be a majority of show visitors!"
Women did go to the Chicago Auto Show for different reasons than men. Over two-thirds of men intend to buy a car in the next 12 months and only 45% of the attending women share that intention. Likely as a result of this shopping focus, men are much more likely to pre-plan visits to particular displays. Women definitely respond to the fun of the auto show, with just over 87% attending for fun, while about two-thirds of men go for shopping. And men credit the ability to "compare vehicles and shop before going to a dealer" as a reason they attended, while women lean toward "see new vehicles just coming out" and "learn about new electronic features in vehicles."
"The first reaction we get is that the shopping men are dragging their wives and girlfriends to the Chicago Auto Show," said Foresight's Bruyn, "but we look at what influences people to attend and men are actually more often influenced by a friend or relative, and women are more likely to respond to social media or a discounted ticket. For auto show marketers, women are here to stay!"
The Foresight Research Auto Show Best Practices – Women Rising report will be available in June of this year.
About Foresight Research – www.foresightresearch.com
Foresight Research specializes in syndicated and custom studies focusing on the key influencers of purchase decisions in automotive and marine industries. Since 2008, Foresight Research publishes several syndicated reports each year that provide information, strategies and best practices to help auto companies and their partners build, frame, and support marketing insights and actions.
CONTACT: Nancy Walter Foresight Research 248.608.1870 x 18 firstname.lastname@example.com
Source:Foresight Research


text:
Writing Services
"I'm so grateful to have you on my support team, which allows me to do the work I love."
Executive Coach
I started my career in writing as a public information professional, photographer, reporter and editor in the U.S. Army in the old West Germany. Since then I have been a beat reporter, newspaper editor-in-chief, editorial director for a multi-title magazine publisher, and marketing director for an advertising agency. Now I run my own communication business, delivering winning words.
Clients turn to me to help them write nearly everything you can imagine and some things you probably can't. I write press and social media releases, award nominations, grant proposals, trade magazine articles, public information campaigns, social media copy, entire books, search engine optimization tags, content for websites, and even something as simple as responding to a letter that some overworked executive has been tired of looking at in his inbox.
Some of the main types of writing I do are explained below.
Promotional Writing and Public Outreach is how businesses, agencies and non-profit organizations put their best faces forward. For my clients I write press releases, blogs and other social media, ad and brochure copy, biographies and even letters of introduction to help them open an important door. When my clients need to present themselves and their work I create PowerPoint presentations, keynote speeches, conference program sessions and product pitches. I also manage education and public outreach programs for organizations. Call me at 909-486-7274 or e-mail me for samples of my promotional and presentation work.
Ghostwriting helps busy professionals communicate valuable information and tackle projects they could not possibly complete in their "spare time." I don't write for my ghostwriting clients, I write as them. My goal is to make your "voice" come through in the writing. It's a process in which I get to know you, what you value, what drives you, and how you communicate, which are all main elements of your voice.
Whether it's an article, personal correspondence, a presentation or an entire book, you are writing through me and I am writing as you. You are the author throughout the process and when it is done, you will see what I mean. You will come away knowing this was your work. You just had a little help where you needed it. For more information about this misunderstood art and how I go about it, along with an informative article that clears up some of the misconceptions and concerns about ghostwriting, go to my ghostwriting page.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is also misunderstood, but it is not all art–there is a bit of science to it as well. If you read the information above this section, did you get the feeling I was being a bit wordy and maybe repeating a few things? Well, you're right. Habits like that are probably not the best advertisement for a writer, but if you found this site because of a search on Google or some other search engine, that's part of the reason you're here.
Do you want your organization's site to be at the top of the search engines for certain phrases? What is that worth to you? Would you like to do it without having to pay for advertising? I am at the top of all the search engines for my key phrases and I don't pay a penny for it. To find out how I can do that for your organization, visit my search engine optimization page. .


text:
Collecting Router Bits - Where to Start
Great router bit collections rarely come into being all at once; they almost always happen slowly, over time. You pick up the one or two bits you need to complete a project, and then repeat the process for project after project after project until one day, there it is: a truly impressive array of router bits. But if you've just picked up your first router, you may want to give yourself a head start with a selection of the bits that come up frequently and universally in woodworking. And out of the many, many router bit types and profiles, there are a few "basic" bits that seem to come in handy more often than others.
Cutting rabbets, dadoes and grooves, and dressing up edges are among the most common router operations. You'll never run out of uses for a few of the basic bits in each of these categories. Rockler offers a money-saving 5 Piece Starter Bit Set that combines three of the most popular edge profiles– round-over, roman ogee, and chamfer – with a variable width piloted rabbeting bit and a 3/4'' straight bit – ever-useful for plowing dadoes and grooves in preparation for joining the most common thickness of material. The edge profiling bits are in the "medium-sized" range, and will work well for a variety of edge decorating tasks. The adjustable width rabbeting bit, with its five interchangeable sizes of pilot bearings, is essentially five bits in one and will have you ready to cut a variety of common sized rabbets from the get go.
A good flush trimming bit is the other obvious choice for a start-up router bit collection. A flush trim bit uses a pilot bearing to make a guided cut that brings the edges of two pieces of material into perfect alignment (you'll find no shortage of a need for that). You can use a flush trim bit to make perfectly shaped, smooth-edged curved parts from patterns, to flush-trim laminated parts, and for a variety of other trimming and edge clean-up tasks. We strongly recommend a Shear Cutting Flush Trim Bit for the purpose. The shear bit's angled cutters produce a cleaner slicing cut than typical straight fluted bits. A shear bit does a better job with end grain, and you can trust it to make smooth trim cuts in delicate veneers.
These few bits won't be "the only bits you ever need," but they will get you through a surprising number of projects. When you add to your collection with other profiles and more specialized bits, or bits that are appropriate for the router table you've added to your shop, remember that the quality of the carbide used to make the bit, the quality of the pilot bearings, and the manufacturing standards used in making the bit all make a difference. Remember, too, that Rockler Router Bits are manufactured to the highest standards using quality components and a superior grade of carbide and - we think - are an exceptional value. Better still, you can test these claims for yourself - risk free. Every Rockler Router Bit comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.


text:
Meet singles in Portstewart
You found us! Fantastic! Welcome to eHarmony's Portstewart, Coleraine dating page. Now you're here there's no rush, take a look around. All the profiles you see on this page are eHarmony singles from around Portstewart who we're already helping to discover a more meaningful online dating experience.


text:
Just like God can be found whereever one looks for Him, similarly law can be found anywhere you look. So seems to be presupposition on which this paper titled Rule of Law in Bollywood Translations of 'Devdas' and 'Parineeta' has been written by Michael H. Hoffheimer. While the abstract of the article does not fully describe its contents except to give a very broad overview when its states that "article discusses transformation of "Devdas" and "Parineeta" narratives in multiple commercial Hindi film adaptations, focusing on changing role of law and lawyers over time", a look at the paper would make one realize that it is indeed an ernest attempt to learn from the mind of the bollywood film-makers in as much as they project the prevailing social thought coupled with the literary opinions expressed by the contemporary intellectuals.
As the author himself puts it, the article which was published in the Florida Entertainment Law Review, "tracks the shifting contours of the conflict between eros and convention in Saratchandra's literary narratives, in Bimal Roy's 1950s film recreations and in the recent Bollywood hits. It examines the continuity of the central conflict between romance and its social regulation, explores diverse artistic representations of this conflict and attempts to explain sources for alterations that affect the professional legal status and moral authority of the male lovers. "
Written with extensive references to the text and comment of various prominent Indian authors, the article sets itself to terms with the historic background to describe the two movies in a running commentary of sorts. And then the conclusion is all the more interesting. It notes;
One of the visible tokens of this transformation is Devdas's conversion in 2002 from rusticated student to lawyer and Shekhar's conversion in 2005 from a lawyer to a musician. Evoking strong negative associations of characters identified as legal professionals, recent Bollywood films--far more than Saratchandra's novels or Bimal Roy's 1950s film translations--pit law directly against eros, completing the personification of lawyers as bad lovers.
Yet the negative the judgment of law in the recent Bollywood translations of DEVDAS and PARINEETA remains more nuanced than the vision of law in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. To be sure, Bollywood deploys stereotypes of lawyers as grasping, manipulative and deceptive. It goes still further in identifying lawyers with a lack of erotic capacity. But such representations subsist in a rich film tradition that provides competing narratives in which law and lawyers can also embody erotic power and serve to restore family harmony and social order.
In all, an interesting paper.


text:
Buy with Confidence
Shopping Options
Made from nickel plated steel wire wrapped around tin plated hex shaped steel core wire. By far the most popular, produces well balanced all around good sound. (F#13, D#15, G#10, E14, B18p, G#22w, F#26, E30, D34, B38)
Powered by Pro-Active Websites
©GEOPAUL All Rights Reserved


text:
Anthony Bourdain just may be the world�s most famous anti-chef. Alright� he�s a chef by trade, and quite an accomplished one at that.
Anthony Bourdain just may be the world�s most famous anti-chef. Alright� he�s a chef by trade, and quite an accomplished one at that. But he attacks the Food Network and their talent (Rachael Ray, Emeril, etc.) at every turn. And the Food Network got him into the TV biz. Imagine what he thinks about his real enemies.
Now happily settled into the Travel Network with his highly entertaining show No Reservations, Tony gives us a glimpse of the chef nobody sees. Out of the kitchen and prowling the world, he�s a hardass motherfucker with a brutal wit and sailor�s vocabulary. Sarcastic and sharp as a Global (if you know what that is, you�re on the level), his realistic outlook is refreshing in a world of candy-coated travel shows.
Did I mention he�s a decent writer?
His latest, No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach is filled with Tony�s typical prose. Direct and honest, he doesn�t fuck around when describing his travels. Did a place suck? He�ll tell you why. How was the food? Would he go there again? What should you bring if you�re traveling to some foreign land? And, most importantly: Which countries had the best/worst bathrooms?
With the numerous still photographs of Tony�s travels, some would call No Reservations a companion book to the show. And, to a point, I�d agree with that opinion. But Tony�s writing in this tome is new and refreshing. The chapter on his time in Beirut, during the recent Israeli/Hezbollah conflict, is poignant and well told. I�m a fan of Tony�s opinions, and if you are too, you�ll like this book.
Comments? firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Silver Spring Man Sentenced To Over 20 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Induce A 9 Year Old Girl To Be Photographed Engaging In Sexual Acts
Helped Entice the Victim to Submit to Sexual Degradation and Abuse
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced David Andrew Pizer, age 46, of Silver Spring, Maryland today to 249 months in prison followed by supervised release for life, for conspiring to produce child pornography. Judge Grimm ordered that upon his release from prison, Pizer must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, co-conspirator A used pictures of a nine year old girl to create profiles on online forums to advertise to others who expressed a sexual interest in children. Thereafter, and from March 16 to May 11, 2012, Pizer emailed and chatted online with conspirator A and the victim to encourage the victim to submit to sexual degradation and abuse that Pizer either watched through web-cam or that co-conspirator A would photograph and provide to Pizer and others. Pizer also introduced co-conspirator B to the victim and co-conspirator A, to help persuade the victim to continue to engage in sexual acts. Pizer and co-conspirator B repeatedly emailed images of minors dressed in sexually provocative outfits or engaged in sexual acts to co-conspirator A to help groom the victim to engage in sexual acts.
Further investigation revealed that Pizer's laptop computer had 4,486 images and six videos that depicted children engaged in sexual acts with adults, children in sexually provocative poses or nude image of children. Approximately 605 of the images depicted the victim in lingerie, nude or engaged in sexual acts.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi O'Malley, who prosecuted the case.


text:
Melanie: February 2010 Archives
Why Cats Purr
The reason cats purr is because they're content.
The purr comes from two membrane folds, called false vocal chords, that are situated behind the actual vocal cords. Cats purr at 26 cycles per second. Kitty purrs both when he or she inhales and exhales, all the time keeping his or her mouth completely closed. Scientists think purring is produced by blood in a large vein in the chest cavity that vibrates and is then magnified by air in the windpipe.
Kittens are born blind and deaf; but the vibration of their mothers' purring is a physical signal that the kittens can feel -- it acts like a homing device, signaling them to nurse. Kittens begin to purr at about one week of age, and this signals Mom that they are getting their milk.
A deep purr can indicate that your feline is in pain or experiencing distress. Female cats for instance, purr when they're in labor. Sometimes cats purr from fear. Cats also purr when they are anticipating something that will make them happy, like food or being pet.
Visit Flippy's Cat Page for more Cat Facts
Before beginning to try to change the behavior of your cat, it may be a good idea to learn a little bit about cat behavior. One of the most natural instincts for a cat is to jump and automatically land on their feet. A kitten is not born with the natural cushion it takes to be able to land on it's feet and it takes about 7 weeks for this cushion to actually develop. Also, cats have a unique bone structure when compared to other animals. A cat's bones are more flexible and because they have no collar bone they are able to turn more easily. This enables a cat to jump from many different angles without causing injury to itself in most instances.
As a result of this natural instinct to jump, you may wish to teach you cat how to jump through hoops, over sticks, or even from a scratching post onto your shoulder or back. Watch out for the claws though. Also, do keep in mind that a cat can be injured when jumping from extreme heights such as breaking a leg or internal injuries so use caution when training your cat to jump. Cats have the ability to hear high frequencies and pitches so you will often find they come running when you are opening a can of food or a door.
I know my own cats always seem to know when I am about to open a door to go outside and they will either be waiting to come in or trying to get out and heaven forbid I should open a can of anything, all four cats are right there wanting to know if they are going to get a treat. I am sometimes amazed at a cat's sense of smell. Just the other day when Ben was cutting up cold chicken, my cat Twinkie, who was sound asleep in the other room, woke up and came to see if she could have some scraps. She loves chicken.
It is their sense of smell that causes them to rub up against things or to urinate in certain areas. They are leaving their scent so that they will know they have been there before. This is what is known as marking their territory. When another cat or animal is in the same area, they will know that this cat was there before them. Understanding a little about these natural instincts and behaviors can help you learn more about how to train cats. Letting you cat use it's natural instincts during training is an important thing to keep in mind.
Older cats sometimes tend to become a little aggressive, especially if they are ill or if there are other cats in the home. Training a cat that is not in good health is not a good idea so check with your vet if you think your cat may have any medical problems before you start trying to train them.
If your cat had a previous owner and for some reason they decided to give the cat up, this can cause a cat to become depressed and show some signs of anxiety. I know this for a fact because when Sammy was first born he was supposed to go to my father in law but Sammy knew he was supposed to be my cat. He cried non stop for 2 days until Wally couldn't take it anymore and brought him back home. Don't worry if you have a similar reaction from your cat because they will learn to love you just as much in a short period of time. Again, be patient and don't try to train your cat if he is stressed out.
You should never, under any circumstance hit a cat because this will cause the cat to be afraid of you and it is very hard to undo the damage once it has been done. I do yell at my cat's every now and then if they do something they shouldn't but I have had them for a number of years and they are spoiled rotten and already know that I love them unconditionally. Using a spray bottle filled with water is one of the best ways to control unwanted behavior.
If you find your cat is constantly behaving in a way that bothers you, such as knocking things off tables or counter tops, simply remove everything just like you might do for a child. Learning how to train cats before you get one is the ideal way to go but if you already have a cat, it is never too late to start teaching them good habits. The best time to begin training is when you first get your cat or kitten but keep in mind this is only if there are no health or depression issues. If you have a good relationship with your cat from the beginning, you are more likely to have a happy, healthy cat.Article By Kimberly Aita