text:
Admit it, girls, whatever shape you are in, you always want somebody else's body – we want Angelina's lips, Megan's hair and Beyonce's booty!
This time, we're focusing on the pear shaped woman and how pear shaped women can dress, fashionable, stylish and look fabulous. Of course, we can't move our curves where we would like them best, neither can we share each other's waist nor cheekbones!
We can of course share tips and bring out the best in whatever body shape we have by emphasizing our assets and by taking focus off the bits we don't like as much.
Just like the fruit, pear-shaped women have a relatively slimmer upper torso and bigger hips, waists and thighs. Usually pear shaped ladies have narrower shoulders and a smaller bust compared to the waist and lower half of the body.
Pear shaped bodies should wear clothes that minimize the hip and thigh area and wear designs that will draw the attention to the upper part of the body and also additionally the area below the knee to draw outward and lengthen that central area.
A common mistake is to think that Pear Shaped women are overweight, this can be far from the truth as many pear shaped women can be quite skinny.
Tops and Blouses for Pear Shaped Women:
Shop for Tops
To create that body balance you will need to take emphasis away from the hips and draw it to the top half of your body. You can do this very easily by choosing tops with the right style and shape and also choosing bold designs and colours.
Tops should be fitted and not baggy and should finish at the top of your hips to emphasize your well-defined waist. Avoid tops and short jackets that end at your bum because these draw the eye to your larger middle section.
The most flattering tops for the pear shape women should be of about three quarter length, this length will effectively cover your less than flattering areas which are going to be your hips, bottom and thighs.
It can be really fun to be creative with the tops you wear. You will find that it is difficult to go wrong when choosing tops with colour, detail and pattern that will draw the eyes upwards and the neckline is the perfect place for detail.
Blouses and tops with beautiful patterns and textures draw attention up to your upper body up to your beautiful face. Striped jumpers can visually add inches to your top half to balance broad hips too.
Choose wider necklines like bateau, squared or cowl necks to show off the neckline and shoulders. Examples of Tops for Pear Shapes
Jackets and Coats for Pear Shaped Women:
Jackets and coats follow the same rule as the tops, the length of the coat can be either
waist length or three quarter which will cover your problem area without making you look bulky.
Avoid shorter jackets and coats that end at your bum though as this will draw the eye to your large middle section with a horizontal line.
Shoulder detail can be flattering here along with also a pattern or detail to the cuff area or breast area of the coat. Double breasted coats will give the desired balanced look.
Accessorize your coat or jacket with a coloured scarf or broach Wear lighter shades or more brightly colored tops to balance the darker bottom. Read more onJacket Styles for Pears >>
Skirts and Trousers for Pear Shaped Women:
A-line skirts, wraps and dresses are the best for Pears because they skim through those lovely curves without making them look baggy and unshapely.
Pants and skirts that are flat-fronted or softly pleated will emphasize your smaller waist areas.
Avoid short, tight skirts as they emphasize those problematic areas along the hips and thighs.
Avoid clingy materials like Lycra because these will define those extra bumps along the hips and thighs we'd like to hide.
Finally, remember that heels not only make you feel and look taller, they also add a few inches to your legs while making your hips and bottoms look smaller.
Jeans Styles for Pear Shaped Women.
Pears usually get frustrated when trying on jeans, for one. Here's a scenario: so you see these really fiercely fab jeans in the store and they're on sale. You take them off the rack and try them on. You have to practically squeeze your hips into them and when you finally have them on, there's a gaping space along the waist. Heartbreaker, huh? But really, with a lot of pear shaped real women out there, why don't the designers and manufacturers come up with a pair of jeans for the Pears? (Baby Spice of the Spice Girls and Kate Winslet the actress are Pears themselves.) But well, until they've caught on, we better work on with what's available to us at the moment.
So, let's start with the right bottoms for our booty-licious Jeans for Pears:
Avoid light, paler and 'washed look' jeans that may have the worn look around the upper leg and body section as this will draw the eye to this area. Choose darker shades of denim that will give more of a slimming effect. Darker blues, dark greys, blacks and browns are the best shades to work with and will still give you that classical denim jeans look. Jeans with fading below the knee can also work well for you.
Dresses for Pear Shaped Women
For you pear's the key when it comes to buying that perfect dress is to draw all the attention up top, you should show off your fabulous arms, back and busts.
Strapless dresses will look gorgeous on you but if you don't feel daring enough to show of all that skin try a halter neck, halter neck dresses are fitted up top which will show off your waist. Dresses with spaghetti straps will give your shoulders a broader appearance and help balance you out.
The easiest way to balance a bottom-heavy figure is to choose a dress that skims over the lower half of the body. Full or A-line skirts will skim your curves beautifully with out adding bulk to your shape.
Try dresses that have some kind of embellishment up top whether it be ruffles, pattern or luxurious texture, it will all help to add a little more volume to your bust.
If you're flexible with colour choice your best bet is to opt for dark colors on the bottom. Light colours look great on you also but stick to wearing them up top, a small cardigan or shawl in a lighter colour would compliment your dress and bring the eye up and away from your wider bottom.
Bikini Styles for Pear Figures
To be able to choose the perfect bikini for the pear shape firstly you need to understand your body shape and what areas you should draw attention to and what areas you should draw attention away from.
To create that body balance the pear shape woman should take emphasis away from the hips and draw it to the top half of your body. As bikinis are separate tops and bottoms they can be mixed and matched using design, pattern and colour to create that perfect bikini for a pear shaped woman.
Pear shaped figures should go for halter neck tankini tops, they will help to maximise the bust and broaden the shoulders too. Halter neck bikinis are also perfect for creating a fab cleavage and will help draw eyes up top.
Underwear for Pear Shaped Women:
Underwear for pear shaped ladies should aim at visually increasing the breast size and also reducing the size of the hips and bottom! Don't forget that what you wear underneath your well chosen clothes also makes a difference to the way you feel too!
The pear shaped woman usually has a smaller breast, today it is quite easy to compensate and give yourself a boost in this area with the help of a push-up bra or a Wonderbra, not only will this make you feel more blessed along the chest area but the padded bra will also help to balance your larger middle area.
The bottom and hip area can be smoothed by wearing shapewear, this can be with side panels and extra support in the rear too.
Pear Shaped Celebrities
Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez or Beyonce Knowles, kelly-clarkson and shakira are just some of the pear shaped women we know.
shakira, Kelly Clarkson, jlo, Beyonce
Don't be afraid to accessorize and to add more pizzazz to your look. Choose jewelry like necklaces, earrings and broaches as well as neck scarves as this will draw attention to your upper body.
Now that you know the tricks, it's about time for you to go out and share your wonderful self to the world.
If you are unsure of your body shape then check out the article on finding out my body shape


text:
MJ's antigravity step secret is out October 27, 2009Posted by mais in Patent.
MJ is known for many things- also as innovator, who invented and patented "system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes" (US patent5,255,452). A heel slot in the shoes gets hitched to retractable pegs in a stage floor. Wearing the shoes, Jackson (or anyone) could seem to lean past his center of gravity without toppling. The effect would be most striking in live performances, during which harnesses and wires would be too cumbersome or impossible to disguise.
Source: USA Today
No comments yet — be the first.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1. Only a felony charge, not a conviction, is an essential element of aggravated failure to appear as defined in K.S.A. 21-3814. Consequently, any conviction, otherwise to be scored under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act, should be scored in the offender's criminal history.
2. A party who invites error cannot then complain or take advantage of that error on appeal.
Appeal from Saline District Court; GEORGE R. ROBERTSON, judge. Opinion filed November 19, 1999. Affirmed.
Brent Getty, assistant appellate defender, and Jessica R. Kunen, chief appellate defender, for appellant.
Christina Trocheck, assistant county attorney, Julie McKenna, county attorney, and Carla J. Stovall, attorney general, for appellee.
Before LEWIS, P.J., GREEN and KNUDSON, JJ.
KNUDSON, J.: Troy Rapp appeals the district court's determination of his criminal history. Rapp's current crime of conviction is aggravated failure to appear, K.S.A. 21-3814. An element of aggravated failure to appear is "failing to surrender oneself within 30 days . . . by one who is charged with a felony." (Emphasis added.) In the underlying case supporting the crime of aggravated failure to appear, Rapp was charged with and ultimately convicted of two felonies in 96 CRM 1219 in Saline District Court.
The district court ruled that only one of the two underlying felonies in 96 CRM 1219 was a necessary element within the meaning of K.S.A. 21-4710(d)(11) and counted the other felony conviction in determining Rapp's criminal history. K.S.A. 21-4710(d) states:
"(11) Prior convictions of any crime shall not be counted in determining the criminal history category if they enhance the severity level or applicable penalties, elevate the classification from misdemeanor to felony, or are elements of the present crime of conviction. Except as otherwise provided, all other prior convictions will be considered and scored."
Rapp contends the district court erred in counting one of the felonies in 96 CRM 1219 as criminal history since both are elements of aggravated failure to appear as charged by the State.
Both parties rely upon the holding in State v. Taylor, 262 Kan. 471, 939 P.2d 904 (1997). Taylor was charged with aggravated escape while in custody after multiple convictions in a consolidated case before the district court. In its charging document, the State relied only upon one of the convictions, possession of cocaine, to prove aggravated escape and argued the remaining convictions could be counted as criminal history. The district court disagreed. On appeal, the Supreme Court reversed, holding that the balance of convictions arising out of the consolidated cases could be used in determining Taylor's criminal history. 262 Kan. at 480.
Rapp argues that because the State did not specify in its charging document which felony conviction it was relying upon to support the charge of aggravated failure to appear, the State is precluded from counting either felony as criminal history.
Conversely, the State argued before the district court that Taylor permits the State to use only one felony to support the current criminal charge, and the balance of convictions that arise in the same previous criminal proceeding may be counted as criminal history.
We find ourselves unable to adopt either party's reasoning. Both parties and the district court lost sight of the fact that a felony conviction is not a legal predicate necessary to support a subsequent conviction for aggravated failure to appear. In State v. DeAtley, 11 Kan. App. 2d 605, Syl. ¶ 1, 731 P.2d 318, rev. denied 241 Kan. 839 (1987), this court held: "Aggravated failure to appear for violation of a bail bond, as defined in K.S.A. 21-3814, is a criminal offense in itself, separate and distinct from the underlying offense for which the bond was issued."
K.S.A. 21-4710(d)(11) speaks only to prior convictions. Under the holding in DeAtley and the unambiguous language of K.S.A. 21-3814, we conclude Rapp's felony convictions were not elements of aggravated failure to appear and both should have been counted as criminal history.
Unfortunately for the State, no cross-appeal has been filed, and we are disinclined to consider Rapp's sentence to be illegal. The State argued before the district court that only one of Rapp's convictions from 96 CRM 1219 was an element of aggravated failure to appear. The State should not now be allowed to repudiate its very argument before the district court. One who, by his or her own acts, invites error cannot then complain or take advantage of it on appeal. See State v. Thomas, 220 Kan. 104, 106, 551 P.2d 873 (1976).


text:
I see babies having babies
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Artiste comments.
Articles On Dancehall Reggae World You Might Have Missed ......
P.S. Didn't find exactly what you were looking for? Still need help?
Click Here to try our dependable and effective Site Search tool. It works!
Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of over 500 questions and answers! Chances are someone already asked (and got an answer to) your question.
Jul 22, 19 10:56 PM
Bob Marley: Reggae's International Ambassador - For many, the mention of Bob Marley's name conjures up only suggestions of the Caribbean, dreadlocks, reggae music and marijuana.
Jul 22, 19 08:23 PM
Do You Think Artists Should Do Dubplates for Politicians/Parties? - I recently received a video clip of a mass meeting of one of Jamaica's political party, in the clip you could hear the voice of one…
Jul 22, 19 06:55 PM
No Squash Or Chronic Law At Reggae Sumfest because? - There are several reasons been bantered about as to why the 6ix team did not get to perform at this year's staging of Reggae Sumfest 2019.
Jul 22, 19 04:40 PM
Curvy Diva bounces into summer with new Demarco Collaboration - Dancehall trendsetter Yanique Barrett more popularly known as The Curvy Diva promises to make the summer even hotter with long awaited n…


text:
Matthew McConaughey turned to Tom Hanks for drastic weight loss advice after he signed on to play an AIDS victim in new film "The Dallas Buyers Club."
The double Oscar winner shed the pounds for roles in "Cast Away" and "Philadelphia," in which he portrayed an AIDS victim, and McConaughey thought it would be a good idea to seek him out for help before he embarked on a near-starvation diet.
The "Magic Mike" star, who looks emaciated in the powerful new film, reveals he turned to Hanks because he didn't want to simply shed the pounds – he wanted to lose a lot of weight.
He tells People, "I actually called Tom and had a great conversation with him about what he learned about losing weight for 'Philadelphia' and 'Cast Away,' and I consulted a nutritionist about the best way to do this.
"I was going around and people were going, 'Hey, are you feeling all right?' But then I hit 135 pounds and I ran into somebody and they didn't just ask if I was all right, they said, 'My God, we need to get you some help'. And I thought, 'There we go. That's the perfect spot'."
But McConaughey insists he was never ill, adding, "I fed myself good food, just not much of it. I found through this journey that the human body is much more resilient than we give it credit for.
"Somebody told me they heard a story about how I didn't have any energy on set, but I was kind of uncontainable with energy. All the acuity, energy and power I lost from the neck down transferred to the neck up."
Ironically, Hanks recently revealed he has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and that he would not be bulking up or slimming down for any more film roles, stating, "The gaining and the losing of weight may have had something to do with it because you eat so much bad food and you don't take any exercise when you're heavy."


text:
PERSONALIZATION: More Info
Personalization is FREE! Please provide personalization information in the BOX BELOW. Example: "To Jared: Thanks for being Garfield's #1 fan! Best Wishes, Jim Davis"
0/75 characters maximum
Original airbrushed artwork created in the mid-90's for the book "Garfield the Ghost Chaser."
Artwork comes with an acid-free black mat and will be signed by GARFIELD creator, Jim Davis.
Artwork Dimensions: 8.5" wide x 10" tall
Share this item:


text:
Metro: Last Light probably not coming to "horrible, slow" Wii U
The Wii U's tech hasn't impressed the team at 4A Games, so don't expect Metro: Last Light to make an appearance on the new console.
Speaking to NowGamer, 4A Games chief technical officer Oles Shishkovtsov gave a succinct critique.
"Wii U has a horrible, slow CPU," he said.
THQ's Huw Beynon, 4A Games' studio representative, was more diplomatic.
"We had an early look at it, we thought we could probably do it, but in terms of the impact we would make on the overall quality of the game – potentially to its detriment – we just figured it wasn't worth pursuing at this time," he said.
"It's something we might return to. I really couldn't make any promises, though. Given the size of the team and compared to where we were last time, just developing for the Playstation 3 is a significant addition," he added.
Metro: Last Light is due on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March 2013.
Thanks, Destructoid.


text:
Many Onslow County veterans filing benefits claims may face a two-year wait just to be denied compensation, which according to the local Disabled American Veterans chapter, is resting at about 40 to 45-percent locally.
Many Onslow County veterans filing benefits claims may face a two-year wait just to be denied compensation, which according to the local Disabled American Veterans chapter, is resting at about 40 to 45-percent locally.
�The system is overloaded and backlogged,� said Jim Foyil, a service officer for the Disabled American Veterans in Jacksonville. �Sometimes the VA doesn�t view the file the way it should be viewed. If they say they do, they don�t.�
A recent study by the National Center for Policy Analysis, which specializes in retirement and health care programs, expressed skepticism toward the VA reaching its 2015 goal of eliminating the current claims backlog for the following reasons:
� 31 percent of claims filed with the Veterans Affairs Department are likely to be denied and 60 percent of those denials will be erroneous.
� 60 percent of claims will take longer than 125 days to be processed, more than 7 percent of claims will be misplaced, and 4 percent will be completely lost.
� Veterans who call the VA�s benefits hotline have a 49 percent chance of being connected to someone and receiving a correct answer.
� About 63 percent of VA Regional Offices improperly manage claims-related mail.
� About 36 percent of disability claims were processed with errors.
John Clements, 28, of Jacksonville and a veteran of Iraq, has had to wait nearly two months for his initial VA appointment after registering.
�I wanted to get seen by the VA in order to get things taken care of,� Clements said. �You can tell they are backed up, but to wait that long for an initial appointment is horrible and unacceptable.�
Clements said he has consistently been given the run around when it comes to paperwork.
�You hand it in and it takes forever,� Clements said. �They initially messed up my dependency paperwork and they lost my first resubmission. I turned it in a second time and I�ve been waiting over a year.�
Disability compensation is available to veterans who incur injuries or diseases, or exacerbate preexisting conditions through active military service. Veterans must have a verifiable service-related disability and must not have been dishonorably discharged in order to be eligible for veterans benefits through the VA. But according to the DAV, many eligible local veterans are denied coverage when they rightfully deserve it.
�I would say it�s about 50-50 with the rating system,� Foyil said. �They make a rating without sending guys out for exams. A lot of what the VA does doesn�t make sense.�
According to the December study, as of 2011, there were 22.2 million veterans living in the United States with 38.6 percent of them enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration and 15.6 percent currently receiving cash disability compensation. More than 870,000 pending claims exist, which make up 3.9 percent of veterans.
�An examination of the Veterans Disability Compensation Program offers little reassurance that the system is improving,� said the study.
Foyil, who has worked for more than 20 years with veterans, said he has seen more of a decline than an improvement in the VA.
�Right now I�d say it�s about a 40 to 45-percent denial rate on the whole process,� Foyil said. �Or they will low-ball you on your initial rating. That causes people to have to go in and reapply.
�It�s terrible how the system works right now.�
With claims taking 197 days on average, the VA is five weeks away from its target processing time. The study found that �the VA may be inflating the effect of incoming claims, exploiting veterans� injuries and reporting data out of context in order to make excuses for the backlog.�
Foyil said having an accredited service representative look over a claim before a veteran sends it in is the best way to avoid a denial or excessive wait times.
�We train at least two weeks per year,� Foyil said. �We understand the changes in the VA such as forms, codes and more. We make sure we stay on top of that stuff for the veterans� sake and the sake of their claim.�
Lastly, the study found that a lack of training is the leading cause for the backlog in VA claims. About 30 percent of errors stem from inaccurate medical examinations leaving under-trained representatives to process complex claim documentation for veterans, according to the study. According to NCPA, a properly trained employee took two days to complete a claim and only reached a 60 percent accuracy rate.
� As of 2011, only 30 percent of Veterans Health Administration employees receive training before employment.
� Less than half of employees in critical occupations have received competency training within the last 12 months.
� Less than half of claims processors felt they have received enough training to process appeals.
� About one-third of employees thought they received training too late.
Foyil agreed with many of the results of the study.
�It�s a combination of a lot of things,� Foyil said. �But I don�t think they have enough qualified rating officers at the VA and that boils down to training.
�The lack of it is very evident in some of the claims results I�ve seen.�


text:
Filmmaker Joe Xu '10 turns his camera to romance, love, dating and sex in 21st-century China.
By Amy Roach Partridge • Photos by Joe Xu '10
China's rapid modernization has brought drastic change to nearly all aspects of life for its 1.3 billion residents. Love is no exception. "The People's Republic of Love," a new movie by documentary filmmaker Joe Xu '10 (history and international relations), explores this rarely discussed aspect of China's continually evolving culture, offering a glimpse at the realities of love, dating and sex in 21st-century China.
"In a country going through rapid transformation, love has begun to take on new meanings in China," says Xu, 24, who wrote, edited and co- produced the film. "Traditional notions of love and marriage are changing as Chinese society becomes more tolerant. We wanted to understand and document the nature of these developments."
The topic is a natural fit for Xu, a Chinese native who came to the United States in 1997 at the age of 9. He moved to Beijing shortly after graduating from Bucknell, has worked for news organizations, including CBS News and NPR, and is one of the founding writers of the popular Chinese culture blog chinaSMACK. While he hasn't yet found love in China, he's had a front-row seat to the rapidly shifting dating environment documented in the film.
The business side of coupling up, the struggles of rural traditions in the face of modernization and the challenges of finding a soul mate in the world's most populous country are central themes of the documentary, which will debut on European television this summer.
"Many young people in China now have the time and money to spend on finding love," Xu says. As a result, the wedding and dating industries in China are booming, both online and off. Chinese web company Jiayuan is the world's largest dating web site, (72 million members and counting) and the country has seen the rise of a new profession: "love hunters."
"Historically, matchmaking was done by close relatives, but there are now dedicated companies that provide agents much like headhunters who search for qualified brides," Xu says. "In addition, online dating has opened up many new options for Chinese people to find the 'one.'"
Xu and his team also wanted to highlight the battle between traditional Chinese wedding customs and the Western influences that are creeping in. Familial pressure to honor traditions like dowries and wedding-day firecrackers (thought to ward off evil spirits) is still strong — especially in rural areas. But many Chinese couples have embraced American-style elements such as wedding gowns, tuxedos and engagement rings, Xu says.
The movie also tackles the still-taboo topic of homosexuality in China. "Most gay men and women in China chose to participate in fake marriages in order to please their parents, and those brave enough to come out often face pressures from their family and society as a whole," he explains.
Finding people willing to comment on such touchy subjects was not always easy for Xu — nor was dealing with China's tightly controlled film industry. The crew worked for six months, interviewing citizens from urban areas and country villages alike. "Due to China's restrictions on foreign media, it often was difficult to film on location, even in public areas. [Xu is a U.S. citizen.] In addition, China is still a socially conservative country, and issues such as love, sex and relationships are not spoken about openly," he explains. While his film is not likely change those reservations, Xu hopes it will "shed new light upon a dynamic society that is often seen as traditional."
You can follow the documentary at www.facebook.com/prldocumentary.
Amy Roach Partridge is a freelance writer and editor based in Westchester County, N.Y. Married with two children, she is happy that the finding-love phase of her life is behind her.


text:
It is located in Oiartzun, a historic town located in the heart of Basque Country. Fromthe windows of the house you can see the majestic mountains of Peñas de Aya. At thegate of the palace runs the beautiful ride through the village. If the traveller is encouraged, it will take him/her to the feet of those mountains, a place which is pure
nature, perfect for biking.The house is located 100 meters from the world-wide famous Zuberoa restaurant. 100 meters from the municipal swimming pool, equipped with a modern spa. A 15/30 minutes are some of the best restaurants in the world: Arzak, Berasategui, Akelarre, Elkano, grills and traditional Cider houses. Perfect for a varied gastronomic tour.For golf lovers there are many fields in 30 minutes from home. San Sebastian, Biarritz, Saint Jean de Luz.Three teams from the Spanish Premier League Soccer: Real Sociedad S. Sebastian, Atlethic Bilbao and Osasuna (Pamplona).International Film Festival of S. Sebastian. Cellars Rioja.
|Map Legend
|S.Sebastian. Elegant palace with a private forest
Makutso Bidea, 18, Oiartzun-San Sebastian, Spain
|4200 €/week


text:
Ficus lyrata 14" Bush
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Ficus Lyrata Bush 14 in.
This may be the most important part of the care information. Lyratas need a bright environment to look acceptable. Large brown, necrotic spots developing on the leaves are a sign of light stress. This is usually seen on the older foliage first especially on the interior of the plant or that part that faces away from the light source. The standard form may survive a slightly darker environment than the bush form since it allows more light around the plant. See the Lyrata article list below for some pictures of what low light stress looks like.
For a ficus the Lyrata is surprisingly resilient in the event of water stress. When a Lyrata needs water the growing ends of the stems will start to droop, but will recover once water is restored. This usually occurs before leaf drop allowing the condition to be corrected before damage to the plant. Over-watering will damage the roots just like any other plant. Try to avoid over-watering while letting the plant dry to just prior to drooping. A heavy plant could indicate over-watering. A Lyrata ready to be watered will be very light from 10" through 17" sizes. An alternate concern is that once the soil dries excessively, it may be hard to re-wet. Add a soil wetting agent to the irrigation water every once in a while to avoid this condition.
A water soluble general purpose foliage plant fertilizer will work well on Lyratas. These fertilizers will have an NPK ratio of 3:1:2 or 2:1:2 with minor nutrients included. A proper fertilizer schedule and dose must be determined for each location. Lyratas are not heavy feeders, so start low and increase if necessary. The results of fertilizer trials may take months to notice, so don't rush a judgment. A good nutrient maintenance program would include adding 1-3 tablespoons of dolomite, depending on the pot size, to the top of the soil annually and a minor nutrient drench twice per year. Farm Life Lyratas are grown on a drip fertigation system which allows them to transition to a new fertilizer program immediately upon installation. New growth on Lyratas may have an interveinal chlorosis when small. The leaf usually gains color as it grows. If the rest of the plant looks correct don't worry about the new growth.
Insects and Mites
The only insect that seems to shun the Lyrata is scale, but this observation could just be coincidence. Mites will typically only affect the newest of growth since the older leaves become too tough for mites to feed successfully. Look for many small red dots on new foliage to indicate the presence of mites. Mealybugs will live under leaves, but also in the small protected area where leaves join the stems. There is often a small leftover sheath that remains attached to the plant at this point and it makes a perfect spot for mealybugs to breed. These sheaths can be removed to inspect for mealybugs. Mealybugs should be treated with a systemic insecticide and of course hand removal to really make a dent in the population. Aphids and thrips are more of a nursery problem, but both of these will attack only the newest of the growing points. If you see problems in this area inspect with a hand magnifying lens to determine the problem. Systemic insecticides will protect against aphids, thrips, mealybug and scale. Predator mites or hand cleaning should be tried for mites.
Related Links
All of these articles and more can be found on our resources page.
Trimming a Ficus Lyrata
Lyrata Standards - A Cut Above
Ficus Lyrata - Light Requirements


text:
Scientists have discovered how a microscopic organism has benefited from nearly 80 million years without sex.
Bdelloid rotifers are asexual organisms, meaning that they reproduce without males. Without sex, these animals lack many of the ways in which sexual animals adapt over generations to survive in their natural environment.
Although other asexual organisms are known, they are thought to become extinct after relatively short time periods because they are unable to adapt. Therefore, how bdelloid rotifers have survived for tens of millions of years has been a mystery to scientists.
Bdelloids typically live in freshwater pools. However, if deprived of water they enter a dehydrated state in which they can remain for many years, surviving almost complete water loss. They then revive, having suffered no ill effect, once water becomes available again.
The new research shows how Adineta ricciae, a species of bdelloid rotifer, has evolved without sex to cope with dry conditions. The research, led by Dr. Alan Tunnacliffe from the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, was published today in the journal Science.
Humans and most other types of organisms reproduce sexually - resulting in two copies (or a pair) of each chromosome within a cell, one copy inherited from each parent. The chromosomes contain genes, so there are usually two copies of each gene in the cell. As a result, the two nearly identical copies of each gene in each cell will create two proteins which are also often nearly identical.
However, the researchers discovered that the two copies of the gene lea in Adineta ricciae are different and therefore generate proteins with different functions which protect the animal during dehydration. One copy protects essential proteins from clumping together as the animal dries out, while the other helps to maintain the fragile membranes that surround its cells.
This is the first time that this evolutionary trick has been shown in any asexual animal.
Dr. Alan Tunnacliffe commented on the findings: "We've known for a few years that gene copies that would have the same DNA sequence in sexual creatures can be quite different from each other in asexuals. But this is the first time we've been able to show that these gene copies in asexuals can have different functions.
"It's particularly exciting that we've found different, but complementary, functions in genes which help bdelloid rotifers survive desiccation. Evolution of gene function in this way can't happen in sexual organisms, which means there could be some benefit to millions of years without sex after all."
Source: University of Cambridge
Explore further


text:
Hot Diggity Dog Fleece Coat - Made to Order
Hot Diggity Dog Fleece Coat - Made to Order
Made to order fleece coat.
Cotton outer, warm fleece lining, velcro neck and belly strap.
Sizes available
Puppy 30cm
S/M 38cm
M/L 43cm
If you require a custom size, please choose the custom option and email your dogs measurements to email@example.com with your order number. We will need Neck circumference, body length from base of neck to top of tail and around the deepest part of your dogs chest.
Made to order time varies, please give approximately one week before shipping.


text:
Buried Saharan rivers might have been early expressways
Humans might have migrated across the arid region along three once-lush waterways
Three rivers now interred beneath heaps of sand in the Sahara Desert might have been the superhighways of the Stone Age.
Simulations reveal that the rivers, each about as big as the Missouri or Rhine River, meandered across the Sahara 125,000 years ago. Early humans probably followed the lush corridors as migration routes across North Africa, scientists propose September 11 in PLOS ONE.
Satellite data and other geologic evidence had previously suggested that now-extinct rivers once snaked across the Sahara. But the records couldn't say when and how much water flowed, says Jennifer Smith, a geologist at Washington University in St. Louis. The simulation, she says, "gives us a much clearer picture of these landscapes."
The ancient rivers existed when the winds of the African monsoon were up to 1,000 kilometers farther north than today and brought seasonal rain to mountains in the central Sahara. The rain ran down the peaks and flowed north toward the Mediterranean Sea.
Although the Sahara was wetter, much of it was still semiarid, says study coauthor Tom Coulthard, a hydrologist at the University of Hull in England. "We were quite pessimistic about whether there was enough water to make it across the desert."
But that's just what Coulthard and colleagues found. The team simulated how much rain fell on mountains in southern Algeria, southern Libya and northern Chad over a 25-year period roughly 125,000 years ago. They then used topographic maps to see how rainwater flowed across 12 million square kilometers of North Africa.
Their findings indicate that two rivers were perennially present in parts of eastern Libya, northern Chad and western Egypt while a third, seasonal river was 2,000 kilometers to the west in Algeria. In addition, more than 70,000 square kilometers of lagoons and wetlands covered northeastern Libya. The team didn't simulate runoff to the Nile, but that river probably would have been around too, Coulthard says.
Plants and animals living around the rivers probably drew early humans to these waterways. The western river may have been a preferred route, the researchers speculate. The river connected a humid, mountainous area in the south with a wet, temperate region along the Mediterranean coast. Dozens of archaeological sites dating to around this time pepper the western region; only a few have been found near the eastern rivers.
The lack of archaeological sites in the east may simply reflect a preservation bias or a preference in where researchers have looked, says Michael Petraglia, an archaeologist at Oxford who wasn't part of the study.
Chris Stringer, an anthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, suggests a similar simulation of African rivers 100,000 years ago could help researchers understand how unique human behaviors, such as bead-making and pigment use, spread across Africa around this time.
T.J. Coulthard et al. Were rivers flowing across the Sahara during the last interglacial? Implications for human migration through Africa. PLOS ONE. Published online September 11, 2013. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074834.
A. Witze. Shuttle images reveal Egypt's lost great lake. Science News. Vol. 178, December 18, 2010, p. 9.
S. Perkins. A little drier every day. Science News Online, May 8, 2008.
B. Bower. Ancient rains made Sahara livable. Science News. Vol. 170, August 5, 2006, p. 93.


text:
Understanding the Linux File System
The Linux file system is a directory tree that is consistent with each Linux distribution. This directory tree begins with the / (root) and then expands under that position like an upside down tree. Each directory under / has a specific purpose whether it is to store system files, constantly changing log files, device drivers or files created by users on the system. The file system consists of several parts. The file system is a method of consistently naming objects and organizing them in an orderly manner. This is represented by the directory tree mentioned above. The file system is an Application Programming Interface, API, a method of system calls for navigating and object manipulation. The file system also contains a method of securing files, directories and objects in the file system. This is represented by the file permissions that are so critical to a system's operation. The final aspect of a file system is that their must be software that can connect the hardware to the file system itself so it can all function.
The Linux file system reduces everything to a simple file. If you have a partition which is /dev/hdb1, that drive is represented by a device node, a file. If you have a mouse, that hardware device is represented by a device node file in the /dev directory. The advantage this provides is the ability to configure each file, device, etc. with a file editor.
The file system directory tree provides a unified method of moving through the file system and accessing objects. A Pathname is the list of directories from a starting point to an end point, like driving from one location to another.
In the same way the PATH in Linux will start from the /, which is the start of the file system and proceed until it gets to the goal which may be a file or folder.
Pathnames can be absolute or relative. The Path that is shown above is an absolute Path. Absolute Paths always start with a "/", starting at the beginning of the file system and working toward the directory or file. Relative paths never start with a "/" and are based on where the user is in the file system. When a user logs into the system they will log into their /home/username directory. When the user wants to move through the file system they can use absolute paths which use a reference from the start of the file system and then list each directory in the path of the file system. For example if the user would like to access the logs in the var directory these would be located at /var/log using an absolute pathname. If the user wanted to access a directory that was already created in their home directory called world in the games directory that could be accessed with a relative path of games/world or an absolute path of /home/username/games/world. Relative paths are interpreted in reference to the user's current location.
Relative Path example.
cd games/world
Each section of the pathname can be no longer than 255 characters and one pathname cannot contain more than 4,095 characters. Though there are few restrictions on naming conventions for directories and files, you will find that avoiding spaces in names will be to your advantage. Use CaMeL TeXt, CapitalsInText or use u_n_d_e_rscores in your text instead of spaces.
September 4, 2008 at 2:25 am
nice article!


text:
Reviewed by Kristen O. (age 9)
I like this book because it is very adventurous. I also like it because it is very real and I could picture it happening. The last thing I like about it is that it is long. My favorite part of the story is when Tyler met Isaac, a boy that accidentally shot Tyler with his slingshot.
I recommend BIGGER to people who like adventure books. People who like books that take place in the past would like this book, too.


text:
Six children suffered minor injuries when the school bus they were riding in swerved off the road as the driver tried to avoid a deer in the roadway.
The accident occurred around 3 p.m. Monday in Hamilton Township (Mercer County).
Officials say the bus was carrying 15 students who were headed home from St. Gregory the Great Academy. Their names and ages were not disclosed, but officials say they were all fourth- to eighth-graders.
The bus driver, whose name was not disclosed, also suffered minor injuries in the crash. Authorities say the bus left the roadway and ended up lying against an embankment in a ditch.
Authorities say many parents rushed to the accident scene to see if their children were among the injured.


text:
The joke is on us: Jeffrey Loria has his stadium and dumps his star players
Shooting down the Dolphin Expressway a couple of weeks ago, I glanced over at Marlins Park. It seemed to be laughing.
I couldn't exactly determine the type of mirth in those brief few seconds.
Now, as the Marlins deal pitchers Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle and their best position player, Jose Reyes, to finish a roster cutdown that began at midseason, I can identify it as the sinister belly laugh of a sentient Death Star-like construct.
"My master, Lord Loria, merely dangled a few promises before you to fool you into helping to create me! Now, the mighty tractor beam of my debt will suck the money from your present and future pockets as you slave while I make Lord Loria ever richer and more powerful! BWAAAA-HA-HA-HA!"
Whichever, the joke stays on us.
Marlins fans still pouting over 1997 now have something else to spend 15 years (or, however long it's going to take to pay off that stadium debt) grumbling about.
Hey, at least Wayne Huizenga bought a World Series title team before breaking it up when he saw the Marlins couldn't win on the bottom line.
You got a World Series championship after five seasons and spent at least twice that long pouting about the breakup.
That's just being a bitter ex-spouse.
Pulling plug
The art collector, through his player buyer Larry Beinfest, bought a 69-win team that began disintegrating shortly after Memorial Day and finished 29 games out of first.
Management pulled out the electric carving knife on this turkey in July, trading Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to eventual American League champion Detroit (where former Marlin Miguel Cabrera was winning the first Triple Crown since the Summer of Love) and Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers.
Now, be bitter, fans. That is someone who married you for your money.
Johnson, once seen as a longtime franchise ace, never fully recovered from the shoulder and back problems that ended his 2011 season early.
Buerhle wound up the Marlins best pitcher this season, going 13-13 with a 3.74 ERA, best among Marlins starters.
Reyes, the 2011 National League batting champion with the Mets, hit .287, had a .347 on-base percentage and stole 40 bases.
Worse fiasco
This is the biggest fiasco season in the Marlins 20 seasons.
Worse than 1994 when all of baseball, management and players, blew up the World Series.
Worse than 1998, the year after the selloff.
At least that year had the memory of a World Series, the weirdness of Mike Piazza as a Marlin for five games as a rest stop between the Dodgers and Mets; and the video of a woman performing the most athletic feat at a Marlins game that season on her guy.
Many issues
This year lacked such entertainment despite the follies that The Franchise never fully mined. The Marlins brass bought Ozzie Guillen's mind and personality, and were shocked they also bought Guillen's PR-plummeting potpourri of a mouth. Who knew? Then, after Guillen's Fidel Castro comments, the Marlins forced Guillen into an apology news conference that embarrassingly echoed similar government-run media sessions in fascist countries.
They bought, then traded, Heath Bell, a closer who couldn't close a drawer. Their once solid minor-league system got revealed as suffering from a dearth of talent.
With that money, Beinfest spent poorly.
Bad moves
Earlier Tuesday, I envisioned Beinfest as Charlie Brown in a Peanuts strip from the 1970s. Charlie Brown says to Lucy, "This is the time of year when teams improve themselves with a few shrewd trades." Lucy says, "Good idea. Why don't you trade yourself?"
Charlie Brown winds up trading Snoopy to Peppermint Patty's team for five players. Snoopy guilt trips Charlie Brown into tearing up the deal just as Peppermint Patty shows up to say the five players said they'd quit baseball before playing for Charlie Brown's team.
Wonder if those Blue Jays would feel that way about the Marlins without the money.


text:
Or Login using BecomeGorgeous
Please fill the form below and follow the further instructions.
You are about to receive a email from us please make sure to check your spam or junk folder and add our email [email protected] to your contact list.
Thank you!
Lacoste launched a real campaign to breathe life into the ideal of pink, a color that is used all over the world for various purposes and as the symbol of so many things. The collection called Lacoste Pink includes so far four different fragrances: Touch of Pink, Dream of Pink, Love of Pink and Joy of Pink. Indeed the popularity of the complete selection of scents can be attributed to the composition that is appropriate for all age groups and emanates positive energy as well as dynamism. Those who long for a fresh and at the same t... Read More


text:
By Mason I. Bilderberg – Dec 11, 2013
For this article I'm throwing in a bit of a curveball from what you've come to expect from iLLumiNuTTi.
This article is not about proving or disproving conspiracies. Whether you or I believe the following conspiratorial claims to be true is irrelevant for the purposes of this article. For the sake of argument, just this once, let's assume all the insanity is true.
Why? Because this article is going to use the beliefs espoused by the conspiracists themselves to point out a peculiar inconsistency between what conspiracists say and what conspiracists do.
The question to be answered is, "Are conspiracists all talk and no walk?"
Here we go . . .
The Fukushima Fallout Is Here And Is Killing Us
Conspiracists are screaming and yelling about the radioactive fallout from the Fukushima disaster. They are convinced the radioactive fallout has already reached the west coast and other parts of the United States and is killing us, and "they" (who ever "they" are) are covering up the situation.
The crank site Natural News[1] is telling us about "a multitude of strange animal deaths, high radiation readings and other recent anomalies" on the west coast.
Natural News[2] also tells us even the Alaskan coastline is seeing the effects of deadly radiation with a series of "strange animal deaths … including masses of sea lions, sockeye salmon and other sea creatures washing up on the shore," and "polar bears, seals and walruses … found to have major fur loss and open sores…"
This picture posted by elitedaily.com[3] claims a nationwide increase in mortality rates since the Fukushima disaster:
The cranks at worldtruth.tv[4] are telling us the entire food supply is contaminated with radiation and recommends we avoid the following foods: seafood, water, dairy products, produce and meat.
If conspiracists truly believed this rhetoric you would expect them to be doing something about it, wouldn't you?
For example, do we see conspiracists packing up their belongings, getting in their cars and evacuating the west coast to save themselves from imminent doom?
Are conspiracists evacuating the west coast of Alaska?
Have conspiracists stopped consuming seafood, water, dairy products, produce and meat?
What, exactly, are conspiracists doing in response to a crisis they want the rest of us to believe?
Nothing. They are doing absolutely nothing.
The Bush Family Did Business With The Nazis
The basic idea is, because the Bush family had business connections with Nazi Germany[5], we should not only hate the Bush family but the Nazi connection is all the proof needed to prove the Bush family are evil, ruthless people – able, willing, wanting and guilty of killing thousands of people on September 11. 2001.
Now, ask a conspiracist about these other well known Nazi collaborators[6]: Kodak, Hugo Boss, Volkswagen, Bayer, Siemens, Coca-Cola (specifically Fanta), Standard Oil, Chase bank, IBM, Random House publishing, Allianz, Nestlé, BMW, General Electric (GE), Ford and GM.
What do you think? Do conspiracists call these companies evil? Do you think conspiracists refuse to work for any of these companies? Do conspiracists refuse to purchase or use products connected with these companies?
Of course not.
Conspiracists tell us to hate the Bush family because of their business connection to Nazi Germany. They say this as they climb into their Ford, GM, Volkswagen or BMW vehicle and drive away on a tank of gas supplied by one of Standard Oil's successor companies. Once home, they kick off their Hugo Boss shoes, grab some Nestlé cookies (Mmmmmmm!) from their GE refrigerator and wash it all down with a can of Fanta orange soda.
Afterwards they fight the matrix masters by posting conspiratorial crap on their blog using a DSL connection routed through an IBM server.
Then before turning in for the night they head on over to Amazon or Ebay and buy another round of conspiracy DVDs and books – published by Random House – using a Chase bank Visa card.
The next time a conspiracist mentions the Bush-Nazi connection, ask them what kind of car they drive.
Conspiracists believe that some trails left by aircraft are chemical or biological agents deliberately sprayed at high altitudes for purposes undisclosed to the general public and directed by various government officials.[7]
Conspiracists believe the aircraft we see flying across the sky everyday are poisoning us with some kind of nanoparticle spray. Barium and aluminum seem to be the most common elements the conspiracists believe are raining down upon us.
What debilitating health effects do conspiracists believe are befalling us?
Short term effects[8]: Allergies, Anxiety, Asthma, Brain Fog, Breathing difficulties (Unexplained), Chronic sore or raspy throat, Dizziness, Eye and skin irritations, Flatulence (gas), Flu-like symptoms, Headaches, itching (Unexplained), Nausea and Vomiting, Nose bleeds (Unexplained), Panic attacks, Persistent coughing, Respiratory problems, Stomach aches, Suicidal thoughts and Tinnitus (distant ringing in ears or high pitched sound after spraying).
Long term effects[9]: Acid Reflux, (ADHD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Allergies, Alzheimer's Disease, Aluminum build up in Pineal Gland, Asthma, Autism (evidence links autism to mercury), Autoimmune Diseases, Blood in the Urine, Borderline personality disorder, Cancer (linked to many types of cancers), Chronic Fatigue, Constipation, Depression, Easy Bruising, Eye problems – * Nearsightedness & Farsightedness (by altering interocular fluid eye, pressure), Fibromyalgia, Floaters In the Eyes, Gastritis, Heart Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Hypoglycemia, Hyperglycemia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Insomnia, Learning Disabilities, Lung diseases, Lupus Erythematosus, Multiple Sclerosis, Oily Skin (Elevated DHT), Parkinson's Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Schizophrenia, Short-Term Memory Loss, Sleep Disorders, Spider Veins, Tinnitus (ringing in the ears – 700 million cases of Tinnitus reported worldwide) and White Coating On the Tongue.
So what do you think? If you believed harmful nanoparticles are dropping from the sky causing every conceivable adverse health problem short of stripping the skin off your face, wouldn't you take steps to protect yourself?
Of course you would.
In real life, to provide adequate protection against the chemicals and biological agents the conspiracists are talking about, a simple surgeon's mask won't suffice. You would have to squeeze yourself into a hazmat suit akin to what is depicted in the image to the right.
When is the last time you saw a chemtrail-believing conspiracist walking around in a hazmat suit? Never. Once again, conspiracists don't behave in a manner consistent with their stated beliefs.
The next time a chemtrail believer screams about those death trails in the sky, comment on how hard it must be to type on a keyboard while wearing those big, bulky hazmat suit gloves.
Government Spying
Conspiracists are an extraodinarily paranoid bunch.
I read a blaring headline the other day, written by a conspiracist, claiming facebook is working hand-in-hand with the NSA to spy on our every move by turning over all our private data, pictures, videos, likes, dislikes, friends list, private messages . . . EVERYTHING! Even our shoe size.
"Where did you read this headline?", you ask? On facebook – of course. This conspiracist has a facebook timeline brimming with every anti-government rant you could ever imagine. Am I the only one seeing the irony here?
Then there is the conspiracist who sent me an email imploring me to get angry about the NSA spying on our emails. When I pointed out to him that he should encrypt his own emails if his fear was real, he tells me encrypting his emails would just get him flagged by "them." Excuse me for just a second but – *ahem* *clears throat* – WTF?
Another conspiracist friend refuses to join Facebook because he fears being flagged and tracked by "them." Yet he runs a blog where he pontificates at great lengths detailing his very own brand of crazy. When I queried him on this seeming contradiction he gave me an explanation that I can honestly say I didn't understand. It just didn't make sense – whatever he said.
When a story comes out speculating on the ability of the government to use cell phones to track our movements. Do my conspiratorial friends rid themselves of their cell phones or, at a minimum, wrap their cell phones in foil to prevent the tracking of their phones? Of course not.
Televsions Are For Brainwashing and Mind Control
Conspiracists believe, "that television flicker rates induce alpha brain waves, lulling the brain into a more subconscious state that can be compared to sleep, literally inducing a type of hypnosis within the viewer that makes them more susceptible to suggestion"[10] and "whatever is coming from the TV therefore somewhat bypasses the logical mind and is embedded directly into the subconscious."[11]
In other words, "they" are using televisions as a "psycho-social weapon[12]" to control our minds and turn us into New World Order (NWO) zombies, instilling us with "a social worldview and value system that is self-centric and is in fact the opposite of what a healthy and enduring society requires.[13]"
After all, isn't that why they call it "television programming?[14]"
Here is my question: If television really is a tool to brainwash and control the mind, wouldn't the viewing of conspiracy documentaries on a television also have the same mind controlling and brainwashing effect on every conspiracist?
Why don't conspiracists accuse the makers of their wack-a-doo conspiracy DVDs of brainwashing?
If conspiracists sincerely believed their own hype, they would cease watching all television programs regardless of the content. But they don't and they won't.
I think you get the idea.
In order to take a conspiracist to task you needn't know what they know to counter their arguments, you need only ask them, "What are you doing about your claimed belief?"
I ask this very question of Alex Jones regarding chemtrails. Of all the conspiracists who have the resources to settle the chemtrail debate once and for all, it's Alex Jones. If Alex Jones really believes "they" have been spraying us for almost 20 years, why doesn't Alex reach into his own wallet and pull out some of that $$$$$ he earns from DVD sales and rent a plane, pay a pilot, hire a certified forensics lab, fly into the suspicious clouds and contrails, conduct all the necessary air sampling while following all proper chain of custody procedures and end this debate once and for all? Why? Because it would kill those DVD sales.
Make conspiracists walk the walk.
Mason I. Bilderberg (MIB)
[1] naturalnews.com
[2] naturalnews.com
[3] elitedaily.com
[4] worldtruth.tv
[5] en.wikipedia.org
[6] 11points.com | businesspundit.com | washingtonpost.com | en.wikipedia.org
[7] en.wikipedia.org
[8] stopsprayingcalifornia.com
[9] stopsprayingcalifornia.com
[10] infowars.com
[11] infowars.com
[12] infowars.com
[13] infowars.com
[14] infowars.com
Keywords: 9/11, Agenda 21, Alex Jones, Alternative Medicine, Apocalypse, ChemClouds, ChemTrails, Conspiracy, Debunk, Disinformation, Educational, Fluoridation, Geoengineering, GMO, Government, Holocaust, Humor, Illuminati, Matrix, Mind Control, Mind Reading, Myths, New World Order, Paranoid, Pseudohistory, Secret Societies, Skepticism, Bush, Bush family, conspiracist, Fanta, General Electric, IBM, Natural News, Prescott Bush, United States, Volkswagen.


text:
Add vehicles to compare. You can compare up to 3 vehicles at a time.
Tax, title, license and dealer fees (unless itemized above) are extra. Not available with special finance or lease offers. Tax, title, license (unless itemized above) are extra. Not available with special finance, lease and some other offers.
What has made the GMC Terrain so desirable for Danville businesses?
• The GMC Terrain is a heavy-duty pickup truck that is strong and reliable.
• This work-ready truck is durable enough to handle any job with a maximum tow capacity of 23,200 lbs. and a max payload of 7,153 lbs.
• You are able to stay connected and comfortable on the go with available onboard 4G Wi-Fi and a cabin crafted for sound and vibration reduction.
• High-rated safety features such as a rear vision camera and Lane Departure Warning that will keep you safe and prevent collisions as you drive.
Explore our inventory of new GMC Terrains near Danville and find the trim level and color that you are looking for. Give us a call at (859) 755-4208 to plan a test drive today.
SEARCH new new 2019 GMC Terrain VEHICLES IN Danville, KY
At Bob Allen Motor Mall, you'll find a large selection of all-new 2017 GMC and Cadillac vehicles. From the all-new Cadillac CT6 to the GMC Sierra 1500, we have the perfect car, truck, or crossover for everyone. If you see a vehicle you'd like to test drive, don't hesitate to contact us or stop by our GMC, Buick, Chevrolet dealership in Danville, KY today.
YOUR NEW GMC, Buick, Chevrolet AND USED CAR DEALERSHIP SERVING Lexington & Nicholasville
Don't forget to check out our pre-owned inventory, fully stocked and ranging from 2001 to 2016, with good safety ratings and mileages as low as 18! Not many dealerships can beat us when it comes to customer satisfaction and easy pricing - come see why customers from Nicholasville and Richmond choose Bob Allen Motor Mall!


text:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot,
A national anti-abortion leader predicted Wednesday the Supreme Court in the near future will reverse the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
"The glacier is moving, and moving in our direction," said the Rev. Frank Pavone, president of the National Pro-life Religious Council.
Pavone spoke to about 250 people at Jackson Right to Life's annual dinner at the Country Club of Jackson, an event where he and local anti-abortion leaders were upbeat.
Pavone said more activist groups are sprouting up on college and high school campuses.
"Aside from political gains, we see the young people being more and more involved in the movement," he said before the dinner. "They have a strong awareness that they are survivors. They could have been aborted themselves."
Members of an anti-abortion group at Lumen Christi High School were among those in attendance.
"Every speaker has something different to share," said Mary Berkemeier, a senior at Lumen Christi who has attended the dinner in years past. "It's just a little reminder for all of us."
Kathy Potts, vice president of Jackson Right to Life, said in the past year, the organization has seen a decrease in abortions among Jackson women. No doctors in Jackson County perform abortions, but the organization tracks the number of local residents who travel elsewhere to have the procedure done.
"Our goals are just to reach more people in the community with the truth of the pro-life message," Potts said. "When women have abortions, the consequences are terrible, and no one ever tells them."
Pavone emphasized the importance of political figures taking a stance against abortion, which he described as "the greatest human rights struggle not only of our day, but of all time."
Several politicians, including Mayor Martin Griffin, U.S. Senate candidate Keith Butler and Rep. Rick Baxter, listened to him speak.


text:
MIDDLEBURY — The Senate Health and Welfare Committee this week will begin reviewing a House-passed measure to establish a federally mandated "health benefits exchange" that would, according to proponents, make health insurance more accessible and affordable in Vermont.
ADDISON COUNTY — Addison County and Brandon results for Tuesday's Republican presidential primary essentially mirrored those from around Vermont: A plurality of voters backed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, but the GOP frontrunner failed to win the outright majority his campaign had sought in state that neighbors his own.
In Addison County and Brandon, Romney led with about 37.2 percent of the vote, trailing his statewide number of 39.8 percent. Romney won Brandon and 16 of the county's 23 towns.
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury Union Middle School Principal Inga Duktig resigned last week, citing her readiness to "transition to the next chapter of my career as an educator."
Duktig's resignation takes effect on July 1, though Friday, March 9, was her last day on the job. That's because she was granted a paid leave of absence for the balance of the academic year, according to Addison Central Supervisory Union interim Superintendent Gail Conley.
BARRE — One of the many fans of the Vergennes Union High School boys' basketball team at the Barre Auditorium on Saturday held up a "Vermont Strong" sign before the Commodores' Division II title game vs. Mount St. Joseph.
The Commodores were Vermont Strong this winter, defeating every D-II team they played except MSJ, which earned the D-II title by besting VUHS, 56-48.
With foresight, faith and determination, Middlebury voters approved adding a penny on the tax rate for the next five years to initiate a Middlebury Business Development Fund in the hopes of, as the slogan said, creating "good jobs close to home." Voters also OK'd renovating the fire stations at a cost of $4.65 million, or about 4.5 cents on the tax rate. While other town expenses were held to a minimum, town residents and the business community still face an intimidating property tax bill.
MIDDLEBURY — The Vermont Department of Labor is representing at least five former eCorp English workers who have filed complaints against the company for failure to pay back wages.
As the Addison Independent went to press on Friday, eCorp management was working to make good on those previously bounced paychecks; two complainants confirmed on Thursday that they had been cut new checks.
The full text of this article is only available to online subscribers.
Are you an online subscriber? Click to login.
Click here to learn more about our subscription options.
If you have a print subscription, you can now add an online subscription at no additional charge! Just email us with your name and mailing address to set it up.
Subscribe to Online Edition
Online PDF Print Edition
Copyright 2011 Addison Independent | 58 Maple Street, Middlebury, Vt. 05753 | All Rights Reserved
Site Development by Surf New Media


text:
"My clients own their own homes. Many of them own vacation houses, too. Doesn't that give them all the real estate they need in their portfolios?"
That's a common question posed by financial advisors about the role of real estate in investment portfolios. After all, even among very wealthy Americans, net equity in their primary residence comes to a significant share—commonly around one-fifth—of total net worth, while the norm for other homeowners is upwards of three-quarters.
Interestingly, I've never fielded the same question from homeowners themselves. That revealing fact hints at the answer: While a house may represent an important component of net worth, that doesn't mean it's part of an investment portfolio.
Consider the financial situation of a client with total net worth of $1 million, composed of home equity ($250,000) and an investment portfolio ($750,000) allocated to domestic large-cap stocks, 60%, and domestic bonds, 40%. The client's questions are: What role should real estate play in a portfolio? And, by changing the asset allocation, can wealth be increased without taking on additional risk?
Houses as Investments
Investors typically want strong returns with moderate risk, of course, and portfolio diversification. They also look for liquidity, scalability (or "right-sizing") and rebalancing. Now consider what clients want from their homes: a location in the city where they want to live, a neighborhood convenient to their work and community resources, and a house of the right size.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency estimates that house prices have appreciated by 3% percent per year, on average, since early 1991. Most of the benefit from owning a house comes from living in it, meaning that you save on rent; the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the value of that "imputed rent" as the equivalent of a return averaging nearly 5.6% per year. Historically, owner-occupied housing has made sense for most people—but that's almost entirely because of the value of living in the right home, not because of its price appreciation.
Think about your client's investments: Since Q1'91, the financial portfolio would have generated returns averaging 8.62% per year with volatility of 9.55%. The total "portfolio," including the house, would have returned slightly more, around 8.65% per year, with volatility of only around 7.28%. But the higher returns and lower volatility come mainly from the substantial (and very steady!) value of "imputed rent"— because the clients get to live in their house.
Real Estate as an Asset Class
Real estate is one of the four fundamental asset classes around which every portfolio should be built. Princeton professor Burton Malkiel, author of "A Random Walk Down Wall Street"—wrote that "basically, there are only four types of investment categories that you need to consider: cash, bonds, common stocks and real estate." Mark J.P. Anson, formerly the chief investment officer of the California Public Employees Retirement System, agreed: "Real estate is not an alternative to stocks and bonds—it is a fundamental asset class that should be included within every diversified portfolio."
David Swensen, the chief investment officer for Yale University and author of "Unconventional Success," went further by recommending a "basic formula" with one-fifth of the portfolio invested in real estate (listed real estate investment trusts, or REITs) and the remainder in stocks, bonds and cash. Listed REITs—real estate owned through the stock market—provide investors the combination of strong returns, moderate volatility, and portfolio diversification along with liquidity, scalability, and ease of rebalancing that clients need in their investment portfolios.
Getting back to the client's two questions, the answer to the first is twofold: First, the home shouldn't be considered part of the investment portfolio; second, the real estate asset class—listed REITs—should be part of it.
Since Q1'91, the total return on listed equity REITs has averaged 13.31% per year—much better than large-cap stocks (9.98% according to the S&P 500), small-cap stocks (11.39% per year according to the Russell 2000), international stocks (6.70% per year according to the MSCI EAFE), or owner-occupied housing (including imputed rent, between 6.81% and 10.78% per year, depending on the city).
Plus, REITs provide valuable portfolio diversification. Even though they're traded through the stock market, listed equity REITs have a low correlation with non-REIT stocks: just 0.58 with large-cap stocks, 0.67 with small-cap stocks, and 0.56 with international stocks. In contrast, non-REIT stocks move fairly closely together with correlations of 0.89 (large-cap with small-cap), 0.84 (large-cap with international), and 0.77 (small-cap with international).
Other Correlations
REIT returns have almost nothing in common with owner-occupied housing returns: The correlation between them is just 0.13, and of course, listed REITs expose investors to the commercial real estate market cycle without high transaction costs and without giving up liquidity or the abilities to right-size and rebalance investments.
The value of an office REIT is driven by office space rentals; the value of a retail REIT by consumer spending; the value of a hotel REIT by business and vacation travel; the value of an industrial REIT by shipping and warehousing activity. In comparison, the value of a home reflects demand from other folks who want to live in your neighborhood.
In short, real estate—listed REITs—should play an important part in your client's portfolio, just as Burton Malkiel, Mark Anson and David Swensen have recommended for essentially every other investor's portfolio.
Optimizing to Improve Returns
What about changing the client's asset allocation to achieve higher portfolio returns without increased volatility? First, even without adding real estate, it would have been possible to increase the average returns of the client's portfolio over the historical period. You could help the client reduce the large-cap stock allocation from 60% to 24.4%, shifting most of it into small-cap stocks (30%, say, if that is the limit of the client's comfort level) for higher returns, and putting the remainder (45.6%, up from 40%) into domestic bonds for greater stability.
Such a financial portfolio would have preserved average volatility at 9.55% while increasing average returns from the 8.62% per year of the current allocation to 8.85%—after just 10 years, a difference in financial wealth of more than $37,000 based on the current financial portfolio of $750,000.
But that pales in comparison with what the client could have accomplished by incorporating the real estate asset class—listed equity REITs—into the portfolio. With a 30% allocation in equity REITs—thanks to their diversifying power and strong returns—over the historical period the client could have realized portfolio returns averaging 9.64% per year with no increase in portfolio volatility.
That's a wealth difference after just 10 years of more than $130,000 over the financial portfolio including small-cap stocks, and more than $168,000 over the current financial portfolio. The client would have achieved that result by shifting most of the large-cap stock holdings to listed equity REITs (30%) for higher returns and diversification and to small-cap stocks (21.5%) for higher returns, plus some added domestic bonds (48.3%) for greater stability, while leaving just 0.2% in large-cap stocks.
REITs: The Better Real Estate Investment
What would a client's wealth portfolio look like by treating the home as an asset? First, the client could increase his or her home equity as a share of net worth—say, to the same 30% constraint used for small-cap stocks and REITs. But the financial portion of an overall portfolio optimized to maximize return without taking on additional risk would look remarkably similar to the optimized financial portfolio.
If REITs were ignored, the client could still increase the average overall portfolio return from 8.65% per year (including the value of living in the house) to 8.92%, without changing the wealth volatility of 7.28%, by reducing holdings of large-cap stocks from 45% (60% of the financial portion) to 8.6%, establishing a 30% allocation to small-cap stocks for higher returns, and increasing bond holdings to 31.4% (45% of the financial portion) for greater stability.
Again, though, the client could have realized much greater portfolio performance, with no added portfolio volatility, by incorporating the real estate asset class—listed equity REITs—into the financial portion of the portfolio. Maintaining the home at the same 30% share of overall net worth, the client could have reduced the large-cap stock holdings from 45% to 2.2%, established an allocation of 30% in listed equity REITs for higher returns and portfolio diversification, added 5.3 in small-cap stocks for higher returns, and increased bond holdings to 32.4% for greater stability.
Over the historical period, such a portfolio would have maintained the same 7.28% volatility while providing portfolio returns averaging 9.54% per year—a difference in wealth after just 10 years of more than $136,000 over the portfolio including small-cap stocks, and more than $194,000 over the current portfolio.
For clients who ask how their home fits into their investment portfolio, you can distill the lesson this way: A home is like a bond—and the more equity they have in a home, the less they should be holding in bonds. But essentially every client should devote part of their equity allocation to the real estate asset class—listed equity REITs—for its combination of stock-like strong returns with moderate volatility, along with portfolio diversification, liquidity, right-sizing ability and ease of rebalancing. Listed REITs can keep your clients living in the best home while helping to grow their wealth, too.


text:
Product 2/10
Some Bunny To Love"Christmas" Themed Rub On* 12cm x 15cm Size* Acid Free / Lignin Free* Images and Text* Ideal For Cardmaking, Scrapbooking.* Can Also Be Used On Wood, Glass & Ceramics etc* 100% Exclusive To Craftywitch - We Had Them Made Just For Us!!** Special Pricing Available For Volume Orders **** 100% EXCLUSIVE To Craftywitch For New Zealand & Australia **
This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 15 March, 2008.


text:
In response to my article, "Gold confiscation: It depends on what gold, and how much," someone posted a link to this video, by Mike Maloney of GoldSilver.com.
In it, Maloney makes one false statement, and one misleading one.
1) "They took it and they put it all in one place owned by the government, so it was nationalized."
False. It was given to the illegal privately owned Federal Reserve banking cartel.
2) He says that people were compensated for the gold that was taken from them, which is true, and I mentioned that in my article. However, it was taken at the figurative point of a gun at $20.67, only for the price to be unilaterally raised half a year later to $35 an ounce. I argue that's a violation of the 5th amendment protection of "just compensation" for the taking of private property, on two fronts. 1) A 60% unilateral increase in half a year isn't just and 2) It wasn't taken for public use, but for use by the illegal privately owned Federal Reserve banking cartel.
Additionally, he claims that the there was no confiscation of gold, saying that confiscate means to take without compensation.
From Merriam-Webster's Online dictionary, confiscation is defined with the entry confiscate, as:
1. to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
2. to seize or as if by authority
Definition 1 doesn't apply in this case, since the gold had to be turned over the illegal privately owned Federal Reserve banking cartel, and not the public treasury.
Definition 2 applies, and mentions nothing about it being seized without compensation. Indeed, the gold was seized, by the figurative barrel of a gun, backed by criminal penalties, as outlined in FDR's Executive Order 6102.


text:
The user may choose to select from a pool of items on a regular basis. Two lists are used so that the user can see the list of available items and the list of current items simultaneously.
Optional items include scrollbars and a drop-down list if available items must be categorized. The buttons used to sort the target list should only used if the list is sortable and it makes sense to sort it.


text:
jsf_SY1028.jpg" />
Online Catalogue | Sports | Football
Using Our Website
About Us
Artwork Requirements
Frequent Questions
How to Find Us
About Glass Engraving
Delivery Information
More Catalogues
Our History
All glass products priced inclusive of logo & text
*See our artwork instructions
The more you spend the more you save
£100+ save 5% £250+ save 10% £1000+ save 15% £2000+ save 20%
All discounts calculated automatically in the shopping cart
to Mainland UK
(different rates apply for Highlands & Islands Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands)
Follow this link for metal and acrylic plaques, labels, badges and more!
Call us on01453 89008901453 890089
Classy Glass & Awards LtdUnit 2,Wisloe Road Business Park,Cambridge,Gloucestershire,GL2 7AJ, United Kingdom.
© 2016 - 2019 Classy Glass & Awards Ltd


text:
I very much enjoyed writing Glimpses of Heaven on Earth, as an inspirational read that I hope gives its readers some interesting thoughts to contemplate. The book includes quotations and essays on the following topics: peace and security, freedom, democracies, prosperity, gender harmony, racial harmony, spiritual harmony, ecological harmony, health, and moral purpose and meaning. This is a follow-up to my prior book, How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth, which is a collection of approximately one hundred essays on these same topics.
In this newest book, Glimpses of Heaven on Earth, I invited four essay contributors to my prior book to join me in collecting inspiriting quotations. Each of the five co-authors—Charlotte L. Piotrowski, Daniel Agatino, Michael Nagler, Martin Rutte, and I—wrote brief commentary to follow the quotations in each chapter. I think the group did a good job of finding quotations on all of these topics from leaders and thinkers throughout time and across the globe, which was an exhaustive by interesting project. You will find some familiar favorites, such as quotes from Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi, and also some that may be unfamiliar. I can imagine starting off each day by reading a sampling of quotes from each chapter. After all, we are all seeking to make some kind of order in the chaos of life, and I find this book very helpful in that quest.
Because of the range of topics, there truly is something of interest for everyone. I enjoyed reading about net-zero buildings in Martin's commentary on ecological harmony. And I think readers will be intrigued by my predictions of everlasting life in the chapter on health. I want to note that we did not shy away from today's hot topics, such as racial and gender issues, making for a very timely read.
All in all, our writing styles are easy to read and the content is easy to follow, although I had to read Michael's commentary about peace and security twice before it really sank in. As the founder for the Metta Center for Nonviolence, Michael is an expert in this field, and I found myself wanting to know more about his beliefs and practices. In addition to other books on the topic of nonviolence, Michael provides all sorts of other helpful material on his website: http://mettacenter.org/. I also has several comprehensive websites, one that specifically focuses on the topic of heaven on earth: www.heavenonearth.org.
This book would make an excellent gift for someone experiencing change in their life, going through difficult times, changing jobs or schools, or for someone who enjoys being inspired to create a better life for herself and others. I can imagine giving this book as a graduation or retirement gift as well. Truly, anyone would benefit from reading this short, but impactful, book.
Editor and author John E. Wade II has compiled a spiritual guide of invaluable insight for finding peace and meaning in life while making the world a better place for all. Along with co-authors Charlotte Livingston Piotrowski, Daniel Agatino, Michael Nagler, and Martin Rutte, this collection of enlightening essays and inspirational quotes from renowned thinkers and leaders throughout history provides the intellectual tools needed to live a more harmonious life.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Inspirational
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with John E. Wade II on Facebook


text:
Game 1 @ Denver: I boo you, Jazzmen
To quote BBJ from the slcdunk game thread:
All the months of waiting and anticipation and hibernated energy and adrenaline culminated in this moment: Tipoff. 24 seconds later,
As Memo hobbled off the floor on one leg, words that I should not repeat here circled and whirled through my mind.
Memo eventually came back to play despite a mild ankle AND knee sprain, and hit all of the toe-on-the-line twos that he cast up, which raised the hope. Then the clock struck midnight in the form of Mr. Boozer and Cinderella was dressed in rags once more.
In the end, the Jazz did what they do best: play well enough to give us hope, and then cruelly kill it by reverting to their true selves despite all the pre-season talk about defense (stop me if you've heard this before).
I always laugh when I read scouting reports and player profiles and season/playoff previews and the like that talk about how strong Boozer is and what a beast he is in the paint. He could be, if he were to use his strength, but he thinks of himself as such a great player and/or hates contact so much that he is content jacking elbow jumpers possession after possession. Newsflash: "If at first you don't succeed, keep failing" is not a mantra we want to be following. Of course, if you were listening to Boozer homer boy on KFAN, you heard about how horribly Sap was playing, how Boozer's performance was the result of him "wanting it too much," and how he got a double double. I've said it once and I'll say it again, Boozer has the highest number of no-impact, non-win-assisting double-doubles in the league.
Also unaware of FB's futility was FB himself:
"I had some good shots – just missed 'em. They're shots I've been making my whole career." (desnews)
On a final note, hustle is its own reward: