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Meet your fellow owners in our Owners Clubs
Would you buy a car without test driving it?
More people are researching cars online and opting to order a new car to buy or lease without first test driving it.
Some of us will do anything to avoid the dealership!
"Skipping the test drive can also eliminate what for many people is the most annoying part of car shopping -- the hard sell. Already, roughly a third of buyers who purchase their cars over the internet say they do so to avoid face-time with car salesmen, reports Edmunds.com."
Car Buying, Without the Test Drive (smartmoney.com)
Would you be willing to do a "blind transaction?
Some of us will do anything to avoid the dealership!
"Skipping the test drive can also eliminate what for many people is the most annoying part of car shopping -- the hard sell. Already, roughly a third of buyers who purchase their cars over the internet say they do so to avoid face-time with car salesmen, reports Edmunds.com."
Car Buying, Without the Test Drive (smartmoney.com)
Would you be willing to do a "blind transaction?
For the right price, yes. Let's say 300SL gullwing, looks mint, $100. I won't need to drive it. :shades:0
I mail-order sneakers all the time.
But the lasts haven't changed and they always fit the same. Different styles but I buy the same brand every time.
If the leg to gas pedal angle is off or my knees bang the door or console, I'm not going to be a happy camper.0
Very interesting question. Like you I buy a lot of clothes on the internet. I did buy a car on Ebay but that was the Celica convertible. As long as it was as represented there wasn't too much to go wrong.
On a new car I'd have to have driven an example of said car. Just to get a hang of possible killer quirks.
I will say when we bought our 00 Accord I'd only test driven automatics and bought a stick but that's OK....2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.0
I've bought clothes and shoes online too, as most sizes are the same.
If it was a car I had sat in and drove before, I wouldn't feel too bad about buying one without driving that exact unit, if I had some kind of recourse about the vehicle not being correct anyway. I wouldn't jump sight unseen into a make and model I had never touched though.0
I'll say one thing about not test driving first. That 00 Accord right off the beat did not have the super smooth shifting that I expect of Accords. It shifts Ok but not like the previous two. When we replaced the clutch (a first on a Honda for me - but it happened at 175K and with my daughter driving it) didn't improve things. When we replaced the tranny (at like 215K - replacing it with a junkyard one) that fixed it!2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.0
ray80 Posts: 1,655Yep, have done it at least a couple times. Most recently with the Terrain.
Research online including reviews and others experiance and if nothing blatent stands out don't need to drive one prior to purchase. Don't want to waste a sales persons time either if I've already decided on vehicle to purchase.0
My short answer is, yes, I would, with the caveats that some of the responders above have already mentioned.0
michaellno Posts: 4,300I couldn't do it.
I guess it comes down to whether or not you 'bond' with the car or not. More than just fitting behind the wheel, I guess I'm talking about something more 'spiritual' in nature.
Yes, even if it's a 4-door appliance, you've got to be comfortable with it since you'll spend so much time behind the wheel.
Back in '02, I was looking for a V6 powered sedan with leather and a sunroof. Test drove both an Altima and a Saturn L300. For some reason, I thought the interior of the Saturn (redesigned for the '03 model year) was nicer than that of the Altima.
I did get 97,000 miles out of the Saturn, however, so I guess it was an OK choice.0
larsb Posts: 8,204I would advise people to NEVER EVER do that....
Too many unknowns.
I did that once (at the request of my then-wife) and it was a huge mistake....
Don't go there !!!0
kperess Posts: 29I agree with larsb above. Too many times I tested a car that I read favorable reviews about and discovered things that really annoyed me. If I had not done the test drive I would have been saddled with the car for way too long.
If You're picky (like me) you not only test drive it -- you make sure you get a thorough test drive -- meaning all types of roads, smooth, bumpy, local, highway, with the radio/CD/IPOD on (playing something you're intimately familiar with). I often have 3 or 4 cars I'm seriously considering and in those cases I try to get back-to-back test drives...multiple times. I'll also come back another day to make sure my sense of the drive is right.
I also research the cars thoroughly. Is this too much -- maybe, but I really enjoy my cars and can honestly say I've only bought one that I ended up hating (a Gremlin) because it was a hasty purchase (and I took Consumer Reports high ratings on it without a thorough testing myself).
Regarding the issue of sales pressure -- the simple way to address that is to ALWAYS be ready to walk (and have alternative models/brands)...even if you like the car. Tell the salesperson if they are getting on your nerves to back off (nicely) and if they don't -- tell them they blew a possible sale and walk away. Today, good sales people understand that sales is about relationship building (especially if you go for upscale brands or models).0
qbrozen Posts: 26,117maybe this isn't exactly what was meant by the question, but I did not test drive my 350z before buying it. I had driven a different one and knew I wanted one. The one I wound up buying only had 9k miles and was sitting in the middle of the showroom. It had plenty of warranty left, looked in perfect condition, and had a great pricetag.
'10 Equinox LS; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '14 Town&Country Limited; '18 BMW X2. 49-car history and counting!0
Yep, I did about the same thing with my new 2007 Corvette. I had driven one about a month before. They are all the same. I'm not sure I even opened it up, just started the grind. I had to be a grinder, because the first number the dealer gave was MSRP. I almost left.0
The last four or five new cars have been bought without test driving them. I know how they are going to drive.
I once bought a used Miata without a test drive. The guy had detailed records, the car was like new. It was in a nice warm garage and it was pouring rain outside. I gave him a deposit and came back the next day with the rest of the cash and drove it home.
If I do test drive a used car, it's a short, around the block drive.
Some of my customers used to do some strange and creative and sometimes scary things that made no sense!0
im_brentwood Posts: 4,883Good god no, that's foolish.
I don't like buying SHOES without trying them out. I have bought plenty of cars without driving them, like my XJ8, but I have driven lots of XJ8s, ditto my GS350 (What was I thinking.. awful car).
I didn't test drive my Lincoln Premiere either, but it was a thousand miles away and I know what they drive like.0
Well, that's kind of like me buying the same brand of shoe all the time (right down to the last I prefer, and the catalog offers some 4 or 5 different lasts). Like your XJ8s, I know how they are going to drive.
I'd buy an older Miata without a test drive, assuming my mechanic had okay'd it. But I've driven one.
I bought my Outback without test driving it, although I could have backed out when I went to pick it up. I don't think a test drive would have alerted me to the door handle hitting my knee in the exact wrong spot anyway.0
Speaking of that Lincoln, when AM I going to see this?2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.0
gogogodzilla VirginiaPosts: 707Not just no, but heck no!
The test drive is the single most important part of buying a car.
Checking the blind spots... seeing how the seat fits... whether you can see the dashboard through the steering wheel... how the car accelerates/handles... all this you cannot do outside of a test drive, no matter how much research you do.
Case in point, I thought the Kia Forte would be perfect for me. The internet research all pointed to it being exactly what I was looking for. Until the test drive, that is.
Then I found that despite the on-line pictures, the dashboard was hard plastic. That's a big no-go for me.
And the seats were designed by a retarded monkey out to inflict the maximum amount of pain possible on a human being.
So, I walked away from the car.
Had I relied solely on internet research, I'd have bought the car... and then had to live with the consequences.0
iluvmysephia1 Alamogordo, NMPosts: 7,615that's what ya get for not test-driving the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer ES or, even better, the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. Oh well.
2011 Kia Soul Sport 5-speed0
XxHaimBonxX Posts: 134It so turned out that all my cars were untested. My first two were bought at an auction used, so this is self explanatory. Then '07 Civic, I needed it fast and wanted the gas mileage. Then came the new TSX. It's awesome in any direction, so I knew I wanted it regardless, I was not dissapointed. Now the next car could be the Optima. It has to drive well in order for me to consider it over Acura, so I am planning to test drive the wheels out of it.
The shoes analogy could work, however, these days you can order them online and if you don't like them, send them back. It's still cheaper than buying at the store.0
Please give us your evaluation of the Kia Optima, and how it compares to your TSX.0
perfectbmw Posts: 3NO, Many friends are not as excited and pleased as before after equipping their own car with the Many friends are not as excited and pleased as before after equipping their own car with the GPS DVD Navigation. They have no idea that everything has just started right away. There are quite a lot of standards to justify whether your characteristics are well satisfied. For example, do the functions of the new system and sound quality match your initial idea? Is it easy and convenient to control the gadget? The most important point is that you should take some time to communicate with the DVD Navigation to find out if the tune quality is good or not by listening more and repeatedly as well as listening in many ways. Even the some system installed in the same kind of vehicles, the effect it brings can be quite different due to the different users.. They have no idea that everything has just started right away. There are quite a lot of standards to justify whether your characteristics are well satisfied. For example, do the functions of the new system and sound quality match your initial idea? Is it easy and convenient to control the gadget? The most important point is that you should take some time to communicate with the DVD Navigation to find out if the tune quality is good or not by listening more and repeatedly as well as listening in many ways. Even the some system installed in the same kind of vehicles, the effect it brings can be quite different due to the different users.0
Can you say that again?
And make some sense this time.0
vchiu PARIS, FRANCEPosts: 564This was back in december 2005. I was working in China and had to buy a new car to replace a locally made [email protected] My research led me to choose the honda Fit which was the only one within my budget and which would not be underpowered as many other offers on the market.
I always used to purchase used car and would test drive in order to make sure there were no issues. This was the first time I would buy new, as the used market was non-existent at that time. My decision was purely based on the look, the specs sheet, the price and the good reputation Honda had.
The only thing I tested with the car was the my seating position in a show-room sample.
As the car was warranted , i felt a test drive was unnecessary. This means I really discovered the car when I drove it after taking delivery.
Looking back into it, I realize I took some risk, but the next car which could best the fit my power to weight ratio objectives would cost the double. In other words, I had no alternative car at that time.
If I had to make a choice today, this would be a bit different, but the Fit would still be a strong contender.
The second car bought as new without prior test is a 1.6 TDI DSG Golf as a company car which was delivered last February in Paris (France) . There again, I made a lot web research . Most tests results were pretty consistent in concluding this was a very balanced car with good features throughout. The closest car I drove beforehand was a VW Passat with a 2.0 TDI engine. This car was a pleasure to drive and I speculated that the Golf should not be much behind.
I compensated for VW's average reliability by purchasing a warranty extension for a total of 5 years.
Even the color for leather or body paint was chosen from a paper catalog. This means that specs aside, I totally discovered the car when I took delivery.
There again, I was not disappointed and the Golf drove in a satisfying manner.
As a conclusion, I would be ready to purchase without even seeing the final model. One important step however would be for me to seat in the driver's place and see if my driving position is OK. I would probably require a test drive for brands which are totally unfamiliar to me or with little engineering history.0
weaselinsuit Posts: 78Bought a new Honda Odyssey in August without a test drive, in fact sight unseen via internet website that does the bid soliciting for you. Have had a number of Hondas and gambled that they likely wouldn't have screwed things up. They didn't. It drives like a Honda van, which is a good thing.0
Congrats! My brother and his wife have really enjoyed theirs and it has a lot of nice features on it that my older Quest doesn't have (who knew that power doors would be nice and quiet for late night access in campgrounds?).
Have you driven other Odyssey vans before?0
andys120 Loudon NHPosts: 20,581If nothing else I'd want to check things like the seats, the driving position, controls etc. I like to drive on different types of roads to find out how well it rides handles and brakes. If it's an old car I try to wring it out to check things like brakes. I was once out in a '68 Firebird Sprint convertible I was interested in. I stood on the brakes as hard as I could at 30 or 40mph and damned if the frame didn't flex so much that the fan started chewing up the radiator. NO SALE!
I sold our Saab 900S to some friends and had to insist that they test drive it. I figured Saabs have certain peculiarities that they might not like. They bought the car, still have it and use it to commute daily.
If I'm buying new it might suffice to drive a similar car but I make the sale conditional on my satisfaction after driving it prior to signing the papers.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E930
A reporter would like to interview anyone who has used Edmunds.com's Car Match.
Please email [email protected] by November 4, 2011 with your daytime phone number and a comment about your experience.0
That Firebird had a bad motor mount. A frame won't flex like that.0
"For New-Car Buyers, Taking a Test Drive Now Seems So 1995
Vanessa Vick for The New York Times
UNTESTED Charles Van Stone did not test drive the 2010 Camaro he leased.
By ALAN RIDER
AT a time when consumers have become accustomed to buying flat-screen televisions from Amazon.com without ever seeing the picture quality and ordering shoes through Zappos.com without trying them on, is it any wonder that some would buy a vehicle without ever taking a test drive?..."
This is just the first paragraph of a two page article that gives a lot of reasons, pro and con, why an increasing number of people pass on test drives.0
"More than 1 in 10 U.S. car shoppers skip a test drive, buying a car without checking the ride, a new study shows."
The article talks about net research as a substitute but I think this quote may be the real reason:
"The aversion to test drives may be rooted in the dealership experience"
Translation - people hate going to car dealers.
Car Shoppers Often Skip Test Drive, Study Reveals (Inside Line)0


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Taqueria Luciano's
June 12 @ 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 11:30 am on Wednesday, repeating until 08/28/2019
Join Taqueria Luciano's each Wednesday for fresh, made-to-order tacos and other delicious Mexican dishes.
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Where: Bailey Park Food Truck Court

subset: commoncrawl


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The Rolex Lady Datejust is the modern archetype of the classic watch, thanks to aesthetics and functions that transcend changesinfashion. Aesthetically, the Datejust has spanned eras, while retaining the enduring codes that make it, notablyinitstraditionalversions, one of the most recognised and recognisable of watches.
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OK an Update on Lattice before I go offline for 5 days. Adam posted the following. http://boinc.umiacs.umd.edu/forum_thread.php?id=470&nowrap=true#4865
Looks like work may come while I am away. Hope someone does some checking while I am gone so folks can grab work to make up ground in this project in the Vault. It is still vaulted right?


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I have a few things to share today!
First up is my Scrappytripalong Quilt! I'm so happy with how this has turned out. The fabrics I have used are all Australian Designers.
They include Rosalie Quinlan, Natalie Lymer, Melly & Me and Sarah Fielke.
A lot of these fabrics were in the never to be cut pile unless a special Quilt came along, well guess what?
Go over to Quiltville for the instructions
but beware it won't take much to be hooked!
I free motion quilted it with swirls, can't go wrong with swirls right? I have also recently changed my thread to Aurafil 50wt and it is beautiful to work with. I have also pieced the quilt using the Aurafil 50wt and believe me the seams just disappear. If you haven't used it yet, give it a go!
I have also finished this Quilt. It may be small but it took forever! I did mainly ruler work to make the tiles with a stipple on the inside, will defiantly be doing this again but will change the inside pattern!
This is another finish I have done this weekend; a work friend needed a Library tote for her 5 Year old that has just started school. This is what I came up with!I'm now off to add the binding on my new favourite quilt hopefully I will get some sewn down before the heat heats later in the week,


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Lindenwood Real Estate
Lindenwood is a small community of townhomes located off Linden Road in West Sacramento. It sits amidst a happily bustling area of families, with Southport Elementary School just one block over.
The homes are generally all tall, narrow and charming with immaculate, low maintenance yards. The roads and cul-de-sacs are quiet, allowing for kids and families to play relatively carefree throughout the subdivision. There is plenty of guest parking and a small play area for toddlers.
Family-friendly is the main draw to those moving to West Sacramento. Located in Yolo County and a city in its own right, West Sac is transforming quickly from an industrial area to a diverse, thriving city with family-friendly neighborhoods and amenities. Parks have been an integral facet in the development of the region, with playgrounds and soccer fields at nearly every corner. The Lindenwood area is no exception.
Touchwood Park is just across Linden Road, allowing for a nice retreat with a picnic area and large duck pond. Nearby Linden Park has a "tot lot," picnic area, horseshoe pit and turf area, while further down the road, Summerfield Park offers two soccer fields, two backstops, cricket field, full basketball court, and an off-leash area for large and small dogs. All are situated within easy walking distance of Lindenwood.
More activities (and shopping) abound just up the road on Jefferson Blvd. The West Sacramento Recreation Center offers a myriad of yoga, Zumba, boot camp, cardio, and toning classes. There's also cardio and circuit training equipment, but the family fun comes in the form of a climbing wall, pool with waterslide and special events like the Soggy Doggy Swim Day for pooches that like to work out.
The center is adjacent to River City High and just down the street is Southport Shopping Center with Target, grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants.
Search for Homes in Lindenwood , CAView all Lindenwood listings
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All Launch Copies of SMT: Strange Journey to Include Bonus Soundtrack CD
ATLUS DIAGNOSED WITH TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA, REVEALS EXTENSIVE TREATMENT PLAN: ALL LAUNCH COPIES OF SCI-FI RPG SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI®: STRANGE JOURNEY™ FOR NINTENDO DS™ TO INCLUDE BONUS SOUNDTRACK CD, AND RELEASE DATE MOVED TO MARCH 23rd
Also, plenty of rest and fluids
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- DECEMBER 15, 2009 -- Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today revealed it was undergoing treatment for Triskaidekaphobia, outlining the steps recommended by physicians in order to overcome the common affliction. The extensive treatment program mandates that each and every launch copy of Shin Megami Tensei®: Strange Journey™, the upcoming first-person sci-fi RPG for Nintendo DS™, include a soundtrack CD featuring tracks from the game's haunting score, all packaged within a collectible outer box. From master composer Shoji Meguro, of Persona 3 and Persona 4 fame, the Strange Journey soundtrack is an ambient experience, combining elements of synth and electronica with ominous Gregorian-style chanting to heighten the sense of desolation and apprehension that the player experiences exploring the mysterious void.
The most direct treatment for the condition involves a slight alteration of the game's release date to March 23rd, 2010, which takes the greatest strides towards addressing the publisher's Triskaidekaphobia.
"We like all sorts of numbers here at Atlus," commented Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Atlus. "One, two, three, four... I could go on and on, really; they're almost all fantastic. Recently, one number has caused violent illness and nausea around the office. After consulting with our medical staff, we've decided to immediately begin treatment for our condition. We're excited to reveal that all launch copies will feature a bonus soundtrack CD, even though the game will release slightly later than originally planned."
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is now scheduled to release on March 23rd, 2010. Check out the official website, at http://www.atlus.com/strangejourney.
About SMT: Strange Journey
When the black spot appeared in the Antarctic, mankind became nervous; when it began to spread, that anxiety turned to panic. The Joint Project, convened to discuss how to deal with the expanding anomaly, decided to send in four ships carrying humanity's finest soldiers and most cutting-edge technology. The mission: to investigate what lay on the other side of what had been dubbed the Schwarzwelt and find out if there was a way to stop it from eventually covering the Earth.
You are an elite soldier hand-picked for the Strike Team, outfitted with a Demonica environment suit and posted to the Red Sprite under Commander Gore. Upon entering the Schwarzwelt, the crew finds itself forced to deal with harsh conditions, supernatural interference, and throngs of demons populating the bewildering world. What exactly is the Schwarzwelt? What awaits at the end of this strange journey? It is entirely in your hands to find out...
Key Features
* Shin Megami Tensei goes beyond -- Strange Journey's game mechanics represent a return to the proud tradition of the all-time dungeon-crawling classic SMT: Nocturne, while its story takes players into the near future on a mission to save Earth and to understand humanity's position within the larger universe.
* A dark turn into science fiction -- Who or what is causing the black hole that is engulfing the Earth? A mission to investigate the cause uncovers a whole world of demons that humans knew nothing about. Do they seek your destruction or will you seek theirs? Will you decide to save Earth or choose another path for humanity?
* Team up with demons -- Demons may be friends or foes depending on your ability to negotiate, bribe, and coerce them to join your party. With more than 300 types of demons, you'll have a huge variety of battlefield encounters and an equally large base of options on which to build your party strategy.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey has been rated "M" for Mature with Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, and Sexual Themes by the ESRB.
About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is renowned for its proud tradition of publishing exceptional role-playing games with strong niche appeal. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Demon's Souls, Odin Sphere, the Trauma Center series, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.
For breaking news, special promotions, insider info, and more, visit http://www.atlus.com/faithful to join the ranks of the Atlus Faithful!
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AtlusUSA
Facebook Page: www.atlus.com/facebook


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First of all, what is a Social Media News Release (SMNR)? Let's just say it's not your grandfather's news release at all.
A Social Media News Release (SMNR) is similar in content to a traditional news release, but SMNR's are Web 2.0 optimized or media enhanced. According to Brian Solis, SMNR's are stories that are specifically targeted to readers unlike traditional news releases, which are primarily aimed at journalists. SMNR's still contain these classic elements:
- Headline
- Facts/News Story
- Quotes
- Boiler Plate
- Contact Information


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Vietnam accuses China in sinking of fishing boat in disputed South China Sea
Vietnam on Monday accused a Chinese fishing boat of ramming and sinking a Vietnamese vessel not far from where the two countries have clashed over a Chinese oil rig in the South China Sea.
Xinhua, China's official news agency, said the Vietnamese boat capsized "after harassing and colliding with a Chinese fishing boat."
The sinking marks a serious escalation in the conflict between the two countries, which earlier this month triggered deadly anti-China riots in Vietnam and threats of reprisals from Beijing.
The incident occurred about 17 nautical miles southwest from where the Chinese have been installing an oil rig, according to Vietnam's Tuoi Tre News. According to the report, some 40 Chinese fishing boats had surrounded several Vietnamese vessels, when one the one of the Chinese boats rammed and sank a Vietnamese boat with 10 crew aboard.
Quoting the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, Tuoi Tre reported that all crew members were rescued by other Vietnamese boats in the area. All of the Vietnamese boats were from the central city of Da Nang.
According to Voice of America's Vietnamese service, Vietnam has reported that China wounded four of its fisheries surveillance officers by firing water canons at them.
The deputy head of the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department, Ha Le, said that almost all of Vietnam's vessels have been damaged by attacks from China's vessels.
"We are now fighting by peaceful means, by propagandizing against China's illegal invasion. In addition, we try to avoid any intentional clashes with Chinese vessels to minimize damages and casualties on our end," the VOA quoted Ha Le as saying.
Crowds in Vietnam started protesting and rioting after it was reported two weeks ago that China was moving an oil drilling platform, the Haiyang Shiyou 981, into contested waters in the South China Sea, about 140 miles from Vietnam. China and Vietnamese boats rammed each other, with the Chinese reportedly firing water cannons.
China increasingly is asserting control over a vast area of the South China Sea that it first claimed in the late 1940s. The area is a traditional fishing ground for several countries and is thought to contain significant deposits of oil and natural gas.
Chinese boats have clashed with both the Philippines and Vietnam over contested waters and reefs in recent months. The Philippines has filed an arbitration case against China at a United Nations tribunal in the Hague, and Vietnam, a communist country, is considering joining Manila, a longtime adversary and U.S. ally, in the arbitration.
Following the riots, China sent ships to Vietnam and evacuated thousands of its citizens. On Monday, China urged Vietnam to step up its prosecutions of those responsible for the riots against Chinese factories and others that rioters thought had Chinese connections. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said that two people had been arrested in Vietnam.
"We do not think the punishment is enough," he said at a daily news briefing.
The two countries fought a three-week war in 1979, after more than 200,000 Chinese troops invaded Vietnam as punishment for Hanoi's invasion and ouster of Chinese ally Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians died in the fighting, which has been rarely acknowledged by the two countries since the war ended.


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" Yo, let's try to figure out if we could get traffic from LinkedIn back to the blog ."
This one question resulted me down the rabbit pit of LinkedIn marketing — and in turn figuring out how to go viral, get traffic and build a brand.
But I'll be honest. I didn't do this alone.
My knowledge about LinkedIn and its mysterious algorithm — and how to do well on it — came from read countless of case analyzes and interviewing the experts who have figured out the platform.
The result?
This list of tips you can use to succeed.
Keep on reading.
# 1: Stop Focusing On Running Viral
Wait … What?
Is this some kind of clickbait article where you write a misleading headline and then tell me something completely opposite?
That may be half-true.
You see 😛 TAGEND
Going insanely viral is largely a matter of luck. Nobody can ever explain why the "Cash Me Outside" girl become so famous overnight.
The next best thing you can do is to prepare for the day that you go viral. But, you must first understand 😛 TAGEND
If you put all your focus on trying to become viral, what is likely to happen is that you will become encumbered, bitter and disappointed.
You'll stop doing the right thing, and focus on all sorts of" weird tricks" and "hacks" to attain virality, which defeats your purpose for being on LinkedIn in the first place.
Remember: virality is simply a mean to an end — not the end itself.
Manu Goswami says 😛 TAGEND
One of the biggest mistakes I'm starting to see on the platform is content creators who are so focused on views and likes. LinkedIn is about growing your brand and business but that isn't just done by posting viral content. It's actually done a lot better by genuinely helping people by connecting them to one another, discovering them postures, or including them in stimulating discussions.
Instead of concentrates on running viral, focus on helping people. Focus on becoming a resourceful person.
What happens is that people will begin to take notice of you, and even look up to you and treat you like a thought leader.
When that day comes, your posts will go viral by itself, because people will reciprocate due to you demonstrating your genuineness and authenticity over and over again.
# 2: Build Your Personal Story
Most of us never figure out who we are.
We become parrots — copying and regurgitating guess, sentiments and viewpoints that are not ours, but heard from elsewhere.
But, to succeed on social media, you MUST know who you are, or at the least what you represent and who you want to be.
Because they are fed up with the insincere people showing off their fake" good life" without ever carrying the human side of themselves.
They want authenticity. They want honesty. They want to see what it's like to conflict and overcome.
Top LinkedIn influencer Michaela Alexis puts it succinctly 😛 TAGEND
I suppose the biggest mistake I see is people presenting themselves as somebody that they think they SHOULD be, rather than the awesome human being that they actually are. There's been an idea in business for a very long time that we need to" leave our personal issues at home", like we can all just somehow shut off the human part of our brain as soon as we step into the office. That may have been semi manageable, prior to platforms like LinkedIn that are redefining the business culture. I have yet to meet or chat with a single person that doesn't have an inspiring tale to tell, and yet, so many users are avoiding telling that story and opting instead to mask themselves in itchy suits and spammy pitches.
You don't have to be fake. You don't have to pretend to be someone else. You can be honest, vulnerable and connect with other people.
But first 😛 TAGEND
You need to know who you are.
Michaela continues 😛 TAGEND
… I would run you through our personal branding workshop, which goes through your strengths, weaknesses, values, and aims. We'll talk about your failings and what that failing taught you to help you ultimately succeed.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to establish your own personal brand 😛 TAGEND What are my values? Why do I do what I do? Who or what am I doing it for? What do I want to be known for? What do I want the world to know about me that's unique? What topics can you talk endlessly about? What do people say about you? What do people praise you for? How do you do what you do? What builds the style you achieve results interesting or unique? What energizes or ignites you? What are your true passions? You with a relevant influencer in your industry You speaking in front of prospects You at a local landmark( merely works if you're connecting with people in your city) Clear speech Communicates concrete results your prospect or customer will get Says how it's different or better than everyone else Avoid hype and jargon Read and understood in 5 seconds How to extract LinkedIn Likers( https :// docs.google.com/ document/ d/ 1ngwW-NGdvXnZY2Mu9UghfcmIMInyVSt0E0vubJiT82s/ edit) How to extract LinkedIn Commenters( https :// docs.google.com/ document/ d/ 1wbJwG-WWUOkdBkWO2IP8cxw_UER9YibezSl1lc7EaII/ edit) Linked Helper( automation tool) LinkedIn Sales Navigator( without this, you'll get banned)


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1 vs. 100 is an interesting mix of online gaming and real game shows, with scheduled times, a live host, and actual prizes to be won. We talked to the game's director during the Canadian beta and had fun playing, but now the game is live for everyone in the US. Well, everyone with an Xbox Live Gold Subscription. This weekend, however, Microsoft is opening the game for Silver members, so anyone who is connected to Xbox Live can give the game a shot.
"From Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, Silver Xbox LIVE members can enjoy the 1 vs 100 premium entertainment experience reserved exclusively for Gold members," Microsoft announced. "This offer is only available for one weekend, so rally your Silver friends—or get people to join Xbox LIVE if they haven't already—brush up on your trivia, and get ready to play 1 vs 100 on Xbox LIVE!"
The game is surprisingly fun, so check Xbox Live for the times the "show" is on, and try it out. Be warned: the competition is pretty fierce out there, and you barely have a second to answer the question correctly—no time to Google!


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Department of Management Services
Division of State Group Insurance
The Division of State Group Insurance (DSGI) offers and manages a comprehensive package of health and welfare insurance benefits for active and retired state employees and their families, including:
- a variety of health insurance options
- flexible spending and health savings accounts
- life insurance
- dental, vision and other supplemental insurance products
We procure, manage and audit insurance vendor contracts and programs to meet the needs of our customers and remain cost efficient. We also provide subject-matter expertise, information, and tools to help policymakers decide the best ways to produce cost savings and improve benefits.
The Bureau of Financial and Fiscal Management establishes and manages fiscal policy and control of the insurance benefit programs, provides financial and budget oversight, manages vendor payments, administers premiums, monitors contractors' financial compliance, and conducts audits.
The Bureau of Policy and Development establishes insurance product procurement priorities; administers procurements; manages contracts and programs; ensures compliance with pretax cafeteria plan requirements; communicates insurance benefits information to members and stakeholders; coordinates open enrollment activities; and investigates and completes appeals.
State employees and retirees, for more information about state plans and other benefits, visit the MyBenefits website.


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Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse are committed to protecting your privacy and rights. We will only use the information that we collect about you lawfully (in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998).
We have set forth this statement to explain the information we collect from you, how we use that information, and your legal rights regarding that information.
We will not e-mail you in the future unless you have given us your consent.
We will never collect sensitive information about you without your explicit consent.
The information we hold will be accurate and up to date. You can check the information that we hold about you by emailing us. If you find any inaccuracies we will delete or correct it promptly.
The personal information which we hold will be held securely in accordance with our internal security policy and the law.
We may use technology to track the patterns of behaviour of visitors to our site. This can include using a "cookie" which would be stored on your browser. You can usually modify your browser to prevent this happening. The information collected in this way can be used to identify you unless you modify your browser settings.


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Admission and Academic Requirements
Department Chairperson: Diane Hamilton-Hancock
Graduate Committee Chairperson: Michael Jackson
Department Office: Stipes Hall 402
Department Telephone: 309/298-1076
Department E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.wiu.edu/health
Location of Program Offering: Macomb, Quad Cities
Program Description
The certificate program will provide and/or substitute course work needed for professionals in health services administration. The focus of the program is to provide students with a basic knowledge of health services organizational behavior and leadership, administration and management, legal aspects of health administration, and U.S. health policy.
Certificate Requirements
TOTAL: 12 s.h.
Course Descriptions
Health Services Management
514 Health Service Administration. (3) The administrative functions of long term care facilities and other related organizations will be covered. The administrator's role in the organization and the community will be delineated and analyzed. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and/or permission of the instructor.
515 Legal Aspects of Health Services Management. (3) The course will equip future health services managers and health educators with a working knowledge of health law as it relates to the health industry. Students who have taken HSM 470 will not be eligible to receive credit for this course. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
516 Introduction to Health Policy. (3) The course will equip future health services managers and health educators with a working knowledge of health policy formulation, examination and implementation as it relates to the health industry. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
517 Health Services Organizational Behavior and
Leadership. (3) Examines behavior and leadership of
organizations specific to the health services industry,
with a special emphasis on organizational theory involving development, leadership, change, and strategic planning. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.


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Annual Report on the Environment and the Sound Material-Cycle Society in Japan 2007
Description: The annual report summarized the FY2006 status of the environment and the establishment of a sound material-cycle Society in Japan. It provides an overview of Global Warming and the technologies for mitigating Global Warming. The report also describes the government's role in environmental conservation, and the formation of a sound material-cycle society.
Date: 2007
Creator: Japan. Kankyōsho
Item Type: Refine your search to only Text
Partner: UNT Libraries


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Join free now!
It is free to search locals your area
" Wow, Alice this location is complete."
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Alice heads out the door with Catherine. All the showers are presently uninhabited, so the girls select the closest one to the yurt.
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Catherine holds Alice versus her massive bust as Alice nurses like a newborn. After a couple of mins of playing about, Alice raises her head as well as allows us recognize she is taking Catherine to the shower so they can refresh up prior to supper.


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Veterinary chain offers free checkup, and more, for your cat
VCA Animal Hospitals, a national chain with a significant presence in Colorado, is offering free assistance for cat owners.
Through Aug. 31, VCA is offering free first exams for felines, plus a special cat food offer from Hills, and free first doses of heartworm prevention mediation (with the purchase of six doses)
In addition, the chain is making its reference library available online, covering cat topics ranging from diabetes mellitus to allergies and urinary problems.
The offers come during what is known as "kitten season," the warmer months when cats are out and about and the feline population explodes.
Denver area shelters typically offer discounts and special events to increase cat adoptions this time of year, such as the recent Cat Fest staged by the Dumb Friends League.
Local organizations are also looking for extra help. For example, Amy Angelilli, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance in Denver, says August is her organization's toughest month and is seeking donations.
VCA Animal Hospitals has 520 facilities in 41 states. The best known in Colorado is probably Alameda East in Denver, which was featured in an Animal Planet television series about animal emergencies.
"Just as felines know when their owners are sick, it's crucial for us to be aware of our cats' needs as well," said a national VCA spokesman. "To highlight this, VCA Animal Hospitals is calling attention to the importance of cat health."
She added: "Do you know how often you should be taking your cat to the vet? Are you aware of the signs and symptoms cats may show if they are in need of medical care?"
An example of the articles being made availalbe by the chain is one on feline diabetes:
"Diabetes mellitus is the second most common endocrine disease in cats.
"Seen more frequently in middle to old-age cats and is more common in males than females.
"Clinical signs seen in diabetic patients are an increase in water consumption and urination, and weight loss. (An increase in appetite may be noticed in some cats).
"Medical clinical signs include persistently elevated blood glucose concentration and the presence of glucose in the urine.
"Treatments include appropriate insulin dosages, removal of predisposing causes for the diabetes and feeding the cat a well-balanced diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates."
For more information and general articles geared towards cat health, refer to the Pet Health Information tab on VCA Animal Hospitals' website,
Animal tracks – The City of Colorado Springs is organizing a Community Animal Response Team (CART) of volunteers to assist during emergencies that require rescue, evacuation and sheltering of horses and other livestock.
The City will be holding a mock disaster exercise on October 1 and the help of 60 volunteers will be needed to perform tasks such as handling of horses, drivers for transport of animals, runners and clerical assistance.
The Colorado Springs Police Department is hosting two orientation sessions for those interested in participating in CART and the mock disaster exercise, on Wednesday, August 3, at 11:30 a.m. and Thursday, August 11, at 6 p.m. at the Police Operations Center located at 705 S. Nevada Avenue.
Anyone interested in attending a session is asked to leave a message at 444-7878 with his or her name, telephone number and the preferred session. Additional information contact Officer Lori Torrini at (719) 444-7276 or firstname.lastname@example.com . . .
Aug. 7 – The Dog Daze of Summer Family (and dog) Day will be held at the Boulder History Museum, 1206 Euclid Ave., from noon until 4 p.m. It is being held in conjunction with the museum's current exhibit, "Nature of Dogs". Bring friends, family and your leashed dog for features including an an agility course for amateurs, the Adopt a Pet van, booths of local service dog organizations and dog related businesses. There will be a doggie treat bar and doggie crafts for the kids. The event is free. Information: www.boulderhistory.org
Aug, 21 – The Morris Animal Foundation k-9 cancer walk will be held in Denver's City Park (the Pavilion and band shell area) starting at 9 a.m. (check-in 7:30). Parking will be available at East High School. Information: www.morrisanimalfoundation.org
Reach John Davidson at firstname.lastname@example.com@denverpost.com">


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View a slideshow from several busted grow houses around South Florida.
On October 18 at 10:22 p.m., Betty was watching television in the living room of her pleasant three-bedroom home in Lehigh Acres, a rural community of 90,000 that's about 12 miles east of Fort Myers. Her four-year-old daughter Nina was sound asleep in her room.
Suddenly the 27-year-old single mom heard the unmistakable pop of gunfire. It was close, too close.
South Florida grow houses
Peeking through the curtain of her front window, she saw muzzle flashes and human silhouettes moving across the front yard of a house one block from her one-acre lot. She picked up the phone and dialed 911.
Betty: I'd like to report gunshots.
Operator: How many did you hear?
Betty: Probably like six.
Operator: Where are they coming from?
Betty: I can hear them now. They are going off again.
Operator: You don't see anyone with a gun?
Betty: No, there are no street lights. It is pitch-black.
Operator: Okay, we're on our way. Would you like us to call you when the officers get there?
Betty: Yeah, please, I would like to know what is going on.
Thirty shots sounded before police arrived 10 minutes later. The hail of bullets roused Nina from her slumber. "I could even hear them reloading," Betty says in a tender yet serious voice.
Florida Grow Houses
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Betty has lived in lazy southwest Florida all of her life. She is used to quiet evenings. She never imagined she'd witness a shootout just a stone's throw from her doorstep. "Not in a million years," she says. "It was so scary. I grabbed my daughter and we locked ourselves in one of my bathrooms."
Though she was stricken with fear, Betty didn't let on that anything was wrong. "I didn't tell Nina," Betty explains. "We just played makeup and did each other's hair."
When Lee County deputies Scott Reaves and Nick Vistunas arrived, sirens wailing, they shined a spotlight at the home a block away from Betty's. They spotted a husky Hispanic man with close-cropped brown hair and steely brown eyes standing next to a white Mercedes.
He raised a pistol and unloaded several rounds.
The policemen ducked for cover and returned fire. Reaves grabbed a microphone and, through a car-mounted speaker, ordered the man to drop his weapon.
Instead the shooter continued his assault. The cops responded in kind and radioed for backup.
From her bathroom, Betty heard more police cars pulling up and a helicopter hovering overhead. Frantic, she called the Lee County Sheriff's substation. "They assured me they would send someone over to my house to keep a watch on us," she says.
Soon two uniformed officers with rifles knocked on Betty's door. "They let me know they had secured my car and would be out front until the whole thing was over," she remembers. "They were out there until a quarter to one in the morning."
After the gunslinger dropped his weapon, Reaves and Vistunas took him into custody. He was soon identified as a 44-year-old Cuban man from Miami named Carlos Ulloa. The deputies also detained Ulloa's wife Judith, who had been in the Benz during the gunfight.
Officers soon turned up dozens of shotgun shells in the front yard and discovered the front door and garage door were riddled with shotgun blasts and bullet holes.
An hour later, Reaves heard rustling in a wooded area across the street, and a police dog named Blade apprehended three more Cuban-born suspects: 45-year-old Deosdado Lezcano, his 43-year-old girlfriend Mabel Veliz, and their son Diosledy Lezcano-Veliz, age 23.
Finally deputies uncovered the reason behind Ulloa's shooting spree. They followed a bloody trail inside the house from the kitchen to the master bedroom, where they found a bushy marijuana plant. After sweeping the rest of the residence, cops turned up 49 more plants, a hydroponic irrigation system, lighting equipment, cooling fans, and power converters. According to Lee County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Larry King, the plants had a street value of $195,000.
It seemed a pot deal had gone bad.
The scene in Lehigh Acres was only the most recent in a series of huge pot busts that have moved Florida into second place behind only California in the burgeoning outlaw business of marijuana grow houses. Last year authorities confiscated 37,311 plants from 511 indoor sites in the Sunshine State, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report released in March.
In Miami-Dade County, pot manufacturing is a blooming business in which even Little League coaches are getting in on the action. On March 23, cops arrested 35-year-old Manuel Ojeda and 41-year-old Jorge Perez on marijuana trafficking charges. According to their arrest affidavits, the pair — who coached baseball to six- and seven-year-olds at Tamiami Park — rented two condos in the Hammocks neighborhood of unincorporated Southwest Miami-Dade and converted them into grow houses. Investigators found 148 plants.
Moreover, as the heat has grown locally, Miami Cubans, the same demographic group that made the Magic City a cocaine mecca in the Eighties, have set up marijuana grow houses in thinly populated counties to the north. In some cases, they have used the proceeds to pay off smugglers who helped them come to the United States. In Charlotte County, which includes sleepy towns like Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, deputies shut down only three grow houses in 2006. This year police have busted four times as many labs. "They all follow similar patterns," says Charlotte County Sheriff's spokesman Robert Carpenter. "Everyone busted here have been Cuban nationals."
Adds Susan Benton, sheriff of Highlands County in central Florida: "The state is growing a tremendous amount of marijuana. We are supplying the whole East Coast. It's all over the place, from the rural areas with five-acre tracts to regular subdivisions near kids and schools."
On a rainy Miami afternoon, a raspy-voiced Cuban-American in his late thirties named Santino tends to 13 six-foot-high potted marijuana plants in full bloom. He resembles a young James Caan — and shares the filmic mafioso's disdain for law enforcement. "The cops love saying that one plant equals a pound," Santino says mockingly. "That's a bunch of bullshit. They say that to justify their big budgets for taking us down. But I only count buds."
He pours half a teaspoon of Flora Nova liquid plant food and a teaspoon of a yellow powder he calls "cha-ching" into a gallon jug of water, and then repeats the procedure with two other jugs. The mixture turns a light greenish-brown. Then, with Don Burke-like finesse, he feeds his plants while explaining that three-quarters of one plant (i.e., the stem, the five-pointed fan leaves, and the roots) are worthless. "If I can squeeze two pounds from this batch, I'm good," he says. "It also helps that I always get the best bud available."
Two high-pressure, 1000-watt Hydrolux sodium bulbs drown the high-grade herbage in sizzling ultraviolet light. The room has a golden glow. Like the lights discovered in the Lehigh bust, the bulbs are connected to two portable electric ballasts that produce a low-pitch hum. A large square piece of sheetrock covers the only window in the room. The entire setup, from the grow lights to the enhanced plant food, costs less than $1500, Santino explains. His monthly electric bill averages about $300, enough to fly under the radar of nosy utility workers and undercover police surveillance.
Santino's relatively small operation is confined to a tiny bedroom inside a townhouse somewhere on the western fringe of Miami-Dade. Santino doesn't own the property. He doesn't live there either. But his pot-smoking buddies do. Tom and wife Nora, who have no children, rent the room to Santino. "They get free herb and a share of the profits," he says. "It's the perfect setup because they have lived here for years, and the neighbors know who they are. To everyone around here, they are just another happily married couple."
Tom is an affable yet reserved fellow with sleepy hazel eyes. "He's the brains," Tom says sheepishly. "I'm just the caretaker." Santino and Tom were born and raised in Miami. They attended the same private elementary school but went to different high schools. Neither graduated from college. They maintained a close friendship fueled by their connoisseurs' love for good pot. Two years ago they traveled to Amsterdam for the annual High Times Cannabis Cup, which attracts pot farmers from all over the globe to compete for the best-tasting bud.
In many ways, Santino is like the male version of Nancy Botwin, the suburbanite-mom-turned-pot-dealer on Showtime's TV series Weeds. He divorced his wife four years ago and shares custody of his 10-year-old daughter and six-year-old son (whom he doesn't allow near the marijuana) with his ex. He lives in a gated residential community in Northeast Miami-Dade and drives a late-model Lexus sports sedan.
Like most pot growers and dealers, Santino got into the business after purchasing weed not only for himself but also for friends and acquaintances. "When you're buying bud at retail cost, there is not much profit margin there," Santino says. "So here I was buying quarter-pounds, half-pounds that I'd split up with other people. Yet I was the one assuming all the risk for a very little reward."
On the retail market he can sell an ounce of homegrown bud for $400 to $500. Half an ounce goes for $200 to $250. "The only way to make money is to grow your own and cut out the middleman," he says.
Prices have gone up 20 percent since the recent crackdown, he says. "It's getting expensive."
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is one of the smallest police departments in the state, employing 95 officers to protect 87,336 residents spread out over 1029 square miles in the center of Florida's peninsula. Despite its size, the department is one of the state's most progressive, led by Florida's first elected woman sheriff: Susan Benton, a 58-year-old Miami native and Democrat who won the seat in 2004.
The Monsignor Pace High School grad walked the cop beat in Miami-Dade County for five years before relocating 166 miles north to Sebring, the most populous city in Highlands. There, after a seven-year career sidetrack as a political aide and state protection officer, she rose through the ranks from deputy to lieutenant. Today Benton has become one of the most informed top law enforcement officials on Florida's grow house industry.
"It has the characteristics of major organized crime," Benton says. "Just about every case, we have seen Hispanics of Cuban descent from the Miami/Hialeah area. Many of them seem to know each other."
There is no doubt that indoor marijuana manufacturing is on the rise in Florida. In Miami-Dade, cops last year arrested 492 suspected farmers and seized 15,749 pot plants, the most of all counties. Broward produced the third-largest crop share at 3021 plants, and Palm Beach was fourth with 1938 plants. (St. Lucie County was number two.)
The numbers have particularly risen in tranquil locales along the Interstate 75 corridor, such as Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Golden Gate Estates, Punta Gorda, North Port, Port Charlotte, Lakeland, and Avon Park, where undercover narcotics detectives, at times working alongside DEA agents, are finding at least one grow house almost every day.
One factor in these areas' popularity is affordable housing, Benton says. While a three-bedroom home in Miami sells for about $350,000 to $400,000, a similar place in Lehigh Acres or North Port can cost less than $200,000. That leaves plenty of cash for equipment. "They are some of the most technically accomplished electricians and plumbers out there," says Charlotte County Sheriff's spokesman Robert Carpenter. "They set up some of the most intricate and elaborate lighting and irrigation systems you can imagine. They also destroy the inside of the houses, completely gut them."
The migration north is obvious in places like Highlands County, where Benton works and vast citrus groves and cattle ranches make it easy for traffickers to hide illegal activities. Authorities have raided 49 grow houses in the past year; they've arrested 64 people and seized more than 2800 plants. As in Charlotte County, that's a huge increase. "They are stealing power before it gets to the meter to avoid detection," Benton explains.
The Highlands sheriff adds that the growers produce a "mother" plant they use for cloning so they can harvest four to five times per year. "Except for one small living area for a caretaker, the entire house is used for growing marijuana," she says. "In some cases we have arrested the homeowners. When you look at some of their histories, you will find that they may have purchased a $350,000 house on the waterway, yet they haven't had a job for five years and don't have any proof of income."
So far she believes only low-level caretakers have been nailed. She doesn't have the manpower to nab the big guys. Simply breaking down a grow house stretches her force thin. "One grow house takes about four hours and 10 people to dismantle," she explains. "That's 40 man hours per grow house."
And storing all confiscated equipment has become a problem. "We had to move our plane out of the hangar and use it for evidence storage," Benton says. "We had to rent five semi-trailer-size containers, and we had to use a huge garage normally used by our crime scene guys."
It's shortly after 11:00 a.m. on October 7 in the driveway of 1008 Cortez Ave. in Lehigh Acres — 10 miles from Betty's home. The beige ranch-style house is located in a remote part of northeastern Lee County, about 125 miles from Miami. Out here the trees and shrubs still outnumber the houses. And parcels of land are cheap. An empty half-acre lot next door to 1008 Cortez is advertised for $69,000.
Despite the presence of a dark green Pontiac Sunfire and two bicycles in the driveway, no one lives in this house. That's because this past April 18, undercover agents from the Florida Highway Patrol and the DEA arrested owner Eddy Jaime Millan of Miami on a federal felony charge of possessing more than 100 marijuana plants with the intent to distribute.
According to Millan's arrest affidavit, the grow house eradicators received a tip from a Miami DEA agent that morning, so the team went to the house on Cortez Avenue and knocked on the door. When Millan opened, the agents detected the potent odor of weed and asked about it. He replied in Spanish that there was "no marijuana" there and then refused to allow them to enter.
At 4:35 p.m., the investigators returned with a search warrant and found 64 maturing marijuana plants in the garage and a large black garbage bag containing the discarded roots of 72 plants. Another black bag located in the bathroom held 24 roots. Millan was apparently setting up his second bedroom to grow more. A 9mm Glock handgun was stashed under the pillow in the master bedroom.
On July 2, Millan pleaded guilty to one felony count of marijuana trafficking. He forfeited his $275,000 three-bedroom residence and agreed to cooperate with the government. Millan has not been sentenced, but could avoid a five-year prison term if his information yields more arrests, according to his plea agreement.
Three months after the guilty plea, New Times visited the house on Cortez Avenue. The gate to the back yard was open and anyone could walk in. The screened-in pool was a murky, mossy dark green and inhabited by thousands of tadpoles. An open glass door led into the still-furnished master bedroom, where empty Corona beer bottles and cigarette butts littered the floor near a black lacquer nightstand. Crumpled bed sheets and a photograph of a half-naked young woman lay on a queen-size mattress.
The garage and the bedroom where agents had apparently found the marijuana and grow equipment were in far worse shape. The garage floor was covered in dry soil and twigs. The sheetrock Millan had used to create a barrier between the garage door and his grow room had been torn out. More than a dozen metal light covers hung twisted and broken from the ceiling or lay on the floor. In the kitchen, a hard loaf of half-eaten Cuban bread sat on the countertop. On the refrigerator door hung a picture of a flower hand-drawn in pink and purple ink. In the middle was a message: "Para Eddy." (For Eddy.)
The nearest neighbor, Felix Lopez, lives more than 30 yards away. His one-story abode has white-trimmed window frames and wood exterior walls painted in a North Carolina blue hue. His property sits on a half-acre lot, where the 56-year-old Puerto Rican paving contractor cultivates Spanish yams, papaya, and other exotic vegetables and fruits not named Cannabis sativa.
The heavyset fellow with a thin black mustache and a skinny ponytail has been living at 1005 Cortez Ave. for the past 23 years. Lopez and his wife raised three children there. "When we got here, this was nothing but forest and swamp," Lopez recollects. "I cleared the land so I could build my house. People move out here to get away from crime and all that other city bullshit."
Shortly after 12:30 p.m., Lopez is drinking Michelob and listening to a mix of cumbia, salsa, and merengue on a portable tape player. The day Millan was arrested, "I came home from work and there were all these cars and police out there," Lopez says. "I didn't know anything about him other than he was with a young lady and two little girls."
Lopez says the family moved into the house at 1008 Cortez in June 2006. "I'd see him working on his car," he says. "But he never bothered or talked to me."
Pot growers often remain aloof. Sometimes they avoid big electric bills by disconnecting the wires to their electrical meters so they don't track electrical use. The risk: It's a tip-off for law enforcement.
Lopez says Millan is stupid for growing marijuana. "People think they can't get caught," he hisses. "In this country, the biggest mafia is the government. And when they want you, they will get you."
Ten miles from Millan's place, at the other end of a series of winding and sometimes unpaved roads, is 829 Aprile Ave., a tan house with a panoramic back-yard view of tall trees and bushy shrubs that stretches as far as the eye can see.
This past May 9, the same group of agents who nabbed Millan busted through the front door around 3:30 p.m. They found that, with the exception of the garage, the entire house was filled with 156 marijuana plants. But rather than rip them up immediately, they closed the door and left. One unmarked unit stayed behind, out of sight, to maintain surveillance.
The following day, around 1:00 p.m., the agents — part of a federal task force assigned to narcotics cases in southwest Florida — received word that a red Dodge pickup truck and a covered trailer were parked in the driveway. They hurried over and found Jovany Aleman Noriega and Pedro Chaviano-Poleo. Aleman, a 34-year-old Miami native, claimed the plants belonged to him and that Chaviano-Poleo and the homeowner — listed in public records as Robersy Poleo — knew nothing about his operation. On August 27, Aleman followed Millan's lead and pleaded guilty to one felony count of trafficking marijuana. He agreed to cooperate with authorities for a more lenient punishment.
Like Millan, Aleman has not yet been sentenced. And his house, like Millan's on Cortez Avenue, was ransacked by the task force. Agents punched a huge hole through a dry-wall partition that closed off the living room from the front door. Throughout the house are overturned pots, soil, and broken platforms used to stack the plants in rows. An air-conditioning wall unit rigged to the ceiling of one room is bashed in. Pieces of insulated ductwork and snakelike wiring litter the floor.
Aleman's only neighbors live in a three-bedroom light gray house across the street. On a recent day, their open garage door exposes an expensive model train set. Inside, Kim and Dennis Pierzina are watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Indianapolis Colts. The couple say they moved into the home last November. She's from Maine. He's a Wisconsin native.
The grow house was originally occupied by a Hispanic guy with a small gray pickup truck. "He usually kept to himself," Dennis says. "The only time we spoke is when his cat ran into our yard, and I gave it back to him."
Kim remembers she sometimes smelled a strong odor when tending to her small back-yard garden. She later learned it was from a potent hydroponic marijuana strain known as skunk. "But we live in the country, so I just thought it was an actual skunk," she says. "Now that I think about it, I never saw him take care of his lawn either."
When that man left in April, the Pierzinas noticed that Aleman began to visit the house, stopping by once or twice a week. "He'd check the mailbox and then go inside," Dennis says. "But it's not like we'd see him walking out the door with a bunch of marijuana."
The Pierzinas watched the DEA task force burst into 829 Aprile. "There were all these agents sitting outside the house for three to four hours," Kim recalls. "I guess they were waiting for the warrant. They had a drug-sniffing German shepherd who was just going crazy."
When he saw agents coming out of the house carrying loads of marijuana, Dennis realized his neighbor was a talented gardener. "Those plants looked very healthy," he says.
Millan's and Aleman's decisions to cooperate with authorities likely represented a breakthrough for law enforcement. In October the Lee County Sheriff's Office shut down 12 grow houses, confiscated more than 639 plants worth close to two million dollars, and arrested 17 suspected growers — among them the trio hiding in the bushes during the shootout near Betty's house.
Things are even hotter in the supposedly secluded environs of Charlotte County, just to the north.
At 16100 Forest Glen Ct., a two-story house approximately 200 miles northwest of Miami, 14 miles east of Punta Gorda, and 51 miles from Eddy Millan's and Jovanny Aleman's grow houses, three candles bearing the images of San Lazaro, Santa Barbara, and La Virgin de la Caridad are planted on a windowsill in a first-floor room. Next to them are several coins and moldy bananas, which are apparently an offering to the orishas — the spirit gods in the predominantly Cuban religion of Santería.
But the offerings apparently weren't enough to save Maria Corzo Vega's place this past July 19 from becoming Charlotte County's largest grow house bust. "There is so much heat down in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres, they have come here to the boondocks," says sheriff's spokesman Robert Carpenter. "After all, we're just a hop, skip, and a jump away."
The house sits on a 10-acre lot in a ranch community known as Prairie West. When detectives knocked on the front door sometime after 1:00 p.m., they were greeted by Corzo Vega, a petite 37-year-old Cuban woman whose driver's license lists a Miami Lakes address. She told police she worked as a housekeeper.
Detectives found elaborate electrical, air-conditioning, water, and hydroponics systems branching out all over the house. The two-car garage had been split into two growing rooms. On the second floor, the master bedroom door had been blocked off and the walls removed to create one massive cultivation space. Cops seized 371 potted marijuana plants (a street value of $1.4 million).
Corzo was arrested and charged with two felonies of growing and trafficking marijuana. She awaits trial.
This past October 8, when New Times visited, the back porch screen door and sliding glass doors were open. The house reeked of mold and mildew. Wood floors were warped from water damage. Empty water bottles and used latex gloves lay on the kitchen countertops. Food, including a carton of eggs, a container of lima beans, and a jar of mayonnaise, rotted inside the dead refrigerator. Clothes and sneakers sat atop the washer and dryer. Sliced-up extension cords hung from the second-floor ceiling.
Ten miles west, at 5211 Black Jack Cir., is a ranch-style home where cops were less successful. They raided it August 19 after hearing it was a grow house disguised as a goat farm. To enter, they tore off the garage door and the front French doors. But it was too late. Although officers found two grow rooms inside the house and two more in the detached garage, the place was abandoned. There were 61 plants and two dozen gallon-size plastic zipper bags filled with hydro weed scattered around.
When New Times arrived, the doors were wide-open and the walls covered in black mold. The living room, which featured a red brick fireplace, was empty except for a large TV set in a corner. The garage still had insulation and plastic irrigation trays.
A half-mile down the road, Hans Reiniger and his family own the ranch at 5205 Black Jack. The bald 40-year-old with probing blue eyes and a stylish goatee says he was unaware of the grow houses until he saw them on the news. "Most of the neighbors keep to themselves," Reiniger says. "You really don't see anyone coming or going."
The presence of grow houses hasn't really alarmed him, he adds. "I'd rather have that than worry about someone ripping me off or burglarizing my house," Reiniger says. "I personally don't believe people should go to jail for marijuana."
It's a recent day in Miami-Dade. Santino is lounging behind the wheel of a late-model rental car idling in a parking lot. He has just returned from a weekend trip to Lehigh Acres, where he visited an "old pal." He sparks up a Marley-size spliff packed with what he calls el niño chronic. "Herb may be getting more expensive," he says while hacking. "But the shit is still fucking good."
Earlier this year, Santino's cousin got pinched for pot near Metrozoo. "They had four dozen agents out there," Santino grouses. "And all my cousin got was a misdemeanor ticket and two years' probation. What a fucking joke. What a waste of taxpayer money. We're just giving cops job security."
Indeed it's clear that the offensive against grow houses in Florida is taking place at a time when other states — like Alaska, Colorado, and Montana — are easing marijuana laws. This past June 21, the Highlands County Sheriff's Department, the DEA's Miami office, and the Florida Office of Drug Control hosted 150 law enforcement officials from all over the state at a grow house conference in Altamonte Springs. Earlier this month, state Attorney General Bill McCollum presented the Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act, which will be considered by state lawmakers during the 2008 legislative session.
The proposal would step up penalties against suspects with children present at a grow house and allow cops to slap trafficking charges on people caught growing 25 or more plants. Under current state law, growers can be charged as traffickers only if they have more than 300.
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McCollum says his plan will make it easier to send pot growers to prison. "The current law was designed when we had people growing marijuana in open fields," he says. "Today growers try very hard to keep the number under 100 but are producing a much more potent and lethal strain of marijuana." The level of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in pot, is higher, he says. "Back when we were thinking about Woodstock, THC levels in marijuana were only four percent," he says. "Today plants being grown hydroponically have 20 percent THC, in some cases 30 percent. This is a highly toxic chemical substance."
McCollum's bill has caught the attention of NORML, the nation's leading advocacy group for ending prohibition against marijuana. "McCollum's years in Congress are marked with some of the most ridiculous, unconstitutional, undemocratic, nonsensical approaches to drug policy," NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre says by phone from Washington, D.C. "Unfortunately he is now your attorney general."
St. Pierre says law enforcement officials are only now catching up to a cash crop phenomenon that has been going on for years. "It's not because there is all of sudden a huge explosion of growing indoors down there," he says. "Marijuana is not just the number one cash crop in Florida, but the entire country."
The weed advocate argues that increasing criminal penalties is not going to diminish marijuana use. "This bill is not going to have any real impact except in the pockets of Florida taxpayers," St. Pierre says. "It's just going to result in more people going to jail and the residents of Florida footing the bill."


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ROME, Ga.—The race for the Southern Athletic Association regular season conference crown came down to the final day of the season as Birmingham-Southern and Berry faced off in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader, with Berry winning game two, 2-0, to clinch the regular season title. The squads split on the afternoon with the Panthers claiming a 4-3 game one victory.
The Panthers move to 23-18 on the season and 19-5 in the SAA. The Vikings are now 29-9 and 18-4 in the conference. Despite the game advantage in the win column for BSC, Berry is the regular season champion and top seed in next weekend's conference tournament by virtue of a higher winning percentage in conference games.
With the second seed in next weekend's 2014 Southern Athletic Association Softball Championship, BSC will open their quest for their second conference title in three years (after winning the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2012) Friday afternoon with a 2 p.m. tilt against the seventh-seeded Sewanee Tigers, who BSC swept 4-0 earlier this season. The event will be hosted by Hendrix College and played at Warrior Softball Field in Conway, Ark.
BSC raced out to an early lead in game one as the Panthers used a pair of home runs in the top of the first to claim a 3-0 lead. Junior Taylor Bassett connected for the first home run of the inning and her third of the season. The shot to center also brought home junior Bethany Fronk after her single up the middle an at-bat earlier. Two batters later, a solo homer from freshman Torrie Garner, her sixth of the year, ended the scoring in the top of the first. The Panthers extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth when Fronk again came home to score the second of her game-high two runs.
With Fronk (13-11) in the circle the Panthers were cruising. Up by four heading to the bottom of the sixth, Fronk had only surrendered two hits and one walk, while striking out four. The Viking bats came alive, though, and Berry hung three runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Panther advantage to one. After a scoreless top of the seventh, Berry chased Fronk from the game with a runner on first and no outs in the bottom of the final frame. Freshman Taylor Harkins entered the game in relief to thwart the Berry comeback and pick up her first save of the season.
In game two, Harkins returned to the circle and gave up two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The freshman would settle down the rest of the way and yield no additional runs, allow only three more hits, and walk a single batter. Unfortunately, Berry starter Allison Coronado (10-3) threw a complete-game shutout to stifle the Panthers and help the Vikings pick up the 2-0 victory to claim the SAA regular season crown.


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Rams Grab #3 Seed for ECAC Metro Softball Championship
- Rams host #6 Hunter on Wednesday at 4pm - RAIN OUT! Moved to Thursday at 4pm -
Cape Cod, Mass. - After finishing the regular-season with a 27-15 record, Ramapo College was selected as the number one seed in the 2010 ECAC Division III Metro Softball Championship. The tournament is an eight-team field with a quarterfinal round, followed by a double-elimination format for the remaining four teams.
In the first round contests on Wednesday, May 12th - Ramapo (27-15) will travel to Old Westbury (20-18) at 4:00 p.m., while the second seed Richard Stockton College (25-14) will face No. 7 Brooklyn College (16-16) at 4:30 p.m. at Richard Stockton. No. 3 Farmingdale State (30-11) plays Hunter College (17-16) at 4:00 p.m. at Farmingdale. The College of Staten Island (24-16) will take on Rutgers-Camden (21-14) at 3:30 p.m. in the No. 4/No. 5 match-up at Staten Island.
The first-round winners will advance to play on Saturday, May 15, at a site to be determined. The winner of Ramapo/Old Westbury will face the winner of Staten Island/Rutgers-Camden in Game 1 of the double elimination format, and the winner of Richard Stockton/Brooklyn will play the winner of Farmingdale/Hunter in Game 2. The loser of Game 1 and the loser of Game 2 will play an elimination game (Game 3). The winner of Game 1 and the winner of Game 2 will square off in the Winner's Bracket (Game 4).
On Sunday, May 16, Game 5 will feature the winner of Game 3 and the loser of Game 4 in an elimination game. The Game 4 winner and the Game 5 winner will meet for the championship. If necessary, a Game 7 will be played immediately following Game 6 to complete the double elimination format.
2010 ECAC Division III Metro Softball Championship
First Round –
Wednesday, May 12
No. 1 Ramapo (27-15) at No. 8 Old Westbury (20-18), 4:00 p.m.
No. 7 Brooklyn (16-16) at No. 2 Richard Stockton (25-14), 4:30 p.m.
No. 6 Hunter (17-16) at No. 3 Farmingdale (30-11), 4:00 p.m.
No. 5 Rutgers-Camden (21-14) at No. 4 Staten Island (24-16), 3:30 p.m.
Double Elimination
(Day 1) – Saturday, May 15
Game 1: No. 1/No. 8 winner vs. No. 4/No. 5 winner, TBD
Game 2: No. 2/No. 7 winner vs. No. 3/No. 6 winner, TBD
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, TBD
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, TBD
Championship (Day 2)
– Sunday, May 16
Game 5: Loser of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 3
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Game 7: Rematch of Game 6, if both teams have one loss.


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McDonogh 35 Majorettes 2018-2019
Parents/Guardians, We are excited about our new communication tool, the OFFICIAL McDonogh 35 College Preparatory web site. We will be using this site to promote all the wonderful and exciting things which are a part of the "Roneagle" lifestyle. Often, we will use photographs which display students participating in these events. If you do not want us to use images of your child, please contact either of our Webmasters, Mr. Willie Palmer, or Mrs. Delores Lewis at 504.324.7600 or by email at email@example.com or email@example.com to withdraw your consent. Please be advised that this is an official notice of intent, and by not responding you give your consent for the use of your child's image on the Mc35 web site. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact our webmasters.
Copyright © 2019 McDonogh 35 Senior High School


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"The most serious health problem in the U.S. today is obesity." Sounds familiar, doesn't it? In fact, that very assertion is now so commonplace that one might be forgiven for assuming it's the most recent pronouncement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the American Medical Association, or the Academy of Pediatrics or, perhaps, from Maria Kang. What's more, the declaration is unquestionably true, as the dire medical, financial and societal ramifications of America's obesity epidemic grow ever clearer — and more frightening.
But that pronouncement about obesity's primacy in the hierarchy of national health problems is not new. In fact, it's the opening line to a remarkable article published 60 years ago in LIFE magazine. Here, as the national dialog around the obesity crisis in the United States grows more urgent, LIFE.com presents pictures — many of which never ran in the magazine — made by photographer Martha Holmes to illustrate a March 1954 article titled (perhaps offensively to the modern ear), "The Plague of Overweight."
"Some five million Americans," LIFE wrote, "medically considered 'obese,' weigh at least 20% more than normal and, as a result, have a mortality rate one-and-a-half times higher than their neighbors. . . . Another 20 million Americans are classed by doctors and insurance men as overweight (10% above normal) and are drastically prone to diabetes, gallstones, hernia, kidney and bladder impairments and complications during surgery and pregnancy."
[MORE: See all of TIME.com's coverage of obesity.]
The numbers cited by LIFE -- numbers, it's worth noting, that were the result of research significantly different than that cited in reports and peer-reviewed papers today -- have ballooned to even more appalling proportions: according to a 2013 CDC report, "more than a third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2 - 19 years are obese."
But perhaps the most astonishing and troubling statistic about obesity in the U.S. relates to the speed with which this affliction has taken hold: for example, in 2010 (again according to the CDC), "there were 12 states with an obesity prevalence of 30%. In 2000, no state had an obesity prevalence of 30% or more."
(There have been some glimmers of hope in this bleak litany. For example, a February 2014 report by the CDC found that the obesity rate in children 2 to 5 dropped 40 percent over an eight-year period, from close to 14 percent in 2004 to just over 8 percent in 2012.)
Try to imagine the toll that obesity will have on the health of those men, women and children, and on the nation's economy as a whole. How much more will all of us pay for insurance every year because of this epidemic? How much economic productivity will be lost due to illness, injuries, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and other collateral damage from the immediate and long-term ravages of obesity?
The LIFE article, meanwhile, focused at least in part on one woman, Dorothy Bradley, whose struggles with overeating and body-image issues were familiar, and remain familiar, to countless American men and women.
"When she finished high school in Tyner, Tenn., in 1940," LIFE told its readers, "5-foot 5-inch Dorothy Bradley weighed 205 pounds and fit snugly into a matronly size 44 graduation dress. She had overeaten from the time she began to mature, possibly because of unconscious emotional turmoil."
The article chronicled Dorothy's efforts to lose weight; her desire to work in medicine; her successes (losing 60 pounds) and her backsliding (gaining it all back, and then some); and ultimately, something of a happy ending, as she lost and, as of the article's publication, had kept off close to 70 pounds and earned a job as head nurse at a hospital in Kentucky.
Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.