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As Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman, gets set for release in Australia, Fairfax's film critics reflect over 100 years of biopics and why the classics eclipse the modern. Here are some of the best and worst of a perilous genre:
Max Ophuls' 1955 masterpiece – his last film, and his only one in colour – deconstructs the entire biopic genre. Lola the showgirl, played by the glacial Martine Carol, does almost no dancing on screen, instead appearing in a circus where she stands like a waxwork while the oily ringmaster (Peter Ustinov) recalls the highlights of her ''scandalous'' career. The richly embroidered style masks a central emptiness, as if the film were mourning the loss of something gone even from memory. JW
Photographer Anton Corbijn knew and photographed the subject of his movie debut, Ian Curtis, the singer and songwriter for Joy Division, who took his own life at the age of 23. Perhaps that proximity helped Corbijn understand both the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of Curtis, and allowed him to avoid all the lurking cliches about art and suicide. Instead, Control is an empathetic, bleak and lyrical evocation of pressures, yearnings and responsibilities, with a powerful central performance by Sam Riley. PH
Joseph von Sternberg's incomparable cycle of films starring Marlene Dietrich culminated in 1934 with this ultra-decadent biopic of Catherine the Great, who begins as a naive young Prussian – Dietrich's wide-eyed pantomime of innocence registers as a joke shared with the viewer – and ends as absolute ruler of Russia, with an unbridled lust for both power and men. Sternberg's characteristic expressionist imagery is at its most outlandish and sinister: flickering candles and grotesque statues make the imperial palace look more like a crypt. JW
This is an old-school, epic embrace of the biopic, a spectacular account of a historical figure who is understood as a myth, constructed in part by the media and used expediently by the British Army and the government. But the man behind the myth is presented in the most intriguing terms by director David Lean and screenwriter Robert Bolt, and incarnated memorably by Peter O'Toole. He is absurdly handsome and frequently bordering on the hysterical: obsessive, fragile, full of doubts and certainties, horrified by bloodshed but also appalled by the moment when he found himself enjoying the taking of a life. PH
Frank Perry's 1981 adaptation of a tell-all memoir by the adopted daughter of Joan Crawford remains the template for every subsequent lurid expose in which a beloved star is revealed as a monster behind the scenes. Faye Dunaway's extraordinary performance is less akin to impersonation than to some form of demonic possession and, although the film is sometimes seen as a camp classic, laughter seems a weak defence in the face of this rampaging display of narcissism, neediness and rage. JW
Ron Howard's Oscar-winning 2002 portrait of the mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) goes straight for every troubled genius cliche in the book. The screenplay by Akiva Goldsman has one interesting idea – tricking the audience into thinking that Nash's schizophrenic hallucinations are real – but even this falls flat, since the psychological drives underlying his delusions are barely explored. Crowe's mannered performance, which suggests a failed audition for The Big Bang Theory, is one of his worst. JW
Not so much a biopic, more a bungled Mills & Boon. Naomi Watts does a fair job of creating Diana as a presence, whether she is on duty or at home with her feet up, but that is nowhere near enough to sustain the movie. It is hard to imagine what an interesting, satisfying portrait of Diana would look like, admittedly, but it would have to avoid the fatal reverence of this film and its drippy, earnest, join-the-dots vision. PH
Australia's favourite bushranger suffers a fate worse than death in this 1970 fiasco, awkwardly directed by British dilettante Tony Richardson (Tom Jones). Wildly miscast in the lead, Mick Jagger sports a straggly chin-strap beard, attempts an Irish accent and does a good deal of standing around with his mouth open. Hokey ballads sung by Waylon Jennings dominate the soundtrack, while the muddled script cannot decide whether to paint Ned as a crazy mixed-up kid or an outback Che Guevara. JW
Martin Scorsese's cinematic sensibility seems well suited to the biopic, and his Raging Bull is a powerful and innovative example of the genre, which is why The Aviator is such a disappointment. It is a big, glossy, hollow production, with Leonardo DiCaprio, as flawed, flailing billionaire Howard Hughes, running amok at its centre. The frequent, deliberate echoes of Citizen Kane seem oddly like admissions of defeat. PH
This attempts to encapsulate the life and work of director Alfred Hitchcock through a reductive account of the making of one of his most controversial and risky works, Psycho. Sacha Gervasi's film, which presents Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) as a manipulative voyeur haunted by the ghost of a serial killer – a particularly clunky move – also doubles as a heavy-handed tribute to his long-suffering wife and collaborator, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren). PH
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Eva Lovia is a Adult Model from United States. She was born in Los Angeles on May 29, 1989. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2011 and is currently ranked 26th place. She currently has 385 gallery links and 42 videos in her own FreeOnes section.
Our records show that Eva Lovia is currently active which means she is still making movies, doing live shows and/or doing photo shoots.

subset: commoncrawl


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The drilling process that has brought U.S. energy independence within reach faces renewed scrutiny from the Obama administration and an uncertain future in many states.
Oil and gas industry leaders remain enthusiastic yet cautious that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as "fracking," will be fully embraced by the newly re-elected President Obama and state leaders.
Fracking is a controversial but highly successful practice that has unlocked massive amounts of fuel. Endorsements from Mr. Obama and state leaders would make fracking the cornerstone of U.S. energy policy for decades to come.
Industry leaders won't have to wait long for their first clue to what the future holds.
Next month, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release a draft of its long-awaited report on suspected links between water pollution and fracking, which uses huge amounts of water, combined with sand and chemical mixtures, to crack underground rock and release trapped oil and gas.
The completed EPA study won't be finished until 2014, but the draft will provide an early indication to which energy path the Obama administration will take in the next four years.
Many in the energy sector, along with congressional Republicans, fear the report will paint fracking in a negative light and give the White House political cover for cracking down on it in the name of science, something environmentalists have hoped for since Mr. Obama came into office in 2009.
But economics may outweigh environmental arguments. Energy leaders now, more than ever, are portraying oil and gas production as a key way of generating tax revenue, spurring job creation and saving the nation from going off the looming "fiscal cliff."
"It's going to take tax reform, but we can't tax our way out of this. It's going to take entitlement reform, but we can't save our way out of this. And we're not going to be able to grow out of this. ... We need another [way] to make this achievable, and we believe that's energy," said Karen A. Harbert, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy. "Every dollar that we generate from energy is a dollar that we don't have to take out of the Defense Department, the entitlement area, or increase taxes."
Ms. Harbert and others remain optimistic that the White House will recognize that, and they are heartened by what they heard from the president during his campaign. While Republicans and some industry analysts at times have doubted his sincerity, Mr. Obama voiced strong support for expanded oil and gas drilling throughout his race against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Politically, it has become increasingly difficult to oppose such expansion, especially in light of research that shows drilling will be vital to the effort to free the U.S. from reliance on Middle Eastern oil.
The International Energy Agency last week predicted that the U.S. will become the world's largest oil producer by the next decade, overtaking Saudi Arabia and putting the nation on course to be energy self-sufficient by 2030. The shift is driven by increases in oil extraction and the production of natural gas, which since 2007 has gone up from 20.2 trillion cubic feet per year to more than 24 trillion cubic feet and likely will go even higher.
The new energy reality, unimaginable even five years ago and driven primarily by fracking, puts pressure on the Obama administration to fully embrace the extraction method and avoid taking steps that could hamper it, analysts say.
"We believe you cannot be for the potential energy development in the U.S. and be against hydraulic fracturing," said Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute.
As the White House weighs its options, fights over fracking are heating up in state capitals.
North Carolina Gov.-elect Pat McCrory, a Republican, recently said he plans to get his state "in the energy business," signaling that he will take a different path from that of his predecessor, Gov. Bev Perdue, who vetoed legislation to allow fracking.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo must decide whether to allow the practice in the Empire State, though he continues to equivocate, and it's unclear when he will make a decision. Last month, a coalition of environmental groups sued California to stop fracking, claiming that the toll it may take on water supplies has not been fully studied.
Meanwhile, states such as Pennsylvania and North Dakota continue to expand drilling, creating tens of thousands of jobs and pumping millions of dollars into local economies.
Any federal action to limit fracking would pour cold water on the growth in those states and give fresh ammunition to the vocal environmental opposition in New York, California and elsewhere. Although some new federal rules and oversight are almost inevitable, many analysts say, the administration can't turn back the tide.
"It's clear that the EPA, the Interior Department, may impose some more regulations on drilling both nationally and on federal lands, but it cannot and will not stop all the momentum. ... It's too big," Robert Bryce, an energy scholar at the Manhattan Institute, said in a recent interview with Fox News. "The Obama administration would be foolish, absolutely insane, to try and stop it."


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Thousands attend anti-Nazi rally in Hungary
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Thousands attended an anti-Nazi rally Sunday in Hungary organized by Jewish and civic groups to protest a far-right lawmaker's call to screen Jews for national security risks.
The rally was unusual because politicians from both the government and opposition parties shared a stage outside parliament.
Marton Gyongyosi of the far-right Jobbik party said last week in the legislature it was time "to assess ... how many people of Jewish origin there are here, and especially in the Hungarian parliament and the Hungarian government, who represent a certain national security risk."
Gyongyosi later apologized to "our Jewish compatriots" for his statement, but added that Hungary needed to be wary of "Zionist Israel and those serving it also from here."
Some 550,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Hungary's Jewish population is now estimated at 100,000.
Antal Rogan, parliamentary faction leader of the governing Fidesz party, addressed the crowd, which Hungarian media estimated at over 10,000 people.
"I came because in this situation I cannot stay quiet," Rogan said. "Hungary defends its citizens."
Rogan said he would take his two sons to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, where it is estimated that one-third of the Nazis' victims were Hungarian.
Some posters held by protesters mocked Gyongyosi by showing him with a Hitler moustache and the crowd chanted "Jobbik go away!"
Attila Mesterhazy said his opposition Socialist Party would boycott Parliament's foreign affairs committee as long as Gyongyosi remained its vice chairman. He also called on Prime Minister Viktor Orban to address the issue in Parliament next week.
Jobbik president Gabor Vona, however, said the protest was part of an "artificially induced campaign of lies" meant to divert attention away from Hungary's economic problems and that the groups that took part in the rally wanted to "destroy" Jobbik.


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In the Built Environment, the Tyranny of the Big, the Beauty of the Small
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction."
—E.F. Schumacher
The world's tallest built structure, Burj Khalifa, looms 2,717 feet over Dubai's central business district, boasting the human species' modern architectural and engineering capabilities. This glass and steel behemoth outstretches Chicago's Willis Tower by 1,266 feet and is more than two and a half times the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Less significant than its stature, though, is Burj Khalifa's profile. Viewed from any angle, the building's shape is reminiscent of an exaggerated line graph that begins at zero before shooting sharply upward to its highest point then plummeting dramatically back to nothing.
In my opinion, Burj Khalifa's silhouette stands as a poetic—and prophetic—representation of the past and future of ridiculously oversized ways of building and living. The tower's profile reminds us that we began our architectural history by designing modest-sized dwellings (close to the earth and the y-axis) before "progressing" over time to our current skyscraping, unsustainable abilities. Soon, environmental realities will force our return to designs that better suit the human scale. The fact that Burj Khalifa was funded by vanishing oil money only reinforces the idea that the era of enormity in our structures, roads, homes and egos must and will come to an end, just as the global inventory of fossil fuels is undeniably finite.
The Righteousness of Scale
In his book, Small is Beautiful, E.F. Schumacher delivered compelling arguments in favor of appropriate scale. "Man is small, and, therefore, small is beautiful," he wrote. First published nearly four decades ago, the book is equally if not more relevant today. While Schumacher's thesis was aimed primarily at 1970s economics, his assertions apply perfectly to 21st-century supersizing trends. Environmentalists still relate to Schumacher's message that a person or a thing need only be as big as required to fulfill its intended function. Otherwise, beauty, meaning, and accountability are lost.
Simply put, we have let things get way out of hand by distorting scale. Our tendency to oversize says more about our egos than our wisdom; our lust for power generates a craving for big things.
Whatever the cause, we must arrest this toxic tendency to build/eat/live large. Now is the time to return things to a scale that is relatable and survivable. Nature does this, so why can't we? And where nature doesn't (such as when populations surge beyond capacity) the system quickly corrects itself.
The Size Creep
Throughout history, empires have built structures to symbolize their power. Temples, coliseums, cathedrals, and statues all rose to great heights to dramatize societal influence. Often, these creations were meant to intimidate individuals and remind average citizens of their relative insignificance. For centuries following their construction, the pyramids of ancient Egypt were the world's largest and most complex structures, broadcasting messages of wealth, power, and the effectiveness of marshaled resources. As awe-inspiring as they were in their day, they were ultimately abandoned as priorities shifted and empires crumbled.
Our modern societies have elevated the "build to honor power" effect by engineering taller high-rises, longer bridges, larger dams, and more expansive power plants. Similarly, in the name of progress, we shear the tops off of mountains and rely on huge factory farms for our food. Across the globe, mega-metropolises (Los Angeles, Mexico City, Mumbai, Tokyo and Moscow among them) are expanding as if growth alone was a desired outcome. Our economies are driven by enormous corporations and financial institutions that dwarf previous economic paradigms. All of these large-scale societal components work together to yield little more than greed, waste, and inequity as far as the majority of humanity is concerned.
There is a point where individual accountability, familiarity, and sense of place disappear. And we have reached it. Taking things to these extremes has minimized our ability to understand and truly make a difference in the systems we have built. We have lost the ability to relate to and understand our food systems, economic systems, energy and transportation systems, and ultimately the environment itself. We've exceeded the carrying capacities of the very places where we live. Like the Egyptian pyramids, our sky-high towers and our out-sized systems are unsustainable.
The Logic of Natural Connection
At a certain scale, we become strangers to the things we create and strangers to nature itself. We are decreasingly connected to the natural world, which makes us increasingly apathetic to its destruction. A skilled hunter, for example, is an environmentalist even if she doesn't consider herself one, given her familiarity with the land and her proximity to the source of her food. A good farmer is one who knows his fields, including his soil and water health.
Our societal disassociation with food sourcing and production allows us to tolerate the widespread abuses to land and animals because we are consumers and it is none of our concern. To know something means to connect with it on a relatable scale. Our food systems used to be part of our knowable community—now it is 'somewhere else.' The natural environment used to be all around us—never far from our towns and villages. Now nature for most people is an abstraction, something seen only occasionally on TV, again 'somewhere else' and not relevant to our daily lives.
Big-Time Ripple Effects
The modern U.S. was built on super-sized initiatives, interstate highways, the military-industrial complex, and massive retail empires among others. The idea that bigger is better is embedded into our cultural psyche; large size, we've been told, is the surest way to compete and succeed in a global marketplace. To compete you have to get bigger. Growth is typically framed as size-based rather than quality based. This assumption, of course, implies that local and small equal backwards and inefficient. Even political agendas come into play. National policies, subsidies, and incentive programs support large corporations and have contributed to the demise of small-town enterprise. Family farms get absorbed by factory producers as official policy. Local dairies can't compete with regional operations. Community banks struggle while national financial institutions grow "too big to fail." Along the way, a handful of people get wealthy as communities suffer and the environment pays a heavy price.
The Righteous Small House: Challending House Size and the American Dream
An architect asks, at what point does size cancel out sustainability?
Now, we realize that we have a brewing crisis on our hands, which is coming from numerous angles. Our economy is nearly ruined, a victim of its own belief system, and we devote what little capital we have left trying to prop the machine back up. Our centralized food system is wreaking havoc on citizens and the planet and making us increasingly vulnerable to widespread disruptions. The attention that is finally being paid to global climate change has essentially been lip-service with only the vaguest goals to reduce emissions—in the future, rather than now—to still unsustainable levels. Yet we attempt to solve these problems using more mega-solutions since it's all we know how to do. Headlines announce plans for giant smart grids, nuclear power plants, and massive wind farms—agronomists look for the next 'green revolution' to avoid change and politicians prop up Wall Street rather than Main Street. Whether our politicians are too caught up in a pattern of pork spending or the lobbyists are simply too compelling to refuse, we tend to throw big answers at big questions as if they were the only solution.
The expression "too big to fail" should set off blaring alarms every time it is uttered. When something is too big, I believe it is destined to fail. There is a 'right-size' for any system that, if exceeded, spells certain demise even if for a time the growth seems impressive. Therefore, failure and risk should be managed so that size alone can never take down an entire system. Nature offers countless examples of this rule through diversity, redundancy, and resilience. When we shoot for sameness, uniformity, and sheer magnitude, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Sadly, societies throughout the world have adopted the U.S. size standard and our misguided influence is now affecting communities around the globe. Debating on the "right size" for any system is extremely difficult, but these days it is almost never a topic amongst economists, in corporate boardrooms or in the halls of power. The right size is always deemed to be bigger than whatever is currently in place. We just can't seem to get our heads around the idea of limits.
The End of the Built Environment As We Know It
James Howard Kunstler, noted author and speaker, has addressed the inevitable demise of our present built environment. Earlier this year, he wrote on his blog:
"The vast oversupply of malls, strip malls, office parks, and other furnishings of the expiring 'consumer' economy is about to become the biggest liability that any economy in world history has ever seen. Who will even want to buy these absurd properties cheaply, when they will never find any retail tenants for the badly-built structures, nor be able to keep up with the maintenance (think: leaking flat roofs) or retrofit them for anything? In a really sane world, a lot of these buildings would go straight to demolition-and-salvage—except that it costs money to do that, and who exactly right now will make a market for used cinder blocks and aluminum window sashes?"
I would further Kunstler's assertion, predicting that the age of the skyscraper will also come to an end within the next couple of decades. An experiment that began just a little over a hundred years ago, culminating with the Burj Khalifa at nearly 1,000 feet taller than its contemporaries, will be done within twenty years. In an era of peak oil, declining environmental health, global population above seven billion and climate change, it will be impossible to sustain the paradigm in which high-tech materials come from all over the world and large-scale technological solutions are required to fix creeping large-scale engineering problems. Our experiment of building mega structures will be complete. As Kunstler has said, "many buildings being built today will never get retrofitted." Certain historic structures will get restored, as the Empire State Building recently was, for a variety of cultural and locational reasons—but we'll be done with new buildings over 500 feet by 2020.
"Localization is the Economics of Happiness"
My belief is that we cross the scale barrier with buildings somewhere between 12 and 14 stories high. Moreover, we can reach suitable densities well beyond current American norms with average heights closer to six to eight stories. We'll return our focus where it belongs: closer to the ground. Our structures may end up being less lofty, but we'll be able to reach all we need.
The future of our built environment will need to be rooted in solutions that endure through time. The unique carrying capacities of each place—its community, its watershed, its ecosystem—must define the scale of the projects it houses. When solutions and systems cross these boundaries, they become too big. Elegance is lost when overshadowed by size. The only oversized movement we need is the one that takes us closer to small, localized solutions.
Put It To The Test
So how do you determine if any system, institution, building, or process is too big to be healthy and sustainable? While it's difficult to set rules that apply in every situation, I've found that if any of the metrics described below are exceeded for any given example, the thing in question has likely become too large:
When the risks of a system's failure exceed those of its benefits, the system crosses the "risk scale barrier." Risks, in other words, must be proportionate to (and in truth should be significantly lower than) the benefits.
When the consequences of a system fall to those in a different generation than those who will see the benefits of the situation, it crosses the temporal scale barrier. Risks should be handled by the same generation that benefits from it. Only benefits should accrue through time.
When the size of the system or artifact in question is not relatable to human scale through its design or function and has the effect of diminishing community/human interaction rather than increasing it, it can be said to have exceeded the human scale. Our constructs should create, not diminish, community by bringing us together, not pushing us apart.
When the size of a system cannot be understood, grasped or managed by a small group of people who know and can relate to each other, it has crossed the mental map scale barrier. Decisions should not be made by people who neither understand the consequences of their decisions, nor empathize with those their decisions affect.
When the activity of a system permanently degrades the health and biodiversity of any ecosystem, it has crossed the environmental scale. Environmental impacts are inevitable, but working within the functional carrying capacity and natural resilience of a place is essential.
When a system by its nature only concentrates wealth rather than distributing it, then it has crossed the economic/social scale. When the workers whose labor supports a given system can't afford to purchase the very things they make, it has crossed this line.
Right vs. Wrong
I am huge proponent of finding any initiative's "right size, or sweet spot." I believe that something is scaled properly when it serves its intended function as simply as possible with little to no waste. In the wise words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
The best-designed objects are those that have, almost magically, achieved the "right size." The product of good design seems to perfectly fit our grasp. All of us, to some degree, can relate to the idea of something that just doesn't "feel right." While designing to a "right-sized" object is difficult, knowing when you haven't achieved it is easier. You can feel it. A perfect teapot, an iPhone, the right chair—we know when a product has achieved it. Similarly, I think it's possible to feel when the scale of a street or building is appropriate or even when a farm or market is the right size. They feel and function as they should.
Good designers, whether they focus on buildings or systems or solutions, are always sensitive to scale. They ensure that people experience their work in ways that are appropriate relative to the task at hand. Structures built within traditional human-scaled modules, like a brick or a board, have an easier time remaining within an appropriate scale—although not always. Any material—in the right hands can be made to fit.
I often think of the lovely Thorn Crown Chapel, designed by E. Fay Jones and sited in Arkansas' Ozark Mountains. Built to reflect the light and beauty of its surroundings, the chapel pays constant tribute to nature. Perhaps more profoundly, in order to protect from the typical site devastation when machinery gets involved, Jones dictated that each structural element be small enough to be deliverable through the woods by no more than two men on foot. With this attention to scale and impact, something profound was created. Individual pine beams were hand-carried to the location and larger elements were constructed and raised on site. The result is a beautifully scaled, responsibly organic place of worship. It just fits.
Smaller Can Be Sweeter
The days of the "big project society" are numbered. We will be forced to change our ways because our access to inexpensive energy will diminish before disappearing altogether—we have already entered the extreme age of oil. Just as our economy adjusted from the exploitation of human labor in the 19th century, we will need to find alternative approaches to petroleum-based systems. By bringing solutions closer to home and scaling them more appropriately, we can begin to relate more directly with the things we build, purchase, and consume and make a graceful transition from paradigms that only worked because energy was plentiful.
Living Large in a Tiny House
Dee Williams found happiness in a 84-square foot house on wheels.
I have written previously about the "sweet spot" of urban density, discussing the ecological and societal implications of designing cities that offer just the right amount of people-per-square-feet. Housing that is too high detaches us from the earth; far-flung sprawl eliminates a sense of place.
The same idea must be applied to the size and scale of any system or institution. We must seek the "sweet spot" in our designs to ensure our ability to relate to our buildings, communities and systems. Finding the appropriate and sustainable size for all our systems is indeed the work of our generation. It's about realigning the scale of civilization and reconciling it with the technology we've developed to this point. If we apply our ingenuity within the context of a right-sized society, we can begin to correct our errors and sustain ourselves into the future. And we can begin again from the far side of the metaphorical Burj Khalifa line graph.
How do you navigate an unsteady economy, a future without cheap oil, and unimaginable changes in the climate? Here are ways to learn skills for self-reliance, build lasting communities, and take care of the important things in life, whether good times or hard times come our way.
Once deemed too ambitious, the next generation of green building is now a reality.


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We couldn't find any quotes or authors matching ubeth.
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U.S. Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson, addressing 600 people at a prayer breakfast, March 1992 in Wisconsin, U.S. vs Cruikshan, ubalassdi, Uber Australia spokesman Brad Kitschke, Uber India President Amit Jain, Ubiratan Angelo, uccu, Uche Madu, Udav Prashad Timalsina, Uday Abu Sbeitan


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Grammy one year later
Like I said earlier, I'm not interested in a Rihanna who shows up in someone I would wear. Or something you would wear. Why would Rihanna ever wear anything we would wear? This is absurd. And so is judging her style according to the standards of what we would consider wearable. When you look like Rihanna and can work it like Rihanna, it's a totally different playbook.
Should we get all symbolic and sh-t? Like white is for new beginnings?
Nah. Let's just say that it was an Elie Saab, loved the regal high neck feather collar, love the gathering at the hip and hate her and love her that she can get away with it, and above all love that she's bounced back, one year after the infamous beating at the hands of Chris Brown who was not invited to jack sh-t all weekend, was missing from every event, while his peers celebrated the industry, Chris Brown was not welcome. GOOD.
Also attached – Rihanna with Katy Perry and Russell Brand at the Clive Davis party on Saturday night. Michelle found this picture of them cracking up at their table. It's our favourite.
Photos from Larry Busacca/Gettyimagesonline.com and Wenn.com and Splashnewsonline.com


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Family Law Clinic
Students in the Family Law Clinic work under the supervision of a family law attorney to represent income-qualified clients with cases involving domestic abuse, divorce settlement, child support, and child custody.
Students have opportunities to fully engage in client representation under Pennsylvania's student practice rules in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. The clinic provides live-client experiences and teaches students the skills of interviewing, counseling, negotiation, drafting pleadings, and advocating before the court.
Clinic News
Matrimonial Inns of Court welcomes Family Law Clinic students
The Matrimonial Inns of Court Pittsburgh chapter invited Family Law Clinic students to join the prestigious organization in 2015. A member of the national American Inns of Court, the local chapter promotes legal excellence, civility, professionalism and ethics within the family law bar. Students will participate in select meetings and participate in educational programs and discussions with Inn members over dinner. The opportunity brings students together with family division judges, hearing officers, long-time family law practitioners, attorneys whose practice includes some family law work, and new attorneys.
Duquesne Law students win scholarships to attend PBA Family Law Section winter meeting
Duquesne Law students captured six of the 15 scholarships available for students to attend the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Family Law Section winter meeting. Promoted to more than 1,300 attorneys in the section, the conference provided Duquesne students with an excellent opportunity to discuss careers in family law and meet one-on-one with mentor attorneys. Duquesne Law's Clinical Legal Education program and Career Services Office supported students applying for the scholarships. The students traveled to Lancaster, Pa., for the conference January 16-18, 2016.
Family Law Clinic Helping Court of Common Pleas' Family Division
Duquesne University
Student attorneys from Duquesne University's new Family Law Clinic are helping to provide much-needed legal assistance to clients of the Legal Assistance Clinic in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas' Family Division.
Working under the supervision of family law expert and Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Skills Kate Norton, seven student attorneys spend their Wednesdays and Fridays at the court, where they meet with and interview income-qualified clients who cannot afford to hire attorneys to help with issues such as domestic abuse, divorce settlement, child support and child custody, among others.
"Clients tell us their story and we try to figure out what, if anything, we can do to help them," said Norton. "If it's something that requires going to a judge in motions court, the student attorneys not only get the experience of interviewing clients, identifying issues and helping to prepare the pleadings, they also get the experience of appearing before the court to represent and advocate for these clients who otherwise-given the complexity of some of these issues-couldn't really represent themselves effectively."
To date, the student attorneys have interviewed nearly 150 clients and have appeared in court more than 30 times.
"These students are very interested in family law, and they are truly immersing themselves in these cases," explained Laurie Serafino, director of clinical legal education and associate law professor. "They're not just there to provide only an initial consultation-they have the option to handle these cases from beginning to end."
Serafino emphasized the importance of the students reaping the benefits of working with a supervising attorney (Norton) in both the courtroom and the classroom. "She teaches them all aspects of family law, not just from the academic point of view, but also from a clinical point of view. It is the absolute best way to learn-when you have both happening at the same time."
In addition, Norton encourages the student attorneys to sit in during motions court sessions. "There, they can observe not only oral arguments and things like that, but also how to apply the substantive law that they learned in the clinic component or in their family law class to actual oral arguments," said Norton.
Clinical education is one of the instructional cornerstones of Duquesne University's School of Law. Its six law clinics offer students the opportunity to serve the community by providing good counsel, promote the rewards of public service and train in the actual practice of law.
"We're very proud of the advances made by our law clinic under the leadership of Laurie Serafino," said Law Dean Ken Gormley. "Our students have new opportunities for experiential learning that are unparalleled. At the same time, our clinics are providing essential services to underserved individuals and making a real difference."


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President Obama used his power as a committee chair in the Illinois State Senate to repeatedly kill the state infant born alive act.
It's significant that he did that as a committee chair, because that means he just about had to have read the bill. It's also significant that he did it repeatedly, because that eliminates the possibility that he made some sort of mistake and voted in a way he didn't really intend.
He did it.
And he knew he did it.
But when State Senator Obama evolved into United States Senator Barack Obama and then further evolved into presidential candidate Obama, this action in the Illinois state senate started to be a bit of a problem. But then, maybe it didn't.
In this interview, Candidate Obama does a fine job of hair-splitting and turning the tables on his accusers, and the reporter lets him get away with it.
The trouble is that he's lying.
This is an audio of the Illinois Senate debate on this Infant Born Alive Bill. Listen closely because there are several points here that you need to understand:
1. The explanation of the bill shows flat-out that candidate Obama's contention that this will would "overturn" Roe v Wade is claptrap.2. The questions State Senator Obama raises show that he knew this. Notice that he focuses on the State Medical Association's opposition to the bill and the "rights" of the woman, not overturning Roe vs Wade.
3. It certainly sounds like he opposed allowing a baby who survives an abortion to be required to get medical care.
For those who want to see it, here is the complete text of the bill:http://youtu.be/gVjdOHINLqU
The point, for the purposes of this particular blog post, is that our President lied to the American people about his own record during the 2008 campaign. His claims that "no doctor" would allow a baby born alive after an abortion to die without medical care might be a symptom of naiveté, except for one thing. State Senator Obama, as part of his duties as committee chair, heard testimony on the bill from this woman:
Is this Candidate Obama's lowest moment in the 2008 campaign? I think so.


text:
Def Manic - Too Late lyrics
Too Late by Def Manic
Too late and Ima just be myself,
'Cause Ima go getter never stop this dreaming and we go...
[Verse 1]
When one opportunity comes, the other one goes,
Like Mayweather you just gotta stay up on your toes,
Bitches don't understand the game that I am still playing,
You know what I'm saying, I'm just tryna play it real cool,
A lot of people ego driven and just leaving the school,
I can't live in the now because the future awaits,
Different state, different weed, different thing affecting my fate
It's(too late too late in getting small)
And that's just the motherfucken fact of the matter,
Craving some head even if this bitch keeps getting fatter,
Cause this is life, nothing is ever guaranteed,
Does anybody have my motherfucken marijuana seed?
Damn I can't find it anywhere, this shit is unfair,
Looking through my problems and they say Ima get her,
Tryna build myself to be better,
Flexible and consistent and,
Relevant and persistent, damn
Never mess with the system, oh!
Too late and Ima just be myself,
'Cause Ima go getter never stop this dreaming and we go...
[Verse 2]
Check it when I say Hi to him, coming back around next week,
When I drank a lot of gin, haven't really even slept in days,
Been running around tryna collect some pay,
Avoiding all this competitive hate,
Gotta make sure no taking from the plate,
Gotta make sure just to vacate,
Bitches gotta be real fine,
2 oclock so I be sublime,
Jumped on that pussy and claimed it's mine,
Keyboard dash with the electric on,
Tired as fuck but my place is warm,
Just did what I had to do and never regret, always respect those that had paved the way for my upbringing,
This feeling I get, when the skys the limit,
Don't need to act grown up, hold up, bitch you can suck my whole nut, don't really give a fuck,
I take my advice but I gotta uplift,
Kick it a bit and be less stiff,
Gotta copy of Ace's tape,
Played that shit till the day break,
Don't really know what else to do,
Fucked around too much at school,
Stacy ain't picking up her fone,
Acting like Kat Stacks all alone,
Up for some early recreation,
But then I got an altercation,
Between me and my occupation,
Got me feeling like a mental patient
Too late and Ima just be myself,
'Cause Ima go getter never stop this dreaming and we go...
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From MeritBadgeDotOrg
|Serving as Captain can apply towards Positions of Responsibility requirements for Star, Life, and Eagle.
|Varsity Team Captain
The Varsity Team Captain is the top youth leader of the Varsity Scout team and is equivalent to the Senior Patrol Leader in a Boy Scout troop. Elected by the youth team members, he appoints all youth positions of responsibilities except Cocaptain and Squad Leaders. He implements a balanced Denali Award program, may function as a Program Manager for any field of emphasis, and he alone sets requirements for and awards activity pins.
Position description
The Varsity Team Captain is the youth head of the Varsity Scout team. All other youth positions report to him, directly or indirectly. He is elected by the team's youth members as a whole, usually to serve a 6- or 12-month term.
The Varsity Team Captain seeks out and relies on the guidance of the Team Coach. He maintains a positive attitude and encourages others to fulfill their commitments to the team. He strives to be a team builder and recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of each team member.
Reports to
- Conducts team meetings under the guidance of the Team Coach.
- Presides at Team Leadership meetings and works with the Team Coach to develop team and activity agendas.
- Selects and appoints all youth positions of responsibilities except cocaptains and squad leaders.
- Selects and appoints Program Managers and other positions of responsibilities with the approval of the Team Coach. He may serve as primary program manager over any field of emphasis.
- Coordinates activities with the program managers.
- Conducts the annual Program Planning Clinic.
- Sets a good example of the ideals of Scouting.
- Enthusiastically and correctly wears the Scout uniform.
- Lives by the Scout Oath and Law.
- Shows Scout spirit.
- Implements a balanced Denali Award program with the five fields of emphasis.
- Set requirements and presents at courts of honor for Varsity Scout Activity Pins.
- Conducts or oversee conducting of the Varsity Scout courts of honor.
- Ensures at least one high-adventure Big Event experience each year.
- Actively assists team members to earn and receive Eagle Scout Rank, Varsity Scout Letter and Varsity Scout letter bars.
The Captain is top youth leader in its unit. Other top youth leaders are:
- Senior Patrol Leader - Scouts BSA
- Crew President - Venturing
- Boatswain - Sea Scouting
- Post President - Exploring
See also
|Varsity Scout portal
Team Positions of Responsibility and Adult Advisers
|Team Leadership:
| Captain • Cocaptain • Team Secretary • Squad Leader • Quartermaster • Chaplain Aide •
Librarian • Instructor • Den Chief • Order of the Arrow Team Representative
|Program Managers:
|Advancement • High-Adventure/Sports • Personal Development • Service • Special Programs and Events
|Other team leadership:
|Historian • Bugler
|Team Coach • Assistant Team Coach(es) • Committee Secretary • Committee Treasurer
|Program Advisers:
|Advancement • High-Adventure/Sports • Personal Development • Service • Special Programs and Events


text:
- Bussiness News
- Trading And Investing
- sectors
- special features
- MV Education center
- Video
- t3 live subscriptions
This morning, the market's reprieve looks like it has been repudiated.
Is it high-level accumulation or distribution going into the 25-year anniversary of the 1987 crash on Monday, October 19?
Find the signs early, watch for them and be ready to act.
AVT is not the indicator it used to be.
If Ben had waited to use his ammunition, things could have been different.
If Apple's daily chart belonged to any other company, shorts would be salivating at the thought
Now that the third quarter is in the books, it's time to take a look at the big picture.
QE ain't what it used to be.


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Hey All,
White male 2L looking for a place to stay in LA during my summer associateship. Mid-May (or start of may, whatever works for you) through end of July. I prefer a place on the westside (santa monica, venice, anything in that general area), however I'm also open to downtown. Prefer studios or 1BRs, but would be happy to join a like-minded roommate. I'm an LA native but unfortunately home is too far from downtown to make the commute remotely manageable.
PM me with details (rent/location/size) if you have/know of anything. Thanks!
Looking for Summer Sublet in LA
(housing, friendships, future exams, all things 2015)
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The Texas Instruments MSP430 family of ultralow power microcontrollers consists of several devices featuring different sets of peripherals targeted for various applications. The architecture, combined with five low-power modes, is optimized to achieve extended battery life in portable measurement applications. The devices feature a powerful 16-bit RISC CPU, 16-bit registers, and constant generators that contribute to maximum code efficiency. The digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) allows wake-up from low-power modes to active mode in less than6 µs.
The MSP430x43x(1) and the MSP430x44x(1) series are microcontroller configurations with two built-in 16-bit timers, a fast 12-bit A/D converter (not implemented on the MSP430F43x1 and MSP430F44x1 devices), one or two universal serial synchronous/asynchronous communication interfaces (USART), 48 I/O pins, and a liquid crystal driver (LCD) with up to 160 segments.
Typical applications include sensor systems that capture analog signals, convert them to digital values, and process and transmit the data to a host system, or process this data and display it on a LCD panel. The timers make the configurations ideal for industrial control applications such as ripple counters, digital motor control, EE-meters, hand-held meters, etc. The hardware multiplier enhances the performance and offers a broad code and hardware-compatible family solution.
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Sunday, December 16, 2012
The Road to Damascus
There are international activists from around the world, reporters or citizen-journalists embedded with the rebels, Russian advisers embedded with Syrian units, Qatari trainers turning children into child soldiers with the rebels and Turkish officers trying to get the entire rabble moving in the right direction toward Damascus.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah's militias out of Lebanon are shooting at Al Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood militias from across the Middle East and even Europe in one of those unique displays of family entertainment that you wish would go on forever, but that won't, because despite the Hasish-fed bravado, supplemented with meth from Iran's top laboratories, the whole shooting match only as long as it takes the side with the weakest bladders to run away, and then both sides brag about their great victory on YouTube and Facebook.
Imagine the Crips and the Bloods, armed to the teeth by every country from Mexico to China, fighting over the ruins of California cities, and you get some idea of the glorious Syrian civil war being fought by the Brave Syrian People, most of whom at this point are about as Syrian as the Palestinians are from Palestine, in a conflict that will determine once and for all who will be ethnically cleansing who this year.
The Syrian rebels are Sunni. The Syrian regime is Alawite, which is close enough to Shiite in a region where most Sunnis hate Shiites. This isn't some heroic battle between the people and the dictator; it's a religious war. And in a newly Islamist region, religion is the best possible reason that anyone can think of for a war, that will just incidentally happen to realign a strategic piece of territory from the Shiite axis to the Sunni axis. And we, as befits the nation that Obama described as one of the largest Muslim countries in the world, happen to be in the Sunni axis, ensconced somewhere between the fattest child-molesting members of the Saudi and Qatari royals, the most vicious Turkish and Egyptian Islamists, and the Eurocrats looking to score oil deals with the former and arms deals with the latter, and political points with their domestic population of Sunni Islamists who have the unfortunate habit of blowing things up.
On the road to Damascus, the politicians and pundits tell us that we cannot simply sit things out. Someone is bound to remove Assad and we had better be in good with whoever does.
The UK, which dragged Obama into Libya the way an elderly lady drags a poodle into a pub, is frantically urging us to stop just looking the other way while Qatar and Turkey arm the Syrian rebels, and to get into the rebel-arming business ourselves.
Considering how well that worked out in Libya, not to mention a certain obscure part of the world, known as Afghanistan, that we never heard from again, we should probably hurry and start arming the Syrian rebels right now. The sooner we give them weapons, the less likely they are to use them against us. Or so the reasoning of the people who brought you Iran, September 11 and September 11 II: The Mohammed Video Diaries goes. And with a track record like that, how could they be wrong?
If we give the right Syrian rebels the weapons, then they will win, instead of the wrong Syrian rebels. But if we don't, then the wrong Syrian rebels will win, and even the right Syrian rebels will hate us and turn wrong, and before you know it they'll be shooting at us with the weapons we didn't give them.
Telling apart the right Syrian rebels from the wrong Syrian rebels is tricky. The Free Syrian Army, once hailed as a moderate secular organization, has more Al Qaeda in it than the dirt in Tora Bora. The new opposition set up by Obama and Qatar consists of the Muslim Brotherhood and people with fake mustaches pretending not to be the Muslim Brotherhood. As an additional handicap, the head of this moderate secular opposition, Sheikh Mouaz Al-Khatib, who had previously praised Saddam for "terrifying the Jews", objected to the American declaration that the Al-Qaeda militias are terrorists.
"The logic under which we consider one of the parts that fights against the Assad regime as a terrorist organization is a logic one must reconsider," Al-Khatib said, and it's hard to argue with his logic. The difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda is that the Muslim Brotherhood wins an election before shooting people in the streets while Al Qaeda shoots people in the street without waiting for an election. To the Democracy Uber Alles crowd, this makes a big difference, but the people being shot are still dead either way.
No serious thinkers seriously think that not siding with either side is an option. When confronted with Muslim terrorists, they begin searching for moderates in the rubbish bin, and with a working definition of a moderate that includes anyone less extreme than the most extreme of the extreme, they never have a problem finding moderates. And they keep finding moderate Syrian rebels who will be our friends tomorrow for a few RPGs today.
It's Black Friday in Syria and just sitting at home, watching the game, sipping a beer and wondering who's going to score in the third quarter, the black flag Salafis, the Muslim Brotherhood militias, Hezbollah or a race of demons erupting unexpectedly from the earth to devour all participants, never occurs to the bright boys and girls down in D.C. No, they're dragging us into line at five in the AM in the hopes of scoring a friendly Syria for only 4 billion dollars and maybe only twenty-thousand dead Christians.
The rebels are making their gains, or so the New York Times claims, while Pravda claims that the Syrian government is beating back the rebels. It's hard to know whose pravda to believe when all we have to choose from are propaganda outlets that parrot the talking points of their respective governments. In a Pravda world, you don't read the news to find out what's going, you read the news to find out what the government thinks about what is going and then you try to derive from that what is truly taking place.
In this Plato's Cave version of the news, all that we know is that everyone is racing to Damascus, and that everyone is winning and everyone is losing and everyone is dying at the same time. And we're rushing right along with them, hoping that our guys, who are slightly less murderous than their guys, will defeat them, despite the murderousness gap, with the help of our weapons, our planes and maybe a few of our guys, wearing sneakers and long beards, coordinating operations on the ground.
The Muslim Brotherhood is running torture chambers in Egypt and shooting protesters in the street, but we're still shipping them free F16s and helping them take over Syria. Because if we don't help them, how will we have any influence over them? If the Muslim Brotherhood can't non-violently seize power in Syria through a violent civil war, there is a risk that they will turn to violence again. And that means they'll start trying to violently take over countries without going through the formality of fighting a civil war to take them over first.
Every leader of Al Qaeda was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but since the Muslim Brotherhood, like the New Left, is willing to non-violently take us over through front groups and immigration, rather than flying planes into buildings, they're our idea of the good guys, even if they have the same objectives as Al Qaeda, just a different way of getting there. But then again you could probably say the same thing about the people who were running the USSR in 1932 and the people who are running the United States and the European Union in 2012.
The Muslim Brotherhood isn't satisfied with Egypt. Al Qaeda isn't satisfied with Mali. Iran isn't satisfied with the hypocrisy of agitating for the rights of the Shiite majority in Iraq and Bahrain and the rights of the Shiite majority in Syria.
Obama isn't satisfied with wrecking just Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. Russia isn't satisfied with financing 50 years of war in the region even though it's on the verge of bankruptcy. Prime Minister Cameron of the UK and President Hollande of France aren't satisfied with being on the verge of bankruptcy and only wrecking Libya. And like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, they're all on the road to Damascus. Or the road to hell.
And so on we go, all together, rebels and diplomats, throat-slashers and powdered-hair personalities, embedded into a conflict, racing to Damascus, eager to raise the flag, report on the historic moment, negotiate deals and deliver speeches. Obama probably already has his written and it will probably be the same exact speech he delivered when Mubarak fell and Gaddafi got sodomized to death after his convoy came under fire from an American drone. There will be lots of moving sentiments about hope and change, peace and freedom, the choice of the people and the transition to democracy.
There's the Qatari weapons trainer teaching 13-year-olds how to plant IEDs and the Russian colonel, underpaid and hating the locals more than ever, trying to get the ragtag locals to fight. There's the embedded citizen journalist with fourteen differently colored keffiyahs in his luggage blogging his experiences on Tumblr and the gang of local thugs who alternate between taking potshots at Syrian army positions on behalf of the Free Syrian Army and its Qatari and Turkish paymasters and kidnapping some of the wealthier residents for ransom, which pays even better.
There are Sunni and Shiite militia members from neighboring Lebanon and Syria. There are Pakistanis fresh from Waziristan and Libyans looking for a good brawl. There are Scud missiles and chemical weapons and broken buildings, torn corpses and roads full of refugees fleeing for their lives. There are tanks and jets and fleets. There are armies and militias, truckloads of weapons and bodies, fire behind them and death ahead of them. And they're all hurrying, running and racing to Damascus.
And then the real killing will begin.
13 comments:
- Elise Ronan said...
This is such a no-win situation in Syria. But its also what you get when the powers that be, turned a blind-eye to the atrocity that Syria was for decades. But this the same thing the world did with entire Arab Middle East. As long as the dictators kept the oil flowing and their people quiet, the west could fool themselves into thinking the region was stable. They allowed the suppression of democratic ideal, liberal thought and true push for freedom. So what we have now is the only organized force taking over, the Islamists in the guise of MB and their erstwhile offspring al-Queda. One would think that eventually the west would tire of realpolitik, but it seems they really never do learn their lesson. This is only the beginning and all hell is about to really break loose, where once again the west will happily sacrifice another 6 million Jews for "Peace in our time."
- 17/12/12
- Empress Trudy said...
The upside to all of this though, is 'so what'? We are happily at the point now in Syria where it had descended to African civil war levels. It is now beyond the point where you can call it a 'conflict' and it is instead, a perfect state of permanent savagery and anarchy. It is now a war that will never end. It has become the Arabs Vietnam death machine sucking in all their gangs and monsters and small arms and everything. A black hole of insanity that will consume them. If anything, we should be giving small arms and low level military aid to EVERYONE involved until it turns into the Arabs Rwanda. Let them kill and each each other to the last one standing.
- 17/12/12
- moshe said...
"Al-Takfir Wa Al-Hijra" and "Itbach Al Kul Ulum". LOL! That's absolutely priceless!
I look forward to representatives of these two fine organizations debating the Palestinian Minister of Uncontrollable Rage and the newly appointed Egyptian Minister of Conspiracy on the next Tribal Update. John Zelokoreli will have to apear with them to represent the Obama administration's position on the definiton of "moderate". Flock Builder can moderate.
- 17/12/12
- moshe said...
Dear "Elise Ronan", are you for real? Please get a clue! Syria was what it always was because Syria is populated by Moslems. The West has nothing to do with any of it, except insofar as failing to nuke the entire Moslem world counts as a general failure.
- 17/12/12
- Anonymous said...
Elise stop being a paranoid martyr. How senseless.
52millions perished in WW2 all of them important to someone.
Then we have the genocidal Moshe who wants to nuke all Arabs ever existing and says so right in his response.
And they get away with this talk.
- 17/12/12
- Linda Rivera said...
It is unforgivable that Western leaders regularly finance, arm, and sometimes even wage war for the most radical, savage Muslim terrorists.
How far and how low Western civilization has fallen under these immoral Western leaders.
- 17/12/12
- Anonymous said...
- 17/12/12
- Anonymous said...
Planting kudzu in our victory garden.
- 17/12/12
- foreign commentperson said...
Damascus = Damn Ask Us
- 18/12/12
- MWTexas said...
I'm all for muslim terrorists killing each other. The more dead terrorists the better. It apparently makes them happy to be killed ("We love death like you love life")and we're not being attacked by terrorists who are too busy killing each other. Dead mussie terrorists on both sides. Now that's a win/win situation. If the race to Damascus means more dead terrorists, wave that starting flag! Pedal to the metal!
- 18/12/12
- Edgar Davidson said...
Brilliant - one of your best. Especially liked this perfect summation of the left's attitdue: "And the way that you think of a dog, is the way that the left thinks of you. When you misbehave, the left looks around for your owner."
- 18/12/12
- American Genie said...
I don't know how you take such a serious subject and make me laugh to tears, but you do.
Brilliant, Daniel, as usual. :-)
- 18/12/12
- but pygmies said...
You forgot - the palestinians get to be killed by both sides, and then blame Israel...
- 19/12/12


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Founding start-ups and other small businesses is an increasingly popular career choice for young Thai entrepreneurs, many of whom have been strongly influenced by the success stories of global tech firms with humble beginnings in bedrooms and garages.
In Thailand, residentials do not allow commercial activity to take place, while most houses generally do not have enclosed garages. In addition, working from home can be very impractical if additional staff are required.
This Viewpoint by CBRE Research Thailand explores and evaluates the potential office options for Thai start-ups seeking a base of operations. These options include renting a shophouse, renting serviced offices, renting traditional offices, or the latest trend, purchasing a membership in or renting a co-working space.


text:
34 Boulevard Saint Germain Candle
Free Shipping & Returns on All U.S. Orders. See Details
- Handmade.
- Notes: damp mosses, crumpled blackcurrant leaves, sun-dried fig leaves.
- Burn time: 70 hours (approximately).
- 7.5 oz/213g single-wick candle.
- 3.25"/8cm height, 3.75"/10cm diameter (approximately).
- Available in White.
- Wax. Vessel: porcelain.
- Made in France.
Need Help? Have Questions? Contact Us.
Please call 1.888.222.7639 to speak with a Customer Service Representative.
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If you prefer email, we can be reached anytime at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Free Shipping & Returns on All U.S. Orders. See DetailsThis item may be shipped to Canada via Canada Post Expedited Parcel shipping only. Unfortunately, this item cannot be shipped internationally to any other countries.


text:
Hello and a warm welcome to our expat community in Vancouver! As a platform created for expatriates all over the world, InterNations is here to help you to get to grips with the many challenges of moving to a new city or country. Numerous expats in Vancouver have made use of the resources available on this platform while in the process of relocating to Vancouver, adapting to your new neighborhood or both. Join InterNations today to get access to our guide articles and our forums, where you'll find the answers to a wide range of questions, such as which districts offer the best and most affordable housing, using public transit, and the best catchment areas for Vancouver schools. These and other questions will be answered by experienced members who live or have lived in Vancouver, making our community your window to the city's international community. Our goal is to help you to connect with fellow expats and also to develop a greater appreciation for the Vancouver way of life. A clean, friendly and multicultural city, Vancouver can offer a wide range of experiences, from the Christmas markets to the Southland County Fair. Once you've settled in to life in Vancouver, don't hesitate to add to our knowledge store by sharing your own tips and experiences.
With InterNations, you never stand alone. Whether you move to another city or go on a business trip somewhere — our communities are there to make you feel at home wherever you are in the world. Feel free to also check out our other vibrant InterNations Communities like the ones in Singapore or Brussels.
Attend our monthly events and activities for Vancouver expatriates to get to know like-minded expatriates in real life.
Get trustworthy advice and local insights from fellow members in our Vancouver expat forums.
One of the cleanest, friendliest, and most populous cities in Canada, Vancouver regularly features among studies of "the best cities in the world", not least thanks to a diverse culture and stunning natural landscapes. Expats are drawn by a huge variety of business and employment opportunities, including Canada's largest port and a variety of major biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and information systems concerns. Major companies based in Vancouver include Electronic Arts, QLT Inc., MDA, and Ballard Power Systems, while a thriving tourist trade also offers plenty of job opportunities. The overall picture of Vancouver is one of bustling trade, a high standard of living, widespread multiculturalism, and a strong sense of civic pride, making this city a delight to settle in.
InterNations is the largest global network for expatriates, with communities in 420 cities across the globe. Get to know fellow internationals in your city, before you're moving, or when traveling somewhere and never feel like a stranger. InterNations makes it easy for you to stay in touch with your expat friends, both online and offline, so you can grow your network of friends and contacts from all over the world. Whether they live in Khobar (Eastern Prov.) or Dubai, InterNations allows you to be close to them even if they are miles away.
At InterNations we're proud of our unique community of members, all of whom honor our guiding principles of respect, trust, and a friendly and open demeanor, allowing you to interact with our members both online and offline in a safe and secure environment. Don't hesitate to pose any questions you might have about living in Vancouver. Whether it's practical concerns about West versus East Side living and commuting into downtown Vancouver or questions about the best place to go out to eat. Once you've arrived, you can pursue your special hobbies and interests such as nature spotting, sailing or hiking in the mountains with our InterNations Groups. If you can't find your hobby, you can start your own group! We also offer larger networking events for our InterNations Community, where you can meet fellow members in a lively and informal atmosphere, with delicious food and drinks to cater to all tastes.


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A shopper's guide to shopping etiquette and honest and ethical couponing
1)Always greet the cashier - there is no reason to skip common courtesy.
2)Respect the cashier's job - the job is much more than just scanning items at the register. It is his or her job to make sure they only accept valid coupons. If they have a question about one of your coupons, do not get defensive - take the time to calmly explain the coupon to them. They may be just learning about coupons. If you do not agree, then politely ask for a manager and let the manager educate both of you on the store's policy.
3)Individual managers at each location of a chain store (Kroger, Publix etc.) have a right to set their own policies. Learn those policies and respect them. If you do not like the policy at one store, there may be another store where policies are more coupon-friendly. Don't write off the entire chain just because of one bad experience.
4)Do not go into the store expecting a fight. The cashier will pick up on this, and you will have a negative experience. If your coupons are legitimate, and you have purchased the correct items chances are you will never have a problem. There are times however that the cashier may not understand the policy or you may have even misinterpreted it. The manager will help with clarification.
5)If you are paying by check - fill out as much information as you can while waiting in line - or even before getting to the register. After all, the store's name, the date, etc., isn't going to change. Why hold up the line when you don't have to?
6)Do not rush the cashier. The cashier has a right to read and examine each and every coupon. In fact it is his or her job. If you can avoid it, do not shop when you are in a hurry.
7)If you have quite a few coupons and someone only has a few items, let them go in front of you.
8)If you have already started to check out, let anyone who gets in line know that you have quite a few coupons - this will allow them the option to get in another line.
9)If you are splitting your transactions into multiple transactions, do not stand at the register and do all of them at once if there is a line behind you. Take your items out to the car, and then get back in line to purchase the rest of your items. (If there isn't a line, you can do multiple transactions back-to-back.)
10) Do not clear the shelves - give others a chance to get that great deal, too. However, it may be worth it to check with customer service. There may be other items in the back they can bring out, or they can give you a rain check and special order the items so that you do not wipe out their inventory. (Not all stores do this, but it is worth asking).
11) NEVER use coupons that have been copied. Only use original coupons.
12) NEVER try to pass off a coupon for an item that you did not purchase. If the coupon says $1 off two, you must purchase two items. If it is $1 off three you must purchase three items.
13) Have your coupons ready when you get to the register. Don't wait until you are in line to get your coupons ready. Pull them out as you place the item in your cart.
14) And the most important step: Always thank your cashier.
Do you have a favorite cashier? Is there someone that really goes over the top to be helpful? Do they love seeing your total go down at the register? Write to me and I will publish it in my column.
Send your notes, tips and nominations to email@example.com.


text:
The author Anna Quindlen once wrote in the New York Times, "I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."
It's an admirable statement, especially when most of us tend to toss our books to the side haphazardly once we finish them, or move them to some out-of-the-way shelf or cabinet, never to be seen again. Why not take Quindlen's words to heart and do some home remodeling and decorating of your own - centered around your books.
The ideal home library is quiet, meditative and has impeccable décor. After you've gathered your household's book collection, follow these four steps to get you on your way to designing what might become your new favorite room.
1. Pick a theme. Whether you're going for something casual, colorful, Victorian or thoroughly modern, there will be a design scheme to fit your bookish tastes. Will you lay out your books alphabetically or arrange them like an art store supply rack in eye-catching chromatic groups? Maybe your ideal library is outfitted with a roaring, crackling fire - or maybe a modern gas fireplace instead. Get your imagination going - consult a few books!
2. Get your shelving and cabinetry. Now that you've got your theme established, consider what kind of shelving you want. Should your shelves go flush to the ceiling? (You'll need a step ladder for that.) Will they wrap around corners? Do you want glass-fronted cabinets behind which you can store your most prized and expensive collections?
3. Make it comfy. Whatever your feelings about décor, this may be the most important part of your library planning. Pick sofas and armchairs of stylish comfort - suede and leather are almost always excellent choices, especially alongside wood-paneled shelving and cabinets. Also consider having radiant floor heating installed. Radiant heat systems fit comfortably under wooden floorboards and almost any other kind of flooring, are eco-friendly and will keep you from relying on gusts of hot air from vents.
4. Keep building your collection. Now that you've got the theme, shelving and luxurious furniture out of the way, it's time to move in the books. A key tenet of library planning should be to put in more shelving than you currently need, simply because your book collection isn't complete and will only grow larger.
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Changed Odometry to publish a ScoutPosition message with the scoutname, x, y, and theta.
Removed bom.cpp, bom.h, get_bom_reading.srv, and query_sonar.srv
Removed them for real this time; not pretend :D
Added WirelessSender class to libscout
WirelessSender will hold some metadata like packet destination, pan, andchannel, and will publish a WirelessPacket (also, addedmesssages/WirelessPacket.msg) to /wireless/sendSo far, lacks proper documentation and static functions similarly named...
Added the ROS stack with the libscout, motors, and sonar packages to the reposititory, and associated files. There are probably still things missing. Libscout won't run properly, but it and motors will compile. Sonar is probably broken, but nothing depends on it yet, so this shouldn't be an issue.


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relationship(redirected from abnormal occlusal relationship)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.
relationship(Family tie), noun affinity, blood relation, blood ties, consanguinity, extraction, family connection, kindredship, kinship, lineage, propinquitas, relation
Associated concepts: blood relationship, intestate succession, paternity proceeding
Foreign phrases: Affinis mei affinis non est mihi affinis.One who is a relative of my relative by marriage is not my relative.
relationship(Connection), noun alignment, analogy, appositeness, association, bearing, bond, coaction, coalition, cognatio, cognation, combination
See also: affiliation, affinity, association, bloodline, chain, connection, contact, filiation, kinship, nexus, privity, propinquity, proportion, rapport, relation, relevance


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The ArcGIS Extension for Bing Maps version 1.4 released June 2009. Version 1.4 adds a Route Task for use with ArcGIS network analysis services.
The ArcGIS Extension for Microsoft Bing Maps (formerly Microsoft Virtual Earth) allows you to extend the Bing Maps API to use ArcGIS Server services. With this extension, you can add your own data to the Bing Map Control and embed this map in your own page.
The documentation has a new look. The same getting started, sample, and library reference documentation is available for your use:
If you are new to mapping and GIS, and would like to learn more about GIS concepts, you can check out What is GIS? on the Geography Matters Web site.


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Disagree. Many ladies have strong emotional response in connection to orgasms, whether before, during, or after.Bragallot wrote: If people start crying when you should be making them barf, you're doing it wrong.
Your opinion on this matter says a lot about your level of experience.
Maybe some men have those reactions too, now that I think of it. My lack of knowledge in this area probably says something about my own level of experience.


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I) Introduction.
Many of you on these forums are familiar with Linux either through the publicity that Ubuntu has brought it, Google's use of the system in Android, or from older embedded devices. The various distributions have two important parts: the kernel and the GNU compiler collection. Of course, it is known that Torvalds was influenced- Before the old argument comes up, Linux Torvalds did not plagiarize anything- by the Minix design; yet, where did the influence for GCC come? Richard Stallman created the compiler collection by reverse engineering the C compiler which was part of UC Berkeley's version of AT&T's UNIX.
In the following tutorial, the reader will be introduced to a basic install of the FreeBSD operating system. As posts are added to the thread, so will installation instructions and hints for NetBSD and OpenBSD. Four architectures will be covered, those being: AMD64, i386, PowerPC 32bit, and UltraSPARC/SPARC64.Let us begin, shall we?
II) The Installation Process.
In order to start the installation, you will need the following information:
1) The processor type of the machine you are using.
2) The amount of RAM.
3) The video card type.
4) The sound card type.
5) BIOS boot options.
6) The hard drive layout and size.
7) NIC type.
You will need to download and burn an image from www.freebsd.org or one of its mirror sites. (Let it be known that I am not able to post any direct links due to a limit of posts that I have. If the moderators wish to allow the link, then this message will be edited out.) Download disc-1 of the 8.x release. If you are using a computer with Windows installed on it, use whatever CD/Image program to burn it to a disc. If your computer is a netbook or you wish to use a USB install, download the image file from the server.
A few words of warning: If you are in doubt that your wireless or NIC may not work with FreeBSD, look at the online manual pages using the apropos search option and the model type in the input box. I am not familiar with the GPU/CPU combinations and would suggest that you do the same as for the wireless/NIC question. This tutorial assumes that you are booting from a disc drive.
Set your BIOS to boot from the CD/DVD drive and commit the changes. Let your machine boot to the login screen and place the disk in the tray. Reboot. You will be introduced to an ASCII screen with options after the reboot starts. Press enter.Choose your default country. If prompted for a language, choose the one you are most familiar with. On the next screen, you will see a series of options. Use the up and down arrows and highlight "standard." Press enter. Choose the disk you want to use as the install base. From this point on, you are dedicating your system to FreeBSD. You may want to exit the install menu, remove the disk, and reboot to backup and save your system.
Alright, I assume you have made complete backups on media and have returned to the install menu. Continue to choose the disk. Highlight the one for the install and press enter. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen and the disk layout at the top. Using the arrows, select each partiton and press the D key until all space is made free. Select the free space, hit C. Choose all of the space available. Select the area again and use the S key to make it bootable. Press Q to continue to the next screen.
From the next screen, choose the disk label option. [The following layout is based on a disk size of 100G, use it as a guideline.] Press C. Make it 8G. Choose filesystem. Name the system /. Press C, 512M, swap. Press C, 5G, filesystem, /tmp. Press C, 7G, filesystem, /var. Press C, 30G, filesystem, /usr. Press C, 25G, filesystem, /usr/local. Press C, remaining space, file system, /home. Press Q to exit.
You will see the boot loader screen. Choose to install the bootloader.
The next screen will give you the options of installing the distribution sets. Choose custom.
These are the options:
1) Base + Kernel. This is a barebones install and should only be attempted by those who are willing to build the system up themselves. This will be the default.
2) Number 1 above plus docs, manpages, catpages, and info. You will have a basic system plus the information needed to set the system up on your own. Only install the docs for the languages you use.
3) All sets plus ports. Experience has taught me that the ports should be installed after the system is set up.
Using number 1 , go to custom and only choose kernel and base. Hit X when finished. Choose CD/DVD as the media type and hit enter.
The Congratulations dialogue will appear. Choose yes to finalize the system.
Do not allow any services. Do setup your network device. You will need to know what type of srvice that you have, any necessary passwords, and whatever options there may be. If you are behind a router, then makeup a host name. Do setup the time zone.
The user section will follow. Create a first user by entering the name, password, and wheel into member group. Hit okay when finished. Create a second user following the same methods as the first with the exception of not typing wheel in member groups. The first account will allow you to setup and monitor the system, the second will be used for everyday activities.
When finished, hit exit. You will be prompted for a root password. try for a string of ten or more characters being both alphabet and numerals.
Exit the install and reboot the system. Be sure to remove the disc to prevent going through the install process again.
III) Setting Up The System.
Press Enter to boot the system. Press enter again. Let the system run until the login prompt comes up. You must use the first account created for the rest of this section. Login in as the user. Type su and enter the root password.
A) Installing the other sets.
Load the installation disc.
Use the following commands. The hash/number sign represents the root shell.
#mkdir cdrom
#mount -t cd9660 -o ro /dev/acd0 cdrom
# cd cdrom
# ls
Look for the release number.
# cd 8*
# sh <directory name>/install.sh
1) Do not reinstall the base or kernel.
2) Do not install ports.
3) Use the following option for src.
# install src/install.sh all
# cd /home/$USERNAME
# umount /home/$USERNAME/cdrom
Eject the cd.
Installing the ports collection.
CVS and csup are the best ways to install the ports collection.
Follow the commands given here.
# cd /usr
# vi /usr/share/examples/cvsup/ports-supfile
Scroll down to the section below the basic hashed out description. Using the arrow, go to CHANGETHIS. Hit D, hit 9, hit enter. Hit the escape key. Hit I. Type in cvsup1. Hit the escape key. Type in :w! and press enter. The dialog will show you have made changes. Type :q! and then enter.
Type the following command.
# /usr/share/examples/cvsup/ports-supfile && /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb
Let it run until you see the hash symbol for the root.
C) Tuning the variables.
The boot file can be tweaked to fit your system better. You will need paper and pencil to write the following information grabbed from the next set of commands.
# cd /boot
# dmesg|more
Look at the output and write down: CPU type, RAM amount, sound card, graphics card, network device if it wasn't detected.
# vi /boot/defaults/loader.conf.
Use the / key to search for the following values:
hw.physmem, kern.hz, Networking drivers, Sound modules.
Copy the option onto paper with the following added:
The hw.physmem should equal what you have installed. Use G or M.
Value of kern.hz should be 1000.
Copy only the networking driver that you have. Wireless users will be given the options a few sentences later.
Copy the sound module you have.
Type :q! and enter when finished.
For wireless, use the following.
# ifconfig -a
Note the wireless device.
#apropos <wireless device name minus the number>
# man <exact name of page for wireless device>
Read the man page and follow all directions listed
Continuing as before.
#vi /boot/loader.conf
Hit I.
Type in each option you have on the paper and the values. Be sure to hit the enter key after each section. Add the wireless information. Hit the escape key. Type :w! and then enter. Type :q! then enter.
Congratulations. Your system is setup.
The next post to this tutorial will deal with X, permissions, browsers and other items.
Sources: The freebsd handbook, the freebsd forums, and an outdated tutorial of mine.
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Introduction to BSD systems This tutorial will introduce the reader to the BSD family of systems.
Posted 13 January 2011 - 11:43 PM
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Adele2 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 173 diseños de 27 diseñadores freelance.
Naked Divorce
My business provides 21 day programs for professional men, women and couples to heal from divorce.
I want the look and feel of the font to be clean, clear and modern.
It must communicate friendliness, approachability BUT must not be feminine or masculine. Like the Apple logo concept, it must sit between masculine and feminine and be able to be translated to both.
I dont like curly wurly fonts and I just want something simple and clean. I attach examples of look and feel and fonts I like. I absolutely love http://www.jamieoliver.com - such a brilliant website (for me)
My target audience is aged 32-48 professional men, women and couples. I will have separate micro sites for men, women and couples so the logo must translate across sexes. The people are all English speaking from US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Education is higher education - professionals.
They are probably the iPhone generation - they own mobile phones with apps, they drink capuccinos.
I would like to know exactly what font you used so I may purchase it too.
The successful designer I will probably ask to do lots of ad hoc design work for me. I am looking for a designer I can work with on brochures, web, business cards etc. so may the best person win :)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Thread: New Movie Trailers
Results 1 to 1 of 1
#1 New Movie Trailers06-09-2012, 06:48 PM
I can't wait to see this!
"The efforts of the government alone will never be enough. In the end the people must choose and the people must help themselves" ~ JFK; from his famous inauguration speech (What Democrats sounded like before today's neo-Liberals hijacked that party)
|« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


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- Maintenance Agreements
- Certified by Recycling Association
- Professionally Trained Team
- Professional and friendly staff
Learn what should be expected
You should be informed when it comes to Window Replacement in Fleming, CO. You don't want to go in without understanding it, and you need to know what you should expect. We will take the surprises out of the equation through providing adequate and complete info. Step one will be to call at 844-244-6020 to set up your task. We'll address your questions and concerns and schedule your first appointment. Our company can show up at the scheduled time with the necessary resources, and can work closely with you throughout the process.
Window Replacement Team will be there for your Window Replacement in Fleming, Wyoming requirements
Many good reasons can be found to choose Window Replacement Team for Window Replacement in Fleming, CO. Our company has the top customer service ratings, the very best quality products, and the most practical and productive money saving practices. We appreciate your requirements and intentions, and we are there to serve you using our practical experience. When you require Window Replacement in Fleming, get in touch with Window Replacement Team by dialing 844-244-6020, and we are going to be more than pleased to help you.


text: One of the things I really want to be better at in 2014 is telling my husband how much I appreciate him. It's something that I think about all the time, but don't tell him as often as I should. He's not only a great husband to me, but he's an […] Read More »


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The One Identity Partner Circle program drives a strategy of growth and collaboration across the channel. Watch this brief video overview to see why CRN awarded a 5-Star rating to this channel program and how it can benefit your organization.
Duration: 02:28
Learn why Novacoast, a global IT services and solutions provider, is a long-time One Identity partner and how the provider's leadership knows it can count on us during 'foxhole moments'.
Duration: 03:37
Watch this video to learn why any effective security program must start with identity. IAM evangelist, Todd Peterson, walks you through the concept of identity-based security – what it is, what its components are and how your organization can achieve it. See how you can secure the identities of your line-of-business users, as well as your all-powerful privileged users, and how you can safely administer and govern access across your diverse enterprise.
Duration: 10:18
Watch this short video to hear about our cloud strategy and how we've built a cloud platform from which we can enable your organization's digital transformation.
Duration: 01:48
Learn how it is now possible to pre-emptively detect risk before it can impact your organization.
Duration: 05:31
https://www.oneidentity.com/solutions/digital-transformation/ Watch this brief video for a comprehensive and concise overview of what it takes for your organization to make a digital transformation. See why it's more than just moving to the cloud.
Duration: 08:10
https://www.oneidentity.com/ Watch this video to see how the Four A's are the keys to Get IAM Right -- and to thrive and grow in a rapidly changing business world.
Duration: 08:34
https://www.oneidentity.com/active-roles Watch this video to learn how to simplify management of hybrid AD/Azure AD environments -- and be more efficient and secure, too.
Duration: 06:26
Jackson Shaw, Sr. Director, Product Management at One Identity and Partners highlight the current market trends in the identity and access management industry.
Duration: 09:12
During the EMEA One Identity Partner Forum, ourPartners sit down and discuss the benefits of a One Identity Partnership.
Duration: 09:14
One Identity and Partners discuss the strategy and benefits of a strong partnership.
Duration: 08:17
Bill Evans, One Identity's Senior Director of Product Marketing, shares what's changed, what hasn't and what to expect from the new One Identity
Duration: 02:03
See how One Identity solutions empower you to achieve easier accountability and greater transparency while placing the business in control of those things that matter most.
Duration: 02:31
Learn how you can better address your identity and access management challenges with the integrated, modular approach from One Identity IAM solutions.
Duration: 04:30
Help your organization can become the "Department of Yes" and see how the end-to-end One Identity offerings work better together than separately.
Duration: 04:19
Simplifique o gerenciamento da identidade, o acesso de privilégio e a segurança do usuário


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FTC Lawsuit Alleges Wyndham Failed to Protect Customer Data All Three Times
Consumer protection agency FTC is going after hotel operator Wyndham Worldwide for not doing enough to protect customer financial data.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against mega-hotel Wyndham Worldwide and three of its subsidiaries for failing to protect consumer data, the regulatory body said Tuesday. The hotel chain suffered three breaches in 2008 and 2009, and hundreds of thousands of customer's payment card information was transferred to an Internet domain registered in Russia, according to the FTC release.
The lawsuit alleges Wyndham failed to take appropriate security measures to protect customer data. Wyndham supposedly stored payment card information such as credit card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates, in clear text, according to the FTC. Attackers used similar techniques and memory-scraping malware in each of the incidents, according to the lawsuit.
The lack of action after "repeatedly being compromised is truly unacceptable behavior," Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at Sophos Canada, wrote on Naked Security. While a "hack-proof network" may not be possible, organizations should be taking "reasonable safeguards" to ensure criminals can't just walk in and take the data. "It isn't rocket science, folks," he wrote.
Be Prepared
Organizations have to accept that if attackers want to get into their networks, they will. Instead, the priority needs to be on detecting a breach when it happens, and being prepared to respond rapidly to minimize damage, Mike Reagan, chief marketing officer of LogRhythm, told Security Watch.
The company and its subsidiaries failed to take other security measures such as mandating complex user IDs and passwords, firewalls, and segmenting the network, the FTC said. Attackers were able to jump from a local hotel network to the company's property management network in all three incidents.
"Attackers are targeting sensitive data and traditional infrastructure security will not keep sensitive data safe – they will always find a way in where a weak link exists, i.e. the many security gaps present in traditional infrastructure protection strategies," Terence Spies, CTO of Voltage Security, told Security Watch.
Lawsuit Details
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona because all three breaches involved the data center in Phoenix, the FTC lawsuit seeks to order Wyndham to stop deceiving customers about its information security practices in its privacy policy. The FTC also wants Wyndham to refund lost money to customers.
The three malware attacks resulted in $10.6 million in phony credit card charges and other expenses, the agency said.
Wyndham Worldwide, along with its subsidiaries Wyndham Hotel Group, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, and Wyndham Hotel Management, "misrepresented the security measures that the company and its subsidiaries took to protect consumers' personal information and that its failure to safeguard personal information caused substantial consumer injury," the FTC said.
Wyndham said customers were promptly notified after the data breaches and that the company had improved its information security devices. "To date, we have not received any indication that any hotel customer experienced a financial loss as a result of these attacks," the company said in a statement. The hotel chain also includes Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn, and Howard Johnson.
"Consumers and businesses suffered financial injury, including, but not limited to, unreimbursed fraudulent charges, increased costs, and lost access to funds or credit," the FTC said in its lawsuit, adding, "Consumers and businesses also expended time and money resolving fraudulent charges and mitigating subsequent harm."


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Find any current contest on Lulu's Contest Home Page
We just can't get over how many truly remarkable stories we received for the first ever Lulu Short Story Contest.
Our panel of 25 judges carefully read through the 2000+ submissions, picked their favorite, then read it out loud to the rest of the judges. From there, judges voted on which stories they liked the best from the readings and tallied the results until there were three clear winners with the most votes. Your stories made us laugh, made us tear up, and some of the judges even got into literary debates over their favorites that lasted for days on end (no, really).
It was amazing to see everyone take such a passionate interest in our authors' work. I can't express enough how hard it was to pick just three finalists. But, we had to…SO! Without further ado (and because the suspense is killing me)…here are the winners of the Lulu Short Story Contest:
The Red Boots by Poornima Ram Kiram
$1,000 Cash
Barnes and Noble NOOK
A review in Shelf-Unbound Magazine
Free Lulu Publicity
Grass by Charles D. Shell
$250 and a Barnes and Noble NOOK™
Revenge by Gail Kavanagh
$100 Gift Card to Barnes and Noble
Honorable Mention:
Persona Quietus by Jesse Lee
Lovely Stranger by Jennifer Porter-Kennard
If you didn't win, don't let it get you down. So many of the stories were so excellent and hey, now you have an eBook version of your story and your name out in the world for millions of readers to see. All just because you believed in yourself. Neat huh?!?
You can take that shiny new ebook of yours and promote it this holiday too for what we're calling Download Day. We did some research and figured out that December 26th is the highest traffic shopping day for ebook sales – much like "Black Friday" in November. So, we're throwing a good old-fashioned author sales contest for Download Day and the author who sells the most copies of their eBook on December 26th, 2011 – even if you sell your ebook for free – will win a Barnes and Noble NOOK and $100 off coupon good for anything on Lulu.
Learn more about Download Day, the highest traffic buying day for digital content on the Lulu blog here. And thank you again so very much for helping make the Lulu Short Story Contest such a success. Due to popular demand, we'll soon be posting a full list of all 2,000+ submissions to the contest for everyone to read and we plan to publish an anthology featuring all the semi-finalists and three winners for all to enjoy. More details on that to come soon.
All the best this holiday from Lulu.
Since 2002, Lulu has powered the knowledge-sharing economy by enabling creators in more than 225 countries and territories to publish over 2 million books. Lulu's industry-leading tools and global network of print facilities provide creators with the resources to succeed on their terms.