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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Energy (MoE) announced an increase of gasoline price by 1.6-1.8% and a diesel price increase by 2.2% starting from 1 August 2017. The hikes are as follows according to the gasoline type: a 1.6% hike for Super 98 from Dhr1.86 up to Dhr1.89 (about US$51c), a 1.7% increase for Special 95 from Dhr1.75 up to Dhr1.78 (around US$48c), a 1.8% increase for E-Plus from Dhr1.68 up to Dhr1.71 (US$47c). The diesel price increases from Dhr 1.84 up to Dhr1.88 (US$50c).
This move fits into the country's price liberalization strategy which began in August 2015 with the deregulation of the gasoline and diesel prices. The new pricing formulas were based on average global prices plus operating costs. The rationale behind the cutting subsidies and letting fuel prices rise was to decrease fuel consumption and boost UAE state finances, which have been weakened by a plunge of oil export revenues since 2014 due to the fall in global crude prices.
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At the start of February, a major new find was jointly announced by the two largest emirates within the UAE: the oil-rich Abu Dhabi and the ambitious Dubai. Between them, they literally made the world's largest natural gas discovery since 2005. Located at the border between the two sheikdoms, the Jebel Ali field is estimated to contain some 80 trillion scf of natural gas, the largest global find since the Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan.
Stretching over 5,000 square km, an exploration campaign by Abu Dhabi involving over 10 wells confirmed the enormous discovery in early January 2020. The shallow nature of the onshore reserves should make it easier to extract gas at lower costs, hastening the time-to-market. At current estimated figures, Jebel Ali would be the fourth-largest gas field in the Middle East, behind Qatar's North Field, Iran's South Pars and Abu Dhabi's own Bab field.
The politics of the UAE can be complicated; each emirate is essentially self-governing with federal oversight, which is dominated by Abu Dhabi and Dubai (which always hold the President and Prime Minister roles, according to convention). This essentially means that each emirate has grew quite independently. Fujairah, for example, developed into a bunkering port, while Sharjah went into industry and manufacturing. Dubai is globally famous for its titanic real estate projects, pursued finance, services and media, while Abu Dhabi, the largest and most blessed of all with hydrocarbon resources, turned into an energy powerhouse. Oil & gas wealth in the UAE is mainly in Abu Dhabi; so while the Jebel Ali discovery is a welcome addition for Abu Dhabi, it is a game changer for Dubai, which imports most of its energy needs.
Speculation has raised that possibility that the Jebel Ali field could vault the UAE into gas self-sufficiency, because even Abu Dhabi imports gas. The UAE has a stated goal to be gas independent by 2030. On paper, that's possible. Abu Dhabi's ADNOC has agreed to develop the field with Dubai's gas supplier, the Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP), with the entire supply will be channel to DUSUP for use in Dubai. Jebel Ali could begin producing gas by 2023, and will likely be distributed domestically through pipeline. The enormous reserves could supply the entire UAE's gas demand for nearly 30 years, assuming optimal recovery conditions. However, in practice, self-sufficiency might take longer to achieve.
Dubai and indeed, Abu Dhabi are currently reliant on Qatar for their gas supply. An existing sales agreement that expires in 2032 sees Qatar pipe 2 bcf/d of gas to the UAE through Abu Dhabi. The problem is that these neighbours are erstwhile friends. A division in the Middle East between the pro-Saudi Arabia and pro-Iran blocs has caused a rift. Led by Saudi Arabia, several Persian Gulf states including the UAE implemented a diplomatic and trade blockade on Qatar, isolating it. The blockade, slightly weakened, still continues today. Even now, planes flying into Qatar have to make strange manoeuvres when approaching to avoid encroaching on Saudi and UAE airspace. However, the gas supply arrangement remains in place.
And this is where the Jebel Ali discovery could come in handy. Qatar is already on track to be self-sufficient in gas terms by 2025, but will probably honour the Qatar deal until expiration. Dubai has been increasingly reliant on LNG through an FSRU for power generation, but has attempted over the years to kick-start a number of coal or solar-power projects. Jebel Ali won't kick the addiction, but it could definitely reduce Dubai's reliance on Qatari gas.
Jebel Ali wasn't the only recent gas discovery made in the UAE. Further north, the Sharjah National Oil Corp and Italy's Eni announced a new onshore gas and condensate discovery. Though tiny in comparison to Jebel Ali, some 50 mscf/d of lean gas and condensate. The cumulative effects of these discoveries could make gas self-sufficiency a reality sooner. At this point, the UAE consumes some 7.4 bcf gas per day, while marketed production is some 6.2 bcf/d. An ambitious plan to develop Abu Dhabi's large gas fields was the rationale behind naming the 2030 self-sufficiency deadline. With the discovery of Jebel Ali, that can now be brought forward by a couple of years at least. And there might even be some left over to be exported as LNG
The UAE Major Gas Projects:
Market Watch
Headline crude prices for the week beginning 17 February 2020 – Brent: US$53/b; WTI: US$49/b
Headlines of the week
Natural Gas/LNG
Forecast growth in demand for U.S. petroleum and other liquids is not driven by transportation and not supplied by refineries
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) February Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) forecasts that in 2021, U.S. consumption (as measured by product supplied) of total petroleum and other liquid fuels will average 20.71 million barrels per day (b/d), surpassing the 2007 pre-recession level of 20.68 million b/d. However, the drivers of this consumption growth have changed. Since the 2007–09 recession, U.S. consumption growth has shifted toward liquid fuels that are used primarily outside the transportation sector and are supplied mostly from non-refinery sources. Despite this shift away from domestic demand for refinery-produced fuels, U.S. refinery runs have increased, and the excess products have been exported, greatly contributing to the United States becoming a net exporter of petroleum in September 2019. EIA expects these trends to continue for at least the next 10 years.
Hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL) have been the main driver of U.S. petroleum and other liquids demand growth since 2007 (Figure 1). U.S. production and consumption of HGLs—a group of products that include ethane, propane, normal butane and isobutane, natural gasoline, and refinery olefins—have risen with increased natural gas production and demand from an expanding petrochemical sector. As a result, EIA forecasts U.S. HGL consumption will be 1.27 million b/d more in 2021 than in 2007, and will average 3.45 million b/d.
With the exception of jet fuel, EIA expects less U.S. consumption of refinery-produced products in 2021 than in 2007. Since 2007, increases in U.S. vehicle miles traveled, which normally increases total motor gasoline consumption, have been countered to some extent by increases in vehicle fuel efficiency. In addition, although U.S. total motor gasoline consumption exceeded 2007 levels for the first time in 2016, increased blending of ethanol into finished motor gasoline has displaced some of the petroleum-based, or refinery-produced, portion of gasoline consumption. Therefore, EIA forecasts 570,000 b/d less consumption of refinery-produced gasoline in the United States in 2021 than in 2007, while ethanol will be 0.5 million b/d higher. Ethanol is almost exclusively produced at non-petroleum refinery sites.
Some HGLs can be produced by both refineries and natural gas processing plants. Natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs)—a subset of HGLs that includes ethane, propane, normal butanes and isobutanes, and natural gasoline—can be extracted from natural gas production streams or produced at refineries that process crude oil. However, as U.S. natural gas production increased from 55.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2007 to 98.9 Bcf/d in 2019, the amount of HGLs extracted from natural gas production increased from 1.78 million b/d in 2007 to 4.83 million b/d in 2019. EIA expects HGL production from natural gas processing plants to continue to increase to 5.47 million b/d in 2021. Meanwhile, refinery HGL production has been flat at about 600,000 b/d (Figure 2).
Although HGLs have several different end uses, such as propane for space heating and normal butane for blending with motor gasoline, most of the growth in consumption stems from the use of HGLs as feedstock for petrochemical processes. The large increase in U.S. production of HGLs, and the resulting low prices, led to large investments in U.S. infrastructure to extract and transport HGLs to market, as well as investments in petrochemical facilities to consume it. Many of these facilities consume ethane, and to a lesser degree propane and normal butane, as feedstocks to produce intermediate building blocks for plastics, resins, and other materials with nonenergy uses. EIA forecasts that U.S. ethane consumption will reach 1.96 million b/d in 2021, up from 743,000 b/d in 2007, which represents 96% of the increase in U.S. HGL consumption between 2007 and 2021.
Removing HGL and ethanol consumption from the total demand for U.S. petroleum and other liquids indicates that EIA's 2021 forecast U.S. demand for principally refinery-produced products is about 16.31 million b/d, on par with the 1997 level (Figure 3).
Despite domestic demand shifting away from traditionally refinery-produced products, U.S. refinery capacity has increased 1.7 million b/d between 2007 and 2019. U.S. refineries have adapted to falling domestic demand for certain products, such as residual fuel, by investing in downstream coking capacity to upgrade it into more valuable products. More importantly, international demand for refinery-produced products has increased since 2007, allowing U.S. refineries to increase runs and utilization beyond what the domestic market demanded to supply products to export markets. As a result, the United States became a net exporter on an annual basis of distillate and residual fuel in 2008, of jet fuel in 2011, and of motor gasoline in 2016.
Similarly, demand for HGLs outside of the United States has increased and caused U.S exports of HGLs to increase from 70,000 b/d in 2007 to 2.07 million b/d in November 2019. Between 2013 and 2016, exports of HGLs were the largest contributor to the increase in U.S. exports of petroleum products. U.S. exports of HGLs are mostly of propane and ethane to markets in Asia and Europe, where they are also displacing refinery-produced naphtha as a petrochemical feedstock.
EIA projects that these trends of increasing U.S. production of HGLs, increasing domestic consumption of HGLs, and increasing exports of HGLs will continue beyond 2021. EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2020 (AEO2020), released in January, shows projections for further growth in HGL production at natural gas processing plants from 4.91 million b/d in 2019 to a peak of 6.58 million b/d in 2029 and then slowly decline to 6.17 million b/d by 2050. Domestic consumption of HGLs will also increase, driven by continued petrochemical demand for feedstock, which rises from about 3.14 million b/d in 2019 to more than 4.0 million b/d in 2029. Meanwhile, in the AEO2020 Reference case, U.S. consumption of motor gasoline declines until 2042, distillate consumption declines until 2040, and residual fuel consumption continues declining out to 2050.
U.S. average regular gasoline prices rise, diesel prices decline
The U.S. average regular gasoline retail price increased nearly 1 cent from the previous week to $2.43 per gallon on February 17, 11 cents higher than the same time last year. The Midwest price rose nearly 5 cents to $2.31 per gallon. The Rocky Mountain price fell more than 3 cents to $2.47 per gallon, the West Coast price fell 1 cent to $3.14 per gallon, the East Coast price fell nearly 1 cent to $2.36 per gallon, and the Gulf Coast price declined by less than 1 cent to $2.08 per gallon.
The U.S. average diesel fuel price fell 2 cents from the previous week to $2.89 per gallon on February 17, 12 cents lower than a year ago. The Rocky Mountain price fell nearly 4 cents to $2.86 per gallon, the East Coast price fell more than 2 cents to $2.94 per gallon, the Midwest and Gulf Coast prices each fell nearly 2 cents to $2.76 per gallon and $2.66 per gallon, respectively, and the West Coast price fell more than 1 cent to $3.47 per gallon.
Residential heating oil prices increase, propane prices decrease
As of February 17, 2020, residential heating oil prices averaged more than $2.91 per gallon, almost 1 cent per gallon above last week's price but more than 31 cents per gallon lower than last year's price at this time. Wholesale heating oil prices averaged $1.80 per gallon, more than 5 cents per gallon above last week's price but 34 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.
Residential propane prices averaged more than $1.98 per gallon, less than 1 cent per gallon below last week's price and nearly 45 cents per gallon less than a year ago. Wholesale propane prices averaged more than $0.56 per gallon, more than 1 cent per gallon higher than last week's price but almost 27 cents per gallon below last year's price.
Propane/propylene inventories decline
U.S. propane/propylene stocks decreased by 3.0 million barrels last week to 74.3 million barrels as of February 14, 2020, 18.4 million barrels (32.9%) greater than the five-year (2015-19) average inventory levels for this same time of year. Midwest, Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Rocky Mountain/West Coast inventories decreased by 1.1 million barrels, 1.0 million barrels, 0.6 million barrels, and 0.4 million barrels, respectively. Propylene non-fuel-use inventories represented 7.5% of total propane/propylene inventories.


text:
Golden has not received any gifts yet
Hi Golden,
email me at email@example.com
Hi Golden, I'd love to hit with you. Doubles or singles doesn't really matter to me. But like I said, I hate volleys hahaha.. anyway, I hope you don't mind if I'm a bit rusty, I haven't actually touched a tennis racket in a year and half at least. Anyway, I live in Panorama City so I can probably go down to Sherman Oaks or somewhere near to play. Also, in two weeks l'll be going to Tarzana everyday so I'll probably be able to come down to Woodland Hills to play in the evenings :) Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reply btw :)
I just started playing so I have only played in Sherman Oaks thus far and would like to stay around the area, but I am definitely a beginner, you?
I am a 4.0 player in Woodland Hills and would to play some sets-singles or doubles on weekends. email@example.com or 818-713-8190. Bruce
Hi- I'm an LA Fitness member, looking for match play, am a 4.0, but will play anyone if it's a good matchup. Call me if game... Michael 818 703 8415
Hi- I'm an LA Fitness member, looking for match play, am a 4.0, but will play anyone if it's a good matchup. Call me if game... Michael 818 703 8415
What can you do here? At Tennisopolis, you can:
- network with your tennis friends. Invite your tennis friends and build your network now.
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text:
T.T.Jervis and F.Fallside
December 1992
In 1983, Barto, Sutton and Anderson published details of an adaptive controller which learnt to balance a simulated inverted pendulum. This reinforcement learning controller balanced the pendulum as a by-product of avoiding a cost signal delivered to the controller when the pendulum fell over. This paper describes their controller learning to balance a real inverted pendulum. As far as the authors are aware, this is the first example of a reinforcement learning controller being applied to a real inverted pendulum learning in real time.
The results show that the controller was able to improve its performance as it learnt, and that the task is computationally tractable. However, the implementation was not straightforward. Although some of the controller's parameters were tuned automatically by learning, some were not and had to be carefully set for successful control. This limits the usefulness of this kind of learning controller to small problems which are likely to be better controlled by other means. Before a learning controller can tackle more difficult problems, a more powerful learning scheme has to be found.
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Not only do I love Frick's hunts, I also love how Fricka Morgath themes her store to match her hunts, or does she theme the hunts to match her store? Either way the store is always a hella cute place to hang out and take photos at! Don't forget to check out her items that are on sale, they are very reasonably priced, but so cute!
Sugarplum fairy skin in Sugar:
Sugarplum fairy skin in Apricot:
Sugarplum fairy skin in ghost (incidentally, my fave!):
Don't you agree, these skins are so adorable?? And for L$1 a piece definately worth snapping up!! I had to take one more shot to show you the amazing boots I'm wearing, cus they were obscured by the grass, and they are too cute not to show you.
These boots are the current picks rewards gift at MV. Thats' right, MV now has pick rewards!! Go visit the store, add MV into your picks and come back later to click the vendor for these super cute boots!!Also shown here is the super-cute Sakura necklace from Virtual/Insanity. The pink version of this necklace was recently released for Grenade Free Wednesdays, but now the whole colour collection is available at the store, and there are also earrings to match too!!
All skins: Frick (L$1 each during the Holiday Hunt, unfortunately I'm not sure when this hunt ends!),
Snowflake PJs: Frick (again L$1 each during the Holiday Hunt. I would totally wear these as casual outdoor clothes, not just PJs, lol!),
Necklace: [Virtual/Insanity] ~ Sakura necklace (L$149 per colour),
Boots: :{MV}: ~ Cruxshadow Boots/ Cyan (Picks rewards gift),
Hair: Truth ~ Rayne.
Happy Hunting!!
Millie xox


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I see a lot of surveys and reports and analysis in my job. Some I look over, some I ignore. For the most part, I'm never that surprised, as most of the findings say pretty much the same thing most of us have already heard or suspected.
But today was different. When I first saw Aflac's new Worksite Report, I actually did a double-take.
In case you missed my news story, here's the gist: A whopping 45 percent of brokers are considering quitting — actually leaving the health insurance business altogether.
More than half of brokers say they have very little confidence — if any — in their future. About a third of them are worried they won't remain relevant.
How worrisome is this? Extremely.
I've heard many concerns and anecdotes from a variety of my broker sources before, but Aflac's report spelled out what they referred to as the "great broker-employer-employee divide."
The fact is that though brokers are filled with self-doubt, thinking they aren't needed, employers and employees are both saying they are in desperate need of guidance from them. Now more than ever.
The Aflac report made me recall another one I wrote about last week. LIMRA found that most Americans flunk a basic health insurance test. For the most part, consumers lacked knowledge about plan features, how various types of plans work and the costs involved.
Surprised? You shouldn't be.
Anyone in the benefits business should know that their work is confusing to everyone who isn't involved in it.
But do you really think your role isn't important? LIMRA said its little IQ test showcases the important need for brokers and agents.
"Consumers need help determining what types of coverage are available and what they should buy to best meet their need," Anita Potter, assistant vice president, LIMRA group insurance research, said in a statement. "Our industry can help by engaging and educating consumers now, so when they ultimately choose their health care insurance, it is done prudently."
And that's not even mentioning PPACA. The health insurance overhaul is confusing employers, consumers and the general public (oh, and of course, the administration, which rolls out delay after delay). Everyone is in desperate need of guidance and advice from benefits consultants.
The Aflac numbers really shock me — and concern me as a consumer. I've already mentioned this before, but negativity and giving up aren't needed in your business right now. Adoption is. Innovation is. Excitement is. Is giving up really the only option?
There seems to be so much opportunity — aside from consulting, there's an increasing need for awareness of voluntary products, consumer-driven plans and wellness programs that aren't well understood.
Honestly, I have a hard time believing half of the brokers out there are planning on leaving the biz. But hey, at least if that really is the case, you folks who don't give up won't be short for business.
For more from Kathryn Mayer, see:
Nearly half of brokers ready to exit


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I am pleased to announce the BOSS, or the Lamb Lion Net Bible Organizer Study Suite, for use with BibleWorks.
BIBLE ORGANIZER STUDY SUITE can be freely downloaded HERE
Bible Organizer Study Suite (BOSS) is a FREEWARE program, but REGISTRATION is MANDATORY if you wish to realize the full potential of Bible Organizer Study Suite. In order to register your copy of BOSS, click on the following email address -- email@example.com -- with the word "Registration" in the subject box.
WARNING: There will be no exceptions to the following standards for registration. To wit: Register by sending a valid personal name and a valid email address to the email link given above. Company, group, ministry or other corporate names will NOT be accepted. Only VALID PERSONAL NAMES and VALID EMAIL ADDRESSES will be accepted. Your names and email addresses will be kept entirely confidential and will never be used for any purpose other than for registering this product. Period.
When sending your name for Registration, send it EXACTLY as you want it to appear in the BOSS program dialog Registration box.
Bible Organizer Study Suite (BOSS) extends the already enormous capabilities of BibleWorks by gathering and organizing BibleWorks' Verse List Manager (VLM) and Word List Manager (WLM)files into Categories. This provides a powerful tool for exegesis, sermon preparation, and numerous other protocols for studying God's written Word.
Although BOSS has some compelling features, some of which may be similar to those of the VLM and WLM, nevertheless BOSS is not meant to duplicate the functionality of the BibleWorks VLM or the WLM. Rather, BOSS extends the functionality of BibleWorks by expanding the organizational capabilities of results obtained from using the powerful VLM and WLM features in BibleWorks. This is, in fact, the very purpose of BOSS.
As you can see, there are four tabs representing four main applications. The menus are context sensitive, which means the menus for tab 1 will have different content than the the menus for the other three tabs, and so forth, so don't be afraid to check out the Help file in each tab interface.
It is imperative that you engage the very short Tutorial, which can be accessed from the Help menu of Bible Organizer Study Suite. Working through the short Tutorial will teach you in five minutes all of the fundamental features of Verse List Organizer and Word List Organizer and will give you a firm foundation for quickly making the most of this program. Three tutorial files are included. These are --
1. vlo_angels.vls
2. vlo_demons.vls
3. vlo_special_angels.vls
Move these files to your ASE folder before beginning the tutorial. These files, created from within the BibleWorks VLM, have only a sampling of verses and were created strictly for the purpose of this Tutorial. They should not be considered necessarily accurate or comprehensive. Again, these three files should be placed in your ASE folder prior to participating in the Tutorial.
NOTE 1: There are currently some limitations to the WLM (IEL) files, in that all morphological versions are currently displayed in the English font. Some people will actually like this, others certainly will not. However, there are plans to make this optional in a future update, which is to say, in a future update there are plans to display the morphological versions both ways so that the user has the option. Along with this, there will also be an option to display the numbers right next to the word as it is currently done in the WLM in BibleWorks, but I think you will find the current method in BOSS is quite nice once you understand how it works. It will pay off if you check the Help file under IEL File Information and VLS File Information.
NOTE 2:If you really want to get the most out of Verse List Organizer, you should also make sure that -- from within BibleWorks -- you go to the View menu and then make sure that the "Receive References (ParaText)" item is CHECKED. This enables you to double-click on verses in Verse List Organizer and have them instantly appear in BibleWorks.
NOTE 3: when you start Bible Organizer Study Suite for the first time, a dialog box will appear before the main Bible Organizer Study Suite screen does. This dialog box asks you to navigate to your BibleWorks ASE folder, which is typically "c:\Program Files\BibleWorks 8\ASE"
Bible Organizer Study Suite records this information so that you only have to do this once. Of course, there are also options for changing this folder and for setting the location of other folders once you are in Bible Organizer Study Suite. See the "Configuration" topic in the Help file for details.
It is also recommended - though not at all necessary - that you create a VLO and a WLO folder in the same spot, for example, "c:\Program Files\BibleWorks 8\VLO" and "c:\Program Files\BibleWorks 8\WLO"
Should you decide to create these folders, you can do so from within the "Configuration" menu of Bible Organizer Study Suite so that Bible Organizer Study Suite will automatically know where to find your files. If you create this folder outside of Bible Organizer Study Suite, you can simply navigate to that folder from the "Configuration" menu. Either way, you must let Bible Organizer Study Suite know where this folder is, otherwise your VLO an WLO files will be stored in the default installation folder.
Verse List Organizer files have a .VLO extension, while BibleWorks Verse List Manager files have a .VLS extension. Likewise, Word List Organizer have .WLO extension, while BibleWorks WLM files have a .IEL extension.f you choose not to create a VLO or WLO folder, Bible Organizer Study Suite will store its VLO and WLO files inthe same folder in which Bible Organizer Study Suite itself is stored, which is by default "c:\Program Files\Bible Organizer Study Suite\".
The installation program does not engage or affect your system files or other critical files in any way. The installation program merely creates a folder and stores the Bible Organizer Study Suite files in that folder, along with the "readme" and three tutorial VLS files. The default folder for the installation is, as noted above, "c:\Program Files\Bible Organizer Study Suite\"
Finally, if you want to ensure that you have the latest version of Bible Organizer Study Suite, keep monitoring the above link where you first downloaded Bible Organizer Study Suite, as I will keep a running documentation of updates and fixes there. You can also find a link to this site from the "Window" menu of Bible Organizer Study Suite.
Well, that's about it. I hope you find the program useful.
In Christ Jesus (who is Lord of all, and who alone is worthy)
Scott Jones


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Wilmer Valderrama Confirms He's Single. Demi Lovato Is Officially Back On The Market!
Rumors that Demi Lovato and her boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama had split were all the buzz recently — and Wilmer now confirms to HollywoodLife.com that he's single!
Wilmer Valderrama is starring in the upcoming film, Larry Crowne, and chatted with HollywoodLife.com at the Critics Choice Television Awards today. He spoke about his new film, his costars, Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen, and revealed he's no longer dating Demi Lovato!
When we asked Wilmer about the question that has been on everyone's mind, he was simple and to the point saying, "I am not dating, I'm actually single." You know what that means…Demi is back on the market, we wonder which Hollywood hottie she will date next?!
Although he didn't say much about his former flame, Wilmer gushed about his costar, Julia Roberts. When she walks in the room he said, "Your knees buckle when she flashes those pearly whites, she is like the sun walking into a room, and then when she leaves the sun sets. It's really all about presence with her and her beauty."
When asked about working with Julia and Tom Hanks as a duo, Wilmer had nothing but kind words to share.
"You really want them to be proud of you. It was a very special project, to work with incredible icons is such a gift" he said. So true, Julia and Tom are amazing!
He also wished his That 70's Show cast mate, Ashton Kutcher, good luck on his new venture in Two & A Half Men.
"I look back at what the cast of the 70's show has done, it's all been interesting choices, I am very proud of all of them. We are a very humble rat pack, and he is comfortable enough in front of the camera and will entertain again. I couldn't be more happy for him." Us too Wilmer — we can't wait to see what Ashton does now that the man with "Tiger's Blood" has left the show.
Breakups are always sad for the people involved, but Wilmer and Demi have been very on-again off-again, so it isn't shocking that they've split. Do you think Wilmer and Demi will get back together?


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Amateur golfers have the chance of a lifetime to play alongside many of the world's leading professionals and celebrity amateurs in the prestigious invitation-only Alfred Dunhill Links Championship held over the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns from October 6-9.
This is the last amateur playing place in the Championship and has been made available by the charitable Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation, which raises funds to assist young amateur golfers in Scotland and South Africa and to support the town and University of St Andrews.
This amazing opportunity also includes the unique chance to play a practice round with Australian cricket legend Shane Warne on the eve of the event.
The place is up for auction through www.ebay.co.uk - from 6pm on Tuesday, September 13, until 6pm on Tuesday, September 20.
Shane Warne, who has played many times in the event, encouraged golfers to bid to be part of this great event and tee up with him for a practice round.
Commenting, Shane Warne said: "To play in the Alfred Dunhill Links is a golfer's dream and the courses we play are three of the most wonderful in the world. The Old Course is just the most historic and uplifting place to play golf. Links golf for me is a magical experience and to be able to share the fairways with so many great golfers and famous celebrities in this Championship is unique.
"I am really delighted to have the chance to play a practice round with the winner of the auction. I can promise that he or she will have the golfing experience of a lifetime during the Championship, and also, by contributing to the auction, will be raising money for an important charity as well."
The winning bidder will be treated to the very best of Alfred Dunhill's world famous hospitality.
The package includes one amateur place in the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a practice round with Shane Warne, five nights accommodation for two at an official tournament hotel (breakfast included), airport transfers from Edinburgh and invitations to the Championship's exclusive social events as honoured guests.
With a prize fund of US$5 million, the Championship incorporates two separate competitions - an individual professional tournament for the world's leading golfers and a team event in which the professionals are paired with some of the most celebrated amateur golfers which creates a unique atmosphere.
Over the years the Alfred Dunhill Links has attracted a strong international field which has included Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Sir Nick Faldo, Fred Couples, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Dustin Johnson. Already confirmed for this year's event are Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Angel Cabrera, Y.E.Yang, Andrew Johnston and Thomas Pieters.
Among the amateurs who have played regularly are entertainment stars Jamie Dornan, Hugh Grant, Andy Garcia, Ronan Keating and Huey Lewis who have shared the fairways with sporting greats like Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Ian Botham, Michael Phelps, Luis Figo, Ruud Gullit and Jamie Redknapp.
Bids can be made by visiting www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfred-Dunhill-Links-Championship-2016
The proceeds from the auction of this amateur playing spot will benefit the St Andrews-based Pilgrim Foundation (Charity Number SC029297), a charity committed to the restoration of historic monuments and buildings in the Home of Golf. The Pilgrim Foundation's patrons include Sir Sean Connery, Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Sam Torrance, Tony Jacklin and TV commentator Peter Alliss.
Golfing great Arnold Palmer said: "St Andrews has special memories for me – it is a wonderful and unique place. I applaud Alfred Dunhill for their continuing support of this great game and for their support of the Pilgrim Foundation."
The Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation (registered Scottish charity number SC042414) is the official Foundation of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and has raised millions of pounds for good causes since its inception.


text:
Consumer experts are warning of a new series of online scams offering seemingly well-priced drones for sale.
However, the fashionable items being advertised on online shopping sites at lower than the recommended price often do not exist, according to Action Fraud.
After victims agree to purchase a drone, the fraudsters request payment to be paid via bank transfer, saying that it will quicken the delivery process.
After transferring the money the buyers never receive the drone and the fraudster blocks the victim to prevent further conversation.
Action Fraud has offered the following advice which applies to all online transactions:
Check the validity of the post.
Avoid paying by bank transfer and instead use an online payment option such as PayPal, which helps to protect you.
Check feedback online by searching the associated phone numbers or email addresses of the seller. Feedback will give you useful information about recent transactions other buyers have made.
If the item is below market value consider whether this is an opportunity too good to be true.


text:
Tuesday, 21 June 2016 12:27
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text:
You can use Natur-a soy, rice and almonds beverages cup-for-cup to replace milk in all your recipes.Recipes
Did you know that Health Canada recommends that if you don't drink milk, you should drink 2 to 4 portions of fortified soy beverages such as Natur-a every day? Include Natur-a soy products in your diet now, and start enjoying the benefits to your health.
Are you lactose-intolerant? Natur-a soy, rice and almonds beverages are an ideal substitute for cow's milk.Nutrition
Soy helps to reduce the risks of many cancers, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis, as well as alleviate the symptoms of menopause.Disease prevention
From age 2 on, children have all the enzymes they need to digest whole beans and can benefit from the vitamins and minerals with which Natur-a soy beverages are fortified.Children and soy


text:
"I did a dumb thing last year but I learned a lesson," said one landscape contractor, who requested anonymity. Because he was rushing to close down for the winter, he did not prepare his equipment for the winter layoff. When spring came, getting his equipment ready—especially his lawn mowers— presented many problems. "This year, I'll be prepared," he added.
With spring almost around the corner, it's a good time to begin to think of preparing your mowers for the season. You're lining up your crews, getting the materials you're going to need stocked. Your ducks are in a row, ready for startup. Of course, your faithful commercial mowers are sitting in storage, just waiting to kick right back into action.
Or are they? Your mowers may not be as ready as you think, especially if you didn't 'put them to bed' properly. If you winterized your fleet, you should have no problems, now that spring is almost here. If you didn't…well, then there are some things to get busy with now, before the first client appointment is made.
Remember "spring cleaning?" That was the old housewife's ritual, where every year, the house was cleaned from top to bottom; rugs and drapes freshened, closets de-cluttered, screens hosed down, iceboxes sanitized. The idea was that once spring arrived, all traces of musty, dusty winter should be banished, and everything made sparkling to match the season.
The ritual has kind of gone by the wayside, but the principle behind it is still sound. Why not approach spring startup the same way, by giving your mowers a thorough inspection, cleanout and tune-up, making everything shiny and new before the season roars into full gear?
While you're revisiting your mowers, you may discover that some parts need replacing. If you do your own maintenance, you probably have some of those parts in your shop already.
"Keep a good inventory of what you need on hand," advises Gary Sams, shop fleet manager at Hermes Landscaping in Lenexa, Kansas. "With mowers, in many cases it's cheaper in the long run to replace with new parts, rather than rebuild. You've got to consider your downtime while you're having an item rebuilt."
The problems you're most likely to have at the start of the season are mowers that won't start, due to dead batteries or gasoline gone bad. "We do see a lot of fuel problems in the early spring when contractors first get their mowers out," says Alex Collins, owner of Alex's Mobile Mower Repair in Waldorf, Maryland.
Ready to get started? Here's a checklist to guide you.
Drain gasoline fuel tanks. Did you drain the gas tanks or put fuel stabilizer in them before you closed the shed door for the winter?
"Unlike propane, fuel stabilizers must be added to gas and diesel for long-term storage," says Joe Hyler, service technician for Beatrice, Nebraska-based Exmark. "Gasoline and diesel left in a tank might go bad, which can damage some engine components. It can be avoided by adding a stabilizer to the gas tank before storing the machine for winter," he explains.
If you didn't do this, the fuel in those tanks has probably separated. Most gasoline has some ethanol in it, at least ten percent (E10). Ethanol attracts water.
If there's still some fuel in your mowers, drain them and add some new fuel before starting them up again. And don't use fuel that's been sitting there in a gas can, either; the same thing has happened to it. Even more important, if you've been using E15 (gasoline with 15 percent ethanol), know that when it breaks down, it can leave varnish inside of engines. Sticky goo inside any engine is going to make it hard to start.
If you're using propane, Hyler points out that you don't have to worry about propane degrading. However, "contractors should shut off tanks and run the machine until hoses are completely empty of fuel" before they are stored for the winter. He adds, "They can keep the propane still left in a cylinder."
Change fuel filters. Change the oil and oil filters. Be sure to put in the right weight of oil for warm-weather operation.
Check belts. Check all drive belts and deck drive belts for wear. It's possible that shiny spots, cracks or loosening that you may have overlooked in the fall is obvious now.
Change them if they're nicked, frayed, warped or have started to slip.
Check batteries. How are they doing? If you didn't hook them up to trickle chargers, they may not have any juice. "The starter batteries on many mowers go dead after sitting for three months," says Sams. Test, charge and replace, if necessary.
Many of the "mower won't start" calls manufacturers get from February to the beginning of April are caused by neglected starter battery maintenance. It's a good idea to disconnect batteries before winter storage.
If you did that, but still have dead batteries, it may be because they were left on a cold concrete floor. The chemicals inside them may have reacted to the extreme temperatures. If any of your batteries have flatlined, don't despair; Sams says most of them will come back if you give them a recharge.
Tighten nuts and bolts. Look your mowers over and check all of these. Do you see any loose nuts or bolts on the floor, under the machines? Check all the metal connections to verify that they're nice and tight.
Change air filters. If they're dirty, they should be history. Dirty air filters reduce fuel efficiency. Even worse, they put added stress on mowers. It's good to get in the habit of changing out air filters just before winter storage. If you know that the filters weren't changed, better safe than sorry; change them now, even if they don't look that dirty.
Test spark plugs. Spark plugs usually require replacement every 100 hours. If you didn't replace aged or corroded ones before winter storage, now's the time. Don't overtighten them or forget to leave gaps, or the mowers won't start.
Check glow plugs. If you have diesel-powered mowers, you have glow plugs. A single bad glow plug will keep a diesel engine from starting. A cautionary note: glow plugs should only be activated for testing purposes for five to ten seconds, and never for more than 20 seconds at a time.
Check tires. Did you know that tire pressure can greatly affect the quality of cut your mowers give? The tires have been sitting for some time; make sure they haven't gotten soft. Even without slow leaks, tires gradually lose air. If they've gone flat, sitting that way over the winter can damage sidewalls. While you're at it, don't forget to check the treads. Is it time for some new tires?
Look for cracks and breaks. Any parts of your mowers that can break should be looked over thoroughly—wheels, handles, fuel tank covers, cables, anything. Check for cracks in the frames, too. Do a thorough visual inspection, and repair if needed.
Do a leak check. Notice any puddles under your mowers? They've been sitting around for a few months, so anything dripping should have "outed" itself by now, whether it's a wheel motor, a pump, an oil cooler, or a fuel tank or line. "Check the fuel lines to see if they're getting soft or pliable," adds Collins, who says this can be one of the bad effects of ethanol. If they are, replace them.
Inspect all electrical connections. Make sure nothing is loose or corroded. If there are fuses, make sure they're not blown.
Check and change fluids and filters on hydrostatic drive systems. Drive systems on rider mowers are usually hydraulic. Hydraulic drive system filters and fluids are supposed to be changed every 500 miles. If the fluids and filters haven't been changed regularly, or weren't changed just before store-away, do it now.
Check the spindles. If there's play in them, they should be changed.
Do a safety check. Make sure all safety features are fully enabled. Some landscape workers like to cable down throttles, a very dangerous practice. Make sure everything on the mowers that was put there for safety reasons is still attached and functioning. Fix anything that may have been jury-rigged or messed with.
Lubricate. Now's the time to make sure that everything glides along smoothly. If a good, thorough lube job hasn't been done in awhile, now's the time. Grease idler arms, pivot points and cutter housings. The mowers have had all winter to sit and dry out. Spindles and axles can actually break from not being properly lubed; you don't want that happening the first day out.
Sharpen and balance blades. Don't start the season with dull or damaged blades. Dull blades slow things down and cut grass unevenly. Replace them if needed.
Check and/or clean undercarriages. And while you're looking at the business ends of your mowers…is everything clean under there? Or do you see a bunch of caked-on grass and dirt? "Remove all debris from the engine and cutting decks, and around the blades," advises Hyler.
Any buildup of debris needs to go, because it can clog discharge chutes. You can blow out some of this with an air compressor, and use a wire brush to get the more stubborn stuff out. "If machines need to be washed, make sure to dry them thoroughly with a blower or using compressed air to prevent any rusting," adds Hyler.
Clean the exteriors. Of course, your mowers will run fine with dirty exteriors. But what about your business? Your company's image is tied to how your equipment looks; clean it up. You can use a solvent such as WD-40 to remove any oil or gas stains. After you wash down your mowers, blow them dry with compressed air.
Some landscape professionals also touch up their mowers' paint jobs before they make their spring debut. Does she need a touch of lipstick before meeting her public?
We need to add a word of caution about pressure-washing your mowers: while some contractors like to do this, doing so can drive water up into the bearings and lube points, causing corrosion. Even some sealed bearings can get water forced into them this way. Cleaning out your mowers with an air compressor nozzle is safer.
Once you've done all that, you're ready to start up your mowers.
My mower won't start—now what?
Even after you've done everything on the checklist, you still might be faced with a balky machine. Here's a checklist for a mower that won't start:
—Is the blade control disengaged or turned to the off position?
—Is the parking brake on? —Is the operator sitting in the seat (riding mowers)? Riders won't start if no one is sitting on them— that's a safety feature. Some standers have this "dead man" feature, too.
You might try using a cleaning additive to de-gunk the carburetor and see if that helps.
Be very careful before you reach for that starting fluid. Kubota, Kohler and Briggs & Stratton say you should absolutely never use starting fluid in any of their engines, as it will cause severe piston ring or ring land damage. Check your owner's manual before you add anything. If in doubt, don't.
If the mower still won't start, then something more serious may be wrong. If you don't have your own shop, it may be time to take it to one.
When all else fails, read the instructions. Mower manufacturers are pretty good about telling you exactly how their products should be handled. Inside your owner's manual you'll find a recommended maintenance schedule, what weights of oil to use, instructions on cleaning, and many other important things, including what not to do.
Many manufacturers have "how-to" videos on their company's websites. These demonstrate step-by-step many common service and cleaning procedures. (You can also download owner's manuals there, in case you've lost yours.)
We hope this will help you prepare for a productive and profitable spring season. Happy mowing!


text: Nokia and Microsoft are betting big on the Lumia 900, hoping the device will help make a name for Windows Phone in the United States. The handset will be exclusively offered by AT&T for a mere $99.99 with a new two-year agreement on April 8th. TechRepublic on Tuesday cracked open the device and examined its internal components. The conclusion: mediocre hardware is the reasons for its low price. With almost every other competing smartphone offering dual-core or quad-core processors, Nokia instead chose a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 chipset clocked at 1.4 GHz. The Lumia has a smaller battery, lower resolution display and less RAM than most of its competitors as well. The handset is also thicker and heavier than most, although it has a good build quality according to the site. Despite these shortcomings, Nokia's Lumia 900 is a terrific smartphone that gives Windows Phone its best shot yet to succeed.


text:
July 10, 2019
America's Demographic Destiny Can't Be Ignored
The birth rate is at an all-time low. That's going to have a major impact on public services.
May 1, 2019
Signs of Hope for the Media Industry
Its problems didn't start with Trump, but he ironically may be helping to turn some of them around.
March 20, 2019
Why I'm Optimistic About America's Economic Outlook
Another recession is in the forecast. This time, states seem ready to weather it.
November 26, 2018
Hope for Fixing the Heart of America's Voting Problems
The system is broken. But the midterms laid the foundation for reforming it.
November 19, 2018
A Crisis in Motion: America's Transportation Dilemma
Federal policy, and other factors, are disrupting efforts to improve transit and forcing urban planners to make tough choices.
September 7, 2018
On Water Problems, Governments Actually Work Together
When it comes to dirty lakes and rivers, governments have learned how to cooperate.
July 12, 2018
Federalism Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?
Our federal system is tied up in knots. We have to try to untie them.
May 21, 2018
It's Time for Governments to Try Federalism Again
Our toughest problems can't be solved unless we learn to work together.
March 21, 2018
Hope for Car-Haters
Cities are beginning to rethink their relationship with automobiles.
January 10, 2018
These 2 Men Made Careers Out of Fighting for Federalism
One of them, Paul Posner, who recently died, spent decades advocating for a stronger relationship between federal, state and local governments.
November 16, 2017
First He Reinvented Government. Now He Wants to Reinvent Schools.
In his new book, David Osborne argues the best way to fix the education system is to increase charter schools and create a survival-of-the-fittest system.
September 1, 2017
The Fractured State of Federalism
It's hard to tell who's in charge of what in American government these days.
July 13, 2017
Let's Give the Stimulus Its Due
It saved the economy, but that isn't always acknowledged.
May 9, 2017
Trump-Watching From City Hall
His policy choices will challenge places from Manhattan to Mobile, Ala.
March 1, 2017
Outposts of Rationality in Our Great Partisan Divide
U.S. politics isn't all poisonous. You just have to leave Washington to realize that.
January 9, 2017
Conjectures From the Swamp
D.C. may be an object of Republican disdain, but it's now at the center of governmental change.
November 28, 2016
The Upside of Police Chiefs' Recent Departures
They're stepping down in cities across the country, opening up opportunities for major change.
September 14, 2016
Doubts About Pension Debt
We can't be sure how much states and localities owe.
July 26, 2016
Millennials and Homeownership
The uncertainty of where they'll live is creating new challenges.
May 3, 2016
Washington, D.C.'s Monumental Decay
In D.C., above and below ground, historic and vital infrastructure is in bad shape. There's plenty of blame to spread around for that.
March 1, 2016
Confronting Climate Change's Biggest Deniers
Some of the skeptics are also the people with the most power to make a difference. Ignoring or denying the issue isn't an option.
January 1, 2016
Detroit and New Orleans Have More in Common Than Most Think
Most important, their prospects for survival can teach us about the resiliency of urban areas everywhere.
November 1, 2015
Plan B for Ending the Gun Epidemic
Federal firearm laws are unlikely to change, so it's up to states and localities to lead a societal effort.
September 9, 2015
State and Local Governments' Ticking Debt Bomb
The U.S. may not be the next Greece, but it must face up to some hard decisions.
July 1, 2015
Public Universities Have Forgotten Their Mission
As public education becomes less public, what new economic model will emerge?
May 1, 2015
Washington's Education Stalemate
Why improving our schools looks hopeless on Capitol Hill.
March 1, 2015
Utah's Secret Weapon for Long-Range Planning
Most governments don't plan for population growth well. But Utah's grassroots, nonideological, research-based approach has become a model for other states and localities.
March 1, 2015
The 'CEO-Mayors' Who Care About Cities Instead of Profits
Dan Gilbert of Detroit is just one example of what a CEO determined to help their communities can accomplish.
January 1, 2015
Washington's Media Myopia
With practically no legislation moving through Congress, the Washington press corps is beginning to focus on action in states and localities.
November 1, 2014
Crazy Quilt Federalism
Innovation is happening in a lot of places, just in different ways.
September 1, 2014
Are Governments Neglecting Planes and Trains?
Even though airports and public transportation systems are in need of upgrades, all anyone ever talks about is roads and bridges.
July 1, 2014
The Great Water Paradox
With far too little water in some places and far too much in others, U.S. governments can no longer ignore climate change.
May 1, 2014
How Big Cities Push Big New Ideas
As urban populations have grown, cities have become centers of innovation.
March 1, 2014
Poverty Won't Be Solved by Congress
Since Congress has trouble tying its shoes, states and localities must take the lead reversing the dangerous trends of rising inequality and stagnant mobility.
January 1, 2014
America Risks Wasting Fracking's Potential
Hydraulic fracking holds so much promise for generating inexpensive, relatively clean energy. But first, we need to figure out how to regulate it.
September 1, 2013
What (Not) to Expect from Congress This Session
Congress is back, but don't expect the players in this sad comedy to know or care much about how any pieces of legislation they pass will affect our states, regions or metros.
February 28, 2013
Federalism from the Bottom Up
More than ever, the feds need states and local regions to take the lead in crafting promising new programs.
December 28, 2012
Who Pays for Superstorm Sandy?
States don't just want money to rebuild -- they want money to make far-reaching changes to infrastructure too.
October 31, 2012
It's Time for States, Localities to Think Boldly
Elections and governance have become so intertwined that it's hard to know when campaigns begin or end. We do know we need big ideas.
August 31, 2012
Washington, D.C.'s Other 1-Percent Problem
The nation's capital is more about what you own these days than what you do.
June 29, 2012
The Politics of Rising Tuition Costs
Obama blames the states, but the problem is more complicated.
May 31, 2012
Public Universities Reach a Tipping Point
Severe funding cuts and the record-high numbers of people going to college are forcing state university systems to make tough decisions about financial aid, curriculums, research and more.
April 30, 2012
The Affordable Care Act: A Case Study for Cooperative Federalism?
If the health reform law is upheld, the flexibility it will give states on health insurance exchanges could be a model for healthy federal-state relations.
February 29, 2012
Despite Corruption Concerns, D.C. Improves Services
Amid several ethics scandals, the city government has dramatically improved its delivery of services -- even as demand has increased.
January 1, 2012
What Brand of Federalism Is Next?
Obama's mixed approach of coercion and collaboration seems to be working, but that may not last.
October 31, 2011
Column: Housing Policy Deserves a Demotion
GOVERNING Publisher Emeritus Peter Harkness says it may be time for government to get out of the business of promoting homeownership.
August 31, 2011
Severe Budget Cuts Ahead
With stimulus funding gone, a misinformed citizenry is unprepared for the funding cuts on the horizon.
June 30, 2011
Cities Must Find the Economy's Fix
With Washington paralyzed by its debt and states facing deficits, the pressure is on local governments to raise more revenue or make significant structural changes to reduce costs.
April 29, 2011
The Truth about Bankruptcy
Exaggerating problems is more about politics than budget balancing.
February 28, 2011
Public Servants as Public Enemy #1
At all levels, denigration of public service is a legacy of the recession.
January 1, 2011
The Nation's Outlook on Trains
Bullet trains may be sidetracked, but not commuter rail.
November 1, 2010
Finding a Leader With Answers
As problems cry out for solutions, we need more Richard Daleys.
State and Federal Immigration Policy Challenges Republicans and Democrats
The politics of immigration policy are tricky for both parties.
Restoring the Balance of Federalism
In the recession's wake, states and localities face new realities.
Education Reform is the New Game in Town
What's not to like about the Race to the Top? Plenty, it seems.
States, Localities Face a 'Lost Decade'
Economic recovery will be slow, subduing any ambitions state and local governments may harbor to play a role in shaping national policy.
Washington Plays Catch Up On Climate Change
States, localities and the private sector are already confronting climate change. Washington has just scratched the surface.
The Ticking Fiscal Clock
In this state and local fiscal mess, realism may be the only option.
Tying Federal Funding to Regional Cooperation
For the White House, the new mantra is 'metro regions.'
Devolution? What's That?
Right now, federalism means the feds are running the show.
When the Well Runs Dry
The stimulus won't last forever. That's worth remembering.
Tackling Taxophobia
We can't keep pretending tax increases are a fatal disease.
Obama and the States
President Bush promised governors a close relationship and didn't deliver. Can states trust the reassuring words of his successor?
March 31, 2007
Low-Flow Revenue Stream
When some labor unions in Rockford, Ill., came out in support of an increase in the local sales tax last month, it wasn't big news....
March 25, 2007
Test, but Verify
Almost two years ago, this space discussed George W. Bush's centerpiece education program in a column that started off this way: "There is a rebellion...


text:
Smartq5/7, Chinese made MID running Linux
Smartq5/7, Chinese made MID running Linux
May 28 2009, 09:00 AM
Post #1
Group: Members
Posts: 1
Joined: 3-June 06
Member No.: 10,043
hey guys~
recently i found a device called SmartQ5 or Q7 MID very interesting ~
Q5 is a device having 4.3in. screen with 800x480 resoultion.
it use Samsung arm11 667MHz CPU with 128MB ram
it equipment with WiFi 802.11b/g, bluetooth and a SD card slot
Q7 is a device with same hardware as Q5 except the 7in. screen and no bluetooth.
same as z, they has usb host and tested with working mouse, keyboard and flash drives~
it originally comes with a modified ubuntu
i found that someone already ported several os into the device, debian, wince, mer and android !!!
the most important things is it is much cheaper than z
Q5 live shots
Q5 hands on
Jun 2 2009, 11:13 AM
Post #2
Group: Admin
Posts: 3,677
Joined: 29-July 04
From: Cambridge, England
Member No.: 4,149
it looks like an interesting alternative to the nokia tablet 770 or 800, but without a keyboard it's no zaurus killer, but we can hope that someone like smartQ will see the light!
Oct 13 2009, 04:32 AM
Post #3
Group: Members
Posts: 112
Joined: 29-August 05
Member No.: 7,981
I ordered a few SmartQ 5s with android. I have one for myself and one for my wife, and I pre-sold a couple. I'm really looking forward to this gadget. I love my C1000, but its been a frustrating experience sometimes, and I'm hoping that already having support for three major distributions (android, mer and ubuntu) will lead to a user experience that is a little less tweaking and a little more fun.
BTW, One of the guys backed out and I'll have an extra one when they arrive tomorrow. PM me if you are interested.
|Lo-Fi Version
|Time is now: 22nd February 2020 - 03:22 AM


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|H.F. Grebey Junior High School basketball team 1954-1955
My grandfather, Edward Brown Sr., was the Vice-Principal of H.F. Grebey Junior High School in Hazleton, Pennsylvania and also it's basketball coach. The photo above shows the Grebey basketball team from the 1954-1955 school year. I'm told by my mother that he became the Vice-Principal in 1957 when she was in 8th grade and that she believes he went from assistant coach to head coach shortly before becoming the Vice-Principal. My grandpa is the coach on the right.
The Greater Hazleton Historical Society has the various high school yearbooks back to 1910, but I haven't discovered yet who kept the yearbooks for the 2 junior high schools in Hazleton (H.F. Grebey and D.A. Harman have both been long since destroyed). I'm going to have to contact the school district and the local library to see if anyone kept them. I would like to be able to see exactly when my grandpa started coaching, began teaching, became the head coach, etc. So much to know. I would find it hard to believe that all the yearbooks have been destroyed. It would be heartbreaking!


text:
The Grange is a "sounding board" for people concerned about their community, state and nation. It is "grassroots" in the truest sense of the word. Policy adopted by the National Grange comes from one of the many subordinate (local) Granges across the country. In Pennsylvania there are approximately 300 local Granges, like Elizabethtown Grange, where citizens meet to discuss the issues of the day.
Any member can come to a meeting with an idea for change. Ideas are crafted into the form of a resolution. Grange members vote on the drafted resolution. If passed, it will go to a countywide gathering of Grange members called "Pomona", which happens 4 times per year. If passed there, it will go on to the State Grange, where it will be voted upon by delegates from the Granges across Pennsylvania during State Session, held in October. If adopted by the State Grange, it will become part of Grange policy, and we will work towards making it a reality. Some measures may also be sent to National Grange for adoption. Several years ago, an Elizabethtown Grange resolution concerning eminent domain abuse was part of a resolution adopted by the National Grange. Each resolution goes as far as is pertinent to the issue.
There is a misconception that Grange is just a "farmer's organization". That is not entirely true. The Grange has always been meant to be a reflection of its members. When the Grange was founded in the 1860's, 80% of the population was farmers. Naturally, many of the issues discussed dealt with situations that affected their livelihoods. But as the times changed, so has the Grange. Today, less than 2% of America's population is involved in production agriculture. While the Grange still holds on to its agricultural roots, its work covers issues important to all of us, such as affordable health care, immigration, property tax reform, farmland preservation, and so much more.


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|Lancaster, Calif.
|High School:
|Quartz Hill HS
|Previous College:
|Coll. of the Canyons JC
2013-14 Season: Named the America Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year…averaged 73.88 in 33 rounds…began his Sacramento State career by tying for eighth place at the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate and tying for sixth at the Ram Master's Invitational…his 54-hole total of 70-71-67-208 at the Itani is the fourth lowest in school history…he is also tied for eighth after shooting 67-71-72-210 at the Ram Master's…his two rounds of 67 are tied for the 10th best in the Hornet record book…had six rounds of 70 or better during the season.
Prior to Sacramento State: Attended College of the Canyons JC for two seasons…helped the team win the 2013 California State Junior College championship in 2013…was a two-time all-Western States Conference selection and helped COC to a 70-1 record during 2013…at the conference championships, he shot 67-72-139 to place second…during his two seasons at COC, he averaged 72.3 in the 2012 and 72.5 in 2013.
High School: A 2011 graduate of Quartz Hill HS in Lancaster, Calif., where he was named all-valley four times…was the medalist at the league tournament during his senior season and helped the team to three league titles.
Lowest Rounds
67 - Itani Quality Homes Collegiate, 3rd Round (Sept. 10, 2013)
67 - Ram Masters Invitational, 3rd Round (Sept. 17, 2013)
69 - Anteater Invitational, 1st Round (Jan. 27, 2014)
Lowest 54-Hole Scores
208 - Itani Quality Homes Collegiate (Sept. 9-10, 2013)
210 - Ram Masters Invitational (Sept. 16-17, 2013)
215 - Anteater Invitational (Jan. 27-28, 2014)


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Courses & Curriculum
Although HSLDA and our affiliates do not sell complete curriculums, we do offer a wide variety of supplemental resources for your homeschool.
Toddlers to Tweens
Discover practical help for choosing curriculum: from assessing students' current abilities and defining goals to exploring learning/teaching styles and links to more detailed resources.
Homeschool Thru High School
Investigate curriculum options for your teen, as well as planning, transcript, diploma, and post-high school resources.
Constitutional Law Class
Study constitutional law with Dr. Michael P. Farris in this online or audio CD course.
HSLDA Online Academy
The Academy's courses are for homeschool students looking to supplement their education with high quality Christian courses. Each course combines the flexibility of independent study with the best of classroom learning.
Generation Joshua Civics Courses
Take online, self-paced courses that cover a variety of history and civics topics. Designed for ages 11-19.
Find textbooks and DVDs for teaching/learning high school debate.
Contests (Art, Essay, Photo, Poetry)
HSLDA developed these contests to encourage excellence among homeschool students in the areas of art, essays, photography, videography, and poetry.
Contact us | We welcome your comments and questions! Reach us directly from this page.


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Charlie Noble Siren Song
|In Stock
Like the sirens of legend, this e-liquid will draw you in with a deliciously rich, complex, cream and ripe strawberries.
Product Options
|0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg
|72% / 28%
|In Stock:
|Check Stock Levels
In Stock
& select Overnight Delivery
Shipping Rates
We offer Free Overnight Delivery on all NZ orders $49 & over. For orders under that amount we offer a flat shipping fee of $3.99 NZD
NZ Post - Overnight Delivery
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Age Restricted Delivery (18+)
All parcels that contain nicotine require an age restricted sticker that is applied to the front of the parcel. This means that when your local courier delivers the parcel, it must be to a person 18 years or older and they will require ID and a signature on delivery. If no one is available to sign for the parcel it will be taken back to your local depot and a card left for you to collect or arrange a re-delivery.
This only applies to parcels that contain nicotine e liquid. No Nicotine e liquid (0mg) + Vape hardware; kits, coils & accessories will not require the age restricted sticker.
If you are located in Australia please make your purchase on our Australian regional store by selecting Australia at the bottom of the website or clicking here Caktus Vape Australia. We offer the same products including nicotine e liquid in Australia Dollars with Australia Shipping Rates.
Pacific Islands
If you are located, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia we offer fixed shipping rates of $25 via DHL Express.
At this time we only serve customers in New Zealand, Australia, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga & New Caledonia.
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You can receive a shipping estimate for your order by clicking the Shipping Estimate button in the cart draw as shown in the image below.
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Orders shipped on Overnight Delivery have a target delivery of the next business day (overnight) to metro areas Monday to Friday. Some outer city suburbs and regional/rural areas may require additional days for transport.
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Orders shipped on Saturday Delivery have a target delivery of Saturday (before midday). This service is not available for regional/rural areas. Please insure that your address can accept a Saturday delivery by verifying your address on the NZ Post website.
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Orders shipped to the Pacific Islands or South Asia via DHL Express (Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia) have a target delivery of 3-10 Business Days. For remote locations extra days can be added for transit times.
Most city/town addresses in New Zealand are considered metro including most outer suburbs. Remote areas including regional/rural areas can take additional days for ground transport. All delivery targets are estimates and we cannot be held responsible for delayed transit times due to the courier networks systems.
If your area zone is unknown to you, we recommend you check your area coverage directly with your chosen shipping carrier.
Please be advised that on all shipping targets the allocated timeframe is based on business days ONLY (weekends and public holidays do not count as a shipping day allocated to your target delivery) The Target delivery begins once your order has been dispatched, not from the time you place your order.
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We dispatch orders Monday to Friday. Orders placed and paid for before the dispatch deadline below will be shipped the same day. Orders placed after may still be shipped the same day depending on order volume, but if not they will be shipped on the next available business day.
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For more information on shipping or if you need to launch an enquiry about your parcel please visit our help center
Customer Reviews
Decent strawberry flavour on the inhale and creamy/vanilla kind of flavour on the exhale. Not bad, but not for me.
I am really enjoying this liquid. It has great smooth flavour and isn't too sweet. I will definitely buying more.
Think I received a bad batch wasn't at all as described.
Very good flavor, very recommend for anyone that love sweet stuff.
Very pleasant flavour. Quite sweet which I really enjoy. Recommend if you like sweet . Will be getting more.
Charlie Noble
Siren Song
- Add to Cart


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Ferrari Tribute to Mille Miglia – List of participants
Maranello, 31 March – The Mille Miglia, part of the World Championship until the year 1957, has been forever in the hearts and minds of those who love motorsports. Despite the fact that it is not held anymore as a proper race, the Mille Miglia is still the symbol of a whole era. This is why the Mille Miglia is still organised every May from Brescia to Rome and back and the demand for participation is much higher than the allowed 360 starters.
These 360 have to be classical cars and they must have participated in the original race. Collectors with cars post-1957 and those who love motorsports and own modern cars couldn't participate until last year.
As of this year Ferrari offers its clients an extraordinary opportunity even if they don't own a classical car, but want to take part in the 're-enactment'. Thanks to the Ferrari Tribute to Mille Miglia – in memory of the eight wins at this extraordinary race, including the last with Piero Taruffi, clients can now participate. The clients can experience the emotions during this extraordinary event on the streets of Italy, even if they own a 458 Italia, a Ferrari California, a 599 GTB Fiorano, an Enzo, an F50, an F40 or a Testarossa.
The 130 participants taking part in different categories will start right before the 're-enactment' race, following the same route with the same special trials.
The historical cars will start first – amongst them some of the most beautiful models produced in Maranello, such as the 250 Tour de France and SWB, the Le Mans, the 250 California (amongst those also the car owned by Chris Evans, auctioned off for over 8 Million Euros) and numerous Daytonas, Dinos, BBs and other extraordinary models.
Amongst the categories of great interest there's the special series with 16 cars with GTOs, F40s, F50s and Enzos, while there will be also numerous more recent cars such as the 599 GTB Fioranos, the 430 Scuderias and Scuderia Spider 16Ms, while also the Californias and the latest model, the 458 Italia, will participate.
The participants are coming to Italy from more than 16 countries from all over the world – USA, Argentina, South Africa and Hong Kong, but also from Europe, with the majority from the UK and Germany.
An extraordinary event not to be missed, also because with 130 participants there will be 43 different Ferrari models at the start.
Especially significant is Saturday 8 May, when the Ferrari Tribute to Mille Miglia cars and the 're-enactment' race will pass at the Ferrari works in Maranello and a special trial is held on the Fiorano circuit. Ferrari clients will be present at the track, having the possibility to access the track to participate in the event.
The demand for participation in the Ferrari Tribute to Mille Miglia is much higher than the availability. Who can't be accepted this year anymore will be on top of the list for the 2011 edition.
To follow the event and the preparations please visit www.ferrari.com.


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Instead of competing during the frenetic concert season, Odyssey Opera is creating its own season.
After ambitiously presenting Wagner's "Rienzi" in its inaugural production last September, artistic director Gil Rose's troupe has waited until this month to take the stage again. But now Odyssey Opera does it in a big way, with three concurrent productions at the Boston University Theatre, alternating presentations of Verdi's "Un giorno di regno," Mascagni's "Zanetto," and Wolf-Ferrari's "Il segreto di Susanna" from June 11 to 14.
"If all the opera troupes in Boston function at the same time, then we're fighting each other," Rose says in a break from his incredible schedule. Preparing one opera score is enough work, but three - "and I'm the only one involved in every show," he says - requires day and night dedication.
The three operas are rarities, for sure, but fit nicely into Rose's vision for Odyssey Opera. "You won't see any 'Carmens' or Don Giovannis,' " Rose says emphatically, "but we will do a series, with a big concert opera in the fall, and a festival-like set of smaller staged works in May or June every year."
"Rienzi" certainly fit the bill as a "big concert opera" last September: "now I know what it's like to conduct a six-hour opera," Rose says. Tackling Wagner right off the bat may not have made logistical sense - "we were a little late getting the word out, and it's a big commitment," he admits, but the reviews were uniformly strong.
"There was a buzz," he says, "there was even a buzz in Europe about it. There wasn't a big house, but we were at the starting point, and we did something that was intimidating. I was happy with the results. I think of it like the first Super Bowl: there were like 20,000 people there, and now a million people claim they were."
Rose will follow "Rienzi" with Erich Korngold's "Die tote Stadt" this September as the next major concert opera - "works by well known names, but not the operas they are famous for," he says. But first there's this trio of performances to stage.
The three operas, all largely in the Italian tradition, are quite different from each other. Verdi's "Un giorno di regno," his second opera, and first comedy (the next one, which he wrote more than five decades later, was the sensational "Falstaff"), was not initially well received.
"After that Verdi was at the point of chucking the whole thing as a composer," Rose says. "But then he wrote 'Nabucco,' and it was a huge success, and 'Un giorno' was revived, and that was a great success the second time. It's an odd piece. A lot of fast, major key music, and when we think of Verdi we think of alternating major and minor keys. It's a comedy, and Joshua (director Joshua Major) is kind of walking the tightrope between buffo and slapstick. It a very successful comedy, very enjoyable, lots of human qualities.
"Mascagni had the misfortune of writing his greatest work ("Cavaliere Rusticana") first," he says. "You think he would have repeated the same formula, but he didn't. 'Zanetto' is a strange piece. It has only two characters, an ex-courtesan and a troubadour, and they alternate singing the entire time. Never together. Very beautiful and unusual.
"And Wolf-Ferrari was more well known a hundred years ago than he is now. His father was German and his mother was Italian; think of the love child of Strauss and Puccini. 'Susanna' is a very dated kind of confection in the old Italian buffo style.
"The heroine's secret is that she smokes. So Victorian. Her husband smells the smoke and assumes she's with another man.
"I think together, they present two sides of late 19th century Italian opera that a lot of people don't know about," Rose says.
Follow @WickedLocalArts on Twitter and Facebook.
"Un giorno di regno," "Zanetto," "Il segreto di Susanna," all presented by Odyssey Opera
WHEN: June 11-14
WHERE: Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston
INFO: 617-933-8600. www.bostontheatrescene.com
Odyssey Opera forges a new path
Instead of competing during the frenetic concert season, Odyssey Opera is creating its own season.


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Re: Bible Software - A Help or Hindrance in Reading Greek
Posted: July 13th, 2013, 5:46 am
It depends whether one reads the interlinear in the Greek and occasionally uses the interlined English as sort of a handy vocab list. I did that for a while at a point after mastering the rudiments of Greek, before I had enoughed vocab that I could read without too much trouble (perhaps one unknown word in fifteen or twenty). I don't have need for one. Finding the relevent translation while I'm reading a new text is often enough for new words, then just with the Greek is okay.George F Somsel wrote:It sounds as though you are using an interlinear. Get rid of it ! There is nothing more pernicious than an interlinear, and you stated the reason for its detrimental effect quite well. In the Logos forum I read all sorts of comments on their interlinears and inwardly groan. In my opinion, whoever created the interlinears should be nailed to the wall with a nail through his thumbs. If you insist on using an interlinear, you will never be proficient in Greek.


text: Ever get caught passing a note in class? Instead of swallowing the evidence, you droogs can just shred that little piece of your personal life, and your privacy will be intact with this ultraviolet spy pen with a message shredder built in. Ultraviolet? Yes, the pen also writes messages with special ink that can only be read with an ultraviolet light, conveniently nestled within this useful $9 instrument. [Spycatcher, via Oh Gizmo]


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Larry Tropea: He really is in the Hot Seat
There was one thing Larry Tropea wasn't told last year before he accepted the job to take charge of the local water supply: We were in a drought that was on its way to becoming the worst since the mid-1960s.
"I didn't do all my due diligence to learn of the issues," Tropea laughs. The executive director of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority just celebrated his first anniversary on the job October 15. "At my first press conference, all the questions were about the landfill," he recalls. He thought that was going to be the big issue.
This isn't Tropea's first experience dealing with drought. When he was Pennsylvania's Deputy Secretary of Water Management, the state's drought coordinator worked for him. But this drought is much more extensive, and in Pennsylvania, "I didn't have to deal with it 24 hours a day," he says.
Tropea is impressed with the activity level of the citizens of Charlottesville. "The environmental community is bigger, smarter, and more active than other towns I've been in."
That activism can have a downside. "I probably have a thin skin," says Tropea. "We get a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks. Bless their souls, they never came to the six years of meetings we had about the water supply, yet now..."
There's been one other change for Tropea since coming to Charlottesville. "I watch the Weather Channel more than I ever have in my life."
Age: 29 in my heart, 55 on the biological clock, or 385 in dog years.
What brought you here? Position with Rivanna
What's worst about living here? Two things– the roads and the roads.
Favorite hangout? Sitting in my favorite chair at my hacienda.
What's overrated? Patience
People be surprised to know. That I'm a sports nut and avid collector of autographs.
If you could change one thing about yourself? Downshift my intensity meter. I sometimes operate in 10th gear.
Proudest accomplishment? The positive impact I have had on the careers of young environmental professionals who have left my nest and done some great things.
What do people find most annoying about you? I tend to be direct at times and have a real passion for my views.
Whom do you admire? [Former Pennsylvania governor and homeland security advisor] Tom Ridge, among others.
Favorite book? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey. It is a wonderful articulation of the personal values needed at work and at home.
What subject causes you to rant? Politics getting in the way of fact-based decision-making.
What thrills you about life in the 21st century? Technology
What creeps you out about life in the 21st century? Technology
What do you drive? Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo
What's in your car tape player right now? George Jones' Greatest Hits. It's hard to beat the Possum.
What's your next journey? New Orleans for the spring 2003 NCAA Final Four.
Most trouble you've ever gotten in? No comment.
What do you regret? I have had too many wonderful experiences and achievements to focus on life through a rearview mirror.
Favorite comfort food? Pizza
Always in your refrigerator? Baking soda
Must-see TV? NCAA basketball and Monday Night Football
Favorite cartoon? Marmaduke
Describe a perfect day. On the beach, light wind in my face, waves lapping at the shore, a good book, a loud radio, cool shades, and my bride by my side.
Walter Mitty fantasy? Teaching at the University of Virginia and downloading my professional experience and wisdom on the environment and business.
Who'd play you in the movie? Dennis Franz, of course
Most embarrassing moment? Forgetting names and having to refer to folks I meet as "my man."
Best advice you ever got? Invest time and energy with your staff, and you will never be disappointed.
Favorite bumper sticker? "My blood runs Clemson orange" or "Good moms don't let their babies go to the University of South Carolina."


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I don't really know what the average is for player turnover for your average team during an average new season.
This year's 25 man roster is vastly different than last year, and I expect it to keep evolving as this season goes along.
I think it's 10 new guys - Mather, Stewart, LaHair, DeJesus, Clevenger, Maholm, Volstad, and then pick any 3: Dolis, Camp, Cabrera, or Corpas.
If I made a mistake here, don't blame me - the Cubs don't even know they have Joe Mather (I copied this from Cubs.com just now):
Anyway, that's a pretty big turnover, and while we all expect... not much this year, man oh MAN AM I HAPPY THEY'RE GOING IN THIS NEW DIRECTION.
I'm happy there's no Z and all that baggage, I'm happy these guys all seem like they're focused on baseball and being a team, and most of all I'm happy that real, honest to God baseball is gonna start in our city in less than a week.
There's alot to look forward to, guys.
And it hasn't felt like this in a loooong time.
Go Cubs.
ps: This art is a cut and paste version of the current illustration in Vine Line.
Lastly, I tried to look at the Sun Times sports page online, and got this window:
You guys think it's worth $6.99 a month to read the Sun Times online?
How about the reduced price of $1.99 a month?


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My client is an industry-leading biotech company responsible for developing one of the most innovative IVD instruments in the market. Now they are looking to add a Clinical Operations Manager to their prestigious team.
This person needs be experienced and able to hit the ground running, and must have previous experience with infectious diseases, IVD and blood draws. They will be responsible for managing 5-6 protocols with 1800-2000 patients each and will work closely with the Clinical Director and VP.
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If you are not interested but know someone who would be a good fit, please pass along my information.
Clinical Operations Manager – IVD Device – Boston – Temp-to-Perm
Please visit our website at www.phaidoninternational.com


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Oscars 2011 Articles
2011 Academy Awards (Oscars) hilights, gossip, photos, and video.
Dear Gossips,
The Academy announced yesterday that Angelina Jolie will present at the Oscars. Great. But...it's not like she wasn't already attending with Brad Pitt, Best Actor nominee. We would have seen her anyway. My worry now though is that by confirming the Jolie as a presenter it means Jennifer Aniston WON'T be. Read Full Intro
James Franco miscalculates?
It's not like Anne Hathaway hasn't been criticised for what happened at the Oscars. She has. You have. Hathaway however will emerge from the sh-t kicking relatively unscathed. She tried, she wasn't very good, but no one is holding it against her. You know why? Because she was stuck with an ungrateful prick who couldn't be bothered. Full Story
Dear Gossips,
So? How did you do on your ballot? And what did you think of that show? Not gonna lie, I thought the show would be good. I thought those two would bring something fresh, something entertaining. The good news is that the show came in surprisingly shorter than I thought it would be. Read Full Intro
Oscar Worsts: Gwyneth Paltrow & Nicole Kidman
In this episode of Everyone Loves Gwyneth, here she is with Nicole Kidman on the carpet last night holding hands. Kidman almost always towers over any woman she stands beside. Gwyneth really is that tall. I was delighted they decided to be all friends and girly together, considering they both looked like so much ass. Full Story
Oscar Best: Cate Blanchett
I'm sure I'll hear it from you on this one. But remember here that we're talking about Cate Blanchett. Cate Blanchett doesn't make style decisions with an eye to what someone like, say, Reese Witherspoon would wear on a carpet. In fact, she'd look at something that Reese Witherspoon would wear on a carpet and say "absolutely not". Full Story
Natalie Portman – Worst Everything Ever
Written by Duana "Um, well, first of all, I don't know the sex of my child". Ugh. And then again, ugh. I'm going to try to rein in my rage and let it slowly build rather than unleash it all at you, unsuspecting, in one go. Full Story
Best Oscar BitchFace: Marky Mark's Wife
Has there ever been a BitchFace ascent as accomplished and as meteoric as Mark Wahlberg's wife's, also known as Rhea Durham? We first saw it when she punked off Full Story
Oscar Best: Andrew Garfield
My friend Lorella has a disparaging nickname for him re: his face. It's something to do with an animal, and I can't remember the animal right now because I'm too tired, but I don't disagree with her description the way Andrew Garfield looks in photos because, indeed, his is a tricky, unusual face to shoot, and he's not conventionally attractive the way, say, someone like Armie Hammer is conventionally attractive, sure. Full Story
Oscar Conflict: Michelle Williams
Written by Duana This woman gives me the conflict. She's an actress so why can't she pretend she likes people? If she wants real critical acclaim and the freedom to make even more, better movies, being a box-office draw is one of the clearest paths to getting that done. Full Story
Oscar You Knew He'd Be There: Taylor Swift
Thursday night she hits a hockey game with that Chord kid from Glee. Pictures everywhere. Then she cycles the pre-Oscar party circuit with her bestie Emma Stone. Last night they wing manned for each other at Vanity Fair. It was one of Swifty's strongest dress-up outings in a long time. A short, flirty, sexy dress. Full Story
Worst Carpet-to-TV Translation: Amy Adams
Written by Duana While I love Amy Adams, I will admit to being a pretty recent bandwagon jumper. I wasn't so into it and she played such an unsympathetic character in Julie & Julia and there was the whole cutesy poo singing thing (I can hear all of you going "doesn't that sound exactly like the kind of person you'd like?" ) but I can't explain it. Full Story


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At Kia's car factory in Zilina in Slovakia, which lies in the heart of middle Europe, there is no sign of the crisis gripping the region's auto industry.
When I visited the plant earlier this week, workers were busy carrying out their tasks purposefully and with smiles on their faces. They have reason to be happy. While their counterparts in western Europe at Opel, Fiat and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen fear for their future, Zilina's workers can look ahead to continuing good times.
Kia expects production at the factory, which builds the Cee'd compact, Venga compact minivan and Sportage SUV, to top 285,000 units this year, a new record following last year's all-time high of 252,250.
Kia has improved its EU market share by six percentage points to 2.7 percent in the first nine months, helped by a 20 percent increase in unit sales to 250,900.
The factory is also benefiting from the expanding Russian market. A large part of the production is exported to Russia where Kia was the third best-selling brand through September after Lada and Chevrolet with sales up 25 percent to nearly 140,700. Zilina-built cars are sent to Russia as semi-knockdown kits and reassembled in Kaliningrad so they qualify for lower import tariffs.
Some 90 km along the road from Zilina and over the border in Nosovice in the Czech Repubic, Hyundai's plant is also doing well. Production is expected to grow to 300,000 units this year, up 20 percent on last year. The plant builds the i30 compact, ix35 SUV and ix20 minivan. It benefits from synergies with the Kia plant, which produces engines for both factories while Nosovice builds transmissions.
Both plants share a large local supplier base. Zilina sources 50 percent of its components from suppliers in the immediate vicinity. Some 70 percent of all parts used at the plant are made in Europe.
Kia executives are too cautious to gloat about the brand's European success. They know that although the brand is growing fast in Europe, maintaining the growth will be tough. Nevertheless, when asked about the effect of Europe's woes on their business, they whisper, almost apologetically, "We're having a good crisis."