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More and more companies are turning to their customers and others to help with their marketing messages. One of the more recently popular vehicles is to hold a contest for the best commercial. Doritos has successfully held a contest for the past several Super Bowls. Other consumer-based (B2C) examples include contests from Heinz Ketchup, Dibbs ice cream, Klondike bars and Brighter Planet.
Using customers and others to help with marketing efforts is an example of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a term first coined by Jeff Howe in 2006 in a Wired magazine article. The Wikipedia link for crowdsourcing lists many examples of how organizations are using this new technique for their benefit.
However, not many companies have tried commercial contests in the B2B space. In my former job, one of my projects was to develop and manage a B2B user-generated commercial contest for a software company and I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks I learned along the way.
My Contest Background – The contest I ran was for a company called iRise where I was Senior Manager of Strategic Projects. iRise is an LA-based software company that sells a rapid prototyping/visualization solution for companies who want to accelerate their software development process. In March 2008, Mitch Bishop, the CMO, came up with the idea of hosting a video contest to stoke the creativity of our user base and drive awareness and demand for our product, and I was assigned to develop and manage the project. The only guidelines that I was given were that the prize total should be $20,000 and that the contest should be over by the end of the second quarter. So, I had 3 weeks to research and develop the project before launching in early April.
The bottom line is that running a commercial contest involves many different skill sets including "sales", social media marketing, guerilla and viral marketing, writing, business development, technical web development, market research, marketing analysis and project management. These skills could be wrapped up in one person or spread across a team. In my case, I performed all of the skills except for the technical website development.
Developing the Rules – I started out by research user-generated contests and checked out many different options. There are companies that will actually host contests for you (like Votigo, memelabs and online video contests ), but I didn't want to lose control and didn't have the budget to do. I ultimately patterned most of our contest process and rules after the Heinz commercial contest mentioned above.
Our contest was based on two phases. In the first phase, people would upload their 30-60 second video to YouTube, register for an account on the video contest website and then submit the YouTube URL to us. An internal committee would then review the submitted entries and select 10 semi-finalist videos for phase 2. The criteria for selecting the semi-finalists would be based on:
- #1) Originality (40%)
- (#2) Overall appeal (30%)
- (#3) Likelihood to motivate people to buy or try iRise (30%)
In the second phase which lasted 2 weeks, public voting would determine the final winners. People were allowed to vote for one video during each 24-hour period and the video with the most votes would win the overall prize.
Creating the Website – The key with setting up the website is to have a very talented web jockey and your own URL. For the iRise contest, we set up a URL for the "Visualize the Prize" contest at http://irisevideo.com/ and I was very fortunate to have the iRise Webmaster Ray Walker as a resource. Ray likes to experiment and he came up with some very clever ways to run the site and voting using off-the-shelf open source tools. While Ray could set up the website infrastructure, there was still a lot of content to develop for the site. Ray even wrote a Facebook application to display the final 15 video entries from within Facebook.
Getting the Word Out – I spent the better part of the first week promoting the contest in as many outlets as possible. I joined a number of Yahoo Groups, Facebook Film and Video groups, and other online forums and groups so I could post messages in different forums. I didn't keep count, but I probably posted in at least 100 forums or groups and re-visited some of the sites to post reminders. I also bought ads on Facebook targeted at people with film and video interests and set up ads on Google. I tried contacting the top film schools to announce the contest to starving film students, but didn't have much success with that path. Since I wasn't sure which of my guerilla marketing efforts would pay off, it seemed like I was just praying and spraying – but in the end, it all worked out for us.
In addition to the guerilla marketing, we issued a press release on the contest and I wrote a couple of blog entries on the iRise corporate blog and for the Catalyze community. I posted a link to the post on Twitter and several of my Twitter contacts spread the links and wrote their own blog posts. I was also frequently blogging on the video contest site in order to keep the content fresh.
Waiting for Entries – The most frustrating part was waiting for entries to get submitted. The contest was launched on April 10th with a submission deadline of June 4th. I knew we wouldn't get any entries for the first couple of weeks, so all I could do was to track traffic on the contest website and post blog entries discussing the contest. I also created and uploaded 2 videos of my own to "prime the pump". We were averaging 50-75 visits per day, so I knew we were getting some attention. Our first contest entry came in with 4 weeks left in the contest and with 3 weeks left, we had just 3 rather mediocre entries. The big flood of entries started arriving with 5 days before the end of the contest and we ended up with 44 total entries. I liken the final influx of entries to an eBay auction – all of the action is going to come in the last few days, so just stay calm and let the process take care of itself.
Judging and Selecting the Winners – Our contest rules were set up that an internal committee from iRise would select the top 10 videos from all of the entries and then let public voting decide the overall winners. We set up the voting so people could only vote once per day. We ultimately selected 15 videos for the last phase of the contest.
The Results – Overall, the contest was a brand awareness success and the jury is still out on whether iRise will be able to attribute any revenue to the contest. During the contest, we had over 16,000 visitors to the contest website who looked at 57,000 pages and the videos received more than 30,000 views on YouTube. Most of the submitted videos were not from iRise customers or partners, but we did have a handful of videos submitted from 'friends of iRise'. The majority of the entries were submitted by people who first had to figure out the iRise product and message, and come up with an idea for a 30-second spot.
The contest also generated a bunch of residual content on the contest website and on YouTube. Longer term, success should be measured by actual sales which could take several quarters or more to play out. It also remains to be seen how iRise can leverage the video content in the future.
And here is the winning video:
Keys to Success – I believe that there were 3 keys to our success.
Obviously, the first key was that we set the contest prizes at a high enough level to garner interest. The first prize of $15,000 was enticing enough to induce some people with professional expertise to submit entries. In fact, we had trouble selecting the top 10 videos for the final voting and decided to expand the final voting to 15 entries. I think we may have overpaid in that we probably could have gotten away with prizes of $6,000, $3,000 and $1,000 – and would have gotten the same number of quality entries. Besides the top 3 prizes, we also passed out $100 Amazon gift certificates to the 12 entries that didn't take home any of the cash rewards which hopefully took some of the sting out of not winning.
The second key was to have a great website that allowed us to showcase each of the video submissions and to capture the final voting.
Thirdly, our guerilla marketing efforts got the word out to enough people who were interested in submitting their work.
Overall, I had a great time and learned a lot about running video contests. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other questions or add a comment below with your own experiences.


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Nokia's Lumia 920 is heading to the UK and it looks like the 4G-ready Windows Phone 8 smartphone may be exclusive to Everything Everywhere, the joint venture run by Orange and T-Mobile.
Everything Everywhere recently got the go-ahead to launch 4G services on an existing part of its mobile spectrum, although this decision may be challenged by its rivals.
Other UK mobile operators will be able to begin 4G later in 2013, following the last stage of digital TV switchover and the resulting auction of spare airwaves.
The likely November launch for the Nokia Lumia 920 would coincide with Everything Everywhere's 4G rollout, and as it will be the only provider able to deliver 4G mobile broadband at this stage, it makes sense for Nokia to be talking to them.
The Lumia 920 was unveiled by Nokia last week. According the Financial Times, Nokia said it is considering a strategy to sell the phones initially through selected mobile operators and retail channels.
For the UK, the FT believes that Everything Everywhere will be the first to sell the device, citing "two people with knowledge of the situation," however there has been no official confirmation from either Nokia or EE.
The paper points out that this approach is different to Nokia's usual business model in the UK but it's similar to the 2007 launch of the Apple iPhone, which was an O2 exclusive to begin with.
The FT also reports that the Nokia Lumia 920 will work on the 4G frequencies that Everything Everywhere plans to use this year, and at least four other frequency bands used around the world. EE's 4G brand and services are expected to be announced next week.
If you are not with either Orange or T-Mobile – and Everything Everywhere does become an exclusive launch partner for the Lumia 920 – then you will have to be ready to switch if you want to be an early adopter.
FT (registration required) via Engadget
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subset: commoncrawl


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Alice Reeves – Timor-Leste
East Timor, Timor-Leste, Timor-Lorosaé…
Literal meaning is important here, and names are not chosen frivolously. Leste means 'east' in Portuguese. In the local language, Tetum, Lorosaé means 'east' – literally 'sunrise'. For those of you familiar with Bahasa, the main language of Indonesia, the word Timor can be translated as, well, 'east'.
Just keep heading towards the rising sun, one day you will eventually arrive at the shores of this rocky, dusty, mountainous island just off the northern coast of Australia, at the very tail end of the Indonesian archipelago. It's definitely a long way east.
It may seem a sleepy backwater, a long way from Asia's bustling metropolises but this tiny country packs a unexpected punch. A Portuguese colony for four centuries, then Indonesia's 27th province, Timor-Leste finally shook off its colonial history and embraced independence a little over a decade ago.
The first ten years of existence have not been the smoothest. Widespread civil unrest and violence marred the second half of the last decade, but now – with much persistence – Timor Leste is on the eve of taking the next step as a politically stable independent state: as of the end of this year many UN troops and police will be heading home.
Reaching this level of political and economic stability is a big achievement for this young nation, but for the million or so Timorese making a living can still present multiple challenges. This island is a true pristine wilderness. It lacks (or maybe it is blessed – who are we to argue?) with virtually no industry, no pollution but also little infrastucture or other fundamental buildling blocks supporting a strong economy and job creation.
Here is where one of Kiva's newest partners, Tuba Rei Metin (TRM) comes in. TRM is a traditional microfinance institution that provides loans of anywhere between fifty to several thousand dollars to enterprising women looking to set up a small business, or agricultural ventures.
A name devised after many weeks of thought and countless cups of local-brew coffee, TRM means "stand firmly on the earth" – and in keeping with the significance of words in this tiny state, this is no exaggeration. TRM has weathered many more storms than most organisations could ever conceive of.
During the civil war many Timorese were evacuated or fled to refugee camps. Still more lost their livelihoods and posessions in their entirety. For eleven of the thirteen Timorese microfinance institutions this proved an insurmountable challenge, and in the face of debt and the rush of humanity escaping to the safety of Australia, one by one they folded.
In defiance of the municipal unrest, TRM continued to serve its clients, braving travel around the island to camps, the remote hills or the ever-present dangers of the city – no matter what the individual circumstances of their clients. Step by step, dollar by dollar, this commitment paid off and today TRM is one of only two microfinance organisations remaining in Timor-Leste. Its history is a source of pride.
TRM lends almost exclusively to women, who diligently provide the economic backbone of the country. Be it around town or travelling the mountainous hinterland – you will see women running small kiosks, manning road-side food stalls, or gathering tall grasses from which to weave baskets, mats or roofs, all of which are sold by the roadside.
So far only a tiny proportion of the community has access to the loans offered by TRM, but through the partnership with Kiva the objective is to expand this step by step – reaching ever more women who can usefully use the finance on offer to better their lives, and those of their families.
So it finally falls to me – as the unbelievably fortunate Kiva Fellow to have landed on this remote glittering isle – to welcome TRM into the Kiva family. So far it has demonstrated a remarkable tenacity serving one of the poorest populations on earth…long may that continue!
Alice Reeves is a Kiva Fellow working in Dili, Timor-Leste


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The firing of Juan Castillo as the Eagles defensive coordinator has generated a lot of response from around the football world.
Former Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel is one of those weighing in. Samuel was traded to the Falcons this offseason with reports after his departure indicating that coach Andy Reid believed Samuel's play was in steep decline. On Twitter Tuesday, Samuel wrote "ain't no decline over here" just after another tweet that shared his thoughts about Reid's decision to shake up the coaching staff. Let's just say that Samuel thinks the wrong guy has been asked to turn in his keys to the office.
Sometimes you have to blame yourself. You can't try and always point the figure at someone else—
Asante Samuel (@pick_six22) October 16, 2012
Reid might have fired the offensive line coach he chose to coach the defense, but he won't have many other places to point the finger if the Eagles don't start winning games. And that will likely mean that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie decides to start doing some finger pointing of his own.


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|Liz Gannes / AllThingsD:
|Om Malik / GigaOM:
|Brad McCarty / The Next Web:
|Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Fortune:
|Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
|Eric Mack / CNET:
|Derek Andersen / Startup Grind:
|Serena Saitto / Bloomberg:
|Devindra Hardawar / VentureBeat:
|Nathan Ingraham / The Verge:
|Dan Frommer / ReadWriteWeb:
|David Carr / New York Times:
|Nick Hopkins / Guardian:
|Rachel King / Between the Lines Blog:
|Matthew Panzarino / The Next Web:
|Leena Rao / TechCrunch:
|Sean Ludwig / VentureBeat:
|Paul Sawers / The Next Web:
|Eric Slivka / MacRumors:
|Richard Lai / Engadget:
|Robert Andrews / paidContent:
|Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:
|Dante D'Orazio / The Verge:
|Richard Chirgwin / The Register:
This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 4:55 PM ET, April 16, 2012.
The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.
|Rahul Mathur / Windows Phone Sauce:
|Tom Warren / The Verge:
|Lance Whitney / CNET:
|Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
|Robin Wauters / The Next Web:
|Dan Primack / Fortune:
|Arnold Kim / MacRumors:
|Dante D'Orazio / The Verge:
|Matt Brian / The Next Web:
|Gerry Shih / Reuters:


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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Rails Debugger: Use RCov With Selenium, Watir, Or Just In Real Life
You might be using Selenium or Watir for browser testing. If you want to use RCov to figure out how much of your app actually gets run by your Selenium or Watir tests, it just requires using a few command-line options:
rcov script/server -o server_coverage --rails -x config/boot.rb -- -e test -p 3002
open server_coverage/index.html
Red: rcov command
Blue: script/server args (the -- means "end rcov args")
Black: OS X command to view the output
This will start a Mongrel instance, wrapped by RCov, which will find out how much of the code actually runs, and give you a detailed, color-coded report. Obviously, this technique can be very useful if you're dealing with a legacy Rails code base. Any time the path of execution through the code is unclear, using tools which can easily determine that path makes your life easier. For anybody who wishes Ruby had kick-ass debugger support, congratulations: now it does. In two lines of Unix. (And unlike even the Smalltalk debugger, this debugger only works if you use automated testing.)
3 comments:
- Richard ConroyOctober 19, 2007 at 7:26:00 AM PDT
Interesting idea Giles. I just had a conversation with one of our QA engineers about something like this:ReplyDelete
They want to measure the code coverage of manual web ui tests (to see if its even worthwhile to automate or rethink their testing strategy).
This isn't Rails though (its a legacy Java web UI, I was thinking of using JRuby). I just like the general idea of QA & Developers using the same reporting mechanisms for determining test quality, regardless of test type.
Have I read too much into your post, or is there some merit to the strategy?
No, that's **exactly** what I'm describing here. I'm pretty sure that coverage tools exist for Java as well, although I'm not sure what the details are there. I've seen one in action, but I don't remember its name. I think it was in connection with Selenium. Daniel Hinojosa from the Albuquerque Java Users' Group was giving the presentation. If you email me privately I can give you his email.ReplyDelete
- Richard ConroyOctober 19, 2007 at 8:22:00 AM PDT
Cool. Theres lots of Java tools (too much really) but the details all come down to how you instrument the source.ReplyDelete
Still, I have had my mind blown wide open from metaprogramming + test/unit + watir, to not chase this one down.
Will pop you a mail later about it.


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Science Friday® is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Science Friday® and SciFri® are registered service marks of Science Friday, Inc. Site design by Pentagram; engineering by Mediapolis.
|In 2006, astronomers voted to remove Pluto from the list of planets in our solar system -- but the controversy over just what should be called a planet lives on. This week, writing in a commentary in the journal Science, planetary scientist Mark Sykes argues that a planet should be defined simply as 'a round object orbiting a star.' We'll talk with him about why that should be, and whether the definition of planet really matters.


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Multiple activities are being planned throughout West Michigan in October in celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, founder of Holland.
The celebration was appropriately announced at the foot of the Van Raalte statue in Holland's Centennial Park on Thursday, June 2.
The events, most running between Friday, Oct. 21, and Tuesday, Oct. 25, will include a two-day festival in Holland; exhibitions in Holland, Zeeland and Grand Rapids; and an international scholarly conference at Hope College. All are designed, organizers say, to celebrate a visionary leader who had a major, lasting impact when he brought his fellow settlers to the shores of Black Lake in 1847 in search of economic opportunity and religious and educational freedom.
"The 200th birthday of the founder of Holland, Michigan, is a fitting time to honor
him for his vision and perseverance, to remember the sacrifices that he and his family
made in pursuit of that vision, and to identify and recognize his profound influence
upon our community. In short, it is the right time to celebrate his enduring legacy,"
said Dr. Jacob Nyenhuis, who is director of the A.C. Van Raalte Institute at Hope
and is a member of the Dutch Heritage Coordinating Council, which has been arranging
the celebration. "It also provides an occasion to celebrate the key role that Van
Raalte played in the transformation of the Holland Academy into Hope College, with
Academy's second principal, Philip Phelps Jr., as the co-organizer and first president of Hope College."
Van Raalte was born on Oct. 17, 1811 in the village of Wanneperveen in Overijssel, the Netherlands, the son of a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church. Following his own education in theology, at Leiden University, Van Raalte became a leader in the newly formed Separatist Church, holding four pastorates between 1836 and 1846.
In the fall of 1846, he and his small group of followers left the Netherlands and
sailed for America. They traveled via New York and Albany, and wintered in Detroit
before reaching West Michigan and establishing the "Holland Kolonie" in February 1847.
The pioneers were soon joined by many other Dutch immigrants, who not only settled
in Holland itself but founded additional communities in the region as well as throughout the Midwest.
Van Raalte continued to work on the colony's behalf for nearly three decades. He died on Nov. 7, 1876, at age 65.
Activities in conjunction with the celebration are still being scheduled, but will include a two-day "Founder's Festival" running on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 21-22. Highlights of the festival so far are anticipated to include a reception at the Holland Area Arts Council with birthday cake, a play at Herrick District Library about Van Raalte and family-friendly games at the Holland Armory.
Among other events thus far:
* Three concerts have been scheduled in conjunction with the bicentennial. The Holland Symphony Orchestra will perform "Piet Hein Rhapsodie" on Saturday, Oct. 1; the Holland Chorale will feature Dutch composers on Saturday, Oct. 22; and Hope will present an organ recital featuring faculty members Huw Lewis and Linda Strouf on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
* Pillar Church will host a community worship service on Sunday, Oct.
23, at 3 p.m.
* The international conference "Albertus C. Van Raalte: Leader and Liaison" will take
place at Hope College on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 24-25. Dutch and American scholars
will discuss dimensions of Van Raalte including his role as a pastor and ecclesiastical
leader and community leader and social reformer, his failed colony in Virginia, his
family dynamics and his enduring legacy. The conference is a
bilateral event, continuing in Ommen in Overijssel, the Netherlands on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 3-4.
* Multiple organizations are planning heritage exhibitions, including Herrick District Library, Third Reformed Church, Hope Reformed Church and Pillar Church, all in Holland; the Theil Research Center and Van Wylen Library at Hope; Graafschap Christian Reformed Church; the Dekker Huis Museum in Zeeland; and Heritage Hall at Calvin College in Grand Rapids.
The Van Raalte Bicentennial Community Celebration is being organized by the Dutch
Heritage Coordinating Council, whose mission is to provide a forum to further the
preservation and promotion of Dutch heritage in the Greater Holland/Zeeland Area.
Support is being provided by Hope College, the City of Holland, the Herrick District
Library, the Holland Area Arts Council and the Holland Historical Trust. Additional information about the celebration, and an updated list of events, is available online at
The bilateral conference "Albertus C. Van Raalte: Leader and Liaison" is being organized by the A.C. Van Raalte Institute at Hope, which focuses on studying Dutch-American history and the history of the Holland area. Additional information about the conference is available online at www.hope.edu/vri


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Nearly every modern phone has a camera attached to it and subsequently more and more people are taking photos in public places than ever before. The shot might be as simple as snapping a picture of a parade or as tricky as recording video of a riot. Regardless of the reasons, the rules for photographing in public places are the same.
For the most part, your right to take photographs and video in public places in the United States is protected under the First Amendment under free speech. This includes snapping pictures of your favorite monument when you're on vacation or taking part in a little citizen journalism. It's not as cut and dried as you may think and it's good to know your rights and the caveats that come with them.
The General Rule: If You Can See It You Can Shoot It
Your basic right is actually pretty simple: if you're in a public place and you can see it, you can shoot it. This means as long as you're in a public location you can legally take almost any picture. However, if you're using a telephoto lens, parabolic microphone, or hidden camera to get a shot of a private property when you're standing on public property you might have an issue if someone on that property has an expectation of privacy. So, what constitutes a public place? Most places are obvious, a park, a street, a soccer field—these are unquestionably legal places to take pictures of anything happening. But what about all those Instagram photos of food you've taken inside a business? That's a little different.
Generally if a private property is open to the public (like a restaurant, retail store, tourist areas, etc) you are allowed to take photographs and video unless it is expressly posted somewhere on the premise that you can't. In most cases it's okay to assume you're allowed to take pictures and video in a shop that doesn't expressly forbid it. However, if a property owner (or store employee) tells you to stop, you have to stop. More importantly, use good judgement and assess the situation and environment before snapping pictures.
This also goes for citizen journalism. If you see an accident you want to record, public servant misconduct, or even TSA checkpoints, you can do so as long as you're not interfering with police or medical operations. As far as the Department of Justice is concerned you're also allowed to shoot video or still shots of police officers provided they're on public land. Videotaping police officers is still a tricky situation without a concrete ruling, but the courts have leaned toward protecting your right to film officers. Photo by Christopher.
Where and When You Get Into Trouble
As with most laws you'll find some exceptions to the rules. Photographing on any clearly marked private property is considered trespassing. As for public government property you're mostly okay, however you cannot take photos of most military bases or inside most courthouses. A few other big caveats exist as well.
Just because some places are public doesn't make them legal for photography. For instance, a bathroom is a public place, but people have an expectation of privacy in the bathroom, so photos are typically not a good idea. This is also the case with anywhere else people might expect privacy, including inside places like AA meetings or doctor's offices.
The same goes for photos of people in a private space where they have an expectation of privacy, even if you're on public property. So, if you can see in your neighbor's window from the sidewalk while they're showering, you can't take that picture, even though you're on public property (and you might want to tell your neighbor to close their curtains). The general rule is basically if you didn't want someone covertly taking a picture of you in a semi-private place, it's probably not a good idea to take your own picture. These rules may vary from state to state, so check local laws before you're labeled a "peeping tom." If you do get caught taking a photo you shouldn't or if you're accused of taking taking an illegal picture when you're in the clear your response should be about the same. Photo by Julian Stallabrass.
What To Do If Someone Says You're Trespassing
First up, the easy answer when you're accused of trespassing: if you walk onto clearly marked private property without permission you're trespassing and you should stop taking pictures and leave. If an employee or security guard tells you to stop taking pictures because you're on private property, stop taking pictures. Things get tricky here, if no signs are posted saying you can't take photos but it's a public area, you're technically allowed, but it's up to you if it's worth the trouble to haggle over the details with a security guard. You likely have the right, but if you're questioned directly you should seek legal counsel.
Regardless of whether you're in the right or wrong, no one is allowed to take your camera away from you in a public place. Even if you're trespassing, the property owner and the police cannot have your camera (or film or SD card) without a court order. Which brings us to the last caveat, publishing or uploading photos online. Photo by Dru Bloomfield.
Pay Attention to Where and What You Upload Online
Your rights for taking photographs don't stop when the picture is snapped. If you place those photos online or sell them the situation changes. While you have the right to take pictures almost anywhere, publishing certain photos might get you in trouble in civil courts. Thankfully, the distinction is pretty clear.
You can't use someone's likeness for commercial purposes without their express permission. This means you can't take a picture in a public place with recognizable faces and then sell it to Coca-Cola or a stock photo company (you can, however sell them to news organizations or use them for art). The same goes for many famous landmarks and some National Parks. You can freely shoot the photos, but selling them for commercial purposes may require a permit or additional fee.
You also can't publish a photo that paints a person in a false light. For instance, if you took a picture of me fake-punching Stephen Hawking with the caption: "Taken moments before Thorin punched Stephen Hawking in the face," I would probably want to take you to civil court (assuming I didn't actually punch Stephen Hawking).
Finally, you can't publish a photo that gives away private information about someone. This includes photos like the aforementioned AA meeting or doctor's office along with any other situation where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
The last concern you should have is your own rights when you publish photos online. Some popular web services like Instagram require you to grant usage permission to Instagram when you upload pictures. This doesn't mean they get ownership of your photos, but it does mean they can use them any way they like. Other services, like Flickr, allow you to set who can and can't use your photographs. If you don't want to sell or make public any of these pictures make sure you're using a service that leaves all the rights in your hands and be sure to check out Creative Commons for an easy way to license your photos.
In general, the mantra of "If you can see it you can shoot it" will keep you safe from legal prosecution in the United States, but not all countries and states are the same so check out local laws before shooting. Finally, if you feel your rights are violated, seek professional legal advice. You can also print out attorney Bert P. Krages pocket-sized pamphlet so you always have a list of your rights handy.
Disclaimer: the above isn't meant as professional legal counsel and is meant to help you familiarize yourself with the basics of the laws of photography in public. If you're unsure whether you are on public or private property your best bet is check before you snap photos. If you're concerned about a specific case or situation you should contact a lawyer.
Photo by Banalities.


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Luongo to start Canucks' playoff opener
Vancouver, BC – Roberto Luongo will draw the start between the pipes for the Vancouver Canucks when the team begins its Western Conference quarterfinal series against San Jose on Wednesday, head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters following the team's gameday morning skate.
Luongo, a four-time All-Star who's spent most of this season as the backup to Cory Schneider, is getting the call for Game 1 with Schneider just making his way back from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the Canucks' final two regular-season tests.
"Schneider just isn't ready or healthy yet," Vigneault stated on Wednesday.
Luongo posted a 9-6-3 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and .907 save percentage over 20 games (18 starts) this year, but was shelled for seven goals on 37 shots at Edmonton in the Canucks' regular-season finale.
Schneider went 17-9-4 with a 2.11 GAA and .927 save percentage over 30 starts.


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A few months ago when I heard that Stila was planning to release new Kajal liners, I was intrigued to say the least. The anticipation of wanting to try them was killing me for a few weeks! After all of this build up and anxiety I just assumed they wouldn't live up to the hype I had built up in my head. Oh boy, was I ever wrong! These happen to be one of the few products that have lived up to all of my expectations! All of the liners are named after semi-precious stones, or metals. I started out with Tigers Eye, which is a deep slightly warm chocolate brown, the color is gorgeous but the most impressing part for me is the texture. These Kajals are extremely soft, and glide right onto the waterline, no tugging! no pulling! Just perfect application. They are smudgable apon first application but then dry down and stay in place. I have worn these with no (additional) smudging for about 10 hours. Pictured, is the holiday set featuring three brand new, limited edition metallic colors, Silver, Bronze, and Gold.
The set is only available at sephora. I absolutely love this set, the colors are all true to their namesake, and it's a great way to try the product (only $30 for 3 full sized Kajals vs. $13 a piece for the regular line). I would like to caution to take care while sharpening though, they are so soft that they tend to break off if sharpened hastily.


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My friend Naomi's birthday is June 1, and it's been a tradition in her family that she always receives a bag of cherries. When I'm just eating cherries by themselves, I don't mind popping the whole thing in my mouth and working the pit out during the chewing process. But if you want to use cherries in a smoothie, tart, or other recipe, you'll want to pit a bunch of them at once, sans saliva.
Food52 has a great workaround for those that don't have a cherry pitter. All you need is a beer bottle and a chopstick. Put the cherry on top of the bottle, push the chopstick through the cherry, and voila! You have a pitted cherry. Being someone with a less-than-robust arsenal of kitchen tools, I find tool hacks like this pretty handy.
Hacking a Cherry Pitter


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The Not So Tangled Web
Recommended Stories
American Chronicles
Kicked Off the Land
Why are so many black families losing their land?
Daily Comment
A Racist in the White House
Will Trump's voters flee or remain loyal to a bigot?
Letter from California
Trouble in Lakewood
How a once idyllic postwar town fell under the sway of a teen-age gang.
News Desk


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Centering on Christ
Be sure to focus on that relationship that is most fruitful as you share the gospel: your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Sharing via Social Media
There's no shortage of ways to spread the word. Blogs, social networks, instant messenger, and mobile phones can help you share the gospel on the web.
Sharing via Mormon.org
Create your own profile on mormon.org to share your beliefs and testimony of the gospel with the world.
- Home
- Sharing the Gospel
- Sharing the Gospel Online
Sharing the Gospel Online
"There are new ways to invite others to 'come and see.' Let's make sharing our faith online more a part of our daily life. LDS.org, Mormon.org, Facebook, Twitter—all provide opportunities."
— Elder Neil L. Andersen
From Handbook 2: Administering the Church: Internet use and social media help.


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Note : Your request will be directed to SAGE Millimeter.
The STA-10-10-FS-40 from SAGE Millimeter is a Waveguide Attenuator with Frequency 75 to 110 GHz, Average Power 10 to 12 W, Attenuation 10 dB. More details for STA-10-10-FS-40 can be seen below.
0 to 50 dB Rotary Vane Attenuator from 49.9 to 112 GHz
7 to 220 GHz Programmable Rotary Vane Attenuators
0 to 60 dB Direct Reading Attenuator from 50 to 75 GHz
70 dB, E-Band Direct Reading Attenuator from 60 to 90 GHz
You can now find similar products from multiple companies on everything RF.


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- Home >
- Designers >
- MP Massimo Piombo >
- Clothing
MP Massimo Piombo Clothing
Elegant Italian formal wear
Founded by Mr Massimo Piombo in the late 1980s, this Milanese label is known for exceptionally crafted menswear delivered with refined luxury. The collections are created from artisanal fabrics that are carefully sourced from around the world and designed for timeless elegance.
- Relaxed Milanese luxury
- Expect sleek tailoring
- Don't miss the pocket squares
- Product view
- Outfit view
Was $445
Now $133.50
70% off
Was $1,085
Now $434
60% off


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Hey 12s – send the Seahawks off to the Super Bowl in SeaTac this Sunday!
This Sunday (Jan. 26) at 10:30 a.m., 12th Fans are invited to rally in the city of SeaTac to help send-off the Seahawks to Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos!
Team buses will make their way from Virginia Mason Athletic Center to Sea-Tac Airport around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, traveling along SeaTac's South 188th Street, where 12s will line the roadway.
Parking is available at nearby Tyee Educational Complex, Chinook Middle School, Bow Lake Elementary School, SeaTac City Hall, Angle Lake Park, and paid parking is also available at adjacent airport lots.
For more information visit: http://shwks.com/fa2t


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Investors Return to Southeast Asian Stocks
Amid global economic uncertainty, the trading volume of Asian equities increased 20% from the last quarter. The WSJ's Jake Lee speaks with Lee Porter, Asia-Pacific head of global institutional trading network Liquidnet, about how volatility is affecting emerging markets.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... Asian markets in the second off the ... Wi Fi now ... Asia's day ... on GE and joined by the pool to have this ... equipment a specific please think he symmetry joining so ... pretty up and down fast off the markets will see Alex now ... we've seen record lives of the Consumer platform and some markets but not this um oversee them more interesting ... to these markets being ushered in Hong Kong ... the sun the Southeast Asia is becoming a bigger of the trading buddies of people's investable fighters ... to the Hong Kong then we're in Hong Kong in an ... accident in twenty ten down ... what this image Boyden adds to worries about China what was it just just Tenaris with his interest in trying to get on to that ... will clearly Hong Kong end with China is the biggest us from Hong Kong semi Chinese companies listed in ... both Hong Kong likes his coffee with her and I simple Friday ... so see one of the most about markets in Asia ... the tape a plug in the trading it with this kind of orders coming down and the last of the key one it was the biggest market key to second for sure there ... is a way to be a big uptick was empty for Friday ... showed it was about Kristy ... Lacie every source of the currencies of trial a bit on the so the whole exchange ... the sayings if it's been quite to cook what's the what's that tell us about the markets is actually the so the ... big interest back into equities office of just me about it ... but we believe Sarah ... and I think the shawl that I think he's a tapering discussions or callings ... and sixty billion dollars to MF fixed income funds ... ten billion from concurrent on ... those assets and and that investors have to go somewhere ... we thought maybe had about trillion dollars come adequate eased off the global financial crisis ... some of us the stuff on his way back into equities that ... the trick is our guess is figuring out which region which markets a year ago into Europe's been very good for sushi a key to ... a share of the shares up nearly ninety cents it has been a ... mean that Europe is so critical very very cheap investors to the the the more mature markets of suicide ... and re saying whether fantastic course of that as well save them and then again just a cylindrical courses here in Asia said ... we feel that there is going to be recession back from fixed income intricacies ... was a lil bit longer than people expected that ... and this past legal form of liquidity that will involve some of his detention driver for the link people ... to ... oversee some of the whole market does well in age the weakness of the biggest news ... mentioned Austrian calling the whereabouts of these two regions ... well I'm out number three markets Japan and the Southeast Asian markets that were very very small fry but now they make up sixteen percent of arable footing in the region ... and if you look back at the last two years of our overall market bargains ... and I think Southeast Asia made up three percent less than six or seven percent said their actual share of the Opel what even the mock it's doubled in the spice of two to three years ... Akamai icy continue to get that way ... and because these markets have opened and Denbury construction crews that that the school and Gemini the relatively stable politically ... and so they can become an ever increasing the more interesting I think investors ... to keep it a faster rate as last year in the stock is a weather was Stella ... additional suspect that doesn't mean that that will continue to increase the second officer ... final question on features that can steal Cristobal and ... twenty eight PM ET but what some people say no worries for the most interesting is is it a case of ... a house with China's economy was gone and the Fed or was it things happening here in Asia ... well I think it turned the sketch a big coat clean this can have a bigger profits or a share and grow they just depends how much of the was was interesting recently with China ... but the government any open liquidity traps to see that I feel that I was a bit of experiments show I can help beat the ... shadow banking liquidity problem was that it was clearly the goal to be a sign that very very quickly ... and depending on the steps I take them guessing that they can be taught me a bit more careful to afford ... what that day ... and I think I'm ... uses of them really don't ... have to wait and see what what happens the emphasis on a sunny filled it with goodies again ... so take it easy to be because of the ... P was the best of what is going forward ... will see it pans out but now people say ahead of wickedness a specific thing he symmetry joining ... that's it Asia's day on


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GUESS WHAT. If you google my name, you come up with an Ebay page with my banner on it, advertising the paintings of some other Rebecca Mock! This guy stole my banner!
I will post new works after I scan some things.
The Comics page on my website is up! Some comics are missing, still in need of good scans. Partake!


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Mariah Carey Shares Sneak Peak of 'Triumphant (Get Em)' Video + More
- We wish we could look half as good as Mariah Carey when we're 42! The diva posted a photo of herself lounging in a coral bathrobe on the set of her video for 'Triumphant (Get 'Em)' on her Facebook page. She also posted a photo of the single artwork on her Instagram page. Big things coming from the Carey Camp! [Facebook + Instagram]
- It was only a matter of time before this mash-up surfaced. Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know,' has been combined with Aaliyah's 1998 hit 'Are You That Somebody?' to form 'Are You That Somebody That I Used to Know?' Go figure. [YouTube]
- If you're not a fan of Frank Ocean these days, you might as well pack up your things and exile yourself to a hermit colony, because no one agrees with you. Even 19-year-old Conor Maynard said Ocean is "a proper, true kind of R&B singer." We hear that, Conor! [MTV]
- OMG! An Internet genius has done a hilarious faceswap of Miley Cyrus and her fiancee Liam Hemsworth. This does not disappoint! [Imgur]
- Tourmate of One Direction, Olly Murs, dishes on what it's like to tour with, arguably, the biggest boy band right now. He says he's closest with Niall Horan and the 1D boys decided to pelt Murs with NERF guns during his soundcheck. We bet the backstage shenanigans are awful fun to watch! [Stereotude YouTube]
- Even though Kevin Jonas and wife Danielle have only been married a few years, they are already feeling the pressure to start a family. Says Mrs. Kevin Jonas, "My mom wants a grandkid bad. It's getting boring now." [People]


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Google is hoping that it can talk the British into buying Chromebooks on the High Street. I hope they remembered to replace the $ key with a £ key.
The search giant is testing the Chrome Zone shop-within-a-shop inside the Currys and PC World superstore (no relation to PCWorld magazine) in London's Tottenham Court Road. The shop currently only selling the Samsung Chromebook. It's your one-stop-shop for exactly one device.
The mini store's design matches Google's color scheme. Google's head of consumer marketing for the UK and Ireland, Arvind Desikan said that, "We've put a great deal of thought into the design of this Chrome Zone." They've also hired dedicated staff so you won't be talking to the stereo guy while shopping for Chromebook. [TechRadar]
You can keep up with Roberto Baldwin, on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.


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This section of Te-en is strictly for posting teen related toons, comics, 3D images etc. Feel free to post strips or sets. DO NOT POST LOLICONS!!!
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
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◕ LindyList - Top Porn Sites List ◕ Zwei - Top Porn Sites ◕


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Concerts performed by the Ontario/Chaffey Community Show Band aren't only a great night out full of fun and great music — they are also free.
Under the direction of Dr. Gabe Petrocelli, the band is scheduled to perform "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" on Oct. 7 at Ontario's Gardiner Spring Auditorium.
Petrocelli, who arranged the music for the show, took the baton in June when Jack Mercer, who founded the show band in 1985, retired. Mercer, however, plans to conduct some numbers as director emeritus along with new assistant directors Doug McKenna and Dave Schaafsma.
Audience members can expect to hear such memorable songs from the '50s and '60s as "Tequila," "Venus," "Watermelon Man," "California Dreamin'," "Splish Splash," "Johnny B. Goode" and "Proud Mary." In addition, band member Tom Hill, who plays baritone horn, plans to play an homage to Elvis Presley including "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jailhouse Rock."
"It was a thrill growing up watching Elvis Presley on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in my early years, watching the excitement he created," said Hill. "I realized I wanted to be a part of that. I'd buy Elvis records and play them over and over again with a guitar in my hand learning the chords."
Chris McAleer, who plays first clarinet for the band, will be featured in a medley of Motown hits including "Stop! In The Name of Love," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." Special guest Ron Ellington Shy, a former member of such classic bands as The Coasters, The Drifters, The Checkmates and Dewey and Don, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The concert will be broadcast on local Ontario cable Channel 3.


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European Commission
Press release
Brussels/Nicosia, 6 September 2012
High-level group issues 'wake-up call' for Member States to address literacy crisis
The European Union needs to overhaul its approach to improving literacy standards, according to a high-level group of experts set up by European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou to address the issue. One in five 15 year olds, as well as nearly 75 million adults, lack basic reading and writing skills, which makes it hard for them to get a job and increases their risk of poverty and social exclusion. The expert group's chair, HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, a long-time campaigner in the field, describes the report as a "wake-up call about the crisis that affects every country in Europe". The 80-page report includes a raft of recommendations, ranging from advice for parents on creating a culture of reading for pleasure with their children, to siting libraries in unconventional settings like shopping centres and the need to attract more male teachers to act as role models for boys, who read much less than girls. It also makes age-specific recommendations, calling for free, high-quality early childhood education and care for all, more specialist reading teachers in primary schools, a change of mind-set on dyslexia, arguing that almost every child can learn to read with the right support, and for more varied learning opportunities for adults, especially in the workplace.
Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: "We are living a paradox: while reading and writing are more important and relevant than ever before in the context of our digitised world, our literacy skills are not keeping up. We urgently need to reverse this alarming situation. Investments to improve literacy among citizens of all ages make economic sense, producing tangible gains for individuals and for society, adding up to billions of euros in the long run."
Princess Laurentien added: "Reading and writing are much more than a technique or a skill. Literacy is about people's self-esteem and ability to function and flourish in society as private individuals, active citizens, employees, or parents. We need clear, coordinated national strategies and much better awareness across Europe, not only in policy and educational circles, but also in hospitals, workplaces and especially in families. It is time for Europe to raise its level of ambition and ensure literacy for all."
The report, unveiled at a conference in Nicosia hosted by the Cyprus Presidency of the EU, provides examples of successful literacy projects in European countries, as well as spotlighting individuals who have overcome the taboo of illiteracy and transformed their lives. It also seeks to dispel common myths about literacy (see Annex 1).
EU Education Ministers have set a joint target to reduce the ratio of 15 year olds with poor reading skills from 20% at present to 15% by 2020. The high-level group's report highlights a significant gender gap, with 13.3% of low achievers among girls compared with 26.6% for boys. The gender gap is smallest in the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium, and highest in Malta, Bulgaria and Lithuania (2009 statistics). Annex 2 details the overall percentage of low achievers in reading in Member States and Annex 3 provides an overview of the gender gap.
Background: why literacy is a 'big deal'
The report highlights that good literacy skills are essential for improving people's lives, and for promoting knowledge, innovation and growth. Changes in the nature of work, the economy and society more generally mean that literacy is more important than ever in today's world and that Europe should therefore aim for 100% functional literacy among all its citizens.
The report states that literacy is a 'big deal' because:
The report makes recommendations for each age group.
For young children it is essential that Member States implement family literacy programmes to improve the reading and writing skills of both parents and children. Such programmes are very cost-effective. Investment in high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is one of the best investments countries can make in Europe's future human capital. Children who have benefited from ECEC are more literate and do better in school. Studies show that if Europe achieves its 2020 benchmark for basic skills in literacy, maths and science (target is 85% of 15-year-olds), this could lead to a GDP gain of €21 trillion over the lifetime of children born in 2010.
Primary schools need to recruit more specialist reading teachers and low performing pupils should get individual assistance as soon as the need arises. School libraries should have reading materials which are attractive and challenging for all age groups, and the use of ICT tools and digital reading should be encouraged in class and at home.
Adolescents need more diverse reading material, from comics to set literary texts and ebooks to motivate all readers, especially boys. Co-operation between schools and businesses should be promoted to make literacy learning more relevant to real-life situations. The taboo around adult literacy problems needs to be broken. NGOs, media, employers, societal organisations and celebrities all have a role to play in communicating more widely about adult literacy and its solutions.
Language learning: The report notes that literacy has a growing multilingual and migrant dimension due to increased mobility in Europe. In 2009, 10% of 15-year-olds in the EU were born in another country or had both parents born abroad, compared to 7% in 2000. In some countries, such as Italy or Spain, the percentage of migrant children rose fivefold from 2000 to 2010. Language learning is therefore more important, not only as a tool of communication, but as a means of building mutual understanding. While low literacy itself is not primarily a migration problem (the vast majority of children and adults with poor literacy were born in the country they live in), the report states more tailored support is needed, based on an understanding of individual language and literacy needs.
Next steps
Commissioner Vassiliou will discuss the report's findings with Education Ministers at their informal meeting in Cyprus on 4-5 October. The discussions will form the basis for Council Conclusions on Literacy, in which EU countries will set out agreed priorities, both for themselves and for the Commission, to tackle literacy problems more effectively.
More information:
New Commission website on literacy in Europe
Video conversation about the report with Commissioner Vassiliou and HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
European Commission: Education and training
Follow Androulla Vassiliou on Twitter @VassiliouEU
Annex 1 - Misconceptions about literacy
The report seeks to dispel some widely-shared misconceptions about the nature, size and scope of the literacy issue:
Annex 2 - Percentage of low achievers in reading (PISA study)
UK, NL, LU: 2000 results not comparable to later years
Annex 3 – Gender gap in reading
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Carly woke up one morning from the most pleasant dream. She was being eaten out by Sam while her twin sister Melanie was kissing her and massaging her small perky boobs. She was having incredible orgasms and was squirting all over Sam. While all this was happening, a horny Freddy was videotaping it all to enjoy the love of his life being tongue fucked by her best friend. She had woken up sweating and surprised that she had had such an odd and hot dream. When she moved around, she noticed that her pussy was wet and her juices were dripping down her leg. She got really horny and started rubbing her wet pussy underneath her moist panties, moaning in the process. She started sliding her fingers in and out with a perfect rhythm. She removed her tanktop and started rubbing her small tits and pinching her nipple. She came soon after as she cried out with pure pleasure, going through an orgasm and coating her fingers with her juices. She calmed down from her orgasm, licked her fingers, and went to the shower.
Carly had been doing this more often ever since she had started iCarly. Freddie had put video camaras all around her apartment, even Spencer's room, in order to catch a funny moment for the show. She had been watching what Spencer did with his new girlfriends all the time. Of course, she had asked Freddy to never open those but to give them to her. She would enjoy watching her stud of a brother fuck the living hell out of his new girlfriends until they were completely satisfied like the sluts they were. She would keep them in her own private collection. The girlfriend videos included the video game champion, the art teacher, Ms. Ackerman, and even Gibby's mom.
One day, she noticed Spencer had yet another new girlfriend who was incredibly gorgeous and d sexy in every way. She was perfectly developed, her boobs were big and seemed firm, a toned waist, and to top it off, her ass was firm and juicy. She was in her mid twenties. Carly couldn't help but get a little moist and horny, knowing she would soon see her naked and riding Spencer's cock like a whore and groaning in orgasm. She just had to wait a few days for the video.
A few days past and Freddie gave Carly a new set of tapes for her to look around.
"I'm looking for that time I was randomly dancing on the table to Cuddlefish. I'm sure that it will be great for some random 'random dancing' montage. Don't you think" said Carly.
"Oh yeah I totally forgot about that…" replied Freddie.
"What?! That's a major part of our 200th show, all the great dancing moments we had had in this show and all around the apartment. Cmon Freddie" screamed Carly, obviously a little mad.
"I'm sorry Carly, but there's still a few days until the big show, don't worry ill get to work on it soon." Freddie said as he noticed Carly was wearing another one of her sexy colorful jeans that hugged her ass just perfect. He also noticed that she had on a helping bra which emphasized her nice teenage titties. Her black wavy hair was smooth and shiny. Freddie obviously had a little hard on.
"It's okay Freddie. I'm sorry I got mad. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Don't worry I'll get you those dancing videos as soon as I can. Right after I look at them" replied Carly as she gave Freddie a hug. She didn't feel his bulge brush up against her leg.
"Do you know where Sam is? She missed another iCarly meeting" asked Freddie as he finished enjoying the hug.
"I don't know, probably off getting some fried chicken or ribs" laughed Carly as she shrugged it off and would call her later.
Little did they know that she was getting her meat, and plenty of it. She met with 3 boys from a high school in a hotel. She was on her knees, in nothing but her black lace bra which supported her juicy teenie tits just right, and her matching thong, which hugged her pussy and ass just right. She was sucking on the boy's big 8 inch cocks like a pro. One in her mouth while she was seductively stroking the other ones, which just put the boys in heaven.
"Oh my god! Who knew this blonde was such a slut…" moaned boy #1 as he faced fucked the blonde beauty in front of him. "All this for 20 bucks each!" She pulled his cock out her mouth.
"Whoa hold up, we agreed on 30 each, if you don't then… ." She was immediately plugged up his massive member. "Okay okay, 30 each it is, this is just too good" moaned boy #1. She started to rub her slit through her panties, moaning while sucking on his cock.
Carly was alone in her apartment, in her iCarly studio. She was sitting comfortabely looking through the apartment videos to find funny random dancing. She soon stumbled on one that made her wet almost instantly. She had found a video of Spencer's most recent girlfriend and Spencer.
Rosa was her name, and she was from South America. She came into Spencer' room wearing nothing but a sheer white push-up bra which made her boobs look incredible, her dark hardened nipples tore through the fabric. She had on nothing else. Carly noticed her pussy was shaven clean, from a brazilian wax. Her sexy tanned skin glistened in the candle light. Spencer obviously very happy he had her all to himself asked her to sit on his couch so he could paint her on a canvas. She willingly accepted it and posed in a very sexy way, giving Spencer an immediate hard-on. He obviously found the strength to not climb on top of her and fuck her silly.
"Are you sure you want me to do this Spencer?" Asked Rosa with her sexy foreign accent. "I've never done anything like this before"
"I do it all the time! Such pretty girls deserve a painting in their honor" replied Spencer in his 'smooth dude' charms. "Okay" she replied, a little scared by what he said.
Carly had already taken off her pants and was slowly rubbing through the soft cotton panties. She was wet from the scene that was unfolding in front of her. After a few minutes, Carly had taken off her helping bra and her tight shirt to fondle her small teenie tits and was fingering her tight virgin pussy, which made her moan and squeal from pleasuring herself.
"Wow Spencer, tu sabes…" said Rosa "its getting very hot in here…"
"Of course it is. Your here baby" laughed Spencer from his own little pun, to the small sigh Carly gave when she heard it.
"You mind if I take my top off? It will feel a lot better" "YES!" Replied Spencer without hesitation, who was basically done with the painting but wanted a better view while he added the final touches.
She unhooked her lingerie top and let her perfect boobs fall which left Spencer, and Carly, in utter shock. They were heavenly, firm and perky, and had some nice erect nipples to top them off. Spencer gazed at them for a minute before going back to his painting.
"Wow" moaned Carly, who was somewhat close to making herself cum, but decided to slow down to slowly rubbing her wet pussy and pulling her shirt down. She wanted to squirt during the best part. It would be worth the wait. "Those are amazing, I wish my tits were so perfect…"
Wow! She is sucking my dick like an absolute pro" screamed boy #2, who had rotated with his friend and was now having his rod sucked on by Sam.
"Wow this is really making me hot" thought Sam as she felt her bra and thong being ripped off by the other boys. They noticed her pussy was soaked and her juices were running down her leg. She stopped the 3way sucking triangle to get up and give them a perfect view of her juicy, rather large for a 16 year old teenager, tits which bounced as she sat down on the bed. This made the boys very horny as she told them to use her as they wanted, any hole they wanted. Boy #1 had her pussy, boy #2 had her tight ass, and boy #3 had her mouth and tits. They all got into position, Sam being on top of boy #2, boy #1 waiting eagerly next to her, and boy 3 who was standing up on the bed.
"Okay, fuck me in the ass first, and quick" moaned Sam as she sat down on boy #2′s cock which surprisingly eased down quite easly, but still tight as a virgin. They both moaned in pleasure as she started bouncing on his cock which was pouding her ass. She stopped to let boy #1 ease his massive cock into her pussy, which obviously eased in quicker than the one in her tight ass, and made Sam squirt with pleasure. His cock was well lubricated and some of her juices trickled down to her ass, which gave her assfuck more lubrication.
"Cmon, join the party" moaned Sam to boy #3 while she was bouncing on boy #2′s cock and being fucked hard by boy #1, who were obviously enjoying themselves. Sam's bouncing jiggling titties only made boy #3 want to titty fuck her more, but he would have to settle for her hot skilled mouth as he walked over and was surprised to see her engulf his 8 inch cock in one gulp.
After several minutes, which to Sam felt like an amazing hour of having her holes stuffed by 3 guys, had squirted so many times, she was now almost fainting from so many orgasms. The guy in her ass was ready to blow, and the boy in her pussy didn't look like he would last long. Finally, they blew their loads, basically at the same time, all deep inside Sam, who squirted one more time before they pulled out and let her relax. While they marveled at Sam squirting out their cum with her skills, she walked over to the last boy and said he could finish by fucking her juicy round melons all he could. She immediately got to her knees and placed his shaft inbetween her perfect boobs and squeezed them together. The boy started pumping his cock through her teenage boobs, as they both enjoyed the sensation, until not long after, Sam licked the tip of his cock which made him unleash his cream all over her face. She licked it all off and washed whatever was left in the bathroom. She came back and asked the completely satisfied boys for her 90 dollars.
"No way, it was amazing, but I say it was 20 dollars because being a slut, you don't need that much money" laughed the boys, who would regret saying that. She immediately grabbed their arms and flipped them over and threw the other boy across the room, rendering them unconscious. She grabbed their wallets, got dressed, and walked out the door to buy some edible meat.
Spencer had finished the painting quickly, but continued to pretend he wasn't finished with it to inhale the perfect view that was in fron of him. Rosa was shimmering in the candlelight, and all he wanted to do was fuck her passionately. Of course he didn't want to scare her away so quickly and doing a sexy painting session would loosen them up a little. It had worked with his other girlfriends, why not this one. Little did he know that he would be in for the spectacular ride of his life.
"Finished!" Exclaimed Spencer showing her his painting, which was a mirror image of her and her pose. She was amazed on how well he did the painting and it was so realistic.
"Wow, Spencer that looks so beautiful! I look amazing." She hugged him, which made Spencer incredibly horny being hugged by a totally nude hispanic chick. Her boobs mashed up on his chest and his hard cock accidently brushed up against her leg. She noticed it, but instead of backing off, she started rubbing it with her hand, which made Spencer moan with pleasure.
"Hmmm, I would like to thank you for this amazing gift in my own special ways…" purred Rosa, who got on her knees and pulled down Spencer's pants. A hard 9 inch cock almost smacked her in the face. "Ay dios mio! Mira eso! Look at that!" Her eyes were in complete disbelief as she took hold of it and started stroking it seductively with both hands. She stared up at him with sexual lust in her brown eyes. Spencer moaned in obvious pleasure.
"Why don't you suck on it, hmmmm?" Moaned Spencer as she slowly continued to stroke it. She had no hesitationed and slowly started licking the tip like a sexual lollipop. Spencer groaned and grabbed the back of her head. He thrusted his head forward, and instead of hearing gagging, he cried out in pleasure as she deepthroating his entire cock in one gulf. She quickly pulled out and said "use my mouth however you want Spencer. Make me your face fuck machine!" With that, Spencer thrusted his cock back into her skilled wet mouth.
Carly was in heaven, and amazed on how skilled Rosa was in deepthroating her brother's big cock. She had started fingering her slit a little now, obviously wanting to cum. As she started to moan again, she lifted up her shirt again and started fondling her teenage tits again. Just as she was about to cum into orgasm, Freddie walked into the studio.
"WOW, is that Spencer?!?" Exclaimed Freddie, as the first thing he saw was the video of Spencer being deepthroated. "Carly!? What are you doing?" Freddie got a hard on seeing Carly on the floor slowly fingerfucking herself and rubbing her tits he had dreamt of while he was asleep.
"Oh my god, Freddie! What are you doing here" yelled Carly. She quickly pulled her shirt down and closed her legs to cover up "Why are you here?"
"I came to pick up the dance videos, but you aren't looking for them apparently…" said Freddie, as he tried to hide his bulge from Carly.
"I said I was going to give them to you. What the chizz, coming in here without knocking." Sassed Carly as she paused the Spencer video.
"Is that why you wanted to put video camaras in Spencer's room? To get homemade amateur porn for yourself?" Asked Freddie. "Of course not, this is only recent, now leave, ill have them for you tomorrow at school" replied Carly as Freddie put his head down. "Wait!" said Carly, who saw his bulge, stared back at the video. She had a horny idea.
Before Freddie had any idea what was going to happen, she was on all fours crawling towards Freddie in a very lustful way, shaking her hips and ass back and forth everytime she moved. Freddie got his erection back and stared down at him, frozen in his place. "I have an idea Freddie. Have you ever thought about sex? Be honest." purred Carly as she grabbed his waistband.
"Well in all honesty, I think about YOU all the time, but my mom keeps an eye on me all the time I'm at home because she doesn't want me to jack off to you" said Freddie, obviously a little embarrased.
"Oh, so you do think of me all the time. That's sweet, I think. Here let me thank you for being so sweet." She pulled down his sweats and grabbed hold of his rather large 6 inch cock. "Wow Freddie, its so big! I never knew you had a big one!" Said Carly while she was stroking it with her tiny warm hands. She had not cleaned off her pussy juice from her hands and it was now used as an extra stimulant for Freddie's amazing handjob. "Does it feel good Freddie? Tell me"
"It feels amazing, don't stop" moaned Freddie, who was in heaven and thinking back of a dream he had. "Why don't you try doing what Spencer's new girlfriend is doing?" Said Freddie, who looked up to see the video.
"Good idea Freddie. Although I don't think I could do exactly what she's doing." She quickly started licking his shaft and balls, before she started sucking on it with her hot wet mouth. Freddie moaned in absolute ecstasy as he picked up the remote and put the video on play before secretly turning on the a video camara in the studio that had a perfect view of what they were doing.
"Oh my god Rosa. I think I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna CUM!" Yelled Spencer after 10 minutes of a flawless deepthroat blowjob. "Yo lo quiero! Give it to me, I want your cum on my face!" Replied Rosa who opened her mouth as she started stroking Spencer's cock at incredible speed. She had licked the tip, as Spencer started to tense and shake. He unleashed load after load of his cum on her face and mouth. He groaned at the amazing orgasm he was having and enjoyed seeing her trying to catch every load in her mouth. After he finished, he was amazed to see his cock back in her mouth, sucking off any extra cum and trying to get him hard again. Spencer did get hard after a few minutes. He knew what was coming. Rosa bent over the bed to give him an amazing view of her tight latina ass with a pussy that shimmered and glistened in the light. "I want you to eat me out Spencer" moaned Rosa as she started rubbing her own pussy and was waiting for Spencer's tongue. He didn't hesitate and slammed his tongue into her, which made Rosa squeal in pleasure and squirt all over him. He continued tongue fucking her until she had gotten over 4 orgasms.
"I want you inside me, your big cock pounding me!" Yelled Rosa. Spencer grabbed his hard cock and started rubbing it up against her wet slit, making Rosa moan and shake, wanting to be penetrated more. Soon Spencer inserted his cock into her slowly but firmly. She cried out in orgasm and squirted her juices on his cock. It slid down her leg as she was being fucked doggystyle for several minutes. They switched positions, and she sat on his cock and started slamming her hips into his. He kept moaning as she bounced up and down on his shaft. She was letting her tits bounce up and down as she did. She kept moaning and squealing, cumming on his cock many times.
"Oh my god! Carly I think I'm going to cum!" Yelled Freddie. He was receiving his first ever blowjob, and from the girl he had dreamed of fucking his entire life was doing. It just made him muster up more of his cum to be able to unload on her amazing face and those plump red lips. He always wanted it.
"I want it on my face! I want you to do it like Spencer did to that slut! Make me your little slut. Shoot it on me! Yelled Carly. She was stroking his cock at a big pace, making Freddie twitch and moan. His cock was throbbing and Freddie's face seemed strained. "Cmon Freddie, don't keep me waiting!"
Freddie looked down to see her amazing sexy smile which quickly turned to an open mouth eagerly waiting for his cream. That made Freddie lose control and start unleashing his load all over Carly, who was happily trying to get some in her mouth. She put his cock back in her mouth to suck any remaining cum. "Wow Carly, that was amazing! I never knew that you would've done it so much like a pro-slut!" Panted Freddie. She gave him her sexy smile and started to strip from her clothes. Seeing her covered in his cum was making him horny again already, and finally seeing her getting naked in front of him made his cock incredibly hard again.
She took off her tight shirt to show him her sexy teenage titties. Freddie noticed that she had developed so much ever since they started iCarly and that she was now a sexy woman. She kept stripping from her tight shorts until only her panties remained. She turned around to give Freddie a good look at her ass before pulling her panties down and showing him her wet hot pussy. Freddie stood in amazment as she started fingering it. She then got on the hood of the prop car and proceeded to lay on her back and spread her legs apart, as if beckoning him to her. He walked over to her and stared down at her juicy cunt, not knowing what would happen next.
"I want you to eat me out. Lick me and finger fuck me until I cum." She whispered with a pant. She grabbed his head and placed it between her legs. Freddie could just feel the sex and heat coming from her virgin pussy and proceeded to lick the entire thing in one big scoop. Carly shivered and moaned from being licked for the first time in her life. "That felt great don't stop! Stick your fingers in me! Prepare me for your cock" yelled Carly, as she was moaning from the pressure. Freddie obeyed her command, sticking a finger inside of her as he licked her clit. She kept moaning at the amazing feeling she was having and started pleasing herself by touching and caressing her tits. After a few minutes, she came, screaming and squirting so much she drowned Freddie's face in her juices. Never had she had such a big and amazing orgasm. Her body continued to shake as she finally calmed down and began to breathe correctly. She stared down at her pussy to see Freddie was cleaning himself off and noticed his hard-again cock throbbing.
"Oh Freddie! Be my first, make me yours! I want you to fuck me! Make me a sex-loving slut!" She screamed. Freddie, a little surprised by her sudden outburst, was excited to steal Carly's virginity and took no time in climbing on top of her. He grabbed his cock and, just like Spencer, started rubbing her wet virgin cunt with the tip of his shaft, making Carly shiver and moan in anticipation. He knew Carly would be soo tight and slowly inserted the tip. He felt Carly twitch and her face was in a little pain. He kept pushing in, and her pussy was gripping on his cock. After a few minutes, he felt her barrier and decided to tell her. "You ready?" Freddie whispered in Carly's ear, who's face was strained in both pain and pleasure. She nodded and Freddie pushed through. Carly screamed in pain as blood trickled down and out her. Freddie stopped and pulled out, afraid he had hurt her. Carly opened her eyes and then looked up at Freddie, giving him the go-ahead that she was fine and urged him to continue. He stuck his shaft back into her, and to both of their surprise, Carly now maoned in pleasure, experiencing her first orgasm a cock had given her. She released her juices on his cock, which felt amazing to him. He thrusted in and out of her pussy, making them both moan in pleasure. He also leaned down and started making out with her, and she accepted his tongue. After 10 minutes of steamy passionate humping, they released from their kissing and Freddie started thrusting harder and faster, making the prop car they were on start sound the alarm. This only increased their passion as he started feeling his cock swell. Carly had gotten so many orgasms, she was feeling faint and dizzy. She only had time to say "cum inside me! Fill me up with your cream." before passing out from going through her last orgasm of the day. When she released her juices on his cock, he couldn't contain it any long and with a large grunt, he felt himself go into orgasm and start to spasm. He release a large amount of cum into her equally spasming pussy. He filled her up with his seed, unleashing wave after wave. He also felt her vaginal muscles squeeze on his shaft, keeping him in there until he finished and so had she. After she had calmed down, he released his cock from her pussy and out came a pool of their mixed juices gushing to the floor from her pussy. It was until now that he noticed Carly had passed out from exhaustion and satisfaction, her face plastered with his cum and her pussy dripping with his seed as well. He felt like he was on top of the world.
He quickly cleaned himself off and tried his best to clean Carly and the studio up. He woke her up with a splash of cold water on her face. She smiled at him and they kissed. She then finished cleaning herself and used a small rug to cover the puddle they had made in the studio, which she would clean up later.
"Thanks for that Freddie, that felt amazing." It was then that she noticed the video of Spencer and was somewhat surprised, but not entirely, to see that they were in different positions and he was still pumping into her. He was fucking her again doggy style and Rosa's face was red from having orgasmed so much and she was also surprised to see Spencer was still going after 30 minutes of nonstop fucking. She would have to keep this stud for a long time and she also wondered why his other girlfriends had dumped him. All this was going through her mind until she heard him start to pant.
"Ay dios Spencer….. eres fant..ast..ico! This is… so… mmmm…. amazing…. and for that ….you get to…. do what….ever you…mmmm… want to finish" she moaned, going through yet another orgasm.
"I want it all over that sexy face of yours" he said panting harder and harder before tell her to get on her knees. She willingly obeyed and before long she was on her knees seductively stroking his cock. She wanted her prize and stuck her tongue out to lick his tip. That was enough stimulation for him and with a grunt, he spilled out many streams of his semen onto her waiting face and mouth. She didn't seem to move and just got plastered with some getting into her mouth. She swallowed and proceeded to suck the remainder of his cum from his cock and lick her juices from his cock. Spencer moaned from all this as his latina sex goddess cleaned his cock. They both fell alseep in eachother's arms completely naked and satisfied. With that, Carly turned off the screen, hid the video and kissed Freddie goodbye.
She called Sam again, who was already in her building coming up the stairs. Freddie opened the door to leave as he saw Sam coming through the hall, eating a peace of fried chicken. He was still in a somewhat dillusional stance and all he can do was smile as she past him. 'Whats his problem' she thought as she didn't bother saying an insult to him.
"What's cup Carls!" Sam said reaching the studio and seeing Carly slipping on her pajamas.
"Sam, where have you been? You missed iCarly rehearsal." Said Carly with a little anger in her voice.
"Umm getting some chicken," lied Sam smiling. "What did you do?"
"Oh you know, rehearsed and I watched some videos and Freddie came back to watch some videos with me. Nothing much" she lied back.
"Anything interesting?" "…no not really".


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Eric Rindal – KF16 – La Paz, Bolivia
Another day, another dollar lost as a volunteer. The first part of my second Fellowship has gone by tremendously fast. I only have two more months left of what will be my seven months as a Kiva Fellow. No longer do I feel like a volunteer, this is now my way of life. At this juncture, after leaving Sierra Leone and entering Bolivia, I ask three questions: Why micro loans; Why small business; and Why poverty.
As a Fellow these questions encapsulate most of what I think about. In short, I want to know why things are the way they are. Always surrounded by questions of how to cultivate economic development, I am finding few answers but am still encouraged. Rather, I see a conglomerate of ideas that help make sense of volunteering within economic development.
Some answers are clear: when people are treated equally and offered an opportunity to help themselves financially, they truly have a greater chance of bettering their life. In this case, equality is seen in access to financial capital. My Kiva Coordinator at IMPRO in Bolivia noted that roughly 60% of their clients did not qualify to receive funding from regular banks. Part of Kiva's mission and most microfinance institutions' missions is to knock down the barriers for access to funds. A Kiva borrower I interviewed, Nelly, said, "If I don't have any money [to start a business with my loan], then I don't have a business."
In few words, that answers "Why microcredit?" These small loans really do get people started and on a path toward personal economic growth.
So, why small business? Really, they offer the greatest flexibility and are kindled by ingenuity. In an economy with high unemployment and few formal sector jobs, an entrepreneurial mind thrives. With a single micro loan I have seen productivity and sales increase dramatically when a puzzle-maker purchased a skill saw, when a store owner purchased a freezer to sell cold drinks, or when a woman purchased a cow for milk.
There is great potential to grow a small business, and micro loans are a significant catalyst for this growth.
Now, I hesitantly and naturally ask, "Why poverty?" What I have seen, is that a lack of opportunity, in nearly every sense of the word, truly plagues many people living in the developing (and developed) world. These opportunities can be exemplified by decent education, healthcare, nutrition, and an involved government, which are scarce in many areas of the world. I believe the presence of these forces can distinctly contribute to a person's growth or to their stagnation. Their absence can ultimately be a shackle to poverty. If opportunities in each of those areas are offered to a population, they have the capacity to provide stability and a foundation for growth.
What role we play in the lives of those around the world can alter the way things are. The small role I play as a Fellow in getting a loan up on Kiva is barely noticeable… but crucial. Kiva offers opportunities for anyone to be part of this microcosm of getting borrowers started and to empower him or her. The role of a Fellow differs from a loan officer at a MFI or even, you, the Kiva lender. If we start with equality, continue with opportunity, and foster ingenuity, we have an occasion to participate in redefining the answer to why things are the way they are.
Eric Rindal is a Kiva Fellow based in La Paz, Bolivia working with Emprender and IMPRO. It would be awesome if you lent to Bolivian borrowers or joined the Emprender Lending Team. Eric previously volunteered in Sierra Leone as a KF15, and worked with BRAC, ARD, and SMT. It would be awesome if you also checked out Kiva borrowers in Sierra Leone


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Unless there is a miracle and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao sign to fight each other, promoter Bob Arum is going to be hard-pressed to continue to give Pacquiao money-making opponents. Ones that sell well on pay-per-view.
Chances are, Pacquiao is going to fight Timothy Bradley again in April, and that really isn't going to rev up the engines of boxing fans all that much. It would be another decent fight, but probably not a great one. Their first fight in June 2012 reportedly pulled about 900,000 pay-per-view buys, but the feeling here is the rematch would likely do less because even though Pacquiao was ripped off — Bradley winning a controversial split-decision — it's just not a rematch for which many seem to been clamoring.
Help could be on the way in the name of Mikey Garcia, the ultra-talented super featherweight champion from Oxnard. At 5-foot-7, he can easily move up a couple, perhaps even three more weight classes and still not be considered terribly short. That's not to mention that Pacquiao, who began as a light flyweight, is only 5-6 1/2.
Garcia, 26, is 33-0 with 28 knockouts and a legitimate top 10 pound-for-pound fighter. Tonight he will defend his title against Juan Carlos Burgos of Mexico at Madison Square Garden in New York City (on HBO). During this promotion, Arum slyly brought up the notion of Garcia moving up far enough to tangle with Pacquiao, currently a small welterweight.
Arum was asked how he sees the future of Garcia unfolding.
"It's one fight at a time," he said. "A lot is happening in boxing and it happens really quick. Mikey is one of the few American stars in boxing. We have Mikey and Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather and Timothy Bradley and there are not many other Americans who qualify as superstars. Mikey is taking on a lot of these non-Americans in really big fights, and where that takes him, I am not sure.
"Does it take him up in weight to 135 or 140, then a fight with Pacquiao?"
Arum continued, but it was kind of like, hold on right there. Is there a fight with Pacquiao in Garcia's future?
"Mikey will tell you himself," Arum said. "He was over in Macau when his stablemate, Brandon Rios, fought Pacquiao (in November, selling only 475,000 buys). And he mentioned to some that down the road he would look forward to a fight with Manny Pacquiao. I am a big Mikey Garcia fan and I thought that would be good."
The problem with this scenario would be how long would it take Garcia to move up high enough to fight Pacquiao. If this is a fight that can be made within the next calendar year, that would work.
By that time, Garcia would have presumably won another belt or two — he's already won titles in two weight classes — further cementing his elite standing. And Pacquiao, who just turned 35 last month, would still be young enough. He just has to do his part by not losing any more fights.
Interestingly, if this fight ever did come to fruition, Garcia would have in his camp strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, who helped Pacquiao with his advance through eight weight classes.
"I feel really good working with Ariza and you could see the results when he worked with Pacquiao," Garcia said. "He kept moving up in divisions and dominated everyone. If we can do the same thing with me, that only makes me a better fighter.
"We want the best team to help me perform the best. I don't want to move up in weight class because I am lazy and don't want to train hard. I will move up when my body is ready to go into that division, and with Alex that will help me."
Tell you what, though, Garcia better worry about tonight before he thinks of anything else. Burgos is not near the name Garcia is — nor is he as talented — but Burgos has already fought for world titles twice and come up empty each time.
Burgos fought Hozumi Hasegawa for a vacant featherweight world title in November 2010 in Japan and lost a unanimous decision. He challenged Roman Martinez for his super featherweight belt in January 2013 and was crushed when the bout was ruled a split-draw, Martinez retaining the championship.
To say Burgos (30-1-2, 20 KOs) is hungry for a world title is putting it mildly.
"You all know that decision is on my record and I can't change it," Burgos said of the draw with Martinez. "The only thing I concentrate on right now is my future fight, and that is against Garcia.
"Nothing else matters to me."
The world will be watching Victor Ortiz
With everything that has happened in the career of Victor Ortiz, one has to wonder what's next? In June 2009 at Staples Center, Ortiz found himself embroiled in a vicious fight with Marcos Maidana. Maidana stopped Ortiz in the sixth round, Ortiz seemingly quitting and taking all kinds of heat from fans and reporters.
Ortiz rebounded nicely to take the welterweight title from Andre Berto via unanimous decision in April 2011. Then things really went haywire. Ortiz was knocked out in the fourth round by Mayweather at MGM Grand in Las Vegas after he couldn't stop apologizing enough for intentionally head-butting Mayweather and busting his lip.
After Ortiz's last apology — he hugged Mayweather — Ortiz was floored with a 1-2 after the embrace as time was back in.
And in June 2012 at Staples Center, Ortiz was leading Josesito Lopez on the scorecards when Lopez badly broke Ortiz's jaw in the ninth round, leaving Ortiz unable to answer the bell for the 10th.
Ortiz will be back in the saddle next Thursday when he takes on former champion Luis Collazo at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Fox Sports 1). The question is, with all that has happened, is Ortiz's psyche strong enough to where he can again become champion?
"Well, we're going to find out a lot about that next week," Schaefer said. "That's going to be very, very interesting to see because one thing we all know about Victor Ortiz is that there is always something happening, something exciting. And you just don't know, and I think that's what makes Victor Ortiz like must-see TV.
"There is this happening, that happening. And when people say, 'Well, the guy has no heart,' you see what happened in the Berto fight where Victor got dropped and came up and he showed the heart of a champion. So you just don't know. I think it's the unknown that makes Victor so exciting."
Nothing has been announced, but indications are that Pacquiao will take on Bradley in the rematch April 12 at MGM Grand (on HBO pay-per-view). Pacquiao's promoter, Arum, has told several outlets that he does expect to get the fight done — and very soon. … We also should soon be hearing that a deal has been reached for heavyweight contenders Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne to fight for the heavyweight title vacated by Vitali Klitschko. … Lamont Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KOs) tonight will defend his super lightweight title against Dierry Jean (25-0, 17 KOs) of Canada in the main event at DC Armory in Peterson's native Washington D.C. (on Showtime). … Gennady Golovkin (28-0, 25 KOs) of Kazakhstan next Saturday will defend his middleweight title against Osumanu Adama (22-3, 16 KOs) of Ghana from Monte Carlo, Monaco. Unfortunately, there will be no American TV. HBO tried to work out a deal to do the fight, but it said the venue could not provide what it needed.


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Ethics charges against Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph are still pending following a phone conference will state officials Thursday.
Ethics charges against Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph are still pending following a phone conference will state officials Thursday.
Randolph faces charges tied to renting her Grand Isle camp to BP in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
According to the state's documents, Randolph, her husband George and the company the two own, Randolph Publications, entered an agreement with BP from which they received $50,000 between June and October 2011.
That constituted a conflict of interest because the parish received $1 million from BP to cover spill-related expenses, state officials said.
"She was prohibited from having any personal dealings with them," Ethics Board spokeswoman Alainna Giacone said.
An official report detailing the action of Thursday's conference will be available next week. Randolph declined to comment about the proceedings, only noting she hopes the process will be over soon.
Details about what the phone conference was to cover were not available from Ethics Board officials, but it could have involved stipulations to the charges, settlement possibilities and contested issues.
The process has been ongoing since February. Previous conference reports from Giacone indicate the parties have been negotiating a settlement.
A settlement counteroffer was rejected by the Board of Ethics in October, according to the conference report.
Reports provided by Giacone indicate Randolph and her husband argued in a February conference they self-reported the infraction and believe they acted diligently.
In May, a Board of Ethics attorney told Randolph the board had rejected a settlement proposal to dismiss the charges but would be open to subsequent settlement proposals.
If a settlement isn't reached, Randolph will eventually face a three-judge panel — the Ethics Adjudicatory Board — that will determine how Randolph could be penalized.
Randolph will have an opportunity to defend herself against the charges at that time, Giacone said.
State law says the board is authorized to order Randolph to forfeit the money from BP and order payment of other penalties.


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I've encountered, time and time again, when dying or killing the physics goes haywire for a minute or two.
Example. I killed a compy on a fresh startover the other day. The last blow with the hatchet sent the dino flying. It appeared to have bounced between a couple of boulders, then landed back at my feet. When attempting to harvest the meat/hide, it did the same thing.
I've seen this with the tails of my kills as well. Where the tail seems to go on forever.


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SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Government forces traded fire Monday with pro-Russian separatists who control an eastern Ukraine city, after the country's new president announced daily negotiations were underway toward ending the conflict.
Loud booms and shelling were heard in downtown Slovyansk, where at least six buildings bore damage from shelling a day earlier. The city has been an epicenter of a nearly two-month standoff between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels, who have seized administrative buildings, police stations and border posts across the region.
The clashes come a day after President Petro Poroshenko announced that negotiations had started in Kiev between Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Poroshenko said the meeting focused on strengthening the porous Ukraine-Russia border, and said Ukraine "must cease fire by the end of this week." While he promised the negotiators would meet daily until the crisis was resolved, he did not say whether results had been achieved on Sunday.
The OSCE, whose rotating presidency is currently held by Switzerland, said Heidi Tagliavini, a Swiss diplomat who has worked on crises in places like Chechnya and Georgia, was its representative in the negotiations. Poroshenko's office said Russia's ambassador to Ukraine and the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany also took part.
On Monday, Ukraine's acting defense minister, Mykhailo Koval, told journalists that Poroshenko was working toward bringing the conflict to an end "in the quickest time period," according to the Interfax news agency. He did not give a specific date. Russia has repeatedly called for Ukraine to end its operation in the east, while Ukraine has blamed Russia of fomenting tensions in the region and backing the rebels materially.
Fighting was still under way about noon Monday in Slovyansk, where residents said at least six buildings — including a petrol station, two shopping centers and two apartment buildings — had been hit by mortars a day earlier.
Andriy, a local plainclothes policeman who wouldn't give his last name, was standing with other officers in uniform near the debris.
"Yesterday the center of the city was hit the hardest," he said. "There were a lot of injured people, and a lot of buildings were hit that haven't been hit before."
Dozens of cars carrying civilians were seen leaving the city by road, and a bus with a sign in the windshield reading "children" left the city on Monday. The UN Refugee Agency estimated in late May that at least 10,000 people in Ukraine were internal refugees, a figure that has undoubtedly grown as both Ukrainian and Russian sides dig in. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday that his government was providing aid to Ukrainian refugees within Russia, who he previously estimated to number about 4,000.
"They will end the shooting only when they erase us from the face of the planet, when nothing remains here but a flat space," said Svetlana, a 52-year-old resident of Slovyansk who would not give her last name. "Only then the war will be finished."
Rebels have held the Ukrainian government responsible for the rising number of civilian casualties in the conflict, while the Kiev leadership says the insurgents have attacked civilians in order to foment resentment against the government.
Government officials say at least 200 people — most of whom were civilians — have been killed in the conflict so far.
The spokesman for Ukraine's operation in the east, Vladislav Seleznev, wrote on Facebook late Sunday that the separatists were responsible for the shelling in Slovyansk.
Mills contributed reported from Kiev, Ukraine. Jim Heintz contributed reporting from Moscow.


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1 guest dead, 1 sick at Lubbock motel
LUBBOCK — A man has been found dead and a woman sick at a West Texas motel in what investigators believe was accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
Lubbock police on Thursday responded to the Budget Motel when two guests who were scheduled to check out could not be reached in their room.
Investigators say the man was dead at the scene. The woman was transported to a Lubbock hospital.
Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Rob Keinast says a faulty heater may be to blame. He says high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in the room.
Names of the man and woman, who checked into the motel Wednesday night, were not immediately released.
The Budget Motel was closed Friday and no one from the business was immediately available to comment.