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A certain blame the victim attitude regarding anti-semitism can be found among several participants in various parts of online atheistdom. The idea is that the Jews should not have resisted conversion (into other religions that are just as wrong), and their adamant refusal to convert is evidence of what terrible people they must be - their disregard for assimilation must be evidence of bigotry and ethnic exceptionalism. In essence, by being racist, they have brought calamities on themselves.
This requires quite a flawed assumption: that the Christians would have welcomed the Jews among them on roughly equal terms in case the Jews had converted, and that it's all the Jews own fault.
We will see that very seldom was this the case. In fact, although I point out particular problems Jews historically have run into, similar problems - albeit sometimes in less strictly formalized ways - happen to pretty much every minority. Apparently, ethnologists think assimilation takes at least three generations in most societies. If the society puts up additional hurdles along the way, the first two generations may very well decide to revert their attempt to assimilate. If the society both puts up hurdles and stresses the need for assimilation, the minority is between Schylla and Charybdis, and Christianity very much has put the Jews between a rock and a hard place as far as this goes.
I have decided to present quite a bit of quotes here, instead of summarizing material from my sources; in part because the phrasing often catches, quite well, the attitude and behaviors of the time. The quotes are only examples, and should not be taken as an exhaustive survey of the relevant literature. In fact, these are but representative examples of what historians have found with regards to how medieval Christendom treated its Jewish neighbours.
Simply put, the assumption that Jews were welcome as converts widely does not hold. Sure, a Jew who converted was prized by the church, and often even paraded around and forced to participate in regular evangelization to his former coreligionists (or offered such a profession as a way of proving his sincerity) – and of course, some honest converts probably also wanted to convert their former coreligionists – so yes, the convert was welcomed, but into a rather particular kind of life where he was forced to interact with his former coreligionists on rather bad terms or entirely forbidden from doing so. Some converts obviously saw on which side the bread was buttered, and played this role very well - including making things up about Judaism that would make the Church even more happy. Further, the church viewed the converted Jew as evidence of its own validity and authority. However, even then it carefully kept its eyes on their converted Jews, never quite believing that they were honest about their conversion. The Christian population, by and large, was less accomodating, however.
In fact, widespread doubt existed about the honesty of Jewish converts in the minds of the Christian population in general:
Yet, despite the welcome extended by generations of popes, skepticism concerning the efficacy of conversion of Jews persisted among Christians. No official statement could allay the abiding popular belief that Jewishness inhered so deeply that it could never be effaced by baptism. Why did the pervasive suspicion that baptism by water could not overpower ''baptism by the knife'' persist, despite formal declarations to the contrary by the church elite? Medieval Jews were often courted for conversion by the clerical elite and well-intentioned missionaries, only to be rejected and distrusted as converts by just about everyone else. [Divided Souls, p. 34-35]
Examples from medieval times are listed in the same book, this being a fairly illustrative one:
One popular broadsheet dubbed the baptismal font Judenbad, the Jewish bath; one who sprang out of it remained the same person as the one who jumped in, now armed with new methods of deceiving Christians.[DS, p 35]
Certainly some Jews converted for the sake of material gains - but certainly many Christians did not adhere to Christianity due to any heart-felt love for God either, but due to the material benefits of being part of mainstream society and the steep cost of rejecting the relative safety of remaining a Christian - thus different demands were applied to converts than to born Christians – converts had to explicitly go an extra mile, whereas born Christians were okay as long as they did not raise a fuss. (Compare what happened to Christians who did raise such a fuss, though, Jan Hus or Martin Luther for instance, when they rejected the authority of the Church!). If Jews had converted in order to fit in and assimilate, they would only have confirmed the suspicions Christians had, viz. that Jews were less than honest about their conversion.
The formal-legalistic, and informal designations for baptized Jews reflected and sustained the belief in the converts' inherent Jewishness. Regardless of whether intended for the benefit or the denigration of converts, such labels served as constant reminders to baptized former Jews, as well as to those around them, of their exceptional status. Victor von Carben complained that even after his baptism people would point at him saying, "See, there goes a baptized Jew"; or concerning his advanced age, "An old Jew seldom becomes a good Christian."[DS, 36]
So, apparently Christians did not tolerate former Jews as "real" Christians - why should Jews then convert, in the hopes of assimilating? Conversely, Jewish law forbids pointing out to a convert that he is a convert - Christianity should have been as magnanimous with its converts as Judaism was! Jewish conversion was more frequent to Islam in the Muslim world, despite (or as a result of?) Jews generally being more tolerated in the Muslim world, and Muslims not assigning any particular significance to the background of a convert.
More examples of this behavior from Christians can be found:
The designations for converted Jews became badges that identified and distinguished them from other Christians and complicated their entry into Christian society. [DS, 36]
Jewish converts to Christianity were often reminded of their Jewish origins for the rest of their lives. Unlike pagans who converted to Christianity en masse in the early Christian centuries, medieval Jews converted to Christianity as individuals. Pagan society experienced Christianization as a gradual collective transformation. Individual Jews who converted to Christianity left one highly defined religious, ethnic, and social structure to enter another faith community whose self-image derived in large measure from a very negative view of the community of origin of the convert. Thus, converts from Judaism could not blend casually into Christian society. Their progress was monitored with all the suspicion and wariness engendered by an enemy who had suddenly switched sides.[DS, p. 38]
With regards to the situation in the Muslim world, we find quite a different situation:
The lack of any expectation that Jewish converts to Islam serve a special theological purpose stands in greatest contrast to the experience of Jewish converts to Christianity. While converts from Judaism in Christian lands were employed as particularly effective and knowledgeable missionizers, no similar expectation existed for Jewish converts to Islam. In the sixteenth century, the Catholic Church reaffirmed its commitment to train new converts, ''so that from those [who have lately converted] shall come forth workers suitable for the work of the Gospel, who will be able to preach the mysteries of the Christian faith in every land where Jews and other infidels dwell.'' Conversely, when Christians began to reconquer Spain and large numbers of Muslims converted to Christianity, the ''Christians did not, by and large, experience the Muslims as jurists, theologians, philosophers, and political theorists. They experienced them as a social community, . . . with whom they had to deal.'' 11 Only the relationship between Judaism and Christianity produced the expectation that converts from Judaism would play a special role.
Converts from Judaism occupied a preeminent place in the imaginations of both Jews and Christians, and their singular status made the smooth integration of first-generation converts an impossibility. Converts served the Jewish–Christian confrontation not only in discrete practical capacities, but as a trope, a figure of the imagination onto which beliefs and fears concerning Jews were projected.[DS, pp. 6, 7]
Of course, converts converted for a variety of reasons, and we do have some indications that conversions were not uncommon at all - in which case Jewish racism can't so much be the cause for Jews not converting - however, the reception of these converts may be the reason why a large segment of Judaism did not do so.
While there are no firm overall numbers for any land, the lists and records that do survive suggest that the rate of Jewish conversion to Christianity from the second half of the sixteenth century in Italy was relatively high. [DS, 8],
So, by making the lowermost classes especially prone to conversion, you also create a popular suspicion of converts being low-class, thus making the higher classes unwilling to convert. Clever, no? What a way of making conversion a desirable career move!Renata Segre suggests that the combined pressures of secular and ecclesiastical authorities, relentless harassment in the form of forced preaching, abduction of children, and other threats tended to induce the most vulnerable individuals to convert. This may explain why most converts in Italy did not rise to positions of power or prestige. Apart from service in the church itself, they did not follow an easy path toward integration into Catholic society. After expending an extraordinary amount of resources to achieve conversions, Italian Catholic society did remarkably little with the converts. Even in cases of noble or wealthy Jewish origins, and prestigious godparents, Italian converts from Judaism could not marry into good society.It is unclear whether this was a cause or an effect of Christian attitudes toward the converts. The suspicion that converts emerged from the lower classes of Jewish society may have influenced Christian attitudes toward them; continuing discrimination even after baptism may have prevented more well-born Jews from being enticed by conversion. [DS, 8-9] The sheer number of conversions in Iberia, along with the naked use of coercion, are unparalleled in scale for any other Jewish community at any other time or place. [DS, 7], ''The number of Jews who converted to Christianity in that time [the eleventh century] is far greater than has generally been accepted by scholars.'' These include Jews who converted because they were persuaded by Christian missionary activity or because they were attracted to Christian society for the whole gamut of reasons that inspired such crossing of boundaries. Grossman argues that, far from being a peripheral problem, conversion to Christianity was one of the most significant issues to face Jewish communities in pre Crusade Northern Europe.[DS, 14]
Typically, converts remained within a tightly confined social circle, often marrying other converts. The first female convert from Judaism recorded in Nuremberg married another convert; other converts both in Nuremberg and beyond followed this pattern. Converts to Protestantism tended to marry children of Christian clergymen. Both patterns of spousal choice indicate a poor record of reception as social equals in Christian society.[DS, p. 124]
Jewish conversion to the mainstream religion was in fact more common in the Muslim world - yet in the Muslim world, no particular theological significance was ascribed to the convert's religious background. Integration in the Muslim world therefore went more smoothly. (Also, cultural similarities between Judaism and Islam may have explained this as well - many of the rules of Judaism, such as kosher, benedictions uttered at a variety of times in the day, etc, align closely with similar rules in Islam. However, the Jewish convert to Islam was not forced to denounce his former religion in very explicit terms.)
In 1555, a papal decree (Cumnimis absurdum) presented by Pope Paul IV called for the confinement of the Jews to a particular street or quarter within a town or city. Although Jewish ghettoes had a prior existence in Europe, they had never before received a Pope's public stamp of approval. Thereafter, Jewish ghettos sprang up throughout Europe. Segregation of the Jews was seen as a means to curb social contact with Christians and to punish Jews for rejecting Christ and for their stubborn resistance to baptism. Efforts to segregate Jews from Christians preceded the institutionalization of ghettos. [RoH, p. 55]
Orthodox Church. A Wallachian code of 1652 threatened excommunication to Romanian Christians who failed to abide by strict segregation vis-` a-vis the Jews, and the church admonished its faithful that sexual contact with Jews would call down the wrath of God. [RoH, p. 66]
Assimilation through professional relations was also not possible:
Andres Berndldez, a parish priest of Los Palacios near Sevilla, de-nounced Jews for being merchants, tailors, shoemakers, smiths, jewelers,weavers, and tanners as well as tax-gatherers and officials. None tilledthe soil as a farmer (this was not strictly true) or became a mason orcarpenter, the implication being that Jews preferred occupations thatmade money but preferred not to dirty their hands with hard work. Thefact that the Jews in the ghettos were cut off from the soil and othertrades because guilds would not accept them seemed to escape thepriest's notice.[DL, p. 91
This was even prolonged for generations in Iberia:
Guilds had regulations concerning access to their trades: for example, technical expertise and social acceptability. The carpenters, for example, wanted their members to be married or at best have a house of their own. This was no doubt partly due to the fact that the guilds felt responsible for their members and helped them through hard times such as sickness or accident. But money that could have been better spent, some members complained, was wasted on festive events celebrating the patron saint of the trade and other fiestas, instead of on charity and pensions. Many guilds ostracized minorities such as Jews and Muslims and insisted on purity of blood.[DL, p. 145]
Old Christians (those people whose families had always been Christian and hence supposedly of pure blood with no taint of Jewish or Muslim ancestry) enacted laws to restrict opportunities for minorities, especially Conversos and Moriscos (Jews and Muslims converted to Christianity, also called New Christians). ...
The Catholic Kings issued decrees in 1501 forbidding the offspring of those condemned by the Inquisition, which were mostly Conversos, to hold any important posts or to become physicians, surgeons, or notaries. Later came the practice of exhibiting in cathedrals and churches placards bearing the names of those punished in order to distinguish their descendants of impure blood. The Inquisition maintained records of family bloodlines, and before a person could marry or seek office, registers were checked back as far as possible to see if any Jewish or Moorish names appeared in the family tree.
[DL, p. 35 (my bolding)]
The same book details how Christian Spaniards persecuted Jews who had converted to Christianity, even murdering some among them:
While a statue of the Virgin Mary was being carried through the streets of a predominantly Converso neighborhood in Cordoba, a young girl, probably accidentally, dropped some liquid that may have been water from her balcony onto the statue. It was immediately taken as a grave insult by those below, who went on a rampage looting, wrecking, and burning Converso houses and murdering the occupants. Many Conversos fled the city for safer country towns, whereas others left the country by ship for foreign lands. Tension ran high and rumors were rife. [DL, p. 96]
A Jew who had not converted to Christianity was not under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition (unless he could be found to have enticed Christians to Judaism ). However, if you converted with your family, you put your wife and your children under their jurisdiction as well. This opened up scenarios like this:
Age was not a factor. According to inquisitional records, girls and boys as young as eleven and twelve were sentenced to life in prison for observing Jewish rites.[DL, p. 102]
As Jeremy Cohen observes, the jurisdiction of the inquisitions could even be extended to an entire community by converts:
Second, both Christian converts to Judaism and Jewish converts to Christianity who "relapsed" into their former religion came under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition, as did by extension those Jews who consorted with the converts and relapsi in their practice of Judaism. As I shall demonstrate in a subsequent chapter, such an extension of inquisitorial jurisdiction to any who aided heretics could easily be exploited by friars to harass entire Jewish communities. [FJ, p. 48]
So, if you had taught your child to observe some rites, and they happened to observe those rites and were observed to do so by, say, a Christian servant - too bad, off to prison with them. Given that even slight suspicion of Judaizing could lead to torture, conversion was not a good plan even if you by happenstance had come to believe in the Christian doctrine.
Slender was the proof needed by the Inquisition to convict a Converso of being a Crypto-Jew. Avoidance of pork (in keeping with Jewish dietary laws), observance of the Sabbath on Saturday, killing of fowl according to Jewish rituals, keeping of fasts on Jewish fast days, eating meat during Lent—all such lapses were eagerly reported to the tribunals by Old Christians who kept careful watch on their neighbors.[DL, p. 101]
Of course not all converts were thus punished, but bad news spreads faster than good news, and Jews of the time were not fully isolated from other communities – rumours would spread around the Jewish world, and people considering converting would see what bad things befell
Meanwhile, the church had significant movements teaching hatred for the Jews, which of course strengthened the disdain mentioned previously:
As inquisitors, missionaries, disputants, polemicists, scholars, and itinerants preachers, mendicants engaged in a concerted effort to undermine the religious freedom and physical security of the medieval Jewish community. It was they who developed and manned the papal Inquisition, who intervened in the Maimonidean controversy, who directed the burnings of the Talmud, who compelled the Jews to listen and respond to their inflammatory sermons, and who actively promoted anti-Jewish hatred among the laity of Western Christendom. [FJ, 13]
In more detail, Cohen says:
Prior to the thirteenth century, Catholic theology had demanded that the Jew be tolerated in Christendom. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), whose teachings provided the foundation for medieval Christian thought in the West, instructed that God had ordained the survival of the Jews, in order that their presence and continued observance of Mosaic Law might aid the Church in its mission to the Gentiles, and so they might convert at the end of days. By the early fourteenth century, however, friars openly advocated that Latin Christendom rid itself of its Jewish population, whether through missionizing, forced expulsions, or physical harassment that would induce conversion or flight.[FJ, 14]
The church in fact saw it as its mandate to ensure Jews were treated somewhat badly, as the Agustinian position explicitly stated:
The dispersion and degradation of the Jews, if insured by the regnant Church, would both alleviate the problem of the Jewish encroachments upon Christianity and enhance the value of their survival– by emphasizing the deplorable wretchedness of their error. [...] Augustine saw a definite need and place for the Jews within Christian society. God had preserved them to play a specific role, and they consequently could not be killed or otherwise purged from Christendom. To be sure, the rights of the Jews in the society were carefully delimited and restricted: the Church endeavored to prohibit fraternization between Christians and Jews; Christians could not legally own Christian slaves, nor were they supposed to hold positions of authority over Christians in any way whatsoever. [FJ, p. 20-21. My bolding]
In conclusion, much like any population, Christians have historically been very suspicious of the demographic changes; both Muslim and Jewish populations that have changed to Christianity have been met with doubt, relegation to second-class status, undue scrutiny and suspicion. Especially under the inquisitions, punishment was meted out even for the slightest hint at having returned to one's previous faith. Racism and "faithism" among the previous members of the religion made conversion a gambit that often only brought any benefits several generations down the line.
Since both communities favoured avoiding contact with the other side, a convert further had to cut a significant part of his social ties – the addition of the risk of being accused of relapsing and thus putting the whole community at risk was of course a further concern. In addition, skills he had learned in his life as a Jew might not be permissible to him any longer (kosher slaughter, scribal duties, joint business ventures with Jewish friends), and the suspicion with which he was eyed in his new life often prevented him from advancing into comparable status in his new community. Since Jews also were not permitted to own land in most of medieval Europe, it was not just a question of converting and just remaining on the farm - the farm seldom existed.
Given these facts, there's no need to posit that Jewish reticence was particularly a result of Jewish racism against others.
[DL] James Anderson, Daily Life During the Spanish Inquisition, 2002
[DS] Carlebach, Elisheva., Divided Souls Converts from Judaism to Christianity in Germany 1500-1570, 2001
[FJ] Cohen, Jeremy, The Friars and the Jews, the evolution of medieval anti-judaism, 1983
[RoH] Brustein, William I., Roots of Hate - Anti-Semitism in Europe before the Holocaust, 2003


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Beekeeping laws can vary by ZIP code
With the widespread popularity of backyard beekeeping, hives are popping up on Bay Area roofs and in backyards at a fast clip.
All good for helping the beleaguered honeybee, but not always so good for keeping peace with neighbors worried about stings. As the ranks of amateur beekeepers swell, there's been an uptick in calls from neighbors asking about the ordinances that regulate beekeeping.
As it turns out, bee laws vary drastically, depending on which ZIP code you're in.
While some cities outlaw bees, some such as San Francisco welcome beekeepers and don't require any specific permits. Others such as Palo Alto say it's OK with written permission from immediate neighbors. Throughout the state, there's a patchwork quilt of apiary rules that until recently have stayed buried in rarely enforced zoning codes and animal control ordinances that categorize bees as everything from insects to "livestock" and even "exotic animals."
There is also the tricky question of whether to follow rules that the government does not enforce. California law requires beekeepers to register with their county, but the state does not provide financing for enforcement. Many renegade beekeepers operate on the assumption it's better to beg forgiveness and give honey gifts later than to ask for permission first, but without first checking the regulations, many new beekeepers are being forced to take down their hives or fight lengthy legal battles to maintain their hobby.
Russel Shaffer, president of the Alameda County Beekeepers Association, had had two hives in his Fremont backyard for four years when an animal control officer knocked on his door in 2010.
"They weren't hidden; my neighbors were aware of them," Shaffer said.
He was written up for not having a "fancier's permit" and for not acquiring neighborhood approval for his bees. He immediately applied for the permit, but his application was denied two weeks later because one of his four neighbors wanted his hives removed.
After three more hearings at Shaffer's request, and paying a $600 fine, a Superior Court judge allowed Shaffer to keep his bees because there was no evidence anyone had been stung in four years.
"It was a 13-month ordeal," Shaffer said. "All of which could have been avoided if I got the permit first."
Woodland beekeeper Rick Purvis decided not to fight the system in Yolo County.
Purvis was told to remove hives he kept at a friend's house in Winters because it's illegal to have "exotic animals not used in circuses or carnivals" in the incorporated areas of Yolo County.
A beekeeper for more than three decades, Purvis relocated them to an unincorporated area near Lake Berryessa in neighboring Napa County.
"I hear constantly from people asking where they can put their hives in Yolo County, and it's ironic because UC Davis is here, with one of the largest bee research facilities in the nation and a big promoter of beekeeping, yet it's illegal to have your own bees here," he said.
If the rules confuse would-be and longtime beekeepers alike, they are even more confusing to city officials who are being asked to interpret laws that in many cases have never been examined before.
Foster City bans beekeeping. San Jose residents must apply for a permit.
In Los Gatos and unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, apiaries must be 1,000 feet from any "residence, church, school, public building, corral or water area."
In Marin County, it can vary street by street in some cases in the same town. San Rafael, Tiburon, Fairfax and Sausalito require permits. Novato allows backyard hives as long as they "are not for commercial purposes." Mill Valley bans backyard beekeeping. Larkspur and San Anselmo have no regulations. Within Corte Madera, some neighborhoods ban beekeeping, others don't.
Just as some beekeepers prefer to go renegade to avoid the bureaucracy, some neighbors also take matters into their own hands. Hives have been sprayed with chemicals or toppled in San Francisco, most recently in community gardens in Hayes Valley Farm and Alemany Farm.
"I always recommend talking to any neighbors who are able to see the hives, just to get their approval and then when the honey comes, spreading that around a bit," said Robert MacKimmie of City Bees, who has nearly 70 hives in San Francisco, and some in Marin and San Mateo.
"Generally, if they can't see the hives, it's not going to become an issue, because they'd never know the bees are there," he said.
Follow the Chronicle rooftop hives on Facebook: Honeybee Chronicles
Meredith May is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer and beekeeper. E-mail email@example.com Twitter:@SFChronicleBees

subset: commoncrawl


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NTSB chair attracts notice with poise, ambition
NTSB chair: Hersman gets notice with poise, frankness
There's a queue of requests to interview National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Deborah Hersman, whose daily Sgt. Joe Friday, just-the-facts updates on the investigation into the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 have become the unlikeliest of must-see TV viewing in the Bay Area.
Clad in her NTSB windbreaker, Hersman effortlessly explains "lateral deviation," auto throttles and Papi lights in unflinching tones, as if she has been a pilot for years. She hasn't. She holds a public-policy master's degree in conflict analysis and resolution.
At 39 in 2009, she became the agency's youngest chair after years as a Capitol Hill staffer.
Her media handlers say she's talking only about the crash, not about personal issues, while the investigation is ongoing. So she does predawn interviews with the East Coast-based TV networks, then handles the locals afterward, often answering the same questions in a confident, reassuring near-monotone.
By spearheading the investigations into the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion that killed eight people, the 2011 crash that killed a pilot and 10 others at the Reno Air Races, and now this accident, in which two died, Hersman has become a familiar image to Northern Californians as the face of the federal government during a disaster.
Former NTSB Chairman Jim Hall doesn't remember a long queue of people wanting to profile him when he chaired the agency from 1994 to 2001.
"First of all, she is much more attractive than I was," Hall, now a crisis communications consultant in Washington, D.C., said and laughed. "But that alone won't bring you that amount of attention. She's bright. She has attention to detail, and she has the gravitas to lend to the situation."
Mark Rosenker, Hersman's immediate predecessor, said "she's done a tremendous job so far."
"She's empathetic and sympathetic and explains things in simple terms. It's just no-nonsense," said Rosenker, who was appointed by President George W. Bush and served in other positions in that administration. Bush also appointed Hersman to the board in 2004.
Plenty of detail
In releasing a steady flow of information on last week's crash, Hersman is doing something few bureaucrats do. She says it is her agency's duty, as the "advocate for the traveling public." Journalists who have attended the daily briefings express amazement at the unusual amount of detail flowing from the federal bureaucracy.
"Since she's taken over, it seems like information has been much more accessible to the public," said Frank Pitre, a Burlingame lawyer who closely follows the agency as a representative of victims in the San Bruno PG&E explosion. He is also representing two passengers who were on the Asiana flight.
Known as a quick study
While Hersman does not have a technical background related to transportation, those familiar with her work say she is a quick study who does her homework.
"It's her demeanor that makes her so effective," said Pitre, who deals with many federal agency heads through his legal work. "Unlike a lot of those people, there's no arrogance there. Instead, there's sort of a modesty. She doesn't talk down to people."
But the Air Line Pilots Association says she's talking a bit too much, saying in a statement it was "stunned by the amount of detailed operational data from on-board recorders released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) this soon into the investigation. The amount of data released publicly during the field portion of the accident investigation is unprecedented."
Hersman's steady drip of information, said the pilots association, could demonize the crew before the investigation is complete and the contextual story of the accident is known.
"We have seen in the past that publicizing this data before all of it can be collected and analyzed leads to erroneous conclusions that can actually interfere with the investigative process," the association said.
Others have seen Hersman as politically tone deaf recently.
While not saying anything publicly, she campaigned hard behind the scenes this spring to be nominated as the next secretary of transportation after Ray LaHood announced he would step down.
'Private lobbying'
She met privately with members of the Senate Commerce Committee, the panel that would hold the confirmation hearing for the position - an unusual move for someone who hasn't been nominated. Her boss when she worked for the committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said publicly that she should get the job.
The White House was unimpressed. "Hersman's private lobbying for the job soured the White House," reported the inside-the-Beltway bible Politico. "The White House never vetted or interviewed Hersman."
One top Capitol Hill transportation leader said the incident recalled the old joke in Washington political circles that the most dangerous place to stand in town is between Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and a camera.
"And the second most dangerous would be between a camera and Debbie," said the transportation leader, who deals regularly with Hersman and asked not to be identified. Still, the leader praised her for "doing a very good job" at the NTSB.
Her failed attempt to be nominated for a Cabinet position shouldn't hurt her standing inside the transportation community or on Capitol Hill, say her predecessors Hall and Rosenker.
The next move?
Observers say her next career move will be interesting to watch. Her second two-year term as chairwoman ends in August, and her second five-year term as an NTSB board member ends in December.
Raised in West Virginia, she lived in different parts of the world as the daughter of now-retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Walt Hersman. She married her high school sweetheart, a software engineer at Lockheed Martin, and they have three elementary-school-age children.
She runs triathlons and frequently brings in brownies for her staff, said one Capitol Hill transportation source. "She really tries hard to cultivate an image of this supermom," said the source.
She sees the NTSB, which has 400 employees and an annual budget of more than $100 million, as a different sort of agency.
"One of the hallmarks of the NTSB is our transparency," Hersman said this week. "There are a lot of organizations and groups that have advocates. We are the advocate for the traveling public. We believe it is important to show our work and to tell people what we are doing."
Joe Garofoli is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @joegarofoli


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Price: $4,399.00 to $5,599.00 Visit the Website
NE58H9970WS Samsung Chef Collection Slide-In Induction Range With Virtual Flame Technology
Description: Professional chefs count on a high-performance cooktop and oven to deliver the most precise temperature control for perfectly prepared dishes every time. Samsung now outfits its premium Samsung Chef Collection Slide-In Range with induction power, which transfers 90% of energy to cookware to quickly achieve optimal heat, compared to just 70% for electric and 50% for gas ranges. This means that home cooks can now enjoy the same level of heat control found in professional kitchens. What makes Samsung's Chef Collection induction range truly unique is its Virtual Flame Technology. This innovation solves induction heat's most common complaint – cooks miss the visual feedback of a gas flame. With Virtual Flame Technology, LED lighting is embedded below the glass cooktop surface around each of the four induction rings and casts a flame-like glow onto pots and pans when in use. This visual cue mimics the look of gas cooking and reassures you that the induction burner is hot. The intensity of the virtual flame increases as you turn up the power, with nine levels of heat ranging from simmer to boil.
Price: $3,699.00 Visit the Website
Bertazzoni Professional Series Induction Range
Description: • Made from Schott Ceran glass-ceramic, this cooktop is extremely easy to clean and a hygienic update for your kitchen. • Induction technology uses the power of magnetism to target and heat only the portion of the cooktop that the metal pot or pan touches—making it 90% more efficient than your standard gas range. • Chefs rejoice -- the induction cooktop is just as responsive as a gas range, making it easy to bring a dish up to a boil then quickly take it back to a simmer. • The best part? As soon as your metal cookware is removed from the surface, the cooktop is cool to the touch—making it child and elderly friendly.
Price: $2,999.00 to $5,999.00 Visit the Website
BERNINA 530 Special Edition - Swiss Red
Description: BERNINA 530 Special Edition - Swiss Red features a sewing speed of up to 900 stitches per minute and 11 needle positions to provide the precise sewing quality that BERNINA owners expect. It also comes with five BERNINA presser feet, a slide-on table, and an exclusive BERNINA suitcase, which offers full shock-absorbing protection, rugged wheels, and an extendable handle. Additionally, machine owners have the option of adding a BERNINA Stitch Regulator (BSR), which provides consistent free-motion stitching, even at high sewing speeds. The BSR is available alone or included in the new Quilter Accessory Kit, which also features the BERNINA Walking foot #50, BERNINA Patchwork foot #37, and a magnifying lens set. The MSRP for the Quilter Accessory Kit is $1,299. Other features of the Swiss Red include a powerful DC motor that gives full sewing power at all speeds to provide consistent stitching on multiple layers and heavy fabrics. Its control panel also offers quick access to all stitch patterns and settings, including reverse and mirror functions, and a manual or automatic buttonhole. An electronic foot control is included as well, allowing sewists to enjoy consistent speed control plus a heel/tap feature to raise and lower the needle. The Swiss Red is practical and flexible, making it the ideal sewing machine for ambitious sewers.
Price: $2,999.00 Visit the Website
Samsung Food ShowCase Refrigerator
Description: The Samsung Food ShowCase Refrigerator continues to lead the category with innovative advancements in flexibility, food storage and efficiency. A refrigerator that stores everything is no longer enough – busy families need smart storage and organizational solutions to keep frequently used items easily retrievable with sufficient space for larger, fresher ingredients. Samsung's Food ShowCase model makes sure that there is a space for everything and everything fits in its rightful space by offering an exterior ShowCase door to retrieve frequently used items like dairy products, snacks, beverages and condiments, and an interior InnerCase compartment for longer storage of larger, fresh food items like produce and platters. Activated by a button on the external handle of the refrigerator zone, the ShowCase compartment can be opened to unveil three family-friendly zones: upper level cooking zone for items like cheese and sauces, mid-level family zone for drinks and snacks, and lower level kid's zone for juice boxes and fruit cups.
Price: $1,999.00 to $3,999.00 Visit the Website
Coyote CCX4 36-inch Grill
Description: At 36", Coyote's 4-burner CCX4 is an affordable choice for grillers looking for a durable barbecue with ample cooking space. Constructed with premium stainless steel, the CCX4 grill features 304 stainless steel burners and grates, a double walled stainless steel hood, warming rack and interior hood lights. The grill also sports a heat control grid, which allows for even heat distribution throughout the grill and up to 20,000 BTU per burner.
Price: $1,599.00 Visit the Website
BERNINA 215 Simply Red
Description: BERNINA 215 Simply Red offers Swiss-engineered quality and the option to add a wide range of BERNINA accessories at an affordable price. It's a user-friendly machine that has a distinctive BERNINA look with its sleek white body and red accents, and it can easily handle thick layers of fabric and perform a multitude of creative techniques. Features include a built-in needle threader, thread cutter, backlit LCD, and direct-select keypad for accessing 11 stitch patterns including a buttonhole. The B 215 Simply Red lets users easily vary stitch length, stitch width and needle position for expanded sewing options. In addition, the most commonly used practical stitches can be set at the touch of a button using the large, clear icons next to the direct-selection keys displaying the stitch. The B 215 Simply Red also offers a sewing speed of up to 900 stitches per minute that can be reduced to half-tempo, giving beginners full control, and the needle can be set to stop up or down in the fabric. Additionally, the built-in needle threader lets users quickly rethread the machine when changing spools. Other features include a four-step buttonhole and a darning program.
Price: $999.00 Visit the Website
The Dream Bed
Description: The Dream Bed (Retail starting at $699) is Mattress Firm's answer to the bed-in-a-box trend…with a twist. For starts, Dream's layer of faster recovery memory foam provides comfort and support. That, coupled with a latex layer that dissipates body heat, allows the mattress to maintain firmness. Even better, The Dream Bed provides a better night's sleep for you and someone in need, because for every bed purchased, Mattress Firm will donate a bed to an underprivileged child or family. When you buy a Dream, you give a dream, and the BOGO (buy one, give one) Dream Bed is a high-quality option for those looking to "click and ship" a gift to someone's home and change a life in the process.
Price: $699.00 to $1,199.00 Visit the Website
Aerelight A1
Description: aerelight A1 is the first of its kind. It's a lamp with an OLED panel where a lightbulb would normally be. The panel lasts the lifetime of the lamp—around 20 years—meaning you'll never have to change another lightbulb. The aerelight A1 incorporates an ultra-thin profile with energy efficiency and integrated touch controls built directly into the anodized aluminum frame. With a sleek finish and slender curves, aerelight combines the functionality of traditional desk lamps with attractive features that blend seamlessly into the most stylish homes. The base is also equipped with a wireless charging pad, allowing any Qi-compatible device to charge.
Price: $299.00 Visit the Website
BigMouth Inc - 10 Foot Gigantic Beach Ball
Description: The bigger, the better! Make your holiday parties fun-filled and exciting with this Gigantic Beach Ball. When fully inflated, this Gigantic Beach Ball stands at approximately 10 feet (3 meters). It is an epic addition to pool parties, beach trips, concerts, schools, lawn games, and more. Air inlet lets you hook up an air pump (sold separately). With nylon patch kit included. Available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $214.00 Visit the Website
T-fal OptiGrill Plus
Description: Healthy grilling year-round is made possible by the T-fal OptiGrill Plus, a "smart" indoor grill that does the cooking for you (with grill marks!) making meal-time a breeze! It features a cooking sensor that ensures a perfectly cooked meal every time by automatically adapting to the thickness of your food and delivering perfect doneness from rare to well-done for seven different programs: burgers, poultry, sandwiches, sausage, red meat, fish and manual.
Price: $180.00 Visit the Website
Netatmo Weather Station - The Gadget For Your Garden
Description: For that someone who's always relaying the latest weather, outdoor enthusiasts or your environmentally conscious friends, the Netatmo Weather Station is a MUST-HAVE. It includes a sleek indoor and outdoor modules that inform you of the weather and air quality in and around your home. Through a free companion app for iPhone, Android and Windows, users enjoy access to real-time temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, C02 concentration and noise pollution information, enabling them to monitor and analyze data to better understand their environment in the moment and overtime. Plus, users can create personalized alerts. For example: · Did the temperature rise above 75? Set up a text reminder to turn on your air conditioning. · Is the weekend supposed to be sunny? Receive an email to go to the beach or visit friends on a lake. In addition, The Weather Station has two companion accessories: Rain Gauge and Wind Gauge.
Price: $179.00 Visit the Website
Victory Tailgate Cornhole Game Sets
Description: Victory Tailgate is the largest manufacturer of custom high-quality cornhole and tailgate games in the United States. Its products are entirely American-made and licensed partners include more than 600 colleges, major professional sports leagues, and numerous iconic brands like Guy Harvey. Each set comes with two high quality cornhole boards with folding legs, a complete bag set (8 bags), and a FREE string pack to carry the bags (A $10 value!). Sets come ready to play right out of the box as shown here! All boards are 24"x48" regulation size unless otherwise noted. Sets are shipped via ground service and come fully insured against loss or damage. Custom sets take a few days to complete plus 1 to 5 days for delivery. Expedited shipping is available. Boards are quality constructed using 1/2" cabinet grade plywood. Not the cheap stuff many other dealers use. 24"x 48" (2 feet by 4 feet) with the 6" hole centered 9" from the top and 12" from each side. The play surface is framed with sturdy 2x4 boards and folding legs for portability. The back measures 12" off the ground and the front measures 4" off the ground. Standard bags are made of quality Duck Cloth canvas material measuring 6"x 6" and weighing between 15-16 ounces filled with whole corn kernels. This is the regulation that all serious cornhole players use.
Price: $169.99 to $209.99 Visit the Website
African Soapstone Box
Description: The hand-carved African Soapstone Box is a safe place to store necklaces and rings while cooking or cleaning. Coated in light blue with an image of a giraffe, this ornate box features pretty details that will add cultural distinction to home decor. Donations go toward the Kenyan artisans who crafted the box to help provide medical care for their families.
Price: $85.00 Visit the Website
KRUPS SAVOY EC314 Coffee Maker
Description: KRUPS launched a NEW line of filtered coffee makers: the KRUPS SAVOY Collection. The EC314 model offers all of the bells and whistles consumers are looking for, wrapped up in a sleek, modern design that they want to display in their kitchens. A customized coffee experience is key with the SAVOY EC314 and the machine features a variety of functions that allow users to enjoy their coffee just the way they like it.
Price: $80.00 Visit the Website
Zuzu Parade Of Animals For Kids Holiday Gift Guide
Description: The Zuzu Parade of animals is making its way into the children's play rooms this year. From turtles to elephants, the line carries six adorable, cuddly and convenient stuffed animal stools that are sure to bring holiday morning smiles to children and moms alike. These fun stools inspire imagination and creativity as children can play with and name them. In addition, they can be used as room décor and can foster a fun cleaning habit involving the entire family. According to researchers, dolls, puppets and stuffed animals have unique advantages over other toys. Because kids know that a plush puppy or a princess doll represents a living thing, they can relate and attach emotions to it. Playing with these "friends" allows kids to explore their complex feelings. Available stools: Turtle, horse, lion, elephant, walrus and whale. Product details: Available for $69.99 with free shipping via zuzuparade.com, 12 in. x 15 inch stools (perfect height for little ones – or even adults!), bucket has a screw lid, and animals are washable.
Price: $69.99 Visit the Website
Waterpik SideWinder Drencher
Description: The perfect shower for everyone in the family – customized for every height! Using an innovative auto-locking high/low arm to adjust the spray height, simply switch to a lower level for the kids or adjust in the middle to rinse without getting your hair wet. You can even change the height within one of the six spray settings to spray a specific areas. $69.98 at Home Depot.
Price: $69.98 to $69.99 Visit the Website
Therapedic Cooling Gel Memory Foam Pillow
Description: Studies show a cool sleeping environment can help you get the best night's sleep. And while lowering the thermostat, turning on a fan before bed or using a damp cloth on your neck help, these solutions can lead to higher electric bills and a wet bed. Recognizing that temperature control is a "hot topic," leading sleep products manufacturer Therapedic International has introduced a pillow that uses cooling gel to help regulate your body temperature throughout the night. The Therapedic Cooling Gel and Memory Foam Pillow fuses memory foam with innovative Hudraluxe gel technology to deliver pressure relieving comfort and rejuvenating coolness.
Price: $49.99 Visit the Website
Therapedic International® Heating Product Line
Description: Therapedic International® introduces a new line of heating products for the 2015 and 2016 winter season, available exclusively at Bed Bath & Beyond. The new products include the Heated Silky Plush Blanket, Ultimate Comfort Heated Blanket, Healthy Silky Plush to Sherpa Throw, On The Go – Heated Travel Blanket and Car Seat Heater, Warm-Me-Up Heated Pocket Wrap, Wrap-Me-Up Heated Wrap Cape, Heated Silky Plus Throw and Heated Faux Fur Throw. Each product is uniquely designed with comfort and safety in mind. The new line of heating products is available in a variety of different textures and colors including; black, taupe, ivory, grey, sand, chocolate and garnet.
Price: $49.99 to $239.99 Visit the Website
French Porcelain Pastry Line
Description: REVOL is coming out with a new range of baking dishes that remain loyal to its spirit of optical illusions: you would swear they are silicone dishes… but they are in porcelain! The dishes in the new collection LES NATURELS are made of culinary porcelain, a noble and healthy material, molded and glazed in REVOL's factory, in the heart of St-Uze, in France. Exquisite pies, sumptuous clafoutis, sweet or savory cakes, moist madeleines, airy soufflés: seven different dishes to execute delicious recipes that have a traditional feel in a high-performing material. The even baking guaranteed by the culinary porcelain of LES NATURELS will awaken your senses and exalt the flavors and colors of your dishes. www.revol1768.com
Price: $39.99 to $79.99 Visit the Website
Cynthia Rowley Copy Paper
Description: Hard to not have a great a day when your copy paper tells you to do so. A collaboration by iconic fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and Quill.com, Cynthia Rowley Copy Paper adds cheer and sophistication to any office space, sure to inspire the worker bee in your life. It comes in a floral reusable carton that makes the perfect storage container after use, and it's super handy to keep near the desk!
Price: $39.99 to $48.99 Visit the Website
ProFlowers Holly Jolly Centerpiece
Description: Add instant holiday cheer to the room by sending a friend or family member a Holly Jolly Centerpiece this year! Fragrant and fun, this centerpiece features white Asiatic lilies, cedar, Douglas fir, pine, noble fir and is topped with red mini Christmas ball picks. The red tin and "Jolly" magnet can be used for years to come! Visit www.proflowers.com to view their entire holiday collection.
Price: $39.99 Visit the Website
Big Mouth Toys - Scarface Gnome
Description: You wanna play rough? This outrageous mini statue is for the ultimate Scarface fan, and is much more badass than a plain ol' garden gnome. This is a hilarious take on the conventional garden gnome. Great for movie fans and collectors, durable cast poly resin withstands the elements. Approximately 9 inches tall. Available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $39.99 Visit the Website
Vintage Charm™ Inspired By Pyrex® Memory Lane 3-Pc Mixing Bowl Set
Description: This trio of Pyrex® bowls, inspired by the 1964 pattern Terra, brings a bright touch to your kitchen table. Each bowl is a warm, earthy color: olive green, teal and salmon. And each bowl is safe to use in the microwave, freezer and dishwasher. • Vintage Charm 3-pc Opal Glass Mixing Bowl Set includes one each: 3-cup, 6-cup and 10-cup mixing bowls • Bowls nest for compact storage • Curved interior allows for easy mixing and cleaning • Microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe • Glass won't absorb stains or odors • Not oven safe • Limited 2 Year Warranty
Price: $39.99 Visit the Website
BigMouth Inc - Pool Party Pong Float
Description: Pool parties and beer pong go together like peanut butter and jelly. This 5 foot inflatable beer pong table is perfect for your holiday pool parties. It holds your cups, wash cups, and keeps the beer from spilling into the pool. It keeps your drinks upright and from spilling into the pool wipes clean and deflates for compact storage. Play on! Available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $39.99 Visit the Website
BigMouth Inc - Giant Strawberry Donut Pool Float
Description: Mmmmm…donut! It looks good enough to eat, and in fact, someone took a bite out of this best-selling Giant Strawberry Donut Float. At 4 feet wide, this float is comfy enough for an entire day at the pool—and hysterically fun. Often imitated, never equalled—this is the original donut float. Durable vinyl holds up to 200 lbs and is easy to wipe down, inflate/deflate, and store. This is a great gift for a sweet tooth and pool owners this season. Available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $38.99 Visit the Website
Personal Creations Monogrammed Cheese Board Set
Description: Made of durable natural maple wood, this monogram cheese board is a perfect hostess gift or gift for new homeowners this season. The set includes a cheese knife and cotton bag to safely store and tote the knife, as well as the option to personalize with a single initial on the board. Order until 12/23 to receive before the holiday season. Visit www.personalcreations.com to learn more.
Price: $35.00 Visit the Website
Ola Tropical Apothecary Coconut Wax Candle
Description: Ola Tropical Apothecary blends ancient plant wisdom with modern science and the spirit of the islands to bring you intoxicating products for an "at-home spa experience." Each of the Company's candles is created from Coconut Wax, a clean, earth-friendly wax that is renewable, sustainable and good for the environment. The candles also contain natural Kukui Nut Oil, Hawaiian Beeswax, Natural Fragrance Oils and soot-free Cotton Wicks. Available in six exotic scents and presented in a large, 6 oz. recycled glass jar with a 30-36 hour burn time. SRP: $33 each. To view the entire Ola Tropical Apothecary collection or to make a purchase please visit, www.hawaiianbodyproducts.com.
Price: $33.00 Visit the Website
Archipelago Botanicals Havana Parsons Candle
Description: The Havana Parsons Candle features a warm blend of Bergamot, Tobacco Leaf and Ylang Ylang. It's a favorite from the Excursion Collection – consisting of 22 location-oriented scents for the jet-set decorators that love the collections diversity of color and fragrances. The candle is presented in a dramatic white glass, topped with a black lid and adorned with a colored fabric swatch. Designed to create an unforgettable gift that needs no special wrapping, and can be placed around your home year round, as this candle burns for approximately 100 hours!
Price: $30.00 Visit the Website
Spode Giallo
Description: Moving 200 years of traditional design into the future, the Spode Giallo collection keeps the style of Blue Italian but modernizes it with yellow accents. Each piece is adorned with a yellow Romanesque pattern border mixed with blue and white scenes from Blue Italian. Coordinating white dinner plates feature only the blue and yellow border and offer a more modern design to the consumer. The memorable style of Spode Giallo boasts a high-end traditional look with nine assorted dinner and serveware items made in the United Kingdom, including a 3-piece placesetting, 10" dinner plate, salad/dessert plate, 9" inch rim soup plate, cottage mug, 12" round buffet plate, rectangular sandwich tray, 14" platter and 10.75" salad bowl. Prices range from $29.99 to $129.99. Follow the conversation about Spode Blue Italian 200th Anniversary on social media with hashtag #spodeblue200. For more information about Spode Blue Italian, the Spode Blue Italian 200th Anniversary Signature Collection, Spode Giallo, or any Portmeirion Group product, visit www.portmeirion.com.
Price: $29.99 to $129.99 Visit the Website
Description: Petsmile is the only toothpaste for pets on the market that's recommended by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). Petsmile's exclusive Calprox formula is clinically proven to prevent plaque formation for healthier teeth and gums while keeping your dog's breath fresh - all without brushing. Petsmile is also made with human-grade ingredients, making it safe for both humans and their furry friends.
Price: $25.00 Visit the Website
Never Have I Ever ® – The Game Of Poor Life Decisions™
Description: Spice up your holiday party, heat up a hot holiday date, or give a hilarious gift with Never Have I Ever® – The Game of Poor Life Decisions™! This new card game version of the popular party game presents a chance to relive life's funny, embarrassing and awkward moments with your friends, and even introduces a competitive element to up the ante. The game includes hundreds of Play Cards with examples of poor life decisions that you may or may not want to admit, and Rule Cards which tell you what to do each round. The only rule? No judgment. Pick up a set this season on Amazon.com or at your nearest Target, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or Spencer Gifts.
Price: $25.00 Visit the Website
Caldrea® Saffron Winter Rose Stainless Sink Set
Description: The Caldrea Saffron Winter Rose Stainless Sink Set is perfect for a smaller sink or in a bathroom. Our petite, beautifully wrought caddy is sturdy, water-resistant, and shaped to hold our Hand Soap Liquid and Hand Lotion. Hand Soap Our hand soap is a gentle but hard-working cleanser that helps soften skin with aloe vera, olive oil and a unique blend of essential oils. Hand Lotion A blend of shea butter, olive oil and aloe vera helps soften hard-working hands.
Price: $25.00 Visit the Website
The Extreme MagicOpener
Description: Tired of fighting to flip the tab on a flip top can, tugging at a twist top, struggling to open a food can, or mangling a metal bottle cap trying to get at the beverage inside (beer, perhaps)? The 4-in-1 Extreme Magic Opener solves the problem with a single gadget that makes quick work of all these tasks with no strain, no pain, no difficulty for arthritis sufferers, and no chipped nails. Roughly the size a small wrench, this multi-purpose opener features multiple gear-like 'grabbers' on the underside designed for different types and sizes of bottles and cans. It fits in a drawer – attaches to the refrigerator (it's magnetized) – and slips into a lunchbox, backpack or purse.
Price: $24.99 Visit the Website
Spode Blue Italian 200th Anniversary Collection
Description: Portmeirion proudly commemorates 200 years of the iconic Spode Blue Italian design with two new launches: a limited edition 200th Anniversary Signature Collection. The Spode Blue Italian 200th anniversary Signature Collection captures the soul of Blue Italian with six porcelain pieces in distinctive shapes, including a 20" platter and four-piece entertaining set with a basket, creamer and sugar bowl with lid (sale priced at $129.99 each); classic large serving bowl and 2-piece fruit strainer (sale priced at $99.99 each); 7" biscuit barrel with handle (sale price $79.99); and 1.5 pint hot beverage pot (sale price $39.99). Each piece will include a 200th anniversary back stamp featuring Josiah Spode's signature along with a certificate of authenticity. Follow the conversation about Spode Blue Italian 200th Anniversary on social media with hashtag #spodeblue200. For more information about Spode Blue Italian, the Spode Blue Italian 200th Anniversary Signature Collection, Spode Giallo, or any Portmeirion Group product, visit www.portmeirion.com.
Price: $24.99 to $129.99 Visit the Website
BigMouth Inc - Black Gun Mug
Description: Even sharpshooters need a little help waking up in the morning. The mug handle's pistol grip is a bullseye with hunters, law enforcement and military personnel. The pistol grip handle lets you aim your coffee intake with precision. It can hold 14 ounces of your favorite beverage and is perfect for the home or office use. Made of high quality ceramic construction and easy to clean. Available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $24.99 Visit the Website
The Gift Of An Easy Apartment Search
Description: Even though the holidays may be a little stressful, your loved one's next NYC apartment search doesn't have to be! Gift your BFF or little sis with a 14-day or 31-day membership for a thoughtful present they're sure to use (and love). A first-of-its-kind resource, BrokerFreeApts.com takes out the middleman and streamlines the search process. A team of experienced real estate professionals has the expert insight, without the stress and costly fees that can oftentimes come with working through a broker. Efficient, effective and easy-to-use, this apartment database provides access to more than 1,000 NYC apartment listings and continues to grow.
Price: $20.00 to $50.00 Visit the Website
Brillo Sweep & Mop: 3 In 1 Cleaning Tool For A Cleaner Home!
Description: The Brillo Sweep & Mop is a revolutionary 3-in-1 cleaning tool that utilizes Estracell technology in disposable dry pads for sweeping, disposable wet pads for a quick clean, and thicker pads for deep cleaning. This design eliminates the need for a broom, a spot-clean sweeper and deep-clean mop. Independent test results demonstrate that bacteria will not feed and survive on the fibers of Estracell pads. Each pad is secured by Brillo's innovative new micro-anchor technology that provides easy hands free attachment from the carton and fingertip removal. The tool has a 360 degree rotational head that can maneuver to clean hard-to-reach places. Approximately, 30 percent of consumers still wash their floors by hand. Brillo's new Sweep & Mop wants America to get off its hands and knees and deep-clean their floors the Brillo way. The Brillo Sweep & Mop is 100% manufactured in the United States of America and carries the Good Housekeeping Seal.
Price: $19.99 Visit the Website
Spode Christmas Tree
Description: With its festive and vibrant new elements, the 2015 Spode Christmas Tree Collection features beautiful vintage designs, classic annual collectibles and an enchanting set of holiday figurals. The 2015 Annual Collection features four new items with a floral and ornament pattern border in bright red with beautiful flecks of gold under-tones. This year's Annual Collection includes the Annual Plate, Annual Mug, Annual Bowl and dessert tray starting at $19.99. The Christmas Tree Vintage Collection with four new items, features red and green borders of ornaments pulled straight from the decorations of the Spode Christmas Tree. The collection features set of two Sentiment Bowls, set of two Devonia Dishes and set of two Sentiment Trays, as well as a 2 Tier Cake Stand ranging from $29.99 to $49.99. Other 2015 Spode Christmas Tree introductions include, Five new items in the Christmas Tree Glassware Collection: Pitcher, Serving Bowl, Set of 4 Red Wine Glasses, Set of 4 All Purpose Ice Tea Glasses starting and a set of two footed candle holders, starting at $39.99.
Price: $19.99 to $49.99 Visit the Website
Alfresco Pomona
Description: Portmeirion® Group recently introduced Alfresco Pomona, a new line of serving pieces inspired by the beauty and simplicity of the Italian countryside and a great look for indoor & outdoor entertaining. The serveware collection features a mixture of bowls, bakeware and serving pieces with Mediterranean motifs of olives, figs, lemons and grapes. Reminiscent of the signature clay of Tuscany, Alfresco features a terracotta colored stripe border and hand-drawn green leaf accents taken from the classic Pomona pattern. The Alfresco Pomona design matches the border of Portmeirion Pomona dinnerware. The two collections can be paired together for the ultimate coordinated tablescape. Alfresco Pomona pieces are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. The bakeware pieces go from oven to table for ease in entertaining.
Price: $19.99 to $49.99 Visit the Website
Ted Baker Portmeirion Casual Collection
Description: Fashion takes a seat at the table with the introduction of Ted Baker Casual Collection from Portmeirion Group. Never one to save the "best" for special occasions, Ted Baker has threaded his signature prints with iconic Portmeirion silhouettes to create this stylish casual collection of handcrafted ceramics. Inspired by the Ted Baker Spring/Summer 2015 apparel collection, the collection of plates, bowls, mugs, snack plates, coasters and placemats are decorated with detailed motifs from menswear. Global in its appeal, the pieces are named from old and new streets and locations in London. Microwave and dishwasher safe, Ted Baker Casual Collection dinnerware and serveware items come in a lidded gift box. Items in the collection include: 4 Piece Set 10.5" Dinner, 8" Salad, 6" Cereal Bowl and 12 oz. Mug, 12 oz. Mug and Coaster Set, Set of two 3 oz. Espresso Cups and Saucers, Set of two 10 oz Stacking Mugs. Available in four patterns: Balfour I & II, Balfour III & IV, Balfour V & VI and an Egg Cup and Snack Plate.
Price: $19.99 to $49.99 Visit the Website
Portmeirion Sophie Conran White Line Extension
Description: Portmeirion® Group, expands its ever popular Sophie Conran for Portmeirion Collection with the addition of seven elegant serveware pieces and accessories perfect for everyday use. The finely crafted porcelain collection features table ready bakeware and accessories made to effortlessly complement the Sophie Conran Collection. The assortment of white delicate, refined pieces bring a feeling of sophistication to any table. Suitable for pairing with Sophie Conran dinnerware, or used on their own, the new pieces include convenient, table ready items such as a charming Set of Two Stacking Cups, a Berry Bowl and Stand, and a Tea for One set. Other pieces in the line may appeal to baking enthusiasts. A 4.25" Shaker for powdered sugars, Batter Jug, Rectangular 11" Baker, and Ring Cake Mould round out the collection.
Price: $19.99 to $39.99 Visit the Website
Dr. Catsby's Bowl For Whisker Relief
Description: When our whiskers are forced into close contact with the sides of our bowls, it can get extremely painful. And that's why cats don't always finish their food. Not necessarily because it's the wrong food – but because it's the wrong bowl. Designed from a cat's perspective, these wide but shallow dishes allow cats to access their food without pulling back their whiskers. Its clean, simple design is a cinch to wash and will enhance the aesthetic of any home.
Price: $19.99 Visit the Website
BigMouth Inc - The Wine Bottle Glass
Description: Finally, a wine glass that fits your needs. This hilarious gift is great for the wine snob in your life (even if it's yourself). It holds an entire 750mL bottle of wine—or just one serving. *wink* It is made of real glass and is easy to clean. This is available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $17.99 Visit the Website
Portmeirion Ted Baker Rosie Lee Collection
Description: - Award-winning tableware manufacturer, Portmeirion® Group, and leading fashion house, Ted Baker, have together created Rosie Lee, a beautiful fine bone china dinnerware collection. This spectacular collaboration between two iconic British brands puts the fine into dining using Ted Baker's signature prints. Inspired by the Ted Baker Spring/Summer 2015 apparel collection - a selection that bursts into life with flashes of bold prints, strong textured fabrics and vivid colors - Ted Baker Portmeirion Rosie Lee is a nod to vintage floral patterns, colors and shapes. The formal Rosie Lee floral pattern features large roses in muted pastel tones of pink, mint, lemon and lilac, on a mixture of white, black or pastel backgrounds. Dragonflies dance around the whimsical design. Rosie Lee is Cockney Rhyming slang for tea and the collection is indeed perfect for creating an afternoon tea or a formal dinner party. The 41-piece bone china collection is hand gilded with 22-carat gold and presented in stunning gift packaging.
Price: $14.99 to $149.99 Visit the Website
Wamsutta® Perfect Soft Micro Cotton® Bath Towels
Description: Bring a touch of spa-like luxury to your every day with the Wamsutta Perfect Soft Micro Cotton Bath Towel Collection. Crafted of high-quality, 100% ring spun cotton, these durable and ultra-absorbent towels feature an extra-soft, plush feel. The Wamsutta Perfect Soft Micro Cotton Bath Towel Collection comes in a variety of rich hues and are easy to machine wash and dry.
Price: $14.99 Visit the Website
La Chamba Cookware: The Cleanest, Naturally-Made Cookware Around
Description: La Chamba is a food-lover's dream item as it is a highly sought-after, handcrafted black clay cookware line. Toque Blanche, is the exclusive importer of this entire line that comes directly from Colombia. It is stunning and elegant for cooking and serving, and considered one of the most natural cookware materials on the market (with no sealants or lead= very natural/healthy). As one of the only California locations to house the entire La Chamba line, which includes casseroles and roasters, pans, pots, bowls, plates, and baking dishes, Toque Blanche provides cookware connoisseurs and home chefs with the finest in high quality cookware items, bakeware, cooking accessories, food and beverage products, etc.
Price: $14.95 to $159.99 Visit the Website
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Cranberry Holiday Kitchen Basics Gift Box
Description: The Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Cranberry Holiday Kitchen Basics Gift Box is an easy way to introduce a friend (or yourself) to our Cranberry-scented, environmentally-friendly kitchen products! The set contains our favorite eco-friendly cleaning products, including Liquid Dish Soap, Liquid Hand Soap and Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner. Ingredients are at least 99% naturally derived. Liquid Dish Soap A squirt or two of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dish Soap Liquid in a sink full of warm water cuts grease and keeps dishes clean and bright. Liquid Hand Soap Moisten your hands, then add Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap. The longer you rub your hands, the cleaner they become. Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner Just spray Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner and wipe!
Price: $12.99 Visit the Website
BigMouth Inc - Toilet Mug
Description: Watching someone take a drink from this toilet mug is guaranteed to crack a smile. This popular mug makes a great gift for any age, and also makes a great candy or ice cream dish.It's great for the potty-mouth coffee drinker, or chronic farter. Can hold 12 ounces of your favorite beverage. Perfect for the home or office. Made of high quality, easy-to-clean ceramic construction. Available at nationwide retailers including Walmart, Target, Spencer's and Amazon.com
Price: $12.98 Visit the Website
Petmate Holiday Heggies
Description: Pets are considered part of the family now more than ever so it's important to think of our four legged friends during the holiday shopping season! Petmate is one of the country's leading maker of innovative pet products that pet families prefer for home, travel and play. The newest edition to the Heggies collection from Petmate includes the Holiday Heggies. Your dog's favorite plush toy is now in holiday themed attire. These quirky characters are soft and cuddly but will drive your dog wild with its grunting sound. Heggies come in a Reindeer, Santa and Snowman.
Price: $9.99 Visit the Website
Description: ULTRA LAUNDRY DETERGENT – This specially-formulated detergent is great at removing grease, dirt, sweat and stink while leaving clothes soft and smelling fresh. The daily grime is no competition for Hero Clean Ultra Laundry Detergent. The detergent is 2x concentrated, HE compatible, and won't leave a man smelling like his sister. ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER –Powerful enough for 'guy' messes, it also has a soft side that's gentle enough to be used on most non-porous surfaces. From the kitchen to the bathroom and everything in between, this do-it-all cleans up in a flash and won't be a reminder of a grandmother's garden. ODOR-ELIMINATING SPRAY – Built for freshening both stale air and musty fabrics, this powerful long lasting spray features friction-activated Extended Fragrance Technology and extends freshening properties for weeks. Its benefits are two-fold: it can be sprayed on, and then re-activated by simply rubbing the fabric; or it can be sprayed on and washed off later. LIQUID DISH SOAP – This multi-use liquid soap can be used for washing dishes, mopping, washing cars or a battery of other cleaning needs. This all-natural product features plant-based cleaner, so it's naturally great for cleaning, not chafing your hands, and easy on the environment.
Price: $4.79 to $13.99 Visit the Website
Spread Holiday Cheer With Pilot Pen
Description: Whether it's a handwritten holiday card or a gift for the "penthusiast" in your life, Pilot's writing instruments add a touch of seasonal magic to any wish list. The FriXion Clicker Erasable pen, are a great addition to any stocking allowing the recipient to write smoothly and erase cleanly without messy eraser crumbs. The ultimate pen for the ultimate overachiever, Pilot's G2 gel ink pen is America's no. 1 selling gel ink pen that provides long-lasting performance -- perfect for writing a mailbox full of holiday cards. Available in 15 ink colors and various barrel designs so you can make your holiday season cheerful and bright! Perfect for business people, new graduates and pen lovers, Pilot's MR Animal line (pictured above) provides a touch of class to any writing experience. Its classic brass barrel, stainless steel accents and nib are enhanced with animal print 'middle ring' designs so you can write on the wild side. The MR Animal Collection is an affordable luxury, making it the perfect gift for you or others this holiday. Available in fountain, ballpoint and gel ink in a variety of styles including Crocodile, White Tiger, Leopard, Python and Lizard.
Price: $4.55 to $18.75 Visit the Website
Glade Limited Edition Winter Collection
Description: The Glade® Limited Edition Winter Collection inspires joyful holiday moments, with winter florals and spicy scents, giving you reasons to celebrate all season long. This new collection evokes your favorite holiday memories and creates new ones, spreading joy to any space with the scent of the season. Featured Scents: Glade® Limited Edition Winter Collection -SHARE THE SPIRIT™ (Pomegranate Sparkler) -BE AT PEACE™ (Balsam Fir & Juniper) -SEND A LITTLE LOVE™ (Vanilla Biscotti) -CHERISH THE PRESENT™ (Apple Cinnamon) -BE AT PEACE & CHERISH THE PRESENT™ -CREAMY CUSTARD & CHERISH THE PRESENT™ -SPREAD CHEER™ (Amber and Bergamot) -SING OUT LOUD™ (Gingerbread Spice) -WELCOME THE JOY™ (Winter Berry)
Price: $3.29 Visit the Website


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Call of Duty Ghosts Hacks & Cheats
Call of Duty Ghost Hacks & Cheats
We plan to release the first ever cheats for Call of Duty Ghosts in November when the game is released to the public on PC. We have the most experienced coder for all COD based games working over 9 years on the series. As you are probably aware Call of Duty is the most successful game in the world and has the most sales for any game series. Call of Duty Ghosts will be released on a brand new engine and appears to be a show stopper with amazing graphics and gameplay. Keep in mind our coder has already sent in his information to be part of the Call of Duty Ghosts beta when it's ready for download. So we should be able to start showing of screens in the next few months of the hack in action. Check out the Call of Duty Ghosts trailer below and then keep reading and checking back daily for more news. I just posted the new Call of Duty Ghosts reveal trailer below, check it out.
Call of Duty: Ghosts or Battlefield 4
Right around Christmas two huge games will be releasing again to see who can make the most sales off the video game shooter fans. Call of Duty franchise is already has the largest games sales of any other game in the world. Battlefield is trying to catch up with their recent 17 minute premier video. However, Activision said they will easily defeat Battlefield 4 this Holiday season by beefing up their advertising campaign, check out the details below for more information.
Activision has revealed their plans for countering the upcoming multiplatform video game, "Battlefield 4." According to a report by BF4 Central on May 12, the company is planning to further expand their marketing and advertising budgets for "Call of Duty: Ghosts" in response to what they deemed to be a significant competition from the latest title of the "Battlefield" series.
What are your plans? Are you going to grab a copy of Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty Ghosts or maybe both game titles? Let us know in the comment box below.
Call of Duty Ghosts Pre-Order
Usually when you pre-order any Call of Duty series game you get extra weapons, new skins or other killer goodies. This time around Activision decided that if you order Call of Duty Ghosts early they will allow you exclusive access to wallpapers and desktops on June 1st! Wow, that is truly a real reason to order right now (yes I'm being very sarcastic). All the art sent out will be leaked to the world in a matter of minutes so don't get worried if you don't have the cash to order now. The best way to get the game is simply to wait until the night it's released, run up to your local Walmart, wait in line at 12 midnight and be home playing 20 minutes later, I do it every single year. If you do want to go ahead and order and forget about it simply click here or the image below. We plan to release our Call of Duty Ghosts hack the day the game comes out so make sure your ready for it, no other site has more experience with Call of Duty cheats.
Call of Duty Ghosts Logo
People keep asking for the Call of Duty Ghosts logo so I have a png version posted below. Simply click it to open the larger resolution version and then right click and save as to download it to your PC. Don't forget to register on our forums so we can send you a message when we launch our Call of Duty Ghosts hack and LikeUs on FaceBook!
Another Call of Duty Ghosts Trailer
A new Call of Duty Ghosts trailer has been posted showing off the wire frame models from characters and maps in the game, while this doesn't really show off to much it does give us another sneak peek of the game. Activision is still set to show off the Call of Duty Ghosts game play later today with the announcement of the new XBox. Keep checking back for updates and more details as we get them.
This is the first trailer ever released.
To make things even more fun the Call of Duty: Ghosts trailer was shown to some Australian guys and they taped their reactions to the trailer. It shows off some of the characters and locations in the game, many of the guys seem upset that the trailer cut out to quickly leaving them wanting more. The Xbox 720 event tonight will debut the trailer to the world and we will have it here first.
Call of Duty Ghosts Screenshots
We just posted over 85 new Call of Duty Screenshots from the trailer reveal today! We took a screen of every single second of the video, check it out by clicking here. The game really looks amazing and we can't wait to make the first ever Call of Duty Hacks but we still have no idea if Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty Ghosts will be the best game this year. Anyway, go check the screens out by clicking the preview below.
New Call of Duty Ghosts Behind the Scenes
The new Call of Duty Ghosts behind the scene trailer I just uploaded has over 4 minutes of information on the game, the guys talk about the new engine, the game, what you see, why the dog matters and more. The game looks like it might be pretty amazing. Check out the guy with his dog here getting programmed into the game with animation. Keep in mind we will always keep you up to date with the latest Call of Duty Ghosts news and more.
Here is an actual image of the dog below Interceptor, Dogmeat, that pooch from the trailer, and now — Mocap Dog. Look at him. He's so cute in his little red jumpsuit. You're a mocap dog; yes you sure are! I bet you want a million dog bones for your help?
Additionally, there's BTS footage about some new Call of Duty game after the jump — but more importantly DOGGIES!!!
First Call of Duty Ghosts Character and Multiplayer Screens
You can thank me again for my mad OCD skills, I have just uploaded over 40 images below showing off new Call of Duty Ghosts characters, models, mutliplayer maps and more. No other website has Call of Duty Ghosts multiplayer screenshots like these! We have more news, videos and screens in one place than any other site. Keep checking back as we update you on our Call of Duty Ghosts hacks and cheats.


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You need this book if you have a WW2 jeep or are looking for one! If you own a WW2 jeep or are interested in purchasing one, you need The Complete WW2 Military Jeep Manual. This is a reprint of several jeep manuals you will need to operate and repair your jeep. It won't be especially helpful in restoring your jeep but the manuals do contain a ton of information on how to operate your "new" jeep as well as steps on how to repair it. Need to rebuild your front or rear axle? That's covered. Want to rebuild your transmission? Covered as well.
It's a good collection and well worth the price while you look to collect the originals!
You also might be interested in my book: Trouble Shooting and Rebuilding The T-84J Transmission is an aid designed to help the novice to decide whether or not to rebuild the T-84J themselves. It covers all sorts of "tricks" and "how-to's" for tearing down, cleaning, inspecting and then assembling the rebuilt transmission. You will learn troubleshooting tips. Why is your transmission jumping out of gear? Is the T-84J really supposed to be noisy? And much, much more!


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US EPA Recruiting Events
Marketing & Regulatory Programs Pathways Recruitment Events
Department:Department Of Agriculture
Agency:Department of Agriculture – Agency Wide
Job Announcement Number:PATH-MRP-2013-0001
Marketing and Regulatory Programs representatives plan to attend the following Career Fairs and Recruitment events. We encourage all interested students and recent graduates to stop by and talk to us in person!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers different pathway opportunities for students and recent graduates to work in the agricultural, science, technology, math, environmental, management, business and many other fields. These programs, collectively the Pathways Programs, are streamlined developmental programs tailored to promote employment opportunities for students and recent graduates in the Federal workforce. The programs are as follows:
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: The Internship Programs provide paid work experience to students who are in high school or pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in an accredited college or university (including Home-Schooling, Certificate Programs and Community Colleges). Internships can be seasonal (Summer, Fall, Spring) or year round.
RECENT GRADUATES PROGRAM: The Recent Graduates Programs provides individuals who have recently graduated from accredited educational institutions or programs with developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service. Participants must have obtained a degree, or completed a qualifying career or technical education program within the preceding 2 years. Eligible veterans who are unable to apply within the 2-year timeframe due to an active duty service obligation may apply within 2 years from their date of discharge or release from active duty, but no later than 6 years from completing their degree requirements.
PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOWS (PMF) PROGRAM: The PMF is a prestigious, competitive program that supports leadership development of recent graduates of master's and professional degree programs who have completed a rigorous assessment process administered by the Office of Personnel Management. Fellows are provided a 2-year appointment at USDA may that lead to a conversion to a permanent appointment.
DISCLAIMER: Attendance at events may be restricted to alumni, students, and/or members of the University, Association or Group. Please check with the organizers before attending the event.
Date(s) of Event – Name of Event – Type of Event – Location
03/26/13-03/27/13 – Sonoma Ag Fair – Presentation
03/27/13 – New River Valley Job Fair – Career Fair
03/27/13 – OFDA Ann. Mtg – Industry Meeting – Salem, OR
03/27/13 – National Farm Conference – Participant/Booth – Fresno, CA
05/03/13 – Yolo Activities Fair – Presentation
Note: This notice will be updated as other recruitment events are added (see EPA website for further details).
- A Pathways Participant Agreement is required for all Pathways positions.
You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. MRP offers an array of occupations and is committed to diversity in the workplace. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people. Marketing and Regulatory Programs consists of three agencies: Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). Here are just a few of our programs and their mission:
Animal Care
Determines and promotes standards of humane care and treatment of animals through inspections and educational efforts.
Biotechnology Regulatory Services
Protects agricultural and natural resources by ensuring safe development of genetically engineered organisms using a science-based regulatory framework.
Federal Grain Inspection Service
Provides farmers, handlers, processors, exporters, and international buyers with information and tools that accurately and consistently describe the quality and quantity of the grain and commodities being bought and sold.
Fruit and Vegetable Program
Provides customized solutions to enhance the value and quality of fresh produce and processed products.
Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program
Provides timely, high-quality, unbiased service that facilitates the orderly marketing and distribution of livestock, meat and poultry products, while simultaneously fostering goodwill in the global marketplace.
National Organic Program
Ensuring the integrity of USDA organic products in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Safeguards agriculture and natural resources from risks associated with the entry, establishment, or spread of pests and noxious weeds.
Veterinary Services
Protects and improves the health, quality, and marketability of our nation's animals, animal products, and veterinary biologics by preventing, controlling, and/or eliminating animal diseases, and monitoring, and promoting animal health and productivity.
Wildlife Services
Provides leadership to resolve wildlife conflicts and create a balance allowing people and wildlife to peacefully coexist.
Qualifications will vary based on the position.
Comments are closed.


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IQsoft cabinet water softeners will be sold under the Erie Water Treatment Controls brand
Aquion Inc. announced the introduction of a new range of cabinet water softeners, the IQsoft series, that will be sold under the Erie Water Treatment Controls brand name.
"It's a general trend that 'technical appliances for the house' become more compact. The use of more efficient technologies, together with the fact that home owners simply don't want to give up too much space for this kind of equipment, have been driving this trend," said Nick Govaert, general manager for the European office of Erie. "On the other hand, we're also facing an increasing demand for a more sophisticated design for our water treatment equipment. People simply no longer buy our products based on technical specifications only; the product's design also needs to be appealing to potential buyers. For these reasons we decided to develop a brand new family of cabinet softeners. From the start, our development team worked closely together with 'pilipili,' a design studio, to make sure the esthetical aspect was taken into account from the very first phase of the project. The result is a range consisting of four models, all of them combining an exceptionally elegant design, with very compact dimensions and our proven state-of-the-art technology."


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Looking for an amazing recipe for breadsticks? Stop right here because these are to die for. They are soft with an great flavor of garlic and Italian herbs. You, your family and even guests will not be disappointed in these.
It is a yeast recipe so make sure you have the time to make them and to let them rise. I am not even allowed to buy breadsticks anymore, my family is addicted. So make them you will not be sorry.
Makes 12
For dough:
1 cup warm water
1 packet of quick rising yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups all purpose flour
For topping:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
In bowl add in water and yeast, mix and let sit for 5 minutes. Then add in that bowl your sugar, butter and salt and mix. Add in flour 1 cup at a time and knead dough for 5 minutes or until smooth
Place dough is greased bowl, cover with towel and let set in warm place for 2 hours.
Divide dough into 12 portions and roll each one out about 6 inches long or how ever long you would like them. Place on cooking sheets and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400* and bake for 10 minutes or until tops are brown.
While your breadsticks are baking make your topping, mix ingredients together.
Remove breadsticks and brush on butter topping, serve warm.


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My minions from Queen's University are keeping busing with ME-RT!
They will be presenting a paper in Argentina and now they have created an easy way to observe what goes on in a Papyrus for Real Time generated executable!
As a quick reminder, Papyrus-RT is a version of me that enables modeling complex embedded systems with full code generation!
To show you what they have done, my minions created a YouTube Video of the result of their work.


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Spilanthes Extract
Certified Organic & Kosher Certified
- Spilanthes acmella
- Fresh flowering plant
Spilanthes is a genus of African and South American plants in the Asteraceae family. It has traditionally been used to support oral health.
Packaging and Shipping
• 1 oz., 2 oz., and 4 oz. extracts come in amber glass bottles with a dropper.
• 8 oz. and 16 oz. sizes come in amber glass bottles with a plastic screw cap and do not include a dropper.
• 32 oz., 64 oz., and 1 gallon extracts come in plastic bottles with a plastic screw cap.
Please note: All bulk sizes of 8 oz. and larger are produced to order. Please allow an additional three days for processing.
Typical Preparations
Buds and leaves may be chewed directly, or made into a water extract. Sometimes found in an alcohol extract.
Specific: No known precautions.
General: We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Organic grain alcohol, organic spilanthes, and distilled water.


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At the start of the year, IOTA was sitting in the tasty top ten cryptocurrencies. It was the 10th most valuable cryptocurrency by market cap on January 7th. It was trading at $4.01 USD at the time and bore a market cap of $11,144,525,870 USD.
Moving ahead to the present. The market seems to have taken its toll on IOTA. The token is now sitting two places lower, as the 12th most valuable cryptocurrency. The token is trading for $0.582137 USD and bears a total market cap of $1,618,066,210 USD.
Looking at the statistics, it has seen a 10.17% increase in its day-on-day trading volume. However, as the year has unfolded, it has not been kind to the altcoin. IOTA has lost a whopping 85.4% of its trading value over the past nine months. It has also similarly diminished in its market cap by almost exactly the same percentage.
Price peaks
At its height on the 13th of January, the IOTA network saw one MIOTA token valued at $3.8964 USD. This is down from a record high of $5.22 USD on the 19th of December in 2017.
The network's lowest value point this year saw one MIOTA value at $0.43 USD on the 14th of August. The network's next high point thereafter was when the MIOTA was valued at $0.772 USD on the 28th August 2018.
Valuable partnerships and future projections
Over the year, IOTA has managed to team up with some big names.
In June, the network partnered with major automotive company Volkswagen. The partnership revealed a method to deliver vehicular software updates at Cebit 2018. The system is based on IOTA's Tangle technology. Together the companies showcased a proof-of-concept initiative of a project which will deliver over-the-air software updates to connected vehicles to one another.
Volkswagen and IOTA predict that by 2020, over 250 million connected vehicles will have taken to the road.
A little later on, in August, the network partnered with Fujitsu to develop a new proof of concept for audit trail processes and supply chain management. The tech giant will be using IOTA's technology to create audit trails across "industrial production environments and supply chains". The project will be designed to address the challenges of supply chain management and industry 4.0 manufacturing.
The partnership between Fujitsu and IOTA outlines that both entities might further work towards developing identity and access management tools. This would be through Fujitsu's PalmSecure Palm Vein pattern recognition technology. It would further target 'comprehensive interaction' along supply chains and ecosystems.
New trading opportunities