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Review: WWE Raw [10/3/16]
Monday Night Raw took place in Los Angeles. There were some high and low moments throughout the night. Here are the moments that were worthy of the grand stage.
The show opened with Roman Reigns starting his promo and quickly interrupted by Lana. The in-ring promo of Lana accusing Roman of wrongdoings towards her husband Rusev. She tells him that he is going to Hell. Lana was rudely dismissed by Reigns. An angry Rusev stormed down to the ring and both men did their impromptu brawl. Rusev eventually sent Reigns over the barricade and then walked away with the United States Championship belt. Reigns shows up out of nowhere and connects a Superman Punch onto Rusev's jaw knocking out the Bulgarian Brute. Reigns then tells Lana and a knocked out Rusev that if he is going to Hell then he is taking them with him to Hell in a Cell. This was a good promo by Reigns…the more WWE allows him to be himself, the better he is on the mic.
THE NEW DAY vs. JERI-KO w/ SPECIAL GUEST ASHTON KUTCHER, DANNY MASTERSON, & SETH ROLLINS
Backstage, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens attempt to insult the friendship of Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson. Some funny stuff went down with Kutcher and Masterson getting the upper-hand until Jericho threatens them with "it". Later, in the ring, Jericho baits Owens into teaming up to fight The New Day. The stipulation, if they win then they get a WWE Tag-Team Championship match the following week. The New Day arrive and proceed to question the validity of such a challenge by imposing a championship huddle. Eventually, all three members of The New Day are placed on The List of Jericho. Woods earned a place on the list twice after insulting Owens. Later in the night, the teams wrestled and put on a great performance. Kutcher and Masterson were with announcers adding their comedic input towards the match. It looked like Jeri-KO Were going to get put over by The New Day until Seth Rollins appeared. Providing interference at ringside, The New Day finished Jericho with The Midnight Hour and won the match. Rollins got into the ring and Owens escapes only to see his "best friend" getting Pedigreed by Rollins. Rollins looked strong and made a convincing statement for a rematch with Owens at Hell in a Cell.
WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – CHARLOTTE FLAIR vs. SASHA BANKS
This was the main event match of the night and it was "glorious". Sasha Banks got her rematch against Charlotte Flair and both women put on a show. This was the first time women headlined a main event match on RAW since Lita faced Trish Stratus over a decade ago. Prior to the match, Dana Brooke attempted to bully Bayley; our loveable hugger tossed Brooke into a wall causing injury. This left Charlotte without her valet. This was a rematch from Clash of Champions however, it felt more like follow up to their incredible match at Summerslam. Both ladies put it all on the line and gave us a show to remember. There were some amazing moves and moments. In the end, Sasha finished Charlotte with The Bank statement to earn the victory. Raw has a new Women's Champion and I hope she holds onto it for a long time.
There other notable moments/matches during the night: Sheamus and Cesaro continuing their tag-team run, The Club making a statement against The Golden Truth, Seth Rollins telling Stephanie McMahon that Triple H's worst mistake was marrying her, Sami Zayn defeating Titus O'Neal (I think Titus and his "Titus Brand" needs some rework), and Braun Strohman telling Raw management that if he doesn't get a worthy opponent next week then "there won't be a next week". The recognition of Breast Cancer survivors was very cool to see. I would like to see Sami Zayn get a story arc and more opportunities to shine; the WWE needs to stop burying him with pointless matches. Also, why are we repacking Emma into "Emmalina"? Guess time will tell whether this is a good move. There are other Hell in a Cell matches pending announcement…we'll see how this pay-per-view shapes up in the coming weeks.


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DIY Home Decor Ideas To Beautify Your Space
DIY Home Decor Ideas To Beautify Your Space
Want to make your home creative but well decorate under your budget? Here we are presenting amazing DIY home decor ideas that will brilliantly make your home gorgeous. And the best thing about these ideas and projects is that you would not have to spend a lot on creating them. By repurposing and up cycling the old stuff and materials you would get a new and charming item by them for your home decor. There are many successful DIY projects which go perfectly with your home decor. Especially, You feel glad when someone asks that where you bought this item. So, just by some little creativities and spend a little extra time you can get amazing DIY home decor projects and ideas.
After searching the web, I have rounded some of my favorite DIY home decor tutorials for your inspiration. All of these ideas will show you how you can organize, entertain, and decorate your home under your budget. So, if you were looking simple, inexpensive but lovely DIY home decor projects, then this post will be very beneficial for you. So let's take a glance at the following gallery and draw some inspiration.
DIY Home Decor Ideas That Will Brighten Up Your Space: Give A rustic Look To Your Home:
image via: etsy.com
Get The Modern Farmhouse Look:
image via:blog.gordmans
DIY Industrial Hallway Cart:
image via: Inf-arrantly creative
Elegant Tall Tulip Centerpiece:
image via: Inf-arrantly creative
DIY Planter Box Centerpiece:
image via: shanty-2-chic.
DIY Farmhouse Bench:
image via:: bent ley blonde
Create A DIY Nightstand:
image via: Lark & Linen
DIY Wood and Leather Trellis Plant Wall:
image via: vintage revivals
Make A Centerpiece With Gold Spray Paint and PVC Pipe:
image via:ehow.com
Glass Bottle Wall Vase And Sing Board:
image via:shanty-2-chic
Floating Rustic Wall Shelves And Reclaimed Wood:
image via:: pinterest.com
Make New Sign Boards For Your Room:
image via:: aimee-weaver.blogspot.com
DIY Wooden Arrows Wall Decoration:
image via: little-brick-house.blogspot.com
Farmhouse Dining Room Makeover:
image via:2decor8
Make A Stain an Ikea Tarva Dresser:
image via: cherished bliss
Related posts:Stunning DIY Ways To Décor Your Home With River Rocks

subset: commoncrawl


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The meteoric rise of the Mongol Empire is covered by many websites. Their own account can be read in the Secret History. In short, a combination of absorption through alliance and conquest created a force which was strong enough to take on a succession of settled empires. The Xi Xia, of what is now Western China, were one of the first to feel the strength of Ghengis's force. They fought a series of wars against the Mongols. They eventually submitted but did not send forces to aid the Mongols when called upon. Further war resulted - Ghengis died during the final war of conquest. The Jin dynasty of northern China was also under attack during this early period and although losses in territory and life were huge, the resistance was sufficient for the Jin to retain some of their lands until after the death of the Khan.
Ogedei, Ghengis's successor, continued the process of conquest. There was something of a pattern - Mongol emissaries or traders in various places seem to have got themselves killed by the local authorities and an army was sent to wreak terrible vengeance. The Song dynasty, rulers of Southern China, managed to incur the wrath of Ogedei while allied with the Mongols against the Jin. The Song forces tried to retake land which had been lost a century or so earlier and killed a Mongol emissary who presumably voiced the Khan's displeasure.
A relatively small force was sent to conquer the Kipchaks in what is now Russia - this expedition continued through the various Rus lands forcing them to become vassals of the Khan. Again, it continued to the west. It split into three, one part defeating a Polish/German army at Liegnitz - the involvement of Teutonic Knights at this battle was probably minimal and may have been non-existant despite many claims to the contrary. Even today the city of Krakow commemorates the attack of the 'Tartars' with a midday bugle call which cuts off short, as if the musician has been hit by an arrow.
The main part of the army confronted the Hungarians as a punishment for the King allowing the Cuman refugees to enter the country. Ironically tensions between Hungarians and Cumans led to the death of the Cuman king, most of the Cumans fleeing to the south.
The Hungarians met the Mongols at Mohi. The battle was hard fought but it resulted in the destruction of the Hungarian army and the death of much of the royal family and nobility. The Mongols pillaged the country though guerilla tactics by the populace meant that the kingdom remained unpacified.
These forces left Europe on hearing of the death of Ogedei. Tradition meant that the new khan should be chosen by the whole army. Further attacks on Hungary occurred but, importantly, they tended to lack the same ability to conquer cities.
The campaign against the Song dynasty proceeded in stages - again the death of a khan resulted in a hiatus. The nature of these wars was far more of a slog, characterised by long sieges, compared to the campaign in Russia and the rest of Europe. Even the succession of sieges in the Islamic areas were short by comparison. There is an essay about one of the longest here. It also gives some insight into the Song dynasty and its army. I'll post some more about the Song fairly soon.
I used Old Glory figures for my Mongols.
These are some of their Heavy Cavalry with Melee weapons. There are certainly references to Mongols with shields but there is debate as to whether they would use them on horseback. Portrayals of earlier troops in this area do lack shields, so I decided to cut away the ones moulded onto the figures. This was not quite as daunting as it seems and it was possible to create the arm fairly easily from the remains of the shield.
These are a mix of the heavy cavalry and medium cavalry archers. The main difference is really that the heavy cavalry are slightly bulkier figures, including the horses.
These are the Old Glory light cavalry with bows. I did these around the same time as the Turcoman cavalry and again I've overdone it when it comes to making them look as if they are firing sideways. It makes it confusing in the table-top!
The Mongol armies was made up of troops from a number of origins. Overtime, the appearance probably showed increasing degrees of homogeneity but I still have some which preserve the differences.
I use these as Jurchen cavalry. They are from the Outpost Manchu range. This is actually designed for a period about 400 years after the one I want, which shows mostly in the bowcases. At least some of the Jurchen had armoured horses - I may well use some of the Outpost Turkish horses which I have sitting around as the armour is pretty suitable. I could have just used the same figures as the Mongols but it lets me see which are which more easily and I liked the figures!
About half of the Outpost range are wearing the fabric covered 'brigandine' armour which became popular especially during the Manchu period. However, some seems to have been worn during the Mongol Yuan period. Even so, I asked Outpost to just send figures in lamellar armour after my initial order and I've even made some of the fabric covered armour into lamellar using milliput.
These are Black Hat light cavalry - a mix of Cumans, Hungarians and the occasional Lithuanian.
The 'human shield' figures are a mix of Donnington and Alain Touller figures. The AT packs come complete with a Mongol 'herder'. The Touller range looks pretty nice and I might well have gone with them if I hadn't already bought OG15s. The ponies do look very small compared to other companies' figures. This may well be accurate but the difference may be offputting. Since I bought mine, the horses have been redesigned so could be larger. I did buy the Korean infantry from Touller, which are based on the figures from the Invasion Scrolls. These may actually be Southern Chinese rather than Korean but either way they will find a place in my Yuan Dynasty army once they are painted. (edit: - they may even be Northern Chinese. The Yuan hadn't conquered the Song at the time of the first invasion of Japan. However, apparently some Southern Chinese troops had transferred to the Mongols even at this point, so it is hard to be sure who they are!)


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One came out last year, but I think it's been published before:
Historic Photos of El Paso by Sandra Fye.
Historic Photos of El Paso is a gorgeous photographic history of this important American city spotlighting photographs collected from the most prominent local and state archives. The multicultural diversity of the area adds to its rich heritage and economic success, as these striking photographs demonstrate. In rarely seen black and white photography, this handsome coffee table book details the historical growth of El Paso up to recent times. Filled with nearly 200 beautiful black-and-white images, Turner Publishing's Historic Photos of El Paso offers a unique and compelling look into the past for any resident and/or history buff alike.
Street Railways of El Paso (Images of Rail) by Ronald Dawson
Description: Spanish explorers traveling north from Mexico in 1581 crossed the Rio Grande at present-day El Paso and called the area El Paso Del Norte, or "the pass of the north." Two cities were linked together: Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. In 1881, the railroad brought even more people to El Paso. What had been a sleepy adobe town became a vibrant, bustling city. Public transportation was established with a mule-car system in 1882 and ran for 20 years. The first electric cars were introduced in 1902 and were also very successful, serving all parts of the city and establishing neighborhoods. At the zenith of the system, there were 63 miles of track, 17 routes, and over 100 streetcars. In those days, everyone used the electric cars.
I've really liked these Arcadia Publishing books such as the Mexicans of Chicago and so forth. Dawson had an earlier book on streetcars of El Paso published at the beginning of the decade.
El Paso:: 1850-1950 (Images of America) by James R. MurphyBook Description: Located at the far western tip of Texas, the city of El Paso is bordered on the north by New Mexico and on the south by the city of Juarez, Mexico. The area's recorded history dates back more than 400 years when Spanish missionaries gave the region its name: El Paso del Norté, or The Pass of the North. Between 1850 and 1950, El Paso's growth was influenced by a variety of people and events. The "four dead in five seconds" shootout in 1881 gave El Paso the short-lived nickname "Six-Shooter Capital" until the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, happened later that year. When the railroad arrived, El Paso was abruptly transformed from a sleepy, adobe village to a vital international crossroads. The Mexican Revolution influenced the city in the early part of the 20th century, and the 1920s saw Prohibition energize the local tourist trade with barrooms and gambling available just across the border. El Paso also became an inland Ellis Island, with thousands of immigrants entering the United States eager for a new start. This book examines the early years of El Paso's evolution.
Author James R. Murphy is the director of development for the El Paso Museum of History. Along with the assistance of many individuals within the El Paso historical community, Murphy has created this early pictorial history of the region by showcasing more than 200 vintage photographs.


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Mobile phone
What is actually a mobile phone for us? Definitely something which current world cannot imagine existing one single day without. Such an incredibly useful invention. I can remember my first one. I was at the 8th class at primary school and I had my names day. My daddy had already had his first own and I had no idea that I was going to be next. My daddy was every time a big fan of new inventions and liked having some of them at home. So when he appeared in doors with a bag named "Twister" I expected that he was there only for a catalogue or something else. You can imagine my surprise when I really found a small box underneath the Reebook cardigan (which used to be given to every new client as a gift in those times).
I mean everyone has surely very similar memories of the first mobile phone. And why not? It was cool. It was a hit and companies tried to sell the most they could. Thinking about the meaning of having a mobile phone in those years and now brings me to the point that we absolutely made from mobile phones something more. Something much more. Nowadays we are not able to imagine one single day without it. And what if your one is not charged? Tragedy! Comparing technical abilities of phones 13 years down the line with the current super models we can see that even though we surely make batteries of higher quality, they can make only a day! Maximum two if you are lucky.
We are able to use it as a camera, a camcorder, a GPS navigator but also, receiving e-mails, listening to music, watching video clips, organising your daily schedule, studying, playing games, looking for the Internet support on roads, dictionaries, reading books, listening to the radio, chatting on Facebook, Twitter or at other social networks and .... perhaps the last think is real calling and writing messages which was the original purpose of its development (at least I think so). Buying your new mobile phone we do think about purchasing something much more than just a thing used for calling. Of course, that it has to have all basic necessities but there is much more important design, size, weight and all applications which can mobile phones offer.
13 years earlier I was amazed only by possibility to call, all teenagers killed time sending messages and their parents saw red getting the phone bill. "Hot numbers" of chosen people from your list and playing basic games that was all you could get from that mobile phone - and we were so happy! Learning how to operate took everyone some time but I am persuaded recently it is much worse (and still we do not use even 50% of basic applications preinstalled to our mobile phones).
One question should be asked - where is it going? What will be mobile phones able to do in 5 years? In 10 years? In other 13 years? It is even scary just to think about it ... using GPS systems we are starting to be watched everywhere - our every single step, the system wants to know everything possible about users ... But that all is a different question.
A mobile phone is a mobile phone and even if other gadgets are trying to become replacements of mobile phones they will stay. It just depends in which form.
|Test titleLevel
|Mobile phone


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Headphones are great, but sometimes you just need to hear your audio out loud. For anyone listening to music, audiobooks, or even training sessions or recorded seminars over their smartphone device, Bluetooth and wireless speakers can take the experience to a new level.


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STOCKTON - A jury Wednesday found 43-year-old Yonnie Jackson sane after having convicted him in the attempted murder of his estranged wife, Peyton Elementary School Principal Sherry Jackson.
STOCKTON - A jury Wednesday found 43-year-old Yonnie Jackson sane after having convicted him in the attempted murder of his estranged wife, Peyton Elementary School Principal Sherry Jackson.
Yonnie Jackson was retried on the charge following a previous hung jury. The first jury did, however, find him guilty of other charges: stalking, kidnapping and corporal injury to a spouse with an enhancement of great bodily injury.
Jackson, a former high school coach, wanted to be sentenced immediately Wednesday. But the court set his sentencing for Friday.
Jackson was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison in the first trial. He faces additional time, but sentencing laws require he be resentenced on the charges from the first trial. He faces potentially 16 years in prison, the District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
STOCKTON - A 36-year-old man was arraigned Wednesday in the killing of his girlfriend, Kelly Melissa Guerrero.
Anthony Orosco is charged with murder after Stockton police found the 34-year-old woman dead inside a home in the 700 block of East Clay Street on Sunday.
Reports say that Orosco called police and told them he had killed his girlfriend. Officers responded to the call in south Stockton shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday.
Police reported Guerrero had been shot. Orosco is being held at San Joaquin County Jail without bail.
SACRAMENTO - A Tracy man pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud charges in connection with a mortgage fraud operation.
Reginald Dodson Sr., 42, was a loan officer in a scheme to squeeze large kickbacks from unknowing financial institutions, federal prosecutors say.
Prosecutors say the main conspirator, Buena Marshall, 67, of Sacramento recruited unqualified buyer Temika Reed, 32, of Bay Point to act as the person purchasing seven properties.
Marshall acted as the agent on some of the properties. Another woman, 55-year-old Deborah Loudermilk of Suisun City, was the agent on two of sales.
Dodson, a loan officer for W.B. Financial, helped get three of the properties financed.
The seven properties identified in the scheme were sold at inflated prices, and in most cases using 100 percent financing, prosecutors said.
Marshall and Loudermilk structured the deals to provide large kickbacks in a cash-back-to-buyer scheme.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


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Festivals & Events:
Stephen Webster Trunk show
Dolce welcomes the jewelry of Stephen Webster during the 2013 Telluride Film Festival. Webster's keen eye for detail, expert craftsmanship and glam-rock attitude has given rise to dramatic creations with an eternally chic aesthetic. Webster has built a dedicated fan base and is a firm favorite with celebrities across the globe; from Madonna to Christina Aguilera, Kate Moss, Sir Elton John, Mickey Rourke and Kate Beckinsale to name but a few.


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Real Estate and Mortgage Closings
Preparation and review of all real estate contracts, title review, representation of buyers and sellers at closing, lender representation and commercial lease review.
Mortgage Foreclosures
Filing and/or defending both residential and commercial foreclosures.
Accounts receivable, unpaid debts and post-judgement recovery.
General Litigation
Actions for faulty repairs, evictions, contract disputes and name changes.
Corporation formations and dissolutions, corporate name changes, updating minutes and fictitious name filings.
Wills and Probate
New wills, codicils (changes to existing wills), establishing trusts, and estate administration.
DISCLAIMER: The use of the internet or e-mail for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time sensitive information should not be sent through e-mail.


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The next thing we must be concerned about if we are to have peace on earth and good will toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life. Every man is somebody because he is a child of God. … Man is more than ... whirling electrons or a wisp of smoke. ... Man is a child of God, made in His image, and therefore must be respected as such. … And when we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we won't exploit people, we won't trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we won't kill anybody.(HT: Frank Pavone)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Peace on earth requires respect for human dignity
Monday, December 21, 2009
Senate bill still subsidizes abortion, but battle far from over
Sen. Ben Nelson has caved and agreed to bad, "compromise" abortion language in the Senate health care bill. He is the crucial 60th vote to pass the legislation in the Senate.
National Right to Life explains the problems with the new abortion language here. Among other problems, it still allows federal dollars to subsidize health plans that cover abortion on demand -- a break from the long-standing, bipartisan Hyde amendment tradition.
The bill may soon pass the Senate, but it must then be reconciled with the House bill that contains the pro-life Stupak amendment, which prevents federal funding of abortion through the programs created by the legislation. Rep. Bart Stupak and other pro-life House Democrats may be able to prevent the final bill from passing unless that pro-life language is retained.
Keeping contacting your two senators and your representative in the House, urging them to oppose the health care bill unless Stupak language is included. Also contact Rep. Stupak to thank him and encourage him to stay strong.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Support Nelson, oppose Senate attempt to fund abortion, ration care
The Senate's one pro-life Democrat, Ben Nelson, is threatening to oppose the bill unless the pro-life abortion funding language is added. Without his vote, Majority Leader Harry Reid may not have enough votes to pass the bill out of the Senate. So this week he offered Nelson a phony "compromise" amendment, but Nelson and pro-life organizations have already rejected it because it still allows federal funding of health plans that cover abortion.
Reid wants to push the bill through by Christmas. Contact Nelson to show your support and urge him to continue opposing any bill that includes abortion funding. Also continue to contact your own senators, urging them to oppose the bill unless it is amended not just to exclude abortion funding, but also to prevent the rationing of care -- a second major pro-life concern regarding the current legislation.
Update: National Right to Life (NRLC) explains what is wrong with the abortion funding "compromise" Sen. Nelson has rightly rejected. NRLC writes that "the Nelson-Hatch (Stupak-Pitts) language is the only acceptable solution to the far-reaching pro-abortion problems in the Reid bill."
The basis for women's dignity
To which I respond: I agree that women have profound worth and dignity and rights. But on what basis do women have these things? Because they are human?
If we have dignity by virtue of being human -- that's why we call them human rights, after all -- then it follows that all humans have this dignity. And that includes the unborn human beings who are killed by abortion.
And the dignity of one human being does not require that he or she be able to kill another, innocent human being if that human happens to be inconvenient or unwanted. Such killing is, rather, a total assault on the dignity of the latter.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The dangers of egg harvesting to women
Most of the human embryos killed for ESCR are "left over" from in vitro fertilization, but these embryos are very limited. For the embryo research enterprise to (possibly) succeed in developing treatments for patients, many new embryos must be created solely in order to destroy them for research. This would involve the cloning method of somatic cell nuclear transfer.
It would also require an incredible number of human eggs, harvested from women, in order to create the embryos. This is a practical problem, but also an ethical one -- the harvesting could be dangerous to women's health, and the demand for eggs could be used to exploit poor, vulnerable and even third-world women.
Concerned Women for America explains:
An alliance of women, including pro-choice feminists who recognize the problems, introduced the "Hands Off Our Ovaries" campaign on March 8 [2006] to enjoin its viewers to sign the Web site's manifesto, which condemns biotechnological research that harms women, and to educate about the risks of egg extraction, wherein a woman is given powerful hormones that cause her to produce multiple eggs.The "Hands Off Our Ovaries" campaign says, "We seek a moratorium on egg extraction for research purposes until such time as global discourse and scientific research yields information sufficient to establish adequate informed consent."
Egg harvesting has incited protests from pro-life and pro-choice advocates alike. Both sides argue that reliance on women's eggs for research purposes easily leads to exploitation, particularly of low-income, needy women who could benefit financially.
A recent scandal in South Korea justifies these concerns. Dr. Hwang Woo-suk used more than 2,000 extracted eggs and finally failed to produce a cloned embryo, while payment, compulsion, and lying were used to acquire the eggs from women.
Health risks are also a considerable factor in arguments against the procedure. Two women who have undergone egg extraction in the United Kingdom in the last year have died after developing severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which causes rapid accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, chest, and around the heart. Symptoms include severe pelvic pain, nausea, vomiting, weight gain, ovarian enlargement, respiratory problems, blood clots and liver dysfunction.
According to a congressional testimony by Diane Beeson, a medical sociologist and professor emerita of sociology at California State University, East Bay, "Those who develop severe OHSS may experience a wide range of serious conditions including loss of future fertility, kidney or multiple organ failure, and death. The frequency of severe OHSS is estimated to be as high as 10 per cent of women who undergo the procedure."
Beeson, a founder of the "Hands Off Our Ovaries" campaign, also says that not only are women at risk when they take the fertility drugs that cause OHSS, but potentially their children. Studies of mice with OHSS demonstrate significant abnormalities in offspring, including growth retardation, bone development delays, and a rib deformity which is associated with other abnormalities and cancer in humans.
Many argue that if egg harvesting is to become widely endorsed for the purposes of stem- cell research and therapeutic cloning, the number of cases of severe OHSS will rise considerably. Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council points out that of the 80 million women who would be required for egg harvesting to treat diabetes alone, at least 800,000 would experience OHSS.
Moreover, in order to treat the 127 to 128 million Americans with common deadly diseases, 6.4 billion human eggs would be needed. About 640 million women would be required to provide these eggs. Given that only about 60 million women in the U.S. are of reproductive age, large-scale egg harvesting is not only dangerous, but also unfeasible.
Embryo-destructive research is wrong because it requires the killing of young (embryonic) human beings for the alleged benefit of others. But even those who disagree on this point can -- and I hope will, with a good educational campaign -- acknowledge the potential dangers of egg harvesting to women.
Fetal development showcased on WebMD
WebMD is "the leading health portal in the United States," according to Wikipedia, and "receives information from accredited individuals and is reviewed by a medical review board consisting of four physicians to ensure accuracy."
It is very good to see these facts recognized by respected medical sources outside the pro-life movement. View the slideshow here.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The pro-life movement and 'common liberal values'
The pro-life cause has indeed resonated in a liberal, rights-oriented culture far more than other "culture-war" issues. ... Young Americans ... are suddenly less pro-choice than older Americans. ...About his own views, Shields says:
This development, however, is not as odd as it appears. I think the pro-life cause continues to inspire activists and cannot be dismissed by secular, socially liberal Americans precisely because it appeals to common liberal values that we all share [e.g., human equality]. ...
The liberalism at the heart of the pro-life campaign, however, is constantly distorted by a generation of scholars who have insisted the right-to-life movement is really about the preservation of traditional gender roles or male control over female sexuality. Such interpretations tend to ignore that the right-to-life movement regards itself as today's civil-rights movement. The failure to grasp this reality renders the passion and dedication of the pro-life movement almost impossible to comprehend.
I believe that many scholars of abortion have resisted this conclusion because they find it difficult to entertain the possibility that these conservatives might be agents in progressive history. ...
On some level, I think most [pro-choice academics] understand that pro-lifers are raising serious human rights concerns. And on a surprising number of occasions, I've had liberal academics confess that their pro-life sympathies run quite deep.
I was raised in a strongly pro-choice household and carried those views with me into my fieldwork. Doing this research, however, forced me to think through my beliefs in a more systematic way. I was exposed to thoughtful activists and images of aborted embryos that I always used to carefully avoid. So, somewhere along the way, I did become far more sympathetic to the moral claims of the pro-life movement than I even imagined when I began talking to activists. I suppose I was particularly moved by the claim that human organisms might have an intrinsic value independent of their characteristics. Above all, though, this work has left me with a deeper respect for the thoughtful partisans on both sides of this issue. Our best hope, in my humble opinion, is to continue deliberating about this issue.This is refreshing, I think, coming from the pro-choice side of the debate. He is thinking clearly about the issue and sincerely looking to find the truth.
Why the Senate health care bill is not pro-choice
The ban on abortion funding [passed in the U.S. House version of the health care reform legislation, but rejected by the Senate] extended the logic of the pro-choice case for abortion rights. Pro-choice advocates, after all, have long argued that we need to respect the private moral choices of American citizens. Public funding of abortion, by this logic, would not respect our moral differences because it would force pro-life citizens to subsidize the practice of abortion. A ban on funding, therefore, is consistent with what is essentially a libertarian case for abortion rights. This is partly why many Americans who are otherwise sympathetic to abortion access nevertheless believe the state should not treat abortion as a welfare right.Even though its proponents claim to be "pro-choice," the Senate bill would force Americans to support elective abortions whether they want to or not.
Are you interested in what's true?
You must ask yourself a critical question: Are you interested in what's true and right, or are you merely interested in what's pleasurable and convenient?
Here's the reason I ask. I've made an observation based on hundreds of conversations with people on tough moral issues. I've met few who were really interested in doing what's right. This may seem like a strong statement, but in the course of conversation it becomes obvious.
Sure, they give reasons for their views, convincing even themselves that they have a genuine interest in morality. Their true colors show, however, when their reasons turn out to be bad ones. They fish around for other justifications. They begin twisting the facts to fit their views. They reject or ignore contrary points instead of refuting them.
As their options diminish, their search gets more frantic. It soon becomes clear they never had any intention of being ethical at all. Their justifications were only rationalizations all along.
Instead of changing their opinions and, ultimately, their conduct, they become angry. Stripped of the appearance of being moral, they leave mad, still bent on doing what they intended to do in the first place.
Why do we do that? Because the moral demands of the truth are often an unpleasant burden to bear. When self-interest is at stake, we change the rules. We resort to contorted, disfigured arguments. We attack individuals rather than ideas. We take refuge behind the claim that the question is complicated, when it's not really difficult at all. In the end we fire our final salvo, "It's my right!" -- the last refuge of the libertine.
Those who are interested in what's true, however, let their judgments rest on the evidence. When the facts go against what they want, they make the difficult choice for the right reasons. They remain loyal to what's true and good, not to what's convenient.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The threats to human dignity
Most people still believe in human exceptionalism and are unaware that powerful social and cultural forces are working diligently to dismantle the sanctity of life ethic as the fundamental value of our social order. But the time has come to pay attention. If human life is knocked off the pedestal, universal human rights will be impossible to sustain. ...
The bioethical mainstream disdains the sanctity of life ethic as irrational and based on religion. In its place, they promote "personhood theory," that equates moral value with cognitive capacities such as being self aware over time. This "quality of life" ethic, as it is sometimes called, creates a two-tiered system in which some humans have greater value than human non persons [e.g., the unborn killed by abortion or embryo-destructive research]. ...
Personhood theory also denies the equal value of newborn infants. ... Infanticide isn't just a theoretical. Baby euthanasia is commonplace in the Netherlands. ...
Personhood theory also threatens those who have lost capacities. Thus, people with profound cognitive impairments like Terri Schiavo are increasingly being looked upon as potential sources of organs even though they are clearly not dead.
The animal rights movement goes even farther, fabricating an explicit moral equality between humans and animals ...
Materialistic Darwinists also deny human exceptionalism based on their belief that since all life evolved randomly out of the same primordial ooze, species distinctions are morally irrelevant. This view has potentially deadly implications to the sanctity of human life ...
Radical environmentalism is even more alarming, taking human unexceptionalism to the next nihilistic level. Under this view, we are life's villains whose pillaging threatens the earth. In order to "save the planet" our prosperity must be sacrificed and our population strictly controlled. Some radical environmentalists even look to China's tyrannical one child policy as a model—even though it uses female infanticide and forced abortion as demographic weapons. ...
These, and other, attacks on human exceptionalism are profoundly dangerous to human life and liberty. It is our unique moral status in the known universe that gives rise to both universal (human) rights. It is the sanctity of life ethic that compels us to care for the weak, vulnerable, and elderly among us.
Either we all matter equally, simply and merely because we are human—or our value becomes relative, our rights, and indeed, our continued existence—determined by the reigning power structure of the day. After all, if we are merely another animal in the forest—or worse, the planet's enemies—why should any of us be treated as if we have any special meaning at all?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Senate rejects pro-life amendment, supports abortion funding
National Right to Life Urges Defeat of Health Care Bill After Senate Votes to Keep Abortion in Federal Programs
WASHINGTON (December 8, 2009) -- By a vote of 54 to 45, the U.S. Senate today tabled (killed) an amendment to remove elective abortion from the new federal programs that would be created by pending health care legislation. The following statement was issued by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of right-to-life organizations in all 50 states, and may be attributed to NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson.
A majority of senators today voted to keep abortion covered in the proposed federal government insurance program, and to subsidize private insurance plans that cover abortion on demand. Now, the vote on cloture on the bill itself will become the key vote on whether to put the federal government into the abortion business. We will oppose cloture on the bill, which would require 60 affirmative votes. In addition, a number of pro-life Democrats in the House, who supported passage of health care legislation on November 7, will not vote for the Senate bill in its current form. So, this is a long way from over.
The amendment rejected today, supported by NRLC, was sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-Ne.) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). It contained the same substance as the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which was adopted by the House of Representatives on November 7, 240-194. Both amendments would prevent the federal government insurance program (the "public option") from paying for abortion (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest). In addition, both amendments would prevent federal subsidies from being used to purchase private health plans that cover elective abortion, but would not restrict the sale or purchase of such policies with private funds.
As NRLC has previously noted, the health care bill pending in the Senate, proposed by Senator Harry Reid (D-Nv.) and backed by President Obama, would authorize the federal government to pay for any and all abortions through a huge new federal health insurance program, the "public option," and would also subsidize purchase of private plans that cover abortion on demand. President Obama and Reid know that the substance of these abortion-promoting policies is deeply unpopular, so they seek to conceal the reality with layers of contorted definitions and money-laundering schemes.
For extensive further documentation on aspects of the health care legislation relating to abortion, visit the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org/ahc.
To go to the Abortion in Health Care index, click here.
To go to the NRLC Home page, click here.
To go to the NRLC Legislative Action Center, click here.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Why Stupak, not Capps, maintains status quo on abortion funding
Pro-abortion senators are continuing to claim that the bill as written (which includes the Capps amendment pertaining to abortion), without the Nelson language, would maintain the status quo on abortion and health care, and be consistent with the longstanding Hyde amendment, while the Nelson/Stupak language would dramatically alter it.
But as Mary Harned explains:
The fact that the Stupak-Pitts amendment, not the Capps amendment, maintains existing law can be established from studying the Hyde Amendment and similar laws that apply to other programs. The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funds that are appropriated through the LHHS appropriations bill from being used to pay for abortion and prevents federal funds from being used to subsidize health care plans that offer abortion coverage.
In other words, programs like Medicaid cannot directly pay for abortions or subsidize private plans that include abortion coverage. The Stupak Amendment applies exactly the same principles to the new programs created by H.R. 3962. Just as Medicaid dollars cannot be used to subsidize private insurance plans that cover abortions, neither can the new affordability credits created by health care reform.
Other government programs apply these principles to federal funds as well. The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program has a longstanding restriction on abortion funding and coverage. The current law provides: "No funds appropriated by this Act shall be available to pay for an abortion, or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employees health benefits program which provides any benefits or coverage for abortions."
Contact your senators now!
Learn more and contact your senators here to make sure that the health care legislation does not significantly expand abortion.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Senate will vote soon on pro-life Nelson-Hatch amendment
The U.S. Senate is working across the weekend, voting on amendments to the massive health care bill (H.R. 3590) proposed by Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nv.). NRLC strongly opposes the bill because of multiple provisions that would promote abortion and the rationing of lifesaving medical care.
Pro-life Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ben Nelson (D-Ne.) plan to soon file an amendment to the bill, which will be supported by the NRLC and other major pro-life groups. The Hatch-Nelson Amendment would make the same critical policy changes to the Reid bill that were accomplished in the House of Representatives by adoption of the NRLC-backed Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the House version of the health care legislation (H.R. 3962) on November 7.
Thus, the effect of the Hatch-Nelson Amendment would be to prevent the proposed new government health insurance program -- the "public option" -- from paying for abortions, and also to prevent federal funds from being used to subsidize the purchase of private health plans that pay for elective abortion.
Time is short! Please telephone the offices of your two U.S. senators. Urge them to support the Hatch-Nelson Amendment to the health care bill (H.R. 3590). The Washington offices of all U.S. senators can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121. In most cases, you can also obtain fax numbers, and phone numbers for senators' in-state offices, through the NRLC Legislative Action Center at this internet address:
After the Senate has voted on the Hatch-Nelson Amendment, there will be other critical votes on the health care legislation! The legislative situation may change rapidly. Any time you want to check the current status of the legislation, visit this page on the Legislative Action Center:
For further information on the abortion-related issues in the health care legislation, go to: http://www.nrlc.org/ahc.
For further information on the rationing-related issues in the health care legislation, go to: http://powellcenterformedicalethics.blogspot.com/.
Friday, December 4, 2009
A market in fetal organs? If you're 'pro-choice' ...
Appel (who's not exactly a fringe figure in bioethics) then suggests that creating a legal market in aborted baby organs is a good idea, both for the women who would benefit financially (by selling the organs) and for the other members of society who would be the recipients of transplantations.
Let me make two points. First, this is incredibly sick, morally speaking -- I believe (I hope) it would shock the sensibilities of most people. Consider, as Appel writes:
The supply [of fetal organs], for all practical purposes, is unlimited. ... Pregnant women who provide fetal kidneys could do so repeatedly ... If only a small percentage of those women [having abortions] could be persuaded to carry their fetuses to the necessary point of development for transplantation, society might realize significant public health benefits. The government could even step into the marketplace to purchase fetal organs for patients on Medicare and Medicaid. ... A market in fetal organs would empower women to use their reproductive capabilities to their own economic advantage. ... Someday, if we are fortunate, scientific research may make possible farms of artificial "wombs" breeding fetuses for their organs.Sounds like science fiction, doesn't it?
Second, the moral permissibility of creating a market for fetal organs follows logically from the pro-choice position on abortion. Appel makes this case well: "I believe we have a moral duty to women to give due consideration to the legalization of such a fetal-organ trade. ... If a woman has a fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy, why not the right to use the products of that terminated pregnancy as she sees fit?"
If the human embryo or fetus merits no moral respect -- and may therefore be killed (by abortion) for any or no reason if the mother chooses, as NARAL, Planned Parenthood and others argue -- then there seems to be no good justification for prohibiting a market in fetal organs. The unborn offspring is the property of the mother, and she may do what she wants with it. And that includes growing babies in the womb in order to kill them to harvest their useful parts.
This disturbing conclusion is absolutely wrong -- evidence of the total bankruptcy of the pro-choice position. It should cause those who are pro-choice to reevaluate their initial premises.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Is the pro-life position a threat to religious liberty?
"The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops advocated that their religious views [i.e., the pro-life position] be added to the House bill," she writes. "The bishops' theological viewpoints should not shape the public policy of all Americans."
Roska continues: "[W]e call on all senators to ensure that health care reform is freed of religious ideology ... We support a health care system that is inclusive and respectful of diverse religious beliefs and decisions regarding childbearing. ... In this religiously pluralistic nation, our health care system should be inclusive and respective of diverse religious beliefs and decisions regarding childbearing."
Roska keeps making the same assertion, but it's remarkably unthoughtful -- she goes on to thoroughly contradict herself:
"As religious leaders, we support public policies that are just and compassionate and prioritize the needs of those who are poor and marginalized in our society. ... A health care system that serves all persons with dignity and equality will include comprehensive reproductive health services. ... Our faith traditions are abundantly clear about living in community with others and being responsible for them. Our traditions share the common goal of taking care of the well-being of those most in need. We join with others in urging a return to the core of our faith traditions and realize that providing access to safe and quality health care makes sense morally, ethically, spiritually, and financially." [italics added]
Note what Roska has done. First, she disqualifies the pro-life position, without any arguments or evidence, by branding it "religious ideology." Then she offers for consideration her own views, and defends them by explicitly appealing to religion. In fact, her organization is all about bringing religious influences/motivations to bear on public policy (in this case, in defense of the pro-choice position).
Roska can't have it both ways. She's using a fallacious trick to discard the views of those who disagree with her without having to engage them or argue for her own position.
(By the way, the pro-life position itself is no more "religious" than the claim that murdering toddlers is wrong. Both are moral viewpoints stemming from a conviction that all human beings have dignity, and taking innocent human life is wrong. A religious perspective may or may not undergird or motivate this position, just as religion influences the views of religious people on many uncontroversial issues, and just as secular worldviews influence the views of those who adhere to them.)
Roska talks about being "inclusive and respectful of diverse religious beliefs," but the truth is that both sides in the abortion debate are seeking to impose their own views. Pro-lifers think the unborn is a valuable human person, like you and me, and ought to be respected and protected by law. Roska thinks the unborn human being is so unworthy of respect that we may kill him or her for any reason and have the killing paid for by the government. Either way, a particular viewpoint is enshrined into law.
The question isn't "religion" or "respecting diverse beliefs," but which view will be reflected in our laws -- and, in our system of democratic government, answering that question should require honest debate and deliberation, which Roska avoids by simply dismissing her opponents without argument. Does abortion unjustly takes the life of an innocent human person? If so, it should not be permitted.


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If you are wondering which one of the two is more effective, the truth is both online and offline advertising have equal influence on the popularity your brand will reach.
For best visibility, effectiveness, and exposure of the brand, it is the perfect option to incorporate both online and offline advertising into your promotion.
Online vs Offline Marketing
Online Marketing
Online marketing concerns the process of advertising a product or a service via Internet. Search engine optimization (SEO), website creation, social media, banner ads, email marketing, and pay-per-click advertising are the strategies online marketing utilizes. The reason for the popularity of online marketing is, first of all, that the results are much more measurable. Secondly, it is inexpensive. Online marketing substantially reduces the costs related to development of databases and the processing of entries. The total costs of online promotion, including the development costs have a tendency of being much lower than the ones related to printing and postage of a material. Contrary to popular belief, the less expensive does not necessarily mean it is better. Not all cheap promotions are effective promotions. If the money invested in promotion equals one-third of what the usual promotion would cost, and there are no positive results, that was a money not so well spent. For a campaign to be successful there has to be a solid media plan. Furthermore, online marketing offers data and results that are available immediately. What is more, thanks to the Internet we have the opportunity to use social media, which allows the advertisers to get a direct feedback from their consumers. Another advantage of online marketing is that it is accessible to any size business, and anyone can accomplish any kind of Internet marketing by himself or herself.
Offline Marketing
Offline marketing uses radio, TV, print advertising, such as coupons, magazines, billboards, and printed promotional materials, such as brochures or catalogs, as a means of promotion. The best target audience for this type of marketing is retiring people, because most of them do not use Internet and social media. If a consumer is given a tangible and tactile experience with the product, through an in-store promotion or a direct mail, it will leave a more powerful impression on him or her. The perfect example is custom water bottles. Anyone who chooses to use custom promotional products can help the potential consumer remember their club, business or any other entity by providing them with the water that has the logo and name of their brand. Additionally, if a salesperson engages in demonstrations with the target audience it will give them the opportunity to meet face-to-face and interact with the consumers. A smaller, more localized brand or company, which is finding their place in the Sun, should choose to utilize direct mailing as their offline marketing strategy. This type of advertising will come in handy, especially if the financial resources are too low. Then there are smaller markets, which are best reached by offline branding, for they require a more reasonable cost of publicity and promotion. Finally, this type of marketing can significantly help build brand loyalty at a considerably faster rate than online brand building.
Considering the Internet is growing day by day, it will without a doubt, be the most effective means of promotion in the future. However, that day has not come yet, so if you want to promote your brand the most effectively, use both offline and online advertising. However, if you do not have the funds for both, choose the one you prefer the most, and be persistent in what you do. I am sure it will pay off eventually.


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VoIP: Packet Switching
A packet-switched phone network is the alternative to circuit switching. It works like this: While you're talking, the other party is listening, which means that only half of the connection is in use at any given time. Based on that, we can surmise that we could cut the file in half, down to about 4.7 MB, for efficiency. Plus, a significant amount of the time in most conversations is dead air -- for seconds at a time, neither party is talking. If we could remove these silent intervals, the file would be even smaller. Then, instead of sending a continuous stream of bytes (both silent and noisy), what if we sent just the packets of noisy bytes when you created them?
Data networks do not use circuit switching. Your Internet connection would be a lot slower if it maintained a constant connection to the Web page you were viewing at any given time. Instead, data networks simply send and retrieve data as you need it. And, instead of routing the data over a dedicated line, the data packets flow through a chaotic network along thousands of possible paths. This is called packet switching.
While circuit switching keeps the connection open and constant, packet switching opens a brief connection -- just long enough to send a small chunk of data, called a packet, from one system to another. It works like this:
- The sending computer chops data into small packets, with an address on each one telling the network devices where to send them.
- Inside of each packet is a payload. The payload is a piece of the e-mail, a music file or whatever type of file is being transmitted inside the packet.
- The sending computer sends the packet to a nearby router and forgets about it. The nearby router send the packet to another router that is closer to the recipient computer. That router sends the packet along to another, even closer router, and so on.
- When the receiving computer finally gets the packets (which may have all taken completely different paths to get there), it uses instructions contained within the packets to reassemble the data into its original state.
Packet switching is very efficient. It lets the network route the packets along the least congested and cheapest lines. It also frees up the two computers communicating with each other so that they can accept information from other computers, as well.
Next, we'll look at the advantages of using VoIP.


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Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
Minneapolis District Office
February 15, 2007
Refer to MIN-07-12
Steve Basta
President and Chief Executive Officer
BioForm Medical, Inc.
1875 South Grant Street, Suite # 110
San Mateo, California 94402
Dear Mr. Basta:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). conducted an inspection of your facility at 4133 Courtney Road, Suite 10, Franksville,WI, from October 2-18, 2006. During that inspection, the investigator collected labels and product inserts for your Cutanix Dramatic Relief for Oily and Acne Prone Skin, Cutanix Dramatic Relief for Normal to.Dry Skin, Cutanix Dramatic Relief for Sensitive Skin, and Cutanix Dramatic Relief Extra Strength products. In addition, the FDA reviewed your web sites at www.bioformmedical.com, wwwtvdepot.com/getridoflhered/ and www.cutttnix.com.
The review of this labeling found the products being offered are promoted for conditio.ns that-cause..them to be drugs under sections 201(g)(1)(B) and 201(g)(1)(C) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. 321(g)(1)(B) and 321(g)(1)(C)]. Claims in your labeling, including your web sites, establish that these products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and are intended to affect the structure or function of the body. You can find the Act and FDA's regulations through links on FDA's Internet home page, http://www.fda.gov.
Examples of some of the claims observed for these products include:
Claims on the boxes for each of your Cutanix products:
"Reduces Redness"
"Smoothes Scaly Skin"
Claims on the Cutanix Dramatic Relief for Oily and Acne Prone Skin box:
"[I]ntended for individuals with chronic skin redness and flaking . . . associated with dermatologic conditions like seborrheic
dermatitis or rosacea ." (Claim also observed on your product insert and on your web site www.tvdepot.com.)
"Inflamed oily skin associated with troublesome dermatologic conditions. . .Dramatic Relief. . .for Oily and Acne Prone Skin. . .clinically proven to reduce redness, eliminate scaling, and help soft, smooth skin reappear."
Claims on the Cutanix Dramatic Relief for Normal To Dry Skin box:
"[I]ntended for individuals with chronic skin redness accompanied by severely dry skin, often associated with dermatologic inflammatory conditions like eczema or rosacea." (Claim also observed on your product insert and on your web site www.tvdepot.com.)
"Inflamed, dry and scaly skin often associated with troublesome dermatologic conditions. . . Dramatic Relief. . .for Normal to Dry Skin … clinically proven to reduce redness, eliminate scaling and itching, and help smooth, soft skin reappear."
Claims on the Cutanix Dramatic Relief for Sensitive Skin box
"[I]ntended for individuals with chronic facial redness. . .often associated with dermatologic conditions like rosacea or eczema." (Claim also observed on your product insert and your web site www. tvdepot.com.)
"[S]ymptoms associated with troublesome dermatologic conditions like rosacea, eczema or seborrheic dermatitis.. .. Dramatic Relief. ..for Sensitive Skin. . . clinically proven to reduce redness, eliminate itching and scaling; and help smooth, soft skin reappear."
Claims on the Cutariix Dramatic Relief Extra Strength box"
"[I]ntended for individuals with chronic, persistent facial redness associated ;with dermatologic inflammatory conditions like rosacea or eczema." (Claim. also observed on your product insert.)
"[F]or individuals with troublesome dermatologic conditions requiring intensive therapeutic treatment like rosacea, eczema, or seborrheic dermatitis."
"[C]linically proven therapeutic formulation will reduce stubborn, persistent redness, eliminate itching and scaling, and help soft, smooth skin reappear."
Additional claims on the package insert that accompanies each of your Cutanix products:
"[S]oothing, healing effect on dry, inflamed skin."
"(Under the heading "Cutanix Dramatic Relief Clinical trials")
"[E]ffectiveness of Dramatic Relief in improving the following symptoms
often associated with rosacea or eczema-prone skin. . .
Reduce Redness
Soothes Scaly Skin
Evens Skin Tone
Relieves Itching, Stinging and Burning"
(Under the heading "Cutanix Dramatic Relief Clinical trials")
"71% of participants demonstrated reduction in redness
88% of those with scaly skin had marked reduction of scaling. . .
69% of participants demonstrated an improvement in skin tone
92% of those reporting itching, stinging or burning prior to the study
reported a reduction in one or more symptoms. . . ."
"Clinical trial results demonstrated the effectiveness of Dramatic :Relief in alleviating scaly skin and uneven skin tone. .. ."
Additional claims observed on your web sites www.tvdepot.com and www.cutanix.com (which automatically sends visitors to your www.tvdepot.com web site):
"Millions of men and women suffer the stinging embarrassment of chronic facial redness and flushing. . . . Now there's Cutanix."
"Overnight I could feel the roughness of the eczema go away."
"Cutanix Dramatic Relief is a safe and gentle topical product that's proven to calm and soothe red, dry skin, without a prescription."
"You don't have to put up with red, dry, flaky, itchy, irritated skin and you don't need to use a prescription medication. . . ."
"After I tried Cutanix, my face wasn't lighting on fire anymore."
"[Cutanix] Dramatic Relief is clinically proven to:
Relieve itching, stinging and burning of the skin
Reduce Redness of the skin
Improve skin tone"
"The body releases inflammatory triggers and immune cells that cause the skin to become red, swollen, itchy and painful. .. . Cutanix is specially formulated to pass through the skin's outer surface to calm the inflammatory process and help get rid of the red."
"(Under the heading "Dramatic Relief Clinical Trial Results")
*75% of participants demonstrated either elimination or reduction in skin redness "
88% of those with scaly skin had no evidence of scaling by the end of the study
69% of participants demonstrated an improvement in skin tone
92% of those reporting itching, stinging or burning prior to the study reported a~reduction in one or more akin symptoms. . . ."
"Dramatic Relief is effective in relieving the redness, roughness, scaling and dryness commonly associated with rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, or allergic dermatitis (ex., poison ivy, poison oak), sunburn, and insect bites."
"Individuals using Dramatic Relief for conditions such as sunburn, mosquito bites, and poison ivy have noticed significant improvement.. . and relief from itching immediately."
"I was always flushed. I was always red. .. . I tried Cutanix and my skin cleared up enormously."
"Before I tried Cutanix (I had] dry, patchy skin that would flare up and break out .. . . It cooled my face and got down the red tones."
"I was suffering from eczema, my skin around my eyes was really flaky. .. I tried Cutanix. .. . [O]vernight I could feel the roughness go away. .. . I've had no breakouts from eczema at all."
"Before I tried Cutanix. . .my face would. . .light on fire and burn, and. . .get bright red. . . . Within a week of trying Cutanix I noticed. ..considerable improvement in my skin. My skin wasn't lighting on fire anymore. Looking in the mirror now, seeing my natural rosy skin, rather than the hot, red skin. . . ."
"I have funny red spots, particularly around my cheek, my forehead area and my chin. . . . Cutanix has been a wonderful experience. My skin tone has evened out. I feel like the specific problem areas have gotten considerably better."
"(A]s I've matured, I've had itchy, scaly skin, redness around my hairline, my nose and around my forehead and eyebrows. . . . Since I've been using Cutanix the improvement in my skin has been life-changing. I have no dryness, at my nose and in-between my brows. I don't see any flakes falling!"
"My skin prior to using Cutanix was really red and sensitive . ..and irritated feeling. . . . Cutanix made a big difference on my skin."
"Before Cutanix.. .[I] saw tons of discoloration, blotches and bumps. There was red in my cheeks; the embarrassing kind of red where you look flushed or stressed or blushing. . . . After using Cutanix for 8 weeks, I definitely had HUGE results, my skin is more even toned, and I don't. ..see,a million different colors or bumps."
These claims on your product labeling cause your products to be drugs, as defined in sections 201(g)(1)(B) and 201(g)(1)(C) of the Act [21 U.S.C. 321(g)(1)(B) and 321(g)(1)(C)]. Because these drugs are not generally recognized as safe and effective when used as labeled, they are also new drugs as defined in section 201(p) of the Act [21 U.S.C. 321(p)]. Under section 505(a) of the Act [21 U.S.C. 355(a)], a new drug may not be legally marketed in the United States without an approved New Drug Application (NDA). FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data submitted by a drug sponsor to demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective.
This letter is not intended, to be an all-inclusive review of deficiencies in your products and their labeling, including any brochures that accompany the products. You are responsible for ensuring that products marketed by your firm are in compliance with the Act and its implementing regulations
We may take further action without notice if you do not promptly correct these violations. For instance, we may take further action to seize your products and/or enjoin your firm from operating.
Please notify this office in writing within 15 working days of receipt of this letter of the specific actions you are taking to correct these violations and to prevent the recurrence of similar violations. You should include in your response documentation such as revised labels, or other useful information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections. If you cannot complete all corrections before you respond, we expect that you will explain the reason for the delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.
Your written response should be sent to Brian D. Garthwaite, Ph.D., Compliance Officer, at the address located on the letterhead. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Dr. Garthwaite at (612) 758-7132.
W. Charles Becoat
Minneapolis District
xc: Dean Erickson
Vice President and General Manager, Wisconsin Operations
BioForm Medical, Inc.
4133 Courtney Road Ste 10
Franksville, Wisconsin 53126-9127
This page was posted on March 27, 2019.


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Aphorism #524.
"like begas like"
See Also:
lightning never strikes in the same place twice
like father, like son
As always, please comment if you have any further analysis of this particular aphorism (or if you disagree with my analysis) – or if you have a good story!
Popularity: -0% [?]


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June 10, 2016
FORT McMURRAY – Residents of Fort McMurray will have access to core hospital services starting June 13, 2016, as Alberta Health Services (AHS) continues to work to return back to full health care services.
On June 13, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC) will add to currently available health services and begin providing medical & surgical inpatient, ICU, OR, obstetrical, pediatric, and inpatient psychiatry services. These additional health care services significantly add to the current emergency department, laboratory, and diagnostic imaging (X-ray & CT) services that returned June 1. With this advancement, NLRHC will return back to offering core Regional Hospital health care services.
On June 21, NLRHC will return back to providing full comprehensive health care services. This will include Ambulatory Care services (like endoscopy and exercise stress testing) as well as dialysis and long term care.
In support of restoring health care services in Fort McMurray, on June 11, at 8 a.m. the Fort McMurray Urgent Care Centre will transition into a Fort McMurray Medical Clinic (FMMC) to better match the community's current health care needs. The clinic will be made up of trailers at the Keyano Syncrude Sports & Wellness Centre (9908 Penhorwood Street). The medical clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, and will be staffed by physicians and nurses providing primary care and family medicine as well as home care services. This clinic will remain open until at least June 30.
Allied health outpatient services including occupational and physical therapy are and will continue to be available Monday to Friday on the second floor of the Syncrude Sports & Wellness Centre from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Starting June 10, Public Health services will move back to the Fort McMurray Community Health Services building (113 Thickwood Blvd). Hours are from Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and a more detailed list of services is available at http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/page13198.aspx.
Addiction and mental health services will relocate to the Fort McMurray Queen Street Building (10217 Queen Street) on June 10. This includes physician psychiatry services, with walk-ins and scheduled appointments available. Services will be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The roving Community Wellness team will continue to provide support throughout the city and team members are available from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. and on call overnight. The team can be reached by calling 780-370-0182 or 780-792-6378.
For the most up-to-date information about health care services including pharmacies, lab, diagnostic imaging, family physician clinics and emergency medical services in Fort McMurray please visit www.ahs.ca/wildfire.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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For media inquiries, contact:
Kirsten Goruk
AHS Communications


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Controlled move for storage
Relocating Vopak's mission critical control room with minimum impact
Vopak needed to refresh their mission critical control room to improve its efficiency and operability. The control room is the nerve centre of their site and so any changes needed to be carefully project managed to ensure there was no impact to Vopak's business as usual activities.
To improve efficiency and operability by implementing new rationalised equipment, the control room needed to be restructured using a fresh design, including a new switch room equipped with air conditioning. All hardware needed to be moved along with associated cabling work.
Waterstons' on site team and project manager worked with Vopak's engineers to plan and manage the move, minimising disruption to what is a highly sensitive and critical area.
The Waterstons and Vopak team planned the project in detail, with a breakdown of all tasks, their dependencies, time scales and required resource levels (both personnel and technical):
- The team conducted a simulated project walkthrough with key parties.
- The project was split into manageable stages; each stage quality checked and signed off before progression to the next stage.
- Downtime was scheduled at the most suitable time for the business and kept to a minimum to ensure the least amount of disruption.
- The team defined the equipment in the original control panel that could be moved to the new panel and what could be migrated onto computer systems. Systems were then transferred across to the new panel and, where possible, physical alarms were migrated into computer representations reducing their footprint and allowing for additional logging and remote monitoring.
Waterstons successfully project managed the transition to a new control room - utilising strong planning, coordination and design skills – to time and budget. Scheduled impact to the following major systems was minimal:
- FuelFacs (Automatic Truck Loading)
- SCADA (Valve control)
- MHT (Tank gauging)
- CCTV (Monitoring System)
Hardware in the control room is secure and environmentally controlled.
An improved wind monitoring system allows more accurate and timely information which can be shared between Vopak sites. The redesigned alarm speaker system adds further resilience. There is now a dedicated switch room with a false floor which means that future work can be carried out with minimal disruption.There are fewer cables due to several systems being migrated from control panel to computer based systems (reduced complexity of relocation). The new layout is more user friendly and provides more information due to the number and size of new screens.
The main hardware appliances previously held within the control cabinet were migrated to the newly built switch room:
- Existing PC base units were relocated into the switch room.
- Fiber connections were put in place to connect the new switch room with the existing fiber backbone.
- During certain key stages in the exercise (when the cabinet was moved) the fire system was taken off line and alternative manual procedures put in place, including having the Fire Brigade on standby.
A successful project minimised disruption to our operations which was largely due to Waterstons detailed project planning and tightly controlled migrations of a number of complicated systems. We now have protected control systems in a secure environment and an infrastructure we can build on. Our requirements were to relocate our control room hardware to a protected environment whilst keeping our automation and safety systems running. It was key that we incurred minimal downtime during the migration.Peter Lloyd Engineering Manager


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Despite having an early mover advantage in the Indian ecommerce industry, eBay India isn't the top-notch marketplace in sellers' minds. (Read: eBay seller wait over 60 seconds to resolve grievances!)
It is often argued that Amazon India has the backing of its global parent, Amazon, because of which it may never have to resort to the so-called unfair practices of our homegrown online marketplaces. eBay too has a global parent; why then hasn't it risen in popularity compared to the others and why are we hearing of disgruntled sellers and nothing else?
When online seller Akheel MD wrote to us, "I am facing issue with eBay India," it did not surprise us. In this article, he tells us more about his experience with the ecommerce player and how it's been a downhill ride from 2014.
"Compared to my offline store, I have to put in 500% extra work for my online sales channels, which is rewarded with nothing but huge losses," says Akheel.
No seller support on eBay
I sell mobile phones, mobile phone and tablet accessories, wallets, toys, wallets etc. I have been selling on eBay for five years, but now I'm continuing for namesake.
eBay today has the worst seller support. Buyers are given all kinds of support, help and freebies. They blindly close claims in buyers' favour. Even when a fraud buyer takes advantage of the weak policies, we sellers fall into trouble.
When we buy from a wholesaler, say 1000 pieces, we don't get any warranty. We check each product before stocking on our showroom shelf. Even if we find faulty items, there is no question of a refund or a replacement. Similarly, even in online business, we check each and every product before packing. But buyers make false claims and when we get the return of the products, they are in such bad shape that there's nothing else we can do with them.
Complete bias towards buyer
Fraud buyers take advantage of sellers on eBay in many ways:
- Blackmail sellers by asking for features not mentioned in listing
- Buyers' feedback are not verified by anyone, making it easy for them to ruin your feedback score. Whereas, sellers can either leave positive feedback or nothing for a buyer; sellers cannot leave negative feedback for a fraudulent buyer.
To get a clearer view on this, here is an important policy on feedback as specified by eBay India. As a seller, your rating hardly goes higher with 10 positive feedback. But if negative feedback is given, your rating would go down by a huge extent. Isn't this a clear indication that eBay is against sellers?
eBay closes claims in buyers' favour at any cost. They can purchase any item, be it a general one or Chinese, with or without warranty, and wear it, damage it and still can return it without any hassle.
Response to queries
If you email them, responses to your queries can come in a week, two weeks and even 45 days (I have faced it)! How does this make sense? Issues, which need to be taken care of in hours, are addressed after weeks, and without any resolution then too.
Recently I contacted eBay India customer care because my Account Manager was not responding. On the call they said that they have escalated the issue, but there was no response even after a week. I attempted to contact again but this time through phone, chat and email. Nothing worked, including connecting with supervisors. Even emails to eBay India Grievance department have gone unanswered.
A few times, I got very irritated and warned them that I would report this to eBay USA and report to media. The eBay agent on call daringly responded telling me to do whatever I wanted.
Other marketplaces & eBay
I sell on other marketplaces too like Amazon, Shopclues etc, which are also not good for sellers. Shopclues is known to be a problematic site with technical issues. It is actually the worst when it comes to seller support. They even cheat sellers by charging high charges for courier.
When no other sites were available, eBay was good and it was so till 2014. But since then, the staff there seems to have zero sense of responsibility as no one checks or responds to open tickets.
Faulty fee collection
In addition to payment gateway fees, they also charge "Final Value Fee". If buyer clicks on the "Buy Now" button but leaves without paying, eBay still charges seller for this despite the absence of an actual sale. If it's due to a bug in the system, aren't they turning a blind eye to it?
You can claim for a refund after which money is credited to you in 4 days. But in my earlier days I did not know that due to which I ended up paying a large amount of money to eBay already.
Everyone selling on eBay, please check on this "Final Value Fee" and see that you are not paying what you needn't be paying.
Advice to sellers
List a few items only, maybe 5-10, that are not priced too high.
Do not invest more money than required.
If you have more than 30 listings, opt for eBay Powership and uncheck option to ship outside it.
Initially, I had asked eBay India agents for the option to deactivate orders outside Powership but they said there is no such option. But I found out about it after a year from a seller forum. So the agents themselves are not aware of the options available to sellers.
Once we sent a normal phone worth Rs.1799 to West Bengal (outside eBay powership). After receiving item, unethical buyer sent photos of one old phone without any IMEI number, battery or identification. And said he got that phone. Even after struggling a lot, we did not get justice. And eBay closed the claim in Buyer favor instead of trusting us, the seller who's been doing business with them for years and who's sold thousands of items through the platform.
I don't say other websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm Or Snapdeal are good websites. They are earning money from sellers and harassing sellers itself. Tread the online route carefully and ensure you are aware of what you are getting into.
Currently, there is no regulatory body to protect online sellers and marketplaces are well taking advantage of this situation.
Disclaimer: Views/opinions expressed in this article are solely of the online seller.


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Availability: In stock
We ship your purchase right after receiving your payment.
Call us now for more info about our products.
Return purchased items and get all your money back.
Chinese vintage postcard, depicting Chinese delinquents in wooden cages, supported by their heads only: "Chinese Death Cages".
Unused postcard by Sternberg, Hong Kong.
Use spaces to separate tags. Use single quotes (') for phrases.
Tel: +43 1 922 33 35


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Tina Grounds, Early Childhood Education Associate Professor at Rend Lake College, has been approved for a Level II Credential by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and the Illinois Director Credential Commission.
The Illinois Director Credential is a voluntary program which validates skills necessary to administer high-quality early care and education programs. The credential is awarded at three levels, based on achievement of skills, experience, knowledge and leadership demonstrated in the early care and education profession.
Dr. Lilian Katz of the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting said there are nearly 700,000 children being served by early childhood programs of various kinds in Illinois.
"At last, here is the launching of a comprehensive state-wide system to enable those in our state who work with our young children in these diverse settings to strengthen their professional competence, be able to raise their level of qualifications, be encouraged to stay in the field and deepen their commitment to staying in the field," said Dr. Katz.
"This is quite an accomplishment for Tina and I am very pleased to have her on board. She has spent many years in the field and should be quite proud of herself," said Karen Bruning, Career Development Director at INCCRRA.
The credential encompasses five seemingly disparate areas reflected in the center director's job: educational attainment; early childhood knowledge and skills; management knowledge and skills; experience; and professional contributions.
"The implementation of the IDC is part of an overall strategy to develop an integrated professional development system for early childhood professionals in Illinois. This moves us one step closer to a system in which early childhood professionals are recognized for their achievements, compensated appropriately for the important work they do and provided access to continuing education and training," Bruning said.
The McCormick Tribune Foundation funds the Illinois Director Credential program, which is administered by INCCRRA, which works in collaboration with 17 regional Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and other partners to make high-quality child care available to Illinois families.


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INVITATION for BID: Terminal Dredging Vallejo
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT SEALED BIDS will be received by the Operations Manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority at Pier 9, Suite 111, San Francisco, CA 94111, until 2:00 p.m. on August 27, 2018, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read for performing work for the following project: Terminal Dredging Vallejo (IFB #18-019). Download the complete IFB documents below.
Key Dates (subject to change):
WETA Manager, Operations Issues IFB: August 3, 2018
Bidders Protest Based on IFB content: August 6, 2018
Bidders (Pre Bid) Conference (mandatory): August 7, 2018
Deadline for submissions of questions and clarifications: August 15, 2018
Final Addendum: August 21, 2018
WETA Receives and opens bids: 2:00 PM PST, August 27, 2018
Contract Award: September 6, 2018
See additional dates in Volume 1, Appendix A, Contract Award Schedule of Events.
Download the IFB for Terminal Dredging Vallejo:
VOLUME 1: Bidding and Contracting Requirements (153 pp PDF, 1 MB)
VOLUME 2: General Requirements (47 pp PDF, 245 KB)
VOLUME 3: Site Work, Attachments (488 pp PDF, 41.3 MB large download)
Addendum 1, IFB #18-019: Includes attendee sign-in sheet for Pre-proposal Conference held on August 7; Corrections; Attachment (4p PDF, 111 KB Download)
Addendum 2, IFB #18-019: Corrections; Questions asked to date with responses (2 pp PDF, 74 KB Download)
Addendum 3, IFB #18-019: Corrections (changes date for bid deadline and opening) (1 p PDF, 140 KB Download)
Addendum 4, IFB #18-019: Corrections; Attachment (4 pp PDF, 162 KB Download)
Keith Stahnke, Operations Manager
(415) 364-3192
Pier 9, Suite 111, The Embarcadero
San Francisco, California 94111


text: Mark Sapiro wrote: > Jim Popovitch wrote: >> OK, but what about the next one? What do Mailman system admins do, wait? > > Yes, I think so. The alternative is everyone goes off half-cocked and > you have a situation such as occurred about a year ago with the > CAN-2005-0202 issue <http://www.list.org/security.html>. In this case, > someone developed a patch which SuSE pushed out through their > automatic update process, but the patch was dependent on a part of the > Python library that SuSE didn't install by default and the dependency > wasn't noted. This caused a lot of grief at the time. See > <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Amail.python.org++inurl%3Amailman-users+suse+sax>. OK, so that is just one example (ok, I'm sure their might be others). HOWEVER, that example smells of BAD TESTING, not a bad solution. Shame on Suse (or whoever). The problem wasn't a Mailman problem, in fact I think Mailman developers (or someone) should be congratulated for getting a fix out there rather than sitting on it. I'm pretty sure that the "insiders" fix their systems first, then tell the rest of us about the patch, probably at the last minute possible. I challenge everyone on mailman-secure (or whatever list it is) to NOT touch your public Mailman systems until you notify mailman-users of the solution to the next vulnerability. Deal? -Jim P.


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Business And Administration
On the far aspect of failure, mentioned IBM founder Thomas Watson, lies success. Initially of each module, you will be given information on how and if you'll be assessed for that exact programme of study. You'll be able to discover the strategic function human resource management (HRM) performs from each an organisational and worker-targeted perspective, as a part of this Business Administration module.
Enterprise college – college-degree institution that confers levels in enterprise administration or management. The precise modules supplied adjustments once in a while to be able to best mirror adjustments on the earth of enterprise. It is a chance to understand what you've got learnt academically and apply it in a real working surroundings and improve the possibilities of employment after university.
A Master of Business Administration is an advanced diploma awarded to people who pursue the next schooling in enterprise management. Undergraduate students can anticipate around 15 contact hours per week, relying on 12 months of examine and non-obligatory module choices made.
Participants of this program usually have three years or much less of management experience. This module supplies college students with an understanding of analysis in management and enterprise as preparation for the Level 6 independent research undertaking. The house owners, managers and executives are an necessary asset in enterprise.
We continuously talk to present students and BSc Enterprise Management alumni to make sure the suitable balance of assessment tools and methods are available. This broad-based diploma offers a mixture of academic theory and sensible instructing on matters of interest and relevance to employers in a wide range of business areas.


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The UQ Pokemon Fan Club aims to promote a broad range of events for all sorts of Pokemon fans.
- Our big events are our 'League Days' where we have gym leaders around UQ that you can battle for badges.
- Get 8 badges, and you can face the Elite 4 and become Champion.
- Our other events include Learn to Play TCG Days, trivia nights, movie and anime screenings as well as tournaments.
- Come along and have a great time.


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And now finally, thank the Lord finally, someone else who gets that has had a go. His name is Joey Ansah and he's my new best friend.
A British, martial artist, actor and stuntman, he's also a massive Street Fighter fan, with a heavy dose of purism in regards to the characters and storyline. As a man who choked back very real man-tears when he first watchedthis early animated SFIV trailerwhile drunk, I appreciate that, and so I'm very, very happy to tell you that his Street Fighter short film will be on the 'net on Thursday.
Officially sanctioned by Capcom, itlooks frankly stunning in the all-too-teasing teasers so far released. Stylised but gritty, and managing to keep the characters completely believable without toning them down at all (the absolute key to getting Street Fighter right on camera, and it's amazing that it's taken so long for someone to get it right), it looks superb, and the few flashes of combat we've seen so far imply that that side of things is absolutely going to follow suit.
Thursday, people. Thursday. We'll bring you more info as soon as we have it. In the meantime, check outJoey's siteand the film'sFacebookpage, and let me know how excited you are via the comments and our very ownFacebookandTwitterspots.


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TEL AVIV, Israel, March 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- RCS Limited (http://www.rcs.com), the world's largest international trader of cellular phones, digital cameras and other portable electronics, has announced today that demand for Google's Nexus One Smartphone has been increasing steadily since the beginning of the year. In February, worldwide demand for the Nexus One was 16% higher than that of the iPhone, and this trend is expected to continue toward the end of the first quarter.
Unlike the Apple iPhone, Google's Nexus One is unlocked and can be purchased without a service plan from a cellular operator.
According to the trading data from RCS' global network, Nexus One is expected to continue to increase its market share in the Smartphone market moving into Q2, said Rami Feller, President of RCS. In our opinion, the main factors that lead to the increased demand for Nexus One are the lower unit price compared to other Smarthphones, Google's unlocked business model and the easy interface with other Google web-based applications.
About RCS
RCS, a privately held company established in 1995, is the world's largest international trader of cellular phones, digital cameras and other portable electronics. The company's international sales team maintains strong connections with over 3,000 manufacturers, operators, distributors and wholesalers of cellular phones, digital cameras, game consoles, LCDs, portable media devices and original accessories in 128 countries, enabling it to source and close deals at the best possible price in the shortest possible time.
The company's sophisticated website (http://www.rcs.com) offers the industry's leading online trading platform, with its continuous selection of offers, requests and auctions. Thousands of buyers and sellers from around the world use this online platform daily to close lucrative deals, backed by RCS' superb logistics.
With over 30 professional sales agents, and 20 logistics experts, RCS is unmatched in its trading capabilities. The main offices are in the Isle of Man, Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia.
For additional information contact: Bluma Nussbaum, T: +972-3-615-9999 ext. 133, E: firstname.lastname@example.com
SOURCE: RCS Limited
CONTACT: For additional information contact: Bluma Nussbaum, T:+972-3-615-9999 ext. 133, E: email@example.com


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The populist Dutch politician Geert Wilders has been acquitted of inciting hatred of Muslims. The case was seen by many of us as a test of free speech in a country where opposition is increasing to immigration—especially immigration from Muslim countries.
Mr. Wilders is an outspoken critic of immigration in the Netherlands. His Freedom Party is now the third-largest in Holland's parliament and is helping prop up its minority government. Many of his comments, however, have been controversial.
The judge found that while Wilders's remarks were sometimes hurtful, shocking or offensive, they were made in the context of a public debate about Muslim integration and multiculturalism, and therefore were not a criminal act.
Wilders has already won concessions from the government on reducing immigration and introducing a ban on Muslim face-veils and burqas, and some believe this verdict has made him stronger politically.
As is happening elsewhere in Europe, from France to Scandinavia, Dutch citizens have started to question their country's generous immigration policies, and have been worried by ethnic crime and signs that Muslim immigrants have not fully integrated into Dutch society.
The court agreed with a Supreme Court ruling that an offensive statement about someone's religion was not a criminal offence. Even the prosecution had asked for an acquittal, on the basis that politicians have the right to comment on issues without trying to foment violence or division.
This is a verdict to be applauded by all believers in free speech/expression. Insults should never lead to criminal charges or sanctions by the human rights community. Free speech is one our most fundamental human rights, and is a cornerstone of Western democracy.
Sadly, free speech rights in Canada have been steadily eroded, to the point where some in authority believe truth should not be a valid defence. A verdict such as that in the Wilders case gives us hope that perhaps the tide is turning towards freer speech.
© Russell G. Campbell, 2011.
All rights reserved.
The views I express on this blog are my own and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of political parties, institutions or organizations with which I am associated.


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- Sam Gruber
Looting and damage to Sfax synagogue is confirmed
You read it first in English on this blog (thanks to Point of No Return reader Ahoova). Now the sad news of the looting and wrecking of the newly-restored Beth-El synagogue in the Tunisian city of Sfax has been confirmed, although the Tunisian press has stayed mum. Jean Corcos has put together the following report for the French-Jewish organisation CRIF which I have summarised in English:
The news was broken on the web by the Sfax-born Israeli Camus (Yigal) Bouhnik. The vandalism took place around 18 August, during Ramadan. About 30 elderly Jews still live in Sfax. Security has been lacking since the Jasmine Revolution broke out eight months ago. There used to be a 24-hour police guard under the Ben Ali regime, but the police are now engaged elsewhere quelling unrest and lawlessness.
The police are now preventing access to the interior of the building. Those who want to enter must apply for the keys to the head of the local Jewish community, Mr. Zarka. We do not yet have photos of the damage.
Those responsible left no trace of external damage, and no graffiti on the facade: this was confirmed by a Tunisian Muslim friend.
How come nobody saw the vandals? The Beth El Synagogue is located centrally, opposite a large coffee shop crowded at night during the month of Ramadan.
For the benefit of the busloads of pilgrims, Torah scrolls were kept in the synagogue yet the Ark was forced open in what Corcos describes as a 'malicious and antisemitic act'.
Marble plaques honouring benefactors who helped to refurbish the place were smashed.
Dozens of silver Kandil plates were taken. Tunisian Jews follow the custom of honouring their dead by lighting candles dipped in oil. The beaker containing the wick is itself attached to a plate of silver on which were engraved names, dates of birth and death. Sfax had a collection of the kandils of all abandoned synagogues in the city in cardboard boxes inside the Synagogue Beth El : they were all stolen.
The collection boxes for pilgrims' donations were also taken.
The windows of the synagogue, which had been repaired during the great restoration three years earlier, were smashed.
Lastly -'outright villainy', in the words of Jean Corcos - the apartment next to the Synagogue owned by the charitable organization OSE was completely stripped of its contents - from household appliances to the air conditioning unit.
Read article in full (French)