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If I was a thousandaire instead of a hundredaire where would I be today? At BIG SOUTH AUCTION scooping up a few Minnie Evans and Claude Howells that are up today! I love Howells work and would be over the moon if I owned the pieces that are available but it is the 3 Minnie Evans that have kept me plotting all week. Jeff is out of town and I seriously considered selling all of our belongings in order to own one. I immediately called him when I found out they were up for auction....
me- Hey honey, what would you think about owning an original of one of my favorite artist?
him- how much?
me-not sure, they are up for auction and I am researching now what I think they will go for.
him-they? how much?
me- yeah well there are 3 Minnie Evans that I like and 2 of the Claude Howells that I would want. But I know that's too much. I really want a Minnie Evans.
him- how much?
me- I was thinking we could consider it an investment, like buy them and sell them when the kids go to college.
him- (laughing) you mean you'd sell them? How much?
me- yea, um.. yea, well I don't know, we could just cross that bridge when we get to it
him- (still laughing)... how much?
me- um, like in the thousands, a couple for one.
him- Are you happy in your delusional world?
me- I am... just thought I'd ask...
So guess who is not buying a Minnie Evans today? But that means you can! If you have ever been interested in collecting art, these 2 artist are a great place to start.
Minnie Evans was a gate keeper at Airlie Gardens here in Wilmington. She was told by God to start painting so she did. She painted what she saw in her dreams and is considered one of the greatest visionary artist of the 20th century. Her art hangs in galleries through out the world and her work is highly sought after for private collectors. (unfortunately, I will not be one of them...) Read more about her here.
These are the 3 pieces that I will not be bringing home... (sob...)
If you are ever in Wilmington you must go to Airlie and see the bottle house that was made in her memory...so cool!
These are the Claude Howell's that I'd love to own... amazing. If you are a collector, what a big day for you! I wish you all the best- I can not wait to hear what these go for! To see everything available at auction go here.
Also...Don't forget to enter our giveaway for this dress from Shabby Apple.
To enter: For one chance, become a Follower (if you aren't already), leave a comment or both for two chances. For a third chance, "like" Shabby Apple on their Facebook page, email us and tell us you did.
We will announce the lucky winner next Friday, September 9th. Good Luck!
Bye bye birdie,


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If you thought Roger Sterling's LSD trip on Mad Man was psychedelic, just imagine True Blood's take on the experience.
Denis O'Hare, who is back from the undead as Russell Edgington, says, "In Episode 7, we have a really freaky scene where you see vampires behaving in ways they don't normally behave. It leads into Episode 8, which Stephen Moyer [Bill] directed. It's an acid trip in the Vampire Authority world that Stephen's responsible for creating. It is creepy, trippy, funny, bizarre, beautiful and mind-boggling."
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Sunny Side of C4[3]
There's no doubt about it: C4 is a marathon of an event. For someone like me, a dedicated introvert, there can be no greater challenge than being put in the presence of 170 other people for 48 hours, and being asked to interact with them.
But oh my, who those people are. If we were talking about your average crowd of slack-jawed, too-much-TV-watching, baggy-pants-wearing, Blackberry-wielding gum chewers, I would have taken a pass. But the attendees at this conference are, for lack of a better phrase, my people.
No, it's better than that. These are the people I want to be. For the rest of the year, I'm merely yearning to write Cocoa while I'm buried in building web sites.
So while I inwardly cringe at the thought of another C4, I go anyway: this is the place where I gather the confidence and inspiration to be one of them. And it's damned important to me.
I'll tell you right up front: this was my third C4, and it was the best one yet. Herein, my highlights from this C4, both of the talks I liked, and the moments that stayed with me.
Dave Dribin's talk on unit testing was an eye opener. He introduced me to the concept of "Test-Driven Development". This is the notion that you write your code with those tests at the very heart of what you do. Write the test for what you want your code to do, then write the code such that it passes the test. That might sound crazy, but it seems to work. You end up with what I feel is the surest sign of good, maintainable code: small modules. It's the Ruby on Rails approach, and I'm already comfortable there (disclaimer: I still haven't cracked unit testing in Rails. I know!). Even if I don't use this right away with Cocoa, this is going to influence the way I look at coding. Bravo, Dave.
Michael Lopp stood up at the front of the room, and then I was told that this was @rands. Jesus Christ! I had no idea that he was some kind of alter-ego. I've been reading his blog postings and Twitter stream for years, and now, at last, I learn that this incredibly cerebral manager of engineers is an Apple employee. True to form, I'm impressed by his energy, and his ever-so-human approach to dealing with programmers. I'd always felt he lived in a different world than I, since I'm a one-man show, and he talks so much about managing people. But this presentation was different: it taught me about how I need to deep dive on my specific expertise, and move the curve of a project's lifetime. From dealing with the scary parts mid-stream, to getting them over with sooner. Talking shit is knowing shit: that's what I took away. Thanks, @rands.
Just before he went up on stage, I had the pleasure of sitting beside Patrick Thompson for lunch. I said next to nothing while he argued with Louis Gerbarg about really deep programming language issues. He's very young, but obviously flush with confidence in his areas of expertise. When he began his talk, I was afraid most of it would fly over my head. But Patrick's discussion of MacRuby was surprisingly cogent, and incredibly persuasive. To be frank, I have this prejudice against non-Objective-C approaches to building Mac applications. It's apparently groundless: Patrick's summary of the advantages of the Ruby language over ObjC were very clear, and shown in a way that made it clear to me as well as the developers in the room.
Still, I'm probably going to hold off for now. I'm focused on an iPhone project, and MacRuby, despite its thorough implementation, remains bound to desktop applications. But there's no question that Patrick's presentation made me really stop and think; I'm going to keep an eye on this one for some time to come.
It's possible that I got more out of Peter Wayner's talk than most others in the room. His topic was "translucent databases", a very compelling idea that suggests that web sites loosen up on their security, and while perhaps not handing out anyone's data, don't go to extreme measures to protect it. Instead, with the use of one-way hashing techniques and public key cryptography, you can put so-called sensitive data right there in your database, and nobody will ever be able to decipher it. He used an example of a pharmacy, which showed drugs purchased and dosage information, but hashed out the names. That data could still be useful to marketers, for example, but won't give out any personally identifiable information. Later, when you want to recover that data for the customer, they can provide their name and password: the same hashing algorithm will allow you to match to the records already in the system. I'm not security nut, but this strikes me as a very secure system, without having to go to the expense of physically protecting a clear text database. A lot to think about there.
So much for the big talks that stuck. The feature that really took off were the Blitz Talks, short five-minute speeches gifted out by fellow attendees in between the regular talks. And every one of them was a gem.
I loved Rob Rhyne's talk on his new product, Briefs. It allows you to put together quick and dirty hand-drawn (or mocked up) prototypes right on the iPhone. Rob promised that a commercial version of this was coming to the app store, but he was giving away the source code right there. Awesome work, Rob.
Fraser Spiers' talk was close to my heart: finding ways to make time for your Mac development. He's a full-time computer instructor at a private school in Scotland, but he still manages to turn out killer products, such as the ever-popular Flickr Export. (Incidentally, I got a sneak peak of his newest product under development, known till then only as "FLOWDACTED" ha ha, and it's freaking awesome.) This talk was as much verification of what I'm doing myself as anything else, however. After all, I'm not failing at becoming a Mac dev because of my jerking off instead of working. It's this damned book that I have to write. Things will get better. Right? Right?
Fellow Canuck Phillipe Casgrain did a good one as well, talking about documentation. I loved his insight that documentation should be one with the code. Make it part of the project in Xcode. Keep it in version control. Make it as central as your .xibs and .m files. But just do it. It's clear to me that what separates decent Mac apps from the good ones are those that provide excellent documentation. This is something you gotta remember, and I take this advice to heart.
Not to be outdone by another Scot named Fraser, Mr Hess took to the stage and introduced his new project, Cocoa Boutique. It's a complete pipeline for developers to integrate a purchase experience right inside their applications. This is a great move, because developers will be able to leverage a free way to turn their trial software into mini-stores for their own product. It looks very slick, and I'm looking forward to needing that one day.
There were many other talks, and they were all terrific. But C4 is about more than the talks. To me, it's the chance to rub shoulders with the people who are succeeding at what I want to do. And every year, I come away astonished and blessed to have this chance to walk up to these people, introduce myself, and glean some important pearl of wisdom. Some examples:
On the walk back from Gino's, I happened to fall in step with Craig Hockenberry. Having this chance, I fulfilled my 5-year-old daughter's request, and informed him that she is a huge fan of Ramp Champ. We continued to talk about the difficulties of life as an iPhone developer, and I was saddened to note the tone of resignation in his voice. His commitment to quality is manifest in all the work he's done over the years (at the very least, check out the Ramp Champ web site! My god, it's gorgeous), but he's come to realize that on the iPhone, unlike on the Mac, it simply doesn't pay. With a staff of eleven, and the incredible amount of time it takes to build something like Ramp Champ, Craig has come to the conclusion that he can't stay on this platform. That, to me, speaks volumes about what is wrong with the iPhone platform.
Listen, Apple. Here's what you've done: you've built a platform predicated on an obsessive (perhaps freakish) attention to the finest details. You've provided a set of developer tools that encourage the finest minds in the community to participate.
And then you've set up the economics in such a way as to drive those very best minds right out of the game. Give your head a shake and fix this, Apple.
I also got to talk with Evan Doll. You may know him as the instructor for the Stanford iPhone course, which was made available for free on iTunes. I've spent hours listening to this guy talk, and his course has helped me in so many ways. It was a pleasure to shake his hand and exchange some words with him, and receive encouragement in person (with the estimable Tim Burks beside him, no less!).
I had a very brief encounter with Alex Fajkowski, an iPhone developer based in San Francisco. This poor guy is famous for having his iPhone application, Presenter, rejected because they thought he'd used Apple's private CoverFlow APIs. No, he'd actually developed his own implementation. Anyway, I was taken aback by Alex for one reason only: when he asked what I did, and I answered, he was impressed. Thanks Alex. You're good people.
On Saturday, I sat down at a table beside Geoff Pado. He was noodling around with Rob Rhyne's Briefs source code. As we talked, I semi-dared him to do what we were both thinking would be super-cool: write a GUI client for what is mostly a text-based interface. As we sat there for the rest of that break and the last presentation of the afternoon, Geoff set to work. When the question period came on the presentation, Geoff stood up, wordlessly, and left the room.
Later that night, after the pizza party (by the way, Gino's Meaty Legend is as good as it sounds), I was walking the pool deck during the evening's bash, when I heard my name called. There, relaxed like a fucking king on a chaise lounge, was Geoff, with this complete shit-eating grin. "I did it", he said. That is, in his hotel room, and with just a quick break for some pizza, he'd overcome the technical hurdles in writing his Briefs app. He promised a functional demo in the morning. And sure enough, there he was, showing me and Rob how to create a new scene, and drop images on the window. It was a solid start, and I hope that Geoff can finish it off soon.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip, but I can't stop writing till I thank one other guy for his role in my coming to C4. David LeBer is the head of the Toronto CocoaHeads chapter, and since meeting him at C4 in my first year, he's been veritably saint-like, encouraging me over the years, and listening to my various ideas, and generally being a solid companion. Thanks, David.
C4. FTW. And I hope to be back next year.


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Envision a pilot in the cockpit making his welcome-aboard announcement to the passengers saying, "The flight time today is five hours in first class and 12-½ hours in coach." Of course, there are no differences in flight times between business and first class, but passengers who sit "up front" often remark that their flight felt faster, thanks to the added comfort.
Even flight attendants prefer to travel first class. Wendy Sue Knecht, a former Pan Am flight attendant who wrote a memoir about her experiences, said she has "always preferred to work up front... More time to schmooze and I loved surrounding myself with elegance."
More Money, More Amenities
Although the differences between first class and business class are not as significant as those between economy and first or business, there are still some variables to consider when making your travel choice. In general, first class costs about twice as much as business class. But that can vary significantly by route and airline.
Ben Schlappig, a consultant and travel blogger who flies an average of 400,000 miles a year, said he almost exclusively sits in first and business class and has noticed the business class section improving dramatically. "Overall we're seeing more airlines eliminating first class and instead installing great business-class service, given that the market for first class is pretty limited," Schlappig said. "Nowadays business-class seats are better than first-class seats used to be. Meanwhile some of the first class seats we see nowadays have out-of-this-world products like double beds, showers or even apartments in the sky."
Key Takeaways
- The differences between business class and first class are not as great as the differences between economy class and first class, but there are still, however, notable differences worth considering when buying a ticket.
- In Asia and a handful of other countries, first-class lounges are on a different level, but in most airports, your wait in either a business or first-class lounge will be fairly similar.
- With some airlines, first-class passengers might have a seat that turns into a bed or even their own private apartment, whereas business class might offer more leg room, but no private space.
- The food and drink in business class are typically at a restaurant level but in first class, the dining might be at the level of a Michelin-star restaurant, with an award-winning chef setting the menu.
Waiting Times
You might expect that some of the perks of business- or first-class travel would kick in on the ground—in the pre-boarding lounge. For the most part, you'd be mistaken. The lounges, both in first class and business, vary from country to country. "The best lounges are in Asia, followed by Europe and Australia," Schalppig said. "Some first-class lounges in the U.S. are getting better, especially the ones operated by foreign airlines. For example, there's a fantastic Qantas first-class lounge at LAX."
Lufthansa in Frankfurt offers an exclusive lounge for first-class passengers, who can skip the main terminal for their own terminal. Those passengers are then driven to their plane in a Porsche or Mercedes. In contrast, business-class lounges simply provide a quiet space to work and relax, with fast Wi-Fi, comfortable chairs and snacks, but no other extras.
The major differences between first class and business class are the seats and the service, but differences vary among airlines, routes and airplane models.
Comfort Levels
Business- and first-class services offer a range of improvements and luxuries to help you get a good night's sleep and privacy. The best source of information on the configurations for any flight you are considering is seatguru.com. To decide between business and first class, consider the following before you buy your ticket: Will your seat turn into a bed? What's the configuration of the cabin? How close will you be to other passengers? Will you have a double bed, your own "apartment," or a seat and a bed combined?
Airline pilot and Ask the Pilot blogger Patrick Smith said many carriers outfit their planes according to market demand. "An airline may have three or four different configurations in its 777 or A330 fleets, with specific planes dedicated to specific markets," he said. "Take Emirates as an example. First class on Emirates doesn't differ much from plane to plane. Business class does."
First-class amenities generally supersede business class amenities on international flights, rather than domestic ones, but research first to make sure that's the case.
Food and Drink
This is one of the two categories where business class and first class differ the most. "Business-class food is restaurant quality, but dining in business class is rarely an experience," Schlappig said.
In the first class, customers often have food prepared under the auspices of a famous chef. For example, Air France – rated No.1 for in-flight food by the Robb Report – offers menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs.
When it comes to a before-dinner drink, Singapore Airlines, according to the UK-based Telegraph website, is "the only airline to offer both Krug Grande Cuvée and Dom Perignon 2004 – with caviar. And that's before takeoff." Business class on Emirates, Korean Air, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic have onboard bars where you can chat with your fellow passengers.


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Most states passed a form of nonconsensual-porn litigation, commonly known as revenge porn, by August 2015. While legislators made new laws, tech companies made new policies.
In June 2015, Google introduced a way to remove search results for unauthorized nude pictures. By July, Microsoft, creator of search engine Bing, followed suit.
The major tech companies became the latest allies for revenge porn opponents, making it easier than before to report content and limit its exposure or have it removed altogether.
Despite many social media platforms and apps having policies and community guidelines against the release of nude photographs, content still appears – and it isn't taken down instantaneously.
If you've found yourself a victim of nonconsensual porn, here are some steps you can take to have the unauthorized content removed.
Take a screen shot of the content
You are going to need proof that the content was posted and not by you.
Take a screenshot of the URL
While search engines agreed to 'de-index,' meaning it won't show up in search results, this kind of content, it can still be accessed through a URL. So while someone may not be able to type your name in a search engine and find the explicit images, if they have access to the URL, this whole thing could start all over. Plus, if you can provide the URL, it's further proof of the crime.
As Carrie Goldberg, a leading revenge porn attorney told The New Yorker, in nonconsensual-porn cases "the proof of the crime is the crime."
Locate policies/community guidelines where the picture was posted
You want to know what the policy or guidelines are within that community and who you should contact within the company to get all photos removed. The quicker you are to do this, the more you will limit exposure – decreasing the chance of a photo going viral or being saved on personal computers.
Contact your local police and file a police report
To date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have nonconsensual-porn laws. Several states have both criminal and civil laws against the dissemination of intimate visual material.
If your state doesn't have a law and the photos aren't coming down and you took the photograph, you can file a notice of copyright infringement.
According to The New Yorker: "The copyright on a picture that somebody else snaps of you—even with your cell phone, at your request—theoretically belongs to him or her, but you can apply to register the copyright under your name. Using copyright law to combat revenge porn is a bit like using tax law to go after Al Capone, but copyright is one of the only restrictions that the Internet respects."
Think about changing your privacy and security settings on your accounts
It's likely the content that was posted wasn't stolen but taken by a former person you were intimate with. If you shared nude photos, is there a chance you shared your password to any of your accounts? Be safe and limit their access to hurting you any further.
If none of this helps, consider hiring a lawyer
There aren't many lawyers who strictly focus on revenge porn. Carrie Goldberg of Goldberg LLC is a pioneer in the industry. Bradley Shear of Shear Law focuses on social media and privacy law. Other lawyers to consider are those who focus on child abuse, sexual harassment or internet crimes.


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Animal Control Services
The Gridley Animal Shelter is located at 895 Sycamore Street. The Animal Control Division provides services to the incorporated City Limits of Gridley. For Animal Control issues outside of the incorporated areas, please contact Butte County Animal Control at (530) 538-7409.
Services provided include:
- Enforcing the animal laws and ordinances
- Pick up of stray animals
- Enforcing rabies control and licensing
- Pick-up dead animals
- Taking state mandated bite reports
- We also offer stray or unclaimed animals at the shelter for adoption. Please call the shelter for information on available animals.
Contact Information:
Animal Control
895 Sycamore St.
Gridley, CA 95948
(530) 846-4825
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Clemson Betting Odds Preview
The Tigers remain one of the premier programs in the ACC, with three double-digit victory seasons in a row and two Top 10 finishes, but Clemson's fate over the last couple of seasons has been adversely affected by the ascension of division rival Florida State and the head-to-head dominance of in-state rival South Carolina.
The Tigers have lost their last two games against the national champion Seminoles, and their last five games against the Gamecocks. And those two programs are going to give Clemson a tough time this year, too. On top of that the Tigers now have to replace three-year starting quarterback Tajh Boyd and other key offensive weapons. Reaching double-digit victories this year might be a tough task.
Clemson Odds to Win ACC: 10/1 at Bovada
Clemson Odds to Win College Football Championship: 75/1 at Bovada
Clemson Regular Season Win Total: 8.5 at Bovada
Clemson began last year 6-0, with a tough win over Georgia, reaching No. 3 in the rankings. But in the game that ultimately kept them from playing for big marbles later on the Tigers got embarrassed at home by Florida State. Clemson then won four more in a row, but lost to rival South Carolina for the fifth time in a row. The Tigers then finished on a high note, with an Orange Bowl victory over Ohio State, ending up 11-2 SU, 7-6 ATS.
Dabo's boys are now 32-8 SU, 24-16 ATS over the last three seasons.
This year Clemson has to replace 10 starters from last year. Gone are Boyd, thousand-yard rusher Roderick McDowell and thousand-yard receiver Sammy Watkins, who went No. 4 overall in May's NFL draft. But three starters are back on the offensive line, and seven are back on defense, including all four along what should be one of the best defensive lines in the country.
The Tigers have played a lot of high-scoring affairs over the last few seasons, but with an offense that won't be as good as last year, and a defense that might be better than last year, that might not be the case this season.
Like last season, Clemson opens this season with a clash with Georgia, this one in Athens. A few weeks later the Tigers open ACC play at Florida State. After those two games the Tigers could be ranked No. 1 in the nation, or not ranked at all. Later Clemson visits Georgia Tech, and hosts Coastal Division favorite North Carolina, Louisville and South Carolina. The Tigers also miss three of the better teams from the Coastal in Virginia Tech, Miami and Pitt.
But with those first two road games, the tough home games, and the inexperience at the skill spots, Clemson is a candidate to regress this season.
ACC Championship Odds at Bovada as of August 5
Florida State 4/11
Clemson 10/1
Louisville 10/1
North Carolina 10/1
Miami 12/1
Virginia Tech 12/1
Duke 20/1
Georgia Tech 25/1
Pittsburgh 40/1
Syracuse 66/1
Virginia 66/1
North Carolina State 100/1
Boston College 200/1
Wake Forest 200/1
There was some concern a few years back that Clemson might have jumped the gun in firing head coach Tommy Bowden, replacing him with assistant Dabo Swinney. But Tiger Nation doesn't seem to mind the move now, after a couple division titles, the first conference crown in 20 years, and a BCS bowl bid. This year Clemson is expected to be right in the running for the ACC title again, thanks to the return of multi-threat QB Tajh Boyd and a home game with the Tigers' main competitor in the ACC Atlantic, Florida State.
Odds to Win ACC: +235 at 5Dimes
Regular Season Win Total: 9.5 at Bovada
Clemson had 14 starters back last year, with an eye on another ACC title. The Tigers then started 3-0, but in the game that eventually decided the Atlantic Division title the Clemson defense gave up more than 600 yards of offense in a 49-37 loss at Florida State. The Tigers then ran the rest of the table in ACC play, putting up some fat numbers on offense, but in the season finale they got upset at home by South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl 27-17. Clemson then recovered to pull an upset of its own, rallying to beat LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl 25-24 to finish 11-2. The Tigers also went a profitable 9-4 ATS last season, 7-1 ATS in ACC play and 6-0 ATS away from Memorial Stadium.
This year Clemson gets 12 starters back, six on each side of the ball. On offense Boyd, a preseason Heisman contender, is joined by WR Sammy Watkins and four of the big boys up front, while on defense five of the front seven are back. But the Tigers will have to replace 1,000-yard rusher Andre Ellington, WR DeAndre Hopkins (1,400 receiving yards last year), and three-quarters of the defensive secondary.
Clemson kicks off this season in style, hosting Georgia. The ACC slate includes four winnable games at NC State, Syracuse, Maryland, and Virginia, and home games vs. Wake Forest, Boston College, and Georgia Tech. But most importantly, in the game that might once again decide who wins the Atlantic Division, the Tigers get Florida State at Death Valley on October 19. They then end the season with the Palmetto Bowl at South Carolina.
ACC Championship Odds at 5Dimes as of July 30
Clemson +235
Florida State +240
Miami +575
Virginia Tech +775
North Carolina +850
Georgia Tech +1050
Pittsburgh +3500
Virginia +3800
Syracuse +6500
Maryland +6700
NC State +7000
Boston College +8500
Duke +12500
Wake Forest +15000


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Photo: Anna Williams; Styling: Anna Last
How to Make It
Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the peas, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the reserved pasta water. Cook, partially covered, until the peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Divide the ravioli among bowls and top with the pea mixture.


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Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger's campaign urged her opponent, City Clerk of Chicago Susana Mendoza, to give up one of her two public pensions Wednesday to compensate for ten years of simultaneously taking in two government paychecks.
"Susana Mendoza voted for the unbalanced budgets, tax increases and pension holidays that put Illinois in fiscal crisis," Munger's campaign manager Phil Rodriguez said in a statement. "At the time, she picked up two paychecks and sweetened her two pensions. It embodies all the problems that have led us to this place."
Munger's campaign claimed Mendoza simultaneously received paychecks from both the city of Chicago and the state during her time in the Illinois legislature.
Mendoza worked in Chicago's city planning department starting in 1998 and also served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2001-2011. According to the Munger camp, the salaries coincided with government contributions to her two public pensions.
"It's time for a change," Rodriguez said. "Leslie Munger spent her career balancing budgets and meeting financial expectations. She has dedicated nearly two decades to serving developmentally disabled adults. She doesn't accept a public pension or state health care benefits."
"The contrast could not be clearer," he added.
Mendoza's campaign rebuffed the claims Wednesday.
"Like Rod Blagojevich, a pathological liar who attacked Susana on this same false charge years ago, Leslie Munger isn't telling the truth," Mendoza's campaign manager Lauren Peters said in a statement. "When Susana retires, she will have only one pension."
"We need a truth-telling independent comptroller, not a Rod Blagojevich quoting, factually challenged lap dog for Bruce Rauner," she added.
Munger was appointed state comptroller by Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2015. The race between Munger and Mendoza is widely considered to be a proxy battle for Rauner and his chief political opponent, House Speaker Mike Madigan, who Mendoza has called a mentor.
The Mendoza campaign also took a shot at Munger Wednesday, claiming she lied to the Chicago Tribune about her campaign chair during a joint meeting with the paper's editorial board last month.
"What's true is Leslie Munger flat out lied at the Chicago Tribune last month when she denied that her campaign chair is Elizabeth Brandt when official documents signed by Munger herself show Brandt, the leader of the movement to slash the paychecks of thousands of Illinois private sector workers, is in fact her campaign chair," Peters said.
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Brandt is listed as Munger's campaign chair. Rodriguez called the incident a misunderstanding Wednesday and confirmed that Brandt is the comptroller's campaign chair.


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What We're Loving: Plush Katie Puff Nest Dog Beds
It's no secret that our pets simply love to fashion a cushy nest out of just about anything they can get their paws onto, particularly clean (or dirty) laundry, pillows, couch cushions, scraps of paper, socks, towels, bed sheets, blankets and most commonly – our laps!
However, these random nesting materials are not always ideal, suitable or available for our pets to slumber upon and with temperatures dropping, it's important as ever that your pet have a cozy bed to call their own that's up off of the cold hard floors.
Rest Assured
According to my test lab assistants, Schmoo & Zazou, the coziest, most luxurious bed on the market for the uber-nester in your family is the super plush Companion Katie Puff Dog Bed. Generously overstuffed, it is upholstered with lavish swirled chenille and envelops your pup in luxurious uber-coziness. In fact, when it comes to bedtime, this bed is honestly comfortable enough for me to consider it Plan B when my significant others' snoring becomes unbearable! SRSLY.
You can find the Katie Puff Nest Beds at Muttropolis.com.
Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley


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BERLIN, Germany – Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel dissident Liu Xiaobo, arrived in Germany Tuesday, July 10, after she was released from years of de facto house arrest in China.
Despite facing no charges, the 57-year-old poet had endured heavy restrictions on her movements since 2010 when her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize – an award that infuriated Beijing.
After being allowed to leave China, Liu flew via Helsinki to Berlin, where she arrived just days before the first anniversary of her husband's death from liver cancer.
Berlin-based dissident Liao Yiwu and German Nobel laureate Herta Mueller were among a dozen people waiting to greet her at the airport, shouting out her name from the viewing terrace as she emerged from the aircraft.
But Liu immediately boarded a black van parked on the airfield tarmac and was whisked away without making any remarks.
Liao had earlier voiced his joy on Twitter, saying: "I am so, so, so happy! Finally, finally, Xia is coming today!!"
Liu had become a cause celebre and was seen as a test case for China's attitude to human rights, with activists and foreign powers urging Beijing to allow her to leave the country.
Her husband Liu Xiaobo, a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, died last year of liver cancer while serving an 11-year sentence for "subversion".
In an emotional phone call with Liao recently, Liu said, "They should add a line to the constitution: 'Loving Liu Xiaobo is a serious crime – it's a life sentence'."
With Beijing's rights record in the spotlight, a court in central China sentenced another prominent Chinese political campaigner to 13 years in jail for "subversion", just hours after Liu Xia left the country.
Qin Yongmin, 64, was first jailed as a "counter-revolutionary" from 1981-1989 and has already spent a total of 22 years in prison.
'Very severe' depression
Close friend Ye Du, speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP) before Liu's departure, said she was suffering from "very severe" depression, adding she would "sometimes faint" and was taking medicine to sleep.
Another friend who has spoken to her several times said she was in "bad shape, physically and psychologically".
She was finally given a passport last week, this friend, who did not wish to be named, told AFP.
"I hope Liu Xia can find some personal peace and restore her health in Germany," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who called her fate in recent years "nothing short of tragic".
Chinese authorities had consistently maintained Liu was free but imposed severe restrictions on her movement and kept her under constant surveillance.
In May, several foreign diplomats who tried to visit Liu at her apartment amid concerns over her health were denied access.
Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said Liu's travel to Germany for medical treatment was "of her own free will".
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert welcomed the decision to release Liu "from house arrest" and allow her to leave China "as she long wished".
"We urge China to release all prisoners of conscience and respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all," she said on Twitter.
Patrick Poon from Amnesty International said it was "really wonderful" that Liu was finally allowed to leave.
But he voiced concern for her brother Liu Hui who remains in China and said she "might not be able to speak much for fear of her brother's safety".
In Hong Kong, pro-democracy activists celebrated at a memorial to Liu Xiaobo adorned with the couple's pictures.
"I'm in a sea of joy," said veteran activist "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung as he drank a toast to her.
'Petty, cruel and vindictive'
At Liu's Beijing apartment building on Tuesday, two men guarded the entrance and questioned anyone who came near while at least two others patrolled the park outside.
But despite heavy security, AFP gained access to her apartment on Monday, July 9, and saw little sign she was preparing for an imminent departure. Liu declined to give a formal interview, citing fears for her younger brother.
Pictures of the couple in happier times lined the walls.
Liu's departure came during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Berlin, where he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel, although a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman denied any "association or link between this incident and the visit".
Merkel has spoken out frequently on Chinese human rights abuses and is believed to have pushed for Liu's release during her May visit to Beijing, where she met the wives of detained human rights lawyers.
Analysts, however, pointed to the upcoming anniversary of Liu's husband's death as a reason for the timing.
"Perhaps the Chinese government realized that as the anniversary of Liu Xiaobo's death approaches, keeping his widow under house arrest simply shows the Chinese to be petty, cruel and vindictive – not the image it's trying to project to the world," said Elaine Pearson from Human Rights Watch.
Others said Beijing might be trying to curry favor with Western powers ahead of an EU-China summit next week, as China needs Europe in the trade battle with the United States.
A Western diplomat said: "It has to do with China's image at a time when it is fighting a trade war with the United States."
"China needs to let some steam off and it is conducting a charm offensive targeted at the rest of the world."
This however does not herald an improvement in human rights, this diplomat said, adding that on the contrary, "we can see it is getting worse". – Rappler.com


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Ghana To Be At SAL 2019
Ghana will be one of the countries that will take part in the first 2019 African Beach Games in Cape Verde from June 14 to 23, 2019 .
President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah said Ghana is going for four disciplines, namely, beach volleyball, karate do, free style football and basketball.
He said it had not been easy to raise funds to support Team Ghana, but due to the benevolence of some companies, the great nation will be represented.
He mentioned Toyota, Ghana Gas, Ghana Free Zones Board and the Republic Bank as some of the companies that have agreed to support the team.
Meanwhile, chairman of the communications sub-committee of the GOC, Mr. Herbert Mensah has appealed to corporate Ghana to support sports in the country as they are the only ones who can make the talented athletes realize their dreams, in the absence of government support.
By Sammy Heywood Okine


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Happy feast day, everyone! Today is the day behind the reason we celebrate the Birth of St. John the Baptist, among other things.
Please pray for three sisters of the Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus, who take perpetual vows today.
02 July 2011
Feast of the Visitation
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wikiHow is a "wiki," similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.
This article has been viewed 67,851 times.
Learn more...
Chocolate roses are a beautiful edible decoration for cakes and desserts made from molding chocolate into the shape of a blooming rose. They are easy to make and can be prepared a month in advance if stored in an airtight container. With a little creativity, you too can make chocolate roses for your next family event.
1Melt down 8 oz. (28.35 ml) of semisweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Start the time for 1 minute. Remove and stir with a heatproof spatula until melted pieces blend with any chunks still left. If needed, return to microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat as needed only until chocolate is melted. If you melt the chocolate too much it will harden faster and not be as easy to use.
2Add 1/3 cup (78 ml) of corn syrup to chocolate and blend well. Scrape any remaining syrup from the measuring cup and around the edges of the bowl as you mix the ingredients.
3Set a 1 foot (30.5 cm) piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Pour mixture onto one end of the wrap. Fold the other ends in to enclose chocolate. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4Remove from the refrigerator and touch to test hardness. The chocolate should feel like dough or pliable clay, soft to the touch but will still hold its shape.
5Tear off 1 foot (30.5 cm) of wax paper and set it on the counter. Also place a cookie sheet on the counter with another piece of wax paper on top.
6Knead chocolate clay until it is soft and easy to mold. Try to use mostly the tips of your fingers since the palms of your hands are the warmest part and the heat can make the clay too soft.
7Separate chocolate into small balls roughly 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) in diameter. Place on 1 end of the wax covered cookie sheet.
8Keep 1 ball on the wax paper on the counter. Using a butter knife, flatten the clay and spread it out to desired size. The middle of the chocolate clay strip and 1 edge should be thicker than the rest. Remove the clay from the paper with the edge of the knife so that you have a flat piece of chocolate.
9Curl the chocolate so that it tapers on the top. This should resemble the bud in the center of a rose. Gently press back a little of the top of the clay petal.
10Repeat molding process and place second piece of chocolate clay around the bud. Press back the top edges of the petal.
11Continue the process by wrapping the next piece of chocolate on the opposite side of the bud. Proceed to circle around the other petals with 10 more sections of the chocolate clay. Press back top edges of the petals until the clay resembles a chocolate rose in full bloom.
12Pinch off any excess clay from the bottom of the chocolate roses. This excess can be added back to the molding clay to make more petals. Set finished roses on the waxed cookie sheet to harden.
Community Q&A
- If clay becomes too soft, let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature. Try to use mostly your fingertips when kneading and run your hands under cold water every few minutes to reduce the amount of heat emitted from them.Thanks!
- The more petals you add, the fuller the flower will look. The size also is determined by the size of the petals. For smaller flowers, use smaller balls of the chocolate clay.Thanks!
- Use melting chocolate wafers in a variety of colors. These are sold at your local cake baking shop and melt easily in the microwave. They also come in colors like white, yellow, and pink if you want to include a variety of colors in your edible decoration.Thanks!
Things You'll Need
- Semisweet chocolate
- Microwave safe bowl
- Heatproof spatula
- Measuring cup
- Corn syrup
- Plastic wrap
- Wax paper
- Butter knife
- Cookie sheet
Support wikiHow's Educational Mission
Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today.


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Par ThriveContentBuilder dans Accueil le 13 Mai 2016 à 17:46
Thrive Content Builder
By contracting an artistic web page design company to create a new website instead of a more traditional web company, you give yourself an unmeasurable edge over your competition from the eyes of your respective potential customers.
Traditional design companies give attention to purely finding a site put together with relevant information, that functionally works. Enter Web 2.0 and much more traditional marketing avenues venturing into the marketplace, and creative web site design companies have fallen in to the game.
By 'creative web design', I talk about websites which continue to have the functionality and relevant information consumers began to expect, but have a big concentrate on the aesthetic aspect, and make use of traditional marketing 'wow factor' to capture the users attention, and stay longer in their mind compared to those from the competitor.
WordPress Plug in
Picture an advert with great graphics and immaculate selection of imagery, in comparison with an advertisement along the side of the road simply which has a name and number. As you could have decided to look at both, the creative approach will prompt you, the viewers, to recollect the creative billboard.
Now picture two websites, side-by-side. One using a flash intro page, immediately showing a montage of images and grabbing y our attention; leading in a visually beautiful website where every pixel is perfectly crafted into alignment. Next, a bland website revealing purely text along with a basic navigation. The difference is indeed enormous it's like comparing Monochrome TV which has a 3d Cinema.
By using the most recent technology, an artistic website design company will use Flash, jQuery, and HTML5 to visually engage the user; nevertheless this is the location where the pitfalls of your creative web site design comes into play.
Long ago, across the 2000, many graphics companies did start to see an emergence out there for web services. Many of these companies had employees after a little web experience, enough to make do, therefore they began offering web services. What they didn't understand was functionality, valid mark-up, cross-browser compatibility, or SEO - things that any some website design company would take into account.
Although this can be classed like a creative website design company, often their creative web design's wouldn't be successfully converted from the design into code, inside them for hours mis-alignments in a design (especially cross-browser) became commonplace. Without experienced developers on-hand, several of these problems became overlooked, and lots of substandard creatively designed websites remain around today, with additional and much more being sent survive the internet every day.
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A designer is generally artistically minded, and may even have worked being a artist in the print world at some capacity. Thei r goal would be to build a visually appealing design for your approval. This is a static image of what your websites are likely to appear like, as it is considerably faster to edit a graphic rather than to edit a coded website. Most creative web site design agencies be employed in an identical fashion, as this permits the entire artistic talent in the designer to use, and complete use of the imagination of not merely the designer, and also the client.
Once a design is eligible, a developer steps in to convert this with a web format in standards compliant code. This could include implementation of your Website cms (CMS), and generally involves some mild Search engine marketing (SEO) as well as cross-browser compatibility. Once this is accomplished, your completely new creative web page design is ready for the Internet.
You need to choose a creative website design company that will fulfil all of your needs from creating a website which suits your brand image and captivates the user, to something which will navigate easily, show up on search engines like yahoo, function the identical across your complete user-base, and eventually result in more conversions within your market.
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In a unique "candy buy-back" program, local dentists will donate $2 to School Force for every pound of loot turned in. The surplus candy will then be shipped to U.S. troops oversees as part of Operation Gratitude.
Belmont kids are invited to put their Halloween candy collections to good use in a program sponsored by local dentists and the Belmont UPS Store.
Drs. Urmi Amin (pediatric dentist), Michael Chang (orthodontist), and Nancy Kaher (general dentist), will donate $2 per pound of wrapped candy turned in (up to $3,500) to School Force, the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District's education foundation.
The collected candy will be shipped to US troops overseas by managers Sushil and Anjana Kalara of the Belmont UPS Store.
From Nov. 1-4, students can drop their Halloween candy off in any school office in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (Fox, Cipriani, Central, Nesbit, Redwood Shores Elementary, Sandpiper or Ralston Middle School).
This is the second year for the program, started by Dr. Amin, who is a parent at Cipriani School. Dr. Amin recruited Drs. Chang and Kahler to join the buy-back program. Last year, over 1,500 pounds of candy were donated to Operation Gratitude.
Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
The best online chocolate, lolly and confectionery store on the web!
If you like what you have read check out our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Source: Belmont Patch


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International students attending college outside their home countries are eligible for membership if they have completed at least 12 hours of associate degree course work and have met the required cumulative grade point average.
Are International Students, Those Who are Citizens of Countries Other Than the Country Where They Attend College, Eligible?
Anne McLeod -


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SALEM -- Oregon lawmakers received a chilly reception on their idea to raise the tax on beer. But they may fare better in their quest to raise gasoline taxes to pay for better roads and fewer bottlenecks.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski staked out his claim late last year, proposing a 2-cent hike to the current 24-cent-a-gallon state fuel tax, which hasn't been raised since 1993.Now, Democrats may push even higher taxes on gas as a way to fix the state's deteriorating roads and bridges.
The last time the Legislature raised the gas tax, in May 2000, opponents gathered enough signatures to put the 2-cent tax hike on the ballot, where voters buried it. That was the fifth time Oregon voters blocked an increase in a tax first adopted in 1919.
An added complication this year: The gas station operators' lobby won't support any increase unless lawmakers stop cities and counties from levying local taxes. If operators get that, they'd back a 6-cent boost.
"We want preemption," said Paul Romain, executive director of the Oregon Petroleum Association. "We're willing to pony up to get to that point, but I've got too many miles on my car trying to fight local gas taxes."
Still, Democrats are determined to tinker with the tax. A new transportation funding plan is huge on their to-do list this year.
"There's no way we're going to do a 2-cent gas tax," says Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Rick Metsger, D-Welches. "It doesn't buy you much."
Said Rep. Terry Beyer, D-Springfield, his counterpart in the House: "If people are inclined to support a gas tax, they would rather support a bigger bite of the apple."
Oregon is tied with Kansas for the 13th highest state excise fuel tax in the nation, according to the American Petroleum Institute. But toss in sales and miscellaneous taxes imposed by other states on gas, plus the 18.4-cent federal tax, and Oregon falls to the middle of the pack.
Anyway it's measured, neighbors Washington and California far surpass Oregon in what they tax drivers for a gallon of gas. Washington's excise tax is 37.5 cents a gallon; California's total tax is 35.3 cents.
Kulongoski started the tax increase talk early. In November, he unveiled a major transportation package that would triple registration fees and increase the gas tax to raise $499 million a year. Half of the money would go to the state, 30 percent to counties and 20 percent to cities.
A 2 penny increase in the gas tax translates roughly into $58 million a year. In 2007-09, the motor fuels tax, which also includes the tax on aviation fuel, raised $890 million. In 2009-11, that's expected to rise to $995 million with the governor's tax boost included.
The House Transportation Committee wrapped up three days of testimony last week on the governor's plan. On Friday, several speakers urged lawmakers to raise the gas tax even higher, partly to help squelch fuel use.
That wasn't the prevailing sentiment at an old-time 76 station in Salem last week. The service station business is cutthroat, with drivers bypassing pricier stations to save a few coins down the street, a dealer said.
"A penny on gas prices can make a big difference," said manager Sean Cade. "That can make or break you."
Cade wears a black-and-white striped shirt and a black bow tie. At the red-and-white station on 12th Street, every window gets a wipe, and attendants check tires and oil.
Steve Miller, a 52-year-old steel fabricator in Salem, said he's heard that lawmakers want to increase taxes to improve roads. But he doesn't trust them to follow through.
"The problem is," he said, "they won't do that."
House Speaker Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, described gas tax talks in the Legislature as "fluid" and part of an overall discussion on how best to raise transportation revenue.
"There seems to be a general sense that a 2-cent gas tax doesn't make any sense," he said. "It could be zero or something more significant."
But Hunt squashed the idea of trading the local tax option for a 6-cent increase: "If anything, we need to be giving local governments not just additional revenue through this package, but we need to be giving them additional options."
Eighteen cities in Oregon, plus Multnomah and Washington counties, levy their own taxes on top of the state tax. The local taxes range from a penny to 5 cents a gallon, in Eugene, raising anywhere from $7.3 million a year in Multnomah County to $50,000 a year in Oakridge.
The cities and counties say they need the option to make up for severe shortfalls in road maintenance money.
But station owners say the geographic disparity can make it difficult for businesses that make pennies off a gallon of gas.
"We don't care if you want to raise it 4 cents or 2 cents, as long as it's equitable," said Brent DeHart, a former Salem city councilor who owns a gas station in the capital. "As long as we're all paying the same thing."
-- Janie Har; email@example.com


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Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
n. pl. cy·clo·ses (-sēz)
The streaming rotary motion of protoplasm within certain cells and one-celled organisms.
[New Latin, from Greek kuklōsis, a surrounding, from kukloun, to surround, from kuklos, circle; see kwel- in Indo-European roots.]
n, pl -ses (-siːz)
(Biology) biology the circulation of cytoplasm or cell organelles, such as food vacuoles in some protozoans
[C19: from Greek kuklōsis an encircling, from kukloun to surround, from kuklos circle]
stream•ing(ˈstri mɪŋ)
1. an act or instance of flowing.
2. rapid flowing of cytoplasm within a cell; cyclosis.
3. Computers. a technology for transferring data so that it can be received and processed in a steady stream: live streaming video.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
|cyclosis - the circulation of cytoplasm within a cell
organic phenomenon - (biology) a natural phenomenon involving living plants and animals


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Twenty Three Palm Villa
Lavish Luxury
23 Palm Villa is located near Galle on the South Coast of Sri Lanka. Its perfect position on 150m of golden beachfront allows for fabulous views of the sea.
The villa is built in the Dutch colonial style with deep verandas, high archways, towering pillars and soaring timber ceilings. There are two identical double suites either side of the sitting room and all beautifully decorated with touches from Asia and Africa. Each bedroom has a king-size four-poster bed and comes with air conditioning, ceiling fans and ensuite bathrooms. Each bedroom also opens onto the veranda where there's a dining table for four overlooking the garden and sea.
In the garden there is a double roofed Tea House with white wicker furniture inviting you to relax, and a swimming pool. The villa is fully staffed with a cook who can create a delectable menu of dishes ranging from eastern to western cuisine. The kitchen is also available for guests to cook for themselves, plus there's also an air conditioned TV Room with DVD player as well.
From the villa you can easily visit the historic Galle Fort, take a mountain bike ride through the paddy fields, or simply spend they day on one of the golden beaches along the coast.
Why we like it
- Its perfect!
- Visit the cafes in the Fort
- Beautiful beach in front
- Nothing to do except relax


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Modo Mio meaning 'my way' offers authentic Italian cuisine of unsurpassed quality, served with passion in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Recruited from Milan, Chef de Cuisine Giampaolo Maffini has created a delicious menu that showcases his love for honest Italian cooking using fresh local produce and time-honoured, traditional family recipes.
Joe and I went to Modo Mio to celebrate his birthday. I've heard good reviews about this place and we were eager to try.
We stepped into the restaurant and it looked beautiful. A clean open kitchen, beautiful lights and wonderful interior. Instantly feel romantic in this place!
Staffs were really friendly and attentive.
We started off with drinks.
Joe had Peroni beer (Italian beer) and I had the Lemon Lime and Bitters, my usual drink.
We were served mini baguette with some olive oil, balsamic and salt.
Nice lil baguette! We had 2 of those hehe...
For starters, Joe had Beef Carpaccio, Cipriani sauce, rocket salad and parmesan.
Joe loves his Beef carpaccio. He said the dish was nice and taste really appetising and well balanced.
I had the Traditional mediterranean seafood soup, basil & garlic croutons.
It was sensational! Totally love this seafood soup! In fact, it was the best seafood soup I had in my life! Very very nice and tasty seafood soup. It's packed with flavour and omgosh the prawns and the pieces of fish.. It's excellent! I wish I can have this soup ready for me at home any day when I want it! I am thinking of getting take away of the soup from Modo Mio! Not sure if they do take away hahaha.. I guess I will just have to go back there again! :D
As for mains, Joe had the Angus beef tenderloin, sundried tomato crust, morel mushroom sauce, potato cake.
It was quite a good dish, but the beef was a bit overcooked and the potato cake was a bit too salty.
As for me, I had the Pan fried red snapper, sauteed prawn, lobster bisque and asparagus.
Nicely plated with beautiful ingredients. Unfortunately, I wasn't blown away by this dish. Was hoping it to be packed full of flavor but the prawns were way too salty and fish was a bit overcooked.
For dessert, Joe had Tiramisu. Traditional Italian mascarpone cake
Joe was quite happy with his dessert! I didn't try the Tiramisu because I have the yummilicious Chocolate fondant!
Chocolate fondant, vanilla ice cream
It was yum! Chocolate oozing out, a bit warm and that goes very well with the vanilla ice cream. Love the crunchy lil bits on top of the fondant. :)
Will go there again to try the pastas and pizzas! :D Can't wait.
Modo Mio
Ph 9362 7551


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In many areas of the country, snow removal is even necessary in order to comply with local laws and ordinances. So your choices are a back-breaking shovel, an expensive snow-removal service, or some mechanized help in the way of a snow blower.
If you're like most do-it-yourselfers, you probably hate hiring things out. But if the alternative is a snow shovel, what you're asking for is a sore back — or perhaps a lot worse. So maybe it's time to consider a snow blower.
Snow blowers may seem like an expensive investment, but there are a lot of nice ones on the market at very reasonable prices. Snow blowers also save money in the long run over the ongoing cost of a snow removal service. They also offer the convenience of being able to clear your driveway as soon you need it cleared, without waiting.
Gas-powered snow blowers
Gas-powered snow blowers vary widely in price, depending on the size of the engine, the amount of snow it can handle, and whether it's a single-stage or a two-stage model. Single-stage models have fast-moving augers that contact the ground and scoop up the snow. They usually have two-stroke engines, less power, and are less expensive. Prices for singe-stage blowers are typically in the $350 to $650 range or higher.
Two-stage models have a slower moving auger and an impeller, which lift the snow and discharge it through a chute. Guide plates hold the auger slightly above the ground, and as long as the guide plates are correctly set, a two-stage snow blower can be used on gravel driveways as well as over concrete or asphalt. Two-stage snow blowers utilize a more powerful four-stroke engine, and can clear a path up to about 30 inches in width. Prices for these types of machines are usually around $700 to $1,300 or more.
A good example of a heavy-duty, two-stage snow blower for home use is the Snow Joe Pro, ($899). This happens to be the one I use at home, and it's actually turned what used to be a very tough task into something approaching enjoyable.
The Snow Joe Pro has a four-stroke, overhead-valve gas engine, and will cut a path 26 inches wide through snow up to 20 inches deep. It has both an electric and a recoil (pull-cord) start. The electric start utilizes a power cord, which connects between the engine and an electrical outlet, so there's no on-board battery to worry about; once the engine is started, the power cord is removed and the choke and throttle are set back to the run positions.
The snow is discharged through a top-mounted chute, located behind the auger. The chute can be rotated to the left or right and angled up or down, allowing you to control where the snow is thrown. Different snow blowers utilize different types of controls for rotating and angling the chute. The Snow Joe uses a simple up-front control lever, while others utilize a hand crank or other mechanism.
In addition to Snow Joe, other top manufacturers of two-stage snow blowers include Ariens, Craftsman, John Deere, Toro and Troy-Bilt.
Electric snow throwers It used to be that if you had a walkway or a set of steps to clear, a snow shovel was your only alternative. Regular gas or electric snow blowers were simply too big and too cumbersome to maneuver into these tighter spaces. But there are a couple of alternatives out there that are well worth considering. They're called electric snow throwers, and you can think of them as kind of an "electric snow shovel."
Electric snow throwers look sort of like a cross between a vacuum cleaner and a push broom, with an upright handle and a wide head at the bottom that's in contact with the ground. A small, powerful electric motor turns an auger in the head, which breaks up the snow and throws it out and away from you. You use the snow thrower like a vacuum cleaner, back and forth in short strokes. As you push it into the snow, it clears whatever's in its path, right down to the pavement.
Two examples of electric snow throwers are the Snow Joe Plus and the Toro Power Shovel. Both weigh just 12 1/2 pounds, have 7.5-amp motors and will cut a path 12 inches wide. Amazingly, these lightweight machines are capable of throwing snow up to 20 feet.
The Snow Joe has a curved handle with a nice ergonomic feel, and an adjustable auxiliary side handle. Retail price is $99. The Toro has a straight handle and also has an adjustable side handle, with a retail price of around $120. Both machines offer a very affordable alternative to shoveling your walkway!
Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at email@example.com.
Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.


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The following social events are included with all paid registrations:
Sunday, March 18, 2018
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Don't miss the opening social event of the 2018 Summit! Enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while networking with colleagues and planning your meetings for the rest of the week.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Join us for a plated dinner Tuesday night at the Gala Evening, which features lively entertainment and a video review of the show. While admission to the Gala is technically open to all regularly registered, paid attendees, space is limited, so register as soon as possible.
Reservations required with registration by Friday, February 16, 2018.
Monday, March 19, 2018
10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Need to unwind after a busy day? La Movida Club is the place for you! On Monday and Tuesday nights, come enjoy music from a great DJ while taking the time to socialize, dance, and relax. Casual attire is appropriate for La Movida Club, including jeans. You must be 21 or older to attend.


text:
An invited response to those who advocate the doctrine of "Christian Mortalism" — (soul sleep)…
"Christian Mortalism" is generally defined as the total annihilation of both body and soul after death, while one's "spirit" continues to exists only as a memory in the mind of God, for an interim period, until the resurrection when a new body, soul, and memory will be reproduced. The doctrine relies on various passages of scripture throughout the Bible that differentiate between the three fundamental elements of humanity, these being: body (soma), soul (psuche), and spirit (pneuma). The terms for soul (psuche) — the "life force" or "animating power of life" — and spirit (pneuma) — "spiritual essence," or "cognitive self-awareness" — are, indeed, differentiated in such passages as Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." My purpose in sharing these thoughts is not to explore all the various details regarding the doctrine of "Christian Mortalism," but simply to respond in love to the research of others, having been invited to do so, and perhaps to help shed a bit more "light" on the subject of what happens to us when we die.
Beloved, first let me express my gratitude to you. I am honored by your trust and confidence in wanting to share your research with me and seek my input. I'm impressed with your level of scholarship; your study habits appear very good. I love your use of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek terms and their direct application to the Biblical distinctions between the spirit, the soul, and the body. I brings to mind the Apostle Paul's teaching concerning these three distinct elements of humanity when he says:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit (πνεῦμα – pneuma) and soul (ψυχὴ – psuche) and body (σῶμα – soma) be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:23, NASB).
I also greatly appreciate your respect for, and your appeal to, the holy scriptures to help substantiate your proposition. I believe you are being intellectually honest in setting forth the truth of what each individual passage of scripture contains.
My "word of caution" to us as we explore this, or any particular body of doctrine, is that we be sure to remember the Biblical admonition: "The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting" (Psalm 119: 160, NASB). In other words, truth is found in all of God's word and all of God's word comprises the truth. We will not, therefore, find the word of God contradicting itself. If it appears as if a contradiction exists, then the problem must be with us and our interpretations or applications of God's word; but not with the holy scripture itself. I mention this because, regardless of the topic or doctrinal issue we are exploring, I think there is always a temptation for us to focus only on those passages of scripture that seem to support our own line of reasoning. It seems to be difficult for people, especially those who think they've already "arrived" at some appreciable level of scholarship (I'm thinking of the Pharisees of Jesus' day), to be willing to step back, rethink, and modify their positions after having stated their beliefs. It's a "pride" thing, I guess. But, I must remember that regardless of what I "think" a passage of scripture is teaching, if my interpretation or application of the scripture contradicts any other passage of scripture, then I must reexamine my personal understanding of the passage. Honest scholarship requires, at the very least, that we remain consistent with our own understanding of God's word.
That being said, while I honor the appreciable level of scholarship you are attempting to bring to this particular topic, I have to say that I think it would be a grand "leap of reason" for us to jump from your seemingly accurate use of ancient terminology regarding the Biblical distinctions between body, soul, and spirit to the untenable conclusion that, as you state, when one is physically dead "…consciousness ceases, knowledge ceases, communication ceases, activity ceases. Hence, there is no future to look forward to. Bottom line: there is no life ensuing … unless there is a resurrection." The scriptures do not require such a leap and, furthermore, to make such a leap of reason is to find oneself contradicting other passages of scripture that, I believe, are very clear on the matter—I will get to these passages in a moment.
What I'm wondering about, at this point, is how you came to these conclusions regarding this topic. Did you arrive at them on your own—through your own personal study of the Bible over the years—or has someone lead you into this persuasion? I'm wondering this because the doctrine that you are espousing here is an old and well-known theory, commonly known as "soul sleep" or "Christian mortalism." In days gone by, it was known by the terms "materialism" or "psychopannychism." The teaching is common in several denominational groups including some Lutheran sects, the Seventh-day Adventist, the Christadelphians, some Churches of God (7th Day), and the Worldwide Church of God (Armstrong); as well as the Jehovah's Witness denomination (Christian, 2013). The reason I'm asking about this is that I've never met anyone who, after simply reading the Bible for themselves, has come to these particular conclusions on their own; you would be the first. That does not necessarily mean that your proposition is wrong; it simply means that, if we're being led by someone else to believe something that specifically characterizes a particular denominational persuasion, that's definitely a "red-flag" danger zone, and even more caution is in order.
Now, to my response — While I must admit that the term "sleep" is sometimes used in scripture to represent death, I believe that it is only used as a euphemism, and not meant to be taken as a literal state of being (or non-being as our present conversation implies). I believe this because of clear and comprehensive teachings gleaned from several beautiful passages of scripture that bear upon this issue. And remember, "The sum of Your word is truth" (Psalm 119:116, NASB). One passage, in particular, that I believe speaks to this topic is Jesus' teaching concerning the rich man and Lazarus wherein we read:
Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' (Luke 16:19-21, NASB)
Some say that Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus must not be taken too literally because it is, after all, only a parable. However, I disagree with that notion. It is not a parable (Gk: parabole – "to cast alongside") because Jesus is not setting forth any kind of "side-by-side comparison" to illustrate some other truth. Rather, Jesus simply delivers the story straight up as a warning to those who would live selfishly in this world, and as a source of hope and comfort for those who may have to suffer for their faith. And, even if the story were a parable, which it is not, have you ever read where Jesus set forth a parable that was only myth or legend or a fairytale and not rooted in truth? Unlike Aesop, Jesus did not deal in "fables." He only presented authentic truths—whether in the form of parables or otherwise!
But in this story, please note, that the rich man who had died and who was buried existed in a state that was anything but "unconsciousness." Although he was in Hades, the realm of the dead, he was very much a conscious being. From the story we learn that he could feel torment, that he had perception, that he could communicate, that he could remember, and that he could reflect upon the present lifestyle and future destiny of his brothers who were still living upon the earth. We also learn that while the rich man was in a place of agony, Lazarus was in a place where he was being comforted.
Another passage, and one that I dearly love, is where Jesus talks to the thief on the cross:
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43, NASB).
Jesus said "today," that day, that very day, the penitent thief who had expressed his faith in Christ would be with Him in Paradise. Surely none of us believe that Jesus was trying to comfort the dying criminal with a false hope; with something that wasn't really going to happen? "Soul sleep" would be of little comfort to a man hanging on a cross, paying for his crimes. It would offer him nothing to look forward to or by which he would have been rewarded for his faith. I feel as though I also need to point out that, while Jesus' statement to the thief on the cross runs contradictory to the doctrine of "Christian mortalism," it is in perfect harmony with His teaching regarding the rich man and Lazarus.
Yet another passage that I also love has to do with the Apostle Paul and his own take on the death experience. Paul says:
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. (Philippians 1:21-24, NASB).
Again, I see a beautiful harmony between Paul's confident expectation for life after death and Jesus' teachings and statements regarding life after death. But, if nothing awaited Paul after death except "soul sleep"—along with everyone else who had died—then how could he be in such a quandary as to "not know which to choose" when it came to life or death. Paul had a "desire to depart and be with Christ." He says that would be "very much better." But how would an unconscious soul sleep be "very much better"? According to the proposition you set forth, Paul would only continue to exist as a memory in the mind of God until he was remade in the resurrection. But I cannot accept this idea because it runs contrary to this and a lot of other scripture.
But perhaps my most cherished passage of scripture relating to life after death is where we read about Jesus' conversation with Mary and Martha at the resurrection of Lazarus. The scriptures teach:
Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:21-26, NASB)
Well, as for me, regarding Jesus' question, "Do you believe this?" My response is: "Yes, I DO believe this — with all my heart!" I believe every word of Jesus when He says that "he who believes in Me will live even if he dies," and "everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die!" Furthermore, I think this statement pretty much covers all the bases regarding this whole topic. It gives hope not only for an eventual resurrection and eternal life with God to follow—"live even if he dies"—but it also covers the "intermediate state" of a person between the point of physical death and the moment of the resurrection—"shall never die!" I'm not sure what that may mean to you. But, to me, it means that there will be no cessation of my existence after death. Like Lazarus, I will retain personal cognizance, my self-awareness, my memory, all my senses and, most of all, my relationships — especially my relationship with God.
There are several other passages of scripture that come to my mind; not the least of which is the first passage that I've already shared (above) at the beginning of these comments; wherein Paul, in writing to the Christians in Thessalonica, expresses his desire that they be "sanctified entirely" and that their "spirit (πνεῦμα – pneuma) and soul (ψυχὴ – psuche) and body (σῶμα – soma) be preserved complete" (I Thessalonians 5:23, NASB). According to the doctrine you set forth, the body and soul will be utterly and completely destroyed and only the spirit — in the form of a memory belonging to God — will be preserved until the resurrection. But I believe, both from Paul's statements and Jesus' teaching, that when we die our spirit — that part of us that is made in the image of God (our personal, conscious, self-awareness) — lives on in some type of tangible, bodily form in the Hadean realm awaiting that great resurrection day. When that day arrives, our present bodies will be resurrected from the grave, from the sea, from Hades [wherever they are] (Revelation 20:13, NASB); and they will be changed, as the Apostle Paul states:
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep [a euphemism for death], but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I Corinthians 15:51-53, NASB)
Jesus said that this resurrection will be not only for the faithful children of God, but for all people everywhere who have ever lived. Listen to His words as He explains the resurrection:
Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:25-29, NASB).
Please understand that what I've shared with you are only my current thoughts on this matter; and are in no way comprehensive or exhaustive. There are many other passages of scripture that can be brought to bear upon this topic, and many extenuating details that could be examined. But I think that the passages that have been shared are probably enough to establish a core understanding of what happens to us when we die. My goal in presenting these passages of scripture has not been to persuade you of the error of the doctrine of "Christian mortalism." Perhaps you've already examined some of the scriptures I've provided in light of this doctrine and can find reason to take argument with me and my understanding and application of them. But I've no wish to argue with anyone regarding this matter as I do not believe that it is all that important to our eternal destiny.
You see, regardless of what one believes about life after death, if our faith and hope is in Christ Jesus, then His grace will cover all our errors and misunderstandings; so long as we are not choosing to deliberately walk in willful and rebellious ignorance of His will. And so, while this is an interesting topic to discuss, and people are free to come to their own personal understanding of what they think will happen to them when they die, it is not so important a topic that it should be made a test of faith or of Christian fellowship within the body of Christ. Believe me, the truth of the matter will become evident to all of us soon enough.
However, this whole topic does tug at my heart-strings a little because I've recently been diagnosed with stage two cancer. While the prognosis, at this point, appears good, I know that anything could happen. The very next lab report could indicate metastasis to other parts of my body. And, thus, I find myself living in the constant reality of my own mortality. I know that I may not be in this world much longer. Of course, I also know that the same holds true for all of us because, as we all know, any given day could be our last. But this whole idea that a human being is not really a spiritual being, but only an animalistic being — a physical body with a life-force animating it — and that we will exist only as a memory to God after death, until we are remade at the resurrection, offers very little comfort or hope to those who draw near to deaths dark portal. And, I think, this is an important detail that should be taken under consideration when discussing this and other such doctrines. For we do not want to be guilty of promoting a precept that is not only inconsistent with Bible teaching, but that also strips the Christian faith of hope. I'm thinking again about our Lord and the thief on the cross — Jesus was all about offering hope!
But I want you to know that I have no fear of death because, for me, it does not harbor an intermediate state of unconsciousness; but rather, it represents my "homecoming" and a beautiful reunion with people I love who have gone on before me. I'm looking forward to tumbling through deaths dark portal right into the arms of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ where I will take my place at His side among all the redeemed of all ages — that "great cloud of witnesses surrounding us" (Hebrews 12:1, NASB).
Please understand, I'm not wanting to be mean or controversial here. But we do have to decide not only what, but who, we're going to believe. The way I see it, on the one hand we can choose to believe those people and religious groups who advocate for the doctrine of "Christian mortality" — those who say that I'm going to die completely and cease to exist, except in the memory of God, then, in the resurrection, God will generate a new body, soul, and memory that will be me. Or, on the other hand, we can choose to believe our Lord Jesus, Who tells us that: "he who lives and believes in me SHALL NEVER DIE!" I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but, I choose to believe what Jesus said!
Respectfully and with love,
Christian Mortalism. (2013). Wikipedia; The free encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_mortalism
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.


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Our dear M&M and Yusuf Hamza's ancestry
Reader comment on item: How the West Could Lose
Submitted by dhimmi no more (United States), Mar 28, 2007 at 17:51
Bogus again. he is of Greek ancestry. Here you can find it in, ooops, wikipedia at
Our dear hamza yusuf is of greek ancestry!
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What's In Your Bag #2: Timothy's Rig
Second in this series is a community sourced entry from Timothy, a Singaporean student facing his A-levels this year. He brings with him a curious must-have he bundles with his portable rig. Read more about TImothy's rig, and the little extra something he uses to hold it all together, below.
This is my portable rig. It consists of the Shanling m1 as a Bluetooth receiver connected to the now discontinued Project Palaios Iona Amp.
The IEM I use is the Empire Ears Spartan Adel with a Manual Adjustable Module and connected to the Lionheart cable.
I now use an adhesive pad instead of the rubber band pictured.
.I think it's a must have because it's not only unobtrusive, it is also useful on the bus, I can mount my phone on the seat in front of me when I want to watch videos
I'm presently a student and I use the enjoyment of music to help me concentrate. I personally prefer a "natural neutral" signature as it allows me to concentrate on my work. I also aim to get into reviewing as a hobby and have already written some unreleased material.
This s a new series showcasing the bags from our community, and we would love to see what you've got.
We'd love for you to share your bag, your daily must-haves, your music rig, a little bit about yourself and the things you like to do.
Curating the bags and rigs in our community shows off the diversity of preferences found in the audio world. It's sometimes easy to forget that all ears are built different, and a rig that sounds completely terrible to one person might sound brilliant to another.
Contact us on our Facebook page or our Instagram @pperfectionaudio. Talk to us, send us your bags and rigs and, we'll do the rest
Comments are closed.


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Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 07/28/2001 02:46:17 am PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.244.133)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40111
>The relative ratings of this scope and the Meade ETX70 have made me cynical about ratings. A side-by-side comparison of the Bushnell Voyager to the ETX70 made me want to call up Meade and scream. Nevertheless, the ETX70 is credited with spectacular optics, and the Bushnell Voyager is panned. One reviewer on another site even declared that he saw gull wings around stars in the star test. I saw no such effect.
>Very well, this isn't the greatest scope in the world, but it is fine for its target market: casual family viewing. The low-power eyepiece yields a very fine wide view - much broader than the view in the ETX90 at comparable magnification. At 100 power, it reveals surface detail on Jupiter, and shows Saturn clearly. The beloved ETX70 blurs out far below 100 power, and for $150.00 more, it never showed the rings of Saturn in my experience. (That's pretty damning, IMHO.)
>At $180.00, there's nothing cheaper that shows as much as the Voyager. It has no snob appeal. It's not for the serious amateur. It's for the casual family, and it's well-targeted.
Uhh...why did you post this on the Bushnell Voyager page?
Overall Rating: 9
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:9 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 05/03/2006 04:46:30 am PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.4.123)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=504069
Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 12/28/2004 03:14:20 am PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.153.126)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=410411
>Whlie being my first telescope I don't have much to compare it to. And also being quite studious I got really into the lingo of what I need to look out for in a telescope. While it does suffer from sphericial aberration (about 10% around the edges) I was able to bring up Saturn on my first night out. While still small it did show differations in the clouds (dimly and not much difference in colors) and it didn't show the Cassini Division. I've also noticed that this scope's specs say it's 4.5" but mine is 3". I also I couldn't get the barlow to focus on it. I should have tried practicing against the moon since it was just yesterday that it was full. For being quite the novice and getting this for Christmas I'm quite happy with how performs.
I got this telescope(at least I think it's the 4.5" Bushnell Voyager Reflector)from a friend and gave it away to another friend.Sounds like performance is similar to my NGC-60...but this telescope is bigger...nearly 2 whole inches bigger...it is probably better for deep-sky objects.
Overall Rating: 8
Optics:7 Mount:7 Ease of Use:9 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 04/09/2004 07:04:14 am PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.253.1)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=352589
Overall Rating: 8
Optics:6 Mount:6 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 03/06/2004 08:57:10 pm PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.33.6)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=345390
Overall Rating: 10
Optics:9 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 02/24/2002 05:09:06 pm PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.205.47)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=70075
Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 06/23/2001 07:08:41 pm PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.104.42)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40110
Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 03/09/2001 07:22:16 am PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.20.224)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40008
Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 02/01/2001 04:25:34 pm PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.182.110)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40007
Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 01/07/2001 11:27:37 am PST
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.96.210)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40006
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Tomos A55 NGK Spark Plug BR8ES
This is the stock plug for Tomos A55 mopeds. The threading on this plug is longer, so that it can reach the full length of the head. Morini mopeds also require a long reach plug. If you have performance modifications, you might want to try a colder plug.
With resistance.
Got Spark?
When it comes to spark plugs, NGK is the World Leader. Makers of spark plugs for virtually every automotive, motorcycle, marine and small engine application, NGK dominates.
NGK Spark Plugs (USA), Inc. was established in 1966 as a subsidiary of NGK Spark Plug Co, Ltd., of Japan. Its purpose was to establish and develop a market in the United States for NGK spark plugs and NTK ceramic products.
Item number
3.2000 oz