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Amazing Race's Natalie and Nadiya: "We Were Just a Hot Mess"
Natalie and Nadiya nearly made the final three on The Amazing Race 21, but they came nowhere near as close on All-Stars. The twins became the first team eliminated Sunday after they self-destructed searching for a bridal shop in China and second-guessed their decision to enter an even-numbered ferris wheel booth, which contained their next clue. "It was just terrible," Natalie tells TVGuide.com. "We were out of control, we had bad luck. It was not our day at all." Ironically, it was their previous performance on Season 21 that played a part in their downfall, they believe. Keep reading to find out why.
Phil Keoghan breaks down Amazing Race All-Stars teams and "gut-wrenching" start
You guys seemed to be resigned that you would get eliminated. When did you realize you were last?
Natalie: Once we were in China, we just had very bad luck with the clue situation and after that, the leg was just so linear that there was no chance for us to make up time. Me and Nadiya kind of sensed it was coming to an end when we finally got the dress shop clue. We were hoping and banking on there being a really tough challenge, something intense that would allow for [placement changes] but once we realized that wasn't coming, we knew it was over.
Do you know how far behind Joey and Meghan you were?
Nadiya: We saw them at the bubble tower, and they saw us. We didn't realize the whole even-and-odd numbers situation, but they were gone before we got off the tower, and that thing took like 10 minutes to go around. We saw them again at the Roadblock. But nobody messed up on that, so we knew when they left there, we were last.
You guys were your own worst enemies. You were right in front of the bridal shop and didn't go in, and you were about to go into one of the even bubbles and backed out at the last second.
Nadiya: Exactly! We were just a hot mess the whole leg. I think the Afghanimals and us together was just too much energy. None of us are calm. Sometimes it's nice to work with a team that is more calm and levelheaded, whereas the four of us were just out of control. From there, it was a downward spiral.
Natalie: Also, Nadiya and I were not used to being in the back of the pack. Not having been in the back on our first Race, it was really different racing from behind and having everything on the line. We were never racing not to get eliminated last time and that was different here. We started off racing for first place, but it ended up becoming a "we can't come in last" situation. It put us out of our comfort zone and we didn't deal with it well, so one thing unraveled after another.
You were in a constant panic mode. Did you try to take a breath and calm down?
Nadiya: I think we tried to do that, but it obviously didn't work. [Laughs] I was trying to calm down and re-strategize. It seems like a good idea, but it never happened for us like that. We always get more excited and more out of control.
Natalie: It's also weird when you're working with another team. The decision to leave the team is sometimes scary to do. We thought about leaving the Afghanimals, but we ended up deciding to stay. If we had followed them when they left, we would've gotten lucky with them finding the shop.
Nadiya: The big game-changer was that people were allowed to lead you to the dress shop. It's usually they could give you directions, but they couldn't lead you there. We got a bunch of idiots that led us to the wrong places. And any team, whether they're good at navigation or not, if they found the right person to find the right spot, that's all luck. The people that we had were just idiots. The other teams got better people. I feel like it would've been completely different if people weren't allowed to usher us to these stores.
Photos: Meet The Amazing Race All-Stars cast
Do you think you would've had a chance if you went in the No. 2 bubble like you were going to?
Nadiya: You never know. Obviously it would've been a better situation for us to be in. We would've been right after Joey and Meghan instead of waiting another 10 minutes, but like Natalie said, we had no opportunity to make up time. Literally the stadium was right below the bubbles. Nobody went to the wrong arena. Everybody went straight there, everybody did the Roadblock on the first try. It was very basic.
Is it harder getting eliminated first or in fourth place?
Nadiya: It's just as bittersweet as making it to fourth place. We came so close to the final that was in our hometown. We could smell the victory last time. This is on the other end of the spectrum. It sucks we didn't even get to race, but it's like we didn't even get close to the $1 million.
Natalie: Just the fact that we couldn't race is disappointing. Even though we get a little crazy sometimes - and yes, this episode, we were very hotheaded and fighting with each other - we had such a fun time racing.
How bummed are you that you missed out on going to Sri Lanka this season?
Nadiya: I'm just pretending that maybe they decided to go to Sri Lanka once we were kicked out. [Laughs]
Natalie: We're looking at it like, you know, we've already been to Sri Lanka. We grew up there. We don't need to go back there with Amazing Race!
What are you up to now?
Natalie: Back in school. Nadiya and I are actually planning to go back to Sri Lanka at the end of the summer to start a CrossFit there. We've been doing CrossFit here for about two and a half years. People talk sh-- about us, but you can't deny that when it came to challenges, we could hang with the guys, and that was because of CrossFit. We started doing that to train for the Race. It would've been amazing to have the extra $1 million for the business plan. [Laughs]
(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.)
View original Amazing Race's Natalie and Nadiya: "We Were Just a Hot Mess" at TVGuide.com
Related Articles on TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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Writing thank-you letters is a bit of a lost art in these days of texting, but a couple of stories we published recently reminded us of the idea that gratitude is rewarding. So tap into the old-fashioned spirit of the hand-written note and make mom proud by sending out a cute card thanking friends, families and coworkers for their gifts, favors and more. Here are some of our favorites.
We love this handmade, lace look. (Etsy, $13.98)
Say it many times over with this adorable cursive card. (Greenwich Letterpress, $14 for set of 6)
More From Good Housekeeping
An elegant card for the francophiles among us. (Kate's Paperie, $20 for set of 8)
This retro schoolhouse look makes us reminisce about library catalogs. Remember those days? (Paper Source, $12.50 for set of 8)
We can get behind this modern gold confetti, especially in the spirit of New Year's. (Paper Source, $16.50 for set of 10)
Here's a nice classic set that won't break your bank. (Target, $10.99 for set of 50)

subset: commoncrawl


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Obama's 2010 budget proposal is a radical document. Not because it runs the biggest federal deficit in American history ($1.53 trillion). Posting record deficits has become commonplace since Reagan started doing it in the 1980s. No, it is radical because it tries something new: killing off a multi-billion dollar NASA program that has strong support in Congress.
Constellation grew out of President George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration, which he announced shortly after the Columbia Shuttle disaster of 2003. Bush's plan was visionary: a plan to design and build boosters and spacecraft capable of returning astronauts to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars.
But visionary does not equal smart. The Constellation Program failed because it fell into the same trap that Apollo did in the 1970s: it was a massively expensive public program that, while symbolically impressive, lacked practical, real-world benefits that could match its $97 billion price tag (GAO-estimated cost through 2020).
Indeed, the Constellation Program was so colossal that it stood poised to suck the life out of every other NASA initiative, particularly space science projects that did not require humans, crew modules, or moon buggies to conduct research.
The technology of the Constellation Program may have been new but the arguments were old, a list of reasons for pursuing human space flight that have been used to justify missions for the past forty years:
1. Human space flight is an extension of humanity's quest to explore and therefore cannot, and should not, be stopped. To do so would be to blunt human curiosity and deny human nature. In truth, exploration has been pursued for many reasons, of which curiosity has usually ranked low on the list. Even if we accepted, for the sake of argument, that an exploration impulse that is part of human nature, it still does not mean that we should obey this impulse. This is a classic "naturalistic fallacy" which says something is good because it is natural. Social Darwinists used this line of reasoning to justify poor treatment of workers and colonial subjects on the idea that survival of the fittest was natural and therefore should be allowed to run its course.
2. Human space flight will offer unforeseen benefits to science and technology. This may be true. Or maybe not. It's hard to say really because proponents admit that any benefits are unforeseen. Still it seems an odd toss-of-the-dice way to spend public money. Would we trust a general who defended his plan of attack on the unforeseen possibilities of victory? Would shareholders trust a company selling products with unforeseen potentials of profit?
3. If we abandon human space flight, we will soon be outpaced by the China, Russia, India, [insert developing industrial nation] in the space race. The United States did gain prestige from landing astronauts on the moon in 1969, showing up our Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. But how much did that prestige, or "soft power" actually benefit the United States? Prestige did not stop the Vietnam War, or the Arab Oil Embargo, or the onset of stagflation. How much, then, is this type of prestige worth in the post-Cold War Age, a time when the United States is, arguably, supposed to reap the benefits of belonging to a multilateral world? What does the United States gain in winning the space race against China when they are losing the economic race to China back on Earth?
4. Human space flight is the first step in the human settlement of space, a process vital to continuation of the species. The idea that astronauts are really 21st century pioneers is a romantic one, but unrealistic. Going to the moon (or Mars) is a lot easier than settling there. Perhaps the real question here is why proponents of space settlement are so willing to give up on planet Earth? Global warming? Nuclear war? Overpopulation? This begs the question: if we cannot take care of a 197 million square mile habitat that's free, self-regulating, and self-sustaining, what makes us think that we're going to do any better on multi-billion dollar artificial habitats on other planets?
It's time for NASA to think differently about space exploration. The Obama budget requests $18 billion for the agency over the next five years, an increase from the current budget. Now NASA has the time and the money to think about new ways of moving forward. Bravo to the Obama Administration for forcing the issue.


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Call Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein on His Cell Phone and Cheer Him Up
It's been a rough day for Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. His company reported a humiliating $428 million quarterly loss this morning, just the second in Goldman's 12-year history as a public company. We figured he might like a sympathy call from the Occupy Wall Street folks, who know how to get by with less. Here's his cell phone number.
Last week's effort to put Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit in touch with the Wall Street protesters worked so well we thought we'd expand the program.
Here are some pick-me-up messages you might want to deliver to Blankfein: "I know you just lost half a billion dollars, but look on the bright side—you've set aside $10 billion in bonuses to pay out to your 34,200 employees." Or, "Hey, just do what I do when I run out of money—head over to the Fed's discount window and borrow more at no interest." Or, "Just think how much worse the loss would be if you hadn't had the foresight to snag that $13 billion taxpayer-financed pass-through bailout via AIG." Or, "We've all got to eat a shitty deal once in a while."
Or you could share your own tale of economic woe—maybe you've had trouble paying off student loans—and let Blankfein know how you got through it. Whatever you do, remember to be civil. And that New York law allows for the recording of telephone calls so long as one party consents. If you do record your conversation, send it our way.
If you can't get through on his cell, you can always try him at the office—(212) 902-0593—or email him at email@example.com. Tell him hi.


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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named two NOAA scientists among the winners of the agency's international Ozone Layer Protection Award on Monday in Washington, D.C. David Fahey and John Daniel of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., were honored during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Fahey and Daniel are among the authors of a groundbreaking paper published in 2007 that calculated the benefits to the climate from citizen action and the Montreal Protocol in phasing out ozone-depleting substances that are also powerful greenhouse gases. The team of five scientists found that the direct effect of the Montreal Protocol's emission reductions has been to delay climate change by 7 to 12 years. The award citation states, "This team reminds us that individuals can make a difference, that confident action can succeed under multilateral agreements like the Montreal Protocol, and that ground-breaking science can guide successful policies."
Fahey also received an individual award for his work on many aspects of stratospheric ozone depletion and the impact of aviation on ozone and climate. He has served on several international scientific assessments of ozone depletion and climate. Fahey was the lead author of "Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer" for both the 2002 and 2006 updates of the Montreal Protocol's Science Assessment Report.
The EPA Ozone Layer Protection Award was established in 1990 to recognize exceptional leadership, personal dedication, and technical achievements in eliminating ozone-depleting substances, according to the EPA.
"Efforts to help restore the ozone layer and fight climate change will benefit the planet for generations to come. We commend the 2008 Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Award winners for their work to protect our environment," said Bob Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air & Radiation.
Candidates for the EPA award are selected from all over the world. Winners are chosen on the basis of originality and public purpose; persuasive, moral or organizational leadership; and actual elimination of chemical emissions, according to the EPA. Over 224 awards have been presented to individuals, companies, organizations, and government institutions from 46 countries.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
On the Web:
NOAA Communications, Boulder
Tel. 303-497-6288
Fax 303-497-6554


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Programming note: Watch the new AC360° documentary "The Bully Effect" at 10 p.m. ET tonight on CNN, and on March 3 and 9 at 8 p.m. ET.
In the last few years, awareness about bullying has increased dramatically. While some adults may still think bullying is just a youthful rite of passage, more and more parents, educators and kids understand that bullying today is worse than in previous generations.
It doesn't stop at the school yard or even a child's front door. Access to the Internet and social media websites mean kids can be bullied and tormented around the clock, even in the supposed safety of their own homes. The cruelty that can come with the strike of a button on a keyboard can hurt just as much as any punch or push in a playground.
We've produced a documentary called "The Bully Effect" which follows the stories of a number of people filmmaker Lee Hirsch introduced audiences to in his remarkable 2012 film "Bully." These are kids and parents who have taken their pain, their suffering, their grief and turned it into action. They are truly inspiring.
Post by: Anderson Cooper
Filed under: Bullying • Opinion • The Bully Effect
I am part of a grassroots movement to stopp bullying in the workplace,west Virginia state coordinator for rhe healthy workplace bill. Please consider doing a story on this abuse that makes people illand sometimes leads to suicide. Mthe exposure would help this worthy cause. See the workplace bully institute on line.
Hello Mr. Anderson after watching the video I couldn't stop and feel to share something, pass the message. Twelve years before I used to be in high school and all my good friends bully me. They gave me a nick name gay but I'm not. Every day they tease me repeatedly and I feel crying and totally depressed but I never gave up. I use to say myself 1 year 2 year 3 year after that I will go big college big University and big job. I really had a hard time at school but I always focus on study and career. I have always wanted to be in a CEO position. After high school I joined college and I fell in love with a beautiful girl. I found a new life with full of happiness. At that moment I define life as a up and down time series, first footstep life was sad and depressed after few step life change to cheerfulness and blessed. Recently I graduate from University and process of finding job. I never give up always keep moving in any situation in any obstacles and always focus on my aim to reach a shining star level. Bullying comes and goes and it's up to us how we take the situation. When I felt really depressed when some others teased me I spend more time in study, write poems, articles, songs or prepare for coming up exam. As a result I get a good grade and teacher also impressed.
At last I want to kindly request Ms. Sarah Kay (American Poet) to express her spoken word poetry regarding bullying and its affect. I saw her YouTube video performing at the TED conference and I'm impressed with her performance and poems. I have a feeling that she can definitely write an inspirational poem related to the bully effect and her spoken word will be an inspiration and confidence not for a single kid but for many kids around the world.
This was a good documentary but one thing is glaringly missing; WHERE are the parents and the administrators?And why aren't they stopping bullying? I grew up being bullied and the teachers did NOTHING. Parents we met whose kids bullied me were also bullies themselves. Of course, they were also white trash, which explains why they were idiotic bullies, but even so, it doesn't excuse their behavior.
The next time you do a documentary, focus on the teaches and parents, and on the fact that neither group ever does anything to stop bullying.
In our local schools, we have active anti-bullying programs. What we have found is that kids now know what adults are looking for to accuse them of bullying. We now have stealth bullying – bullying that flys under the radar. Kids do not outwardly bully because they know it is not acceptable behavior and they know the adults are watching. They do ostracize kids over a long period – slowly and quietly so that the adults do not even realize what is taking place.
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°


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Best Life Insurance for a 30-Something Mom?
Dear Insurance Adviser, What's a better bet for a 35-year-old married mom? Term or whole life insurance? Looking to not pay much but want the most I can get.
- Mom on a Budget
Dear Mom, I always recommend buying level term life insurance for someone in your situation. You need a lot of life insurance when you have a young family, and term life rates per $1,000 of coverage are a fraction of the cost of permanent or whole life insurance, especially at younger ages.
The most common options for level guaranteed rates (meaning rates that won't change) are for 10 years, 15 years, 20 years or 30 years. I recommend that you pick a price guarantee that will assure you that fixed price until your youngest child finishes college (ages 22-25). So, for example, if your youngest is 7 years old, pick a price guarantee of 15 years or more.
Make sure the policy you are considering includes a conversion right. If you still need life insurance when your price guarantee ends and you can't qualify for coverage for medical reasons, you'll want to be able to convert your term policy to a permanent, cash value policy at preferred rates. The conversion right guarantees you the opportunity to do just that.
Happy hunting.
Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate's Terms of Use.


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I was thinking again about the wave of hype from various games that washed over us last week.
As a gamer and a general fan, it doesn't take all that much to persuade me to buy/ try a new game. An interesting IP, a game studio who have produced work I've liked in the past, a friend who played the game and liked it, an interesting mechanic/ twist that catches my attention – any of those would be enough.
It sounds so simple. I knew that I'd play SWTOR and try GW2 when they were announced, for example. And yet there are countless games in the genre that I've never tried. Maybe they just didn't have enough hype.
So in comparison to the bright and shiny trailers, look at Tobold's posts this week about his experiences in A Tale in the Desert. I subbed for a month, because he reminded me of the things I had liked about the game when I last played it (I played for a few months during telling 3).
Zubon commented this week that he enjoyed reading blogs about games he hadn't played much himself. I'd agree with that, and say also that sometimes it is the word of mouth that is the most compelling hype of all.


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Obama: 'This is what change looks like'
A transformative health care bill is headed to President Barack Obama for his signature, as Congress takes the final steps in Democrats' improbable and history-making push for near-universal medical coverage.
On the cusp of succeeding where numerous past congresses and administrations have failed, jubilant House Democrats voted 219-212 late Sunday to send legislation to Obama that would extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, reduce deficits and ban insurance company practices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.
"This is what change looks like," Obama said later in televised remarks that stirred memories of his 2008 campaign promise of "change we can believe in."
"We proved that this government -- a government of the people and by the people -- still works for the people."
Obama will travel outside Washington on Thursday as he now turns to seeing a companion bill through the Senate and selling the health care overhaul's benefits on behalf of House lawmakers who cast risky votes. It is most likely that he will sign the bill on Tuesday, but the plans aren't yet final, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss as-yet unannounced strategy.
Obama's young presidency received a much-needed boost from passage of the legislation, which would touch the lives of nearly every American. The battle for the future of the health insurance system -- affecting one-sixth of the economy -- galvanized Republicans and conservative activists looking ahead to November's midterm elections.
A companion package making a series of changes sought by House Democrats to the larger bill, which already passed the Senate, was approved 220-211. The fix-it bill will now go to the Senate, where debate is expected to begin as early as Tuesday. Senate Democrats hope to approve it unchanged and send it directly to Obama, though Republicans intend to attempt parliamentary objections that could change the bill and require it to go back to the House.
Sen. John McCain said Monday morning that Democrats haven't heard the last of the health care debate, and said he was repulsed by "all this euphoria going on."
Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," McCain, who was Obama's GOP rival in the 2008 presidential campaign, said that "outside the Beltway, the American people are very angry. They don't like it, and we're going to repeal this."
McCain, who is in a tough Republican primary fight in his home state, said the GOP "will challenge it every place we can," and said there will be reprisals at the polls, in Congress and in the courts.
The complicated two-step approval process was made necessary because Senate Democrats lost their filibuster-proof supermajority in a special election in January, a setback that caused even some Democratic lawmakers to pronounce the yearlong health care effort dead. Under the relentless prodding of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in particular, it was gradually revived, and the fix-it bill will be considered under fast-track Senate rules that don't allow minority party filibusters.
"We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, health care for all Americans," said Pelosi, D-Calif., partner to Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the grueling campaign to pass the legislation.
"This is the civil rights act of the 21st century," added Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the top-ranking black member of the House.
GOP lawmakers attacked the legislation as everything from a government takeover to the beginning of totalitarianism, and none voted in favor. "Hell no!" Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, shouted in a fiery speech opposing the legislation. "We have failed to listen to America, and we have failed to reflect the will of our constituents."
Thirty-four Democrats also voted "no" on the Senate-passed bill. (Including U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis of Tennessee. — Editor)
Sunday night's votes capped an unpredictable and raucous weekend at the capitol, with Democratic leaders negotiating around the clock for the final votes as hundreds of protesters paraded outside, their shouts of "Kill the Bill! Kill the Bill!" audible within the Capitol.
A last-minute deal with a critical group of anti-abortion lawmakers Sunday afternoon sealed Democrats' victory. The leader of the anti-abortion bloc, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., didn't get to add stricter anti-abortion language to the underlying bill, but was satisfied by an executive order signed by Obama affirming current law and provisions in the legislation that ban federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother.
Republican abortion foes said Obama's proposed order was insufficient, and when Stupak sought to counter them, a shout of "baby killer" was heard coming from the Republican side of the chamber.
Far beyond the political ramifications -- a concern the president repeatedly insisted he paid no mind -- were the sweeping changes the bill held in store for Americans, insured or not, as well as the insurance industry and health care providers.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the legislation awaiting the president's approval would cut deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade. For the first time, most Americans would be required to purchase insurance … and face penalties if they refused. Much of the money in the bill would be devoted to subsidies to help families at incomes of up to $88,000 a year pay their premiums.
The second measure, which House Democrats demanded before agreeing to approve the first, included enough money to close a gap in the Medicare prescription drug coverage over the next decade, starting with an election-season rebate of $250 later this year for seniors facing high costs.
It also included sweeping changes in the student loan program, an administration priority that's been stalled in the Senate for months.
For the president, the events capped an 18-day stretch in which he traveled to four states and lobbied more than 60 wavering lawmakers in person or by phone to secure passage of his signature domestic issue. He also postponed an overseas trip to remain in Washington and push for the bill.
Obama watched the vote in the White House's Roosevelt Room with Vice President Joe Biden and dozens of aides, exchanged high fives with Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, and then telephoned Pelosi with congratulations.
Now Obama will have to sell the bill to the public, and a White House aide said he was likely to take at least one trip this weekend to emphasize the legislation's benefits.
The measure would also usher in a significant expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state health care program for the poor. The insurance industry, which spent millions on advertising trying to block the bill, would come under new federal regulation. Parents would be able to keep children up to age 26 on their family insurance plans.
To pay for the changes, the legislation includes more than $400 billion in higher taxes over a decade and cuts more than $500 billion from planned payments to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and other providers that treat Medicare patients.


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I Want My MADtv: The Best of MADtv's Pop Culture Parodies Wraparounds (#1303)
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Himself
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Bobby Lee
Pongo (Never Speaks): Danny Cho
Announcer (Never Seen): Bill Vogel
(When something is in brackets and italicized, that means that it is a descriptive moment).
When a musical note is seen, that means that the line is being said while singing. It will end when another musical note follows, like so.
Only the wraparounds will be transcribed.
(Perez is in a restaurant).
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Hello. I'm the queen of all media, the gossip gangsta himself, Perez Hilton. Tonight, I'm here at one of my favourite Hollywood hangouts hosting I want my MADtv (Title bar appears under him, with his picture to the left of it) the best of MAD's pop culture sketches (bar disappears), and joining me is a very special friend of mine. My counterpart for the evening (off-screen. Screen switches to Johnny. A bar with a name, and the I want my MADtv logo to the left of it appears under him) Mr. Johnny Gan. He's Thailand's top gossip blogger (On-Screen. Screen pulls out to see all 3 of them), and his friend, "Pongo". Friend (Screen goes to Pongo, and the same bar appears with Pongo's name on it)? Welcome Johnny.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Thank you Ms. Paris Hilton's. When I see you go to prison on the TV, you look like a woman, and I want to do you hard and sloppy, the Johnny Gan way (off-screen). But then when I see you (on-screen) in person I want to do you hard and sloppy less, or maybe not at all.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira(Laughs): No, I'm not Paris Hilton, I'm Perez Hilton. I write about celebrities online, like Lindsey Lohan, and Star Jones, and Britney Spears.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Oh yes, I love the Britney Spears! I do Britney Spears hard and sloppy before the show in the gas station bathroom (Johnny brings up a photo of Britney with her mouth cut out. Perez laughs off-screen). And Pongo was with a friend too, right Pongo? Pongo ne mai tai ay (slaps Pongo. Pongo brings up a picture of Rosie O'Donnell with her mouth cut out).
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira (off-Screen): If that's suppose to be Rosie's mouth (on-screen) it needs to be a lot bigger (Cut). Since 1995, MADtv's been attacking pop culture more than I attack Victoria Beckam's alien head.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Oh. If I met Victoria Beckam, I would first sing to her. It, it moui gahni dickie dick dick ahh me you canda...
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Zig, Zig ah!
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Ah, yes you know the song!
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Yes.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Indeed. I would attack her big plastic boobs, the Johnny Gan's way.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Here's MAD's take on MTV's hit Jackass (Cut. Returns after the Britney & K-Fed's Thanksgiving Memories from #1216. Bar appears with Johnny and Perez's names on it.). That's not right. I think that sketch makes Britney look too smart.
(Bar disappears).
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: I hope K-Fed gets the kids.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: And speaking of kids. Why the **** would Vanessa Hudgens take a naked picture of herself, send it out (off-screen. Picture goes up on Perez's laptop of Vanessa naked) via e-mail, when she knows dang well that I will (writes MINI MOUSE HOLE on the picture, and draws Mickey Mouse ears on her in yellow) eventually find it, draw on it, and post it on my website (on-screen) for millions of people to see!?
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: I, I, I don't know why? But Johnny Gan's would like a nude picture of Vanessa's pretty girlfriend, Zac Efron (Screen goes to Pongo, who is holding up a picture of Zac with a real head, and a drawn on woman's body). Yeah, right Pongo. Good job! Just like that. Pretty girl.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Oh (Cut). Welcome back to (Bar appears with Perez Hilton's name, and then Queen of All Media under it) I Want My MADtv. MAD's look at all things pop culture (bar disappears). You know, for any gossip columnist, the new accessory of the season is the new (brings up phone) iphone from Apple.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: That phone cost $500.00. Johnny Gan got an iphone knockoff from Thailand (brings up phone), only $25.00, and it's the same thing (phone falls apart). You said you make this good Pongo (slaps him. Pongo stares dumbfounded. Cut)!
Announcer (pictures of Laguna Beach appear as a slide show, as what the announcer is saying scrolls from the bottom): Wanna know what MADtv pop culture sketch has been viewed on the internet more than a million and a half times? Go to MADtv online and check it out. BI-OTCH (Bi-otch appears after the words have stops scrolling, at the bottom. Cut)!
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira (Perez only in shot): We're back with (Perez bar appears) I Want My MADtv. I'm Perez Hilton: Queen of All Media.
(Bar disappears)
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: And I am Johnny Gan (Johnny bar appears): King of All Labia, and this is my (bar disappears) hilarious partner Pongo.
(Awkward pause).
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Were looking at the best of MAD's pop culture sketches, and these days, pop culture has to include the internet. This next MAD sketch has had over 800,000,000,000,000 hits on the web.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: I tell you what I want to hit 8000,000,000,000,000 times. Jessica Simpson's, and Ashlee Simpson's. No. Forget Ashlee Simpson's, Zac Efron's.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: That was a sketch featuring a man (Perez, Queen of All Media bar appears) as a woman. Now here's a sketch featuring a woman (bar disappears) as a man (Camera pulls out to see that Johnny is not there). Speaking of women, where's Johnny? Do you know where he went (off-screen)? Do you ever say anything (Cut)? Next up (Johnny, and Perez bar appears) is a look at MTV's hit show TRL, but before we do that I've got a little juicy gossip!
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: I got some hot gossip too from Thailand. Thailand actress Mangnang Ayeayeaye did a sex tape with an elephant, ping pongs, and a banana.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: How can you top that (Cut)? Olay. Bien vanito tro travesa (Johnny and Perez bar appears) I Want My MADtv. Now this next sketch features Heidi Klum, and this woman is the Devil. So let's (off-screen. Goes to Heidi Klum photo on her computer) change this up a little (Draws yellow devil horns on her head). She needs some horns definitely. Maybe a little description.
(Writes BITCH under her in yellow. On-Screen).
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: No, no, no. Give me the marker. I tell you what I do to Heidi Klum's (off-screen. Brings up picture of Heidi on his computer). First, I make marry's to Heidi Klum. Treat her special, as Mrs. Johnny Heidi Gan. We take sunset walk on beach (Johnny draws a paper bag on Heidi, and draws flowers underneath her. On-Screen), and buy puppies.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Aw. That's so sweet.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Yeah, and then I throw her behind a dune, and I make hard, and sloppy, and sandy love to her, the Johnny Gan way.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Thank you for watching I Want My MADtv. I'm Perez Hilton, it's been a lot of fun. Come on, let's go. It's trash day in Beverley Hills, and I need to rummage through Jessica Alba's dumpster. I'll hold you up by the ankles so you can help me.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Oh, you hear that Pongo? Johnny Gan gets to go through Jessica Alba's junk, while he holds my ankles the hard and sloppy way (waves). Thank you MADtv's. Goodnight.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Thanks for watching bitches, now go to sleep, it's late.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Ah, manamena (Credits start to roll). Tapo, tapo, ia.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Nah!
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: No, no, no. Nah fanamia oh dun dun.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Dun. Badda
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Badda.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Badda, badda. Be, be.
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Badda ba, ah!
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: Why you tryin to **** with me?!
Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan: Ba. You don't know the song. The end of the road, you don't know it.
Mario "Perez Hilton" Lavandeira: I feel it though.
(Wraparounds end).
Rise from the Dead!
Planet MADtv (August 28th 2002- August 28th 2009, August 28th 2010)
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Facebook, Twitter, podcasts and blogs are nothing to be afraid of, speakers told participants Nov. 12 at an overflow workshop at the annual convention of the National Council of Catholic Women.
The group of women and a few priests at the workshop in the Renaissance Hotel in Washington were urged to get on board with new social media as a way to evangelize and more effectively communicate especially with young people.
The speakers, Jeff Young and Lisa Hendey, certainly practice what they preach since they both have careers that use the social media tools to spread a Catholic message.
Young is a social media consultant who also produces a podcast and blog called the Catholic Foodie, which highlights food and faith. Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com, a website launched in 1999 that focuses on faith, parenting and family life. She also heads a home-based web design business and is webmaster for her parish website, St. Anthony of Padua in Fresno, Calif.
Emphasizing that today's online tools can help people fulfill the Gospel mandate to spread the good news, the speakers urged participants to go home after the convention and branch out online and to consult a teenager in the family if they ran into any trouble.


text:
All Animals
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Our extensive selection of books covers a wide variety of species and training topics, all chosen for their excellent information and advice.
Improve your skills with interactive training videos from some of the world's most talented trainers.


text:
Few book critics for U.S. newspapers write well enough to tempt publishers to issue collections of their reviews. The exceptions include John Sledge, who spent 17 years as the books editor of the Mobile Press-Register before that former daily switched to a three-day-a-week print run in 2012. The University of South Caroline Press has just published a collection of Sledge's literary essays and reviews, Southern Bound: A Gulf Coast Journalist on Books, Writers, and Literary Pilgrimages of the Heart, in April. The book includes this quote:
"Good books are all too rare; flawed ones, common; and terrible ones, ubiquitous."


text:
Book News: George W. Bush Coming Out With Biography Of His Father
David J. Phillip/AP
The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.
- Former President George W. Bush plans to take a break from painting to publish a biography of his father, former President George H. W. Bush. The book, which will be published by Crown on Nov. 11, "covers the entire scope of the elder President Bush's life and career, including his service in the Pacific during World War II, his pioneering work in the Texas oil business, and his political rise as a Congressman, U.S. Representative to China and the United Nations, CIA Director, Vice President, and President," according to a press release. The Associated Press reports that Bush wrote the book himself, though he "had assistance with research."
- A novel by Oscar Hijuelos, the first Latino author to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, will be published posthumously. Hijuelos died last year. The New York Times describes the novel, Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise, as "an intensively researched 859-page historical novel about the friendship between Mark Twain and the Welsh explorer Henry Morton Stanley." The book will come out from Grand Central Publishing in fall 2015.
- Michelle Huneven writes about the shock of discovering you've been used as inspiration for a character in a story: "The laws of literature, like the laws of gossip, usually demand exaggeration, decontextualization, a heightened or minimalized reality, and a lot more shape and order and impact than everyday life. 'You've been fictionalized' actually means, 'You've been exaggerated!' (Or downplayed!) You've been snipped and shaped and built on, face-lifted, aged and/or repainted for maximum artistic impact."
- Stephen Marche considers the inevitability of literary failure: "Three hundred thousand books are published in the United States every year. A few hundred, at most, could be called financial or creative successes. The majority of books by successful writers are failures. The majority of writers are failures. And then there are the would-be writers, those who have failed to be writers in the first place, a category which, if you believe what people tell you at parties, constitutes the bulk of the species."
- Nathan Filer on the hyperbole of blurbs on book jackets: "Nothing can be interesting; it must be fascinating. Good isn't good enough; it must be great."


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Maryland Cemetery Records
This entry was originally written by Roger D. Joslyn, CG, FUGA, FGBS, FASG for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
The Directory of Maryland's Burial Grounds, by the Genealogical Council of Maryland (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1996), provides the location of public and private cemeteries.
The Maryland State Archives has indexes to cemetery records for various time periods. Some have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin and other journals and in individual works covering large parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. A great number of grave marker inscriptions have been transcribed by members of the Maryland DAR and will be found at the Maryland Historical Society and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. See also Helen W. Ridgely, Historic Graves of Maryland and the District of Columbia (1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002).
Many online cemetery transcriptions are organized here: Maryland Cemetery Records


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I have Epson and Canon printers. Thanks for the tip though!
Last year I told you about Walgreens free ink refill promotion, and the response was overwhelming! Apparently your participation in the program was heard loud and clear by Walgreens, and they have decided to do it again!
This Wednesday, April 2nd, is the ONLY day to get in on this offer You can go to the Walgreens website and view their promotion page here for all the details. Walgreens usually charges $10 and $15 for ink refills, and by using the coupon on their website or in your weekly savings flier, you can get select cartridge refills for absolutely free! (See also: 50 Best Deals and Coupon Sites)
The Walgreens website reports that the following models are able to be refilled (note that Epson and Canon, two of the most popular ink brands, are not supported at this time):
Models: 310-3540, 310-4142, 310-5368, 310-5372, 310-5508, 310-5881, 310-5883, 310-6273, 720, 7Y743, A920, J5566, KF868, M4640, MJ264, MK990, MK992, N5878, T0529, 310-3541, 310-4143, 310-5371, 310-5375, 310-5376, 310-5509, 310-5882, 310-5885, 310-6272, 310-6274, 310-6275, 7Y745, J5567, M4646, T0530
Models: 15, 15M, 19, 20, 21, 26, 26M, 27, 27M, 29, 29M, 33, 34, 40, 45, 45M, 56, 56M, 59, 92, 94, 96, 98, 16, 17, 22, 23, 25, 28, 28M, 35, 41, 49, 57, 57M, 78A, 78D, 78M, 93, 95, 97, 78, 78AHY
Models: 16, 03, 17, 23, 28, 28A, 32, 34, 48, 50, 55, 70, 71, 75, 82, 19, 1, 16G0060, 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 33, 35, 60, 65, 80, 83, 85, 88, 90
Models: 52109301, 52109302
Models: 53020, 53319B, 53331B, 53336, 53318C, 53321, 53330C, 53332, 53335, 53376
Models: AJC50B, UXC70B, AJC50C
Models: 8R7879, 8R7881, 8R7882, R12591, 8R7880
Some tips from those who have participated in the promotion include:
Go early to drop off your ink, and plan on coming back later in the day. While they usually can fill the ink while you wait, this promotion keeps them well behind schedule for refills.
Hawaii is participating in this offer on Monday, April 7th, instead.
Offer is available one per person. (Some people have reported dropping off a cartridge at each store near them for maximum savings, however.)
Offer valid from 12:00 am – 11:59 pm, or during normal store hours.
Good luck, and don't forget to bring your empty cartridge!
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I have Canon for most of my b/w printing needs, but I recently purchased a HP scanner/printer/copier, and the ONLY way I can afford the color cartridges is through the Walgreen's deals.
Thanks for the tip. I would have totally missed it. Last time I told other people but forgot to go myself.
They did this a couple months ago as well (not just "last year"). The store in town here had juuust opened when they did it last... but alas, the company that makes the machines for them is behind, and this store doesn't have one yet. So, I'm missing out again! But thanks for the info, maybe next time for me...
Do you know if the cartridge has to be COMPLETELY empty? Or can I just take the one I'm currently using - I know it must be getting CLOSE to empty by now. Lol.
I just got my refilled black cartridge with roughly a day turnaround. The tech said that it shouldn't be used as it was leaking and overfilled but I cleaned it up and it seems to be working okay.
I blotted a fair amount from the print head until it stopped. I waited and there wasn't any extra ink flow so I gave it a try. Kind of advanced and messy, but my fingertips will eventually come clean.
Between my cartridge and two from my parents from the previous special, the success was 1/3. But the worst that happens is that we're out a cartridge that was empty anyway.
You can save money and the environment by stop throwing away ink cartridges. You can get a continuous ink system so you don't have to get cartridge refills. They are clean and easy to set up. It has a resetting "never expires" chip in the ink cartridges. I bought mine about 3 weeks ago and love it. It is supposed to equal 61 cartridges of each color. I used to be stingy with my ink and now I let the kids print whatever they want:-)
I got mine here: Continuous Ink and Printer Ink Refills
I worked at a Walgreens through the last event. There are a few thing tips you should know.
- There is a chance that it will break your ink cartige. It is not worth it if it is not or close to empty. There is also much more of a chance if it breaking during the free file rush. Employees are spending all day at the machine as well as attempting to do their normal jobs (no extra bugeted hours).
- If it is broken keep it. Many stores (staples) will give you some kind of coupon or credit for it.
- Wait for it; let the person know that you are willing to come back in two days (if you can live with out it). This will allow then to fill yours after the rush with some more TLC. Often it takes two to three attemps to refill ink. During the free giveways it usaully do not happen.
Surprised to hear Walgreens did that for a day. I don't like to use Walgreens for refills. Checkout: http://www.dvdinkrefills.com . It's cheaper to refill yourself instead of have someone else do it for you. The website supports refills for all Primera Bravo printers, but not other printers. These refill kits are specific to dvd and cd duplication machines.
I got my cartridge refilled at Walgreens, paid $12 still a good deal, but it won't work. HP deskjet 940c, yellow light continues to flash. Do you think the cartridge was damaged? Any suggestions. Walgreens will refund the $12.
Just a quick note on saving money on ink -- the 2010 promotion is $1 with a store coupon; check Walgreens website for locations and to see the ad (in the weekly flier).


text:
Police detain 2 personnel for reckless shooting
Shogunle said that the incident happened on July 31 at 5 p.m. along the Murtala Mohammed International Airport road in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a video in circulation on social media showed two policemen allegedly shooting into the air on the street in a moving vehicle in Lagos.
The Head of Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), ACP Abayomi Shogunle, told NAN that following complaints by members of the public, the case was immediately registered by the unit.
"On Aug. 1, PCRRU was notified about a video in circulation on social media in which some men alleged to be policemen were seen shooting in the air on the street in a moving vehicle," Shogunle said.
He said that the Commissioner of police in charge of Police Mobile Force ( PMF ) at the Force Headquarters, had identified the men following the directive of the Inspector-General of Police.
He explained that the two policemen who were attached to the 20 Police Mobile Force Squadron, and were attached to a private security company, Infinity Security Company.
Shogunle said that a popular Nigerian Musician, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, engaged them to provide escort for him to his house while returning from abroad.
"Along the way as seen in the video which has been confirmed from investigation, the two policemen involved started shooting into the air for no just cause.
"They have been identified and they have been in detention since then because investigation was conducted and after that they have been tried in orderly room and punishment has been recommended.
"We are only waiting for the appropriate police authority to review the punishment then we will make the full details known to the public.
"One thing is clear that the conduct of those policemen as seen in that video is unacceptable, that is not part of what our officers should be engaged in.
" They are no longer involved in any duty where they will carry any weapon. They will be in detention until the process is over before they will be released.
"Investigation has shown that they have no justifiable reason to have expended or fire their weapons into the air," he said.
Meanwhile, Shogunle has assured members of the public that officers dismissed for corruption would also be prosecuted in court in line with the Inspector-General of Police's directive.
"Apart from dismissal, we are also going to see the prosecution of such unethical officers in the court of law, "he said.
The PCRRU was established by the Nigeria Police Force in November 2015, with a mandate to receive and resolve cases of professional misconduct brought against its officers.
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Secret Layoff Talking Points Sent To Entire Company In All-Time Classic Email Fuckup
Oh dear, it seems that the corporate leadership of a media agency has royally fucked up. Carat decided it had to lay off some workers. So the honchos carefully prepared secret internal talking points and strategy memos laying out exactly how they would break the news to the staff and clients, and deal with the media fallout. Then they accidentally emailed all that shit to their entire agency. Ha. Ha. Ha. The highlights are just so delicious: Lesson 1: Layoffs provide innovation, somehow. Message to clients:
Lesson 2: Keep this all quiet! From the FAQs:
Lesson 3: No, really. Keep this all quiet:
One note from Mr. Hollander reflected on the company's PR plans around the layoffs. He wrote, "This is a tough one. Since we're not opting to get out in front of the press, we will be left to defend. I think we may need to prepare for different contingencies depending on how they may hit us — because they will hit us. RISK assessment."
It's too much. Read it all at Ad Age. We do feel sorry for whoever sent that email. ("Chief People Officer Rose Zory.")


text:
Marketers React To News Of Google Shopping Changing To Paid Inclusion With Hope & Concern
A few days after Google upended the ecommerce marketing world with the announcement of upcoming changes to what will now be called Google Shopping, many retailers and marketers we spoke with are positive about the switch, though there are definitely some serious concerns. You'd think taking a product from free to paid would cause an […]
A few days after Google upended the ecommerce marketing world with the announcement of upcoming changes to what will now be called Google Shopping, many retailers and marketers we spoke with are positive about the switch, though there are definitely some serious concerns.
You'd think taking a product from free to paid would cause an outcry (and there is some of that) — but for many, instead, it's an answer to long time concerns — concerns about control.
More Control = Happier Marketers
Cindy Starr, VP of external marketing at VistaPrint, a printing company with more than 65,000 products in its merchant feed, says the free Google Product search has been a fantastic source of business, and she believes Google Shopping could perform even better.
"It's been quite successful for us," she said. "It has one of our highest conversion rates. But, for our particular use, we're excited about the changes. One of the things that we've been trying to do is get more volume and, with this, we can bid and get more volume. We're excited about that possibility."
Ryann Scrafford, marketing director of kids clothing retailer Axl's Closet, agrees. "Outside of ensuring we had clean data, there weren't any levers that we could pull to affect the channel's performance," he told us. "Replacing Google Product Search with PLA [Product Listing Ads] allows us the opportunity to compete against the large players in categories that we believe we provide a better assortment or experience in, and back off on the ones that we don't through adjusting our bidding strategies."
Hope For Better Reporting And Support For Decluttering
Besides increasing volume and tweaking settings, there's also hope that reporting will improve now that Google is getting more money to support it.
"Frequently we see fluctuations in sales from week to week and are unable to determine what caused the increase or decrease which makes it impossible to optimize the channel," said Scrafford.
Additionally, there's marketer support for a de-cluttering of the search engine results pages for ecommerce-oriented queries, given how confusing it's become in recent years.
"Google has done a lot to monetize the top portion of the search results for retail listings, that quite frankly the page has become littered with product listings, product extensions, shopping results, and a few regular organic listings, that it's really hard for a retailer to stand out," said Laura Thieme, CEO of Bizwatch Search Analytics.
Concern About Keywords
Still, even those, like Thieme, who were advocates of Google changing to a paid model are concerned about how the change might be implemented. Thieme says she recently learned the keywords a mid-market retailer client's product listing ads (PLAs) were showing for. "We were absolutely shocked…[they were] not relevant, the costs were exorbitant, resulting in a horrible ROAS [return on advertising spend]. So, PLAs need to be improved, and, quite frankly, I'm glad they're choosing to change the model, but not to paid inclusion," she said.
Others are concerned that smaller retailers will suffer, given the money and time that will be required to manage product listing ads. Previously for companies with few changes in their products or pricing, Google Shopping could be nearly "set and forget" — but no more.
"Companies that relied on Google Shopping for a significant portion of their online revenue stream now face a daunting challenge of re-assessing their entire marketing mix, and seeing how reduced margins from sales in Google Shopping fit in," said Brian Lewis, VP at Engine Ready.
What Does This Mean For 2012 Holiday Shopping?
Even more distressing is the timing of the change. Google hasn't given a firm timeline, and, if you're an online retailer, the all-important holiday season is right around the corner.
"The impact this could have on retail budgets for 2012 holiday season could be significant. Merchants need time to update their platform and coding requirements, and as a result, pricing and new requirements launched after September first, may not give retailers adequate time to respond to the changes in time for holiday shoppers," said Thieme. "They should have this in place by July first, no later, to give retailers enough time to budget and programmatically update their feed requirements."
Related stories
New on Search Engine Land


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There is a really annoying issue with using command line tools on Windows: the maximum length of the command line passed to cmd.exe is 8192 characters (see http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2003/12/10/56028.aspx). So you think this is not a problem for you, as you would not pass such a long command line to cmd.exe (the DOS shell under Windows)? Well, if you are using Eclipse (as I do) which generates make files (which is the normal way), then the cmd.exe very likely is involved to call the compiler/linker/etc, indirectly with the usage of make.exe. Compiling files is usually not a problem as it does not hit that 8192 limit. However, it is likely that link phase will end up with an error:
If you have such a problem, there is a solution ….
Failure to Link?
Looking at the Console output, it is clearly the link phase which failed:
So what happened? I'm using source files with a rather long directory path, and many of them (e.g. building the CMSIS library, see "Tutorial: Using the ARM CMSIS Library"). Because that library/project has many, many files which need to be linked, it will fail at the link phase. In my above test example I have a command line length passed to the linker which is 12316 characters long!
The error might be a strange one, maybe saying something like it cannot find or execute an object file. Because the command line gets cut somewhere, the error message reported usually does not give a clear clue.
Command Line Length Limit
The problem is not the problem of Eclipse: it is rather the problem of make how much it accepts on the command line and long the command line to the gcc compiler and linker can be. The problem can be easly reproduce with my DIY toolchain and is present in other vendor toolchains like the Freescale Kinetis Design Studio (tried with v2.0.0) on Windows.
💡 CodeWarrior for MCU solves that problem with a custom build tools integration: instead of passing the full set of arguments on the command line, it uses files with the options/commands in it. So it passes the options to the called process with pointing to a file. Unfortunately this is not present in the widely used GNU ARM Eclipse plugins (see support request #25 and support request #32).
Oh yeah, I hear now already the voices singing: "Dude, it's your fault, why are you using Windows? Use Linux!" because this problem does not exist on Linux. Oh well, do not get me there 😉
The obvious solution is to keep the command line as short as possible, especially for the linker:
- Use short directory names
- Use short file names
- Reduce the command line length with using relative paths instead of absolute file paths
- If this does not help: build part of the application as a library and then link the library with the final application
Needless to say that this is all very time consuming and just a workaround for the problem. The solution is to use the GNU ARM Eclipse Build Tools package instead.
GNU ARM Eclipse Build Tools
Luckily, there is now a solution available for Windows, thanks to the Liviu and the GNU ARM Eclipse work :-). The solution is available from the version v2.6.1 or later of the GNU ARM Eclipse Plugins build tools, and the release notes reads:
"The new Build Tools v2.3 include a better shell version, instead of the Windows cmd.exe, so the annoying 8K limit on command line lengths was removed."
Oh, wow! So this is the solution is to use these build tools, and then that 8192 character command line limit should be gone? Yes, it is :-)!
Installing the Solution
The latest build (v2.4 at the time of this writing) is available from https://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuarmeclipse/files/Build%20Tools/.
Download the setup executable and run it.
On my machine, the build tools get installed into
C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU ARM Eclipse\Build Tools\2.4-201503242026\bin
Now make sure that these tools are used instead of the ones with the 8192 command line character limit. For Kinetis Design Studio v2.0.0, the build tools are located in these sub folders:
- make.exe is in <kds_2.0.0>\toolchain\bin
- echo.exe and rm.exe are in <kds_2.0.0>\bin
Rename the existing make.exe, rm.exe and echo.exe so you have a backup. Then copy the files from the GNU ARM Eclipse build tools into the KDS bin folder:
Because I have renamed the existing make.exe, rm.exe and echo.exe, they are not found any more and the new versions are used instead with the sh.exe which fixes that annoying Windows problem. And if I do a build now with my long command line, it does works :-):
Windows (better, cmd.exe) has a command line length limit of 8192 characters. The GNU ARM Eclipse build tools provided by Liviu have fixed this with a new sh.exe. Using the GNU ARM Eclipse build tools allowed me overcome that Windows limit. The fix is easy to apply: replace the limited cmd.exe based tools with teh GNU ARM Eclipse ones which use the sh.exe.
Happy Shelling 🙂
PS: Liviu, you probably read this, and I know you are using Mac OS, and you are not a fan of Windows environment for good reasons. On behalf of the Windows user community: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!


text:
This past weekend SNL Korea parodied Counter-Strike and featured appearances from top StarCraft players.
Gaming giants Hong Jin-Ho (aka "YellOw") and Lim Yohwan (aka "BoxeR") made special guest appearances on SNL Korea.
Tipster Landon points out that there's a reason why Hong and Lim are appearing together in this faux Counter-Strike set against the Imjin War, which was the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 16th century.
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This is a word play of sorts as the two players used to be called "Lim-JinRok" and were great rivals. Imjin, Lim-jin, geddit?
A neat part was when the guest appeared on screen—especially, Lim Yohwan—there was an "ooohh" from the audience. The sketch also references this news story from a few years ago. A really stupid one.
The message at the end is a clear reference to all the political nonsense going on recently in South Korea regarding gaming.
This isn't the first time YellOw appeared on SNL. He was in a previous SNL Korea skit, which you can watch below. It's a prequel of sorts to this latest sketch.
SNL Korea - Counter Strike 2: Imjin War [Bumdidlyumptious@YouTube]
SNL Korea - GTA Military 2 [Bumdidlyumptious@YouTube Thanks, Landon!]
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.


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Ten wpis został opublikowany w kategorii common life, small trips, travel i oznaczony tagami israel. Dodaj zakładkę do bezpośredniego odnośnika.
Created by Bart Pogoda in 1997.
At first as a very simple website edited in notepad on lousy PC-machine.
In 2000 whole blog was born again under the new domain "bartpogoda.net".
I was transforming this blog and my life during last years. I was a traveler, blogger, photographer, travel guide, filmmaker, director and finally husband + father.
I am based in Warsaw, Poland but I work worldwide.
Big thanks to Adam Wojtkiewicz, who is the main fixer, programmer and doctor of this website.


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Allegiant Finally Tackles the New York Market
Last week, Allegiant Travel announced a plethora of new routes to begin this fall and winter. Among this group, two routes stand out: one from Stewart Airport in Newburgh, N.Y., to the Tampa Bay area, and one from MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., to Punta Gorda, Fla. These routes represent Allegiant's first scheduled service to the New York metro area since early 2007. (Allegiant does operate charter service from Stewart Airport to Cancun on behalf of Apple Vacations.)
Allegiant already serves over 200 nonstop routes, but this new service to New York could represent the beginning of a major expansion opportunity. While New York already has plenty of low-cost-carrier service on hometown carrier JetBlue Airways and -- to a lesser extent -- Southwest Airlines , Allegiant has a much lower cost structure than either of those airlines.
Allegiant therefore has an opportunity to become a price leader in the New York market. Lower airfare prices could stimulate incremental demand. As the company becomes better known in the New York area, Allegiant may be able to add a variety of other leisure destinations to its New York route map.
Price leader
Allegiant has built a highly profitable business model by avoiding congested airports, booking only nonstop itineraries, and embracing a direct sales model. These measures all help reduce the company's costs. According to a recent presentation given by Allegiant's management, it has the lowest cost structure in the airline industry excluding fuel costs. Including fuel, Allegiant's cost per available seat mile of 10.2 cents is slightly higher than that of fellow ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, but still more than 10% below any other competitor.
With such low costs, ultra-low-cost carriers like Allegiant and Spirit can offer significantly lower fares than competitors. Both companies also grab attention by offering rock-bottom base fares and then charging for "optional services" like checked and carry-on baggage, in-flight food and beverages, and seat selection. Allegiant supplements its income by selling all-inclusive travel packages, allowing it to earn commissions for hotel and rental car bookings.
Welcome to New York
Allegiant's New York service fits in well with the company's operating model. Rather than attempting to compete at the three major New York airports, Allegiant will serve two airports far out in the suburbs. Stewart Airport is roughly 50 miles north Manhattan, while MacArthur Airport is 45 miles to the east. These airports offer low operating costs and are sparsely utilized today.
Allegiant has had considerable success operating from similar airports located far from major urban centers. For example, Allegiant serves Canadian passengers from the Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal metro areas respectively via Bellingham, Niagara Falls, and Plattsburgh (airports just on the American side of the border).
Allegiant may initially struggle to convince people from New York City proper to travel to Stewart Airport or MacArthur Airport for cheaper fares, but it will benefit from the large suburban population. Suffolk County, where MacArthur Airport is located, has a population of 1.5 million. Orange County (the location of Stewart Airport) is less populous, but still has nearly 400,000 residents.
Many suburban New Yorkers are accustomed to driving into the city whenever they want to fly. Allegiant will offer a compelling alternative for residents of New York's eastern and northern suburbs: cheap flights from nearby suburban airports to popular vacation destinations. If Allegiant's first set of New York routes prove successful, it could pave the way for additional service in the region.
Will Allegiant attack competitors head-on?
The biggest barrier to Allegiant's expansion in the New York area is that JetBlue and Southwest already offer service to Florida from Stewart Airport and MacArthur Airport, respectively. So far, Allegiant has followed its customary strategy by avoiding direct competition; neither of the two routes it announced last week is served by another carrier.
However, given the size of the New York market, Allegiant might want to consider going head-to-head with JetBlue and Southwest on other routes to Florida if its first two routes perform well. With its lower operating costs, Allegiant should be able to offer the lowest airfares in the market while maintaining a healthy profit margin.
There is some evidence that Allegiant is willing to enter a few high-traffic markets if doing so will allow it to stimulate incremental demand. For example, last month the carrier announced that it will serve the busy Los Angeles-Honolulu route starting in October. Allegiant thus may be laying the groundwork for a strategy of more direct competition with other airlines. This could make it a bigger thorn in the side of competitors in New York and elsewhere.
Warren Buffett has claimed that investing in airlines is a surefire way to lose your hard-earned cash. But Allegiant and one other airline are breaking all the rules by keeping costs low and avoiding direct competition -- leading to enviable profits. Click here to learn how these two airlines are leading a revolution in the industry, and discover whether they can keep delivering big gains for shareholders!
The article Allegiant Finally Tackles the New York Market originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Adam Levine-Weinberg has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool owns shares of Allegiant Travel and Spirit Airlines. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Crochet Cravings Laptop Sleeve
Sale price
Rs. 899.00
Regular price
Rs. 1,299.00
Unit price
PopItOut Brings you a decent and classy range of Laptop Messenger Sleeve for both men and women. This bag is made of very durable high quality fabric, which is easily washable with mild soap and water. After wash let it be dry completely for further use. DO not wash in washing machines. Although we do not recommend to wash it usually.
The laptop sleeve is washable and the print is fade proof.
Made from strong thick canvas .
Anti-lint fabric .
Sleek and light weight sleeve to fit inside laptop bag.
Perfect fit and finish for all laptop as per the size.
Ballistic Nylon lining used inside the sleeve.
Black Lining and strong zipper is used.
Printing is done on both the sides.
Product will be delivery within 10-15 Working Days.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.


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Here you can download Gunk vector logo absolutely free.
To view and edit the logo use Adobe Photohop, Adobe Illustator or Corel Draw.
Category: g
Type: .eps (Encapsulated PostScript format)
Filesize: 20.76 KB
Date Added: 08.08.2012, 00:40
Views: 1405
Downloads: 29
Below you can find logos, similar to the Gunk.


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Roland Corporation a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, is previewing a unique keyboard and piano series that introduces an affordable new concept for making music and learning to play. The GO-61K GO:KEYS offers options for beginning musicians who want to create music with no formal training, and the GO-61P GO:PIANO is dedicated to those who wish to learn to play the piano with no prior experience. The instruments and the onboard sounds are derived from Roland professional synthesizers and pianos, so they promise an easy transition to Roland models with more advanced feature sets as playing skills improve. A first for their price point, both models in the series also offer Bluetooth® connectivity for added musical and learning possibilities.
The portable, battery-powered, GO-61K GO:KEYS offers music-making possibilities for those interested in creating their own music but have not learned to play piano notes or chords or even read music. Its unique design offers intuitive, one-touch operation in which different instrument sounds are assigned to a range of keys on the keyboard. A simple key press will create a musical pattern in real time using the instrument sound of the user's choice, and an X-Y controller enables the sounds to be easily tweaked. The GO-61K contains more than 500 high-quality sounds. A touch panel and backlit LCD makes it easy to select the perfect sound and musical genre. Bluetooth connectivity to smartphones or tablets lets users jam with their favorite music or record songs using music creation apps. Built-in speakers and headphones jack offer on-the-go sound anywhere.
The battery-powered GO-61P GO:PIANO features 61 full-size piano-style keys and high-quality sound derived from Roland's professional digital piano models, all in an affordable package designed for beginners who are just starting to learn how to play the piano. Included are authentic piano sounds, plus a variety of instrument sounds such as organs, strings, and more. Sound selection is quick and convenient via a touch panel and backlit LCD. The GO-61P also offers Bluetooth connectivity with smartphones or tablets, for jamming with favorite tunes, playing along with music apps, accessing piano lesson apps, watching instructional videos, and more. Also included are onboard practice features, a headphones jack for private practice, and a built-in speaker system that enables players to entertain or practice.
The GO:KEYS and GO:PIANO will be available winter 2017 for an estimated street price of $299 for GO:KEYS and $329 for GO:PIANO.


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Juror: Mazzaglia showed no remorse
First-degree murder conviction automatically carries life without possibility of parole
Jurors found Seth Mazzaglia guilty of first-degree murder Friday in the Lizzi Marriott homicide case.
VIDEO: Jurors discuss guilty verdict in Mazzaglia case
Marriott was a student at the University of New Hampshire. Friday's verdict comes almost one month after the trial began.
Jurors convicted Mazzaglia for killing her by strangulation and for killing her in connection with sexual assault. He was also convicted on charges of witness tampering and falsifying evidence.
The jury took 24 hours to reach the verdict. The trial included sordid sex details and the final minutes of Marriott's life.
Maria was one of the 12 jurors who convicted Mazzaglia. She requested her last name not be revealed.
"It's heart-wrenching," she said. "I don't think it's something they'll ever get over."
In October 2012, Mazzaglia and his then-girlfriend, Kat McDonough, lured Marriott to his apartment. Mazzaglia wanted sex, but when Marriott said no, he strangled and raped her.
Mazzaglia and McDonough dumped her body into the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth. Her remains have never been found.
McDonough agreed to a plea deal to testify about what happened that night. She was on the witness stand for 10 days, and admitted she initially lied about the crime.
"I think all her life she was a pathological liar," Maria said.
Maria and another juror, Derek, who also requested his last name not be revealed, said McDonough's immunity was too much to risk to commit perjury.
"At the end of the day, we all believed it was credible enough to determine a first-degree murder conviction," Derek said.
Maria said she didn't think Mazzaglia showed any remorse when the verdict was revealed.
"There was no reaction," she said.
Mazzaglia's sentencing hasn't been scheduled yet. The first-degree murder conviction automatically carries life without the possibility of parole.


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Here is the revolutionary new e-book version of Sound Innovations for Guitar, Book 1, the ground-breaking new guitar method that Guitar World magazine said "is made for people who love guitar music and live in the real, modern world."
This innovative e-book places everything you need all right in front of you on each page, accessible with a quick tap of the finger: easy-to-read and play lessons, embedded up-close video lessons and demonstrations, and play-along audio tracks. The Sound Innovations guitar method combines solid pedagogy with a focus on real-world guitar skills such as strumming and fingerpicking, pivotal rock and blues riffs, improvising, reading music, and music theory. The included audio demonstrates every example and song in the book, and specialized instructional tracks feature concise explanations and demonstrations of new concepts and techniques.
Volume 1 covers beginning bass line/rock riffs; notes on strings 6, 5, 4, and 3; pick and fingerstyle playing; interesting basic power chords; rock progressions; ensembles; classic folk songs; and originals. Volume 2 continues with notes on strings 2 and 1; alternate picking; Flamenco, classical, and rock songs; beginning music theory; and playing by ear. Volume 3 focuses on bringing everything together with cool-sounding repertoire drawn from jazz, classical, folk, rock, and blues.
"It's about freakin' time! Finally, somebody came out with a beginner instructional guitar method book series for adults and teenagers alike that's not an outdated, depressing turn-off that makes you want to throw your guitar off a cliff after having struggled to learn embarrassingly unsatisfying versions of the audience favorites 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and 'Three Blind Mice.' Sound Innovations for Guitar is a thoughtfully conceived and well executed series of guitar method books ... that is made for people who love guitar music and live in the real, modern world. It is a tool that engages your interest and harnesses your intuition, various senses, and different modes of learning, as well as the latest digital technology, to get you playing things that you will be eager to practice and proud to show off." —Jimmy Brown, Senior Music Editor, Guitar World magazine


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Gemma Najem
(Australian Associated Press)
Australian shoppers are most irritated the amount of packaging on products in supermarkets according to a new survey on customer satisfaction across the country's top chains.
The supermarket review, published on Tuesday by consumer advocacy group Choice, also revealed Coles and Woolworths have been rated least satisfactory overall by the nearly 2900 shoppers surveyed.
While too much product packaging was the most common frustration for shoppers overall (54 per cent), a lack of locally-produced products (45 per cent) was the second biggest gripe, followed by long waits to checkout (43 per cent).
Consumers ranked South Australia's Foodland first – with an overall satisfaction score of 82 per cent – for its helpfulness of staff and locally produced food, followed closely by NSW-based Harris Farm Markets (81 per cent) which also stood out for quality of fresh produce.
"Shoppers are very keen to support local producers and local companies and farmers," said Choice spokeswoman Rachel Clemons.
Costco came in third for its amount of specials and discounts while Aldi, which came in fourth, was rated the highest value for money.
They were followed by IGA and FoodWorks, whose best assets were ease of checkout.
While Coles and Woolworths claim almost 62 per cent of the grocery market share, more than half of respondents (54 per cent) said they saw little difference between them.
Woolworths was ranked second last, with a satisfaction rating of 69 per cent, while Coles came in last (67 per cent) because customers weren't happy with the availability of locally-produced food, speed and ease of checkout and quality of fresh produce.
The only positive feedback for the two major chains was a high rating for opening hours.
"Convenience in terms of number of stores and opening hours, that's where Coles and Woolworths just have it in the bag," Ms Clemons said.
"But people are looking for more than that, they're also wanting fresh, good quality, local produce.
"The duopoly need to take note."
Just over 40 per cent of respondents said they use three or more grocery chains for their shopping.