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Joe Mihalic wasn't thinking at all about how he was going to pay off student loans — which would end up totaling $101,000 — when he was accepted to Harvard Business School.
"I assumed all would take care of itself; that I would go to Harvard, get a high-paying job, and everything would be OK. I was completely naive."
Then, when he graduated from Harvard with an MBA in 2009, got the six-figure job he wanted, bought a home and started paying $1,057 a month on his student loans each month, the naiveté started to dissipate. Two years after graduating, he had paid $22,000 toward his loans and saw he still had $91,000 more to go due to accumulation of interest.
It was a shocking revelation, a signal that he was trapped with overwhelming debts that would control how he could live his life. Not only had he barely made a dent in the principal after two years of payments, but he had $42,000 in interest to pay over the next 10 to 15 years.
He never questioned the value of getting his Harvard MBA, and he liked his job managing a business development division for Dell in Austin, Texas. But with debt payments arriving every month, he realized he had lost flexibility in his life. He knew that if he lost his job it could be a disaster. He would have to think twice about rocking the boat at work, balking if he was overlooked for a promotion or taking a job that paid less even if it would allow him "to make a valuable contribution to the world."
"I didn't want a gun to my head every time I thought about this," he said. "I felt trapped."
It's a revelation that few students contemplate as they apply for programs, said Sandy Kreisberg, an MBA admissions consultant. "All they want is to get into a top program."
After acceptance, they might ask about financing, but most, like Mihalic, think an MBA will deliver wealth, and they need not fret about money, Kreisberg said. That tends to be true of top MBA programs, although jobs have been more difficult to get since the 2008 financial crisis.
More top MBA programs are trying to help students with scholarships, and some compete for students with top GMAT scores by offering aid, said John Byrne, editor of Poets & Quants. For example, Mihalic received $54,000 from Harvard.
But with costs of some top MBA programs about $300,000, based on a Poets & Quants analysis that includes living expenses and lost income from quitting a job, debt can be oppressive. And when considering MBA programs, pay attention to the effect of scholarships on cost, plus the job placement rates at each school, when applying, said Byrne.
Levels of debt vary substantially between schools, even those in the top 10 or 20. At Harvard, Byrne said, the average MBA student in 2011 had $77,880 in debt, similar to Stanford at $77,599. The University of Pennsylvania's The Wharton School was highest with $114,339. Sometimes top private colleges can help students more than public ones.
Despite high costs, Byrne said MBA students have the lowest default rates on student loans, about 20 percent. MBA graduates have the advantage of relatively high pay, with base salaries averaging $91,400 in 2011, said Byrne. PayScale Inc. put the median salary in 2012 for MBA graduates at $83,500, but $136,000 for MBA graduates of the country's top 30 business schools as ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek.
A higher salary allows students to take on substantial debt and live within a rule of thumb in education finance. That is: Borrow no more than what your first year of annual pay is likely to be.
In addition, it's wise to stick with federal Perkins and Federal Grad PLUS Loans because they include forgiveness programs, such as limiting debt payments to 10 percent of a person's income and forgiving debt that's left after 20 years.
While those rules can take some pressure off students, Mihalic didn't want to pay loans for 10 years. He put himself on an austere lifestyle. He sold a car, took in two roommates, stopped going to movies, didn't take dates to dinner and skipped trips and friends' weddings. He blogged about it, and in seven months he was debt-free except for his home. Now, he said, he's so used to an austere lifestyle, it's difficult for him to spend money.
Joe Mihalic wasn't thinking at all about how he was going to pay off student loans — which would end up totaling $101,000 — when he was accepted to Harvard Business School.


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Please fill out contact form
Experienced Board Certified Trial Attorney
My name is Richard Anton, CEO of the Law Firm of RICHARD H. ANTON, A Professional Corporation. I am a business, commercial, and consumer litigation attorney who representsindividuals and small businesses in civil disputes of all types through negotiation, litigation, mediation, or arbitration.
I began practicing law in Missouri in 1976, and I have been serving clients in Texas since 1985. Only about 2% of Texas attorneys are Board Certified in more than one area, and I am certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the following areas:
Civil Trial Law - Preparation and trial of significant civil cases, including negotiations and pre-trial work, rules of evidence, and trial procedures.
Consumer & Commercial Law - Cases involving the purchase or lease of goods and services by consumers (either as individuals or as entities).
I work with clients on a wide range of legal issues, including:
I also handle family law issues through my practice at Austin Family Law. If you need legal representation in the area of family law, please visit austinfamilylaw.com for more information on how I can help you.
While my skills and experience cover a wide range of legal representation, obviously no attorney can be an expert at everything (and I would advise you to steer clear of any attorney who claims otherwise). But if your problem happens to fall outside my realm of expertise, I will be happy to refer you to my trusted colleagues in the legal community, to help ensure that you get the best possible legal representation for your particular needs.
To help me determine whether I am the right attorney for you, please answer the brief questions on the left-hand side of this page, including a brief description of your problem, and submit the information to me. I look forward to evaluating your needs and helping you in any way I possibly can.
Web Design and Development Q2 Designs, Austin, Texas

subset: commoncrawl


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Gov. Perry to meet with Obama on border crisis
AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Rick Perry has accepted President Barack Obama's offer to discuss the immigration crisis with faith leaders and local officials in Dallas.
The governor's office says Perry is pleased to meet with the president, who will be in Dallas on Wednesday and Austin on Thursday.
On Monday, Perry said he'd declined a previous offer to greet Obama at the Austin airport. Instead the governor suggested a "substantive meeting" on immigration.
Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett responded by inviting Perry to a Wednesday border meeting in Dallas involving faith and local leaders.
The White House has resisted the repeated calls by Perry and Republicans to take a firsthand look at the tens of thousands of children arriving from Central America.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Action game for PS2 | Developed by Valuewave | Published by Capcom | Released in 2004
Mega Man and his allies, Zero and Axl, team up and head to the moon in a mission to defeat the enemy and save mankind. As any one of these three characters, you must successfully jump, attack, and use new weapons to gain access to new areas. Each area contains different challenges that help you build and acquire skills. Fight your way through 12 stages, with settings ranging from space stations to lunar colonies, and then replay the levels to discover new subquests.


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With his multi-Grammy Award winning music career, continued work in film and television, and multiple written works, Common has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought after leading men.
His numerous previous accomplishments in film and music include starring on the silver screen in films such as SMOKIN ACES, AMERICAN GANGSTER, WANTED, TERMINATOR SALVATION, DATE NIGHT and JUST WRIGHT. In 2004, he partnered with Chicago native and rap music mega-star Kanye West to produce the album BE, which went on to garner four Grammy Award nominations. In 2007 COMMON released his critically acclaimed seventh album Finding Forever where it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and it went on to earn a Grammy award. His eighth album, Universal Mind Control, was released in 2008 and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rap Album.
COMMON will next be seen starring alongside Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel and Hilary Swank in New Line's NEW YEAR'S EVE. Directed by Garry Marshall, this romantic comedy will premiere on December 9th, 2011. Also due out in 2011 is the much anticipated AMC series, "Hell on Wheels." COMMON plays the role of "Elam," a freed slave who comes west in post-Civil War America seeking work on the Transcontinental Railroad. COMMON has also recently finished filming the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture fantasy film THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN alongside Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton and Ron Livingston. Next up COMMON is set to start filming alongside Danny Glover and Michael Rainey Jr. in L.U.V. as "Uncle Vincent," a troubled ex-con who finds companionship with his shy 13-year-old nephew.
Prior to acting, COMMON rose to prominence as one of hip hop's most poetic and respected lyricists having recorded over eight albums and garnering multiple Grammy Awards. COMMON'S highly anticipated ninth album, The Believer, The Dreamer, will be released by Warner Bros. Records in November, 2011. The first single from the album, "Ghetto Dreams" featuring Nas, was recently released. The single artwork features a rare photo of Common and Nas from a video shoot in the mid 90's.
COMMON also offers an even younger generation a better understanding of self respect and love, by utilizing the cultural relevance of hip hop in the children's books he has written. His first book, entitled The MIRROR and ME, teaches lessons of life, the human spirit, and human nature. His follow-up book I Like You But I Love Me was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and in 2008 he released his third book, M.E. (Mixed Emotions). COMMON will soon add to this list of accomplished written works with his revealing memoir, One Day It'll All Make Sense. Every aspect of his life's journey is unveiled in this deeply personal account of who COMMON is and the people, faith and events that have shaped and molded him into the award-winning, critically acclaimed conscious artist of today. This memoir will be on shelves beginning September 13, 2011 from Atria Books.
In addition to his music, film, and literary pursuits, COMMON has been the face, voice and inspiration behind some of the largest consumer brands in the country. COMMON was the voice of Gatorade's G Series Sports Drink commercial that was launched during Super Bowl 2010. In 2009, he was announced as the face of the new Diesel men's fragrance Only the Brave and he partnered with Microsoft as the inspiration and one of the designers to launch their Softwear clothing t-shirt line.
COMMON is a regularly requested guest speaker known to motivate and empower collegiate minds while speaking at prestigious universities across the country. In 2000, he launched the Common Ground Foundation, whose mission is dedicated to the empowerment and development of disadvantaged youth in urban communities by mentoring in three areas: character development, creative expression and healthy living.
Whether inspiring audiences through music, movies, television, books or his foundation, COMMON continues to break new ground, and remains to be one of hip-hop's most innovative, positive voices.


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Smithfield 4th Ward Exterior
Quite a nice design and similar to the Salt Lake 12th Ward meetinghouse that was built a year later. Both buildings were designed with a window at the chamfered corner. The window in the Salt Lake building was an octagon, while here it was a circle that brought natural light into the chapel. Unfortunately, as you can see, this window was removed. Similar to both buildings are a tower marking the entrance. The Salt Lake tower makes a stronger statement, while this tower is obscured by the horizontal classroom wing that intersects the tower and chops off the bottom half. This building has a steeple at the top of the tower, while the other doesn't. And the original window at the tower and entry here were either glass block or gridded, similar to the Salt Lake chapel. Now there is a standard double hung window at the tower and a standard storefront glazing at the entry.
Smithfield, UT
Built 1940
Architect: Lorenzo S Young
Click for Map Location of Building


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Irish Blessings 12" Indoor Outdoor Wall Thermometer, French Bronze
Made in the USA from sand cast, high-density aluminum alloy. Alumi-Shield All Weather Coating: A Whitehall Exclusive. Alumi-Shield - Protects against the harshest weather and environmental elements. Extends the product life and maintains the look and function. Hand finished with a contrasting accent to complete this one-of-a-kind time thermometer.
Whitehall Irish Blessings 12" Indoor Outdoor Wall Thermometer measures 13x12.
Specs/Warranty: 1 Year
Size: 13x12x2.5
Manufacturer Part Number: 1595
Custom Stock Status: Made to Order, Ships in 2-4 Weeks
Return Policy: All Sales Final


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Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) in 1881.
- Profession: Naturalist, geologist, biologist.
- Residences:
- Relation to Mahler:
- Correspondence with Mahler:
- Born: 12-02-1809 Downe (Kent), England.
- Died: 19-04-1882 Downe (Kent), England.
- Buried: 00-00-0000 Westminster Abbey, London, England.
Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist and geologist,best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory.He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors,and in a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding.
Darwin published his theory of evolution with compelling evidence in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, overcoming scientific rejection of earlier concepts of transmutation of species.By the 1870s the scientific community and much of the general public had accepted evolution as a fact. However, many favoured competing explanations and it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed in which natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the diversity of life.
Darwin's early interest in nature led him to neglect his medical education at the University of Edinburgh; instead, he helped to investigate marine invertebrates. Studies at the University of Cambridge (Christ's College) encouraged his passion for natural science.His five-year voyage on HMS Beagle established him as an eminent geologist whose observations and theories supported Charles Lyell's uniformitarian ideas, and publication of his journal of the voyage made him famous as a popular author.
Puzzled by the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on the voyage, Darwin began detailed investigations and in 1838 conceived his theory of natural selection. Although he discussed his ideas with several naturalists, he needed time for extensive research and his geological work had priority.He was writing up his theory in 1858 when Alfred Russel Wallace sent him an essay which described the same idea, prompting immediate joint publication of both of their theories.Darwin's work established evolutionary descent with modification as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. In 1871 he examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. His research on plants was published in a series of books, and in his final book, he examined earthworms and their effect on soil. Darwin became internationally famous, and his pre-eminence as a scientist was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey.Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history.
The Origin of Species, first print (1859).


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May 3rd, 2011
My Take: Bin Laden died long ago
Editor's Note: The Rev. David Lewicki is co-pastor of North Decatur Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia. He is a graduate of Yale University and Union Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2005 by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
By the Rev. David Lewicki, Special to CNN
On Sunday night I watched the news as it crescendoed around the president's speech declaring the death of Osama bin Laden. The talking heads worked capably with what few details they had. On the split screen, familiar spliced video footage replayed what little most of us know — or care to know — about bin Laden: wearing a turban, sitting drinking tea, a long salt and pepper beard, speaking to friends, crouching holding a machine gun, skyscrapers smoking.
Twitter gave a way to take the public temperature. Some passed information without editorial: "Bin Laden is dead!" Others tried to score political points: "took O 2 years to do what B couldn't do in 7," or "THAT'S a 'mission accomplished.'" Reports said impromptu crowds gathered in front of the White House and at Ground Zero exuberantly chanting "USA! USA!," singing our anthem. Others retorted that they would not celebrate any person's death, no matter who it was. Still others retrieved unsettling data about what it has cost us to find and kill bin Laden, in dollars and human lives.
Finally, from those with an intimate connection to the innocents of 9/11, there were tweets about tears. Tears of relief? Tears because the news dragged them back to the still-tender memories of a decade ago? Yes and yes. I was a first-year theology student in New York City on that day in 2001; I know the tears.
All of these responses are authentic for a Christian who lives in America. Bin Laden has had more influence in the last decade over the way we live our lives than any other person. He was a wedge in our politics, he disrupted our ability to come and go freely; he triggered a vast global security and surveillance apparatus. He was directly or indirectly the focus of two wars that affected the material well-being and peace of mind of millions here and across the world.
He desecrated Islam and radicalized Christianity, making some Christians more enthusiastic about military action than they might have been otherwise, while making others more enthusiastic about trying to find peaceful solutions to global problems.
He robbed people of mothers and fathers, took away their children. He made a whole nation feel vulnerable and fearful of unpredictable catastrophic violence.
One thing we might do well today is give permission to each other to feel all of the things that we might be feeling. There is no one manner by which to respond to this man's death, because his life impacted all of us, sometimes in radically divergent ways.
Beyond our feelings, Christians might also spend time considering our Lord's call to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. This is not easy. If we call ourselves Americans as well as Christians, we may feel a strong civic sense that what our government did in our name was the embodiment of public justice.
But our political identity and our identity as followers of Jesus are rarely reconcilable. Jesus did not meet enemies with violence. He asserted that the way to loose ourselves of our enemies was, counter-intuitively, by loving them and forgiving them — by wanting God's best for them and believing in the Holy Spirit's power to convert any person to faithful obedience. Jesus implied that if the Spirit does not convert them to goodness in this life, any judgment of their deeds is to be left in the hands of their creator — God alone. Our job is to never cease praying that they receive God's blessing.
I have been praying for Osama bin Laden for 10 years. I was not surprised by news of his death. As I asked myself why, I suspect it is because, in my eyes, bin Laden died long ago. He died to goodness; he died to mercy; he died to peace. He died to the things that God cares most about. He was alive until this week — but he died to life a long time ago.
I have wondered over the years what God tried to do to win him back to love. I wonder about the confounding ability of human beings to resist the love of God. I wonder about these things for Osama bin Laden and I wonder about same things with respect to my own life. Today, as I have many days before, I pray for my enemy — I pray him into the hands of the God of justice and of mercy.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the Rev. David Lewicki. This post first appeared on the Fund for Theological Education website.
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About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.


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A First Look At Quvenzhané Wallis In The New 'Annie'
Oscar-nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis roared forth a couple of years ago in the offbeat Beasts of the Southern Wild, but now she's going for a classic in a new film version of one of the most popular Broadway musicals of all time: Annie. In a new trailer, she sings, she dances, she hangs out with Jamie Foxx and Rose Byrne, and she tries to escape the mean clutches of Cameron Diaz.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Translate this page:हिंदी अनुवाद
|Calicut B.O
|South Andaman
|Andaman And Nicobar
|Branch Office(Delivery)
|Head Office
|Port Blair H.O
|Sub Office
|Garacharama S.O
|Port Blair Taluk of South Andaman District
|Telephone No
|Not Available
|Department Info
|A - N Islands Division Calcutta HQ Region West Bengal Circle
|744105, India
|Indian Postal Code System Consists of Six digits. The first to digits represent the state, the second two digits represent the district and the Third two digits represents the Post Office.In this case the first two digits 74 represents the state Andaman And Nicobar, the second two digits 41 represent the district South Andaman, and finally 05 represents the Post Office Calicut B.O. Thus the Zip Code of Calicut B.O, South Andaman, andaman and nicobar is 744105
Port Blair ( pronunciation ) is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India situated in the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Andaman and Nicobar Police. It is also the headquarters for the Indian district of South Andaman and the only notified town of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Port Blair is also the local administrative sub-division (tehsil) of the islands. It is the headquarters of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the first integrated tri-command of the armed forces of India. This is the entry point for visiting Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Port Blair is connected with mainland India by both air and sea. Though it is a 2 hours' flight from mainland India to Port Blair, but it takes 3–4 days by sea to reach Chennai, Kolkata or Vishakhapatnam. Air connectivity to Port Blair is available from Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bhubaneshwar and Vishakhapatnam. All flights bound toMore Info


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Santa Airplane
You're here: Home > Games for Kids > Santa Airplane
Very simple game for kids in which you must control Santa's airplane. Watch out for other airplanes.
Flight SIM X – Paper Throwing Game
Drag the airplane to the far left of the screen and then quickly drag it to the right and let it go. Do not press mouse buttons and do not cross the red line. Try to get your plane to go further than your friends (you can play multiplayer mode).» Find out More
Paper Plane Flight – Fun Games
Throw a paper plane as far as you can. Collect points and upgrade your plane so you can throw it even further 🙂» Find out More
Take off, perform the tricks in the air and land far away. Move with Arrow Keys.» Find out More
Sharing buttons
Player comments
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© Contributed by
Run and get a glass of water and put it on the table next to you. Take a good long look at the water. Now -- can you guess how old it is?
The water in your glass may have fallen from the sky as rain just last week, but the water itself has been around pretty much as long as the earth has!
When the first fish crawled out of the ocean onto the land, your glass of water was part of that ocean. When the Brontosaurus walked through lakes feeding on plants, your glass of water was part of those lakes. When kings and princesses, knights and squires took a drink from their wells, your glass of water was part of those wells.
And you thought your parents were OLD
The earth has a limited amount of water. That water keeps going around and around and around and around and (well, you get the idea) in what we call the "Water Cycle".
This cycle is made up of a few main parts:
Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.
Do plants sweat?
Well, sort of.... People perspire (sweat) and plants transpire. Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water out of their leaves. Transpiration gives evaporation a bit of a hand in getting the water vapor back up into the air.
Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.
You can see the same sort of thing at home... Pour a glass of cold water on a hot day and watch what happens. Water forms on the outside of the glass. That water didn't somehow leak through the glass! It actually came from the air. Water vapor in the warm air, turns back into liquid when it touches the cold glass.
Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.
When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the "ground water" that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts
Print these out and use them as posters or coloring pages. Sheets 2 thru 4 have some suggested activities you can do at home to demonstrate the Water Cycle.
Check out the Spanish version of the Water Cycle >


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If you've been followingGood HousekeepingThe Supermarket Diet
's , you probably have plenty of bagged vegetables and meat stocked in your freezer, plus a pantry full of canned fruit and other staples. What can you make with the stored groceries? Here, two easy and delicious lunches and dinners that'll make the most of your ingredients.
Lunch Recipes
Sweet Soybean Stir-Fry
Yields: 1 serving
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes
More From Good Housekeeping
- Cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 2 cups frozen vegetables (like a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
- 3/4 cup frozen, shelled edamame (sweet green soybeans)
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
- 3/4 cup canned mandarin oranges packed in juice or water (drain well)
1. Coat a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray. Heat oil over low-to-medium heat. Add vegetables and soybeans, stir occasionally, and heat until cooked through (for about 6 minutes).
2. Remove from heat, add slivered almonds and mandarin oranges, and serve.
Nutritional Information:
Based on individual serving
401 calories; 16 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 259 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 16 g fiber; 22 g protein
Tri-Color Orzo Salad
Yields: 1 serving
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
- 1/3 cup dry orzo
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup canned black beans (rinse and drain)
- 1 cup canned stewed tomatoes (choose no-salt-added; drain well)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1. In a medium saucepan, boil one quart water. Add dry orzo and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Heat corn in microwave for 90 seconds or until cooked through.
3. In a serving bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add cooked orzo and cooked corn to the mixture and toss well before serving. If desired, add more balsamic vinegar.
Nutritional Information:
Based on individual serving.
380 calories; 6 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 314 mg sodium; 76 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 14 g protein
Turkey Burger with Garlic Spinach
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
- 3/4 cup frozen chopped white onion
- 1 pound ground turkey breast meat
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- Cooking spray
- 4 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 cups cut-leaf frozen spinach
- 4 teaspoons trans-fat-free margarine
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic from jar
- 4 whole-grain buns (200 calories each)
- 8 cups fresh strawberries
1. Defrost chopped onion in microwave for 1 minute. Combine next three ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, add the defrosted onion, and form into equal-size patties. Coat a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray, add oil, and cook patties over low-to-medium heat until cooked through.
2. Cook spinach in microwave for 2 minutes or until cooked through. Add margarine and garlic to spinach.
3. Serve each burger on a whole-grain bun, toast if desired, with 1/2 cup garlic spinach and 2 cups fresh strawberries on the side.
Nutritional Information:
Based on individual serving.
466 calories; 11 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 45 mg cholesterol; 1,004 mg sodium; 57 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 37 g protein
Roasted Red Pepper Chicken in the Skillet
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 6 minutes
Cook time: 13 minutes
- Cooking spray
- 4 medium-sized skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound each)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Black pepper
- 1/3 cup roasted red peppers from the jar (drain well)
- 4 cups canned apricot halves, preferably packed in juice, water, or light syrup
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 cups frozen broccoli florets
- 8 palm-size slices of French or Italian bread
1. Coat a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray and heat over low-to-medium heat. Dredge chicken breasts in the flour, sprinkle with black pepper, and cook chicken on one side.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the next four ingredients. Turn the chicken breasts over in the skillet and top with the roasted red pepper mixture. Cover the skillet, leaving it slightly open to vent, and heat until chicken is cooked through.
3. Move chicken to a serving plate but reserve the drippings in the pan. Add the oil and the broccoli, and heat until cooked through. Serve each portion of chicken with 1 cup broccoli and 2 palm-size slices of French or Italian bread on the side.
Nutritional Information:
Based on individual serving.
498 calories; 9 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 66 mg cholesterol; 914 mg sodium; 66 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 9 g protein


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Yo quiero PlayStation 3's?
According to G4's TheFeed, Taco Bell is joining the frenzy for the new PlayStation3, and offering $12,500 worth of tacos, gorditas, or whatever else on their menu to the first person willing to trade his or her game console with the franchise. While the "lucky" gamer will walk away with a life time supply of pseudo-Mexican fast food, the chain plans to donate the video game system to a local Boys and Girls Club. For more information on how to earn the Taco Bell Bucks, follow the link below (note: Taco Bell fanatics will have to act fast. The offer expires December 1, 2006). Click here to read more.


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Yes, the verdict in the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case is old news by now, but when you have a Sunday verdict and a Friday blog, these things happen. And the good part is that I've had a few days to digest the whole thing and why it matters to me as a woman and a mother. But the bad part is that even after days of wrestling with this, I don't know where I stand.
I was raised as a feminist by a feminist. I was told from an early age that no meant no and that I always had the right to say it at any time. I was told that it didn't matter how drunk I was or what I was wearing – no one ever had a right to do anything to me that I didn't enthusiastically consent to. So whenever I would hear about rapes in the news and hear the inevitable victim-blaming that went on, I would become furious. "Even if a woman is drunk and naked on a street corner, no man has the right to rape her!" I would think to myself. I still think this, of course. "The problem is with men, not women," I would think. "Why can't it be on men not to rape instead of on women not to get raped?" I still think this, of course.
But this past week, when I was talking about the verdict and the backlash with some friends, one of them asked me, "What do you think about this whole thing as the mother of daughters?"
Huh. I wasn't quite prepared to deal with that question, actually. I have been having enough trouble coping with the fact that my sweet tiny baby Ruby just lost her first tooth; now suddenly I have to think about her going to keggers and dealing with date-rapey teenage boys? No.
But I stopped to consider it anyway, and I was shaken by my gut reaction. Because my gut reaction, not as a feminist but as a mother with daughters to protect, was that I would try to get the message across to them to not put themselves in harm's way by drinking to excess at parties. I would want them to understand how dangerous alcohol can be, for a variety of reasons. I would want them to understand the importance of taking care of their friends if they drink to excess.
But somehow, these messages of simple personal responsibility seemed to me too much like blaming the victim. Because, honestly, if men aren't inclined to take advantage of women, then it wouldn't matter how drunk my daughters were (although there are still plenty of other reasons I want them to be careful with alcohol, including a family history of alcoholism). No matter how drunk a woman is, the person to blame for a rape is the rapist.
It just seems stubbornly disingenuous for me, though, to pretend that a woman can't lessen her risk of being a victim; I guess, to be fair, not even the staunchest feminist would argue that, but for some reason, that's kind of what I'm struggling with. It's hard for me to untangle the notion of blaming the victim from taking steps to not be a victim. It's hard to tease out "this should never happen to you, ever, at any time, by anyone, but if it does, it isn't your fault" and "these are ways to try to keep it from happening to you." I understand that feeling like there are things that you could have done to keep yourself safer can lead to not just victim-blame – but even more damaging, to self-blame. If you can lessen your chance of being a victim, after all, then why isn't it your fault if you become one? I never want to get close to this line of thinking when it comes to rape, ever.
But I tell Ruby – and will tell Georgia, when she's older and can, you know, talk – to not ever talk to strangers. To be rude if she has to. To run away. I teach her that no one has a right to touch her in a way that she doesn't want. But God forbid, if something happened to her anyway, she wouldn't be the one at fault. And – I shiver as I type this –even if she ignored my advice and climbed into a car with some monster, nothing that happened to her would be her fault, even though she could have been more careful. Of course not. For some reason, that doesn't seem contradictory at all – teaching kids to stay safe isn't victim-blaming, shifting the onus to them; it's basic parenting. Why don't I wrestle with that the same way? I think it's way more Ruby's basic right to be able to play safely outside by herself than it is to be able to get black-out drunk at parties, but I won't let her do the former now, and I hope she never does the latter either – because both put her at risk because there are bad people in the world. And yet I feel honor-bound as a woman and a feminist to insist that women should be able to drink as much as they want without having to feel like they're in potential danger of being raped.
They should, yes. And Ruby should be able to safely play outside by herself. But I'm not about to tell her, "The world should be safe, Ru, so go ahead and walk to dance class alone. And if any guy says he needs your help finding a lost puppy, well, he should be a nice guy who is just concerned about his pet, so please go ahead and help him look."
Honestly, I think the vast, vast majority of people are good. I think the vast, vast majority people would help Ruby if she were lost and alone. I think the vast, vast majority – well, at least the vast majority – of teenage boys at a party would take care of her if she were drunk instead of taking advantage of her. But to the extent that I can control any of this (and that's the scary part about parenting: how little I can actually control in proportion to how deeply I care), I want to make choices for her now – and teach her to make choices for herself later – that are as safe as possible. I hope that's empowering, not somehow subtly shifting blame on to her.
Is anyone else wrestling with this? Mothers of sons, what are you telling your kids?


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Gorlin syndrome: The nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and characterized by a broad face, rib malformations, and an extraordinary predisposition to basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
The gene for Gorlin syndrome has been mapped to chromosome 9 and has been identified as PTCH, the human homolog of the Drosophila "patched" gene PTC.
The syndrome had been previously described but it was first delineated in its full extent in 1960 by Robert J Gorlin and Robert W Goltz. Although Dr. Gorlin described many syndromes, none is more closely connected with his name than this syndrome. It has also been called the basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), and the Gorlin-Goltz syndrome..


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February 6th marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.
While in Senegal, I had the opportunity to meet "village godmothers" who had endured Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) as young girls. Each described the raw pain of the excisor cutting her as the worst she's ever experienced. Today, these women are standing in solidarity to prevent their daughters from being cut and advocating for reproductive health for girls in their village. With them are other activists and the government, who are working together to eliminate FGM/C in Senegal. Since the first Senegalese village publicly rejected FGM/C in 1998, more than 5,500 communities in Senegal have stopped cutting women's genitals.
Every year, more than three million girls in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and among diaspora communities in the West are at risk of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. According to the World Health Organization, as many as 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide currently live with the consequences of this dangerous practice.
The procedure, which involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia, is largely performed on infants to girls as old as age 15. As the women I talked to in Senegal testified, it is extremely painful and generally carried out without anesthetics and using implements ranging from kitchen knives and razor blades to cut glass and sharp rocks. The health risks are great: in the short term, death from blood loss is not uncommon, nor is serious infection that can cause long-term problems. FGM/C may result in infertility, incontinence, pregnancy complications and increased risk of obstetrical problems like fistula and infant death.FGM/C has no basis in any religion, nor is it done for health benefits. Instead, the practice has been perpetuated for centuries through socio-cultural, psychosexual, chastity, religious and aesthetic or hygienic arguments. Almost all of these are linked to girls' social status and marriageability and the practice is often seen as a necessary step towards womanhood. In many cultures, girls and women who are not cut are stigmatized and their families can be ostracized. The Sengalese, largely because of work done by the USAID funded non-governmental organization Tostan, created a community education program that has changed social norms. The program, the women tell me, has shown them that despite common perception that FGM/C is a good thing, it is in reality very harmful to their daughters.
USAID has supported FGM/C abandonment efforts since the 1990s, after being approached by many African women who asked why we were doing nothing about this issue. The Agency began programming and introduced an official policy that states the practice is not only a public health issue, but a violation of a woman's right to bodily integrity. USAID assistance on this area has been a multi-faceted approach, focusing on surveillance, research, and program implementation.
The Agency has collected important information about the distribution and practice of FGM/C at the community level in 16 countries. This information is shared with all partner and donor organizations and used for decision making about program priorities and implementation approaches. A recent USAID-sponsored comparative analysis of data on FGM/C shows that although FGM/C prevalence is decreasing in many countries and among numerous communities, many girls are being cut at earlier ages and the service is increasingly performed in medical settings. To validate and improve interventions, USAID has supported important evaluations of existing programs.
When communities as a whole understand the physical and psychological trauma FGM/C causes, social transformation takes place – and this has proven to be the best way to ensure lasting support and an eventual end to the practice.


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Raccoons may look cute and harmless, but they can be a big problem when they start crawling into your home or tip over your trash can in search of food. Raccoons are considered to be scavengers. They usually rummage through trash bins for food. In the worst cases, they enter homes and take refuge in basements and attics. Some homeowners use violence and may attempt to kill these animals when in sight or found inside their dwelling. Before you pull the 'trigger of your gun," there are other solutions to remove this pesky animal. A professional raccoon removal Kansas City service is an ideal solution to this dilemma. A professional from a reliable Kansas City raccoon removal company will visit your home and inspect how the raccoon gets inside your home. They will look for possible entry points like damaged roofs, windows or walls. They will also ensure that the raccoons will be removed humanely and without killing or harming them. If you are able to locate or trap a raccoon, call for raccoon removal in Kansas City right away so a professional can handle the removal for you. It is important that a raccoon problem is controlled immediately. This animal can expose you and your family to roundworms and other health hazards. Do not try to touch them because they are extremely rabid. Let the professionals take care of them for you.
Fair price breakdown
There are low-cost solutions for raccoon removal in Kansas City. If you are only dealing with one rogue raccoon, you can set up your own traps to catch it. However, doing this is a risky move. Raccoons are smart animals and can avoid easy traps. If it doesn't work, you may end up wasting time and giving the raccoon more chance of getting inside your home. Hiring a professional Kansas City raccoon removal expert will be your best choice. Trapping and catching one raccoon can only cost you a few dollars. Usually, the raccoon removal expert will inspect your area and will analyze how difficult or easy trapping the raccoon will be. From there, he will be able to give you a good estimate on how much it will cost.
Find the Best Costs on Raccoon Removal - Kansas City, 64101
Removing a raccoon from your yard is entirely different from removing it inside your home. You may not notice them, but if you start hearing noises in your attic or basement, you might want to do an inspection. Trapping a raccoon inside your home will require significant expertise. Removing an adult raccoon in compliance with animal handling policies is an easy task. However, there is an invisible part of the job that needs to be taken care of. When a raccoon starts residing in your home, it probably means there are babies there as well. Locating and removing these litters will require extra time and effort. This will have an impact on the cost of raccoon removal in Kansas City. The cost will depend on how well the mother raccoon hid its babies and the accessibility of the location. After locating them, the necessary repairs needed and the amount of raccoon droppings that will require decontamination will also add up to the cost.
Jackson County Raccoon Removal FAQ
Last Updated: Feb 26, 2023
Local pros & Availability
Exterminators available in your area
- Open
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1130 NW Business Park Ln.Kansas City, MO 64150
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47105 N Locust St.Kansas City, MO 64101
56111 Raytown Rd.Raytown, MO 64133
63408 E 31st St.Kansas City, MO 64128


text:
Page Auto Group offers a free, no obligation and confidential CarFinder tool, allowing you to specify your desired car, truck or SUV and submit the vehicle configuration to us. Once we locate matching automobiles, you automatically receive details of those models, with photographs included. Let us handle the task of finding your next dream car!
* Indicates a required field
* MSRP is the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the vehicle. Unless specifically indicated in the advertisement, MSRP does not include taxes, fees or other charges. Actual dealer pricing may vary. Consult your dealer for more information and complete details.
* The dealer advertised price may not reflect specific dealer offers, and may be subject to certain terms and conditions as indicated in the advertisement. Consult your dealer for more information and complete details.
* Images and options shown are examples, only, and may not reflect exact vehicle color, trim, options, pricing or other specifications.
Page Auto Group
9001 West Broad Street
Directions Richmond, VA 23294
- Sales: (804) 270-9000
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Episode 153: TWSC – Lazarus And The Tank by Michael Grey
In Michael Grey's entry for the Triple Word Score contest, a soldier pits his skills against a tank, the elements, and a harsh commanding officer. Produced by Tom Tancredi.
Special thanks to Tom Tancredi for producing today's episode, to Bayard Russell and Tom Tancredi for lending their voices to today's story, to Craig Weinberg for putting together the music, and to Alyssa Quinn for creating today's episode artwork.
Right click HERE to download the episode, select Save Link As, and save the file to your hard drive.http://traffic.libsyn.com/dunesteef/Dunesteef_153_Lazarus_And_The_Tank_by_Michael_Grey.mp3%20
Related Links:
Michael Grey's Site
Michael Grey on Twitter
Tom Tancredi's Site
Bayard Russell's Site
Alyssa Quinn's Site
Today's music was created by Craig Weinberg from Sound Association.
Star Wars: Delusions of Grandeur Podcast
The Gold Bug on Journey Into…
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
Come discuss it with us in our forum.
Or leave a comment below.


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Privacy Statement
At Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited (Schroders) (ABN 22 000 443 274, AFSL 226473), we recognise the importance of your personal information. We appreciate that you may have concerns about your privacy and about the confidentiality and security of your personal information.
Schroders is committed to providing you with quality financial services and products within a secure and private environment. This privacy statement describes how we manage your personal information and safeguard your privacy.
Privacy Principles
Schroders is subject to the requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles (APP), which are contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act) as amended from to time and which govern how private sector organisations handle personal information.
Personal Information and Collection
Schroders will only collect information that is necessary for the primary purpose of:
- providing you with our services and products or with information you have requested
- notifying you about other Schroders services or promotions from time to time
- identification purposes as required for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing purposes or other Australian or extraterritorial taxation, legal or regulatory obligations
- meeting our obligations under the Product Design and Distribution Obligations
- managing our relationship with you.
We endeavour to collect personal information in a lawful and non-obtrusive way. The types of personal information that Schroders collects and maintains generally comprises:
- your name
- contact details such as telephone numbers, address and e-mail address
- birth date
- tax file number
- bank account details
- citizenship
- other information that may be required for identification, product design and distribution or taxation purposes.
Sensitive Information
Generally, unless required by law, Schroders does not collect sensitive information about you (e.g. information about your religion, race, political views, criminal convictions, health information or membership of professional or trade associations or unions). If we need to collect sensitive information about you we will only do so with your consent or where it is required by law.
How we collect Personal Information
We will usually collect your personal information directly from you, unless you have appointed an agent or broker to act on your behalf.
We may collect your personal information in a variety of different ways including:
- direct from you when you complete an application form (either hard copy or on-line application forms), when you contact us via email or telephone or when you participate in surveys or competitions or promotions or add your name to any mailing lists.
- From third parties when you have provided authority for us to do this, e.g. from attorneys, financial advisers, platform providers, brokers, lawyers, identification verification service providers.
- From public or commercially available sources for the purposes of complying with customer due diligence obligations, product design and distribution obligations or to ensure contact details are up to date and accurate.
Telephone Call Recording
Schroders may record and monitor telephone calls for security, training and compliance purposes in the following two instances:
- calls to and from our dealers and fund managers may be recorded and archived in order to maintain electronic records of deals
- calls to and from our customer services department may be recorded for security, training and monitoring purposes, including disputes resolution and compliance monitoring purposes.
Use and Disclosure
Schroders will typically use personal information for the following purposes:
- to process your application for our products
- to verify your identity or other aspects of your application, including membership status
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- to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including anti-money laundering, product design and distribution, taxation and associated laws
- to inform you of other products or services or offers that may be of interest to you and to improve and customise our products and services
- to conduct product and market research, including product suitability assessments.
We will only use and disclose personal information about you for the purpose for which it is collected, unless consent has been obtained to use the information for additional purposes. Exceptions to this include where disclosure is:
- required by law
- reasonably necessary to assist a law enforcement agency
- reasonably required by a third party service provider to meet their legal or regulatory obligations
- required by external companies for the purposes of issuing statements and handling mail.
Schroders may disclose your personal information to:
- your attorney, financial adviser, platform provider, broker or any other person you have authorised
- professional services firms that have a legitimate need to access this information, such as lawyers, auditors
- electronic identification verification providers.
Transborder Data Flows
Schroders may disclose information to related entities, including Schroder Group entities located in Singapore, London and Luxembourg, or elsewhere that is part of the Schroder Group, provided that their privacy controls are at least substantially similar to the way in which the APP protect the information. Schroders may also disclose information to anyone acting on Schroders' behalf such as external service providers who supply administrative, financial or other services to assist Schroders in providing the financial services and products, anyone you have authorised, or government department or agencies within or outside of Australia.
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Schroders stores personal information in a combination of computer storage facilities, paper-based files and other records. These are held on our premises and systems, which may be housed locally or in other Schroders' offices globally, as well as offsite using trusted third parties. Some personal information may be held by data service providers located overseas. Schroders maintains effective control of the information under contractual arrangements. Schroders may store personal information via "Cloud" storage solutions and in such cases the relevant servers may be located overseas. We will take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, interference or misuse, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Where personal information is no longer required to be retained, we will take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to de-identify or destroy the personal information.
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We may contract out some of our administrative and support functions such as mailing, payment or settlement services, product administration services, document and data storage, background checking or identity verification services to external service providers from time to time. Only information necessary for the service provider to carry out their function will be provided and will be subject to confidentiality clauses in the relevant services agreement.
Schroders is required to identify all investors prior to offering a designated service under Australian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. Therefore, under such circumstances Schroders is unable to treat customers with anonymity.
Where legally permissible and practicable (and where the individual wishes to do so) Schroders may deal with the individual anonymously.
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Schroders may provide links to other websites. Schroders assumes no responsibility for the content or privacy practices of these sites. Once you link to another site, you will be subject to that site's privacy policy and terms and conditions.
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Schroders endeavours to keep all personal information accurate, complete and as up to date as possible. To assist us with this, please contact us if any of the details you have provided change. In most cases you are able to access and update your information at any time. Please contact us if you think that we hold information about you that is incorrect in any way or out of date.
Schroders may charge a fee for supplying personal information.
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Schroders is committed to keeping your information secure and we take all reasonable precautions to protect any information we hold about you. Reasonable steps are taken to destroy or permanently de-identify any personal information no longer required.
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The cookies we use contain information sent to you by us, identify your computer and store information about your visits to our websites. If you visit one of our password-protected websites, we may use cookies or other similar technologies to help us recognise, authenticate and store your configuration and user attributes as well as to facilitate your navigation and entitlements throughout the relevant websites. We also use cookies to customise the content that is displayed so that the information made available is appropriate to you. These cookies and other similar technologies are encrypted, cannot be read and do not collect information that identifies a visitor. All the information that cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.
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From time to time our privacy statement may change and we may notify you about these changes.
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If you have any questions about this privacy statement, if you wish to complain about how we have handled personal information about you, if you believe that we may not have complied with this Privacy Statement or the Privacy Act or if you wish to access or correct your personal information, please contact Schroders Privacy Officer by writing to or calling:
The Privacy Officer
Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited
Sydney NSW 2001.
Telephone: (02) 9210 9200
Our Privacy Officer will investigate your complaint and advise you of the outcome. If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
The contents of this statement are subject to change and are not intended to create a contract between Schroders and any individual visiting this site or who provides us with their personal information.


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Flanagan asks DPH to allow Fall River police to carry OD antidote Narcan
FALL RIVER — Mayor William Flanagan today said he requested the state Department of Public Health to allow city police officers to carry Narcan spray, which stops opioid overdoses.
Calling drug overdoses an important public health issue, Flanagan said he was looking to take a "proactive, lifesaving approach. "
"Opioid overdoses can affect anyone from a child who gets into his parents' medicine cabinet, to a senior citizen who takes too much of their medication," Flanagan said.
If approved, Fall River police officers could be equipped with Narcan in the next three to four weeks. Flanagan said the police department would need to draft policies and procedures and then train its officers.
"Given the fact that our police department is often our first responders, they should be trained in the use of Narcan," Flanagan said.
This story will be updated.
Email Brian Fraga at email@example.com.


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Celebrate Love Month this year with a hearty helping of DOG BONE SOUP, a novel by Bette A. Stevens. The soup's simmering and it's on sale for ONLY 99¢ from February 7th through 14th. Set in the 1950s and 60s, DOG BONE SOUP is the coming-of-age saga of a poor boy growing up in rural New England. In DOG BONE SOUP, you're sure to discover why "Compassion is such a beautiful thing." Already have your copy? Please share the news with your friends!
Latest ✰✰✰✰✰ book review:
'Wow! I don't know where to start with this story. Every now and then a book comes along that really makes an impression on you. Dog Bone Soup is one of those books. I didn't grow up in the 1950s, but I didn't have to because the author put me smack-dab in the middle of them (then later in the 60s).
'Told from oldest son Shawn's point-of-view Dog Bone Soup is the tale of the Daniels family. Shawn is bright and intelligent, devoted to his younger siblings and his mother. He'd hold he same regard for his father if the man didn't go on drinking binges and turn on Shawn's mother.
'With a father who is considered the town drunk, and a family forced to eke out a hardscrabble living, Shawn dreams of escaping and one day becoming an Air Force pilot.
'If this story sounds bleak, it's far from it. Rather it is a vividly told tale of a family that finds ways to circumvent the poverty in which they live. There is so much heart here—devoted, honorable characters who do what's necessary to survive. The descriptions and the settings soar off the pages. Read Dog Bone Soup and you'll know what it feels like to go flying down a hill on your bicycle, hike to the creek to catch fish for dinner, or turn in empty bottles for penny candy. I devoured this book in two nights. Pick it up once and it's extremely hard to put down. Highly recommended!' ~Mae Clair, author
If you've already read DOG BONE SOUP and enjoyed it, I invite you to share this post. If you haven't tasted it yet, I invite you to celebrate Love Month by downloading a copy on YOUR AMAZON for only 99¢ from February 7th-14th.
Bette A. Stevens


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Listen to Your Heart
It's a time of chocolate, love poems…and hearts.
In fact, February is heart month.
With cardiovascular diseases our nation's number one killer, and coronary heart disease the single leading cause of death for American women, let's take a minute to review the facts:
• Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
• Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women, and they have attacks earlier in life. Each year about 55,000 more women than men have strokes, and about 60 percent of total stroke deaths occur in women.
• Both women and men are more likely to develop heart disease or stroke if their close blood relatives have had them. Race is also a factor. Black women have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke than white women. Compared with whites, African-American men and women are more likely to die of stroke.
• Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular heart disease among women. Women who smoke have an increased risk for ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Constant exposure to others' tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke) at work or at home also increases the risk, even for nonsmokers.
• Various studies have shown that lack of physical activity is a risk factor for heart disease and indirectly increases the risk of stroke. Overall, they found that heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people than in those who are more active.
Find out how you can take the first steps to maintain a healthy heart.


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Eco-friendly landscape tips for the fall season
by Melinda Myers, gardening expert
Go green, or should I say brown. Recycle fall leaves into compost, a soil amendment or a nutritious topdressing for the lawn. It saves time, improves your landscape, and is good for the environment.
Shred fall leaves with your mower and leave them on the lawn. As long as you can see the grass blades for the leaf pieces your lawn will be fine. Those shredded leaves will break down adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil.
It is also a good time to make your last application of fertilizer for your lawn. Use a slow release organic nitrogen fertilizer, like Milorganite, that won't burn the lawn. Plus, the phosphorous is non-leaching and recent research found when the micro-organisms break down this fertilizer, some of the phosphorous and potassium tied up in the soil is released for plants to use.
Northern gardeners with bluegrass, fescue and rye grass lawns can make their last application in late fall before the ground freezes. Those in the south growing Bermuda, St Augustine and other warm weather grasses can make their last fertilization about one month before the lawn goes dormant. That's about the time of the first killing frost. Fertilizing later can result in winter damage.
Bag any leaves you don't want to leave on the lawn and dig them into annual flower and vegetable gardens. They will break down over winter improving the soil.
Use any remaining shredded leaves as mulch on the soil around perennials, trees and shrubs. The shredded leaves help conserve moisture, moderate temperature extremes and reduce weed problems. And once decomposed, help improve the soil.
Still leaves left? Start a compost pile by mixing fall leaves with other yard waste. Don't add aggressive weeds or those gone to seed. Leave insect and disease infested or chemically treated plant debris out of the pile. Don't add fat, meat and other animal products that can attract rodents. Moisten and occasionally turn the pile to speed up the process. Soon you will have a wonderful soil conditioner to put back into your landscape.
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including "Can't Miss Small Space Gardening." She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment segments which air on 89 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. Myers' web site is www.melindamyers.com.


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6 police officers in Calif. town arrested
- Six%2C including recently retired chief%2C acting chief%2C were arrested
- Officers are accused of impounding cars belonging to poor Hispanics%2C selling them
- In some cases%2C officers kept the cars for their own use%2C prosecutors say
KING CITY, Calif. — More than a third of the police officers in this Northern California town of 13,000 have been arrested, variously accused of bribery, embezzlement and threats charges.
Four are accused of developing a scheme to impound vehicles belonging to poor families, said Dean Flippo, Monterey County district attorney. After 30 days, those cars were turned over to King City police officers when the owners were unable to pay the impound fees.
The probe revealed that the scheme focused on poor Hispanic residents — including many who don't speak English. Census numbers show nearly 2 in 5 residents here are Hispanic.
"These people said, 'They are taking our property, they're taking our cars, they're taking our money and we can do nothing about that,' " Flippo said Tuesday. More than 200 vehicles were impounded, and 87% had been taken in by the same towing company.
Arrested were the following officials:
• Former police Chief Nick Baldiviez, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.
• Current acting Chief Bruce Miller, charged with accepting a bribe.
• Sgt. Bobby Carrillo, charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, accepting a bribe and bribing an executive officer.
• Sgt. Mark Baker, charged with criminal threats against a resident.
• Officer Mario Mottu, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.
• And Officer Jaime Andrade, charged with possession of an assault weapon and illegal storage of a firearm at his stepson's residence unrelated to the car scheme.
Also arrested was Brian Albert Miller, owner of a towing company and the acting police chief's brother. He was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and bribing an executive officer.
All of those arrested were out of jail within hours. Bail amounts ranged from $10,000 to $60,000.
"There has been a significant breakdown in the internal leadership of the King City Police Department," Flippo said. "It also appears to me that some officers have dishonored their badge."
Carrillo was accused of receiving a free vehicle for every 10 to 15 vehicles he had impounded. Ultimately, Carrillo allegedly got five vehicles to keep or sell and gave one to Bruce Miller, then a police captain.
In 2011, prosecutors believe Baldiviez gave Mottu a free 2001 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car belonging to either King City or the King City Police Explorers, a nonprofit group that is part of the Boy Scouts of America. Baldiviez remains on the city's payroll in spite of his September retirement, Flippo said.
"I'm not sure we know all the cars that were taken," the district attorney said. He couldn't put a value on the vehicles handed out in the scheme.
None of Tuesday's arrests, part of a six-month investigation of complaints going back 3½ years, are related to accusations posted on the Internet that King City police officers skimmed money from recovered bank robbery funds, Flippo said. He wouldn't specify whether any of the officers arrested were implicated in that accusation.
"As we began to talk to individuals over the years, we were beginning to hear this constant theme that had been there for years prior, and that was a lack of trust and faith in the King City Police Department," he said.
King City criminal cases in which any one of the six accused was the arresting officer are under scrutiny, the prosecutor said.
So far three cases that cannot proceed without the arresting officer's testimony have been dismissed, said Terry Spitz, chief assistant district attorney. Other cases also may be dismissed.
"My reputation is soiled," Bruce Miller said. "There's no coming back from this even if I'm found innocent. People are always going to look poorly upon me."
He said he knew his department was being investigated but had no idea he was a suspect. He denied that he had accepted any bribes.
Almost all of the police force's upper management has been arrested, Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller said. His office is offering help in the interim as King City officials figure out how to continue policing the town about 135 miles southeast of San Francisco and 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles along U.S. 101.
"We have no plans to just go into the city and take over services, but our offer to the city is we're available from this point on to provide whatever level of law enforcement services the city requires," he said.
The King City Police Department has come under fire in recent years. In 2010, Baldiviez was placed on administrative leave after officers claimed he arrived intoxicated at crime scenes. The next year, Baldiviez came under scrutiny for allegedly placing overweight officers on a weight-loss program, claiming they were unfit to work.
Baldiviez officially retired in September after a four-month vacation. Bruce Miller has filled the chief's position on an interim basis since May 2013.
At the time, Bruce Miller said he would be interested in applying for the chief's position when it became officially available.
Baldiviez is also listed as one of several defendants in a November lawsuit claiming the King City Police Department brutalized a Hispanic family, based upon their ethnicity, in an April 2012 raid.
Contributing: The Associated Press


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With this stunning and somewhat rare West Coast Sunshine, we should all be outside enjoying the weather before it returns to nasty rain again! However, I know a lot of people down with flu and colds now, and so I've compiled a few items of interest I found that I think you might want to check out!
1) Katherine Blaze Carlsons column in the National Post: " Long Before Milf Interview, Christy'frickin' Clark laughed her way through Questions on Her Looks and Nudity In This Radio Chat "
Well, it's about time you got on board, Katherine, but better late than never! The CFOX appearance was just part of the argument behind my December 27th post here and on the Huffington Post BC, but a crucial one, because as I wrote then, and stand by now, it set the standard for what was acceptable topic of conversation with the premier on that kind of station. Don't forget, you heard it here first, linked to within the comments section below the first post. By the way, the earth opened up and nearly swallowed me live on Friday when I arrived home to an onslaught of messages about Bill Good.. gasp.. agreeing with my points in an earlier interview with Mike Smyth. Cue up the Audio Vault for 9 am Friday the 11th to hear firsthand.
2) Why is Christy Clark deleting messages of concern from movie industry workers, from her Facebook page?
Good friend and BC actor, Adrian Hough mentioned to me recently that Christy Clarks team had deleted dozens of message from her Facebook page, from members of the film and movie industry in BC… read on my friends!
The countless messages from both actors and actresses, and film/movie industry workers were left on her Facebook page in response to the news that the BC government could not make a case for any added emphasis in the BC Jobs Plan for film, television or video game industries.
Bob Mackin has the story : http://www.timescolonist.com/film-tv-gaming-left-out-of-bc-jobs-plan-1.44327
Interesting… Clark claims to have an open government that wants to communicate with the people, she states again and again she would rather talk to people than sit in the legislature… but when people want to talk to her… she ( her team) deletes their comments from her Facebook page? Not exactly indicative of a leader who wants to hear from the people, if you ask me!
Luckily, one smart cookie took screen shots and posted them for posterity :http://www.ninja12.com/cc/
Now, to me, the only reason she, or her staff would delete them all – and they were all civil – was so that no one else in the province saw the disappointment of a major industry being left out in the cold. I find this compelling, because there is definite pressure on other sectors that have traditionally brought in revenue to provincial coffers, so why wouldn't the government be interested in promoting and expanding that? And what will the impact be for BC film industry workers? I asked Adrian for his take on this, and this is what he had to say:
" The film industry has contributed something in the realm of 2 billion dollars to the province or more, but has been losing production like crazy, as well as talent to the East…which means that someone like me, who makes a living on frequent roles in production, Vancouver based, will have less opportunity. Crews are being hit the hardest however.
I love living in BC, but if production leaves here, I might also be forced to. My kids are here. I love BC. The mountains, the ocean, the fresh air. I like the community I have developed in the industry, and in my adopted hometown of Nanaimo.
Making a living from the arts is possible, and most performers, and film people are incredibly generous with their skills, and selves, and work unreasonable hours. The stories we tell are seen all over the world, as well as at home.. I think it does something good to people to be able to look at a film or television series, and see someplace or someone they know. Or recognize as their own.
As far as economics go, talent and skills and stories are a totally renewable and unending (and therefore sustainable) resource. ( my emphasis there-ly.)
But we have to remain competitive with Ontario and Quebec and the Maritimes and as for the 'money people', ( I have spoken to quite a few of them) they say that if they can take a show somewhere else, and save money in production, they will. And it is happening."
Talk about shortsighted leadership. Times are changing and so must we as we work towards a shift from a resource based economy to other economic engines. Adrian makes a very compelling argument for fostering growth in an industry that, in an entertainment hungry society, could very well contribute more to our economy than it does now.
But hey, I'm just a writer/blogger/columnist… what do I know? : )
**Note, I just noticed Bob Mackin has the same story poste, albeit an hour earlier, and has embedded a link to the site above on his blog- check it out here – credit where credit is due!!! http://2010goldrush.blogspot.ca/2013/01/film-folks-furious-premier-photo-op.html
3) Andrew Nikiforuk, of whom I am a very big fan of, has a must read series on fracking over at the Tyee. In the series, he "takes a look at four very big claims the industry uses to reassure the public" that fracking is A-ok for the environment, people and our future. A must read if you share the same concerns over fracking in BC as I do.
4) Last but not least, Rob Shaw of the Time Colonist has a story out this weekend very relevent to the
payoff payout of Basi-Virk legal fees..… of which I'm not unfamiliar with…. which lends even more credence (not that it is needed) to the theory that this was a deal made to keep them in silence, and prevent a trial from revealing the truth to the public. The timing is very interesting.. in particular because of Auditor General John Doyles strong attempts to get at the truth behind this deal… oh wait… arent the Liberals trying to fire him?…. hmmmm.
Of course, whether you are a reader in the lower mainland, the UK, or in Europe, don't forget to check back tomorrow night for a sneak peak at my upcoming column in Mondays edition of 24 hours Vancouver, The Duel, with Kathryn Marshall!


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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and two former Special Forces soldiers were indicted Wednesday in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme to win military contracts in Afghanistan.
The 72-count indictment was returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City.
The active Army Reservist indicted in the case was a procurement official who leaked bid information that allowed all three men to pocket $20 million from a series of contracts that grew to $54 million, U.S. Attorney David Barlow said.
David Young, 49, of Hernando Beach, Fla., vigorously denies any wrongdoing, said his lawyer, Brett Tolman, who insisted Young wasn't a procurement official for the Army, didn't leak bid information, had no ability to award the contract and performed no services for it.
Young made money on separate business ventures with one of the other defendants and had millions of dollars wrongfully seized by the federal government, said Tolman, a former U.S. attorney for Utah.
Also indicted was Michael L. Taylor, 51, of Boston, who formed the Massachusetts-based firm, American International Security Corp., which was awarded the contracts.
Barlow refused to say whether the defense contractor delivered on the Army services in Afghanistan, insisting the case was instead about the suspects using illegally obtained information to gain the contracts, not whether the services were performed.
Taylor's attorney, Steven Brooks, said the company performed the services it was paid for during more than three years until 2011, and that nothing illegal occurred.
"We think that factually the government is absolutely wrong, and we're going to fight this and intend to win. We have done nothing wrong except serve the interests of the U.S.," Brooks said.
He "absolutely denied" the allegations that the three men — all former Army Special Forces soldiers — pocketed $20 million for their personal use from the contracts. Young is the only suspect still actively serving as a reservist.
The government seized $6 million in cash from the defendants, along with 20 houses in Florida, Utah, Arizona and New Hampshire, said Paul Camacho, a criminal investigator for the Internal Revenue Service.
The IRS also seized luxury vehicles including a Jaguar and a Hummer, hundreds of gold coins, an airplane and a boat, he said.
"Our role was to follow the money, and that's what we did," Camacho said.
Court records show a third defendant, Christopher Harris, 48, of Lake Havasu, Ariz., helped the government build its case. The records indicate Harris managed affairs for the company in Afghanistan, where the contracts called for them to supply Afghan troops with training and equipment.
Court records say it was Harris' banking habits that opened the case for federal investigators three years ago. He made a series of withdrawals from a St. George, Utah, credit union for amounts just under $10,000 each. Harris told a bank teller he didn't want the government to receive automatic notice of higher withdrawals, according to an IRS affidavit.
Harris was arrested three weeks ago in Salt Lake City and indicted together with the other two on Wednesday. He was released after his arrest, but federal officials said Wednesday they had no information on his whereabouts. A phone number for Harris couldn't be immediately found.


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Market-based ownership models have damaged the public and social interest. Innovation is inevitable.
The recent transfer of the ownership of Liverpool Football Club from two unsuccessful American millionaires to another group of Americans tells us something about the state of English professional football, but led me to more interesting questions about how and why societies should impose limits on ownership. This goes far beyond football, and the answer seems to be when the value generated by the organisation is primarily social; this value should not be open to private appropriation. It seems increasingly clear that ownership is going to become one of the contested issues of the coming decade. In this post I am going to try to take some case studies to tease this out.
Football is a fairly straightforward case. Most of the value in a football club is located firmly in its location. A club is made by its fans; players, managers, and chief executives come and go, but fans are forever. Support is about identity. In the days when they were small businesses, they used to attract small town sharks (car dealers and the like) whose sharp practice was kept in check, to some extent, by strict League rules preventing directors from taking fees from the club, a structure which tried to align the commercial interest to that of the supporters. That was swept aside when the creation of the Premier League combined greed and deregulation to familiar effect, but with one proviso: even now most football clubs are not significantly-sized businesses.
Football, of course, could sort this out quite easily. In Germany, teams are controlled by their supporters, and the European body, UEFA has significant authority to impose controls on clubs and structures. Just as it is currently setting limits to the debt a club can carry, and the composition of its squads, it could simply set a deadline by which ownership models had to change.
Corporations can't bind their successors
The second case is the Google Books Settlement (disclosure: I opted out). Google's view is that it has done people a favour by digitising all of these books (in and out of copyright) and I would have been pleased to have my own book (a co-written history of the BBC and its battle with Thatcher in the 1980s and 1990s) available to students and researchers. We could have set a zero price to ensure that it stayed accessible. But in the end, the public interest had got lost in the process – a globally available digital library, the Alexandria of our times, should not be the property of any one company, even one that claims not to be evil.
No matter who owns it now, or what undertakings they give, even if we don't mind the privatisation of our cultural history, it's a well-known corporate principle that boards can't bind their successors. The Google digital archive should not be locked into a private interest.
Pubs as community hubs
The third case might seem odd, and it's less clear cut than the other two, and that is the British pub, which continues to close in vast numbers (2,400 in 2009). While it is easy to regard this as the inevitable outcome of a long social change, it is also partly the effect of tampering with the rules and regulations governing the sector. As much to the point, since pubs are hard to re-open once they've closed, we might regret this if new trends re-emphasise the need for localness and sociability. We might then regard the loss of the pub as an unintended consequence (but not an unexpected one) of the application of a narrow view of competition economics and competition law that stops at the point at which it has calculated the price of everything.
The social benefits of pubs are well-rehearsed in a report, 'Calling Time On Pub Closures', by Ed Mayo and Julian Ross:
The importance of fundamental hubs like shops and pubs in rural and urban communities cannot be overstated. As well as providing the service that you would expect of a shop and a pub, they also offer a vital social environment where members of the community can come together to meet and socialise.
Their solution was community-based co-operative ownership, and the last government offered some financial support for this idea late in the day, only to find the Coalition withdrawing this months later. But this is not just about money; it's about re-drawing property rights to give communities some power over their shared social assets, no matter who they happen to be owned by. There is a useful precedent in Scotland's recent land legislation, which enshrines in law the Community Right-to-Buy: the right for small communities to state their intention to buy their land freehold when it comes onto the market, and to get first refusal as a result. It appears to have changed the dynamic of the rural land market by re-balancing the rights of leaseholders, tenants and landowners. More importantly, it has the immediate effect of shrinking the perception that these assets are for trading.
The Big Society and the community right-to-buy
And at the moment, there's a political curiosity here, which is that the Conservatives made noises before the election about a Community Right to Buy scheme for local assets, a promise which was included in the manifesto, although it doesn't seem yet to have got as far as proposals for legislation. Indeed, the rhetoric about the 'Big Society' is largely hollow without meaningful and effective legal change to protect community assets, which are otherwise open to asset-stripping by corporations or councils, as they have been in Hammersmith and Fulham in London.
At the end of a long pro-market boom, it's easy to imagine the only type of ownership that exists is a form which gives owners absolute rights of discretion over the thing owned. The point is that forms of ownership can be subtle, and can protect different interests. Both rights of way, for example, and the right to roam, give people protected and limited access to land without removing it from the possession of the owner. Barbara Heinzen has made a valuable distinction between column rights and mosaic rights in land ownership. Column rights are those framed by economic rights, where an owner has access to all the rights associated with a piece of land (including the air above and the minerals below, and can dispose of the property as they choose. Mosaic rights, instead, give different groups rights of use and access to the land. (Sometimes the land has no owner; in the UK it would necessary to hold this in trust in some form).
Innovation and resilience
It's clear that our market-led property systems have failed to give enough enough protection to other groups and communities who are affected by the use, or not, of assets which they have an interest in. We will see innovation in ownership models, even if it is only so that society can reduce the external costs to others of property owners' narrow economic decisions. And we'll need that innovation if our communities are going to be resilient enough to survive the coming economic and environmental squeeze.
The picture is of The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket, Britain's first co-operatively owned pub, and it is used with thanks. Julian Ross, co-author of the 'Calling Time' report mentioned in the post, led the bid to buy the pub and turn it into a co-operative.


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Yoga & Deep Relaxation
July 4, 2021 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
This practice is suitable for those completely new to Yoga but also those who have practiced Yoga/ have a regular practice.
Part Hatha fusion and part Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) this practice has a Yang/Yin approach. Build up some heat and internal fire with a Hatha fusion style practice, suitable for all abilities, with a mixture of short flowing sequences and static asana, a focus on mindful movement followed by a deep restful Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra is suitable for all abilities and it only requires that you get comfortable lying down and follow the sound of the guide's voice as you are guided into a deep state of rest.
Yoga Nidra can help with stress and anxiety, encouraging a calm energy, and even helping us to get a better night sleep!
Props such as blankets, blocks or bolsters are commonly used in this practice, to get nice and snuggly.
I welcome you to a supportive, friendly and deeply relaxing Yoga practice, and cannot wait to see you on the mat!
Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 876 0264 2416
Passcode: 264233