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Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Steve Womack (R-Ark.) have introduced "The Marketplace Equity Act," which would open the floodgates to anything-goes State-based taxation of the Internet and interstate commerce. The bill essentially sacrifices constitutional fairness at the alter of "tax fairness." Building on concerns raised by state and local officials as well as "bricks-and-mortar" retailers, Speier and Womack claim that, as "a matter of states' rights" and "leveling the playing field," Congress should bless state efforts to impose sales tax collection obligation on interstate ("remote") companies.The measure would allow States to do so using one of three rate structures: (1) a single blended state/local rate; (2) a single maximum State rate; or (3) the actual local jurisdiction destination rate + the State rate (so long as the State "make(s) available adequate software to remote sellers that substantially eases the burden of collecting at multiple rates within the State.")
This builds on a long-standing effort by some States to devise a multistate sales tax compact to collude and impose taxes on interstate transactions. In the Senate, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has floated legislation ("The Main Street Fairness Act") that would bless such a state-based de facto national sales tax regime for the Internet.
There is a better way to achieve fairness without sacrificing tax competition or opening the doors to unjust, unconstitutional, and burdensome state-based taxation of interstate sales. In a new Mercatus Center essay,"The Internet, Sales Taxes, and Tax Competition," Veronique de Rugy and I argue that: Continue reading →

subset: commoncrawl


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Arizona Arboretums & Botanical Gardens
Family: Verbenaceae
Origin/Range: Tropical regions
Light: Sun, part shade
Temp: KIlled back to the ground at 28 degrees F
Water: Too much water will reduce bloom
Soil: Tolerant to most soil types
This is an excerpt from an article written by Greg Grant and Jerry Parsons in 1989 after an extensive lantana trial for several years on the Verstuyft farms; the article appeared in San Antonio Light and Express-News newspapers. Parsons had written a similar article in June, 1987, about 'New Gold' lantana and did the first television on the variety on June 26, 1987 (televised on CBS news affiliate KENS-TV in San Antonio).
Lantana, of the vervain family Verbenaceae, consists of more than 150 species of shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Lantanas are mostly natives of the Tropics and subtropics of the Americas but some are natives of warm parts of the Old World. Their name is an ancient one used for the quite unrelated genus Viburnum.
Wild lantanas are hairy and often prickly-stemmed. If rubbed and bruised, their leaves usually have a pungent odor. Verbena-like flowers are formed in clusters from the leaf axils or at the ends of branches. The small, berry-like fruits contain seeds. In some regions, Texas included, lantanas grow wild as weeds, chiefly spread by birds that are very fond of their juicy fruits. The species name for the native L. horrida, refers to the pungent odor of the crushed leaves.
European interest in the New World lantanas was first excited by their reputed medicinal virtues. Spanish colonists used the "camaras," as they called them, to make infusions to be taken as medicine and used in baths. In some places such infusions are still used medicinally. The plant is poisonous to cattle and sheep, though usually not browsed by them. A decoction of the leaves has been used in Mexico...as a tonic for the stomach. In Sinaloa, the plant is a favorite remedy for snake bites. A strong decoction of the leaves is taken internally and a poultice of crushed leaves is applied to the wound.
In recent years, strains of dwarf varieties have become popular as bedding plants. The lantanas are very free-flowering from spring until frost. All types can be used in containers and the trailing types make excellent hanging basket specimens. Lantana has been improved in its usefulness as a bedding-plant largely through the efforts of French hybridists. The older varieties are tall and lanky and set a heavy crop of berry clusters but are showy in hot weather. The new varieties are dwarf, spreading and bushy in habit, early blooming and free- flowering, and are available in a much wider color range. Varieties are available in many colors from white through yellow, orange, to deep red, hot pink and purple. Often the older outer flowers of each cluster are of a different hue than the younger, inner ones.
The ABSOLUTELY BEST improvement which has been made is sterilization. Several new varieties bloom profusely but NEVER forms berries which normally have to be removed before more blooms will be produced. This revolutionary new development in lantanas insures that the plant will be a continuous blooming beauty. Sterile varieties which are available include New Gold, Dwarf Pinkie, Samantha (Lemon Swirl), Weeping Lavender and Weeping White. The lantana is a great landscape plant which is very adapted to this area provided they are grown in a sunny location. When established, the plants are very drought tolerant, and continue to produce bright and attractive blooms in the hottest of weather. Although a tender perennial, lantana is best used as a warm season annual, replanted each spring.


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How Breastfeeding-Friendly Is Your State?
There's plenty of science showing that, for most infants, breast is best. That's why public-health officials want to see most American babies consume breast milk exclusively until they're at least six months old. But, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than half the babies born in 2011 met that goal.
Policies designed to make breastfeeding easier can help make breastfeeding more commonplace. The Affordable Care Act already requires many insurance companies—although not Medicaid—to cover breast milk-pumping supplies and counseling. Plus, larger companies must provide break time and a space for new moms to express breast milk.
But state laws can go even further. Some states protect breastfeeding women from being cited for public indecency, for example, or make pumping supplies tax-free. Laws that support breast milk expressing in the workplace could be especially helpful. Almost half of new moms go back to work within a year after giving birth, and work is a commonly cited reason for stopping breastfeeding sooner than doctors recommend.
Curious how breastfeeding-friendly your state is? Check out our map below. We put it together using data from a recent policy brief published in Health Affairs.
In the future, look out for how the next administration will treat the Affordable Care Act and its breastfeeding provisions. If the next president proves unfriendly to the ACA, states will have to make up for lost protections with their own laws.


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SPG Starpoints have a lot of value because they can be used for everything from gift cards to high end hotels to high end experiences. If you are always wanted a fantastic NBA experience, here is your chance to use your Starpoints for it!
Use Points for the Ultimate NBA All-Star Experience
Link: Ultimate NBA All-Star Experience
Read: What to Know About SPG Moments Auctions
There are several packages for this Ultimate NBA All-Star experience and the bidding continues to climb. But, if you have the Starpoints, this could be a great use of those points! Let's see what you get for winning this ultimate NBA All-Star package.
Package Details
- Two (2) tickets to the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, 17 February 2017
- Two (2) tickets to NBA All-Star Practice on Saturday, 18 February 2017
- Two (2) tickets to State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, 18 February 2017
- Two (2) tickets to the NBA D-League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire on Saturday, 18 February 2017
- Two (2) tickets to the NBA All-Star Game 2017 on Sunday, 19 February 2017
- Four-night (4-night) stay at The Saint, Autograph Collection, 16-20 February 2017
- Two (2) round trip domestic air tickets to New Orleans International Airport
The lowest package available currently is at 120,000 Starpoints. At a 2 cent per point valuation, that would mean, right now, that it is valued at $2,400. I think that would be a great value of the points right now considering that 4 nights at The Saint (a Marriott property, by the way) would cost over $1,000 just by itself. Then, you can include 2 domestic tickets into it and that cost could widely vary but could be seen as a $600 value. Now, we are at $1,600 and that does not even include any of the tickets to the events!
Cost for Event Tickets
- The Celebrity game tickets are currently selling for $240 each
- All-Star practice tickets can be purchased for as low as $29 each
- The All-Star Saturday night tickets are currently at $420 each
- The actual NBA All-Star game tickets are selling for a minimum of $585 each.
- Minimum Total Value – $1,853 for two people
When we add all of the minimum costs together, we are looking at a package value of around $3,400. That's not too bad! If you are an NBA fan, this may be a package you want to bid on!
Heading to New Orleans? Check out this Great Runs page to find the best places to run in the city!
Bidding for the Ultimate NBA All-Star Package
- Links
- Ending time – 11:00AM EST February 3
- Lowest price – 120,500 Starpoints
- Dates for package – February 16-20, 2017
Do keep in mind that if a bid is entered in the last 5 minutes, the auction gets extended another 5 minutes.
Do you plan on bidding on the Ultimate NBA All-Star package?
If you do not currently have Starpoints from SPG and wish to take advantage of a package like this in the future, consider applying for the American Express SPG card to get started earning those points!


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On Wednesday, the Lakers held a pre-draft workout with potential lottery picks who could be available for the Lakers to take with their current seventh overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
— Think You Know Everything About The 2000's Lakers? Take The Ultimate Fan Quiz! —
Among the players working out was former UCLA guard Zach LaVine. LaVine was known as an incredibly athletic guard and streaky shooter during his only season at UCLA. Scouts, however, wonder whether he can transition to the point guard position.
On Wednesday his athleticism was certainly on display at the Lakers workout. LaVine turned in a Lakers pre-draft workout record 46-inch vertical, showing why GMs rave about his potential.
According to our own Serena Winters, LaVine said his vertical was inspired by being in the presence of the Lakers.
Zach LaVine on today's 46 inch vertical: "I think I was pumped a little bit, you know, Lakers!"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) June 4, 2014
LaVine will definitely be one of the prospects that will be intriguing to watch make the transition from the college game to the pros. LaVine was a player that was able to thrive on blowing past his opponents and just being flat out more skilled and now will face the challenge of playing against players who are just as, or more athletic than him.
According to Serena Winters, LaVine said its all about maturity at the next level.
Zach LaVine on going from college to the pros: "You gotta mature and be ready for that battle."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) June 4, 2014
The Lakers have a lot of options heading into draft day as to what they might want to do with their pick. They can trade it for players or other picks or draft a player they believe will set them up for the future.
— Lakers Nation Store Is Back! Check Out The Latest Gear! —
Whatever they decide to do with their pick, it will be an interesting process and something to keep your eyes on. LaVine could continue to rise up draft boards with workouts like this.
VIDEO: Lakers Nation Interviews Marcus Smart


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Eva is a lecturer in Public Policy, Politics and International Relations at the School of Social Sciences. Her research areas include Political appointments/politicization, Central and Eastern European public policy and public administration, European integration and public policy.
External activity
Contributing author (expert contributor), Joint Research Centre, European Commission, May –December 2018: JRC's Enlightenment 2.0 Flagship Report - to determine the way in which facts, values, interests and social relations drive political behavior and decision-making as well as the interplay between individual and group decision-making.
Sponsors and collaborators
Contributing researcher, Horizon 2020 funded ETHOS/Towards the European Theory of Justice and Fairness - responsible for conducting national case studies on political representation/participation and minority recognition in Hungary using discourse analysis (https://www.ethos-europe.eu/).
Crisis of Capitalism and (De-)Politicisation of Monetary Policymaking: Reflections from Hungary and Turkey, Dr. Pınar E. Dönmez & Dr. Eva Zemandl, New Political Economy (January 2018), https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13563467.2017.1421624.
The Roma experience of political (in)justice: The case of school (de)segregation in Hungary, Dr. Eva Zemandl, ETHOS consortium (July 2018), https://ethos-europe.eu/sites/default/files/ethosd5.2hungary.pdf.
Book review: From triumph to crisis: Neoliberal economic reform in postcommunist countries, Dr. Eva Zemandl, Public Administration (November 2018), https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/padm.12564.See all of Eva Zemandl's publications...


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Samsung would unveil the Galaxy S4 at a the unpacked event on March 15th, according to a recent report from SamMobile. Some of the earlier reports suggested that the next Galaxy S smartphone would be unveiled in March, and would go on sale in April 2013. According this report, the S4 would go on sale first in Europe and Asia in April, followed by America, Australia and Africa in May.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S3 at the Unpacked event last May, and the Galaxy Note 2 was announced at the IFA 2012 last August. So we can expect them to launched the successor of the Galaxy S3 at a separate event after this month's Mobile World Congress (MWC).
According to the earlier rumors, the Galaxy S4 would come with a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED Full HD Display, Exynos 5 Octa CPU with Mali-T658 GPU, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), 2GB of RAM, 13MP Camera, 2MP front-facing camera and wireless charging.
Still the venue for the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event remains a mystery. Hope Samsung would officially announce the event soon.
Source: SamMobile


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Marc's in the top 8%
Professor Marc Cowling has been ranked in the top 8 percent of research economists in the latest monthly rankings of Research Publications in Economics (REPEC).
REPEC tracks publications citations of 48,000 economists across 89 countries in the world and offers a detailed ranking system according to various metrics. The most widely accepted metric is the H-index which favourably weights each economist's most influential and highly cited papers. In his three years at Brighton Marc has improved his ranking position from the top 12 percent to his current status in the top 8 percent, reflecting the renewed interest in issues around access to finance for smaller entrepreneurial businesses in the post-GFC world.
Marc, Deputy Head of School (Research), is currently extending this research stream to consider the unique problems that innovative smaller businesses face when seeking outside funds for investment.


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Church suffers horrible tragedy during Easter carnival [VIDEO]
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Easter is supposed to be a time of love and forgiveness… it's a time for personal reflection and giving thanks to God. Not for shooting random people at Easter carnivals. In Birmingham, Alabama (which has been in the news a lot lately), someone shot a baby that was less than a year-old and three teenagers. All will recover thank goodness. About 900 people were at the carnival with 100 waiting in line when this happened. Police have taken five people of interest into custody, but they haven't actually arrested anyone yet. This could have been much, much worse.
Oh, did I mention the carnival was at a church? The Cathedral of the Cross church to be exact. This happened last night. What is wrong with people? Police have no idea what the motive was for the shooting. Could it be because they were Christians? Just sayin'. Hundreds of people ran in terror for their lives when the shots rang out. We are lucky that no one got trampled to death during all of this.
From ABC News:
Three teenagers and one infant were shot Saturday night at an Alabama church's Easter carnival, officials said.
The victims' injuries are not life-threatening.
Center Point Fire Chief says 800 people were at church carnival at time of shooting, another 100 in line to get in @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/BAu9ewrJVl
— MelanieYuill (@MelanieYuill) April 16, 2017
Center Point Fire Chief Donnie West told reporters that first responders headed to Cathedral of the Cross in Center Point — part of the Birmingham metropolitan area — around 9:23 p.m in response to a possible shooting.
"Once we arrived, we found four victims," West said. "One was a small child less than one year of age. Three others were teenagers."
The teenagers were transported to UAB Hospital's trauma center, and the baby was taken to The Children's Hospital of Alabama, both in Birmingham.
It is unclear what prompted the shooting.
ABC affiliate WBMA reported that 900 people — including 100 who were waiting in line — were at the carnival at the time of the incident.
Several law enforcement agencies on scene of shooting at Cathedral of the Cross Church in Center Point @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/uzaBB1ZCEI
— MelanieYuill (@MelanieYuill) April 16, 2017
According to WBMA, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has taken five people into custody for questioning.
West said of those in custody, "they are just individuals of interest that [police] are talking to."
The investigation is ongoing, and will be led by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
"You either jumped the fence or you got shot. I just thank the Lord Jesus Christ that we're still here," regular attendee Felicia Stubbs told AL.com. The local fire chief described the scene as "mass chaos," but said things could have ended tragically if not for the fact that several local deputies were working off-duty jobs at the carnival and immediately sprang into action to capture some of the suspects. "This could have been extremely bad," said Center Point Fire Chief Donnie West.
A pregnant woman was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries she received when she was knocked to the ground by people running from the gunfire. The shooting happened just before 9:30 pm. A 10 year-old was briefly missing, but was later found unharmed at a nearby restaurant. A man knocked down a portion of the fence and people escaped through that opening. "We were all running," she said. "I could have lost my kids and my life." Approximately 60 Birmingham police and Jefferson County deputies and 35 firefighters went to the scene. In the 15-year history of the carnival, something like this has never happened before.
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Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
Terresa Monroe-Hamilton is an editor and writer for Right Wing News. She owns and blogs at NoisyRoom.net. She is a Constitutional Conservative and NoisyRoom focuses on political and national issues of interest to the American public. Terresa is the editor at Trevor Loudon's site, New Zeal - trevorloudon.com. She also does research at KeyWiki.org. You can email Terresa here. NoisyRoom can be found on Facebook and on Twitter.


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Rental Yields in Australia compared to Pacific
Footnote |
Alphabetically |
Ascending Rank |
Descending Rank
|New Zealand
Australia: Gross rental yields (%).
The gross annual rental income, expressed as a percentage of property purchase price. This is what a landlord can expect as return on his investment before taxes, maintenance fees and other costs.
The properties are 120-sq. m. apartments located in premier city centres. (See our list of premier cities)
The gross rental returns (or rental yields) figures published by the Global Property Guide are based on the Global Property Guides own proprietary in-house research.
Only resale apartments and houses are researched. Yields for newly-built properties are not included.
Buyers should expect the rental yields of new properties to be lower than the gross rental yields published by the Global Property Guide.
Properties will be in excellent condition, with good facilities, and have been refurbished or redecorated within the last five years.
When was this data collected? Click on individual countries to see the data collection date.
Source: Global Property Guide Research
Australia has excellent house price statistics. Quarterly house price indices are available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Median house prices are published in the media releases of the Real Estate Institute of Australia. The Reserve Bank of Australia is the best source of analysis and developments in the housing market, as well as of general economics statistics. Economic reports are available from ANZ Bank and AMP Banking.


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They say, don't they, that Pride Comes Before A Fall.
I should have predicted it, really. There I was, in full Being
Prepared mode before my appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon (I call her Tigger, because she is so very, well, bouncy) next Tuesday. My Christmas cards are written, envelopes addressed and stamps affixed. A few presents awaited wrapping and I had a list
of various items - mostly Food Related - for Mr B which I needed to buy in before I headed off into hospital. But, hey, I had six whole days to go which was plenty of time to finish off my preparations. I was so very proud of myself.
Until I fell over the back door step into the kitchen, landing on the floor in a tangled (and excruciatingly painful) heap. I kid you not, it was one of my more spectacular Falls From Grace. It was
just a pity there was nobody around to witness it, Mr B being snoozing happily in his armchair in the living room, unaware of the drama unfolding in the kitchen.
am well known in the family for my unfortunate tendency to fall down steps - and, just as often, up steps. My most famous to date was on the occasion of the Youngest of the Darling Daughters' wedding. My poor daughter has to fast forward through her
wedding video when it gets to the point in the service when, having read that passage from Captain Corelli's Mandolin about olive trees growing together, their roots entwining till they are inextricably linked, I fell down the altar steps and into the
congregation where Mr B somehow managed to break my fall, his cricket training as first slip coming to my rescue. Obviously, unlike the olive trees, I wasn't sufficiently rooted to the ground.
Yesterday there was no congregation to gasp at my downfall. I decided to lie there on the floor for a while to consider my options - limited though they appeared to be at the time. I spent a few pointless moments thinking
"if only..." As in, if only I hadn't unpacked all the frozen food which had been delivered so early in the morning, stacked it in the fridge in the garage, then found I had left a solitary tub of ice cream behind. Making my way outside to
revisit the garage, I realised that I had locked the garage door so I turned swiftly on my heel to collect the key from the back door and, instead...
After a while
I dismissed these thoughts as unhelpful and tried to work out if I could move my legs and wriggle my fingers. My head, all things considered, seemed remarkably clear. Given that my limbs and extremities appeared to be in working order, there was a good chance,
I felt, that I might be able to get myself up off the floor. So it proved - and after some ungainly scrambling I staggered into the living room and draped myself on Mr B's recliner chair, feeling more than a little queasy.
That's where Kay, who helps me keep my house in order, found me. In no time at all I was provided with a hot water bottle for my painful back, paracetamol for Medical Intervention, a large bowl
(just in case), a mug of coffee (she knows me so well) and many comforting words (to ease wounded feelings.) She wouldn't leave, she avowed, until she was sure I could rise from the recliner without collapsing again. I did feel a little guilty about
the state of my kitchen: "It looks as if you had a party last night!" Oh, I wish, I wish...
The next arrival was the Lovely Louise who looks after Mr B but decided immediately that she
would accommodate two for the price of one, even to the extent of calling back in the evening to make our dinner, empty the washing machine and put the bins out - all jobs which were, for the moment, beyond me.
I have been known in the past, as regular readers know, to grumble mildly about our Piccadilly Circus Wednesdays when so many people arrive at our door, one after the other.
Never again.
Will you be OK for the op? If you care for someone like you do, there isn't anyone to care for you. So glad that Kay and Louise were around that day.
Hope you're OK. xx
lovely and heartwarming - an inspiration to us all x
Love this story told as ever beautifully.x
What a super account of a special event. I loved meeting you last night and seeing your creation come together. I'm so pleased you got so much from the activity
I have broad shoulders x


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Repo Spotlight: Repository Speed Test
by Darrel Johnston (djohnston)
In the PCLinuxOS menu, under Applications > Software Center, is the item Repository Speed Test. This item is used to download a list of current official repositories for PCLinuxOS, then test each repository for both connectivity, and for the network speed of each repository connection over the internet. To begin the test, select the item from the menu. Once started, the window below will be shown.
The next window shows that you have a working internet connection and that the repository list was retrieved successfully.
Here you can select the number of days before an update check by moving the slider.
Once the sync age in days question has been answered, the speed test will begin. Do not be alarmed if some of the listed repositories show a status of FAILED.
After the speed test has finished, you will be asked to select your preferred repository. As noted, please DO NOT use ibiblio.org.
After making your preferred repository selection, you will be asked how many total repositories in the list. The default number is five.
You can elect to keep all the repositories in the list by moving the slider all the way to the right.
NOTE: If you already have a PASS account, and the information is entered in your Synaptic repository list, an extra window (not shown) will appear, showing your PASS account information. You will be asked if you wish to keep it in the repository list.
Once the speed test has completed, you will be asked if you wish to overwrite your current sources.list. The correct answer would normally be "Yes", as answering "No" would defeat the purpose of running the test.
After answering, Synaptic will begin and ask for the root password.
After starting Synaptic, the current sources.list file will be shown in its own window. If you wish to change your preferred repository, you can do so here.
After closing Synaptic, you have the option of keeping or deleting the speed test working directory. After running the speed test, the working directory really serves no purpose. You may, however, have a reason to keep it. The default answer is "Yes".
That concludes the PCLinuxOS repository speed test.


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Sprint officially announces their Voicemail 2 Text app specifically for BlackBerry users. The official press release can be read here but, here's the gist of it:
Wireless devices give consumers the freedom and flexibility to stay connected from anywhere. With voicemail-2-text apps, customers can efficiently identify and respond to messages in a manner that is convenient for them.
This week, Sprint launched a voicemail-2-text app for its BlackBerry users. Sprint BlackBerry customers now have an easy and convenient way to receive and respond to voicemails. With Sprint Voicemail-2-Text, customers can quickly and easily read their voicemail messages via email or text message and then respond to the message with just a simple click. In addition messages can be easily forwarded and saved – no more writing down messages or misplacing them.
The application has a 30 day FREE trial (standard text and data rates will apply) and after that it is available for a monthly fee of $1.99. After your trial subscription has ended, you can simply open the app and select Subscribe to continue using the service with the monthly fee. Sprint's Voicemail 2 Text app supports select Bold, Curve, Style, Tour & Touch (I'm thinking they mean the 9930 or 9860 here).
I haven't been able to get the download to complete as of yet (keep getting an error message halfway through the download). Curious if anyone else has gotten the app to download and how accurate the SMS messages are so drop a comment below!


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Current specials
Thanksgiving 2019 dinner pickup
Let us cook your dinner this year!
Pickup is available at Wild North, Wednesday 11/27 from 4-8pm and Thursday 11/28 from 9-11am.
Delivery is available for an additional fee.
All items will be fully cooked and packaged for you to reheat at your convenience.
Price is $35 per person
Additional sides and a la carte items can be added for an additional charge:
Appetizers: $3/person
Sourdough: $3/person
Roasted vegetables & salad: $5/person
Pie: $4/slice; $25/whole
Deposit of $10/person is required upon ordering. Full payment is due at pickup, or is also available by email invoice for your convenience.
To place your order call us at (971) 808-1202 or email email@example.com.
All orders must be placed by Sunday 11/24 at midnight.
All orders will include:
Wood fired turkey
locally raised, light and dark meat, approx 1 lb per person
Wood fired mashed potatoes
roasted garlic, butter, black pepper
Cast iron turkey gravy
pan roasted turkey gravy with bourbon and black pepper
House made cranberry sauce
bourbon glazed cranberries, fresh thyme
Fire roasted wild rice stuffing
pearl onions, bing cherries, local Oregon hazelnuts, sourdough breadcrumbs, Minnesota wild rice
Plus your choice of two additional sides:
Turkey Liver Pate with toasted sourdough
Sliced house sourdough, fire roasted turkey pâté spread, caramelized pearl onions, brussels sprouts, house made sauerkraut, toasted hazelnuts
Roasted Autumn squash spread with toasted sourdough
Sliced house sourdough, fire roasted autumn squash spread, charred brussels sprouts, roasted mushrooms, squash chips, house made mushroom caramel drizzle
House made sourdough bread
Served with local butter and flaked sea salt
Roasted autumn vegetables with caramelized figs
Caramelized brussels sprouts, squash and radicchio with caramelized figs and toasted hazelnuts
Wild North garden salad
Serrano vinaigrette, parmesan, red onion, sourdough croutons
Pumpkin pie
locally grown pumpkins, cinnamon, vanilla bean whipped cream
Salted caramel apple pie
Tart local apples, house made caramel, flaked sea salt


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Welcome to The PR Desk, our latest monthly feature! Written by PR professional Heather Travis, it guides bloggers on the ins and outs of navigating the world of PR agencies and brands. This month, Heather gives great advice on finding the right PR contacts for the brands you'd like to work with.
In our first post we learned some tips on how to rock our relationships with PR agencies, but wait! How do we know which agency handles which brand? In this post we'll learn how to find right PR contact.
Finding the right PR contact for the brands you're hoping to work with can be super simple and also crazy tricky.
You're welcome!
Sometimes influencer programs are run via the in-house PR team, sometimes it's the PR agency, sometimes it's a marketing team or agency that works in collaboration with a PR agency and the in-house team, and sometimes… Well, you get the picture. Hopefully with a few of these tips and strategies you'll be one step closer to finding the right contact.
Use your blogger network
We bloggers are a friendly bunch. If one of your bloggy friends has worked with a brand you too want to work with, reach out to them. Not only can they be helpful in pointing you in the right direction in terms of contact information, but they can also offer up insights on the contact person and working with the brand. If your friend is particularly confident you would be a great addition to the brand's influencer network, they may even make an introduction — a gift not to be taken lightly. Use the insights from your network as an opportunity to research this brand relationship a bit more.
Note, however, that your friend is sharing this information with you as a trusted contact; burning bridges by sharing private/confidential information is never a good idea.
Use your existing PR network
Just like bloggy peeps, PR folks are a friendly bunch too. If a brand you want to work with is represented by the same agency as another brand you already do work with, just ask. Working with a number of brands represented by the same agency is a great way to demonstrate your value. Your name will come up in more meetings, and your track record of delivering high quality work will earn you opportunities because of this. This goes a long way to establishing a long term relationship with a PR agency.
Cyber Stalk — a.k.a Do your homework
While you won't find a Pinterest board called "PR contacts for all the best food brands," there definitely are some tricks to finding the right PR contact using the magic of the interwebs. Note, quite often you're going to have to be a bit like Jessica Fletcher and put all the clues together, since you'll more than likely find multiple names and roles of people who might be the right contact.
- Go to the brand's website and visit their media room. Is a media contact listed? Who's quoted in articles found on their news page? Do they have a staff directory?
- Visit a news wire service website (like CNW) and search for the brand. Who's the media contact listed on those press releases? Who's quoted? Are they with an agency? Or is it an in-house contact?
- Do a search for all the names you find and check out their LinkedIn profile. What role does it say they have? Are they still working with the brand you're researching? Are they connected to others, like a brand manager or social media manager?
- Do a search for the brand name plus 'Public Relations" or "PR" or "agency" or "media" and see what results are generated. Is the brand listed on a PR agency's website as a client? Who's the contact at the agency?
- Read through media articles that come up in a 'news' search for the brand name. Not only will this help you when you go to develop your pitch because of the insights gleaned, but it may also reveal a contact. For instance, marketing, advertising, and PR publications often feature stories of successful outreach activities, like influencer programs. Who's quoted in the articles? Can you find them online and confirm their role?
Reach out via Social Media
A quick DM to the brand's Twitter account is an easy way to find a contact. A simple note asking if they're able to point you in the right direction of the person in charge of social media outreach is all you need. That is, IF the person/team managing the Twitter account has that information. You may also get a generic email address versus one for a direct contact, which is ideally what you're after.
While this seems like the easiest way, I recommend doing your homework and using the other options listed first. Why? Because all that homework and/or the insights gained from your network will be invaluable when it comes time to pitch.
Conferences and Events
Conferences, like FBC's and others, are an awesome opportunity to meet and get to know the various people who represent the brands you love. Not only will you get the opportunity to meet and chat face to face, but you have the added bonus of knowing they're there for the same reason you are: to learn and get to know you too!
And so …
Hopefully after all the sleuthing you've found the right contact, which means you're almost ready to pitch — almost — but not just yet. Just like any relationship, you need to work up to the pitch — start with coffee before you drop your pants (metaphorically speaking!). The first email will be to introduce yourself (briefly) and to actually confirm they are in fact the right contact. Keep it short and sweet and offer an opportunity for a follow-up call.
You want to earn the pitch. How do you earn the pitch? Well, that's next month, where we'll cover "Five Things to Do Before You Pitch."
Heather Travis @heathertravis is a PR professional and lover of all things creative. She has extensive experience developing and implementing integrated public relations and marketing programs for agricultural brands, producers and processors, as well as high end sporting goods. She's a DIY junkie with a mean power tool addiction, and can often be found painting, refinishing, and scouring both junk yards and antique markets for her next fix … err, piece of content for her blog heatherinheels.com. Find Heather on Twitter @heathertravis and Instagram @heathertravis.


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David you're crazy, everyone I watched the Super Bowl with loved the eTrade Baby.
I under-estimated the creepiness of that clown . . . (shiver) Clowns are real creepy, especially Ronald McDonald. I'm not sure what his motives are for making kids want to eat really unhealthy food and grow obese but I am pretty certain that they are malicious motivies.
Yeah, that was a winner. If need be, Mr. Burn can swap the Amp/jumper cable spot that brings Donkey Lips back from the dead into the losers' bracket.
Lovingly crafted by orangecoat with some rights reserved, and a promise not to spam you.Back to top


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Athens dealer re-arrested days after release from federal prison
A convicted Athens drug dealer was arrested Tuesday, just days after he was released from federal prison where he served nearly three years on a previous drug conviction.
Rasheed Ammad Scott, 28, was arrested on warrants issued in September 2011 that charge him with trafficking in cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and other offenses.
Prosecutors never got the chance to present the case to a local grand jury because Scott and another Athens man were indicted one month later in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
Scott initially entered a guilty plea, but he changed his plea earlier this year and was sentenced last week to 28 months in confinement to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to federal court records. Scott was then released from custody because the judge gave him credit for time served since his arrest in November 2011.
Authorities said Scott was arrested Tuesday afternoon on the 2011 drug trafficking warrants and also for felony probation violations that stemmed from convictions in drug cases from 2005 and 2006.
He was taken into custody by members of the Athens-Clarke police Drug Task Force.
The drug and firearms charges in the 2011 case were subsequently dismissed by an Athens-Clarke Magistrate Court judge during a bond hearing because, a police official said, that case had been "rolled into" the federal case for which Scott was prosecuted. The felony probation violations are still pending and the U.S. Marshals Service has placed a hold on Scott for unspecified reasons. He currently is being held at the Clarke County Jail.
• Follow Criminal Justice reporter Joe Johnson at www.facebook.com/JoeJohnsonABH or www.twitter.com/JoeJohnsonABH.


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Oh, birds. I love to see them, listen to them and draw them. Birds can be real or symbolic.
A bird can be conveyed in a single line, as in this French fabric from 1886.
Or in many lines, as in the Pennsylvania Dutch Fraktur from 1815:
I have a flock of bird images pinned up in my studio for inspiration. Here are a few of them.
Owls by C.F.A. Voysey from England (1897):
Peacock from a 1920's Japanese Matchbox:
Gluckwunsche from the Wiener Werkstatte:
I put birds in my paintings, fabric and books. These birds were from my first fabric line, Folklorica.I painted these Golden Birds for my sister.And designed a line of fabric called Chickadee.But after the terribly apt Portlandia episode (Put A Bird on It) I felt ashamed of this love. I must be able to think of something else to draw!
Of course I found other subject matter.But birds flew back into paintings –and paper cuts:and onto quilts:
Birds are all around us, real and imaginary.
I think that if you feel like it, you should put a bird on it. Why not?


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British War medal (1078622 Spr E.M. Cashman, C.R.T.) Accidentally killed when run over by a train. Edward Michael Cashman was born in Ironsides, Quebec Oct 26th, 1874. He was living at Bell St. Ottawa, working as a wine clerk when he attested to the 5th Pioneer Battalion at Ottawa on 25 August, 1916. He has served with the G.G.F.G. for two years. Cashman died November 2, 1917 when (5th Battalion CRT diary reports) he was killed when accidentally run over by a train. He is buried at Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium. Medal is near extremely fine.
In stock


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Kat Cogswell
Vocalist ... Jazz ... Blues ... R&B ... Soul
Kat Cogswell is a professional vocalist in Portland, Oregon specializing in jazz, blues, pop and musical theatre.
Kat also leads her own small groups of many different musical flavors, performing to enthusiastic crowds at many of Portland's favorite establishments.
Kat is very happy to be working with an incredibly positive-vibe infused new duo: BobKat features Kat on Lead Vocals & Bob Demary on Guitar & Vocals. This is an eclectic mix of rock, pop, blues, & soul created with original arrangements of cover tunes through Voice & Guitar. On occasion, Kat and Bob add additional musicians for a fuller sound.
For a ten year span from 2008 until 2018, Kat was a featured vocalist for the popular female quartet "Signatures" led by Barbara Ayars (Bobby Vinton, Esquivel) with lush, four part harmonies arranged by Bo Ayars, appearing with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and selling out clubs in the Portland area.
Kat has also performed across the Northwest as back up vocalist for pop singer/songwriter Brian Copeland for four years. She
was the lead vocalist for the 17-piece Bureau of Standards Big Band, regularly selling out local clubs such as Jimmy Mak's, Duff's Garage and Tony Starlight's and also traveled to sing at the Air Show of The Cascades.
One of Kat's favorite musical project was when she sang lead vocals for the gypsy jazz band Django's Cadillac for several years, appearing on their three popular recordings and performing across Oregon and Washington, at the Portland Jazz Festival, the Bite of Oregon, the Rose Festival, The Crystal Ballroom, The White Eagle and more. Django's Cadillac will be releasing new/previously recorded music in the near future.
Kat has recorded original jazz music on three albums with Ray Wood and Vann Canton, writers of "Alligator Circus"-A Jazz Musical.
Prior to her recent work in Oregon, Kat was active on the New York cabaret scene, working in various famous clubs such as The Bitter End, the Bottom Line, and Don't Tell Mama. She headlined in an extended run of Francesca Blumenthal's original off-Broadway production "Life Is Not Like The Movies," and won the prestigious Backstage Bistro Award for her performance. Kat continued her East Coast career in the popular a cappella group Doo Wa Zoo, performing on extensive tours of the Eastern seaboard.
Kat studied jazz performance with famed educator and performer Phil Mattson at Pacific Lutheran University, then went on to receive a Bachelor of Music from the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. During her college years, she also performed with the popular "16th and Savoy" vocal group, opening for acts such as Dave Brubeck and performing frequently in the Hartford area and in New York City.
Kat can also be heard singing the theme song to the popular mobile video game "Space Age," available on the ITunes Store and Google Play.
"Kat Cogswell---One of Portland's finest! A Great voice with a true artist's understanding of a tune and lyrics. Combine that with a winning smile and an entertaining way, Kat claims the audience as Her own and delivers a solid,fun filled show every night!"
Steve and Katy Hanneman, Arrivederci Jazz Bar
"Kat Cogswell lights up a room. You can feel the passion with which she sings. My mother says that Kat 'sings from her toes' and I think that's a very apt description." Tony Starlight
"Some of the most spontaneous, high quality jazz on the scene. Kat has an absolutely perfect voice, strong as can be, and relates to the audience like no other singer in Portland at the moment. It was one of the most satisfying evenings of jazz I have experienced in my several years of frequenting the Portland jazz scene." Dave Gates
"Kat Cogswell is a Rising Star on the Portland Jazz Scene.... " PDX Jazz Festival
Find out where Kat is performing next on the
Gigs Page
Join the mailing list
Learn about upcoming gigs and opportunities to see Kat perform.
Content copyright 2021. KATCOGSWELL.COM. All rights reserved.


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Holly Denslow Champagne Room
Holly Denslow Hotel Sorella
Holly Denslow The Davenport
Join our mailing list today and be the first to know of any new events and exhibitions at the Gallery. You will receive a monthly e-mail tailored to your interests, free and delivered straight to your inbox.
© 2013. Sculptures By Design. All Rights Reserved.


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The 308 forend from ODIN Works is a versatile system for your AR10 builds. Designed to work with DPMS pattern uppers, the forend works with both high (2.06") and low (2.00") profiles. 308 forends feature the ODIN boomerang cuts making it lightweight and good looking. All ODIN Works forends are free floating for accuracy and hard anodized for durability.
Armory Dynamics 308 Receivers use the 2.06 inch adaptors.
Technical Specs


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I wrote this article back in 2011, five years ago, for the RAIM website antiimperialism.wordpress.com. Now in 2016 we have white supremacist Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for president, beginning his campaign in attacks on Mexicans, with his promise to build a larger wall "and make Mexico pay for it" being a favorite cheer from his overwhelmingly white settler audience. Along with the many reasons we revolutionary nationalists campaign for open borders, especially between the United States and Mexico, is the ecological impact of the wall, a most unnatural thing for the longest time of the continent's existence. This election cycle some attention to the environmental impact has been written about, such as here, and the reporting of this article is still relevant. Fuck the border, up with Chicano and Mexicano national liberation! – Antonio Moreno
With sentiment against migrants in Amerika growing, construction of the barrier wall along the U.S. border with Mexico continues. This is a result of the increased militarization along the border regions. The border was imposed by military force over 150 years ago, and the desperate attempt to keep migrants out is not only causing a grave humanitarian crisis but also devastating ecological impacts.
The humanitarian crisis is already bad and is getting more deadly for people. Especially in Arizona. Not only is the terrain of the southern part of the state a desert, more migrants have been going through there due to increased border militarization in neighboring states. Increased anti-migrant sentiment in the state makes the journey more dangerous. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2007 a record 218 bodies were found in Pima County (Arizona).(1) In August of 2010, the remains of 170 dead migrants so far were recovered, and the end of that year was expected to surpass the previous record. The hottest month, July, was one where 59 migrants were found dead, with seven on July 15th of that year alone. Some of the remains were reduced to skeletal ones, and 66% of the remains remained unidentified. Likely many more dead remains are still in the desert not found. Along with the increased anti-migrant repression with SB1070 and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, now neo-Nazi groups are conducting armed patrols of the border. (2) The Minutemen groups, who were big on media stunts in their vigilantism along the border, officially dissolved that year after a call to violent action sent the directors panicked, with many individuals from this entity entering into the larger Tea Party movement and into Constitutionalist militias.(3)
Along with the humanitarian crisis there is a crisis of the ecosystem.
Walls along the U.S – Mexico border had already been authorized and built in the 1990's at ports of entry that encompassed mostly urban areas. This only made migrants go through more dangerous and isolated rural areas. More border wall construction was authorized in 2005 with the passage of the REAL ID Act. In Section 102 of the act it gave the Secretary of Homeland Security, which has authority over border policing, the power to waive any local, state, and federal law that would impede the construction of the wall. This authority was used to waive over 30 environmental protection laws that would have blocked border wall construction.(4) So far over 600 miles of walls and access roads have been constructed throughout the four border states. The expenses have been estimated to be around $4.5 million per mile for fencing, and $1.6 million per mile for vehicle barriers. The maintenance and other costs are expected to be still higher.(5)
The documentary put out by the Sierra Club, Wild Verses Wall, documents the environmental effects of the border wall.(6) The region around the militarily imposed border of Mexico and the U.S. is a sensitive ecological area. The ecosystem around the border is diverse, ranging from deserts to wetlands. Over 40 percent of the land along the border are public lands protected under Amerikan law, which include several Wilderness Areas, National Parks, National Monuments, National Wildlife Refuges, and National Forests.(7) In these areas vastly different species of plants and wildlife inhabit. These areas are being destroyed to make walls and access roads, along with other infrastructure to increasingly police the border area.
The wall is disrupting natural wildlife corridors. Migratory patterns of many animal species, some facing extinction, are threatened by this artificial wall. This is also causing interference with their abilities to obtain food and water, and disrupting natural mating patterns. Animals have been photographed being blocked by the wall, some even trapped permanently in different parts of the barriers. Stadium lights built along the border also hamper nocturnal animals. All this artificial infrastructure will have long term effects on animal population dynamics. In the meantime, human migrants will still cross the border, with the wall only making the journey slower and more dangerous.
Construction around the wall is also causing erosion in many areas, and affecting drainages. Already many floods have been caused by the border wall. The damage to plant life and vegetation, along with animal habitats, is vast, for these are some of the most biologically diverse areas in the world.
At the same time they are destroying the border environment with the wall, anti-migrant sentiment is clouded in environmental concerns. It is claimed that migrants are leaving vast amounts of litter along their journeys. While litter is left by migrants discarding their supplies, that trash is easily removable and has fewer long term effects on the ecosystem. The border wall will leave longer and more damaging impacts, many yet to be felt.
In the classic book North From Mexico, author Carey McWilliams tells of the relationship that Spanish-speaking people have had with the environment around the border. "The Spanish travelled as far, but only as far, as the gypsy of the cactus family, the prickly pear, had traveled. Did they stop where they did because the environment had ceased to be familiar? Whatever the reason, it is important to remember that geographically the Southwest is one with Mexico." Further he states that the resulting U.S.-Mexico border was "one of the most unrealistic borders of the Western Hemisphere."(8).
The militarily imposed border has no relation to its surrounding ecosystem. The border was created not through any consideration of the natural environment but solely for political reasons. It was formed after the conquest of the northern part of Mexico ceded by force to the United States in 1848. For thousands of years before this there were nothing of a border in this region. The people who went back and forth on this region, like the majority who do today, are indigenous to this continent. The settler nation of Amerika has ever since built up more walls to keep people out, a sign of their ever-increasing insecurity. Their increased militarization not only violates human rights but even their own environmental protection laws. Imperialist occupation here, like elsewhere, is not only is a threat to human life but to the broader natural environment. The border wall and the occupation that sustains it must be torn down not only for humanitarian reasons but also for the sake of the ecosystem.
1. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/24/nation/la-na-border-deaths-20100824
2. http://gawker.com/5589640/neo-nazi-leads-vigilante-arizona-border-patrol-well-kill-them
3. http://patriotsforamerica.ning.com/profiles/blogs/coalition-of-militia-arizona
4. http://arizona.sierraclub.org/conservation/border/realid.asp
5. http://www.taxpayer.net/user_uploads/file/NationalSecurity/2009/Border/TCS%20border%20costs%20factsheet%204-09.pdf
6. http://wildversuswall.bravenewtheaters.com/; Video at http://vimeo.com/9561480.
7. http://arizona.sierraclub.org/conservation/border/solution.asp. Some of the areas along the border that have been affected by wall construction are: San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Southern Arizona; Hidalgo County Levee, South Texas; Tijuana River National Esturine Research Reserve, San Diego; Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, Imperial County, CA; the Sky Island region (including the Sonaran and Chihuahua deserts); Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge, Hidalgo County TX; Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Southern Arizona; Otay Mountain Wilderness, San Diego County, CA; Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, Imperial County, CA; Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Southern Arizona; Nature Conservancy Southmost Preserve, South Texas; Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, El Paso TX. This list is not complete. (Cited in Wild Verses Wall).
8. McWilliams, Carey. North From Mexico: The Spanish-Speaking People of the United States. Greenwood Press, 1968 edition. p. 9; p. 59.


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How do you achieve "closed-loop?"
Our nanopositioners use piezo actuators to generate motion. The expansion of a piezo actuator is normally proportional to the driving voltage. In an open-loop system a linear voltage is applied for motion control. However, piezo actuators exhibit nonlinearity, hysteresis and creeping, which will be translated as positioning errors in the positioning system. The term "closed-loop" in nanopositioning indicates that a position sensor is used to monitor the position of the stage in real time and feed back the readings to the controller for error correction. It guarantees that the nanopositioner reaches its precise commanded position. The position sensor is most commonly a capacitor, a LVDT or a strain gage. The control electronics are either analog or digital. nPoint nanopositioners use capacitor sensors coupled with digital control electronics to achieve closed-loop control.


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Is your music tying you down? Wireless audio is really worth investing in, and the TREBLAB X11 earphones are leading the pack. These tangle-free buds offer noise-cancellation technology and six hours of battery life. You can grab them now in the 9to5Toys Specials doorbusters sale for just $36.99 (Orig. $200).
Whereas some Bluetooth earphones are connected with a cable, these TREBLAB buds are truly wireless. As a result, you have total freedom of movement for working or getting active.
The sound quality is superb, with rich bass lines and crisp vocals. You can use the earbuds together, or listen with one ear and stay alert to your surroundings. On the flip side, passive noise cancellation helps to block out unwanted distractions. You can also take calls via the built-in mic and connect the earphones to multiple devices.
Being totally wireless, these buds are great for sports. The lightweight design includes secure ear fins, and you get three sizes of ear tips. In addition, the buds are both sweat– and weather-resistant.
They're worth $199.99, but you can grab the TREBLAB X11 earbuds now for just $36.99 in the doorbusters sale.
FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!


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Kent Car Care 6 X Microfibre Cloths
These are also easily kept as they're machine washable.
They can be used dry to dust and polish everything from your paintwork to your interior instuments and plastics.
They can also be used damp for cleaning various parts of your vehical both with and without chemicals and cleaners.
This is a pack of 6 cloths. Each cloth is 30cm x 40cm.
|Kent Car Care
|400mm x 300mm
At Blok 51 we take great pride in the speed of our dispatch and delivery times. We try our best to dispatch your orders the same day you order where possible. To ensure the best chance of your item being dispatched the same day we advise getting your order to us before 12pm (noon). We also offer a selection of shipping options to ensure you get the service you need.
You can even collect your order from the Blok 51 shop if you like. Just select 'Collect In Store' at the shipping options and we'll contact you as soon as your order is ready.
All deliveries are tracked meaning you won't have to worry about your parcel going missing.
The vast majority of our deliveries to the UK and Ireland only take 1-2 days so you don't have to wait too long to get your hands on all your favourite detailing and valeting products.
- Auto Finesse Auto Finesse Glass Waffle Microfibre Waffle Weave Cloth£5.00
- Bilt Hamber Bilt Hamber Surfex HD Multi Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser (APC) - 1L£9.95
- Kleen Freaks Kleen Freaks Quick Detailing Spray 1L£17.99Out of stock


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Nugget Shooter
Posted by Chuck....
Posted April 20, 2018
That is such a cool find!
Posted September 7, 2018
some times when I'm digging hard soil - I think about old mine shafts and stamp mills gaining great respect for the dedication of the old time miners!
Posted June 17
What is this a ruin of? Can I go to it to close-up photograph? I would like to paint and record nearby burials for the Pioneer Cemetery folks,
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8 Must-Have Electrical Tools
By Maggie Dokic on February 9th, 2016
Categories: Random Thoughts
You don't need a lot of experience or expensive electrical tools to test a receptacle, mend an extension cord, or rewire a flickering lamp–that's basic stuff that $150 worth of electrical tools can fix. Here's a list of electrical tools that every home owner should have in his or her toolbox.
Electrical tools fall into two categories: test and repair.
Test the power
Electrical testers are useful to determine if, where, and how much electricity is flowing–good and easy information to collect before you call an electrician.
1. Circuit tester: This plugs into an electrical outlet to test the presence of electricity, aka whether an outlet is "hot." It's a good tool to help you determine whether the lamp is broken or the outlet isn't working. Make sure you test the tester on an outlet you know is hot, so you can trust its accuracy on others. Cost: $4.
2. Multimeter: One meter checks several electrical properties–AC or DC voltage, current, resistance–to help diagnose malfunctions. They're digital or analog, and can test switches, batteries, and power sources. Cost: $15 digital; $10 analog.
3. Battery tester: Digital or analog meters are great for testing that drawer full of loose batteries. Cost depends on the types and sizes of batteries it tests. Cost: $15 for a household battery tester with an LCD display; $7 analog.
Repair the problem
4. Linemen's pliers: These pliers grip, twist, and cut heavy wire and cable; they also can do double-duty to hammer nails or wire staples. Cost: $30 for 9″ pliers.
5. Long nose (needle-nosed) pliers: These skinny and grooved pliers have snipping blades that reach into small places to snip and bend the end of wire. Cost: $20 for 5″ pliers.
6. Wire stripper: This plier-like tool cuts through and strips plastic or rubber insulation around cable and wire. Cost: $12 for a 6″ stripper.
7. Insulated screwdrivers: Flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers come with insulated tops that protect against electrical shocks up to 1,000 volts. Cost: $40 (2-piece set; 4″ Phillips and flat).
8. Electrical tape: This plastic vinyl, ultra-sticky tape covers and insulates wire. Cost: $4 (3/4-inch, 66 ft.)
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Argentina head coach Diego Maradona is set to be offered a new four-year contract, despite his side's heavy defeat to Germany in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Maradona was a "hero" in 86 and 90. Cheating with drugs and hands. He has got his chance as manager. Should not get one anymore. But, I am happy. Argentina is digging their own hole...
he does not have a clue of how to make a team out of argentina he could soon be fired
A real man with flaws and emotions! Not like the other robots. Argentina in the last years haven't been any good anyway!


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This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up & upcoming topics.
What shop would be your first stop on your first trip to Hogsmeade in the third year?
I think that I would be all about The Three Broomsticks and grabbing me a mug of Butterbeer especially with how cold it always seems to be when they go. Plus, it seems like the place everyone kind of gathers before heading back to the castle. That doesn't really seem like a 'shop' though. So I know I would want to check out Honeyduke's and Zonko's! Then make a trip to see The Shrieking Shack :D


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Samson Says: Thank you all for leaving such nice comments about my clean and fluffy fur and about how very handsome you all think I am. I could be blushing underneath all this fur!
I Say: Thank you to Carol Kilgore, a writer I met on this year's A to Z Challenge. Carol, not realizing I don't accept them, gave me an award that meant a lot to me. I always feel honored when someone lets me know they appreciate what I'm doing here, it was just that all the work involved in accepting awards got to be a bit much for me a few years ago. You can check out Carol's blog Under the Tiki Hut, here.
I Also Say: I can't tell you how happy I am that so many of you went over to feral woman's blog to read her posts about surviving last year's Montana fires. I just love her, she is an amazing woman.


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Austin New Construction Inspections
New construction inspections are performed at the completion of construction, but prior to your final walk through with the Builder's Customer Service Representative or Superintendent. It is always a good idea to verify that utilities (gas, water, and electric) have been turned on, either by you or the Builder depending on the Builder's policy. The inspection should be scheduled a day or two before the first walk through with the Builder. This ensures that you will be armed with the inspection report at the first walk through and can take that opportunity to discuss any concerns with the builder. The final walk through can then be utilized to ensure that any agreed upon items have been addressed.


text: Music can be like a fleeting summer. You get to the end wondering, "How did we get here already?" iStockphoto hide caption toggle caption iStockphoto Deceptive Cadence Enigmatic Endings: A Farewell To Summer Quiz August 26, 2014 The end of summer has a tendency to sneak up on us — or come to an unsettling halt. Try a quiz filled with fantastic finales and tremulous terminations.


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Best Dick I've Had in my 8 Years of Fucking.
Before I start the story, let me first describe the dick😂😌, the dick is fat, thick, when you sit on it, you can feel the hard dick with that soft fat skin *sigh*..Okay so we have been talking for a while , chatting dirty and all, so we finally met yesterday.
I got to his house, he offered me vodka, and we started drinking, we rolled sumf together and we started smoking and gisting, I thought of something to get his attention so I pulled my blouse and he saw the boobs, and his eyes were like 👁👁, he started touching it and he brought out one of my boobs and as he put his tongue on it and started sucking on it + the smoke in my system, I came, with one hand on my boobs, he gently moved my pant to one side and slide one finger inside my wet pussy, and another finger, oh boi oh boi, I gasp and he was moving in a slow fast pace, he touched my Gspot and my soul, *damn* I was just cuming over and over again *jeez* after cuming like 6times from fingering alone.
Then he said, let me top it with my dick, in my mind I said *kuku kee me*, as he led me to the bedroom, he positioned me for doggy, in my entire 8yrs of fucking I have never enjoyed such a big, fat, thick, pussy filling dick, he held my two hands to my back and hit it from behind, my juice was flowing, i was moaning loudly, I turned to myself to📢 I was cuming over and over and over again, after 20minutes, he came, we had our bath and went back to our drink and smoke, I was lying down on the couch and he was sitting where my legs were.
I just turned and positioned well so my ass was facing him, he started playing with my ass and before you know, we entered 2nd round, I sat on him and rode him like I was going for a competition, I was cuming like a loosed tap🚿💦💦, we did all the styles. fast forward, we had 6rounds before going to bed and 1 at midnight, in the morning I wanted him but no time, he was getting late for church…


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I recently discovered the awesome CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 pistol (CZ makes a select fire version as the A1 subgun) and all the cool things about it.
For one, Franklin Armory makes a binary trigger for it.
You can find the Scorpion EVO 3 S1 for sale online for $799 plus shipping and transfer fees, or perhaps find one for sale locally in the secondary market.
There are several mods you may be interested in, including an extended mag release, an extended charging handle, aftermarket handguard such as the one offered by HB Industries, an improved pistol grip, a light/(green) laser, red dot sight or EOTech, flash hider to replace the OEM FH, and most importantly an arm brace such as the one offered by Manticore Arm/SB Tactical in the form of the CZPDW. Oh, and of course the Franklin Armory binary trigger. If you install the Franklin binary trigger then Franklin furnishes the safety selector replacing the OEM safety. The OEM safety is an issue regardless of one being a right handed shooter or a left handed shooter since due to the angle of the grip when the safety is in the fire position it digs into one's index finger - there are a number of aftermarket solutions for this if one doesn't install the Franklin binary trigger.
This is where I would post an image, so (wow an image actually posted!) the CZ Scorpion in the above video is the Micro version, I have the 7.7" barrel version like the one below.


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Fast facts
- Project: Lock up, Look out
- Organisation: Mitchell Community Radio OKR FM
- Grant fund: Community Safety Fund
- Grant amount: $342
Inspired by a report in the local paper about burglaries on isolated rural properties, Kilmore-based Mitchell Community Radio developed 9 short episodes about home and car security. The series was called 'Lock up Look out' and was designed to help raise awareness about the need to improve security and observe what is going on in the area.
Several planning sessions were undertaken involving a local locksmith, a security expert, Victoria Police and Neighbourhood Watch.
Each episode contained clear, straightforward tips for residents and car owners to help keep their homes and cars safe from theft.
Each tip was simple, inexpensive and easy to implement and some were just plain old common sense. Some of the key tips included:
- Lock the doors and windows of both your house and car.
- Don't keep valuables on display.
- If you can afford it, invest in good locks. Any lock is better than no lock at all.
- Keep ladders, wheelie bins and tools locked away so they can't be used to gain entry into your house.
- Keep the front of houses clear to encourage natural surveillance. If neighbours and passers by can see your house, they can also see suspicious activity.
- Be aware of any suspicious activity and report it to the police.
Mitchell Community Radio has also created a CD of the series which has been shared with, and used by, a number of other community radio stations across Victoria.


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Microsoft must rename its SkyDrive online storage service after losing a trademark infringement case in a U.K. court.
Analysts and legal experts said that Microsoft's blunder would cost it dearly, and wondered how the American technology giant could have made such a mistake.
"It's unbelievable to me that Microsoft did not see this coming," said Peter LaMotte, an analyst with Levick, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications consultancy. "They should have seen it coming. And this is not the first time that this has happened to them."
LaMotte, who before he joined Levick had helped numerous startups with their branding efforts, was referring to last year, when Microsoft backed away from the "Metro" name to describe the new Windows 8 and Windows RT user interface and the apps that run on those platforms.
Microsoft dropped Metro in August 2012 after Metro AG, a Dusseldorf, Germany-based conglomerate that's the world's fifth-largest retailer, threatened the company. Microsoft has failed to find a catchy replacement for Metro: At one point it cited "Modern" as the new term, but then settled on the forgettable "Windows Store" to label the apps.
Microsoft and British Sky Broadcasting Group announced a settlement on Wednesday that "reflects the desire of both companies to focus on joint projects to benefit their customers," according to a joint statement. The agreement lets Microsoft use the SkyDrive name for a "reasonable period of time to allow for an orderly transition to a new brand." In return, the company pledged to drop its plans to appeal. Financial terms were to be kept confidential.
Sky provides television and broadband Internet service throughout the U.K. Among past offerings, Sky had operated a digital storage service, called Sky Store & Share, which opened in 2008 but shut down in late 2011.
A cornerstone of Microsoft's new strategy
SkyDrive, a cornerstone of Microsoft's service strategy, is integrated with a wide range of the company's software and hardware products, serving, for example, as the storage service for Windows 8, its Surface line of tablets, Office 2013 and Office 365, and the Xbox game console. Windows 8.1, the update planned to ship later this year, makes SkyDrive the default storage location for customers' files.
Microsoft is in the midst of a major reorganization, and determined to execute CEO Steve Ballmer's vision of the company as a devices-and-services vendor, not one reliant on packaged software. SkyDrive is an important part of the "services" part of that plan.
In a mid-July memo outlining the changes, Ballmer cited SkyDrive along with other services, such as the Bing search engine, the Skype Internet calling and chat service, Outlook.com and Xbox's online options. "They all deliver critical services that consumers need in the areas of insight and information, task completion, communication and fun," said Ballmer.
The broad reliance on SkyDrive means that Microsoft will incur significant costs to rebrand the service, requiring new URLs, new code in existing products and revamped apps for smartphones and tablets.
"We're talking serious money here," said LaMotte, who is familiar with rebranding costs from his time consulting with startups.
And then there's the money already spent on marketing SkyDrive as a brand, and pushing it as a name that customers recognize and associate with online storage. "This was a colossal waste of money for any marketing they did on SkyDrive," said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. "They might has well have flushed it down the toilet."
Due diligence?
What puzzled the experts was how Microsoft ended up here.
They unanimously agreed that Microsoft's legal team would have checked for possible infringing trademarks when it decided on SkyDrive as a name for the online storage service.
"Microsoft has an extensive and very good legal team, so it's highly unlikely that they didn't do due diligence," said Eric Priest, a professor of intellectual property law at the University of Oregon. Microsoft's lawyers would have run extensive and international searches, perhaps even hired an outside firm specializing in that task, to locate possible problems.


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Pyxis KBDEM/REMPB provides an easy means on adding industrial pushbutton keyboard inputs to a PC
All of the Pyxis family of peripherals are based around a common core hardware design using the Microchip PIC processors. They run specifically written embedded real time code written in 'C'.
Prices Shown Exclude VAT
Sorion merchant processing is fully PCI-DSS Compliant for your security


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The Vested Group's electronics processing solution, reVESTED, is a complete business management system that addresses the complex requirements companies in the electronics refurbishing, recycling, and distributing industry face. We understand your unique needs and business processes and have built an end to end solution on the NetSuite platform that is integrated with NetSuite's market leading cloud ERP system.
Using NetSuite's powerfully flexible platform, reVESTED is the only business software you will need to manage your electronics refurbishing, recycling, and redistributing organization. With the power of NetSuite, reVESTED resolves your most complicated business challenges and brings simplicity and clarity to your operation.
If you answered no to any of these questions we should talk. Click the Contact Us button to get in touch with us today.
Agreement & Settlements
Triage & Auditing
Refurbishment & Repair
Warehouse Management
Distribution | Recycling
The Vested Group has spent years working in the electronics recycling, refurbishing, and redistributing industry and has a deep understanding of your business.
Enjoy the benefit of years of development and design refinement we have put into the reVESTED solution. The design needs a bit of tweaking to suit your business? No problem - the NetSuite platform is easily customized.
The reVESTED cloud based solution frees you from IT hardware maintenance, software updates, and data security headaches. And, running your business on the cloud means you can work anywhere you have an internet connection.
The reVESTED Agreements & Settlements module allows electronics refurbishing, recycling, and redistributing companies to easily maintain relationships and agreement details between the organization and equipment providers. This module allows you to effortlessly oversee contracts, process charges, and calculate settlements. This module also paves the way for the electronic delivery of detailed product information making communication between your organization and your vendors easier and more accurate.
If you are ready to see what reVESTED can do you for you, click the Get Started button to contact us today!
End-of-life electronic products enter your building by the truckload on a daily basis and you need to quickly and easily evaluate each piece that comes through the door. The reVESTED Triage and Audit module allows you to receive these products, identify the grade or condition of the products, capture the specific attributes of each product, and determine how each product will be processed reVESTED enables you to efficiently track each piece through its entire life cycle with confidence and accuracy.
Learn more about how reVESTED can simplify your business by clicking the Get Started button to contact us today!
Determining whether you should refurbish or recycle products that come into your organization requires accuracy and consistency in tracking and data visibility. The reVESTED Refurbish & Repair module allows you to focus on efficiently processing products rather than focus on the software and systems you use to track these items.
Take your electronics refurbishing, recycling, and redistributing company to new heights. Click on the Get Started button to get in touch with us today!
The warehouse of an electronics refurbishing, recycling, and redistributing company is no ordinary warehouse. The challenges you face and business needs you have to accommodate create process flows like no other industry. We have an intimate understanding of this and created reVESTED with these unique needs in mind.;
Let us show you the reVESTED solution today. Click below to learn more:
Track and manage your data destruction activities with confidence. Easy reporting supports certification requirements.
LPN (License Plate Number) record automation simplifies the selling and transferring of palletized inventory.
The reVESTED solution also manages products that fall somewhere between recycling and refurbishing - products that can be used for parts.
Whether you end up reselling or recycling the products that come to you, reVESTED makes tracking and reporting on the results of your inventory disposition easy and transparent. With the reVESTED Distribution and Recycling module, you have product status visibility across multiple channels including wholesale, auction, resale, and recycling. This module also includes a detailed inventory search tool that allows your inventory agents to view exactly what you have on hand by specific attributes.
Take the opportunity to harness the power of reVESTED. Contact us today and let's save the world together.
The headline and subheader tells us what you're offering, and the form header closes the deal. Over here you can explain why your offer is so great it's worth filling out a form for.


text: We are loving James' chimnea that he received for Christmas. Are you enjoying your hearth? Please make sure you have your chimney cleaned every year, before using. My sister, Deborah, called today to tell me that her next door neighbor's house burned last night - a total loss. The fire started in the chimney (it had not been cleaned in three years)! Thankfully, the family and their pets are safe. Thankfully their was no wind so the fire did not spread to neighboring homes. Be warm and be safe!


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Boxycharm is a monthly subscription that costs $21/month. They have monthly themes and send items based on those themes. I've seen boxes average 4-5 items, but some have more items. All of the boxes in a month are usually the same (shades may vary), which is good for spoilers. You also have the entire month to sign up and still be eligible to get that month's box. Shipping does take some time, though. They post that they have 5-10 business days to send you box out.
They have a referral program also that earns you charms. Other ways to earn charms includes reviewing items you receive each month as well as bonus charms for taking a box three months in a row. The charms can be redeemed towards month-specific items which will be sent in your next month's box! (If you use my referral, my email is firstname.lastname@example.com and I can also send you the referral code if you need it.) This box came fairly quickly, took less than a week from ship date to arrival, but the actual email took a while to show up.
Theme card.
Info card.
Coastal Scents Revealed 2 ($39.95/$19.95) - This isn't opened because I have had this twice already and got rid of it twice as well. The CS palettes aren't bad at all, they just don't have anything original for me. It's a great way to start out with more expensive shadows without spending the full amount of some other palettes, and they apply very nicely.
OFRA Derma Mineral Powder (Pink Sapphire) ($35.00) - This is great for adding a bit of glow without going full out on a lot of color. It goes on super sheer and adds a bit of natural color. It also acts as a sunscreen, which is something I need as I'm terrible at putting it on individually.
Coolway Smoothing Lotion ($24.95) - If anyone has seen my hair down recently, you would know I needed this. It contains vitamins and proteins to help smooth your unruly hair...which will be very helpful now. I am not a fan of Coolway shampoos/conditioners, but I hope my hair looks much better after using this bottle!
Harvey Prince Hello Mini Roller ($21.00) - I am becoming so picky with scents, but this one works nicely into my group of perfumes. I love Harvey Prince, but it's so bizarre that they sent Hello again when it came in their box (in a different bottle) a few months ago. I do like Hello, though, so no worries on that.
Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil (Chocolate/Naked) ($26.00) - The 90's want their lip colors back. These are legit nude 90's lip colors that I would never, ever wear. Some of the other options for what was an option were amazing, but I understand it's all a game of chance with this.
The value for this box is at $126.90, using the correct value for the CS palette. I think it's ridiculous that they put the full price of some products when the item is never for full price. I definitely liked three of the five products, so the value was still there for me in this box. I'm hoping Boxycharm works on their reward program so I can redeem some of my charms and have more things! If you got Boxycharm this month, let me know what you thought of it! The April box is sold out so if you subscribe now, you will get May.


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Milwaukee Brewing gets gold, and Raised Grain and Good City also win at the World Beer Cup
Milwaukee Brewing took home the gold; Raised Grain Brewing grabbed a silver; and Good City Brewing won a bronze at the World Beer Cup.
Awards were given Thursday at the Craft Brewers Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
Milwaukee Brewing won gold for its Gin Barrel O-Gii in the wood and barrel-aged strong beer category. Raised Grain took silver for its Black Walnut Belgian Imperial Stout in the American Style Imperial Stout category.
Good City won bronze for its Film Fest Lager in the German-style Maerzen category. Miller Brewing won bronze for Hamm's in the American Style Lager or American Style Cream Ale category.
More Wisconsin breweries made the list, including Earth Rider Brewing. The brewery in Superior won bronze for its Old 41 Oatmeal Stout in the Oatmeal Stout category. Earth Rider opened in late fall.
Alt Brewing in Madison took bronze for its Copperhead brew, in the Gluten Free category.
The World Beer Cup competition is held every two years.


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Prom Do-Over 21+
Do you ever wish that you could just go back and do it all over again? The night that you planned to get all done up? When you danced your heart out to music that rocked?! A night of fun, freedom and romantic possibilities?! Well, it's happening! And you and your guests have made the Royal Court! So wear your tiaras proudly, and mark those calendars to be at "Prom Do-Over" on Saturday, June 8th at 7:00 pm at The Capitol. This will be a 21+ event.
Formal dress is encouraged but not required. There will be limited "Royalty Table" packages available and other surprises! Pre-sale tickets are available for $10 online at thecapitolbend.com Tickets will be $20 at the door. There will be a $10 discount for anyone who puts in the effort to come in formal wear.
Limited VIP Tables available, message for reservations.
DJ Theclectik Mixing 80s and 90s music!!
"Prom photos"
Slow dancing
"Spiked punch"


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News Notes Mid-Atlantic April 2007
BayBridge Boat Show returns for spring
The Bay Bridge Boat Show brings together boats, both new and brokerage, boating equipment and services together in time to shop before the new boating season on the Chesapeake Bay.
The annual spring in-water boat show will take place April 26 to 28 at the Bay Bridge Marina at the eastern end of the Chesapeake BayBridge.
Featured will be hundreds of new and late-model brokerage powerboats, from motor yachts to fishing boats and trailerables to sailing dinghies and inflatables; scores of displays of boating equipment and accessories, from engines to electronics and boat lifts to foul weather gear; and a range of boating related services, from finance and insurance to magazines to boating instruction.
New activities this year will include seminars like Diesel Engine Basics or fishing clinics for women and children as well as knot-tying for kids.
North Carolina builder's boat is named a favorite
The Neville 47 trawler was launched last fall and promptly won the first Soundings People's Choice Award at Trawler Fest in Solomon's Island, Md. Now Custom Steel Boats of Merritt, N.C., is experiencing déjà vu.
At the January 2007 Trawler Fest awards ceremony in Stuart, Fla., the 47-foot steel trawler was honored again with the People's Choice Award.
"This is a very prestigious award in trawler circles," said Doug Coupar, of Authentic Yachts, the Annapolis-based trawler dealer.
To decide the award winner, the crowd of trawler enthusiasts who attend are polled and asked to vote on their favorite boat at Trawler Fest's semi-annual boat show. The award is considered a critical review by the buying public and an acid test of a new-boat introduction.
Founded in 1981, Custom Steel Boats produces custom yachts in steel and aluminum. The Neville 47 is one of several models built by Custom Steel Boats and marketed by Neville Trawlers in Annapolis. The Neville 47 weighs nearly 95,000 pounds, and is designed for long distance travel of more than 4,000 nautical miles.
$3M upgrade OK'd at Baltimore marina
The city of Baltimore has approved $3 million in dock improvements at the Inner Harbor Marina.
The city plans to replace docks with floating concrete piers, officials told the Baltimore Business Journal. Updates include longer and wider berths to accommodate larger vessels.
The city will also install a 900-foot walkway along the marina.
The project is expected to be complete this spring.
Missing Maryland boater turns up in unlikely place
The Maryland Natural Resources Police continue their investigation into an incident that started as a report of a Vienna man missing in the ChoptankRiver and being located hours later in Trappe.
The afternoon of Jan. 21, it was reported to police that Antonio Jermaine McCoy Sr., 33, and another male individual were operating a 20-foot vessel in the area of the Hambrooks Light near Cambridge. The vessel ran aground and McCoy entered the water to push the vessel free. As the vessel started to move, McCoy reportedly disappeared into the water.
Authorities were called to the scene and searched the area until dark when the search was ended, with plans to resume the search the following morning.
At 11:42 that night, Talbot County Emergency Management Agency received a call for a disoriented man matching McCoy's description, at a convenience store in Trappe. TalbotCountyEMS transported the individual to EastonMemorialHospital, where he was treated and admitted with non-life-threatening injuries. NRP responded to the hospital and confirmed the man was McCoy.
Cambridge, Vienna, Church Creek, Madison, Taylors Island, Hoopers Island, Eldorado, Lakes Straits, Tilghman, Easton and Trappe fire companies, along with Dorchester County Sheriff's Office, Talbot County Sheriff's Office, Cambridge Police Department, Maryland State Police and the Coast Guard assisted NRP with the incident.
Museum successfully meets matching gift
The Mariners' Museum president and CEO Timothy J. Sullivan recently announced fund-raising efforts had successfully reached the 2:1 matching grant set by media executive and Museum Trustee Emeritus Frank Batten Sr., adding a total of $6 million to the $30 million USS Monitor Center Capital Campaign.
Hundreds of donors contributed during the three-year challenge period, helping meet the $4 million goal needed in order to receive Batten's $2 million pledge. Currently $27 million in cash and pledges have been received toward the ultimate $30 million capital campaign goal. More than $2 million in other related gifts and improvements for the new center have also been received.
In 2003 The Mariners' Museum announced a $2 million 2:1 challenge grant from Batten. This challenge launched the $10 million dollar private sector portion of the campaign. For every $2 the museum raised from a corporation, foundation or individual, Batten provided $1.
"I am delighted that my challenge for The Mariners' Museum's Monitor fund drive has been met," Batten says. Batten served on The Mariners' Museum's board of trustees from 1995 through 2003. He is the retired chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications, Inc., which publishes The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. Landmark Communications owns Dominion Enterprises, which publishes Soundings.
On March 9, exactly 145 years after the historic clash between the Civil War ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, The Mariners' Museum and its partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will open the doors to the USS Monitor Center. This new $30 million, 63,500-square-foot facility will feature exhibits, conservation labs and offer historians rich resources for research. www.marinersmuseum.org
Sparkman & Stephens names new president
Greg Matzat has been named president of the renowned New York yacht design firm Sparkman & Stephens.
Matzat, who has served as the firm's chief naval architect and executive vice president, is only the sixth person to hold the top title in the firm's 78-year history. As part of the new S&S watch, Bruce Johnson, the firm's chief designer, has been promoted to executive vice president.
Matzat joined S&S in 1989 after graduating from Webb Institute with a degree in naval architecture and marine engineering. He had completed two internships at the firm and was hired as a naval architect dealing with all aspects of sailboat and motoryacht design. Originally specializing in structures, he expanded his skills into the areas of hydrodynamics. His expertise in structures led him to work with S&S's early efforts to design carbon fiber masts for large yachts. He was appointed chief naval architect in 1997.
Matzat says he envisions steady, measured growth as he steers the multifaceted yacht design, brokerage, insurance and marine engineering firm forward. His near-term goals include hiring specialists in the area of client services and opening at least one new satellite office later this year, in Newport, R.I., in a building owned by the InternationalYachtRestorationSchool.
How toxic is Chesapeake Bay?
In a new online report, NOAA announced that the major portion of the Chesapeake Bay, called the "mainstem," has minimal sediment contamination but that there are localized areas of the Bay showing elevated contaminant levels.
Researchers from the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science collected sediment samples from the Chesapeake Bay between 1998 and 2001 to determine where and how severely the sediments are contaminated by toxic chemicals. The comprehensive contaminant report, "Magnitude and Extent of Contaminated Sediment and Toxicity in Chesapeake Bay," covers the entire mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay, along with its major western tributaries — the Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James rivers.
Toxic contaminants enter the bay from these and other tributaries as well as from a variety of other sources, including windblown dust, storm water runoff, spills and direct discharge.
NOAA's study examined a variety of toxic contaminants found in Chesapeake Bay, including metals, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), persistent chlorinated pesticides and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. NOAA scientists also studied the organisms living in the sediments (also called the benthos) within the research area, to determine which animals live where. Scientists then conducted laboratory studies to assess how the contaminants affect estuarine organisms. The report summarizes where contamination exists and the correlation between benthic community impacts, observed toxicity and contaminant levels.
The report can be read online at
http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/NCCOSTM47.pdf .
Bermuda race set to start with flair
Ten years ago, two amateur sailors created a race from Charleston to Bermuda, inspired by their enjoyment of time spent on the water, and what's now known as C2B is going strong to this date.
Since that seminal edition, this biennial bluewater dash to the isle of the onions has been staged four other times. The sixth edition of C2B is scheduled to begin May 18. "We've made a number of important enhancements to the format of the race, and to the social side, and we're already seeing positive results in the way of increased early entries," says Brad Van Liew, executive director of the South Carolina Maritime Foundation.
The race will start right in the harbor, amid the ongoing activities of the foundation's annual Maritime Festival. The race will start with Tall Ships Charleston as a backdrop. Organizers expect upwards of a dozen classic tall ships in the harbor for that weekend. Competitors in the C2B will sail 777 miles to St. Georges Bermuda, where they'll be welcomed by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and Bermuda Tourism. All participating yachts will be equipped with a satellite tracking system to guarantee regular position updates and enhanced safety.
The race is open to any seaworthy sailing vessel 30 feet and longer. For information visit www.charlestonto bermuda.com.


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3rd Annual Taste of Southeast Asia
to support Khmer Legacies
celebrating the Theravada Buddhist New Year
7 – 11 pm
Thursday, April 15, 2009
Bennett Media Studio
725 Washington St. New York, NY
$75 in advance
$85 at the door
$100 for private chef cooking lesson starting at 6:30 pm with Chef Jay Weinstein, editor of Southeast Asian Flavors.
Registration is available at http://khmerlegacies.eventbrite.com/
**** all tickets sold on this site will receive a free copy of New Asian Cuisine, a cookbook with over 100 recipes from celebrity chefs.******
For more information about the event, contact firstname.lastname@example.com or call 917.538.9644
Below is a poster/newsletter from Khmer Legacies, the co-host of the 3rd annual Taste of Southeast Asia:
About the Khmer Legacies:
Khmer Legacies is a non-profit organization whose mission is to document the Cambodian genocide through personal videotaped testimonies. We use these testimonies to further education and awareness about the Cambodian genocide.
Check out last year's Taste of Southeast Asia Event at Bennett Media Studio:


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700teeth.com and Elmerfishing.com becomes one!
- Details
- Created: Tuesday, 24 November 2009 08:56
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 November 2009 08:56
- Written by Ulf Hagström
- Hits: 2266
For a while Elmerfishing has had a sister site totaly dedicated to fly fishing for pike called 700teeth.com. We are now gonna merge the whole site into elmerfishing.com to make a bigger and more comprehencive portal and to also give more focus on the lovely sport of fly fishing for pike. Be sure to check back here soon to follow all the new stuff being merged in here!


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- 4 large artichokes, rinsed in cool water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium lemon, halved
- 3 tablespoons liquid Zatarainís Concentrated Crab & Shrimp Boil
- 1/2 recipe One-Egg Mayonnaise with 1 minced garlic clove added
- Trim off stems and thorny tips of each leaf of the artichokes. Put them in a deep pot and add enough water to cover.
- Add the salt and bay leaves. Squeeze the lemon over the pot and add the lemon shells. Add the Zatarain's boil and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender when pierced with the tip of a pointed knife. Drain.
- Place the artichokes, stem side down, on platters with puddles of mayonnaise around them.
Recipe Details
- Source: Real and Rustic Cookbook
- Dish Type: Sides


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Sophisticated yet fun, these labels are a great style for older children or adults. Monogram Labels feature your first initial enlarged in a shape of your choice, followed by your full name and details (up to 5 lines).
Custom Text
Custom Text labels are the ultimate label in versatility. If you're looking for a fully customizable sticker label, this is the answer. You've got 5 lines of text to add your own information and then label everything and anything. You can write your name and room details if you are heading to college or a nursing home. You can also iron them to all your appropriate luggage so that it makes it easier for you to distinguish between a hundred black suitcases, and it also means your luggage will never get lost.
Additional Info
How to Apply Iron On Labels
- Peel to remove Clothing Label from backing and place face up on fabric so that text is showing.
- Cover the Iron On Label with supplied parchment paper and iron over with a DRY iron, between a MEDIUM-HOT (cotton) setting.
- Press firmly over the label for 10 seconds. Repeat as needed to ensure the label is firmly applied and not lifting at any edge
- Allow to cool before use.