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This week it's an oldie, but a very, very goodie.
August 29, 2011
Movie Monday: My Favorite Wife
This week it's an oldie, but a very, very goodie.
My Favorite Wife is one of my most favorite Cary Grant movies, and also a great vehicle for Irene Dunne. It happened to be on TCM last week, so naturally it found its way to my DVR. The storyline is a little fantastic, but that's what makes it so fun.
The movie opens with Nick Arden, a highly successful lawyer (Cary Grant) in a courtroom, petitioning a judge to declare his wife as legally dead. She went missing at sea 7 years earlier, and now he's decided to remarry. Right after the judge declares his first wife dead, Nick marries his new wife, Bianca.
While this is going on, Ellen, Nick's first wife, suddenly appears at their home after hitch-hiking her way from Portugal, where she was taken when a fishing boat rescued her from the deserted island she'd been living on the past 7 years. She comes home to find children who grew up with no memory of her and a mother-in-law who has to give her the startling news that, just that day, Nick remarried. Ellen takes this news in stride - after all, everyone thought she was dead - and decides to go crash Nick's honeymoon.
When Ellen shows up, Nick forgets completely about Bianca. Thankfully, Bianca is aloof, whiney and impatient - even for someone getting abandoned on her honeymoon - so we don't really mind. Unfortunately, even thought Nick realizes he loves Ellen much, much more than he loves Bianca, he still cares for Bianca and doesn't want to hurt her. So it takes him a good long time to tell Bianca that Ellen is back.
In the meantime, it comes out that Ellen wasn't alone on that island for 7 years. The very handsome and athletic Steven was also there, for the entire 7 years. Now he's come to New York and wants to marry Ellen. So rather than a love triangle, we have a sort of love square.
One of the best things about My Favorite Wife is how funny it is. We were rolling the entire time. There are tons of great one-liners as well as the over-arching premise of the movie. Cary Grant was always a fantastic male romantic lead, but what is often forgotten are his great comedy skills. Irene Dunne is also one who is well-known for her dramatic roles (Love Affair, Penny Serenade) but she was also fantastic comedienne. Her Ellen is witty, sarcastic, adorable - and yet when she finally decides to tell her children she is their real mother, you almost start crying with her. From start to finish, Ellen is full of heart.
There are some pretty unbelievable premises in the movie to overcome. One being that, for seven years, Nick has waited for Ellen until the very day she comes home. That might be believable, since he had a business and two children to raise on his own. But most men don't stay single widowers long. The other, where you really have to suspend your disbelief, is that Ellen and Steven lived alone on that island for 7 years and essentially lived like brother and sister, because "Ellen was so loyal to Nick." I think it's a sweet idea, but come on.
In any case, My Favorite Wife should definitely be in your Netflix queue. (I do hope you are keeping Netflix, btw. If you can find a better system for the same price or less, take it. But you can't.)
Posted by JG at 4:57 AM
Talkin' 'bout movies
3 comments:
I love Cary Grant and this is one of my favorites of his as well!ReplyDelete
I am keeping watch instantly but I canceled the mail delivery. There is a Redbox super close to my house if I have to see anything that is not on streaming.
Every time I read one of your movie reviews I'm a: surprised at how vast your movie knowledge is and b: want to see the movie you write about!ReplyDelete
Also, I feel like we're strangers these days. :(
I love love love this movie! It's one of my favorites with Cary Grant! I love that pool scene!ReplyDelete
I was nice and didn't turn on word verifications. Please reciprocate by having your reply-to email set and not posting anonymously.
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The Europa League has been on for a while.
Group games are gradually moving to the qualification stages. This is the point where most teams are hoping that they will qualify to play at the knockout stages.
As it stands, there are teams that have done so well, and they just might have a chance at playing in the knockout stages.
Here are some of them:
If you do not have one, click here to open one now
Sevilla have the highest points in the league so far.
They have 12 points and sot on top of their group's table. They have no losses or draws this season. it has been all wins for them.
They have scored 12 goals and conceded two, leaving them with a +10 goal difference which is also the highest this season.
So far, they have remained undefeated.
Do you think they can keep it that way and qualify for the knockout stage?
Click here to predict and win.
Arsenal as play four games so far. Out of the four games, they have won three. One ended in a draw. They have scored 11 goals and conceded three.
They are number one in their group's table with 10 points. If they continue this way, they have a chance to play at the knockout stage.
Espanyol, like most teams who are likely to qualify, sit number one in their group's table. They have 10 points to show for their efforts this season.
With ten goals scored this season, they have a goal difference of 9, especially since they conceded one goal.
Manchester United
Manchester United are one top of their group's table with 10 points. Out of the four games they have played this season, they won three games and one ended in a draw.
They have scored five goals and conceded none.
Manchester United next game is against Astana, who have not won any game this season and have no points.
Manchester United's chances of winning this game seem to be pretty high, except Astana gives us a performance different from the one we have seen so far.
Do you think they have a shot at defeating Manchester United in this game?
Click here to predict and win.
All these teams have done well, but there are more teams that have a chance at qualifying for the knockout stage.
All you need to do is put your money where your mouth is and bet for the team you think will qualify.
For the full schedule of games, go to nairabet.com.
Now over to you…
Which teams do you think can make it to the group of 16? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

subset: commoncrawl


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Read The Sister Mum's article on boundaries to learn how to enforce them in your own life!
Ladies, it's time for us to set some boundaries!
Boundaries allow us to accept into our lives what we deserve, whilst declining offerings of negativity. From the littlest boundary, to the biggest, it is important that we set as many boundaries as required to ensure that we are surrounded by love and light at all times. Are you the kind of person that never sets boundaries? Do you struggle to turn people down? Do you want to set boundaries but have no idea where to start? Well, there's no need to worry about that anymore, as we have found some amazing tips for you.
Below is a video of Kenya Raymer, known as Halfie Truths, talking about setting and respecting boundaries. She is spreading a vital message to those that say 'yes', when they really want to say 'no', because they're afraid of hurting the feelings of another…
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The 10 Best Dressed Men of the 2016 AMAs
100 percent Sting-free.
It was a rough night on the style front at the American Music Awards, but there were a few guys who pulled it together. Here they are in all of their non-deep-V-necked glory.
This is how you wear a loud jacket. Party on top, dark and tailored underneath.
Dude's having a good week.
Walshy Fire should ditch that hat (it makes him look like a limo driver). But Jillionaire and Diplo, the latter of whom is rocking a Burberry trench, make up for it with their solid coat game.
This is exactly the type of patterned suit you should wear if you want to give your winter wardrobe a kick.
We'd widen-up those trousers, but the turtleneck-and-dinner-jacket combo is a solid move.
Proof again that blue and black is the color combo to embrace right now.
No matter the trend, some guys will always be able to pull off the skinny rocker look. Just make sure to keep it out of bright and shiny Mick Jagger territory (unless you are Mick Jagger, of course).
Whether it's because Legend had two A-plus looks last night, or because the rest of the field was so weak, we've decided to include him twice. Feel free to choose your favorite.


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Your letters:
I have a solution to the intentional fouls in basketball. Get rid of the clock, and play to a certain number of points, say 90 in the pros and 60 in college. This removes intentional fouling to stop the clock. This could also create a "next basket wins" scenario to build some drama. Or a team could be down 78-88 and go on a 12-point streak for the win. Your thoughts?
I know adopting pickup rules sounds good in theory because it eliminates endgame fouling, BUT it would also curtail scoring, and half the fun of watching any basketball game is seeing lots of pretty baskets and watching Steph Curry's point total steadily climb upward. By capping the final score, you're essentially limiting the possibility of another 81-point game from a single player (as Kobe had), along with other potential statistical marvels.
I don't know if that's worth the tradeoff, especially since the NBA has already shown a willingness to curtail intentional fouling with rule tweaks. Last year, they made it so that any off-the-ball foul that occurs in the final two minutes of any quarter results in the team on the receiving end getting two shots and the ball. Teams have still shown a willingness to foul players away from the ball just before the last two minutes of a quarter this season, but there are ways to cut down on that, too. One good idea that's been floated is that you give the team that's been fouled the option to decline the free throws on any off-the-ball foul, in favor of maintaining possession of the ball instead.
By the way, I think the NBA should give a $20 bonus to any coach that decides to eschew a timeout at the end and let players run the final play uninterrupted. Oh wow, they're gonna play this out! I know Phil Jackson is a laughingstock now, but I will appreciated his old willingness as a coach to sit back like passive-aggressive schoolmarm and let his players work shit out on their own. I like it when people position their laziness as subtle genius. I do my best to emulate that strategy.
When you pee in the ocean, do you pull your shorts down (to normal urinal level) or pee inside of the shorts? My girlfriend leaves hers completely up and that is bizarre to me, but I've never asked anyone else about this. I like to have an open mind so please tell me who the psycho is in this situation.
Take charge
Treat yourself to a portable power bank, a magnetic wireless battery for iPhones, or even a solar generator. There is a reason these are in the top ten. For instance, the Anker 747 Power Bank is a 4-in-1 charger utilizing USB-A and USB-C to be capable of charging up to four devices at once. Great to take with you when traveling and in need of keeping your phone, laptop, and even Nintendo Switch powered on.
Pee in the shorts. The ocean rinses that shit right out. That's science. Do you REALLY want to pull down your pants in the middle of the ocean? What if a shark swims by? What if a toddler swims by and sees you holding your penis and then alerts the lifeguard? I'll tell you what happens: BEACH JAIL. You go to beach jail with Fat Sam, and Gummy, and all the beach junkies waiting to ruin your shit. I am not taking my dick out in the ocean unless the beach is completely deserted and I'm feeling frisky. The whole rush of peeing in the ocean is that no one knows you're doing it. It's the perfect crime. It's as close as I'll come to getting away with murder.
I sometimes work out of town and in this small east Texas town they have an honest-to-God video store. One that you actually walk in to, with rows of movies and shelves. When was the last time you walked into a video store? Porn does not count.
I think I went to a Blockbuster here in Maryland roughly 10 years ago, back when we subscribed to the old, physical version of Netflix. Remember OG Netflix? They had much better movie selection back then, before studios got wise to the fact that they were hemorrhaging DVD sales. I remember I was one of the last holdouts to go to streaming, because I was like, "Pfft, there's no way they'll be able to stream the video consistently!"
Anyway, sometimes Netflix wouldn't have some hot new release, so then I'd trudge ass over to the video store, only to realize they also didn't have it. Then I'd end up renting some awful direct-to-vid garbage like Platoon 2: Back in the Jungle. I don't miss the old days, but there are still plenty of video stores operating in country, usually in the poorer areas. Netflix and the internet aren't cheap, after all. Sometimes, people gotta be sensitive to the fact that not everyone can afford the same access to technology as they do.
Also, I promise you there are any number of retro fetishists who like going to the video store because they're hunting for some rare French indie movie that isn't available on demand, or because they want to rent porn but don't want their ISP to find out about it. The video store porn section is the original Dark Web.
Has anyone ranked James Bond opening music songs? Of course this should be just according to song quality, not the film's quality. But that could be the tie breaker. For me Golden Eye by Tina Turner is up there, but I don't feel Adele would be #1. Thoughts?
I think "Goldfinger" is and always will be the undisputed heavyweight champ in that category. However, Sir Roger Moore passed away last week and I would argue that he presided over the best run of Bond theme songs. After "Goldfinger," I think the best Bond theme songs are:
-"Nobody Does It Better"
-"A View To A Kill"
-"For Your Eyes Only"
Those were all Moore Bond themes, and they still hold up. You can tell when a Bond theme is good because they end up weaving into the film's actual score (like in A View To A Kill). They didn't do that with that one Jack White song. That song was crap.
By the way, I grew up with Roger Moore as Bond and I loved him. He was the cheesiest Bond by far, but that was what made him so charming. James Bond isn't allowed to be cheesy anymore. He has to be gritty and driven and too busy for sex. Roger Moore always had time for sex. He spent half those movies in a bathrobe. In Octopussy, he throws a Faberge egg down on the backgammon table, then swipes the bad guy's loaded dice from him and uses them to win 200,000 rupees, which is a SHITLOAD of rupees. BALLER MOVE. And in For Your Eyes Only, he skis down a goddamn luge run, and then rebuffs a teenager who wants to bone him. PURE CLASS. I'll miss him terribly. "Oh, James!"
As a high school basketball player, college IM basketball player, and long time city league basketball player, over that time there have been a handful of times where I have ended up guarding a person with what I will describe as having nuclear-powered body odor. And it really did make me defend them much less closely than I would have otherwise. It was just too awful to get up close to them defensively. Is it possible that an NBA or college team could actually use this to their advantage by finding some sort of B.O. scent to spray their players with prior to games?
I'm sure players have tried. I think when a player gets labeled "dirty," that's code for any and all shady tactics, including enhanced body odor. I bet Kelly Olynyk smells like a music festival toilet. That's all part of the gamesmanship at that level. Bill Laimbeer probably rolled around in bloodworms before every game.
However, I think NBA players are used to smelly opponents, and have the wherewithal to not be distracted by them. That's one of the things that separates the pros from the guys who don't make it. If you're like, "Pee eww! This Gasol brother is too smelly for me to box out!" you're not cut out for the NBA. You're going right to the D-League. You gotta rise above.
And frankly, it's not THAT hard to block out odor. People have to work in a lot of different smelly places: bathrooms, factories, battlegrounds, sewage treatment facilities, etc. You get used it. You can't go through life like some GLORY BOY who expects everything to smell like a Glade air freshener. Life literally stinks. You must embrace it. That's what I tell my old lady when I drop a used fajita bomb in the toilet.
What are the least common sexual positions for losing your virginity? My guess is the piledriver.
Everyone starts off in missionary because it's the easiest position, because you can see everything going on, and because guys are always eager to do the initial christening. OH WOW I'M ACTUALLY DOING IT! And then the guy can't quite get it in, so the girl is like, "Here, lemme get on top," and then the guy is like "Fine," and then she gets on top and helps guide it in like a dockworker pulling in a boat. Then it's over in roughly eight seconds. Not that I'm projecting or anything.
Anyway, I'm sure any number of guys have been trained by porn to expect the world, and they wanna start off in the reverse lotus doggy thrust position, only to get a severe reality check. That's an advanced position, young man. You gotta master the fundamentals before moving onto the butterfly fuck swing handbook.
Idea: if an AL pitcher plunks someone or throws behind them, they have to take an AB for every instance, outside of any ejections or suspensions. It has to happen against the team that was the recipient of the "Up and in", obvs. While it would likely start a huge chain reaction of brutality, it would be fun to see how quick someone like Chris Sale started "losing some sleep" over plunking once his bean was in the way of the ball. NL dickheads like Lackey and Wainwright at least have the courage of their convictions [disclosure, Cubs fan] in putting themselves in harm's way once they start trying to deal frontier justice.
Yeah but then you may as well just get rid of the designated hitter altogether if your goal is to make pitchers answer for their crimes (I'm fine with that, by the way). And even if that happened, this study that I found doing a random Google search suggests that—discounting for the extra "true hitter" in every American League lineup, i.e. a batter who gets hit by pitches more often simply because he is more skilled and has a better eye than a pitcher hitting—there is no discernible difference in hits batsmen between the American League and National League. You thought all those beanings by proxy in the AL would make everything worse, but no!
As yesterday showed, a lack of a DH won't stop beanings from happening, nor will it stop Bryce Harper from accidentally hitting your mom with a batting helmet. You cannot stop beanings by increasing the threat of more beanings. If anything, ballplayers ENJOY the cycle of violence. It really breaks up a three-game homestand. If my teammate got beaned, I would be bouncing around in the dugout like OH IT IS ON! Baseball players are hilariously stupid and immature. Every beaning is like hearing about a fight after school. It's crazy exciting.
So the only way to get rid of beanings is to punish them SEVERELY, with lengthy suspensions and hefty fines and lots of other crap that MLB and the player's union probably aren't that wild about. Hunter Strickland is a fucking idiot, but intent isn't always as clear-cut as it was in that instance. Plus, there are fans like me who run to the TV anytime Twitter is like "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT." I wanna see the fight, and then I want to demand jail time for the offending pitcher. For real, Roger Clemens should have been sent to the chair for the things he did on the mound. As with steroids, I think baseball is just groovy with formally tut-tutting all this shit while still benefiting from the attention it brings.
I recently matched on Hinge with a girl that I was pretty excited about. She was good looking, well educated, good job, etc. Only problem is - we have the same last name, and I have a very unique name. We aren't talking Smith, Jones, or anything like that - I've literally never met anyone who has the same last name as me. We've chatted and it doesn't seem like we have any common family or ancestors, but it begs the question... Can I in good conscience hook up with this girl???
I don't see why not. If anything, it will absolve you from having to deal with last names when/if you get married. No one needs to change their ID, or argue over hyphens, or any of that shit. It's very convenient. And it's a good conversation piece, too. "Can you believe we have the same last name, you guys? Even though we are 100 percent unrelated and this is very much NOT a case of familial interbreeding, we swear! HILARIOUS!"
Also, I've noted this before but people tend to "wear" names in their own distinct way. Like I know people who have the same first name as other people I know, and I never sense an innate connection between the two. One time I had a crush on a girl who had the same first name as my sister. Does that mean I want to hook up with my sister? No. Of course not. Hey, wait a second… why are you laughing? I don't! I SWEAR. Stop trying to make this into something it's not, you fucking jerk!
My wife insists that pasta be served in a bowl, which means in our non-fancy home, a cereal bowl is used. I told her that she is a monster and that normal people use plates like they would for any other non-liquid dish. She says the bowl helps contain the excess spread of sauce that you would get using a plate. I asked her where she puts the bread and she said on top of the pasta, then you can dip it in and "the bread gets all nice saucy". This is blatantly stupid and incorrect, right?
You gotta split the difference and get some pasta bowls. There's a reason restaurants use them you know. With a pasta bowl, the noodles and sauce are nicely contained, but it still looks like a full dinner instead of a mug full of Top Ramen. It's nice and classy. And then you can put a plate on the side and use it for bread and/or assorted table garbage. I am a sloppy eater, which means that if you serve me pasta on a flat plate, half of it will end up on the placemat. When we eat dinner, the dog parks his ass under my seat because he knows that I will accidentally rain sauce bits and cheese shreds down on him.
The only problem with pasta bowls is when you have to put them in the dishwasher, because they're jussssst deep enough where they don't fit into the traditional plate slots on the bottom rack. Instead, they tip over and topple the other plates, like a line of fucking dominoes. I have smashed pasta bowls in anger. They deserve it for making my life difficult.
Would the NBA allow it if a player wanted to play a game while donning a pair of shades? The NBA is pretty chill when it comes to player's fashion choices, and I don't think it violates any rules, or creates any advantages, so why not? As to why an NBA player would WANT to wear shades? It would make that player instantly famous. It would be like James Harden's beard, except way more badass.
As far as I can tell, there's nothing in the NBA bylaws that specifically forbids wearing sunglasses on the court, although "All the face masks and eye or nose protectors must conform to the contour of the face and have no sharp or protruding edges." I guess that means they can tell you to put your aviators under your chair if you try to walk onto the court with them on. You could maybe get away with wraparounds, but then you'd look like a real tool out there.
But listen, there's a reason why fashion hounds like Russell Westbrook exclusively use the stadium tunnel to highlight their wardrobe. It is nice to be able to SEE when you're out on the court. And it's not pleasant to take an elbow to the face when you've got glasses on. Goggles are the practical choice for gametime eyewear, and NO ONE wears them anymore. Goggles got fashion-shamed right out of the league.
By the way, now that the NFL has legalized group celebrations, they need to bring back tinted eyewear. They outlawed that shit ages ago because they hate fun. I want my Darth Vader visors back, man. Everyone player should look like Vaughn Dunbar out there.
How would you feel if you were a doctor and saved the life of a person who would go on to commit horrific crimes, like mass murder or serial killings? I guess if the person were already a violent criminal it would be worse.
I'd have no issue with it. Am I supposed to have ESP when I operate on a guy? My job is to save the dude's life, regardless of how big a shitbag he was or will be. It's not like the guy who cut the cord on Baby Hitler had a crystal ball on him. You don't want doctors to make moral judgment calls on who deserves to be saved and who doesn't. Imagine going under just as your heart surgeon finds out your search history. No way, man. They gotta treat everyone the same, for their sake and yours.
Is there any fruit/vegetable that has a shorter edible window than an avocado?? I bought a bag of avocados from Costco on Sunday and they were all rock hard. By Thursday 3 of the 5 were complete mush and basically inedible.
FUN FACT: When I went on Chopped avocados were one of the very few items that were NOT available in the kitchen or pantry, because they're so unreliable in terms of ripeness. That's why you never see avocado toast in the appetizer round even though I bet the contestants are DYING to make it.
The official avocado website says to keep them in the fridge if you want to slow down the ripening process. Also, I know it's not appetizing but you can still eat the brown parts of avocado. It's just natural discoloration. I don't really enjoy splitting an avocado and seeing a brown tumor inside, but I still plow right through those bruises like a real man. Nothing will stop me from enjoying the creamy goodness therein. You can also make guac with lime juice and the pits still in it, and then store it in an airtight container and then either a) scrape the brown shit off the top or a) mix the brown parts back into the green parts. That helps makes it looks less like poop.
Never since getting an iPhone have I turned on the "read receipts" feature. I'm not one for texting often; my friends often complain that they don't hear back from me. I'd rather talk to them in person or not at all. That being said, am I missing the point of the "read receipts" feature? For someone who dislikes long text conversations, would I be better served keeping "read receipts" off entirely? Or should I turn it on—so that folks will understand I've seen their message and thus don't need to respond? What's your stance on the read receipts?
Fuck read receipts. The official stance here at Gizmodo Media Group is that people who turn on read receipts are deranged. Do people really need to micromanage their communications to the point where they need proof that someone saw their text before they can relax? They should go have a rum runner instead. I'd leave the receipts off and let them twist in the wind. Maybe I didn't read your text because I find you unimportant. Or maybe I read it and found it so pathetic that I couldn't even send a courtesy reply. YOU'LL JUST NEVER KNOW, FUCKO. Turning on read receipts is the spiritual equivalent of looking over someone's shoulder. Leave me the fuck alone. I'll get to you when I get to you. In the digital world, silence is POWER, baby.
Is it racist to suggest Cracker Barrel for my quarterly team lunch at work? Our options are slim and one just opened nearby.
I'd let someone else dip their toe in that pool first. I'm told the gift shop is fun, though. You could slip out one day alone for a test run. I'll go with you. I've never been to a Cracker Barrel. The online menu doesn't look very promising. Looks like the kind of joint where the biscuits are the only good thing. I know people really want to push the idea of eating meatloaf as a warm and comforting dinner out, but I'm not into it.
Last week I pulled a few hundred bucks out of the local ATM for various gambling needs. Am I the only person who counts those 20's hoping for an error and an extra one was dispensed? How often do you think an ATM makes a mistake and kicks out an extra bill?
Never. You will never, in real life, draw the "Bank Error In Your Favor" card from the Community Chest. The bank will only err by TAKING money from you. I went to an ATM once and it shortchanged me by $20. It took five separate phone calls for me to get my money back. That's what I get for being out of cash on the Jersey Shore. I may as well have handed my bank card to the Russian mob.
Email of the week!
Back in the summer of 2010, I was working at a Panera in my Minnesota college town to help pay for school. The job sucked and one of my bosses was a total dickhead (mid 30's guy who was pissed about his marriage, had a DUI from hitting a cyclist with his side-view mirror, and would give all the hot girls preferential shifts)
I was working one night, and had just finished my "lunch" break. I clocked back in and went to take a shit on the clock, because that's what you do when you work in a menial job where no one gives a shit. I go to take what I think is a large poop, but turns out to just be nothing but a fart; I go back to resuming my duties washing the dishes that evening
After about 5 minutes of dish washing, I feel a fart coming up. I let it fly, and immediately feel liquid shit filling up my tighty whities. I realize that I need to get to the bathroom posthaste. It was about 7 pm, so thankfully no one in the place sees me power-waddle out of the bathroom with liquid shit running down the inside of my right leg. I make it to the bathroom just before the stream of shit hits my sock, and begin wiping. It took about 5 minutes to clean up the mess, but I had to throw away my underwear as it was shitstained through and through
Realizing that I could parlay this into leaving early, I go to my aforementioned boss and said "Dan, I don't know how to say this any other way, but I just shit myself." He understandably looks at me with a dumbfounded look for about five seconds, and declares "Well, you just won the go-home lottery. Go home".
I'm still cautious when I fart to this day.
Damn, really makes me hesitant to go there for a Sierra Turkey on multigrain ever again.


text: Celebrity Parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes at Nobu in Las Vegas By Staff Author Published on July 11, 2006 04:56 PM Share Tweet Pin Email CBB Reader Eva wrote in with this sort of Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes sighting. This last weekend, Sunday to be exact, I was vacationing in Las Vegas and dining at the famous Hard Rock's Nobu. When we arrived I saw two police vehicles parked at the side entrance of the Hotel (where I entered). I really did not think very much of it. We then entered Nobu and when we were seated I noticed that the back room was draped. Later while looking around I noticed that the drapes had been tied back and that people were seated back in the room eating. After talking a bit with my wonderful waiter I started to ask him about the frequent celebrity visits and he replied that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had just finished dining in the VIP room! I did not see them but he said that body guards had checked out the place prior to their arrival and then they ate and left. He also said that they were very nice people. I had to ask if Baby Suri was with them and he said "No Baby" in a sad tone.


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Syrian refugees in Jordan struggle as the value of the Syrian pound continues to drop, due to the ongoing war in their home country.
MAFRAQ, JORDAN (SEPTEMBER 8, 2013) (REUTERS) - Living in a refugee camp in Jordan, thousands of Syrians are struggling to get by.
Many left everything behind to flee the violence in their home country.
But their plight is compounded by the falling value of the money in their pockets.
The ongoing civil war and worries about a potential U.S. strike on Damascus have pushed the Syrian pound down even further against the dollar.
Syrians living in the Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan say the low value of their currency is making it even harder for them to afford basic necessities.
"The Syrian currency has no value here. For example, if you want to get 100 Jordanian dinars to live on, you need at least 33,000 Syrian pounds, or 35,000 Syrian pounds. Before [the crisis], the Jordanian dinar was worth 60 Syrian pounds. Now it has no value or role. The dinar is okay, the dollar is okay, everything is fine except the Syrian currency," said Hussein Hourani, who owns a currency exchange shop in the camp.
The camp, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north east of the capital Amman, is home to more than 120,000 Syrians.
The Jordanian authorities are struggling to keep up with the increasing needs of the camp's residents and only a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars of international aid pledged to help the Syrian refugees has arrived.
Camp residents say they are trying as best they can to help each other.
"We assign the price of the Syrian pound against the Jordanian dinar according to the dollar. For example, today, the price is 296, to which we add four degrees, so the final price is 300. But here in the camp, in order to help our fellow citizens, we don't sell for 300. We remove the four degrees and sell for 296," said Abu Abdul Rahman, a Syrian who owns another currency exchange shop in the camp.
Local exchange dealers in Jordan's capital, Amman, say there is almost no demand for the Syrian currency, especially with the threat of a U.S. military strike.
The owner of one currency exchange shop, Yasser Abu Sheikha, said the decline in demand had been particularly noticeable in recent weeks.
"With regards to the Syrian pound, before the crisis its price was, every Jordanian dinar was worth 70 Syrian pounds. Now, and as of today, every dinar is worth 300 Syrian pounds," he said.
He said the Syrian pound had lost so much of its value that Syrians were struggling financially both at home and abroad.
"The value of the Syrian pound has dropped by 400 percent, so inflation followed suit. The prices in Syria are certainly different, and many things have changed with the currency. We often hear about the high prices there. Here, 1,000 Syrian pounds can't buy anything. Inflation exists and it may become worse. If the situation remains as it is, the value of the Syrian pound may drop even further," said Abu Sheikha.
Last month, the Syrian government announced that Syrian traders who priced goods in foreign currency would face up to 10 years in jail, in a move aimed at stemming the increasing dollarisation of an economy crippled by two years of civil war.
Before protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule erupted in March 2011, the Syrian pound stood at 47 to the dollar. After two years of war and economic collapse, it now changes hands for around 130, and has fallen as low as 300, exchange dealers say.
business >


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On April 26, 2016, the Black Point project received positive environmental assessment decisions from both federal and provincial authorities. The full decisions and related documents can be viewed at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency website and the Nova Scotia Environment website. On May 5, 2016, the Corporation received a $400,000 milestone payment from Vulcan following receipt of the positive provincial and federal environmental approvals. Morien is due to receive an additional $400,000 milestone payment from Vulcan upon the completion of related and pending permitting agreements for Black Point. Morien has an industry competitive royalty for the life-of-mine which is expected to continue for over 50 years.
In April 2018, Vulcan was granted a two-year extension by the Nova Scotia provincial government for the BP Project.
In March 2020, Vulcan applied for a second two-year extension for the BP Project and was subsequently granted approval in April 2020 by the Nova Scotia provincial government.
Vulcan has indicated the target market conditions for crushed stone from the Black Point location are still short of their original expectations.
"While conditions are not yet ready for Black Point Aggregates to break ground, we maintain our strong interest in the Project," said Frank Lieth, Vulcan's Vice President of Black Point Aggregates Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Vulcan. "Although the time is not quite right to move forward, we will continue to invest in the project and work to meet the requirements outlined in the April 26, 2016, environmental approval. We are not going anywhere – we remain very much committed to the community, stakeholders, and agreements made."
According to the conditions of the extension, Vulcan must within two years of the approval of the date of the extension (April 2020), commence work on the BP Project unless granted a further written extension by the Minister of Environment.
Morien is receiving an advanced quarterly minimum royalty payment from Vulcan of $25,000 per quarter ("Minimum Royalty"), which began in Q3 2017. All Minimum Royalty payments will be credited against future production royalties from Black Point. The Minimum Royalty is subject to annual inflationary adjustments.
Vulcan Materials Company ("Vulcan"), the United State's largest producer of construction aggregates, purchased Morien's rights to the Black Point Aggregate Project in Q2 2014 (click here for press release).
The proposed Black Point Project ("Project") consists of the development and operation of a construction aggregate quarry and marine terminal in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. The Project consists of quarry development and aggregate production on an undeveloped, 354 hectare property, along with the construction and operation of a marine terminal adjacent to the quarry in Chedabucto Bay. Processed aggregate will be off-loaded into Panamax size bulk carriers and transported to ports along the eastern and Gulf coast of the United States and potentially to markets in Canada and the Caribbean.
Black Point's positive attributes include:
* In the United States market, the majority (80% or more) of aggregates are transported by truck from the quarry to the consumer. This form of transport is expensive and limits the typical aggregate operation to a market radius of about 80 kilometres from the quarry. The south eastern United States aggregate market is a prime target for bulk vessel transported aggregate due in part to the geologic absence of suitable aggregate resources in coastal areas.
For more information on the Black Point Project, please visit the Black Point Quarry website by clicking here – www.blackpointquarry.com.


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Guest post by Jago Salmon; Advisor, Fragile and Conflict Affected States at United Nations
On March 1st 2018, the United Nations and the World Bank released a joint study Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict. This study originated from the conviction on part of both institutions that the attention of the international community needs to urgently refocus on prevention.
Rooted in the UN Charter and customary international law, the system of multilateral Institutions that emerged out of World War Two to foster peaceful cooperation and competition, is today a bedrock for networks of economic, cultural, diplomatic and security exchange that cut across the globe.
This system has as its primary purpose to "maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace."[1] In pursuit of this aim, governments have collaborated in the pursuit of rules and the establishment of tools dedicated to containing the spread of violence, punishing its worst abuses, and mitigating its humanitarian impacts.
Beyond the visible deployments of peacekeepers and envoys, states are continuously engaged in collective responses, both systemic and operational, from the management of illicit economies, to regulating the use and trade of arms. Collectively this system, has contributed to a 30-year downward trend in armed conflict, particularly of interstate wars which have virtually disappeared, and underpinned a prolonged period of global stability and human development
Pathways for Peace
Since 2010, however, the number of major violent conflicts has tripled, and fighting in a growing number of lower intensity conflicts has escalated. By 2016, more countries were affected by violence than at any time in nearly 30 years; most of these conflicts are driven by the rapid escalations of domestic instability, including in middle-income countries.
At the same time, pathways for sustainable peace are narrowing. The growing complexity of conflict and diminishing international and regional consensus on how they should be managed, has reduced the number of conflicts being sustainably terminated per year. With conflicts that ended in 2014 having lasted on average 26 years, the human and financial costs of managing the resulting crises are mounting.
What needs to happen?
The Pathways for Peace study brings together evidence from regional consultations, thematic papers, and case studies of successful preventive action. The study reaffirms the recognition that conflict is a critical risk to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The upsurge of violence over the last few years has caused immense human suffering with enormous impact on global policy and collective action.
The study affirms that in a rapidly changing world, development policy and investments are a critical component of efforts to prevent violence and sustain peace. Triangulating from qualitative cases and data, the study highlights the importance of grievances related to exclusion—from access to power, natural resources, security and justice—that are at the root of many violent conflicts. These are development shortcomings.
The study also demonstrates how, in an interconnected world, information and communications technology, population movements, and climate change are creating shared risks that must be managed at both national and international levels. Efforts to manage these risks and grievances need to move beyond short term crisis management and securitised responses, towards sustained, inclusive and targeted attention and action.
As the study underscores, a scaled-up system for preventive action would save between US$5 billion and $70 billion per year, which could be reinvested in reducing poverty and improving the wellbeing of populations. Responding to this challenge reinvigorating global partnership to prevent violent conflict and sustain peace.
Based on a review of cases in which prevention has been successful, the study makes recommendations for countries facing emerging risks of violent conflict as well as the international community.
Successful prevention depends on national vision and will. The primary responsibility for preventive action rests with states, and successful preventive action is undertaken by local or national actors. However, increasingly states are called to work together and with other actors to address common risks and keep their countries on pathways for peace. In this sense effective prevention enhances sovereignty.
Development policies and programs must be a core part of preventive efforts. Growth and poverty alleviation are crucial, but alone will not suffice to sustain peace. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a foundation for building peaceful, just, inclusive societies that are free from fear and violence.
No single policy realm is adequate to managing contemporary risks of conflict. From outbreak, to escalation to recurrence, successful conflict prevention strategies have aligned security and diplomatic action with development policies and investments over the long term.
A global partnership for prevention needs to target the gaps in information, investment and collective action that drive short-term responses to violence — leading to a situation in which crisis management dominates the attention of citizens and political leaders.
The evolution of both practice and policy points to some critical areas of convergence,
- Pre-Conflict Mediation – development planning and assessments can be critical for identifying arenas of risk that may inform early mediation efforts,
- National capacities for prevention – the shift in mediation practice from a 'state-centric' towards inclusive processes, has been complemented with stronger support for building national and local mediation capacities, often involving youth, civil society, and government,
- Development support for negotiations – development assistance can be essential in support of multitier agreements, bridging dialogue on social, economic and fiscal issues, with attempts to secure local or national security;
- Community based conflict management – International partners are increasingly working with national governments to scale up, community led, non-military preventive engagement strategies.
- Improved effectiveness, accountability and oversight of the state, particularly in the arenas of security and justice. Development actors have provided operational support to enhance core functions of the state, and maintaining law and order.
It is easy, but wrong, to see prevention as a trade-off between the short-term security and long-term development. The Secretary-General's Report on Sustaining Peace reaffirms this message, calling for a quantum leap in resources for peacebuilding and sustaining peace, highlighting that sustaining peace is the task of the whole UN system in support of national governments. More than ever conflict and preventive action requires action to address immediate crises while investing to reinforce a society's pathway toward peace. This study presents a framework for understanding how societies forge pathways toward violence or peace, and presents guiding principles and agenda for action to frame a shift towards prevention.
Related information
About the author
Jago Salmon is an advisor to the United Nations and the World Bank Group on Fragile and Conflict Affected States. Jago has over 15 years' experience in policy analysis, programme design and project management in conflict settings with field experience in Sudan, CAR, Somalia, Yemen, Liberia, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Jago established the UN Programme on Core Government Functions, supporting states in the immediate aftermath of conflict, and lead the UN's Payment Programme for Ebola Response Workers as part of the integrated UN response to the Ebola epidemic in 2014/15 and the support to Security Sector in the aftermath of the 2014 crisis in CAR. Prior to joining the UN, Jago worked with the Small Arms Survey, International Crisis Group, the Overseas Development Institute and the UK's Department for International Development. Jago has a doctorate on the formation and organisation of armed groups in Sudan and Lebanon from Humboldt University in Berlin.
[1] UN Charter, Article 1


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[prMac.com] Ekero, Sweden – Maintain has announced the release and immediate availability of Cocktail 6.5 (Mountain Lion Edition), the latest maintenance update of Cocktail for users running OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets you clean, repair and optimize your Mac. The application serves up a perfect mix of maintenance tools and tweaks, all accessible through a clean and easy to use interface. Cocktail's features are arranged into five categories that helps you manage various aspects of your computer. It also comes with an automatic Pilot mode that allows you to simply press a button and relax, knowing that Cocktail will take care of the rest.
What's New:
* Added ability to hide the Spotlight menu bar icon (System – Spotlight)
* Added ability to rebuild Mail's Envelope Index database (System – Databases)*
* Added ability to clear Mail downloads (Files – Caches)**
* Added ability to enable Simple Finder (Interface – Finder)***
* Added ability to disable send and reply animations in Mail (Interface – Mail)
* Added OS X 10.8.5 compatibility
* User interface improvements
* Updated Automator actions
* Updated Help files
Mail application uses the (SQLite) Envelope Index database to index and search messages. By rebuilding this database, issues concerning messages that appear incomplete or are missing can be corrected. This feature may also improve Mail's performance.
When you receive attachments to e-mail messages in Apple's Mail, the files are stored with your messages at first. But if you double-click an attachment to view it, Mail stores a copy inside the Library folder. You may have dozens of files here occupying a huge amount of space. You can generally delete these without worry. If you still have the original messages, the attachments are part of those messages.
Simple Finder disables file access altogether. Any files on your desktop will be hidden and the Finder will no longer open any windows. The Dock and Launchpad will still be fully functional for app launching.
System Requirements:
Cocktail 6.5 (Mountain Lion Edition) requires OS X Mountain Lion or OS X Mountain Lion Server (10.8). Cocktail (Lion Edition) for OS X 10.7, Cocktail (Snow Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.6 and Cocktail (Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.5 are available for download from the Maintain website.
Pricing and Availability:
Cocktail is $14.00 (USD) for a Single User License and available for purchase from the Maintain website. The license is valid for Mountain Lion, Lion and Snow Leopard and editions of Cocktail. Cocktail (Leopard Edition) is distributed as freeware and does not require a license.Cocktail
Download Cocktail 6.5 (Mountain Lion Edition)
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Maintain develops tailored applications for Mac users. We work towards creating technical solutions which maintain your computer and make it as efficient and easy to use as possible. In addition, we offer comprehensive consultancy and support services which cover everything from operation of existing systems to purchase and implementation of new technical solutions. Among our clients are: Major League Baseball, Puma, The New York Times, Sony Pictures, Ericsson, Fortum, The City Of Calgary, Peak Performance, Loreal, Harvard University, Los Angeles Times, Swedish Film Institute, Weber, ESPN, Business Week, Swedish National Police Board, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Getty Images, University of Texas, South Park Studios, CompUSA, bwin, Lockheed Martin, Defense Intelligence Agency, University of Michigan and hundred of thousands of Mac users around the world. Copyright (C) 2013 Maintain. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo and Mac are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
###Kristofer Szymanski
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These articles detail mentions of my blog out in the blogosphere. Not only does this recognise those who write about my blog, it allows you to see what other people are saying about Community Spark.
Hopefully you will also find mentions of articles you have not yet come across which may be useful to you.
Brown Baron included my blog in his 'Top 10 emerging blogs in 2007' – this is hugely flattering and encouraging, as I am relatively new to the world of blogging.
David from PureBlogging.com mentions my article on link building to create awareness in his post 'Weekend links for 1 June', and my article on the importance of contingency plans in his post 'Weekend links for 8 June'.
Si, also known as The Lazy Hippy, mentions this blog as his inspiration for joining the 'dofollow movement' in the article 'No nofollow – loads of link love!'. Make a comment on The Lazy Hippy and you will now enjoy a full link back to your site.
David is currently mulling over some ideas for his blog title – in his article he takes a look at some blogs he visits to see what they are doing, and in doing so he gives Community Spark a mention.
Al from Self Made Minds recently made some changes to his blog – although those who submit a comment don't currently get a full link back in return, those that make the 'Top Commentators' list do, and they also get to choose what link text to have displayed. He used my preferred link text of 'Community Building Blog' as an example.
Kevin from Blogging Tips called out my article entitled 'Improving search engine listings through link building' in his links roundup for the 5th June 2007.
David from TechZi listed Community Spark as a recommended blog in his article entitled 'Entrepreneurs – Making a living online'.
Josh publicised our interview with him in his post 'I got interviewed' – his achievements are fantastic. If you haven't yet read my interview with Josh Buckley, do so now!
The guys at Blue Fur mentioned my article entitled 'Avoid getting swamped with emails' in their post 'In the sphere'. Blue Fur are a hosting provider – I have not used them personally so cannot offer a personal recommendation, although I have heard positive things about them.
Nate finishes off this round of 'Mentions in the Blogosphere' – he wrote about my coverage of Net Business Blog going up for sale in his article 'Powerful posts – May 30, 2007'.
I hope to make these 'Mentions in the Blogosphere' posts on a regular basis – if you find some content on this blog you feel is worth a mention to your readers, you may just find your blog getting some recognition here in return.


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The Lord Dowding
Fund for Humane Research and
Animal Defenders International (ADI)
April 2013
It is a myth that animals are indispensable to medical research. History is full of examples of medical progress without animal research. Furthermore, modern research techniques offer superior replacements to animal procedures. The major advantage is that, without the use of animals, there are no problems of species differences; the results can be directly applied to the human condition.
The objectives of the Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research are:
Founded in 1973, the name of the Fund is in honour of the Battle of Britains Air Chief Marshal the Lord Dowding, a President of the National Anti-Vivisection Society. To date, the Fund has awarded grants approaching £2 million to researchers working on a wide range of fields including microsurgery, toxicity testing of dental fillings, breast and lung cancer, product safety testing, Parkinsons disease, schizophrenia, cot deaths, cataracts, kidney research, cell culture, computer-aided drug design, biotechnology, brain damage, computer teaching packages which replace the use of animals in education of students at school and university level.
Good Science. Saving Animals.
Research without animals
It is a myth that animals are indispensable to medical research. History is full of examples of medical progress without animal research.
Furthermore, modern research techniques offer superior replacements to animal procedures. The major advantage is that, without the use of animals, there are no problems of species differences; the results can be directly applied to the human condition.
Here are some of the major research methods that do not involve animals.
Cell, tissue and organ culture
As long ago as 1885, it was discovered that cells could be kept alive in culture. Today, techniques for growing human cells, tissues and organs in vitro (outside of the body) in the laboratory have advanced enormously. The human material is donated from the deceased or during surgical procedures, and to improve supplies, the UK Human Tissue Bank has been established. In vitro culture methods are used for studying diseases, including cancer and viruses, the activities of enzymes and hormones, the physiology of tissues such as muscles and nerves, and for toxicity testing.
It is due to advances in cell culture methods that a painful animal procedure for antibody production (the ascites method) is being phased out. Organ culture is where small pieces from whole organs are grown, so that some organ activity can be studied. This is useful for the testing of new drugs, the understanding of the complexity of the body and the development of diagnostic tests that are relevant to humans.
Xenotransplants (animal organs into humans) cause great suffering to the animals, and pose health risks to the human population. New tissue engineering techniques may produce safer alternatives. Human stem cells collected from immature embryos, or blood, or fat or bone marrow can be cultured to grow into any type of tissue. Additionally, a patients own tissues can be grown on a scaffold and then transplanted back into the patient, avoiding the problems of rejection which are associated with transplants.
Advances in biotechnology (arising from the human genome project) are offering replacement techniques to animal use for the safety testing of chemicals. When human cells, in vitro (cells grown in culture - outside of the body), are exposed to toxic substances, the genes can be damaged. DNA chips", carrying short strands of DNA, can be used to identify the damaged genes, thus giving an indication of the degree of substance toxicity. This technology, called toxicogenomics, could not only save the lives of animals, but also offers a superior test method using human material, thus avoiding the problem of species differences. Similarly, the DNA chips have applications in drug discovery, where drugs may be developed to target specific genes associated with diseases.
Clinical research
Clinical research is the study of disease in the patient to identify the characteristics, symptoms and possible causes, and new treatments can also be developed. Clinical studies of leukaemia have led to the understanding of the mechanism of anti-tumour activity. Such studies often result in discovery of new uses for drugs. This is not surprising, since the real understanding of a drugs action is gained once the drug is in use. For example, aspirin now has many uses other than pain relief, for which it was developed.
Human volunteer studies
Studying people is obviously essential to medical progress and understanding human conditions. Human volunteers may be used for studies of drugs; they play a significant role in psychiatric and psychological research; they are used to assess skin irritation potential of cosmetic ingredients and exposure to toxic substances in the atmosphere. Recent advances in the design of functional brain imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery (fMRI), Electroencephalography (EEG) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) allow the brains of humans to be studied, with little or no discomfort to the volunteer. Different sections of the brain can be located and their functions identified.
Human studies properly and ethically undertaken give results far more reliable than those extrapolated from animal models due to the elimination of any species differences.
One of the key advantages of studying people is, of course, that they can say how they feel. There is no animal model for the human feeling state". Yet this information is vital when studying problems such as depression, schizophrenia, etc.
Computers and mathematical models
A wide range of sophisticated programmes are now available to researchers (mathematical, database, and modelling systems), allowing studies of the mechanism of drugs, and prediction of likely effects.
Some programmes are models of human systems, even down to the molecular level, against which a potential product can be checked. Others are databases of known chemicals and their effects, where new substances can be entered onto the system and an analysis made against known data.
Educational programmes and aids
Computer programmes are also used in medical training and education, for example simulation of the normal physiology of organs such as the heart, or respiratory control and kidney function.
Nerve cells and their reaction to damage and disease, can be mathematically simulated. There are programmes of virtual humans for studying whole body anatomy and tissues, as well as programmes for replacing dissection of animals. From primary to medical school and beyond, teaching aids are increasingly sophisticated and include models, video, slides and CD-ROM. The Koken Rat model, used in veterinary training, has the look and feel of a real rat. Surgical operation simulators to train for the management of bleeding are also available. The Lord Dowding Funds computer simulation training programmes have replaced the use of thousands of animals in many UK universities in physiology and pharmacology courses.
Epidemiology and lifestyle
Epidemiology is the study of disease and its spread. The discovery of the means of transmission and prevention of AIDS, for example, owes everything to epidemiological studies and nothing to animal work. Epidemiology has revealed links between certain chemicals, smoking, radiation, high fat and sugar diets and the probability of various cancers; high fat and salt diets, stress and lack of exercise are all causal factors of coronary heart disease (a famous example of this being the link between smoking and cancer; identified through studies of people). This understanding enables people to make lifestyle changes to improve their health. There is a long tradition of lifestyle and environmental changes to eradicate disease. During the 19th century, the greatest loss of life was caused by infectious diseases. With better standards of personal hygiene, food, living and working conditions, such diseases began to disappear. Nationally, improved sanitation coupled with the introduction of compulsory isolation for victims of certain infectious diseases, led to these diseases being virtually eradicated, before the use of drugs and vaccines.
Return to Animal Rights Articles
Read more at Alternatives to Animal Testing, Experimentation and Dissection


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By Doug Thomas
As a small business owner who also represented a largely rural community in the Maine State Senate, I know firsthand the importance of access to broadband in communities like ours. Access to high-speed broadband is important for entertainment, access to local news and information, communication with friends and family, but most importantly, for business growth and development. It's surprising how many people I talk to who depend on the internet to make a living. From those buying and selling online, to those developing products they sell in faraway places that would never know about them if not for the internet.
There are more businesses that would like to be here but need faster internet connections that are coming as our fiber network expands. We have a quality of life that will attract high-quality employers and work-from-home employees when we have the connection speeds they need.
For too long, however, some policymakers in Washington seem determined to engage in partisan ping-pong with our ability to connect rather than establish internet regulation that protects an open internet while also ensuring investment and deployment of more and better broadband in communities like Ellsworth, Greenville or Ripley.
The internet, used by a majority of American adults today, was a rarity in households a mere 20 years ago, with only 18 percent of homes having internet access in 1997. Since that time, the internet, powered by ever-increasing broadband speeds, has changed virtually every aspect of our lives, from the way we shop to the way we learn and access basic government and health care services. This remarkable growth took place under a light touch regulatory framework backed by Democratic and Republican administrations.
Unfortunately, that bipartisan approach to the internet changed in 2015 when the Obama FCC determined that the only way to protect consumers' unfettered access to the internet was to apply an intrusive regulatory regime known as Title II. The regime, first introduced in 1934 to regulate telephone monopolies, is, unsurprisingly, a remarkably bad fit for 21st-century technology. As a business owner myself, I understand how backward government regulations can affect future investment decisions, and the overly broad and vague Title II rules resulted in decreased investment in broadband deployment and innovation.
Now, some in Congress mistakenly want to overturn the FCC's recent ruling that moved back to a light touch regulatory approach. You don't move ahead by cementing in rules from the 1930s. A dynamic, evolving internet ecosystem calls for new legislation that permanently establishes clear rules of the road to preserve an open internet and foster broadband investment and development. Maine communities especially would benefit from a bipartisan solution to encourage broadband expansion into the more rural areas of the state.
This is a very important issue for Maine. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King need to lead the charge and get internet policy right, protecting consumers while ensuring continued broadband build-out in the many rural communities they represent. It's time to put the political rhetoric on this issue aside, end the tit-for-tat and advance sensible solutions that spur investments that drive broadband access.
Doug Thomas is a former state senator and representative from Ripley who owns Doug Thomas Firewood.


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As you can probably tell from my gloomy attitude it's getting to be that time in the semester when the days feel longer and everyone under legal drinking age seems overly obnoxious... Must mean its time for parent teacher conferences! For two days every one of my students will come to school with his or parent(s) to meet with each teacher about the student's progress thus far. Day one was today and we will finish up tomorrow. Just like first semester, I am finding this entire process incredibly entertaining for so many reasons. To name a few...
- Colombians place a huge emphasis on appearance and dress, so of course all my mothers (and fathers too) come dressed to the nines. I think this is partially for my benefit and partially because they see other parents in passing and need to maintain a good impression.
- Not only are Colombians very obsessed with personal appearance, but they also inherently notice the appearance of others. Today, mid-conference, a mother stopped to comment on how nicely my nails are painted. Thank lady, can we now discuss the fact that your daughter has 68%. Great, thanks.
- The apple does not fall far from the tree. If you have ever in your life doubted this bit of wisdom, become a teacher and watch kids with their parents. HILARIOUS. From mannerisms to personality to looks, there is so much to learn from meeting a student's parents! I cannot even explain the number of times I thought to myself today, "Ohhhhh that's what he/she is like that."
- Some of my students are absolutely amazing, nice, warm, kind people and I really love them. Even more I love telling their parents that I think their son/daughter is awesome, because who doesn't need to hear a bit of positive feedback on their teenager from time to time.
- Some of my students need to get it together and stop acting like their homework will complete itself or they will magically pass my class by putting forth zero effort. The parents of these students get it and are more than happy to back me up when I mention their student's shortcomings. If I have to tell kids they need to work on their behavior at least I have some parent back up.
- School provided snacks during break time. Mmmmm....fresh empanadas today :)
- Let's be honest, sitting down to have a chat with some parents and their students is easier than teaching on any given day.
Wherever this work week finds you, I hope you are doing something equally insightful :) Cheers!


text: The objectives of this study were to determine phytochemical compositions, chemiluminescence antioxidant activities, and neuroprotective effects on PC12 cells for water, methanol, and 95% ethanol extracts of the air-dried fruit of Retzius. and cardiotonic activities [5]. It also HKI-272 biological activity exhibits the ability to scavenge the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals [6C8]. Phytochemical analysis of shows the presence of HKI-272 biological activity gallic acid, ellagic acid, tannic acid, ethyl gallate, chebulic acid, chebulagic acid, corilagin, mannitol, ascorbic acid HKI-272 biological activity (vitamin C), and other compounds [9]. One source lists as having 32% tannin content [10]. Thus, phytochemical analyses of extract composition are necessary and provide useful information. The nature of the extracting solvent is the most important factor in the extraction of antioxidants HKI-272 biological activity [11]. Polar solvents and alcoholic solutions offer sufficient removal often, and the best option for seed extractions are methanol, drinking water, and ethanol [12, 13]. For the seed fruits extractions within this scholarly research, we utilized ultrasonic removal with drinking water, methanol, and 95% ethanol instead of other solvent options. We executed phytochemical structure analyses for total phenolic, triterpenoid, and tannin articles. Four chemiluminescence antioxidant strategies, predicated on scavenging from the luminol radicals, ?O2 ?, ?OH, and H2O2, were used to investigate the 3 extracts. The rat pheochromocytoma cell series (Computer12, CRL-1721) is certainly a good model in the analysis of neurodegenerative disease as well as the neuroprotective results [14]. We previously reported that ingredients stimulate Computer12 cell development [15]. Therefore, we also researched the neuroprotective effects of the three extracts on H2O2-induced PC12 cell death. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Materials was obtained from the air-dried fruit, purchased from Xin Long Pharmaceutical Limited Organization (Taichung, Taiwan). Methanol (Mallinckrodt Baker, Inc., Phillipsburg, U.S.A.) and 95% ethanol (Uni-Onward Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan) were both purchased as ACS grade reagents. Deionized water was obtained from an Ultrapure Water System (Putity-UV, Suntex Devices Corporation, LTD., Taipei, Taiwan). Phosphate buffer (0.1?M, pH 7.4) was prepared from sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate and sodium phosphate dibasic dodecahydrate. Sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, sodium phosphate XLKD1 dibasic dodecahydrate, boric acid, gallic acid, glacial acetic acid, perchloric acid, vitamin C, luminol, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), pyrogallol, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), vanillin, L-ascorbic acid sodium, 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), poly-L-lysine hydrobromide, N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-al (AC-DEVD-CHO), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), cupric sulfate (CuSO4), 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (trolox), zinc acetate (ZnAc), 1,10-phenanthroline, ammonia (NH3), and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) were originally obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Shanghai, China. Trolox and vitamin C were used as positive control samples over an optimized concentration range. Trolox is the hydrophilic analog of vitamin E, and vitamin E is usually a excess fat soluble antioxidant. Vitamin C is usually a water soluble antioxidant. Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and ursolic acid were purchased from Fluka Biochemica (Buchs, Switzerland). Thirty-five percent H2O2 was purchased from Riedel-de Ha?n (Seelze, Germany). Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and ethanol were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Dr. Y. C. Shen, of the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (Taipei, Taiwan), provided the PC12 cells kindly. Dulbecco's improved Eagle's moderate (DMEM), heat-inactivated equine serum (HS), heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS), penicillin/streptomycin, and L-glutamine had been bought from HyClone (Tseng Hsiang Lifestyle Research LTD., Taipei, Taiwan). The 100?mm cell lifestyle dish was purchased from Greiner Bio-One (Bio-Check Laboratories LTD., Taichung, Taiwan). 2.2. Methanol, Drinking water, and 95% Ethanol Removal was pulverized into great powder utilizing a HKI-272 biological activity stainless blender (Waring Industrial, Torrington, Conn, U.S.A.). Two-gram aliquots from the dried out powder had been each extracted 3 x with methanol (20?mL), deionized drinking water (20?mL), and 95% ethanol (20?mL). The mixtures had been agitated within an ultrasonic cleaner (model DC200H, Chemist Scientific Company, Taipei, Taiwan) for 15?min in area heat range filtered. The methanol, deionized drinking water, and 95% ethanol filtrates had been independently pooled and each solvent taken out at 40C, under decreased pressure by rotary evaporator (Rotavapor R210, Buchi, Postfach, Flawil, Switzerland). Finally, each extract was dried in right away.


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JACKSON, Miss. — Row crop farmers Keith and Beth Morton from Tippah County, Miss., are headed to Charlotte, N.C., in January to compete for the title of the nation's Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher.
The Mortons, from the community of Falkner, were selected for Mississippi's Young Farmer and Rancher designation and subsequently nominated to the national Farm Bureau competition based on their overall agriculture operation and their commitment to success as farmers and to being a voice for the agriculture industry.
The announcement of their selection was made Dec. 5 at the closing banquet of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation's winter annual meeting in Jackson, Miss.
As state winners the Mortons receive prizes, including cash, a truck, use of various agricultural equipment and an all-expense paid trip to the national competition in North Carolina from sponsors Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance, Dodge, Kubota Tractors, John Deere, Federal Land Bank and MFBF.
The Mortons' road to success
Keith and Beth were both raised in farm families and have demonstrated their commitment to agriculture by their innovative and determined attitudes. Since their marriage six years ago, they've experienced wide swings in yields and prices while continuing to buy more land and doing all they can to get the most production out of their land.
At one time the Mortons farmed 1,200 acres, which were spread out over a 10- to 20-mile radius of their headquarters in Falkner, Miss. One year they dealt with 27 landlords in one season.
"We wasted hours traveling to the farms," said Keith. "Our productivity and profitability began to decrease while our labor and repair expenses increased."
The solution became obvious, and the Mortons began a plan to buy land concentrated in a smaller area. By the 2004 crop year they owned more than half of their 1,000-acre row crop operation and the distance from their headquarters to the field dropped to only 8 miles. They cut their number of landlords down to only nine.
"Our productivity and whole farm net income has increased each year due to these changes," said Keith.
However, buying land and increasing inputs also increases their need for efficiency and doing all the work they can on the farm without hiring labor.
"Each winter we review the past year's yield, expenses and income produced on a field-by-field basis and see if we can improve net income per acre. While good yields are important, our main goal is to increase the net income associated with the whole farm. Increasing profitability may involve spending more on yield-enhancing items such as lime, fertilizer and insecticides," said Keith.
Other positives for the Mortons are their switch from 38-inch solid cotton to a modified two-and-one skip row pattern and their involvement in Mississippi's Soybean Management by Application of Research Technology program.
The move to skip row cotton is saving them about 25 percent on the down-the-row costs as their yields continue to increase.
"Our skip row yield is equal to or better than the yields of solid cotton," said Keith. "We've also found the skip row cotton performs better than solid cotton in adverse conditions such as excessive drought or late-season rains."
From their two-year participation in the SMART program, the Mortons discovered several ways to increase their soybean yields, including conservation tillage, narrower rows, better scouting and earlier planting.
"Getting the soybean crop in early helps us take advantage of August delivery soybeans, which gives us more than $1 a bushel over October/November prices," said Beth. Their overall farm average for the dryland beans increased from 35 to 58 bushels an acre.
In addition to their row crop operation, the Mortons also own a custom cotton harvesting business, and Beth is part owner of grain handling facilities in Pontotoc and Lee counties.
Other winners recognized
Other district winners, who received a $1,000 cash award and a trip to the MFBF state meeting, are: Glenis and Jana Brooks, dairy farmers from Tylertown, Miss.; John and Julie Ingram, row crop and beef producers from Water Valley, Miss.; Tod and Erin Waltman, poultry and beef producers from Wesson, Miss.; and Deana and Dwayne Watkins, poultry growers from Noxapater, Miss.
The annual Young Farmer and Rancher designation at the district and state level is considered one of the most prestigious professional agricultural honors in Mississippi. Couples and/or individual farmers between the ages of 18 and 35 are nominated from each of Farm Bureau's seven organizational districts in the state. The winners selected from those districts submit extensive applications outlining their operation, leadership and community involvement.
If they advance to district winner, they are interviewed on their farms by a panel of judges representing various agricultural agencies. One state winner is chosen.
"The number of farmers is in decline every year. It is imperative for organizations like Farm Bureau to work with these dedicated young men and women who have an interest in agriculture," said Greg Shows, director of Mississippi's Young Farmer and Rancher program.
Shows estimated about 75 percent of the state's young farmers 18 to 35 years old are involved in Farm Bureau's Young Farmer and Rancher program.
"The program provides this younger generation of farmers with educational and leadership opportunities that help them feed and clothe the world," said Shows. "Our nation's security depends on American farmers being able to provide the food and fiber for our country. This means continuing to identify young farmers and helping them be successful."
David Waide, president of the MFBF and a farmer from West Point, Miss., said, "The Young Farmer and Ranchers' program is designed to develop young people into leaders that will someday guide Farm Bureau. Educating young farmers about the purpose and function of Farm Bureau and providing opportunities for them to take part in the program structure of our organization will prepare them to assume roles of leadership in the organization.
"It is gratifying to see young people who have been through this leadership development program emerge and assume leadership roles in their county Farm Bureau activities as well as overall leaders for the state's agriculture industry. This program is definitely one of the most important parts of our organization."
For information on the Young Farmer and Rancher Program or any Farm Bureau activity visit the Farm Bureau Web site at www.msfb.com or visit a local Farm Bureau office.
Eva Ann Dorris is an ag journalist from Pontotoc, Miss. She can be reached at 662-419-9176 or [email protected]


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Did you know that your current home insurance policy might not cover damage from floods? Unfortunately, many homeowners don't realize that they are not covered for most forms of water damage until it is too late, and this can result in a lifetime of financial difficulties. With the proper flood insurance policy, however, you can rest assured that your home and your possessions will be covered no matter what the future has in store.
Who needs it?
Even a relatively minor flood can cause a tremendous amount of damage in a short period of time. In addition to damaged possessions, your home could be unliveable for weeks, or even months, on end. This is why all homeowners should speak with their insurance agent about the likelihood of a flood in their area. Homes that are located in a moderate-risk area or an SFHA (special flood hazard area) should always have flood insurance. In a special flood hazard area, homeowners might actually be legally required to add flood coverage to their current policy.
What qualifies as a flood?
When it comes to this type of insurance coverage, floods are defined in a very specific manner. All water damage to your home or property will not always be covered by this type of insurance. As a general rule, the flood must damage at least two acres of land, or at least two pieces of private property including your own. The water must also come from a very specific location. This includes mudflows, an unusual accumulation of runoff water, overflowing inland waters, and tidal waters.
What is covered?
These policies are typically broken down into two distinct components. The first component provides coverage for the structure of the home itself. This includes damage to the walls, HVAC system, plumbing, foundation, and ceiling. The second component is much more flexible and will provide coverage to any personal possessions on the property. Homeowners can choose practically any amount of coverage for their belongings, depending on exactly what they own and keep inside their home.
Major benefits
A flood can easily wipe out everything you own and cause financial repercussions that can last for years. Depending on where you live and the likelihood of flooding, properly protecting your home with a good flood insurance policy may be essential. Speak with one of our experts today to help determine what makes the most sense for you and your family.


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Roland Garros 2018: Caroline Wozniacki's adidas outfit
Winner in Melbourne, Caroline Wozniacki will be looking forward to adding a new trophy to her collection in Paris:
My year couldn't have started better – I've won my first Grand Slam and I've been training hard to keep up that momentum. I know what it takes to win a Grand Slam and I'm prepared to bring that again to Paris. The adidas by Stella McCartney little black dress is inspired by a timeless design, one I love and feel confident wearing. I look forward to hitting the courts of Roland Garros and bringing my game."
The adidas by Stella McCartney Roland Garros collection is available online at http://www.adidas.com/tennis.
Follow our Roland Garros 2018 coverage on Tennis Buzz.


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Ask an Attorney a Question for FREE!
Denied insurance claim | Help
by Vasco
(boston, mass)
I have been involved in auto accident. I got hit by another vehicle coming off ex-way. we both happened to have same insurance company.
When the police came to the scene they only took info from him.
Now they believe his side of the story. I have option 3 on my policy and they fault me and denied my claim and liability.
Due to the accident my wife and I are both suffering injury.
I had green light and I'm not at fault. Can I take travelers Insurance to the court and sue them?
Hello Vasco,
Well, your claim against your own insurance company is different from a claim against the people who hit you (one is a breach of contract claim, possible bad faith, and the other is a personal injury claim).
Your claim should have been split or divided by Traveler's into two different claims (with different adjusters), one adjuster for you and one adjuster for the other side. They will both have to do an investigation and each adjuster will have to come to an assessment of fault. Both adjusters will have to believe their own client and the would have to go to inter company arbitration to decide.
If the process they followed was not similar to the one outlined here, the you need to request your own adjuster. You will also have to talk to a lawyer for your possibilities to take the insurance company to court and to take the party that hit you also.
Good Luck,
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In today's busy lifestyle and extreme work load, staying fit and active all day long is a difficult task. Your day should start before you hit the snooze button of the alarm and end the way it had begun. There are situations when you wake up late and cannot go to the gym but these simple workouts would keep you fit and going for the entire day.
Brisk Walking
This is not just traditional walking but walking with fast pace. It is a combination of walking and running. If there is a garden nearby then walk bare legs on the grass for about 15 minutes. This will refresh your body and will energize your mind for the entire day.
Squats involves right foot placement, correct weight distribution between right and left leg, straight and upright chest position, elongation of hips while bending and focusing straight, with your head in line with your toes. Perform 2-3 sets with 12-15 reps.
Image Credits: spartan.com
Jumping Jacks
This plyometric exercise is very beneficial no matter how age old this exercise is. The neurotransmitters present in your legs become inactive due to our lazy and sedentary lifestyle. A little jumping is healthy to wake up those neurotransmitters. This activates various muscle sets and increases your heart rate. Perform 8-10 reps in 2-3 sets.
No exercise is better than this to straighten your spine and stabilization of your gluteo hip area through the weight of your arms. Keep your eyes on the ground and your spine should be parallel to the ground. This utilizes a lot of muscle movement and improves back aches and pain. Perform this in 2-3 sets with keeping this position for atleast a minute. If you can hold plank position longer than a minute then do it.
Hip Bridge
The brain very actively participates in this exercise in coordinating other movements like breathing, weight distribution and foot placement. Keep your toes on the floor and start lifting your body using your pelvic girdle. Slowly lower down your body when you're tired. Perform 2-3 sets keeping your position for atleast a minute.
These workouts will not only slide off the guilt of not going to the gym but it will also keep you active and fit for the day. This dose of 5 easy functional exercises facilitates your muscle movements in turn accelerating your heart rate keeping you happy and energetic for the day.
Image Credit: fitnessgenes.com.


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With complete confidence
At Sowerbys, we understand that, for some clients, selling or buying a property requires complete discretion and that traditional marketing is simply not an appropriate option. Sometimes clients may be interested in selling if the right buyer comes along, but aren't comfortable marketing their home publicly, especially if family may be affected.
Our professional, highly experienced team is able to achieve success for vendors and buyers through our excellent market knowledge and extensive contacts. Working with clients we are able to provide a bespoke, targeted and anonymous selling service, using our eight Norfolk and Park Lane, London offices to reach out to potential buyers. Our team will manage all viewings and ensure that a successful sale is achieved effectively and with minimum disruption. Similarly, we can provide a personal property search service to select a suitable range of homes to a specific brief based on location, property type and requirements. Within our teams, senior members are also able to provide a discreet off-market property locator service upon request and, of course, our excellent contacts throughout the property sector mean that we are ideally positioned to advise you on your next investment and development.
For further details please contact us


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This Rate Schedule states rates applicable to specified accounts. This schedule is incorporated
as part of your account agreement with Valley Oak Credit Union.
Please visit your local branch or call 559.561.1420 to obtain current rate information.
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Certificates will have a penalty imposed for withdrawal prior to maturity.
*APY = Annual Percentage Yield on non-term accounts may change after opening. Federally insured by NCUA.
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The Bam TREK3021S Alto Saxophone Hard Case is an alto saxophone hard case, featuring two handles and a zipper, in black and made of carbon fibre. The BAM New Trekking case for Alto Saxophone (Ref. TREK3021SC, carbon look) is a comfortable, easy to carry sax case offering lots of extra space for accessories. This case model has been moulded on a Selmer M6 saxophone. The New Trekking line is a fashionable makeover of the classic Trekking cases by BAM. The material: external Ballistic fabric, water-resistant and protective against abrasion and tear; the inside cradle is made of injected high density foam, protecting the sax against thermal shocks.
The main features of the Bam TREK3021S Alto Saxophone Hard Case include: