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Get Your anaboliczne Cycle Tutaj
Wybierz swój cel poniżej dla cyklu dostosowane i zalecenia stosu.
Co to jest Alpha Tren and why do bodybuilders want to use it?
It is a natural sports nutrition supplement that is inspired by the steroid Trenbolone.
Bodybuilders who use real Trenbolone to get gains in muscle mass often make the same complaint:
Trenbolone can deplete the body of its natural Testosterone levels.
Jako takie, many of those individuals turn to natural dietary supplements in the hopes that it can boost their natural Testosterone levels and ultimately their performance at the gym.
Uwaga:, Jednak, that supplements cannot and do not provide the same dramatic results as steroids.
Pomimo, że, bodybuilders who choose to use dietary supplements such as Alpha Tren find that the supplements are a safe and legal solution with moderate results.
So are dietary supplements like Alpha Tren a good backup plan to Trenbolone?
While the forums are filled with mixed reviews of Alpha Tren, perhaps other natural supplements can provide better results.Kup Trenorol Internecie tutaj.
Masy mięśniowej
Czer wca
Spis treści
Natural supplements inspired by real steroids are a fast-growing market.
Due to the potential legal and health risks of using Trenbolone, as well as the reported effect it has on Testosterone, bodybuilders have begun to search for safe and legal Testosterone boosters.
Alpha Tren is one of those products that has been gaining popularity in the supplement world.
Alpha Tren, a purported muscle promoting formula commonly sold in a bundle with Power Boost X, is taken by bodybuilders in the hopes of gaining lean muscle mass.
While some Trenbolone users have reported a loss of libido, those who have used Alpha Tren report that it boosts the libido and improves performance in the gym.
Alpha Tren is a natural supplement comprised of the following ingredients:
Horny Goat Weed: Horny Goat Weed is said to support the purported libido boosting effect of Alpha Tren.
It is an herb reputed for its ability to improve sexual performance by boosting libido while providing a boost of energy.
Tribulus Terrestris: Tribulus Terrestris is included in Alpha Tren as the main ingredient to promote endurance and muscle building.
Tribulus Terrestri is believed to be a natural testosterone booster, and is taken to improve circulatory conditions and support the flow of blood throughout the body.
Improved blood flow is linked to better workouts with improved endurance.
Purchasing Alpha Tren isn't the easiest task.
Alpha Tren isn't available for sale in retail stores like GNC or Amazon, and the bulk of the information about this supplement comes from "przegląd" strony internetowe. There does not appear to be an Alpha Tren website.
Among the vast majority of reviews, reviewers comment on the risk-free trial and the authenticity of the natural ingredients used.
One reviewer explained their experience with how the trial actually worked.
According to this person, the product ships after only the shipping and handling ($5) is paid. Jednak, merely two weeks after the initial purchase, a bill of $89.95 will be sent out to the customer.
Some buyers felt that the terms of the trial were misleading. There is also an observed lack of disclosure about the ingredients or research backing up the claims of the product. Some buyers have also reported mediocre results.
These are the main disadvantages of purchasing Alpha Tren that athletes and bodybuilders discuss online.
To understand the need for Testosterone-boosting dietary supplements inspired by the anabolic steroid Trenbolone, having a background on Trenbolone is helpful.
Trenbolon hexahydrobenzylcarbonate (Tren hex) is more recognized by the brand name Parabolan. The most common form of Trenbolone used today is Trenbolone Acetate.
Why do bodybuilders use Trenbolone?
Performance users inject Trenbolone in the hopes of improving muscle mass.
Dodatkowo, individuals who use Trenbolone believe that it improves the effectiveness of workout sessions through:
Possible adverse side effects of using Trenbolone may include:
Natural testosterone levels are reported to be lowered through the usage of Trenbolone, which accounts for some of the possible side effects of Trenbolone usage.
Because of the risk it poses to the body's natural endocrine system, combined with the other dangers of Trenbolone, experienced bodybuilders consider it an anabolic steroid for advanced users only.
Although Trenbolone was once used as a prescription drug in France, the drug is no longer even prescribed for human use.
Pomimo, że, Trenbolone is still purchased by bodybuilders —on the black market.
Note that any and all purchases of illegal anabolic steroids on the black market come with the risk of counterfeit products, dirty and contaminated gear, and legal penalties.
What Is Yohimbe Bark?
Wyciąg z kory Yohimbe, Pausinystalia yohimbe, is the bark of an African tree which is believed to be a both an aphrodisiac and an ancient treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Jednak, bodybuilders warn that Yohimbe should be avoided by anyone with a liver or kidney condition.
As a positive, this supplement is easily found in retail stores such as GNC or Walmart, as well as online.
What About Trenerol?
Trenorol, sold through Crazy Bulk, is a natural alternative to Trenbolone.
Według szalony luzem, Trenerol may be used in both cutting and bulking cycles.
Bodybuilders use Trenerol to help them with mass muscle gains.
As a natural supplement, Crazy Bulk is upfront about its active ingredients, which include nettle leaf and samento inner bark.
The reviews listed on Crazy Bulk's site indicate that many users are happy with this product, and claim it has few (ewentualne) szkodliwe skutki uboczne.
Purchasing through Crazy Bulk is convenient for shoppers. Shipping is free worldwide, and the site contains secure billing processes.
Regardless of which Testosterone booster an individual opts for, note that dietary supplements (even the boosters) are not steroids themselves, do not contain steroids, nor do they deliver the same dramatic results as anabolic steroids.
While these products can provide significant results, the most important aspect of using natural supplements is that dietary supplements like Alpha Tren and Trenorol are legal and regulated.


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About 4.2 million additional taxpayers will escape federal income taxes in 2018, according to a new analysis by the Tax Policy Center.
Under the GOP tax plan, 45.8 percent of won't pay income taxes or will get a net refund from the federal government, up from 43.4 percent under current law.
Bloomberg's Sahil Kapur points out that this makes the tax bill "a base-shrinker, despite the 'base-broadening' rhetoric."
Over time, though, the effect fades due to the use of chained-CPI to measure inflation, which slowly pulls more taxpayers back onto the rolls.
And with the expiration of many individual tax cuts in 2025, the bill ultimately would have 1.1 million more people paying income taxes in 2027 than would be the case under current law.

subset: commoncrawl


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Grand Canyon West Rim Tour incl. Skywalk Tickets
Visit Arizona's most distinguishable landmark and a true natural wonder - The Grand Canyon. Your tour begins with a photo stop from the O'Callaghan-Tillman Bridge over the Hoover Dam.
Upon arrival at the Grand Canyon West Rim, we'll visit the Hualapai Indian Country. Experience the ancient geological rock formations of the Grand Canyon from Guano Point.
Visit Eagle Point that has been shaped over thousands of years as though an eagle was been embedded into the Grand Canyon walls. Dine at the newly opened Skywalk Cafe overlooking the Grand Canyon for a truly unique lunch experience. Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Grand Canyon from Eagle Point, where you can experience the latest attraction – the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
After these two amazing look out points head on down to the Hualapai Ranch, and if you are lucky, you can experience a Wild West Show with Old West gunfights!
- Experience the Grand Canyon Skywalk at 4,000 feet above the canyon floor
- Lunch overlooking the Grand Canyon
- Eagle Point & Guano Point
- Drive through the 900 year old Joshua Tree Forrest on the way to lands of the Hualapai Indian Nation and the Grand Canyon
- Luxurious, air-conditioned motor coach with panoramic windows
- Photo stop of the Hoover Dam taken from the O'Callaghan Bypass Bridge
- Free show tickets
Duration: 12 hours
Important information:
- Shortly after your booking is complete, you will receive an e-ticket by email. Please print out your ticket and bring it with you on the tour.
- This tour includes free hotel pick-up and drop-off for guests staying in hotels near the The Strip. Later in the booking process we will ask for your hotel details. Pick-up is between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM.
- 24 to 48 hours before your tour date, you must call our agent to schedule pick up time at your hotel on or near The Strip .On the e-ticket you receive after you have completed your booking our agents toll free number is stated
- The tour is in English.
- Children's tickets are available for children under 2 years old.
- Cameras and most personal items are not allowed on the Skywalk. Lockers are available on site.
- The tour includes hotel pickup from most hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown area.
Reserve tickets
Grand Canyon West Rim Tour incl. Skywalk Tickets
The tour includes hotel pick-up from most hotels on the Las Vegas Strip or in the Downtown area.
Grand Canyon West Rim Tour incl. Skywalk Tickets
Tour starts at 07.30 AM. Duration: 12 hours
See where the Grand Canyon is situated:
View map


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Margaret Fleites, Media PRApril 28, 2017
Review: New show shows life after prison
The Addams family musical Feb. 13-15
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HOSA brings medical helicopter for professional learning
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The Health and safety of our staff, customers and community is our top priority. Read an important message from First Team Nissan.
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2021 Kia Seltos S *REMAINDER OF FACTORY WARRANTY*, *ONE OWNER...NO ACCIDENTS*, *BLUETOOTH*, *BACKUP CAMERA*, *RECENT TRADE IN*, *AWD*, *RECENT OIL CHANGE*, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 6 Speakers, ABS brakes, Air Conditioning, Alloy wheels, AM/FM radio, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, Brake assist, Bumpers: body-color, Carpeted Floor Mats, Delay-off headlights, Driver door bin, Driver vanity mirror, Dual front impact airbags, Dual front side impact airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Exterior Parking Camera Rear, Four wheel independent suspension, Front anti-roll bar, Front Bucket Seats, Front Center Armrest, Front fog lights, Front reading lights, Fully automatic headlights, Heated door mirrors, Illuminated entry, Leather Shift Knob, Low tire pressure warning, Occupant sensing airbag, Outside temperature display, Overhead airbag, Overhead console, Panic alarm, Passenger door bin, Passenger vanity mirror, Power door mirrors, Power steering, Power windows, Radio: AM/FM/MP3 Display Audio, Rear seat center armrest, Rear window defroster, Rear window wiper, Remote keyless entry, Roof rack: rails only, Security system, Sofino Premium Leatherette Seat Trim, Speed control, Speed-sensing steering, Split folding rear seat, Spoiler, Steering wheel mounted audio controls, Tachometer, Telescoping steering wheel, Tilt steering wheel, Traction control, Trip computer, Turn signal indicator mirrors, Variably intermittent wipers.
Since First Team opened our doors on October 3rd, 1988, we've been fortunate to become one of the most successful automotive dealership groups in the state of Virginia. From our humble beginnings as a Hyundai dealership (when most Americans didn't even know what a Hyundai was) to our new Hyundai, Genesis, Nissan, Volkswagen, Subaru and Prestige Collection dealerships today, we are proud to be the dealer with good people and great values for over 30 years!
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First Team Nissan is a member of the community first and a business second. We pride ourselves in providing the very best in automotive sales, service and value to the Roanoke community, and our neighbors in Lynchburg, Christiansburg, Salem, Blacksburg and surrounding areas. Whether it is automotive financing, low interest rates or just a great deal on a brand new or quality pre-owned automobile, First Team Nissan is here for you. And now with our Values for Life program and Fast Team Quick Service, we can offer you more than ever for your hard-earned money.
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Government regulators knew of a heightened risk of explosion in the type of nuclear reactors used at the Fukushima plant in Japan from the moment they went into operation.
Safety inspectors at America's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) warned as early as 1972 that the General Electric reactors, which did away with the traditional large containment domes, were more vulnerable to explosion and more vulnerable to the release of radiation if a meltdown occurred.
Michael Mariotte, director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, said: "The concern has been there all along that this containment building was not strong enough and the pressure containment system was not robust enough to prevent an explosion."
The ageing GE reactors are regarded as less resilient then newer models. Dr Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environment Research, said: "They are not designed to contain these explosions. They are not designed to contain an aircraft crashing into it. Modern reactors are significantly different. Designs built from the 1980s onwards don't have the vulnerabilities of mark one reactors."
All six of the reactors at the Fukushima Two plant, which has suffered two explosions, are GE-designed boiling water reactors. Five are the original mark one design and went on line from 1971 to 1979.
Mariotte's group has made public a 1972 letter from an AEC inspector, Stephen Hanauer, recommending the design be discontinued.
Environmental campaign groups say that the boiling water reactors are more vulnerable to explosion because human intervention is needed to vent radioactive steam in the event of a core meltdown.
They are also now reaching the end of their operational life.
Mariotte said damage to the containment structures in the explosion raised an additional risk of a radiation leak from the spent fuel pools, a part of the facility where spent fuel rods are stored under liquid. Like the reactor cores, the pools require constant cooling.
Robert Alvarez, a senior policy expert at the institute of Policy Studies, said satellite pictures of the Fukushima plant showed evidence of damage to the spent fuel pool. "There is clear evidence that the fuel cask cranes that haul spent fuels to and from the reactor to the pool both fell. They are gone," he said. "There appears to be copious amounts of steam pouring of the area where the pools is located."
He said there was no evidence of fire but described the situation as "worrisome".
"What we don't know is whether or not explosions or the quake or the tsuanmi or a combination of things might have damaged support structures or compromised the pool," Alvarez said.
He warned that it could take years to repair the damage to the upper decks of the reactor and to move the discharged fuel into a safer area of storage.
The early warning about the reactor design was reinforced in 1986 when Harold Denton, then the top safety official at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), warned of a high risk of failure of the mark one containment system.
"Mark one containment, especially being smaller with lower design pressure, in spite of the suppression pool... you'll find something like a 90% probability of that containment failing," he told an industry trade group at the time.
"Any reactor in this situation would be in a world of hurt. These designs are even more problematic because should you get core melt according to the nuclear regulatory commission the containment is 90% likely to fail," said Jim Riccio, a nuclear expert at Greenpeace. "In essence, the public's last line of defence in case of a meltdown really doesn't exist at all."
Mariotte said damage to the containment structures in the explosion raised an additional risk of a radiation leak from the spent fuel pools, which are sited above each reactor.
There is growing concern about the status of irradiated fuel pools at all of the Fukushima reactors. The pools are located inside the outer containment building above the core and, like the reactor cores, require constant cooling. Pictures from the site show that at least the top third of two containment buildings have been blown off, so the integrity of the fuel pools is unclear.
Japanese campaign groups have also warned of problems at the Fukushima 2 plant including a failure of the generator when the plant lost power in June last year.
In addition to the Fukushima 2 plant, eight reactors of the same design are in use in Japan at nuclear facilities at Tsuruga, Hamaoke and Shimane. Like the Fukushima plants, all three are also on Japan's main Honshu island.
Nuclear reactors of the same design are in widespread use in America.Of the 104 reactors currently in use, 23 are of the same GE mark two design, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Twelve more are a modified version of the boiling water reactor.
A number of those reactors are now reaching the end of their original 40-year lifsepan, and campaigners have been fighting attempts by the nuclear industry to extend their operation. One such GE mark one plant in contention is the Vermont Yankee. The NRC renewed the plant's lease for 20 years last week. However, the state government has moved to shut down the plant.


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(Reuters) – Country singer Luke Bryan topped the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday for the second consecutive week, denying singer-songwriter John Mayer's latest album the No. 1 spot in its first week.
Bryan's "Crash My Party" sold 159,000 copies in the past week after tallying 527,000 in sales the prior week, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.
Mayer's sixth studio album, "Paradise Valley," sold 144,000 in its first week on the chart. Four of Mayer's six albums have topped the weekly U.S. album chart.
Half of the albums to reach Billboard's top 10 did so in their first week of sales, including three debut studio albums.
R&B super-group TGT, composed of singers Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank, landed at No. 3, selling 76,000 copies of their debut album, "Three Kings," in its first week.
Teenage rapper Earl Sweatshirt's first album, "Doris," sold 49,000 copies, which was good enough for No. 5, while A$AP Ferg's debut album, "Trap Lord," entered the chart at No. 9 with 39,000 copies sold.
Veteran singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett's 27th studio album, "Songs from St. Somewhere," sold 55,000 copies in its opening week, reaching No. 4.
Pop singer Katy Perry still holds the top spot on the digital songs chart as her new single "Roar" sold 392,000 copies last week, a week-over-week decline of 30 percent.
Year-to-date album sales are down 6 percent to 181 million, while year-to-date digital song downloads are off 3 percent to 865.4 million.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)
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Get A Clue
This story appears in the January 1998 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe »
Everyone loves a good mystery. And in many ways, prospective franchisees and franchisors face the ultimate riddle: Which franchise trends will falter and which will bring long-term success? In search of an answer, thousands of people each year knock on unfamiliar doors and examine the morphing elements of consumer tastes and economic conditions. And they trust their instincts.
In reality, the answer is as individual as the person asking the question. As each person must unravel his or her own franchise mystery, in no way do we presume to have all the answers. We can, however, provide valuable clues to where the franchise industry is going. Sometimes these clues come in the form of numbers. Believe us, we know the numbers. In preparing our 19th Annual Franchise 500® listing, we have compiled the numbers, pored over the numbers, crunched the numbers and put the numbers in order.
But sometimes clues emerge when you read between the lines--when you start to put together the stories behind the numbers. Stories of new beginnings, old-time veterans and resurrections pervade this year's Franchise 500®. We hope these stories, and the numbers behind them, lead you to the answers you seek, and that ultimately you'll uncover which of today's franchise trends will dominate tomorrow's market. Here are some clues for 1998:
- Frozen desserts. For anyone who's followed franchising for a while, that we would dare call this category "hot" may come as a shock. But we can't deny that franchises selling ice cream, frozen yogurt, ices and soft serve are ascending in popularity once again. Three of our top 10 franchises this year are players in this category.
This trend comes on the heels of a flop that still evokes shivers among franchising insiders. In the early '90s, frozen yogurt was marketed as a tasty, healthy alternative to ice cream and was subsequently touted as the next huge franchise trend. But the very attributes that made the segment attractive--minimal costs and low barriers to entry--contributed to a quick oversaturation of the market. When existing food outlets started adding frozen yogurt to their product lines, some of the weaker frozen yogurt franchises experienced an immediate chilling effect. The quick rise and demise of frozen yogurt shops represents one of the most cautionary tales of saturation that franchising has seen to date.
So what do we make of this latest turn of events? Apparently, now that some of the smaller players have been squeezed out of the market, the frozen dessert concept is proving itself worthy once again. The demand is obviously there. And the players that remain, including Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins, Yogen Früz and TCBY, are strong and aggressive.
With new innovations and a smaller band of competitors, it seems the frozen desserts category may finally shed its image of what went wrong and become the new role model of what to do right.
- Juice bars. One of the hottest concepts to emerge from trendy Southern California in years is making its national debut. Its vehicle to stardom: franchising. First marketed to the health- and sports-conscious market, juices are now seeping into the population at large. They're being pitched to Americans wracked with guilt over years of eating traditional fast food. Juices have even found fans among the sweet-toothed, offering smoothie ingredients such as vanilla frozen yogurt, peanut butter and chocolate. And they're tapping into the coffee craze with cappuccino-inspired concoctions.
Something for everyone? Perhaps that's why experts estimate the juice industry will hit the $300 million mark by 2000. Yet not all cups runneth over, says Mark Siebert, president of Francorp Inc., an Olympia Fields, Illinois-based management consulting firm specializing in franchising. "The problem we're seeing with juice bars right now is that some are having problems generating revenue levels that justify development of a franchise program," says Siebert. "The key is to offer complementary products to raise the average ticket to a level that will allow franchisees to make money. Those that are able to generate high enough levels of unit volume are going to have a great deal of success."
- Wraps. In many ways a sister trend to juice bars, wraps are growing in popularity as consumers continue to crave healthier alternatives to fast food--or perhaps just alternatives to fast food, period. Formerly considered too ethnic or too "hippie" for popular consumption, wraps are now enjoying a warm reception by the franchising community, with everyone from up-and-coming franchisors like Wrap & Roll Cafe to established players like KFC offering these glorified burritos. Already a hit on the West Coast, industry analysts consider this new addition to the fast-food market most likely to succeed. We, meanwhile, are celebrating the trend with the inclusion of three wraps franchises this year.
- Senior day care. With the aging of America, one of the most pressing needs of baby boomers is day care, for their parents as well as their children. And as franchises have successfully and innovatively filled the need for child care, they are proving to be just as sensitive to the needs of seniors.
According to the National Adult Day Services Association, there are about 4,000 adult day service centers operating in the United States. Businesses in our listing include everything from home health-care services to one of the most talked-about franchises of late: centers that specialize in caring for seniors with Alzheimer's disease.
In franchising, Siebert reports this category's performance has been somewhat erratic. "For a while, there were a number of companies that went along with the publicity of Clinton's health-care reform proposals, and then there seemed to be a slowing down," he says. "Now we're starting to see people in the industry looking into expansion again."
- Educational/training services. We've already seen the bulk of laid-off employees either re-enter the work force, start their own businesses or purchase franchises, and yet this category remains strong. Today's tight labor market may hold some answers. With skilled employees hard to find, employers are investing in their current workers, paying to improve their skills in certain areas or provide training to take them to the next level.
Recently, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identified job training as one of the fastest-growing sectors dominated by small businesses. The bureau also expects the industry to grow 43 percent between 1994 and 2005. We're already seeing that growth in our listing, as franchises continue to meet the demand with concepts running the gamut from clerical skills training to high-technology education courses. As this sector booms, expect to see more and more specialization.
- Vitamins. One of the most notable success stories in our ranking this year is General Nutrition Companies (GNC), which has hung somewhere near the peak of our top-20 range since 1994. This year, it won the number-seven spot. The nation's largest vitamin-shop chain, GNC has grown to more than 3,000 stores. Its "secret" formula for renewed franchising energy: capitalizing on society's desire to offset the effects of aging, pinpointing health trends early on, and offering products in convenient, strategically placed mall locations.
GNC's success story is one that exemplifies the mystery of franchising: A company offering a concept so clearly in demand, using a proven formula, can be not-so-hot one year and blazing the next.
But, as with any good mystery, we can't resist searching for answers.
- Fitness. After a brief absence from our listing, fitness franchises are muscling their way back into the Franchise 500®. People are once again getting physical, but they're leaving the leg warmers, torn T-shirts and headbands in the '80s. The '90s take on fitness franchises ranges from the typical gym-type fitness club to individual extracurricular sports like martial arts and family-oriented activities such as children's tennis instruction. Considering the proliferation of varied fitness and sports options, we may soon see franchise heavyweights in the form of kick boxing, spinning and yoga.
Perhaps the resurgence of this category is more psychological than physical. As baby boomers feel their age creeping up on them, they're heading for the gym to try to stave off the inevitable. If that's the case, expect the fitness franchise category to keep bulking up.
- Internet franchises. A category that emerged in our ranking for the first time last year, Internet franchises are still going strong. In fact, as the industry matures, "it's become a very fragmented market," says Siebert. "There are a lot of [companies] out there. We're getting to the point where name recognition makes a difference."
Expect to see more in the way of franchises offering Web site design, computer training or some combination of both. "It appears the key to success in this area is finding a broad enough product mix to have high enough levels of unit volume," says Siebert. "From a volume standpoint, people who are just selling advertising space on the Internet are having a harder time, but those with a broader approach are doing significantly better."
OUT: Rotisserie chicken, Bagels, Cosmetics companies,
Video rental stores.
IN: Wraps, Frozen desserts, Health-care businesses, Video game franchises.
HOT: Golf
EVEN HOTTER: Women's Golf
When Jerry Seinfeld and crew obsessed about the Soup Nazi, they inadvertently created must-eat TV. "Everyone in New York wants to franchise a soup bar because of the publicity associated with the `Seinfeld' episode," says Francorp's Mark Siebert. "First, you've got `Seinfeld,' then soup bars pop up, and then franchising comes later. It tends to be sort of a phase three. So soup bars, says Siebert, should be "one of [franchising's] next big food trends of 1998."
A surprise ending to franchising's Midas story unfolded this year, as Boston Chicken Inc. ran into major snags (see "Extra! Extra!" page 170). "While home-meal replacement is still a strong sector, I think the rotisserie chicken trend has probably run its course," says Francorp's Mark Siebert. "The Chicken" (as it's known on Wall Street) may be running around with its head cut off, however, the home-meal replacement trend that it spawned remains viable: More restaurant meals were taken out than eaten in last year. Who will take over the reins of this major opportunity? Franchising's big guns have already misfired in this arena: McDonald's and Burger King failed to even make a ripple in the market with their first attempts. "What we'll see over the course of the next year or two is more existing franchisees trying to target this segment of the marketplace," says Siebert. "Rather than the evolution of one new franchise concept, my guess is existing franchisors are going to find different ways to attack that market."
Extra! Extra!
Top news story of the year: Shake-up among the big guys.
Last year, pedestals were knocked down, crowns were tarnished, and Achilles' heels were bared. A surprising chain of events proved that no one in franchising is invincible.
It's certainly no shock to hear people in the franchise industry buzzing about saturation, grumbling franchisees and increased competition affecting profits. The shock is that people were buzzing about McDonald's. "Reality has had an effect on McDonald's, which has had to deal with a very competitive fast-food market and has stumbled in some of its advertising and marketing approaches," says Erik Wulff, a partner with Washington, DC, law firm Hogan & Hartson.
The promotion that proved even McDonald's can slip up was the infamous Campaign 55, offering Big Macs and other sandwiches for 55 cents. "It was not well-received," says Wulff. "And I think McDonald's ended up being deeply embarrassed by it." Meanwhile, pressure from a renewed Burger King and a vigorous Wendy's added salt to the wound.
Now under a new management team, McDonald's seems prepared to rethink advertising and marketing strategies and meet future challenges. "I suspect that, notwithstanding the challenges McDonald's faces, it still has a long line of prospective franchisees outside its doors," says Wulff.
Boston Chicken may not be as fortunate. The company that took franchising, Wall Street and the public by storm was publicly plucked last year, with reports that the company's 15 area franchisees lost a total of $356 million in three years. Meanwhile, the franchisor downscaled its aggressive 300-stores-per-year expansion plan and subsequently announced it would close 50 restaurants in 1997 and will likely buy back all its franchises. "The fact is you've got a concept with very high food costs that requires a lot of space but at a price point that is not much higher than fast food," says Wulff.
On the bright side, Wulff sees PepsiCo's decision to spin off Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC under the moniker Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. as a healthy move, as it relieves the restaurants from the constraints of being part of a larger organization.
Wulff believes there are lessons to be learned by prospective franchisees as well as veteran franchisors. "The fast-food industry is extremely competitive, and you have to rely on a fine-tuned, workable concept in order to get a good return on your investment," he says. "You can get swept up in the story [of a big franchise], but at the end of the day, it's all about buyer beware."
Contact Sources
Francorp, 20200 Governors Dr., Olympia Fields, IL 60461, (708) 481-2900
Hogan & Hartson, (202) 637-5665


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Nokia E61i
Info Photos News Forum 100+ Reviews
Average Ratings
Great Smartphone Starter
I have owned this phone for a year now.
It was my first Smartphone and I must say, I am hooked on them now.
-The keys are a bit squeaky so when trying to type a note in bed late at night, the keys can get louder than my heater. Even with the key tones off, the keys itself are squeaky. Probably because they are so close to each other...
-Needs a bit more internal memory; when I get multimedia txt msgs I have to delete or move things to my memory card sometimes. A GB of internal memory would be nice with the ability to use a 4GB memory card!!!
-Needs a regular headphone jack so you can really enjoy your music without special Nokia headset
-The alarm only goes off for an hour, after that, it will not try to wake you up--I know I take a while to get out of bed but my old Nokia 6103 rang until I was finally up so I missed that feature
I can go on and on about the good stuff about this phone but I would just be saying the same thing others have already mentioned.
It is a big smartphone but it is a great starter for those who want to venture into this market.
I had a choice between this phone and the E71 and I think the biggest difference between the two is the size. If you want a decent sized smartphone, get the E71. I choose the E61i because it had a longer history of reviews but I also love the screen size. Great for viewing internet pages and the photo and video quality is on point!
Excellent Alternative to Windows Mobile
S60 3rd edition as implemented on the e61i (my first ever symbian OS phone) is a mature, robust, intuitive and functional interface.
The QWERTY keyboard is excellent and, though a bit mushy, the keys are very tactile and high quality. In fact, the phone is very high quality in every respect. The Metal Casing, wonderful screen, excellent battery life, and tight fit and finish all exude craftsmanship and a high-quality manufacturing process. If you can, try and make sure you buy one tat says "made in Finland."
Call quality is also excellent. Ringtones are loud, but clear, and the web browser is the best mobile browser I've ever seen --let alone used. Lastly, the phone comes pre-loaded with most of the apps you will need. No trialware garbage or useless gimmick apps.
Functional and Intuitive
Awesome Looking
High Quality parts
Brilliant Screen
Some Find it Heavy
Probably less 3rd party s60 apps
Screen is probably easily broken due to its large size
weight might cause it to shatter if I drop it (I hope I never find out).
Bottom Line: I would give it a 5, but it's not perfect. Nothing is. 4.5/5
AD reviews continues below...
great smart phone great buy
.great solid feel
.full keyword
.large screen
.easy to use
.symbian 3rd edition
.metallic look
.battery life is amazing
.metal easy to scratch but cant really tell
.kinda heavy and wide
.browser little slow
.woulda been nice to add a 3mp or 5mp camera with flash
This a great phone with lots of qualities full keyword so email and text are done in a flash a good browser and wifi better use with opera mini push mail is good nothing like black berry but its great. feel good looks good great sound quality. it will replace your lap top for a weekend if your on the road and need email access internet. but the best quality so far is the battery it last me like weekend under some crazy use and i mean crazy with out a charge
Excellent Smartphone
having used many treos and windows mobile phones, I have to say this phone 9,
feature wise it blew away other PDAs costing mmore. It also has great multimedia features: camera with good video recording and a really nice look. Compared to other PDAs, this beauty blows them out of the water
other great features: screen resolution, mobile browsing and it can push email
Overall this is a good phone. There are some areas where it is lacking though.
Great phone reception
Good speaker phone
Excellent screen
Good keyboard
Cumbersome software
Takes extra steps to send text and email messages
No built in spell checker
No OTA sync with google
Overall a good phone. I have not had any problems with the reception. I love the large screen which allows me to surf the web easily when I need to.
I come from a long line of blackberry's and this phone makes sending text messages and email very cumbersome. With the blackberry, it automatically would search recipients when you started typing in their name. With this phone, you have to go through at least three extra steps just to do that. You also have to go through an extra step or two to send it. There is no built in spell checker also. Nokia could learn a lot about messaging from the blackberry.
Another small problem is that my email disappears when I go to get new email. Very frustrating.
Wi-Fi works great.
When will a phone company get their smart phones enabled to sync with google calendars OTA? Right now I have to have my google sync with outlook and then hook up my phone to my computer and sync with it.
If this phone had some of the blackberry features for messaging and OTA sync with google calendar then it would have been a 5 in my book. I personally like GPS but it is not necessary for my handheld.
I see a lot of people and groups using google calendar (I use it and have turned several people on to it at work along with a couple of groups for group calendaring)and it would be nice to see a phone that could sync up with it right from the start. More and more apps are going from just PC based to web/mobile phone based. You need to be able to update these things on the fly.
Great for most things.
Some one really nice let me play with this phone. Overall I like it as it does what it is supposed to do. I use it mainly for Internet calls, e-mails, contacts, calendar, Internet. No voice calls over GSM.
+ Battery life
+ Thin
+ Nice screen
+ Ability to set up VoIP, etc.
+ Simple and sensible interface
- Requires sim card for most profile changes
- Not many fonts (no Asian fonts)
- Key board touch is strange
- No standard headset
E61I is OK at best but better than DASH
ok herese my review
Beutifull Phone
Feels great in the Hand
Feels kinda light
Great Screen
Wifi is Slow
Used Opera(Full), and the other 2 browsers and it was ok at best in speed.
I prefer the joystick than the D-Pad
In all I like my E50 Nokia better than the E61I. Besides the wifi and the keyboard this phone can do nothing more than my E50


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El Dorado 12 years old
Since it seems my going out tonight was cancelled by an external agency, I might just have a sip of one of my other favourites: Blanton's Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It is an excellent single barrel bourbon with a bottle shaped as the Holy Hand Grenade and a tin horse attached to the cork. Classy.
I scare kids!! =P
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Being the largest city by area in the contiguous United States, Jacksonville, FL has over 500 different neighborhoods and is divided into several key unstructured boundaries. Sunbeam Jacksonville is a neighborhood near Mandarin and across the river from the Jacksonville Naval Complex. Sunbeam Jacksonville is now an upper middle class neighborhood with much to offer.
Search for apartments in Sunbeam Jacksonville and you will have a great place to call home. The median rent is around $800 per month and you will find studios through four bedroom units available. In fact, studio Sunbeam Jacksonville apartments can rent for as low as $499 per month. Almost all of the apartment complexes have air conditioning, disability access, laundry facilities, and are cable ready. Included in the rent is the leisure amenities of a swimming pool, clubhouse, playground and fitness center and some buildings include free internet access and Wi-Fi.
Dining out at a restaurant for the first time is often a little risky; however, Julie's café is a good start. On the other side of Sunbeam, over the river, is a seafood store called Kathi's Krabs on Collins Road. They specialize in soft shell crab and stone crab claws fresh from the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Dick's Wings and Grill has been voted best wings in Jacksonville for their barbeque and hot wings. For casual dining and drinking The Pier Cantina & Sandbar is a great place to park your flip-flops. In fact, the whole Jacksonville pier is a great place for entertainment and it is only 30 minutes away by car, a bit longer by boat.
In addition to the numerous pet friendly apartments in Sunbeam, there is Mandarin Pet Grooming and Mandarin Pet Emergency clinic located next to each other on Old St Augustine Rd. Plus there are pet specialty stores and mobile grooming services nearby, not to mention a cat clinic and pet sitting service all in the same area.
The only way to commute in and around the Sunbeam neighborhood is by private vehicle or by carpooling. The traffic isn't bad until you get on US1 or Phillips Highway. Many residents use the I-295 bypass to avoid some of the worst traffic. Public transportation does not appear to be an option in this area.
There is a number of Pre-k through elementary schools throughout the area. The Torah Academy of Jacksonville on San Jose Blvd. is an orthodox day school for Jewish children. They offer classes from Pre-k through eighth grade. Crown Point Elementary School is located on Crown Point Road and serves Pre-k through sixth grade. Three schools serve as a middle school for the neighborhood and two high schools are available, either Christ's Church Academy or Center Academy of Jacksonville, both private schools.


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ELorenz wrote:When speaking about mathematics you have to be very careful about how you say things.
ELorez wrote:However it is not true that x^2 = 1/2*k*x^2.
ELorenz wrote:What does f(x) = x^2 describe in nature
ELorenz wrote:it states that vectors actually first appeared in geometry
The idea of a vector is one of the greatest contributions to mathematics, which came directly from physics.
ELorenz wrote:a point itself could be a vector in mathematics.
A finite dimensional vector space over R with an inner product defined on it is called an Euclidean space
ELorez wrote:are fields and vector spaces.
You might be thinking of the Euclidean metric rather than Euclidean space.
JMas wrote:ELorenz,
I think I know the point you're trying to make. Mathematics is a language that can be used to model nature, though, this is not its sole responsibility/endeavour (this is a huge topic).
As for your f(x) = x^2, well, this relation describes one of the more important natural laws. The Harmonic Potential:
U = 1/2 * k * x^2
U = Harmonic Potential
k = a positive constant
x = displacement
This has been used in a lot of models, for example, an approximation of lattice vibrations in crystals (small amplitude), called the "Harmonic Limit" or "Harmonic Approximation" and the Quantum harmonic oscillator (V. Important) amongst others.
Ma77o wrote:Is math discovered, or invented?
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Springfield Cardinals 2011 (91/309)
Access to downloads is only available to pre-approved media clients; ALL images must be purchased or licensed, this includes for those depicted and their family. We can not e-mail images or allow downloads for ANY other persons, digital files are not available to the general public.
Filename: Curtis, Jermaine 41611-002 (Welker).jpg
Copyright © 2011 ÐDavid Welker Ð Four Seam Images
Copyright © 2011 ÐDavid Welker Ð Four Seam Images


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Buchholz feels 'real good' after throwing off mound
HOUSTON -- Right-hander Clay Buchholz took another step forward Tuesday by throwing off the mound for the first time since July 17.
Buchholz said he felt "real good" after throwing 27 pitches, mostly fastballs.
"He came out of today's mound work feeling pretty good about himself," manager John Farrell said. "More importantly, he's built up enough of a foundation that we can build a mound progression for him to follow. That's still in the works, what makes the most sense."
Buchholz said his next step would be to throw a regular bullpen session, possibly Friday in Kansas City.
Buchholz began the season 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 12 starts before being placed on the disabled list June 9 with a neck strain. An MRI taken in June revealed no structural damage, but it did show that he has inflammation in the bursa sac area of his shoulder.
"It's just progression with bullpen [sessions]," said Buchholz, who last pitched June 8. "I'm trying to build up more pitches, obviously. I'm not sure how long it's going to take."
Buchholz proclaimed himself about 60 to 65 percent after Tuesday's workout.
"I went and threw all the pitches I had," he said. "It's a little sore at the moment. There's going to be a progression of bullpen [sessions] before anything else happens. The bullpen [sessions] are pretty normal, then some simulated stuff and rehab [games]."
Buchholz said he felt encourage compared with the last bullpen session he threw in Oakland prior to the All-Star break.
"It's definitely better than it was a couple of weeks ago," he said. "It's night and day compared with [the bullpen session in Oakland]."
Buchholz said he was not concerned with his velocity at this point.
"Velocity was not one of the things I was trying to do today," he said. "The ball was coming out of my hand good without trying to throw hard. That comes from not throwing for a while. The velocity's going to come when I start doing the bullpen [sessions]."
No timetable has been set for Buchholz's return.
"Today was 27 pitches of decent intensity, with all his pitches thrown," Farrell said. "He felt nothing [in pain] compared to his last bullpen session in Oakland. Today was a good step for him."


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In hindsight, it's pretty easy to say you would've said no to the tournament offer that fell apart for the Etiwanda boys basketball team, leaving the Eagles a tournament short this season.
Here is what happened. A guy approached Etiwanda boys basketball coach Dave Kleckner months ago, with this offer:
Continue reading "Could you have said no to tournament offer?" »


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In the town of Azzun, locals marched from the municipality office to one of the roads leading out of the town in protest against the closure of two of the village's three exit roads. Since 1991, all traffic entering and exiting the village has been through one road. Residents told The Palestine Monitor they were also marching because of Israel's general repressive policies and frequent raids carried out by Israeli troops in the village. In the nearby village of Izbit-Tabib, people from around the area gathered to show solidarity with the residents of the approximately 25 houses in the village slated for demolition.
The Palestine Monitor spoke to Mohammed Radwan, a coordinator of the Popular Resistance Struggle Committee in the area. "We are demonstrating today to demand an end to the repression of the village and to re-open the northern and eastern gates," he said.
He explained that since 1991, only one of the entrances to the village has been open. "It should take only 10 minutes to get to Qalqilya, but since they closed the other entrances it now takes three times as long," he explained. Mohammed said that the Israelis have closed the other entrances for the "security of the settlers" in the nearby Jewish-only colony of Ma'ale Shimron, but explained that re-opening the roads would not adversely affect the settlements in any way.
Locals gathered at the town municipality around 11 a.m. and marched to the barbed wire fence blocking off one of the roads on the edge of the town. As they approached the fence, Israeli soldiers threw about seven or eight stun grenades at the demonstrators. Having failed to disperse the peaceful protest, the army proceeded to fire streams of tear gas behind the group, and then directly at the protestors, forcing them to run several hundred metres through the stinging fumes.
The soldiers covered the entire area in tear gas in moments, through the use of both hand held launchers and the vehicle-mounted Venom cannon. Venom, produced in the US, can fire 150 tear gas canisters in less than 30 seconds.
The army followed the retreating protesters as local youth began to retaliate by throwing stones, and within minutes, a large part of the town was engulfed in tear gas. Many locals were forced to run from their homes, carrying babies and small children for fear of the invading soldiers. Three army jeeps drove a path through the crowd and stopped in a street in the middle of the town, firing stun grenades and tear gas at random, including directly at journalists.
Having reassembled at the municipality building, many locals proceeded to travel to the nearby village of Izbit-Tabib, in solidarity with residents to whom Israeli authorities have delivered impending home demolition orders. Around 25 houses, including a school and the village council, are due to be destroyed because they were constructed without an Israeli-issued building permit in Area C—an area that makes up roughly 60% of the occupied West Bank.
Construction by Palestinians in Area C is all but banned under Israeli law. Locals argue, however, that because none of the buildings in question have concrete roofs—rather they are furnished with galvanise roofs—they technically fall under the category of "agricultural buildings," which are allowed in some instances.
After assembling at the village council for speeches and prayer, the crowd proceeded to march peacefully to the main road that leads to Qalqilya. Having arrived at the junction the village, youth spontaneously broke into song and traditional dance and chanted slogans against the occupation, while a small group of soldiers looked on from across the road
After a few jovial minutes of song and dance, the demonstration was suddenly caught in a pincer movement as several jeeploads of soldiers arrived both from the main road and from the village, behind the demonstration. The army immediately began firing teargas canisters indiscriminately at the marchers, directly hitting more than several members of the group and a nearby journalist.
Hundreds of local Palestinians spent almost the entire day protesting in solidarity with their neighbours, joined by a handful of international and Israeli solidarity activists. Despite the overwhelmingly peaceful nature of the actions, such demonstrations are routinely met with violence by the Israeli military.
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Monday, Jan 27, 2014 7:46 PM
Posted By Lester V Ledesma
4) The Heartbeat of Iloilo
"Thirteen tribes later my ears are numb from all the merry mayhem that had just occurred. As I think about this weekend I realize that Dinagyang is more than just a display of mindless revelry. To me it now represents the unique character of the Ilonggo people - artistic, fun loving, deeply religious and sometimes crazy. This was really a weekend to remember. When next year comes, you'll see me back in Iloilo. "
"No, I won't be watching the revelers. I'll be one of them!"
August 5, 2013: On assignment for Smile Magazine:
"The course takes you through a 12-kilometer stretch dotted with over a dozen class II and III rapids (class I is easy, class 6 is suicidal). Each gurgling, foaming obstacle has its own challenges; Makabundol Rapids has a rock wall on one side that needs to be paddled against, while The Rodeo is so chaotic you'll have to hold on to stay aboard. And don't even think about chatting up your guide when you tackle the "I'm Busy" Rapids. There's also The Twister, so named because you all have to paddle through it standing up – making everyone look like dancers on a boat!"


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Have you ever thought about what you would do if someone near you suffered a heart attack? Would you spring into action starting CPR or calling 911? For a few staff members at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, those questions now have answers and resulted in a life saved.
On Jan. 12, The Penn Stater was welcoming a large group for the Penn State women's volleyball team's annual banquet. While the ballroom filled up, staff attended to guest needs and prepared plates for service in the kitchen, among many other duties.
Judy Karaky, general manager of The Penn Stater, was in the kitchen helping plate salads and desserts when she got a call from executive housekeeper Kerry Kassab that she was needed in the main lobby immediately. Once Karaky arrived, she joined Kassab and Liz Rupert, a banquet server, who had already jumped in to help a male guest who had suffered from sudden cardiac arrest.
"I grabbed the AED (automated external defibrillator) and got it hooked up," said Karaky. "Kerry and Liz were both next to the gentleman performing CPR."
According to Karaky, the AED is easy to use. It is designed to tell you when to administer CPR, when to pause and when to shock. While Karaky had been trained on the AED, she had never used one in a real-life trauma situation. Despite being nervous, Karaky didn't let her nervousness prevent her from doing what she needed to do.
"You have this initial fear and anxiety," explained Karaky. "You're trying to go fast and open all the packages for pads and the mouth guard. I was probably a little flustered, but once it was hooked up and on, I felt better. Anything from then on the machine helps you do."
Once the machine was going, Karaky said she turned into a coach. "I was just trying to communicate and keep everyone going," Karaky explains. "Kerry and Liz did great. I was impressed with both of them and think they had far harder jobs than I did."
Karaky's experience with AEDs isn't just training. After losing a young cousin years ago when having easy access to an AED around wasn't as common, her aunt and uncle made it their mission to pass legislation requiring the life-saving machines in public places. Jim Purdum, general manager for Penn State Hospitality, and Karaky's uncle and father helped write the policy for AEDs at Penn State. Today, AEDs are common in public places and can be found in many buildings on Penn State's campus.
Karaky can't stress enough the importance of being trained to do CPR and operate an AED. "To me it means an average person can jump in and save someone's life," said Karaky. "That's really significant. It's like giving blood. It's something simple you can do, but it's really important."
Thanks to the quick action of Karaky, Kassab, Rupert and other staff at The Penn Stater, the gentleman was able to begin breathing on his own before being taken away in an ambulance. Later that evening, a doctor called to let them know the gentleman was conscious and communicating. "We were relieved," said Karaky. "We were proud to know we were able to respond in a moment of crisis. We have challenges all the time, but not ones involving life or death. When it applies to human life, it's a good feeling."
Karaky did not expect any recognition, but said she did have a purpose for speaking out about the incident. "The point in talking about it was to reinforce the importance of having AEDs in public places, learning how to use them and how to do CPR. We have a great staff here that's ready to serve. Our goal is always to do our job, to do it the best we can and show how much we care about those here with us."


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The Yugoslav Wars
From Scenario League Wiki
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== Downloads ==
== Downloads ==
[[Media:.zip|Original 1999 Scenario Files]]
[[Media:Yugoslav_v2.zip|Hans's 2009 Graphic Update Scenario Files ]]
[[Media:Yugoslav_v2.zip|Hans's 2009 Graphic Update Scenario Files ]]
Revision as of 20:36, 15 February 2011
***THIS NEEDS TO BE SPLIT BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND MODIFIED*** - HT ***Will Do this the next two days*** - Hans
Scenario for Civilization II by François Baire
To play you need "Conflicts in Civilization" It's much better to have a Civ2 version a least 2.4.2
Yugoslavia burst because of rival nationalism's which entails wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
This scenario is quite easy with Serbs, it's much more difficult with Bosnians or Kosovars. If you want to play with N.A.T.O., you'll have to be patient because they interfere only if there are slaughters done by Serbs and their cities have no production.
In the reality, although Kosovo is a self-governing region it takes part of Serbia Republic. In order to describe the war in Kosovo, it is independent in this scenario. On the other hand, Montenegro (in the scenario it is the area owned by Serbs near the sea) is a republic of the federal state. As i was limited to 7 civilizations, i decided to incorporate it to Serbia because it has been a satellite of the most powerful republic of Yugoslavia.
The main version of this scenario is the french version so there are many names in french ,city names for instance, do not change them.
If there is anything wrong or if you want to tell commentaries, to ask questions, to formulate remarks, to express wishes, to criticize, and why not... to congratulate about this scenario don't hesitate to send me an e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com
The Factions
Serbia (and the Montenegro but without Kosovo), the biggest yugoslav republic has got the weapons of the federal army. It desires to gather all the Serbs who are in Croatia, in Bosnia, in Kosovo and also in the north of Macedonia. It must be careful about not irritating N.A.T.O. which could punish it. Its government is nationalist (tantamount to fundamentalism).
Croatia, second biggest republic, must assure its independence and defeat Serb attacks. Moreover Croatians want to take some territories controlled by Bosnia in the region of Mostar. They are allied with Slovenia. Their government is nationalist (tantamount to fundamentalism).
Slovenia is the richest republic. Allied with Croatia, it has no frontiers with Serbia. Slovenians have no territorial claims, they must assure their independence by pushing federal troops out of Slovenia and then try to improve their economy. Their government is a Republic.
Bosnia Herzegovina. It must try to preserve the maximum of its territories, N.A.T.O. could give help if slaughters done by Serbs are too much. It has a moderate nationalist government (tantamount to monarchy).
Macedonia is a quite poor region. It has to keep alive between its neighbours who do not appreciate it much (Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece). It must avoid a conflict with Serbs at any price an try to improve its evit economy. Its government is a republic.
Kosovo is the poorest region of Yugoslavia. Populated with a majority of Kosovo Albanians, there is also an important minority of Serbs and is an important historic place for Serbia. Many Kosovars want to join Albania first step to create a "Great Albania". Kosovo Albanians claim territories in Macedonia and Montenegro. However its army is very bad equipped but could be helped by N.A.T.O.
N.A.T.O. would like to preserve peace thanks to diplomacy first (with the help of U.N.) and if that's not enough thanks to bombings against Serbs or even a ground operation. The cities on the map have no production. So in the beginning N.A.T.O. have no strong influence. Its cities are unconquerable. Its government is democratic.


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Fox's Flawed Solution To The Economy: What Would Reagan Do?
Fox has attacked the economic recovery under President Obama by claiming that if Obama just adopted the policies of former President Ronald Reagan, there would be a stronger recovery. But as economists have pointed out, the Reagan recession ended not because of Reagan's fiscal policies but because the Federal Reserve drastically cut interest rates. Because interest rates are already at zero, such a rate cut is not a possible option now.
Fox Invokes The Reagan Recovery As A Model Of Comparison
Fox's Kelly Wright: "What Did Reagan Do To Turn The Recession Around? Does President Obama Need To Embrace These Strategies As Well?" From the May 5 edition of Fox News' America's News Headquarters:
KELLY WRIGHT (co-host): President Obama facing stiff economic headwinds as he officially launches his re-election bid. President Ronald Reagan faced a similar challenge you'll recall back in 1984. Take a look at this: Under Reagan, a recovering economy added more than 360,000 jobs, this compared to President Obama's April jobs number coming in at 115,000.
So what did Reagan do to turn the recession around? Does President Obama need to embrace these strategies as well? Joining me now, founder and managing partner of Cargile Investments, Mickey Cargile. Mickey, it's good to have you sir, and weighing in with your expertise about this. What do you think the president needs to do in order to duplicate what President Ronald Reagan was able to achieve in the April leading up to his November election?
MICKEY CARGILE (managing partner, Cargile Investment Management): Well it's so difficult to even compare the two periods. You know, that was 30 years ago, and the economy today is three and a half times larger than it was back then, so you think it would be even easier to create a number of jobs today. But the thing that the numbers really don't tell us is what kind of jobs are being created today. You know many of them are minimum-wage service jobs, and they're not long-term career jobs like were created in 1984.
Reagan used the tax code to incent people to invest in our economy. And by doing so, he re-created the manufacturing sector. That created high paying jobs, and yes it made some people very rich, but here's a newsflash for you, it's the rich people that employ the rest of us. So it's very important that we have that incentive that rewards success and not try to punish people because they are successful.
WRIGHT: So Reagan also had it then -- according to what you're saying even though it's 30 years ago -- Reagan had the ability to see that there was something to be said for that trickle-down theory, that perhaps the rich could go out there and create the jobs. What other tools did he have in his arsenal that perhaps President Obama does not or has not used?
CARGILE: Well it's just that policy of where Reagan embraced capitalism and personal accountability, today we embrace something else that is very near socialism and entitlement. You know, one way to get the employment rate down is simply stop this insane proliferation of unemployment benefits that proliferate forever.
You know, my heart goes out to people that lose their jobs, but after 6 months, if you're still unemployed, you've got to look in the mirror and get re-trained and get out and find a job that is available, or create your own job. You know so many successful people are people who are able to realize their potential simply because they lost a job, could not find a job, and had to create their own. [Fox News, America's News HQ, 5/5/12]
Fox's Kelly: Compared To The Reagan Recovery, "We Are Way Off Pace Of The Recovery We Were Going Through Back Then." From the May 4 edition of Fox News' America Live:
MEGYN KELLY (host): Well a dismal jobs report showing more Americans have stopped looking for work altogether. The Labor Department showing employers added only 115,000 jobs last month. Compare that to April of 1984. After the most severe recession since World War II under President Reagan, the U.S. economy added 363,000 jobs that month. It's so often you hear the president's recovery compared to President Reagan's recovery, but you can see the disparity in where we were then: 363 added in April of '84 versus 115,000 added this month. Joining me now, Matt McCall, president of Penn Financial Group. Matt, I mean it says a lot, our brain room says that 363,000 back in April of 1984 would be more like 450,000 jobs being created today. I mean, we are -- the point is we are way off pace of the recovery we were going through back then. This recovery looks nothing like that one.
MATT MCCALL (president, Penn Financial Group): No it looks nothing like it, and unfortunately the recovery is getting actually weaker the last couple of months, which is even more troubling. And, you know, a lot of people that argue against that point Megyn, they say well 'it's just one month, let's not just look at one month' well I look back at the first eleven quarters of the "Regan Recovery" back in the 80's, and we had created 9.4 million jobs. The first 11 quarters of the Obama recovery, 3.9 million jobs, so that's a dramatic difference. You can't say "well because of the warm weather, it's just this one month." overall this recovery is not even comparable to the recovery we saw under Reagan. [Fox News, America Live, 5/4/12]
Fox Contrasts Job Creation Rates Under Obama And Under Reagan. During the America Live segment, Fox ran the following on-screen graphic:
[Fox News, America Live, 5/4/12]
WSJ's Moore: Reagan "Cut Tax Rates, He Deregulated Businesses, He Got The Inflation Rate Down, All The Opposite Things Though That Obama Has Done." From the May 4 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor with guest host Laura Ingraham:
INGRAHAM (guest host): Alright Moore, how much interest are we paying every year on that debt? What's that interest now?
STEPHEN MOORE (Wall Street Journal): It's very soon going to be the single largest expenditure in the entire federal budget is interest on the debt. And Laura, when you ask the question what do we do? How do we get out of this kind of crisis? You know the answer. I know the answer. I think the American people know. Reagan did it in 1981 when he inherited a great economic crisis. He cut tax rates, he deregulated businesses, he got the inflation rate down, all the opposite things though that Obama has done.
INGRAHAM: Yeah.
MOORE: And by the way, at this stage of the recovery under Reagan, we weren't having 120,000 jobs a month, we were 300, 400, we had--
INGRAHAM: Big difference
MOORE: Under President Reagan, we were at a million jobs in one month, where are those kinds of numbers? Where are they? [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 5/4/12]
But The Reagan Recession Ended With Interest Rate Cuts, Which Aren't Possible Now
Reagan Economist Suggested Interest Rate Cuts Drove Economic Recovery. Michael Mussa, a member of Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers, wrote in an essay for American Economic Policy in the 1980s (University of Chicago Press, 1995) that when the Federal Reserve cut the discount rate a half percentage point on July 20, 1982, it "signal[ed] the beginning of what would become a four-and-a-half-year period of quite rapid monetary expansion. During this period, interest rates, both short and long term, would be driven significantly lower, and the U.S. economy would substantially recover from the devastation of both inflation and recession." [American Economic Policy in the 1980s, 9/1/95, via Google Books]
CBO: "Lower Interest Rates After Mid-1982 Permitted The Recovery To Begin." An August 1983 CBO report titled "The Economic and Budget Outlook: An Update" concluded that "[l]ower interest rates after mid-1982 permitted the recovery to begin":
Recovery started in December 1982 from the deepest postwar recession, the second of two since 1980. Both recessions were brought on by monetary restriction aimed at bringing inflation under control. Lower interest rates after mid-1982 permitted the recovery to begin. Real GNP grew at a 2.6 percent annual rate in the first quarter and at an 8.7 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 1983. [Congressional Budget Office, August 1983]
CNN: "The Recession Of The Early 1980s Was Caused By Runaway Inflation, Which The Federal Reserve Countered By Hiking Interest Rates." From a May 4 CNN Money article titled "Why Obama can't match the Reagan recovery" :
Reagan had an advantage over Obama: The recession of the early 1980s was caused by runaway inflation, which the Federal Reserve countered by hiking interest rates. When inflation dropped, the Fed lowered rates and a massive economic boom resulted.
The major causes of the recent recession were a banking crisis and housing bubble that exploded during President George W. Bush's final months in office.
Another difference: With comparatively small debt loads, Reagan was able to push through a 23% across-the-board cut of individual income tax rates. Obama, meanwhile, entered the presidency with substantial budget deficits and an economy contracting at a rate of 6.7%. [CNN Money, 5/4/12]
Paul Krugman: "The Early-80s Slump Was Brought On By A Huge Rise In The Fed Funds Rate, Which Left Lots Of Room For Cuts." From a January 27 New York Times blog post titled "Postmodern Business Cycle" from Nobel-prize winning economist Paul Krugman:
[T]his gives me an occasion to talk about why the sluggish recovery was predictable -- and predicted. This is not an after-the-fact rationalization, I was explaining very early on that this wasn't going to be like the 1981-2 recession.
As I said then, there's a definite change in the character of recessions after the mid-1980s. Before then, recessions were basically brought on by the Fed, which raised interest rates sharply to curb inflation, causing a slump in housing. When the Fed decided that we had suffered enough, it let rates fall again, and there was a surge from pent-up housing demand. Morning in America!
Since then, however, inflation has been well under control, and booms have died of old age -- or more precisely, they have died because of overbuilding and an excessive level of debt. The Fed is then in the position of trying to goose housing (which is the principal channel for monetary policy) even though housing may already be overbuilt (which was the point I was making, sarcastically, when I said long ago that the Fed has to create a housing bubble), and it is cutting rates from an initial level which isn't that high. So the odds of running up against the zero lower bound are high, and recovery can be a long time in coming.
You can see what I'm talking about here:
The early-80s slump was brought on by a huge rise in the Fed funds rate, which left lots of room for cuts, and was driven by a deep slump in housing, which meant that there was lots of pent-up demand when rates fell again. The 2007-? slump was brought on by the bursting of a housing and debt bubble, and left the Fed largely pushing on a string.
And what about Reagan? Reagan who? This had nothing to do with tax cuts. Did I mention that Reagan actually raised taxes in 1982? [The New York Times, 1/27/12]
Krugman: "Right Now, The Interest Rate Is Zero. The Fed Can't Rescue Us This Time." During the February 6, 2009, edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Krugman noted: "In 1982, when the economy was deeply depressed, the Federal Reserve said, 'OK, we've got to do something about this,' and they cut interest rates from 13 percent to around 7 percent and the economy took off." Krugman continued: "Right now, the interest rate is zero. The Fed can't rescue us this time, and that's why we can't do the things we did in the '80s. We have to have an approach that harks back to the things that worked very well in the first four years of the New Deal until Franklin Roosevelt was persuaded to go orthodox all over again." [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 2/6/09, via Media Matters]
And The "Engine Of Growth" That Existed In The 1980s Isn't There Now
Businessweek: "Obama's Critics Call For A Return To Reaganomics, But The Gipper's Downturn Was No Match For This One." From a Feb 2 Bloomberg Businessweek article titled "A Tale of Two Election Year Recoveries" :
Obama has struggled to master a far more complex situation. The Reagan recession was sparked by the high inflation of the Jimmy Carter years and the decision by then-Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to raise interest rates to as high as 20 percent in May 1981 to smother higher prices. Although the high rates caused a lot of pain, they left Volcker with plenty of room to cut until the recession had eased. Rate cuts started in June 1981. By December 1982, rates were down to 8.5 percent. The economy responded quickly to monetary easing. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, in contrast, has little room left for cuts; the federal funds rate is close to zero. "When you have a deep financial crisis paired with recession, it's a completely different animal than a normal recession," says Kenneth Rogoff, an economics professor at Harvard University. "The one in the Reagan Administration was a more normal one."
The presence of so much debt in the economy makes companies and consumers reluctant to borrow and banks reluctant to lend, no matter how low interest rates go. Debt today remains a greater drag on the U.S. than in 1983, says Carmen Reinhart, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington and co-author, with Rogoff, of This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly. In the third quarter of 2011, household debt was 86 percent of GDP, compared with 47 percent in the third quarter of 1983, according to the U.S. Commerce Dept. "The capacity for households to be the engine of growth that they have been in past recoveries is simply not there," Reinhart says.
"Reagan could talk about morning in America and could come from that perspective," says Peter D. Hart, who was a pollster for Walter Mondale, Reagan's Democratic opponent in 1984. "The major difference this time is that Americans are much more likely to believe we are in a long-term decline." Reagan, too, might have to struggle to convince voters it's morning in America in 2012. [Bloomberg Businessweek, 2/2/12]
For more on the faulty comparisons between Reagan's and Obama's economic policies, click here and here.