text:
Carrie Underwood Rescues Abandoned Dog
Kellie Pickler isn't the only former 'American Idol' contestant and blonde country star with an animal-friendly heart. Country queen Carrie Underwood bravely rescued an abandoned Labrador the day before New Year's Eve (Dec. 30) while driving back to Nashville after visiting her family.
Warning: This story, which Underwood posted on her members-only fan club blog and which was subsequently recounted by CMT, is heartbreaking, so proceed with caution.
Apparently, Underwood pulled over after seeing two dogs along the road and rescued the one dog that was still alive. That pup was in pretty bad shape, was suffering from a case of road rash and she had bitten through her tongue. The emergency vet that Underwood took the pooch to assessed that the poor gal had likely been thrown from a moving vehicle.
Underwood took the canine, which she named Stella, home and promptly placed her with neighbors who live down the street. Since the singer already has her hands full with two pups and a new album on its way in 2012, she chose to let a couple nearby adopt Stella and to give her a warm, loving home.
That's good news for all involved, since Underwood can enjoy visitation privileges with Stella, too. Her hockey husband, Mike Fisher, did warn Underwood not to overdo it with checking in on the dog to the level of stalking!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
An estimated 215,000 people attended a rally organized by Comedy Central talk show hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Saturday in Washington, according to a crowd estimate commissioned by CBS News.
The company AirPhotosLive.com based the attendance at the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" on aerial pictures it took over the rally, which took place on the Mall in Washington. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 10 percent.
CBS News also commissioned AirPhotosLive.com to do a crowd estimate of Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in August. That rally was estimated to have attracted 87,000 people. Amid criticism from conservatives that the estimate was low, CBS News detailed the methodology behind it here (we're liberals who hate conservatives).
Beck's was clearly bigger and took more space.
The only rally that Stewart/Colbert can accurately claim to be bigger than is the Communist "One Trashy Nation" earlier this month.


text:
Pepsi challenge: HIV/AIDS activists compete for $50,000
Married HIV/AIDS activists Shawn Decker and Gwenn Barringer are hoping to win a Pepsi sponsored $50,000 grant to take their safe sex presentation on the road to 50,000 teens in all 50 states. As detailed in a 2006 Hook cover story, Decker is a hemophiliac who contracted the virus from a childhood blood transfusion. He is the author of My Pet Virus, a memoir detailing his unlikely and often humorous experiences growing up HIV positive in 1980s Waynesboro. Barringer, a former beauty pageant competitor, is HIV negative. To vote for their project and learn more about it, visit www.refresheverything.com/shawnandgwenn
2 comments
There are a couple of other local causes also in the hunt for Pepsi's money.
Camp Holiday Trails: http://www.refresheverything.com/campholidaytrails
A group of astronomy students and a professor who want to publish their bilingual astronomy book for elementary schoolers: http://www.refresheverything.com/darkskiesbrightkids
It is a good cause indeed. Who can provide more information about AIDS than those who suffer from it. If they win, a lot of teens will become aware of the dangers of AIDS and will help a lot to prevent it.


text:
An alleged invasion at the home of rapper/actor LL Cool J could be the "third strike" against a 56-year-old transient, who remained hospitalized Thursday after the two-time Grammy Award winner confronted the man at his Studio City home, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Jonathan A. Kirby was charged on Thursday as a Third Striker with felony first-degree burglary with a person present, said Jane Robison with the DA's office.
Kirby is accused of entering LL Cool J's gated mansion at about 1 a.m. Wednesday, triggering an alarm. The rapper/actor – who plays a federal agent and former Navy SEAL on the television show NCIS: Los Angeles – confronted the alleged intruder and held him until authorities arrived.
U.S. & World
Kirby suffered a broken nose, jaw and ribs, Robison said. LL Cool J, whose birth name is James Todd Smith, was not injured.
Under California's "Three Strikes Law," the maximum sentence is life imprisonment – with a minimum of 25 years in prison – for a new felony for anyone convicted of at least two previous serious or violent felonies, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office.
If convicted, Kirby faces a maximum sentence of 38 years to life in prison. Prosecutors will ask his bail be set at $1.1 million.
Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: iPhone/iPad App | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | RSS | Text Alerts | Email Alerts


text:
Topic: Boba's BL-17
so i was reading the new essential droids book and in the last few entries it mentions the BL-17 that fought for the Mandos and mentions how boba had his own that he kept for a while. any one know what book this came from?
―Peter Griffin


text:
Somalia: Breaking Away From Intellectuals' Legacy of Corruption, Clan and Kleptocracy
Can a new generation of Somali intellectuals fix the mistakes of its predecessors and offer a brighter future for Somalia?
'Where the lead camel goes, so shall others'. So goes the Somali proverb, describing the tendency of humans to unquestioningly follow those in authority even if such individuals are leading them astray.
This effect is, of course, universal. But it does aptly reflect the phenomenon in Somalia in which where the first generation of post-independence political, professional and intellectual elites went, so did the second. As ever, there are exceptions, but they were few and far between.
A culture of corruption
As Somalia was approaching independence in 1960, the pursuit of clan and personal agendas was already beginning to eclipse plans to build robust institutions that might sustain the young nation.
By independence, Machiavellian individuals exploiting the newly-founded state's naivety and lack of experience in government, as well as the gullibility and groupthink mentality of clan-loyalists, had set the groundwork for the culture of institutionalised looting of following decades.
The impetus that set this frenzy in motion sprung from questions surrounding who it was that had the legitimate right to inherit residential properties left behind by the Italian colonial power.
Adan Abdulle Osman, the first president, adamantly opposed proposals to distribute the mansions and villas as private properties to a few privileged individuals within the circle of power. He forewarned that such behaviour would not help the nation and would motivate the new power-brokers to "think like the colonial masters".
But his warning was not heeded. Treating national assets as spoils in this way set a precedent that legitimised corruption and ensured that almost all high government officials up until the civil war which began in 1991 owned at least a mansion, a villa, or the equivalent in cash. This corrupt sub-culture systematically corroded trust in the state and become the fuel that kept clan-conflict burning.
And contrary to common understandings, corrupt officials are not only those who kleptocratically steal revenues and resources in power; it also includes those who practice nepotism or give themselves extraordinary privileges, those who employ selective justice, those who reject government policies, and those who prevent the building of institutional checks and balances.
Over the last two decades in Somali politics, consecutive generations of trend-setters and imitators have allocated a great deal of their intellectual energy and ingenuity to myopically advancing one personal or clan interest or another at the expense of the national interest and the common good.
Putting the I in Somalia
This was especially the case amongst those who were considered intellectuals in various facets of life. Instead of fulfilling their role as the young nation's critical voice and offering viable solutions to saving the fragile state, these people merely assumed the role of enabler for one despot, political overlord, sectarian group or another. The justification that 'everyone else is doing it', meant that all that mattered was high posts and loot.
Perhaps due to the colonial inferiority complex of their mentors in the preceding generation, the second generation of post-independence intellectuals seemed to value symbolism much more profoundly than substance. One had to look the part or play the part, however dysfunctional in reality, to gain external approval. That desperate dependency blurred, if not subjugated, their objectivity.
In that context, it is not surprising that there are intellectual and professional chameleons that, on the one hand, match well against their peers in terms of scholarship, academic discipline as well as knowhow and production; but, on the other, persistently cling to a clannish mentality and resort to uncompromising zero-sum games when it comes to advancing matters of national interest. Sadly, it is this duality that has until now defined the average Somali intellectual.
A retrospective analysis of what went wrong in Somalia highlights the pathological role that this group of professionals and intellectuals has played in perpetuating two decades of societal haemorrhage. More so than the warlords, political opportunists, economic parasites and neo-Islamists, the intellectual class has contributed to the balkanisation of Somalia, both physically and psychologically. No other group has consistently sown negativity for the past two decades more so than Somali intellectuals.
As an oral society that met many challenges in its transition to modern statehood, Somalia's indigenous historical figures - often illiterate public intellectuals, poets, mullahs, bards and lyricists - are by and large replaced by intellectually destructive do-nothings.
The intergenerational new breed
However, breaking this vicious cycle of negative emulation is a new hope-inspiring generation. This group is made up of the few who avoided following the lead camel and some younger visionary activists who have refused to surrender to negativity and become handicapped by hate. This new generation has been actively initiating new ideas for Somalia's revival and recovery through writings, lectures, poetry, and political cartoons.
Nothing reflects the conscience of this promising generation more eloquently than these verses composed by Ilhan Dahir, a young Somali-American poet, for the bitter sweet occasion of 50 years after independence:
"Men who wash their sins off with blood
will receive no absolution …
Let's create vibrations that turn into waves
let's flood the shores of the East with the words that we say
Let's forge a path to unity; Let's never sway
because our differences have held us captive far too long
And the one who was most right is still very wrong!"
Somalia has entered a new phase of introspection, reinvention, and rebuilding. This, needless to say, makes it incumbent upon all Somalis of goodwill and vision to participate in the ongoing construction of a viable, just, peaceful, and progressive state. Whether or not the old guard will finally redeem themselves by participating and contributing positively to this process remains to be seen.
Abukar Arman is Somali Special Envoy to the United States. Before his current role, Arman was a widely published political analyst and a community advocate. His focus is post civil-war Somalia, Islam, and US foreign policy toward Africa and Middle East. Arman is also one of Ohio Humanities Council's lecturers. Follow him on twitter @AbukarArman.
Read the original of this report on the ThinkAfricaPress site.


text:
At The McShane Firm, we know that being charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania can be unnerving and confusing, that is why we are here to help throughout the process. If you have a drunk driving in PA charge, you have a right to fight DUI charges in PA. Don't be confused by complicated PA drunk driving laws contact us and let us help you through the process of understanding what to expect. We have years of experience with PA drunk driving laws and we vow to fight your DUI charges. Let The McShane Firm help you through this unnerving and question-filled time.
Pennsylvania DUI Laws
You can find more information about DUI laws by using the links below:
- First Offense
- Second Offense
- Third Offense
- Commercial Driver (CDL)
- DUI with Accident
- Under 21 Years Old
- DUI with Drugs (Including Prescription Drugs)
- DUI Homicide
At The McShane Firm, We Fight DUI Charges
The McShane Firm prides itself on its professionally aggressive representation of your DUI, criminal or traffic matter. We treat every case with extreme care and attention; no detail is left unexamined, regardless of the intensity of the crime. The McShane Firm treats a speeding ticket with the same intensity as we do a triple homicide capital murder case; because we know that each case is important to those involved. Let The McShane Firm fight DUI charges for you and let us help guide you to obtaining a better understanding of PA drunk driving laws.
What to do When Faced with Arrests and DUI Charges in Pennsylvania
First and foremost, call right away. Don't panic. There are usually many options. However, depending on your circumstance and your charges, you may have a specific time to respond. Whenever there is an arrest, time is of the essence. Anyone arrested has certain constitutional rights that attach at the time of arrest that need to be asserted right away to protect you, your friend or family member. Our toll free service is available 24 hours a day, and we are ready to immediately respond to your crises. We work with you to obtain bail through appearing before the Judge for preliminary arraignment and help in organizing the posting of property, cash percentage or a bail bondsman.
If you are charged with drunk driving in Pennsylvania you have a right to fight DUI and we can help. Let The McShane Firm examine and possibly challenge the following:
- The reasonable and articulable suspicion for the vehicle stop.
- The questioning of you at the roadside or afterwards.
- The Pre-Arrest Breath Test.
- The Standard Field Sobriety Tests.
- The probable cause for the arrest.
- The Breath test and Blood test result themselves. **
- The possible PennDOT suspension of your license.
** For Breath and Blood tests, challenges can be made to keep them out of evidence based on previously known equipment malfunctions. In the case of a Breath Test, we can challenge the maintenance, calibration and use of the Intoxilizer 5000 or BAC Datamaster, and examine an argument against the admission of the result into evidence. In the case of a Blood Test, we challenge and look into possible 4th Amendment violations in the officer's or trooper's securing of your blood sample and to challenge the collection and subsequent analysis of the blood specimen. Likewise, possible 4th Amendment violations can constitute a basis for refusing to provide a blood sample. Many Breath and Blood Test results are inaccurate due to improper equipment and a number of cases have been thrown out or reduced due to improper equipment, without the help of The McShane Firm, this challenge of evidence could be overlooked.
The McShane Firm can Help Your DUI Case at Your Preliminary Hearing
A preliminary hearing of a DUI or drunk driving case is where a lot of charge bargaining occurs, such as reduction, amendment or the withdrawal of charges. While a preliminary DUI or drunk driving hearing is technically about whether or not the Commonwealth can meet its burden of prima facia before a Magisterial District Judge, the true purpose of this hearing is three fold. First, The McShane Firm can present the case in such a way that all, or some, of the charges are dismissed because there is a lack of competent evidence to sustain the Commonwealth's burden. Second, it 'locks' the testifying witnesses into their stories so that if they change their stories or lie about the situation later on, they can be impeached with their prior inconsistent statement. Third, it establishes and develops potential suppression issues or allows you to preliminarily explore the type and quality of evidence against you. Due to the importance of these three aspects, a preliminary hearing is crucial to your case, and without proper representation, you make it easier to convict you of your DUI or drunk driving case. Even if you feel that you are guilty, an attorney can still achieve some benefits for you for giving up your right to a preliminary hearing. Let The McShane Firm help you with your DUI or drunk driving case and help you avoid going to jail or having to surrender your driver's license.


text:
When New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie disowned "Snooki" and the reality series "Jersey Shore" on the Today Show he created a new controversy for that beleaguered state. Christie says they're not only a negative for his state, they're "New Yorkers" on top of that.
The point he was trying to make is that New Jersey has enough problems. They're in dire economic straights with an $11 billion dollar deficit on a $29 billion dollar budget. So Christie is going after sacred ground -- the teachers, unions, the cops. Calling on teachers for example to take a pay freeze for a year and perhaps pay for some of their own health benefits.
Until now, California's pretty much been getting all the attention, the talk and tweets for being the #fail state. But it sounds like New Jersey could have it worse.
"Even in the depths of our budget crisis, we didn't have the worse budget crisis" in the country, says professor Thad Kousser of UC San Diego's political science department .
Kousser who specializes in state politics, points out California cut so deep this year and it was painful.
"There were layoffs, California prison guards took massive cuts, state workers took 15-percent pay cuts with furloughs. We have one of the smallest state work forces per capita. Even if you fired every state worker, that would not have solved California's budget crisis."
The answer or at least a start to solving the problem is for California to pass a budget. Right now the deadlock is all about "budget contests and staring matches," as Kousser observes.
The problem could boil down to the structure of how California's system works. We are only one of three states in the country to require a 2/3 majority vote to get the budget passed. Voters can fix that by changing the system.
Proposition 25 is on the November ballot. It would allow a budget to be passed with a simple majority instead. Perhaps California can follow the lead of other states this time.
Meantime, as for Snookie and the gang, they obviously live in a different world. They demanded and received a major salary boost.


text:
Charlotte County's Sheriff's Office reports two convenience stores were robbed Friday night
A masked gunman robbed two convenience stores in Port Charlotte on Friday night, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
A 7-Eleven, 330 Kings Highway, was robbed around 10 p.m. by a man who approached the counter with a gun and demanded money. A similar incident was reported an hour later at a Circle K, 41 Tamiami Trail.
In both incidents the suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, a gray mask over his face and no shoes, according to the sheriff's office.
The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male, 5-feet tall and weighing between 100 and 130 pounds. The suspect's vehicle is an older dark 4-door car, possibly a Toyota, with a Florida tag.
Anyone with information on the incidents can call the sheriff's office at (941) 639-2101 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477 (TIPS).


text:
See how Toyota vehicles compare against the competition. Start by choosing your Toyota vehicle and a competitor to learn more on how they stack up.
The successor to the legendary AE86 Hachi Roku Corolla, the latest 86 epitomizes everything a sports car should be. Its lightweight body helps extract each ounce of performance, and the Rear-Wheel Drive chassis and dynamic handling helps you attack those corners on track day with confidence. It's time to celebrate driving. Let's fire it up.
See how the 2018 Toyota 86 GT 6AT compares against the 2018 BRZ Limited. For safety and convenience, a Heated Exterior Mirror is Standard on 86 GT 6AT but Not Available on BRZ Limited. As for performance, The Toyota 86 GT 6AT has 66 more pounds of Maximum GVWR than the Subaru BRZ Limited.


text:
Modern Boiler Technology
In 1987 I installed my first Modern Boiler, coupled with an indirect-fired water heater and radiant floor heating system. This was a very early "Integrated System". Before 1987 I was installing cast iron boilers and fin tube (baseboard) like everyone else. This was an eye opener for me.
Though I had studied and dabbled in Solar, Wind, Geo-Thermal and Solid fuel heating systems, I found shortcomings in technology, material costs, severe limitations in application and unreasonable installation challenges. I concluded then, and am more convinced than ever, that the vast majority of homes - both new and old - are best served by a sealed combustion, wall hung, modulating, condensing boiler, coupled with an indirect-fired water heater and a fan coil for air conditioning. Don't forget, about 25% of your fuel bill each month goes to heating domestic hot water.
It just makes sense to use the latest and greatest (over 25 years old in Europe) technology to heat domestic hot water and your living space. 98% thermal efficiency is hard to beat. Most tankless water heaters by comparison are roughly 82% efficient. Since condensing boilers are most efficient while operating with low temperature water, radiant floor heating is their natural companion.
My first experience with modern boilers and radiant floors lead me on a 20 year quest for more efficient comfort systems. I still incorporate Wind, Solar, Geo and Solid fuel technologies into my integrated system designs, but the Mod/Con is the corner stone of my design philosophy.
If you have a question, I have the answer.
Morgan M. Audetat
Lead Hydronic Designer


text:
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Penguin Car on the prowl....
16 comments:
- Unknown said...
I agree with you ma'am. All people in the society should be treated equal in all occasions.
- December 4, 2012 at 4:27 PM
- Unknown said...
Funerals are sordid affairs. Many women are thankful that men take over.During periods, many women have high stress levels and bleeding.
- December 4, 2012 at 5:10 PM
- Pooja Rathore said...
thanks to jogeshwar ,finally read your interview- good one ...sirji /sehji and shobhaa de.
i know shastras say so,its true all what you have said about women exclusion sometimes its worse. ,i think if our intentions are clean thats all that matters.No point explaning those who wont understand instead do what you feel right and brings harmony to the heart.
- December 4, 2012 at 5:12 PM
- jahid said...
Not only the shastras, no one dare to change any kind of books of that category. Same theory goes with our constitution "we are helpless, we can't change it" I wonder about the consequences if the same theory would have applied in technology too. Lets say there's a bug in windows and Big Gates say "I am helpless, i can't change the programming"
- December 4, 2012 at 5:33 PM
- Unknown said...
I really loved this post especially as you pointed right at the problem. The impurity concept associated with mensuration is very rarely discussed but widely prevalent in Indian society. As you mentioned it in context of funeral processions I can associate it with women not allowed to go to temples, perform any puja during those black days ( as I call them). In the typical orthodox families, they even don't allow women to enter kitchen . Even in the educated families at least I see elders disallowing females to worship and perform any religious rituals associated with GOD. This is so illogical and unreasonable. Women have not created themselves to menstruate each month. If God has created this then how will God get offended by it.
- December 4, 2012 at 6:23 PM
- Unknown said...
hold it any way...................thinking remains the same ...........just standard changes
- December 4, 2012 at 6:28 PM
- Andrew said...
Let's not blame the shashtras. It's a medically established fact what changes women undergo-physically and emotionally-during those 3-5 days. They are not allowed to do any hard work. It's a compulsory vacation for them from the daily household chores. It's only in the genuine interest of women that our ancient shashtras have stipulated this strict regimen. In the name of women's liberation, don't forfeit your rights derived from the shashtras. Ok, Ma'am, can't you keep quiet at least for those 3-5 days, and still enjoy life by simply relaxing? Think it over again.
- December 4, 2012 at 7:41 PM
- Tsomo85 said...
In Buddhism, most of ancient outdated Hindu traditions were abandoned happily. Gautama Buddha said so! And rest of the teaching remained same between Hindu & Buddhism!!!! Perhaps, for better!!! <3 Shobhaa De you did the right thing! There should be no room for doubts & mix-feelings!
- December 4, 2012 at 8:18 PM
- Tsomo85 said...
Apparently! Just like Tavleen Singh's latest book; there's always a self proclaimed pundits in every age. Be it politics or religion. Thankfully, we don't buy them easily unless it's a fiction with good sense of humor. Rest of course nothing but JOKE!!!
- December 5, 2012 at 11:39 AM
- Pallabi Mishra said...
About the Impurity Concept, I along with a friend have researched a lot, both scientifically and through the Shashtras to realize that the dogmas prevalent today are rigid forms of a particular interpretation of the Shashtras... As it's an embarrassment sharing your views in public on this matter, many girls though initially resist it, later learn to adjust accordingly rather than mere complaining... But, I and my friend refrain ourselves neither from regular exercise nor from even going to the temples and we know if God isn't punishing us, then, we needn't be accountable to others... After all we can't afford idelity and laziness for four days every thirty days...
And thanks a lot for discussing the topic... We few fourteen-years indeed adore you a lot...
- December 6, 2012 at 12:29 PM
Ms. De,
You raise an important point. In fact, a change may just be around the corner with more and more women choosing to quietly "disobey" such biased strictures. While there are societies that celebrate puberty and menstruation, we stay mired in the belief that menstruation renders a woman impure. Yet, the failure of a woman to menstruate would result in her becoming almost useless from the parochial religious viewpoint, as she won't be able to bear children...more specifically, sons.
With admiration,
- Shafali
- December 8, 2012 at 5:44 PM
- Faraz Salat said...
Women and gathering have always had conditions that restrict their participation at par with men. That a woman can't enter in a Muslim Graveyard to witness the body of their dear ones meet the earth, remains unchallenged, however progressive the woman or the men around her are. Here we reach at an interesting point in religion, a few things about faith system have to be just practiced until you renounce your belief in organised religion.
- December 8, 2012 at 11:22 PM
- Piyush Pandey said...
shivaashubhra Classified: apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, Matrimonials, Health/Beauty, Web Hosting, Forums/Classifieds/Directories, and events Shivaa Shubhra Classified is a free classifieds online ads site where you can post free ads & can get targeted traffic and high response for your advertisement.
- December 10, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Great Post!!!
Get Tech Updates at TechTantrik
Enjoy Funer Side of Life at TheRoyalPoke
- December 16, 2013 at 4:23 PM
- Unknown said...
A truly motivational and life changing book
This book is really a good book which shows us right path. but i read
one more book named "ONE BOOK FOR LIFE SUCCESS" which is truly
motivational and life changing . .The writer has described in PlainEnglish with lot of examples which is easy to understand...For More
Please watch the videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biORjS8ngv0
YouTube video
- July 2, 2014 at 2:25 PM
- Blogger said...
BlueHost is ultimately the best web-hosting company for any hosting plans you might require.
- November 16, 2017 at 9:28 AM


text:
From April to July 2013, a team of British riders cycled from Portland, Oregon to Portland Place, London - studying how cities are coping with the increasing interest in the bicycle as a credible form of urban transport.
The Group's research has provided comparative data, exciting ideas and interesting solutions that have been summarised and published and circulated to MPs and the Mayor of London.
All the riders are involved with architecture, property and planning and called on the support of fellow professionals en route to help collect and verify data from the different cities they rode through. Riders in the USA, Ireland, Wales and England joined the core group for short periods.
The riders collected background data for the major cities they passed through, including how they are providing facilities and infrastructure for cycling. We then rode through the cities to experience cycling facilities directly, and talking to the local architects, cyclists and policy makers who came out to meet us and gave interviews.
We elected to start in Portland because it is a cycling city - and voted America's most liveable city. We looked at the cyclization of Portland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Bristol, Oxford and London. Training rides to Freiburg, Copenhagen and Rotterdam provided base line experience to help shape the research and make it manageable for long distance cyclists.
Our research has provided comparative data, exciting ideas and interesting solutions which we hope will assist politicians and planners in instituting improved cycling conditions in cities around the world. Our findings and recommendations have been summarised and published and circulated to MPs, and they are now being studied by London's Mayor.
We have also raised considerable sums – over £130,000 - money for two charities: Article 25 and The Architects Benevolent Society.
A cyclized city is a civilized city; a cyclized city is a sustainable city.
Peter Murray
More quotes...
Site by Pipers.
Media partners:


text:
NEW YORK - A year after the panic that brought the world's financial system to the brink of collapse, there is still no global regulatory framework to prevent another major market meltdown. As the leaders of the world's top industrialized nations gather in Pittsburgh, that will be another item on the menu while they sip wine and nibble on hors d'oevures.
The wine will be imbibed and the canapes consumed, but don't expect them to make any meaningful headway on financial regulations.
"There are always fine statements," said Dan Price, a lawyer with Sidley Austin who specializes in global financial regulation. "Unfortunately, they're followed by backsliding as leaders go home and feel domestic political pressure."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday that officials gathering for the G-20 meeting should focus on the imperative of revamping the world's financial regulatory system and not get distracted by a U.S.-led drive to reduce global trade imbalances.
U.S. & World
The United States has been pushing for nations such as China to reduce their dependence on exports and boost domestic spending. In return, the U.S. would increase savings and reduce its debt burden.
So far, individual G-20 countries have made little progress in getting their own financial houses in order.
In the United States, Congress is mired in health care reform and facing a divisive battle over carbon cap-and-trade legislation, making financial regulatory reform look less likely this year.
"Any global process is bound to be slowed down because the U.S. legislative agenda is so backed up now," said Geoffrey Garrett from the University of Sydney's U.S. Studies Centre. "So we're now talking about mid-2010 or later for any resolution on the U.S. side about what their reform is going to look like after the crisis."
Meanwhile the global banking industry is still struggling to rebuild the capital that was destroyed by a lending spree that relied on huge leverage, producing huge gains on the way up and historic pain on the way down. Curbing the systemic risk that blew a trillion-dollar hole in the world financial system is a major goal of the G-20 financial leaders. But it's not clear who will take the lead.
"Among the regulators it really has to be the U.S. and U.K. regulators who have a 30-year history of always leading from the front," said Michael Foot, chairman of consulting firm Promontory Financial Group. "But one of the tragedies is that in both the States and the U.K. there are turf wars and uncertainties for what regulation will look like in two years' time."
"We are absolutely at the levels of risk from 2004 or 2005," said Simon Johnson, an MIT economist and former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund. "So it's not imminent crisis, but the danger signals are there already in the amount of risk that the big banks are taking, and their attitudes towards risk and the controls they have over their derivatives (trading.)"
Interactive timeline: A year of turbulence for economic powers
Interactive: What is the G-20 and why should I care?
One likely scenario would require banks to keep more capital on hand and limit the amount of lending backed by that capital. But stiffening the rules now risks tightening credit just as the global economy is struggling to get back on its feet. That's one reason regulators are in no hurry to force banks to keep more cash in the vault.
The discussion over requiring banks to hold more capital has also opened a major fault line among the biggest banking powers. Without a uniform set of regulations, countries that adopt easier capital requirements will hand their domestic banks a strong advantage over global competitors.
"The Americans don't want to do enough on capital requirements, in my opinion," said Johnson. "But the Europeans don't even want to do that because their banks are so thinly capitalized."
In any case, bankers are in no hurry to play by a new set of rules on capital standards. Forcing them to lend fewer dollars for every dollar they hold in reserve means they'll have less money to lend, and less profit to show for it.
"I think there's no choice but that banks will have to expect much lower average returns on equity and returns on assets," said Foot.
The discussion of restricting banks from relying on razor-thin capital reserves has also been overshadowed by a loud debate about capping lavish banker bonuses. Some critics have argued that excessive compensation contributed to the excessive risk-taking that produced the global lending bubble.
European leaders, lead by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are calling for strict limits on bankers' pay and bonuses. U.S. and British leaders, facing strong resistance from the global banking centers of Wall Street and the City of London, are pushing for more flexible oversight.
"We're beginning to see some emerging consensus around a set of principles that ties compensation to performance, that discourages excessive risk-taking and that provides for claw-back in the event a firm's performance suffers," said Price. "What we're moving away from — helpfully and sensibly — is talk of actual caps or ratios."
The discussion over tighter bank regulation is being squeezed into a packed two-day agenda in Pittsburgh along with a long list of other pressing issues. Climate change, a perennial topic, has new urgency now that Congress is debating various proposals to cap carbon emissions.
The global recession has also increased pressure to protect domestic industries. Trade skirmishes between the U.S. and China over tires and chickens have brought those protectionist frictions to the front burner.
President Barack Obama's decision this month to slap tariffs on Chinese-made tires has been among the most visible signs of this growing friction. The rising risk is that as countries try to jump-start their economies, they will move to protect domestic industries. Any new barriers to international trade will only slow the weak recovery in the global economy.
"We have a series of skirmishes now, which we hope doesn't escalate into a war," said Mark Michelson, a Hong Kong-based consultant based with APCO Worldwide. "There's going to be some of this tit-for-tat for a while. Some (are) not as obvious — in terms of regulations and barriers to trade that are not clearly stated."
Interactive timeline: A year of turbulence for economic powers
Interactive: What is the G-20 and why should I care?
Global leaders also face the daunting task of winding down big budget deficits left behind as the industrialized world cranked up government spending to try to reverse the global downturn.
While it's too soon to know just how effective those programs have been, the long-term impact of continued deficit spending is clear. Heavy government borrowing can squeeze credit in the private sector, eventually slowing growth and weakening the recovery.
"Obviously this isn't the time to start cutting those budget deficits," said Martin Feldstein, a Harvard economist and chief economic adviser in the Reagan administration. "But it is the time to explain the plan and to make concrete promises about what's going to happen as the economy recovers."


text:
Buehrle said he's not as stressed as three years ago, when he was nearly traded to Atlanta while his wife Jamie was expecting the couple's first child. Buehrle got a four-year extension with limited no-trade rights, and son Braden was born about two weeks later — just before the July 31 trading deadline.
May 18, 2010
Atlanta was the team (one of?) Buehrle was almost traded to
Leave a Comment »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI


text:
In 1966, Merritone label was founded as a subsidiary of Federal Records when Ska beat was slowing down its tempo to take a next musical form called Rocksteady.
From sons of Ken Khouri, Paul and Richard, engineers at the Federal Records to even employees at their pressing plant - all whom involved at the label forwarded Merritone productions in a body.
They recorded many songs under Merritone label. However, those only appeared on vinyl records in limited quantities in Jamaica and a small bunch of titles were released on Island label in UK. Some of the recordings never saw the light, some became hardly known and many of them now considered being ultra rare records. Thus the label became a mysterious Rocksteady production in the Jamaican musicology.
The label name is originated from Winston Blake's sound system, Merritone. Federal Records, which was the largest record company of the time in Jamaica, often used young talented people like Winston, who knew much about trends of the fraternity for promoting their new materials. Interestingly, Federal Records used even the sound system name in this case.
Although Federal Records is known for compositions arranged by Ernest Ranglin, Trinidadian guitarist Lynn Taitt and the Jets were in charge of the Merritone recordings. Lynn Taitt took a prominent role as a forerunner of brand new Rocksteady sounds as he produced like Hopeton Lewis's 'This Music Got Soul.'
Merritone recordings were undoubtedly collectives of veteran musicians at Federal Records, high-technology recording facilities, traditions and proud of the record company. Many would still describe the sound so unique, elegant, sophisticated and authentic like no other.
|Artist A
|Lyn Taitt & the Jets
|Title Side A
|The Untouchables
|Title Side B
|Pepper Pot
|Artist B
|Lyn Taitt & the Jets
|Dub Store
|Paul Khouri
|Country of Manufacture
|2-3 Werktage*


text:
Mysterious Hero Saves Rabbit From The California Fires
By Dave Basner
December 7, 2017
The California wildfires have burned through 100,000 acres, displacing thousands of animals along the way, including one rabbit that got very lucky.
The bunny is in a new video of the inferno that's going viral because it shows a man in shorts and a hoodie, seemingly running right towards the fire. Confused onlookers had no idea what was happening but it turned out the guy was braving the flames to rescue the wild rabbit.
It took him some time to coax the animal away from the fire, then he is able bend down and grab the exhausted rabbit, saving its life.
No one knows who the man is, but most agree he is the hero we all need.


text:
One Of The Best To Do It: Pete Rock (Legendary Producer) Answers His Favorite Things In Life
PROFILE: Pete Rock by Dee Vasquez. s/ot o Mahad
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
This offer/event is no longer live |
Share on:
Our Books of the Month for May are a wonderfully eclectic selection of great new writing. From an exquisitely poised family drama and a gripping, fresh spin on the spy thriller, to sublimely escapist travel writing and superbly sinister children's adventure, these are the books to spend quality time with over the next few weeks.
View our website to find more about this offer.
With hugely popular endeavours such as our regular reading update Waterstones Weekly and an ever-increasing offering of exclusive reader offers and signed editions, Waterstones.com is the perfect online companion to our High Street bookshops. Click & Collect – the service that links the two – has grown in tandem with our success, allowing our customers to experience the best of both worlds.
Through our own coffee shops, range of books, our array of gifts and booksellers who genuinely love what they sell, we welcome you to Waterstones.
Worth a visit! To show how much we love businesses on the high street we are giving 5 stars to show our appreciation. You can support this and other local businesses too by also writing a review.
Address: 49-55 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1HZ
Phone: 0808 118 8787
Website: WaterstonesGet directions here
Create a free account and add a page for your business to be discovered by locals and visitors online.
Need help? You can contact us through live messaging and we will assist you in helping to promote your business.


text:
Shop in the Premier Online Store
Experience Online Shopping
The AT&T Premier Platform streamlines the purchasing and management activities of any organization's wireless program with a customized Premier Online Store. It's a great way to offer employee discounts and benefits on the latest rate plans and phones, as well as features such as international calling, messaging, data, and more.
Customize your store to display products and services based on your company's telecom policies, employee permissions, and contract specifications. All of the transactions, settings, and permissions available to employees in a Premier Online Store are controlled by your company's telecom manager or other designated administrator.
Benefits companies enjoy with their Premier Online Store
- Enjoy exclusive savings and offers available only to Premier customers through contract discounts, Premier-only promotions, and web-exclusive offers
- Receive promotional pricing automatically on qualified transactions with the built-in pricing engine
- Premier Packages make your shopping experience more convenient and faster
- Compare feature and specification information side-by-side on phones, smartphones, LaptopConnect cards, netbooks, and more
- Click to Chat online service representatives are available to answer quick questions
- Save to Cart option allows customers to save an order to up to 21 days
Tools to help every business
- Stay on top of new product launches, promotional offers, and helpful business tips through Premier Opt-in Advantage email program
- Shop worry-free with multi-layered security for online purchases and account transactions
The Premier Online Store allows each company to create distinct online shopping experiences based on employee roles and level of financial responsibility. There are over 150 different settings to choose from so companies can manage the shopping environment of their stores.
Telecom Manager Online Store
Corporate Online Store
Interested in setting up an AT&T Premier Platform for your business? Contact an AT&T Solutions Specialist today. For 100 or less employees, sign up online for an AT&T Mobile Business Agreement.
Important Information
Offers are available only to qualified users of the AT&T Premier Platform. AT&T Premier is available only to customers with a qualified business agreement ("Business Agreement") and their eligible employees, students, or other qualified users. Proof of current employment required. May require a 2-year service agreement. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See service agreement and plan terms for details. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T's owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $40 activation fee may apply. Coverage is not available in all areas. Service is subject to transmission, terrain, system, capacity, and other limitations. Availability, security, speed of delivery, and timeliness of information are not guaranteed. Additional software, associated services or features, hardware, and/or network connections may be required and subject to additional terms and conditions.
AT&T data and/or voice service required for full functionality of device. Third-party software, additional hardware, separate accessory, and/or subscription to third-party service also may be required. AT&T does not sell, supply, install, or support such software, hardware, or services. Coverage not available in all areas. Due to coverage and system limitations, service may not be accessible at all times. Availability, speed of delivery, and timeliness of information are not guaranteed. Additional fees, charges, conditions, and restrictions apply.
Find out about
the latest


text:
Aurora (Colorado)
Aurora is a city of 276,000 in the Denver Area of Colorado. As of 2010 is the 56th largest city in America. In 2008 it was named the "All American City" Aurora and Denver are the principal cities of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2007 had an estimated population of 2,464,866. It is split between three different counties spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas
It originated in the 1880s, as the town Fletcher, taking its name from Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who named the town after himself. He and his partners staked out four square miles east of Denver, He left two years later during the silver crash, leaving the community with a huge water debt. Inhabitants decided to rename their township Aurora in 1907. It has been growing ever since then and at one time was the fastest growing city in America.
Aurora has all four seasons of weather. Remember that it is very near the Rocky Mountains and weather can change very quickly from starting out sunny to snowing within a few hours.
Spring usually comes around May. There is still a chance of snow but usually the snow won't stick because of temperature at that time of year.
Get in[edit]
By car[edit]
With Aurora's considerable sprawl, car rentals are the most convenient form of transportation for visitors. Local companies tend to offer better prices, but national chains might be more convenient as far as return policies and hours.Rental companies include most major car rental chains
Weather Conditions Drivers who are used to warmer climates should be advised that the colder weather months (Nov-Feb) often bring snow and ice to area roads. Visitors who park their cars should be prepared in case their car is "snowed in" by snow removal trucks. Also, strict attention to parking rules and snow emergencies is recommended to avoid being towed away at the car owner's expense. During the winter months, a snow brush, ice scraper, and plenty of windshield washer fluid is essential, and many natives opt to carry a shovel, some sand, and a bag of ice melt/road salt in the trunk just in case.
By plane[edit]
By plane then you are coming from Denver International Airport which isn't too far away. Denver International Airport [17], (IATA: DEN, ICAO: KDEN). Commonly referred to as DIA. It is located about 20 miles to the east of downtown Denver. Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines all maintain hubs at the airport in Concourses A, B, and C respectively. Most other major domestic carriers also have service here.
By bus[edit]
Get around[edit]
By bus[edit]
You can get around with local transit as in the RTD.
By taxi[edit]
See[edit][add listing]
Aurora has over a dozen historical sites to see [18], ranging from historical farms, buildings and homes.
Do[edit][add listing]
Buy[edit][add listing]
Eat[edit][add listing]
Aurora has many typical fast food joints: Wendys, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell etc
Drink[edit][add listing]
Pool Halls[edit]
Sleep[edit][add listing]
Aurora is in the 303 and the 720 area codes.
Like the rest of the United States, the emergency number in Aurora is 911. This will connect you to the local emergency services (police, medical, and fire). If you need to report a crime to the police, such as a burglary (not in progress), minor assault (no injuries and not in progress), car theft, etc. Dial +1 720 913-2000 and request for police assistance.
The Aurora Police is the main police force.
Stay safe[edit]
As in any other city, use common sense. Simply using caution and avoiding any situation in which you are uncomfortable will keep you out of trouble. North side Aurora ranges from poor to lower middle class and has a higher crime rate. South side Aurora ranges from middle class to upscale and has a lower crime rate compared to North side. All in all though, as long as you know your surroundings you probably won't face any problems.
Get out[edit]