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About Stop A Crack Auto Glass Repair & Replacement
Company History
The only auto glass shop in Oklahoma with the unique patented windshield repair system that repairs rock chips as well as cracks up to 24 inches long. We provide complete auto glass replacement with competitive pricing and excellent service. We have over 20 years of experience!
* Call for information and a free quote*
* Lifetime Guarantee!
Stop A Crack Auto Glass Repair & Replacement uses a patented process to fix your windshield. Whether you've got a rock chip or a crack – even a crack as long as 24 inches – we'll repair it so it's as good as new. We'll also provide you with a lifetime guarantee. All insurance claims are welcome, so bring your car in without delay. If you have any questions, we will be happy to provide you with a free estimate.
Absolutely amazing customer service! They were so kind and patient explaining what it was that I needed. Quick service too!
Went to this place nearly 4 years ago after hail destroyed the back window of my Mustang. The price was reasonable and the glass is still looking brand new. My car front windshield needs to be replaced and I'll be taking it back here again! Really good work!
These guys are great! good work reasonable price.
This is the 3rd time I've used this place. Twice for my personal truck and once for my work truck. Best price, fastest service (in and out in under an hour every time!) and super friendly. Today I called all around and was told I needed a windshield, that my crack couldn't be fixed but Stop a Crack DID FIX IT and for $50 (the impact ding plus five, 1 to 1.5 inch spider lines). New windshield, with Ford logo like the one I have now, quoted at $330 or $155 without the logo. You can imagine my elation when I was told it could be fixed and it would be $50! Highly recommend.
Did a great job and cheap.....
Look the bottom line if you go anywhere else to get a cracked windshield window (and even ordering a new master switch for my window and putting it in for $100 if you might need that done just know that they can do it for you...)you are way overpaying for stuff so for $275 I got a brand new driver's side window and a new master switch!!! You cannot beat that anywhere in town unless you do it yourself!!!!! An auto glass shop went above and beyond for me and replaced my master switch an auto glass shop turned into a full blown mechanic for me and I truly appreciate that just know that I'll recommend you to all my friends and you have a customer for life in me!!!!!
They replaced one of the windows of my Toyota 4runner after someone broke into it. They were able to squeeze me in the day that I called and for over half the price of Safelite. Good work for a incredible price.
The staff quickly repaired a 6 inch crack in my windshield. Was thrilled to not have to replace the windshield on a new car. I was skeptical at first but the repair is barely visible.
Great place and everyone is super friendly! They were careful when replacing glass unlike safelite who messed up my interior. Glass is great quality. Will be back for future work. Thanks!
Took a softball to my windshield. Got me in the same day I called. Got my car completed in just a few hours. It was a way cheaper deal than anywhere else. Definitely recommend!!!
Stop A Cracked looked at a chip in our front windshield and determined it wasn't cracked completely through, but spent considerable amount of time and applied a solution that should keep it from further cracking. Very helpful and very professional. Definitely recommend this business, go there first!
Today Chris's technician did an excellent repair on my VW. The quality of the repair was excellent, and Chris went out of his way to help me with the insurance claim. I should also note that I'm a tough customer. I did windshield repairs as a side business for five years. During the time I was in business, there were many repairs I couldn't complete due to my full-time career, and I often sent them here.
The tech is really nice
I'm very happy with this place. A rock hit the windshield and within two days cold temperatures it was 8 inches long. I was in & out in 10 minutes crack is just a small line you can barely see it.
I went in to get my windshield replaced last weekend and they were very nice. Best price I could find, open on Saturday, and only took an hour.
Great people
Friendly and profetinal, treatment was amazing and definitely recommend.
Called around a few different places this was the most affordable and cheaper but I don't mean quality of work. I a spoke with owner Chris about military discount and he advised me if was with USAA, they cover the cost of the repair for all USAA customers with chip repairs. I was like, wow thanks for the info and had 2 windshield chips fixed and showed him my insurance and we called and spoke with them and bang it was fully covered with no out of pocket cost to me. Can't thank him enough for that info and the job well done by his employee Blake. I don't even notice the chip in front of me anymore.
Very easy to work with, great price!
Excellent, quick service! This is my 2nd time coming here; and I will continue to come for all my window needs. The service is great, and they are reasonably priced! Staff is professional and the environment is friendly and clean! The best part is, they do not try to get over on you, like some shops do; especially with me being a women. I highly recommend Stop A Crack! I always tell people to come here. You will definitely love your service & leave satisfied!
Good service and price!
6 inch crack in my windshield repaired in 30 minutes for a reasonable price. Service was professional, answering all my questions. I will definitely have my windshield repaired here in the future (though hopefully that won't be necessary).
Wish I could give 4.5 stars. I would certainly recommend this place to others. The positive comments below area accurate. The owner was kind and informative. Only reason for a ding is that when I picked up my car the interior of car was fairly dirty due to muddy feet. Yes, it was rainy but it would have taken only 30 seconds to clean up.
Very polite and fast. The work was more expensive then the price quoted, however they still gave me the quoted price. Would highly recommend.
Just got my back windshield put in they did an amazing job at a wonderful price cannot thank them enough!!!!!!!!!!!
Great service. They got me in quickly, got the repair done, and charged me less than the estimate over the phone.
Chris got me in immediately and even let me watch. We made small talk and he was very nice. He got my windshield fixed quickly and it looks great. I can barely tell it is there and what I do see is much less than what it was! This crack was actively expanding every time I turned on any heat in my vehicle and it is now fixed and Chris said it should be stronger than before! I will DEFINITELY return to him for any and all of my windshield chips and cracks!
I just took my 3rd vehicle to them for a replacement! Absolutely amazing, nice staff, always go above and beyond!
Awesome Job Absolutely Great Work!
Chris was very polite, he got me in and out quickly and very affordable on prices.
Excellent service
Very nice and friendly. I would highly recommend
Fast and friendly service, quality work!
Repaired two chips and a fairly lengthy crack for a good price.
They do great work here! Chris was great and was able to fix a crack in my windshield. Will definitely return.
Extremely fast service great results, perfectly priced. Couldn't ask for more. Will be a return customer if I need any cracks repaired in the future!
Super fast, inexpensive, solid repair.
I've used them for years now and wouldn't go anywhere else. The owner patented this rock chip technology and they do a great job! Definitely.happy with the inexpensive and quick service!
Awesome! Fast and courteous repair. You can't do any better than this. 😊
after safelite quoted me almost $500 to replace a windshield on my '16 Altima .. i looked at other options and Stop a Crack was the first one i saw .. i went by and he quoted my about 75$ to fix my almost 2 ft crack in my front windshield or 150$ to replace the whole thing .. had to come back the next day cause he had to order it , but it only took about an hour to do it ! i would recommend them to anyone.. they're fast and friendly. and i like the replacement better than my original ! haha
A rock chipped my window while on the interstate. in about 15 min, it was fixed and good as new.
My rearview mirror had come loose on my car. I took it in after work. They took my keys and let me stay in the air conditioned office. Before I could get comfortable they were finished and I was on my way home. They did this last minute work at No Charge. Fast and very friendly. What more could you ask for.
Really quick, good and affordable windshield change. Nice staff. I recommend to everybody.
Great shop with knowledgeable people. Save your money and come here. Will work with your insurance (dependent upon your insurance).
Great service, fast, friendly and very reasonable price. Thank you Chris
This place does the best work and has the fastest service, period! No need to call around checking other shop prices, these guys are extremely affordable. This is the first time I've had to have a crack in my windshield repaired, and I'll be a customer for life. Thanks to Chris for all the help and great experience!
Extremely fast service, very reasonable prices and courteous staff! Definitely recommend!!!
~ fast courteous great work great price great service! ~ Last year my sister's older model car needed front windshield replaced. i checked reviews and decided to give this place a try. They got her in that day and out that afternoon. Would definitely use this place again.
Stopped by with a seal broke off they got me right in and glued it back and didnt even charge me. Get customer service. I wouod definitely recommend this place.
They did an awesome job fixing a botched repair I received from another company. This will be the only windshield repair shop I go to from now on. Chris and his guys know what they're doing and want to do a good job. Don't waste your time or money going anywhere else.
They did a great job. It was fairly inexpensive and very fast.
I received a quote from one of his competitors which was about 3 times his price. Found Stop A Crack on the web, drove up and 30 minutes later drove out. The chip in my windshield was fixed. I recommend this company and will use again if I need future repairs.
BY KIM BROWN: The windshield of my almost 2 decade old clunker already had 2 major cracks that were starting to go all the way across for awhile but then my rear view mirror decided to jump off taking glass layers with it so I researched a replacement in my town (I live in NW Oklahoma) but it was too expensive so I put the idea on hold. While in OKC this week, I decided to research here. I contacted 4 glass business - TWO were WAY out of budget, ONE acted like my questions weren't worth his time, which made me want to scrap the thought - again.. but I made one final call, it was to CHRIS at Stop a Crack... Apparently I saved the best for last! He answered all my questions like we were best buddy's (a good sign) but was driving and needed to call me back when he got back to the shop- which He did promptly (a great sign). I took it in and he was awesome in all areas - as well as Angie at the desk, from treating me like an old friend to excellent work including fixing my headlights! Great job with warranty and satisfaction guarantee at a price that I could actually afford! Thank you, Chris! You're now my "go-to" guy for glass needs even from 130 miles! Kim Brown Woodward, OK
Best place to go for a quick fix
Great prices and fast, good work
Great price. They fixed 2 rock chips and it looks great. They warranty their work and are friendly.
I could not believe how highly rated they were. But I went anyway and it's true they are good and very reasonably priced.
Great job sealing up cracks and chips in the windshield
Called Chris about a dime size crack he said "shouldn't be a problem and take me about 20mins" Sure enough he was true to his word 20 mins and you can barely tell it's there. If I wasn't in the car when it happened I wouldn't even notice it. I recommend Stop A Crack to everyone
I broke the back of my fiancé van window (the garage door came down on it because I was not far enough in). What I thought was going to be an $700 repaire only cost me $245 (and I shopped around, they had the best deal) and from start to finish it only took him an hour to put the window in. Outstanding price, service, warranty, and knowledge of how to get the job done. save yourself the time, and money. Just head to stop a crack!
Excellent service and very affordable too
This business deserves 10 stars. Friendly, professional, efficient. Kelley at the front desk took literally 15 minutes to help me understand how a 24 inch windshield crack is repaired, and what happens it cannot be repaired. I had an INSIDE front windshield crack that could NOT be repaired - and after Kelley explained why, I completely understood. Now get this - the dealer from whom we bought our BMW quoted me a new windshield. Stop A Crack's quote for a replacement windshield, SAME SPECS, was 5 times cheaper. That's right. 5 times cheaper. One satisfied customer who understands now how to repair a crack, but also knows where the only place in the OKC metro to economically and professionally replace a windshield - Stop A Crack!
Great prices. Used them for cracks and wind shield replacement More then 5 times, always been happy.
Great customer service. Got us in quick as we were just passing through the area. Excellent pricing and warranty. Decent job. Would recommend to friends.
I was in and out in 20 minutes without an appointment. Fee is reasonable ($40), especially with the warranty (if it spreads/cracks again, they'll fix it for free). The staff was also polite.
The staff were MORE than accomodating! I came in last minute and they got me in no problem! I was in and out in 10mins for a chip in my windshield. The power was out on the entire street and they adjusted the price for the inconvience. They are top notch with repairs and customer service.
I have been using Stop A Crack for over 10 years. Always excellent service, and they bill my insurance company so it's free!
Great price, lowest in okc, and great customer service! Up to 24" crack repair, saved me loads of money!
Went above and beyond with customer care along with great pricing and work
Great guys get you right in.
Really great service. Chris is very nice and honest. He's bothered by imperfection in his work and will take the extra time to make sure the job gets done right and you're satisfied. He communicates well with the customer...example, he recommended we eat at the mexican restaurant near his shop while we waited, and after a bit he walked in there just to tell me that he had to go get a new windshield because the one he originally had wasn't perfect. It took him about an hour longer than he said but it was worth it and I was aware of the hold ups he was facing, so I didn't mind. The price is the lowest of all of the Auto Glass places I checked in the city, and they were very willing to work within my schedule. Best experience I've ever had with any sort of Auto repair. Definitely try them.
I have used this shop multiple times. I highly recommend them. The staff is always friendly and helpful. The service is competent and fast. If your needing glass repair/replacement, this is the place to go.
Chris did a fantastic job repairing the dime size chip/crack in my windshield. Fit me in between customers, took about 20 min and only cost $40. Lets hope I don't get another one, but if I do, I'm going here again.
I would highly reccomend this shop. They guys were great and did a good job. It only took about 20 minutes. They pay close attention to each customer that walks in no matter how busy they are. They are up front and honest about the repairs. While I was there one guy stopped in with a seal problem on his truck windshield and the guys fixed it at no charge. Good luck finding any other place that will help you for free. I will continue to do buisness at this shop.
Stop-A-Crack was a great service this morning, kind, courteous, and friendly! I had called around last saturday, and everyone else wanted to replace my entire windshield. Took it in to them this morning and they fixed it in just under an hours time! And for less than 10% of the cost of what people were quoting me for a new windshield! I recommend them to anyone with a crack! Or even if you need a new windsheild, they will do that for a fraction of the other guys!
Great seeing the owner onsite and assisting with the repair. Quick, Friendly and excellent work!! They fixed an additional crack without charging me additional money.
Great service, quick too! I had an 18 inch crack, and u can barely tell. And I gota free tshirt!
Very efficient, friendly, informative
Out-of-towners on a quick business trip to OKC when a truck threw a rock cracking our windshield. Found Stop A Crack on the internet with high reviews. They quickly filled the crack and kept it from spreading. In addition, they were friendly, informative, professional, & efficient. We were able to keep our appt & have the crack filled. Big thanks to the folks at Stop A Crack!
Quick, friendly and affordable.
Stop a Crack replaced my windshield for over a hundred dollars less than the big name competition. The associates were friendly, quick and like the title says affordable. They 100% have my recommendation. Don't waste money just because you're familiar with a nation wide jingle, instead shop local and save hundreds.
They repair my windshield right away, fast, friendly and reasonable. Thank you x 3
Don't go anywhere else
I had to replace one of my windows and everywhere else they wanted to charge me $250. I stumbled on Stop A Crack and they did the replacement for $150! Not only was it soo fast, but done extremely well and they even vacuumed my car for me! I will never go to a different window repair place again!
Was very pleased with my recent visit with this business establishment. Their work was done quickly and efficiently with no evidence or residue left. Personnel were very friendly and I was told the work has a lifetime guarantee. Highly recommend that you visit them if the need arises. They are very cost-efficient also.
Experience was great, wonderful people. Would definitely recommend them.
Quick Service
Took my car in for windshield replacement at appointment time. The windshield was replaced in an hour. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price.
Highly recommended
We've had two windshields repaired. Service is fast, extremely courteous and personable, and well done. I cannot recommend them highly enough!
Quick & Efficient!
No run around, no waste of time, JUST GREAT SERVICE!
Very quick service
Owner is great, was in and out very quickly. Fantastic service,!quality work
Chris really knows his stuff, he has been in business a very long time and I was utterly amazed at the repair work he did to my severely damaged windshield. He got me right in and the job was completed in less than 30 minutes. He also worked with my insurance company and I didn't have to pay a cent for the repair. If you want it done right, this is the place to go, I'm going to recommend him to all my friends.
Best Repair Shop!!!
They repaired my windshield in less than 20 minutes fast and friendly great job
~ fast courteous great work great price great service! ~ Last year my sister's older model car needed front windshield replaced. i checked reviews and decided to give this place a try. They got her in that day and out that afternoon. Would definitely use this place again.
Quick service, good repair
I walked in this afternoon with no appointment. Small rock chip, fixed in under half an hour. The tech got to me right away, and the quote was the lowest I had received. Lifetime warranty on the work, and friendly service. Can't beat it!
Best in OKC
I'm from out of town and here for the weekend. I had an unfortunate experience one night and had my window broken out. I called stop a crack Monday morning at 9am and was able to get it and fixed by 11am. Kelly shopped around and found me the best priced window!! I highly recommend this establishment! Thank you stop a crack!!
Very good service, good customer service!
I have been here twice and I must my experience was GReat quality.friendy and very professional
Excellent service!
great service
My experience was great! The people were friendly and very professional.
Great service, reasonable price, friendly people!
I went to another shop before coming here, that shop said my cracked windshield couldn't be repaired and they wanted to sell me a windshield. This place said it could be fixed but if by chance the repair didn't hold up they would apply what I paid for the repair towards a new windshield. Highly recommend!!! 😍😍😍
Fast and professional
Very satisfied with the job that was done on my truck!
Great Service With A Great Price
Had the windsheild replaced on my F150. Quick turnaournd and very cost effictive. Price was well below other competitors and staff is AWESOME!! Thanks for the great work!
fast and great service
Fixed my Volo with great service.
Best prices and customer service
Family owned by father and daughter. Very fast and friendly service. Have been using them for years.
awesome service
Fast friendly service , as a fleet manager for Driven force Inc. In the Oklahoma City area time is an issue stop a crack has saved us time and money , plus there awesome service . I would like to thank there staff Chris , Chris and Tina for being friendly and helpful. Unlike the place I used in the past auto glass now on classen.
100% satisfied
Great and quick service.i have used many times and always will come back when need a quick and great repair.
excellent quick and fast service
Chris was very thorough, fast, prompt, and courteous.he even let me know my insurance en would cover. S
Very Experienced and Professional
My 2011 Lincoln a MKX received a rock to the windshield this weekend, crack slowly grew at least 15 inches before I stopped in to get an estimate. Chris was quick to give me an estimate and went right to work. These folks are very experienced and genuinely care about the service they provide. They fixed the crack in my windshield and gave me a lifetime guarantee. Would recommend to anyone.
Great price and Quick Service
I received a Crack in my wind shield on Sunday. I went in Monday to get it fixed. They fixed my windshield in less than 30 minutes for a great price!
Great Experience
We were referred by another glass shop that wouldn't repair the 9 inch crack in our RV windsheild. Stop - a - crack did the repair in 10 minutes and we were on our way.
Quick, convenient and best price in town!
Recently bought a little work truck that needed a new windshield. I called around and prices were all over the place from $165 to $325. I picked Stop A Crack because of their price (lowest in town) and it only took them 40 minutes from when I arrived. Will patronize them again when the need arises!
Quick, convenient and best price in town!
Recently bought a little work truck that needed a new windshield. I called around and prices were all over the place from $165 to $325. I picked Stop A Crack because of their price (lowest in town) and it only took them 40 minutes from when I arrived. Will patronize them again when the need arises!
Best place to fix exotics!
Went to highly recommended Stop a Crack on 10th and villa...Instead of spending $2800 on a new windshield, they fixed my Maserati windshield like new. Thank you guys.
awesome work!
I stopped by stop - a - crack to check a price on getting my windshield replaced. I had a long crack acrossed it. Turns out they were able to fix cracks 24" and under. I didn't have to get it replaced at all! I was able to get my windshield fixed right then! Definitely recommend this place to everyone.
awesome work!
I stopped by stop - a - crack to check a price on getting my windshield replaced. I had a long crack acrossed it. Turns out they were able to fix cracks 24" and under. I didn't have to get it replaced at all! I was able to get my windshield fixed right then! Definitely recommend this place to everyone.
quick service
I had a crack in my windshield about 20 inches long went and talked to Chris told me it would take about 30 minutes to fix IT I was in and out in about 20 minutes and it was free my insurance paid for the repair great job can hardly see the crack
very happy customer
Stop a Crack was awesome. Came in because of a chip on my brand new car. Was unaware that my insurance covered the repair, no charge to me. Thanks Chris for letting me know. Will continue to come back.
Windshield replacment
Great service and excellent pricing. A+++++++
Limited Time Offer!
Free rock Chip Repair
Stop A Crack Auto Glass Repair & Replacement
2829 West Reno Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73107405-529-6632
Auto Insurance Coverage for Windshield Damage. Comprehensive coverage may help pay to replace or repair a damaged windshield, if it's hit by a rock or another object. ... With full glass coverage, you may not have to pay a deductible for the repair of your windshield.
Offer Ends July 18, 2020
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Today in History, Monday, Aug. 12, 2013
Today is Monday, Aug. 12, the 224th day of 2013. There are 141 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On August 12, 1953, the Soviet Union conducted a secret test of its first hydrogen bomb.
On this date:
In 1813, Austria declared war on France.
In 1867, President Andrew Johnson sparked a move to impeach him as he defied Congress by suspending Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
In 1898, fighting in the Spanish-American War came to an end.
In 1902, International Harvester Co. was formed by a merger of McCormick Harvesting Machine Co., Deering Harvester Co. and several other manufacturers.
In 1912, comedy producer Mack Sennett founded the Keystone Pictures Studio in Edendale, Calif.
In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Hugo Black to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1944, during World War II, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., eldest son of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was killed with his co-pilot when their explosives-laden Navy plane blew up over England.
In 1960, the first balloon communications satellite -- the Echo 1 -- was launched by the United States from Cape Canaveral.
In 1962, one day after launching Andrian Nikolayev into orbit, the Soviet Union also sent up cosmonaut Pavel Popovich; both men landed safely August 15.
In 1978, Pope Paul VI, who had died August 6 at age 80, was buried in St. Peter's Basilica.
In 1985, the world's worst single-aircraft disaster occurred as a crippled Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 on a domestic flight crashed into a mountain, killing 520 people. (Four people survived.)
In 1988, the controversial movie "The Last Temptation of Christ," directed by Martin Scorsese (skohr-SEH'-see), opened in nine cities despite objections by some who felt the film was sacrilegious.
Ten years ago: Liberia's leading rebel movement agreed to lift its siege of the capital and vital port, allowing food to flow to hundreds of thousands of hungry people.
Five years ago: Declaring "the aggressor has been punished," the Kremlin ordered a halt to Russia's devastating assault on Georgia -- five days of air and ground attacks that had left homes in smoldering ruins and uprooted 100,000 people. Michael Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle for his third gold medal at the Beijing Games.
One year ago: The U.S. men's basketball team defended its title by fighting off another huge challenge from Spain, pulling away in the final minutes for a 107-100 victory and its second straight Olympic championship. The victory by the men's basketball team gave the United States its 46th gold medal in London, the most ever by Americans in a "road" Olympics.
Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., is 88. Actor George Hamilton is 74. Actress Dana Ivey is 72. Actress Jennifer Warren is 72. Rock singer-musician Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 64. Actor Jim Beaver is 63. Singer Kid Creole is 63. Jazz musician Pat Metheny is 59. Actor Sam J. Jones is 59. Actor Bruce Greenwood is 57. Country singer Danny Shirley is 57. Pop musician Roy Hay (Culture Club) is 52. Rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot is 50. Actor Peter Krause is 48. International Tennis Hall of Famer Pete Sampras is 42. Actor-comedian Michael Ian Black is 42. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown is 42. Actress Rebecca Gayheart is 42. Actor Casey Affleck is 38. Rock musician Bill Uechi (Save Ferris) is 38. Actress Maggie Lawson is 33. Actress Dominique Swain is 33.
Actress Imani Hakim is 20.

subset: commoncrawl


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closing price(redirected from Market Closes)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus.
Closing price
Price of the last transaction of a particular stock completed during a day's trading session on an exchange.
Closing Price
closing price
See close.
Closing price.
The closing price of a stock, bond, option, or futures contract is the last trading price before the exchange or market on which it is traded closes for the day.
With after-hours trading, however, the opening price at the start of the next trading day may be different from the closing price the day before.
When a security is valued as part of an estate or charitable gift, its value is set at the closing price on the day of the valuation of the estate.


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NABARI, Ghana (AP) — In the village of Nabari on northern Ghana's dry savanna, 80-year-old Wudana Dokurugu lives with other widows in a clump of mud huts. They farm maize and soybeans in impoverished soil, and say their food never lasts to the next harvest.
"When I run out of food I go fetch firewood and sell it for one cedi ($0.50) a bundle," said Dokurugu. That'll buy her a bowl of dry maize. Anyone getting sick will likely not have the $2.50 fare to the nearest hospital, about 15 miles away.
Lately, however, Nabari and 33 neighboring villages are in the spotlight, brought together as a single "Millennium Village" as part of American economist Jeffrey Sachs' ambitious effort to demonstrate that with the right guidance and seed money, Africans can rise out of poverty and become self-sustaining.
While this West African country is benefiting from new oil wealth, mining and industry, life for many in the districts of West Mamprusi and Builsa, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the capital, Accra, consists of understocked food markets, poor health and low school attendance.
"This is a hardworking community. and with new technologies and new ways to do things, poverty can be ended in this region," Sachs told more than 1,000 villagers in Silinga, a village near Nabari, when he visited in August, accompanied by Ghana's new president, John Mahama.
The 14 Millennium Villages in Africa are part of a global anti-poverty initiative launched under U.N. auspices in 2000. The goal is to bring people like Dokurugu out of poverty with a big push of assistance that will wean them off aid after several years. The villages get fertilizer and improved seed, irrigation canals, clinics and health workers, school meals, roads and better access to markets.
Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, says that villagers in Africa are stuck in a poverty trap, and with the right help can escape it for good.
But he has critics. Some say the project creates dependence, that advances may be no greater than the rest of the country in question, and cannot be sustained once the project ends.
Now Sachs has scored possibly the project's biggest coup to date — $18.1 million from the British government's Department for International Development to help 30,000 people in northern Ghana — which, with government and local contributions, comes out to about $150 dollars per person per year over five years.
But it also presents Sachs with a challenge, because the British agency is spending $3 million of the money on a 10-year evaluation of the project to measure its impact, sustainability and value for money. It's the first independent evaluation, and the critics say it's long overdue.
Even though he acknowledges the program hasn't been rigorously evaluated, British Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has faith in it. Accompanying Sachs on the visit to Nabari, he said: "The British government only funds programs which deliver." He said its contribution "will have a remarkable effect on northern Ghana, a place where there is deep poverty even by African standards."
Since the Millennium Village project was launched in Kenya in 2006, Sachs' vision has twice put him on TIME Magazine's list of the year's most influential people, and he is an adviser and friend of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who wrote a laudatory account of a visit last year to a Millennium Village in Malawi.
"In a community that once could not feed itself, a giant warehouse was almost bursting with tons of surplus grain," Ban wrote. "By using high-yield seeds, better soil management, and proper row planting, the community has more than tripled its crop production, and villagers who previously were hungry grain buyers are now food-secure grain sellers."
But Michael Clemens, a senior fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Global Development, says a similar project called Integrated Rural Development was attempted in the 1970s and 80s by the World Bank and failed because it could not survive without donor funding.
Clemens, who researches ways of making aid more effective, sees a similar fate awaiting the Millennium Villages. "How likely is it that without the lavish expenditures of a New York-centered philanthropist-funded organization, the project can continue for long?" he said in an interview.
Sachs says his project is different from the 1970s venture, mainly because of technological advances. "What we are doing was not tried before and could not have been. ... The earlier programs did not include computers, email, internet for data management, systems control, mapping, monitoring, banking, payments, health care, teaching, process control, value chains and countless more areas," he wrote in an email.
Clemens and his co-author Gabriel Demombynes, a senior economist at the World Bank in Nairobi, have published papers and editorials over the years claiming the project is overstating its impact. They say it boasts of gains in indicators like child mortality, without noting these are insignificant compared to changes happening at a relevant regional or national level. That should be the critical question for every project like this one - "what would have happened if the project hadn't come along?" Clemens said.
Sachs acknowledged in an interview that his project's evaluations have lacked the rigor of a randomized control trial, but said he is using interventions that have already been proven to work. "This would not be satisfactory if we were introducing a new untested medicine. I wouldn't take the medicine myself," he said. "But if what we're really trying to do is show communities that at low cost it's possible to do a number of important and proven things, and here are some ways to do that, I think this can play an important role."
But how, Clemens asked, can "low cost" be judged if full expenditure figures for all the projects aren't published? The full figure is critical for knowing whether the money could have been better spent elsewhere, he said. "That's the whole point. it's to figure out what to do with scarce aid resources."
Sachs said releasing those figures served no purpose. "We are not trying to demonstrate what the Earth Institute can do. We are trying to demonstrate what can be done on the ground at a certain cost, with a certain budget, in a certain way."
Some also think Sachs' approach encourages dependence. Dambisa Moyo, Zambian-born author of "Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How there is a Better Way for Africa," wrote in a Huffington Post editorial: "The aid interventions that Mr. Sachs lauds as evidence of success are merely Band-Aid solutions that do nothing to lift Africa out of the mire — leaving the continent alive but half drowning, still unable to climb out on its own."
Sachs said he is being unfairly targeted given the level of waste that exists in the aid sector. He said much of the progress being made throughout Africa is "precisely because of the kinds of interventions that we've been championing and calling for," such as more fertilizer better seeds, malaria-preventing bed nets, and trained community health workers.
Sachs' continues to attract funding and support for the project. "He's one of the most charismatic, persuasive people in the world. I've seen people bend over crying at his speeches," said Clemens. "He knows how to move people, and that's a beautiful thing."
Villages as laboratories in debate on Africa aid
NABARI, Ghana (AP) — In the village of Nabari on northern Ghana's dry savanna, 80-year-old Wudana Dokurugu lives with other widows in a clump of mud huts. They farm maize and soybeans in impoverished soil, and say their food never lasts to the next harvest.


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LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao never saw it coming. He never saw the punch that snapped his head back Saturday and dropped him to the canvas and left him sprawled there momentarily, face down, while his wife sobbed uncontrollably and the packed crowd at MGM's Grand Garden Arena rose to its feet in shock.
With that, a rivalry known for its lack of a definitive triumph suddenly had the most definitive ending of them all.
Juan Manuel Marquez threw both arms skyward, as blood dripped from his nose. Bedlam ensued all around him, but Marquez said little. His face said it all.
His face summarized four fights between two men, two scored in favor of Pacquiao, another one a draw. His face summarized the release of nearly a decade of frustration. For the moment that Marquez waited for and obsessed over, for the moment he set the record straight.
"I threw the perfect punch," he said.
It happened in the sixth round, after Pacquiao mounted the most furious of comebacks, after he overcame an early knockdown with a reciprocal knockdown, after he stung Marquez with a series of left hands. As Round 6 neared its conclusion, Marquez (55-6-1, 40 knockouts) crept in close to Pacquiao, and he came over the top from a short distance with that right.
The shot crumpled Pacquiao (54-5-2) to the canvas, right in front of Bob Arum, his promoter, who held his hands out as if he wanted to catch his prized fighter in his arms. Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee, held her face in both hands and cried. It took her husband several minutes to rise, and when he did, his face was bruised under both eyes, which were vacant. He looked lost.
"We knew it would be a tough fight," Marquez said. "But not an impossible fight."
Pacquiao was later sent to the hospital for a CAT scan; Marquez had a broken nose and a suspected concussion.
Before the fight, Pacquiao strode deep inside Grand Garden Arena, through a maze of tunnels. He entered Dressing Room 2 at 5:40 p.m. This was about an hour earlier than for his previous foray against Marquez. Pacquiao was so early that he caught the drug testers off guard. One ran off to fetch a test kit. Pacquiao just smiled, his face filled with confidence, so sure.
The boxer embraced his trainer, Freddie Roach.
"How are you?" Roach asked him. "You good?"
Pacquiao simply nodded.
He wore a blue T-shirt imprinted with his likeness; T-shirt Manny held a microphone, wore boxing shoes and spun a basketball on an index finger. Real-life Manny sat in a chair below where highlights of his previous Marquez fights played on a flat-screen television.
As if to underscore his mood, Pacquiao did not wait for the HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant to interview him. He grabbed the microphone and interviewed Merchant instead. Merchant ably played along. To one query, he said he wanted to confirm HE won the previous three fights against Marquez.
Pacquiao looked up, incredulous. "Wait," he said, "that's my line."
Then it got surreal. In came Mitt Romney. Yes, that Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and the presidential runner-up, every hair on his head in place. Romney, in fact, came in twice. His introduction was at once awkward and hilarious.
"Hi, Manny," he said. "I'm Mitt Romney. I ran for president. I lost."
All that really happened, truth stranger than fiction. Or just another Pacquiao fight.
The fighter himself stood coiled in his corner before the opening bell ring, his fists already raised. Then he charged at Marquez like a bull at a matador. Pacquiao fought the smarter fight early, as he tagged Marquez with lefts and avoided the right hand.
That all changed in the third round, all changed with one punch. It came from Marquez, who sent his right arm wide, over Pacquiao's left glove, flush into Pacquiao's face. The punch sent Pacquiao flying backward, on his backside. He climbed to his feet quickly, his face twisted into a sneer.
It marked the first time in 39 rounds between the fighters that Marquez had knocked Pacquiao down. If anything, it seemed to galvanize Pacquiao. Well, at least until the sixth.
Through three previous fights, through 36 razor-thin rounds, Pacquiao and Marquez had already staged a trilogy that lacked but one significant element: a clear outcome. In those bouts, Pacquiao did not lose. But he did not exactly win, either. His Marquez tally consisted of two victories and one draw and enough doubt to make a rare fourth fight compelling enough to stage.
Boxing history is much like blockbuster movies in that regard. They are plenty of trilogies, three meetings between two fighters that defined careers. A fourth fight is more uncommon. It happened with Sugar Ray Robinson and Gene Fullmer, with Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles, with Bobby Chacon and Rafael Limon and in a handful of other instances.
Pacquiao did not want a fourth bout, not initially. Nor did Roach. Marquez, among the best counterpunches of his era, often befuddled Pacquiao with stylistic kryptonite. He waited until Pacquiao came to him. And when Pacquiao, against Roach's instructions, shifted left and led with jabs, Marquez countered over the top with stinging straight right hands.
Marquez arrived here like some boxing Popeye, his body bigger, his muscles carved from long hours in the gym. The questionable past of his trainer, Angel Guillermo Heredia, an admitted steroids dealer who testified for the government in the Balco scandal, only added to rampant speculation, which Marquez and his camp vehemently denied.
Still, Roach maintained that speed, not bulk, won fights. "I don't think muscle men have a better chin," he said.
The last time these boxers met, Pacquiao entered the ring with his personal life in shambles. He arrived late to the arena, and in an argument with his wife. Throughout that camp, his confidants described Pacquiao as a changed man who replaced his numerous vices with religion. Now, they say that Pacquiao, obsessive in all endeavors, had binged too much on Bible study.
Only in boxing could someone cite too much Bible study as a distraction for a fight.
For this bout, Pacquiao cut out plyometrics from his training, exercises that he said led to cramping in his calves. His promoter, Arum of Top Rank Boxing, said the last time he saw Team Pacquiao this peaceful was before Pacquiao fought Oscar De La Hoya, before he became famous and his life personal life imploded, before he won a Congressional election in the Philippines.
Whether such tranquillity could translate into the aggression Roach desired remained to be seen. They had a game plan for the third fight, after all, until Pacquiao discarded it.
This time, Pacquiao appeared to follow the plan. He remained aggressive, even as he lunged forward, at times off balance, susceptible to the right. Asked afterward if he would entertain a fifth fight, Pacquiao said, "Why not?"
Perhaps he will want to watch the punch on replay. It happens to most every fighter, one of boxing's starkest and saddest truths. They all get hit, all get knocked down. Some champions, even Pacquiao, get knocked out.
"I got hit by a punch I didn't see," he said.


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Adobe Developer Week 2008
I presented this afternoon at the Adobe Developer Week 2008 — an online seminar that runs each day from March 24th through March 28th. The topic of my presentation was "Flex and Java — Tying the Knot!". If you have come to any of my recent presentations at Flex Camp Chicago, 360 Flex Atlanta or AjaxWorld East 2008 you probably know that this is one topic that I have been speaking on frequently. In the next few months you will get to see more on this from me. My next stop is 360 Flex Milan and then Flex Camp Wall Street and The Server Side Java Symposium Europe follow.


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You hear it coming in the distance. The Amtrak train traveling east from Chicago. Or west from Detroit. People arriving and departing. And in their own way, they're defining the Arcadia District.
Historically speaking, it began when the city's founder, Titus Bronson, settled at the district's original gateway, Arcadia Creek. Over the years, Arcadia has become a place of change — at Park Trades Center, where ideas can incubate. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum, where new exhibits routinely rotate in and out, bringing us new infusions of ideas. The Kalamazoo Valley Community College and the people who come to learn and then leave to share their knowledge.
The Arcadia Creek Festival Site welcomes the annual visits of everything from Taste of Kalamazoo to Ribfest. Arcadia is also where we see some of the most promising signs of our future. Renovation of old Kalamazoo landmarks reminds us of our past, while long-time business establishments anchor the diversity of the district. It's a vital gateway to our Northside neighborhoods. And a constant reminder that change is very good for a city's soul.
Shopping In Arcadia
Dining In Arcadia
Entertainment In Arcadia
Services In Arcadia


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Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Happy Bentos and Rainbow Cupcakes
Miss Faith had cream cheese and jelly pita pockets, topped with cheese flowers, mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries & raspberries, even though I think Ben ate most of those), carrots and cucumber flowers, and one of the rainbow cupcakes!
You don't really get the full effect of the rainbow in the bento, so had to share one more picture!
I am in love with how cute the layers look. And I am now addicted to Wilton's canned icing with the decorating tips. So much easier than regular icing and it looked cuter too.
7 comments:
Great cupcakes! Do you remember where you got that box? It looks like a great size for my four year old. Thanks!ReplyDelete
It's a Lock & Lock container. I actually got it at Target several years ago, so I think Amazon or somewhere else online might be a better option. All four little containers life out, so you can remove 2 for a sandwich half or something.ReplyDelete
So cute! A colorful cupcake definately makes bento even better!ReplyDelete
Beautiful! I really want to try rainbow cupcakes, but the thought of all those colored doughs is a bit off-putting. Super cool bento too!ReplyDelete
Thanks Shannon! I found it on Amazon. Thanks so much for the info and for all of your beautiful, inspiring lunches!ReplyDelete
Thanks everyone!ReplyDelete
Sheri, they took *forever*. Dividing/coloring the dough wasn't too bad, but layering it carefully was a huge pain.
It probably didn't help that I really need 24 cupcakes and ended up with 21. The dough was more appropriate for about 18, imho, so maybe easier if you're not trying to spread micro-spoons of batter?
The Charles Observer - What'd you look it up under?ReplyDelete


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Ted Danson is slated to replace Laurence Fishburne on the 12th season of the popular CBS crime drama.
Danson comes from HBO's "Bored to Death," and will play a CSI supervisor for the graveyard shift, transferred from Portland, Entertainment Weekly reports.
Executive producer Carol Mendelsohn is "very excited" Danson is joining the cast. "You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it's just words," she told EW.
U.S. & World
Fishburne's contract wasn't renewed after last season, after a series of disappointing ratings. According to NYT's Media Decoder, it's in CBS' best interest to keep a long-running show going with a new cast.
The Emmy-award winning Danson will be "perfect" for the role, executive producer Don McGill told the entertainment site.
"Intelligence, wit, warmth, depth of character and emotion, he brings it all. And now he'll have to bring latex gloves, too," McGill said.


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Vulcan Construction Materials Group, Southwest Division President J. Thomas Hill will head the Florida Rock Division, effective September 1. He succeeds Thompson S. Baker II, president since the 2007 Florida Rock Industries-Vulcan merger, who has been named chief executive officer of Jacksonville-based Patriot Transportation Holding. Vulcan Midsouth Division President Stanley Bass will assume additional Southwest Division duties in September; he and Hill both joined Vulcan Materials in 1996. The company has also announced the first quarter 2011 retirement of Senior Vice President, West Ronald McAbee, a 36-year Vulcan veteran.
Hill, Bass Gain Vulcan Duties
- Details
- Written by CP Staff


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Here is the article that I wrote for the April 2014 Issue of RSVP MN Magazine. You can read the article here.
The future of computer and social interaction at events is definitely seeing an explosion in the use of mobile devices as the primary tool for your attendees to interact with the Internet and the environment at your event. Social media channels are a common communication tool for events these days, and there is also the option of creating a custom mobile application for your event. Many companies are investigating the creation of such apps for their events but are struggling to justify the expense. Here are some tips that should help you decide if a custom event application is a worthy investment for your event:
What are the demographics of your attendees?
In 2013, 64 percent of all American Internet users between the ages of 18-60 are accessing the Internet primarily through a mobile device. In any case, you will need to accommodate both mobile and non-mobile users at your event until the day where 100 percent usage is achieved.
Can you provide the same benefits of a mobile application with existing tools?
Mobile applications tout things like expedited check-in, schedules, event maps and directions, and promotional materials via a mobile device. Many of these services can be delivered via social media platforms such as Eventbrite, Facebook, Twitter, and more. It would make sense to make sure you are maximizing your efforts on these channels that are free, familiar to the attendees, and duplicate the services of a custom mobile app.
Can you offset the cost of the application with sponsorships or event partners?
A benefit of mobile apps is the space and area in the application for an advertiser, sponsor, or event partner to promote their brand. If you are partnering with an A/V or technical partner for the show, many of these firms are offering their own custom event applications as a service. The opportunity to sponsor the event app could be part of a package offered to larger sponsors of the event which would provide them a greater opportunity to have their brand promoted to the attendees.
The bottom line is that this technology is nice to have at this point, and not a need to have yet. That allows some flexibility in wading into custom mobile applications. The technology of most applications is definitely an amenity appreciated by attendees, but in today's economy it is always nice to have a path to adaption that won't drive up the costs of your events.


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Dr. Dore Bowen
Associate Professor
(408) 924-4582
Personal Website
Doctor of Philosophy in Visual and Cultural Studies, University of Rochester, NY
Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Art, San Francisco State University, CA
Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies, The Evergreen State College, WA
Dore Bowen is an inter-disciplinary scholar whose work explores photography as a theatrical medium with a rich and often surprising cultural history. In this light she has written on Fluxus, video re-enactments in contemporary art, and installation art. Her publications include "This Bridge Called Imagination: On Reading the Arab Image Foundation" in Invisible Culture, "Imagine There's No Image (It's Easy If You Try): Appropriation in the Age of Digital Reproduction" in The Companion to Art History Since 1945 (Blackwell Press), "Sacred Cow, Sacred Text: Allegories of the Spectacle in BLW's Re-speaking Project" in Adaptation Theories (Jan Van Eyck Press), and "Fluxus" in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. She is currently completing a book that explores three stages in the life of the diorama: the 1822 Paris diorama, the early 20th century natural history museum diorama, and the diorama in contemporary art.
Bowen has curated a number of exhibitions including Agitate: Negotiating the Photographic Process at SF Camerawork; in cooperation with the Arab Image Foundation, Soit dit en passant at La Compagnie in Marseille and Not Given: Talking of and Around Photographsof Arab Women at SF Camerawork; Early Man on a Modern Road at the Musée de Préhistoire des Gorges du Verdon in France. She has received fellowships from the Camargo Foundation, the Getty Research Library, the School of Criticism and Theory, The Clark Art Institute and the Centre Allemand d'histoire de l'art in Paris.
Dr. Dore Bowen holds a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studio Art from San Francisco State University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester. She is currently Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art History at SJSU. Previous to her appointment at SJSU Bowen taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, the California College of the Arts, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has taught undergraduate courses on the history and theory of new media, the art of the 1960s and 70s, "The Thing" (issues of materiality in contemporary art), and the history of art history. She has taught graduate seminars on the archive in contemporary art, craft in contemporary art, the history and theory of photography, contemporary art theory and criticism, and art history methodologies.


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The air was so clear when I took this image in March, such a lovely time of year for photography. Just passed the end on Exmouth beach is Orcombe Point, on the other side is Sandy Bay. A stunning part of Devon. This is the western end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and is marked by an obelisk called the "Geoneedle" It was unveiled by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in 2002, at the inauguration of the World Heritage Site. The sculpture was designed and built by Michael Fairfax.
Sited high on Orcombe Point, the Geoneedle is constructed from a variety of different stones, representing the major building stones to be found on the Jurassic Coast and the sequence of rocks that form this part of the coastline.
I always enjoy viewing my immersive photographs, most of the time I don't stop and take in the view as I haven't time to hang around. It takes longer than you think to travel to these locations, even when you're on the way back home from a job it can be a good hour or more out of my way. It's worth it though, some of the views I see travelling around are amazing. So lucky to live and work in Devon and the South West.


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Mylan's roots are in the U.S., and our products can likely be found in most American homes. In 2018 alone, our generics saved the nation's healthcare system approximately $19 billion.
In 2018, Mylan generics saved Alaska
We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life, including you. That's why our business is focused on providing a sustainable supply of high quality medicine that is accessible, acceptable, available and more affordable to patients around the world.
Innovation and science are cornerstones of Mylan's success for nearly 60 years.
They will continue to be the foundation of our future.
One of the most powerful ways to serve patients in need is by speaking out on their behalf.
We work closely with government, trade associations, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups and others to shape policy to help people in the U.S. enjoy better health.
Mylan understands the importance of going beyond our
business boundaries to serve the community at large.
Through community engagement and philanthropy, we
drive access to high quality medicine and build healthy
communities, often aligning our community support to our
mission and core business through product donations,
financial contributions and employee volunteerism.
Several years ago, we recognized that epinephrine auto-injectors needed to be as accessible as defibrillators are in public spaces. So Mylan advocated for legislation to permit "undesignated" epinephrine auto-injectors in schools – meaning a prescription could be in a school's name rather than in a child's name and any individual experiencing an anaphylactic emergency would have access to the epinephrine auto-injectors. Today, 48 states have adopted such laws, and Mylan has donated more than 1 million epinephrine auto-injectors to more than 73,000 schools around the country through the school access program.


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Book your Train ticket to LeedsUnited Kingdom
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Leeds, a nice victorian city
Leeds is a city located is the northern part of England. Built along the banks of the Aire river, this more than 400,000 inhabitants city is famous thanks to its numerous cultural activities, its bustling nightlife and its 19th century's architecture.
Leeds offers the possibility of visiting many interesting museums. You will have a great choice depending on what you are interested in.
The Royal Armories enables you to contemplate a huge collection of weapons and armors from the Middle Ages until nowadays. Visit also the fine arts museum or the Leeds City museum. If you are an architecture lover, visit the romantic ruins of the Kirkstall's abbey. A lot of buildings in Leeds present a nice architecture from the 19th century.
Among them, you should see the Town Hall inaugurated by the Queen Victoria in 1858 or the neogothic style Great Theatre inspired by the Scala in Milan.
Getting to and from Leeds
|From London
|To London
Train Station(s)
While you're there
Travel forum
From our travel community
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Weird, Cool Wine: Give Valdiguié a Chance
There are 1,368 varieties covered in Master of Wine Jancis Robinson's Wine Grapes. Bet you can't try them all.
Note from the author: There are 1,368 varieties covered in Wine Grapes by MW Jancis Robinson, MW Julia Harding, and Dr. Jose Vouillamoz. Bet you can't try them all.
There's a group of winemakers who approach their job by asking their grapes, "What would you like to say?" The notion is that the role of a winemaker is not to force the grape into a predetermined style of wine, but rather to let the grape tell its own story, in its own accent, about "who it is" and where it's from. It's an honorable way to approach the craft—I'd imagine both empowering and filled with immense liability; much like being a parent.
Sometimes, when I have writer's block, I try to approach my piece the same way: "Dear wine, what story do you want to tell?"
And so it was that I asked my glass of 2011 Broc Valdiguié, "What story would you like to tell today?" According to Wine Grapes, Valdigiué is a "high-yielding, rather ordinary variety from south-west France." Apparently, it went by the name Napa Gamay and was widespread in California in years gone by—over 6,000 acres were planted with Valdigiué vines as of 1977—thanks to its high yields and ability to resist powdery mildew. But this grape, which the book calls a "rather ordinary variety", soon lost favor and was almost entirely ripped out. Today, with barely 300 acres in California, Valdiguié has languished into obscurity, relegated to a reputation for mediocrity. I considered all this carefully. Poor, ordinary Valdiguié. And that's when I came to the very disturbing thought.
Why do certain grapes persist in the world while others get pushed out? The answer is fairly obvious: generally speaking, grapes persist because we like the wine they make; we find it interesting and delicious. And we grow more of it—because we'd like to drink more of it. But if this is the case, then what of those grapes we don't immediately find pleasant? Is it possible that perhaps they just haven't been given a fair chance? Or that perhaps they require a different winemaking approach, or a different spot to flourish?
Gulp. What if humans were like grapes? We seek to control viticulture so that we plant and propagate only what we like, but what if someone did that with humans? Before you call me ridiculous, consider: Don't we all have inherent strengths and weaknesses, both good characteristics and bad ones? And isn't it, at least to some degree, the influence of our environment and those who bring us up that affects whether or not those good or bad characteristics are played up or toned down?
Back to the Valdiguié. Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars is a California winemaker working intently under what seems to be a "what does the wine want to say?" approach. In addition to the likes of Zinfandel and Grenache, he works with a handful of "weird" wine grapes from off-the-beaten-path vineyards.
His 2011 Broc Valdiguié from Green Valley (a half hour further inland from Napa) is radiant. It pours a self-assured, inviting, bright ruby-purple color. Each sip and sniff brings me back to happy snack time in elementary school: plump strawberry and red raspberry fruit snacks, a bouncy sweet-sour dance that makes your mouth water and makes wish you had another pack (or, in this case, another glass) before you had to get back to work. There's an immensely pleasurable juiciness, and a fresh waft of lilies, jasmine, lilacs and roses too, that adds a layer of complexity to this wine.
I have to say that in Chris's hands, the "rather ordinary" Valdiguié has grown up into something quite interesting and delicious. And if his is any indication of this grape's potential, I'd like people to grow more of it—because I'd like to drink more of it.
2011 Broc Valdiguié
The Grape: Valdiguié
The Region: Green Valley (Solano County), California
Retail Price: $22
About the Author: Stevie Stacionis is a wine writer and Certified Sommelier based in San Francisco. She's currently drinking her way through the 1,368 varieties included in Wine Grapes. Follow her on Twitter @StevieStacionis and check out her snobbery-free wine videos at A Drinks With Friends TV.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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The Kardashian sister trio is complete again. Khloe Kardashian-Odom finally joined her sisters, Kim and Kourtney, over in London this weekend (after finishing up her X Factor duties). Khloe arrived just in time for the official launch of the Kardashian Kollection for Dorothy Perkins at the Westfield Shopping Centre.
London LOVES the Kardashians, y'all. Like LOVES them. Loves them so much they caused a stampede at the mall this weekend! If you take a peek in the gallery (second page) below you'll see shots of the sea of madness! Police had to talk to the crowd and worked hard to keep things under control. There were a few reports of injuries and girls fainting. The shopping center let people camp overnight before the line opened up at 7 a.m. Media outlets report that "when the number of fans reached 10,000, the situation became chaotic."
That is crazy. Overnight camping for a meet and greet / clothing line launch? I think someone lied and told them it was a Twilight premiere.
You know which Kardashian line isn't causing stampedes at the mall? Rob Kardashian's new sock line for Nieman Marcus. Yes, ladies and gents, it's FINALLY here! Take a peek and let us know if these trendy feet warmers will be at the top of your Christmas list this year.
You'll know Santa hates you if you find these in your stocking. You know Scott Disick will rock these socks, paired with some shorts and loafers.
Also in the photo gallery – shots of the sisters heading to dinner with Scott Disick and Kanye West.
Photo Credits: Daniel Deme/WENN.com, Will Alexander, Michael Jarwoski/WENN


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I am developing this game in cocos2d. I want to move a object(airplane) in all direction with constant speed and it should move and flip in the direction of touch point and it should follow path make by touches like if we make a circle then the object should follow that path and it should flip so that it look like that its moving like real airplane, and i want it should move from one side of screen to other side and again it will come from other side and move towards other side and if we touch the screen then it should move in the touch direction. i have use the code to follow the path but its not working good in my coding object is not moving and not flipping its just appear like that we dragging any object from one position to other, Please any one help me to solve this issue any idea or sample code please provide so that i can make my object to move in all direction with touch.
Thanks in advance.


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Proteintech is committed to ensuring your research continues during the COVID-19 situation. We understand much of your research is extremely important to the health of the community. As an original manufacturer for its entire catalog of antibodies and proteins, we are here to support you. Proteintech has five sites globally with full stock inventory available for next day delivery. For this reason, we do not anticipate any issues with our supply chain and orders received will continue to be processed as normal until further notice.
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CRETA or CRETECRETA (Κρήτη: Eth. and Adj. Κρής, Adj. Κρήσση, Adj. Κρηταῖος, Adj.Κρητεύς, Adj. Κρητηΐος, Adj. Κρητῆος, Adj. Κρηταιεύς, Adj. Κρήσιος, Adj. Κρῆτις, Adj. Κρήσις, Adj. Κρήτικος, Steph. B. sub voce Cretaeus, Cretanus, Eth. Cretensis, Eth. Creticus, Cretis: Kriti; the common European name Candia is unknown in the island; the Saracenic "Khandax" Megálo-Kástron became with the Venetian writers Candia; the word for a long time denoted only the principal city of the island, which retained its ancient name in the chroniclers, and in Dante, Inferno, 14.94).
I. Situation and Extent.--Crete,an island situated in the Aegean basin of the Mediterranean sea, is described by Strabo (x. p.474) as lying between Cyrenaica and that part of Hellas which extends from Sunium to Laconia, and parallel in its length from W. to E. to these two points. The words μέχρι Λακωνικῆς may be understood either of Malea or Taenarum; it is probable that this geographer extended Crete as far as Taenarum, as from other passages in his work (ii. p. 124, viii. p. 863), it would appear that he considered it and the W. points of Crete as under the same meridian. It is still more difficult to understand the position assigned to Crete with regard to Cyrenaica (xvii. p. 838). Strabo is far nearer the truth, though contradicting his former statements, where he makes Cimarus the NW. promontory of Crete 700 stadia from Malea (x. p. 174), and Cape Sammonium 1000 stadia from Rhodes (ii. p. 106), which was one of the best-ascer-tained points in ancient geography. The whole circumference of the island was estimated by Artemidorus at 4100 stadia; but Sosicrates, whose description was most accurate, computed the length at more than 2300 stadia, and the circumference at more than 5000 stadia (Strab. x. p.476). Hieronymus (l.c.) in reckoning the length alone at 2000 stadia far exceeded Artemidorus. In Pliny (4.20) the extent of Crete in length was about 270 M. P. and nearly 539 M. P. in circuit. The broadest part (400 stadia) was in the middle, between the promontories of Dium and Matalum; the narrowest (60 stadia) further E., between Minoa and Hierapytna. The W. coast was 200 stadia broad, but towards the E. between Amphimalla and Phoenix contracted to 100 stadia. (Comp. Strab. p. 475.)
II. Structure and Natural Features.The interior was very mountainous, woody, and intersected by fertile valleys. The whole island may be considered as a prolongation of that mountain chain which breasts the waters at Cape Malea, with the island of Cythera interposed. The geological formation resembles that of the Hellenic peninsula; from the traces of the action of the sea upon the cliffs, especially at the W. end, it seems that the island has been pushed up from its foundations by powerful subterranean forces, which were in operation at very remote times. (Journ. Geog. Soc. vol. xxii. p. 277.) A continuous mass of high-land runs through its whole length, about the middle of which Mt. Ida, composed of a congeries of hills, terminating in three lofty peaks, rises to the height of 7674 feet: the base occupied a circumference of nearly 600 stadia; to the W. it was connected with a chain called Λευκά ὄρη, or the White Mountains, whose snow-clad summits and bold and beautiful outlines extend over a range of 300 stadia (Strab. p. 475). The prolongation to the E. formed the ridge of Dicte (Δίκτη, Strab. p. 478). It is curious that, though tradition spoke of those ancient workers in iron and bronze--the Idaean Dactyls, no traces of mining operations have been found. The island had but one lake (Λίμνη Κορησία); the drainage is carried off by several rivers, mostly summer torrents, which are dried up during the summer season; but the number and copiousness of the springs give the country a very different aspect to the parched tracts of continental Greece. Mt. Ida, connected in ancient story with metallurgy, was, as its name implied, covered with wood, which was extensively used in forging and smelting. The forests could boast of the fruit-bearing poplar (Theophrast. H. P. 3.5); the evergreen platane (H. P. 1.15; Varr. de Re Rust. 1.7; Plin. Nat. 12.1) trees, which it need hardly be said can no longer be found; the cypress (Theophrast. H. P. 2.2), palm (H. P. 2.8; Plin. Nat. 13.4), and cedar (Plin. Nat. 16.39; Vitr. 2.9). According to Pliny (25.8; comp. Theophrast. H. P. 9.16), everything grew better in Crete than elsewhere; among the medicinal herbs for which it was famed was the "dictamnon" so celebrated among physicians,naturalists (Theophrast. l.c.; Plin. l.c.), and poets (Verg. A. 12.412; comp. Tasso, Gerusalem. Lib. 11.72). The ancients frequently speak of the Cretan wines (Ael. VH 12.31; Athen. 10.440; Plin. Nat. 14.9). Among these the "passum," or raisin wine, was the most highly prized (Mart. 13.106; Juv. 14.270). Its honey played a conspicuous part in the myths concerning Zeus (Diod. 5.70; Callim. Hym. in Jov. 50). The island was free from all wild beasts and noxious animals (Aelian, Ael. NA 3.32; Plin. Nat. 8.83), a blessing which it owed to Heracles (Diod. 4.17); but the Cretan dogs could vie with the hounds of Sparta (Aelian. N.A. 3.2); and the Cretan "Agrimi," or real wild goat, is the supposed origin of all our domestic varieties.
III. History.The cycle of myths connected with Minos and his family threw a splendour over Crete, to which its estrangement from the rest of Greece during the historic period presents a great contrast. The "lying Cretans" dared to show, not only the birthplace, but also the tomb of the "father of gods and men" (Callim. Hym in Jov. 8), and the Dorian invaders made Crete the head-quarters of the worship of Apollo (Müller, Dor. vol. i. p. 226, trans.). Since the Grecian islands formed, from the earliest times, stepping stones by which the migratory population of Europe and Asia have crossed over to either continent, it has been assumed that Aegypt, Phoenicia, and Phrygia founded cities in Crete, and contributed [p. 1.704]new arts and knowledge to the island. No proof of Aegyptian colonisation can be adduced; and from the national character, it is probable that settlers of pure Aegyptian blood never crossed the Aegean. Traces of Phoenician settlements may undoubtedly be pointed out; and by what cannot be called more than an ingenious conjecture, the mythical genealogy of Minos has been construed to denote a combination of the orgiastic worship of Zeus indigenous among the Eteocretes, with the worship of the moon imported from Phoenicia, and signified by the names Europe, Pasiphae, and Ariadne. There is an evident analogy between the religion of Crete and Phrygia; and the legendary Curetes and Idaean Dactyls are connected, on the one hand with the orgiastic worship, and on the other with the arts of Phrygia. But no historical use can be made of these scanty and uncertain notices, or of the Minos of the poets and logographers with his contradictory and romantic attributes. The Dorians first appear in Crete during the heroic period; the Homeric poems mention different languages and different races of men--Eteocretes, Cydonians, thrice divided Dorians, Achaeans, and Pelasgians, as all co-existing in the island, which they describe to be populous, and to contain ninety cities (Od. 19.174). These Dorian mountaineers converted into mariners--the Norman sea-kings of Greece--must therefore have come to Crete at a period, according to the received legendary chronology, long before the return of the Heraclidae. In the same poems they appear as hardy and daring corsairs; and this characteristic gave rise to that naval supremacy which was assigned by Herodotus, Thucydides, and Aristotle, to the traditionary Minos and his Cretan subjects. Theophrastus (De Ventis, 5.13. p. 762, ed. Schneidewin) stated that the deserted sites of Cretan villages, which according to the primitive Greek practice the inhabitants had occupied in the central and mountain regions, were to be seen in his time. The social fabric which the ancients found in Crete so nearly resembled that of Sparta, that they were in doubt whether it should be considered as the archetype or copy. (Arist. Pol. 2.7; Strab. p. 482.) But the analogy between the institutions of the Cretan communities and Sparta, is one rather of form than of spirit. The most remarkable resemblance consisted in the custom of the public messes, "Syssitia," while there is a marked difference in the want of that rigid private training and military discipline which characterized the Spartan government. The distinction between the condition of the Dorian freeman and the serf comes out vividly in the drinking song of the Cretan Hybrias (Athen. 15.695); but there was only one stage of inferiority, as the Cretan Perioecus had no Helots below him. Polybius (6.45-48), who has expressed his surprise how the best-informed ancient authors, Plato, Xenophon, Ephorus, and Callisthenes, could compare the Cretan polity to the old Lacedaemonian, as the main features were so different, among other divergencies especially dwelt upon the inequality of property in Crete, with that fancied equality which he believed was secured by the legislation of Lycurgus. It is hazardous to determine the amount of credit to be given to the minute descriptions which the ancient authors have made, of the machinery by which the nicely balanced constitution of early Crete was regulated. Their statements as to the civil virtues and the public education of the Cretans, can be nothing but the mere declamation of after ages, seeking to contrast in a rhetorical manner the virtues of the good old times with modern decay and degradation. The generous friendship of the heroic ages which was singularly regulated by the law (Ephorus ap. Strab. p. 483), had degenerated into a frightful licence (Arist. Pot. 2.10); and as early as about B.C. 600, the Cretan stood self-condemned as an habitual liar, an evil beast, and an indolent glutton, if St. Paul in his Epistle to Titus (1.12) alludes to Epimenides. (Comp. Plb. 4.47, 53, 6.46.) The island, which collectively stood aloof both in the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, consisted of a number of independent towns, who coined their own money, had a senate and public assembly (Böckh, Inscr. Gr. vol. 2.2554-2612), were at constant feud with each other, but when assailed by foreign enemies laid aside their private quarrels, in defence of their common country, to which they gave the affectionate appellation of mother-land (μητρίς), a word peculiar to the Cretans. (Plat. Rep. ix. p. 575; Aelian, Ael. VH 13.38, N. A. 17.35, 40; Synes. Ep. xciv.). Hence the well-known Syncretism (Plut. de Frat. Am. § 19, p. 490; Etym. Mag. s. v. συγκρητίσαι). Afterwards centres of states were formed by CNOSSUS, GORTYNA, and CYDONIA and after the decay of the latter, LYCTUS The first two had a "hegemony," and were generally hostile to each other. These internal disorders had become so violent that they were under the necessity of summoning Philip IV. of Macedon as a mediator, whose command was all-powerful (προστάτης, Plb. 7.12). It would seem, however, that the effects of his intervention had ceased before the Roman war. (Niebuhr, Lect. on Anc. Hist. vol. iii. p. 366.) Finally, in B.C. 67, Crete was taken by Q. Metellus Creticus, after more than one unsuccessful attempt by other commanders during a lingering war, the history of which is fully given in Drumann (Geschich. Rom. vol. ii. pp. 51, foIl.). It was annexed to Cyrene, and became a Roman province (Vell. 2.34, 38; Just. 39.5; Flor. 3.7; Eutrop. 6.11; D. C. 36.2). In the division of the provinces under Augustus, Creta-Cyrene, or Creta et Cyrene (Orelli, Inscr. n. 3658), became a senatorial province (D. C. 52.12), under the government of a propraetor (Strab. p. 840) with the title of proconsul (Orelli, l.c.), with a legatus (D. C. 57.14) and a quaestor, or perhaps two as in Sicily (Suet. Vesp. 2). Under Constantine, a division took place (Zosim. 2.32); as Crete was placed under a "Consularis" (Hierocl.), and Cyrene, now Libya Superior, under a "praeses." (Marquardt, Handbuch der Röm. Alt. p. 222.) In A.D. 823, the Arabs wrested it from the Lower Empire (Script. post Theophrast. pp. 1--162; Cedren. Hist. Comp. p. 506). In A.D. 961, the island after a memorable siege of ten months by Nicephorus Phocas, the great domestic or general of the East, once more submitted to the Greek rule (Zonar. ii. p. 194). After the taking of Constantinople by the Franks, Baldwin I. gave it to Boniface, Marquess of Montferrat, who sold it, in A.D. 1204, to the Venetians, and it became the first of the three subject kingdoms whose flags waved over the square of San Marco. The Cretan soldiers had a high reputation as light troops and archers, and served as mercenaries both in Greek and Barbarian armies (Thuc. 7.57; Xen. Anab. 3.3. 6; Plb. 4.8, 5.14; Just. 35.2). Fashions change but little in the East; Mr. Pashley (Trav. vol. i. p. 245) has detected in the games and dances of modern Crete, the tumblers [p. 1.705](Hom. Il. 18.604) and the old cyclic chorus of three thousand years ago. (Il. 18.590; Athen. 5.181.) The dress of the peasant continues to resemble that of his ancestors; he still wears the boots (ὑποδήματα), as described by Galen (Com. in Hippocrat. de Art. 4.14, vol. xviii. p. 682, ed. Kühn), and the short cloak, Κρητικόν, mentioned by Eupolis (ap. Phot. Lex. vol. i. p. 178), and Aristophanes (Aristoph. Thes. 730). It is doubtful whether there are any genuine autonomous coins of Crete; several of the Imperial period exist, with the epigraph ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΚΡΗΤΩΝ, and types referring to the legendary history of the island. (Eckhel, vol. ii. p. 300.)
IV. Itinerary and Towns.Crete, in its flourishing days, had a hundred cities, as narrated by Stephanus, Ptolemy, Strabo, and other authors:-- "Centum urbes habitant magnas uberrima regna.
Verg. A. 3.106. (Comp. Hom. Il. 2.649; Hor. Carm. 3.27.34, Ep. 60.29.) These cities were destroyed by the Romans under Q. Metellus, but ruins belonging to many of them may still be traced. The ancients have left several itineraries. The Stadiasmus of the Mediterranean, starting from Sammonium, made a periplus of the island, commencing on the S. coast. Ptolemy began at Corycus, and travelled in the contrary direction, also making a complete tour of the coast; after which, starting again from the W. extremity of the island, he has enumerated several inland cities as far as Lyctus. Pliny began at nearly the same place as Ptolemy, but travelled in the contrary direction, till he arrived at Hierapolis; after which he made mention of several inland towns at random. Scylax commenced at the W. coast, and proceeded to the E., grouping inland and coast towns together. Hierocles set out from Gortyna eastward by Hierapytna, nearly completing the tour of the coast; while the Peutinger Table, commencing at Tharrus, pursued the opposite route, with occasional deviations. In the library of the Marciana at Venice are several reports addressed to the Serene Republic by the Proveditori of Candia, some of which contain notices at more or less length of its antiquities. One of these, a MS. of the 16th century, La Descrizione dell' Isola di Candia, has been translated in the Museum of Classical Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 263, and contains much interesting and valuable matter. In the same paper will be found a very accurate map of Crete, constructed on the outline of the French map of Dumas, Gauttier, and Lassie, 1825, corrected at the E. and W. extremities from the hydrographic charts of the Admiralty, executed from recent surveys by Captains Graves and Spratt. Crete has been fortunate in the amount of attention which has been paid to it. The diligent and laborious Meursius (Creta, Cyprus, Rhodus, Amstel. 1675) has collected everything which the ancients have written connected with the island. Höck (Kreta, Göittingen, 1829, 3 vols.) is a writer of great merit, and has given a full account of the mythological history of Crete, in which much curious information is found. Mr. Pashley (Travels in Crete, London, 1837, 2 vols.) is a traveller of the same stamp as Colonel Leake, and has illustrated the geography of the island by his own personal observation and sound judgment. Bishop Thirlwall (Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 283, foll.) has given a very vivid outline of the Cretan institutions as they were conceived to have existed by Aristotle, Strabo, and others. The following is a list of the Cretan towns, an account of the chief of which is given separately:-- On the N. coast, in the direction from W. to E.: Agneum, Cisamus, Methymna, Dictynna, Pergamum, Cydonia, Minoa, Marathusa, Aptera, Cisamus, Amphimatrium, Hydramum, Amphimalla, Rhithymna, Pantomatrium, Astale, Panormus, Dium, Cytaeum, Apollonia, Matium, Heracleum, Amnisus, Chersonesus, Olus, Miletus, Camara, Naxus, Minoa, Istron, Etea, Grammium. On the E. coast: Itanus, Ampelos. On the S. coast, in the direction from E. to W.: Erythraea, Hierapytna, Hippocronium, Histoë, Priansus, Leben, Matalia, Sulia, Pyschium, Apollonias, Phoenix, Tarrha, Poecilasium, Syia, Lissus, Calamyda. On the W. coast: Inachorium, Rhamnus, Cherscnesus, Phalasarna, Corycus. In the interior of the island, from W. to E.: Eleaea, Polyrrhenia, Rocca, Achaea, Dulopolis, Cantanus, Hyrtacina, Elyrus, Caeno, Cerea, Arden or Anopolis, Polichna, Mycenae, Lappa or Lampa, Corium, Aulon, Osmida, Sybritia, Eleutherna, Axus, Gortyn or Gortyna, Phaestus, Pylorus, Boebe, Bene, Asterusia, Rhytium, Stelae, Inatus, Biennus, Pyranthus, Rhaucus, Tylissus, Cnossus, Thenae, Omphalium, Pannona, Lyctus, Arcadia, Olerus, Allaria, Praesus. [E.B.J]


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The Romney-Ryan campaign is out with an ad saying that Obama cut Medicare by over $700 billion and this hurts Medicare recipients.
How did Obamacare affect Medicare recipients?
Obamacare increased benefits for Medicare recipients.
1. The so-called donut hole for prescription drugs has been reduced and will be completely closed in 2020. As Jonathan Cohn notes, "In the first half of this year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than a million seniors have saved an average of $629 on their drug bills because of this assistance."
2. As the AARP characterizes it, Obamacare "strengthens Medicare" with the following:
• If you have Medicare, you qualify for a new annual wellness visit, mammograms and other screenings for cancer and diabetes — important preventive care at no charge.
• Medicare Advantage plans that give better quality care receive additional bonus payments.
• Plans must use some of this bonus money to offer you added health benefits.
• New rules stop Medicare Advantage plans from charging people more than Original Medicare pays for certain services. These services include chemotherapy administration, renal dialysis and skilled nursing care.
• The law cracks down on waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and the health care system as a whole.
• To guard against medical identity theft, the law also protects the privacy of your personal information.
Improves long-term care services and information
• You have more information about nursing home inspections, complaints against facilities and consumer rights. This information will help you make decisions when selecting a nursing home.
• Your state may receive more funds to expand home- and community-based services. For example, under the Community First Choice Option, participating states get more federal dollars to provide home- and community-based services to people with disabilities who live at home but need a higher level of care.
3. Moreover, when it comes to the long-term finances of Medicare, Obamacare increases its financial health, extending the trust fund's full funding another eight years. The decrease in the rate of funding growth under Obamacare identified by Romney does not and will not reduce benefits.
In fact, there are greater benefits, while it costs less overall and extends the health of the program.


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Hi there, just passing by really quick.
Joshua is sick and is not really into napping this past couple of days but I wanted to share with you a printable calendar.
If you are just a bit like me you tend to forget things (like, a lot!!!) so this might be just what you need: A FREE (yep, free!!) Calendar. All you have to do is print out and right down all the important things you have to do this month 🙂
You can do the free download here
Hope you enjoy it!
Come visit us on Facebook and let me know what do you think of this. Should we have a free printable every month? Let me know.
snowy Wednesday!!


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Possible Duplicate:
Will my new HTML5 website decrease my Google ranking?
For example, currently, I understand that search engines give the most emphasis to
h1 elements, followed by
h2, etc. However, it is valid in HTML5 to replace what is conventionally
h2 with
h1, encased in
article tags.
But are search engines such as Google updated to become "HTML5 friendly"? Or will my site somehow be penalized by some algorithm for "
h1ing incorrectly"?


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hi !
I am using xampp for windows and the oci8 extension (and all others) are placed in a directory called 'EXT' under the base.
In solaris there is no such directory in /opt/xampp and there is a directory called MODULES but no oci8 module there , so if I uncomment the line "extension=php_oci8.dll" from the php.ini file the oci8 module does not get enabled (checked it via phpinfo.php).
I have two questions :
1- how do I enable oci8 extension in php for solaris ?
2- why on solaris platform the php.ini file contains extenstions like <name>.dll ? because .dll is a windows file type, or is it just symbolic ?


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Why He Stayed Overnight
One of the many touching stories told about the late, great Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zatzal, deals with the mystery surrounding the reason why this Torah giant in Tel Aviv, away from the sacred Jerusalem where he was born and lived all his life.
It was on the occasion of the wedding of his nephew, an orphan from both parents, who became his charge. Rabbi Auerbach led him to the chuppa which took place in Tel Aviv and stayed overnight in that city. The nephew, who later became the rabbi of the Ramat Chen community in Tel Aviv, did not understand why his uncle did this very uncharacteristic thing until the day that he himself arranged a wedding for an orphaned chatan.
"I hope you will conduct yourself with this orphaned chatan as I did with you," cautioned his uncle.
When the nephew failed to comprehend the hint, his uncle explained. A chatan and a kalla receive many beautiful gifts at their wedding, and one of their happiest moments is when they can show off the gifts to their parents. Since the orphaned chatan had no parents to whom he could show those gifts, his uncle, with the proper sensitivity of a great Torah scholar, stayed overnight so that he could provide the newly married couple with this special simcha.