DUP West Tyrone MLA Thomas Buchanan will this week meet PSNI Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton to stress the importance of ?adequate policing? at the upcoming commemoration parade in Castlederg.
DUP MLA Arlene Foster will also be attending the meeting.
The Tyrone Volunteers Day event is planned to take place on Sunday August 11 to commemorate two IRA members killed in 1973 when the bomb they were transporting exploded.
?Sinn Fein, as the organiser of this parade, should recognise the insensitive impact on innocent victims and cancel it forthwith,? said Mr Buchanan.
?This is nothing other than an exercise to glorify the terrorists who murdered 29 innocent people in the Castlederg area.
?It is an outrage that Sinn Fein in West Tyrone has even organised such an event in this community. I have visited homes in the area and know firsthand that there is massive opposition to the event both in the Catholic and Protestant community.?
The West Tyrone MLA said the consistent message coming from residents is ?that the PSNI need to properly police this event?.
He said: ?People are sick and tired of events where terrorists are paraded as heroes and where the enforcement of Parades Commission determinations seems to be non-existent.?
Mr Buchanan said during the meeting he will be seeking ?an assurance that the police will be monitoring the Castlederg parade to ensure there are no breaches of the Parades Commission determination?.
He added: ?There should be no paramilitary garb or other images relating to proscribed organisations. In the circumstances where a proscribed organisation is promoted we will be asking the police what action they will take and about their duty under the Terrorism Act.
?Whilst the police have a duty to uphold the determination, our continued belief is that any parade of this nature is grossly offensive to the victims of PIRA terrorism.
?This parade will pass the spot where Jacob Rankin and Jackie Hamilton were shot.
?There is little more offensive to their families than to possibly have Jacob and Jackie?s murderers parade past those sites to a hero?s welcome.?
(Aug. 5): Palm oil fell, retreating after the biggest weekly advance in six months, as a decline in crude oil prices reduced the appeal of vegetable oils as biofuels.
The contract for delivery in October lost as much as 0.8 percent to 2,241 ringgit ($690) a metric ton on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives and was at 2,244 ringgit at 11:59 a.m. in Kuala Lumpur. Futures rose 3.4 percent last week, the most since the five days to Feb. 1, rebounding from the lowest price since October 2009, reached on July 26.
West Texas Intermediate crude dropped as much as 0.9 percent today after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data fanned concern that the recovery may falter in the world?s largest oil consumer. A record 5.6 million tons of palm was used for fuel in 2012, according to Oil World, a Hamburg-based research company.
?Lower crude oil prices will affect demand for the biofuel segment,? said Alan Lim Seong Chun, an analyst at Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd. ?The downside may not be significant as the market is still waiting for the next palm oil inventory data from MPOB, which we believe will be flat month-on-month. We expect total supply to be the same as total demand.?
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board is scheduled to release data for July on Aug. 14. Stockpiles were at 1.65 million tons in June, according to board data, the lowest since March 2011. Indonesian markets are closed the whole of this week, while Malaysia will be shut on Aug. 8 and 9 for the Eid holidays.
Soybean oil for delivery in December fell 0.2 percent to 42.73 cents a pound on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soybeans for November gained 0.2 percent to $11.84 a bushel.
Refined palm oil for January delivery declined 1.2 percent to 5,442 yuan ($888) a ton on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. Soybean oil fell 0.6 percent to 6,994 yuan.
The Shadow Men are three young, teenage boys, who were separated from the Shadow Realm as children, ranging between the ages of 4-7. They were taken in as foster children by a kind older woman, who at the current time is in her mid-sixties. Raised as brothers, none of them remembered what they were. Then 'The Shadow Man' began to experience odd dreams of another world entirely, in which he was quite the powerful being, and his two brothers served beneath him. As the dreams became more and more frequent, he attempted to test this theory, and realized that he indeed had the powers that he was dreaming. After explaining it to his brothers - which it took him quite some time to convince them that it was the truth - they began to experiment.
This all occurred when the boys were in early Middle School.
In their beginning years of high school, The Shadow Man met her. A girl with light brown hair and doe-brown eyes, who radiated an innocent gentleness that all Shadow Men naturally craved. The goodness within her called to him, and he was immediately in love.
Sadly for him, however, she wasn't the type to date, nor had she ever really cared deeply enough for someone to consider such a thing. After two years of pursuing her, he decided to take matters further, and sent her and her friends into ... The Game.
The Players
Having met in kindergarten and preschool, the group of eight children thought that they were completed and did not need anymore friends. They had everyone that they need; The Stud, the Player, and the Sweetheart; The Rebel, The Artist, The Serious, The Party, and The Playful Flirt; but they were wrong.
Not too far along in their Kindergarten lives, they group met their ninth member - the one who completed the group. The Gentle Beauty. From the beginning, the foreign Italian girl had captured each of their attentions, if only for the mysteriousness of her roots and where she came from. She immediately took on the role of the female leader, while the Stud took on the role of the male leader - a bit stereotypical and sexist, but they were all children, so it couldn't much be helped. Despite her naturally soft-spoken and quiet nature, she accepted the role without argument, and has remained in such power since.
To her happiness, she discovered that her group of friends were planning a surprise party for her Sweet 16 - at her house, of course. It would be the job of The Player to distract her during the day while her friends prepared the house, with the permission of her aunt and uncle, who would be gone on a business trip the entire day, night, and following day afterwards. During the party, however, they decided to play A Game. A Game that one of the nine friends, Artist, picked up out of interest. It was a white box, and without any knowledge of what was inside, brought it with to the party, her creativity piquing her curiosity for whatever could be the contents of the box.
Much to their surprise, it was a paper house, with paper figures - three of which looked uncannily like three brothers that attended their school.
They shrugged it off, however, ignored the warning that The Game had given them, and proceeded to play.
What a large mistake that would be.
NOTE: The RP will begin in the morning of the day that the party is to be held. All of the characters aside for The Shadow Men, The Player, and The Gentle Beauty will be at The Gentle Beauty's home, preparing for the party.
P.S. I apologize for the choppiness of the writing in this post. I wrote it at midnight and was extremely tired.
These are just some of the "guizi", the derogatory Chinese term for the Japanese occupiers during World War Two, that will die at the hands of Chinese troops defending their sovereign land, in a new Chinese video game released on Thursday, the anniversary of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) founding.
"Glorious Mission Online" was developed by Giant Interactive Group, a Chinese developer and publisher, in collaboration with the PLA for use in training simulations. It has entered into the CBT on August 1st.
Now it has been released as an online game, allowing players to defend contested islands in the East China Sea -- Diaoyu to the Chinese, Senkaku to the Japanese.
"Players will do battle alongside the PLA, with guns in hand, and tell the Japanese: 'You will not violate our sovereign territory!'" says a statement on the game's website.
The row over the barren clump of rocks in the East China Sea - administered by Japan - has badly affected relations between Beijing and Tokyo.
Japan's defense ministry declined to comment on the game's release.
The PLA was interested in having a 3D interactive game for simulations with virtual replicas of their weapons, said Richard Chiang, a spokesman for Giant Interactive.
"The military was 100 percent behind this game," he said. "Rather than playing the same foreign games like Call of Duty and being American Marines shooting Russians or whatnot, Chinese can actually play as Chinese soldiers."
Glorious Mission Online plays much like any other first-person shooter, though nationalism is prominent.
Weibo of People's Daily shows the PLAs are testing this game.
?
One mission has players fighting with "burning passion" from the deck of the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, in a "life-and-death" battle.
"The guizi are coming!" warns the game in a scenario where players are tasked with defending a World War Two-era Shanghai and its cultural artefacts from Japanese invaders.
"The guizi have been obliterated!" Glorious Mission congratulates the player after a grenade explodes under the last enemy's feet. Shanghai's museums are saved.
If you are like a lot of other people, you are probably wondering whether you should use wind or solar energy to power your home. The answer to that question will entirely depend on where you live, but there is more to consider than just location.
Environmentally friendly individuals will always weigh benefits against risks before making any decision concerning their homes. In some instances, wind or solar power by itself will not provide sufficient power. However, a combination of the two may do the trick. Yes, it can seem expensive installing either of these power sources, but with recent advances in technology, it is possible to have both without breaking the bank.
Unless you live between two mountains or tall buildings which block wind and the suns energy from reaching your dwelling, there should be enough of either or both to supply all the power you will ever need, with the right set up.
People who are concerned with the health of the planet will do anything they can to improve the same. In most cases that means reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are being used. We cannot dictate what others use, but we certainly can change the situation for ourselves.
Posted
on Thursday, September 13th, 2012 at 12:00 am and under Uncategorized category.
Howell Township has averted a once-projected default on water and sewer bonds in August, avoiding use of tax dollars to make bond payments, township officials said.
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2013-08-04 02:00:34 - Recently published research from World Market Intelligence, "The Future of the Prepared Meals Market in South Africa to 2017", is now available at Fast Market Research
The Future of the Prepared Meals Market in South Africa to 2017 is the result of Canadean's extensive market research. The report presents detailed analysis on the Prepared Meals consumption trends in South Africa, historic and forecast Prepared Meals consumption volumes and values at market and category level, brand share and distribution channel data. This report brings together Canadean Intelligence's research, modeling and analysis expertise in order to develop uniquely detailed market data. This allows domestic and foreign companies to identify the market dynamics to account for Prepared Meals sales overall and to know which categories and segments are showing growth in the coming years.
Introduction and Landscape
Why was the report written?
* This report provides authoritative and granular data on
the Prepared Meals market in South Africa and, in doing so fills the gaps in marketers' understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.
Full Report Details at
- www.fastmr.com/prod/653751_the_future_of_the_prepared_meals_mark ..
* Based upon extensive primary and secondary research to provide comprehensive and granular data, this report allows marketers to confidently update their strategic and tactical plans.
* Marketers need data on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends in order to effectively plan strategies.
What are the key drivers behind recent market changes?
This report examines the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns, including the effects of consumers' behavior on total volumes, values, brands selected and types of product chosen.
What makes this report unique and essential to read?
The report provides the latest, detailed data on dynamics in South Africa Prepared Meals market, providing marketers with the essential data to understand their own, and their competitors' position in the market and the information to accurately identify where to compete in the future.
Key Features and Benefits
Detailed category coverage is provided, covering three product segments that include: Meal Kits, Pizza, Ready Meals.
Detailed product sales segmentation (for both volumes and values) is provided, including brand data, and sales by distribution channel, at the product category level.
Future forecasts allow marketers to understand the future pattern of market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which they want to compete in the future.
Partial Table of Contents:
1 Introduction
1.1 What is this Report About?
1.2 Definitions
1.2.1 This report provides 2012 actual sales; while forecasts are provided for 2013 - 2017.
1.2.2 Category Definitions
1.2.3 Distribution Channel Definitions
1.2.4 Volume Units and Aggregations
1.2.5 CAGR Definition and Calculation
1.2.6 Graphical representation of Brands
1.2.7 Exchange Rates
1.2.8 Methodology Summary
2 South Africa Prepared Meals Market Analysis, 2007-17
2.1 Prepared Meals Value Analysis, 2007-17
2.1.1 Overall Prepared Meals Market Value, 2007-17
2.1.2 Prepared Meals Market Value by Category, 2007-17
2.1.3 Market Growth Dynamics by Value - Prepared Meals, 2007-17
2.2 Prepared Meals Volume Analysis, 2007-17
2.2.1 Overall Prepared Meals Market Volume, 2007-17
2.2.2 Per-Capita Consumption - Prepared Meals, 2007-17
2.2.3 Prepared Meals Market Volume by Category, 2007-17
2.2.4 Market Growth Dynamics by Volume - Prepared Meals, 2007-17
3 South Africa Meal Kits Market Analysis, 2007-17
3.1 Meal Kits Value Analysis, 2007-17
3.1.1 Meal Kits Market by Value, 2007-17
3.1.2 Average Consumer Price/Kg - Meal Kits, 2007-17
3.1.3 Meal Kits Market Value by Segments, 2007-17
3.2 Meal Kits Volume Analysis, 2007-17
3.2.1 Meal Kits Market by Volume, 2007-17
3.2.2 Meal Kits Market Volume by Segments, 2007-17
3.3 Market Growth Dynamics - Meal Kits, 2007-17
3.3.1 Meal Kits Market Growth Dynamics by Value, 2007-17
3.3.2 Meal Kits Market Growth Dynamics by Volume, 2007-17
3.4 Ambient Meal Kits Analysis, 2007-17
3.4.1 Ambient Meal Kits Market by Value, 2007-17
3.4.2 Ambient Meal Kits Market by Volume, 2007-17
3.5 Chilled Meal Kits Analysis, 2007-17
3.5.1 Chilled Meal Kits Market by Value, 2007-17
3.5.2 Chilled Meal Kits Market by Volume, 2007-17
3.6 Frozen Meal Kits Analysis, 2007-17
3.6.1 Frozen Meal Kits Market by Value, 2007-17
3.6.2 Frozen Meal Kits Market by Volume, 2007-17
3.7 Meal Kits Brand Analysis, 2009-12
3.8 Meal Kits Distribution Channel Analysis, 2009-12
4 South Africa Pizza Market Analysis, 2007-17
4.1 Pizza Value Analysis, 2007-17
4.1.1 Pizza Market by Value, 2007-17
4.1.2 Average Consumer Price/Kg - Pizza, 2007-17
4.1.3 Pizza Market Value by Segments, 2007-17
4.2 Pizza Volume Analysis, 2007-17
4.2.1 Pizza Market by Volume, 2007-17
4.2.2 Pizza Market Volume by Segments, 2007-17
4.3 Market Growth Dynamics - Pizza, 2007-17
4.3.1 Pizza Market Growth Dynamics by Value, 2007-17
4.3.2 Pizza Market Growth Dynamics by Volume, 2007-17
4.4 Chilled Pizza Analysis, 2007-17
4.4.1 Chilled Pizza Market by Value, 2007-17
4.4.2 Chilled Pizza Market by Volume, 2007-17
4.5 Frozen Pizza Analysis, 2007-17
4.5.1 Frozen Pizza Market by Value, 2007-17
4.5.2 Frozen Pizza Market by Volume, 2007-17
4.6 Pizza Brand Analysis, 2009-12
4.7 Pizza Distribution Channel Analysis, 2009-12
5 South Africa Ready Meals Market Analysis, 2007-17
5.1 Ready Meals Value Analysis, 2007-17
5.1.1 Ready Meals Market by Value, 2007-17
5.1.2 Average Consumer Price/Kg - Ready Meals, 2007-17
5.1.3 Ready Meals Market Value by Segments, 2007-17
5.2 Ready Meals Volume Analysis, 2007-17
5.2.1 Ready Meals Market by Volume, 2007-17
Full Table of Contents is available at:
-- www.fastmr.com/catalog/product.aspx?productid=653751&dt=t
About World Market Intelligence
World Market Intelligence publishes in-depth strategic intelligence reports across many key industries. WMI's reports draw on in-depth primary and secondary research, proprietary databases and high quality analysis from their expert teams. Data and analysis at the company, country and industry level includes competitor and market data, valuations, trends and forecasts. View more research from World Market Intelligence at www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1023
About Fast Market Research
Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.
For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.
Source: www.olddominionblogs.com --- Saturday, August 03, 2013 By Deena Winter | Nebraska Watchdog GARBAGE: Lincoln garbage haulers are worried about a proposal to require them to offer curbside recycling to all residential customers. LINCOLN ? Garbage haulers in Lincoln are concerned the Mayor?s suggestion that all garbage haulers be required to offer curbside recycling is the first step toward mandating recycling in Lincoln. Steve Hatten, president of Paragon Sanitation, is a member of an advisory committee that?s been working to update the city?s solid waste plan through 2040, but said the committee was ?stacked? with pro-recycling people and the process was steered by city employees and a consultant who pushed the Mayor?s agenda. The city is paying HDR $330,000 to facilitate the update. ?I don?t think he would?ve needed to spend that to get where he needed to go because the committee was very pro-recycling,? Hatten said. ...
By Ken Y-N ( August 4, 2013 at 22:56)
? Filed under Polls, Rankings
Advertisement
goo Ranking did a nice pair of surveys recently, asking first what fashion when worn by over-thirty women can be painful to see, then giving over-thirty women their right to reply with what fashion items worn by us over-thirties can still look good.
Demographics
Between the 31st of May and 3rd of June 2013 1,069 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.1% of the sample were female, 24.8% in their teens, 24.9% in their twenties, 25.0% in their thirties, and 25.4% in their forties; there was no-one older than 49 in this sample. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. For the second ranking, it was only women over thirty who answered, so I presume that implies that the first question was for everyone else bar them?
I have it on good authority that underneath the mask is a 56 year-old maid:
Ranking results
Q1: What fashion by over-thirty women can be painful to witness? (Sample size=men, under-thirty women)
Rank
?
Score
1
Maid outfit
100
2
Goth-lolita
93.0
3
Material with strawberry, cherry, other fruits, or heart motif
79.7
4
Pigtails
76.9
5
Balloon fit shorts
75.5
6
Too-short skirt
74.1
7
Over-gaudy nail art
62.9
8
Too-thick blusher
61.5
9
Katyusha headband
60.8
10
Camisole showing too much skin
60.1
11
Frilly socks
58.0
12
Multi-layer eyelash extensions
57.3
13=
Tattoo tights
55.9
13=
Clothes featuring a large ribbon
55.9
15=
Shorts with bare legs
52.4
15=
Knee-high socks
52.4
17
Platform boots
51.0
18
Hair accessory with ribbon
50.3
19
Ripped jeans
46.2
20
Baby pink clothes
37.8
21
High waist mini one-piece
32.9
22
Animal print
32.2
23
Camouflage print
29.4
24=
Check skirt
25.4
24=
Too-bright hair colour
25.9
26
Straight-cut fringe (bangs)
24.5
27
Flower print trousers
23.8
28
Too-long hair
14.0
29
Puff sleeve blouse
9.8
30
Wide-collared shirts
8.4
Q2: What fashion do you think is still attractive for over-thirty women? (Sample size=over-thirty women)
Rank
?
Score
1
Flower print trousers
100
2
Natural make-up that looks almost invisible
97.1
3
Very short sorts
88.6
4
Ripped jeans
82.9
5
Straight-cut fringe (bangs)
61.4
6=
Animal print
60.0
6=
Katyusha headband
60.0
8
Too-bright hair colour
55.7
9
Check skirt
54.3
10
Shorts with bare legs
51.4
11
Too-long hair
45.7
12=
Puff sleeve blouse
41.4
12=
Wide-collared shirts
41.4
14=
Camouflage print
41.4
16
Tattoo tights
34.3
17=
Knee-high socks
30.0
17=
Hair accessory with ribbon
30.0
19
Baby pink clothes
27.1
20
Clothes featuring a large ribbon
25.7
21
High waist mini one-piece
24.3
22
Platform boots
22.9
23
Multi-layer eyelash extensions
21.4
24
Too-thick blusher
20.0
25
Material with strawberry, cherry, other fruits, or heart motif
Pedestrians swarm around the Coliseum in Rome Saturday after cars were banned from part of the Via dei Fori Imperiali.
By Claudio Lavanga, Correspondent, NBC News
ROME -- The Coliseum in Rome was arguably the most beautiful traffic circle in the world. For decades, thousands of cars and vespas zipped around the ancient amphitheater every day. But from Saturday, all that is history.
Exhaust fumes slowly blackened the amphitheater?s once shiny marble, and experts worried the tremors caused by traffic could threaten the fragile monument.?
Part of Via dei Fori Imperiali -- the spectacular cobblestone avenue that leads to the Coliseum -- was closed to traffic apart from public transport Saturday and turned into the ?most stunningly beautiful boulevard in the world.?
Romans and tourists will finally be able stand in front of the most famous symbol of ancient Rome without fearing they will be run over by impatient motorists -- though some nearby roads are still open.
?Visitors will walk where Julius and Augustus Caesar walked, in the shadows of the Campidoglio Hill and magnificent Coliseum,? Ignazio Marino, the newly elected mayor of Rome, said. ?In this location of truly stunning beauty, once more we witness history in the making.?
In a way, Marino has made history of his own.
The pedestrianization of Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Coliseum has been a talking point for decades, but the idea never took off due to the absence of alternative routes for the 1,200 motorists an hour that used it during peak times.
However, Marino turned his election pledge into reality just seven weeks after he took office in June.
?The project came about and has developed thanks to the participation of the men and women of Rome, as a measure which shall enhance quality of life and kindle a new-found love of the city,? Marino boasts on the official project website.
But not all ?men and women of Rome? think the pedestrianization will ?enhance the quality? of their life.
Hundreds people who live on or around roads that will take the bulk of the diverted traffic oppose the project and blame Marino for throwing them to the lions.
On nearby Via Merulana, an avenue already plagued by heavy traffic, smog and noise pollution, locals shook their heads at the sight of police reducing parking spaces to make room for the expected increase in traffic.
A hundred yards away, city council workers drew an extra lane, turning the already bustling road into a kind of inner-city highway.
Fearful that the fast-moving traffic, lack of parking spaces and the general ensuing chaos would drive clients away, angry shopkeepers and others formed a pressure group to stop, or at least modify, the project.
?This can only end badly for us,? Michele de Angelis, a local newsagent, said. ?With fast-moving traffic, nobody is going to be able to stop by, even to buy a newspaper. And traffic will be so bad soon people will simply decide to avoid the area.?
Despite the residents? fears, Marino plans to press on. He plans to kick out the mobile food carts, illegal vendors and costume-clad wannabe gladiators who turned the amphitheater into a tourist trap.
And next, he dreams of closing down surrounding areas to traffic, including the bustling Piazza Venezia.
Marino also hopes to get money from the European Union to start digging in around the forum to turn it into the ?biggest archeological area in the world.?
He may have been mayor of Rome for only seven weeks, but some see a hint of the emperors of old in his ambition and drive.
Two Beagle puppies play as the American Kennel Club officials announce their annual list of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S January 27, 2010 in New York. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
Puppies watch on at a police dog training base September 16, 2005 in Beijing, China. The dogs are trained by a police squad to learn identifying, catching, tracking and other skills. According to the Ministry of Public Security, there is an estimate of over 10,000 working police dogs in China. These dogs are divided into 30 kinds according to international conventions and are widely used in police work, rescue and military missions. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)
A view of a puppy at the North Shore Animal League America's Tour For Life Pet Adoption Event on April 26, 2012 in New York, United States. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
A view of a puppy at the North Shore Animal League America's Tour For Life Pet Adoption Event on April 26, 2012 in New York, United States. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Puppies just born by a sniffer dog sleep at a police dog training base September 16, 2005 in Beijing, China. The dogs are trained by a police squad to learn identifying, catching, tracking and other skills. According to the Ministry of Public Security, there is an estimate of over 10,000 working police dogs in China. These dogs are divided into 30 kinds according to international conventions and are widely used in police work, rescue and military missions. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)
A Mastiff puppy rests during the XVIIIth International Dog exhibition on November 8, 2009 in Prague. (MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/Getty Images)
A three-day-old Labradoodle puppy is shown to the press at the Uri Bekman's 'World of Dogs' kennel in Pardesia, 30 kms north of Tel Aviv 07 December 2005. (YOAV LEMMER/AFP/Getty Images)
Three-day-old Labradoodle puppies nap at the Uri Bekman's 'World of Dogs' kennel in Pardesia, 30 kms north of Tel Aviv 07 December 2005. (YOAV LEMMER/AFP/Getty Images)
A seven week old Daschund cross puppy waits to be re-homed at the Cheshire Dogs Home on January 4, 2010 in Warrington, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Three-year-old Galia suckles her first litter of six puppies on June 4, 2009 at the Barry Foundation Great St. Bernard breeding kennels in Martigny, Western Switzerland. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
Two-week-old puppies play on June 4, 2009 at the Barry Foundation Great St. Bernard breeding kennels in Martigny, Western Switzerland. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
Two-week-old Saint Bernard puppies play at the Barry Foundation breeding kennels in Martigny on June 4, 2009. The Saint Bernard dog was once the ubiquitous companion of monks at the monastery tucked 2,500m above sea level, guiding them through the Alps or helping them to rescue stranded or lost travellers in the snowy mountains. However, there are no longer any such dogs living permanently at the monastery these days. In fact, the monks decided five years ago to part ways with their pedigree breeding programme, as the work became too much for the four monks living permanently at the monastery to handle. The breeding kennels faced the risk of being shut permanently if not for a group of Swiss bankers and animal-lovers who set up the Barry Foundation to buy the breeding programme. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
Two puppies play as American Kennel Club officials announce their annual list of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S January 27, 2010 in New York. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
A volunteer holds up a puppy that was born after its mother has been rescued from a truck, in an animal hospital in Beijing, China, Tuesday, April 19, 2011. Chinese animal lovers mobilized by online calls for help blockaded a truck of hundreds of dogs being shipped off for food in a rare, permitted display of social action amid a broad crackdown on most kinds of activism. (AP Photo)
Nine Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies from a litter of 17 look out of their box in Nauen, 50 kilometers outside Berlin on Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. On Sept 28, and 29, 4 year old Ridgeback Etana had 17 puppies. All of them survived. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Seven Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies from a litter of 17 look out of their box in Nauen, 50 kilometers outside Berlin on Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. On Sept 28, and 29, the 4 years old Ridgeback Etana had 17 puppies. All of them survived. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A husky puppy is transported in a child's push chair, on a snowy street downtown Bucharest, Romania, Friday, Dec. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A seven week old Border Collie puppy rests after frolicking with its sibblings in their garden as outdoors temperatures dropped below minus 10 degrees celsius in the village of Bodice on December 16, 2010. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)
A seven-week old Border Collie puppy rests after a play with its siblings in their garden as outdoors temperatures dropped below minus 10 degrees celsius in the village of Bodice on December 16, 2010. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Six-month old Chihuahua puppies, Ellie, left, and Gulliver, right, nuzzle together at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in Methuen, Mass. Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The already adopted puppies, born without front legs, were fitted with wheels made by Eddie's Wheels of Shelburne, Mass. and are training to walk and run with them. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Puppies run at a playground in the K9 school and hospital of the Middle East Kennel Cub at Nahr al-Kalb area, north of Beirut, on October 27, 2010. The Club, which is the largest in the Middle East, has more than 400 dogs and clients bring their pets to be trained, bred and hospitalized. (JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images)
In this handout image provided by Pucchin Dog's, 'Love-Kun', a 3-day old chihuahua puppy with heart-shaped markings is presented to the media with his brothers at Pucchin Dog's on August 6, 2009 in Odate, Akita prefecture, Japan. The new puppy is the brother of 2-year old chihuahua 'Heart-Kun' who was also born with a perfect heart-shaped marking on his back from the same parents. (Photo by Pucchin Dog's via Getty Images)
This photo provided by the Chicago Zoological Society shows 10 African wild dog puppies, six males and four females, huddling with their mother, Kim, at Brookfield Zoo in Broofield, Ill. (AP Photo/Chicago Zoological Society, Jim Schulz)
In this Thursday, May 19, 2011, photo, Bonnie, a basset hound, nurses her puppies at an animal rescue facility in South Knox County, Tenn. Bonnie and Clyde, the father of her puppies, are being cared for by At Risk Intervention animal rescue, after being saved from flood waters in Arkansas. (AP Photo/The Knoxville News Sentinel, Paul Efird)
Two adopted stray dogs play at an animal shelter on December 15, 2006 in the outskirts of Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. The animal shelter, established by Chinese animal lover Dai Shuqing, is located at an abandoned warehouse which houses some 100 dogs and costs over 2,000 yuan (about US $255) per month. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)
Golden Retriever puppies with their handlers as the American Kennel Club officials announce their annual list of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S January 27, 2010 in New York. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
Susan Thomson holds a three-week-old Chihuahua puppy named Tom Thumb on April 7, 2009 in Renton, Scotland. An unofficial measurement taken by the owner makes Tom Thumb approximately 6 inches long. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
A dog suckles her puppies on February 16, 2009 at Halikisla village of Kars, eastern Turkey near the border with Armenia. (MUSTAFA OZER/AFP/Getty Images)
A six month old Weimaraner puppy guards his master during Slovakia's national canine all breeds competition in Banska Bystrica on 6 May 2007. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Portuguese Podengo puppies are displayed for the media during the launch of the Crufts Dog Show Febuary 24, 2004 in London, England. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
A view of a puppy at the North Shore Animal League America's Tour For Life Pet Adoption Event on April 26, 2012 in New York, United States. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON -- Ford Motor Co. reached a settlement with U.S. auto safety regulators in June over a recall of older Escapes last year and paid the maximum $17.35 million fine to resolve claims that the automaker took too long to notify its customers of a defect.
Last August, Ford recalled about 423,000 vehicles from model years 2001 through 2004 model years in the United States because of a defect that could cause the gas pedal to remain pressed down even after the driver lifted their foot. The recall covered Escapes with 3.0-liter V6 engines and speed control.
Regulators felt that the recall "may have been untimely," and thus could have justified an enforcement action, according to a settlement document with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Ford-NHTSA settlement documents, dated June 28, also mention the Escape's sibling, the Mazda Tribute. Last year Mazda followed Ford and recalled 217,000 Tributes from the 2001-2006 and 2008 model years. It didn't make the Tribute in 2007.
A Mazda spokesman said the company was not involved in the settlement between Ford and NHTSA.
"We are unaware of a fine directed towards Mazda, but will, as always, work closely with NHTSA," the spokesman said.
In agreeing to settle the case, Ford did not admit fault.
"We are absolutely committed to addressing potential vehicle issues and responding quickly for our customers," a Ford spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement today.
"We take the safety of our customers seriously and continuously evaluate our processes for improvements. While we are confident in our current processes for quickly identifying and addressing potential vehicle issues, Ford agreed to this settlement to avoid a lengthy dispute with the government."
Ford's penalty, which was paid on July 26, ties the largest single fine ever paid under U.S. auto safety law.
"If there was ever a company that deserved a civil penalty for failing to do a timely recall, it was Ford," Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety and a longtime industry safety advocate, said in a statement.
"The only unknown is how many people died because Ford failed to do this recall in 2005. The Center is very happy to see the agency impose this penalty on Ford as it sends a strong message not only to Ford but also to other auto companies to obey the law."
Toyota paid a $17.35 million fine in December to resolve claims that it failed to report a rash of gas pedals getting stuck under the floor mat in the Lexus RX 350 from model year 2010.
Toyota also paid three separate fines in 2010, totaling $48.8 million, for a series of recalls stemming from claims of unintended acceleration.
The settlement was reported earlier today by The Wall Street Journal.
Ryan Beene and Philip Nussel contributed to this report.
This week?s Neighborhood Eats includes a new location for Good Stuff Eatery, a chocoholic?s heaven in Bethesda, and another Philly restaurant import.
Open: The third Good Stuff Eatery from Chef Spike Mendelsohn opened in Georgetown on Monday at 3921 M Street NW, according to Eater. The burger joint?s new location features a new permanent menu item: the red velvet shake.
Max Brenner opened its first area location in Bethesda on Wednesday at 7263 Woodmont Avenue. Best known for its chocolate-heavy menu, it delivers a variety of over-the-top chocolate creations, chocolate fondue, and hot and cold chocolatey drinks. The main courses include an assortment of American comfort foods like mac and cheese, burgers, and pizza alongside fish tacos, risotto, salads and paninis. And of course, the chocolate isn?t just in the desserts: you?ll find cocoa- and chili powder-dusted waffle fries, and black and tan-battered onion rings with dark chocolate ranch dressing.
Opening Soon: Bar Charley, the latest restaurant from El Chucho?s Jackie Greenbaum and Gordon Banks, is aiming to open at 1825 18th Street NW on August 22, according to The Washington Post. The new bar will offer affordably priced beers, wines ($7-12), and cocktails. The menu will be a mix of small plates and sandwiches, as well as a variety of pies.
Opening Eventually: A new location of Red Rocks is set to open at 1348 H Street NE some time before Labor Day, according to District Cuisine. The pizzeria will feature a rooftop patio with 20 beers on tap.
Philadelphia chef and restaurateur Jose Garces will be opening an Argentinian steakhouse in The Madison Hotel at 1177 15th Street NW, according to Eater. It replaces The Federalist, which will close this Sunday. The Ecuadorean restaurateur has Spanish and Cuban restaurants, and American bistros and bars.
Chain World of Beer is opening a second D.C.-area location in Reston Town Center, with an eye on a Spring 2014 opening, according to the Washington Business Journal. The bar will serve hundreds of different beers as well as a selection of wine and spirits. The local World of Beer franchise also offer larger food menus compared to other locations, meeting the requests of its customers.
K Street workers rejoice as The Best Sandwich Place makes plans to reopen at 1776 I Street NW, according to Washingtonian. Tucked away inside of 1801 K Street NW, the sandwich shop was best known for its freshly carved turkey sandwiches. But the menu will receive a revamp from David Hong, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.
Closed: Glover Park French restaurant Le Zinc closed on July 18 after just over two years in business, according to PoPville. The restaurant went through three chefs during its tenure.
Events: Want to learn more about how to taste different coffees? Vigilante Coffee is holding a cupping session on Saturday, inside Hogo at 1017 7th Street NW. Along with discussing the various berry, chocolate and cherry notes of a variety of coffees, you?ll be given a sample to brew at home. Tickets are $8 for Slow Food members, and $12 for everyone else.
Enjoy DC?s native cocktail, the Rickey, this Sunday at Jack Rose from 4-8 p.m. during the DC Bartender Guild?s Rickey Competition Final. For $35 admission, you?ll be able to drink an unlimited number of rickeys from the top eight recipes that were on offer around town, as well as snack on sandwiches and appetizers.
Jamie R. Liu is a freelance writer, food nerd, and former DCist food and drink editor. She has contributed to Eater, Washington City Paper, the Express, and AskMen.com.
This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/neighborhood_eats_good_stuff_and_a_chocoholics_heaven/7403
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***WHEN YOU ADD TO YOUR CART $50.00 OR MORE IN PRODUCT (NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING), YOU WILL RECEIVE 10% REFUND BACK.***
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This is for 25 (twenty-five) 1.25 inch (31.75 mm) belt end tips. They are nickel plated with a base that measures 1.25 inch (31.75 mm) by 3/8 inch (9.53 mm). Perfect way to give a finished look to your cotton webbing/fabric projects which include your key fob key chains, belts, tags or dog collars.
Just use a pair of pliers and a cloth when applying the belt tips to the webbing. The cloth is meant to cover the end tip while squeezing the pliers to protect it from getting scratched. Or you can use the key fob pliers that have rubber tips which you won't need a cloth to cover the end tip. You can find the key fob pliers in our shop.
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Source: earthquake.usgs.gov --- Friday, August 02, 2013 Friday, August 2, 2013 14:36:17 UTC Friday, August 2, 2013 07:36:17 AM at epicenter Depth : 7.20 km (4.47 mi) ...
Genetics: More than merely a mutated genePublic release date: 1-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Layne Cameron layne.cameron@cabs.msu.edu 517-353-8819 Michigan State University
EAST LANSING, Mich. If two women have the same genetic mutation that puts them at higher-than-average risk for a disease such as breast cancer, why does only one develop the disease?
In the current issue of PLOS Genetics, Michigan State University genetic scientists have begun to understand how the rest of the genome interacts with such mutations to cause the differences we see among individuals.
"It's been known for a while that genetic mutations can modify each other's effects," said Ian Dworkin, MSU associate professor of zoology and co-author of the paper. "And we also know that the subtle differences in an individual's genome what scientists call wild type genetic background also affects how mutations are manifested."
Dworkin and Sudarshan Chari, zoology doctoral student and the paper's lead author, wanted to know how common it was for wild type genetic background to alter the way genetic mutations interact with each other. This is the first time that it's been examined in a systematic manner, Dworkin added.
Using the fruit fly genome, the researchers found that wild type genetic background affected the outcomes of interactions between genetic mutations about 75 percent of the time. This could have huge implications in how scientists construct genetic networks maps of how genes interact with each other.
"It may be that some crucial portions of genetic networks are missing," he said. "It also seems that network descriptions are more fluid than we thought."
Fruit flies have been called humans with wings, genetically speaking, due to their similarities. By focusing on wings and a genetic mutation that alters them, the researchers demonstrated the influence of wild type genetic background was actually quite common.
The broader implication for humans is that even for diseases with a simple genetic basis, variation in the genome may matter for both understanding and treatment, Dworkin said.
This new insight explains how, in an example like breast cancer, every woman's genetic background is likely influencing how the mutation is expressed, causing different disease outcomes. The research also may help explain why some people benefit from a specific treatment for a disease, while others get no benefits or become resistant to a drug after a short time.
It's likely that most diseases with a suspected genetic component, such as cancer, asthma or Parkinson's, involve reactions between more than one set of genes. For Dworkin and Chari, the next step is to tease apart the intricacies of what's happening.
"Is it just the two pairs of genes that are interacting?" Dworkin asked. "Or is it that the two genes are interacting and then many other genes are modifying that reaction? This will help us understand how much complexity is involved."
###
The research is funded by the National Science Foundation grant number MCB 0922344.
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
For MSU news on the Web, go to MSUToday. Follow MSU News on Twitter at twitter.com/MSUnews.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Genetics: More than merely a mutated genePublic release date: 1-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Layne Cameron layne.cameron@cabs.msu.edu 517-353-8819 Michigan State University
EAST LANSING, Mich. If two women have the same genetic mutation that puts them at higher-than-average risk for a disease such as breast cancer, why does only one develop the disease?
In the current issue of PLOS Genetics, Michigan State University genetic scientists have begun to understand how the rest of the genome interacts with such mutations to cause the differences we see among individuals.
"It's been known for a while that genetic mutations can modify each other's effects," said Ian Dworkin, MSU associate professor of zoology and co-author of the paper. "And we also know that the subtle differences in an individual's genome what scientists call wild type genetic background also affects how mutations are manifested."
Dworkin and Sudarshan Chari, zoology doctoral student and the paper's lead author, wanted to know how common it was for wild type genetic background to alter the way genetic mutations interact with each other. This is the first time that it's been examined in a systematic manner, Dworkin added.
Using the fruit fly genome, the researchers found that wild type genetic background affected the outcomes of interactions between genetic mutations about 75 percent of the time. This could have huge implications in how scientists construct genetic networks maps of how genes interact with each other.
"It may be that some crucial portions of genetic networks are missing," he said. "It also seems that network descriptions are more fluid than we thought."
Fruit flies have been called humans with wings, genetically speaking, due to their similarities. By focusing on wings and a genetic mutation that alters them, the researchers demonstrated the influence of wild type genetic background was actually quite common.
The broader implication for humans is that even for diseases with a simple genetic basis, variation in the genome may matter for both understanding and treatment, Dworkin said.
This new insight explains how, in an example like breast cancer, every woman's genetic background is likely influencing how the mutation is expressed, causing different disease outcomes. The research also may help explain why some people benefit from a specific treatment for a disease, while others get no benefits or become resistant to a drug after a short time.
It's likely that most diseases with a suspected genetic component, such as cancer, asthma or Parkinson's, involve reactions between more than one set of genes. For Dworkin and Chari, the next step is to tease apart the intricacies of what's happening.
"Is it just the two pairs of genes that are interacting?" Dworkin asked. "Or is it that the two genes are interacting and then many other genes are modifying that reaction? This will help us understand how much complexity is involved."
###
The research is funded by the National Science Foundation grant number MCB 0922344.
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
For MSU news on the Web, go to MSUToday. Follow MSU News on Twitter at twitter.com/MSUnews.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Struggling to salvage a massive surveillance program, President Barack Obama faced congressional critics of the National Security Agency's collection of Americans' telephone records Thursday as snowballing concerns made new limitations on the intelligence effort appear increasingly likely.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden joined lawmakers on both sides of the issue for an Oval Office meeting designed to stem the bleeding of public support and show Obama was serious about engaging. Among the participants were the NSA's most vigorous congressional supporters ? the top Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate intelligence panels ? alongside its most stern critics, including Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mark Udall of Colorado.
The lawmakers departed the rainy White House grounds without speaking to reporters. But in interviews later, they said there was a consensus that the surveillance efforts are suffering from perception problems that have undercut trust among the American people.
"There is openness to making changes," said Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, top Republican on the Senate's intelligence panel and a strong NSA defender, said Obama and the lawmakers didn't agree to take specific steps but brought up a number of proposals that will be fleshed out over the August congressional recess.
"A lot of ideas were thrown out," Chambliss told The Associated Press. "Nothing was concluded."
Wyden, in an interview, said he and Udall had sought to convince Obama of the urgency of addressing rising concerns. He said he proposed strengthening the government's ability to get emergency authorization to collect an individual's phone records, so that pre-emptive collection of everyone's records would no longer be necessary.
"I felt that the president was open to ideas ? and we're going to make sure he has some," Wyden said after returning to Capitol Hill.
Wyden and two Senate colleagues also unveiled legislation Thursday to overhaul the secret federal court that oversees the programs, which critics decry as largely a rubber stamp. The senators aim to make the court created under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, more adversarial by creating a special advocate who could argue for privacy during closed-door proceedings and appeal decisions. A companion bill would diversify the court's bench by ending the chief justice's sole authority to pick its judges.
"These bills do not compromise national security, but they put a necessary opposing view in the FISA court and assure ideological diversity of judges," said Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M. Another of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the Obama administration was receptive to the ideas, although White House officials declined to comment.
Debate over the line between counterterrorism and invasion of privacy has been heating up since former government contract systems analyst Edward Snowden leaked classified documents exposing the NSA's monumental capability to sweep up data about phone and Internet use, including programs that store years of phone records on virtually every American. Snowden's revelations have prompted a national rethinking over government surveillance powers that have grown since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Russia decided on Thursday to grant temporary asylum to Snowden, who has been in a Moscow airport hotel for more than a month, despite America's insistence that the fugitive be sent home to face prosecution on espionage charges.
In Washington, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said he stressed to Obama the role Congress must play in ensuring that U.S. spying isn't infringing on Congress' intent or on civil liberties. He said his committee would further probe the issue, including in a classified hearing he's hoping to hold in September.
Extending its efforts to defend the programs to the public, the White House pledged to help Americans understand as much as possible about how they work, even as it staunchly defended their efficacy in keeping a post-9/11 America safe.
"That process will continue," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "But I don't think that we can sensibly say that programs designed to protect us from terrorist attack are not necessary in this day and age."
The more information about the programs the government has released, the more it has fed even greater concerns about the scope of the surveillance and whether Obama's national security team has been truthful in describing it publicly in the past.
After the administration on Wednesday declassified more documents about an email mining program, Wyden said they showed the government had "repeatedly made inaccurate statements to Congress" about the effectiveness in countering terrorism. And new details released about the phone records program created new fodder for critics by confirming for the first time that, when investigating one suspected terrorist, the government can also examine records of people who called people who called the targeted individual ? netting millions of people's records in a single request.
Meanwhile, the head of the NSA openly clashed with lawmakers including Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., over the agency's statements that telephone and email data collection helped foil 54 terror plots.
Rising tensions have stoked concern at the White House that surveillance programs Obama considers crucial will soon be undermined or even dismantled ? despite the fact that many Democrats and Republicans in Congress have come to the NSA's defense.
Leahy, the Judiciary Committee chairman, has threatened to seek to end the phone records program if it's not proven effective. And Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., signaled Thursday that unless an agreement is reached on releasing more of the secret court's opinions, he would push Congress to use its "power of the purse" to compel their disclosure by withholding funding for certain programs.
Even some staunch advocates for a tough national security stance have become outspoken critics, including Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., who helped write the USA Patriot Act but now says the phone records collection goes far beyond what he envisioned and may not be renewed. Sensenbrenner was among the lawmakers who shared concerns in the session Thursday with Obama and top officials, including Biden, National Security Advisory Susan Rice and White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler.
The White House also was spooked by a House vote last week to dismantle the program, which failed by a narrow 217-205 margin.
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Associated Press writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report.
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Follow Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
By Deena Winter | Nebraska Watchdog GARBAGE: Lincoln garbage haulers are worried about a proposal to require them to offer curbside recycling to all residential customers. LINCOLN ? Garbage haulers in Lincoln are concerned the Mayor?s suggestion that all garbage haulers be required to offer curbside recycling is the first step toward mandating recycling in Lincoln. Steve Hatten, president of Paragon Sanitation, is a member of an advisory committee that?s been working to update the city?s solid waste plan through 2040, but said the committee was ?stacked? with pro-recycling people and the process was steered by city employees and a consultant who pushed the Mayor?s agenda. The city is paying HDR $330,000 to facilitate the update. ?I don?t think he would?ve needed to spend that to get where he needed to go because the committee was very pro-recycling,? Hatten said. ...
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Public release date: 1-Aug-2013
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