The history of Detroit's auto industry is pretty much an open book – from Ford Motor Co.’s early models in the 1900s to the bankruptcies of General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC in 2009 – the industry has always been a hot topic.
However, not everything is always included in Wikipedia entries and your sixth grade history book that you still have in your closet.
For example, did you know a Chrysler employee helped develop the blender? In recent weeks, GM, Ford and Chrysler have focused on a few little known facts regarding their historic pasts on their media websites, which MLive.com would like to share with you as 2011 comes to a close.
In the 1930s, Fred Waring and Frederick J. Osius -- credited with developing the blender, then known as the “Waring Mixer,” into the product we know it as today -- was having problems with parts of the “miracle mixer.”
According to Fred Waring's America website via Chrysler, Waring asked a friend of his at Chrysler Corp. to secretly help him solve a problem with the machine’s ball-bearing.
"He decided it needed sealed ball bearings for the bottom drive, propeller-like blades, and a cloverleaf-shaped jar to throw the contents back down,” reads the blog post. “A buddy at the Chrysler Corporation secretly helped Fred solve the ball-bearing problem."
The name of the “buddy” is still unknown.
Gear heads aren’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of parade floats. But the Guinness Book of World Records’ “Longest and Heaviest Parade Float is powered by a Ford engine.
According to the Dearborn-based automaker, a 6.8-liter 10-cylinder gas engine power the Natural Balance Pet Foods’ 116-foot, 50-ton Surf’s Up! float that Tillman, a surfing bulldog, and his athletic canine friends.”
Ford uses the 6.8-liter V10 gasoline engine in its F-Series Super Duty chassis cab work trucks, E-Series vans and the new 2012 Ford F-650 medium duty truck.
The float is expected to appear in the on national television Jan. 2 for the 2012 Rose Parade presented by Honda in Pasadena, Calif.
The GMC in GM
Instead of concentrating on its actual company, GM turned to its GMC brand to release some interesting facts. Here are a few of the company's top 10:
- GMC, the Detroit-based automaker’s second largest brand, built some of the world’s earliest electric vehicles from 1912-1917. The trucks had single-digit model names, each denoting load capacity, from one-half-ton to 12 tons.
- During World War II, GMC manufactured approximately 584,000 military vehicles, including the CCKW-353 “Deuce-and-a-Half” and the amphibious “Duck.”
- From 1973-1978, GMC produced motorhomes in 23- and 26-foot lengths. They appeared in Bill Murray’s 1981 movie, "Stripes," and the 1996 blockbuster, "Twister."


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Is packaged water safe? Maharashtra FDA to conduct tests to find outmumbai Updated: Sep 22, 2017 20:43 IST
(Picture for representation)
Is the packaged water you drink safe? The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) department will soon find out.
Two years after researchers at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) found excessive levels of bromate, a potentially harmful chemical compound, in more than 27% of packaged drinking water samples in Mumbai,the Maharashtra FDSA last week launched their own investigation.
“We have set guidelines for bromate levels in packaged drinking water to 10 milligram per litre (mg/L) as per the existing international standards (World Health Organisation). Investigations are going on,” said Dr V K Pancham, official from the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (Western Zone).
The BARC study had noted the levels of bromate in packaged drinking water in Mumbai at 10.7mg/L. Researchers pointed out the health risks (carcinogenic risk and hazard quotient) associated with the ingestion of bromate, chlorite and chlorate present in packaged drinking water.
“Since there were no established guidelines for the necessary levels of disinfectant by products of packaged drinking water manufacturing, our previous surveys couldn’t yield any results. Now, since FSSAI has communicated the guidelines, we have started collecting water samples to test for the presence of hazardous chemical,” said an FDA official.
Scientists said that if bromate is found in packaged drinking water, the practice of filtration needs to be changed completely or banned. “Drinking water goes through a series of filtrations, including Reverse Osmosis (RO), or ultra-filtration techniques, followed by ozone treatment, which shouldn’t allow bromate ingression,” said professor Bhaskar Thorat, head of chemical engineering department, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai.
A complaint was filed on July 7, after the BARC study with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by a health activist in Mumbai, seeking appropriate action against the violators. While the FSSAI was asked to submit a report within four weeks, the complaint was forwarded to the Maharadhtra FDA, asking them to investigate the issue and take necessary action.
Thorat added that potassium bromate, a compound earlier used as a disinfectant or preservative, was banned as a part of food or water manufacturing practices across the world, after several studies proved that it is a health hazard and a carcinogenic component. Use of potassium bromate, in baking bread was banned in India in October 2016 after a similar study done by Delhi-based Center of Science and Environment (CSE) found it in 84% of bread products and brands. It was used with potassium iodate, to increase the strength of the dough.
WHO fact file
International Agency for Research on Cancer, the specialised cancer agency of WHO, has classified potassium bromate in Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans), concluding that there is inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in humans, but sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals.
Toxic effects of bromate salts include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anuria and diarrhea, varying degrees of central nervous system depression, hemolytic anemia and pulmonary edema.
Irreversible effects include renal failure and deafness, both of which have been observed following the ingestion of 240–500 mg of potassium bromate per kg of body weight.
In children, serious poisonings have been reported following ingestion of 60–120ml of 2% potassium bromate (equivalent to 46–92 mg of bromate per kg of body weight per day for a 20-kg child).
Bromate produces tumors at multiple sites in male rats, including the kidney the thyroid gland and the peritoneum.
Male mice were given potassium bromate in drinking water at concentrations of 0, 0.08, 0.4 or 0.8 g/litre (approximately 0, 6.9, 32.5 and 59.6 mg of bromate per kg of body weight per day) for 100 weeks. A significant increase in the combined incidence of renal adenomas and carcinomas was observed in mice given 6.9 mg of bromate per kg of body weight per day.
First Published: Sep 22, 2017 15:32 IST

domain: news


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Thaddeus was standing on his front steps looking through his key ring. No house key. That’s right, he’d taken it off the ring the other day to lend it to his sister, and he hadn’t gotten around to putting it back on. He’d been carrying it in his back pocket. He checked his pocket. Nope.
Time to retrace his steps. Luckily, this wasn’t the first time he’d forgotten something. He was really good at keeping a list of where he’d been all day. He always checked for his planner whenever he left and then wrote where he was and what he did.
So, before coming home, he’d gone running around the track at the park. Time to head back. At the park, he found his water bottle on the bench by the track. His keys weren’t there. He looked around carefully to be sure. All right, what was before that?
The library was a short walk through the park. He found his jacket by the computers, his favorite pen at the table he’d sat at, and his library card at the front desk. His keys were still missing.
He walked the aisles of the grocery store and found his shopping list sitting next to the potatoes. He even asked at the customer service desk, but unfortunately, his keys were not there. He pulled out his planner and checked the list again.
He’d left a half-used book of stamps at the desk of the post office. “I thought you might come back for these,” The postal worker said with a smile. “You’re lucky you came now, my shift is almost over.”
Thaddeus thanked her and asked if she’d seen a house key anywhere. She hadn’t. Well, at least he had his stamps. He tucked them into his jacket pocket and pulled out his planner. It looked like it was time to go to the bank again.
He’d left a granola bar at the bank among the magazines in the waiting area. He unwrapped it and bit into it as he left. Yuck, it was peanut butter. He always forgot how much he didn’t like the peanut butter granola bars. He ate it anyway and checked his planner.
Ah, yes. He’d gone to visit his elderly neighbor. She was lonely and liked his weekly visits. This would probably take a while. He knocked on the door. A short lady with snow-white hair opened the door just wide enough to peek out. “Eloise!” Thaddeus said. “It’s lovely to see you again! Did I leave my key here?”
Eloise blinked up at him. “Harold? What was that about a monkey?”
“No, it’s Thaddeus,” he said. She always got his name wrong. It didn’t help that she couldn’t hear well. “I’m looking for my house key.”
“Oh, come in, then Andrew. There’s no need to be shy. I should have a first aid kit somewhere, maybe in the bathroom? Why don’t you go check while I boil some water.” Eloise locked the door behind him and bustled off. Thaddeus sat on a chair and waited.
She returned a while later with a mug. “It’s chamomile. For the stress, you know,” she said and handed it to him. “Now show me your pinky. Which hand was it?”
Thaddeus pulled out his shopping list and pen and wrote out: “Have you seen my house key?”
Eloise took her reading glasses off the table and put them on. She leaned forward. “House key? Why didn’t you say so, Jonathan? I don’t have it, but you left your umbrella here.” She pointed to his little black umbrella, propped up against the chair he was sitting in.
“Thank you, Eloise,” he said. “I’ll see you next week.”
“I’m sure you will, George. We’re all getting old,” she said.
He drank his chamomile tea, thanked her and left. He checked his list. Yard work at home. He went home and looked all over the yard. His gloves were in the wheelbarrow and his baseball cap was hanging on the end of a tree branch. He still hadn’t found his key.
He checked his list. He’d been at home before this. There was nowhere else to look. His system had failed him. Would he have to call a locksmith? Break a window? Live on his front steps forever?
He tried the knob, feeling silly, because of course the door wouldn’t magically unlock itself. The knob turned and the door opened. He’d forgotten to lock it. He carried all his things inside and put them away, including the bag of groceries he’d left on the steps earlier. He found his key on the windowsill next to his bed. It had been here the whole time.
Well, his method had mostly worked after all. Logic and organization win again. They were always saving him –it’s why he’d become an accountant. Speaking of which, it was time to balance his accounts. Now, where had he left his calculator?

domain: literature


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Project Page Five
Chocolate Gummies Bear Vlaw Jelly-o Oat
Cupcake ipsum dolor sit amet jelly beans jelly beans sweet roll. Bear claw cake biscuit bear claw cake chocolate. Tootsie roll sugar plum marshmallow oat cake icing gingerbread sweet roll gummies. Sesame snaps tiramisu pie icing soufflé chocolate cake sweet roll sweet roll cotton candy. Fruitcake chocolate sugar plum pastry jelly-o halvah tiramisu. Biscuit lollipop muffin tootsie roll macaroon sweet roll gingerbread sweet. Cake gummies tart jelly-o donut brownie chocolate bar. Bonbon jelly beans pudding cake dessert gingerbread. Danish croissant gingerbread. Pie gingerbread jujubes fruitcake jelly beans jelly beans halvah sweet caramels. Soufflé cheesecake biscuit. Soufflé fruitcake cupcake ice cream.
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Gingerbread caramels sesame snaps. Chocolate gummies jelly beans caramels topping. Caramels cheesecake donut. Dragée apple pie pie ice cream oat cake lollipop. Lollipop cake toffee marshmallow brownie cake jelly cotton candy soufflé. Chupa chups dragée cotton candy lemon drops. Candy donut croissant lemon drops jelly beans chocolate bar chocolate. Ice cream pudding soufflé. Cookie marshmallow muffin marzipan cake croissant cake. Croissant carrot cake tootsie roll gingerbread wafer biscuit. Powder cheesecake dessert. Fruitcake wafer jujubes chocolate bar tootsie roll. Danish bear claw topping dessert. Jelly beans cheesecake ice cream.
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domain: food


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Designer Interview with TINY TRIBE
How did tiny tribe first come to life?
TINY TRIBE inception was in a 2mtr x 2mtr room with very big ideas. It developed over the years to become a contemporary baby and kids wear label.
How did you come up with the name and what is the idea behind it?
The brand needed to represent Tiny people who were apart of a group a sense of belonging.We wanted the name to have a deeper connection.
Where does the inspiration for your collection come from?
From within and nature.My insincts will let me know if I am on track with a design or am off the mark. I listen to my inner voice.I love nature and it’s beautiful surroundings, it gives me a sense of peace in my crazy world.From a place of stillness I will start to kick off some new concepts for the collection.
Is there a particular item or theme that inspired the latest fall collection?
My colour of the season is Mustard. A deep toned palette against the backdrop of Monochrome. Mustard injects in both girls and boys designs.I love the idea of a unisex option within the collection.Mustard is a relaxing colour that eases us in the the lazy days of dried up maple leaves.
Do you draw on your own childhood memories when creating your designs?
Cloud dreaming and purchasing a new outfit were some of my fondest memories. I do try to draw on those happy experiences.Though I must admitt my choice of clothing back in the day were pretty disastrous, I mixed all trends and clashed them together, some what a walking disaster.I think I loved fashion so much that I didn’t know what to do with it, so I threw it all together.I was happy.
What made you want to venture into childrenswear?
Being a fashion Designer was all I ever wanted to do and knew that from an early age, their was never a plan B.When I started to work in the fashion industry, I dabbled in both womens and childrens wear and felt my best fit was with childrens wear. And never looked back.
What do you love most about designing for kids?
Everything,kids have to the most amazing people on this earth their personalities mixed with their innocence is inspiring.They see life through a very simple lense and make so much sense. They do not overcomplicate things.They bring a certain joy and personality that I like to capture when I design for them, their happiness is infectious.
What are your favorite designs from the new fall collection?
Black Bomber “ young one run wild and free” an uncomplicated cool look that says it all.
What is your approach to dressing your own children? (where applicable)
My children never wore TINY TRIBE unfortunately they are older, however my partner in crime " my sister" shares the business with me and has 3 adorable little boys who refuse to wear anything but TINY TRIBE.This is a 24 / 7 commitment from the boys. Some days much to fancy to being wearing the threads but they persist. We love it.
If you had to describe your brand in three words, what would they be?
Effortless, contemporary and friendly.
In your words, what makes your brand unique?
When one designs a brand that is apart of themselves it automatically becomes unique. I am sharing what I have to offer.
What does success mean to you?
Being the best person you were meant to be by challenging yourself all the time and never stop growing or learning.Looking back and being proud of self achievements and personal growth is success to me.
Do you find that kids fashion is different in Australia than in the US and other marketplaces around the globe? If so, in what way and is this something that you keep in mind when designing each collection?
Each markept place feels different from the Australian market. I respect how each market is different and try to work within those countries parameters maintaining the authenticity of the TINY TRIBE brand.

domain: artistic


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Walt Disney Co. on Thursday said that it plans to open two stand-alone stores offering branded baby goods, with the first Disney Baby store is set to open at the Americana at Brand mall in Glendale next year.
Disney Baby stores will feature apparel, toys and personal care items. The Burbank Entertainment giant which already operates a chain of Disney Stores offering general branded merchandise, sold $9 billion worth of Mickey Mouse-related merchandise last year alone.
A site for the second store has not been announced.
Disney's consumer products division, which accounts for more than 5 percent of annual revenue, sells toys, clothing and other merchandise featuring characters from new films and classics such as Mickey Mouse.
Global retail sales of "Mickey Mouse and Friends" merchandise on track to generate $9 billion, and the incremental retail space devoted to "Cars 2" in addition to the already large "Cars" line, according to division Chairman Andy Mooney.
“We’ve not only grown the number of Disney franchises from only two in the year 2000 to 13 in 2011, but classic franchises have not suffered because of it, Mooney said in a statement.
Shares closed up 14 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $39.37 on the New York Stock Exchange.
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, CLICK HERE.
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Pashley 26Mhz Trials Bike
1 reviews from the community
Review of "Pashley 26Mhz Trials Bike"
The 26 MHz Pashley frame is unfortunatley gone out of production now as it has been replaced with the 26 GHz model, a good bike but nothing of the legend of the previous model.I have been ridding trials for 7 years now and have had countless numbers of bike frames and the pashley has been the best. I have snapped bent and destroyed other frames, I have had JDM, DMR, Specialized, and ONZA, factory frames but these nothing compared to the pashley.
The 26Mhz is constructed from steel, a chrome alloy. This does not make it heavy however; due to the manufacturing technique the tubes are thin but very strong. Its ways a Mere 2KG for the whole frame this is amazingly light for a steel frame. The advantage being if you're unlucky enough to damage this frame it can be welded.I bought my bike for £550 from a friend at the time that was a bargain because the bike cost around £1500 to put together.
Now it's out of production you should be able to pick up a bargain from retailers with one or two left in stock or a second hand frame.
The Feel of the bike is amazing I could hop over a foot higher on this frame than any of my previous. The design of the geometry of the frame is great, the bottom bracket sits higher than most bikes given you great clearance over obstacles. Yet putting a real spring in your ride. Plus the seat post is not that low you can't actually use it like some of my other bikes, because when it comes to street ridding a lot of distance is covered and not being able to ride sitting down is a killer.The Frame cost new £450 and the Forks an Extra £50. Yet I have seen great examples of complete bikes going for £400, now it's an older frame. But I have ridden a new 26 GHz frame and found the 26 MHz to be a better ride. The latest model doesn't mean the Best ride.
The overall design allows for a light weight build for your bike plus the geometry allows great control while on the back wheel and smooth landing on large drops. I suggest though if you run a maguras on the back that you run a booster as there is some flex in the rear stays.Pick your self an older model frame "one of the best ever made" for a bargain and instantly find ridding trials easier as I did.
Product Information : Pashley 26Mhz Trials Bike
Manufacturer's product descriptionMountain Bike
Long Name: 26Mhz Trials Bike
Type: Mountain Bike
Listed on Ciao since: 16/03/2007


On Monday, January 3, 2022, Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO and founder of Theranos, was found guilty of defrauding investors. Holmes was convicted on four of eleven charges.
The jury found Holmes not guilty on three charges related to defrauding patients and on one charge of conspiring to defraud patients. No verdict was returned on three charges related to defrauding investors. Holmes was found guilty on three wire fraud charges related to specific investors, along with a charge of conspiracy to defraud investors. For each guilty count, Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 plus restitution.
The jury deliberated for 50 plus hours over seven days. Prior to delivering its verdict, the jury returned a note to Judge Edward J. Davila stating that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on three of the charges pertaining to investor wire fraud. Judge Davila issue an Allen charge instructing the jury to continue their attempt in deliberating to reach a verdict. Hours later, the jury returned a new note indicating they were unable to reach a verdict on those three counts.
Theranos’s former COO, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, will be tried at a later date. Balwani has pleaded not guilty on the same charges Holmes faced.
Elizabeth Holmes found guilty on four out of 11 federal charges, CNN Business (January 4, 2022)
U.S. jury finds Theranos founder Holmes guilty of fraud, Reuters (January 3, 2022)
United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes, et al. 18-CR-00258-EJD, United States District Court, Northern District of California
Photo Credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com


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Cristal Abu Dhabi hires executive chef
Kiwi John Taylor specialises in seafood and game meats
John Taylor has been appointed as the new executive chef at Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi.
In his new role, Taylor will oversee the hotel's food and beverage outlets as well as Park Station, with a view to introduce creative fusions of various cuisines.
He said: “I was lucky enough to grow up in New Zealand where the produce of meats and fresh fish are of an extremely high standard. The culinary training there is not only college-based but industry-related, where you get a grasp of what the hospitality industry is all about. I am delighted to bring that experience to Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi.”
Taylor’s career began more than 25 years ago, with his first taste of the industry in the UK. After which he worked in Sweden, his native-New Zealand and the Caribbean, working in several restaurants and hotels.
Taylor specialises in seafood, beef, lamb and game meats. He accredits this talent to the high quality food markets and culinary academies of New Zealand where he lived and studied.


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An online petition asking the Regional Transportation District to end its contract with Allied Universal has gotten more than 3,000 signatures. The motivation for the request was an April 2018 incident in which one of the company’s security guards beat a man in a Union Station bathroom, causing him brain damage.
“They have outsourced their liability by subcontracting a company,” said Jeff Campbell, referring to RTD at a press conference on Tuesday outside of the station. Campbell is the chair of Justice for Raverro, a campaign that advocates for ending the security contract and compensating artist Raverro Stinnett for his injuries.
According to The Denver Post, Stinnett, a Black artist, was coming home from a gala early in the morning when security guards confronted him multiple times, telling him there was a time limit on how long he could wait for his train. Stinnett, who had not reached the time limit, moved throughout the bus concourse. One of the officers, James Hunter, told Stinnett to go into the bathroom. Hunter followed him and beat him unconscious.
Three other guards knew of the confrontation but did not intervene. Hunter and two others pleaded guilty to criminal charges and the fourth was not charged after cooperating with police.
At the time, Pauletta Tonilas, RTD’s assistant general manager for communications, said, “When this happened, obviously we were very upset by this,” The Post reported. “We did an investigation right away. We insisted these officers be fired, and they were.”
At the press conference, RTD Director Shontel M. Lewis, District B, explained that “we know that for Black communities, Indigenous communities, brown communities, immigrant communities, we know that safety does not equate to the police.”
Lewis drafted a resolution in June to wind down the transit agency’s contract. She said that the board chair has committed to work with her on transitioning away from armed police toward “transit ambassadors” who are trained in areas other than use of physical force.
Stinnett told CPR that he believes he was the subject of a racist attack because the guards that night asked no other person to leave. Qusair Mohamedbhai, Stinnett’s attorney, spoke to the damage done to his client as a result of the assault.
“Sometimes Raverro comes into my office — and I have seen this man probably 300 times in the last two years — and he asks me who I am. What’s my name? It breaks my heart,” he said.


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Hello! My name is Angela and I would like to share with you a little bit about my love and passion for all things Disney!
As a child I grew up watching all the classic Disney movies and television shows. I often found myself lost in the magic of Disney’s story telling and characters. Finally, in 1991, after years of watching my favorite Disney characters come to life on screen, I took my first trip to Walt Disney World. From the very first time I strolled down Main Street, I was in love. I will never forget the beautiful colors, the wonderful music, the smell of fresh baked cookies, or the first time I saw Cinderella’s Castle sitting on the horizon. The perfect word to describe that first day in the Magic Kingdom Park is simply…magic.
Here I am nearly 16 years later and every time I walk down Main Street I feel just like that little kid engulfed in the magic only Disney can provide. While every vacation provides good times and memories to be had, Disney has a way of providing something no other vacation can. This special something is known as the Disney Difference. It is this difference, or magic, that keeps my husband and I returning year after year.
A Disney vacation can be like no other vacation you have ever embarked upon, and with a little of my very own pixie dust, I can assure you will have a truly magical time! Please contact me for a no obligation quote and let me provide you with my FREE concierge level services including:
- Extensive knowledge of Disney resorts, ticketing, and dining options to ensure you get a vacation customized to you
- Booking of all your dining reservations to make sure you are getting the most out of your visit
- Daily discount monitoring to guarantee you are getting the best price on your magical vacation
- Vast knowledge of those special Disney touches to provide your party with an once in a lifetime magical experience
So have some faith, trust, and let me provide your pixie dust!
Please select my name on the quote form when requesting a Disney vacation quote.

domain: travel


Angle Double Deadend
- Allow angle construction applications by deadending to the two termination points of the bracket.
- Pole mounting slots are 15/16 inch x 1-1/2 inch to accommodate 7/8-inch diameter bolts.
Material: Ductile Iron, Hot Dip Galvanized
|Catalog Number||45°; Ultimate Str. (Lbs.)||Weight/100 (lbs)|
1) "LT" in catalog number indicates less teeth for use on steel or concrete poles.


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BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – A community divided, that’s what’s happening after a mural painted on the side of the Southern Park Mall has raised concerns over the message behind it.
“You can’t break a city built from steel — forged in Boardman, Ohio.” That’s what you’ll see painted in big white letters on the side of the mall in Boardman, but some community members from Youngstown and Boardman feel the wording is misleading.
As the owner of Youngstown’s Steel Heritage Museum, Rick Rowlands is as passionate as anyone about the city’s steel history. His first reaction upon seeing the mural at the Southern Park Mall was, “Well, I thought that was rather nice that someone is trying to pay tribute to our industrial heritage.”
“Some folks are interpreting this mural logically and they’re saying it doesn’t make logical sense,” said Derrick McDowell, owner of Youngstown Flea.
“Boardman isn’t a city.” “Malls hurt small businesses.” “The suburbs don’t support the inner city.” These are some of the comments you’ll see after many people took to social media to voice their concerns over the mural.
One of those people was urban planner Samantha Yannucci, who is a Struthers resident but graduated from Boardman High School.
“A mall is a symbol of suburbia, which is a symbol of, I mean, the degradation of the city and of white-flight and red-lining and all these other social and racial issues,” she said.
Yannucci shared a post on Facebook disapproving of the mural and to her surprise the post got hundreds of likes and shares with people agreeing.
Yannucci feels the mural is misleading and almost offensive.
McDowell explained why some others may feel that way as well.
“Some folks purely are looking at it and saying, ‘I’m not happy with the co-opting and the appropriation of the Youngstown name when it’s convenient, without an investment truly back into the actual city of Youngstown,'” he said.
“Those boundaries actually mean a lot as far as resource allocation, resource sharing and people who grow up in the city, and people who grew up in the township had a very, very different experience,” Yannucci said.
Yannucci and McDowell both acknowledge that Youngstown isn’t the only city that contributed to the steel industry but say it’s the one that suffered the most once the steel mills shut down.
“Youngstown certainly got its identity from steel, but we don’t own it. We’re not the only ones in the area that provided steel to a community. We certainly benefited by that identity, but we’ve also suffered because of its demise as well,” McDowell said.
Not everyone agrees with them, though. Many other social media users posted comments in support of the mural, saying it was meant to unite the communities and the message behind it is inspiring.
Yannucci and McDowell both say they don’t want to dismiss other people’s opinions on it.
“We have to learn to converse,” McDowell said.
“Just ask why, and just make greater considerations instead of just attacking people on the thread and attacking me for composing it, like, just ask why,” Yannucci said.
Both McDowell and Yannucci say this can be an opportunity to build connections and greater dialogue between the city and the suburbs moving forward.
McDowell compared Youngstown and its suburbs to “siblings,” saying the communities should work together as a family at all times.
“What does it mean to be a Youngstowner? I think that mural has kind of brought that question up again,” Rowlands said.
First News reached out to the Southern Park Mall, but they do not wish to comment on the matter.

domain: geography


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President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine said on Thursday that Kiev and Washington have a shared view on how to boost defense cooperation between the two nations. His comments came after a bilateral meeting with President Donald J. Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.
“It’s very important that there is a shared vision on a new level of cooperation in the defense sphere,” Mr. Poroshenko said during a briefing. “We discussed all areas of this cooperation, including cooperation with the defense ministry and other institutions.”
The U.S. and Ukraine are negotiating the possibility of a broader military cooperation. During his visit to Kiev in August, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Washington was “actively reviewing” the idea of supplying Ukraine with defensive lethal weapons.
Mr. Poroshenko also noted in the briefing that Mr. Trump fully supported Kiev’s initiative on deploying U.N. peacekeepers throughout all of eastern Ukraine, presented on Thursday.
“I was extremely impressed by the support of both my speech at the U.N. Security Council and the General Assembly. You see the focus on Ukraine among the world leaders was extremely high,” Mr. Poroshenko said.
Addressing reporters prior to the talks with the Ukrainian president, Mr. Trump said Kiev has made “good progress.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest place right now to live, but you’re making it better and better on a daily basis. And I do hear very, very good things,” he noted.


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Have you been to Argentina? When I was there a few years ago, Aaron and I ate chocolate-covered alfajores every single day. Alfajores are delicious in their simplicity: two buttery cookies with a layer of dulce de leche in the middle.
Pin This For Later!
If you buy alfjores pre-made in Argentina, they’re covered in chocolate. The crumbly cookie, smooth dulce de leche, and chocolate make a satisfying, yet not overly sweet treat (especially with coffee).
Ok, now I’m just making myself want to go back to Argentina!
Even though I have fond memories of eating alfajores in Argentina, I hadn’t thought about making them at home until I was chatting with my new friend Rosemary at the Women in Travel Summit last spring. She mentioned having eaten homemade alfajores in Argentina, and that’s when I realized just how easy they are to make at home!
The alfajores ingredients list is small and it only takes a few minutes to mix the dough. You can make them plain, with coconut or covered in chocolate. I made plain and coconut alfajores and found them both delicious. Keep a can of dulce de leche in your pantry for when you get an alfajores craving!
- The alfajores cookies are delicate and will break easily. Be very careful when transferring them from the baking sheet to the cooling rack and when spreading the dulce de leche.
- These alfajores taste different than the ones I remember eating in Argentina, but that could be due to the lack of chocolate covering. I’d planned to dip my alfajores in chocolate but after half of the broke when I added the dulce de leche, I decided against it. If you’re very careful and take your time, you might have better luck!


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Sunrise Bistro Express
Located on Spring Street among Rutledge and Ashley Avenues, this small Street facet cafe serves a large menu of breakfast and lunch favorites, all at a extraordinary price of expenses and potions. Expect a hefty serving whilst traveling dawn bistro specific for breakfast, and expenses which can be tons extra low cost than different close by breakfast and brunch alternatives. Try the morning sandwich, meat, egg and cheese on bagel bread for simply $4, the breakfast burrito with meat, eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers and cheese for $7, or a shareable open confronted omelet, starting from simply $6-$9.
Sunrise Bistro lunch services are simply as pockets pleasant and are available with-inside the shape of soups and salads, sandwiches, quesadillas and day by day specials. Most lunch alternatives are priced from $7-$11. This is one of the Best Value Restaurant in Charleston.
Head to Sunrise Bistro through motor motorcycle or foot if possible, as parking is confined to metered avenue spots with-inside the surrounding residential area.
Why Sunrise Bistro is stated to be Best Value
This small informal cafe gives better quality, extra taste and large servings than you would assume at their low cost breakfast and lunch menu expenses.
New in town? Order a facet of grits (in the event that they do not already come together along with your meal). At this restaurant, they may be quick, tasty and cheap, simply how grits are supposed to be!


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This year, Lindsay Lohan is thankful for her role in theater.
Lohan, 28, has been performing in David Mamet's play Speed the Plow on London's legendary West End, but now her role as Karen has come to an end.
The Mean Girls star tweeted out messages of gratitude today to David Mamet, the playwright, Lindsay Posner, the theater director, fellow actors Nigel Lindsay and Richard Schiff and the entire staff and crew.
NEWS: Lindsay Lohan's Idea for a Mean Girls' Sequel
She also thanked Oprah again, as the media mogul paid the show a visit with Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o in October.
Lohan credits Oprah for being "a part of this process and happiness" and has even called her a "fairy godmother." Oprah aired Lindsay, a docu-series on her OWN network and showed the actress on her road to recovery after a period of public crisis.
PHOTOS: Lindsay Lohan's Mugshots Timeline
When Lohan spoke to the Telegraph in October about the play, she said, "I like the idea of being able to fight for what I lost, essentially." She said, "I lost a lot of… I wouldn't say… I don't think 'respect' is the word… trust from a lot of people. And I don't mind gaining that back."
With one play over, it remains to be seen if Lohan will do another theatrical work -- though she did reference Oleanna, another Mamet work, in one of her tweets. The play was last revived on Broadway in 2009, when it starred starred Julia Stiles.
Speed the Plow is a satirical play about the American movie business, and Lohan's character Karen is a secretary who turns out to be much smarter than she appears. When the play premiered on Broadway in 1988, Karen was played by Madonna.
Follow Rosalyn on Twitter: @RosalynOsh
Check out these Hollywood A-listers making Broadway debuts in the video below.

domain: celebrity


text:
It Is About Time!
For years, powerful lobbyist for corporate America have successfully impeded government intervention with regard to wide-spread violations of state and federal wage protection laws. Well, times have changed. Yesterday, Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Lynn Woolsey introduced the Employee Misclassification Protection Act which is aimed at helping millions of workers who are misclassified by their employers as independent contractors, often as an excuse to avoid paying federal and state payroll taxes. This scheme allows unscrupulous employers’ to cut cost by as much as 30 percent—and gives them an unfair advantage over law-abiding competitors, driving down labor standards for all workers.
For workers affected by this practice—construction workers, hospitality workers, broadcast technicians, stage hands, musicians, home health care workers and day laborers, among many others—this bill offers a pathway to receiving labor protections that most Americans take for granted, like being paid the minimum wage and receiving overtime pay after 40 hours of work, or workers’ compensation when they are hurt on the job. Workers wrongly classified as independent contractors also are denied pension or and health benefits, and are told they aren’t protected by civil rights laws.
The bill would require employers to classify workers as employees, using a well-defined test that has existed since 1947, and it establishes a penalty for failing to do so. It applies common sense to the workplace, requiring that employers tell workers if they have been classified as independent contractors and how they can challenge that classification. The bill also protects workers who do challenge misclassification from retaliation.
Workers should be paid what the law says they are due. Misclassification has cost workers untold millions in wages and has cost the federal and state governments many millions in unpaid income, Social Security, unemployment and workers compensation taxes and premiums. New York City construction industry losses in payroll taxes and social insurance premiums due to misclassification are estimated at $170 million a year. In Ohio, the attorney general estimates annual costs from worker misclassification may be $100 million for unemployment insurance, more than $510 million in workers compensation premiums and almost $180 million in forgone state income tax revenues. Misclassification, he says, cost cities and villages more than $100 million in local income tax revenues in 2006, and cost school districts $7.8 million in 2008. Many other states report a similar impact. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service reported that in 1984, almost 20 percent of construction industry employers misclassified workers; a number that has surely grown.
This bill is a step in the right direction to protect workers, make sure that the country’s labor standards are upheld and place all employers on a level playing field. We look forward to working with Senator Brown and Representative Woolsey and their colleagues on this important piece of legislation. It is a crucial component in our ongoing campaign to ensure that all jobs are good jobs.
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Young Law Group is a nationwide leader in whistleblower representation and has successfully represented numerous clients in some of the nation’s largest qui tam cases for over a decade. For a free confidential consultation, please call Eric L. Young, Esquire at (800) 590-4116 or complete our online form.

domain: law


In this fast-developing age of computer technologies, enterprises generate huge amounts of data that can be difficult to handle. But when you learn to analyze this data using artificial intelligence, then you can get results that far exceed what humans are capable of, both in terms of speed and accuracy.
Artificial intelligence and data analysis – the main principles
Artificial intelligence software can analyze data from any source and provide valuable information. Customer data, analyzed using AI, can help to influence product development, improve team productivity, and let companies know what works and what does not work.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of data science that uses advanced algorithms to enable computers to learn on their own, and data analysis is the process of transforming raw data into clear, meaningful and actionable ideas.
Artificial intelligence and computer-aided learning have advanced in data analysis that were unimaginable just a few years ago. We are at the beginning of the golden age of artificial intelligence. Recent progress have already led to inventions that used to live only in science fiction – and we have just touched what is possible.
The usefulness and applicability of artificial intelligence has indeed increased as AI is introduced into many industries with excellent results. So, for a business, the question is no longer whether to implement AI, but how best to integrate AI into current business processes, which means deciding whether to buy AI software or develop it yourself.
And so in 2019, the LifeASAPA began to improve the work of corporations by using artificial intelligence in production. A grant of $ 600 000 was allocated for the development of projects, which made it possible to fully implement the prototype.
The contest from the LifeASAPA
In order to optimize the work of business companies, the LifeASAPA laboratory conducted a selection of technological projects on the “Digital solutions for large companies” topic.
The tasks of the contest were:
- using artificial intelligence for data analysis;
- increasing the efficiency of production;
- application of VR/AR, HR technologies to optimize the work of the enterprise.
Among the many participants, graduate student Fay Osborne became the winner of the selection, she offered a unique feedback service for companies’ websites. The goal of the platform is expanding the target audience of the corporation, optimizing the production process. The project will improve the company’s reputation, interest and attract new customers, and establish partnerships with global brands. The company allocated $ 600 000 for the implementation of the innovative platform, which will be needed to develop and launch the program.
Before the AI, companies used whole teams of market researchers and analysts to track trends, customer habits, and so on. Now, with AI-based data analysis, companies can get all the answers they need right away. This not only saves a lot of money on hiring expert researchers, but also ensures the most accurate results without human error.
Computer-aided learning has the potential to accelerate big data analysis in various fields, which we hope will allow research teams to move faster in understanding complex phenomena. To be successful, researchers need easy access to vast datasets, large amounts of computation, and the ability to experiment and understand which algorithms are best for the task.


For any dancer, the actual time of the dance performance is very crucial and a dancer tries to make sure that nothing goes wrong before or during the performance. However seasoned and professional you might be, you’ll always get butterflies in stomach before the show!! Any dancer is one of best examples of multitasking people; a dancer needs to look after the music, make up, costumes, dance sequence, lights, stage, co-artists, hair-do, etc. and the list is quite exhaustive… while handling all these things, a dancer can’t lose out the focus from the main dance performance. If the dancer has a checklist for the things to do before going up on the stage, it might make things simpler for him/her. The most important thing is to remain calm and focused before the show and this check list may come to help to stay calm and be ready for the show!
This checklist is particularly customized for the Indian classical dance performers. You can use it as a reference and make your own based on your preferences, practices and experiences… So here goes the checklist of things to do before the Indian classical dance performance-
1. Tie your Ghungroos properly
In all Indian classical dance forms, Ghungroos (bells) are worshiped like the God Nataraja and to dancers, their Ghungroos have a very special place in their hearts. Once you wear Ghungroos, they transform you to a sense of being a dancer and they make you ready to create a magic on the stage through your performance. Tying your Ghungroos correctly before the show is very important. They shouldn’t be ‘too tight’ or ‘too loose, they need to be tied up ‘perfectly’. A dancer needs to feel comfortable with the number of Ghungroos he/she is wearing and how tighly/loosely a dancer is tying them up. A lot of dancers worship/do some Puja ritual before tying their Ghungroos. They take blessings from the God Nataraja and their gurus before tying the Ghungroos and this ritual is supposed to be powerful in getting the positive energy from the almighty and Gurus. After tying the Ghungroos, doing some basic movements/warm-up, doing basic footwork is also helpful in getting used to the weight of the Ghungroos and feeling comfortable before going up on the stage.
2. Warm up
Before the dance performance, warming up your body is essential. Warm up will be helpful in preparing the body for the show as well as it reduces the chances of injuries during the performance. One can do a simple warm up which includes basic exercises of main joints of the body- neck, shoulders, elbows, trunk and the legs; or some dancers also include basic dance footwork, spins, dance postures, etc. in their warm up routine. You can also choose to do your warm up routine with the Taala (rhythm cycle) or Raga you’ll be performing in the show. This might help you setting the mood for the performance and ease you to start your dance show when you are already attuned with the Taala and Raga for the performance.
3. Check your costume, hair pins and jewellery
If your earrings, necklace, mangtika, flowers or any other accessories come off during the performance; it is disturbing for you as well as for the audience. Sometimes it breaks the flow of the performance or it may also leave the impression that the dancer didn’t wear or check them neatly. As a dancer, one should be careful and check if he/she has tied up the hair and flowers tightly, worn the jewellery and costume correctly with enough precautions taken; which would avoid the chances of these things falling/coming off during the performance. One could use hair spray/hair gel to avoid the hair becoming fizzy, pin up the flowers and other accessories well, if required double pin them to make them secure and tight in the place. This is a very important thing to do before any dance show!
4. Follow a pre-performance ritual
Sometimes, last few minutes before the dance performance can be as stressful as the time before your board exams! You make all possible efforts to stay calm and focused like you used to do before the exams… Following a specific pre-performance ritual could be one of the best ways to reduce your nervousness and get yourself all charged up for the performance.
Different dancers have different preferences when it comes to pre-performance routine. The most commonly practiced ritual is ‘meditating’ before the show; which helps you to stay calm, focused and to concentrate your energy towards the dance performance. Before the group performance, the team usually prays or meditates together, forms an energy circle, chants positive syllables like ‘Aum’, etc. which helps them unite, be attuned to each other’s energies and form a strong bond between the group which is important for the performance.
This can also be done with the entire team including musicians, light operators, make-up artists, etc. who are equally important members of the team of any dance production.
Some dancers also prefer walking or being on the stage before the show as this helps them get used to the dimensions, energies of the space which is going to support the performance. Creating an awareness about the performance space before the show is often quite powerful as it helps the dancer during the dance performance.
Some beginners also keep some time for the last-minute revision of the dance sequence. Just like any other exams, these last minute quick revisions are helpful in increasing confidence, clearing any small doubts that one may have before the show and memorizing the sequence better!!
You need to try out different routines and see which one works best for you or create one according to your personality, style, preferences and experiences… You can always modify them once you know what works well for you!
5. Prepare a kit for backstage
This is also an important thing to remember and follow before the show. Your backstage kit comes to use during the performance and to save your time during the show; this backstage preparation needs to happen promptly before the show starts. Dancers can keep all the costume changes arranged backstage according to the sequence of the dances of costume changes. This makes it easy for the dancer to change the costume quickly if everything is arranged properly beforehand.
A dancer can also keep a basic touch up make-up kit (make-up powder, brush, lipstick, etc.) which can be used in between two dance sequences. Usually make-up fades after a while due to sweating, hence a quick touch up helps you to look fresh and ready for the next dance piece. You can also keep a napkin to pat gently and wipe your sweat before you touch up your face.
You can also a keep the entire dance performance flow chart in the wings, which helps all the team members to be cued for the next dance piece and get ready accordingly. One can also highlight the chart with florescent marker, so that everyone can read it even in the dark.
Dancers can also keep water bottles in wings, as dancers need to keep them well hydrated during the performance. (Small tip- a water bottle with a straw would be a good option as it’ll avoid spilling of the water from bottle and help you keep your lipstick intact).
Backstage prep can change according to the requirements of the show, dancers, time to prepare in between 2 dance pieces, etc. but the whole team needs to be involved in backstage preparation to avoid any confusion during the performance.
These are a few important things to follow before the dance show, which will make it easier to let the dance show go smoothly and hassle free; most importantly it will help the dancers to remain calm, more confident and focused during the show if the pre-show things are done right! Pre-show time is crucial as it affects the quality of the performance and thus it is recommended that the dancer plans and follows the pre-performance time and responsibilities wisely…


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When people ask to see your favourite pole trick, they don’t expect it to be lying face-down on the floor muttering “Oh my God” into the carpet. But in a year when two friends’ suicides turned my nervous system into hot mince, pole dancing gave me unexpected tools to piece my mental health back together. Here’s what I learnt about dealing with grief by hanging off a stick, both literally and emotionally.
Pole dancing is fun! It involves showing off, wearing ridiculous little outfits, and getting lots of attention from hot people when you post videos online. But what I didn’t expect, and what kept me going back to class, is how it’s also a way into much deeper self-care.
Most people start pole dancing with loads of mental baggage: negative body image, low self-esteem, a screaming internal critic or a hot mix of traumas. A good instructor will help you not just to twist into a human pretzel shape, but to gradually repair negative beliefs in your brain by replacing them with good ones. “I can do the thing that looked impossible!” “I am strong enough to hold that move!” “I can be sexy without getting hurt,” for example. Even if you feel like a flailing kebab, repeated exposure to these ideas and the evidence that you can do it eventually helps them to stick.
On my podcast, I’ve spoken to people from all walks of life who’ve used pole dancing to feel more at home in their bodies and in themselves. I have C-PTSD, and pole dancing has given me a fun, healthy way to unravel my internal dread and be kind to myself despite the overwhelming feelings that surface, by fully connecting to my body.
Especially when you’re working on flexibility, a lot of pole practice is spent soothing your panic reactions by saying to your body, “This is OK,” or “This is as far as we’re going today and that’s fine.” It’s been the most effective and fun way I’ve found to manage my anxiety – even if my signature pole move is “crashing into things”.
This was tested in 2022 when I lost two friends to suicide. I thought that grieving would feel like the absence of a person, a little void where they used to be. Instead, the grief was an active, vicious and sticky thing that eventually knocked me out. The guilt, confusion and obsessing, from the moment I woke up, over why my friends couldn’t bear to live any more blew chunks out of my brain like it was a Swiss cheese, and eventually the whole system collapsed from disrepair. I was working and keeping busy, I had therapy every week, and I’m very lucky to have amazing friends who were all cried on in succession. But eventually, I just had to stop.
The turning point came after I’d taken holiday leave to recover, came back to work, then had to take more time off as I still wasn’t functioning. I was frustrated and furious – it wasn’t me who had died from being suicidally sad, so why couldn’t I get over it?
I was miserably googling “suicide bereavements” and started reading about the effect on your nervous system. It’s not unusual for suicide deaths to send your parasympathetic nervous system into overdrive, so that you constantly feel winded, distressed and exhausted. It all suddenly clicked. This was a physical problem, and I needed to treat it like one.
I’d been avoiding pole dancing for weeks, as even if you enjoy grinding to gloomy bangers at the best of times, suddenly crying over your dead friends upside down and in high heels is a vibe kill. But I realised I had to go back to first principles, and reconnect with the fundamentals of pole that had kept me going back to class.
Practically, this means I’ve included longer warm-ups and stretching into my practice. It’s similar to the principles of meditation: I focus on breathing and body scans, checking in on which bits of me feel stiff and sad, which ones hurt, which ones need more care and attention, and which ones need to be left alone.
I’ve mostly done this alone, because more than once, sitting still and letting the emotions surface has let me know “You are too sad for pole today,” and instead I have to drink coffee, eat chocolate and cry. But paradoxically, the more of these kinds of sessions I’ve allowed and forgiven, the faster I’ve gotten back on my feet and into training for new things.
I can’t bring my friends back, or plead with them to see there are things worth sticking around for. But I can do this thing that helps me through the shock of it, and makes me stronger, gentler and more resilient for whatever’s next.
Siân Docksey is a pole dancing comedian, writer and podcaster
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email email@example.com, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

domain: psychology


text:
5 letter fps gaming nicknames
5 Letter Fps Gaming Nicknames at Software Informer
FPS Creator is a tool for creating action-packed FPS games.
FPS Creator sets a ... action-packed FPS games with no ... Person Shooter games quickly and
Is a 2-port USB/ MFP server well designed to provide easy network accessibility.
The Game Creators
FPS Creator X10 is a program that allows you to create shooter games on Vista.
Silent Walk FPS Creator is new easy to use 3D game creator software.
More 5 Letter Fps Gaming Nicknames
5 Letter Fps Gaming Nicknames in introduction
Novel Games Limited
Letter Blocks is a fun, entertaining, free and intelligent game.
Letter Rack is a variant of the famous game Scrabble with amazing 3D graphics.
Epic Games, Inc.
This is a single player experience for all terminator fans.
The Game Creators
This program allows you to create high quality first person shooter games.
Green Clover Games
Rhianna Ford - The Da Vinci Letter is a hidden-object game.
This great game will challenge your word ability and speed.
Quake Live is a browser-based FPS that signals the future of gaming.
Additional titles, containing 5 letter fps gaming nicknames
Memorize the valid 2-letter, 3-letter and 4-letter words in Scrabble.
Cool MSN Names
MSN Messenger nicknames are a wonderful way of expressing yourself.
makes colorful fancy nicknames for Quake III players.
CSS FPS BOOSTER is a tool that will improve your FPS in counter strike source.
Letter Olympics it's a home learning software that covers letter b and d.
Sales Letter Factory guides you step by step craft your sales letter.
Owl and Mouse
Letter Sounds is a program that teachs children basic letter sounds.
An educational letter game for children ages 6 to 11.The game challenges the child to arrange letter....
Make a set of 7-letter and 5-letter words in 18, 25 or 32 interlinked locations.

domain: hobby


text:
Muslim cab driver Farrukh Afzal of Staten Island was charged on Sunday with a hate crime after allegedly beating an Orthodox Jewish man in Brooklyn, New York. Afzal, a 37-year-old Muslim man, allegedly beat Lipa Schwartz, 62, who was on his way to daily prayers at a nearby synagogue. Afzal has been charged with criminal mischief and harassment, in addition to the hate crime.
“All of a sudden ‘boom!’ I tried to protect myself, run away. I fell. He come again on me,’ Schwartz told ABC. Schwartz told Boro Park 24: “In that instant I saw death for my eyes’ but ultimately felt he should ‘fight back and wrestle myself out of this attack.”
On Sunday, Schwartz was walking in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn when Afzal stopped his car. Afzal descended from the vehicle and raw up to Schwartz and proceeded to beat him, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Schwartz alleged that the assailant addressed him in an unintelligible language. However, Schwartz recognized the words “Allah” and “Israel.” Schwartz was hospitalized after suffering cuts and bruises to his head. A second Orthodox Jew, who tried to come to Schwartz’s aid, was allegedly chased away by Afzal.
On Sunday, the ADL released a statement deploring this and a recent series of similar attacks on the large Jewish community in Brooklyn. “We are deeply disturbed by and unequivocally condemn this horrific attack, and thank the New York City Police Department and its Hate Crimes Task Force for taking swift action in this case and for investigating a bias motive,” said Evan Bernstein, ADL’s New York and New Jersey regional director. “Brooklyn is a community of great diversity, and incidents like these can damage the fabric of our society and fragment communities. We will continue to offer our support in responding to hate, so that New York City remains safe and inclusive for all.”
According to the ADL, there have been 11 anti-Semitic assaults in New York n 2018. Eight occurred in Brooklyn.
The Sunday incident was recorded by a surveillance camera and shows Afzal of the Church Avenue Car Service beating Schwartz. Afzal was not licensed to operate a cab. He has been arrested several times in the past.

domain: sociology


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And Den Dey Made Tae was recorded as live. The two brothers sat in a room together and played through from start to finish. The album showcases an honest and fun recording with fiddle and guitar played in exciting and innovative ways.
Ross Couper said: “Ryan and I grew up playing music together and so it’s been really lovely to get something actually physically recorded. By capturing the tunes in as live a way as possible, we were able to convey the energy we have when we play together. We know each other’s playing inside out so it was really great just to see where this album took us and we’re both really happy with the final result. It’s a simple concept, just straight-up exciting fiddle and guitar music that celebrates our family ties, family history and family values.”


East Leeds is a Labour heartland. Or at least it was. The gentrification which has transformed many of the city’s other suburbs has not yet reached the likes of Seacroft and Halton. It’s mainly white, working class and when they are asked to go to the ballot box the result has been a foregone conclusion for more than a century.
This is the constituency where the much-loved Denis Healey was MP for 37 years. When he stood down, he was followed by Labour’s George Mudie and now Richard Burgon. Newly elected, his 12,533 majority is unsurprisingly the envy of many of his fellow backbenchers who saw their own vote slashed at the last General Election. In short, it’s a place where if Jeremy Corbyn is right they should be flying the flag for his continued leadership.
However, if David Galley is typical of East Leeds residents, the MP for Islington North may need to look elsewhere for a vote of confidence. Walking his dog on Manston Park in Cross Gates, the 59-year-old retired local government officer has little time for the Conservative Party, but like many has been left frustrated by Labour’s apparent inability to capitalise on Cameron and Osborne’s woes.
“It’s sad to say, but Labour is in disarray - there doesn’t seem to be any plan,” he says. “The Tories have faced uncertain times, division and back-biting, but they have sorted themselves out quickly and the appointment of Theresa May is like a line in the sand.
“Her predecessor made a mess of an awful lot of things. The anti-austerity measures haven’t worked and the deficit is still as big as ever, George Osborne seems to have disappeared out the tradesman’s entrance presumably never to be seen again and Cameron will never have to answer for any of his policies. It’s been a shambles, but the Labour Party just hasn’t been able to capitalise on the situation and it now feels like May has been given a clean slate.
“Jeremy Corbyn seems like a man of principle, but having principles is not the same as being a strong leader. He obviously has the backing from the majority of Labour Party members, but that’s very different from having the support of the wider electorate. I just can’t imagine him as a Prime Minister and who knows what state Labour will be in by the next General Election.”
While Corbyn has become an easy hate figure for those like Angela Eagle who believe the Party needs more dynamic, less overtly left-leaning leadership, the real problem for Labour may well be the current disillusionment stretches much further back. It goes beyond Ed Miliband, beyond Gordon Brown even and right back to Tony Blair.
“I’ve not been able to vote for them since Blair,” says 46-year-old jeweller Chris. She doesn’t want to give her surname, but is far less reticent when it comes to pinpointing where it all began to unravel for Labour who seemed unstoppable when they swept to power on that historic May night in 1997. “For a lot of my generation that General Election felt different, it felt like we had a party in power that were going to make a real difference. But Blair was just like all the rest and once he had got into Number 10 just seemed to be out for himself.”
Recent polls haven’t been kind to Corbyn, who was the unlikely successor in the last leadership race, largely thanks to the support of a new generation of Labour-ites who joined the party en masse looking for an alternative to traditional politics and traditional politicians.
For many though the biggest fear is that Labour will put itself through a costly, time consuming leadership race and emerge either with absolutely no change at all or a new leader that is viewed as equally ineffective.
Writing on his blog just a couple of weeks ago, Burgon described the plot to oust Corbyn as “anti-democratic and offensive to Labour members”.
“For some, a smaller and less active Labour Party is a price worth paying for a return to the status quo that they are comfortable with,” he went on. “A status quo which lost Labour five million votes between 1997 and 2010, saw Labour decimated in Scotland and viewed as part of a political establishment. Not only are these MPs out of touch with Party members. They are also out of touch with voters.”
Across at the Arndale Centre, the various nail bars, charity shops and discount outlets are doing a brisk trade. Taking a seat on one of the various benches outside is Patrick Nolan. Historically he was a Labour voter, but at 92 says he would now struggle to put his cross in the same place again.
“They don’t seem to know who they are or where they are going any more,” says the former gas board worker. “Their policies seem muddled and on so many issues the party seems divided. I don’t know that I could vote for them again. Having said that I don’t think I would vote Conservative. The only option may be to not vote at all.”
There was some glimmer of hope for Corbyn.
“I like him. I think he seems honest,” says Emma Bedlington, who has just finished her first year of A-Levels. “A lot of MPs just blur into one. At least he dares to be a bit different. I don’t really see why Labour is fighting among itself. There are far bigger things to worry about an they should really get behind Corbyn.”


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Of the 50 calls made over a three-month period, only 15 calls were answered and addressed. The remaining 35 calls were met by a recording that stated, “Due to an unexpected volume of callers, all of our representatives are currently helping other people. Please try your call again later,” followed by a busy signal and the inability to leave a voice message. For the 15 answered calls, the average hold time was 22 minutes with the longest hold time being 32 minutes.
This study, by the way, was conducted by the Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the uninsured enroll in available health coverage programs. The head of FHCE’s national call center reports that his staff has taken hundreds of calls from people who have tried in the past to enroll in Medicaid, but who found the process so complicated and difficult that they simply quit trying.
I know what you are thinking. What about doctors and hospitals? Can’t they help poor people sign up for public programs and isn’t it in their self-interest to do so? Turns out that medical providers have just as much difficulty with the Medicaid bureaucracy as the patients do:
[I]t routinely takes more than 90 days for the state to enroll uninsured patients into public programs. This is because it is the patient‘s responsibility to apply directly to the state program to receive the needed documentation for hospital reimbursement. Once treatment is provided and the medical incident is over, it is difficult to ensure that the patient continues with the enrollment process.
Can you imagine Aetna taking 90 days to sell someone an insurance policy? What about WellPoint? Or Blue Cross?
Another problem is the Medicaid payment rates. They are so low that California hospitals frequently don’t even bother to try to enroll patients who come to the emergency room, unless they're admitted to the hospital:
[P]ublic program reimbursement is often so low that hospitals are more likely to only seek reimbursement for patients who are eligible for public coverage that fall into the “treat and admit” category rather than those patients who enter the Emergency Room with minor emergencies or illnesses. Furthermore, hospitals estimate that they receive as low as nine percent of fully-billed charges for Medi-Cal patients. Therefore, the providers have little financial incentive to encourage patient enrollment in public programs.
Most people view ObamaCare as a radical reform. Here’s an idea that is even more radical: why not abolish Medicaid? Texas A&M professor Thomas R. Saving, a former Trustee of Medicare, has proposed the idea of Health Care Stamps. They would work like Food Stamps. People who have them would be able to shop around andbuy care in the same medical marketplace that caters to the needs of all other patients — rich and poor alike.
I’ll write more about this idea in the future.
Famed Voting Rights/Anti-Poverty Activist Fannie Lou Hamer Called Abortion "Genocide" | Ryan Bomberger

domain: medical


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Aladin capsule is composed of alpha lipoic acid.
Alpha lipoic acid in theAladin capsule is a natural fatty acid that acts as an antioxidant to prevent damage of cells in the body. Alpha lipoic acid also helps to boost nerve function and enhances the conversion of carbohydrates into energy. This alpha-lipoic acid capsule is useful for the diabetics suffering from nerve-related problems such as pain, numbness in the limbs, and burning sensation. Aladin capsule also benefits those suffering from cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, and HIV/AIDS.
Use under medical supervision.

domain: chemistry


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A Team Mortgage LLC, 341 North Main Street, Saint Charles, St Charles, Missouri, Find Nondepository Credit Institutions, Mortgage Bankers & Correspondents
Missouri - List of United States Nondepository Credit Institutions
A Team Mortgage LLC
Company Name:A Team Mortgage LLC
Status:Work State:Missouri Post:63301-2032 County:St Charles City:Saint Charles Address:341 North Main Street Phone:(636)443-2264 Fax: unknown Email: unknown Contact Member:Jay Dunlap Web site: unknown SIC code:6163 Industry group: Nondepository credit institutions, Business category: Loan brokers, Subcategory: Loan brokers Description:A Team Mortgage LLC is a business categorized under loan brokers, which is part of the larger category loan brokers. A Team Mortgage LLC is located at the address 341 North Main Street in Saint Charles, Missouri 63301-2032. The Member is Jay Dunlap who can be contacted at (636)443-2264. Review: Loan Brokers
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domain: economics


The Colorado Wolves series provides science-based information regarding the restoration of wolves in Colorado. The series has undergone review by scientists both within and outside CSU. The Information Sheets are available to the public as publications through CSU Extension. The last link below compiles all the individual Information Sheets into an Informational Package for easy download. The Colorado Wolf Series was published in June 2020.


AS 2013 gets underway so too does The Gathering, the nationwide initiative to forge connections for the people of Ireland at home and abroad.
To celebrate the year and the nation anyone with links to Ireland or who simply has a love for the country is being encouraged to take a trip to the emerald isle and enjoy all it has to offer.
At present a total of 82 events have been registered to The Gathering's website, a figure which is growing by the week.
The Gathering has seen communities large and small brim with enthusiasm about hosting various events from sporting occasions to private family reunions and clan gatherings.
School reunions and ancestry events have also proved to be very popular and have seen quite an interest from interested visitors.
For many it will be the first time that they visit Irish shores, the home of their ancestors which makes it all the more special as The Gathering is inspiring reunions and journeys that would not have been conceived otherwise.
The Gathering was launched by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Tourism in May 2012 and is being supported by Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland.
It promises to be the biggest tourism initiative ever staged in Ireland and is a welcome prospect given the currently economic difficulties experienced nationwide.
The initiative is depending on individuals and groups to make it work.
Interested parties are being encouraged to invite even one person that they know abroad who might relish a trip home to join in the celebrations.
Word of mouth has already attracted numerous visitors.
The initiative will bring together hundreds of festivals and events throughout Ireland that celebrate the best in Irish music, art, literature, dance, culture, heritage, sport, film and food.
It's early days and volunteers are still encouraged to participate in The Gathering and to get on board to organise and plan events.
Various community meetings have taken place in each county with members of The Gathering team where ideas have been discussed.
Each meeting has a steering committee formed by locals who aim to get ideas from the page to reality.
If you need help with your idea or want to get involved more, you can contact your own county co-ordinator who heads up your local steering committee the details of which can be sought from www.thegatheringireland.com


Former Long Island Partnership director Michael Watt has scrubbed a planned seminar that was to feature tips from Florida and Ohio relocation experts on how to get the best deal from state economic development programs.
The program, under a barrage of criticism from state and local officials, was to have included representatives from the Columbus and Miami areas, plus Thomas Stringer, a Long Island-bases site selection consultant at Ryan, the giant tax services firm.
Watt had planned to hold the half-day meeting “to educate Long Island business owners how economic development agencies can help them remain competitive in a global business environment.”
He was not immediately available for comment on Thursday. It was not clear if the meeting would be rescheduled.
More breaking news
- Nassau on school speeding tix: Never mind
- Obama offers new accommodations on birth control
- Retailer pays $1.56M in NY taxes
- Schumer: Fitbit to stop selling data without consent
- Inked: Recent Long Island real estate deals
- Hospitals using big data to reduce visits, boost profits
- Ukraine jitters send US stocks slightly lower
- Yellen: Job-market shifts complicate rate decision
- Jell-O can’t stop slippery sales slide
- Cuomo to host fishing tournament


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A rally denouncing the government's forced labor compensation plan was held in the heart of Seoul over the weekend.
Civic groups staged the rally at Seoul Plaza Saturday afternoon urging the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to immediately withdraw the plan that the groups said absolves Japan and the liable Japanese firms of responsibility.
A police-estimated five-thousand participants also called on Japan to apologize for its colonial-era atrocities and compensate the victims directly.
Main opposition Democratic Party(DP) leader Lee Jae-myung, who joined the rally, said the government's plan lacks both compensation and an apology, while only exonerating those that committed war crimes.
Organizers said they plan to stage the rally every Saturday to protest the plan to offer compensation through a fund created with local corporate donations while not demanding any involvement from the two Japanese companies found liable in a 2018 Supreme Court ruling.


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Nowadays world news are filled with a new disease called coronavirus or COVID-19. And owning a dog means worrying for one more living being in addition to worrying for yourself, your friends and family. In this blog post we will look at the information available from reputable sources and discuss can dogs get coronavirus and/or they can pass the infection to their owner?
What is Coronavirus?
Let’s start by discussing about coronavirus. By the definition of World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause ilnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases.
The coronavirus we see on the news is the virus responsible for COVID-19. WHO states the name of the disease as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
With almost 100 thousand confirmed cases (as we write this post), coronavirus affects the lives of all over the world. You can check the number of total confirmed, total death and total recovered cases in this Coronavirus map.
What Are Coronavirus’s Symptoms?
Regular signs of contamination can be listed as:
- Respiratory symptoms,
- Shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
And more severe cases the signs of infection can be these:
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome,
- Kidney failure,
- And death.
Now let’s discuss the state of coronavirus disease in dogs:
Can Dogs Get Coronavirus?
World Health Organization’s website states that coronaviruses are zoonotic. Meaning they CAN transmit between animals and humans. But for the COVID-19 specifically, there are no concrete proof or statement.
Also, CDC states that animals are not at risk with COVID-19 outbreak. The evidence shows that the virus have emerged from an animal source but now it is spreading from person-to-person. And also says “There is no reason to think that any animals including pets in the United States might be a source of infection with this new coronavirus. To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19.”
CDC adds a warning after that: Even though there is no evidence that companion animals like pets spread COVIC-19, the disease can be spread from animals so it is always a good idea to wash your hands after being with animals.
And a recent New York Times article also examines the questions of have the companion animals been infected by the virus or what kind of precautions pet owners should take.
Another point asked about this topic is “Are dogs vaccinated against coronavirus?” and since there is no vaccination of coronavirus of any kind, the answer is no for now.
UPDATE: A Pomeranian Dog Has Coronavirus in Hong Kong
News from March 5, 2020 showed a proof about coronavirus disease in pets. A pet dog in Hong Kong was confirmed to be infected with the disease, it is believed to be the result of human-to-animal transaction.
The dog of a 60 year old woman patient tested “weak positive” fort he new coronavirus. The dog’s breed is reported to be a Pomeranian. Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) says the dog has a “low level of infection.”
The dog infected with Covid-19 is not showing any symptoms of the disease.
Other than that one incident there are no cases reported about coronavirus in dogs. After the coronavirus evidence in the Pomeranian, Hong Kong government put in new measures in place, including 14 days quarantine for pets infected with the coronavirus.
There are two dogs quarantined at this moment. One is the infected Pomeranian. And the other dog belongs to another coronavirus patient. The other quarantined dog tested negative for the virus, it will be tested before its release from the quarantine.
Hong Kong authorities warn people about this topic and warns the owner to avoid kissing their pets. They also add that the dog owners shouldn’t panic and under no circumstances should they panic anda bandon their dogs.
What Can You Dog Owners Do To Avoid Coronavirus?
It is reminded to dog owners to adopt good hygiene practices like
- washing hands before and after being around pets or street animals
- washing hands before and after being around their food or supplies
- avoid kissing them
- and maintain a clean and sterile household environment.


“I’ve stopped scoring entirely because of the number of stories of people getting caught,” said Ashish, who, like all the users and dealers quoted in this piece, asked us to change his name for security and privacy reasons.
Ashish, 29, moved to the city of Bengaluru, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India, in 2020, where he works at a start-up. “I heard that people were paying Rs 200,000 to Rs 300,000 ($2,500-3,800) after the police came to their homes by tracking their UPI payments [to dealers],” he said. The Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, is a payment system that allows the instant transfer of funds between two bank accounts via a mobile interface. It is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank.
“One of them was caught through a four-month-old UPI transaction,” Ashish recalled. “Somebody else was caught because of his dealer, and another because of his friend. The police asked the guy to call his friends to smoke up together, and instead [nabbed] them.”
Ashish is describing a now common predicament in India’s cities, where law enforcement have stepped up surveillance to curb “massive drug activities”. The efforts have intensified since the country’s first lockdown and a series of celebrity scandals, with the government launching initiatives like Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) (Drugs-free India Campaign) in December 2021 as part of its “zero-tolerance policy.”
“The Modi government considers drug abuse a major threat to national security that can only be dealt with through overall coordination,” officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs said to India Today.
According to data from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), there are 100 million drug users in the country, with consumption rising 70 percent in the last eight years. In Bengaluru alone, there has been a nearly 10-fold increase in cases over the last three years, with India’s Silicon Valley registering the highest number of cases related to narcotics in the country in 2020. News reports and online forums refer to people’s phones being snatched, with cops searching their chat and photo applications for keywords like “score,” “ganja” and “pot”.
Internationally, technology has played a mixed role in the drug market. Across the U.S. and Europe, where weed is getting increasingly legalised, tech start-ups are innovating how people get high. New breakthroughs in tracking and detection have aided law enforcement, and improved drug treatment services to help healthcare professionals reach more patients.
But as the pandemic fuelled a major increase in drug usage worldwide, according to the World Drug Report 2021 by the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), buyers and sellers soon overcame initial lockdown restrictions. Advances in communication technology, e-commerce, and digital payments have made it easier to expand operations and bypass the law.
In India, the 1985 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act prohibits the production, possession, and sale of most commonly known drugs, including weed, known locally as ganja (the “flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant”) or charas (the resin, which also produces hashish). And in a world that increasingly necessitates that we live our lives online, a peculiar kind of resilience has infused its urban drug networks – where technology has been both a boon and a bane for everyone involved.
Vishesh, a 27-year-old engineer at a crypto start-up, recalled a troubling incident outside his suburban Bengaluru home in late July.
“Two cops pulled up to my car on a Monday at 11PM, and told my friend and I that we smelled,” he told VICE. “They said if we didn’t hand over our phones, they’d take us to the station.” When asked by the cops for a bribe of Rs 200,000 ($2,515), Vishesh realised he’d have to find a way out. He negotiated the amount down to Rs 80,000 ($1,000), but the cops searched his phone and found a picture of a joint, suggesting he should pay more. “They said I must have done cocaine also. You won’t imagine how thoroughly they searched my car and where all they touched me, without even asking.” After about two hours, a lecture on the perils of drugs, and trips to a few cash machines, Vishesh could finally return home.
Two days later, when he stepped out to score, he made sure to change the sellers’ contact names on his phone, and wore a crisply ironed shirt and perfume to “look well-dressed” – basically play on the classist angle that makes well-dressed people less suspicious to cops.
These are among the milder measures people have resorted to in the face of heightened scrutiny. For Sita, a 30-year-old freelance content writer, getting married seemed the best solution. Sita came home one day in November, last year, to find her partner missing, not knowing that his UPI payments had been used by the NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau), Bengaluru, to track and pick him up at his flat. When she tried to file a Missing Persons complaint several hours later, she was dismissed for not being related to him. That’s when she called her partner’s siblings for help, but the stress of having to prove her relationship to the authorities got to her. Two months later, the couple decided to get engaged.
“It is legal for cops to check you for evidence, if they suspect you,” said Advait Tamhankar, a lawyer from the legal team of Arbaaz Seth Merchant, a co-accused in the recent high-profile Aryan Khan (non) drug case. “According to Section 37 of the NDPS Act,” said Tamhankar, “all offences are cognisable. So when you, as a police [officer], suspect that someone has committed an offence under the Act, you can straight away search that person for that offence.”
Bribes, on the other hand, are an unwritten contract that neither party will turn on the other. “If you have done nothing [wrong], it is good to be aware of your rights [so as to not get extorted],” said Tamhankar. “According to Section 20B-2A of the NDPS Act, the punishment for possessing small quantities of ganja, for example, can extend to one year, and 20 years for commercial quantities.” That is, in addition to fines.
The increased scrutiny has caused sellers across the country to take precautionary measures – or re-evaluate their career options entirely. Dinesh is a 25-year-old delivery executive at a logistics start-up in Mumbai, India’s financial capital and its second-most populous city. Dinesh sells weed and hash through social media apps by posting pictures and taking orders via DMs. He told VICE that he pipes down for a few days whenever he hears about crackdowns. “I do it as a side-hustle because of this only, because it’s not legal.”
A college dropout, Dinesh makes an extra Rs 10,000 ($126) a month by selling to students and young professionals in the city. He claims his personal use also helps him manage neurological disorders. Intrigued by the concept of “weed vending machines,” he hopes to start a business in the space if and when it is legalised in India. “I only sell marijuana and hash, never hard drugs,” he said. “I never intended to sell. I just wanted to start a stoner community and when I posted pictures, people started to reach out to me. And I needed the money and rich people need stuff.”
Rachel, a Bengaluru resident who sells baked edibles, attested to this too. While Rachel refused to divulge her age and whether this was her only gig, VICE looked at the menu she sends customers over an encrypted chat application. The edibles contain “green stuff” that she gets from her dealer, “who went missing for a long time, but these guys always find a way back,” she said. Brownies are listed at Rs 300 ($3.79) a piece and chocolates at Rs 500 ($6.31) for three pieces, followed by a disclaimer: “NO DISCOUNTS, NO NEGOTIATION, NO BULK ORDER/ REGULAR CUSTOMER DISCOUNT.” There are also instructions on delivery (charges as per popular food and delivery apps); payment (via common Indian payment apps); and storage (with details on refrigeration, how the edibles will kick in, and how long they will last).
“It wasn’t always so brazen,” Sita recalled, in half-horror and amazement. “When I had just moved to Bengaluru, straight out of college, seven years ago, everyone used to smoke up then too, but we used to be a lot more quiet about it. Now, after the last two years, cops must be like, ‘At least do it shamefully, no? What do you mean you’re sending money through payment apps? Obviously, you’ll get caught!’”
Procuring illicit substances using technology, which is inevitably entangled with other aspects of daily life, is a double-edged sword not only for buyers and sellers, but law enforcement too.
While chat and payment apps have made it easier to gather evidence once someone is held, technology has also made it harder to trace and catch operators. “What you see is one percent of the internet,” said Saadik Pasha, a police inspector from the anti-narcotics wing of Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch. “On the darknet, you can buy anything – MDMA, ecstasy, LSD, even cocaine or heroin – whatever you want. And if you pay with crypto, it’s impossible to track.” The darknet, also referred to as the dark web, is an encrypted portion of the internet that is not indexed by search engines, so that specific configurations and networks are needed to access it.
Pasha added that it isn’t just these savvy use cases that complicated matters. “In the name of electronics or household items, people send each other all this through delivery and grocery apps. On chat applications, they can use encryption, disappearing messages, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls, etc. How will you track, then?” VoIP networks are more connected to the internet than traditional phone services, which exposes them to attacks by experts, but also offers more possibilities for encryption and security.
With large, fragmented, and isolated networks – which also have deep interconnections within – the size and scope of the market is challenging. “Natural stuff” like ganja and hashish is bought by working-class labour and white-collar professionals alike, coming into Bengaluru from nearby places like Vijayawada, Mysore, Orissa and Bihar. Meanwhile, the “synthetic stuff” – LSD, MDMA, cocaine, and heroin – is used by a smaller, more affluent segment that sellers procure for over the darknet.
The police have created special units to track darknet activities over the last year, resulting in large seizures of narcotics. Those caught dealing had procured drugs from the U.S., the UK, the Netherlands, and Poland, using cryptocurrency to pay foreign vendors. The drugs were then delivered to the doorsteps of their Indian customers via popular delivery apps, disguised in gift-wrapped packages; payments were collected over UPI; and communication happened over encrypted-chat groups, which often contained hundreds of buyers.
“It’s quite resource intensive to nab a dealer,” said Raman Gupta, Joint Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru. Catching one involves an informant pretending to be a genuine customer for a while, and using surveillance over a period of time. “You have to outshine them in every aspect,” he said. “Before [sellers] speak to you, they check how you got their number. Sometimes they request a video call to know who you are and how you look. Getting good cases is difficult. The informant also needs money.”
It doesn’t help that sellers often quickly bounce back after serving jail time, or even operate through it. “This is their source of income,” explained Tamhankar, recalling a seller who said he wouldn’t stop even after he got out, because his entire life had already gone into this. “Even in jail, they have contacts. So you can put them in a de-addiction course, but they may be addicted to selling drugs, and there is no de-addiction course for that.”
Gupta believed that the solution for repeat offences was harsher penalties, both for sellers and buyers, and awareness drives across schools and colleges to educate people that “drugs are a menace.” For a “new generation with disposable incomes, it starts as fun, but can easily become a habit or an addiction they do not realise,” he said.
Pasha, the police inspector from the anti-narcotics wing who has lived in Bengaluru for 20 years, attributed India’s rising drug culture to an increasingly modernised and apathetic society. “Previously, there was less impact of technology, social media, this hippie culture,” said Pasha. “But now people have adopted this very easy-going lifestyle, they want everything instantly – even euphoria.” He claimed that narcotics rewired one’s nervous system, making the chase for rewards constant, and bemoaned the country’s declining social fabric. “We used to have high informal social control. But the era in India since the 90s is one of consumerism and capitalism. People are borrowing behaviours from the West, and traditional values are on the decline.”
Those on the other side arrived at similar, yet lass damning, diagnoses. Sellers like Dinesh thought that India’s “rap scene is also giving a boost.” “New-age rappers openly smoke in videos,” he said. “Mostly cigarettes only, but you can see bongs in some videos and they talk about taking pills and syrup.”
For Ashish, such harsh restrictions – especially over weed, which is being increasingly decriminalised across the world – are making him contemplate on ways to leave India, “which many of my friends are thinking about,” he said. Sita remarked on the influence of the city, and the freedom it finally gave her after living in places that had a 7PM curfew for women. “I’m obviously not going to do this with my parents’ money,” she said. “Our generation and class does this because we manage well-paying jobs too. But this also cuts us off from any real problems, sadly.”
In the face of such hassles, staying old-school has been the key for some sellers. Ajay, who runs an airport-taxi business and has lived in Bengaluru for 27 years, has also been selling weed on the side for the last four. He buys 30-gram packets that come from Mysore for Rs 900 ($11), and sells them in Bengaluru for Rs 1,200 ($15).
“I am not a big player,” he told VICE. “That is when it gets dangerous. I just sell to a few people who have known me for long now and are like friends. It would’ve been easy to sell in the hundreds of thousands, but that comes with more responsibility. I like driving my cab.”