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In business, it’s a simple strategy – when you find a winning formula, you run with it. After being on the brink of bankruptcy, it’s safe to say that Motorola has finally found success in the Android OS. In a conversation with Spiros Nikolakopoulos, vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific and International Distribution for Motorola’s Mobile Devices business, CNET Asia was able to obtain more information about the company’s plans:
“There will be between 20 and 30 smartphones globally and, at this moment, all of them will run Android. Naturally, not all will be available everywhere as it depends on the company’s partnership with the various telco operators in each country. For non-smartphone models, they will run either Brew or the Motorola’s own operating system.”
With Windows 7 expected at some point this year, it’s entirely possible that Motorola will forego a relationship with Microsoft and Windows Mobile 7. As a Windows-centric blog, wmpoweruser thinks that Motorola is driving itself into oblivion, which I couldn’t disagree with more. It’s evident that the Windows strategy hasn’t worked for them over the past few years (think Motorola Q here), and the focus on Windows Mobile and their proprietary UI put them in the position they’re in now. I’m not saying focus solely on Android, but given the immense popularity of Android at the moment, Motorola couldn’t be making a better move.
What say you? Agree with me, or are you in the Windows Mobile camp?
Via wmpoweruser
AgriLife Research receives algae biofuel fundingMedia Newswire (press release)In addition to optimizing biofuels production, AgriLife research and development efforts will be focused on the potential for utilizing byproducts as …Dr. Norman Borlaug aw…
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We’ve all taught our children about not talking to strangers and how they should never take candy from strangers, but there’s one thing we don’t like to
IMG: sxc.hu
 talk about, especially to our children and that’s perverts. Why do we avoid this subject at all costs? Simple, because we don’t want to scare our children anymore than we already have about the kidnappers, etc. We also don’t want to think about the harmful things a predator wants to do to our children. But that’s why it is important to teach them what to do, just in case it ever happens.
–Â Does your child know not to go with a stranger?
–Â Does your child know they can talk to you about anything?
–Â Does your child know how to say NO?
–Â Does your child know his/her body parts by name?
–Â Does your child know about the buddy system?
As parents we want to do everything to protect our children, that includes teaching them everything we can to help them survive this world. None of us want harm to come to our children, none of us want these people to live within miles of our children…but it happens and that’s why we must be prepared.
This past week a news channel in Grand Falls released a press release about a sex offender moving to their neighborhood in the hopes to get parents to watch out for this person and to keep an eye around the children. The report went as far as describing what this man looks like, now I wouldn’t suggest you show your child every picture of a sex offender in your area but they should know that there are “bad people” out there that do want to hurt them.
–Â Talk to your child about how it isn’t okay for others to touch them.
–Â Make sure they know what the terms (body parts) are actually called.
–Â Have your child buddy up with someone if they must walk to school. (it is harder for a stranger to abduct one when there are two or more)
If you can think of more ways of protecting your child please voice it here and let others know.
Post from: Blisstree
General Pico – Argentina
Photos: Cramer
2006-2007-2008-2009
Photo:2006
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While the U.S. Postal Service bleeds red with billions of dollars in financial loses ($3.8 billion in 2008), they keep earning environmental accolades for their green roofs and energy conserving initiatives. Today, some post offices are even LEED certified by the US Green Building Council. As I wrote about last week, the US Postal Service has always been on the leading edge with respect to experimenting with fuel efficient vehicles â even if theyâve been unsuccessful in garnering the widespread adoption of these alternatively fueled vehicles outside their test markets.
So what gives? How could the US Postal Service be in such dire straits with all their green initiatives and their âfleet of feetâ making deliveries door-to-door on foot?
Failing to Adapt to Change
This shouldnât be new news: For years, Americans have been moving away from hard copy to electronic forms of communication. Many of us have gotten fed up with the piles of unwanted mail solicitations and catalogs by the pound by getting our names and addresses on âDo Not Solicitâ lists with the Direct Marketing Association. Weâve opted out of banksâ direct marketing schemes for credit cards and insurance. Weâve signed up for electronic bill pay. So, I would have thought that US Postmaster John Potter would have recognized these changes, having grown up with the US Postal Service and having been at the helm since 2001.
The benefits that you will receive from cosmetic eyelid surgery are plentiful. These include a more youthful, rested, and energetic appearance that reveals a firm, smooth contour of the eyes. Equally important are the benefits that patients feel emotionally. Because of the improvement in the appearance of their eyes, plastic surgery patients often express feeling more youthful, alert, and energetic.
But first, I want to give you a brief update on developments in Haiti. Today we are closely monitoring the impact of the significant aftershock â it was above 6 on the Richter scale â that struck Port-au-Prince this morning, and we are assessing potential damage from it.
In better news, we saw the arrival of the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship with more than 600 medical personnel, that adds important capacity to our relief efforts. Already, patients are being taken on board via helicopter, and treated. The Comfort adds to what is one of the largest international rescue and relief efforts in history. Food, water, medical supplies, and other essential aid continue to flow into the country. And relief workers are operating around the clock to deliver more aid more quickly to more people. There are significant challenges â devastated infrastructure, limited transportation options, security concerns â but we are making real progress every day.
One area we are urgently focused on is the plight of Haitian orphans, and I am pleased to have with us today Michele Bond from the State Department, who is heading up our efforts on this issue; Sharon Parrott, who represents Secretary Sebelius from the Department of Health and Human Services; and Lauren Kielsmeier from the Department of Homeland Security, working with Secretary Napolitano. These three dedicated public servants, along with all whom they work with, are leading our efforts on behalf of the children who were orphaned before this earthquake, because children are especially vulnerable in any disaster, especially those without parents or other guardians to look after them. This devastating earthquake has left many in need of assistance, and their welfare is of paramount concern as we move forward with our rescue and relief efforts.
Now, when it comes to children, it is imperative that we closely coordinate with the Haitian Government, the United Nations, and our other international partners such as NGOs and faith communities who are on the ground, who are working to ensure that aid reaches Haitiâs orphanages and that the newly orphaned children are accounted for and cared for.
But we will also be doing everything we can to unite the many children and families who have been separated in the aftermath of the earthquake and to do all that we can to expedite the travel of children who were in the line for adoption, who have a legal, permanent home, guardianship waiting for them. We will not let red tape stand in the way of helping those in need, but we will ensure that international adoption procedures to protect children and families are followed.
There are several hundred Americans in the United States who were already in the process of adopting Haitian children before the earthquake. As a mother, I share the anxiety that they must be feeling as they wait for word about their childrenâs safety, and we are doing everything possible to locate these children and then expedite their arrival in our country. The State Department is heading up a joint task force with the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to streamline the process and ensure that families both get word and get reunited as quickly as we can. Weâve established an interagency working group to focus on the humanitarian needs of highly vulnerable children. And we are working with the many members of Congress who are understandably very concerned on behalf of their constituents.
I want to underscore that we are consulting closely with President Preval and his government on this and every facet of this massive relief effort. They are setting the priorities for relief and recovery despite operating under the most difficult circumstances. Iâve also spoken with a number of leaders and foreign ministers from across the region and the world, and we are keeping in touch about our ongoing commitment to Haiti. And I will be traveling to Montreal, Canada on Monday to attend a meeting of donor countries who are already involved or wish to be involved, not only in the emergency crisis weâre facing now of search and rescue and the delivery of immediate relief, but also in the longer-term challenge of reconstruction and recovery.
The outpouring of support and assistance from around the world has been extraordinary, and Iâve been very proud to see generous Americans from every corner of our country open their hearts in solidarity with the Haitian people. These are the times when we remember our common humanity, when we pull together across cultures and borders to help those suffering and in need.
Now, in these difficult first days, weâve seen miracles: children pulled alive from the rubble, separated family members finding one another, walls that did not crumble, and foundations that did not crack. But unfortunately, those miracles have been too few. Seeing the human suffering and dislocation of daily life in Port-au-Prince, a place I have come to know over the past three decades, reminds us of the magnitude of the task at hand â all of the lives that are lost, all of the terrible injuries, the families that have been broken, the homes in ruin, and a country that was on the cusp of progress dealt another cruel and unimaginable blow.
Yet there are reasons to believe that the days and months ahead can and will be better. Over the years, I have come to know the resilience and determination of the Haitian people. They may have seen more than their share of sorrow. They may have known more struggle and pain and natureâs fickle wrath than many of the rest of us. Yet they come through these storms, they are carried forward by their faith and their hard work, and I am confident that even in this darkest of hours, they will once again persevere.
President Preval and I have been working closely during this past year on plans for the future â for sustainable growth, for new opportunities. These plans, which are a very solid foundation, will, of course, be revised and rethought, but they will not be abandoned. Haiti will need not only the talent and grit of her people, including the Haitian diaspora, but it will need all of us, partners and friends who are committed not just in the immediate aftermath of this terrible earthquake but for the duration.
So let me reaffirm what President Obama said so forcefully in recent days: The people of the United States will stand with Haiti every step of the way. This is a partnership with a neighbor for the long term.
Now I would like to introduce Michele Bond from the Department of State, Sharon Parrott, who will follow her, from Health and Human Services, and Laruen Kielsmeier from the Department of Homeland Security.
Michele.
MS. BOND: Thank you, Madame Secretary. I am honored and delighted to accept this request to head up our whole-of-government interagency effort to ensure necessary coordination of U.S. adoptions and process in Haiti.
As weâve witnessed in television reports of adopted children arriving in the United States, there is no sweeter scene than a child walking to the safety of loving parents who have been waiting to welcome that child home, far away from the horror and devastation they have recently witnessed in their homeland. We fully sympathize with the worry and the concern of adoptive parents who have not yet welcomed their children home and are worried about their safety and their welfare.
Having been in the Department of State for more than 30 years and spent about half of that time working on issues involving children and orphans, I really look forward to working closely with colleagues in the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services on this critically important mission. Together, I am confident we will successfully expedite the process of bringing to the United States children who are in line to be adopted by American citizens while closely following and respecting international standards for intercountry adoption.
Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, Michele.
MS. PARROTT: Hello, Iâm Sharon Parrott from the Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Health and Human Services is so pleased to be working with our federal partners on this important mission. To be able to be a part of joining children who need homes with loving homes is truly a privilege, I think.
It is really critical, I think, for everyone to understand, including prospective parents, that when children arrive and adoptions are not final, we do have to take steps to safeguard and protect those children that are now entrusted to our care. We are so thrilled that there are loving parents here in the United States ready, already in process to welcome children who desperately need homes. And no one wants to expedite the process more than the three federal agencies responsible for getting children here and getting them to parents. And Iâm very confident that, working together, weâll be able to develop a â weâll have a process in place that will safeguard the needs and protect children and get them to their adoptive homes as quickly as possible.
Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, Sharon.
MS. KIELSMEIER: Thank you, Madame Secretary. We are pleased to be here today. On January 18, Secretary Napolitano, in coordination with the State Department, announced a humanitarian parole policy allowing orphaned children in Haiti with prospective adoptive families in the U.S. to enter the United States.
The humanitarian parole policy will be applied on a case-by-case basis to the following children: children who have been legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the Government of Haiti and are being adopted by U.S. citizens, children who have been previously identified by an adoption service provider or facilitator as eligible for intercountry adoption and have been matched to U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents. USCIS and the Department of State are assisting individuals through the American Embassy in Port-au-Prince to determine eligibility for evacuation and entry to the United States.
DHS appreciates the urgency of the situation and need to process evacuees quickly. In order to ensure children are not separated from relatives in Haiti and to protect potential victims of trafficking, DHS strongly discourages the use of private aircraft to evacuate orphans. All flights must be appropriately coordinated with the U.S. and Haitian governments to ensure proper clearances are granted before arrival to the United States. DHS encourages U.S. citizens with pending adoption cases in Haiti to send detailed information about their cases to Haitianadoptions â all one word â @DHS.gov for additional assistance.
Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Iâll be glad to take your questions on this issue.
Jill. And Iâve got my experts, so I will probably be turning to them.
QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, you have mentioned several times that you are coordinating with President Preval. As we know, the Government of Haiti was pretty much decimated after this earthquake. Is there any chance that in coordinating and perhaps asking them for direction in what to do that the relief effort was slowed down?
And then also a second question kind of in the same vein: Weâre hearing a lot from the ground from people who say that supplies are simply not getting in. We canât get into a lot of detail, but that seems to be a theme thatâs emerging. Are you satisfied with the pace of getting supplies, especially medical and other supplies, and personnel on the ground?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Jill, as to the first question, as you know, I met at length with President Preval and Prime Minister Bellerive on Saturday when I was there. We agreed to a joint communiquĂ© which we have issued under my signature and President Prevalâs which outlines the very broad request for help that the Haitian Government has made to the United States Government. We are proceeding as quickly as we can to meet the innumerable needs that are there on the ground.
But I do think itâs important to underscore that the Government of Haiti was grievously damaged by the earthquake. The physical damage to the actual buildings of government, the loss of ministers and government officials is extraordinarily difficult to contend with. However, President Preval, the prime minister, and those ministers who have been working with him meet every morning, every afternoon. They are deeply involved in coordinating not only with the United States, but with the United Nations and with other countries and donors as well.
Of course Iâm not satisfied about getting material and personnel in for everyone who needs it, but I am realistically aware of the difficulties that this terrible natural disaster has posed. And I think given the challenges that the relief and rescue effort faced, everyone in this country and those of citizens of countries that are also participating along with the United Nations should be very grateful for the extraordinary outpouring and very proud of the men and women who are in Haiti.
Every day, we get better. Todayâs better than yesterday. Tomorrow will be better than today. But there were so many challenges that had to be addressed all at once, and I think that having followed and been involved in disasters over many years now, the other way of looking at it is that itâs really remarkable how much weâve gotten done. And yet we are not satisfied; we are working every day to get better. We have more assets on the ground today than we did yesterday. So weâre just going to continue to do more and more.
The USNS Comfort is a big help, having more U.S. troops working to deliver humanitarian aid, but when the principal instruments of authority and assistance â namely the Haitian Government, the United Nations, including MINUSTAH themselves â were so impacted, we really had to start at the very beginning to be able to put in place what we have accomplished thus far. I get reports twice a day about what is happening. We push hard when something comes to our attention. But frankly, if you look at the whole broad context of what weâve been able to do, I think that overall, itâs a heroic, historic effort that is ongoing.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: The development expert, Paul Collier, who helped craft that plan you discussed earlier told me today he thinks there needs to be a Marshall Plan for Haiti and he says he thinks your husband should lead it. Have you discussed that possibility with him? And what do you think are the most important considerations for the rebuilding of Haiti going forward?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I have a great deal of respect for Paul Collier, who some of you may not know is one of the premier development experts in the world now. Heâs a citizen of the United Kingdom. He was someone we consulted on our plan about how we were going to work with Haiti that we had all teed up and ready to go when the earthquake caused us to change our direction on what we needed to do immediately.
I think there has to be a coordinated reconstruction and development effort. Again, though, we were working this past year with the Haitian Government. We were fulfilling their requests about what they wanted to see done in agriculture, in energy, in infrastructure. It is very important that you be closely connected and listening to the people of the country that you are attempting to help. Too much development in the past has basically been kind of parachuted in and that hasnât necessarily been sustainable.
So I think Dr. Collier has some very good ideas. There are others who are bringing their ideas to the forefront. As you know, my husband was working with the United Nations on the tsunami recovery. The United Nations has a broad mandate and legitimacy to deal with a lot of these issues. And so when I go to Montreal on Monday, weâre going to begin to look at how we get prepared for what will be the next phase.
The search-and-rescue teams are still there. Theyâre pulling people out today. The food, the water, the medical supplies are pouring in and getting distributed. The security is improving so that weâve got a safe passage for relief workers and their supplies. That was the first priority. Now, we will simultaneously, while all of that continues, begin to talk through how the international community will step up to the challenge of helping Haiti build back better. That is our goal.
Yeah.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, how concerned is the â excuse me, the Obama Administration about Haitians, given all their difficulties, taking to the seas and trying to come to the U.S. to escape the problems? Even though youâre doing all you can to help there, it may not be enough.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we have seen no evidence of any kind of mass movement like that. Secretary Napolitano issued the order for temporary protected status for those Haitians who are undocumented in the United States as of January 12th. But weâve made it very clear that there will not be an opportunity for those who leave Haiti to be permitted to go into the United States, that we donât think itâs in the interests of either Haiti, and it would be in violation of our immigration laws.
So I know Secretary Napolitano has a very comprehensive plan about how we will help the people in other parts of Haiti. You saw the buses leaving Port-au-Prince. A lot of those people are going into the countryside. We want to provide assistance to them so that they are sustained there. But weâve done what we think we can do. But we will not be changing our immigration laws.
Iâm going to let our experts answer your questions about orphans. Thank you all very much.
QUESTION: On the orphan issue, Iâm wondering if you could tell me roughly what numbers of orphans are covered by the parole order already, how many actually may come to the United States under that order? And what the United States can do to prevent misuse of the system â Iâm thinking on the ground in Haiti? For instance, is there â are there investigators you can put into this? How do we ensure that unscrupulous brokers donât begin just to send children on for adoption who shouldnât be eligible? And thirdly, is there any evidence that the trafficking is already underway? You mentioned that that â you know, they shouldnât be using private planes. Do we have any sense that thatâs actually happening?
MS. BOND: Okay. Those are good questions. As to the first question of what is the scope of this, how many children might be involved, we can only estimate that based on the number of American parents, adoptive parents who have filed paperwork with DHS indicating an intent to adopt from Haiti. And itâs always true that some people who file the paperwork donât go through with an adoption or switch to another country or something, so you donât have a firm fix on it. But we do think itâs several hundred, certainly 5-, 600 at least who are likely to be pursuing the completion of their adoption.
As to the question of how we can know that the children that we are dealing with now are the ones that are really those children on the paperwork, itâs important to understand that these children have been in the adoption process, in many cases, for two years or three years. We have photos. The families have photos, many of them have visited. We have good information. We know exactly who the children are. And so it would be very difficult for someone to slip a different child in as a substitute for the child in the particular case or the particular paperwork.
We donât have any reason to suspect that children have entered the United States illegally to date. But we want to emphasize that that potential is there, and thatâs why the warning was given that people with the best of intentions flying in to try to rescue children and take them back to the States are doing something that is actually very harmful for the children, and we strongly urge against it.
QUESTION: Thank you.
From the Department of State website.
As I do every now and again, I steal ideas pay homage to Football Writer Peter King and the 10 Things I Think I Think part of his column. Most of the time the thoughts are on football, but there’s always a section where he talks about any non-football thoughts.
I thought I’d use my late link round-up as an excuse opportunity to get some of those out.
With all that off my mind… Here are the links from last week that I promised you.
Money Writers:
Top PF Posts:
Related posts:
Young talented budding fashion designer, Kayda Nana Afriyie Frimpong is gradually making her KNAF Couture clothing line a household name in Ghana and eventually across the continent. As a graduate of the International Academy of Design with a bachelorâs degree in Fashion Design, Afriyieâs highly stylish, custom-made and original clothes are designed to accentuate the female figure; and to compliment the male build or to make them look twice at any woman wearing the signature piece.
Knaf Coutoure
Afriyie is a complete fashion talent; she sketches, drapes, makes her own patterns and sews. She derives much of her inspiration from Ghanaâs rich culture and abundant textiles. With her experience as an intern for Anna Sui, as well as her participation in the designerâs showing at New York Fashion week Afriyie is certainly poised for greatness in the fashion world.
Though her company is still up and coming, KNAF Couture has garnered a large following and has been notably featured in numerous runway shows across the United States. These include the No Limit Fashion Show in Florida as well the DC Fashion Week in both ‘06 and ‘07. What’s more, KNAF Couture was the featured designer at the World Bank Group, Fair Trade Fashion Show in Washington DC, in addition to the Ghana 50th Anniversary Tribute Fashion Display at the Ghanaian Embassy. Her collections have been showcased through various media outlets such as; The ABC evening news, the Tampa Tribune, Washington Post, The Express and the New Ghanaian to name a few.
Afriyie recently relocated the companyâs home base from the United States to Ghana and within that short period she has managed to turn heads among Ghanaâs fashionistas. KNAF Couture dressed all contestants of Miss Ghana 2009 pageant for photo shoots and public appearances prior to the event and also dressed half of the contestants for the main event. The award for best gown that night was tied between two KNAF Couture gowns. KNAF Couture also featured in a number of Canoe Magazine fashion fairs since moving back home. Among some of her clients are young ‘n’ chic personalities such as Jane âEfyahâ Awindor, Ama K Abebrese and Lydia Forson.
Apart from a knack for cuts and stitches, philanthropy is a major driving force in Afriyieâs life. She is extremely passionate about aiding the needy and underprivileged in her beloved continent, especially uneducated and unemployed women as well as orphans and children in general. Itâs her ultimate goal to give back substantially through the philanthropic efforts of her foundation, The Gye Nyame Foundation. A percentage of all KNAF COUTURE merchandise sales go to the foundation for charitable endeavours.
(The question “Do We Have To Limit Growth To Save The Planet?” was posed to sustainability expert Frances Moore Lappe by the Corporate Social Responsibility’s Talk Back Blog.)
By Frances Moore Lappé
We humans create the world according to ideas we hold. Our biggest ideas, our frames, determine what we can see and what we canât. Ultimately, they will decide whether we can turn our beautiful planet toward lifeâŠor not.
Two frames I increasingly hear are âBecause growth is killing the planet, we need no-growth;â and âWeâve hit the limits of a finite earth.â
Hmm.
âGrowthâ sounds pretty good to my ears, especially when I consider the opposite: shrink, shrivel, decline, decrease, die. So itâs hard to visualize excited crowds waving âNo-growth NOW!â placards!
The danger in this frame goes far beyond its lack of sex appeal. The real danger is what it leaves unchallenged: the assumption that todayâs economy is in fact defined by âgrowthâ â ever-expanding abundance.
It keeps us blind to the truth that our current path is much more about waste and scarcity than abundanceâfor many now and for many more in the future.
In 1969, squirreled away in the University of CaliforniaâBerkeley âagâ library, asking âwhy hunger?,â I discovered that our âefficient, modern, productiveâ U.S. food system is actually a waste machine. It funnels sixteen pounds of grain and soy into cattle to get back one single pound of steak.
Wait, this crazy ratio has to be an exception, I thought, only to learn that our food systemâs gross inefficiency is the rule. Energy analyst Amory Lovins and his co-authors argue in Natural Capitalism that 6 percent or less of the âvast flows of materialsâ that go into production to make our goods actually end up in products we use. Fifty-six percent, on average, of all energy in the U.S. economy is wasted.
Letâs call it like it is. Letâs call what weâve been doing an economics of waste and destruction that stymies growth and quickens death. Growth then becomes that which enhances life â generation and regeneration; what our planet needs more of.
And âweâve hit the limitsâ?
It encourages us to see the problem as âout thereâ â in the fixed quantity that is Earth: its limits are the problem. More usefully, the limit weâve hit is that of the disruption of nature we humans can cause without catastrophic consequences. In this frame, attention shifts to us.
The limits frame conjures up the notion of an overdrawn bank account. The solution? Â Cut back what we withdraw. Â But if most of destruction is designed in, then we could cut back and still be massively disrupting natural regeneration. What if farm runoff, say, were killing sea life in âonlyâ two hundred instead of over four hundred dead zones worldwide? Still way more than ecological rhythms can absorb.
So letâs shed âno-growthâ and âlimits.â Letâs reframe the challenge as that of aligning with the laws of nature to enhance life; and from there ask, What are the frames about human nature that drive the current waste and destruction within an economy driven by one rule, highest return to existing wealth? From there, fear eases, as we work to align with nature, including human nature.
(Re-posted with permission from the Corporate Social Responsibility wire service.)
Meet David Fermin, a pro MMA fighter who apparently forgets that he has an iPhone in his pocket when he swings from pipes, eight feet off the ground. Yeah, his iPhone takes a fall. No, there’s no gadget gore.
Whether this clip is staged or not, I just plain want to know why David didn’t choose something safer-looking than those pipes for his exercises. They look ready to join the iPhone and its case in clattering to the ground.
The folks over at Ex-Boyfriend believe that t-shirts can act as conversation pieces, and these kitty-themed illustrations are sure to make you the center of attention. Ex-Boyfriend is a Baltimore-based graphics company that works with a local printing company to produce a huge variety of t-shirts, hoodies, messenger bags, and other items with any one of their hip graphics. You can choose from a number of great colors and styles and there are even organic cotton t-shirts available, too.
Matt, the illustrator behind Ex-Boyfriend, and his wife are also committed to supporting local animal rescue. They set-up the Sadie Fund–named after their beloved cat Sadie who they lost in 2008–to raise funds for Baltimore-area animal rescue organizations and shelters. They also foster animals for the local SPCA. You can see photos and videos of some of their foster fuzzballs on the Ex-Boyfriend blog.
Check out Matt’s illustration style and if you like what you see but you have a special design you want, he can do custom illustrations for you as well.
Ex-Boyfriend is going to let one lucky winner choose their favorite design! The winner will get to pick either a mens or ladies basic tee in any color and size with the design of their choice. To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling us which is your favorite design. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on January 27. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.
Type 1
Type 1.5
Type 2
I was told i am type two.. On Oral medications to assist with the controlling of my BG, However when the test results come back early next week my Dr figures i will be on insulin injections, due to lack of liver functions. However its suggested when i drop a ton of weight and watch what i eat i wont be on it for life.
Does that change my "Type"?
Sorry don’t mean to be so ignorant on this issue.
Eyelid lift surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a cosmetic surgery procedure. It is designed to remove extra skin, fat, and tissues. These three things contribute to bags and puffiness in both the lower and upper eyelids. The cosmetic surgery procedure specifically treats loose and sagging skin, bags under the eyes, extra skin that hangs down, fine wrinkles, and droopiness of the lower eyelids.
Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet
Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more
Everyone knows that kale is hearty and nutritious, but have you ever thought of it as lively? Refreshing? Composed of wonderfully textured black kale ribbons, juicy blood orange, and fragrant Meyer lemon, this bright winter salad will energize your palate.
Finding a good lawyer is too often a difficult task.
The best are always busy—and usually very high-priced. If you know and trust the advice of someone who personally has been served by a particular attorney and—based on that service—is satisfied enough to make a good recommendation, that’s usually a good bet.
An initial half hour consultation with an attorney is usually free. After that first meeting, however, most attorneys require a "retainer fee," an up-front payment that can be a considerable amount (possibly $5,000 or more), depending on the extent of the legal work proposed. Usually, charges are assessed against the retainer fee at an hourly rate. When the retainer is used up, the client is billed for additional time. All this is embodied in a retainer agreement signed by you and your lawyer.
But even before O.J. Simpson’s highly publicized trial for murder… or the unprecedented establishment of a sexual harassment legal defense fund for the personal benefit of then president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, many Americans were well aware that only the rich could afford the supposedly “very best” attorneys—especially at a rate of $500 to $1,000 an hour.
Laurence Tribe, noted Harvard University law professor and frequent television “legal expert,” once billed a client $625 for a one-sentence letter actually written by one of his law students. “It was a very long sentence,” Professor Tribe explained shamelessly.
Practice Situations
In arguing that you don’t always need a lawyer when legal issues arise, here are just a few common areas where you, with a little research and reading, can find the law by yourself: rights and obligations concerning marriage, divorce, alimony and child support; securing your assets by incorporating your business or forming a partnership; controlling distribution of your property after death with a will, trust and guardianship; involvement in a civil lawsuit, whether you’re the injured party (plaintiff) or the one being sued (defendant); protecting yourself when you buy, sell, rent or rent out property; what to do if you’re in an auto or other accident; what you need to know before drawing up or signing a contract of any kind; your rights as a consumer; and how to deal with the government in disputes over Social Security, disability payments and workman’s compensation.
Even if you think you need a lawyer in some of the situations I described above, it helps if you research and know the basic law before you meet with the attorney. You’ll be a step ahead and he or she will be impressed.
A Real-World Example of Preventive Lawyering
Let me give you an example of what I would call “preventive lawyering” that you can practice to avoid lawsuits…
As long as human interactions have occurred on earth, people have injured each other and damaged each other’s property, either accidentally or on purpose.
The law governing such unfortunate events is known as the “law of torts.” “Tort” is an ancient English word adopted from the French word meaning “wrong” and, in turn, derived from the Latin word tortum meaning, literally, “twisted.”
The basic concept of tort law holds one person responsible for injuring another or for damaging another’s property. The person who commits the wrong must pay money to the injured person, as recompense for the damage caused. Generally, wrongful (or “tortious”) conduct fits into three categories: 1) negligence; 2) intentional misconduct; and 3) conduct for which the law imposes strict liability.
Torts, Trespassers and You
You own a home or an office—real estate or real property, it’s called. How does the law of torts apply to your home place and your office?
Well, when a person goes on to, or remains on, the real property of another person, without the express or implied consent of the owner or the owner’s agent—even if no damage results—that is called “trespass to real property.”
An owner may use “reasonable force” to eject a trespasser, but has a duty to avoid inflicting intentional harm and to warn of any existing dangerous conditions known to the owner.
A similar duty of warning about known dangers is owed by an owner to invited guests. If a person can be classified as a “business visitor,” such as a delivery person or a customer, the owner has a continuing duty to keep the premises safe and/or warn of any known dangers.
Practically what that means is if you have a Jack Russell terrier that habitually nips at the mailman, you better post a “Beware of Dog” sign so, if necessary, you can say, “I warned you.”
When You Really Need a Lawyer
I must admit, as an attorney myself, I have been rather tough on my colleagues with this writing. My criticisms certainly do not apply to all lawyers.
There are many situations which can have serious legal ramifications on your life—so serious, in fact, that the best course of action is nothing less than obtaining the professional guidance of a qualified attorney.
If you think you need a lawyer, get referrals from trusted acquaintances, check the Internet or the yellow pages of your phone book under “Lawyer Referral Services,” or contact the office of your state or local bar association, which are also found on the Internet.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Bauman, J.D.
