Saturday, September 22, 2012

New 'stamping' process to pattern biomolecules at high resolution developed

ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2012) ? Fabricating precise biomolecular structures at extremely small scales is critical to the progress of nanotechnology and related fields.

Traditionally, one of the ways this has been accomplished has been through the use of rubber stamps with tiny features -- similar to those used by children in play, but detailed at the microscopic scale -- which are covered with molecular "inks" and then stamped onto substrate surfaces, creating a molecular patterns. But when using this technique at the nanoscale, molecules tend to diffuse on the surface both during and after stamping, blurring the patterns.

To address this problem, researchers at UCLA have turned this conventional "soft lithography" process on its head: Instead of using a stamp to transfer molecules onto bare surfaces, they have used chemically treated stamps to remove molecules already in place on gold substrates, essentially peeling away select molecules through chemical bonds to create precise patterns measuring just a few molecules across.

The new process, called chemical lift-off lithography (CLL), results in higher-resolution patterning and avoids the blurring problems of earlier techniques.

The findings are published Sept. 20 in the journal Science. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Kavli Foundation.

The stamp used in the new process is molded by using a "master" made with more sophisticated and expensive tools than those used in making rubber stamps for offices and children, but the stamps can be used over and over again. Between each use, they are simply reactivated by an oxygen plasma.

The chemical bonds formed at the stamp -- substrate interface are sufficiently strong to remove not only molecules in the monolayers but also one layer of gold atoms from the substrate. This observation settled a long-running discussion over whether, for such monolayers, gold-gold bonds break more easily than molecule-gold bonds -- they do, the researchers found.

The research team was able to fabricate a variety of high-resolution patterned features, and stamps were cleaned and reused many times with little feature deterioration. The remaining monolayer, they found, can act as a resist for etching exposed gold features. The backfilling of new molecules into the lifted-off areas enabled patterned protein capture, and sharp 40 nanometer chemical patterns were achieved.

Led by Anne Andrews and Paul Weiss, the UCLA team represents a collaboration among researchers from UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute, the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and the departments of chemistry and biochemistry, materials science and engineering, and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences.

Conventional nanolithographic patterning techniques, such as photolithography and electron-beam lithography, are expensive, time-consuming, require specialized equipment and instrumentation, and have limited capabilities for chemical patterning; here, they only need to be used for the fabrication of stamp master molds.

Once individual masters are produced, CLL is used for high-resolution, high-throughput, low-cost pattern fabrication. This method enables patterns to be transferred to underlying substrates, and multiple-stamping strategies can be used to produce high-fidelity nanometer-scale patterns on gold substrates, with the additional possibility of patterning different materials, such as silicon, germanium, platinum and graphene.

The patterns fabricated demonstrate that CLL not only transfers large-area, high-fidelity patterns, but the post-lift-off exposed gold areas are advantageous for producing multiplexed patterned surfaces for selective capture of biomolecules from complex mixtures.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Los Angeles.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Wei-Ssu Liao, Sarawut Cheunkar, Huan H. Cao, Heidi R. Bednar, Paul S. Weiss, and Anne M. Andrews. Subtractive Patterning via Chemical Lift-Off Lithography. Science, 21 September 2012: 1517-1521 DOI: 10.1126/science.1221774]

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/rOw6g4ncKao/120921092647.htm

independent spirit awards

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Natural Cholesterol Guide Blue Heron Health News, Health & Fitness

Lazy Guide to Health and Beauty

Lazy Guide to Health and Beauty

Self Magazine's Fitness Director Meaghan Murphy spoke to Maggie Rodriguez about a lazy girl's guide to health and beauty including MBT Trainers, Farmacell Milk Shorts and eyelash extensions.
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The Revolution - Your Guide to Better Food Storage Season: 1

The Revolution - Your Guide to Better Food Storage Season: 1

The Revolution Season: 1 Episode: 69 Real Simple Magazine's Food Director helps with tips for food storage!
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The Revolution - Spring Allergy Survival Guide Season: 1

The Revolution - Spring Allergy Survival Guide Season: 1

The Revolution Season: 1 Episode: 61 Use these tips to get through spring allergy season!
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Puberty: Guide for Parents - Early and Late Development

Puberty: Guide for Parents - Early and Late Development

Early or late puberty are usually no reason for parents to worry about their child's health. http://www.WatchMojo.com visits the Montreal Children's Hospital to learn more about puberty and at what point a parent should become concerned with his or her child?s development.
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Guide to Basic Zumba? Fitness Steps

Guide to Basic Zumba? Fitness Steps

UK Zumba Fitness expert Donna Giffen takes you through a series of basic Zumba steps, so you can get even more from your Zumba Fitness routines. Included are the Merengue, Beto Shuffle, Salsa Basic, Kumbia and Reggaeton moves.
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LiveMojo - Sun Safety Guide

LiveMojo - Sun Safety Guide

LiveMojo Get some sun sense with WatchMojo.com and skin care expert Steve Gendron.
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A Simple Guide To British & American Health Care

A Simple Guide To British & American Health Care

Not only do you get a COMPLETELY accurate explanation of how things roll in these health care systems, you also get to witness my amazing acting skills in this one! Doctor House MD? ...that name was totally not a TV quote! And because of this video my mum now things I have major issues - she walked in on me standing on my bed dressed as a doctor / surgeon talking to a camera, waving a 1 dollar note around. Yeahhh!
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Beginner's Guide to Running a 5k

Beginner's Guide to Running a 5k

For some, running in a 5k is the result of many months training, dieting, and getting their bodies in shape. Learn the basics to training for and running in a 5k in this exercise video.
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Dowsing or Divining with a Pendulum - a Beginners Guide

Dowsing or Divining with a Pendulum - a Beginners Guide

Dowsing, or divination with a pendulum is a skill we all have (I believe). It is not witchcraft, as some will tell you but a natural talent that has been used for thousands of years. Dowsing is about amplifying small movements in the body to access information it knows or your higher self knows. Dowsing can be used to determine the best foods to eat & things to avoid. Dowsing can be used to access information from the world around us - past, present and, to a limited extent, the future. This is an introduction to dowsing and an encouragement to try for yourself. It is not intended proof for the skeptics.
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TV Guide Specials - Celebrity Bodies 2 Season: 1

TV Guide Specials - Celebrity Bodies 2 Season: 1

TV Guide Specials Season: 1 Health and fitness expert Kym Douglas talks about her Black Book of Hollywood Secrets with Marc Istook on Hollywood 411. He gets the skinny on how to slim down in sneaky ways.
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TV Guide Specials - Ozzy Osbourne's 60th Birthday

TV Guide Specials - Ozzy Osbourne's 60th Birthday

TV Guide Specials Ozzy Osbourne turns 60 and he celebrates his 60th birthday while rocking out; how else would the Prince of Darkness usher in a new year? Find out some surprising facts about how he maintains health and fitness.
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TV Guide Specials - J Aniston and J Jackson-Eggs on Ice

TV Guide Specials - J Aniston and J Jackson-Eggs on Ice

TV Guide Specials Get the dirt on the Heather Locklear health scare hoax and the talk about if Jennifer Aniston and Janet Jackson are putting their eggs on ice on Hollywood 411.
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PreOp? Patient Education Breast Biopsy Wire Guide Surgery 2

PreOp? Patient Education Breast Biopsy Wire Guide Surgery 2

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Beginner's Guide To Yoga

Beginner's Guide To Yoga

Beginner's Guide To Yoga
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Step by Step Guide to Power Yoga

Step by Step Guide to Power Yoga

Step by Step Guide to Power Yoga
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The Ultimate Guide Pregnancy Part 5 of 5

The Ultimate Guide Pregnancy Part 5 of 5

http://www.neobk-usana.blogspot.com/ This visually stunning program takes viewers from <b>the</b> moment of conception to <b>the</b> moment of birth. Checking in at four-week intervals, it uses a broad array of high-tech photographic and computer imaging to capture every stage of embryonic and fetal development as well as <b>the</b> changes experienced by expectant mothers during <b>pregnancy</b>. In addition, a molecular embryologist and an obstetrician/gynecologist from Georgetown University Medical Center provide ...
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The Ultimate Guide Pregnancy Part 1 of 5

The Ultimate Guide Pregnancy Part 1 of 5

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A Guide to Moshing and Concert Survival

A Guide to Moshing and Concert Survival

a guide to moshing and concert survival. ***in the process of rendering/editing this video for the internet i ran into some hiccups. as a result some of the audio is off and some of the video has been cut out. in the original version there is indeed mention of picking people up when the fall in the pit.*** ***10,000 views on 10-11-07! Thanks everyone, and keep telling your friends!*** ***20,000 views on 11-27-07*** ***30,000 views on 12-27-07*** ***40,000 views on 01-30-08*** ***50,000 views on 02-28-08*** ***60,000 views on 03-27-08*** ***70,000 views on 04-22-08***
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A Couples' Guide to Swinging

A Couples' Guide to Swinging

What is swinging? Who does it? Can it work for you? Dr. Joy talks about "the lifestyle" and issues that can arise. This video is brought to you by iFriends.net. For more information on love and health, or to read a full transcript of this video, visit http://loveandhealth.ifriends.net/
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Liver Flush - A Guide - Part 1

Liver Flush - A Guide - Part 1

Cleanse your liver today! ..and here's part 1 of 4 on how to do it!
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Source: http://invest.5ver.com/categories/37-health-fitness/3176-natural-cholesterol-guide-blue-heron-health-news-health-fitness.html

grand jury

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Introducing Our Weekly Common Core Aligned Reading and Writing ...

Last year we took some baby steps in thinking about how the new Common Core State Standards will affect the work we do on this blog.

Two things were obvious: The standards emphasize the reading of ?informational text,? and we work for a newspaper that produces a daily geyser of it.

So, we suggested, just regularly reading Times articles and Opinion pieces, looking at Times photographs, infographics or videos, or listening to Times podcasts, can be a great start. (To further encourage reading the paper, we?re asking students ?What Interested You Most in The Times This Week?? every Friday as our Student Opinion question.)

Meanwhile, our analysis in June revealed that the three lessons we did on the Common Core last year were all in the top five most-viewed lessons of the school year, so we knew teachers were interested, too. Just last week, in fact, we were delighted by a message on Twitter sent by an English teacher:

Over the summer, we began planning how to do more. Of one thing we were certain: whatever we did, we didn?t want to send the message to educators that we have the Common Core all figured out. As former teachers ourselves, we know that matching the standards to good classroom practice will take trial and error on the ground, with actual students.

Then, via Twitter, along came a wonderful answer, in the form of Sarah Gross and Jonathan Olsen, English and social studies teachers in New Jersey who told us that teaching with The Times daily has ?revolutionized? the humanities class they team teach.

We invited them for lunch in the Times cafeteria, and within an hour we had a plan.

Last year, Mr. Olsen and Ms. Gross, who work at High Technology High School in Lincroft, N.J., a school that U.S. News ranks as the No. 1 S.T.E.M. school in the nation, created short daily reading and writing prompts for their students to use with that day?s Times. They told us they wanted to do it again this year, but wanted to tailor the tasks more closely to Common Core demands.

So we agreed. Each week, they will send us the questions they tried in class that they and their students felt were the most successful.

But because what works for Ms. Gross and Mr. Olsen?s fairly high-level students may not work for everyone, on our end we?ll take what they?ve sent and add some scaffolding or other kinds of small changes to help make the questions more accessible for a range of learners.

So, beginning Sept. 21, each Friday you?ll find three quick, classroom-tested tasks that ask students to do Common Core-focused work with that week?s Times.

Our hope is that you?ll see at least one each Friday that works for you, and that you?ll write in and help us shape the feature as we go. It?s an experiment, after all.

Below, we asked Ms. Gross and Mr. Olsen to tell you a little more about who they are and how they work.


Sarah Gross and Jon Olsen, in Their Own Words

We teach ninth-grade history and English in a humanities course using a co-teaching model. We share lessons, teach together when possible, and design projects for our students that reinforce both content areas.

For example, if the English classes are reading excerpts from the ?Rub?iy?t of Omar Khayy?m,? our history classes will focus on the rise of Islam and its spread throughout the Middle East. While studying the Middle Ages in history, the students are reading ?Romeo and Juliet? in English.

The adoption of the Common Core, with its emphasis on informational texts and its focus on horizontal integration of material among different subject areas, gave us an excuse to revisit how we teach the essential components of both English and history.

We realized that our students read a great deal, but chiefly the typical high school fiction selections like ?The Canterbury Tales,? ?Romeo and Juliet,? and ?Things Fall Apart.? Their independent reading tends to focus on young adult fiction and best sellers. While we have read a fair amount of nonfiction in history class by using primary and secondary sources, we were nowhere near the percentage suggested by the Common Core across the grade level.

So, to include more high-interest nonfiction, we successfully begged our wonderful Parent Faculty Association to finance 16 copies of The New York Times for our students to use every day during the spring semester of 2012.

By reading the newspaper daily and writing in response to the paper?s content, our students greatly improved both their critical thinking and writing ability. Using The Times to teach history and literacy this past year forever changed our approach to education.

We are now able to meet all Common Core State Standards for writing and reading informational text, while preserving the literature curriculum already studied in English class. As a result of our daily inclusion of The Times, our redesigned classroom is now filled with topical writing, lively debate and students making connections between what they are learning in their classrooms with what is happening throughout the world around them.

As Sarah, who writes a blog called The Reading Zone, put it in a post in June:

At the beginning of our great experiment, many students were lacking in general background knowledge. Today, they can speak about a variety of issues and have learned to evaluate writing for bias, opinion, facts and much more.

They follow stories over extended periods of time and can have intelligent discussions about issues that include Syria, standardized testing, Facebook?s I.P.O., ancient artifact ownership, and concussions in sports. Bringing The Times into our class has afforded us many opportunities to make connections between the past and the present and I can?t imagine teaching without the paper now.

The Nuts and Bolts: This school year we started using The Times during the first week of school. Here is what our daily morning schedule looks like:

7 a.m.: Teachers arrive at school, browse the paper, plan daily prompt.
7:35 a.m.: Papers out on desks, prompt on the board.
7:40 a.m.: Students arrive and begin to read the paper and respond to the prompt.
8 a.m.: Selected students read responses, then the class briefly debates.

Every day our students read at least one article in the paper and write in response to it. They build stamina as they read high-level informational and argumentative text in the paper.

After they complete our daily prompt in the allotted time, students can read any article in the paper they like.

Students also read the paper during downtime in class, allowing us to differentiate. They can read articles that may be at a different level than those we assign to the class as a whole since The Times is filled with pieces written at a variety of reading levels every day.


What do you think? We very much hope to develop this new feature in conversation with teachers, so post a comment this week or any Friday.

Source: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/introducing-an-experiment-weekly-common-core-practice-prompts/

appeasement ian stewart ian stewart

Friday, September 14, 2012

Navigating The Buzz of Branding: Start Here. | Business 2 Community

People aren?t looking for an ad,they aren?t looking to buy something.They are looking for a connection.?How do you do that? #branding

I am going to be speaking to a group of Insurance Brokers this week in celebration of the launch of the Aviva Community Fund, a social media powered contest looking to give away $1,000,000 to communities across Canada. The contest is a brilliant effort which not only gives back to the most invested communities, but builds patterns of engagement that extend far beyond the contest and social media itself, you can learn more about this brilliant competition here and here. In preparation, I started to think about what I would share with them about getting involved in social.

Branding : The Toughest Part of Social

The subject of my talk is not going to be limited to the Community Fund, but rather to address the importance of getting involved in Social Media as an aspect of corporate social responsibility. In particular the ability to give back to the community. As I prepared for this talk, I asked myself ?What is the biggest challenge facing small businesses (and for that matter businesses in general) with Social Media?? I believe it is branding.

The Buzz About Branding

So many people have heard the buzz about the importance of branding, ?humanizing the brand? they latch on to some of the indicators of someone who understands the brand, and then seem to lose themselves in the desperate attempts to be the human brand. Being the Brand is not about deciding you are a company who will share all kinds of personal stories to show you are human, it?s about deeply understanding who your company is, and then being able to share all content, with this ?being? in mind.

It?s not only about understanding who your company is as a brand, but feeling the vision of the brand in every single one of your actions.

  • If your brand went Zen, what would your mantra be?

  • How do your products relate to who you are as a brand?

  • How do your products, your people, your actions all tie together to reflect this?

The Path to Finding Answers

The most important thing is to get this concept down. You can start by brainstorming with the people in your company, ask them to chose words to describe who they believe you are as a company. Compare this with what you believe the core attributes you have as a company are.

The first step is a company wide alignment.
The second step is living your brand.

Living Your Brand is the Key To Success In Social

When I speak to these brokers starting Monday, and several times throughout this upcoming month, I expect to be faced with certain common questions. We?ve all heard them, and even thought them:
Where do you find content?
Where do you find the time?
What if you face opposition online, how do you respond?

The answers to all these questions come very easily if you know exactly who your brand is, if you live the values of your ?raison d?etre?, or reason of being in your every day, your every thought.

Too Many Are Lost ? This is Why They Can?t Succeed.

I believe everyone can succeed. I believe every person, company and organization can benefit from social. However, just as we as individuals must know who we are and be firmly grounded in our own beings to stay focused in life, a company more than anything must be firmly grounded in their vision, their values and then, as a result, their product.

Companies who have no soul are the ones who will have the hardest time succeeding in social media. They will resort to flat out sales pitches and screaming ads ? because that?s all they are.

You have to be more.

To succeed in Social Media, it?s not just about ?being human?. As your prospect, it?s not really all that interesting to me to see pictures of your kids, and hear about your golf game. You might peak my interest for a minute or two, but that won?t be enough. However, if you find a way to tie in the personality, the soul of your brand in a way that I, as a human can relate to, then I will buy, I will be interested, I will be motivated. If you then continue to speak to me in a language that shows our shared values, our shared interests and maybe even a shared vision. You?ve made me a fan and an advocate.

That?s how you see through the buzz, stop chasing the blogs that tell you how to succeed blindly. Center yourself and your business ? then when you read the buzz, apply it to your brand ? your ?core?. This is where the success will come from. All the questions of finding the time, looking for content, trying to attract others ? these questions will fade because you will bring social media into the realm of your brand, and then it just becomes and extension of your company?s expression.

Alientated?

If you?ve read this looking for answers, and now you just feel alienated, more confused, then this post was exactly what you needed to read. The secret of the brand is not a formula, it?s about digging deep into what you are really all about. If you read this and have no idea what soul has to do with sales, or how a brand can be human, then your first step is to re-energize your business by digging deep and finding the answers to these questions. Your business has likely gotten lost in the bustle of daily life, the work tasks at hand, the sales numbers, and the pressure.

Step back. Dig Deep. Reconnect.

Some of the images I worked with to start communicating brand. Just an example of the feeling approach, vs. how can I sell you something. The idea is to communicate what the brand is about and how it relates to the client. For me, this started with, protecting the dreams of our clients.

When you accomplish this, your prospects will become clients and you?ll be in a position to engage with fans, friends and followers in a way that will just ?flow?.

That?s your first step to your business becoming human.

Talk about it.

When you finally think you know exactly who your brand is, the biggest challenge is to interact with others and get them to understand your brand. This is the final and critical step. If you can explain your brand and why people should even care about you and your products, then this is when you can say:

?I?ve got it. I know who we are, we are ready.?

As business owners or leaders, having the dialogue with others to help frame these concepts is key.

?

I?d like to take this opportunity to thank Ric Dragon, CEO of Dragonsearch Marketing, and author of Social Marketology (a book I highly recommend) for his friendship, and in relation to this article specifically, for the amazing conversations, ideas and challenges he put forth in our personal discussions about branding and finding the words to express ?what is the brand?.

Another example of relating the deeper personal aspects of the brand through this ad campaign I have been developing. Tulips and Ferrari?s have nothing to do with each other, unless of course they are your dreams. Understanding the brand and how it fits with your various clients allows for adaptability and consistency.

What?s your understanding of ?Humanizing a Brand??

If you?ve been through this process, what were the most helpful steps you?ve been through?

Do you believe it starts at the core, or are you busy working on your perfect logo, thinking you?re on right on track?

Source: http://www.business2community.com/branding/navigating-the-buzz-of-branding-start-here-0274713

ryan tannehill

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Where is Brandy?: Scrapbook Retreat-Thanksgiving 2011

So, last year I got the WHOLE WEEK of Thanksgiving off and decided to go on two little trips. ?This would be trip 1:

I went to the Scrapbook Retreat House in Rockport, Texas which is pretty close to Corpus Christi. ?It's got a very beachy, small-town vibe. ?The house is about 5 minutes from the actual city.

We mostly stay at the house and scrapbook (and ok, surf the internet) when we're there. ?But my friend Kristi and I LOVE books so we checked out the local book store. ?Love the name-Lori's Book Nook. ?I love supporting local bookstores so I think I found a book or two.
The reason we went into town was to visit Enchantments, a scrapbook store. ?They offered a coupon on Groupon and I wanted to get my money's worth. ?The coupon had actually expired but they gave me the credit for it. ?Loved it! ?A bit pricey, and not a huge selection but still a nice scrapbook store for such a small town.
Rockport's little "downtown" area... I wanted to look more around but it didn't seem to be on the agenda.
Then we headed to Panjo's. ?Kristi and her mom love their pizza.
Doesn't it just look delicious?? ?And it was!!!! ?It was so good, I ate that pizza for the next 2-3 meals. :)

These were some of the scrapbooking pages I made while I was at the retreat house from my England trip.
Kristi and I found these while we were at the Walmart getting some groceries. ?They're $2 and sooooo worth it! ?So good! ?At the scrapbook house we stay up til the wee hours of the morning scrappin, laughin, drinkin, etc. ?It's such a cool getaway!
And another page...
Not bad, huh? ?Thought of that one on my own...as I do most of these. ?This was a seafood restaurant Kristi and I ate at in Boston from 1000 Places to See Before You Die (the name of my scrapbook, too).
I really got a lot of pages done...geez!
And this is the backyard of the Retreat House. ?It's huge!
And the view of the little lake from our scrapbook room. ?I went back in March and I think I took some extra pictures that I'll have to post. ?This scrapbook stay was such a nice getaway for the busy holiday season came! ?I went home for Thanksgiving dinner with my family and friend after this... Then Heather and I took off for NEW ORLEANS!! ?And that's what you'll see next time....... :) ?Safe travels!!

Source: http://whereisbrandy.blogspot.com/2012/09/scrapbook-retreat-thanksgiving-2011.html

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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Five Techniques a Personal Associate Can Really Save Money ...

In these hard economic situations, every small business will soon be trying to find methods to conserve money and increase performance. If you?re in the early phases of creating a small business or have only been dealing for a short while, you might genuinely believe that paying for secretarial help is just a luxury or at minimum, an unnecessary cost. But did you understand that outsourcing your administrative duties can actually save money to you? Listed below are five reasons why selecting a virtual assistant might be one of the most readily useful business decisions you make:We have our own equipment:Virtual assistants work from their own well-equipped property practices, unlike temperatures or office-based secretaries. We?ve our own notebooks, our own software, our own printers, scanners and faxes. You?ll not need to shell out for just about any expensive equipment as well as pay a dollar towards teaching us. We possibly may have pc software or equipment that you do not have, but could need. A good VA will undoubtedly be up to date on the latest technology and how far better use it in business.We know a lot of of good use people:Like you, a virtual assistant is an businessman, well versed in the challenges and benefits of operating their particular business. Generally having put up their company from scratch, a good VA will have a very important associates guide and will be able to expose one to trusted and tried providers. They should be able to advise web site builders, graphic artists, printers, IT support, accountants ? all the stuff you?ll need in setting up and running your business.We can help you get paid:How much time do you waste chasing up unpaid bills and payments? That is time you may invest in finding new clients and truly working billable hours. Your VA can be your bailiff, speaking to your creditors on your account as you get on with your work. We may research various payment options for you and create your business bank account or PayPal account, rendering it easier for your clients to pay you promptly.We only cost for the hours we work:You will not pay for our National Insurance, ill pay or maternity pay. When you pay us for our time, you?ll know that that time is spend working solely for you. You?ll perhaps not be investing in us to search the internet, rumor with colleagues or revise our Facebook reports. You can buy a support package which provides you with hours of virtual support or simply use an as and when you need one.We can help you create more money:Your VA can evaluate all of your paperwork and bills, supporting you pinpoint where you can save money. If you would like or need to increase your costs, your VA may prepare a mailshot to see your present customers and the reprinting of your marketing materials. When you yourself have a briefcase saturated in business cards, each that could be a new cause, your VA could enter these right into a database and followup with each or every one.As a business manager, your time is important. Don?t spend in on routine duties that can be delegated. Cover a virtual aid, offload the administration that uses up so a lot of your day and have the pleasure of knowing that you may now spend some time on which is essential to you being an businessman ? developing and expanding your business.

Visit our website for more details about virtual assistant

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Source: http://2leep.in/five-techniques-a-personal-associate-can-really-save-money.html

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Beer Brewing Books ? A Beer Lovers Hobby < Business & economy ...

Do you really like beer? Are you thinking of getting into beer brewing since you love drinking beer? You could think that brewing your own beer is a touch over the top. But in fact, starting to brew your individual beer at home is a great activity. It can be a very inventive approach to the passion for fine beer. Brewing your own is a lot easier then you ever imagined; with a readily available beer brewing equipment, and a little expertise you can get from reading some of the many Home Brewing Beer Book offered, you can be on your way to making your first batch regarding beer at home!

There is a significant difference between a real beer fan, and a typical ?guzzler?. Beer the truth is has a rich record, and the variety as well as uniqueness of flavours, textures, and combines is almost as substantial and strong as wine. As we know wine lovers have a very good knowledge of wine beverages, and can tell a good wine when they taste one, the shift towards making beer forces you to a beer connoisseur, active in the culture of beer, someone that seeks the finest inside flavors, the side that will seeks to gain a refreshing insight into beer, by making the idea, and improving should they do. This is what separates a real beer lover from your regular old beer ?guzzler?.

Simply by encouraging yourself to be a beer connoisseur, to develop this kind of new found desire for brewing, you are emphasizing your noble and creative part of your love for beer. Aside from information learned via some of the best beer brewing books, you can learn a lot from your local brewing store. There are numerous clubs dedicated to brewing good beer. Once you get started, your passion for beer becomes more with regards to improving the quality along with taste of your beer, rather than just drinking it.

With the creative side involving brewing your own beer, there are also some economic benefits to this. As with everything that are available, beer prices keep going way up. But the costs of earning your own beer at home tend to be amazingly low in case you break it all right down to cost per cup of beer you coffee. Of course, there is the products you need to buy. Though the cost of that is not too high; you do not need a large value-added tax and other shiny equipment used at large breweries. In reality, you only need a standard beer brewing kit, which is generally a scaled down version of the large breweries. And the cost because of these kits is very reasonably priced; you can have your own beer manufacturing factory in your own home with regard to $100 to $200, taking up very little space at that. After which, when you see how much beer you can create per batch, that it is a very smart expense.

It?s not out of the question for you to develop your beer brewing capabilities to a very high amount, becoming a true Brewmeister. Therefore, you could even look for a market for your beer. These days, the microbrew culture is incredibly large, and getting actually larger. Many pubs and bars specialize in quality microbrews, and quite often times sell high quality home made beers. So if you can develop you skills, and create a fine, unique tasting beer, and bottle it, you may be in a position to even sell it to the people pubs and bars. This could deal with the cost of your equipment and supplies, and also turn you an earnings. A profit from undertaking something fun and enjoyable!

For more information about The Beer Brewing Book please visit the website.

Source: http://askaboutx.com/business/beer-brewing-books-beer-lovers-hobby/

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Monday, September 3, 2012

How To Keep Things Running Smoothly On Your Wedding Day ...



Men and women seem to want different things when it comes to the overall makeup of their weddings, but everyone can agree that a wedding should be a day you remember for the rest of your life. Make sure you're planning a day worth remembering by using the wedding tips in this article.

Have your wedding on a non-traditional day. For example, if you celebrate on a Friday instead of a Saturday, you will save a substantial amount of money. There are some complications associated with having a wedding on a work day, so think about having it in the evening. You will also have the entire weekend to continue to celebrate with friends and family members.

Bridal fashion changes drastically from year to year. Unless you are set on spending the money and storage space necessary to preserve and keep your wedding dress, consider renting a gown instead. Most formal wear rental companies are very reasonable in price and policies, and you can wear the expensive designer dress of your dreams for pennies compared to buying it for a one-time wearing.

If your wedding is going to take place in the winter, be sure to have it indoors. Although snow may be beautiful, it can really put a hamper on a wedding ceremony. Plus, you do not want your wedding party and guests to freeze for the amount of time it takes for the ceremony to be completed.

If you want to have a traditional wedding, that is great, but you should really consider changing things up for your honeymoon. Many people try to leave for their honey moon directly after the wedding, but this is almost never a good idea. It is better to wait a day or two.

Make sure that you never plan your bachelor or bachelorette parties the day before the wedding. There may be a lot of drinking at these parties, and the last thing that you will want to do is ruin the day of your wedding because you are not fully functional. Have a calm day right before your wedding.

Make sure to allow a cushion of time between your wedding and reception. Weddings almost always run late. Receptions usually must start on time. You typically book your reception from a particular start time, to a particular end time. If your wedding runs late, you might be paying for time that you and your guests cannot even enjoy.

Make cuts in the guest list before doing anything else to save money. Most of the time there are wedding guests that don't need to be invited. A relative you haven't talked to in years may not need an invitation, for example. Getting real about who is invited to your wedding can save hundreds of dollars.

The time has come to plan your wedding. It is the biggest day of your life, and you're putting every drop of energy into the process. You just might lose your sanity along the way, right? Wrong! If you follow the tips we have provided, you can make it to your big day and keep your sanity intact. Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride!

When you are searching for the hottest special occasion attire, you'll discover what you're looking for with our Richmond Virginia.



Source: http://relationshipsa-z.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-keep-things-running-smoothly-on.html

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16 Kickstarter projects that just might destroy civilization as we know it

2 days

Sure, these projects?seem quirky now, but that scrappy amateur fusion reactor might blow up the Earth. Fund at your own risk.?

?

1.?The space elevator
This project has been in the news all day, a 2km space elevator designed to hover over the moon first, and then eventually earth. The founders sound legit, but isn't this the sort of thing you might want to let NASA handle? If my cousin's modern dance documentary falls through, it's not such a big deal, but this is an enormous chunk of metal that could come plummeting out of the sky at any moment. Seems risky.

?

2. The homemade fusion reactor
This is a classic bad idea, making headlines when the Brooklyn-based reactor received funding back in 2010. That the borough has not since been consumed by fire, I put down to pure luck.

3. The Small Hadron Collider
Sure, it's less powerful than the Large Hadron Collider. In fact, it seems to be some kind of effects pedal and its connection to molecular physics is vague at best. Still, we feel as if they're meddling in forces they do not understand.

4. An enormous robot spider
Bond villains use Kickstarter too.

5. Wrathful gods and spirits of Tibet
This documentary project wants to travel to Tibet to study the "wrathful gods and spirits" of Himalayan Buddhism. Does that sound like the kind of thing that could, I don't know, unleash an ancient and unspeakable evil? You can't be too careful.

6. Mech warfare
I know, Battlebots are a thing, but it still seems unwise to build humanoid robots that specialize in hand-to-hand combat.

7. The Arduino satellite
It's just like a regular satellite, except it was designed over the Internet by volunteers with no obvious telecommunications experience.

8. Cards Against Humanity
A card game with the goal of destroying humanity. It's all in the name.

9. The 500,000-volt Tesla coil
Suspiciously similar to something you might build in "Command & Conquer."

10. The Z-Day manual
I take the zombie apocalypse very seriously, but I also think that by obsessively preparing for it, we may actually be weakening society in the event that it comes to pass. Everyone who buys this manual is going to go survivalist as soon as possible. It'll be all bikers and no flyboys! It's a bigger problem than people realize.

11. Roy the Robot
A mechanical claw, reaching toward humanity with unfathomable hatred, successfully funded on July 3.

12. DittoBlox modular building pods
I don't know what this is, but I don't trust it.

13. The Hermes spacecraft
Launch day for the world's first kickstarted rocket is going to be extremely nervous for everyone involved.

14. The Soundlazer
A death ray made of pure sound? Continue, I'm intrigued.

15. Hexy the Hexapod
"Hexy had only a vague sense of the forces that brought him into being, a shadowy network of 'backers' who seemed to respond to his existence with both horror and delight. Were there others like him somewhere? Was there a world in which hexapods lived as something more than an abomination? Whatever his future held, Hexy knew he could not rest until the monsters that created him had answered for their crimes."

16. Troller 1D
Have you seen the movie Screamers? They're kickstarting screamers.

More from BuzzFeed:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/16-kickstarter-projects-could-destroy-civilization-974501

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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Reserve P-3 Force Prepares for Deployment During RIMPAC ...

The U.S. Navy issued the following news release:

Four aircrews and more than 50 maintenance personnel from the Broadarrows of Patrol Squadron (VP) 62 and the Totems of VP-69 increased their warfighting skills during RIMPAC 2012 this month.

The 23rd biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise ran in and around the Hawaiian Islands from June 29 to Aug. 3 and is the world?s largest international maritime exercise.

The exercise involved 25,000 personnel from 22 nations, 40 ships and submarines, and more than 200 aircraft. RIMPAC is designed to foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world?s oceans.

?Our goal at the exercise was to obtain advanced qualifications in our core readiness areas of anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare,? said Cmdr. Jerry Dearie, commanding officer of VP-62. ?From where I stand, we could not have had a better exercise. The Broadarrows flew 10 coordinated operations sorties accruing more than 50 hours and were awarded 18 advanced crew qualifications.

?RIMPAC has always been a valuable source of multi-nation, combined operational training. I don?t remember the last time we missed one,? said Dearie, who joined the squadron in 2002 as a new lieutenant commander. ?It takes a great effort to get aircrew and maintenance personnel out to a major fleet exercise, but the fantastic return on investment will keep us coming back for years to come.?

The theme of RIMPAC 2012 was ?Capable ? Adaptive ? Partners.? The participating nations and forces exercised a wide range of capabilities that demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The realistic and relevant training syllabus at RIMPAC included exercises in a wide array of operational fields, including amphibious ops, missile and gunnery firing, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, counter-piracy, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage.

?During the next 12 months the VP-69 crews will expand their readiness qualifications to be world-wide deployable. The RIMPAC exercise allowed our combat aircrews to conduct missions and hone their warfighting skills in a challenging real-world environment,? said Cmdr. Mike Mineo, commanding officer of VP-69. ?The Totems flew more than 50 hours and achieved 14 readiness qualifications. Our crews and maintainers performed exceptionally well and were an outstanding representation of the Navy Reserve.?

?We successfully fired a live Maverick missile against a decommissioned target ship as part of a large joint live-fire exercise,? said Cmdr. Kris Moorhead, one of VP-62?s mission commanders at RIMPAC. ?It is a very rare opportunity for us to get live ordnance in a training environment so this has been a fantastic training exercise for the aircrew and maintenance personnel.

?We also dropped a torpedo on an undersea target sled,? said Moorhead. ?Most of our events were focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and it was a great training. We coordinated our ASW efforts with P-3s from several countries, ASW helicopters, and the newest ASW patrol aircraft, the P-8.?

Broadarrow and Totem maintenance personnel also supported the maintenance departments of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2.

Chief Aviation Electrician?s Mate (AW/NAC) Brian Norman has been a member of the VP-69 Totems for 12 years, serving as both a P-3 flight engineer and maintenance control supervisor.

?We really fit in well with our active duty counterparts in the maintenance department. Keeping up with a very high operational tempo required a real team effort,? Norman said.

?We assisted in operational and maintenance support of eight P-3C aircraft participating in the monthlong multinational maritime operation,? said Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic (AW) Tyson Anderson. ?My maintenance team worked on avionics systems, power plants, electronics systems as well as airframe related issues on eight P-3C aircraft.?

While it has always been a major exercise for the Broadarrows and Totems, RIMPAC 2012 was even more important this year for the VP Reserve units. Next summer, both squadrons will deploy to forward locations to fill a void created by the transition from the P-3 Orion to the P-8 Poseidon.

?VP-69 was proud to demonstrate their Totem tenacity and experience throughout the exercise,? said Mineo, who has served as a full-time support officer in both squadrons. ?We flawlessly conducted our operational readiness evaluation flight events under the evaluation of Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 in prepare for their upcoming partial unit mobilization in June.?

For more information, visit?www.navy.mil?,?www.facebook.com/usnavy?, or?www.twitter.com/usnavy?.

For more news from Patrol Squadron 62, visit?www.navy.mil/local/vp62/?.

This article was posted by Neptune Maritime Security via avionics-intelligence.com. MaritimeSecurity.Asia in cooperation with?www.neptunemaritimesecurity.com

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MaritimeSecurity.Asia

- brings you up-to-date international news and features on all aspects of maritime security in Asia. We covers strategic & political developments, technology in the defence industry, projects, trends, products, services and more in the maritime sector.

Source: http://maritimesecurity.asia/free-2/piracy-2/reserve-p-3-force-prepares-for-deployment-during-rimpac/

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Import tax deadline has Cuba entrepreneurs on edge

A shopper looks at a copy of a FC Barcelona soccer team shirt with the name of player Lionel Messi at an outdoor market where the government allows licensed vendors to sell their goods in downtown Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. A jump in import taxes on Monday, Sept. 3 threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs who the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy. In Cuba, the average monthly wage is about $20. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

A shopper looks at a copy of a FC Barcelona soccer team shirt with the name of player Lionel Messi at an outdoor market where the government allows licensed vendors to sell their goods in downtown Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. A jump in import taxes on Monday, Sept. 3 threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs who the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy. In Cuba, the average monthly wage is about $20. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

Javier E. Matos repairs a a cell phone at The Cell Phone Clinic, a private business in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. A jump in import taxes on Monday, Sept. 3 threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs who the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy. In Cuba, the average monthly wage is about $20. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

In this Aug 29, 2012 photo, venders Yeisker Castillo and his wife Lisbet Tejeda, right, dress a mannequin at their stall as clients walk through the open-air market where the government allows licensed vendors to sell their goods in downtown Havana, Cuba. A jump in import taxes on Monday, Sept. 3 threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs who the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy. In Cuba, the average monthly wage is about $20. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

In this Aug 29, 2012 photo, Luis Manuel Dlas works to unload bags of imported clothing and accessories from a storage container, where self-employed vendors store their merchandise within an open market where the government allows licensed vendors to sell their goods in downtown Havana, Cuba. A jump in import taxes on Monday, Sept. 3 threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs who the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy. In Cuba, the average monthly wage is about $20. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

In this Aug. 30, 2012 photo, Javier E. Matos repairs a cell phone at The Cell Phone Clinic, a private business in Havana, Cuba. A jump in import taxes on Monday, Sept. 3 threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs who the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy. In Cuba, the average monthly wage is about $20. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

(AP) ? A sudden jump in import taxes on Monday threatens to make life tougher for some of Cuba's new entrepreneurs and will mean higher prices for many of their customers by raising the cost of goods ranging from jungle-print blouses to jewelry.

The new measures steeply hike duties on cargo shipments, as well as on many bulk goods brought in by airline passengers, a crucial supply line for many of the small businesses the government has been trying to encourage as it cuts a bloated workforce in the socialist economy.

Officials insist the taxes are similar to those in other countries, but many small-business owners view the change as an ominous sign.

While the published official description seems aimed at items such as clothing, soap, food and other personal-use goods, it is so complex it leaves importers of other products unsure if they will be affected, now or in the future.

Some of the entrepreneurs, such as Javier Ernesto Matos, say they have prepared for the blow by stocking up on parts before the tax takes effect.

He also has prepared for a worst-case scenario if supply dries up entirely: "It's pretty shocking, but the strategy we have in mind is to consolidate in a single shop and leave prices the same to recoup what we can from our investment," said Matos, who together with two business partners operates three mobile phone repair shops called the Cellphone Clinic.

Others say they'll have no choice but to raise prices. That, along with the higher taxes on goods brought in by friends, has worried consumers in a country where the average monthly wage is about $20.

"For our family these are important items, from a little soap to a backpack for school," a woman identified as Loraine wrote on the state-run Cubadebate website. "We all make sacrifices to help them. Nothing falls from the sky. Why are they turning their backs on reality? Knowing how many shortages there are in the country, why be so strict?"

While President Raul Castro has tried to expand the private sector, the government has done little to provide wholesale outlets where businesses can buy parts and materials for the goods they sell, so many supplies are either unavailable or prohibitively expensive due to high government retail markups.

Arturo Lopez-Levy, a Cuban-born economist at the University of Denver, said it's not unusual for countries to levy high customs duties, but Cuba has exceptional circumstances that make it inadvisable right now.

"The right timing was to create the wholesale market first and then try to crack down on this type of activity," Lopez-Levy said. "If you don't have a wholesale market, then you are implementing the measures without the proper sequence, especially if you really want to promote the small- and medium-size nonstate sector."

"In the long term, this resolution was necessary," he said. "Right now, it's a mistake."

The new duties seem primarily targeted at so-called "mules," who make frequent shopping trips to places such as Ecuador, Panama and Miami and bring back duffel bags bulging with food, underwear, shoes and electronics.

Starting Monday, Cubans who travel abroad more than once a year not only will pay higher tariffs, they'll pay in hard currency rather than the more-easily obtainable national peso, which trades at 24 to the U.S. dollar and is used for most salaries.

Cubans will also begin paying dollar-based sums of $4.55 a pound ($10 per kilogram) above a certain weight to receive packages shipped by air and sea. That rate doubles if they bring in large shipments.

The impact is already being felt by people like Rafael, a 50-something who imports clothes to Havana. Before, he paid the equivalent of $65 in the local currency to import 550 pounds (120 kilograms) of clothing. Under the new, progressive duty schedule, that would apparently cost between $1,300 and $1,800.

"This idea of raising taxes is crazy. ... I don't know where this decision came from, because it hurts everyone," Rafael said. "But it hurts the people the most, because we have to raise our prices."

Already costly for Cubans ? a pair of jeans costs an average month's wage ? Rafael's prices stand to rise an initial $2-3 per garment and could go up even more, he said.

He declined to be identified by his full name because his business license only authorizes him to make clothing, but he essentially resells imported garments.

The new rules will mostly affect clothing stands and boutiques, but could also hurt the supply of things such as artificial nails to beauty salons, or fabric, buttons and zippers to dressmakers.

It could also make it harder for some Cubans to visit family abroad. Trips are often funded by agreeing to bring back large bags on behalf of someone who pays the airfare.

The Cellphone Clinic's Matos said he began doubling his normal purchases this summer and has stockpiled enough parts like fragile electronic ribbons to stay in business for two more years, no matter what.

"If buying pieces becomes more expensive, if people are bringing in less, you have to reevaluate and prices will have to rise," he said. "It's a bad thing, because if you raise the price not everyone will come like before. It's not worth it, you know?"

It's not clear that any state-run operation would offer some of the Clinic's services, such as unblocking an iPhone 4.

Separate tax rates cover food and electronics, including 400 pesos (or $17) for a Cuban to import a 32-inch or larger flat-screen TV on a first trip, and $400 on subsequent travels.

Authorities insist they're just trying to improve service at Cuban airports, where excess baggage clogs conveyor belts in passenger terminals. In mid-August, state-run website Cubadebate published Customs officials' explanation of the tariffs along with several examples.

But it did little to ease concerns, judging by the dozens of exasperated reader complaints posted in the comments section.

"Why should a Cuban citizen have to pay the taxes in a currency in which they themselves are not paid?" said a poster identified as Roberto Suarez. "That's not fair. I don't travel, but I don't see the logic in that."

Some said the regulations could force entrepreneurs to turn to black-market goods pilfered from state-run concerns.

Others, however, predicted that Cubans, famous for their knack for finding a make-do solution to any problem, will figure a way to sidestep the duties.

"Something will be found to get around this," said Maria, another clothing vendor who also would not give her last name because her business activities exceed the scope of her license. "It always happens in this country. It's like they say: 'He who creates the law, also creates the cheat.'"

___

Associated Press writer Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana contributed to this report.

___

Follow Peter Orsi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-09-01-Cuba-Pricey%20Goods/id-c0129bc9288f47c7aa49d6f62225638b

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