MasterCard probes possible cardholder breach

NEW YORK (AP) ? MasterCard says it is investigating a potential security breach of its cardholders' account information.

The credit card company said Friday it has notified law enforcement agencies and issuers of the MasterCard accounts that are potentially at risk. The credit card company only processes transactions ? the credit cards are issued to cardholders by banks such as Citibank and also a number of retailers.

MasterCard wouldn't say how many cardholders, banks or issuing companies are affected.

The company advises cardholders who have concerns that they should contact the financial institution that issued their cards.

MasterCard says its own systems have not been compromised.

Associated Press

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Myanmar elections: A hold-your-breath moment for freedom and Aung San Suu Kyi

Suspense is building for the Myanmar elections April 1. Will democracy fighter and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi finally get an official voice in her country, formerly known as Burma? The US can help freedom emerge in Myanmar through pressure and a new ambassador.

Just days before the April 1 election in Myanmar (Burma), suspense is building: Will Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi finally get an official voice in her country?

Skip to next paragraph

It?s expected that she?ll win a seat in parliament and gain the victory that was snatched from her in 1990 by military rulers ? which would be a stunning political comeback.

Less certain is whether her party members will win enough of the other 47 open seats to make a difference in governance. This tightly controlled country is now inching toward greater freedoms, though this week, the government said it was postponing elections in three constituencies in the Kachin district because of security concerns.

Speaking today to foreign election observers and journalists, Ms. Suu Kyi said that the elections ? which will fill only a small number of seats in the parliament ? would not be free or fair by democratic standards. But she vowed to continue with her candidacy for the sake of her country.

While in Myanmar recently, I found my way to a campaign rally for Suu Kyi in a dusty suburb of Yangon (formerly Rangoon). Since she has spent 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest, it was a rare opportunity. As she often warns supporters, certain elements in the military could revoke recent steps toward openness at any moment.

Two hours before the event, thousands of people filled the streets, jostling for a place to see ?The Lady? appear on a balcony. Fathers wearing new T-shirts sporting Suu Kyi?s picture held up children to see. On one side of me stood a farmer in a traditional peasant straw hat. On the other, a shop girl in a faded cotton sarong waved a little red flag with the fighting peacock emblem of Suu Kyi?s National League for Democracy (NLD).

Buddhist monks in burnt-orange robes walked slowly through the crowd as if they were just out seeking morning alms and ?happened? to be on the block. They had paid a deadly price for protesting in the streets during the ?Saffron Revolution? of 2007. They seem less visible now.

Just a year ago, the monks and the farmer and the shop girl might have been arrested for being there. At this rally, there was a lot of anxious looking-around in the crowd, as if army trucks could roll up at any time.

The only one who seemed totally at ease was Aung San Suu Kyi. When she emerged on the balcony, she spoke to the tens of thousands of people as if they were visitors in her living room. She joked, ?People from other parties can vote for us ? we don?t discriminate.?

With her trademark spray of flowers tucked into the back of her hair, she still has the look of an Asian Audrey Hepburn, but her earnest speeches reflect her Oxford-educated pedigree. She talked about the need for rule of law to protect people?s rights, and solutions to the widespread poverty in Myanmar, where the average income is $2.20 a day. New foreign investment will help create some needed jobs short-term, she said, but ?if our people are not educated, the country can?t develop.?

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THE NUMBER ONE Reason Relationships Fail | Marriage Success

I realize it?s a bold statement to say THE NUMBER ONE reason relationships fail has been located. Well, it has been located and thousands are using this information to dramatically improve their relationships.

Before I get into it, let me tell you briefly about myself.?My name is Stan Dubin and I live in Clearwater, Florida.

I run a national counseling firm that sends highly-skilled counselors around the United States and Canada. We help individuals and couples improve their lives to their satisfaction.

Here is a picture of my family?

On my left is my wife, Mary Ann. And that?s our daughter, Chelsea, to my right.

My wife and I have been married for 34 years. Has it been a smooth ride all the way through? No. There have been some tough spots, some very tough. But we applied the same information that is being made available to you here, and each time we did, our marriage improved dramatically.

So enough about me, let?s get on with it?

After extensively studying human relationships, L. Ron Hubbard said: ?Man has learned where he has agreed upon codes of conduct or what is proper, he survives, and where he has not agreed, he doesn?t survive.?

When people get together, in a relationship or in any kind of group situation, they make certain agreements with each other.

In the workplace we usually agree to be on time, to work hard, to be as productive as possible.

In a marriage, we agree to be faithful, to be honest, to be supportive.

When people create a relationship (of any kind), agreements are essential to that relationship.

We may not put all of these agreements in writing, but they do exist.

THE NUMBER ONE Reason Relationships Fail

When we do something that ?breaks? any of these agreements, we KNOW that we?ve done so. We may try to convince ourselves that ?it was unavoidable? or ?the other person deserved it.? It doesn?t matter. We know that we?ve done something that, in some way, has violated an agreement of the relationship.

When these agreements are broken?

The communication in the relationship goes down.

Sometimes a little.

Sometimes a lot.

There are all kinds and ?sizes? of broken agreements.

For example, here are two ?small? broken agreements that might occur in a marriage:

The husband agrees to take out the trash every Friday night and one Friday night, he doesn?t do so.

The wife agrees to use the credit card ONLY for essential items. One day she puts $50 on the card so that she can take the son to a baseball game.

And of course there are large broken agreements. An affair would be one obvious example.

So, we?ve got different kinds and different sizes of broken agreements.

People do not just fall out of love with each other. That?s what they may say and that?s what they may feel, but factually they have both simply accumulated too many ?broken agreements.?

These do not have to be of a very serious nature. But over time, they can mount up and then the following happens:

Married couples separate or get divorced.

Lovers break up.

Friendships fall apart.

Kids treat their parents poorly (and vice versa).

Any type of relationship can be destroyed when there are too many ?broken agreements.?

Why am I so sure of this?

When thousands of people addressed this exact point in their relationship, things improved DRAMATICALLY.

If these broken agreements are THE problem, then what?s the solution?

After 25 years of helping individuals and couples, I wrote a book that I am not making available free as an eBook. The book is called:

When the Thrill Is Gone, How to Put the Life and Excitement Back Into Any Relationship

In this book is a very exact procedure that handles this problem of ?broken agreements.?

To get this free eBook, click here.

Is your marriage not doing well? Apply the information in Chapter 4 exactly the way it?s laid out, and you will feel much better about your marriage.

If your spouse also applies the information in Chapter 4, even better. But if your spouse does not, you will still feel enormously better.

Have you just had a big fight with your spouse?

Then go to Chapter 6. There are two simple but powerful procedures there to help defuse the fight.

Apply those procedures and you will feel much better.

Are you still upset about a previous relationship? Go to Chapter 10 and apply the two procedures there. If you follow those exactly, you will feel MUCH better. Many people have applied the two procedures in Chapter 10 and they were able to completely let go of the previous relationship and move on.

Speaking of moving on, are you looking to start a new relationship?

Chapters 11, 12 and 13 give you the information you need to make the right choice.

Are you upset with a close friend? A neighbor? A family member?

If you sit down and apply the information in Chapter 4, you will feel much better and be able to deal with the upset. Do NOT be surprised if the upset completely disappears. It happens quite often when this information is applied.

Click here to get a free copy of the book.

Paul Silovsky from Topeka, Kansas said the following:

?My wife and I have applied the materials in Stan Dubin?s book several times throughout our marriage and each time we were able to resolve a marital problem.

?Sometimes these problems would seem rather daunting, but having the right information made a huge difference and actually made our relationship better than ever before! Yes, we strongly recommend the book.?

?

---

Christina Panetta from Oakdale, New York had this to say:

?Restoring my relationship with Richard is the biggest win. I do know that it was meant for Richard and I to continue on our journey together.

?I just never realized how much my loss of communicating with him was impacting on other areas of my life. Thank you ? thank you ? thank you!!! for helping Richard and I find our way back to one another.?

?

---

And finally, from Jeannette Buckles of Palm Harbor, Florida:

?In Oct 2007, Peter and I will be married twenty years. For both of us, this is our second marriage. Using the information in the book When the Thrill Is Gone has helped us to make this marriage a true success.

?When we first got together, we loved and cared for each other tremendously. And that love and care has continued to grow to this day. It?s a real joy to be this happily married.?

?

---

So there you go.

Click here and the eBook will be available to you in about a minute

Source: http://marriagesuccess.com/the-number-one-reason-relationships-fail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-number-one-reason-relationships-fail

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Business Ethics: Why Greg Smith Left Goldman Sachs (Advanced ...

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up (Pair Work)

1) What?s the best way to invest for your future?
2) What companies do you feel overcharge or abuse their customers?
3) What is the purpose of a corporation or financial institution?
4) Have you ever quit a job for ethical reasons?
5) What are the values of the company you work for?

Reading: Why Greg Smith Left Goldman Sachs (March, 2012)

Greg Smith has created a significant buzz on Wall Street. When he resigned on March 14th as an executive director at Goldman Sachs, one of the world?s largest investment banks, he decided to publish his resignation letter in the New York Times. Needless to say, he has definitely burned his bridges with his former employer. After 12 years at Goldman Sachs, which he writes was ?long enough to understand the trajectory of [the company?s] culture?, Smith claims he could no longer in good conscience identify with what the company stood for. He complains of a shift in the company?s practices from protecting client interests towards a culture of money-grubbing in which the client?s interests are sidelined. According to Smith, the mission today is to get clients to trade whatever brings the biggest profit to Goldman. He writes:

?

?Integrity? It is eroding. I don?t know of any illegal behavior, but will people push the envelope and pitch lucrative and complicated products to clients even if they are not the simplest investments or the ones most directly aligned with the client?s goals? Absolutely. Every day, in fact.?

?

He described an environment where colleagues callously boast about ripping off clients, whom directors refer to as ?muppets.?

?

Smith concludes his letter by stating:

?

?I hope this can be a wake-up call to the board of directors. Make the client the focal point of your business again. Without clients you will not make money. In fact, you will not exist. Weed out the morally bankrupt people, no matter how much money they make for the firm. And get the culture right again, so people want to work here for the right reasons. People who care only about making money will not sustain this firm ? or the trust of its clients ? for very much longer.? [299 words]

[Original: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/opinion/why-i-am-leaving-goldman-sachs.html]

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Comprehension & Follow-Up Questions

1)??? What prompted Greg Smith to resign?

2)??? True or False: Smith accused Goldman Sachs of illegal business practices.

3)??? Who are ?muppets??

4)??? What does the phrase morally bankrupt mean?

5)??? What effect does Smith hope his letter will have?

6)??? Your Opinion: Do you commend Greg Smith for how he resigned?

7)??? Your Opinion: What surprised you about the article?

Answers

1 ? He resigned because of a shift in the company culture away from protecting client interests towards pursing profits at the expense of the clients.

2 ? False.

3 ? The muppets, in this situation, are the clients. Smith's claims his coworkers referred to clients as muppets, most likely because of the way they can manipulate them.

4 ? It means that the employees had no moral values.

5 ? He hopes it will make the board of directors wake up, and decide to improve the culture of the business by making it client-focused once again.

6 ? ?

7 ? ?

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Vocabulary Matching

Match the words with their meaning as used in the news lesson.

burn your bridges trajectory in good conscience money-grubbing integrity erode (verb) push the envelope lucrative callous rip sb off (phr. verb) focal point weed out (phr. verb)

Answers

• burn your bridges ? destroy a relationship so you cannot return somewhere
• trajectory ? the curved paths sth thrown in the air will travel
• in good conscience ? honestly
• money-grubbing ? trying to get a lot of money (disapproving)
• integrity ? the quality of being honesty or having strong principles
• erode ? wear away; crumble; deteriorate
• push the envelope ? go beyond the limit of what is usually done
• lucrative ? profitable
• callous ? without caring about other people's feelings
• rip sb off ? cheat sb by making them pay too much
• focal point ? the center of interest or activity
• weed out sth ? remove or get rid of unwanted things from a group

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Connect the below idea(s) to make a sentence.

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Dissatisfied Employees

What can companies do to prevent dissatisfied or disgruntled employees from making their feelings public?

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan:? Role-Play (Pair Work)

Student A	It?s March 13th. Your friend, Greg Smith, tells you he plans to resign tomorrow. You don?t believe he should. Try to think of reasons why he shouldn?t. (Possible reasons: 1) money 2) businesses are all the same 3) if he wants to make a difference, then stay and fix the problem, etc.)
Student B ?	It?s March 13th. Tomorrow, you plan to quit your job. Tell your friend (Student A), about your plan to resign and also post your resignation letter publicly.

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Thrasymachus? Challenge

In Plato?s The Republic, Thrasymachus challenges Socrates to tell him why it is better in life to be just. Thrasymachus argues that it is not only more profitable to be unjust and immoral but also more rational to be so. He argues that the unjust life is more pleasant and offers more rewards. The life of the moral man, however, is wretched and unhappy. How would you respond to Thrasymachus? challenge?

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Situations

Discuss the below situations with a partner. Share your ideas with the class when finished.

1. If you are overworked and underpaid, is it okay to conduct personal business on company time?

2. If you and two other members of a five-person team did all the work on a project, would you tell management about this? Is it okay to put the other co-workers in a negative light?

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Mission, Vision, and Values (Optional Pair Work)

Combine you and your partner?s last names to make the name of a financial institution. Next, draw up a basic company mission statement that outlines its core values.

Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Discussion Questions

1) Why should companies value anything other than their own profits?
2) What are the pros and cons of exit interviews?
3) What repercussions do you think await Greg Smith?
4) Whistle-blowing: Is Gregory Smith a whistle-blower?
5) Banking: Would banking services improve if banks were public?
6) How can the business culture described by Smith be changed?

?

?

?

Business Ethics ESL Lesson plan copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com

Source: http://www.englishcurrent.com/business-ethics-greg-smith-goldman-sachs-advanced/

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Research and Markets: Prostate Cancer - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis to 2020 - Q4 2010

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Palo Alto Limo Rental Service Companies Are Your Best Option ...

* Important: Please be detailed and very specific in your description to ensure our dealers can correctly identify the right part(s) you need. Include the auto model, year of production, exact details of part(s) needed, including manual or auto transmission, motor type as well as colour and/or car chassis number if relevant.

If you are trying to find a way to tour the Palo Alto area, the simplest way to accomplish that will be to use a Palo Alto limo rental service. There are many functions connected with these limousine solutions that make them suitable for usage by visitors, straight from the time you land in the region up to when you depart. You might think that it may be a greater notion to employ public options of traveling in order to obtain a good feel of the area, however the lack of comfort and ease and the setbacks may interrupt your vacation programs, that may ultimately cause a lot of frustration. You?re hence happier making use of a Palo Alto limo rental service for convenience and comfort.

?

One good reason why it?s a good idea to try to use a Palo Alto limo rental service in lieu of other forms of travel is the point that the chauffeurs being employed by these businesses typically recognize their way around the location extremely well. This means that they would be able to point out a few of the very best travel and leisure places based on your requirements. Besides understanding landmarks and sites that could be fascinating to any tourists, the drivers from those Palo Alto limo rental service businesses are in addition competent at getting you there with minimum postponement and maximum ease and comfort additionally.

?

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?

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?

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At least 3 humans?

Yesterday was a typical day. You went to work or school... or just lazed around the house, or did whatever you usually do. There had been no warning or sign that anything would change. There had been no impending apocalyptic predictions, well at least not till the end of the year.

And yet...

6,840,507,003 people, roughly the world's population, had vanished over night. Not died. There was no huge battle for the souls of the masses. No corps left to signify that there had been so many people. No zombies, no asteroid, no aliens, nothing. Only the buildings remained and all life vanished.

And somehow, you are still here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a glitch in the system that had caused this. The artificial beings that were called humans were very few in number, not that they knew such. They were kept in the Box, a high-tech simulator. The four were raised from infancy very carefully. They were supposed to die in there, never learning of the truth. Unfortunately this changed everything.

The idea was to create a new race, similar to our own, but without powers. There were many reasons for this. Mainly though, we hoped to delude the seemingly ever growing powers of our own people. It sounds strange doesn't it? That we would hope to cripple our own strengths. It was tragic, but our powers would only lead to our demise. With each generation the powers grew and it had almost become a race. Families struggled to find others of power, secure an heir who would be stronger than all others, and the final goal was to rule the world. Of course no one openly spoke of such, but it was obviously happening. Which is why the Box was constructed, why the humans were made.

Unfortunately with this glitch, we can't continue testing the humans within the Box. We have no clue how they'll react to their entire world being a lie. Worse yet, we have no way of knowing how they will genetically react to us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So this is where we, the humans, begin. Our world is empty and a strange voice calls us as if through a PA system to meet with each-other...

Human 1 - Zeth Trigger - 21 - American - Male (Miikii)

Human 2 -

Human 3 -

Human 4 -

Crete (Our creators)

Crete 1 - the one charged with observing the humans, s/he isn't particularly powerful. Is also trying to guide them out of the Box.

Crete 2 - Random member of Crete society (SlightlyInsane)

Crete 3 - Head of one of the stronger houses of power. Seeking a proper mate to strengthen his/her own powers against the other houses.

Crete 4 - Member of one of the stronger houses of power. Seeking a proper mate to strengthen his/her own powers against the other houses.

Crete 5 - Member of one of the stronger houses of power. Seeking a proper mate to strengthen his/her own powers against the other houses.

Things to note:

Crete 3, 4, and 5 are not from the same house.

Humans are artificial, genetically engineered beings.
We look normal.
We have no powers.

>yet< Due to our genetic similarities, but lack of the key structure of the Crete's own genetics that give them a single stable power, humans can mimic the Crete's power or amplify it. The humans will have to learn how on their own however, and will not be proficient to start.

The race that created us, look a lot like us. The exceptions being:
1. Powers, which are passed down through DNA, vary from person to person and are slightly unpredictable when mixed. A power can be anything from heightened senses to elemental control, flight and more. But each Crete only posses 1.
2. Odd coloration. Be it their skin tone, eye color, hair color, or something else. This appearance is strangely not genetic and changes greatly even from parent to child.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/-jJUirjS_xU/viewtopic.php

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Charlie Sheen Apologizes for "Cringeable" Behavior

When Today viewers tuned in this morning, they may have thought they were experiencing a flashback to a year ago. There, sitting opposite Matt Lauer, was a manic, fidgety Charlie Sheen. Between compulsive sips of coffee, he answered questions with jokes and big smiles. He seemed over-caffeinated. Watch the clip here:

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/charlie-sheen-apologizes-cringeable-behavior-are-we-ready-forgive-him/1-a-439716?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acharlie-sheen-apologizes-cringeable-behavior-are-we-ready-forgive-him-439716

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The bees are back (Offthekuff)

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Lower death risk with heart bypass vs. angioplasty

CHICAGO (AP) ? Older patients with clogged heart arteries may have a little lower death risk over time if they get bypass operations instead of angioplasty and stents to fix the problem, new research suggests.

It's not the kind of study that gives conclusive evidence, but doctors say it gives a "real world" look at how people fare in ordinary practice. As such, it could tip the balance toward surgery for patients considering the choice, especially because research already shows bypass gives a better and longer lasting result for people with multiple blockages.

In a bypass operation, doctors move healthy blood vessels from other parts of the body to detour around clogged arteries supplying blood to the heart. Angioplasty treats the problem via a tube pushed through a blood vessel. A tiny balloon is inflated to flatten the clog and a mesh scaffold, a stent, is placed to prop the artery open.

Researchers compared these approaches using records on 190,000 Medicare patients with two or three blockages ? the largest study ever of this issue. Death rates were similar one year after either treatment. But after four years, nearly 21 percent of the angioplasty patients had died versus about 16 percent of those who had bypass surgery.

Results were discussed Tuesday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the United States, more than a million operations or procedures are done each year to treat clogged arteries, and the study "provides comprehensive, large-scale, national data" to help doctors and patients decide which treatment is best, Dr. Susan Shurin said in a statement. She is acting director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which sponsored the study.

Comparative effectiveness studies like this one are taking on greater importance as more attention turns to the cost of health care.

Researchers used databases kept by the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons on 86,244 people who had bypass surgery and 103,549 others who had angioplasty between 2004 and 2007. They used fancy statistical adjustments to try to compensate for differences in the groups that might affect the results.

They found bypass to give a survival advantage even when they considered factors such as sex, race, age, and conditions like diabetes.

"Everything lines up" in favor of surgery, said study leader Dr. William Weintraub of Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Del. "We were frankly surprised by that."

Still, researchers say differences in the overall health of people who had surgery versus the less drastic procedure could account for some of the results. They say angioplasty remains a good and safe option for many people.

"You're not making a mistake if you still have angioplasty," especially if you have only one or two blockages, said Dr. Kirk Garratt of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He is a spokesman for the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions, doctors who do angioplasties.

There are tests to help decide whether one treatment will be better than another, but "in general, doctors do it intuitively" based on how frail patients look, how easily they walk across the room, how firmly they shake your hand, said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a health outcomes research specialist at Yale University.

The new study "nudges you a little closer" to favoring bypass, but because of the caveats, "in the end, it says it is a close call," he said.

The fact bypass gives a longer-lasting result is a selling point ? it means fewer repeat procedures, said Dr. Michael Crawford, chief of clinical cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco.

"Some patients buy that and want to go for the long term. Others, it's a tough sell," he said.

The real message is how safe both procedures are, said Dr. Vince Bufalino of Advocate Health Care, a 100-doctor cardiology group that serves 10 hospitals in the Chicago area.

"We still think a traditional operation is excellent" for people with multiple blockages, said Bufalino, an American Heart Association spokesman.

___

Online:

Heart meeting: http://www.cardiosource.org

New England Journal: http://www.nejm.org

Heart disease info: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad//

___

Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-03-27-Heart%20Bypass%20Safety/id-c25692fa4cd446df81820b0a9715cc31

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Wonderful Town (Powerlineblog)

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Vibram Five Finger? eh? shoes? ? The Best Designed Running ...

After i very first noticed a few the actual Vibram 5 Disposal this instantly required me personally to individuals 5 toed socks which were extremely popular in your, uh? 1970s, I believe. These were crazy searching and in addition very awesome.

Till We attempted these people upon as well as found Id a bit of; obstacles between your foot fear. Kind of such for the reason that switch washout or even thong item in between all my personal foot. I simply could not too suspend with this experience.

And today all folks possess a footwear to provide exactly the same kind of foot personality for anyone outside barefoot fanatics straight away health and fitness runner, towards the seaside patient, towards the daring, allow it to most spend time, rock and roll climber.

What exactly perform most of these 5 Fingertips perform?

To put it purely, these people safeguard your underside in our ft even when permitting the actual individual a very organic really feel along with the actual impressive area therere holding. Through difficult areas to be able to much softer types the actual 5 Fingertips may prevent blisters, hole injuries, slashes, as well as scrapes whilst enabling you the particular barefoot independence that accompany certainly not putting on virtually any footwear.

Any kind of most people adore all of all of them. Do you know the most frequent factors individuals make use of these? To begin with:

Many barefoot fanatics phone this shoes,; the barefoot alternative. You might make using the phrase; the cushioning alternative within mention of the the actual various forms of athletic shoes along with plentiful padding included in them all.
gt; They assist power the specific musculature from the ft and also reduce lower-leg while not having to search international items from the can their own ft throughout exercise;
They assistance to; re-align operating technicians (feet, ankle joint, leg, stylish, make, as well as mind) which have been pressured to pay within an un-natural or even switching position caused by many years associated with donning; unnatural athletic shoes. This particular declare definitely offers its Good and bad points.;
They help with relieving unneeded challenges wear reduce lower-leg important joints together with muscle tissue due to needed foot hit along with barefoot operating as opposed to the back heel hit that lots of athletic shoes stress.
Many 5 hand promoters merely such as the really feel associated with putting on these people. The person foot wedgie will not negatively impact these people such as the over mentioned before encounter.;

To handle white water adventures and summer strolling through village, the metanomical footbed provides exceptional support and comfort, matching the anatomy on the foot perfectly. It is designed to handle highly uneven terrain and offers protection from stone bruises, stubbed toes and underfoot spikes. A chunky sticky rubber outsole features razor sampling to dispel underfoot normal water, and 5mm lugs to give excellent grip on lake banks, trails and tarmac. The quick draw elastic cord put in at home to adjust when wet, and a Microban/Aegis antimicrobial treatment makes sure that the shoes resist invasion by mildew and form whilst keeping the shoes and boots bacteria free for excellent foot health.

Since the ground breaking Keen Newport was released, Keen has enjoyed an explosion in styles, with slides, boots and even toe post sandals included in the range, always featuring the trademark patented toe protection system and also the chunky rubber outsole. Catering to the full variety of outdoor adventure sports, the shoes are some of the best mens water shoes available.

The hybrid design can be evident throughout their selection, and incorporates a coordinator of Keen technologies and keep the feet in ideal comfort, no matter where you may walk. Keen appreciate more than most that a majority of people live a hybrid car lifestyle, and this is reflected in their shoes. If you love variety with your outdoor adventures, and want to highest versatility, comfort, and protection for your toes, there are few brands which can match up to Enthusiastic. The only downside is usually that for pure normal water sports, the shoes can feel slightly chunky and heavy, so if you are rarely from the water, there is a better option compared to hybrid models.

There is one water shoe brand that has carved out its own niche, offering a shoe which can be quite extraordinary and unlike any other. Vibram Five Fingers barefoot shoes literally offer a glove like fit. They have a separate compartment for each toe, akin to a handwear cover, with a similarly snug fit which hugs this foot for maximum protection. They offer a natural feel for any barefoot walking experience, but with a whole lot more grip. Vibram Five Fingers protect the feet from spikes and your extremes of temperature, yet retain all of the health benefits of barefoot taking walks. They offer little higher than a thin strip of Vibram rubber, but for the optimum performance, it is often all that is required.

If youre the physical fitness nut then you certainly should have heard regarding; Vibram 5 fingertips shoes or boots. The actual originator linked to Vibram 5 fingertips footwear Robert Fliri states that numerous power, around 20% throughout operating or even hiking the hill will be dissipated or even squandered within from the footwear by itself. Certainly many of these hiking sneakers are typically large as well seeing that huge quantity of power can be utilized in order to pull the actual footwear instead of the footwear helping the actual individual.

If you possess the desire to begin working out and also operating within a set of Cheap Vibram FiveFingers shoes
Vibram Five Fingers We highly motivate the original strategy at first. The greater your own ft in addition to reduce extremities adapt to the fresh new needs as well since bio-mechanical changes the greater intense you are able to turn out to become.

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Source: http://www.articles101.info/vibram-five-finger-eh-shoes-the-best-designed-running-shoe/

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Samsung Designer Says He?s No Apple Copycat, Says Galaxy ?Original From The Beginning?

Lee Minhyouk:?'(The Galaxy) is original from the beginning, and I'm the one who made it.'

Quick question: Does anyone know how to say ?are you f$%#ing kidding me? in Korean??

Lee Minhyouk, the lead designer for Samsung?s mobile division took umbrage with charges Samsung?s Galaxy smartphones are knockoffs of Apple?s designs in a profile of the South Korean conglomerates smartphone efforts published by Reuters Friday.

?I?ve made thousands of sketches and hundreds of prototype products (for the Galaxy),? Lee told Miyoung Kim at Reuters. ?Does that mean I was putting on a mock show for so long, pretending to be designing??

?As a designer, there?s an issue of dignity. (The Galaxy) is original from the beginning, and I?m the one who made it,? Lee said. ?It?s a totally different product with a different design language and different technology infused.?

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/briancaulfield/2012/03/23/samsung-designer-says-hes-no-apple-copycat-says-galaxy-original-from-the-beginning/

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Boehner: Republicans will rally around Ryan budget

[ [ [['Witnesses said the gunman pulled up on a black scooter', 7]], 'http://yhoo.it/GzwOIW', '[Related: New York police tighten security at Jewish sites]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['test Zimmerman for alcohol or drugs', 11]], 'http://yhoo.it/Gzn6VF', '[Related: White House says Trayvon Martin is local issue]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['The charges signed against Bales include', 1]], 'http://yhoo.it/wZT5zV', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/7/a0/7a07c51b2aa0f39b1a23355046d13870.jpeg', '512', ' ', 'AP Photo/DVIDS\, Spc\. Ryan Hallock\, File', ], [ [['George Zimmerman', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/thousands-protest-fla-teen-death-1332387124-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/03/22/d761a49f3fcc99080a0f6a70670053cd-jpg_150905.jpg', '500', ' ', 'AP Photo/John Minchillo', ], [ [['Mohamed Merah', 10], ['prosecutor Francois Molins', 5]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/four-dead-in-french-jewish-school-shooting-1332173151-slideshow', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120321/2012_03_21t151508z_425380421_gm1e83l1sqs01_rtrmadp_3_france_shootings_raid.jpg', '630', ' ', 'REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier', ], [ [['Shortly after he wrapped up his victory remarks', 2]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/4-straight-romney-wins-washington-gop-caucus-1330835515-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/3/e9/3e9b0082c3c3111dcc19e3527ae94cc7.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP Photo/Steven Senne', ], [ [['best understands the problems of average Americans', 2]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/4-straight-romney-wins-washington-gop-caucus-1330835515-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/3/e9/3e9b0082c3c3111dcc19e3527ae94cc7.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP Photo/Steven Senne', ], [ [['Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery', 7]], 'http://yhoo.it/GB2RVy', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/03/20/photo-1332257995646-4-0-jpg_171722.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AFP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boehner-republicans-rally-around-ryan-budget-010523623.html

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Free Online Paid Survey | Surveys That Pay

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Benefits Of Good Nursing Shoes

Nursing is a noble profession. Not a mere 9-5 job, meaning only for earning money, rather nursing is that way of touching your dream of serving the mankind at large. This is a constraining job and involves continuously moving around places for various needs; sometimes in the OT following the orders of the doctors or at times for a sudden emergency call from some critical patient. In a job like nursing you aren?t supposed to sit in one place, instead moving here and there to save lives is the order of the day. ?

Now to talk about various nursing and medical uniforms, the nursing shoes are very important since nurses need to walk or hover so much each day at their respective work-places or hospitals and nursing homes to be more precise. From early morning till the late night; you may not see doctors in the hospitals but nurses are always there to save your near ones suffering from some critical disease.

Most of the healthcares professional aren?t oblivious to the extended shifts either. I often hear healthcare professionals complaining about how they don?t get to enjoy good private lives etc, well, when you are in a profession like this you aren?t supposed to get that I assume. After all, nobody knows when and how a patient will react and thus you have to be on your toes all the time.

For all these reasons, nurses don?t get too much time to indulge themselves into relaxing mood, rather, moving and always be alert is like two of the most imperative prerequisites of their job. Now, while moving, if you aren?t wearing the right pair of shoes that gives you best comfort, your leg-muscles are bound to get affected.

This is why nursing shoes are considered as one of the most essential nursing uniforms or nursing scrubs. Without proper pair of shoes nurses are bound to get injury ultimately causing problems to their career. Normally there is a saying that health professionals are more concerned about their health than the ones working in other sectors but in reality this isn?t the case. When you are busy treating others where will you find the time to heal your own injuries!!! Am I right?

Well, jokes apart, this is why today you get to see tons of online facilities and different websites selling various nursing scrubs online. Yes, you can see and choose from a range of shoes found in these online uniform-selling sites as per your requirements.

But before you buy any shoes for any nursing personnel, don?t forget to check the padding and shoe-size properly. These two things are always important while buying shoes and more so when you are buying them for a nurse who?s on her feet all the time. Be careful while choosing nursing shoes, don?t forget that it?s not only about the legs but the whole day at work can get hampered if she isn?t wearing the right pair of shoes.

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Source: http://health.ezinemark.com/benefits-of-good-nursing-shoes-7d34b00a9c67.html

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Who's talking about Sasha, Malia? It's dad, again

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Barack Obama likes to talk about his kids. What parent doesn't?

But Obama isn't just another dad shooting the breeze about his kids' antics in last night's soccer game. He's the president, and he brings up his daughters to explain his thinking on all sorts of combustible national issues.

He's cited Sasha and Malia, now 10 and 13, in discussing everything from the rescue of an American aid worker from Somali pirates to the touchy subject of public access to emergency contraception. His daughters also are prominent in a family photo being used by his re-election campaign.

Most recently, Obama brought up his daughters when asked about conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh's reference to college student Sandra Fluke as a "slut" after she testified that birth control should be covered by insurance.

Obama said at a news conference that he'd called Fluke after Limbaugh made his comments "because I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about, even ones I may not agree with them on. I want them to be able to speak their mind in a civil and thoughtful way, and I don't want them attacked or called horrible names because they're good citizens."

Invoking his daughters is a way for Obama to bring big issues down to human scale, in a disarming way. It also is a reminder to Americans of the president's photogenic family, a priceless political asset in an election year.

The Obamas can be fiercely protective of their daughters' privacy in some ways, complaining if the girls are photographed while out on their own, for example. But they've been more than willing to keep bringing them up in the national conversation and to keep them in the minds of voters as the general election approaches.

A few months ago, Obama brought up the girls in talking about the government's decision to keep the Plan B morning-after pill available only to those 17 or older, rather than allowing it to be openly sold on drugstore shelves.

"As the father of two daughters, I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine," Obama said. He went on to say the drug shouldn't be available for sale to young girls, "and I think most parents would probably feel the same way."

In January, when an American aid worker was rescued from Somali pirates by Navy SEALs, Obama thought aloud about what her father had gone through, and about his own daughters.

"I cannot imagine what he went through ? given Malia and Sasha ? and for him to be able to stay strong," the president said.

First lady Michelle Obama frequently brings up her daughters while talking about her campaign against childhood obesity. She often tells about how the girls were starting to get off-track before the family's pediatrician gave her a wake-up call.

On a recent four-state tour to promote her "Let's Move" campaign, Mrs. Obama blended stories about her own family with policy pronouncements, offering tips on how she gets her girls to eat healthy snacks and use good manners at the dinner table. She probably got a lot of knowing nods from parents after she related that her daughters aren't all that interested in the White House garden "because anything I do they're not interested in."

Douglas Wead, a former aide to President George H.W. Bush who has written a book about presidential families, said it's no surprise, and no coincidence, that the Obamas want to showcase "a marriage that functions well and a relationship with children that functions well."

"Everything is calculated at that level," he said, adding that he doesn't blame the Obamas for "showing off a little."

But Wead said it can be risky for a president to invoke his children when debating weighty policy matters.

"Jimmy Carter got his hand slapped when he did that," Wead reminded.

In his 1980 re-election campaign, Carter brought up his 13-year-old daughter, Amy, during a presidential debate.

"I had a discussion with my daughter, Amy, the other day, before I came here, to ask her what the most important issue was," Carter said. "She said she thought nuclear weaponry ? and the control of nuclear arms. This is a formidable force."

Carter's rival, Republican Ronald Reagan, mocked the answer at a later campaign rally, saying: "I remember when Patty and Ron were little kids, we used to talk about nuclear power."

Obama's on safer footing when he jokes about his daughters to puncture the formality of an event and put people at ease.

When the president visited a Master Lock factory in Milwaukee last month to discuss American manufacturing, he got a laugh from the workers when he told them: "As I was looking at some of the really industrial-size locks, I was thinking about the fact that I am a father of two girls who are soon going to be in high school and that it might come in handy to have these super locks. For now, I'm just counting on the fact that when they go to school there are men with guns with them."

In a similar vein, he told a National Prayer Breakfast last year that he has prayed, "Lord, give me patience as I watch Malia go to her first dance, where there will be boys. Lord, let her skirt get longer as she travels to that place."

The crowd loved it.

But you can imagine Malia groaning, and saying "Oh, Dad."

___

Follow Benac on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/whos-talking-sasha-malia-dad-again-074912885.html

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Pacific big enough for all of us, says China

The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines on Wednesday moved to calm growing fears of armed confrontation in the Pacific, where the two countries are locked in a tense territorial row.

The Philippines has responded to what it perceives as heightened Chinese aggressiveness by calling for stepped up military ties with the United States.

And it will hold a large-scale military exercise with the US next month on the main island of Luzon and in Palawan, an island on the Philippines' southwest coast facing the South China Sea.

But Ma Keqing said any such military ties were an internal matter for the Philippines, and that for now China was willing to jointly develop disputed areas in the South China Sea.

"The Pacific is large enough for the US and China. We hope that the US will take a constructive role to make this region more peaceful and stable," the ambassador told reporters.

"It's up to you: military, economic (ties) with other countries. It's a basic principle not to intervene with other's affairs. Every country adopts its policy according to its national conditions."

China and the Philippines, along with Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims over large parts of the South China Sea including the Spratly islands.

The territorial dispute over the waters, which are believed to sit atop vast deposits of gas and oil, has for decades been regarded as one of Asia's potential military flashpoints.

Tensions rose last year after the Philippines accused China of aggressive actions including an incident where Chinese vessels fired on Filipino fishermen and harassed an oil exploration vessel in its waters.

The Philippines responded by calling for stepped-up military ties with the United States, triggering an angry response from China.

However, the ambassador played down the spat and said that while no government could compromise on territorial integrity, the two countries could resort to "joint cooperation" to develop the disputed area until a final decision on the issue.

Ma also said the 11.2 percent increase in China's military budget should not be a concern since its defence spending as a proportion of its total budget will still be lower than the United States, Russia, India or Brazil.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pacific-big-enough-us-says-china-130542790.html

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Source: http://asics.lateststyle.org/2012/03/14/plaque-ghd-recreation-and-sports-dancing-article-c/

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Feminist campaign calls for ban on cosmetic surgery advertising ...

Feminist campaign calls for ban on cosmetic surgery advertising

Plastic surgeons join women?s rights activists in urging government to crack down in interests of public health

Feminist campaigners are calling on the government to ban advertisements for cosmetic surgery, claiming they ?ruthlessly prey? on women?s body insecurities and ?recklessly trivialise? the health risks of invasive procedures.

In a letter published here, women?s rights activists join several leading plastic surgeons in warning that the unrestricted advertising of cosmetic surgery by private clinics is having a negative effect on public health.

?At present people have no choice but to be exposed to the aggressive marketing tactics of some cosmetic clinics, whether they be in public spaces, in magazines, on the internet or on TV. So these adverts affect everyone, not just individuals already considering surgery,? write the signatories, among them Kat Banyard, director of campaign group UK Feminista; feminist writer Natasha Walter; and Anna van Heeswijk, of the Object group. They say: ?Just as rules prevent prescription medicines being advertised in the interests of public health, we urge the government to prohibit the advertising of cosmetic surgery.?

Fazel Fatah and Rajiv Grover, president and president-elect of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), whose members perform both NHS reconstruction and cosmetic surgery at top private hospitals, are also included in the list of signatories. In January the organisation called for a ban on adverts for surgery such as tummy tucks and breast enlargement as part of a wholesale review of the industry, which, it warned, had become an under-regulated ?wild west?. Just as prescription medicines are not allowed to be advertised, it said, surgery should not be publicised either.

Some feminist activists are particularly critical of the role played in the industry by leading women?s magazines, who seek to promote ?body confidence? while carrying advertisements for procedures from private cosmetic surgery clinics. A survey of four magazines carried out by UK Feminista between January and June last year and released found that Cosmopolitan featured the greatest number of such adverts (32). Marie Claire featured 16, Elle 12, and Vogue 10.

Banyard, whose organisation has launched a campaign against the advertising, said: ?Cosmetic surgery adverts are a public health hazard. Their sole purpose is to persuade people to undergo medically unnecessary invasive procedures in order to boost profits. By portraying surgery as quick and easy they recklessly trivialise risks that include post-operative infection, blood clots and, in rare cases, death.

?Cosmetic surgery adverts also ruthlessly prey on women?s widespread dissatisfaction, making false promises of confidence and self-esteem. The reality is that people who have undergone cosmetic surgery are more likely to have lower self-esteem than those who haven?t, and women who have undergone breast implants are three times more likely to kill themselves than the general population.?

Source: http://birminghamlink.org/blog/feminist-campaign-calls-for-ban-on-cosmetic-surgery-advertising/

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the *Home* &, well, the *Improvement* in Home Improvement || DIY ...

The EPA WaterSense^? sponsored Fix a Leak Week began Monday and runs through this Sunday March 18th. Here is a look at some of what the major manufacturers (of fixtures) are doing in honor of it.

Hansgrohe

Hansgrohe Croma E75 Green 1 Jet

Hansgrohe has taken WaterSense?s ?I?m for Water? pledge. The K&B leader launched an exciting initiative on Monday through facebook (facebook.com/hansgroheusa) and twitter (@hansgroheusa) and has been offering water saving tips and techniques. The fun and interactive campaign also offers fans a chance to win a low-flow showerhead and chat live with an expert.

Hansgrohe plans to round out the week with a link to its useful Water Savings Calculator, which visually and numerically displays how much water and money can be saved by opting to use its low-flow products. Hansgrohe is proud to be a partner of WaterSense^? and offer over 220 certified products.

At the beginning of the week, Hansgrohe gave away a stylish and water-conserving Croma E 75 Green1-Jet showerhead to the first 250 facebook users who answer the question ?What does water mean to you and how do you save it??on Hansgrohe USA?s wall.? (Sorry I wasn?t quicker to get that one to you. )

According to a representative of the company, they?ve ?been seeing tremendous response!?

Delta Faucet

Delta Faucet Company is taking action to prevent leaks and encourage water conservation in nine cities across America during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense^?program?s Fix a Leak Week.? Find out what?s happening with them by checking?deltafaucet.com/fix-a-leak-week, following them on Twitter and visiting their Facebook page.

(Delta Says:) How can you help?

With today?s water-efficient products, there?s no need to sacrifice style or performance to save water.

1. Save Money: Water-efficient products can help save money on water utility bills. They can also help conserve energy by using less hot water.
2. Get the Style You Want: Water-efficient, WaterSense-labeled bath faucets and showerheads are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes to suit any bath.
3. Experience a Great Shower: Innovative, high-performance technologies, like H₂Okinetic Technology^? showerheads from Delta Faucet Company, make it possible to have an outstanding shower while also conserving water.? WaterSense-labeled products must meet both water efficiency and performance standards.

American Standard

American Standard Berwick faucet

Celebrate Fix a Leak Week by tracking updates on American Standard?s Facebook page.? And look for an update on sister site, the home of the one and only Professor Toilet.

(American Standard Says:) Make Every Drop Count

Did you know that the average home loses 10,000 gallons of water yearly from leaks and drips alone? Become part of the solution during the Environmental Protection Agency?s Fix-A-Leak Week, taking place the week by taking simple steps towards going green and saving green.? Whether patching up a leaky pipe or replacing a worn-out toilet flapper, every effort you make contributes to conserving one of our most precious resources.

Make going green and saving water even easier by replacing old faucets, showers and toilets with WaterSense? labeled products.? Our Watersense? certified faucets, showers and toilets offer exceptional water savings without sacrificing performance. With a water usage savings of up to 40%, our Watersense^? products make ecological and economic sense. After all, the less water you use, the more money you save.

*******

To find out more about the EPA?s WaterSense #FixaLeak Week >> http://www.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/fix_a_leak.html. (Maybe take a pledge?)

And who knows, maybe it?s a good weekend for DIY? idk.? Oh, and one of the best ways to conserve water is to just use less.? Thanks. ~jb

Source: http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2012/03/fix-a-leak-week/

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