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that hair style has been around for a long time, you just have to be in the right crowd of people to know that! This kid Bieber didnt start anything new... and these guys pictured would be the last few guys in the world to copy HIS style.... lets say Bieber copied THEIR style from a long time coming.... think back to t...
Is city tap water better than bottled water?
Cities are making a push to promote the quality of their tap over bottled water.
If you pay for something it must be higher quality, right?
When it comes to bottled water versus city tap water it's best not to make that assumption.
Reporting in Governing Magazine, Elizabeth Daigneau says that cities are making a push to market municipal tap water as a better alternative to bottled water. And they have some pretty good evidence to back them up.
For one, Daigneau writes that government regulations are more stringent for city tap water.
Municipal drinking water is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and utilities test their drinking water at least once a week. Bottled water regulation is decidedly less stringent. DC Water, for example, conducts more than 30,000 tests a year, but the Food and Dru...
Daigneau points to one example a few years back when Fiji Water company bad-mouthed Cleveland's water quality in an ad, saying: "The label says Fiji because it's not bottled in Cleveland." The city took offense and in a test of Cleveland's water versus Fiji Water, the Fiji water had 6.31 micrograms of arsenic per liter...
The takeaway: don't assume that bottled water is better because you're paying a premium for it. That doesn't necessarily mean tap water will be better than bottled water in every instance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency points out that the quality of bottled water varies: "Some bottled water is treated more t...
WR Jaron Brown (6-3 190) of Cheraw made his official visit to Michigan over the weekend with his mother. "It went great," he said. "It was snowing when we first arrived in Detroit and we got there (Ann Arbor) late from missing our flight. We missed the campus tour but got to see the academic center. I got to meet up wi...
KABUL, Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai has tried to reassure his worried countrymen that their deposits in the troubled Kabul Bank are safe, blaming any panic on the Western media.
Kabul Bank, one of the country’s largest, is in deep trouble. With just over $1 billion in assets, according to its latest audited statement from 2009, it has more than $990 million in liabilities. It is also facing potential losses of close to $300 million, according to government officials.
The central bank, known as Da Afghanistan Bank, stepped in on Tuesday to try and bring some order out of the deepening chaos, removing the bank’s chairman, Sherkhan Farnood, as well as its chief executive officer, Khalilullah Ferozi. Both men were major stakeholders in the bank, each holding slightly more than 28 perce...
Amid allegations of mismanagement and corruption, bank officials insisted that the removals were part of a normal reform of the banking industry, according to which major stakeholders could no longer serve as bank officials.
Masoud Ghazi, a former official at the central bank, was installed as CEO, but the post of chairman remains empty.
Karzai late on Thursday did not deny that Kabul Bank had its difficulties, but insisted that the government was able to control the situation.
But his remarks are unlikely to quell the growing fears among his countrymen, hundreds of whom were lined up in the hot sun outside the main branch of Kabul Bank on Thursday, patiently waiting their turn. Inside, the crush was almost suffocating – there was barely room to push between the crowds desperately trying, fir...
There was little panic in the air, more a grim determination to get their money as soon as possible and get away from what many see as a tainted organization.
Some lucky few could be seen walking away with bags filled to the brim with dollars and afghani, the local currency. One man in a grey suit had wrapped both of his arms around his precious package, while beside him a uniformed bodyguard swaggered.
Much more casual was a young man in the characteristic Afghan pirohon-tunbon, loose pants topped by a buttoned tunic. He had no bodyguard, just a large, heavy-looking, yellow plastic bag, which he placed nonchalantly on the sidewalk as he spoke.
He had been there since early morning, he explained.
But the bank closed its doors at 2 p.m. because of the Ramadan fast. Many customers will walk away unsatisfied.
Kabul Bank’s problems were most likely due to the same close political connections that had ensured its success.
Protected by high-ranking connections, and spreading money freely among the political elite, Kabul Bank engaged in practices that soon landed it in hot water.
According to numerous reports, Farnood used bank funds to purchase up to $160 million in property on Dubai’s lavish Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island on the Persian Gulf built in the shape of a palm tree and catering to the super-rich.
Mahmoud Karzai had been living in a seaside villa belonging to Kabul Bank for about a year and a half. He told Al Jazeera television on Tuesday that he did not own any of the properties, but had been renting his villa from Farnood. He promised that he would relinquish the property and seek another address.
But the bottom dropped out of Dubai’s property market two years ago, making Farnood’s villas a liability rather than an asset. Once he signs over the deeds to the Kabul Bank, as he has promised to do, the financial institution is likely to find itself facing a hefty loss.
Other loans made to powerful people exceeded legal limits or were unsecured, according to Afghan officials.
And the bank was renowned for oiling the political machines of those close to the center of power. Kabul Bank reportedly bankrolled Karzai’s presidential campaign last year, and has, by all accounts, been spreading the wealth among this year’s crop of pro-government parliamentary candidates.
That may no longer be so. The State Department has expressed confidence that the government’s actions in the case are a sign of the president’s determination to fight corruption.
But the central bank has been at some pains to downplay the scandal, hoping to avert wholesale panic. With more than $975 million on the books in customers’ deposits, a run on the ban could force it to close its doors.
That was not enough to calm all of the population.
In volatile Helmand province, where the news of the crisis sparked a major run on the small branch, a uniformed guard had to hold off angry depositors at gunpoint.
Farhod Ahmad, a soldier with the Afghan national Army 5th battalion, who has been stationed in Helmand for six months, said he would withdraw whatever he could once he managed to get inside.
Even in the more cosmopolitan Kabul, the crisis could do serious and long-term damage to the Afghan banking industry. Many of those waiting to withdraw their money on Thursday said they would not put it back in any other bank.
Others said they would put their cash in one of the foreign banks operating in Afghanistan, such as Alfalah, owned by the Abu Dhabi Group.
But the government assurances were more than enough for some.
The central bank does not, in fact, insure individual deposits. It is unlikely, however, that Da Afghanistan Bank would let Kabul Bank go under, since it uses the institution to pay its teachers, police, and soldiers.
Karzai emphasized this in his press conference Thursday evening: “The Ministry of Finance today, I believe, released … between $100 [million] and $150 million … from the bank to handle the payments and the salaries of our government employees,” he said.
Denying salaries to men with guns is not a winning policy in any country.
When the Miss Teen USA pageant airs tomorrow night, I'll probably do what I do every year. I'll sneak a peek, and mutter to myself that the contestants appear to be 16 going on 30. "They look so much older than we did," I'll think, remembering my own teen pageant days.
I'm not proud of my beauty contest past. It's not something a well-educated, professional woman wants on her résumé. The title "beauty contestant" still carries certain bimbo connotations. And no matter how hard the pageants try to be "scholarship programs" or "opportunities for growth and self-confidence," there is st...
Pageants promote what I'd call the other fractured fairy tale for women. The first one, of course, is that happily-ever-after comes from finding Mr. Tall, Dark, and Perfect. Most women saw through that one years ago, but the myth the pageants sell still has many of us by our pretty little throats: Win the crown, and yo...
This lie turns the whole notion of independence upside down. It says that if you have the best body and the best smile, then you have a right to feel good about yourself. Win the crown and you will be somebody. Everyone else walks away a loser.
This concept becomes clear the moment you enter the pageant world.
My first pageant was Miss United Teenager, held in central New Hampshire, a 2-1/2-hour drive from our house. When we contestants arrived, most of us didn't realize how closely the pageant officials were watching us as they checked us in. And we certainly didn't know that the competition had already begun. Officials not...
Teen pageants are usually a weekend affair. You arrive Friday night, rehearse Saturday, and put on the big show Saturday night. Only a farewell breakfast takes place on Sunday morning.
But in reality, the contest is over by Saturday morning. That's when you know which girls you belong with: the really polished, savvy ones, the girl-next-door types, or the shy, awkward flowers. Once you're labeled, there's no going back. Either you have the "winning look," or you don't. Contestants know this, and they...
I learned three things from my first pageant: First, that 7UP is how contestants keep their bathing suits (in adult pageants) in place. (Pour it on the skin; let it almost dry; get dressed.) Second, that winners are groomed, not born. (The girl who won had been in this pageant three times before.) And third, that if yo...
I didn't make the finals. In fact, all I got was a Miss United Teenager watch, for writing the best sponsor thank-you letter. But when I look at that watch today, I am reminded of a friend who did very well in several pageants of her own.
She was dazzling: tall, dark hair, doe eyes, poised. She projected a serenity that I'd never seen before. She was my best friend, and the reason I got into pageants in the first place. She had a shelf full of trophies - for Miss Congeniality, Miss Photogenic, Second Runner-up. But over time, she became thinner and thin...
My second pageant was New Hampshire's Junior Miss, a cut above the others. The girl who won was smart and talented, in addition to having the right dress and the perfect walk. But even she didn't escape unscathed.
After the show was over, we contestants congratulated her heartily, but privately we picked her apart from head to toe, especially her prominent proboscis.
Apparently she focused on it, too.
I know this, because I caught a glimpse of her on a newscast in Florida a few months ago. There she was, familiar voice, familiar smile, but something about her nose looked, well ... different. New, actually. I admit that she did look better, but something seemed to have been lost as well - a certain distinctiveness th...
Beauty, as I have learned, is more complicated, and much simpler, than the pageants would have us believe. It's not just what you see, but how you see.
I began to realize that after my second, and last, pageant. I felt prettier and more confident when I stopped ripping apart my opponents - and myself. Beauty is the first thing girls abandon when they start desperately seeking some title or flimsy rhinestone crown.
Elizabeth Lund is the Monitor's poetry editor.
Afghan police run past a fire as they chase anti-US demonstrators during riots in Kabul on September 15, 2010.
(CNN) -- An anti-American demonstration in the Afghan capital turned violent Wednesday as five Afghan police officers were injured and two demonstrators were shot by police, officials said.
Mohammad Khalil Dastyar, deputy police chief of Kabul, told CNN about 1,200 demonstrators gathered to denounce the United States. He said they chanted "death to America" and condemned the Rev. Terry Jones, the leader of a tiny Florida-based church who ignited an international firestorm when he threatened to set fire to...
Dastyar said five Afghan police officers were wounded when demonstrators began shooting and throwing stones at security forces.
Meanwhile, a top hospital official said two protesters were shot in the chest by police. Dr. Kabir Amiri, director of Kabul's network of hospitals, said the demonstrators were being treated for their injuries.
Jones, the Florida pastor, ultimately never set fire to Qurans. Nonetheless, Afghanistan has seen several consecutive days of angry -- and sometimes violent -- demonstrations in wake of the Quran-burning controversy.
The beginning of the week remained disappointing as the technical caught up with the market. The Indian equity market was expected to stall its upmove and in line with the analysis in our previous note, the Nifty corrected in the Monday’s trade. The benchmark index ended the day losing 82.05 points or 0.74 per cent.
Relatively much more pain was witnessed in the broader markets as compared to frontline index. Tuesday is likely to see a muted start and if we anticipate a full throwback of the breakout, the Nifty might still have modest downsides to deal with. We expect the weakness, if any, to persist more because of lack of buying...
Tuesday is likely to see the levels of 10,990 and 11,035 to act as immediate resistance area. Supports should come in at 10,910 and 10,850 zones.
The Relative Strength Index – RSI on the Daily Chart is 59.3038 and it remains neutral showing no divergence against the price. The Daily MACD still remains bearish while trading above its signal line. No major formations were observed on Candles.
While having a look at pattern analysis, it appears that post break out above the falling trend line pattern resistance, the Nifty seems to have temporarily stalled its upmove and it is consolidating on expected lines with the levels of 10,850 acting as support in case of full throwback occurs.
Overall, we expect a muted trade on Tuesday and some amount of modest downticks may still be expected if the Nifty moves towards full throwback. We recommend preserving cash and abstain from creating major directional positions. It is important to note that there is no structural breach on the charts and the movement s...
STOCKS TO WATCH: Shorts were seen being added in stocks like NCC, GMR Infra, TV18 Broadcast, IDBI Bank, Ashok Leyland, State Bank of India, Adani Power, Tata Global and ICICI Bank.
WOOSTER -- What can Biblical prophecy tell us about the world in which we live? How have the prophets contributed to our vision of God? Can we reclaim the vision of the prophets for a just and peaceful world?These and many other questions will be addressed at the 2007 Lay Academy of Religion when it presents "Across th...
Nowadays, there seems to be a trend of holding seminars for the disabled. In addition, such people are invited at these occasions and are asked questions such as, “how do you feel about being disabled?” I, however, find this trend quite humiliating for the handicapped, most of whom have already been alienated by the so...
These seminars and workshops should be held to encourage them, raise them slowly up and raise them to equality. On the contrary, however, it seems that they are widening the gap between the disabled and able, instead of reducing it.
Further, it is important that the federal and provincial governments make efforts to built ramps in all big and small cities, as well as districts, to make it easier for them to move around. In the advanced countries, for instance, all the busses have ramps that slide out so that the wheelchair can easily climb it. We ...
Also, if possible, the government should distribute wheelchairs among the disabled individuals who cannot afford it. And more schools should be constructed for the blind and deaf children.
As a final word, just holding seminars and workshops with no positive outcome is just not enough..
In the wake of the UN Security Council voting to enact a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, Denmark has urged the Human Rights Council to bring those responsible for violations and abuses in Syria to justice.
The foreign affairs minister, Anders Samuelsen, declared the ceasefire to be a step in the right direction, but underlined that all countries had a responsibility to get the Syrian government to halt its bombardment and allow humanitarian aid.
“Those persons committing acts of abuse must be held accountable for their actions. So Denmark is actively supporting the mechanisms under the UN and other organisations that work towards prosecuting the guilty parties, when the time comes. That’s something the world community must focus on,” said Samuelsen.
Samuelsen mentioned Russia as a country that needed to stand up and be counted in the wake of escalating violence in Syria in recent weeks.
In other news, the Danish government has revealed that it intends to step up its efforts to combat terrorism and irregular migration in the Sahel region in Africa. At a G5 meeting in Brussels last week, Denmark announced it was earmarking 99 million kroner over three years to regional peacekeeping and stabilisation eff...
According to a new report from the Foreign Ministry, almost two-thirds of Danes support Danish development work. The report showed that 61 percent of Danes were behind their country’s humanitarian and development efforts, compared to 60 percent in 2016. The report also found that more Danes trust that the Danish develo...
My teenage son was staring at a laptop screen building up a Pinterest board…of promposals.
A teen boy on Pinterest? Really? To be fair, he was on my account adding pins to a board I had started for him last spring. I was certain that session was the only one he had ever done without me saying, “Check-out Pinterest,” but he did.
That’s part of what I am going to remember about this, his last prom.
Promposals started several years ago. The earliest I found was back in 2011, but if it’s new to you: a promposal is an invitation to prom staged with the pomp and antics of a wedding proposal.
And they are a little controversial. The elaborate methods used to ask can leave a mess or an unwelcome distraction for others. Marriage proposal level stunts put pressure and added expense (in some cases hundreds of dollars) on a night, a dance, that has already been blown-out of proportion in teen myth and legend.
And what happens when she (or he) says no? A private humiliation is suddenly quite public. Or worse: what if she feels like she must say yes even if she doesn’t want to?
Unless you are a high-school student, your opinion on promposals doesn’t count much. Teenagers have been doing things that have had adults shaking their heads and muttering, “Back in my day...” since there has been high school. Doing things that their parents never could have imagined doing is one of the primary comman...
One of the reasons promposals even became a big deal is that they were something parents never did. Think about it: how many times has your kid heard your stories from high school? About your prom?
How many times have you regaled them with the time you stayed out all night at play practice? The time that you tried to stuff the ballot box for the next year’s class officer elections and got caught, so you and your buddies were suspended for the last day of school and, while you did walk at graduation, you didn’t ge...
The promposals are their stories for their future and their kids that look nothing like your stories.
In 20 years when Luke and his girlfriend, Jenna, answer a security question — Who was your high school sweetheart? — their answers will be each other. They have been going together for 2 1/2 years — from mid-sophomore year through their senior year.
This isn’t their first prom; this isn’t their first promposal — but it’s their last.
He knocked on her door, she yelled at him to come in and when he opened the door she was sitting on the floor, wearing exercise gear and lifting a weight in one hand while holding a sign in the other.
I hope their memories of their prom will be as nice as my memories of their prom.
I can’t wait to hear the story.
Susan Vollenweider, Luke and Jenna live in the Northland. For more from Susan visit www.thehistorychicks.com or www.susanvollenweider.com .

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