text:
Speculation Flies, On Social Security Bullet Order

By: From CNN, Posted by Ralph Hipp
By: From CNN, Posted by Ralph Hipp

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Praise the Internet and pass the ammunition: the blogosphere is roiling with conspiracy theories over a Social Security Administration shopping list for 174,000 hollow-point bullets.

Depending on whom you believe, police who protect Social Security Administration officers are either preparing for impending financial doom by purchasing lethal ammo to put down rioting citizens, or they're just making a standard purchase of ammunition for a federal police agency.

It all began last month when the agency, which is primarily responsible for distributing benefits to the disabled and retired people, posted an announcement seeking bids for 174,000 hollow-point bullets. Why? cried some bloggers.

Infowars, a website operated by right-wing talk show host Alex Jones, wanted to know if the agency was preparing for "civil unrest."

"Social Security welfare is estimated to keep around 40 per cent of senior citizens out of poverty. Should the tap run dry in the aftermath of an economic collapse which the Federal Reserve has already told top banks to prepare for, domestic disorder could ensue if people are refused their benefits," it said in a post.

Each bullet potentially "represents a dead American," wrote retired Maj. Gen. Jerry Curry, an Army vet.

"If so, why would the U.S. government want the SSA to kill 174,000 of our citizens, even during a time of civil unrest?" Curry wrote on the conservative website The Daily Caller, founded by commentator Tucker Carlson.

Conspiracy theorists had previously speculated that a purchase of hollow-point bullets by the Department of Homeland Security was similarly meant to quell impending riots. A few years ago, theorists similarly questioned why the Federal Emergency Management Agency was stockpiling body bags and other supplies, suggesting the agency was preparing for civil collapse.

In the face of the furor, the Social Security Administration's public affairs shop -- which spends most of its time issuing releases about speeding disability decisions or looking up benefits information -- issued a statement explaining that its 295 agents need the bullets for target practice and to protect the agency's 66 offices across the nation.

"These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests," the agency said in an August post. "Our investigators are similar to your state or local police officers. They use traditional investigative techniques, and they are armed when on official duty."

Hollow point bullets are standard-issue items for many police agencies, the Social Security Administration said. The bullets expand when they hit a target and can help prevent injuries to bystanders from bullets passing through a body, according to police.

Investigators "use this ammunition during their mandatory quarterly firearms qualifications and other training sessions, to ensure agent and public safety," the administration added.

This is just the latest in a long history of uniquely American anti-government conspiracy theories, said Kathryn Olmsted, a University of California at Davis history professor and author of "Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories in American Democracy."

That another one would surface in the midst of a contentious election cycle and continued unease over the nation's financial future is not all that surprising, Olmsted said Tuesday.

But this one, she said, seems particularly tenuous.

"It strikes me as one of the more extreme conspiracy theories," Olmsted said. "I'm surprised it has any traction."

Yet it does.

"You don't use hollow point bullets for target practice," one Twitter user posted Tuesday. "Sorry we're not buying it social security agency. #youarefullofit."

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text:
Downtown Upgrades Coming Soon

By: Shannon Smith Email
By: Shannon Smith Email

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- It could be awhile before we see any upgrades to three downtown Rockford venues. RAVE has yet to figure out how to spend the $4 million it got from the state. It’s part of a grant to improve the BMO Center, the Coronado Theater and Davis Park. Each venue's committee will figure out what changes are needed, which could include new lower level seats and sound systems at the BMO center. RAVE Chairman Mike Dunn says it's hard to narrow down which upgrades are most important.

Each of one of the 3 venues have, you know we've heard over the last 2 years, certain specific needs. of course it'll be local construction, local contractors will be doing the work and its all very positive,” Dunn said.
Dunn says a priority list will be brought before the finance comittee soon. He hopes to start construction in the spring.

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
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text:
Machesney Park Utility Tax Here to Stay

By: Jorge Rodas Email
By: Jorge Rodas Email

MACHESNEY PARK (WIFR) -- A five percent utility tax passed last year in Machesney Park will not be on this fall's ballot for voters.

Mayor Jerry Bolin tried proposing an advisory referendum at tonight's village board meeting with no luck as the issue never even came to a vote.

The advisory referendum would have asked village trustees to consider repealing the tax.

Since being implemented, the tax has raised nearly $1 million in tax revenue for the village, according to Bolin. The first term mayor says that money has been used for improvements to the villages infrastructure- road work- and public safety needs. Bolin says Machesney Park was able to hire one additional police officer and two new squad cars.

Bolin says he's always supported the tax, even though he voted against it when initially proposed last year. Bolin says the reason he voted the tax down was because he felt the public wasn't given enough time to be educated about the tax and what revenue would be used for, but he and village trustees have spent the last eight months communicating with home owners explaining the details of the tax.

Bolin says now there isn't as much opposition to the tax.

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
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text:
Nintendo Download - Dec 6th (EU)

Nintendo Download - Dec 6th (EU)

Denpa Men, Gnomz and more

There's quite a lot of new stuff to browse through in Europe's latest downloadable update. Something for everyone?

    Wii U retail download
  • Funky Barn (£39.99 / €49.99)
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Edit Article

A garbage disposal, also known as waste disposal unit or garburator, is a device underneath a sink that shreds food waste so that it can pass through plumbing. A garbage disposal is a great way to keep the smells of old garbage out of your garbage cans and kitchen.

  1. 1
    Keep anything too hard out of the disposal. The shredder will dull and become less efficient. Small hard objects can also get stuck and jam the rotating parts. Each garbage disposal has its own capacity for hard objects. The more expensive models of the same brand tend to have higher hardness capacities. The instruction manual usually specifies a list of objects to avoid. You can also gain experience with your own garbage disposal. Strong vegetable fibres can jam some garbage disposals, as well. If something may be harder than what the disposal handles, just put it in your trash can or think about setting up a worm composting bin. Some items to avoid are:
    • hard shells from shrimp, crabs and other shellfish
    • unpopped popcorn kernels
    • hard bones
  2. 2
    Do not put fibrous or starchy items in the disposal. Both can cause particularly stubborn drain blockages (fibers get tangled, and starches get thick). The following items should be put in the disposal in minimal increments, preferably cut into small pieces, or not at all:
    • banana peels
    • celery
    • potato peelings
    • corn husk or corn cobs
    • artichokes
    • coffee grounds (in quantity) or coffee filters
    • fruit pits and hard seeds from things like avocados or peaches
    • onion skins (unless you're especially careful to completely remove the thin membranes of each, which can wrap around the shredder ring)
    • egg shells should not be put in the disposal as they turn into a sand-like substance that clogs piping.
  3. 3
    All the above are easily composted - see the composting note and link below.
  4. 4
    Avoid placing trash or hard items down the disposal. Common sense will go a long way, but here are some examples of items to avoid:
    • twist ties, pull tabs, rubber bands
    • glass, screws, nails,
    • utensils
    • cigarette butts or bottle caps, paper, plastic, or other trash
    • fabric, string, rags, or sponges
    • plant or flower clippings
    • children's toys
    • hair
    • grease
  5. 5
    Cut large items into smaller pieces. If they are too large, like the skins of melons, cut them into smaller pieces and put them one at a time into the disposal instead of trying to shove a large amount in at once.
    • If you find yourself with a lot of larger pieces to cut up, it may be best to place them in the compost or trash instead.
  6. 6
    Run cold water while the disposal is on. Keep disposer and water running for 30 to 60 seconds AFTER the waste matter has cleared your drain. The waste still has a distance to go. Cold water keeps the motor, bearings and shredder assembly from overheating. It also lets the waste go down easier because the water is pushing it down. Don't use hot water, because it can melt fat and allow it to re-solidify as a blockage further down in the drain.
  7. 7
    Clean it regularly.
    • With the disposal off, clean the inner side of the rubber in the center of the sink leading to the disposal. It gets very dirty, and gives off an odor when not cleaned. Just wipe it with a paper towel.
    • Throw some ice down once in a while. While ice will not sharpen the shredders (as is commonly believed) it does knock off any debris buildup on the sharp edges that keeps them from grinding food properly. For better results, make special ice cubes from pure lemon juice or vinegar, or alternate with biodegradable cleanser (label them in your freezer!) Cover and seal ice trays used in your freezer for cleanser, and do not reuse trays for food or drink after having been used for cleanser. While using the disposal, be sure to run cold water at the same time.
    • Dispose orange peels, or any citrus rinds, to freshen the disposal and keep it smelling clean, but cut them into slices first as large pieces of citrus peel, e.g. half a lime, can jam a disposal. You can also use pieces of citrus fruit that may be too old to consume, as long as they're not too spoiled to smell nice. You can freeze these pieces first, if you wish.

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  • Read the directions for your model before attempting a home repair. Most disposals have an electrical reset button, and a manual hex key for un-jamming. If the disposal stops working, its internal circuit breaker may have shut it off. Turn the switch definitely off, and try to pull out the hard object that may have jammed it. Then use the right-sized hex key to manually turn the rotor parts (usually directly under the unit in the center). If it turns, then push the reset button. It usually clicks in. Then, turn on the water and try the power, again.
  • If the disposal jams, turn off the power and look underneath the sink. There is a place in the center of the motor shaft, on the bottom of the unit, where you can use an allen wrench to manually turn the motor. Give the motor a few manual turns to get it unstuck. Remove the Allen wrench before you try to run the motor again. Also, press the reset button/ circuit breaker on the bottom of unit, if applicable.
  • There are commercial products that are designed to freshen your disposal. One product is a biodegradable bag filled with a cleaning powder that you drop into the disposal; it foams up as you run your garbage disposal with the faucet on.
  • Garbage disposals are noisy, somewhat unreliable since you cannot always know exactly what will go down and what will not, and the powerful and reliable ones are expensive. A great alternative is a trash can with a lid that seals in the smells. Keep it right next to the counter by your sink so the waste can go right into it from over the counter.
  • Composting is a great alternative to using your disposal. When done properly, it doesn't create odors—it creates rich fertilizer for your garden or potted plants.

  • Don't put any utensils, non-food materials, or your hands in the disposal under any circumstances.
  • Don't touch the power switch while your hands are wet. This can cause a shock.
  • There are strict regulations on garbage disposal installation and use in many countries.
  • Some effluent disposal systems will not cope with the increased volume of water and organic waste resulting from the use of kitchen waste disposal units.
  • Keep in mind that although this method may appear to reduce your garbage, it only moves the garbage downstream to be dealt with at your local sewage treatment plant or your septic system or, in a multi-family building, causing a potential problem for the neighbors beneath you. It also increases the amount of water you consume.
  • If you have a septic tank, you must adjust your tank pumping schedule for the use of a disposal.

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Português: Cuidar do Triturador de Lixo, Español: cuidar tu triturador de basura, Italiano: Effettuare la Manutenzione di un Tritarifiuti, Русский: ухаживать за измельчителем отходов

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Tag Archives: promotion

I want to help fellow developers

If you’ve just finished your web game or app, you’re probably in full marketing mode trying to get your baby noticed. I know how hard this can be so I wanted to give a little helping hand by hosting a … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Developer love, Promotion | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments


text:
Staub Cast-Iron Round Wide Cocotte, 6-Qt.

For Father's Day delivery order by Tuesday, June 16, 2015, 12PM EST.
  • Select Color:

    Sugg. Price: $429 Our Price: $300
    • Exclusive
  • Staub's innovative enamel coating takes cast-iron cooking to the next level with improved performance, style and durability. Pairing an extra-wide surface with sides high enough to contain liquids for braising, this oven is ideal for roasting meat and slow cooking stew.

    • 6-qt. cap.
    • Heavyweight enameled cast iron transfers and retains heat evenly.
    • Multicoat enameling creates a glossy, vibrantly colored "majolique" finish that resembles fine ceramics.
    • Resistant to rust, chipping and cracking, the coating requires no additional seasoning like some other cast-iron pieces.
    • Specially formulated black matte interior enamel contains traces of quartz, giving it additional heat resistance and a rougher surface for better browning.
    • Lid knob on is made of stainless steel.
    • Includes both a whimsical "cochon" knob and a standard one.
    • Dishwasher safe.
    • Made in France.


text:
Used Commercial Vehicle Sales

Here at Williams Wrexham limited we have over 35 years experience in the buying, selling and customising all types commercial vehicles and trailers. We have an in depth knowledge of all makes and models and always hold a wide selection of hand-picked competitively priced used stock for both the home and export market.

Whatever your requirements Williams Wrexham can help you find the right vehicle. We are based in Wrexham industrial estate, North Wales with excellent road, rail and air links so If you wish to view a vehicle simply telephone beforehand so any nessaesary arrangements can be made.

Contact Us

  • Williams Wrexham Ltd
  • Dunster road
  • Wrexham Industrial Estate
  • Wrexham
  • LL13 9RE

Monday - Friday
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text:
Marvin Hugh Hackney, 85

LEBANON -- Funeral services will be conducted 2 p.m. Thursday, May 20 at Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home, 241 W. Main Street, for Mr. Hackney, 85, of Lebanon.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy and a member of the Maple Hill Church of Christ, he died Tuesday, May 18, 2010.
Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. until service time Thursday at Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home.
Services will be conducted by Brother Wayne Miller and Brother Myron Keith. Interment with military honors will follow at Wilson County Memorial Gardens.
Survivors include: sisters Mary (George) Goodall of Mt. Juliet and Glenna (Mac) McKinney of Murfreesboro; sisters-in-law Donna Rhea Hackney of Mt. Juliet, Gladys Hackney and Allie B. Hackney -- both of Murfreesboro and Ola Mai Hackney of Lebanon.
Also surviving are several nieces and nephews; great-nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews; as well as special friend Debbie (Johnny) Mitchell of Lebanon.
Mr. Hackney was preceded in death by parents Virgil C. and Cora White Hackney, his wife Anne Hackney along with six brothers and six sisters.
Active pallbearers: Mike Goodall, Van Goodall, Tim McKinney, Graham Hackney, Aaron Hackney, Johnny Mitchell, Gary Doebler and Tim Edwards. Honorary: Wayne Hackney, Don Simpson, Billy Conatser and Jim Hailey.
The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Marvin’s church family at Maple Hill Church of Christ and to the staff of Elmcroft.
Flowers accepted or memorials may be made to Maple Hill Church of Christ, 102 Maple Hill Road, Lebanon, 37087.
Arrangements by Bond Memorial Chapel, N. Mt. Juliet Road and Weston Drive, Mt. Juliet.


text:
Florida Breaks GOP Primary Date Rules

By: Associated Press
By: Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida decided Friday to hold its Republican presidential primary on Jan. 31, snubbing a party rule against fast-track delegate-selection for 2012 and triggering angry responses from traditional early voting states which will now likely rejigger their calendars to stay ahead.
The move actually thwarts efforts by both major political parties to delay presidential primaries and caucuses. Their aim has been to avoid a repeat of the 2008 scenario, when states jumped ahead of each other at that time in attempts to increase their influence in the process.
In Florida, a special nine-member committee appointed by legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott voted 7-2 to set the January date two days after House Speaker Dean Cannon announced that's what it was expected to do.
Cannon and other Florida GOP leaders said they didn't want to jump the traditional early states but wanted to make sure Florida was fifth, even the move was a violation of party rules.
"We're the biggest swing state in the union," said Republican former Gov. Bob Martinez, a member of the selection panel. "Texas is red, New York is blue, California's blue, and we're 10 electoral votes greater than Ohio. ... So I think this is a real, real election in Florida."
Cannon, who is not on the committee, noted that Florida had done the same thing four years ago with a late-January primary that played a key role in selecting Arizona Sen. John McCain as the Republican nominee. All major Democratic candidates, though, boycotted Florida because the early primary violated party rules.
"The sky didn't fall and the moon didn't turn into blood," Cannon said.
Officials in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina say they'll probably change their dates to stay ahead of Florida.
They are the only states allowed to go before March 6 under Republican and Democratic party rules.
Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn condemned Florida's action and said his caucus still will remain first, consistent with tradition. He said a date will be set after New Hampshire announces when it will hold its primary.
"The arrogance shown by Florida's elected leadership is disappointing, but not surprising," Strawn said in a statement. "Equally troubling is to see this petulant behavior rewarded with our national convention." The convention will be in Tampa, and Strawn said the penalty should include refusing to credential or seat any member of Florida's primary date selection panel.
In New Hampshire, Secretary of State William Gardner said Friday he can't rule out the possibility that the state will hold its presidential primary in December if necessary to preserve its tradition of holding the nation's earliest primaries. Because of that, he set the filing period for candidates for Oct. 17-28.
"Because we cannot rule out the possibility of conducting the primary before the end of this year, we are, regrettably, as we were four years ago, forced to move the presidential candidates filing period to October," said Gardner, who has sole power to set his state's date. For the 2008 primary, he waited until Nov. 21 to set the Jan. 8 date.
South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly, who has the authority to set the GOP primary date in his state, said Thursday that he wants to schedule it as close to Florida as possible, probably on Jan. 28. That's the Saturday before Florida's primary.
That may push the Iowa GOP caucuses to Jan. 9 followed by the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 17 and the Nevada caucuses on Jan. 21.
The Florida panel stuck with the Jan. 31 date although it no longer was necessary to put the state ahead of Missouri, which has scheduled its primary for Feb. 7.
Missouri Republicans on Thursday decided not to hold a primary. They plan, instead, to select their delegates to the Republican national convention in Tampa during March caucuses.
Florida and other states that hold primaries or caucuses before March 6 stand to lose half of their delegates, but state GOP leaders said it's worth the price to have more influence on the nomination.
With President Barack Obama seeking re-election, Florida Democrats could select their delegates at caucuses after March 6 to avoid being penalized.

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Jail Alternative Not Utilized by the City of Lansing

By: Lori Dougovito
By: Lori Dougovito

Under Ingham County's Friend of the Court's Jail Alternative Sentence Program, or JASP, parents that could have but didn't pay child support are given a choice: do jail time or work during the day for credit.

Currently, five Ingham County organizations provide JASP jobs. The city of Lansing has yet to sign on. The Friend of the Court will soon reach out to the city again using an Ash tree replacement project to entice city leaders.

Donald Reisig, Deputy Court Administrator for the Friend of the Court, says once he found out Lansing had $100,000 to replace devastated Ash trees he decided to approach leaders again. A meeting is scheduled Monday.

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Download Stats

Today Total
Last Download By:
Last Download Date: Sunday, May 24, 2015
Downloads By Anonymous Users: 0 6000
Downloads By Registered Users: 0 1572
Unique Total Downloads: 0 7570
Total Downloads Overall: 0 7934
Downloads By Subscribers/Apprentices: 0 510

Note: WinCustomize works to ensure its download counts are accurate. Some download sites inflate their download counts either intentionally or unintentionally. On, we take measures to try to provide you with accurate download counts. These download counts can be assumed to be fairly close to the actual # of individuals who have downloaded this skin, theme, wallpaper, or icon package.


text:
Apple loses patent suit to Nokia, Sony

It took a jury 4 hours to find Apple violated 3 patents

A Delaware jury has ruled that Apple violated three patents owned by MobileMedia Ideas LLC. (MMI), a patent holding company that was created by Nokia, Sony and MPEG-LA.

The original complaint, filed in March of 2010, alleged that Apple's iPhone used technology protected by fourteen patents held by MobileMedia Ideas. However, all but three patents, 6070068, 6253075, and 6427078, were removed from the suit before it began. MobileMedia Ideas describes these patents as relating to "incoming/current call processing", "incoming call rejection", and "image capture/transfer."

Though Apple dismissed the complaint as invalid "due to obviousness," the jury clearly disagreed. They took just four hours to make their decision after sitting in on a one-week trial, to side with MMI's claim that they had "suffered and will continue to suffer damages and irreparable injury." It is not yet clear what that will translate to in dollars, but MobileMedia CEO Larry Horn told Bloomberg that the amount should be "substantial."

Of course, he may be slightly biased in his assessment. A trial will be scheduled to determine the financial outcome of the suit.

Source: Bloomberg; Via: The Register

Reader comments

Apple loses patent suit to Nokia, Sony

Incoming call rejection is patented? Whoever is in charge of approving patents should be more strict on what can be patented.

Surely you can't be serious. If that was your intellectual PROPERTY you would have a much different opinion I'm sure.

Patents like for designs, for example, are good reasons for patenting, but things like incoming call rejection? Im pretty sure that's one of the most basic things a phone needs. I highly doubt I would be crying over people using my call rejection feature or something like that. All this is limited to my opinion tho.

Its just an incoming call feature for you now after so many years because we have taken it for granted.. doesn't mean it wasn't a huge design. Suck it up.

I don't take it for granted. I'm saying the complete opposite. I'm saying that this is a basic feature most phones should+do have freely. And your "Suck it up." comment makes no sense.

Call rejection in cellphones is software based, unlike call rejection in landline phones which is hardware based, so yes it is a big thing that Apple needs to pay for!

What your saying is its an essential patent.
Regardless of how important it is, someone designed the answer (excuse pun) to it, i.e. Nokia and is now reaping the reward. If they hadn't designed it, would we have this feature (baring in mind it didn't exist before)?
Who knows but because someone took the risk, they reap the reward, hence WHY we have patents.

I got your point but you are wrong!
The call regection feature is not exactly what the patent protects in this case but It's the tecnology used to do so. In this case the code behind it.
In other words, apple  could have it done in other way, but the way that did was someone else idea, so they must pay!

While i agree it may be a basic thing right now, I highly doubt it was a basic feature at the time when it was "invented". So there was very much a reason to get it patented.

Call rejection as a idea was not patented, but it's part of Nokia's essential GSM patents. Nokia afterall owns GSM space with over 65% of all GSM patents out there (Ericsson being second with 20%). Nokia also owns around 60% of LTE patents.

i'm a nokia fan but they do not own 60% of lte patents. i thnk it's more around 20%, samsung has around 12%

being a long term apple fanboy (history), I feel the same way, whenever apple looses.

Apple would be more profitable then "windows phone" but microsoft as a whole... I doubt that. Think about it microsoft has their fingers into just about everything computer related, even mac and fyi Apple wouldn't even exist without microsoft

Without the competition from Apple, I highly doubt Microsoft would be where it is today.  And who knows if they would've come up with the idea to "borrow" Xerox's ideas 30 years ago.  I mean, it seems likely enough, but we really can't know for sure.

No, what he's saying is that Microsoft bailed out Apple when they were about to go bankrupt. Apple would literally no longer exist if Microsoft didn't save them.

Their logo should have another bite taken out of the Apple... Lol. The only thing left will be the core after all these other companies take a chunk every time.

Fair is Fair... Not only Apple patents are valid. The other patents also. Apple should learn to pay for these like they expect to receive money for their own patents.

Except that for the most part Apple doesn't want money for their patents... They want to block sale of anything that violates them. This is a nasty attitude that they should be made to pay for.

With Steve jobs gone apples going down. Fox business said today apple has lost its cool their products are no longer cool I love it. Goodbye apple good luck in what in what ever you don't do next.

The market experts and tech journalist's are normally soulless 9 to 5'ers who just blindly follow whatever trend _was_ happening, in Apples case they are 2 years out of date.
Right now I think things are slowly changing, the iphone 5 was a tedious peice of technology, and its implementation is not great (too fragile).  If Apple follow form then the 5s should be the same with a faster processor and NFC+maybe wireless charging added, these things won't sell themselves anymore.

We need patent reform, suing cycle needs to stop. Lawyers are making a killing though so grats to them.

So when Samsung pays $1b to apple for patents, media goes crazy. But when Apple has to pay $600m + licensing + loses another patent war with Nokia, media stays silent.

Businesses usually go out of business because of poor management,or poor products...apple will go out of business because of patents... Simply because they started the whole business on one principal which is "use ideas that belong to others"

Are you Nuts! Steve Jobs invented the word Patent. He said it was very difficult, but after years of working on it, he finally cracked it. And the result is Amazing! and Simple, and so intuitive you'd think people had been using the word their whole lives!

I remember smashing crab apples with a baseball bat when I was a kid. This kind of feels like the few seconds of excitement before the apple went 'pop'

Apple no longer is serious company, just a huge patent troll now. Glad it got its butt kicked.

"Irreparable injury"

Oh please, just go f*** yourself. This kind of language should just stop, they should cut down on all the hyperbole

Apple dismissing Nokia's patent claim as "obvious" has got to be the most laughable remark in tech in 2 years. An incoming call rejection patent is obvious but a square with rounded corners patent? That must be protected at all cost!

"due to obviousness,"... this is very ironic from a company that has patents which 3 year old could think as obvious... to start with rectangle shapes with rounded corners!

What happens when apple release their tvs? Does Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, lg and others head to the courts cos apple copied the rectangular shape? Hope so...

Agree with what your saying, but i think we deserve to give back to them, what they've been giving to us for along time. Just saying.

Nokia came up with a lot of things in the mobile industry.. nowdays they seem simple, but without them.. it doesn't work. It a shame that they have to get credit for it in such a manner.

I find this offensively amusing...
"Though Apple dismissed the complaint as invalid "due to obviousness,""
Rectangular phone with slightly rounded corners and button in the front, not obvious?

i dont get it, almost everything we are using on the phone is patent from someone, if you need to pay for every patent wouldnt that be crazy amount, i wonder how those deals are made, i understand some companies trade patents even though they are competition, but sounds confusing


text:
Rudy Huyn is not planning to stop making apps for Windows Phone, which include 6Sec (Vine) as now we've got word that the esteemed developer is looking at Instagram. Consumers are still struggling to get by with third party alternatives and now we're going to be having yet another solution published to the store.

Here's a quick tweet from Huyn:

We'll be closely following the development and will get some screens and hands-on for you all in due course.

Source: Twitter; thanks, jholso, for the tip!

Reader comments

Rudy Huyn going after Instagram, working on new app for Windows Phone

This. I understand danielgary is busy, but instance is a piece of trash atm. Crashes constantly and uploads hang all the time.

I got a few hanged uploads when on 3G, but crash? 1 time maybe. It's stable. And the beta fixed the live tiles and stuff and enables videos.

I dunno man. Do you follow people that get a lot of comments or likes? It takes forever to load and if you back out it crashes everytime. Plus notifications are still screwed up for me. The app was fine when it came out, but after using it for so long I realized how slow, and buggy it is.

I like the developer, but app isn't very stable at the moment...Daniel Gary is a good developer, and I think that he is just busy right now...

I haven't said anything about the dev, seems like a nice guy, but I think in terms of priorities from what I heard he is working on video for instance right now, which kinda sucks cause I think it would be great to make the app more stable before introducing new features. Anyhow as he said himself on twitter, Rudy just lit a fire under his bum, so hopefully this will play out well with both of them putting out good apps.

Im having trouble uploading with Instance and sharing to fb/twitter at the moment. If I don't share on those communities it works IIRC.

My only issues with Instance is that I can't seem to upload pics with long captions. Otherwise, I have never had any stability issues with the app. Not saying they don't exist.

I don't see what Instagram's issue with WP is.  Especially with the 1020 coming out, Instagram would be a perfect match.  I can only conclude they must be dicks and aren't doing it for spite.

I honestly think that 1020 and instagram is a terrible match. Why would we want the stunning photos that the 1020 can deliver be destroyed by some crappy filter?

I very much agree with Zicoz! Silly small sqaure pictures with poor filters!
But... wee girls do like it.
Rudy is the man tho, love his apps. I will download and pay for it to support him!

I am new to the instagram thing and that damn small ass square pisses me off. I have to cut my pics all the time.

Quick tip for you sir, if you wanna avoid cutting your pics off, what I do is just open up PhotoGrid, click on single image and then PhotoGrid has an option where you can put your image into a full square like 1:1 ratio. It cuts off a bit of the image but nothing close to what Instagram makes you crop lol then just save it and when you upload to IG it should fit right into the square crop but the image will be less zoomed in.

I am on Android but that's what I do, I am not sure if the PhotoGrid app on WP has the same feature, but yeah you should try it out dude.

You don't have to use a filter in order to use Instagram. Instagram is about sharing photos.

but it strips the EXIF data nd compresses thm like fuck, down to 612x612 or something i believe, it would still ruins the 1020s photos

Microsoft is working with Google on YouTube whereas Facebook isn't working on Instagram. Plus we have MetroTube for YouTube in the meantime.

I can't imagine that ANYONE can come up with something better than myTube. It might be the greatest WP app I've ever seen.

The fact that we've named three different YouTube apps as the "best app" in this thread alone is a sign that we've already got some damn good YouTube apps. No need for Huyn to waste his time on this.

Does anybody have suggestions on what Rudy should name the app? He'd like to have a 6 in the name, so we can have a 6 family. He's currently thinking of 6gram. Anybody got any other interesting names?

Not sure how the number 6 would fit in. How about if he sticks with having a number in his apps and just call this 1gram?

I'm not a fan of vine, but the app Huyn created for it is incredible. Really looking forward to this.

Though i already own instagraph and instance, i am a big fan of Rudy (and his team). Looking forward to their take on instagram.

Rudy, We windows phone lovers will never be able to thank you enough for all your awesome apps and support for windows phones. We all wish you the very Best!

Does anyone know the latest on how the instance developer is doing with video viewing and uploading update? Haven't heard anything since he said something about viewing videos in instance was done and released to beta.

This dude is the real deal! If people like him and Daniel Gary can create apps by themselves, I don't ever wanna hear lame excuses from CEO's about how limited WP8 is. Like the Kik article that was put out the other day!

This is amazing! I am sure it is going to be better than the official instagram app for ios/android. Ms should hire the guy!

So like. I know that an independent developer and a multi billion dollar corporation are not the same entity, but couldn't Microsoft make their own client for instagram like these guys without breaki any rules/legal parameters or burning any imaginary bridges?

are they seriously banning instance users? i guess im immune because i logged in on all my devices. including android.

Are you sure that they banned you for using Instance? They could have banned you if you've post anything inappropriate.

I can guarantee that I didn't post anything inappropriate. Daniel Gary mentioned that a lot of users (not just Instance users) were banned/deleted at the end of June...

They would work to find a way to block Instance but they would NEVER ban a member for accessing through Instance. There had to be a different reason...

Hi Rudy, this is great news! With your proven work quality and aim for perfection, this will be a huge plus for the community!!

With all due respect to Daniel, I just think his version still needs more polishing.

I really think this would be great because I kinda think the developer of intense abandoned us :'( but if we can get a instagram app that stays up to date with the real instagram app that would be awesome

He also, later, asked for alternate suggestions because BenThePCGuy told him the name sounded like it had something to do with selling drugs ;)

I'm sure Rudy will do justice to instagram. In fact he'll do a better job at it than instagram themselves.

This is interesting news, wasn't expecting this at all! Great to have more choices though, curious to see how it will compare Instance.
Big fan of Rudy's work though!

It took me 3 months to release my first app, and 5 months to release my second. If he can build an Instagram app in 5 days then wow lol.

Actually that scheduled may be shorter! He is already working on the uploading feature (scheduled for Sunday).

I highly advise you all to follow him on Twitter ;)

I know when they do make it it will be amazing. That's what I like about WP, apps look NOTHING like iOS, Android counterparts. Quality is what I see in this ecosystem.

Rudy has already made the prototype in hours!!

"login, profile, feed, follow/unfollow : done picture upload : need some tests"

So why is Instragam not on windows I still do not get it, is it that complicated of a program to make that is would take a lot of time and money?? What is the real deal with this?

Just a general dislike towards Microsoft from the staff of instagram, I would guess. Also reading some of the tweets from the Vine devs, they don't seem to like Microsoft too much either. But at least they've announced support for the platform (however long that will take, who knows).

Looks encouraging. At present I usually resort to using my phone to take the photos, emailing them to my ipad so I can edit and post them in the iOS official app as that is just better and more self contained than any alternatives I've tried. Got some pretty decent results...but still dying for Instagram to make an official WP app as I think it would really do well for them. More third party apps...hey, we'll see. Just feels very frustrating how much Instagram seems to totally shun Windows Phone users. I tend to tag my photos with something like #nokia just to remind Instagram that Nokia still has a lot of Instagram fans.

I like Instance. Its not perfect. But its a great alternative for an official app. I use it all the time and I expect it to keep getting better.

With that being said, we know what Rudy is capable of. Never a bad thing when it comes to competition and choice. I think we can safely say he will knock this one out the park.

I am a huge fan of Rudy and his 6sec app. I am a huge fan because he definitely takes the time to make sure the app is polished. I've used instance and instagraph since they both came out and instance is not a stable app. It works sometimes and sometimes it does. My newsfeed takes awhile to load and I get crashes. Instagraph/metrogram is more stable but that delay in uploading pictures is annoying to me. Hopefully Rudy's app will not only be stable but not have any delays in the uploading.

Hi !!!

It's 4am and I just see this article. Thanks everyone for your messages!

Time to sleep for me, but before I wait announce you than after 7 hours of dev, video and picture UPLOAD WORK!!!

as well as feeds, comments, like, profile and login.

Good luck with this new project. But please do not forget to update TVShow. The option to manually adjust the air time (under "settings" / "display") really needs to include Non-US viewers. Sorry, I know that this is somewhat off-topic.

6gram and 6sec will share 80% of the code. It's easier for me to work first on 6gram and after port them to wp7

A bit confused though. A while back, I rmb Daniel and Rudy tweeting to each other about how they will not create another 3rd-party app which the other one is working on since the apps are really well-done. Thought Rudy wouldn't join this Instagram battle.

Instagram has changed, now it's also a video social network, and Windows Phone needs to have That, with 6Sec, I have all the experience to make it, so why to not do it?

I love Instance but they are taking too long to support video. Meanwhile Rudy is on fire! I'm sure he is going to present us with a fantastic Instagram client app! Can't wait!

rudy, why is your VINE not compatible for WP7.x users? i don't care though, bcause i don't use it. but i HOPE this instagram app will be available not just for WP8 users. please!!! as much as i want to switch, but my contract's not done yet. :\

Yep. Go get 'em Rudy! That's one of the silver linings of these "popular" apps holding off on WP. We get app developers who can outcode the official app developers and make their "official" app look ridiculous by comparison. Wait, did someone say "4th & Mayor"? ;-P

Can somebody ask Rudy Huyn or Daniel Gary if he can design a Facebook app based on iOS or Android version and metrofy it..? :D


text:
Evidence of Windows 8 apps on Xbox One presumably in front of us the whole time

Xbox One

It’s no secret that your Xbox One will be more than just a game console when it launches later this year. There’s of course the media aspects that are being expanded on from the Xbox 360, namely video and music capabilities. But it could be so much more than with rumors and hints of Windows 8 apps and games working on the machine. The latest fuel to the fire comes from Justin Angel who noticed something that’s been in front of all of us for a long time.

We didn’t really cover it here at Windows Phone Central, but earlier this year a development kit for the next-generation Xbox appeared on an eBay auction. The seller also happened to be leaking a lot of information about next-generation consoles before he was greeted by a    police raid and had his computer confiscated. The rise and fall of the individual is told really well by Stephen Totilo over at Kotaku. You should go read it and check out some of the screenshots supplied by SuperDaE, the hacker behind the information and eBay sale of the development kit.

One screenshot from the story caught the attention of Justin Angel, who previously worked at both Microsoft and Nokia. The screenshot shows a supposed file directory for Homefront 2. The game was originally being developed by THQ, but the company has since filed for bankruptcy and is now being developed by Crytek.

Xbox One Windows 8 XML

Justin noticed something quite interesting about the file directory, a specific file to be exact. Inside the file directory was “AppxManifest.xml” which indicates a Windows 8 WinRT app. That’s in conjunction with the “DurangoLauncher.exe”, which he suspects is used to launch the Xbox One game. Durango is believed to be the internal codename for the Xbox One.

While it’s not hard to fake screenshots like the one above, nearly all the information supplied by SuperDaE has checked out since. Plus we know the Xbox One is basically running three operating systems at once. You have a system OS to run apps like Skype and Internet Explorer, the “Xbox OS” which will power the games, and a layer that uses tech from Microsoft’s Hyper-V to switch between the two instantaneously. Many people have suspected that the system OS will be where developers, like yourself, will be able to develop and target for games and apps. Microsoft even hinted at such a possibility at the end of Build by telling developers to start building for the Xbox One by developing for Windows 8.

Don’t forget, indie developers can self-publish on the Xbox One.

What are your predictions for the relation between Windows and the Xbox One from a developers perspective?

Source: Kotaku, Twitter, Twitter

Thanks for the heads up Justin!

Reader comments

Evidence of Windows 8 apps on Xbox One presumably in front of us the whole time

MSFT boasted about Xbox live games across the WP-PC-XBOX, but nothing happened yet.
,MSFT boasted about app compatibility across WP-PC-XBOX. Yet to be true. My hopes are getting faded every time google release a new update.

If they actually make it happen which is something i knew will happen then the app purchases need to be sorted out. I don't want to buy the same thing for three screens which is stupid since its from the same company app store. Anyways nice piece Sam

How about WP apps on W8...? Just like how iPod/iPhone apps are compatible on the iPad. I really can't see it being practical to have a landscape app developed for large screens to work on ones that are under 5" at the moment.

With the two screens sharing the same kernel it's fairly easy to make a WP app into a W8 companion app and vice versa.

I think that is one of the reason Windows RT is not catching on, maybe an old song, but there is just no apps.
MS had around 100K WP apps already at the time and they decided to start Windows 8/RT app library from scratch.
Bad for users, bad for devs, bad all around.

At launch they said something along the lines of "we don't have the SDK ready yet, but just develop a Windows 8 app and you'll be far ahead."

They said that at //Build/ .. if you want to build app's for Xbox One continue building for Windows Store. I am unsure how nobody picked up on that :)
My question is .. if its using the Windows RT runtime .. can xbox one games go .. the other direction aka ... to Surface/RT

They should, but remember even on the best PC there is going to be a performance difference.
Until PC GPUs catch up to the new features of the XBox One GPU, even a top end system will struggle.
As for indie publishers with lighter type games, development shouldn't be much difference for all of them as the frameworks continue to equalize.

What are you talking about? PC GPUs are more capable than the Xbox One and PS4 GPUs. GTX Titan is enough to answer that.

I'm not really interested in consoles but I don't get why people are complaining about Xbox. You know it's going to get all the games, plus you have an all in one computing device. Best of both worlds without having to pay thousands of dollars.

for anyone thinking that Windows 8 Store apps will just work out of the box lets calm down for a sec.  Devs will have to re-write for a 10 foot experience and probably kinect integration is mandatory since the kinect is mandatory with XBONE.
This is not the boost to Windows Store everyone is hoping for.  Most likely Microsoft will provide a curated app store like they have done for select 360 apps.

Kinect support is not mandatory, but Kinect is included in the HOPES that developers will support it since every user has one.

"Devs will have to re-write for a 10 foot experience and probably kinect integration is mandatory since the kinect is mandatory with XBONE"
The "relative size" of a 10" tablet screen 18 inches away from your face is nearly the same as a 46" TV screen that is 10 feet away.  Therefore, I think most Modern UI apps are already optimized pretty well for the 10 foot experience.  A desktop/laptop is also pretty close in relative size and is also typically used in landscape.  However, a phone is generally used in portrait mode and the relative size of the screen is much smaller.  I think MS got it right when they drew the line between phone apps and everthing else.  For the most part, a phone app has to be optimized for specifically for that form factor while apps for other devices can be a shared experience.
Also, Kinect is a mandatory part of XBONE so developers can count on it being there and program for it if it makes sense.  They don't have to use it though.  I'm sure there will be lots of apps/games that just don't really lend themselves to Kinect's functionality.

Hopefully, MS will do some voodoo to turn touch gestures into Kinect gestures thus alleviating the amount of re-writing necessary.  One might even suspect that this was part of the reason that the new Kinect had to be bundled with the device.  This seems like an obvious decision and if they have not already developed this I would be astonished.

Well, hasn't the Xbox always ran some form of custom Windows build? It isn't too much of a stretch to assume that this is Windows 8 without any of the clutter, all geared towards making it a gaming console but retaining what you would need to develop in a Win8 environment and literally just send it over and have it work just fine?
Maybe this speaks to MS wanted much easier porting from PC games to Xbox and vice-versa?

Couldn't this just be the Smartglass integration or a secondary app for second screens? I find it a bit weird that a Xbox game is using another app for the Windows stuff. Also i could imagine that they use a similar technique to get games going on the Xbox OS. Wouldn't be weird if it uses a similar setup to enable communication between OSses or using some API's

The Windows side of the box will not be fully exploited at launch. By 2017 (in 4 years) it will ship with an SSD, 4k disks, and full windows compatibility.

full access to Windows 8/RT apps on Xbox One with Smartglass integration would be brilliant (Kinect integration too woudl be awesome). Everyone could then sit on the couch with their phones and tablets and use apps on their 'just-became-a-full-on-PC' Xbox One and giant flatscreen TV. At that point, I don't see why anyone would get a PS4 instead of an Xbox One.

Full access to Windows 8/RT apps on Xbox One with Smartglass integration would be brilliant. Everyone could then sit on their couch with their phones and tablets and use their 'just-became-a-full-on-PC' Xbox One on a giant, HD flatscreen TV. That, coupled in with the TV integration, voice and motion controls of the Kinect, and the games and at that point I don't see why anyone would get a PS4 instead of an Xbox One.

At least in the beginning, it'll probably be a curated selection of non-games. Games, especially one that already have controller support on W8, would probably be not far behind, as MS will probably need to provide asset management tools for developers, with Spartan Assault leading the, uhm, assault.

I think that games are going to have companion apps that run side by side or on SmartGlass while you play the game. It doesn't make sense to me why Homefront would be running on the Windows app platform instead of the Xbox OS side.

How the fuck can you leap to such assumptions?
It's more likely that the app architecture for Xbox One is similar to the Windows 8/RT, because that's also the case for Windows Phone 8.
It's unlikely to utilize the SAME apps. Just imagine using any of these apps with a controller. Keyboard and mouse is bad enough for them, with them often utilizing a tabbing orgy instead of hotkeys to activate functions, but a controller would be hilariously impractical.
You can bet your ass that the apps can be easily ported and are basically the same in terms of development. But they will still be versions created specifically for the console. You might even have one app that exists in multiple versions, meaning that buying the Xbox version will give you the version for Windows, as well.
There's also the question of performance if it's really the SAME apps. Sure, currently there's enough processing power to overkill the hardware requirements on Windows 8 apps.
This will change three years down the line. And a modern console could exist for up to ten years. You can't unify the systems like that, because it would transform the console into a bottleneck. It's bad enough for games already, where everything is created for Xbox 360 and then shoddily ported to the other systems, often even losing features because of that (like English language support in the European version of Deus Ex).

There's also the Logo, SmallLogo, Splashscreen, and StoreLogo pngs there too, which you need for a WinRT app. I mean, you'd probably need those logos for the Xbox One anyway, but I'm not sure about the splashscreen one.

Im sorry, but how is this news? it was announced in the original press conference. They stated that "key windows 8 apps would be migrated" so theyll bring over some things, but not others, until it gets unlocked, and then itll run anything a windows box will run

Isn't this obvious? The Xbox One does run the kernel of Windows 8 and the WinRT APIs can already scale to different platforms. The 360 could run apps created with something very similar to Silverlight and the new WinRT is the successor.

But that doesn't mean that you will be able to install the same apps or games! Just that the technology is very similar and that a lot of code can be shared (just like between Windows Phone and Windows 8/RT).

I thought I read somewhere that people are referring to this APIs as WinXRT, in comparison to WinRT and WinPhoneRT.

If this is true, MS has just spelled the end-of-PC. Since they just announced of being "device and service company"; because for most of us, we will just need a Surface, a WP, an Xbox One and a cloud in our house! All provided by MS. Like Bill Gates predicted years ago, "computers will disappear from our lives."

They really should join apps in the store, even if it is only by name (screenshots and files between W8 and WP8 could stay different).  There is a place in the store where you can see what the app runs on...  Usually it says:  'ARM, x86'.
I would love to see apps say 'ARM, WP8, x86, xbox one'.
I would also really hope that app developers have to go in and modify their UI for compatibility with an xbox controller before their app is available for xbox.  That way we don't end up with a ton of crappy app ports to xbox one.  Standards are important!  But really, the tile-based UI that windows has been pushing would be EXCELLENT for a game controller, so not a ton of modifications would be necessary.
This also begs another question, if windows 8 is maximized for controller use, how easy would it be to make a winRT box to compete with cheaper TV services by google and apple?  Really simple!!

It's a good idea, but how are we going to controll apps that were made for touch/mouse&keyboard with a controller or even with Kinect? Those kinds of inputs are all totally different! Not sure how are all the apps going to run well with all of them.

I said Microsoft should thrown in a watered down version of Office on XB1for shiats and giggiles in the forums
/Might just be close to right

I would love to see that actually.  Hopping on skydrive, and adding some text to a paper between games seems like a nice idea.  It wouldn't work mind you, but still nice to have.  It would certainly be a push towards total integration into the MS ecosystem.

Windows 8 apps on the XB1? That would be all kinds o' awesome if that were to be true! Exciting times!! Can't wait for my XB1 to be released!

If the same apps from the windows store will run on xbox one, then this will be a huge win for MS.
If they can say to app developers, that an app created for windows store will have a potential customer from every windows 8 laptop/desktop/tablet AND every single xbox one, then this would be a huge incentive for app developers.
There would be a huge increase in the number of apps being developed and released for windows store.
I would love for the forthcoming VLC player for windows store to also run on xbox one, hope MS wouldnt block apps that compete against there own apps live xbox video / music.
As others have pointed out, if the pricicng structure is well though out, eg buy an app for a single device for less, or pay a little extra and buy it for use across multiple devices, and use skydrive for syncing settings etc, this would be a huge win for consumers.
The next step I feel would be for windows 8 phones, I mean x86 based bay trail chips in smartphones, they could potentially run full windows 8, but with desktop walled off or the modern UI adjusted slightly for phone portrait mode.
I know it would be very annoying for Windows phone 8 owners if MS started over again with x86 windows phones, but it would mean a full, true coherent ecosystem with the same app running on smartphone - tablet - laptop - desktop - xbox

I was hoping they were going to announce this at BUILD this year.  If they don't go this route, they are pretty dumb.  They already had Xbox development through XNA, but making it WinRT + Kinect will be a pretty awesome dev experience.

I'd be more interested in XBone games running on Windows 8.
That would be a pretty good boost for the Store (more competition for Steam is always good).


text:
442 reviews
By installing you agree to the Terms of Use and other terms

Download size

3 MB

Last updated

Works with

  • Windows Phone 8.1
  • Windows Phone 8
  • Windows Phone 7.5

App requires

  • appointments
  • contacts
  • phone identity
  • video and still capture
  • location services
  • maps
  • photos library
  • microphone
  • data services
  • phone dialer
  • Proximity
  • speech
  • wallet
  • wallet payment instruments
  • web browser component
  • camera
  • HD720P (720x1280)
  • WVGA (480x800)
  • WXGA (768x1280)
  • owner identity
  • photo, music, and video libraries
  • camera
What's this?

Supported languages (7)

Deutsch English English (United States) Español (España, alfabetización internacional) français italiano português (Brasil)
show languages
RedLaser Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader — Shop Smarter

RedLaser is a secret weapon for the smart shopper – scan barcodes or search for items to make sure you have all the information you need, including product details, ratings, reviews and pricing.

What can we say? - RedLaser is truly a shopper’s dream app come true.
New to v3.0:
-	New redesigned UI
- 	Our new home page provides product recommendations specifically for you.
-	Browse online and local deals to save even more money with RedLaser.
-	Store all of your loyalty cards in RedLaser instead of carrying a packed wallet.
✓ Scan all major retail barcodes (including UPC, EAN, UPC-E, and EAN-8) and QR codes
✓ Search for prices from thousands of online retailers for millions of products
✓ Search hundreds of local retailers to compare prices, find the nearest locations, and even check out books at the library
✓ Get product descriptions, reviews, and nutritional information to help you make the right decision
✓ Digitize your wallet by scanning & storing your loyalty cards.  You can even share cards with family and friends
✓ Find deals and coupons from many merchants. You can view top deals of the day or browse deals by store.
✓ View popular products scanned by other RedLaser users.
✓ Create personalized QR codes with your info, contacts, website’s URL, location and more with our powerful QR code engine
✓ Create shopping, wish, and gift lists to share with friends and family.  Also great for archiving your book, CD, DVD, and even your wine collection!
✓ Keyword, Voice, and Image recognition search to find the best deal, even when you don’t have a barcode handy

Alt: red, laser, redlazer, lazer
show details

  • by Greg 5/11/2015
    Developers don't seem to give a Sh** about fixing internet connection problems.
  • by M Ryan 5/5/2015
  • by Mohammad 5/2/2015
    Great app .. Specially that I can create my own QRcodes
  • by shane 4/13/2015
    Kept saying can't connect...
  • by catsniper 3/27/2015
    Can't scan bar or qr codes.
  • by Tanya 3/25/2015
    I wish this would work. Please fix it. I am connected to my data plan on my Nokia Lumia 635 and also to my wifi. Neither of these connections has a firewall. So why won't the app recognize that I am connected to the internet? Please fix this. I am not the only one having this problem.
  • by Isabella 3/24/2015
  • by Chi 3/18/2015
    There's no problem with the scanning. But what's the point if it always says that there's no internet connection when I DO connect it to my Wi-Fi. Tried the 3G internet but it won't work either
  • by Julie 3/18/2015
    Useless app! It finally let me take a picture but came back with a can't connect try at a later time error. Been trying for a while at different times but same thing. It might work on other phones but not this one. Do not recommend at all, big waste of time.
  • by Barb 3/15/2015
    Like that you can put your store key tags in but keeps showing that an internet connection is needed, using windows phone Lumina 635 used both wifi and LTE and even uninstalled but does work, please fix and I would gladly give 5 stars but right now it is pretty much useless


text:
California: Tedeschi Family Winery: A Hidden Gem of the Napa Valley

Emil Tedeschi is one of those men that, upon meeting, you know they have a very interesting story to tell. When I first met him, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the stories he had about growing up on a winery, making money selling grapes during the prohibition, starting a winery in Hawaii, and coming back to his hometown to make wine the way he likes it.

Always willing to open a bottle and talk for a while, Tedeschi definitely has a story worth hearing. This is the thought I had as I sat with him in his vineyards, looking out over the expanse of vines towards the towering form of Mount St. Helena, glass of delicious 2004 Tedeschi Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon in hand.

The family has been in Calistoga, California for three generations. Tedeschi grew up on the same property that is now Tedeschi Family Winery, watching his grandfather make wine and helping in the fields. Before it became a winery, the land was part of the Little Piza Resort, and the wine they made was shared with family, friends and guests of the resort. The Tedeschi family also owned the Fleur Di Italia, which is now the Calistoga Inn.

Eventually, the Tedeschis sold the inn and resort, turning completely to the winemaking business. Tedeschi remembers helping his father remove the fruit trees that covered the property and planting grapevines over 30 years ago. Many of those same vines are still there. During prohibition, they were able to make a living by shipping their grapes by train to Vallejo, where they were ferried over to San Francisco and sold to immigrants who would use it them to make wine and sell it on the black market.

In the 1970’s, Tedeschi took a trip with a friend to the island of Maui, and he quickly fell in love with Hawaii. He found an old, run-down coffee plantation and, looking out at the hillsides and mountains that surrounded the property, became inspired. After doing some research back in the States, he decided it was possible to establish a winery in Hawaii, and he quickly found a partner who was interested in this seemingly impossible venture. Now, Tedeschi Vineyards in Maui, is one of the most successful wineries in Hawaii, and one of only two on the island itself.

But in 1991, Tedeschi realized that he was more interested in making Bordeaux style wines than the sweet Pineapple wines that were popular in Hawaii. He felt it was time to return home, to the vineyards he had grown up in.

The grapes were there, but he had to build the winery from scratch. He relied heavily on the throwaways of outdated equipment from larger wineries that had turned to more modern methods of winemaking. As a result, the winery is constructed mostly out of recycled materials, including the leftover cement that was given to tedeschi by a friend who had extra after doing his own renovations.

According to Tedeschi, there are two choices a winemaker has when making wine: “to make wine you know people will buy, or to make wine you enjoy. I chose to make wine that I enjoy, and I hope others will like it as well.” Speaking as one of those other people, they do.

His wines are a unique style, especially here in Napa Valley. Contrary to the heavy Cabernets the Valley is known for, he prefers to make his wines in a Bordeaux style, using mostly Neutral French and some American oak barrels, and leaving his wine in the barrel for up to 36 months, which is longer than many wineries, but results in a very drinkable wine once it reaches the bottle.

This is why only the 2003 and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is available, and why the 2005 Merlot was just released last year. Tedeschi hopes to have his 2005 Cabernet ready soon as well. His Cabernet Sauvignon is lower in alcohol than most found in the same region, and is much softer on the palette, with notes of blackberries, rich red plums, vanilla and brown sugar.

It isn’t easy making wine against the grain in Napa Valley, nor is it easy being a winery producing only a few hundred cases in California’s famous winegrowing region, where over 500 wineries are competing to sell their products. But, he says, “I just take things one day at a time” and he enjoys every minute of running his own winery.

“After all,” says Tedeschi, “where else can you go out and grab a bottle of wine from your own back yard?”

Tedeschi Family Winery
2779 Grant Street
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 337-5526

Written by Stephanie Rosenburg. Stephanie jumped at the chance to work as a freelance designer while still in college, and by the time she graduating was already supporting herself by her work. Her drive and initiative have carried her far, opening doors and leading her to meet some very interesting people. Her favorite question is “why?” and she love finding out the answers, or at least getting closer to them. Her love of wine and the culture that surrounds it enticed her to stay in the Napa Valley after college. With a background in both design and public relations, she is especially interested in connecting smaller wineries to their public through new media such as the internet, video and social media.

Editor's Note: Have a question or comment? Leave a message in the comments below.

Guest ContributorWAFT's guest contributors include expert and hobby bloggers and writers from different parts of the world. They are regular persons who are happy to be able to simply share their experiences, stories, and tips about the three things we, as WAFT's fans, all share interest in--wine, food and travel.

  • http://vinebuzz.biz/ Rich Reader

    Emil has one foot in tradition, while the other is planted in barefoot, unabashed bootstrapping to pursue his craft with his ingenuity and the materials available. Last week I had the pleasure of presenting the 2004 Tedeschi Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon to a small crowd of appreciative tasters from within the industry during Cabernet day in the VIP room at Saint Supery. The fruit of Mr. Tedeschi’s labor amazes all who sit down to discover his unique style and passion.

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Magazine Archives: Aug. 31, 2010

The New Adventures of Steve Case

Ex-AOL exec tries his hand at wine online
Jennifer Fiedler
Issue: August 31, 2010

American entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Case, 51, made headlines during the dot-com gold rush of the late 1990s as the cofounder and chairman of AOL. Since leaving the company in 2003, the Hawaii-born executive has kept busy, dedicating time to his eponymous foundation and investing in a spate of companies ranging from agricultural holdings to resorts to health care. A longtime wine lover, Case has recently turned the tables, going from wine collector to industry professional. When Vinfolio, an online wine store and platform for person-to-person sales, stumbled financially earlier this year, Case became a significant investor under the umbrella of Revolution, a company he founded in 2005 to invest in tech-friendly businesses. He spoke with associate editor Jennifer Fiedler to discuss why he jumped at that opportunity, what type of wines he has been collecting, and how his tastes have changed.

For the full article, check out the new issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands July 27, 2010.

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Spinach-Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake

How can it be the last day of 2012 already?! It seems like it was just yesterday when I made New Year’s resolutions that I didn’t keep! Now it’s already time to pretend that I will stick to some sort of impressive life change just because the calendar says I should, yet again. My New Year’s resolutions for 2013 are to eat lots of chocolate and watch lots of TV. There. Those should stick.

Oh, sorry. You didn’t come here to hear me babble about my lack of will power? May I entice you to stay by offering you a delicious dinner?

Spinach-Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake
Spinach-Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake!

I was singing in the shower the other day, and sometime between “The Rain In Spain” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” I had this brilliant idea to make an artichoke dip pasta bake. I patted myself on the soapy back and congratulated myself on my creativity. Then I came out of the shower and Mr. Google told me that artichoke dip pasta bakes have existed since the beginning of time. Harumph!

I used Dreena’s Creamy Artichoke Spinach Dip recipe, mostaccioli, and shredded Daiya jack. This isn’t my first time making this dip, and it isn’t the first time I skip the chips and grab a fork to eat it instead. Evidence here. I won’t copy and paste Dreena’s recipe here because it’s her recipe and you should get it from her blog – it’s only a tasty click away! Here’s how to make this pasta bake:

Spinach-Artichoke Dip Pasta BakeYou will need:

1/2 cup uncooked mostaccioli
Dreena Burton’s Creamy Artichoke Spinach Dip
1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded vegan cheese (Daiya jack wedge was my choice)

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
2) Cook the mostaccioli al dente following the directions on the box. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.
3) Make the dip. If you are a multi-tasker you can make the dip while the pasta cooks. Aren’t you impressive?
4) Transfer the dip to the mostaccioli pot, throw in the shredded cheese and mix well.
5) Scoop the mix into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes or until slightly toasty on top. If it refuses to get toasty on top, give it a quick broil. Watch it like a hawk or it will go from toasty to charred in no time though! You’re done, dahlin’. Eat up!

Note: I wanted artichoke dip with pasta, not pasta with artichoke dip. If you want more pasta than delicious creamy dip, maybe go with 3/4 cup instead of 1/2. You will bring shame to the family, but if that’s your choice I won’t stop you.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake

Let’s have some dessert now! The marvelousness that is Ms. Amey, keeper of the Vegan Eats & Treats blog, sent me one of her awesome holiday cookbooklets that is aptly named “Yum Town!” The cookbooklet is full of tasty recipes and adorable doodles. If I were ever to use the word “adorbz”, this would be the time. The doodles are… doodley versions of Amey, Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats, and their furry companions in all sorts of cute and funny situations. Don’t worry, you too can check out lots of Amey’s doodles on her blog if you can’t go to Yum Town!

Amey's Yum Town
Forget Two Tickets to Paradise, give me a one-way ticket to Yum Town! Thank you, Amey, for the limited-edition Yum Town and my beautiful calendar!

One of the recipes featured in Amey’s Yum Town is Amey’s very own recipe for Spiced Fig & Marmalade Cookies. They are made with orange marmalade! I’d never made cookies with orange marmalade before, but I know this won’t be the last time. These cookies are very unique and like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.  A few of the flavors that merge into one delicious cookie are: cocoa, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, almond, orange, and don’t forget the pistachios! Fabulous! Knowing myself and my pesky taste buds, I decided to only add chopped figs to half of the cookies. I am not a dried-fruit person, but Mr. Wing-It is, and this way we were both able to fully enjoy Amey’s cookies. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t just wave cookies under your nose and leave you there drooling without a link to the recipe!

Amey's Spiced Fig & Marmalade Cookies

Amey's Spiced Fig & Marmalade Cookies
Figgy bits and pistachios!

Stick a fork in me, I’m done! See ya’ 2012 – you were a pretty sucky year. Here’s hoping that 2013 brings us peace, prosperity, and pastries. Happy New Year, everyone! Or happy regular day if you don’t use a Gregorian calendar! :)

Mrs. C

Mrs. C wants to know if you have any New Year’s resolutions. Isn’t she fabulous?

  1. says

    That’s pretty smart of you to choose resolutions you can keep. At least you won’t be tortured by failure, like some. And you’ll really enjoy keeping them.

    I have a bag of frozen artichokes in my freezer that I bought the last time I planned to make spinach-artichoke dip — I don’t know why it’s still in there getting frosty. I resolve to make it soon. Yes, I do.

    • says

      I certainly will enjoy keeping my lazy and gluttonous resolutions! A third resolution should be added to my list: I shall hang out with the ducks a lot.

      The last bag of artichokes that I bought (before the one I used for this dish) was so frosty and dried up it wasn’t even that tasty. So I think you should hurry and make this dip before it’s too late! :)

  2. says

    I made a weirdo version of cauliflower artichoke dip a few years ago that I’d completely forgotten about until reading this post. Mine actually used steamed and mashed cauliflower in the dip, instead of nuts, and lots of nooch and margarine. I bet it would be great with pasta, too. I usually only ever ate it with a fork, because I’m classy like that.

    I’m not a dried fruit fan either, but those cookies sound great!

    • says

      That sounds awesome, actually! I think you need to make it again and share the recipe. Really.

      Yep, artichoke dips are meant to be eaten with a fork, straight out of the bowl. Chips are for the weak! :D

  3. says

    As usual, it all looks spectacular! I love the idea of artie dip and pasta. . . yum. And I adore Amey’s doodles and recipe pamphlets! The cookies look delish, too. A great way to ring in the new year, River. Hope you both have a wonderful evening and a very Happy 2013! xo

  4. says

    yay! that artichoke dip pasta creation looks AMAZING. Whoa. Mr. VE&T would love that business. What a great idea. I will give you full credit for that idea, by the way. Also – I’m so glad you made my marmalade cookies and liked them!! Yay! I feel like a real recipe-maker now! :) The bird picture is so beautiful. I’m sorta jealous of your snow. It’s all sunny and blue (but still chilly) here today.

    • says

      You should make more recipes, recipe-maker Amey! I’m telling you I’m going to be baking with orange marmalade far too often, thanks to you! Mrs. C is such a little cutie. Both Mr and Mrs Cardinal come to get some dinner late in the afternoon every day after all the other birds are gone. Antisocial little things!

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Thursday, May 3, 2012

A Happy Day!

Bufflehead (hear their calls by clicking link), the smallest diving duck in North America, breeds mainly in Canada. They winter in the south part of United States and migrate to the breeding ground during April and May.  I always want to photograph this beautiful duck, unfortunately they are very shy and don't come close to human easily. I was crossing the Buford Dam of Lake Lanier on my way back from work and saw a Great-Blue Heron (GBH) standing near the shore and thinking maybe I'd be lucky enough to catch him fishing.

Male Bufflehead. Click image to view on black
As I walking down slowing towards west bank area, this tiny duck was swimming along the bank. When I put on my binoculars, I could not believe what I saw, "it's a Bufflehead", I screamed inside. If you are wondering how small this duck is. Let's say I think everyone knows Mallard duck. A Bufflhead is about half size of a Mallard and it measures from the tip of bill to the end of tail. Yes, after patiently waiting, I did snap this GBH with his huge fish and of course, this male Bufflehead. A happy day for me indeed and, for the duck :) -- Happy Birding! -- Linda

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Wisconsin Lawyer: Managing Risk: Suing for Fees: To What Lengths Should You Go to Get Paid?:

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    Managing Risk: Suing for Fees: To What Lengths Should You Go to Get Paid?

    Suits against clients for unpaid fees are not strictly off-limits, but lawyers should thoroughly evaluate each potential case to determine if the fees at issue justify both the costs and the possibility the attempt will not succeed.

    Thomas J. Watson

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    Dog barking up a treeWhen the plumber comes to your house and fixes your clogged drain, you never consider not paying the bill, do you? When the mechanic fixes your car, that service deserves payment, right? When the dental hygienist cleans your teeth, payment is not something that is in question, is it? So why do clients sometimes neglect, intentionally or otherwise, to pay lawyers for legal services rendered? It’s an issue lawyers struggle with far too often.

    Few lawyers have not been confronted with the question whether they should sue a client for fees when it seems clear the client does not plan to pay the bill. When lawyers ask me this question, my answer is always an unsatisfying one to them: “It depends.” Then they ask, “On what?”

    To start, it depends on the individual case. Suing for fees is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Each case, and each client, is unique. Relevant factors include how much money the client owes, whether the amount is enough to justify the time and trouble of a lawsuit, whether you have a good working relationship with the client, and what type of legal matter was involved

    These aren’t all. You should also consider the following when contemplating a lawsuit for fees:

    • Could this trigger a counterclaim malpractice suit? (At least 10 percent of malpractice claims arise from a suit for fees.)
    • Is there an alternative to suing for the fee?
    • Would a judgment be collectible?
    • Why is the client not paying? (Possible reasons include dissatisfaction with the attorney’s work, unhappiness with the result of the case, and lack of money to pay.)

    After considering this information, a lawyer must then determine whether the circumstances are appropriate for going after a client for fees. The policy of Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co. (WILMIC) is that this is a personal business decision each lawyer must make. WILMIC, unlike some other carriers, does not drop policyholders or add a surcharge to their premium based solely on suits for fees. However, an excessive number of suits for fees would raise some red flags. It could be a sign that clients are unhappy with the quality of work being done, that the lawyer is taking on risky, financially unstable clients, or that the lawyer is sloppy in his or her communication with clients, who then become unhappy because they don’t understand the services for which they are being charged.

    Unpaid Fees: What is the Client Telling You?

    Lawyers who are continually running into problems getting paid should take a close look at how they are providing client services and how they are communicating with their clients. An unpaid bill may be a client‘s way of expressing dissatisfaction with the legal services that were provided. Or maybe the client is saying he or she doesn’t understand what services were provided. A client might think you are overcharging. What leads to this type of misunderstanding, or to disagreement over the value of the services rendered?

    Thomas J. Watsoncom Tom.Watson wilmic Thomas J. Watson, Marquette 2002, is senior vice president and director of communications at Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co., Madison.

    "In determining whether to sue a client for fees, consider the type of legal matter involved, the amount owed and whether it justifies the trouble of a lawsuit, whether a judgment could be collected, whether a suit might trigger a counterclaim malpractice suit, and more."

    A lawyer‘s bill is more than just an invoice. It is a communication tool. You have many opportunities during the course of legal representation to explain to your clients what is happening in their case, and what you are doing for them. Bills for legal services should be just that — an explanation of the legal services provided, and why those services have value.

    Too often lawyers are singularly focused on doing the work in a case but fail to keep their client informed. Consequently, when it comes time for the bill, clients are sometimes surprised (and sometimes unhappy with the amount they owe).

    If a client is surprised at a bill, that may be a sign that you need to communicate better to keep the client informed of what you are doing in the case. For example, the danger of not drafting an engagement letter or fee agreement and reviewing it thoroughly with a client is too great to ignore. A lawyer once shared with me the story of a case he had several years ago in which he was not paid. He then tried to learn why that happened, and to change his practices accordingly. The lack of an engagement letter or fee agreement was at the heart of the problem in that case. Without an engagement letter, a misunderstanding was almost inevitable. Most clients will not recall everything that was said, or agreed upon, especially early in a case. That can lead to dissatisfied clients, collection problems, and possibly other complaints.

    Communication Is the Key

    Consider several billing and practice methods that can help you avoid using your valuable time to go after uncollected fees.

    • Discussions of fees, and bills, are opportunities to communicate with your client. At the initial meeting, give the client an estimate of how much the representation will cost and try to assess the client’s ability and willingness to pay.
    • Draft very detailed and specific engagement letters or fee agreements. Be sure to include a discussion of fees and costs in engagement letters.
    • Bill periodically and consistently. You should clearly detail the work performed and the charges submitted. A clear accounting is essential, says Sally Anderson, vice president – claims at WILMIC. “Often one of the first things asked for in a malpractice suit is a copy of all the attorney’s bills. The lawyer who did the work should proofread them, and above all, prepare them for scrutiny. A lawyer’s bills and billing procedures reflect directly on the professionalism of the lawyer.”
    • Keep your client in the loop. Keeping the client abreast of developments, especially negative developments, can lessen the shock to the client when he or she learns that the matter is taking more time or costing more than was originally anticipated and may prevent a later dispute about the fee agreement and the amount or quality of work performed.

    Sometimes, these proactive steps won’t be sufficient to avoid a client’s not paying your bill. When considering a collection suit, undertake the following analysis first:

    • Was the client pleased with the outcome of the underlying representation?
    • Are you critical of your own performance?
    • Has a disinterested attorney assessed your representation to determine if any elements of your work are fairly open to criticism?
    • Is the amount at stake (after taxes) worth the risk of a claim?
    • Is there any alternative to a lawsuit for unpaid fees (a fee arbitration program, for example)?
    • Would a judgment be collectable?
    • How will your malpractice carrier view such a claim?

    Should I Ever Sue For Fees?

    Are lawyers ever justified when suing a client for fees? Sure, says Anderson. Although bringing suit against a client is never a pleasant situation, Anderson says sometimes it is unavoidable. “Some clients deserve to be sued for fees and some don’t. Just be sure you’re picking the right ones.”

    Anderson tells the story of a four-person firm that decided to write off fees in excess of $65,000. The firm represented a company that was trying to sell the business, with the goal of using the sale proceeds to cover all outstanding bills, including those of the law firm. Protracted negotiations with two separate potential buyers fell through, and with no other buyers on the horizon, there was no money to pay the legal fees.

    Anderson says, “They decided, deal or not, the business client was likely to try to find some fault with the legal services to avoid paying. It just wasn’t worth it for the firm to spend more time and money suing for fees, with no guarantee of a good result.”

    For many smaller firms and solo practitioners, writing off fees is something they cannot afford to do often. They have bills to pay. They believe pro bono work should be something a lawyer does voluntarily, not involuntarily. Nevertheless, according to retired La Crosse attorney and former State Bar president Tom Sleik, “Suing a client for fees should be a last resort. Unless they owe you a lot of money, getting a judgment against a client is usually not worth it.”

    The best way to handle fee disputes is to be proactive; avoid them through the use of good procedures. Sleik says he always made sure that he, not someone else on his office staff, was the one talking with the client about fees. “I tried to get as personally involved in the case as possible and talked with clients directly about payments – rather than simply having someone from the office send them a bill, or a cold, impersonal collection letter.”

    Check with Your Insurance Carrier

    As mentioned earlier, suing for fees may lead to higher liability insurance premiums. Some insurance companies consider a firm’s history of suing for fees when looking at that firm’s insurability and the amount of premium. Joe McCarthy, vice president – underwriting at WILMIC, says it’s a good idea for lawyers to check with their carrier. “Ask your carrier whether it impacts the premium you’re paying. Some carriers even consider dropping a policyholder, depending on the number of times a firm has sued for fees. It’s definitely worth asking about.”

    Fee disputes often arise because of a lack of communication and understanding between the lawyer and the client. Even lawyers who maintain good communication with clients might not pay sufficient attention to the possibility of nonpayment. “Billing is part of a good business plan, and some lawyers are very good at practicing law, but not as good at running a business,” Anderson says. “Just being a good lawyer isn’t good enough these days.”

    For one attorney’s experience trying to collect a fee in Honduras, see “James Bond or Jay Gatsby? An ‘Operation’ to Recover a Judgement Abroad” at page 28. To learn the legal process for collecting debts, including unpaid fees, see “101: How to Collect a Debt” (May 2013).


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International Crane Foundation

This 225-acre preserve includes restored tall grass prairie, wetlands, and oak savanna suitable for displaying the world’s 15 remaining species of cranes. The facility includes a research library, captive breeding and veterinarian services, a visitor’s center, outdoor amphitheater, indoor video theater, and gift shop. Cranes are one of the oldest living families of birds and also the most endangered. The foundation not only studies the birds, but also is the only institution in the world to breed all fifteen species. Since 1990, Whooping Crane chicks have been raised here for release into the wild in an effort to restore other populations.

Directions: Located two miles south of Wisconsin Dells via Hwy 12, then east on Shady Lane Road (E11376 Shady Lane Rd).

International Crane Foundation map

Gazetteer: Page 43, D-5 (prior to 10th edition). | Page 77, E-5 (10th edition).

Phone: 608/356-9462 (International Crane Foundation).

Web site: International Crane Foundation

Seasonality: Open for tours May 1-Oct 31, daily 9am-5pm.

Parking: Parking lot.

Nearest Food & Lodging: Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells.

Fees: Admission fee.


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‘Million Muppet March on Washington’ planned for November

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A social media campaign for a Million Muppet March on Washington has formed following Republican Mitt Romney’s vow to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting and his threat to fire Big Bird and Jim Lehrer.

The MMM campaign is operating with a websiteFacebook page and Twitter account and a host of graphic design artists having fun with eye-catching images.

A statement on MMM’s Facebook page says, “We are Muppets and Muppet Sympathizers committed to keeping full employment for all Muppets through support of public funding for public broadcasting.”

Marchers are asked to “bring your favorite puppet and join us on the National Mall on November 3rd, 2012, for a morning of fun in the largest gathering of puppets to ever March on Washington in support of public broadcasting.

“We are private individuals and are not affiliated with nor do we represent ‘Sesame Street,’ Sesame Workshop or Disney. The puppets we are bringing are our own. We don't want anyone to be disappointed but we do not anticipate any participation from any of these organizations.

“If you can't join us in person (or in puppet) on the Mall, we are working on a way for you to participate virtually in the largest gathering of puppets around the world to show support for public media.”

The campaign launched on Oct. 3. That’s the night of the first presidential debate, in which Romney said he was going to cut the federal budget by eliminating taxpayer funding for public broadcasting.

He said to moderator Lehrer: “I’m sorry Jim, I’m gonna stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too. But I’m not gonna keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it.”

Federal funding last year for public broadcasting was $430 million. The federal budget is $3.7 trillion.

PBS issued a statement following the debate that read, in part: “We are very disappointed that PBS became a political target in the Presidential debate last night. Governor Romney does not understand the value the American people place on public broadcasting and the outstanding return on investment the system delivers to our nation.”

“Elimination of funding would have virtually no impact on the nation’s debt yet the loss to the American public would be devastating.”