| More audit details: Fake receipts, alcohol and overspending
At a glance, I saw charges for Paris (in Las Vegas), Paypal and more restaurant eating than I could shake a stick at (I'd love to eat like that a couple times a year). I look at all the people around me that are stringing out paychecks to make it from one end of the month to the other, never really getting anywhere, being responsible with their money, and not being a burden on anyone else either. Then I think of the taxes that they spend. I think of the money that could be going to their bottom line, paying for food or utilities, saving to get ahead in life a little. Then I see that Vegas trips, fancy restaurants (how many times to Club LeConte?) and the like are where some of this went. Even if it's justified, they didn't even bother to be responsible enough to keep the receipts.
Destination: Nebraska
There's more than magical realism in the literature of this beautiful and still very dangerous country. Destination: Gypsy Europe By Colum McCann Despite their historical distrust of the written word, Europe's Gypsies have a growing -- and captivating -- literary tradition. Destination: The Netherlands By Matt Steinglass Delve into Lowlands literature and discover there's much more to this prosperous nation than wooden clogs, tulips and -- of course -- weed. Destination: Alaska By Seth Kantner Put aside stories of a freezing, exotic locale full of igloos and kooks in favor of these portraits of the hardscrabble -- and magical -- Northern state. All Literary Guide Stories Recommend a book about this destination .
Obama & Clinton: Who's More Likely to Confront Global Warming?
Even if you ignore his major achievements in the Illinois legislature--like bringing police chiefs and civil liberties advocates together to craft and support a bill providing clear monitoring of police interrogations, and passing a bill extending health care to 150,000 state residents--I'd say evidence of insider ability is a wash. The critical difference between Obama and Clinton is their potential to encourage ordinary citizens to speak out on the changes that we need. And that will be essential. If you strip away the racial connotations, that's actually the core of the debate over Clinton's claim that LBJ was more critical to the passage of the Civil Rights Act than Martin Luther King. For all that I loathe Johnson's escalation of the Vietnam War, he did stake his entire political capital and massive skill to navigate the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts through Congress--even though he knew it would lose the Democrats the South for a long time to come. But without the massive citizen movement that put civil rights onto the nation's conscience and at the top of its political agenda, he'd never have taken these stands.
Any Advice About Visas?
Requiring the interview forces the applicant to travel to the few cities where the interviews are conducted often adding hundreds and even thousands of dollars to the cost of an education in the US. That is on top of the none-refundable $231. a student visa applicant must pay, without any assurance they will even be granted the visa. William Fish, President at Washington International Education Council, at 9:35 am EST on February 8, 2008 .
Fields of Dreams – A Quick Guide to Spring Training, Part 2: Arizona
The players are in camp, arms have been warmed up, and the bats are starting to pop. Games are just starting to begin, but there is still plenty of time to pack up the family and watch your favorite teams get ready for the season. Last time I ran down the Grapefruit League so here's your guide to the Cactus League in Arizona. And, as always, check with the teams or stadiums first before booking any travel arrangements. Arizona Diamondbacks - Tucson, Ari. The D-backs share their southern Arizona home with the ChiSox, but are much closer to their regular season home. A young team that surprised many last year, the D-backs are built to be good for some time. Being native to Arizona, though, they know more than just baseball - the cheapest seats at their games are $5 on the lawn, but covered mezzanine is $16.
Driver eases up on dead boy's kin
MADRID, Spain — A motorist who struck and killed a 17-year-old cyclist in northern Spain — and then sued the boy's parents over the damage to his Audi — has dropped the lawsuit, the family said Wednesday. Businessman Tomas Delgado's car collided with the teen, Enaitz Iriondo, in August 2004, killing him instantly. In late 2006, Delgado — whose insurance company paid Iriondo's parents $48,000 in compensation for their son's life — filed a lawsuit seeking nearly $30,000 for his wrecked Audi A8 and car-rental costs. "It's the only way I have to claim my money back," Delgado told reporters earlier this week. News that Delgado was suing the family had become a top news item, and the subject was debated exhaustively this week on radio and TV chat shows. On Wednesday, Delgado's lawyer announced that his client decided to ditch the case because of media pressure, Spanish National Radio reported.
Drug cartels running rampant, says UN
Interpol estimates that 200-300 tonnes of cocaine from Latin America pass through countries such as Benin, Cape Verde, Mauritania and Senegal every year, from where it is smuggled into Spain, Portugal and the UK. Cocaine seizures in Portugal, already at a high level, have almost doubled. Ships, yachts and private planes are used to evade detection. "Cocaine traffickers frequently change the airports from which they depart and their routes," the report observes. Around 40% of cocaine reaching Europe is shipped through longer-established routes via the Caribbean. In 2006, Colombia accounted for 50% of the world's coca cultivation, Peru 33% and Bolivia 17%. The illicit cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan has continued to increase "at an alarming level," says the report.
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Prototype Test Drive: 425-hp Hemi Muscle ...
FORT WORTH, Texas — True to its name, our first drive of the new Dodge Challenger prototype went down under extremely challenging conditions. Days of rain had left Dodge's rental track soaked and slippery, and the weather didn't look promising. It was hardly the perfect day to test a brawny new entry into the musclecar world—a model with the look and the sound of power in plentiful quantities. Even the ear buds we were wearing under our helmet to maintain radio contact with the pits couldn't muffle the baritone exhaust note from the big, 6.1-liter Hemi whenever we put our boot on the pedal. You should understand that we were toeing the accelerator extremely delicately, picking our way around a slippery, 3.1-mile track at a rain-sodden private track here. On the few occasions we could let the new coupe extend itself, the 425-hp Hemi gave voice in a way that brought a smile to everyone in range.
Murphys Irish Day 2008
Celebrating its Celtic heritage, which dates back to the Gold Rush era, the town of Murphys each year stages one of the most popular events in the Mother Lode. This year's Murphys Irish Day will be held Saturday, March 15.The day will begin with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Congregational Church on the corner of Church and Algiers Sts.Presented by the Murphys Business Association, the Main St. festivities will start at 10 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. There is no admission charge. .
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