Why you should still consider the Galaxy S3 over the Galaxy S4

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; color: #768696; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24.383333206176758px;">In this edition of Ask Maggie, CNET's Marguerite Reardon explains why wireless consumers looking for a good bargain should consider the Samsung Galaxy S3, even though the new Galaxy S4 has been announced.</span><br /><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The new Samsung Galaxy S4 has launched, but savvy wireless customers looking for a bargain may still want to consider last year's Galaxy S3.</div><div class="cnet-image-div image-REGULAR float-right" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin: 20px 2px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="225" src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/11/20/AskMaggieFDpromo.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="300" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader decide if the newly upgraded flagship Samsung smartphone is worth the hype. There's no question the device is a marked improvement over its predecessor the Samsung Galaxy S3. But the upgraded specs and added bells and whistles might not mean as much to the average consumer, who will likely be just as happy with last year's model, which costs less money.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also offer another reader my perspective on whether I think smartphone cases are necessary or not.</div><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #768696; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 28px; margin: 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Galaxy S3 vs. Galaxy S4</h2><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear Maggie,<br />Dear Maggie, I have never owned a smartphone before. And I have been considering getting a Samsung Galaxy S3. But now that the Galaxy S4 is coming out, I am wondering if I should get that device instead. I've been considering getting a Galaxy. Is the S4 enough of an upgrade or should I just stick with the S3? I read an early story you wrote that said the price on the S3 is likely to come down. So I was wondering what you think now that the S4 has been announced.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks,<br />Sam</div></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px;"></span><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear Sam,<br />The <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/samsung-galaxy-s4/" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Galaxy S4</a> is a terrific phone. And it's a decent upgrade to the Galaxy 3. But Samsung has not revolutionized the smartphone with this new device. In fact, side by side the Galaxy S4 looks very similar to the <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-review/" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Galaxy S3</a>. Samsung has used the same sturdy plastic for the S4 that it used in the S3. The home screen button and other buttons are in the same place on the S4 as they are on the S3.</div><div class="cnet-image-div image-REGULAR float-none" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; float: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin: 10px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="436" src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/15/Galaxy_S4_and_S3.jpeg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="610" /><div class="image-caption" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The new Samsung Galaxy S4 (left) and its predecessor, the GS3</div><span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Credit: CNET/Sarah Tew)</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That said, there are some hardware differences between the devices. While the devices look the same, the S4 is actually a tad lighter and thinner than the S3. And the guts of the phone are different as well. As my CNET Reviews colleague Jessica Dolcourt said in her first-take review of the product, Samsung seems to have taken every feature to an extreme on the S4.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.983333587646484px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 0px 1px 1px inset; background-color: whitesmoke; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 0px 1px 1px inset; clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 20px; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"<i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The screen is larger (5 inches vs. 4.8 inches), the resolution greater (1,080p vs. 720p), the battery capacity higher (2,600mAh vs. 2100mAH), the processor faster (1.9GHz quad-core or 1.6GHz octa-core vs.1.5GHz, dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (U.S. version); proprietary 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos), and the rear-facing camera stuffed with more megapixels (13 megapixels vs. 8 megapixels.) But, once you've gone through the features checklist (which also includes lots of internal and external storage space and RAM), it's the software extras that Samsung continues to lean on to keep its phones one step ahead of the competition."</i></div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(For a full comparison between the two phones, <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-6452_7-57570796/comparing-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-and-the-galaxy-s3/" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">check out this story by Lynn La, a CNET Reviews editor</a>.)</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some of these new software features include a TV control app, a built-in translation tool, and an app that tracks your eye movement so that you can control the device. One example of how you'd use this is that you can pause a video simply by looking away from the screen. There are also some gesture capabilities and a hover feature that lets you wave your finger over something on the screen to preview an item.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jessica points out in her review that these software additions are nifty, but they aren't likely to sway consumers when they're deciding which device to buy. And I would agree with her. In fact, I talked to Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart at the Samsung event and he thinks that users may show off some of these "gee whiz" features to their friends when they first get the new device, but they'll likely never use them again.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What's more, even though these software updates were shown off on the Galaxy S4, it doesn't mean that they will be limited to the S4. Drew Blackard, director of product planning for Samsung Mobile in the U.S, said that many of these software features will also make their way into other Samsung devices, such as the Galaxy S3 and the <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-note-unlocked/4505-6452_7-35003942.html" section="luke_topic" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Galaxy Note</a> phablets.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"The goal is to bring as many features as possible down to the other flagship devices," he said. "Of course, it will be dependent on hardware requirements. But we will definitely bring some of these functionalities to other Samsung devices through software upgrades."</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Which device is right for you?</b></div>It's a really tough decision. As I said before, the Galaxy S4 is a terrific device. And it's clearly a step above the S3 when it comes to the overall specifications. But you have to ask yourself if that's what is most important to you. Are you the kind of person who buys the top-of-the-line<a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/car-tech/" section="luke_topic" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">car</a>? Do you need the latest and greatest TV, laptop, camera, or other gadget on the market? Or are you more concerned with getting the most bang for your buck and paying a reasonable price?<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are plenty of people who need to have the latest technology, whether that's in a car, sporting equipment, or gadgets. If you're that kind of person, get the Galaxy S4.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But if you are like me, and you're a bit more frugal, then I'd consider the Galaxy S3. Here's why: For the average wireless consumer, the specifications available on the Galaxy S3 are more than adequate. And because it's last year's model, you're going to be able to get a really terrific price on it.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prices have already started falling. A couple of weeks ago when I advised a reader to wait for the Galaxy S4 announcement, you could get the Galaxy S3 on AmazonWireless for AT&T for $79.99 with a two-year contract. Now that price has already dropped to $49.99 for a new device with a two-year contract on AT&T.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CNET's video hands-on with the S4:</div><div class="videoPlayer" style="border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; margin: 15px 5px 20px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div adpreroll="true" adtargettype="Page" class="inline-VideoPlayer" contenttype="id" contentvalue="50142827" doautoplay="false" id="universalVideoid50142827" interactiveconsole="none" playersize="blogMedium" playlistdisplay="over" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="universalVideoWrapper" id="universalVideoWrapper1" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 289px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 460px;"><object data="http://i.d.com.com/av/video/cnettv/6/20130305/player.swf" height="289" id="GeckoVideoPlayer1" name="GeckoVideoPlayer1" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="460"></object></div></div></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unlocked Galaxy S3 phones are selling for about $350 on eBay. Factory unlocked Galaxy S3 devices on Amazon are priced at $500. When the device was first introduced last year, an unlocked version was about $700 and carriers offered it for $200 with a two-year contract.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Samsung hasn't announced pricing for the new Samsung Galaxy S4 yet, but I'd expect it to be in the same ballpark as other high-end smartphones, which typically cost $200 with a two-year contract and around $700 without a contract.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But there are couple of things to keep in mind. For one, there is a chance that the Galaxy S3 won't get operating system software upgrades as quickly as the newer Galaxy S4. Still, that might not matter much. Keep in mind the S4 will ship with the newest available Google <a href="http://www.cnet.com/android-atlas/" section="luke_topic" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Android</a>software available today Android 4.2.2, but in May Google is expected to announce a new version of the software at its Google I/O conference in San Francisco. This means that S4 customers will also have "outdated" software only a month or two into sales of the device.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For the average consumer, these upgrades often aren't significant enough to make a major difference, especially for people who are using a smartphone for the first time. In fact, some of those consumers would probably rather have fewer software upgrades than more since software upgrades sometimes change the look and feel of a device.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And for the more tech-savvy subscribers who are concerned about having the latest Android software update, there is always the option of "rooting" the device and installing the upgrade yourself.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, I realize that to some people who look at this they will say that a price difference of $150 is not that much, when you consider that no matter what you pay for your device, you'll still be paying on average $2,160 to $2,400 for your wireless service over the life of a two-year contract.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Those folks have a point. But also I don't think that $100 or $150 difference on a device is insignificant. When you consider that many people upgrade devices every 18 months to 2 years, it adds up. I don't know of any other gadget in my life that I am willing to repurchase and replace every two years for $200.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, the real cost difference between last year's model and this year's new phone can be seen when you think about buying an unlocked and unsubsidized phone. As I mentioned previously, the Galaxy S3 was around $700 at full price when it was first introduced. And now you can find a new one for $350 on eBay or about half the price.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The bottom line is that I think you should go for the older Galaxy S3 over the Galaxy S4. You'll save some money, and I don't think you'll ever notice that you are sacrificing performance or functionality.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Good luck!</div><div class="inline-slideshow" section="post.gallery" style="border: 0px; float: left; margin: 20px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px;"><h4 style="border: 0px; color: #768696; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3333em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 540px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132.html" style="border: 0px; color: #768696; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meet the stunning Samsung Galaxy S4 (pictures)</a></h4><div class="galleryCount" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 10px; top: 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="currentlyViewing" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1-2</span> of <span class="totalCount" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">21</span></div><div class="scrollingArrows" style="background-image: url(http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tron/overlays/bkg-highlight-620.png) !important; background-position: 50% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; border-top-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-top-style: solid; 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text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_15_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li><li style="border: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; 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float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132-11.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_20_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li><li style="border: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132-12.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_14_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li><li style="border: 0px; 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float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132-14.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_41_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li><li style="border: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132-15.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_42_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li><li style="border: 0px; 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float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132-20.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_44_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li><li style="border: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10016132-21.html" style="border: 0px; color: #39434c; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="157" src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/03/14/whitesmoke_35627724_52_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 157px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" width="220" /></a></li></ul></div></div><h2 style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #768696; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-cond, 'Helvetica Condensed Bold', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 28px; margin: 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The great smartphone case/no-case debate</h2><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear Maggie,<br />I own a Galaxy Note 2. My question is this. Now that high-end phones are being built with high-quality glass and other high-end materials, is it really necessary to put a cover on the phone anymore?</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks,<br />Bryan</div></i><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear Bryan,<br />I have always thought that cases for smartphones were largely "unnecessary." Why? Your phone already comes in a case. And it should be strong enough to withstand basic wear and tear. What's more, as manufacturers do their best to make devices lighter and thinner, it makes little sense to slap on a heavy, thick case that will just bulk it up.</div><div class="cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none" style="border: 0px; clear: both; float: none; margin: 10px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px;"><img alt="Trying to break Gorilla Glass at Corning&#39;s CA facilitiy" class="cnet-image" height="407" src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/01/27/IMG_5092_610x407.JPG" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="610" /><div class="image-caption" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Corning's Gorilla Glass is certainly stronger than the typical stuff.</div><span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Credit: Lynn La/CNET)</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the five-plus years that I have owned a smartphone, I have never had any problems with a screen getting scratched or any other major damage to my phone. Keep in mind that I also have never dropped my device on the sidewalk, run into wall while holding my device, nor have I spilled anything on it either. I guess maybe I have been lucky and I really need to find a wooden table to knock on before I jinx my good fortune.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But I've always felt like putting a cover on your device is like wrapping your furniture in plastic to make sure it doesn't get stained. I'd rather just enjoy the device I have instead of worrying about the damage that actually using it will incur.</div><div class="cnet-image-div image-MEDIUM float-right" style="border: 0px; clear: right; float: right; margin: 20px 2px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 270px;"><img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="270" src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/06/21/Speck_SamsungGalSIII_fam001_270x270.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="270" /><div class="image-caption" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Speck Family of Galaxy S3 cases.</div><span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Credit: Speck Products)</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To answer your question, I think the improved materials that many companies are using with these new devices is great. Corning Gorilla Glass is a big step forward. And now there's talk of a new material, <a href="http://cnettv.cnet.com/virtually-indestructible-sapphire-smartphone-screen/9742-1_53-50141889.html" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">laboratory-grown sapphire glass</a>, which is supposedly two to three times stronger than Gorilla Glass. I applaud these efforts. And I think whatever can be done to improve the materials to make smartphones more durable is important.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are also tons of devices that are now being developed that are water-resistant or waterproof. There are companies that specialize in providing waterproof coating on the inside and outside of devices to keep moisture out. I expect these technologies will be used more often in devices in the future.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, my strong stance on going coverless is just my opinion. And there are plenty of people who disagree with me, including many of my own CNET colleagues. I did a very informal poll the other day in the office to see what others thought about whether it's still necessary to have a case on their devices. And almost everyone disagreed with me. CNET Reviews editor Jessica Dolcourt and CNET TV correspondent Bridget Carey told me that they prefer to have their devices covered. They claim that many of the new phones are slippery, which makes them harder to hold onto and more prone to drops.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another reason they like cases is to protect their investment. Bridget said she has a case on her iPhone because she expects to resell it when she wants to buy a new phone. CNET Reviews editor Brian Bennett said that anyone with kids should definitely have a cover since it's often those little hands that end up dropping your device.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Even though I still feel pretty strongly about going without a case for my smartphone. I do see their points. So my advice is that if you think you might want to resell your device in the future, or you think it's too slippery to hold onto, or you live in a house with little kids who may throw your smartphone across the room, then investing in a case is probably a good idea. Otherwise, forget spending your money on a case and just enjoy your phone.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Good luck!</div><br /><br /></div>

Galaxy S4 Why you should still consider the Galaxy S3 over the Galaxy S4

In this edition of Ask Maggie, CNET's Marguerite Reardon explains why wireless consumers looking for a good bargain should consider the ...

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TYGA Cops IMPOUNDED My LAMBORGHINI

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="031613_tyga_towed_launch" src="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2013/03/16/031613-tyga-towed-launch-1.jpg" /><br /><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Tyga</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">'s Friday night was worse than yours -- the rapper was stripped of his white Lamborghini after it was IMPOUNDED by cops ... and TMZ got it all on tape. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Law enforcement sources tell us... Tyga was pulled over around 11:00 PM for an unknown traffic violation in Hollywood. But when cops asked him for license and registration, Tyga had NEITHER ... no current registration AND the rapper was unlicensed to drive. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We're told Tyga was not arrested for the violations -- but the police issued him a citation and had his primo ride impounded ASAP. He was also given a field sobriety test, as seen in the footage, but was not busted for DUI.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">After the ordeal, Tyga vented his frustration on Twitter, saying, "#F*** LAPD." </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Word to the wise ... if you wanna drive a car ... invest in a license.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2013/03/16/tyga-lamborghini-impounded-cops-lapd/#ixzz2NjOlGvKU" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none;">http://www.tmz.com/2013/03/16/tyga-lamborghini-impounded-cops-lapd/#ixzz2NjOlGvKU</a><br />Visit the TMZ Store: <a href="http://tmzstore.com/" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://tmzstore.com</a></span></div>

TMZ TYGA Cops IMPOUNDED My LAMBORGHINI

Tyga 's Friday night was worse than yours -- the rapper was stripped of his white Lamborghini after it was IMPOUNDED by cops ... and TMZ...

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Rapper Lil Wayne Hospitalized For Seizures For Second Time This Week

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><h2 class="dek" style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">The rapper is in the hospital for the second time in a week—and was forced to respond to claims that he may be near death. Allison Samuels reports.</h2><div><img alt="Lil Wayne" src="http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/articles/2013/03/16/rapper-lil-wayne-hospitalized-for-seizures-for-second-time-this-week/_jcr_content/body/inlineimage.img.503.jpg/1363448281922.cached.jpg" /></div><div><figure class="multimedia section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><figcaption class="figcaption" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Lil Wayne performs at the Lacoste/GQ Super Bowl Party in New Orleans, LA, Feb. 2, 2013. (Gustavo Caballero/Getty)</div></figcaption></figure><a href="" name="body_text0" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">No one can argue that Dwayne Carter, aka Lil Wayne hasn’t had one tough week. The four-time Grammy award winning rapper was rushed to Cedar-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles early on Tuesday after suffering a series of unexplained seizures but released the next day. Then on Friday afternoon the 30-year-old was rushed to the hospital again with similar symptoms — but this time celebrity news site TMZ reported the rapper and designer was near death. and had been given his last rites with family members at his side.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text1" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">The report of the star’s condition set the Twitter world abuzz, forcing those in Lil Wayne’s Cash Money record company and ultimately the rapper himself to deny the claim.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text2" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Late Friday afternoon Lil Wayne tweeted from his verified account the message: “I’m good everyone. Thx for the prayers and love.’’</div></div><a href="" name="body_text3" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Others, including the President of Wayne’s record imprint “Young Money’’ Mack Maine and a spokesperson from the Cash Money Records echoed Wayne’s upbeat health forecast.  Maine added that he and Wayne were watching the Syracuse game on television.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text4" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">But while the rapper who’s been in the music business since the age of nine did his best to reassure his fans he was alive and well those close to him say his health continues to be a major concern and add that he remains a very sick young man under doctor’s care.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text5" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">One savvy Twitter fan went so far to as to suggest that Wayne was indeed still in the hospital and that they’d traced the tweet released on Friday back to the Cedar Sinai by tracking the latitude/longitude information used in the user’s Twitter account.</div><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“He’s had those seizures a few times this year already and they are scary as hell when they happen,’’ said a friend from the rapper’s camp. “He can’t stop shaking when they happen and you don’t know what to do.  No one seems to know what it is but it ain’t good. We know that.’’</div></div><a href="" name="body_text7" style="color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Lil Wayne has admitted in the past that he’s struggled for years with a serious addition to ‘syrup.’  Popular in the Deep South the ‘syrup’ or the ‘drank’ is a powerful mixture of promethazine and codeine and is usually prescribed by doctors for severe colds and pneumonia. Other drugs can be added to the syrup as well for a greater high. Wayne told Rolling Stone magazine that he gave up the drinking the mixture a few years back but some believe that liquid is still the source of his current health woes.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text8" style="color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“He did that stuff for a long time and I’m not sure when he stopped,’’ said one friend. “Who knows what impact it had on his health long term? Everybody is different in how the stuff hits them and if you do for a long time who’s to say it won’t mess your system up in all kind of ways? We just don’t know right now.’’</div></div><a href="" name="body_text9" style="color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">The rapper supposedly broke his addiction just as he began his 12-month jail sentence on weapons charges in 2010.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text10" style="color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite his short stint in jail and his recent health woes, Lil Wayne continues to be one of music’s biggest stars and is set to release his tenth album, “I Am Not A Human Being,’’ on March 26th.</div></div><a href="" name="body_text11" style="color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; visibility: hidden;"></a><div class="text parbase section" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“We’re all just praying for him to be alright,’’ said a Carter family member. ‘’He’s a good guy and growing up in a tough business. It hasn’t always been easy but he just needs to get back on his feet.’’</div></div></div></div></div>

Lil Wayne Rapper Lil Wayne Hospitalized For Seizures For Second Time This Week

The rapper is in the hospital for the second time in a week—and was forced to respond to claims that he may be near death. Allison Samuels r...

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8 Ways to Jumpstart Your Weight Loss

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="8 Ways to Jumpstart Your Weight Loss" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV55YrQCsiC36_ZfZfGWkNeIe4rC2KJTVqkbBekJO_2VVpKi-Yo1_C6R1B-b_XGfOVlnGorgruiCK_kc6pubdRPuYSvfS0pVQ6sRdDYjjlNGe9es8lByZ4YQUw88xT3mDqNVbZ-LFWas/s1600/jumpstartweightloss.jpg" title="8 Ways to Jumpstart Your Weight Loss" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Now before summer, the perfect occasion to start fresh and lose weight. For millions of Americans and world, losing weight is a healthy resolution they would like to start making progress on instantly, but it’s important to realize that slowly and steadily shedding any post-holiday pounds is healthier and more effective than any kind of rapid weight loss. I’ve discovered a few tips. They're broad-based, founded on my reading of hundreds of much more specific, narrow studies, and tons and tons of clinical experience. All you have to do is follow these guidelines:</span></b></div><br /><br /><center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-5028478688240504"; /* AdSense in Post */ google_ad_slot = "6975892477"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></center><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Stop using vegetable oils</span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Such as sunflower, Use olive oil instead</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Eat protein at every meal</span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Studies show that higher protein diets make it easier to lose fat. Protein boosts the metabolism (in one study as much as 100 percent for 24 hours), and increases satiety, making it more likely that you won't overeat. A higher protein diet could be just what you need to break that plateau.</span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Make Movement a Must </span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Regular exercise! Schedule at least 20 minutes of either cardiovascular or core-strengthening exercise on most days of the week. When you can’t do that, make an effort to simply move more, so at least you’re squeezing some physical activity in. For cardio-conditioning, your best bet is interval exercises, in which you alternate short bursts of intense activity (15 to 60 seconds each depending on your fitness level) with easier recovery periods, since an interval workout can help you burn fat and calories faster than exercising at a steady pace. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Reduce starch</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">When you do eat starches, choose from “real” carbohydrates. Best choices are oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans and legumes. (These foods are low on the glycemic index and packed with fiber.) </span><br /><br /><center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-5028478688240504"; /* AdSense in Post */ google_ad_slot = "6975892477"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></center><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Change Bad Habits</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Lack of sleep and too much stress can be real diet busters. If you’re chronically sleep-deprived, it could be affecting the plane, since studies show that lack of sleep can cause weight gain. Schedule a shut-down routine to help ensure that you go to bed at roughly the same time every night. You might even consider setting an alarm to remind yourself to turn off your computer, television, or smartphone at least an hour before bedtime. Stress too should be dealt with, since it often is the source of reflexive and mindless eating. </span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Eliminate Cravings</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">You can tackle pesky cravings by removing bad carbohydrates, like those made with refined white flour and white sugar, from your diet . . . permanently. Bad carbs have had their nutrients, including fiber, stripped during processing, so when you eat them, your body digests them rapidly and this causes your blood sugar to spike, which can lead to unhealthy cravings for more of the same. Instead, choose good carbs like whole grains, vegetables, beans and other legumes, and fruits because they are nutrient-dense, high in fiber, and, unlike bad carbs, will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep you feeling fuller longer.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Eliminating alcohol</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Alcohol has a higher calorie count per gram than protein or carbohydrates – and it offers very little in the way of nutrients for the equivalent calories.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Reward Yourself</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Spend a day getting pampered at the spa or salon; purchase a new outfit for your slimmer figure; enjoy a night out dancing with friends! </span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>

Jumpstart Weight Loss 8 Ways to Jumpstart Your Weight Loss

Now before summer, the perfect occasion to start fresh and lose weight. For millions of Americans and world, losing weight is a healthy reso...

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TURKEY AND THE KURDS

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrfYFdxYoyxsBlLAShjD7xqGi-FwArQt4ydOZuaFnvgxYXqYVgilgR27k4mD8reIllD3zzOCEbjRAUhL1EcS5EJuECCepQPE5_gcR0ifAKjObJky9HqNhwly268uO44jqf0yj5N1Gg4ph/s1600/kurdish-flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrfYFdxYoyxsBlLAShjD7xqGi-FwArQt4ydOZuaFnvgxYXqYVgilgR27k4mD8reIllD3zzOCEbjRAUhL1EcS5EJuECCepQPE5_gcR0ifAKjObJky9HqNhwly268uO44jqf0yj5N1Gg4ph/s400/kurdish-flag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY’S DREAMS OF BEING ENERGY HUB STRENGTHENED BY PKK NEGOTIATIONS?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the western media remains largely fixated on the existential IRAN nuclear threat and the gory slow-motion SYRIAN civil war, other momentous events are occurring in the world’s most volatile region, with potentially enormous consequences for the west’s addiction to MIDDLE EASTERN oil. One of the most brutal Middle East insurgencies, largely overlooked by the Western media, involved TURKEY and the KURDISH separatist Partiya Karkeren KURDISTAN (Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">KURDISH EQUATION </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/libya-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/libya-syria.html</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEc-loeKjNL-xfzIOCITHRdMjlgwYQ5wY_CFAMR65x1wFPqAk8ea9qa-yW_2o-0Bg79NYSazvmb0SZYxkjNCVcxn8yyM_tLKoWJy2zR4OilxqpDQ4FyzbBiKnqyvYu1bSvzGukC2LjpWkt/s1600/201021meu947.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEc-loeKjNL-xfzIOCITHRdMjlgwYQ5wY_CFAMR65x1wFPqAk8ea9qa-yW_2o-0Bg79NYSazvmb0SZYxkjNCVcxn8yyM_tLKoWJy2zR4OilxqpDQ4FyzbBiKnqyvYu1bSvzGukC2LjpWkt/s320/201021meu947.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The TURKISH government, led by Islamist Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is apparently considering negotiations with jailed PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan. Ankara’s outreach initiative has enormous energy implications, as TURKEY currently imports 90 percent of its energy supplies and many pipelines run through TURKEY’S eastern KURDISH regions, a tempting target which KURDISH militants have attacked in the past, while TURKEY is also seeking to develop itself as a major energy transmission hub for EUROPEAN markets.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">KURDISH MARCH TOWARD AUTONOMY GAINS MOMENTUM</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-syrian-policies.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-syrian-policies.html</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ocalan was captured in Nairobi, KENYA on 15 February 1999 and extradited to TURKEY. The PKK leader was sentenced to death under Article 125 of the TURKISH Penal Code, which was later commuted to life imprisonment when TURKEY abolished the death penalty in support of its bid to join the EUROPEAN UNION. Despite his imprisonment Ocalan remains visible, having published several books from prison, as recently as 2011 and apparently is still the titular head of the PKK, despite his imprisonment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">TURKEY'S GAMBLE ON KURDISTAN OIL</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite Ocalan’s removal from the scene, the PKK continued their attacks in TURKEY. In their most notable success, on 5 August 2008 the PKK attacked the $3.6 billion, one million barrel per day, 1,092-mile Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which traverses 669 miles of TURKISH territory to ship AZERI Caspian oil to TURKEY’S MEDITERRANEAN Ceyhan port, nearly all of which contains significant KURDISH populations. An international consortium constructed the BTC pipeline, which began operations in May 2005, transiting high-quality crude from AZERBAIJAN'S offshore Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields to TURKEY'S deepwater MEDITERRANEAN terminus at Ceyhan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DICK CHENEY, THEN HALLIBURTON CEO, REMARKED, "I CAN'T THINK OF A TIME WHEN WE'VE HAD A REGION EMERGE AS SUDDENLY TO BECOME AS STRATEGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AS THE CASPIAN."</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An explosion devastated the BTC pipeline segment at TURKEY’S Yurtbasi village; after Ankara was notified, valves 29 and 31 were closed as officials waited for the oil contained in the 4-mile segment of No. 30 terminal to burn out. BTC operator BP declared force majeure. When BTC resumed operations 20 days later, AZERBAIJAN had been blocked from shipping approximately 17 million barrels of crude and the US Department of Energy estimated that AZERBAIJAN'S final cost for the lost shipments was more than $1 billion. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The PKK subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. As the BTC represents the West’s sole outlet for Caspian energy, the stakes were enormous. More than a decade ago Vice President Dick Cheney, then Halliburton CEO, remarked, "I can't think of a time when we've had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">   </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">TURKEY WILL TAKE MILITARY ACTION IF THE SYRIAN KURDS MAKE MOVES TOWARD AUTONOMY &</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">TURKEY – SYRIA - WATER DISPUTE (1989)</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/turkeys-foreign-policy-poker-game.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/turkeys-foreign-policy-poker-game.html</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOQZQ7KEeGAUgrB1UBxwasyD09KXjiBfoA8g_rCWxPCromVRsTnvA1WzMYiZLjNzwkZFGWdicWIK7NtrhLg18_0UnAYPVcWOQFxNYfjIfSmuMfDFP2t8_zor9wo3XOCq7AqNjLo0TbSI_/s1600/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOQZQ7KEeGAUgrB1UBxwasyD09KXjiBfoA8g_rCWxPCromVRsTnvA1WzMYiZLjNzwkZFGWdicWIK7NtrhLg18_0UnAYPVcWOQFxNYfjIfSmuMfDFP2t8_zor9wo3XOCq7AqNjLo0TbSI_/s400/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil Pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey running through Kurdish areas </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY SEEKS TO DRAW FROM BRITISH EXPERIENCE IN ENDING ITS TROUBLES WITH THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to recent media reports TURKEY, as always absorbing Western experience, has sent a diplomatic team to the UK to see if BRITAIN’S experience in ending its “troubles” with the IRISH Republican Army has relevance for TURKEY’S traumas with the PKK. Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams, leader of the political branch of the IRA, has told reporters that Sinn Fein's executive committee is advising a joint <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/01/turk-kurd-good-friday-accord?INTCMP=SRCH">TURKISH-KURDISH</a>team visiting London, Belfast and Dublin to learn methodology and psychology that led to negotiations breakthrough in favor of the Good Friday agreement in 1998.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ayla Akat, a Kurdish MP who took part in the discussions said, "Although there are historical differences between NORTHERN IRELAND and TURKEY, it was very important. I learned a lot.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From his imprisonment on Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara, Ocalan posted a 20 page letter with his conditions in a “three stage plan, which included, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 – the withdrawal of PKK forces from northern IRAQ, from where they have mounted attacks into TURKEY; </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 – creating an infrastructure for talks with Ankara via a Parliamentary “truth commission” and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3 – a period of “normalization,” whereby <a href="http://www.haber7.com/guncel/haber/995135-iste-abdullah-ocalanin-mektubu">PKK elements</a> based in northern IRAQ who have not committed crimes can return to their families.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amidst the chaos and bloodshed of the MIDDLE EAST, the fact that an Islamic government is seeking a peaceful resolution to a conflict that has killed more than 50,000 TURKISH citizens is a unique opportunity that both Washington and Brussels should grasp with both hands. Given the increasingly significant amounts of oil and natural gas that traverse TURKEY, they would be stupid not to do so.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By. John C.K. Daly <span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span> Oilprice</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

TURKEY AND THE KURDS

TURKEY’S DREAMS OF BEING ENERGY HUB STRENGTHENED BY PKK NEGOTIATIONS? While the western media remains largely fixated on the existential IR...

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Best eggs in Dublin

We were back in Fumbally Cafe this morning. Their eggs are amazing! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzst8Fx-VuY7P-41FY6mOxHjR0LhrDaoQx4wZIYvu89eu-ITcGQSTKjg1TFmL7I1rYLdJPG-7o74bQLkgNaiht8XFme0OCwyHWQeW2YHw_3ftHcb914GhE4DVgsjbTaZ9rctZY0JHHAUl4/s640/blogger-image-1364393471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzst8Fx-VuY7P-41FY6mOxHjR0LhrDaoQx4wZIYvu89eu-ITcGQSTKjg1TFmL7I1rYLdJPG-7o74bQLkgNaiht8XFme0OCwyHWQeW2YHw_3ftHcb914GhE4DVgsjbTaZ9rctZY0JHHAUl4/s640/blogger-image-1364393471.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHxIzjESQM907K6xHyMCZTwoBkEtbbtKz-II7I42vxJSa0wc8Sol5ZYlEPA4pokews7e-DiOuPvddGMXRrzAIdtq1dqcZAsYMlBzc-Uvvjmb70OK6ffOHI8nNiRUdrv-VJ9lXQpmEA3Ez/s640/blogger-image--1443155024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHxIzjESQM907K6xHyMCZTwoBkEtbbtKz-II7I42vxJSa0wc8Sol5ZYlEPA4pokews7e-DiOuPvddGMXRrzAIdtq1dqcZAsYMlBzc-Uvvjmb70OK6ffOHI8nNiRUdrv-VJ9lXQpmEA3Ez/s640/blogger-image--1443155024.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlqBhOinLTt8iTfBr2d42V7LT6n6AWX78M3289c6nXR1_s3tLLyjjSLmnyZ8wfS6YU5PJ7F19OigwJDBui3sO0yOmzeHmmjMutUZDicXAKA3p9D-bprfmkE4wbClBkwFvT1zjgd3Q5OoH/s640/blogger-image-2131929572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlqBhOinLTt8iTfBr2d42V7LT6n6AWX78M3289c6nXR1_s3tLLyjjSLmnyZ8wfS6YU5PJ7F19OigwJDBui3sO0yOmzeHmmjMutUZDicXAKA3p9D-bprfmkE4wbClBkwFvT1zjgd3Q5OoH/s640/blogger-image-2131929572.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx4NgDSduxBb6p3e9sOhNA5V3ihIqix-Sw1DRkC2yLHOKiruTlDW0kXwu82fX4ohVbhFqV4EAIusMYdmArdDd6KG7i1OQyMQYJZRsgEEX775wTRD9uqpwmmhlfls8btD7c6ZTxYQcVmGf/s640/blogger-image--956471309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx4NgDSduxBb6p3e9sOhNA5V3ihIqix-Sw1DRkC2yLHOKiruTlDW0kXwu82fX4ohVbhFqV4EAIusMYdmArdDd6KG7i1OQyMQYJZRsgEEX775wTRD9uqpwmmhlfls8btD7c6ZTxYQcVmGf/s640/blogger-image--956471309.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEuBRV1Vc-j0ry9pa3yLFYbBnvzbTdBpzvu3vUfGtroFEMIyPbrB9DDPbIKIuKsI1ZOYnwwKqvTmTApG0F6Ic7COMJrAJP3D6kbGXAjSvSgrh42QC1mBe-hNc8JMuwNLbN66QNCVADAGR/s640/blogger-image--973292332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEuBRV1Vc-j0ry9pa3yLFYbBnvzbTdBpzvu3vUfGtroFEMIyPbrB9DDPbIKIuKsI1ZOYnwwKqvTmTApG0F6Ic7COMJrAJP3D6kbGXAjSvSgrh42QC1mBe-hNc8JMuwNLbN66QNCVADAGR/s640/blogger-image--973292332.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjIoPPlpYt6TqEjwX40z1T6EcnA7uZVsGSTdBsUsE4mSLNNeoVatVjzXCQlqYCCjYbWn3-v4dbAOfeYjdiYvnjalUib2Mhtrlw9gPTSl1giLjiwv-UqqqR1XfAW7jfCZDoejME8Aca45y/s640/blogger-image-447735598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjIoPPlpYt6TqEjwX40z1T6EcnA7uZVsGSTdBsUsE4mSLNNeoVatVjzXCQlqYCCjYbWn3-v4dbAOfeYjdiYvnjalUib2Mhtrlw9gPTSl1giLjiwv-UqqqR1XfAW7jfCZDoejME8Aca45y/s640/blogger-image-447735598.jpg" /></a></div>

Best eggs in Dublin

We were back in Fumbally Cafe this morning. Their eggs are amazing!

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Green cakes

It's all about green cupcakes this St Patricks weekend! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZX2agAptPHdvPNl8U3zvjQNh_sNAK736Ekqr-RM8DEq2Xb2Yk4gUH8VAV3_qXFdOeT3PoxFnpIvivKuSxU_L5DNRyp7TnB-oNLf2YDYl2L8s9nBnRW7Ps_MO0s51lFJJy0EpNAGNl9Q5/s640/blogger-image--694152815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZX2agAptPHdvPNl8U3zvjQNh_sNAK736Ekqr-RM8DEq2Xb2Yk4gUH8VAV3_qXFdOeT3PoxFnpIvivKuSxU_L5DNRyp7TnB-oNLf2YDYl2L8s9nBnRW7Ps_MO0s51lFJJy0EpNAGNl9Q5/s640/blogger-image--694152815.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeQGe_90VwUT5g1NppNhbQenCJMurlKXGT6zDUAnATZeeFmjDPawk3gMHhSTMsOvZCwZbVxYMQjY5oVxJH819-QK6MUqUkqhbZCrLH_EEaZm9KJPFMAm6RBvGFFD9Md7W3u0hh2Fq1MvI/s640/blogger-image--1313211594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeQGe_90VwUT5g1NppNhbQenCJMurlKXGT6zDUAnATZeeFmjDPawk3gMHhSTMsOvZCwZbVxYMQjY5oVxJH819-QK6MUqUkqhbZCrLH_EEaZm9KJPFMAm6RBvGFFD9Md7W3u0hh2Fq1MvI/s640/blogger-image--1313211594.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jXxmlWqnvURO3b0FUQEPwgZmkzO7cxNZWdUesfzc37FaKTYtzWPi2etTxJs54_1dNA8qlMbNWlpdcmDUP8GnxtS9MaAr1WofNqbsPwVlagFusjqi2XHqqE_88f7d3XjvSViqaWdiWsBg/s640/blogger-image--1024051887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jXxmlWqnvURO3b0FUQEPwgZmkzO7cxNZWdUesfzc37FaKTYtzWPi2etTxJs54_1dNA8qlMbNWlpdcmDUP8GnxtS9MaAr1WofNqbsPwVlagFusjqi2XHqqE_88f7d3XjvSViqaWdiWsBg/s640/blogger-image--1024051887.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKL1QsFS_ktggCFDqxD_3eFCPIk3bJ0UcrMfrXXrf5K5mYi9ao-TBXzRXjLvv84SVhnnzYgY_4yIdFmiW3eo4JdbxlWr2UgKppUPPEorsw-iy40B2hnKgqJkRgZizYi7BufRVRkeCRygAh/s640/blogger-image--1321375938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKL1QsFS_ktggCFDqxD_3eFCPIk3bJ0UcrMfrXXrf5K5mYi9ao-TBXzRXjLvv84SVhnnzYgY_4yIdFmiW3eo4JdbxlWr2UgKppUPPEorsw-iy40B2hnKgqJkRgZizYi7BufRVRkeCRygAh/s640/blogger-image--1321375938.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmdB4C6ALoV5Rk1LUwCRjKBNE2f6H7pqsdtPVgR1N8cMPiY6b0z0ANnLeWuKHsYGfjDxeWjm9BdkF_1-m3cVpBLnBlLdKM-aBpg9-EzQhSPVI1e6QuY02X2fpbNnxeaCVs7-rsgw7jic-/s640/blogger-image--877463938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmdB4C6ALoV5Rk1LUwCRjKBNE2f6H7pqsdtPVgR1N8cMPiY6b0z0ANnLeWuKHsYGfjDxeWjm9BdkF_1-m3cVpBLnBlLdKM-aBpg9-EzQhSPVI1e6QuY02X2fpbNnxeaCVs7-rsgw7jic-/s640/blogger-image--877463938.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKzuxS1RB3VPl-L3JxYnuCu4uh2WBsOcuAqwBZGasBeN8TLLo0UZH4Iv-oQ0zWRojPkiJkjzZANXaLM2iV7sBhwdSCjLXszmr0HQTXXWopBwV8aQSnZSM2vOdjFMnCtG6QXHTJVOeiUWb/s640/blogger-image--887483193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKzuxS1RB3VPl-L3JxYnuCu4uh2WBsOcuAqwBZGasBeN8TLLo0UZH4Iv-oQ0zWRojPkiJkjzZANXaLM2iV7sBhwdSCjLXszmr0HQTXXWopBwV8aQSnZSM2vOdjFMnCtG6QXHTJVOeiUWb/s640/blogger-image--887483193.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9sYzdLY5p-LZDjNuov6UVGaCOt4BxRKJCBiJ3QQTWRaWr1b2zFRTcZ5pSQlglEsiOO5lqTgxudeJ_R-aHM3F42jz4da9DOJ9FcTw8Elb3K8-k2n5bUFZXHiusZXfb13dEYyvWTvyB2Ra/s640/blogger-image--496242619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9sYzdLY5p-LZDjNuov6UVGaCOt4BxRKJCBiJ3QQTWRaWr1b2zFRTcZ5pSQlglEsiOO5lqTgxudeJ_R-aHM3F42jz4da9DOJ9FcTw8Elb3K8-k2n5bUFZXHiusZXfb13dEYyvWTvyB2Ra/s640/blogger-image--496242619.jpg" /></a></div>

Green cakes

It's all about green cupcakes this St Patricks weekend!

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The Gluten Free Bar Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6GkUDYQoZdbREQKLoHw6VTE2fKFYJhrKzrhji4U8Iyw7bffANL6S-4xuZtkdr89ia1t3Za0akROpkYuSqfxVkeKhFsmSdiAdVstA4q9pXAzVNFQfwHqkXYakirRsIxsWOIOdBR8UOUI/s1600/gluten+free+bar+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6GkUDYQoZdbREQKLoHw6VTE2fKFYJhrKzrhji4U8Iyw7bffANL6S-4xuZtkdr89ia1t3Za0akROpkYuSqfxVkeKhFsmSdiAdVstA4q9pXAzVNFQfwHqkXYakirRsIxsWOIOdBR8UOUI/s1600/gluten+free+bar+logo.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was sent some Gluten Free bars for review by a company called <a href="http://theglutenfreebar.com/index.html">The Gluten Free Bar</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you know that they made these bars especially for those that are gluten intolerance by partnering up with a chef that specializes in gluten free diets?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No wonder why they taste so good!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Packed with protein and their ingredients are simple because they use all natural products such as fruits,nuts, chocolate and peanut butter!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsrauG9WNvBvTmfU39HvV1_lfR7aXBV0LegRd3ymW726lxSImOdHjdmaLscd2dJFua0GNOBRqjx5_f7sp64cty9IoRFhGi5Ldkik_M0bDzbmSfrmOttlUjeiDnFY4EpahA1xAt5PaqK4/s1600/Gluten+Free+bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsrauG9WNvBvTmfU39HvV1_lfR7aXBV0LegRd3ymW726lxSImOdHjdmaLscd2dJFua0GNOBRqjx5_f7sp64cty9IoRFhGi5Ldkik_M0bDzbmSfrmOttlUjeiDnFY4EpahA1xAt5PaqK4/s320/Gluten+Free+bars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oatmeal Raisin:</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For a bar that's healthy it was pretty good!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bar was moist and delicious.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great oatmeal flavor with the added sweetness from the raisins. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Peanut Butter:</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love peanut butter and this bar was right up my alley!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The taste was amazing!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So moist and flavorful.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Makes for a perfect snack.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Peanut Butter Chocolate:</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What's better than peanut butter without chocolate?!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tasted just like a reese's!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Cranberry and Toasted Almond:</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sweet and flavorful.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goes great with morning coffee for a delightful filling breakfast!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have mini bites as well!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Their flavors are:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Dark Chocolate</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chocolate Coconut</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Chocolate mint</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>About these wonderful bars:</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*All natural</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Gluten Free</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Dairy free</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Case in Free</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*made in a gluten free facility</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">high protein</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*low in glycemic </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*no preservatives</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*a source of omega 3</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Vegan</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be sure to check them on their website and order a pack!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://theglutenfreebar.com/index.html">http://theglutenfreebar.com/index.html</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like Them on Face Book here:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theglutenfreebar?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/theglutenfreebar?fref=ts</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Connect with them on Twitter here:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/GlutenFreeBar">https://twitter.com/GlutenFreeBar</a></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Due to FFC rules I've received no compensation for this.</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Gluten Free Bar Company has provided me with Gluten free bars in exchange for a product review.</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, all opinions expressed are my own.</span></div></div></div>

The Gluten Free Bar Review

I was sent some Gluten Free bars for review by a company called  The Gluten Free Bar . Did you know that they made these bars especially for...

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MSJS...A.D. 2013

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNN5ZSoQJhraVzWdf59QMpN506grHAgw5Mqsrem5dvw5Dxp09h3KQLAwxoGGv53iw6J47iDnazt281pvlmwe64oibWV1BsZS7zJ8YxrSF41A3k8FfGD1wNz2fEMnRRAZaTFFtTadvjgw/s1600/Bill+Donohue+Asshole+Catholic+League+Jew+Hater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNN5ZSoQJhraVzWdf59QMpN506grHAgw5Mqsrem5dvw5Dxp09h3KQLAwxoGGv53iw6J47iDnazt281pvlmwe64oibWV1BsZS7zJ8YxrSF41A3k8FfGD1wNz2fEMnRRAZaTFFtTadvjgw/s400/Bill+Donohue+Asshole+Catholic+League+Jew+Hater.jpg" width="317" /></a>Matt O’Speaks…Jay O’Speaks…You, O’Lis…<br /><br />Stop It!!  Stop It!!…You tandem of secular, Baby Jesus hating sunzabitches!!  William Donahue, President of the Catholic League here, and I am going to put a stop to your sacrilegious shenanigans, and your Christphobic phhhhhhornication of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />It’s my turn to speak, and I am speaking on behalf of the 1.2 Billion Catholics, and by proxy, speaking on behalf of the billions of less holy, non-Catholic “Christians.”<br /><br />Do you two Goddam nut jobs have anywhere close to that number of followers?  Hell no you don’t…you…you, rage against the Deus ex Machina bastards.<br /><br />I saw<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/03/an-old-spic-really.html"><i><span style="color: blue;"> your post</span></i></a> about His Holiness Pope Francis I on Thursday, and to wanted smack you upside your simple and symbiotic heads with a bag full of hot nickels and piss Holy Water all over you twos.  And now…<br /><br />I find out that you twos freakin’ amoral sunzabitches have scheduled a two hour long Blog Talk Radio Show on St. Patrick’s Day, this <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/03/17/forty-shades-of-matt-and-jay"><i><span style="color: blue;">Sunday from Noon-2 PM ET</span></i></a>!!<br /><br />WTF?  Only having forty-five minutes of bashing Jesus of Nazarene hasn’t been enough for you?<br /><br />Oh yeah, I also read on your BTR promo where this Sunday’s is going to be a good time as you “celebrate” the venerable St. Patrick, but I know what is truly going to come out of the bowels of you twos during those two hours…<br /><br />Heresy!!<br /><br />You’ll make fun of stroke victims like Kirk Douglas, have some gay guy named Joshua give a report from the Babylon that is Hollywood.  You’ll mock Pope Francis I, make fun of Catholics and the Papacy, and knowing you guys, you’ll trash the likes of fine Christians like Dick Morris…Heathens!!<br /><br />What else will you be airing funny boys?  Poetry from that patch on his elbows wearing Paul Piatt?  Is Matt-Man gonna sing off key again?  Is Slyder Balzcock gonna report on the All-Ireland Hurling finals and turn it into something dirty?<br /><br />Oh, you two are a load…A load of anti-Messianic HATE!!<br /><br />Hell at least the goddamn Jews and Romans only killed Christ once, you twos seem to do it every goddamn day!!  If I were Christ, and I think I am, I would rather spend two hours bleeding on the cross rather than listening to you twos IWS Radio Show this <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/03/17/forty-shades-of-matt-and-jay"><i><span style="color: blue;">St. Patrick’s Day from Noon-2 PM ET</span></i></a> on Blog Talk Radio.<br /><br />I’m not going to listen to your show this Sunday from Noon-2 PM ET, but I want everyone else to listen, and you know why?<br /><br />I want them to discover what virulent, God-Hating, Anti-Christ Loving joke tellers you are.  I want them to see and hear the truth about you twos.<br /><br />So my flock…In case you missed the obvious links in this post about these twos, you can catch their show Sunday the 17th from Noon-2 PM ET by clicking <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/03/17/forty-shades-of-matt-and-jay"><i><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></i></a>.<br /><br />Damn their souls…Damn Them!!<br /><br /><i>In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,</i><br /><br /><i>Bill Donahue</i></div>

MSJS...A.D. 2013

Matt O’Speaks…Jay O’Speaks…You, O’Lis… Stop It!!  Stop It!!…You tandem of secular, Baby Jesus hating sunzabitches!!  William Donahue, Presid...

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