text:
(CNN) -- In an attempt to be frugal amid the economic downturn, Karl Stetson and his family in Seattle, Washington, planned to skip their annual trip to Hawaii.

Water rushes toward the shore at Sandy Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii.

That is until Stetson began noticing airfare and hotel rates plunge this year.

Last week, he caved, purchasing plane tickets for less than $450 a person, a sweet deal compared with $600 last year.

He booked rooms at Hanalei Colony Resort, among the emerald mountains in Kauai, for 25 percent off, and he was delighted to receive one of the nights free.

"We might have done something on the mainland, something more low-key, but the fact that it was inexpensive was a big factor for us to go again," said Stetson, who is taking his wife and two young boys in May.

Outdoor enthusiasts, lovebirds and families prudently resisting the urge to visit Hawaii, say aloha to majorly discounted airfares and hotel rates -- many hitting rock-bottom prices -- this year.

The bittersweet theory seems to hold true: What is bad for the travel industry has been good for consumers. As Hawaii suffers from its biggest visitor decline since the Great Depression, the state is enticing travelers with discounted deals to offset the toll on its local economy. iReport.com: Toughing out the recession?

Airfare to Hawaii from cities in the continental United States has plummeted more than 30 percent in some markets, according to FareCompare.com, an airfare research Web site. Pleasant Holidays, one of the nation's largest privately owned travel companies, is offering vacation packages that include flight and three nights hotel stay in Oahu starting at $299.

Online travel giants Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are all offering sales on Hawaii flights, hotels and activities, and some luxury hotels have rooms for less than $150 a night.

"You won't see prices to Hawaii like this again in your lifetime," FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney said. "It might be worth it to take that once-in-a-lifetime trip."

For decades, tourists from the United States and abroad have flocked to Hawaii, many captivated by the exotic islands' natural beauty: snow-capped mountains, active volcanoes, breathtaking waterfalls and pristine beaches.

Now with the administration of President Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Hawaii, there is a renewed interest for tourists to visit, travel experts say.

But travelers have long viewed Hawaii as an expensive destination in comparison with Florida or California.

Two adults can expect to spend $673 a day in Honolulu on food and lodging, making Hawaii the most expensive destination in the country, according to the AAA's 2008 Annual Vacation Costs Survey.

It is no surprise, then, that in a brutal economy where consumer confidence is low, the islands are having a tough time reeling in visitors, despite discounted prices.

The state reported a 12.4 percent decline in visitors, or 72,255 fewer guests, in January compared with the same time last year. The drop, which started last spring, is a reversal of nearly a decade of visitor growth.

To make matters worse, visitor spending in Hawaii declined by 13.6 percent in January, and many state officials and experts are worried what that will mean for a state where tourism is the backbone industry.

Nationwide, the tourism picture looks bleak, as the number of travelers is expected to fall throughout 2009, according to the Travel Industry Association of America.

In the Aloha State, the smaller, more remote islands like Lana'i and Moloka'i are feeling the most pain. They received about a third fewer visitors in January than the year before.

"This is a downturn," said Mark B. Dunkerley, who sits on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and is CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. Dunkerley explained that the decline in visitors may be troubling, but the numbers are still as strong as they were a decade ago. "It's not a catastrophe. The clock has been wound back."

Signs of decline for Hawaii began last spring with the shutdown of Aloha and ATA Airlines, which held about a fifth of the market share. By the summer, fuel prices had skyrocketed to $135 a barrel, which drove fares to an unaffordable price point for many travelers.

That same year, NCL Corp.'s Norwegian Cruise Lines pulled back stops to Hawaii.

Rob Pacheco, the president of Hawaii Forest & Trail, said he noticed about 3,000 fewer customers after some of the cruise ships stopped coming. The company, which gives natural tours of the island, said things "just kind of deteriorated, and it was more difficult to fill seats."

Another challenge Hawaii faces in terms of tourism is its remote location on an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. This makes the state's tourism industry highly dependent on airfare prices. iReport.com: Where's your favorite secret hideaway?

Traditionally, economical travelers shy away from Hawaii because of the high flight cost, travel experts said. But the airfare prices being offered until June show that prices may be more affordable than most leisure travelers think.

A flight from Boston, Massachusetts, on Delta, United or American Airlines is running about $461 round trip, down from $610 at the same time last year, according to FareCompare.com. Travelers from major West Coast cities such as Los Angeles, California, can find flights just under $340, nearly 30 percent off the ticket price from a year ago, the site reported.

Adding to the vacation savings are hotels, including lavish resorts, advertising rates about 20 percent lower in the first quarter of 2009 compared with first-quarter 2008, according to online travel companies.

Hotels scrambled to offer lower rates when they saw occupancy numbers dive for the first time in years. Hotels say that in addition to the discount on the rooms, there are perks and added value such as upgrades, free nights and dinner coupons, travel experts say.

For example, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, owned by Outrigger Enterprises Group, is offering the third night free for travelers who book a stay in Waikiki this month for $159 a night. A year ago, the lowest the rate at the hotel was nearly $100 more.

"You can travel better than you have in the past for the same amount of money," said Ian Jeffries, an Expedia travel expert. "Or you could do the exact same thing as last year and save money."

Travelers can also snatch bargains at condos and rental properties. This is particularly true on the islands of Maui and Oahu, where there has been major development in recent years, says Pauline Frommer, creator of the Pauline Frommer Guidebooks.

"You can play 'let's make a deal' with these folks," said Frommer, who has been tracking the travel industry for almost 20 years. "They are desperate for people's business."

But don't expect the deals to paradise to last forever. Prices will climb during peak summer season and as soon as the economy recovers. Though experts are unsure when recovery will happen, Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism predicts that won't be until 2011.

In the meantime, Hawaii tourism groups want to change American and international travelers' impression that a trip there is too expensive. With Japan suffering from its own economic woes, arrivals of Japanese tourists, once a steady revenue stream, have slowed, travel experts said.

"The difficulty is the fact that it's not a Hawaii-centered problem," said John Monahan, president of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. "We have a nationwide and global crisis."

text: CNN

text: In

text: an

text: attempt

text: to

text: be

text: frugal

text: amid

text: the

text: economic

text: downturn

text: Karl

text: Stetson

text: and

text: his

text: family

text: in

text: Seattle

text: Washington

text: planned

text: to

text: skip

text: their

text: annual

text: trip

text: to

text: Hawaii

text: Water

text: rushes

text: toward

text: the

text: shore

text: at

text: Sandy

text: Beach

text: Park

text: in

text: Honolulu

text: Hawaii

text: That

text: is

text: until

text: Stetson

text: began

text: noticing

text: airfare

text: and

text: hotel

text: rates

text: plunge

text: this

text: year

text: Last

text: week

text: he

text: caved

text: purchasing

text: plane

text: tickets

text: for

text: less

text: than

text: a

text: person

text: a

text: sweet

text: deal

text: compared

text: with

text: last

text: year

text: He

text: booked

text: rooms

text: at

text: Hanalei

text: Colony

text: Resort

text: among

text: the

text: emerald

text: mountains

text: in

text: Kauai

text: for

text: percent

text: off

text: and

text: he

text: was

text: delighted

text: to

text: receive

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: nights

text: free

text: We

text: might

text: have

text: done

text: something

text: on

text: the

text: mainland

text: something

text: more

text: low

text: key

text: but

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: it

text: was

text: inexpensive

text: was

text: a

text: big

text: factor

text: for

text: us

text: to

text: go

text: again

text: said

text: Stetson

text: who

text: is

text: taking

text: his

text: wife

text: and

text: two

text: young

text: boys

text: in

text: May.

text: Outdoor

text: enthusiasts

text: lovebirds

text: and

text: families

text: prudently

text: resisting

text: the

text: urge

text: to

text: visit

text: Hawaii

text: say

text: aloha

text: to

text: majorly

text: discounted

text: airfares

text: and

text: hotel

text: rates

text: many

text: hitting

text: rock

text: bottom

text: prices

text: this

text: year

text: The

text: bittersweet

text: theory

text: seems

text: to

text: hold

text: true

text: What

text: is

text: bad

text: for

text: the

text: travel

text: industry

text: has

text: been

text: good

text: for

text: consumers

text: As

text: Hawaii

text: suffers

text: from

text: its

text: biggest

text: visitor

text: decline

text: since

text: the

text: Great

text: Depression

text: the

text: state

text: is

text: enticing

text: travelers

text: with

text: discounted

text: deals

text: to

text: offset

text: the

text: toll

text: on

text: its

text: local

text: economy

text: iReport.com

text: Toughing

text: out

text: the

text: recession

text: Airfare

text: to

text: Hawaii

text: from

text: cities

text: in

text: the

text: continental

text: United

text: States

text: has

text: plummeted

text: more

text: than

text: percent

text: in

text: some

text: markets

text: according

text: to

text: FareCompare.com

text: an

text: airfare

text: research

text: Web

text: site

text: Pleasant

text: Holidays

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: nation

text: 's

text: largest

text: privately

text: owned

text: travel

text: companies

text: is

text: offering

text: vacation

text: packages

text: that

text: include

text: flight

text: and

text: three

text: nights

text: hotel

text: stay

text: in

text: Oahu

text: starting

text: at

text: Online

text: travel

text: giants

text: Expedia

text: Travelocity

text: and

text: Orbitz

text: are

text: all

text: offering

text: sales

text: on

text: Hawaii

text: flights

text: hotels

text: and

text: activities

text: and

text: some

text: luxury

text: hotels

text: have

text: rooms

text: for

text: less

text: than

text: a

text: night

text: You

text: wo

text: n't

text: see

text: prices

text: to

text: Hawaii

text: like

text: this

text: again

text: in

text: your

text: lifetime

text: FareCompare

text: CEO

text: Rick

text: Seaney

text: said

text: It

text: might

text: be

text: worth

text: it

text: to

text: take

text: that

text: once

text: in

text: a

text: lifetime

text: trip

text: For

text: decades

text: tourists

text: from

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: abroad

text: have

text: flocked

text: to

text: Hawaii

text: many

text: captivated

text: by

text: the

text: exotic

text: islands

text: natural

text: beauty

text: snow

text: capped

text: mountains

text: active

text: volcanoes

text: breathtaking

text: waterfalls

text: and

text: pristine

text: beaches

text: Now

text: with

text: the

text: administration

text: of

text: President

text: Obama

text: who

text: spent

text: part

text: of

text: his

text: childhood

text: in

text: Hawaii

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: renewed

text: interest

text: for

text: tourists

text: to

text: visit

text: travel

text: experts

text: say

text: But

text: travelers

text: have

text: long

text: viewed

text: Hawaii

text: as

text: an

text: expensive

text: destination

text: in

text: comparison

text: with

text: Florida

text: or

text: California

text: Two

text: adults

text: can

text: expect

text: to

text: spend

text: a

text: day

text: in

text: Honolulu

text: on

text: food

text: and

text: lodging

text: making

text: Hawaii

text: the

text: most

text: expensive

text: destination

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: AAA

text: 's

text: Annual

text: Vacation

text: Costs

text: Survey

text: It

text: is

text: no

text: surprise

text: then

text: that

text: in

text: a

text: brutal

text: economy

text: where

text: consumer

text: confidence

text: is

text: low

text: the

text: islands

text: are

text: having

text: a

text: tough

text: time

text: reeling

text: in

text: visitors

text: despite

text: discounted

text: prices

text: The

text: state

text: reported

text: a

text: percent

text: decline

text: in

text: visitors

text: or

text: fewer

text: guests

text: in

text: January

text: compared

text: with

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: last

text: year

text: The

text: drop

text: which

text: started

text: last

text: spring

text: is

text: a

text: reversal

text: of

text: nearly

text: a

text: decade

text: of

text: visitor

text: growth

text: To

text: make

text: matters

text: worse

text: visitor

text: spending

text: in

text: Hawaii

text: declined

text: by

text: percent

text: in

text: January

text: and

text: many

text: state

text: officials

text: and

text: experts

text: are

text: worried

text: what

text: that

text: will

text: mean

text: for

text: a

text: state

text: where

text: tourism

text: is

text: the

text: backbone

text: industry

text: Nationwide

text: the

text: tourism

text: picture

text: looks

text: bleak

text: as

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: travelers

text: is

text: expected

text: to

text: fall

text: throughout

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Travel

text: Industry

text: Association

text: of

text: America

text: In

text: the

text: Aloha

text: State

text: the

text: smaller

text: more

text: remote

text: islands

text: like

text: Lana'i

text: and

text: Moloka'i

text: are

text: feeling

text: the

text: most

text: pain

text: They

text: received

text: about

text: a

text: third

text: fewer

text: visitors

text: in

text: January

text: than

text: the

text: year

text: before

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: downturn

text: said

text: Mark

text: B.

text: Dunkerley

text: who

text: sits

text: on

text: the

text: board

text: of

text: the

text: Chamber

text: of

text: Commerce

text: of

text: Hawaii

text: and

text: is

text: CEO

text: of

text: Hawaiian

text: Airlines

text: Dunkerley

text: explained

text: that

text: the

text: decline

text: in

text: visitors

text: may

text: be

text: troubling

text: but

text: the

text: numbers

text: are

text: still

text: as

text: strong

text: as

text: they

text: were

text: a

text: decade

text: ago

text: It

text: 's

text: not

text: a

text: catastrophe

text: The

text: clock

text: has

text: been

text: wound

text: back

text: Signs

text: of

text: decline

text: for

text: Hawaii

text: began

text: last

text: spring

text: with

text: the

text: shutdown

text: of

text: Aloha

text: and

text: ATA

text: Airlines

text: which

text: held

text: about

text: a

text: fifth

text: of

text: the

text: market

text: share

text: By

text: the

text: summer

text: fuel

text: prices

text: had

text: skyrocketed

text: to

text: a

text: barrel

text: which

text: drove

text: fares

text: to

text: an

text: unaffordable

text: price

text: point

text: for

text: many

text: travelers

text: That

text: same

text: year

text: NCL

text: Corp.

text: 's

text: Norwegian

text: Cruise

text: Lines

text: pulled

text: back

text: stops

text: to

text: Hawaii

text: Rob

text: Pacheco

text: the

text: president

text: of

text: Hawaii

text: Forest

text: Trail

text: said

text: he

text: noticed

text: about

text: fewer

text: customers

text: after

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: cruise

text: ships

text: stopped

text: coming

text: The

text: company

text: which

text: gives

text: natural

text: tours

text: of

text: the

text: island

text: said

text: things

text: just

text: kind

text: of

text: deteriorated

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: more

text: difficult

text: to

text: fill

text: seats

text: Another

text: challenge

text: Hawaii

text: faces

text: in

text: terms

text: of

text: tourism

text: is

text: its

text: remote

text: location

text: on

text: an

text: archipelago

text: in

text: the

text: Pacific

text: Ocean

text: This

text: makes

text: the

text: state

text: 's

text: tourism

text: industry

text: highly

text: dependent

text: on

text: airfare

text: prices

text: iReport.com

text: Where

text: 's

text: your

text: favorite

text: secret

text: hideaway

text: Traditionally

text: economical

text: travelers

text: shy

text: away

text: from

text: Hawaii

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: high

text: flight

text: cost

text: travel

text: experts

text: said

text: But

text: the

text: airfare

text: prices

text: being

text: offered

text: until

text: June

text: show

text: that

text: prices

text: may

text: be

text: more

text: affordable

text: than

text: most

text: leisure

text: travelers

text: think

text: A

text: flight

text: from

text: Boston

text: Massachusetts

text: on

text: Delta

text: United

text: or

text: American

text: Airlines

text: is

text: running

text: about

text: round

text: trip

text: down

text: from

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: last

text: year

text: according

text: to

text: FareCompare.com

text: Travelers

text: from

text: major

text: West

text: Coast

text: cities

text: such

text: as

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: California

text: can

text: find

text: flights

text: just

text: under

text: nearly

text: percent

text: off

text: the

text: ticket

text: price

text: from

text: a

text: year

text: ago

text: the

text: site

text: reported

text: Adding

text: to

text: the

text: vacation

text: savings

text: are

text: hotels

text: including

text: lavish

text: resorts

text: advertising

text: rates

text: about

text: percent

text: lower

text: in

text: the

text: first

text: quarter

text: of

text: compared

text: with

text: first

text: quarter

text: according

text: to

text: online

text: travel

text: companies

text: Hotels

text: scrambled

text: to

text: offer

text: lower

text: rates

text: when

text: they

text: saw

text: occupancy

text: numbers

text: dive

text: for

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: in

text: years

text: Hotels

text: say

text: that

text: in

text: addition

text: to

text: the

text: discount

text: on

text: the

text: rooms

text: there

text: are

text: perks

text: and

text: added

text: value

text: such

text: as

text: upgrades

text: free

text: nights

text: and

text: dinner

text: coupons

text: travel

text: experts

text: say

text: For

text: example

text: Outrigger

text: Hotels

text: and

text: Resorts

text: owned

text: by

text: Outrigger

text: Enterprises

text: Group

text: is

text: offering

text: the

text: third

text: night

text: free

text: for

text: travelers

text: who

text: book

text: a

text: stay

text: in

text: Waikiki

text: this

text: month

text: for

text: a

text: night

text: A

text: year

text: ago

text: the

text: lowest

text: the

text: rate

text: at

text: the

text: hotel

text: was

text: nearly

text: more

text: You

text: can

text: travel

text: better

text: than

text: you

text: have

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: for

text: the

text: same

text: amount

text: of

text: money

text: said

text: Ian

text: Jeffries

text: an

text: Expedia

text: travel

text: expert

text: Or

text: you

text: could

text: do

text: the

text: exact

text: same

text: thing

text: as

text: last

text: year

text: and

text: save

text: money

text: Travelers

text: can

text: also

text: snatch

text: bargains

text: at

text: condos

text: and

text: rental

text: properties

text: This

text: is

text: particularly

text: true

text: on

text: the

text: islands

text: of

text: Maui

text: and

text: Oahu

text: where

text: there

text: has

text: been

text: major

text: development

text: in

text: recent

text: years

text: says

text: Pauline

text: Frommer

text: creator

text: of

text: the

text: Pauline

text: Frommer

text: Guidebooks

text: You

text: can

text: play

text: let

text: 's

text: make

text: a

text: deal

text: with

text: these

text: folks

text: said

text: Frommer

text: who

text: has

text: been

text: tracking

text: the

text: travel

text: industry

text: for

text: almost

text: years

text: They

text: are

text: desperate

text: for

text: people

text: 's

text: business

text: But

text: do

text: n't

text: expect

text: the

text: deals

text: to

text: paradise

text: to

text: last

text: forever

text: Prices

text: will

text: climb

text: during

text: peak

text: summer

text: season

text: and

text: as

text: soon

text: as

text: the

text: economy

text: recovers

text: Though

text: experts

text: are

text: unsure

text: when

text: recovery

text: will

text: happen

text: Hawaii

text: 's

text: Department

text: of

text: Business

text: Economic

text: Development

text: Tourism

text: predicts

text: that

text: wo

text: n't

text: be

text: until

text: In

text: the

text: meantime

text: Hawaii

text: tourism

text: groups

text: want

text: to

text: change

text: American

text: and

text: international

text: travelers

text: impression

text: that

text: a

text: trip

text: there

text: is

text: too

text: expensive

text: With

text: Japan

text: suffering

text: from

text: its

text: own

text: economic

text: woes

text: arrivals

text: of

text: Japanese

text: tourists

text: once

text: a

text: steady

text: revenue

text: stream

text: have

text: slowed

text: travel

text: experts

text: said

text: The

text: difficulty

text: is

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: a

text: Hawaii

text: centered

text: problem

text: said

text: John

text: Monahan

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: Hawaii

text: Visitors

text: and

text: Convention

text: Bureau

text: We

text: have

text: a

text: nationwide

text: and

text: global

text: crisis

question: When could the state's tourism improve?

answer: during peak summer season

text: during peak summer season

question: What destination has seen steep decline in airfare?

answer: Hawaii,

text: Hawaii,

question: what did Pauline Frommer say?

answer: Travelers can also snatch bargains at condos and rental properties. This is particularly true on the islands of Maui and Oahu, where there has been major development in recent years,

text: Travelers can also snatch bargains at condos and rental properties. This is particularly true on the islands of Maui and Oahu, where there has been major development in recent years,

question: When did visits to Hawaii decline by 12.4%?

answer: January

text: January

question: To what destination has airfare plunged?

answer: Hawaii,

text: Hawaii,

question: where has Airfare plunged more than 30 percent?

answer: to Hawaii from cities in the continental United States

text: to Hawaii from cities in the continental United States


text:
PALLAVAKAM, India (CNN) -- South India's sun beats down on a long line of trucks wending to the Bay of Bengal. In the back of these trucks, giant, brightly painted statues of the Hindu god Ganesha are waiting to be dropped in the nearby ocean.

Ganesha worshippers transport their Idol for an immersion ritual.

All over India, Hindus recently celebrated the birthday of the elephant god and now the idols made for this festivity are being taken to India's ocean, rivers and lakes and deposited.

It's part of the Hindu religious cycle. But it's also a huge source of pollution. And in recent years, idol immersion has become a popular local event, with some statues so huge they must be lifted by cranes.

The Ganeshas gleam with gold paint and glisten with reds, pinks and greens. But scientists who've studied the problem say these paints often contain toxic metals, such as lead and mercury. They contaminate plants, and poison fish and irrigation and drinking water. They end up in the human food chain.

The problem is not just caused by idols of Ganesha, but by the many other Hindu god idols as well, such as Saraswati and Durga. Hundreds of thousands of god idols are immersed every year in festivals across India.

A detailed study of the problem has been done by Shyam R. Asolekar of the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. He estimates that, in the city of Mumbai alone, several hundred thousand idols are made annually.  Watch a Hindu immersion ritual Â»

Decades ago, there were far fewer idols and idols were made of mud and biodegradable materials, Asolekar said. The effect also was "minimal" he said, because waterways weren't linked as they are now. As a result of water and irrigation projects, "connected water systems and dams have reduced the flow of water" and dramatically increased the effect of pollution.

According to Asolekar's study, "Forbidding the disposal of painted idols, ornaments and decoration is the only sure way of protecting our water bodies."

Various Indian states are testing out new approaches, such as mobile immersion tanks, and encouraging mud idols.

Asolekar dismissed the idea of an eco-friendly idol, saying even large amounts of mud kill waterways.

"The number of idols is so high," he said, "no matter what the material, there will always be an impact. Even organic substances in large quantities cause a problem."

He suggests a "dry immersion," in which the idol is sprinkled symbolically with water and then later dried for reuse. This approach would face great hurdles in a country where religious rituals have deep social and cultural ties and change comes slowly.

Another possible interim measure uses a polymer-lined tank for immersion. More than 100 such tanks have been installed in Mumbai. The linings can be rolled up after use and the materials separated into bio and nonbiodegradable materials for composting and landfill. The water is filtered. But this solution is far from ideal, Asolekar said, as tens of thousands of such tanks would be needed, and there is still plenty of contamination.

"It will take time to change people's attitudes," he said.

text: PALLAVAKAM

text: India

text: CNN

text: South

text: India

text: 's

text: sun

text: beats

text: down

text: on

text: a

text: long

text: line

text: of

text: trucks

text: wending

text: to

text: the

text: Bay

text: of

text: Bengal

text: In

text: the

text: back

text: of

text: these

text: trucks

text: giant

text: brightly

text: painted

text: statues

text: of

text: the

text: Hindu

text: god

text: Ganesha

text: are

text: waiting

text: to

text: be

text: dropped

text: in

text: the

text: nearby

text: ocean

text: Ganesha

text: worshippers

text: transport

text: their

text: Idol

text: for

text: an

text: immersion

text: ritual

text: All

text: over

text: India

text: Hindus

text: recently

text: celebrated

text: the

text: birthday

text: of

text: the

text: elephant

text: god

text: and

text: now

text: the

text: idols

text: made

text: for

text: this

text: festivity

text: are

text: being

text: taken

text: to

text: India

text: 's

text: ocean

text: rivers

text: and

text: lakes

text: and

text: deposited

text: It

text: 's

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: Hindu

text: religious

text: cycle

text: But

text: it

text: 's

text: also

text: a

text: huge

text: source

text: of

text: pollution

text: And

text: in

text: recent

text: years

text: idol

text: immersion

text: has

text: become

text: a

text: popular

text: local

text: event

text: with

text: some

text: statues

text: so

text: huge

text: they

text: must

text: be

text: lifted

text: by

text: cranes

text: The

text: Ganeshas

text: gleam

text: with

text: gold

text: paint

text: and

text: glisten

text: with

text: reds

text: pinks

text: and

text: greens

text: But

text: scientists

text: who

text: 've

text: studied

text: the

text: problem

text: say

text: these

text: paints

text: often

text: contain

text: toxic

text: metals

text: such

text: as

text: lead

text: and

text: mercury

text: They

text: contaminate

text: plants

text: and

text: poison

text: fish

text: and

text: irrigation

text: and

text: drinking

text: water

text: They

text: end

text: up

text: in

text: the

text: human

text: food

text: chain

text: The

text: problem

text: is

text: not

text: just

text: caused

text: by

text: idols

text: of

text: Ganesha

text: but

text: by

text: the

text: many

text: other

text: Hindu

text: god

text: idols

text: as

text: well

text: such

text: as

text: Saraswati

text: and

text: Durga

text: Hundreds

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: god

text: idols

text: are

text: immersed

text: every

text: year

text: in

text: festivals

text: across

text: India

text: A

text: detailed

text: study

text: of

text: the

text: problem

text: has

text: been

text: done

text: by

text: Shyam

text: R.

text: Asolekar

text: of

text: the

text: Indian

text: Institute

text: of

text: Technology

text: in

text: Bombay

text: He

text: estimates

text: that

text: in

text: the

text: city

text: of

text: Mumbai

text: alone

text: several

text: hundred

text: thousand

text: idols

text: are

text: made

text: annually

text: Watch

text: a

text: Hindu

text: immersion

text: ritual

text: Â

text: Decades

text: ago

text: there

text: were

text: far

text: fewer

text: idols

text: and

text: idols

text: were

text: made

text: of

text: mud

text: and

text: biodegradable

text: materials

text: Asolekar

text: said

text: The

text: effect

text: also

text: was

text: minimal

text: he

text: said

text: because

text: waterways

text: were

text: n't

text: linked

text: as

text: they

text: are

text: now

text: As

text: a

text: result

text: of

text: water

text: and

text: irrigation

text: projects

text: connected

text: water

text: systems

text: and

text: dams

text: have

text: reduced

text: the

text: flow

text: of

text: water

text: and

text: dramatically

text: increased

text: the

text: effect

text: of

text: pollution

text: According

text: to

text: Asolekar

text: 's

text: study

text: Forbidding

text: the

text: disposal

text: of

text: painted

text: idols

text: ornaments

text: and

text: decoration

text: is

text: the

text: only

text: sure

text: way

text: of

text: protecting

text: our

text: water

text: bodies

text: Various

text: Indian

text: states

text: are

text: testing

text: out

text: new

text: approaches

text: such

text: as

text: mobile

text: immersion

text: tanks

text: and

text: encouraging

text: mud

text: idols

text: Asolekar

text: dismissed

text: the

text: idea

text: of

text: an

text: eco

text: friendly

text: idol

text: saying

text: even

text: large

text: amounts

text: of

text: mud

text: kill

text: waterways

text: The

text: number

text: of

text: idols

text: is

text: so

text: high

text: he

text: said

text: no

text: matter

text: what

text: the

text: material

text: there

text: will

text: always

text: be

text: an

text: impact

text: Even

text: organic

text: substances

text: in

text: large

text: quantities

text: cause

text: a

text: problem

text: He

text: suggests

text: a

text: dry

text: immersion

text: in

text: which

text: the

text: idol

text: is

text: sprinkled

text: symbolically

text: with

text: water

text: and

text: then

text: later

text: dried

text: for

text: reuse

text: This

text: approach

text: would

text: face

text: great

text: hurdles

text: in

text: a

text: country

text: where

text: religious

text: rituals

text: have

text: deep

text: social

text: and

text: cultural

text: ties

text: and

text: change

text: comes

text: slowly

text: Another

text: possible

text: interim

text: measure

text: uses

text: a

text: polymer

text: lined

text: tank

text: for

text: immersion

text: More

text: than

text: such

text: tanks

text: have

text: been

text: installed

text: in

text: Mumbai

text: The

text: linings

text: can

text: be

text: rolled

text: up

text: after

text: use

text: and

text: the

text: materials

text: separated

text: into

text: bio

text: and

text: nonbiodegradable

text: materials

text: for

text: composting

text: and

text: landfill

text: The

text: water

text: is

text: filtered

text: But

text: this

text: solution

text: is

text: far

text: from

text: ideal

text: Asolekar

text: said

text: as

text: tens

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: such

text: tanks

text: would

text: be

text: needed

text: and

text: there

text: is

text: still

text: plenty

text: of

text: contamination

text: It

text: will

text: take

text: time

text: to

text: change

text: people

text: 's

text: attitudes

text: he

text: said

question: What is a possible solution?

answer: polymer-lined tank for immersion.

text: polymer-lined tank for immersion.

question: What contains toxic metals?

answer: paints

text: paints

question: What is causing contamination?

answer: these paints often contain toxic metals, such as lead and mercury.

text: these paints often contain toxic metals, such as lead and mercury.

question: What is the suggested solution?

answer: a polymer-lined tank for immersion.

text: a polymer-lined tank for immersion.


text:
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- U.S. helicopters carrying food hovered above the ground in one area of the battered Haitian capital on Saturday, flinging out boxes to the anxious crowd.

It was a chaotic scene as hundreds of Haitians without food and water for four days swarmed toward the boxes, ignoring the wind and dust kicked up from the helicopters' blades.  A similar scene erupted Friday when a food convoy with the World Food Programme was forced to leave an area after men in the crowd starting pushing and shoving their way to the trucks.

Elsewhere, people stood in long, orderly lines for food, according to a CNN crew, although anxiety about whether there was enough to go around permeated the wait.

In Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, U.S. troops handed out about 2,500 meals Saturday, before they ran out. Seventy soldiers arrived with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Petionville to set up a distribution base and a landing zone for helicopters. They began handing out meals about 2 p.m.

"Our goal is to get supplies out to the people who need it the most," Col. Mike Foster said. "We got a good start."

Authorities set up more than a dozen aid distribution points across battered Port-au-Prince, as aid workers toted medical supplies into the battered island nation.

Still, although some progress could be observed four days after Tuesday's devastating earthquake, problems persisted.

Get the latest developments on Haiti

A CNN crew observed U.N. World Food Programme personnel who were trying to move food from a warehouse damaged from the earthquake. The building has large cracks up its side, weakening the walls. Its doors could not be forced fully open to allow a forklift through, so workers were painstakingly hand-carrying the supplies out.

Despite the difficulties, the Haitian ambassador to the United States, Raymond Joseph, said he did not believe that violence will increase, as long as distribution of food continues.

"I think it won't get any more violent than it is now," he said.

Also Saturday, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush kicked off a fundraising drive -- a donation push called the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, similar to the appeal led by Clinton and Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, for the victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami. The drive was announced at the White House, with President Obama flanked by Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush.

"We're moving forward with one of the largest relief efforts in our history to save lives and to deliver relief that averts an even larger catastrophe," Obama said.

Obama said his predecessors will tap into "the incredible generosity, the ingenuity, the can-do spirit" of Americans.  See full coverage of Haiti

The leaders said the best way for Americans to help Haiti is to donate money.

"I know a lot of people want to send blankets or water," Bush said. "Just send your cash."

Aid delivery has been slowed by damaged roads, the destroyed port and bottlenecks at the airport.

As TV images showed people jostling for aid, U.S. officials reiterated what they said has been a continuation of relief efforts: Ongoing search and rescue operations; the establishment of 14 aid distribution points; finding alternatives to the damaged port, distributing water containers, water purification units, medical supplies, and establishing medical clinics and field hospitals.

Israel was establishing a field hospital to treat thousands of victims from the earthquake, expected to absorb 500 casualties a day.

The U.N. World Food Programme said it plans to reach 2 million people "with one-week rations of ready-to-eat food," and UNICEF said it is distributing water purification tablets, dehydration salts and other supplies, specifically to halt diarrhea infections and diseases.

The U.S. Southern Command said the military is supplying many resources. About 4,200 U.S. military personnel are currently supporting task force operations, and 6,300 military personnel are scheduled to arrive by Monday, the command said.

Aid efforts from the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier off the coast of Haiti, were in full gear Saturday, with flights transporting concrete-breaking equipment, medical supplies and water. Some of those flights are ferrying aid from the airport to the surrounding region and choppers have rescued two American citizens.

The U.S. Agency for International Development said Saturday that the USS Carl Vinson has delivered more than 30 pallets of relief supplies for transport by helicopters.

The U.S. Naval Ship Comfort pushed out of the Port of Baltimore for Haiti on Saturday and is expected to arrive late next week. A full-scale medical hospital, the craft is equipped with one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States. It was in Port-au -Prince in 2007, and again in 2009, on humanitarian missions, and its medical workers tended to many Haitians during those visits.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Haiti on Saturday, with top relief officials and aid. She returned to the States later Saturday with Americans who had been evacuated, State Department officials said.

USAID chief, Rajiv Shah, who as traveling with Clinton, said some roads have been cleared in Haiti and that water purifications systems have been sent.

A major shipment of medical aid was being trucked to Haiti through the Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a Red Cross spokesman said.

Six truckloads of "urgently needed medical equipment," including a field hospital, and 50 people specializing in health, water, and sanitation, were en route, he said. A Finnish Red Cross plane also landed in Port-au-Prince with a "badly needed mobile medical clinic, he said.

CNN's Karl Penhaul, Arthur Brice, Elise Labott, Laurie Ure and Dugald McConnell contributed to this report.

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: Haiti

text: CNN

text: U.S.

text: helicopters

text: carrying

text: food

text: hovered

text: above

text: the

text: ground

text: in

text: one

text: area

text: of

text: the

text: battered

text: Haitian

text: capital

text: on

text: Saturday

text: flinging

text: out

text: boxes

text: to

text: the

text: anxious

text: crowd

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: chaotic

text: scene

text: as

text: hundreds

text: of

text: Haitians

text: without

text: food

text: and

text: water

text: for

text: four

text: days

text: swarmed

text: toward

text: the

text: boxes

text: ignoring

text: the

text: wind

text: and

text: dust

text: kicked

text: up

text: from

text: the

text: helicopters

text: blades

text: A

text: similar

text: scene

text: erupted

text: Friday

text: when

text: a

text: food

text: convoy

text: with

text: the

text: World

text: Food

text: Programme

text: was

text: forced

text: to

text: leave

text: an

text: area

text: after

text: men

text: in

text: the

text: crowd

text: starting

text: pushing

text: and

text: shoving

text: their

text: way

text: to

text: the

text: trucks

text: Elsewhere

text: people

text: stood

text: in

text: long

text: orderly

text: lines

text: for

text: food

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: CNN

text: crew

text: although

text: anxiety

text: about

text: whether

text: there

text: was

text: enough

text: to

text: go

text: around

text: permeated

text: the

text: wait

text: In

text: Petionville

text: a

text: suburb

text: of

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: U.S.

text: troops

text: handed

text: out

text: about

text: meals

text: Saturday

text: before

text: they

text: ran

text: out

text: Seventy

text: soldiers

text: arrived

text: with

text: the

text: Army

text: 's

text: Airborne

text: Division

text: in

text: Petionville

text: to

text: set

text: up

text: a

text: distribution

text: base

text: and

text: a

text: landing

text: zone

text: for

text: helicopters

text: They

text: began

text: handing

text: out

text: meals

text: about

text: p.m.

text: Our

text: goal

text: is

text: to

text: get

text: supplies

text: out

text: to

text: the

text: people

text: who

text: need

text: it

text: the

text: most

text: Col

text: Mike

text: Foster

text: said

text: We

text: got

text: a

text: good

text: start

text: Authorities

text: set

text: up

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: dozen

text: aid

text: distribution

text: points

text: across

text: battered

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: as

text: aid

text: workers

text: toted

text: medical

text: supplies

text: into

text: the

text: battered

text: island

text: nation

text: Still

text: although

text: some

text: progress

text: could

text: be

text: observed

text: four

text: days

text: after

text: Tuesday

text: 's

text: devastating

text: earthquake

text: problems

text: persisted

text: Get

text: the

text: latest

text: developments

text: on

text: Haiti

text: A

text: CNN

text: crew

text: observed

text: U.N.

text: World

text: Food

text: Programme

text: personnel

text: who

text: were

text: trying

text: to

text: move

text: food

text: from

text: a

text: warehouse

text: damaged

text: from

text: the

text: earthquake

text: The

text: building

text: has

text: large

text: cracks

text: up

text: its

text: side

text: weakening

text: the

text: walls

text: Its

text: doors

text: could

text: not

text: be

text: forced

text: fully

text: open

text: to

text: allow

text: a

text: forklift

text: through

text: so

text: workers

text: were

text: painstakingly

text: hand

text: carrying

text: the

text: supplies

text: out

text: Despite

text: the

text: difficulties

text: the

text: Haitian

text: ambassador

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Raymond

text: Joseph

text: said

text: he

text: did

text: not

text: believe

text: that

text: violence

text: will

text: increase

text: as

text: long

text: as

text: distribution

text: of

text: food

text: continues

text: I

text: think

text: it

text: wo

text: n't

text: get

text: any

text: more

text: violent

text: than

text: it

text: is

text: now

text: he

text: said

text: Also

text: Saturday

text: former

text: Presidents

text: Bill

text: Clinton

text: and

text: George

text: W.

text: Bush

text: kicked

text: off

text: a

text: fundraising

text: drive

text: a

text: donation

text: push

text: called

text: the

text: Clinton

text: Bush

text: Haiti

text: Fund

text: similar

text: to

text: the

text: appeal

text: led

text: by

text: Clinton

text: and

text: Bush

text: 's

text: father

text: former

text: President

text: George

text: H.W.

text: Bush

text: for

text: the

text: victims

text: of

text: the

text: Asian

text: tsunami

text: The

text: drive

text: was

text: announced

text: at

text: the

text: White

text: House

text: with

text: President

text: Obama

text: flanked

text: by

text: Presidents

text: Clinton

text: and

text: George

text: W.

text: Bush

text: We

text: 're

text: moving

text: forward

text: with

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: largest

text: relief

text: efforts

text: in

text: our

text: history

text: to

text: save

text: lives

text: and

text: to

text: deliver

text: relief

text: that

text: averts

text: an

text: even

text: larger

text: catastrophe

text: Obama

text: said

text: Obama

text: said

text: his

text: predecessors

text: will

text: tap

text: into

text: the

text: incredible

text: generosity

text: the

text: ingenuity

text: the

text: can

text: do

text: spirit

text: of

text: Americans

text: See

text: full

text: coverage

text: of

text: Haiti

text: The

text: leaders

text: said

text: the

text: best

text: way

text: for

text: Americans

text: to

text: help

text: Haiti

text: is

text: to

text: donate

text: money

text: I

text: know

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: people

text: want

text: to

text: send

text: blankets

text: or

text: water

text: Bush

text: said

text: Just

text: send

text: your

text: cash

text: Aid

text: delivery

text: has

text: been

text: slowed

text: by

text: damaged

text: roads

text: the

text: destroyed

text: port

text: and

text: bottlenecks

text: at

text: the

text: airport

text: As

text: TV

text: images

text: showed

text: people

text: jostling

text: for

text: aid

text: U.S.

text: officials

text: reiterated

text: what

text: they

text: said

text: has

text: been

text: a

text: continuation

text: of

text: relief

text: efforts

text: Ongoing

text: search

text: and

text: rescue

text: operations

text: the

text: establishment

text: of

text: aid

text: distribution

text: points

text: finding

text: alternatives

text: to

text: the

text: damaged

text: port

text: distributing

text: water

text: containers

text: water

text: purification

text: units

text: medical

text: supplies

text: and

text: establishing

text: medical

text: clinics

text: and

text: field

text: hospitals

text: Israel

text: was

text: establishing

text: a

text: field

text: hospital

text: to

text: treat

text: thousands

text: of

text: victims

text: from

text: the

text: earthquake

text: expected

text: to

text: absorb

text: casualties

text: a

text: day

text: The

text: U.N.

text: World

text: Food

text: Programme

text: said

text: it

text: plans

text: to

text: reach

text: million

text: people

text: with

text: one

text: week

text: rations

text: of

text: ready

text: to

text: eat

text: food

text: and

text: UNICEF

text: said

text: it

text: is

text: distributing

text: water

text: purification

text: tablets

text: dehydration

text: salts

text: and

text: other

text: supplies

text: specifically

text: to

text: halt

text: diarrhea

text: infections

text: and

text: diseases

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Southern

text: Command

text: said

text: the

text: military

text: is

text: supplying

text: many

text: resources

text: About

text: U.S.

text: military

text: personnel

text: are

text: currently

text: supporting

text: task

text: force

text: operations

text: and

text: military

text: personnel

text: are

text: scheduled

text: to

text: arrive

text: by

text: Monday

text: the

text: command

text: said

text: Aid

text: efforts

text: from

text: the

text: USS

text: Carl

text: Vinson

text: an

text: aircraft

text: carrier

text: off

text: the

text: coast

text: of

text: Haiti

text: were

text: in

text: full

text: gear

text: Saturday

text: with

text: flights

text: transporting

text: concrete

text: breaking

text: equipment

text: medical

text: supplies

text: and

text: water

text: Some

text: of

text: those

text: flights

text: are

text: ferrying

text: aid

text: from

text: the

text: airport

text: to

text: the

text: surrounding

text: region

text: and

text: choppers

text: have

text: rescued

text: two

text: American

text: citizens

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Agency

text: for

text: International

text: Development

text: said

text: Saturday

text: that

text: the

text: USS

text: Carl

text: Vinson

text: has

text: delivered

text: more

text: than

text: pallets

text: of

text: relief

text: supplies

text: for

text: transport

text: by

text: helicopters

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Naval

text: Ship

text: Comfort

text: pushed

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: Port

text: of

text: Baltimore

text: for

text: Haiti

text: on

text: Saturday

text: and

text: is

text: expected

text: to

text: arrive

text: late

text: next

text: week

text: A

text: full

text: scale

text: medical

text: hospital

text: the

text: craft

text: is

text: equipped

text: with

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: largest

text: trauma

text: facilities

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: It

text: was

text: in

text: Port

text: au

text: -Prince

text: in

text: and

text: again

text: in

text: on

text: humanitarian

text: missions

text: and

text: its

text: medical

text: workers

text: tended

text: to

text: many

text: Haitians

text: during

text: those

text: visits

text: Secretary

text: of

text: State

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: arrived

text: in

text: Haiti

text: on

text: Saturday

text: with

text: top

text: relief

text: officials

text: and

text: aid

text: She

text: returned

text: to

text: the

text: States

text: later

text: Saturday

text: with

text: Americans

text: who

text: had

text: been

text: evacuated

text: State

text: Department

text: officials

text: said

text: USAID

text: chief

text: Rajiv

text: Shah

text: who

text: as

text: traveling

text: with

text: Clinton

text: said

text: some

text: roads

text: have

text: been

text: cleared

text: in

text: Haiti

text: and

text: that

text: water

text: purifications

text: systems

text: have

text: been

text: sent

text: A

text: major

text: shipment

text: of

text: medical

text: aid

text: was

text: being

text: trucked

text: to

text: Haiti

text: through

text: the

text: Dominican

text: Republic

text: which

text: shares

text: the

text: Caribbean

text: island

text: of

text: Hispaniola

text: with

text: Haiti

text: a

text: Red

text: Cross

text: spokesman

text: said

text: Six

text: truckloads

text: of

text: urgently

text: needed

text: medical

text: equipment

text: including

text: a

text: field

text: hospital

text: and

text: people

text: specializing

text: in

text: health

text: water

text: and

text: sanitation

text: were

text: en

text: route

text: he

text: said

text: A

text: Finnish

text: Red

text: Cross

text: plane

text: also

text: landed

text: in

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: with

text: a

text: badly

text: needed

text: mobile

text: medical

text: clinic

text: he

text: said

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Karl

text: Penhaul

text: Arthur

text: Brice

text: Elise

text: Labott

text: Laurie

text: Ure

text: and

text: Dugald

text: McConnell

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Which former presidents kicked off the fundraising drive?

answer: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush

text: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush

question: Who kicked off fundraising drive?

answer: former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush

text: former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush

question: What is USS Carl Vinson bringing?

answer: transporting concrete-breaking equipment, medical supplies and water.

text: transporting concrete-breaking equipment, medical supplies and water.

question: Who are supporting operations?

answer: 4,200 U.S. military personnel

text: 4,200 U.S. military personnel

question: What number of meals did US troops hand out in a Port-au-Prince suburb on Saturday?

answer: about 2,500

text: about 2,500

question: What number of US military personnel are currently supporting operations?

answer: 4,200


text:
San Francisco (CNN) -- From the ninth floor of an office building here, Verizon Wireless executives peered out of a window at the breathtaking view of the East Bay.

Behind them, baristas wrestled with an espresso maker and served up free cappuccinos to guests.

The newly renovated office, located in SoMa, San Francisco's tech hub, is home to the Verizon Application Innovation Center, which opened last month. Big and small software developers are invited to work here at no charge, with unlimited access to development phones, wireless equipment, shielded test rooms and lattes.

The modern workspace is part of Verizon's plan to improve its image in the technology industry and particularly with people who develop mobile phone apps, executives said in interviews. App makers often condemn carriers for monthly data caps and limits on high-bandwidth apps, which they see as stifling innovation.

Cell giants, including AT&T Mobility and Britain's Vodafone, are taking approaches similar to Verizon's to deflect criticism and position themselves as friends, not foes, of developers. Vodafone, which partially owns Verizon Wireless, opened its own development center in Silicon Valley this month.

AT&T cut the ribbon last week on its Foundry Development Center in Palo Alto, California. All of the furniture there is on wheels to facilitate makeshift meetings. Currently, 106 projects are under way at the foundry, many of them in collaboration with other companies.

"The purpose here was really to be right in the middle of Silicon Valley, in the heart of innovation," Jon Summers, an AT&T technology executive, said last week. "The one thing that we are extremely passionate about is enabling innovation through these partnerships and within this community."

AT&T also is working with esteemed venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital to identify small companies with which the carrier should work, Summers said. Third-party developers are welcome to show up at the foundry unannounced and receive technical support from people there, he said.

An AT&T spokeswoman declined to say how many workers staff its facility, but Summers said Ericsson has employees there along with AT&T engineers, and that people from Microsoft and Juniper Networks will also work there intermittently.

Ericsson is also a founding partner in Verizon's innovation-center program. A Verizon spokesman said 25 engineers work at its San Francisco office.

Verizon previously launched a similar facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, for hardware developers. AT&T opened two others earlier this year in Plano, Texas, and Ra'anana, Israel. Work at these centers has resulted in exclusive projects for each company, executives said.

Part of the motivation for the significant investments is to avoid being seen as a "dumb pipe," or as solely a conduit for data, said Michael King, a Gartner Research analyst.

"I think the long-term goal for a lot of these carriers is they don't want to become pipes," King said. "When you think about it, the carriers don't bring a lot to a developer."

There may be technical limits to what developers can accomplish with these new carrier-specific app stores.

Telecoms operate many parts of their business as "a closed loop," rather than unlocking services such as text messaging to developers, said Andrew Bosworth, a Facebook product director.

The carriers will have a tougher time convincing software makers, especially those who produce hot consumer apps, to sign exclusivity contracts, King said.

"If you've got a really compelling app, why are you going to limit yourself to half your potential market?" King said. "You are not going to tie yourself to a carrier."

Verizon and AT&T executives acknowledged as much in interviews. Developers who use their facilities likely will offer their apps on competitors' networks, they said.

"No one has a monopoly on good ideas," Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead said at the center's opening last month.

Verizon appears to be winning good will with smaller tech companies, however, which could be a valuable asset. Some developers, who, according to Verizon tech exec Kyle Malady, saw Verizon as "the big, bad carrier," changed their outlook after meetings at the new office.

"The partners started saying, 'You guys are so open,' " he said.

Apple has attributed some of its successes in the mobile industry to a massive base of support from developers. Verizon CTO David Small said in an interview last month that people in the wireless industry see Apple as the impetus for renewed interest in Silicon Valley.

Apple has been holding an annual summer developers conference for more than two decades. AT&T had its fifth annual developer summit in January on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show. Verizon wrapped up its third last week in Las Vegas.

"We recognized from the beginning," said Verizon's Small, "that the potential for innovation is bigger than Verizon."

text: San

text: Francisco

text: CNN

text: From

text: the

text: ninth

text: floor

text: of

text: an

text: office

text: building

text: here

text: Verizon

text: Wireless

text: executives

text: peered

text: out

text: of

text: a

text: window

text: at

text: the

text: breathtaking

text: view

text: of

text: the

text: East

text: Bay

text: Behind

text: them

text: baristas

text: wrestled

text: with

text: an

text: espresso

text: maker

text: and

text: served

text: up

text: free

text: cappuccinos

text: to

text: guests

text: The

text: newly

text: renovated

text: office

text: located

text: in

text: SoMa

text: San

text: Francisco

text: 's

text: tech

text: hub

text: is

text: home

text: to

text: the

text: Verizon

text: Application

text: Innovation

text: Center

text: which

text: opened

text: last

text: month

text: Big

text: and

text: small

text: software

text: developers

text: are

text: invited

text: to

text: work

text: here

text: at

text: no

text: charge

text: with

text: unlimited

text: access

text: to

text: development

text: phones

text: wireless

text: equipment

text: shielded

text: test

text: rooms

text: and

text: lattes

text: The

text: modern

text: workspace

text: is

text: part

text: of

text: Verizon

text: 's

text: plan

text: to

text: improve

text: its

text: image

text: in

text: the

text: technology

text: industry

text: and

text: particularly

text: with

text: people

text: who

text: develop

text: mobile

text: phone

text: apps

text: executives

text: said

text: in

text: interviews

text: App

text: makers

text: often

text: condemn

text: carriers

text: for

text: monthly

text: data

text: caps

text: and

text: limits

text: on

text: high

text: bandwidth

text: apps

text: which

text: they

text: see

text: as

text: stifling

text: innovation

text: Cell

text: giants

text: including

text: AT&T

text: Mobility

text: and

text: Britain

text: 's

text: Vodafone

text: are

text: taking

text: approaches

text: similar

text: to

text: Verizon

text: 's

text: to

text: deflect

text: criticism

text: and

text: position

text: themselves

text: as

text: friends

text: not

text: foes

text: of

text: developers

text: Vodafone

text: which

text: partially

text: owns

text: Verizon

text: Wireless

text: opened

text: its

text: own

text: development

text: center

text: in

text: Silicon

text: Valley

text: this

text: month

text: AT&T

text: cut

text: the

text: ribbon

text: last

text: week

text: on

text: its

text: Foundry

text: Development

text: Center

text: in

text: Palo

text: Alto

text: California

text: All

text: of

text: the

text: furniture

text: there

text: is

text: on

text: wheels

text: to

text: facilitate

text: makeshift

text: meetings

text: Currently

text: projects

text: are

text: under

text: way

text: at

text: the

text: foundry

text: many

text: of

text: them

text: in

text: collaboration

text: with

text: other

text: companies

text: The

text: purpose

text: here

text: was

text: really

text: to

text: be

text: right

text: in

text: the

text: middle

text: of

text: Silicon

text: Valley

text: in

text: the

text: heart

text: of

text: innovation

text: Jon

text: Summers

text: an

text: AT&T

text: technology

text: executive

text: said

text: last

text: week

text: The

text: one

text: thing

text: that

text: we

text: are

text: extremely

text: passionate

text: about

text: is

text: enabling

text: innovation

text: through

text: these

text: partnerships

text: and

text: within

text: this

text: community

text: AT&T

text: also

text: is

text: working

text: with

text: esteemed

text: venture

text: capital

text: firms

text: Kleiner

text: Perkins

text: Caufield

text: Byers

text: and

text: Sequoia

text: Capital

text: to

text: identify

text: small

text: companies

text: with

text: which

text: the

text: carrier

text: should

text: work

text: Summers

text: said

text: Third

text: party

text: developers

text: are

text: welcome

text: to

text: show

text: up

text: at

text: the

text: foundry

text: unannounced

text: and

text: receive

text: technical

text: support

text: from

text: people

text: there

text: he

text: said

text: An

text: AT&T

text: spokeswoman

text: declined

text: to

text: say

text: how

text: many

text: workers

text: staff

text: its

text: facility

text: but

text: Summers

text: said

text: Ericsson

text: has

text: employees

text: there

text: along

text: with

text: AT&T

text: engineers

text: and

text: that

text: people

text: from

text: Microsoft

text: and

text: Juniper

text: Networks

text: will

text: also

text: work

text: there

text: intermittently

text: Ericsson

text: is

text: also

text: a

text: founding

text: partner

text: in

text: Verizon

text: 's

text: innovation

text: center

text: program

text: A

text: Verizon

text: spokesman

text: said

text: engineers

text: work

text: at

text: its

text: San

text: Francisco

text: office

text: Verizon

text: previously

text: launched

text: a

text: similar

text: facility

text: in

text: Waltham

text: Massachusetts

text: for

text: hardware

text: developers

text: AT&T

text: opened

text: two

text: others

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: in

text: Plano

text: Texas

text: and

text: Ra'anana

text: Israel

text: Work

text: at

text: these

text: centers

text: has

text: resulted

text: in

text: exclusive

text: projects

text: for

text: each

text: company

text: executives

text: said

text: Part

text: of

text: the

text: motivation

text: for

text: the

text: significant

text: investments

text: is

text: to

text: avoid

text: being

text: seen

text: as

text: a

text: dumb

text: pipe

text: or

text: as

text: solely

text: a

text: conduit

text: for

text: data

text: said

text: Michael

text: King

text: a

text: Gartner

text: Research

text: analyst

text: I

text: think

text: the

text: long

text: term

text: goal

text: for

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: these

text: carriers

text: is

text: they

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: become

text: pipes

text: King

text: said

text: When

text: you

text: think

text: about

text: it

text: the

text: carriers

text: do

text: n't

text: bring

text: a

text: lot

text: to

text: a

text: developer

text: There

text: may

text: be

text: technical

text: limits

text: to

text: what

text: developers

text: can

text: accomplish

text: with

text: these

text: new

text: carrier

text: specific

text: app

text: stores

text: Telecoms

text: operate

text: many

text: parts

text: of

text: their

text: business

text: as

text: a

text: closed

text: loop

text: rather

text: than

text: unlocking

text: services

text: such

text: as

text: text

text: messaging

text: to

text: developers

text: said

text: Andrew

text: Bosworth

text: a

text: Facebook

text: product

text: director

text: The

text: carriers

text: will

text: have

text: a

text: tougher

text: time

text: convincing

text: software

text: makers

text: especially

text: those

text: who

text: produce

text: hot

text: consumer

text: apps

text: to

text: sign

text: exclusivity

text: contracts

text: King

text: said

text: If

text: you

text: 've

text: got

text: a

text: really

text: compelling

text: app

text: why

text: are

text: you

text: going

text: to

text: limit

text: yourself

text: to

text: half

text: your

text: potential

text: market

text: King

text: said

text: You

text: are

text: not

text: going

text: to

text: tie

text: yourself

text: to

text: a

text: carrier

text: Verizon

text: and

text: AT&T

text: executives

text: acknowledged

text: as

text: much

text: in

text: interviews

text: Developers

text: who

text: use

text: their

text: facilities

text: likely

text: will

text: offer

text: their

text: apps

text: on

text: competitors

text: networks

text: they

text: said

text: No

text: one

text: has

text: a

text: monopoly

text: on

text: good

text: ideas

text: Verizon

text: Wireless

text: CEO

text: Dan

text: Mead

text: said

text: at

text: the

text: center

text: 's

text: opening

text: last

text: month

text: Verizon

text: appears

text: to

text: be

text: winning

text: good

text: will

text: with

text: smaller

text: tech

text: companies

text: however

text: which

text: could

text: be

text: a

text: valuable

text: asset

text: Some

text: developers

text: who

text: according

text: to

text: Verizon

text: tech

text: exec

text: Kyle

text: Malady

text: saw

text: Verizon

text: as

text: the

text: big

text: bad

text: carrier

text: changed

text: their

text: outlook

text: after

text: meetings

text: at

text: the

text: new

text: office

text: The

text: partners

text: started

text: saying

text: You

text: guys

text: are

text: so

text: open

text: he

text: said

text: Apple

text: has

text: attributed

text: some

text: of

text: its

text: successes

text: in

text: the

text: mobile

text: industry

text: to

text: a

text: massive

text: base

text: of

text: support

text: from

text: developers

text: Verizon

text: CTO

text: David

text: Small

text: said

text: in

text: an

text: interview

text: last

text: month

text: that

text: people

text: in

text: the

text: wireless

text: industry

text: see

text: Apple

text: as

text: the

text: impetus

text: for

text: renewed

text: interest

text: in

text: Silicon

text: Valley

text: Apple

text: has

text: been

text: holding

text: an

text: annual

text: summer

text: developers

text: conference

text: for

text: more

text: than

text: two

text: decades

text: AT&T

text: had

text: its

text: fifth

text: annual

text: developer

text: summit

text: in

text: January

text: on

text: the

text: eve

text: of

text: the

text: Consumer

text: Electronics

text: Show

text: Verizon

text: wrapped

text: up

text: its

text: third

text: last

text: week

text: in

text: Las

text: Vegas

text: We

text: recognized

text: from

text: the

text: beginning

text: said

text: Verizon

text: 's

text: Small

text: that

text: the

text: potential

text: for

text: innovation

text: is

text: bigger

text: than

text: Verizon

question: what are they trying to improve

answer: its image in the technology industry and particularly with people who develop mobile phone apps,

text: its image in the technology industry and particularly with people who develop mobile phone apps,

question: who opened a development center

answer: Verizon Wireless,

text: Verizon Wireless,

question: What are they working on improving?

answer: its image in the technology industry

text: its image in the technology industry

question: What is in San Francisco?

answer: Verizon Application Innovation Center,

text: Verizon Application Innovation Center,

question: Where did AT&T open the center?

answer: Palo Alto, California.

text: Palo Alto, California.

question: Who has a innovation center in San Franciso?

answer: Verizon Wireless

text: Verizon Wireless

question: where did they open it

answer: SoMa, San Francisco's tech hub,

text: SoMa, San Francisco's tech hub,

question: Where is the center opening?

answer: Palo Alto, California.

text: Palo Alto, California.


text:
(CNN) -- Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs are used by the military to provide nutritious and compact meals for the troops. The meals spark memories good and bad, for those who ate them in the military and even for some civilians who used them during disasters, when food was not readily available.

Harald Schweizer was 19 when this photo was taken in the summer of 1968 in Vietnam. He is holding a C ration.

CNN.com  readers shared their stories and memories of MREs and C rations. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and length. Here is a selection:

Michael Reimers of Gresham, Oregon MREs are the fancy ones. We had C rations. Probably left over from WWII! For my 21st birthday in 1982 I was on border patrol at the Czech border and my friends snuck in two beers and made a cake for me out of what was available. They took a fruitcake that was in something like a tuna can tin and they mixed hot chocolate mix with grape jelly to make the frosting and added a candle and two German beers and we were in business out in the woods. It was very cool being with all my buddies and them doing that for me.

Ronald Mervyn of Burton, Michigan I served in the army from April 1985 to February 1988. MREs were not all that bad. I liked the chicken ala king, the dehydrated potatoes patty and the chocolate chip cookies the best. They were all edible. I wish I could have brought some home to share with family and friends.

Steven Carrigan of Salina, Kansas I served in the U.S. Marine corps. Did I eat MREs? You bet and a lot of them. They get the job done but always needed a bit of spicing up, Tabasco sauce that someone would bring to the field, usually. Cold weather affected them more than anything. Nothing worse than getting the beans and franks in cold weather. The beans would be semi-hard and the franks rock solid. The preservative that they are in gels up and looks like petroleum jelly. Had to carry them next to your body to get them warm. To me the worst one was the chicken ala king, disgusting. The desserts were always good. Some guys had recipes that you could mix together two or three MREs and have a pretty good meal if you had heat and the time to cook it. Even though I thought I left them behind when I left the military, I still have them in the car during the winter and when I do ice fishing. They are great in a pinch.

Annette Sweet of Leavenworth, Kansas This is a different side of life all together; I believe the best memories were how to heat your MRE before they came out with the heating pouch. Spaghetti, wow that was a good one, the best way to serve it was to take your MRE cheese, a mini bottle of the Tabasco that came in the pack and mix it all together and place on the hood of your Humvee on a hot day or by the heater on a cold day. Umm good. Now, the worst ever that I believe they came out with was the loaf, I can't even say whether it was meat or vegetables but it really left a very heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach. You can never forget the ham slices; unfortunately they forgot to slice it, it was about Â½ inch thick filled with gristle and very salty, very hard to digest. The different assortments of all the MREs were, as I call them, Charms candy, hard as a rock and stuck to your teeth; Tootsie roll, huge and didn't taste like chocolate; Chicklet gum, send you straight to the throne; the peanut butter and crackers, well, a bit oily but I considered a keeper. Oh, by the way, they did have real coffee. I believe it was Tasters Choice, not sure though. And fruit loaf, what can you say about a loaf? Once a loaf, always a loaf, and staying with tradition of blended items, you mixed a pack of the powered cream they gave you for the coffee in with just a smidgen of water and you had peaches ala mode. I never went hungry, but sometimes I never was full. I have retired now and have come to appreciate what is good food. It's being a civilian, sitting at a real table, with silverware, plate and glass, looking back on where I came from and knowing that I can't go back in body but in spirit. From a retired soldier, just keeping it real. To all my comrades that came before me, with me and after me, God Bless you and thank you for all that you do.

Suzanne Yeltnuh of Ahwatukee, Arizona I was a victim of Hurricanes Jeanne, Frances and Wilma. We had no power for 21 days and the stores were out of food. I stood in lines for hours for ice and MREs and was very thankful. I actually think they are very good! Now that I moved to Arizona, at least I don't have to worry about hurricanes!Watch as civilians taste MREs

Clarence Ragland of Tucson, Arizona I not only had MREs, but I also had their predecessor, the C ration! C-rats, as they were called, came with a can opener called a P-38, and were OK. The MRE has come a long way since its inception, and the chicken ala king was one of the best. Still have some at home, although I retired from the Air Force in 2000.

Megan Sterrett of APO, New York While I was in the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, I sent an MRE to my children so they could see what they were like. My daughter, who was in the second grade, took it in to school for show and tell. One of the girls in the class declared that she would rather eat sand, to which my daughter replied, "Well you can chose to eat this or choose to die." It's always interesting to get a child's perspective on things. You never know what they will come up with.Explore the history of U.S. combat rations

Gary Burton of Clarksville, Tennessee My father served in Vietnam and related this story to me about the old C rations they were served to eat. He said the canned sponge cake was an "acquired taste," so instead of eating it, they opened a petcock valve on the nearby helicopters and filled the cake and tin with aircraft fuel. When lit, the sponge cake would burn for hours and allow the men to heat the rest of their meal with it.

David Hollingsworth of Baltimore, Maryland I was a member of the 18th Airborne Corps F.A. b 5/8th Artillery in August 1990; among the first troops from Fort Bragg to deploy in that area. MREs were considered pretty OK meals to eat until my unit was linked in a special mission with the French troops. Their rations were of something that came off of our dinner tables. (Real food!) We would trade them every night for food until they realized what the big fuss was all about. I know real sardines and things of that nature might not sound as appetizing as other foods. However, compared to the MREs we were eating, the French troops' food was a delicacy to most.

Mark Grocki of Birmingham, Michigan I have not served in the military, but I have eaten MREs on backpacking trips through Michigan provided to me by a friend's cousin who serves in the Marines. I've always looked forward to them, and have found the entrees like Mexican rice, beef stew, and ham and cheese omelets rather tasty. The crackers and various snack items are good on the go, too, but don't drink the water from the heating element! When asked by other people, "What do they taste like?" I have only one word for them. "Freedom." E-mail to a friend

text: CNN

text: Meals

text: Ready

text: to

text: Eat

text: or

text: MREs

text: are

text: used

text: by

text: the

text: military

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text: provide

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text: troops

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text: meals

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text: memories

text: good

text: and

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text: ate

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text: military

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text: even

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text: used

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text: food

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text: Harald

text: Schweizer

text: was

text: when

text: this

text: photo

text: was

text: taken

text: in

text: the

text: summer

text: of

text: in

text: Vietnam

text: He

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text: holding

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text: C

text: ration

text: CNN.com

text: readers

text: shared

text: their

text: stories

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text: rations

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text: selection

text: Michael

text: Reimers

text: of

text: Gresham

text: Oregon

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text: buddies

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text: Ronald

text: Mervyn

text: of

text: Burton

text: Michigan

text: I

text: served

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text: army

text: from

text: April

text: to

text: February

text: MREs

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text: not

text: all

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text: bad

text: I

text: liked

text: the

text: chicken

text: ala

text: king

text: the

text: dehydrated

text: potatoes

text: patty

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text: chocolate

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text: best

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text: Steven

text: Carrigan

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text: Salina

text: Kansas

text: I

text: served

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Marine

text: corps

text: Did

text: I

text: eat

text: MREs

text: You

text: bet

text: and

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: them

text: They

text: get

text: the

text: job

text: done

text: but

text: always

text: needed

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text: bit

text: of

text: spicing

text: up

text: Tabasco

text: sauce

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text: someone

text: would

text: bring

text: to

text: the

text: field

text: usually

text: Cold

text: weather

text: affected

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text: more

text: than

text: anything

text: Nothing

text: worse

text: than

text: getting

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text: beans

text: and

text: franks

text: in

text: cold

text: weather

text: The

text: beans

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text: the

text: franks

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text: preservative

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text: gels

text: up

text: and

text: looks

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text: petroleum

text: jelly

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text: them

text: next

text: to

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text: body

text: to

text: get

text: them

text: warm

text: To

text: me

text: the

text: worst

text: one

text: was

text: the

text: chicken

text: ala

text: king

text: disgusting

text: The

text: desserts

text: were

text: always

text: good

text: Some

text: guys

text: had

text: recipes

text: that

text: you

text: could

text: mix

text: together

text: two

text: or

text: three

text: MREs

text: and

text: have

text: a

text: pretty

text: good

text: meal

text: if

text: you

text: had

text: heat

text: and

text: the

text: time

text: to

text: cook

text: it

text: Even

text: though

text: I

text: thought

text: I

text: left

text: them

text: behind

text: when

text: I

text: left

text: the

text: military

text: I

text: still

text: have

text: them

text: in

text: the

text: car

text: during

text: the

text: winter

text: and

text: when

text: I

text: do

text: ice

text: fishing

text: They

text: are

text: great

text: in

text: a

text: pinch

text: Annette

text: Sweet

text: of

text: Leavenworth

text: Kansas

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: different

text: side

text: of

text: life

text: all

text: together

text: I

text: believe

text: the

text: best

text: memories

text: were

text: how

text: to

text: heat

text: your

text: MRE

text: before

text: they

text: came

text: out

text: with

text: the

text: heating

text: pouch

text: Spaghetti

text: wow

text: that

text: was

text: a

text: good

text: one

text: the

text: best

text: way

text: to

text: serve

text: it

text: was

text: to

text: take

text: your

text: MRE

text: cheese

text: a

text: mini

text: bottle

text: of

text: the

text: Tabasco

text: that

text: came

text: in

text: the

text: pack

text: and

text: mix

text: it

text: all

text: together

text: and

text: place

text: on

text: the

text: hood

text: of

text: your

text: Humvee

text: on

text: a

text: hot

text: day

text: or

text: by

text: the

text: heater

text: on

text: a

text: cold

text: day

text: Umm

text: good

text: Now

text: the

text: worst

text: ever

text: that

text: I

text: believe

text: they

text: came

text: out

text: with

text: was

text: the

text: loaf

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: even

text: say

text: whether

text: it

text: was

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text: or

text: vegetables

text: but

text: it

text: really

text: left

text: a

text: very

text: heavy

text: feeling

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text: pit

text: of

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text: stomach

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text: can

text: never

text: forget

text: the

text: ham

text: slices

text: unfortunately

text: they

text: forgot

text: to

text: slice

text: it

text: it

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text: about

text: Â½

text: inch

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text: filled

text: with

text: gristle

text: and

text: very

text: salty

text: very

text: hard

text: to

text: digest

text: The

text: different

text: assortments

text: of

text: all

text: the

text: MREs

text: were

text: as

text: I

text: call

text: them

text: Charms

text: candy

text: hard

text: as

text: a

text: rock

text: and

text: stuck

text: to

text: your

text: teeth

text: Tootsie

text: roll

text: huge

text: and

text: did

text: n't

text: taste

text: like

text: chocolate

text: Chicklet

text: gum

text: send

text: you

text: straight

text: to

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text: throne

text: the

text: peanut

text: butter

text: and

text: crackers

text: well

text: a

text: bit

text: oily

text: but

text: I

text: considered

text: a

text: keeper

text: Oh

text: by

text: the

text: way

text: they

text: did

text: have

text: real

text: coffee

text: I

text: believe

text: it

text: was

text: Tasters

text: Choice

text: not

text: sure

text: though

text: And

text: fruit

text: loaf

text: what

text: can

text: you

text: say

text: about

text: a

text: loaf

text: Once

text: a

text: loaf

text: always

text: a

text: loaf

text: and

text: staying

text: with

text: tradition

text: of

text: blended

text: items

text: you

text: mixed

text: a

text: pack

text: of

text: the

text: powered

text: cream

text: they

text: gave

text: you

text: for

text: the

text: coffee

text: in

text: with

text: just

text: a

text: smidgen

text: of

text: water

text: and

text: you

text: had

text: peaches

text: ala

text: mode

text: I

text: never

text: went

text: hungry

text: but

text: sometimes

text: I

text: never

text: was

text: full

text: I

text: have

text: retired

text: now

text: and

text: have

text: come

text: to

text: appreciate

text: what

text: is

text: good

text: food

text: It

text: 's

text: being

text: a

text: civilian

text: sitting

text: at

text: a

text: real

text: table

text: with

text: silverware

text: plate

text: and

text: glass

text: looking

text: back

text: on

text: where

text: I

text: came

text: from

text: and

text: knowing

text: that

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: go

text: back

text: in

text: body

text: but

text: in

text: spirit

text: From

text: a

text: retired

text: soldier

text: just

text: keeping

text: it

text: real

text: To

text: all

text: my

text: comrades

text: that

text: came

text: before

text: me

text: with

text: me

text: and

text: after

text: me

text: God

text: Bless

text: you

text: and

text: thank

text: you

text: for

text: all

text: that

text: you

text: do

text: Suzanne

text: Yeltnuh

text: of

text: Ahwatukee

text: Arizona

text: I

text: was

text: a

text: victim

text: of

text: Hurricanes

text: Jeanne

text: Frances

text: and

text: Wilma

text: We

text: had

text: no

text: power

text: for

text: days

text: and

text: the

text: stores

text: were

text: out

text: of

text: food

text: I

text: stood

text: in

text: lines

text: for

text: hours

text: for

text: ice

text: and

text: MREs

text: and

text: was

text: very

text: thankful

text: I

text: actually

text: think

text: they

text: are

text: very

text: good

text: Now

text: that

text: I

text: moved

text: to

text: Arizona

text: at

text: least

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: to

text: worry

text: about

text: hurricanes!Watch

text: as

text: civilians

text: taste

text: MREs

text: Clarence

text: Ragland

text: of

text: Tucson

text: Arizona

text: I

text: not

text: only

text: had

text: MREs

text: but

text: I

text: also

text: had

text: their

text: predecessor

text: the

text: C

text: ration

text: C

text: rats

text: as

text: they

text: were

text: called

text: came

text: with

text: a

text: can

text: opener

text: called

text: a

text: and

text: were

text: OK

text: The

text: MRE

text: has

text: come

text: a

text: long

text: way

text: since

text: its

text: inception

text: and

text: the

text: chicken

text: ala

text: king

text: was

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: best

text: Still

text: have

text: some

text: at

text: home

text: although

text: I

text: retired

text: from

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: in

text: Megan

text: Sterrett

text: of

text: APO

text: New

text: York

text: While

text: I

text: was

text: in

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: in

text: support

text: of

text: Operation

text: Enduring

text: Freedom

text: I

text: sent

text: an

text: MRE

text: to

text: my

text: children

text: so

text: they

text: could

text: see

text: what

text: they

text: were

text: like

text: My

text: daughter

text: who

text: was

text: in

text: the

text: second

text: grade

text: took

text: it

text: in

text: to

text: school

text: for

text: show

text: and

text: tell

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: girls

text: in

text: the

text: class

text: declared

text: that

text: she

text: would

text: rather

text: eat

text: sand

text: to

text: which

text: my

text: daughter

text: replied

text: Well

text: you

text: can

text: chose

text: to

text: eat

text: this

text: or

text: choose

text: to

text: die

text: It

text: 's

text: always

text: interesting

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: child

text: 's

text: perspective

text: on

text: things

text: You

text: never

text: know

text: what

text: they

text: will

text: come

text: up

text: with

text: Explore

text: the

text: history

text: of

text: U.S.

text: combat

text: rations

text: Gary

text: Burton

text: of

text: Clarksville

text: Tennessee

text: My

text: father

text: served

text: in

text: Vietnam

text: and

text: related

text: this

text: story

text: to

text: me

text: about

text: the

text: old

text: C

text: rations

text: they

text: were

text: served

text: to

text: eat

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: canned

text: sponge

text: cake

text: was

text: an

text: acquired

text: taste

text: so

text: instead

text: of

text: eating

text: it

text: they

text: opened

text: a

text: petcock

text: valve

text: on

text: the

text: nearby

text: helicopters

text: and

text: filled

text: the

text: cake

text: and

text: tin

text: with

text: aircraft

text: fuel

text: When

text: lit

text: the

text: sponge

text: cake

text: would

text: burn

text: for

text: hours

text: and

text: allow

text: the

text: men

text: to

text: heat

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: their

text: meal

text: with

text: it

text: David

text: Hollingsworth

text: of

text: Baltimore

text: Maryland

text: I

text: was

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: the

text: Airborne

text: Corps

text: F.A.

text: b

text: Artillery

text: in

text: August

text: among

text: the

text: first

text: troops

text: from

text: Fort

text: Bragg

text: to

text: deploy

text: in

text: that

text: area

text: MREs

text: were

text: considered

text: pretty

text: OK

text: meals

text: to

text: eat

text: until

text: my

text: unit

text: was

text: linked

text: in

text: a

text: special

text: mission

text: with

text: the

text: French

text: troops

text: Their

text: rations

text: were

text: of

text: something

text: that

text: came

text: off

text: of

text: our

text: dinner

text: tables

text: Real

text: food

text: We

text: would

text: trade

text: them

text: every

text: night

text: for

text: food

text: until

text: they

text: realized

text: what

text: the

text: big

text: fuss

text: was

text: all

text: about

text: I

text: know

text: real

text: sardines

text: and

text: things

text: of

text: that

text: nature

text: might

text: not

text: sound

text: as

text: appetizing

text: as

text: other

text: foods

text: However

text: compared

text: to

text: the

text: MREs

text: we

text: were

text: eating

text: the

text: French

text: troops

text: food

text: was

text: a

text: delicacy

text: to

text: most

text: Mark

text: Grocki

text: of

text: Birmingham

text: Michigan

text: I

text: have

text: not

text: served

text: in

text: the

text: military

text: but

text: I

text: have

text: eaten

text: MREs

text: on

text: backpacking

text: trips

text: through

text: Michigan

text: provided

text: to

text: me

text: by

text: a

text: friend

text: 's

text: cousin

text: who

text: serves

text: in

text: the

text: Marines

text: I

text: 've

text: always

text: looked

text: forward

text: to

text: them

text: and

text: have

text: found

text: the

text: entrees

text: like

text: Mexican

text: rice

text: beef

text: stew

text: and

text: ham

text: and

text: cheese

text: omelets

text: rather

text: tasty

text: The

text: crackers

text: and

text: various

text: snack

text: items

text: are

text: good

text: on

text: the

text: go

text: too

text: but

text: do

text: n't

text: drink

text: the

text: water

text: from

text: the

text: heating

text: element

text: When

text: asked

text: by

text: other

text: people

text: What

text: do

text: they

text: taste

text: like

text: I

text: have

text: only

text: one

text: word

text: for

text: them

text: Freedom

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: what sponge cake an "acquired taste"?

answer: canned

text: canned

question: What 'left a very heavy felling the the pt of your stomach'?

answer: the loaf,

text: the loaf,

question: What did the meat-vegetable-loaf leave?

answer: a very heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach.

text: a very heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach.

question: what left a very heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach?

answer: meat or vegetables

text: meat or vegetables

question: What is an 'acquired taste'?

answer: canned sponge cake

text: canned sponge cake

question: what CNN readers recall?

answer: stories and memories of MREs and C rations.

text: stories and memories of MREs and C rations.

question: What gets the job done?

answer: MREs?

text: MREs?