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The Sports Xchange
EditorsNote: Update 2: adding teammates' statement to end of story McCants claims he took bogus classes at UNC
University of North Carolina's academic fraud scandal has turned toward the basketball program with claims made by former star Rashad McCants telling ESPN that he took bogus courses, rarely went to classes and tutors wrote his term papers.
McCants said the extra help kept him eligible during the 2004-05 season when the Tar Heels won the NCAA championship.
McCants discussed the "paper-class" system at North Carolina, which allowed students to write a term paper instead of actually attending courses. Also, McCants was on the Dean's List in the spring of 2005 even though he did not go to class.
McCants claimed that coach Roy Williams and the athletic department knew about the fraud, including the "paper-class" system.
"I remained eligible to finish out and win the championship, his first championship, and everything was peaches and cream," McCants said.
Williams denied knowing about the so-called paper classes.
"In no way did I know about or do anything close to what he says," Williams said Friday.
The school's academic fraud scandal has been in the news since 2011, though it mainly involved the football team until McCants' accusations. The scandal has centered on its African-American Studies program. McCants took 18 AFAM classes, according to McCants' academic transcript that was obtained by ESPN.
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham responded to McCants' claims via a statement.
"It is disappointing any time a student is dissatisfied with his or her experience," Cunningham said. "I welcome the opportunity to speak with Rashad McCants about returning to UNC to continue his academic career -- just as we have welcomed many former student-athletes interested in completing their degrees.
"The university hired former federal prosecutor Kenneth Wainstein in January to conduct an independent investigation into past academic and athletic irregularities. While these are the first allegations we have heard from Mr. McCants, I encourage him to speak with Mr. Wainstein. ...
"I have gotten to know some of Mr. McCants' teammates, and I know that claims about their academic experience have affected them deeply. They are adamant that they had a different experience at UNC-Chapel Hill than has been portrayed by Mr. McCants and others."
McCants left the Tar Heels after three seasons and was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 17.6 points per game during his collegiate career. After four seasons with the Timberwolves, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He has spent the last five years playing in the NBA D-League and overseas in France, Philippines, China and Brazil.
Sixteen players from the 2005 championship team issued a statement that read:
"We are proud of our accomplishments both on and off the floor at UNC. With conviction, each one of us is proud to say that we attended class and did our own academic work. We want to thank our advisers and counselors who supported us, while also maintaining the integrity of the institution. We also want to make it clear that Coach Williams and his staff operated with the highest level of ethics and integrity within their respective roles. We are forever grateful for the lessons we learned on the court, in the classroom and during our time in Chapel Hill.
"In light of the comments made by Rashad on ESPN Outside the Lines, we want to state that our personal academic experiences are not consistent with Rashad's claims. We know that Coach Williams did not have any knowledge of any academic impropriety, and further that Coach Williams would not have tried to manipulate a player's schedule. Rashad will always be our teammate and we wish him well on all of his future endeavors."


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October 10, 2007
A great crowd gathered at the Evansville Country Club to welcome President Pat White and his wife Chris to the Evansville area. The crowd was the largest anyone could recall for a Wabash event in the area, especially on a week night.
John C. Schroeder '69 served as the emcee and offered an invocation before dinner. After dinner John introduced President White for a few remarks. President White thanked the Schroeder families for being such staunch supporters of Wabash, especially for their interest in upgrading every facet of Wabash's career services. The president then briefly covered the many good things happening at the Schroeder Center for Career Development, led by director Scott Crawford and his assistant Betsy Knott. White also covered the great fall the College is enjoying and reported the Strategic Planning process is well underway.
President White lauded the local group for their community service, especially their
W.A.B.A.S.H. Day efforts. He thanked Thom Liffick '73 for his leadership of the projects.
Many thanks go to John H. Schroeder '42 and his wife Virginia and also to John C. Schroeder '69 and his wife Diane for hosting the event.
Top photo: President and Mrs. White talk with John H. Schroeder '42 and his wife Ginny before the dinner.
Photo right: Trustee John C. Schroeder '69 introduces President White.
For more photos, click here.

subset: commoncrawl


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An independent report into an attempt by 'Marathon Man' Rob Young to run across America earlier this year has found 'no alternative plausible explanation' than Young received unauthorised assistance.
The investigation, conducted by Professor Roger Pielke Jr of the University of Colorado and Professor Ross Tucker of the University of the Free State, was commissioned by SKINS in July following concerns raised by members of the running community.
"As a result of these findings, SKINS is ending its contract with Rob Young," said Executive Chairman of SKINS, Jaimie Fuller.
"All of us at SKINS are extremely disappointed that it has come to this but we also want to remain consistent with our values of championing the true spirit of competition."
Mr Fuller said that Rob Young accepts the termination of the commercial relationship but not the findings. The report reveals that Young remains adamant that he ran every step but made fundamental errors with the collection and handling of data.
Mr Fuller added that there were also lessons for SKINS in the Pielke/Tucker report, including the need to better resource similar events in the future. SKINS had only one staff member supporting the attempt, with multiple and diverse duties, who could not be available 24/7.
"The report also contains a salutary lesson for SKINS. We placed too many expectations on one staff member and under-estimated the work involved.
"In future, we will be much more mindful of what is needed to ensure that there is appropriate data gathering, monitoring and instant sharing in place and resource it appropriately," Mr Fuller said.
"Like any sport, running is a passion for many people around the world and it's critical to the integrity of running that record attempts such as the one by Rob Young are properly managed and transparent.
"I'm grateful to Roger Pielke and Ross Tucker for their comprehensive work and the clarity of their findings. I also appreciate the interest of the running community in the record attempt and the outcome of this investigation."
A copy of the full report Investigation of Cross-US Run Attempt by Rob Young, Sponsored by SKINS by Professor Roger Pielke Jr (email@example.com) and Professor Ross Tucker (firstname.lastname@example.com) is available on the SKINS website at: rob-young-investigation-report
Read Jaimie Fuller's blog about this matter here: rob-young-trans-america-run-attempt
Further information: Jaimie Fuller, +61 418 242 399; email@example.com .


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Summer Fun with One of Hot Rodding's Historic Clubs
The Early Times car club formed 43 years ago the Los Angeles-adjacent city of Compton. Although it wasn't the first hot rod club, and it isn't the oldest existing one, it is definitely one of the most historically significant.
The mid-'60s wasn't an especially glorious period in the history of hot rodding, at least not compared to the postwar era that created an explosion of interest. By the time the Early Times was formed in 1965, the generation gap had seeped into the car world. Nostalgia was out, and the hot rods of the '40s and '50s were losing their appeal among a lot of younger guys, who were more interested in buying brand-new musclecars than in building prewar iron. The Early Times club bucked that trend. These were young guys building old cars-but not the old way. They refused to be bound by tradition or the rigid rules of period correctness. Instead of following "the way they used to do it," these hot rodders dared to inject their own fresh ideas into their time-honored hobby.
The original Early Times members are older guys themselves now, but despite gray hair and a lot more memories, they've managed to keep thinking young. They've also managed to maintain one of the earliest club events: the famous Early Times picnic. This year marked the 41st annual Long Beach Early Times picnic. Gary Robinson and his son, Grant, were at the Compton Rod & Gun Club for the event and sent us these photos from the day. Enjoy.


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Views: 525
Calling a same-sex marriage a civil union rather than a marriage is like calling a woman a civic unit rather than a citizen.
Personally, I'm not sure how love and and the desire to make a commitment to another person necessitates a contract. Nor do I see what the government has to do with who I may decide to commit to. I can't imagine my love legislated for, never mind having anyone else's love legislated against. Absurdity upon absurdity.
Love that 'civic unit' - excellent.
The only person i know personally who is against same sex marraige is my father. He is a 68yr old blue collar retiree who has become increasingly right wing the older he gets. My experience with him shows this due mainly to him being on the internet 10-15hrs a DAY, watching republicans and fox news clips throughout. Now his argument is the usual, "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman, period". He cites the procreation argument in support. I cited the SCOTUS exerpt of the "...man/woman over 55yrs old...there arent many kids coming out of that relationship". He stands firm and says it doesnt matter, they COULD if they wanted too. You cannot get through to these people. I love my dad with all my heart, but his views on this and abortion/gun (un)control are not only absurd but dangerous in the wrong heads. No matter how sound the argument against, their rationalism detaches from their spinal chords like most words out of a religous mouth. The word UNCONSTITUTIONAL applies to this case 100%, and Justice Scalia is not only an old bigot, but obviously UNQUALIFIED for his position since he could not answer that simple statement from the plaintiff's attorney today. He asked when did this issue become unconstitutional? a specific date was requested. Well, Idiots is what idiot says apparently, because as any 3rd grade educated individual could tell you, not everything unconstitutional is in the constitution, and its the SCOTUS's job to determine if cases brought before it are or are not. He apparently forgot what job he was appointed to, because thats THE ONLY JOB DESCRIPTION he has!!! Once an issue, especially one as heavily laden in civil rights as this, is the exact issue that the SCOTUS is framed for. If civil rights issues were left up to popular vote, there wouldve been slaves until atleast the 60's and women/minorities would still be unable to vote ect. California learned this the hard way and this is why the case is where it is now, up for debate in the SCOTUS. So Justice Scalia aside (i wish he were literally), SCOTUS is usually out front of popular vote in cases such as these (like brown vs. board of edu, roe vs. wade, ect), yet in this case it is behind unfortunately. The hard answer to the posted question is this: look at the polls divided into age groups, therein lies the answer. We are going to have to wait until the older generation die off, or atleast are completely out of power, to see these blatently right wing religious blockades to die out. Religious conservatives WILL NOT see reason when it comes to issues that (they say) are in the bible, and not 100million pages of fact and reason will change their minds. Nor their constituents either, who (again THEY SAY) they are representing. They will continue to force their religious agendas on others, until we constituents take a stand and eject them from office. SO BE VIGILANT AND VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION NO MATTER HOW SMALL AND SEEMINGLY INSIGNIFICANT YOU MAY DEEM IT!!!!! sorry for the length, but people like my father really piss me off. i cannot stand seeing smart, normally rational men/women acting like the very people their supposed religious values condemn. Religious morality is an not only a joke, but a falsehood as well since it doesnt exist in practice. ~rookie~
I wouldn't enforce anything, but then again maybe you should start a project to zap republicans in the crotch with a microwave gun whenever you see them. That might help keep the pest problem under control.
Dare I say amen to that. I guess I won't, but I wholeheartedly agree.
I object to Republicans just on general principles
No one should be denied their civil rights.
one must remember that the marriage licenseis issued by the STATE.therefore churches have no say as to whom may get married.If a church finds same sex marriage against their beliefs, then they don't have to perform the ceremony.A judge or a justice of the peace will work just as well.
Doesn't the U.S. Constitution guarentee equal protection under the law,after all aren't LGBT also American citizens?
Marriage, no matter the "sacredness" is nothing more than a property contract between two people.
Second, I challenge anyone to read the US constitution and find anything prohibiting same sex marriage.
I say to all those opposed to same sex marriage to start agitating for the government to get out of the marriage business. Let marriage become a purely religious event. That also applies to the divorce business too. Wait---you don't like this, then let civil ceremonies be between any two people who want to get married.
On an ideological level I'm against the institution of marriage itself, including gay marriage.


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Serious Holiday Giveaway: The Baking Steel
"This is the most impressive home pizza product I've ever tested," Kenji raved of the Baking Steel. What started as a Kickstarter project by Andris Lagsdin, a former employee at Todd English's Figs chain of pizzerias, was a smashing success and now you can order them here. Or win one right here!
The Baking Steel makes some of the finest indoor-oven pies you'll ever make. It's a quarter-inch-thick, 15-pound steel plate that you place in your oven in lieu of a pizza stone. Because of its superior thermal qualities (higher volumetric heat capacity, as well as higher conductivity than stone), you can cook pizzas faster than you'd be able to with a regular stone. Kenji's pies baked in just under 4 minutes and had one of the finest crusts and hole structures he's ever seen seen come out of his crappy home oven. (Read more on how it works here.)
The Baking Steel's creator Andris "Man of Steel" Lagsdin was just featured in our Pizza Obsessives series on Slice; read the profile here!
Now, don't you want to make such consistently awesome pizzas at home?
To enter to win a Baking Steel, just tell us your favorite toppings to throw on a homemade pizza.
You have until 3 p.m. ET tomorrow (December 10) to enter. One winner will be chosen at random from among the commenters. You can only win once during the duration of the Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway contest. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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Four Mile Creek meanders through the woodlands of Northern Erie County Pennsylvania and empties into Lake Erie. Over the eon's it's slow moving waters has cut a large swath of land, and one of the more spectacular creations of the small creek is a mile long ravine called Wintergreen Gorge.
From Prehistoric until Colonial times the Gorge and creeks path provided a clear route to the Lake for both the local Native Americans and European Settlers. Ancient Indian war trails line both sides of the Creek, trails that were used by the Seneca Indians as they waged their war with the local Eriez Indians before the white man entered the area. Many intrepid amateur archaeologist and even professionals from the local Penn State Erie have found a rich stash of pre-Colonial Native American artifacts lining the paths and cliffsides of the small waterway.
My friend Tim grew up in a small house on the banks of Four Mile Creek near the thousands of acres that made up the Penn State Erie's Wintergreen Gorge. Tim Randall grew up hiking and exploring the endless trails that crisscross the ivy covered cliffs of Four Mile. From the age of six onward there was hardly a day that passed that you would not find him with walking stick in hand on his way to have a new journey.
And many of his adventures were fruitful indeed.
He had found a treasure trove of arrowheads and discarded pottery near ancient Indian campsites, as well as early European coins and sword hilts. Perhaps the most spectacular discovery he made was an out of the way vale on the Westerns side of the Gorge far off any path that was covered in thick foliage and had hearty vines from which you could safely swing out into across the vale. In this mystic sanctuary it was hard to believe that you were less than a mile away from a major Interstate Highway and close to one of the largest cities in the State of Pennsylvania.
Most of the time in his journeys of exploration he had the constant companionship of a large Newfoundland Dog named 'Dutch'. 'Dutch' was a birthday gift for Tim from his father on his 10th birthday. From that day the two were inseparable. Despite its formidable and imposing size the large black canine was the most gentle of creatures that I had ever encountered. With thick webbed feet, the dog is specialized for water rescue and there were numerous times while traversing the slippery smile covered slate of the creek bottom that Tim would fall into a nearby pool. Dutch would inevitably jump into the pond no matter the depth, to rescue his little master. Dutch lived a very long life and died at the age of 14 years. Needless to say Tim was devastated. Though many women had come and gone in his life, Dutch was his best friend and constant companion. Moreover, the loyal Newfoundland was a constant assurance of unconditional love in a life filled with turmoil and difficulty.
For you see, throughout his life Tim was in and out of trouble in one way or another. In Grade School he was the practical joker who held the attention of the entire class. He ended up many times in the principles office and there were many calls to his parents concerning his disruptive behavior. In his teens Tim moved from being the class clown to be the chief stoner, sampling any kind of illicit substance that came his way. Gradually his meager funds could not keep up with his veracious appetite for illegal pharmaceuticals and he turned to crime. First it was shoplifting and then it escalated into burglary. Sadly,when he was 17 he was sent away to a juvenile detention facility a few months after he was caught shoplifting at the local mall.
But even this close brush with the law did not stop Tim's lust for mind altering pharmaceuticals. By his early 20's he was dealing drugs and breaking into houses to sustain his addiction. At age 24 when Dutch died, his downward spiral seemed to escalate. In response, he ventured into harder drugs in order to find the release that he could no longer find in marijuana and LSD.
In the fruitless attempt to numb his constant inner pain he turned into a ghost of himself.
As the effects of a hard life aged him far beyond his years, eventually he was no longer the happy go lucky jokester of his youth. By age 25 he was a morose and antisocial malcontent . The only legitimate earnings that he made during this time of his life was while working in a fast food restaurant.
Unfortunately after only working there 6 months he and his manager (who also had a drug habit) cooked up a phony robbery scheme so they could pocket the bi-weekly deposit. But the plan unraveled quicker than it was hatched and both Tim and his manager found themselves in jail before they could spend even a penny of their ill gotten gain.
Whether it was the forced detox of the prison stay or the new found faith he professed after serving his sentence, Tim was a changed man after his incarceration.
He began to attend church and devoted himself to make up for all the wrongs he had done in his short life. He even fell in love with a beautiful young girl who attended the Cathedral where he attended mass. Their courtship was short but a very romantic fairy tale relationship. Tim felt truly loved by a significant other for the first time in his life. The young lady loved him more and more each day. Within 6 short months of dating, they were engaged.
Unfortunately, Tim's Bachelor party was at a local bar and pressured by his old friends, he drank alcohol for the first time in many years. Like a dehydrated man who could not quench his long denied thirst, he drank too much, and on his way home he drove off the road and struck at tree at 65 miles per hour without wearing a seat belt and with no airbag.
He was dead on impact.
The funeral was the darkest day the Randall family had ever experienced. Their oldest son who had gone through so much heartache and grief was on the brink of experiencing everything he had ever wanted, but was cut just short of finding true fulfillment in life.
That dark day was almost 20 years ago.
I often think of Tim as I hike the miles of trails in the Wintergreen Gorge area of Four Mile Creek with my son. All those years ago when I was my son's age I was introduced to the beauty of the Gorge by Tim one Saturday afternoon. Though I lived only a half mile away from the woodland I had never explored that far down the creek. Its large imposing cliffs, waterfalls and dense conifer forests are a treasure; and I often thank him as I walk through the areas we frequented together in our youth.
One afternoon in 2006 I was walking the trails of Penn State Erie near the 'Devil's Backbone', an area near the Gorge's peak where the creek's path turns dramatically, leaving a narrow path with cliff faces of over 100 feet on either side. It was an area where Tim and I would sit for hours and talk about everything from movies to the latest school gossip. The trail gently slopes down from the peak and then after the barren area of the 'Backbone' it drops back into a fully wooded path. I was just coming onto the barren area when at the far edge where the path drops into the trees I saw a young boy and a large dog walking down that far edge and disappear. I was taken aback a bit because for the life of me I swore it looked just like Tim and Dutch did 20 years ago. With curiosily I quickly made my way to the other side of the clearing so I could watch as the boy and his dog descended the steep trail. But when I got to the other side mere seconds later they were nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps they had quickly made it down through the underbrush or else I was just seeing things. I logged it in the back of my mind and continued on with my hike, enjoying the refreshing walk in the wilderness.
It wasn't until months later while having coffee with an old high school friend Donna Bradburry that the significance of the event truly sank in. Donna and her husband Eric love to hike the Gorge as well. Donna grew up near the Creek and knew the grounds almost as well as Tim did. She knew Tim from both encounters in the woods and school but she never really liked him, for he had picked on her ruthlessly through Grade School and Junior High because of her weight. They did have a reconciling of sorts shortly before his death when they ran into each other at a social event. Tim had apologized profusely for treating her the way he did, and she saw him in a new light.
She was there a few months later at one of his viewings.
It was shortly a year afterward that she began seeing Tim and Dutch walking in the woods. At first like me she thought it was a figment of her imagination. She had seen them from a distance numerous times and she was sure that it was just another young boy with a large dog walking in the woods. But after seeing the same boy and dog a few times over the span of five years she began to realize that something strange was indeed happening in the thick woods of Wintergreen Gorge, for the boy never seemed to age and his clothing never changed. It was in the spring of 1999 while walking alone down the Creek that she had a closer encounter with the mysterious dog and boy. She was on the Creek bed coming around a bend when she saw the two of them walking parallel to her on the ridge pathway to her left. She was only twenty feet or less from them when she first caught sight of them. The boy turned to look her in the eyes before he quickly disappeared into the dense foliage next to the creek.
It was Tim.
Not the Tim she had met during the reconciliation years before or the bullying teen she remembered from her tortured High School days.
It was the little 12 year old Tim who was the young prankster. The innocent little boy before he had been severely ravaged by drugs and alcohol.
And Donna was sure that the dog was Dutch.
She wanted to run up the lip of the embankment and confirm her fears but she was too shaken by the experience. She knew what she had seen.
She had seen him twice after that close encounter but only from the back and at a distance, just as I had. But it was the same boy, in the same clothes with the same dog.
We sat there together in quiet contemplation for a while after she shared her story. Had Tim Randall finally found peace in the afterlife by endlessly repeating the only thing that ever gave him true happiness?
To some such a fate would seem akin to purgatory or even a form of hell. But knowing the tragic life of Tim it seemed a fitting rest if he could wander the Earth for a while with his faithful dog. After having such a tragic and unfulfilling short life it seems appropriate if he could be given a few extra years to relive and enjoy one of the only times he was loved unconditionally and lived fully.
Even if that time is relived in death.


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Some recent articles if you haven't seen them:
1) "Unfortunately, the U.S. Chamber, in a report released at the event, didn't share Walker's enthusiasm.
Its annual scorecard on state economies ranked Wisconsin 44th for overall economic performance and 50th — as in dead last — for short-term job growth as measured between September 2010 and November 2012. It also has Wisconsin 39th in "business climate" — on par with the state's ranking under Gov. Jim Doyle."
http://host.madison.com/news/local/writ ... z2SGLNYaW5
2) "Badger football tickets, booze and iTunes gift card purchases made with taxpayer dollars.
That's what Mike Tate, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said first caught his attention after reading an anything-but-flattering audit on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's hand-crafted, job-creating, quasi-private agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp."
http://host.madison.com/news/local/writ ... z2SGLjxzF5
More Bad News for Scott
Forum for General Topics not covered by other areas.
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- Kerry Tobin
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Re: More Bad News for Scott
To be fair, on at least the iTunes gift cards there might be a legitimate reason. It is relatively difficult to do authorized iOS App purchases on a very small scale. If they are using iPhones or iPads for legitimate work purposes it's often easier to use funding to buy a gift card to make the App purchases that may be needed without providing an individual user with a credit card, etc.
The season tickets and booze, well, no idea on those...
The season tickets and booze, well, no idea on those...
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Turning 18 is a landmark occasion in everybodys young life, and as such deserves a special gift that will stand the test of time. This pint tankard couples an understated yet attractive straight body with a specially designed and produced key shaped commemorative 18th birthday handle.
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Archived Projects
Through the years, the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) has published and promoted a diverse range of works that, while no longer exist in print, remain significant to the fields of Jewish and gender studies. To explore more information on these projects, browse the items below.
- Annual HBI Calendar
- Conference Papers
- Esther's Legacy: Celebrating Purim Around the World
- In Other Words CD
If you have any questions about any of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute's publications, please contact us at email@example.com, or by phone at 781-736-2064.


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Step Training
Some notes for beginners by Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe
1) Height of Step
This can be varied at different times during training but it is best to start fairly low and later (in subsequent sessions) to increase in height to add intensity (the higher the step, the harder work it is).
Rather than give an exact height I will try and explain this in relation to the body.
With an activity such as running, the highest one actually wishes to bring the knee is to form a right angle i.e. the knee pointing straight out from the body. This would be equivalent to running at considerable speed and represents a greater range of movement than would be employed by a long-distance runner (if you look at a sprinter you will realise they raise their knees higher than a marathon runner etc). While one may take the knee higher for the purposes of stretching etc it would be counter-productive to raise the knee higher than a right angle in actual running as this would mean that some of the motion is going upwards rather than forwards (which represents bad economy) – so applying this to stepping and assuming one is stepping to aid running training etc (not other activities which may employ different body positions) then the maximum useful height for the step would be whatever causes the knee of the front leg to be raised to approximately a right-angle. Above this one may still find stepping useful for overall leg-strength development etc but the motion would be less relevant to running specifically. Naturally the actual max height of a step is thus determined by the height, leg-length, active flexibility and leg-strength of the individual.
Although the comparison is not actually very accurate in some ways it may be useful to think of using a low step as mimicking a slower running pace and a high step as equating to sprinting (this is meant to be a metaphor only but you may see what I mean if you think of the height of the step as fulfiling the same basic function as the length of a stride in running).
In general terms, a step height of maybe 6 inches to 8 inches (15 to 20cms) is fine for either beginning training or for endurance training, although individuals with good flexibility, leg strength and stamina may be able to start higher.
The height can be increased as training continues as one way of increasing intensity without adding duration to the workout.
The other main ways of increasing intensity but not duration are
A) adding XL (Extra Load)
B) increasing pace/cadence
C) Increasing Stride Length
Given that the maximum height will vary between individuals, and bearing in mind that perhaps the best way of assessing this is simply to try differing heights, a "rule of thumb" for selecting a higher stepping height may be to choose a step that is around ones knee-height when standing next to it. Obviously this is only a guide but it may be useful as a baseline.
Altering your stride length (stepping closer to, or further away from, the step) is another way of altering intensity as well as changing the specific range of motion; for cross-training purposes it is therefore often best to select a stride length for stepping that mimics the range of motion involved in your chosen sport/activity and/or vary your stride length in order to cover multiple ranges of motion.
2) Stepping Method
There are numerous (if not an infinite) number of stepping patterns and rhythms one could employ during step training but not all of these are especially useful if one is training for an activity such as running, hill walking etc (e.g. side stepping, turning etc can be very useful in other sports).
When you have become familiar with step training there is really no reason not to create and adapt patterns of your own to keep your training fresh and more interesting but it is probably a good idea to start with something simple that can be repeated easily and more or less indefinitely.
A good basic pattern would be the following :
- Stand in front of the step at a distance that allows you to step up easily.
- Step up with one foot (I will start with the right in this description but as the pattern repeats it does not matter which foot you begin with).
- You now have the right foot on the step and the left foot on the ground.
- Bring the left foot up onto the step next to the right foot i.e. both feet are on the step.
- Now step back with the left foot and place it on the ground.
- You now have the right foot on the step and the left foot on the ground.
- Bring the right foot onto the ground next to the left foot (as you began).
- Now step with the left foot.
- You now have the left foot on the step and the right foot on the ground.
- Bring the right foot onto the step and place it next to the left foot.
- You now have both feet on the step.
- Return the right foot to the ground leaving the left foot on the step.
- Now bring the right foot to the ground next to the left foot (as you began)
- Repeat the sequence as above. This pattern (left and right sides as above) counts as 2 steps i.e. 2 x up-and-down with the body.
Here is a simple animation which may make the above description easier to understand
A quick note; as will become rapidly evident, the above stepping pattern is rather different to running. This can actually be an advantage as unlike running where one gets a 1-2 change over on the stride, with this stepping method each leg is forced to work for a longer load-period (1-2-2-1-1-2-2-1- etc), which may make running seem a little easier by comparison.
3) Muscular emphasis during stepping
At this stage there are 3 main possibilities of how you can step using this pattern :
a) using roughly equal emphasis on both the front and rear legs
b) emphasising the front leg to lift the body while the back leg is simply drawn up onto the step
c) emphasing the rear leg to push off the ground to bring the rear leg up onto the step (using less force with the front leg).
All of these are useful and applicable; I would suggest initially not emphasising the action of either leg and just concentrating on the motion of stepping generally. Later, when one has the stepping pattern ingrained and does not need to think about this at all, it can be useful to switch between a few minutes of front-leg emphasis and a few minutes of rear-leg emphasis.
4) Learning to step effectively
Before one considers adding XL, increasing tempo or height etc, one first has to become very familiar with the basic exercise itself.
Do not be tempted to rush things too much, even if the training seems easy. Stepping may highlight weaker areas of your anatomy, especially during the first few sessions of training, but you may not notice the effect while training, you may just feel things over the next day or two.
If you don't or no longer feel any special effects during or after stepping then it may be time to add XL etc, but if you do it too quickly you may still complete a stepping session perfectly well but leave yourself too stiff or tired for training the next day (which would obviously be undesirable).
If you are warmed-up then the upward phase of stepping can be performed as quickly as is comfortable for you (bear in mind that faster movements will become more tiring with repetition). However, at least for the first few sessions, make a point of stepping down backwards relatively slowly. In reality, the speed of the motion is not the issue, the important point is that you should be stepping off the platform fairly gently and with good control, not allowing your bodyweight to crash downwards which could cause strain on joints and tendons.
A good training method (which also applies to running) is to try to make your steps / footfalls virtually silent. Unless you are using shoes on a wooden floor or similar surface (which will amplify the noise of your steps), if you are producing loud slapping sounds with your feet then you are probably stepping up or down with too much force – which at best wastes energy and at worse can cause strain and impact damage.
In early training especially (but in reality always) try to keep your stepping movement smooth and controlled at all times. If you can step with a fluid action, good posture and good balance then it may be possible to add either speed or height or XL. But if your stepping is jerky, ragged, wobbly or in any way uncontrolled then adding XL, greater height or faster pace would be a very bad idea – very much like "trying to run before you can walk".
When you begin stepping you will probably find the first few minutes fairly easy. Control your pace at this point rather than speeding up as it can be a long way until the end of the session – just like activities such as running, pace judgment with stepping is important and you should initially aim to complete a training session at a fairly constant tempo before attempting to try any more advanced methods.
5) Footwear and training surface
You don't usually need to wear any special footwear for stepping as long as your trainers / shoes etc give adequate support (or one could train barefoot). However it is a good idea, in the early stages at least, to step down onto a surface that isn't too hard as it may take a little while to learn to step downwards and backwards "softly" while controlling bodyweight (especially with XL).
6) Cadence / Step Rate
At this point do not worry about attempting to set a specific cadence (number of steps / reps per minute etc).
In all probability, this will determine itself through practice at whatever will be your (current) optimal level. However, do try to keep the tempo / cadence constant in early training (later on one may do intervals of faster stepping then slower to recover etc).
While stepping will almost certainly raise your heart rate, increase breath rate and make you hot and sweaty, you should aim not to allow yourself to become out of breath or quickly exhausted, even if this means reducing the work-rate a little.
Becoming exhausted during exercise often leads to a deterioration of form and posture – this should be avoided at all costs.
When a person is acclimatised to an exercise it is then possible for them to push themselves harder while maintaining good from, posture and breath, but it is extremely difficult to keep good form etc when pushing ones limits while trying to learn an exercise.
Get the form right and fitness improvement will follow.
Aim for a harder workout at the expense of good form and you are heading for disaster.
7) Muscular, Cardiovascular and Aerobic Fatigue
Step training can be hard work – which is often why we suggest it. It is a taxing exercise which works the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and places a considerable amount of strain on the core (including the lower back) as well as almost all areas of the legs (quads, calves, hamstrings etc). Exactly where any individual may feel the strain of the exercise will of course depend upon their general fitness levels and also upon any specific training they have or have not undertaken previously.
For example, a runner who is used to running on a level track may not feel a huge effect in the legs generally but may feel (during or after stepping) that they have worked their front hip-flexors or lower back a good deal; someone with a history of heavy weight training may not find that stepping requires much strength (e.g. when compared to squats) but may rapidly tire due to the number of repetitions; a person with currently relatively weak leg strength may feel much of the effect in the quads or hamstrings due to the lifting and lowering involved, while another person may simply find the cardiovascular / aerobic effort a challenge – and so on.
In all cases, if muscular strength or cardiovascular or respiratory fitness appears to be limiting performance then the best advice is just to train sensibly e.g. reduce the tempo or pause for a short rest and then continue.
8) Use of XL (Extra Load)
Stepping works very well with XL – but added load should be introduced carefully. This is not only because XL will make the exercise harder / more intense (which is true of any exercise) but also because stepping involves a balance component.
If XL is added more quickly than the body can adapt to the change of balance that this can cause then the person is liable to misjudge or mistime their stepping, especially when stepping backwards.
Care should be taken to ensure that XL does not adversely effect balance (e.g. distribute weight evenly around the body not just placing it on the back – try a mixture of weight vest, holding dumbbells, weighted belt, ankle or wrist weights etc).
Ankle weights are generally fine for use with stepping as this is a relatively low-impact exercise but special care must be taken when stepping off the platform not to allow extra weight (where ever it is carried) to cause feet to crash into the ground. Always try to step lightly and silently.
Also remember that balance is less effected if XL is carried near the centre of gravity (e.g. close to or just above the waist). XL placed high on the back may not greatly effect balance on a flat surface but can cause notable instability when going up or down hill – or in exercises such as stepping.
Carrying light dumbbells can be useful if you want to greatly increase the cardiovascular effects of stepping and/or work the upper body at the same time e.g. try doing dumbbell "biceps curls", "hammer-curls", "reverse-curls" or "flies" while stepping. Again, a few minutes is no problem – half an hour is another matter…. but naturally one can do e.g. X-many reps then return to normal stepping just holding the dumbbells, then repeat (and so on).
9) Metabolic effects
Stepping can burn off a lot of calories both during and after exercise (through raised metabolic rate). Adding XL obviously enhances this aspect even more. While naturally the effects will vary with the individual (due to not only bodyweight but body composition, basal metabolic rate etc etc) stepping is one of the more demanding forms of cardiovascular exercise e.g. a person weighing 10st / 140lbs / 56kg who uses a step 12 inches / 30cms in height and steps at a rate of 30 steps per minute (defining one complete step cycle as being 1 up-and-down rep of the pattern for stepping given above) will typically burn off an average of 150 calories (gross) per 15 mins or 600 calories per hr. Naturally, increasing the height of the step, the number of steps per minute and/or adding XL increases this effect (often very considerably).
10) Posture
Aside from simply keeping good balance it is important to retain good overall posture when stepping (although this is true of any form of exercise).
Many people will find that when stepping they may have a tendency to lean forward as they raise their front leg onto the step. Try to avoid or at least minimise this and instead try to keep the core and trunk as naturally upright as possible. Don't over do this (you don't have to pretend you have an iron rod through your body) but do make a point of holding your spine in a natural, good alignment; you should be virtually as "upright" when stepping as you are when standing, walking or running.
Leaning excessively forward places additional strain on the core, including the lower back, and this is undesirable in this form of repetitive exercise. In addition, a forward lean can cause minor compression of the lungs and heart; while not in itself "serious" this typically has an adverse effect on the use of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and "leaning" in this way should be avoided. While "leaning" is perhaps more of a natural tendency when stepping, it is worth remembering that good running or walking form also requires a relatively upright position and that all leaning should come from the ankle NOT the hip.Tweet this!


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Entering through the gates, you arrive at an extraordinarily private compound on 3.5 acres in the Upper Canyon of Silverleaf. Both the main residence (8,349 square feet) and guest quarters/party house (2,677 square feet) exude a harmony of materials enriched by lush landscaping and majestic views-the ultimate in Arizona resort style living. The homes function independently with 4 bedrooms in the main house and 2 bedrooms in guest quarters; 7 total bathrooms and 6 car garage. Spreading over the exquisite grounds are two pool/spas, and firepits, along with multiple outdoor fireplaces, fountains and loggias. Most every room in both homes flow seamlessly into charming covered courtyards or patios, and there is no question that the possibilities for entertaining family and friends are endless.
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A Games Medallist Has Been STRIPPED Of Their Medal
A medallist at the games has been stripped of his medal for a doping offence, which found he had rat poison in his system.
Izzat Artykov of Kyrgyzstan has become the first medallist to test positive for a banned substance.
While drug cheats often seek to gain the advantage by staying one step ahead of testing by using chemicals that are invisible, this was unusual as this is an old style drug.
The substance that was detected is strychnine, a highly toxic alkaloid which is used in pesticide for killing rodents.
When it is ingested, it caused muscular convulsions before death through asphyxia.
The convulsions have been thought to be beneficial in the past, but it has not been used at all in the Modern Games.
In a statement is revealed that it was referring the case to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) so that the bronze medal could be reallocated.
"The amendment of the official ranking of the men's 69 kg weightlifting competition and the reallocation of the bronze medal is the responsibility of the IWF and IOC," it said.
This is the first time in the history of the Olympic Games that the CAS is in charge of doping-related matters arising during the Games.


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An Arizona resident who does not have complete documentation for issuance of a title or registration may apply for a 90-day registration. This registration allows you to operate the vehicle while obtaining additional documentation. It may be purchased at any MVD or Authorized Third Party provider. The fee is $15. When complete documentation is submitted, vehicle license taxes will be calculated, for the full year, back to the date of issuance of the 90-day registration.
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Getty Images
Not since, well, Barkevious Mingo has a college prospect been so anticipated by the NFL media as Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
Or maybe it's just me, because I like saying their names.
The Alabama safety and his teammate Cyrus Kouandjio are leaving school a year early to enter the NFL Draft, according to Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com.
Both could be first-round picks.
Clinton-Dix, a free safety, was likely headed out anyway, after a suspension this year for receiving improper benefits.
But left tackle Kouandjio's future was more of a question, as he said he was 50-50 on leaving before the Sugar Bowl.
Either way, the pair of them provide us with another wonderful name, and a new entry into our spellcheck dictionary.


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City Guides >
Electrical current is 220 or 225 volts, 50Hz.
European-style two-pin plugs are standard.
Spanish is the official language, but English is widely
understood in areas frequented by tourists. Catalan, Galician and
Basque are spoken in the relevant areas.
Hotel and restaurant bills usually include service charges, but
additional tips are welcomed for services rendered. In established
restaurants tips of about 10% are expected. In Mallorca
value-added-tax is usually included in restaurant bills, designated
'I.V.A', and may be mistaken for a service charge. Drivers of
metered taxis expect small tips and it is customary to tip usually
5-10% for most services, including guides.
Generally safety is not too much of a problem for tourists in
Spain. However, ETA has been responsible for numerous bomb
explosions across Spain, and is blamed for the deaths of over 800
people in its fight for independence. There is a potential risk of
international terrorism, as in other countries, although the risk
to tourists is considered to be low. Most visits to Spain are
trouble-free, except for street crime, which is common in the big
cities; travellers are advised to take precautions to avoid theft
of passports, credit cards, travel documents and money. Be wary of
strangers offering or asking for help of any kind, as it is often a
distraction for accomplices. There are also scams involving letters
for outstanding traffic fines or Spanish lottery winnings.
Smoking in public places is banned and stiff fines will be
imposed for smoking in areas such as enclosed public spaces, areas
where food is prepared and sold, public transport, designated areas
of bars and restaurants, and any places that cater for children.
Drinking alcohol in the streets of Madrid, and in the Canary and
Balearic Islands is illegal.
The international access code for Spain is +34. The outgoing
code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the
United Kingdom). City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)93 for
Barcelona and (0)91 for Madrid. Pay phones are either blue or green
and accept either coins or phone cards, which are sold at post
offices, tobacco shops and newsagents. Mobile phone operators
provide thorough GSM 900/1800 coverage throughout the country and
the Balearic and Canary Islands. Email and Internet access is
available at Internet cafes in most towns and resorts.
If tax was included in the purchase price, travellers form EU
countries are allowed the following items duty free: EUR300 (by
land) or EUR430 (by air) gifts/souvenirs, 3200 cigarettes, 400
cigarillos, 200 cigars or 3kg smoking tobacco, 110 litres beer, 90
litres wine or 10 litres spirits, 60ml perfume. Travellers from
non-EU countries may have 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars
or 250g smoking tobacco, 1 litre spirits or 2 litres wine, 60ml
perfume and EUR200 worth of gifts/souvenirs.
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Description:HP NC3134 Dual Port 10/100BT Fast Ethernet64 bit PCI Network AdapterPart Number(s)Option Part# 138603-B21
Overview:The NC3134 is a dual port 10/100 modular NIC that features 64-bit/66MHz performance using Intels latest networking silicon the 82559 ASIC. The NC3134 ships with advanced server features such as Network Fault Tolerance Adaptive Load Balancing and Cisco Fast EtherChannel. The NICs dual ports allow customers to configure the NC3134 for failover to achieve greater reliability or for various modes of port bonding for greater performance. The modular design of the NC3134 enables users to upgrade to two additional 10/100 ports a 100Mbps fiber port or to Gigabit Ethernet SX or LX. Get the latest most advanced fast ethernet NIC from Compaq the NC3134.


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Executive Cuts - Randallstown, MD - Phone: 1 (410) 521-6887
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Honda Accord CVT Problems
metal1 Posts: 1I purchased a 2013 Honda Accord Sedan Sport. I noticed if you take the car to about 20mph and then apply the brakes gradually as if creeping up to a stop sign you will feel a jerking motion before coming to a complete stop. I'm also noticing a sluggish feeling when accelerating slowly around 20mph. It does not happen if you accelerate quickly. I think it might have to do with the CVT Transmission.0
Hello everyone. I've been driving a 2013 Honda Accord Sport CVT I purchased September 19 (over 2 months). Overall, I am absolutely thrilled with the car at this time. The Sport model, in particular, is a screaming deal. I paid 23K$ plus tax, tags.
As this is an "issues" column, I do have a few...
The aforementioned CVT issue at around 20mph under light acceleration may be real, although I felt it was fairly imperceptible on my car. As I have over 3K miles on it, I'll check it again as another poster said it was gone by 2K miles. Obviously for me, it wasn't a major issue but I'll check into it for y'all.
Rather, my biggest gripe is with the infotainment system (I'm a software engineer). It all feels pretty alpha/beta in the whole system for many reasons:
1) I set the Trip A to reset after each fill-up. Well, it works, kinda. Except the avg fuel economy is not retained under Icon #2 (historical Trip A)!!! It works fine with other reset options, including manual, but not after a fuel tank fill-up. Hello Honda software dudettes?
2) I have a very late model Android phone and have issues with both Pandora loading/starting under Bluetooth (inconsistent), proper phone directory sync (it can mix up people's entries), voice recordation for speed-dial (it labels some entries kinda wacko-like and can't be manually edited!). Indeed, I have multiple phones synced, but even after 'Factory reset' from the Other options menu, is still getting confused!
3) Android USB MTP not supported. Okay, Google bungled that one, but still! How hard can it be to provide an MTP driver inside the car?
4) Bluetooth sound relay is inconsistent and/or slow.
5) Why can't I activate the rear camera manually?
6) Too much lawyerish nonsense, non-evident customization options, etc. As I said, feels like beta software. The first two issues issues above being UNACCEPTABLE.
But she does drive like a car double its price!0
Oh yes, the Econ button is pretty much junk marketing. Maybe, just maybe, I like to use it on hilly roads with the Cruise Control ON as it may allow for a less jerky/immediate acceleration which is mostly not desired following traffic on a hilly country road.
Overall, it just makes the car react more dully and I haven't seen any fuel consumption benefit at all! Granted, unless I'm driving sporty, I'm a particularly smooth driver that may use the breaks in corners just about almost never as all just flows at optimal speeds for my intention. Nevertheless, I think that button is a gimmick.0
jackson72 Posts: 6For a 2013 Honda Accord EXL w/Navi, I was quoted $27,684 + $790 destination fee + $369 document fee + $199 mandatory window etching fee + taxes. Total is $29,042 + taxes. Any thoughts on whether this is a good deal? Do you think prices will be lower in March 2013?0
jebtjb Posts: 1I'm new to this forum and came upon it tonight. I just purchased a 2013 Honda Accord EXL w/ NAV 2.4L from Lee Honda in Auburn, Maine. The salesman misquoted a vehicle without air and we had been talking about a vehicle with air. This was the last of the month and they wanted to sell me a vehicle. The sales manager asked if I could give him a chance to see if he could get what I wanted. I gave him the color and inside trim color of my choice. He came back with $27,799.00 plus $294.00 Doc. fee. I pick up my the new car tomorrow afternoon. This was far below what other dealers had quoted me. I am concerned about the transmission problems that has been discussed here. The vehicle I test drove tonight did not seem to have that issue.0
carcam123 Posts: 7I have a one month old 2013 honda accord V6 no navigation. I started it yesterday and only sound coming from radio was garbled screeching, metalic static sound with music greatly muted in background. There was also new sound from dash, a steady buzzing or humming, completely audible like a relay or contact was being shorted. After driving 15 min. home with this occuring, I shut down car, Upon restart the problem was gone. I read in this forum this has occured for some other V6 no navigation owners. I feel like this is going to recur. Does anyone else have this problem?0
Kirstie_H Posts: 11,076Hi - this discussion is for people to discuss issues they're having with their 2013 Accords. We have a Honda Accord Prices Paid discussion, which is the best place to exchange pricing info. Thanks!
Need help navigating? [email protected] - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
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natedogg3 Posts: 1I purchased the same car with Navi. I've experienced the exact same problem twice. In reading other Honda blogs we are not alone. However, it's still to new of a problem for techs to determine cause for now. Hopefully soon.0
1) I checked the issue of jerkiness at low speed / minimal gasoline influx. It hasn't disappeared, but on my car (3K+ miles) is really not what I consider something I would need to get fixed (=not very noticeable). My concern is only whether the belt in the CVT may be possibly running under non-optimal conditions (?) I have the feeling, though, that because the car is otherwise so smooth, it's possible that people driving grandpa-style all the time may notice more acutely that the silky smooth is sort of missing at 25mph !?
2) Factory reset of Infotainment seems to have not made any difference, even with only one phone configured (paired) to it. And the pairing process each time you enter the car seems to be worse. The cold snap (28 degrees F) we're having nights in Central Virginia right now may have something to do with that...
3) Another bug (this one, an interface logic bug): to set the temperature of the climate control while the fan is off - yes! that is a normal function of any car, that is heating the incoming air from outside at speed while fan is off - a user must turn on the fan to gain access to temperature control (!?!) That's nonsensical. Also, the Auto climate control hates to regulate the fan speed until it fully gets to the set temperature, which is not optimal, especially when heating. It should ease off the fan speed the closer the temperature is being reached. If that's what it's doing (?) then that function needs to be optimized as I always intervene manually before the car does.0
I have a 13 LX CVT Sedan and set my trip A to reset with each fill up.
It moved down the miles per tank but not the avg mpg!
I wonder if Honda checks these forums and will take note or maybe I will write them.
If they do fix these bugs, do you think it is it a simple software update to the unit or the car computer?
I assume the unit would not need be replaced!0
perunest Posts: 42Honda transmissions have had a record of excellent reliability for many years in Consumer Reports. From 2006 through 2011 in both the problem categories of "transmission major" and "transmission minor" the Accord has had the highest possible rating every year. Consumer Reports gets its ratings from surveys filled out by thousands of owners. That's a reliable method of determining reliability. What's your reference? The fact that you had a problem or you know some people who may have had a problem is meaningless in statistical terms.
I have owned 45 cars, 6 of them Hondas. My personal experience is that short life expectancy from the brakes has been a recurring problem. I would consider my experience irrelevant, except that Consumer Reports also lists the brakes as the weak point.
As for the CVT issue I can say that I did not experience it on my test drive. I did like the Honda CVT better than the 2013 Altima I also test drove. The Altima had no hill hold downshift ability, while the Honda did. I believe that enough people have reported on the Honda CVT issue to make it a concern. I would wait to see if it turns into a reliability promlem. I agree with one other comment I read which suggests that there is inherent risk in buying a car in its first year after a new design.0
In all likelihood, it could simply be a software 'firmware' update. I have no idea whether Honda reads columns like these, however if I were in charge of their engineering dept (engine [not likely!], software, chassis, transmissions, design), I would consider these kinds of forums as a Gold Chest for improvements!0
All complex designs benefit from 'agile development', which in simple terms includes rapid improvements from customer experiences. So yes, version 1.0 is always a risk. I always say I'll avoid these, however when it comes to cars, I mostly prefer the newer model! I'm weak when it comes to that. For electronics, I pretty much always buy at the sweet spot of development.
In other words, if you can wait, next year's Accord will most certainly be better fine-tuned!
Brakes - me too, I've owned 5 Honda cars (same amount of motorcycles) and their brakes tend to be kinda weak and prone to issues such as irregular pad wear...
Transmissions - have always seemed a strong point at Honda. In fact, as you, I tried the excellent Altima 2013 but Honda's CVT sold me due to its more 'natural' feel...0
temj12 Posts: 450Since when is anti theft etching a requirement. That is a new one for me.0
cesmen Posts: 1I have just purchased the EX-L 4 Cyl version, I live in Mexico and in the first day i was playing with the Audio option and suddenly this same static noise cames. After turning the car Off and On it disappear, I have experienced 3 times this "bug" in the 3 days of ownership I have. This definitely is an issue and I will file a report to the dealer.
Other issue I found is that when I release the acceleration pedal and the speed goes down from aout 25 miles to 15 miles, it feels some king of "bumpy", I think this has something to do with the CVT transmision. It just feel weird.0
mrfroddo Posts: 1I have a 2013 Honda Accord Sport with CVT for about 1 week. So far, the vehicle drives better than my 2012 Accord EX 5sd automatic. It handles better and nimble. It's quieter and has much better quality and more features than my 2012 EX.
The transmission is very smooth. There's no Jerk or hesitation. The vehicle accelerates 0 to X linearly. The transmission feels very natural. It stops very smoothly as well. No stutter or sudden acceleration during the stopping of the vehicle. My 2012 EX has to down shift to a lower gear before stopping which some time causes a sudden but small jerking or acceleration. The 2012 Accord EX delays acceleration when I step on the gas. My 2013 Accord Sport has no such issue. It just goes. The only issue I have is a small rattle coming from the steering wheel during driving on rough surfaces. That was it. I think the dealer can take care of this easily.0
maverick85 Posts: 1I just purchased a 2013 accord EX myself and am having the same problem of the jerking motion with the brand new car. It is worse if you start the car cold and just try to drive off, once the car was jerking really bad and its a brand new car!
I thought it's something to do with the new car, so started to idle the car a little in cold weather before driving it, the problem did lessen but still there. This is my 4th accord in a row and must say I am a little disappointed with the way it drives.0
check your key-chain in the ignition... could be the rattle?0
jerky acceleration - it seems from the small sample of respondents here that the Sport CVT is fine but several EX CVTs are not?0
ajdre Posts: 3Hi, I live in Canada and got my car around 3 weeks ago.....happy BUT some issues!
** I have had the stereo "screeching" problem 3 times, once it didn't go away after the 1st re-start. - weird problem.
**Squeak under front drivers side wheel..
** Bump where one of the leather sections joins on the steering wheel....really annoying - Honda are replacing the whole steering wheel.
** The lane change camera didn't work once - corrected when re-started.
** The display screen (top one) auto dimms sometimes....went really dark....don't know if this is normal, corrected itself when I fiddled with it.
** Some "dirt" "bump" under the paint on the rear passenger side window, small but noticeable.....Honda said they would have to re-paint the whole back half of the car to fix it....they are willing to do this under warranty but would need the car for 3 days and would not provide a rental. They also talked me out of doing it as "factory paint" is better??? There is another small bump just above the same window...small but ......................... <---Anyone have an opinion on this?
Not sure what to do about the paint. The other problem I will address with Honda when I change the steering wheel.
I still like the car...but expected a little higher QC checks, especially considering the Japanese as so quality minded.0
bdyment Posts: 573If you can live with the flaws in the paint, the best advice is to leave it alone. I hate to see a brand new car re painted. What if the colour is a shade off? You will notice this far more than a bump. When you trade the car in, in a few years you will not get one penny less for a small paint defect. Granted the paint should be perfect on a new car, but things happen to any mass produced vehicles.0
peter07 Posts: 7For those that have memory seats in the 2013 Honda Accords, it would seem that once you press the star/stop button to stop the car and exit, the seat should automatically move back and allow easier access out and then back into the car. Then when you get back into the car, when you press Start/Stop again, the seat will automatically go back to its last setting. That is how memory seats work on MOST cars. The way the Honda seats work makes it difficult since if the previous person driving the car was short, then it would make it much more difficult to enter the car without moving the seat back for someone taller.
This does not happen with the new Accords. Just wondering if that is true for those who have this option in the Accord.0
nor10 Posts: 1Just purchased 2013 Accord Touring Sedan two weeks ago. This is my first Honda product and the safety items included on this car & Honda reputatuion for building a good product influenced my decission. Two concerns. #1) when in the Eco mode and letting up off gas pedal to slow down for traffic I have noticed that the car will drop in speed dramtically. It feels as if the brakes were being applied. I have only noticed this when the speed is 25mph or less. I noticed drops in speed of 7-9mph. Should I be concerned? #2) Radio having heavy static on XM/FM regardless of station. When I stopped and started car again it went away. This occured twice. Has anyone had a similar experience? Thanks0
akdude Posts: 2I purchased a 2013 sport with CVT on October 10. I have experienced some small shuddering in the CVT at low speed acceleration but after 1400 miles they have decreased and it is not really noticeable anymore. My concern/issue is with the front and rear hood, doors and trunk gaps. They are the biggest gaps I have seen on any model of accord or Honda in general for that matter this being my 9th accord starting in 1983. My right exhaust pipe is over a 1/4 inch lower than the left. The gaps are the worst between the front and rear doors and left side of the trunk lid measuring 1/4 inch/6+ millimeters wide for the trunk lid and right at 6 mm between the front and rear doors. I watched an American Honda infomercial on Youtube about how low they have the gap tolerances. I laugh every time because the white Accord the guys are standing next to has pretty big gaps on the left side of the trunk lid. The guy in charge of gap tolerance says the standard used to be 3 mm but they have it down to 1mm. I realize now that he must be talking about the tail lights, headlights and bumper to fender fitment but come on, he should not generalize " body panel tolerance". Is my new Accord just "unique" or are others experiencing the same inconsistency in their 2013 Accords? This new Accord is the best yet but I am not happy with theses huge gaps. I'm meeting with the regional manager next week at the dealership but there's not much he will be able to do. What really drives me nuts is the exhaust alignment. If they don't fix that I will be pissed. The rest I can live with.0
I have noticed a lot of autumn leaves getting in the gaps between the hood, the front fenders and the windshield wiper crevice area. But they don't get into the engine bay. There's only one misalignment on my car: between the driver's and read passenger doors, there's maybe 1mm difference when seen from the driver's side outside mirror. Also, the bottom of the driver's door has maybe 1mm or less difference with the lower side carriage. The paint is very rich, almost pearl purple at night. I think she looks great! Although neither our Honda Element, nor Fit Sport had the leaves issue, which is kinda weird.0
This has happened to me.. I realy dont mind ,It also happens when I'am driving under normal conditions,, I believe thats when the cylinder diactivation kicks in and goes from 6 to 3 you will see a reduction in speed,, kind of of saves on the bracks is how I look at it . Heavy static and backup camera goes on while you are driving, this has happened to me 3 times ,,,And I heard the static 2 times when I started the car and dint have anything on got an electrical buzz had to stop and start the car again .... backup camera just yesterday my wife asked if the backup camera is supposed to go on while driving,she though that she had done something wrong when in fact she had just made a right turn and the backup camera came on and stayed on ,said she had to stop the car and restart it. I will be seeing my dealer very f****n soon ...... I have owned the car for over 2 months I luv the car , but dealing with this is pissing me off .........0
Have the same problem exl v6/navi steady buzzing electrical sound from dash ..Have to stop and start again, then it goes away, also have heard it with nothing on ,just starting up the car..
kkuhns Posts: 8Since I started this thread about the CVT jerking, I'm following up with an update.
I have around 2900 miles on my car now. I thought the frequency of the jerking CVT at low speeds was diminishing, and in fact, we could not reproduce the problem the day I took it to the dealer to test about two weeks ago. Since then, I have felt the issue off and on, so I took it back to the dealer yesterday. They drove it and captured the problem in an electronic snapshot. Then they applied a software update from Honda and drove it again to take another snapshot. They could not reproduce the problem on that short test drive, so the Service Manager and I took it for another test drive. We could not reproduce the problem again either, but that was just a short test. The Service Manager said that the Honda rep he talked to at Honda America said they have applied this fix on a few cars and it seems like it might have addressed the issue, pending further feedback. So far, so good for me, in the three or four times I've driven since yesterday. Honda America will analyze the snapshot log files my dealer sent them yesterday.
So, my advice to others who have concerns about this, or other similar concerns, is to 1) take it to the dealer to see if they have an update or can do anything about your issue, and if not then 2) send a letter/fax to Honda America explaining the problem and the steps you've taken and request an investigation. My experience so far has been positive. I have had at least two calls from Honda America expressing interest, trying to understand the issue, and encouraging me to get the car tested. I have also had calls from the dealer service manager, who is getting questions from Honda America, also encouraging me to bring it in so they can test and hopefully resolve the issue.
I'll post another update later, to confirm or clarify if the problem seems resolved, and to confirm there are no harmful side effects from this software tweak to the CVT performance. Time will tell.
I'm glad others are posting their experiences here; it is helpful. I encourage everyone to engage Honda dealers and Honda America in good, clear, dispassionate communication about your issues, and hopefully that will lead to resolutions for you as well. Of course, your mileage may vary...0
mlk_704 Posts: 1Have about 6000 miles on my 2013 accord 4cyl with CVT. Problem with jerking at low speeds getting worse. Need to take to dealer but thats such a pain. Very disappointed i paid extra to ge a Honda and have issues already. Hopefully their service will be as good as their rep is. Also getting a knock when i stop fast and take a right turn, like brakes or tranny is locking up a little then it releases.0
Today I refueled and instead of starting the car right up I did this instead and the system dropped down the miles and mpg information.
On last refuel I got back in and just turned key to start.
Today I stopped at on and let it load. It didn't reset. Then I started.
The system reloaded. Reset trip to zero due to refuel and dropped down the mpg and total miles for that tank.
So now I have one tank with no mpg info and one with on the previous section of screen. Seems like an easy work around!0


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The legacy of Malthus: the social costs of the new scientific racism
University of Illinois Press, 1980 - Social Science - 686 pages
A comprehensive account of the origins of scientific racism in the Industrial Revolution, its theorists and propagandists, its malign influence on public policy, and its destructive effects on past and present American life
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Cloud Cellar: Azure Web Sites Backup Service
My site (RuslanY.net) is powered by WordPress and is hosted on Windows Azure Web Sites. I've migrated it from a private hosting to Windows Azure last year and since then I am pretty happy about the level or reliability and performance that I got on Windows Azure. The one thing that I've been missing though was the regular backups that I used to have when I self-hosted my site. I backed up the site content and the database regularly and those backups have saved me several times. Often when I upgraded some WordPress plugins, the newer plugin version got some bug or change in behavior that I did not like. On those occasions I just restored the site from the most recent backup that I took. I really wanted to have this capability even when hosting my site in Windows Azure.
That's what prompted me and my friends (Bilal Aslam, Robert Lucero and Michael Dorian Bach) to develop a backup service for Windows Azure web sites. The service is called Cloud Cellar and is now live in beta at
ruslany on June 27th 2013 in Other, WAWS, WordPress
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75060 Slave I
Lift off for bounty-hunting adventures in the Slave I!
Track down fugitives with legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett™ aboard the powerful Slave I! This exclusive LEGO® Star Wars™ model features a rotating cockpit and wings for flight and landing mode, plus dual shooters and hidden blasters to repel attackers. Reenact the capture of Han Solo™ in Star Wars™: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and take off from Bespin with the carbonite-imprisoned Rebel hero in the cargo hold. Attach the stand to display this iconic ship in characteristic upright flight. Includes 4 minifigures with weapons: Boba Fett™, Bespin Guard™, Stormtrooper™ and Han Solo™.


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Find hotels & motels in Whitman using the list below. Search for cheap and discounted hotel and motel rates in or near Whitman, MA for your personal leisure or group travel. We show the best Whitman Massachusetts hotel/motel rooms. Review the Whitman hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the Whitman hotels.
The Whitman center is approximately 6 miles south of South Shore Hospital and 9 miles south of Boston's Children's Museum.
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Single Level Cottage with No Upstairs Neighbor, Mirrored Closet Doors, In-Home Washer/Dryer, European Shower Rod, Plank Style Flooring Throughout, Refreshing Ceiling Fans, Well Equipped Kitchen w/All Stainless Steel Appliances, Linen Closet, Granite Countertops, Guest/Coat Closet, Garage (select units) , Window Coverings, Internet & Cable Ready, Dual Pane Windows, Patio, Central Heating & Air Conditioning
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Alleged street gang members must be afforded hearings and other due process protections before their liberties are curtailed by civil injunctions, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on November 5, 2013.
This first-of-its-kind ruling was a win for Munger, Tolles & Olson attorneys who had represented a group of alleged gang members on a pro bono basis at the trial and appellate court level. The Ninth Circuit, in an opinion by Circuit Judge Marsha S. Berzon, affirmed a 2011 ruling by U.S. District Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank. In affirming, the appellate court held that the enforcement of a 2009 injunction against Munger Tolles's clients violated their constitutional rights to procedural due process.
In conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, a Munger Tolles team has worked on the case, Vasquez v. Rackauckas, since 2009. The team led an 11-day bench trial that challenged the enforcement of a civil gang injunction on procedural due process grounds. For work on the case, the ACLU awarded the firm its 2011 Courageous Advocacy Award.
In February 2009, law enforcement agencies sought a civil injunction against the Orange Varrio Cypress street gang and its more than 100 alleged members. After nearly 60 of the named individual defendants appeared, or tried to appear in court to contest the allegations against them, prosecutors voluntarily dismissed those individuals from the case without prejudice. The court then entered a default judgment and a permanent injunction against the gang, which was a named defendant and an alleged unincorporated association.
After securing the default judgment, the OCDA and OPD served the permanent injunction on those originally named individual defendants who had been dismissed from the case prior to judgment, claiming that those individuals were "agents" of the gang. The terms of the permanent injunction included significant restrictions on the individuals' freedoms of speech and association.
In the action brought by Munger Tolles and the ACLU in federal court challenging the injunction, U.S. District Judge Baker Fairbank held that subjecting the individuals to the injunction constituted a violation of their procedural due process rights and required a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral decision-maker.
The Munger Tolles team included Joseph J. Ybarra, Jacob S. Kreilkamp and Laura D. Smolowe.


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PAZ – "Look at My Ghosts" x "Drake vs Big Sean" *2 banging new mashup/coversJanuary 30th, 2012 by Siegz | Mashup, Mashup Monday |
Here's two mashup/cover's that are new and fresh from PAZ. He recently dropped a mashup, singing "Look At Me Now" over some Deadmau5. The song is called "Look At My Ghosts", is remixed by Drunk Panda. This is the 2nd single from Young Broke & Fameless II, set for release early 2012.
Next is another mashup that PAZ did, mashing Drake's "I'm On One" vs Big Sean's "My Last". This is an acoustic mashup with a real chill vibe anybody could like.
Previous: PAZ – "Beautiful Lies"


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Gay Adoption Bill to be Reintroduced with Bipartisan Sponsors
A bill that would cut off federal funding to adoption and foster care agencies that discriminate against gay and lesbian couples seeking to parent is making its way to Congress again with bipartisan support.
The Every Child Deserves a Family Act is set to be reintroduced in both the House and Senate by the end of May, which happens to be National Foster Care Month.
This time, it's being sponsored by two democrats, Georgia Rep. John Lewis and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and one republican, Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
"We're in a challenging political environment, so I think its chances in this Congress aren't great, but I do think we have an opportunity to build some real bipartisan leadership and collaboration," said Emily Hecht-McGowan, director of public policy at the Family Equality Council, a national LGBT family organization that's been pushing for the bill since it was first introduced in 2009.
Currently, only a handful of states ban gay couples from becoming foster parents or adopting, but in all, 39 states have barriers or restrictions that create hurdles for LGBT couples, according to the Family Equality Council. Of the more than 100,000 foster children eligible for adoption, 26,000 age out of the system each year.
"I think most people would be surprised to know that in the vast majority of states, there is some kind of barrier to LGBT people becoming foster parents or adopting," Hecht-McGowan said.
The bill would set a nationwide standard and ease the process that is often prolonged and inconsistent.
In states like Kansas that do not take a legal stance either way, whether or not a gay couple can adopt or foster usually comes down to local jurisdiction.
"If there's a larger or more progressive city in the state, you'll likely find agencies, judges or individual case workers that don't have an objection, but in more rural, conservative pockets, you'll most likely run into ones that do have some kind of issue or concern," Hecht-McGowan said.
Two and a half years ago, Florida's ban on gay adoption was overturned when Martin Gill, a foster parent who was barred from adopting two foster children he and his partner were raising, successfully challenged the law in a landmark case. Gill is now a staunch advocate for the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and is largely responsible for Ros-Lehtinen's co-sponsorhip of the bill.
"A lot of people don't know about this issue. There's so much going on about marriage, which is great, but to me, the ability to establish a family and adopt is so much more essential than whether or not the government will recognize me and my partner as a married couple," he said.
The Right's Changing Views
Gill and his children recently spoke at a press event in Washington, D.C., where lawmakers announced they'd be reintroducing the bill. He is now lobbying Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.
"It takes more courage to approach a representative or senator who has not been an ally of the LGBT community, but that's what we have to do," he said. "We need to start those conversations."
And the tide could be turning. Just a few weeks ago, at a town hall event in his hometown, former vice presidential hopeful Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican, said that he is no longer opposed to gay adoption.
"We have a number of members who have adopted, or are considering this as an issue that's important to them," said Gregory T. Angelo, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's original and largest organization of Republicans who support fairness, freedom, and equality for LGBT Americans. "It's encouraging to see this reintroduced with bipartisan support."
The bill is modeled after the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, which prohibits agencies from factoring race or ethnicity into placements. The measure also has support from dozens of LGBT and child welfare organizations, including the Child Welfare League of America.
"This is an issue that's getting a lot of attention and we're glad that it is, but really, for us, it's something that's been embedded in our practice guidelines for at least 13 years," said Linda Spears, vice president for policy and programs.
"We liken it to the single-parent adoption battle we fought 30 or 40 years ago when everyone thought you had to be a two-parent home with a white picket fence," she continued. "We believe good parents come in all shapes, sizes and forms."
Critics have questioned how the bill will impact religious adoption services, but proponents say those that will not arrange adoptions for gay couples can still operate privately without federal funding.
On May 30, the Family Equality Council and Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) are putting on a national day of action where hundreds of constituents will meet with their elected representatives to lobby the bill.
"A super majority of Americans think LGBT people make good parents," Hecht-McGowan said. "The best interest of children should not be a partisan issue."


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U.S. Premium Beef is up and running, processing 8,000-9,000 head a week.
What started as a dream of turning cattle into value-added products is now reality at U.S. Premium Beef (USPB). The Missouri-based closed cooperative began stumping for members 111/42 years ago, hoping to get producers and feeders to commit at least 1.2 million head of cattle. The objective is now complete. USPB's stock offering closed Jan. 23, 1998.
"We've been encouraged by the willingness producers have shown to invest in a company that will add value to the beef they produce," says Steve Hunt, USPB chief executive officer.
A major piece of the marketing puzzle, similar to many alliances, was processing. All along, USPB's goal has been to partner with a packer, not build a stand-alone plant. On Dec. 1, 1997, USPB officially partnered with Farmland Industries and now jointly owns Farmland National Beef Packing Company.
Starting that first week of December, USPB delivered 9,000-head of cattle to the plants. Since, they've averaged 8,000-9,000 head a week.
Grid Demands High Quality - Cattle are sold on a grid system designed jointly by Farmland National Packing Company and USPB. The grid, says Hunt, is non-breed specific, but pays a $3.50/cwt. carcass weight premium if cattle meet Certified Angus Beef specs. It's designed, he adds, to target Choice, Yield Grade 1 and 2 carcasses.
A unique feature, Hunt explains, is that the grid can be adjusted with equal input from both USPB and Farmland National Packing.
"So far, and the returns are early, a majority of the cattle selling on USPB's grid are earning a premium over the cash market," Hunt says. "In fact, the top 25 percent of cattle delivered through the middle of January earned about a $20 per head premium over the cash price."
Lifetime membership to USPB is $500; a one year membership is $100.
Producers who did not purchase stock can still participate in USPB. "We have a number of stockholders, primarily feedyards, who purchased stock with the intention of leasing it to their customers," Hunt explains. "They typically are charging $10 per share per year to lease stock which gives the producer all the benefits of ownership except appreciation of stock value."
Members Learn Quickly - "Some members are now sorting cattle and using ultrasound to help hit the targets," says Hunt. "And, some of the feeders are already building data bases on their cattle to analyze which cattle perform best on USPB's grid.
In a nutshell, here's USPB's plan:
* To operate as a fully integrated beef company in which producer/members buy the right and obligation to deliver finished cattle.
* Producers will receive individual carcass data and a financial incentive to improve their genetics by getting paid on the quality and value of each individual animal at the time of delivery.
* Producer/members will be involved in a beef processing system which will operate more efficiently because of a systematic supply of cattle. This supply will be higher quality which will enable the company to expand consumer markets with value-added products.
Already, Hunt says, USPB stockholders are benefiting from their Farmland partnership. "For example, Farmland National Beef recently bought Kansas City Steaks. Because USPB stockholders own a portion of Farmland National Beef, they now also own a further processing company which adds value to the beef they produce.
"We're trying to develop a system that rewards beef producers for developing and producing high-quality animals," says Hunt. "We also want to provide them the opportunity to move to a vertically-integrated system that can control the quality of beef from conception to consumption."
For more information about USPB, call Steve Hunt at 816/891-2300 or Bill Miller, chief marketing officer, at 316/767-7041.


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Star Trek Wedding Cake Toppers
7 Cute Cake Toppers For Trekkie Couples
7 Cute Cake Toppers For Trekkie Couples
If you and your future spouse are die-hard Trekkies, then why not express your obsession with a custom Star Trek wedding cake topper? Click through a few of our favorites, and if one catches your eye, then think like Captain Picard and "make it so!" With Star Trek Into Darkness hitting theaters on May 17, you're sure to find plenty of inspiration for every aspect of your nuptials.
— Additional reporting by Lisette Mejia
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Enterprises should think carefully before adopting open source solutions due to persistent security issues, according to a report by the security firm Fortify. The report arose from Fortify's efforts in the Java Open Review Project, in which it subjected open source Java projects to a full security audit. Fortify's concerns arise not so much from the bugs it identified as from the fact that it was difficult to identify anyone responsible for fixing them; many persisted for several iterations of the software.
Fortify's initial analysis of the source code was performed using one of its commercial tools, which were used to examine 11 open source projects, including the Derby database, JBoss and Tomcat application servers, and the Hibernate object persistence stack. Areas of code prone to security vulnerabilities, such as database queries and dynamic user interface code, were examined manually. All vulnerabilities were confirmed through a manual examination of the code, and significant issues were scored.
The rate of security issues was extremely variable. Hibernate had only 23 total vulnerabilities, or less than a third per 1,000 lines of code. Tomcat, in contrast, had several hundred issues, with nearly six for each thousand lines of code. The Hipergate web service had so many issues it couldn't even be graphed on the same scale as the rest of the applications.
The real problem, however, came when Fortify tried to report the issues to those maintaining the code. Only Tomcat had a dedicated e-mail address for security; most lacked an indication that security was part of the project's goals, and few had access to dedicated security personnel. Issues were reported as best as possible, but the report's author infers that the projects lack a focus on security from the fact that most appear to have gone unaddressed.
Of the six projects that went through more than one revision during the course of the study, five wound up with more vulnerabilities at the end of the period than they started with. It's worth noting that the relatively static rates of vulnerabilities may be specific to Java-based web frameworks, as Coverity's analysis of a broader sample of open source products actually revealed improvements in most.
To some extent, these results are not surprising. Very few projects have the resources to hire a dedicated security person, as Mozilla has. As a result, they have to rely on the interest of volunteers in coding fixes for the vulnerabilities, which is hardly a guaranteed thing. The availability of the source has an obvious advantage, in that companies can actually identify the problems and either fix them themselves, or at least limit the exposure to the problem. Proprietary software generally lacks this advantage.
The report's main message to institutions is that they should not be deploying open source software under the assumption that the fact that the code is available and has been viewed by many individuals will mean that it is inherently secure. Deployers should approach it with caution and perform security audits before rolling it out; very reasonable advice. For the open source community, the report argues that they should be adopting the best practices used in the commercial world. These include assigning responsibilities to someone with relevant expertise and making security concerns part of the development process.
The report does use some potentially inflammatory language, and definitely makes sure to plug the Fortify code analysis tools that were used in its preparation. Still, the recommendations it makes appear to be appropriate, and both users and developers of open source software will probably find themselves in agreement with them.
Further reading:
- Copies of the report are available for those willing to submit personal information.