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Band Photo: Iced Earth (?)
Formed: 1985
From: Tampa, FL, United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Iced Earth News
Below is our complete Iced Earth news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 201 - 220 of 298 1 2 ... 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Last
Iced Earth To Play Chicago Powerfest
American power metallers ICED EARTH have been confirmed for Chicago Powerfest 2008, set to take place on May 1-3 at The Pearl Room in Mokena, Illinois. This will be Iced Earth's very first performance since the return of vocalist Matt Barlow.
Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer had the following comments about their upcoming performance at the Powerfest: "A big hello goes out to all of our friends in Chi-town! I'm very happy to announce that Iced Earth will be playing our first gig of '08 and our first gig with Matt Barlow back behind the mic at the Chicago Powerfest. It's an honor and a privilege that our first show re-united with Matt is in Chicago. This was the first city to really embrace Iced Earth back in 1997 when we started our U.S. "campaign." It was also the passion of our Chicago fan base that was a big reason for the band moving out of Florida and into the Midwest. We LOVE Chicago, we have a lot of friends there and many great memories. It's only fitting that we kick off the next chapter in the city that's always been so important to Iced Earth and our history. This very special night will be a celebration of our past as well as a celebration of a bold and bright future for Iced Earth and our fans. We look forward to seeing you all there! It's going to be something special, guaranteed!"
Festival organizers, CRJ Productions, also commented: "After months of going after Iced Earth, we're so ecstatic to finally make this announcement. With Iced Earth & Testament both headlining the Powerfest this year, we whole-heartedly believe that this will one of the most anticipated American festivals of 2008 & we're looking forward to seeing the hoard of frenzied metal fans enjoying the fest right along side us."
Also scheduled to appear with Iced Earth and TESTAMENT, are Sweden's DARKANE, Germany's SUIDAKRA, Finland's ENSIFERUM and TURISAS, Denmark's TYR, Switzerland's ELUVEITIE, Florida's THE AUTUMN OFFERING, Chicago's TWELFTH GATE and Italy's CHAOSWAVE.
Tickets for the Iced Earth headlining show (May 2) will go on sale this Saturday, February 2nd at all Ticketmaster locations and The Pearl Room box office. Single day tickets for the Powerfest kick-off with Paganfest show (May 1) and the Testament headlining show (May 3) are available now.
More updates, including additional bands for the Friday (May 2) lineup, coming soon. For all current information regarding Powerfest, visit www.ChicagoPowerfest.com and www.myspace.com/chicagopowerfest.
Iced Earth Seek Touring Bassist
ICED EARTH has issued the following update:
"America's premier heavy metal band, Iced Earth, is seeking a deeply passionate and motivated bass guitarist to complete the band's touring lineup for the 2008 tour season. If you have the chops to join Jon Schaffer and Brent Smedley in metal's most bulletproof rhythm section, read on.
Applicants MUST possess the following:
1. A demonstrated ability to play with impeccable timing and accuracy.
2. A commanding stage presence that bleeds intensity, aggression, and emotion.
3. Confidence in themselves but also a willingness to be a team player.
4. Proficiency in finger-style playing with some picking experience.
5. Residency in the United States (Midwest residence is a bonus, but not required).
6. A familiarity with the Iced Earth catalog.
7. A flexible work schedule, as this is not an offer for a full-time band position. However, should you land the gig and exceed our expectations in 2008, an opportunity for further collaboration on tour and in the studio will certainly be considered.
Applicants should submit the following:
1. A demo video on DVD is preferred, but an audio CD or cassette tape of your performance is also acceptable.
2. A photo of yourself if you do not submit a demo in video format.
3. A brief biography outlining your experience and gear setup.
4. Contact address, e-mail address, and phone number should we wish to interview you further.
Before we outline the format of your demo submission, know that, we ARE NOT INTERESTED in listening to a fully produced recording. DO NOT send us ONLY a finished CD release from any band that you have played with. We cannot judge your level of timing and accuracy if you send us a recording that's been mixed and produced.
A simple LIVE home video or audio recording on a CD/cassette tape that documents your playing is all we need to know if you possess the finely-tuned skills we require. This, in addition to any recording of a live performance will be a plus in telling us what we need to know.
The following is what is required for further consideration:
1. A recording of you sitting down by yourself and playing LIVE along to a click-track.
2. Playing a minimum of 4 songs of varying tempos from Iced Earth or a combination of songs from Iced Earth and legendary bands such as IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH or RUSH. Pick well-known songs with challenging bass lines.
Please send your bio and demo materials in video or audio format to:
Spirit of 76 Collectibles
1728 17th Street
Columbus, Indiana 47201
*Please note that demos will not be returned.
If you have further questions, you may e-mail us at: email@example.com."
Jon Schaffer Audio Interview for Download
Icedearth.com recently conducted a 36 minute interview with Jon Schaffer on January 15, 2008. The entire audio of the interview can be download as an MP3 here (41.2 MB). Topics covered in the interview include tour and release plans for 2008, longtime frontman Matt Barlow's return to the band, the band's first gig at ProgPower USA on September 27, 2008, and the impact of family and other peronal committments on Iced Earth's stategy for the future.
Annihilator Guitarist Speaks On "Ripper" Owens
Chad Bowar from About Heavy Metal recently conducted an interview with ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters. Here are some extracts from the conversation:
Chad Bowar: "Metal" has been out for nearly a year in Europe. What was the delay in getting a North American release?
Jeff Waters: "I've been away from the states since 1993. My home country Canada hasn't seen us tour there since '93, nor has the U.S. So we haven't really had a proper release there. This is more of a proper release, although it's not going to get us out front and get us in all the magazines there. But SPV will try to get us a little momentum. We've had a good following in Europe and Asia since the first record in 1989. The first three records did pretty well in North America, then in 1993 Metal went out and we decided stay overseas where we were doing well, and that's where we've been all this time. I've tried to get Canadian and U.S. deals for many albums over many years. This is the 12th studio album, and after the third one it was almost impossible because in the '90s traditional Metal went out. It was only in the underground. No promoters and clubs would book anything with 'Metal' in it. And now it's really tough for us, because we an 'older' band, and labels would rather sign the newer stuff. We don't have that guaranteed big sales thing, where overseas we keep getting resigned and getting good deals and doing good tours because we do have the sales over there."
Chad Bowar: You sang lead vocals on a track on "Metal" and you were actually the full-time vocalist for ANNIHILATOR for a while in the '90s. Do you miss being the vocalist?
Jeff Waters: "No. I did it on 'King Of The Kill' (1994), 'Refresh The Demon' (1996) and 'Remains' (1997). I just did it because I couldn't find anyone around where I was living. Friends of mine conned me into giving it a try. 'King Of The Kill' was a big album everywhere except North America, and we did three videos for the album. I was laughing because I was very insecure as a singer. I'm not really a singer. I just picked it up at the age of 26. But it worked well. Eventually it became too physically demanding. I wanted to concentrate on guitar and we brought back an old singer, Randy Rampage. Once in a while I'll sing on a record. It's fun to do, but I'm not great at it and it's very physically demanding. When we're doing touring, I do three or four songs if we're the opening act, and six out of 18 in a headline set."
Chad Bowar: What do you think about ICED EARTH bringing back Matt Barlow and replacing Ripper Owens?
Jeff Waters: "It's good and bad. It's good for Jon (Schaffer). I know where Jon's coming from, because sometimes you have to make decisions where half the people think it's a great thing and half the people don't. But there is a lot of stuff behind the scenes that you don't know go on, and Jon has to make decisions. I was very close to those guys on the ICED EARTH tour. We were all friends and hanging out for over a month. Everybody got along. Jon and Ripper were best of buddies. There was no negativity at all. It was actually one of the best tours I've ever done for getting along with the other band. It was a really close, cool tour and they are all nice guys. It's sad to see a great singer like Tim leave that gig. But at the same time Jon feels it's going to put some extra life in the band, a kickstart. It's cool to see Matt come back, too. I hope Ripper does some really good things, because he has one of the best voices in Metal."
Read the full article at About.com.
Former Iced Earth Guitarist Sentenced To 33 Years
Esteban Parra of The News Journal reports that former ICED EARTH guitarist Ernie Carletti declined to show remorse this morning before being sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping, raping and torturing a University of Delaware student in 2003.
"I feel, your honor, that anything I say is not going to be able to contribute," 32-year-old Carletti told Superior Court Judge Jan R. Jurden after she gave him a final opportunity to speak. Carletti mumbled some other words, which could not be understood.
The victim, a former University of Delaware student, testified in November that a stranger forced her into his car at gunpoint as she waited for a ride at the Burger King parking lot on South Chapel Street in Newark on May 22, 2003. He handcuffed, shackled and blindfolded her as he drove to his home in Elkton, Md., she said, then took her into his house and raped her.
The victim testified Carletti ordered her to call him "master," and she heard him playing with chains. He then put a gag in her mouth, wrapped a chain around her neck and shackled limbs and began lifting her off the table, she said.
After she nearly passed out, the woman said, the stranger returned her to the car and drove her back to Newark. On the way, she said, the stranger replaced the handcuffs with duct tape, apologized to her and told her not to tell anyone.
He then slowed the car and pushed her out, leaving her hogtied and blindfolded on West Main Street.
Carletti admitted at trial to abducting and shackling the woman, as well as taking her to his home, where he hogtied her.
But he insisted that he did not rape her, and continues to maintain his innocence on that charge.
"It was disappointing that he was not remorseful and did not, at least, apologize to the victim," prosecutor Donald R. Roberts said after the sentencing hearing.
When first interviewed by police, Carletti said he did not kidnap the woman. He later admitted to doing so when investigators found his fingerprints on duct tape recovered from the abduction.
Carletti, a guitarist who played with the bands NAUGHTY NAUGHTY and ICED EARTH, was charged last year in another sexual assault that occurred when he was in high school. That case will not be prosecuted.
Even though Roberts asked the judge for a life-in-prison term, he said the state and family were pleased with the sentence.
"The defendant will be, at a minimum, 64 years old when he gets out of jail," he said.
Iced Earth To Headline ProgPower USA
The following announcement has been released on the 2008 edition of ProgPower USA:
At 4 PM today (January 14th) festival organizer Glenn Harveston announced ICED EARTH as the headliner of this year's event, to be held September 26th - 27th, at Center Stage, in Atlanta, GA. It will be a rare opportunity to see the band, now that they are restricted in the amount of touring they can undergo, due to the return of vocalist Matt Barlow. In other news, ASTRAL DOORS has been replaced by ROB ROCK.
Iced Earth founder, Jon Schaffer had the following to say regarding the festival: "Well, it's been a long time coming, but things have finally lined up right for usto be able to do Glenn's festival. It's truly an honor for Iced Earth to play theProgPower USA festival. I flew down several years ago to check it out and it isdefinitely a top notch operation. It's really a model for the way festivals shouldbe run, good people with integrity make all the difference in any organization, and Glenn and his crew are all that and more. This is something that we've wanted to do for a long time and it's finally going to work out perfectly for our plans in 2008. Part 2 of the Something Wicked epic will be out right around this time and it willbe a killer celebration! This will be very cool, and a good time will be had by all! We look forward to seeing you there!"
"I am beyond excited to have America's premiere metal band on stage at America's premiere metal festival", said promoter Glenn Harveston. I may be the promoter, but I'm just as big a fanboy as everyone else in wanting to see them here in Atlanta. I want to personally thank Jon Schaffer for believing in me and the festival.
ProgPower USA IX marks the first confirmed show with returning vocalist Matt Barlow to the group.
Joining Iced Earth at the festival are Florida's Jon Oliva's Pain, Poland's Riverside, Germany's Iron Savior, Denmark's Volbeat, Sweden's Andromeda, Italy's Elvenking, France's Spheric Universe Experience, Austria's Serenity, and Italy's Pathosray.
The second festival headliner is scheduled to be announced within the next few weeks.
Harveston also has announced a roster change, "I'm afraid that Astral Doors will not be able to make their scheduled appearance. This is 100% my fault as I knew there was a risk involved with booking them so early. I appreciate the professionalism the band has shown and can now announce that they are the first band confirmed for ProgPower USA X. Florida's Rob Rock has graciously stepped into their former slot."
Tickets for ProgPower USA IX go on sale March 1st and limited to 900 tickets. Advance gold badges are sold-out for the seventh consecutive year. For further information including advertisement and sponsorship details, visit www.progpowerusa.com.
"Ripper" Owens Speaks On New Beyond Fear Songs
Vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (BEYOND FEAR, ex-ICED EARTH, JUDAS PRIEST) has issued the following update:
"Things are good on this end. The new BEYOND FEAR songs are really sounding great. I really can't wait to get in the studio! Also, I have a really cool project that I will be working on real soon, the news will be released in due time, it should be a lot of fun. But this will not change the timing of BEYOND FEAR.
"A big thanks to the thousands of emails that have come in with nothing but support and kind words! I thank you all for that."
Owens was dismissed from ICED EARTH in December — three months after the release of the group's latest album, "Framing Armageddon - Something Wicked Part I".
ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer issued a press release last month announcing that the band was parting ways with Owens and was once again working with Tim's predecessor, Matt Barlow, who originally left ICED EARTH in 2003.
According to the Cleveland Scene, Owens is still being managed by Wendy Dio, wife of metal legend Ronnie James Dio. BEYOND FEAR remains signed to SPV Records, which also handles ICED EARTH's recorded output. The singer may move forward with a new WINTERS BANE album and tour, if the project generates label interest; BANE bassist Dennis Hayes was dismissed from ICED EARTH along with Owens.
Pyramaze Comments On Matt Barlow's Departure
The following statement from Matt Barlow was recently posted on Pyramaze's website regarding his future status with the band:
"Brothers and Sisters,
"In light of recent events, it is rather apparent that I need to address what's going on in my life as it pertains to Pyramaze and Iced Earth. As I'm sure you're aware, last week, my wife gave birth to our second son. We are all doing well, but it has taken a little time to get my thoughts together following that and the announcement of my return to Iced Earth. After Michael's statement, it became very clear to me that I must come to terms with the fact that I can not be in all places at all times. Obviously, there are some of you who had the same concerns. It just took me a little longer to figure that out. Well, the point is, I contacted Michael and let him know that I very much wanted to perform on the record, but that I would not be able to continue on with the band in a full time position as planned. I pointed out to Michael that I was extremely grateful to him and the rest of the guys for bringing me on board and I felt obligated to be up front with him on this. I did not want to do the record and then back out, leaving things on bad terms. Understandably, Michael was disappointed but ultimately understanding of the situation. Pyramaze is an extremely talented group of musicians, who's work is well known in the progressive metal community and will be in high demand in a short time. I am happy to say that I will be working with them, if only in a limited term. The music that Michael has written is going to make for a kick ass heavy metal record (KAHMR) and I give you my word that I will give everything that I've got to insure that. Thanks for your time...you'll hear from us soon!"
Guitarist Michael Kammeyer has also posted his, and the band's, statement on the website:
"Hello friends,
"As you can all read in Matt's statement, the term of our cooperation has changed due to the fact that he's back in Iced Earth. When Matt approached me with his thoughts and decisions, we had the choice of A. Letting Matt go and finding another singer right away, or B. record this album as planned and with the singer for whom the music was written. Matt let us know that he was still very hooked on recording this album with us, but that he would understand and respect our final decision, should we wish to terminate our cooperation right away. After discussing this with my band brothers we came to the conclusion that we've started the journey of recording our new album together with Matt, and we will finish this album together with him. After we have completed this new album Matt is going to be concentrating solely on Iced Earth again. So this will be a onetime cooperation between Pyramaze and Matt, and this album will be one for the books. We all understand and respect Matt's decision, and there's no bad blood here at all. Matt is a genuinely nice guy with a honest heart, and we are proud to be working with him. I will also encourage you to read Matt's other statement at www.icedearth.com to give you some more insight in the situation. I guess now is a good time to reveal the cover for our new album which is called Immortal. Let me also take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a rocking new year. We thank you all for your support."
Tim Owens Issues Last Words About Iced Earth
Singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) issues the following statement:
"My last words on my departure from Iced Earth. Well, first off I would like to wish good luck to Jon (Schaffer) and the band. The news did come at a bad time (being two weeks before Christmas) and I really think it could have been handled in a much better way but I do completely agree that it needed to happen for IE and for myself. 'The Winds of change' really are upon me and that is exactly what I needed. With BEYOND FEAR being one of the best reviewed CD's I have ever done, I'm really looking forward to getting the new CD recorded and released. The new one is sounding nice and heavy and it really is a step up from the last one, it's just straight forward metal. Myself, along with my manager Wendy Dio and all at Niji management are excited about the future. Once again, good luck to all the guy's that I've played with in IE over the last few years but let's all just leave it alone now and end this chapter and close that book!"
"Thank you and keep it heavy,
"PS. I do think this attached poster says it all. Also, for all the WINTERS BANE fans, you can download the Heart Of A Killer CD on my MySpace page and also get the last Beyond Fear cd and a few other things as well!"
Matt Barlow Issues Statement To Fans
Returning ICED EARTH singer Matt Barlow has issued the following statement:
"Brothers and sisters,"
"I'm sure that you are all well aware of things that are happening within ICED EARTH, and a statement from me is well overdue. To that, I can only say that I am sorry for the delay, but there is good reason. Last week, following Jon's [Schaffer, guitar] announcement, my wife gave birth to our second son. Everything is well, but of course, those of you who are parents know how taxing the first week can be. During that time, after all things had begun to settle, I realized that there are a lot of things on my plate. At this point, I needed to address them. As you know, family always comes first. Of course, Jon knows that and understands my decision to leave ICED EARTH four years ago. My wife and I wanting a family was a huge factor. Family is also the reason for my return. There is a kinship that goes beyond the obvious. I will speak of that later." More...
Tim Owens Discusses Being Kicked Out of Iced Earth
Singer Tim "Ripper" Owens spoke exclusively to D.X. Ferris of the Cleveland Scene about his surprising departure from ICED EARTH three months after the release of the group's latest album, "Framing Armageddon - Something Wicked Part I."
ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer issued a statement last week announcing that the group was parting ways with Owens and was once again working with Tim's predecessor, Matt Barlow, who originally left ICED EARTH in 2003.
Speaking to the Cleveland Scene, Owens stated about his split with ICED EARTH, "I was told 30 seconds before the news hit Blabbermouth that I was let go — two weeks before Christmas. I don't think it was handled right. It's a shame it ended like that. With JUDAS PRIEST, at least the way it was handled, I'm still good friends with the band. The good thing is, I don't have to discuss ICED EARTH anymore. I can move on. I wish them luck. We're ready to go to the future." More...
Matt Barlow Still In Pyramaze
Guitarist Michael Kammeyer of the Danish metallers PYRAMAZE has issued the following statement regarding the recent announcement that the group's lead vocalist Matt Barlow was returning to front his previous band ICED EARTH as the replacement for Tim "Ripper" Owens:
"As most of you know by now, Matt has joined forces with his old band ICED EARTH again. Like any other metal music lover, we in PYRAMAZE are excited about the prospect of Jon [Schaffer, ICED EARTH guitarist] and Matt working together again. But this reunion has created some speculations in the metal community towards Matt's future in PYRAMAZE, and I can put all the PYRA-fans at ease, and tell you that Matt is still a full member of PYRAMAZE, and the only change is that now you'll get Matt in a double dose.
"I'm happy to tell you that last week Matt's wife [who is also Jon's half-sister — Ed.] gave birth to a healthy little boy. Because of this happy event sleep has become an 'elusive guest' for Matt and his wife, but as soon as the Barlow family regains some 'normality' and sleep is back on the menu, Matt will prepare a statement for you.
"The recording of our new album has not been delayed, and dates for our vocal recording and final mix/master session are still the same.
"That's it for now, and the next time we've got news, it will be Matt's statement."
PYRAMAZE entered the studio on October 1 in Haderslev, Denmark to begin recording the follow-up to to "Legend of the Bone Carver".
Barlow joined PYRAMAZE as the replacement for Lance King who left the band in November 2006.
The group's third album is tentatively due next spring.
PYRAMAZE's latest CD, "Legend of the Bone Carver", was released last year via Massacre Records (Europe) and Nightmare Records (USA and Canada).
Iced Earth Mainman Explains Matt Barlow's Return
In a statement issued through SPV, ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer shines a little more light on the return of singer Matt Barlow:
"It will be sometime before I'm going to be doing press due to the holidays and the fact that I'm still deep in the final writing process of Part 2. I'm aware that the news of Matt coming back into to the band has taken many people by surprise so I'll try to explain the situation a little better."
"I do love Tim's ("Ripper" Owens - ex-JUDAS PRIEST) voice and it is the kind of voice I hear when I write, and he's a really cool person. And I do not want an unnecessary war of words started because certain journalists like to create controversy to sell their magazines. I love Tim as a person, a friend and a musician, and I do not have negative feelings towards him at all. We would all appreciate it if the trash pedlars would respect the situation and keep their venomous speculations to themselves. An unlikely request I'm sure, but it would be nice." More...
Headline News
Matt Barlow Rejoins Iced Earth
ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer has issued the following statement:
"Hello, dear friends!"
"Once again the winds of change are upon us, and this time I can say that I am very happy about the result."
"While out on the European tour I had several in depth discussions with many loyal ICED EARTH fans. A common theme of these discussions was how much Matt is missed. I agreed with the fans that things were not the same and that it was a very special period in ICED EARTH's history." More...
Winters Bane Reform With Tim "Ripper" Owens?
Rumor has it that the creative forces behind the classic WINTERS BANE Heart Of A Killer album (1993) - vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (ICED EARTH, ex-JUDAS PRIEST) and guitarist Lou St. Paul (FIRES OF BABYLON) - have reunited and writing has commenced on a new Winters Bane record, with Wendy Dio of Niji Management currently soliciting offers from interested labels. Word also has it that Winters Bane would plan to tour extensively in support of this album. More news as it develops!
Turisas Announce European Headlining Tour
After a support slot for ICED EARTH and ANNIHILATOR, Finnish warlords TURISAS will be on the road again in March and April 2008.
Commented Warlord Nygard: "The tour with ICED EARTH and ANNIHILATOR in October was great; we made a lot of new friends and fans, and both bands were great guys to be on the road with. The reactions were awesome, even if there was a lot of people in the crowd who had never heard of us before. However, we could easily understand that some of our fans weren't prepared to pay the tickets on some 30 euro for seeing us play for 30 minutes — that's one euro a minute if you were not too bothered about the other two bands! This is why we are now returning to play full headline sets in Europe for a reasonable ticket price. We are all very excited about getting back on the road and doing our first headlining European tour."
TURISAS European tour dates:
Mar. 01 - Northampton, UK @ Soundhouse
Mar. 02 - Sheffield, UK @ Corporation
Mar. 03 - Aberdeen, UK @ Moshulu
Mar. 04 - Edinburgh, UK @ Studio 24
Mar. 05 - Liverpool, UK @ Academy 2
Mar. 06 - Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
Mar. 07 - Peterborough, UK @ Park
Mar. 08 - Leeds, UK @ Cockpit
Mar. 10 - Exeter, UK @ Cavern
Mar. 11 - Cardiff Clwb, UK @ Ifor Bach
Mar. 12 - Southampton, UK @ The Brook
Mar. 13 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Mar. 14 - Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Mar. 15 - Haarlem, Netherlands @ Patronaat
Mar. 16 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
Mar. 18 - Hamburg, Germany @ Marx
Mar. 19 - Karlsruhe, Germany @ Substage
Mar. 20 - Munich, Germany @ Metropolis
Mar. 21 - Winterthur, Switzerland @ Salzhaus
Mar. 22 - Bochum, Germany @ Matrix
Mar. 23 - Berlin, Germany @ Kato
Mar. 25 - Vienna, Austria @ Planet Music
Mar. 26 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ Randal
Mar. 27 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Rock Café
Mar. 28 - Lichtenfels, Germany @ Ragnarök Festival
Mar. 29 - Osnabrueck, Germany @ Tomahawk Festival
Mar. 31 - Malmö, Sweden @ KB
Apr. 01 - Gothenburg, Germany @ Musikens Hus
Apr. 02 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ The Rock
Apr. 03 - Oslo, Norway @ John Dee
Apr. 04 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Klubben More...
Former Iced Earth Guitarist Convicted Of Rape
Esteban Parra of The News Journal reports that former ICED EARTH guitarist Ernie Carletti was convicted today (Monday, November 19) of kidnapping and rape in the abduction of a University of Delaware student in 2003.
A Superior Court jury found the 32-year-old musician guilty on two counts of first-degree rape and one count of first-degree kidnapping. The jury acquitted Carletti on a weapons charge.
Carletti admitted to abducting the student, shackling her arms and legs then hogtying her at his Maryland home until she began crying. He, however, testified he did not have a gun and he did not rape the woman.
"Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly," Carletti said about pulling the woman into his car May 22, 2003, then shackling her arms and legs and duct taping her eyes shut. "It was just part of the effect. I didn't say she wanted it, but she did not deny it."
Carletti — who joined ICED EARTH in June 2006 and didn't appear on any of the band's recordings or perform with the group before his September 2006 arrest — said he was driving to his Elkton, Md., home through Newark about 1:30 a.m. when he saw the woman at the South Chapel Street Burger King. Carletti testified the two started talking. When she approached the driver side of his car, Carletti said he pulled her into the vehicle.
The victim has testified that he had a gun, which he denied in court last week.
As he drove off, he asked the woman: "Mind if I handcuff you?"
"I'm not saying it was courtship, but it is something we discussed," he said.
After handcuffing her, Carletti said he shackled her legs and put duct tape over her eyes and drove to his home.
When asked why he would blindfold her, Carletti said it was done for "effect."
Prosecutor Donald R. Roberts said the pressure was so intense the victim's eye vessel burst and she nearly passed out.
Carletti said he then escorted the woman into his house and sat her on a couch, where there was a "little bit of talking, a little bit of caressing, a little bit of kissing."
Roberts asked if she kissed him back, to which Carletti said he only kissed her on the cheek.
After admiring her in that position, Carletti said he gagged her mouth, placed her on a table and hogtied her. But he said he did not hoist her off the ground as she has testified.
He said he released her from this position after 3 to 4 minutes because she signified she was uncomfortable.
When asked if he thought being hogtied was painful, Carletti said he has previously been in that position and disagreed it hurt.
"No. Actually it is not painful," he said.
Afterwards, the victim was placed in the car and returned to Newark where she was pushed out of the moving car onto West Main Street, Roberts said.
Carletti became a suspect in May 2006 and was arrested after police matched his fingerprints to a print found on the duct tape that had been placed over one of the victim's eyes.
Roberts said Carletti initially told police he had not taken the woman or hogtied her. Carletti later changed his story when told about the fingerprint, saying it was consensual bondage.
Hurley told jurors Carletti did not rape the woman. Instead he stood at the other end of his basement and masturbated to the constrained woman.
Roberts said it "defied logic" that the victim would consent to bondage.
Carletti, who was in the bands NAUGHTY NAUGHTY and ICED EARTH, was charged earlier this year in another sexual assault that occurred when he was in high school.
In that case, the victim said the two cut class and went to his parents' apartment for a party. When they entered the apartment, he threw her to the floor and bound her hands behind her back with a neck tie that was on a living room couch.
According to court documents, Carletti made her sit on a wooden chair in his room and bound her legs to the legs of the chair with duct tape. He then pushed the chair into his bedroom closet and left her there for about 20 minutes.
When he took her out, Carletti freed her from the chair, but allegedly forced her to undress, then tied her to his bed and raped her. After he was finished he again tied her to the chair and returned her to the closet for about 30 minutes, according to court documents.
She returned to school when he released her.
That case is pending.
Former Iced Earth Guitarist Denies Rape Charge
Esteban Parra of The News Journal reports: A 32-year-old heavy metal musician on Friday (November 16) admitted to abducting a University of Delaware student in 2003, shackling her arms and legs then hogtying her at his Maryland home until she began crying.
Ernie Carletti, however, testified he did not have a gun and he did not rape the woman.
"Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly," Carletti said about pulling the woman into his car May 22, 2003, then shackling her arms and legs and duct taping her eyes shut. "It was just part of the effect. I didn't say she wanted it, but she did not deny it."
Carletti, who is charged with rape, kidnapping and possession of a deadly weapon during a felony, testified in Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware. He was calm throughout his 30-minute testimony.
Carletti — who joined ICED EARTH in June 2006 and didn't appear on any of the band's recordings or perform with the group before his September 2006 arrest — said he was driving to his Elkton, Md., home through Newark about 1:30 a.m. when he saw the woman at the South Chapel Street Burger King. Carletti testified the two started talking. When she approached the driver side of his car, Carletti said he pulled her into the vehicle.
The victim has testified that he had a gun, which he denied in court today.
As he drove off, he asked the woman: "Mind if I handcuff you?"
"I'm not saying it was courtship, but it is something we discussed," he said.
After handcuffing her, Carletti said he shackled her legs and put duct tape over her eyes and drove to his home.
When asked why he would blindfold her, Carletti said it was done for "effect."
Carletti said he then escorted the woman into his house and sat her on a couch, where there was a "little bit of talking, a little bit of caressing, a little bit of kissing."
Prosecutor Donald R. Roberts asked if she kissed him back, to which Carletti said he only kissed her on the cheek.
After admiring her in that position, Carletti said he gagged her mouth, placed her on a table and hogtied her. But he said he did not hoist her off the ground as she has testified.
He said he released her from this position after 3 to 4 minutes because she signified she was uncomfortable.
When asked if he thought being hogtied was painful, Carletti said he has previously been in that position and disagreed it hurt.
"No. Actually it is not painful," he said.
Iced Earth To Appear On Bruce Dickinson Radio Show
IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson will be joined on his BBC 6 Music Rock Show radio program by ICED EARTH on November 30th.
According to a recent update, Iced Earth plan to hit the USA in March/April of 2008, and will then be on the road worldwide for the rest of 2008, including stops in Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia, and other countries. Iced Earth's new CD, Framing Armageddon - Something Wicked Part I, is out now via SPV.
Iced Earth Drummer Posts Tour Report
ICED EARTH drummer Brent Smedley has checked in with the sixth installment of his European tour diary. All of Brent's diary entries can be read at the official Iced Earth website.
"Hello once again for the 6th installment of the road rage report from The Worldwide Wicked Tour Chapter 1: Europe.
After the Scandanavian gigs we traveled back to Hamburg, Germany to play The Markthalle. This venue holds a very special and historic signifigance for the band as it was the very first place for Iced Earth to play in Europe. The band has played there on every tour with the shows always being amazing.This night was no different… the show was absolutely amazing. The band was in top form and the crowd was intense and enthusiastic for every note. There were some record company people and some old friends in attendance as well. All opinions were that the show was totally awesome. The Markthalle is located in a neat area of town, just a short walk from a massive indoor/outdoor train station which I was able to visit.
The next gig was the last show in Germany in the town of Stuttgart. The venue we played is called The Longhorn, a very peculiar place. The walls are adorned with massive paintings in the style of Michelangelo meets Heavy Metal. There is also a small internet cafe area upstairs in the backstage which was most appreciatted by myself and many other members of our touring party. This day held special signifigance for Iced Earth and our crew. Today (October 30, 2007) the bus driver Guido proposed to his girlfriend Ute (who is on tour as well and in training to be a bus driver herself) after soundcheck. He came on stage and asked her to be his wife over the microphone and in front of all of us and Ute's mother and friend. She came to the stage and gladly accepted a rose and Guido's hand and of course said YES. Afterwards a champagne toast was shared to celebrate this momentous occasion. We were most honored to be a part of this.
So onto the gig… the crowd was massive and very intot he show and the band played very well once again. Larry Grohman, the creator of the Larry amp, was also in attendance. He brought Jon a newly modified guitar head, as they are working on a Jon Schaffer signature model which will be available in the near future. The next day we traveled to Paris, France to play a show at The Elysee Montmarte. Happy Halloween! This is somewhat of a pain in the ass gig for the crew as it is a "drop and go" gig, which means when we arrive after the equipment is unloaded (as fast as possible) the bus must leave and not return until we are ready to depart. The traffic in Paris is horrible and that is the reason for this situation. This was a rather large venue and we were blessed/cursed with some of the smallest dressing rooms on the tour complete with a broken toilet and a shower which leaked through the wall (a first for the tour).
We did a photo shoot right before we hit the stage. The crowd here was absolutely phenomenal. This venue was in a very vibrant part of town with all kinds of shops and stores lining the roads.The next show was in Tilburg, Holland at a place simply called 013. This was an extremely nice venue with spacious dressing rooms, great catering, and even a free foosball table in the backstage area. This was definitely one of the best crowds on the tour so far. It was a massive hall and was packed to the back and on all the balconies. This show was another great one for the band.
I must say that the people in Holland are some of the nicest in Europe. We were able to visit with some of them after the show and were thankful for their hospitality. There were some nice statues and a gothic cathedral within walking distance of the club, I was very grateful for the chance to get some pictures of these things as well of some great shots of the crowd. The show was another absolutely amazing one with the crowd simply eating up every note and begging for more.
The next night we played the final show of the headlining portion of the tour in Antwerp, Belgium. It was another packed house, a great way to finish this portion of the tour. The band played exceptionally well. The crowd was amazing also. I dedicated my performance to my father (Jack Richard Smedley) who passed away on this day November 2 in the year 1975. It was like I could feel his presence watching over me during the show - several times I felt chills running down my spine. It was sad to part ways with the opening bands – Turisas and Annihalator and their crews as well. We had a couple of departures as well; Udo the physical therapist, stony the Merchandise guy, and Paul the light man. Best of luck to all of them.
So now it is off to the UK for 11 shows in support of Heaven and Hell and also with Lamb of God. Stay tuned for exciting news and updates from the road… the tour should proveto have a monumental finish. I am happy to say that Jon's ribs have pretty much healed and the bronchitishe has been battling with seems tobe on the mend as well.
METAL LIVES - Brent."
Iced Earth is currently on tour in support of HEAVEN AND HELL in the UK. Remaining dates include:
9 - Manchester, England - Evening News Arena
10 - London, England - Wembley Arena
11 - Brighton, England - Centre
13 - Birmingham, England - NEC
14 - Cardiff, England - International Arena
15 - Nottingham, England - Arena
17 - Plymouth, England - Pavilions
18 - Bournemouth, England - BIC
Displaying records 201 - 220 of 298 1 2 ... 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Last


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By drawing similarities between Facebook's rapid adoption and the proliferation of an infectious disease, researchers at Princeton have devised a model that predicts Facebook will lose 80% of its users by 2017.
"Ideas, like diseases, have been shown to spread infectiously between people before eventually dying out, and have been successfully described with epidemiological models," write authors John Cannarella and Joshua A. Spechler in an article recently posted to the preprint database arXiv. The basic premise is simple: epidemiological models, the researchers argue, can be used to explain user adoption and abandonment of online social networks, "where adoption is analogous to infection and abandonment is analogous to recovery."
The authors have based their models on data that reflect the number of times "Facebook" has been typed into Google as a search term. Checking Google Trends reveals that these weekly "search queues" reached a peak in December of 2012, and have since begun to level off. Plugging these figures into a modified SIR model for the spread of infectious disease – the researchers call theirs an "infection recovery," or "irSIR," model – yields the chart at the top of this post, and "suggests that Facebook will undergo a rapid decline in the coming years, losing 80% of its peak user base between 2015 and 2017."
The researchers tested their model by comparing Google search query data for "Myspace" against adoption/abandonment curves predicted by both traditional and infectious recovery SIR models, demonstrating "that the traditional SIR model for modeling disease dynamics provides a poor description of the data." By comparison, the search query data matches up rather neatly with the proposed irSIR model.
While the infectious disease analogy for social media uptake is a compelling one (and believe us, the characterization of Facebook as a disease is one we can get behind), we're skeptical of the comparison the researchers draw between Facebook and MySpace. While each of these entities certainly qualifies as an "immense online social network" (or, in MySpace's case, did at one time), Facebook, like Twitter, remains fundamentally different from MySpace in that it has come to be equally important (some would argue more important) to the daily ongoings of businesses, news agencies, and media outlets as it is to its human users. It's the Ma Bell, and more, of the 21st Century.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is the full research report for 220.127.116.11, which is an IP address.
Rackspace Hosting
1 Fanatical Place
Windcrest, TX 78218
Abuse Desk
Telephone: 12103124000
Hansell, Chris IPADMIN
Telephone: 12103124000 12103124000
Hansell, Chris
Telephone: 12103124000
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Einstein, the Misnamed Dog
Our adventure to dog ownership began quite innocently. My children and I took a wrong turn returning from the West Side Outdoor Market one summer afternoon, when I saw a sign for the city kennel, and said, let's just go "look". My affinity for homeless strays is probably a little over romanticized by 1000 viewings of Lady and the Tramp, but I still held a glimmer of hope.
The City Kennel is not Fluffy Pet Store at the Mall by any stretch of the imagination. There are no petting rooms or cute chew toys or adoption certificates. Instead, there is cage after cage of rounded up mongrels from city dumps, abandoned buildings and other unsavory places that wild dogs gather. They were emaciated, frightened, and LOUD. As I took my 7 and 9 year old through the kennel, the dogs snarled and barked and leaped against the cage doors, terrifying them. Only to spy a sign for a section of quarantined DANGEROUS animals, out of our sight. These were the TAME ones.
After this Kennel incident, I'm certain my husband would have been thrilled that I had traumatized my children to the point of never wanting a dog. But taking the shaking, trembling little girls out of the city kennel, I knew I had to make amends. Thinking on my feet, I announced, "Obviously this is the wrong building. I thought we were going to the Animal Protective League, not Dog Prison." Driving a few more blocks, we arrived at the pristine APL building, our oasis from the Snarling Wild Dog preview a few minutes earlier.
As I reminded my children, "We're just here to look and pet a few animals", they tentatively walked into the building with me. After a preliminary sign in, we were permitted in the kennel part.
There we met Moe, a 5 year old beagle mix. With his sad loving brown eyes, we read Moe's dossier, which suggested Moe was at the APL because he chased cats and birds. In amazement that he was given away for acting as any self respecting dog would, my heart strings tugged. This was the sort of dog I wanted. A mellow, smaller, mature dog with a bit of spunk… I thought, how can I sneak this boy home?
The girls and I were completely smitten, but knew Dad's resistance to hermit crabs, let alone a dog. So we tore ourselves away and conspired to find a plan to bring a dog home sometime SOON. My chief co-conspirator was my then 7 year old. From that day forward, she would study the APL website every day, copying pictures of homeless dogs, their description and why they would be a perfect pet. They all had names and her file grew like a deck of Old Maid cards. We were specifically looking for an adult dog (not a chewing unhousebroken puppy), and a dog small enough to snuggle on our lap.
Summer vacations and activities kept us from doing much besides watching and studying the dogs, but we knew we were building a solid case to rescue an animal. The day of reckoning arrived, when one day we noticed that the APL inventory went from 20 to 45 dogs overnight. We saw a Basset Hound mix named Riley, who seemed to fit our bill. Armed with a new toy and leash, we convinced Dad to drive down with us.
We walked up to the desk and said, we want to meet Riley, the Basset Hound. Apparently Riley had heard through the grapevine that she had company coming, because the minute we arrived at her cage, she jumped up on the door and let out a howl that can only be described as wounded animal. I think she was trying to impress us with her operatic stylings, but I cringed and immediately said, wrong animal for our calm quiet home. Let's look around some more.
Around the corner, were two more possibilities. Winston, a yellow lab with a stump tail and a weight problem. Winston was mellow, and kind, but at 8 years old, we could foresee nothing but health issues. And at 80 lbs, I also saw outrageous dog food bills and very little lap time. Not to mention the yard bombs to pick up from a dog that size.
Then the antithesis of everything I thought I wanted was in the cage across the way. A 4 month old male puppy, breed undetermined, but possibly a Sharpei mix in the body of a lab. Short wrinkly tan skin, sweet eyes and boundless energy. The children melted and I reluctantly said, "Let's get to know this guy better."
Well, this little guy apparently knew how to market himself. He sat with as much restraint as a puppy can muster, his tail whipping back and forth impatiently, and looked at us wistfully with his furrowed wrinkled forehead. At this point, I said, he looks like he's a deep thinker. My older daughter said; let's call him Einstein if we can take him home. As if on cue, we all looked at my husband and with a perfected "please" look, and stared him down.
Unable to resist the pressure of four sets of eyes (three human, and one canine), my husband said, "He is a handsome dog."
He trembled in fear the whole time home, apparently from motion sickness. Once we arrived home, he took in his environment with joy, discovering a house with two dogs out our back window for his viewing pleasure. To this day, nearly two years later, he lets us know anytime they are outside, or any member of their family. He has become their personal stalker, guarding their house from afar.
The first time I took him to the vet; he apparently thought if he drove that would solve the problem of car sickness. I was quite the sight driving with a 30 lb. puppy on my lap quivering.
The honeymoon quickly came to an end when Einstein thought anything left on the floor was his personal chew toy. We had several single shoes, a dining room chair leg, Bratz dolls and countless socks lost to the cause of Einstein's teething.


text:
- |
- 2 Pc Submersible Trailer Lights
- Product Overview
DescriptionThese submersible trailer lights provide all-weather protection for launching watercraft or off-road water crossings. The impact-resistant housing and LED bulbs withstand shock and vibration. These submersible trailer lights function as a tail lights, stop and turn signals.
- Large 8 in. x 2-7/8 in. lenses
- 12V with 18 individual LED lamps
- Corrosion-resistant housing
- For use on trailers up to 80 in. wide
This product complies with applicable DOT standardsSpecifications
Name 2 Pc Submersible Trailer Lights SKU 63099 Brand Haul-Master Bulb quantity 18 Certification This product complies with applicable DOT standards Quantity 2 Submersible Yes Shipping Weight 2.70 lb. Accessories Included 25 ft. split Y-style harness, 4 ft. colored trunk harness, license plate light and bracket
- Customer Reviews
- Warranty
Manufacturer Warranty Detail We guarantee this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship 90 days from the date of purchase. Limitations apply.
- User Manual
Get Shipping on Your Order!
|More details
Harbor Freight makes every effort to process orders within 24 hours of being placed. Orders placed before 2pm (PT) are generally SHIPPED the next business day.
|Please Note: Harbor Freight Tools cannot ship to PO Box addresses if shipping within the 48 contiguous states.
|Guidelines for shipping to PO Box addresses:
• Maximum weight for packages shipped within the 48 contiguous states is 8 lbs.
• Maximum weight for packages shipped to AK, HI or GU is 70 lbs.
*Overweight items are shipped via freight delivery, please allow up to 20 business days for shipping. Standard Ground Shipping rates apply to deliveries within the continental Unites States.
|Lift-Gate Charge. If you do not have the equipment to offload certain overweight items from the delivery truck, a truck with a lift gate must be assigned for delivery of your order. The lift-gate charge covers the cost of this special delivery. If you think you will need a truck with a lift-gate, please contact Customer Service Inbound Sales at 1-800-423-2567.


text:
Stock Report For Week Ended April 21, 2017
Stocks closed higher following a week of seesaw trading. The Nasdaq Composite Index outperformed, while disappointing results from Goldman Sachs, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson weighed on the narrowly focused Dow Jones Industrial Average. The smaller-cap indexes, which typically see larger swings, outperformed for the week but continued to lag for the year to date.
The week brought the first significant round of first-quarter earnings reports, which are generally expected to show the best rise in overall corporate profits in several years. Anticipation of Netflix's earnings seemed to boost broader sentiment on Monday, according to T. Rowe Price traders, although the stock dipped a bit and then recovered after the media giant reported after the close of trading that it had missed revenue expectations while surpassing earnings estimates. Goldman Sachs' miss on Tuesday, along with lighter-than-expected revenues from Johnson & Johnson and negative guidance from health care services firm Cardinal Health, combined to push the indexes back lower.
Even as earnings reports flowed in, uncertainty about tax reform and other economic and political issues managed to steal the spotlight on occasion. The firm's traders noted that the release of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book—an anecdotal summary of economic conditions—seemed to push stocks into negative territory on Wednesday afternoon. The report indicated some concerns that economic activity was being restrained by uncertainty about fiscal policy, as well as only minimal inflation pressures. The Beige Book simultaneously indicated a pattern of solid wage gains, suggesting that firms might be swallowing the higher costs. Scott Berg, a manager of global growth equities at T. Rowe Price, observes rising wage inflation has implications for corporate profit margins—a challenge that may be currently underestimated in the market. Rising wage pressures will separate out those companies that are able to defend margins by exercising pricing power in the coming months, he notes.
On the positive side of the ledger, assurances from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday afternoon that tax reform plans were progressing appeared to drive a late rally. Mnuchin's comments eased concerns that Trump's fiscal agenda is floundering, the firm's traders observed.
Renewed faith in tax reform did not feed through into higher Treasury yields, but this may have been partly due to investors seeking a "safe haven" in the wake of the Paris attack on Thursday evening (see below). Long-term yields, which had decreased significantly in previous weeks as fiscal stimulus expectations waned, remained near their five-month lows as Treasury prices stayed in a tight range. The municipal market benefited from a light new issuance calendar for the week, according to T. Rowe Price analysts.
Investment-grade corporate bond investors focused on new issuance as the much-anticipated supply from U.S. banks hit the market. The asset class was resilient overall despite some equity weakness. Broad market themes noted by T. Rowe Price traders include a gradual reduction in appetite for new issues amid rising geopolitical risk, along with lower U.S. rates tempering demand from investors in Asia.
The high yield market was quiet with limited participation as the week began, but new issues were met with robust demand when trading activity returned to normal. Sector performance was somewhat mixed. More volatile bonds underperformed, most notably in the utilities and energy sectors. In the supermarkets segment, Rite Aid bonds traded lower on news that the Federal Trade Commission may sue to block its merger with Walgreens.
Stock Trading
©2017 A1 Stock Picks
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text:
UNIT 3.4 Safe Use of Hazardous Chemicals
Published Online: 1 MAY 2006
DOI: 10.1002/0471142956.cy0304s36
Copyright © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lab Protocol Title
Current Protocols in Cytometry
Additional Information
How to Cite
Lunn, G. and Lawler, G. 2006. Safe Use of Hazardous Chemicals. Current Protocols in Cytometry. 36:3.4:3.4.1–3.4.38.
Publication History
- Published Online: 1 MAY 2006
- Published Print: APR 2006
This appendix provides protocols for some commonly used disposal and decontamination procedures along with analytical techniques that are used to verify that reagents have been decontaminated. Some of the specific reagents covered are diaminobenzidine, ethidium bromide, cyanogen bromide and chloromethylsilane. With modification, these assays may also be used to determine the concentration of a particular chemical. Precautions are also detailed for routine handling of viable pathogenic microorganisms, as well as all human-derived materials, because they may harbor dangerous pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and a host of bacterial pathogens.


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On the evidence of yesterday's French Grand Prix, Jacques Villeneuve is not up to that formidable task. Schumacher's third victory in four races was the most significant and ominous for his main rival and the Williams-Renault camp.
Ferrari are undoubtedly making up ground, as was evident in Eddie Irvine's third place here, yet Heinz-Harald Frentzen was a comfortable second in the other Williams. The difference was Schumacher and that difference is so substantial that even the best team in the business may not be able to compensate.
Schumacher's calculated risk, staying on slick tyres as the rain fell on the closing stages, proved prudent and, but for one anxious excursion onto the gravel, he maintained a steady course to the flag, 23 seconds ahead of Frentzen, who opted for the same strategy.
Villeneuve, restricted by another imperfect set-up, failed in a desperate if entertaining attempt to take Irvine at the last corner, which left him 14 points adrift of Schumacher and sweating over a reprimand from the stewards. He spun into the pit lane entry, then booted the Williams- Ford, cutting the corner by veering across the gravel to the line. However, he avoided punishment from the officials.
Jean Alesi, driving a Benetton-Renault, followed him in similarly robust fashion. He bumped David Coulthard's McLaren-Mercedes into the gravel, compounding the Scot's exasperation. He had already been barged out of fourth place by Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher.
The younger Schumacher claimed the final point in his Jordan-Peugeot, courtesy of his brother's remarkable capacity for thinking of everything even in the heat of conflict. Michael backed off just before the start of the final lap, allowing Ralf to unlap himself and have another tour of the circuit in the hope of making up a place. Coulthard's misfortune was his gain.
If Ralf, 22 today, has a hard act to follow, he is not short of company. Not so long ago the aficionados scoffed at suggestions his big brother might be the greatest of them all. Now, at least, some of them wonder. And those with no unshakeable dedication to Ayrton Senna are beginning to concede the Brazilian may be eclipsed.
Schumacher had command of proceedings here when he took pole position. His start was clean and his surge in the opening laps decisive. Frentzen could not live with his compatriot's pace and the rest were stranded.
Schumacher's advantage in the championship ensures he will be leading the pack when he heads for his home race, at Hockenheim, no matter what happens in the British Grand Prix on Sunday week. "My prediction about my chances here was totally wrong," Schumacher said, much to the amusement of all in earshot. "But we made no mistakes on strategy and we were able to get control of the race.
"I had a moment when I went into the gravel and it was very slippery at the end. I had to look what Heinz-Harald was doing but I knew it was going to be only a short shower so it was the right decision to stay on slicks rather than change to intermediates."
Frentzen elected to confront Schumacher on a level playing field, and still could not make a match of it. But then, as he admitted, the damage had been done long before the rain intervened. He said: "I was astonished by the speed of Michael at the start. I thought he must be on three stops, rather than two, because he was pushing like hell, so I let him go."
Schumacher, never one to miss an opportunity, interjected: "Thank you."
Frentzen resumed: "I was desperate for points before this race. It takes time to understand everything at the team and it was mainly a question of experience. I'm finding more tricks and it's getting better."
So much so he is now up to third place in the championship, one point ahead of Irvine. The Ulsterman, however, can be content at another job well done.
Coulthard was less amused by the final act of his race and an apology from Alesi scarcely assuaged him. "He isn't crazy," the Scot said. "It's just his driving style. There's no compromise. If there was any justice he would have gone off with me. I'm angry, disappointed and frustrated because I've got only 11 points this year and that is no reflection on my performance and the team's performance."
Johnny Herbert had to work hard for his eighth place in the Sauber-Petronas while Damon Hill was in trouble on the first lap, bouncing across the gravel and through a swamp before repairs to his Arrows-Yamaha sent him back on his way. He completed the race, albeit three laps down on Schumacher, 12th and last of the finishers.
1 Michael Schumacher (Ger) 10pts
(Ferrari) 1hr 38min 50.492sec
(average speed 115.353mph/185.639kph)
2 Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Ger) 6pts
(Williams-Renault) at 25.537sec
3 Eddie Irvine (GB) 4pts
(Ferrari) at 1min 14.801sec
4 Jacques Villeneuve (Can) 3pts
(Williams-Renault) at 1:21.784
5 Jean Alesi (Fr) 2pts
(Benetton-Renault) at 1:22.735
6 Ralf Schumacher (Ger) 1pt
(Jordan-Peugeot) at 1:29.871
7 D Coulthard (GB) McLaren-Mercedes at 1 lap; 8 J Herbert (GB) Sauber- Petronas 1 lap; 9 G Fisichella (It) Jordan-Peugeot 1 lap; 10 J Trulli (It) Prost-Mugen-Honda 2 laps; 11 U Katayama (Japan) Minardi-Hart 2 laps; 12 D Hill (GB) Arrows-Yamaha 3 laps. Not classified (did not finish): 13 M Salo (Fin) Tyrrell-Ford 61 laps completed; 14 A Wurz (Aut) Benetton- Renault 60; 15 P Diniz (Bra) Arrows-Yamaha 58; 16 N Fontana (Arg) Sauber- Petronas 40; 17 R Barrichello (Bra) Stewart-Ford 36; 18 J Magnussen (Den) Stewart-Ford 33; 19 M Hakkinen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 18; 20 J Verstappen (Neth) Tyrrell-Ford 15; 21 S Nakano (Japan) Prost-Mugen-Honda 7; 22 T Marques (Bra) Minardi-Hart 5.
Fastest lap: M Schumacher 1:17.910 (196.380kph).
Constructors' championship
1 Ferrari 65pts
2 Williams 52
3 Benetton 25
4 McLaren 21
5 Prost 16
6 Jordan 13
7 Sauber 8
8 Stewart 6
9 Tyrrell 2Reuse content


text:
Mark Brandon helps property buyers and sellers get better rates through his written works at Safe and Sound Property Inspections. He's also interested in DIY construction and shares related information in blogs such as this one. In this article, he talks about building inspection.
When a building is newly made, people will often see the pristine white paint, the seamless lines of its construction, and the smell of new concrete filling the air. All of these things could easily trick one's mind to think that there really is nothing to worry about since this looks like it has a great architectural design, and this may be true for new buildings. But if you are to sell or buy one that was constructed five years ago or even more, will you still feel the same way?
Why Building Inspections are Essential
Building inspections are necessary for safety and financial reasons, whether you are the buyer or the seller. For sellers, building inspections will let them spot problem areas in the building. This will allow them to make necessary repairs before selling it. Small improvements such as interior or exterior painting, repairing broken glass windows, or changing bathroom fixtures – all of these could easily pull up the property's asking price.
As for the buyer, a building inspection is a form of safety measure. Some of the materials usedcould have already been weakened by environmental factors, which could compromise the overall stability of the building. On another note, there are instances when a bad report could be beneficial for the buyer. When problems are spotted, they may be able to renegotiate the price and some sellers are willing to slash down this down when this happens.
Your Own Checklist
Unless the property is one of the tallest buildings in the world, it is possible to conduct your own building inspection. Here's a list to help you get started:
For the Interior:
- Look for cracks on the wall or peeling paint. If it's made of wood, tap on these to see signs to termite infestation.
- Ceiling. See if there are warps on it and visible signs of molds.
- Toilet bowl should flush properly, tiles intact, has a constant supply of water, and fixtures should look good if not new.
- Check the countertops, holes in cabinets, smell of roaches, drainage problems,or if fixtures need replacement.
- Lift up carpet and look for cracks on the floor or any other signs of deterioration.
- Switch lights to see if all are in working condition including built-in appliances.
- Smell the air and see if you can sniff out foul odor such as mildew.
For the Exterior
- Damage on fascia or rusts on the tip of the roof are signs that its top is damaged as well.
- Puddles of water is a sign of plumbing problem.
- Wall finishes. This must be free from cracks and paint or masonry work should look good.
- This should offer ample support for the whole structure and be free form cracks, dents or bumps.
Final Thoughts
For a more thorough building inspection, hire a professional. Use this DIY guide only as a supplementary safety measure.
About Mark Brandon:
I am a regular contributor to Safe and Sound Property Inspections blog and other home improvement sites. I'm very family-oriented and loves being in the shed or help my mates with their houses.
You can catch me via Google+ or Twitter: @MarkBrandon01


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Congratulations on your choice of using Nagios Fusion!
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We are constantly looking for ways to improve the products and services we provide. If you have suggestions for improving this documentation, we encourage you to let us know what you'd like to see improve by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Additional help resources for Nagios Fusion are available online:
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Keynote Talks
We traffic in business inspiration.
As strategist futurists we see and learn a lot. And we love sharing this with audiences in ways that get everyone both caught up on the information they really need to know and inspired by the possibilities this insight creates.
Nancy speaks at public conferences and private executive industry conventions and summits around the world, delivering keynote talks that range from 25-minute toplines to 3-hour, in-depth workshops.
Topics include:
The Big Shift
The 9 transformative culture shifts driving the future and why you should care.
The Case for Audacious Leadering
In this time of great change, what does it take to be a leader of vision? What will the future expect from you? How do you guide transformation and manage constant complexity?
The Seven Technologies That Are Changing Everything
As Exec Producer of Gigaom Change, we've curated the leading experts on AI, Robotics, Nanotechnology, Virtual + Augmented Realities, 3D+ Printing, Cybersecurity and Human-Machine Interface. What is the gist? Why do these matter and what can businesses expect looking ahead?
The Future of Work
A look at how demographics, values and technology (among other things) will revolutionize how and where we work.
Upcoming Public Speaking Gigs:
HI + AI — What is the Future of Intelligence? (panel moderator) as SXSW - March 10th
UnSchool of Disruptive Design (masterclass mentor) — San Francisco, April 24
Associate Builders and Construction Diversity Summit (Keynote) - Washington DC, June 19th
PCBC Builders Conf(Keynote) - San Diego, June 28th
Previous keynote experiences include:
Builders Digital Experience — Austin
National Association of Theater Owners - Annual Exec Summit - Los Angeles
Virtuoso Symposium - Madrid + Berlin
American Chamber of Commerce - Sao Paulo


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LEAP is a fully integrated system that can help you accomplish those goals – tracking time, saving it, and turning it into money. Let me help you through the process.


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Teenage author motivates children with The Girl Who Loves Her City
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Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie has been named amongst the 50 greatest world leaders in the 2017 Fortune magazine ranking.
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Chronic exposure to fluoride causes dental and skeletal fluorosis. Fluoride exposure is also detrimental to soft tissues and organs. The present study aimed at evaluation of the effect of Ginkgo biloba and ascorbic acid on learning and memory deficits caused by fluoride exposure. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n=6). Group 1 control. Groups 2 to 5 received 100 ppm of sodium fluoride over 30 days. Groups 3, 4 and 5 were further treated for 15 days receiving respectively 1% gum acacia solution, 100 mg/kg body weight ascorbic acid, and 100mg/kg body weight Ginkgo biloba extract. After 45 days, all animals were subjected to behavioural tests. The results showed that fluoride affected learning and memory. Fluoride causes oxidative stress and neurodegeneration, thereby affecting learning and memory. Ascorbic acid and Ginkgo biloba were found to augment the reversal of learning and memory deficits caused by fluoride ingestion.
Fluorine is a highly reactive gas, which combines with other ions and forms fluoride. Fluoride is the major ground water pollutant in developing countries. Phosphate fertilizers, industrial waste and combusted coal are chief sources of fluoride (Farooqi et al., 2009). In the past, fluoride was thought to play a vital role in the development of the enamel of teeth and to prevent caries. In the recent view, however, fluoride is no longer considered to be needed by the body. The normal limit of fluoride to prevent caries or for the development of enamel of the teeth is 0.5 ppm (Chouhan & Flora, 2010). Excess intake of fluoride is detrimental to the bone and enamel of the teeth and results in skeletal and dental fluorosis. Chronic exposure to high doses of fluoride causes changes in the structure and function of skeletal muscle, brain and spinal cord (Shashi et al., 1992). Various studies in China proved that there was a correlation between fluoride exposure and intelligence, the intelligence quotient being reduced in children with fluoride exposure (Lu Y et al., 2000; Li et al., 1995; Zhao et al., 1996). Fluoride crosses the placental barrier, reaches the brain of offspring and causes damage to developing neurons (Du et al., 2008). Fluoride can cross the blood-brain barrier, accumulate in the brain and damage the neural architecture (Geeraerts et al., 1986; Mullenix et al., 1995; Vani & Reddy, 2000). In addition to intelligence, learning and memory, fluoride also causes impairment in locomotor activity (Gupta et al., 1993; Paul et al., 1998). Chronic fluoride administration leads to altered neuronal activity and abnormal behavioral patterns (Mullenix et al., 1995). Moderate consumption of fluoride has detrimental effects on learning and memory (Chioca et al., 2008). Despite various defluoridation techniques available in practice, there is no single technique that would be effective to completely remove the fluoride from drinking water. Thus the magnitude of the fluorosis problem keeps increasing every year. Several researchers have tested different natural compounds like curcumin, aloe vera, oscimum sanctum, etc. for their efficacy against fluoride toxicity.
Neuronal function and synaptic plasticity are influenced by a number of dietary factors (Gomez-Pinilla, 2008). Ascorbic acid, a water-soluble potent antioxidant acts by scavenging free radicals, reactive oxygen species and by inhibiting lipid peroxidation (Halliwell, 1996; Halliwell, 2006). Ascorbic acid prevents oxidative stress and thus protects the brain from many neurodegenerative disorders (Harrison & May, 2009). A higher level of ascorbic acid is found in the brain than any other organ (Rice, 2000). The ascorbic acid level is not uniform throughout the brain, being highest in the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus (MacGregor et al., 1996). Treatment with ascorbic acid was found to reverse learning and memory deficits seen in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (Harrison et al., 2009). Ascorbic acid prevented neurobehavioral changes caused by administration of monosodium glutamate in periadolescent rats (Narayanan et al., 2010). Short-term and long-term supplementation of ascorbic acid exhibited a facilitatory effect on passive avoidance learning and memory (Shahidi et al., 2008).
Ginkgo biloba is a Chinese medicinal plant; Ginkgo biloba leaf extract contains glycosides of the flavonoids kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin. Further constituents are diterpene, lactones, ginkgolides A, B, C, M and J, bilobides, and biflavones ginkgetin, isoginkgetin and bilobetin (Kleijnen & Knipschild, 1992). Ginkgo biloba has potent effects on the central nervous system (Naik et al., 2006). Ginkgo biloba protects neurons against ischemia, enhances cognition, preserves hippocampal mossy fibers, improves neural plasticity and prevents the cognitive deficits that result from stress or traumatic brain injury (DeFeudis & Drieu 2000). Quercetin, one of the active components of Ginkgo biloba, was evaluated for its mitigating role against oxidative stress in the brain caused by fluoride (Nabavi et al., 2012). Behavioral impairment observed in streptozotocin treated animals was slowed down by the administration of EGb 761 (Hoyer et al., 1999). Passive avoidance learning was improved in EGb 761 administerd mice compared to saline-treated and control animals (Stoll et al., 1996).
Numerous studies were conducted on fluoride toxicity, however very few studies addressed the behavioral consequences of fluoride exposure. Thus the present study was undertaken also with the aim to test the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba and ascorbic acid against learning and memory deficits caused by fluoride ingestion.
The experiments were conducted on one-month-old adult male rats of the Wistar strain. The animals were bred at the Manipal University, Manipal, India. The animals were reared in polypropylene cages with paddy husk as bedding material. The animals were maintained at 12:12 hour light and dark cycle, with free access to food and water. Prior approval was obtained from the institutional animal ethics committee (IAEC/KMC/21/2009–2010). All the experiments were conducted according to the guidelines given by the CPCSEA Government of India.
The animals were divided into five groups of six animals each (n=6). Group I (Control) animals had free access to ordinary tap water at fluoride level 0.5 ppm. Group II (Fluoride) group of animals had access to fluoridated water at the dose of 100 ppm for a period of 30 days. Then the animals were allowed a recovery period of 15 days. Group III (Fluoride+Vehicle) received 100 ppm of fluoride water for 30 days followed by 1% Gum acacia solution at the dose of 100mg/kg body weight for 15 days. Group IV (Fluoride+ Ascorbic Acid) animals received initially 100 ppm of fluoride water for 30 days and ascorbic acid 100 mg/kg body weight for further 15 days. Group V (Fluoride+Ginkgo biloba) received 100 ppm fluoride water for the initial 30 days followed by Ginkgo biloba at the dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 15 days. At the end of 45 days, all the groups of animals were subjected to the T-maze and passive avoidance behavioral tests.
Sodium fluoride was obtained from the Nice Chemicals Cochin India. Sodium fluoride (221 mg) was dissolved in one liter of distilled water to achieve 100 ppm of fluoride. Fluoride was administered as drinking water.
Ginkgo biloba and ascorbic acid were administered at the dose of 100 mg/kg body weight orally with the help of an oral feeding needle attached to the syringe. Vitamin C was obtained from the Nice Chemicals Cochin India. The Ginko biloba extract was purchased from the Reindeer Biotech co Ltd. China.
At the end of the experimental period, the animals were subjected to the T-maze and Passive avoidance tests to assess spatial learning and memory, respectively. As rodents are nocturnal animals, all the behavioral tests were conducted in a dark room in a silent environment during the night between 7 p.m.–10 p.m.
This includes the spontaneous alternation test and rewarded alternation test. The method described by Dunnett et al. (1982) was followed.
The procedure described by Bures et al. (1983) was followed.
Data were analyzed using one-way anova followed by Bonferroni's post-test using Graph Pad Prism, version 5 (Graph Pad Prism Software Inc., USA).
The results of the T-maze test are represented in Table 1.
Animals that received fluoride showed significant impairment in spatial learning, in the form of more percentage bias, less alternations and less percentage of correct response in comparison with control animals which received ordinary tap water.
Ascorbic acid treated animals showed significant improvement in the spatial learning deficits in comparison with the fluoride group of animals. From the results of the present study it is evident that ascorbic acid can protect the brain from several neurotoxins, especially fluoride.
The Ginkgo biloba treated group of animals showed more alternations, lower percentage bias and higher percentage correct response compared to the fluoride animals.
The results of the passive avoidance test are presented in Table 2.
No significant differences were observed among the groups during exploration for the time spent in the dark compartment.
The fluoride group of animals showed poor memory retention, spending more time in the dark compartment compared to the control group.
Memory retention was significantly high in the animals that received ascorbic acid compared with the fluoride treated animals.
The animals that received Ginkgo biloba showed significant high memory retention compared to the fluoride group of animals.
Chronic fluoride exposure results in accumulation of fluoride in the body, especially in the teeth, bones and in other soft tissues like muscles, ligaments and the brain. Several natural compounds were tested for their efficacy against fluoride toxicity. In the present study, we tested detrimental effects of fluoride exposure with special reference to spatial learning and memory; we also investigated the protective effect of Ginkgo biloba and ascorbic acid against the learning and memory deficits caused by the fluoride.
In the T-maze test, the fluoride group of rats showed significant learning and memory deficits compared to control rats. These deficits were however not recorded in rats treated with Ginkgo biloba and ascorbic acid. In the passive avoidance test, there was no significant difference in behavior between the groups during exploration, yet during the retention test, the fluoride group of rats spent more time in the small compartment, indicating memory impairment, while ascorbic acid and Ginkgo biloba treated rats spent significantly less time in the small compartment, suggesting a protective effect against fluoride toxicity. The results of the present study are consistent with previous studies indicating that fluoride intoxication causes anxiety, learning and memory impairment (El-lethey et al., 2010). Fluoride intoxicated rats were found to have poor performance in the maze test (Basha & Sujitha, 2012). Compared to these results, in our study sodium fluoride exposed rats showed higher percentage bias and lower number of alternations, which is considered to be an index of learning and memory impairment. In a multigenerational study conducted on three successive generations of animals, fluoride caused significant learning disabilities in all three generations of animals (Basha et al., 2011).
Fluoride may interfere with oxygen metabolism and generate oxygen free radicals, which are responsible for the diminished learning and memory (Chirumari & Reddy, 2007). Fluoride exposed pups took the longest time to find the hidden platform, showing that fluoride alters cognitive responses and behavior (Wu et al., 2008). The learning and memory deficits are the result of interaction of fluoride with the activity of the enzyme acetylcholine esterase. Exposure to fluoride results also in a decrease of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (Shan et al., 2004). Fluoride exposed rats showed inhibition of spontaneous motor activity, due to alterations in the function of neurotransmitters (Paul et al., 1998). Moderate exposure to fluoride had harmful effects on learning and memory, caused impairment in habituation and reduced the number of avoidance responses (Chioca et al., 2008). Fluoride administered in drinking water reduced the latency in the step-down test (Wu et al., 2006). Impaired learning and memory ability is due to changes in the synaptic structure, with a decrease in the thickness of postsynaptic density and an increase in the width of the synaptic cleft (Zhang & Shen, 2008).
Ascorbic acid has neuromodulatory and cognition enhancing properties. Ascorbic acid may act as an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor, thus attenuating scopolamine induced spatial learning deficits (Harrison et al., 2009). Ascorbic acid may facilitate cholinergic transmission and improve the cognitive impairment. Exogenous administration of ascorbic acid might result in high antioxidant levels which fight free radicals and oxidative stress caused by fluoride (Parle et al., 2003). In a recent study from China, Ginkgo biloba extract improved the cognitive impairment caused by chronic fluorosis, as assessed by the Y maze test (Zhang et al., 2013]. In the current study, Ginkgo biloba ameliorated learning and memory impairments caused by fluoride exposure. However in the current study learning and memory were assessed by using the T-maze test and improvement was observed with the dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. Treatment with Ginkgo biloba extract Egb761 enhanced the synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, which in turn could ameliorate the deficits in spatial learning and memory (Wang et al., 2006). Long-term administration of Ginkgo biloba extract improved spatial memory by altering the levels of neurotransmitters in several regions of the brain (Blecharz-Klin K et al., 2009).
The results of the present study are in agreement with studies published in the field of fluoride research, showing that chronic exposure to fluoride leads to learning and memory deficits since fluoride alters the level of neurotransmitters, synaptic structure, and cholinergic mechanisms. The learning and memory deficits were however not severe in the ascorbic acid and Ginkgo biloba treated groups, indicating that both substances exhibited neuroprotective effects, attributed to their antioxidant and neurotropic properties.
The authors would like to thank the Manipal University for the provision of infrastructure and Indian Council of Medical Research for financial support (No: 5/8/4-7 (Env) /10-NCD-1.
PubMed Central Canada is a service of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) working in partnership with the National Research Council's national science library in cooperation with the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine(NCBI/NLM). It includes content provided to the PubMed Central International archive by participating publishers.