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i'm 19 i think i was born with ptosis at a young age i had sugery(don't know what kind) at the age of 2. then at age 12 i had sugery to rotate my eye hair(i can't think of the name of the hair grow from your eye.) from growing into my eye. they said i would have been blind by age 25 if i didn't have the sugery. well after the sugery i wanted to get my left eye equal to my right eye. and my left eye brow is way lot upper than my right. certain ways i move my head my eyes look equal.
What Type of Surgery Do You Think I Should Have to Make My Left Eye and Brow Equal to my Right? (photo)
Doctor Answers 2
Congenital ptosis. Perfect symmetry may not be possible
Certainly, you have residual ptosis and further correction may be beneficial in improving vision and symmetry. But you were born with an abnormal muscle in one upper lid and it may not be possible, no matter who you see, to achieve perfect symmetry with the other side. Your goal should be to seek improvement, but please do not expect perfect symmetry.
Learn more: http://www.kassmd.com
Fixing a drooping brow and eyelid
Congenital ptosis (droopy eyelid) can be repaired with a few techniques, depending on how much movement your upper eyelid displays when you look up and down. The brow can also be elevated either through the same eyelid incision or a separate incision. You need an exam with an oculoplastic surgeon who can first determine what specific procedure is right for you, and then counsel you on what to expect. The muscle that moves the eyelid did not develop normally and surgery can certainly help, but it doesn't restore the natural action of the muscle. This means the eyelid may not close completely after a procedure and will appear different than the right when you blink. A qualified surgeon will counsel you on these issues and help you to manage them.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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Editor's note: The following case was handled by Bob Corbett, nutritionist and veterinarian with Dairy Health Consultation in Spring City, Utah.
A 5,000-cow dairy in Mexico had been experiencing a number of issues with metabolic disease and infectious disease in fresh cows and heifers.
Bob Corbett, a nutritionist and veterinarian from Spring City, Utah, was called in to see what he could do about it.
It became apparent that much of the problem had to do with the way the transition cows were being handled prior to calving. The farm had expanded and many of the close-up pens were filled to capacity. Cows that were over-conditioned going into calving were placed in a special pen. In that particular pen, and in some other pens, as well, the cows weren't given the benefit of a close-up ration for a full three weeks.
This can happen on a lot of farms, Corbett points out. The farm may set its computer to flag cows at 259 or 260 days of a 280-day gestation period. But if the farm is only moving cows once a week, some of the cows that miss the cut may have to wait up to six more days before moving into the close-up pens.
In addition, up to 20 percent of the cows can calve 10 days early ― day 270 vs. day 280, Corbett says.
As a result, many cows aren't getting the full benefit of a close-up ration, which is meant to prepare them for lactation. Indeed, it is probably the most critical ration on the farm, Corbett says.
At this dairy in Mexico, the managers decided that the over-conditioned cows should only be in the close-up pens for two weeks to try and prevent more weight gain. And, with the vagaries of moving them once a week, that meant some of the cows were only in there for a week or so. On top of that, they were fed a lower-quality ration than the other transition cows.
"That was probably the worst thing they could do," Corbett says. It was important for the animals to maintain body condition going into lactation, but they were being slighted. Many of the animals ended up with serious energy-balance issues during early lactation, such as fatty liver syndrome and ketosis. There was also a high rate of retained placenta.
As a result of a high rate of metabolic disease, affected cows did not reach a high level of peak milk. Each pound of peak milk results in approximately 250 pounds more milk during lactation. The lower peak milk resulted in less milk produced during lactation. These cows then gained an excessive amount of weight before going dry, resulting in a significant number of animals that were over-conditioned in the dry pen. This can become a vicious cycle unless the transition period is managed properly.
To resolve this, Corbett changed the pre-set dates on the computer to flag cows at 252 to 254 days of gestation, adding almost a full week to what the previous settings had been. It was also important to have all of the animals moved at the same time, whether they were over-conditioned or not. The goal was to have all of the animals in the close-up pens for at least three weeks before calving. And, all of the cows were placed on a normal close-up ration.
The dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) of the ration was adjusted to make it negative for the prepartum cows, which helped the cows mobilize calcium from their bones and their digestive tract to the bloodstream. Additional calcium was added to the mineral mix in order to maintain blood calcium levels during parturition.
These changes made a big difference. Metabolic problems cleared up and the cows had a much smoother transition period.
As for the farm owners, "they were very pleased," Corbett says. "They had been fighting that problem for quite some time."

subset: commoncrawl


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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Indian Harbour Beach, FL, United States, 2009/07/31 - In its latest effort to provide users with a more efficient way to search and navigate scholarly databases, Q-Sensei.com has expanded its offering to include the PubMed Service from the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
The service provides access to the Medline Database, which comprises more than 18 million datasets on life-science literature gathered since 1948. With the addition of Medline data sets, Q-Sensei offers convenient browsing tools through literature covering topics from Arteries to Zebrafish Proteins.
Since Q-Sensei launched its services in early April 2009, scholars worldwide have come to like the convenient search and browse experience. One of them is Dr. Robert Pflugmacher, director of the Department of Spine Surgery, Bonn University Hospital. "As part of my work in medical research, I am always looking for high-quality information in my field," says Dr. Pflugmacher. "Q-Sensei provides me with an inspiring and very precise way to quickly find the medical journal article I need. I can easily search in Medline, but the connections to articles from other databases such as arXiv or IngentaConnect are also extremely helpful and help me generate new ideas, I might have otherwise missed. Also, the unique possibility to search in search suggestions offers me a whole new way to accurately find the information I need, explains Dr. Pflugmacher.
The Life Sciences field constantly grows and changes, requiring new research and a greater connectivity within the various sub-fields and that is why we are so excited about Q-Senseis expansion in this area, says Ute Rother CEO of Q-Sensei. The Q-Sensei engine will allow users not only to access a wide range of articles, but the search capabilities are unique offering professionals greater accuracy and efficiency than any other search technology available today.
About Q-Sensei
Q-Sensei (qsensei.com) was formed in 2007 as a Delaware corporation through the merger of the German-based company Lalisio GmbH and the US company QUASM Corporation. Q-Sensei is headquartered in Melbourne, FL, and operates its subsidiary Lalisio in Erfurt, Germany.
Agency / Source: Q-Sensei Corp.
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Traffic Booster: [/] Quick PRZOOM - Press & Newswire Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+]


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This page is part of Benton Foundation's online archive. We've kept some old stuff around for historical purposes.The Digital Beat v.2 no.26, 03/10/2000
The Digital Beat
Vol. 2, No. 26, March 10, 2000By Jamal Le Blanc & Rachel Anderson
Access and AccessibilityIntroduction
Disabilities and the World Wide Web
Components of Accessibility
Obstacles to Full Web Accessibility
Legislative and Regulatory Policies
The discussion of the digital divide employs the concept of information "haves" and "have nots." This definition, which often focuses on the issues of race and economics, has in many ways helped popularize the concept of the digital divide. However, when one speaks of the particulars of technology inequity and attempts to devise solutions, continuing to define the digital divide by economic and racial "haves" and "have nots" is not entirely appropriate.
Instead, the digital divide is better represented as a continuum of divides. This continuum recognizes that access to technology does not and should not automatically imply accessibility. "Accessible" and "accessibility" is distinguished from "access" in this way: access is being able to get to a computer for its use. Access focuses on the availability of hardware, software, infrastructure and -- in the case of libraries and community technology centers -- service hours and trained staff. "Accessibility" refers to whether or not the technology allows end-users to make use of the technology. Just as technology skills and relevant content are integral components to bridging the digital divide, accessible design for people with disabilities is essential to making the Internet truly universal.
II. Disabilities and the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web offers enormous potential for civic engagement, education, information, and employment. But for all Americans to benefit from the promise of the Internet, Web sites and the information contained within must be made accessible to all people. The disabled, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed, are often a marginalized group in our society. The Internet is a boon because the digital nature of information and ready access to computers frees them from the restrictions of physical retrieval. New information and communications technologies can improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, "but only if such technologies are designed from the beginning so that everyone can use them," said President Clinton in a letter in support of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
Unfortunately, there exists a range of challenges built into the technologies and the current employment of them. For example, for the visually impaired - those who have low or hazy vision, nearsightedness, tunnel vision, colorblindness or severe case of astigmatisms - multimedia presentations, small type faces, low or poorly contrasting color schemes and small icons can make using electronic media difficult. As there is no existing standards to which commercial Internet sites must be designed - and no oversight body to regulate design - many visually impaired users can be shut out of a potentially useful Web site because of poor design elements.
Those with physical impairments, such as multiple sclerosis, palsy, or various forms of arthritis may find the task of manipulating a mouse, typing, dual-key keyboard commands, and mouse/key combinations difficult. Those with severe mobility impairments must employ assisted Web navigation using expensive and experimental navigation equipment.
Those with hearing disabilities may not be able to distinguish audible computer prompts, make use of online video, or participate in online presentations that make use of auditory elements.
Still others, with less severe restrictions may find the task of highlighting, mouse clicks and manipulating pull-down boxes difficult.
The stakes of Internet accessibility are great. While some are born with a disability, many more people experience disabling impairments as they grow older, significantly increasing the percentage of those with a disability as age increases. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 1995 that at the end of 1994, 20 percent of the population, about 54 million people, had some level of disability. Approximately 10 percent or 26 million people had a severe disability. Worldwide it is estimated that 500 million have a disability of some type.
The World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) addresses accessibility on the level of core technologies, develops guidelines for design, builds tools, monitors research and sponsors outreach and education programs. The WAI has published two style guides to accessible Web sites and is completing a third. It is the position of the WAI that Web accessibility should be seen as inexpensive in building new web pages and redesigning old ones. As the W3C is concerned with maintaining Internet interoperability across computer system platforms and software, accessibility is also seen as a natural part of the move toward palm-top and alternative Web access systems.
On February 9, 2000, in a statement before the House Judiciary committee, Judy Brewer, Director of presented a three-level definition of accessibility that is useful for this discussion:Content: Designer level
Many, but not all solutions are at the content/Web designer level. The choices that Web page designers make about multimedia use, font sizes, color schemes, image placement and background patterns can have a big effect on how useable their pages are for disabled users. Many resources exist to aid Web designers in their accessibility strategies, including the WAI's user guides and corporate web pages such as Microsoft's Accessibility pages. (http://www.microsoft/enable)
Most of the solutions designers can incorporate are both affordable and considered just plain "good coding." For example, red text on a black background is nearly impossible to perceive for those that are colorblind or have low vision. An example of "good coding" that dramatically enhances a page's usability is the use of "ALT" tags, alternative text descriptions, with images. Their use is a standard and simple way to make an image file accessible to the screen reading software that the visually impaired use.
In recent debates over the applicability of the American with Disabilities Act to Web design, opponents have argued that requirements to make Web pages accessible would put an onerous burden on designers. Accessibility advocates, however, argue that when designers take disabled access to their sites into account during the design stage, creating an accessible page is no more difficult than designing the page in the first place. Most web tools will prompt designers to enter accessibility codes, such as ALT tags. Products such as Allaire's Homesite will even tell a Web page builder that> they have made a mistake if ALT tags are not used.Technologies: Protocol level
A whole different set of accessibility solutions applies at the protocol level of technology - the core code used in Web pages and browsers. The Web is a cross-platform medium because browsers, Web servers, and routers recognize - and agree on - basic forms of communication which are called "protocols". Protocols of various types explain the form of Internet communication, the means by which it should travel and what should be done with the information when it arrives at its destination. URL's designate addresses, HTTP designates a means of information access, etc. In this same sense, there are core-level Web protocols that allow for closed captioning of multimedia streams such as RealVideo. As the Internet becomes accessible through a range of devices such as phones, cars, and even toasters the protocols that enable these new technologies must also incorporate accessibility standards.
Digital television, for example has the potential to more easily carry closed and open captioning. The digital format would allow for both a text and audio description stream simultaneous with the standard multimedia streams. A broad standard for this will have to be adopted to allow for easy and voluntary participation. The same recognition applies for adapting new technologies to existing assistive technologies such as screen readers that either read Web pages aloud, or turn them into Braille. Widespread acceptance of accessibility guidelines is an essential step in fully including all who would participate online.
The WAI is working for the acceptance and perpetuation of protocols that allow for captioning of multimedia presentation, the recognition of ALT tags and the like in the languages used in handhelds and other alternative web technologies.Tools: Browser level
Still other solutions apply at the level of Web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, or Opera. Support for keyboard commands and mouse commands are the bare minimum. Browser level support also includes documentation on how to used the accessibility features, providing keyboard support for mouse commands and full support for protocol-level technology.
Browser level accessibility also extends to interface design and support for the assistive technologies (screen readers, light pens, magnifiers) employed by the disabled, as well as, easily-locatable directions on how to use accessibility features that are built into browsers.
III. Obstacles to Full Web AccessibilityCost and Difficulty
The most often cited argument against Web accessibility is cost. It is important to note that existing Web content accessibility guidelines are not requirements, they are guides for good design. Most accessibility guidelines reflect that not all pages require the same level of accessibility. The WAI's guidelines are prioritized by importance, so that developers can see the most important - and simple solutions first. Building in accessibility for most pages is a matter of degree and is not particularly costly or difficult.
On more complex sites, those generated by databases, the scripts which generate the pages can be set up to account for accessibility guidelines - actually proportionately driving down the cost of implementing accessibility standards.
The costs of captioning a multimedia presentation is relatively low compared to the cost of the production itself. However, the challenges of obtaining copyright permissions to retro-fit existing presentations can be extremely difficult. Those designing multimedia presentations should consider their options when in the design process. As mentioned earlier, the RealAudio and RealVideo formats support captioning. Designers and producers should be aware of these options when setting out to design material.The Obstacles and Myths
Several misunderstandings, obstacles and myths have hampered the full uptake of accessibility strategies.
The National Council on Disability wrote in 1998 that, "the most significant barriers preventing people with disabilities from achieving full and equal access to multimedia products are lack of knowledge and awareness among multimedia companies and the market they serve concerning access issues, the costs involved in developing access solutions, and technological challenges."
This lack of knowledge has given rise to some widely held myths. The first myth is that accessibility means a text-only version of all web pages. In fact, graphics on web pages are not a hindrance to accessibility. It is unlabeled (ALT tag) graphics and graphics-only systems which present problems. The W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines "strongly discourage the use of text-only pages for accessibility." However, when there is a need for text-only pages, current authoring tools (including Powerpoint!) give the option of a text only feature. Database-driven sites, again, can also be configured to generate text pages.
The second myth is that every page that exists will have to be torn down and redone. This too, is not entirely correct. While many organizations will have to redo their Web pages to make them accessible, many go through periodic revamping of their Web sites, anyway. These times are the moment to address accessibility issues. Even the current discussion over the application of the ADA to the Web focused on classes of Web sites, instead of the entire Web in general.
Finally, the myth that accessible web pages will put small and medium-sized e-businesses out of business. There is a market incentive to make pages accessible. With such a large portion of the wired world having a disability, e-commerce designers that fail to account for the size and buying potential of this group are effectively denying themselves entire markets of consumers.
IV. Legislative and Regulatory Policies
It is unlikely that accessibility issues would receive "mainstream" attention if not for the efforts of disabilities advocates. Federal law, as far as it goes, has helped their cause. In 1998 the Rehabilitation Act of 1990 was amended to include Section 508. Section 508 covers two key issues. First, it requires federal agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic information technology to make that technology accessible to disabled federal employees. Secondly, it requires that the technologies be accessible to disabled members of the public. The section covers Web sites put up "by about 105 federal departments and agencies," according to a November, 1999 New York Times article. The administration recently announced that every federal department will make its Web presence accessible by the end of the year.
Section 255, Access by Persons with Disabilities, of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, places the burden of regulating access by persons with disabilities on the FCC. The FCC's Disabilities Issues Task Force Web page (http://www.fcc.gov/dtf/) opens with this greeting from Chairman Kennard:"People with disabilities must have equal access to the information age; the Federal Communications Commission has an obligation to ensure that telecommunications are accessible and usable to the 54 million Americans with disabilities. Equal telecommunications access, by breaking down barriers and accelerating progress towards full participation, is critical to our nation's success. The curb cut to the twenty-first century is technology and every American should have equal access to this tool."
However, much is left to be done within the purview of these two pieces of legislation. In addition, copyright barriers that restrict or hinder captioning and video description should be lowered.
The disabled, already underserved in many ways, are being kept from using potentially quality-of-life enhancing Web technologies. The steps needed to enable their use of these technologies are not onerous, but do take the continued participation of many groups on several levels on interaction.
Government agencies, foundations and corporations should engage in collaborative research on the needs of multimedia and Web technology development that would support accessibility. This research would go a long way in developing awareness and highlighting innovative market solutions to accessibility challenges.
Finally, those agencies of government responsible for promoting and regulating accessibility compliance should continue to encourage voluntary participation in existing Web accessibility guidelines even as they look to include accessibility features as basic parts of developing technologies.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accessibility Resources:
"Access to Multimedia Technology by People with Sensory Disabilities." National Council on Disability. (1998)
"U.S. Law Aims at Helping Disabled." New York Times. November 1999. (http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/11/cyber/articles/12access.html)
W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative, (http://www.w3.org/WAI)
Microsoft's Accessibility Pages, (http://www.microsoft.com/enable)
U.S. House of Representatives Commission on the Judiciary hearings on the ADA's applicability to the Internet Witness testimony, (http://www.house.gov/judiciary/2.htm)
Yahoo! Fullcoverage News on the Disabled and the Internet, (http://fullcoverage.yahoo.com/fc/World/Disabilities_and_the_Disabled/)
"Access to Multimedia Technology by People with Sensory Disabilities." National Council on Disability. (1997)
CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/
WGBH Caption Center http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/captioncenter/
WGBH Educational Foundation Descriptive Video Service� (DVS�) http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/access/dvs/
(c)Benton Foundation, 2000. Redistribution of this email publication - both internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message. Past issues of Digital Beat are available online at (http://www.benton.org/publibrary/digitalbeat/). The Digital Beat is a free online news service of the Benton Foundation's Communications Policy & Practice program (../cpphome.html).


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As a result of conventional farming practices, many natural habitats have been destroyed, and the plant protection methods employed have not only been thought to cause human health problems, but also contribute to about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. One of the purposes of organic farming therefore, is to minimize the impact on the environment, by employing methods such as crop rotation, planting pathogen-resistant crops, the use of limited amounts of chemical pesticides, and the use of natural manure instead of synthetic fertilizers. It is still a matter of controversy, however, whether or not organic farming methods actually have beneficial effects on biodiversity and microorganism population structures.
Out of all the Vitis vinifera grape vines throughout the world, the proportions of those that are grown under organic conditions are steadily increasing. What has been a source of contention in organic viticulture is the used of copper for plant protection. In areas near some organically farmed grape vines, there has been high soil contamination of copper, which could potentially harm the plants and animals in that environment, as well as the spread of copper and antibiotic-resistant microbes.
The short study presented today hypothesized that the type of plant protection used in conventional versus organically farmed vineyards would have an impact on the microbial (particularly fungal) community structure.
Leaves, shoots, and undamaged grapes were sampled from Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vineyards in Schlossberg, Austria during the last week before harvest. Half of the vineyards were farmed conventionally, and the other half was farmed organically.
Chemicals used for plant protection in the conventional vineyards were: sulfur, paraffin oil, manganese-zinc ethylene bis(dithiocarbamate), proquinazid, iprovalicarb, folpet, pyrimethanil, mandipropamid, quinoxyfen, chloropyrifosmethyl, boscalid, and cyazofamid. Chemicals used for plant protection in the organic vineyards were: sulfur, copper, Myco-Sin, potassium water glass, Frutogard, and fennel oil. Four replicates for both conventional and organic vineyards were examined.
DNA fingerprinting was performed to identify microorganisms present. Once identified, microorganisms were isolated and plated for further analysis. For all replicates, 18 yeasts and 15 filamentous fungal organisms were isolated and tested for antagonistic activity.
- There were statistically significant differences between microbial fingerprints of conventional versus organically managed plots.
o Fingerprints from organically managed plots were more homogenous and were more similar to each other than conventionally managed plots.
o The most abundant yeast in the conventionally managed plots was S. pararoseus.
o The most abundant yeast in the organically managed plots was A. pullulans.
o Cladosporium sp. and Alternaria tenuissima were common in all plots.
- In organically managed plots, a higher abundance of filamentous fungi and yeasts were isolated.
- Antiphytopathogenic potential (i.e. ability to protect against Botrytis cinerea, as tested in the laboratory) was greater in organically managed plots than conventionally managed plots.
o 33 out of 34 A. pullulans isolates showed antagonistic activities (i.e. protective abilities) against B. cinerea.
- There were no significant differences between organic and conventional plots in regards to bacterial fungal communities (at least in respect to Pseudomonas and Firmicutes bacterial populations).
o Vineyard management has no influence on bacterial communities (again, at least in respect to Pseudomonas and Firmicutes).
The results of this brief study suggest that the yeast A. pullulans plays a key role in explaining the structural and functional differences between organic and conventional farming methods. The authors noted that species in the Aureobasidium genus can utilize inorganic sulfur and can absorb/detoxify copper. This is fascinating since organic viticulture methods use both sulfur and copper in their plant protection strategies, and Aureobasidium pullulans was the most abundant yeast present in organically managed plots. Also, A. pullulans has been shown to be an effective antagonist against several fungal pathogens, by competing for space and nutrients, as well as producing cell wall-degrading enzymes. What is also interesting is that A. pullulan produces several typical flavor components in wine, which would be a beneficial characteristic of organic viticulture.
Overall, the type of vineyard management method for plant protection, specifically conventional versus organic management methods, influences the microbial population of the system. Also, not only was the structure of the community altered, but the function of the community changed as well. Specifically, in organically managed vineyards, the number of antagonist microorganisms was greatly enhanced due to larger populations of A. pullulans, which could potentially act as a biocontrol agent for B. cinerea (though more work would need to be done to confirm this).
In conclusion, knowing the structure and function of microbial communities is critical for developing environmentally friendly alternatives for plant protection in organically managed vineyards.
I'd love to hear what you all think! Please feel free to comment below (no html tags, please).
Source: Schmid, F., Moser, G., Müller, H., and Berg, G. 2011. Functional and Structural Microbial Diversity in Organic and Conventional Viticulture: Organic Farming Benefits Natural Biocontrol Agents. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 77(6): 2188-2191.
I am not a health professional, nor do I pretend to be. Please consult your doctor before altering your alcohol consumption habits. Do not consume alcohol if you are under the age of 21. Do not drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly!


text: Hi Recently, i have a few problems with my Audi A3 2.0 TDI. Firstly, occasionaly, when the car is idle, the usual RPM of roughly 750-800RPM rises to 1000-1100 RPM. This isnt causing me any particular issues but I know it didnt used to do it. I scanned the car using VAG-COM and the following codes look like they could relate to this. I have noticed my engine coolant hasnt been lasting as long as it used to either: 00-Steering Angle Sensor -- Status: OK 0000 01-Engine -- Status: Malfunction 0010 03-ABS Brakes -- Status: Malfunction 0010 08-Auto HVAC -- Status: OK 0000 09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000 15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000 16-Steering wheel -- Status: OK 0000 17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000 19-CAN Gateway -- Status: OK 0000 25-Immobilizer -- Status: OK 0000 42-Door Elect, Driver -- Status: OK 0000 44-Steering Assist -- Status: OK 0000 46-Central Conv. -- Status: OK 0000 52-Door Elect, Pass. -- Status: OK 0000 55-Xenon Range -- Status: Malfunction 0010 56-Radio -- Status: OK 0000 7D-Aux. Heat -- Status: OK 0000 Address 01: Engine Labels: None Part No SW: 03G 906 016 G HW: 028 101 136 4 Component: R4 2,0L EDC 0000SG 5705 Coding: 0000072 Shop #: WSC 06435 2 Faults Found: 18051 - Please check DTC Memory of Electric Load Controller P1643 - 000 - - Freeze Frame: RPM: 1008 /min Torque: 38.0 Nm Speed: 0.0 km/h Load: 0.0 % Voltage: 13.98 V Bin. Bits: 11000100 Load: 38.8 % (no units): 1.0 16502 - Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor (G62): Signal too High P0118 - 000 - - Freeze Frame: RPM: 798 /min Torque: 20.0 Nm Speed: 0.0 km/h Load: 0.0 % Voltage: 14.06 V Bin. Bits: 11000111 Temperature: 35.1°C Temperature: 37.8°C Readiness: 0 0 1 1 1 Anyone seen the above before? Could this be simply that the sensor is faulty and needs replacing? Also, the ABS light is on the dash and when scanning I get the following code: Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 1K0-907-379-MK60-F.LBL Part No: 1K0 907 379 K Component: ESP FRONT MK60 0103 Coding: 0023174 Shop #: WSC 06435 1 Fault Found: 00290 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Left (G46) 003 - Mechanical Failure - Intermittent I replaced the above sensor today and cleared the codes, only for it to come back after ten seconds of driving. Measuring blocks on VAG-COM show some discrepencies between the wheel speed monitored on the 3 wheels with no fault reported and the wheel that this code is highlighting. For example, all four wheel speed sensors will read a speed within 1km/h of each other and then at random intervals the Rear Left sensor will drop by 20km/h before returning to the correct value. Any ideas? Strangely, theres a 3rd issue that is thrown up ater ten seconds of driving, the dash states "Xenon headlight range control defective" although they seem fine to me, VagCom shows the following error but refereces the ABS control module which I dont understand. Address 55: Xenon Range Labels: 8P0-907-357.LBL Part No: 8P0 907 357 A Component: Dynamische LWR H01 0010 Coding: 0000001 Shop #: WSC 06435 1 Fault Found: 01316 - ABS Control Module 013 - Check DTC Memory - Intermittent Freeze Frame: Fault Status: 00101101 Fault Priority: 2 Fault Frequency: 0 Reset counter: 40 Mileage: 175272 km Time Indication: 0 Date: 2011.10.25 Time: 17:46:05 Sorry for the long post, hope someone can offer some advice, especially as I wasted money on a new Wheel Speed Sensor that didnt fix one of the problems :-(


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MORE: Science Says There Really Is a Difference Between Dog People and Cat People
People who were highly attached to their childhood pet were more likely to avoid eating meat than less passionate pet owners—an effect mediated by the empathy they felt for animals.
Not every person who loved Fido as a kid refused to order a steak, of course—but the study participants who were empathetic toward animals were more likely to try not to think about meat as an actual animal—or dwell on how the animal was treated before arriving on their plate—than less compassionate people.
So how can a strong childhood bond with a furry friend influence your feelings about eating meat? As a kid, you may have seen your pet as a trusted confidante—a safe place to express your emotions—and your dog or cat may have been the first living thing you nurtured (and developed empathy toward), the scientists say. That can lead to mixed feelings about meat or may even compel you to abandon meat-eating altogether.
Interested in going vegetarian or vegan (even just part-time)? Check out how to do it the right way.
MORE: 12 Things You Learn During Your First Week of Owning a Dog


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I'll GLADLY post this one
Monday, December 20, 2004
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
The Good, the Bad, the Upside Insider's Chad Ford rounds up the state of the NBA every Monday, looking at The Good and The Bad and offering a little dose of optimism in The Upside.
The Bad
# The Hornets seem to have called it quits already.
# Are the Hawks ready to trade 'Toine and start, uh, rebuilding?
# Somehow the Warriors are worse than expected.
The Upside
# Dallas got tougher but now needs a point guard.
# Seattle has been on fire, but can the torch stay lit?
# The light bulb seems to have gone on in Washington.
There's one thing we can say for sure about preseason predictions. They are about as reliable as the seven-day forecast over the Bermuda Triangle.
After all the offseason moving and shaking, after the preseason games had been won and lost you look at teams, on both paper and in truncated versions on the court and ... well ... you guess.
Sometimes the guesses make you look like a genius. Sometimes ... eh, not so much.
Now that we are nearly a third of the way through the season, here are Insider's "educated" NBA predictions. Out with the Tarot cards. In with the game film.
The good
Detroit Pistons: The defending champs are 12-11. They've suffered bad losses to the Hawks, Bobcats, Grizzlies and Bucks. They were blown away, on their home floor, by the Pacers. They've been embroiled in scandal and lethargy. Their lock-down defense the same one that won them the title last year has on recently reared its nasty head. Their lock-out offense, however, has been on permanent display.
So how can the Pistons still be atop of our list of teams with a chance to win it all? I'll let a rival Eastern Conference GM put it into perspective.
"There are all sorts of issues going on," the GM told Insider. "But when you look at their team, their coach and their front office, I just find it hard to believe that anyone can beat them in a seven-game series. The defense will get better. The veterans will start playing with more fire. It's inevitable. The same thing has happened in the past with the Lakers and Spurs. Once they get closer, they'll start tasting it again, and when they do, I don't see a team out there who can beat them."
That turnaround may already have started. After a miserable November, in which the Pistons allowed nearly 96 ppg, their defense has been stellar. In December, Detroit is giving up an average of 79 ppg. The offense still needs a lot of work. Only the Hornets, Nets and Hawks are putting up fewer points per game right now.
While you can make the argument that the Pacers would have a real shot at beating the Pistons if Ron Artest returns, look around the rest of the East. Is there a better team over the long haul? Once they get to the Finals all bets are off, however. This is a team built to keep up with the Spurs, not a team like the Suns.
They're still Insider's favorites to win it all this year but the mountain looks much steeper than it did this fall.
Insider preseason prediction: 1st in East, NBA Champs
Insider revised prediction: 2nd in East, NBA Champs
Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs
25 23.1 12.4 2.5 .511 .661
San Antonio Spurs: Quiet and lethal. That's the only way to describe the 20-5 Spurs this year. They are, once again, the best defensive team in the league. Offensively, they are nearly 5 ppg better than last year. Only the Suns have a bigger point differential. They are also the second-best rebounding team. They have an MVP big man in Tim Duncan. Their backcourt of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is one of the most exciting in the league.
"I think they're the best team in the NBA, period," one rival GM said. "They can beat you outside or inside on offense, and they will always defend you. If Brent Barry ever gets on track, I just don't see how anyone could stop them."
Maybe. The Spurs have been great against the traditional powerhouses. But against quicker, smaller teams that can shoot the ball, they've had their share of problems. Seattle has beaten them badly twice. Teams like the Grizzlies and Raptors teams without traditional low post games also have given them fits. If they have to face a team like the Suns or Sonics in the Finals, it could spell disaster.
Insider preseason prediction: 1st in West, Western Conference Champs
Insider revised prediction: 1st in West
Phoenix Suns: The Suns are not a fluke. Few 21-3 teams are. The Suns are beating teams by an average margin of 12 ppg. No one has come close to figuring out how to stop their mile-a-minute offense. Defensively, they've been more committed than you'd expect from a team like this.
Amare Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns
24 24.8 8.7 1.5 .572 .702
They have five players capable of averaging 30 points a night. On some teams, that could be a liability. But on this one, everyone shares the ball, apparently content knowing their shots will come soon enough.
"They are relentless," one rival GM told Insider. "And they are unique. They pose so many match-up problems; it's tough to figure out what to do with them. I think [GM Bryan] Colangelo was brilliant. He's created a team that no other team in the league can really defend. Teams were built to defend more traditional, low-post attacks. They've taken everyone by surprise and caught us with our pants down a little."
The Suns, however, aren't perfect. Statistically, they are the worst-rebounding team in the league something that few good teams ever have claimed. Their schedule hasn't been rigourous to date, and their bench is very thin. If Steve Nash or Amare Stoudemire were to go down for an extended time, all bets would be off.
Still, can a slow-down, defensive-oriented team like the Spurs really survive a seven game series with this bunch? For the Spurs to be effective, they need to hold their opponents under 90 ppg. That's nearly 19 points below the Suns' average. That's an almost impossible task for a team in a seven-game series.
Insider preseason prediction: 8th in West
Insider revised prediction: 2nd in West, Western Conference Champs
Shaquille O'Neal
Miami Heat
26 20.9 11.0 3.1 .606 .453
Miami Heat: Shaquille O'Neal has awoken from his early season slumber and has been running roughshod through the Eastern Conference of late. The result? The Heat are 8-1 in December and now sport the best record in the East at 19-7. Shaq is averaging 24 ppg and 10 rpg over the last five games. Dwyane Wade has been awesome all season, averaging 23 ppg and 7 apg. And relatively unknown Damon Jones leads the league in 3-pointers made.
"The team doesn't have a lot of depth," a rival GM told Insider. "But if you have Shaq in the paint and Wade running around the perimeter, that's tough to stop regardless of the three other guys on the floor. I still question if they're deep enough to beat an elite team in a seven-game series, but, frankly, they're better than I thought they'd be."
With that said, the Heat are actively trying to fix the depth issue. The Raptors could turn out to be their savior. League sources claim the Raptors are discussing a buyout with Alonzo Mourning. If he takes it, he likely will sign with the Heat for the league minimum.
The Heat are also talking to the Raptors about a deal that could send both Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall to Miami. If that happens?
"If that happens, we're all in trouble," the same GM told Insider. "They'll have the firepower to beat anyone anyone in the playoffs."
Insider preseason prediction: 3rd in East
Insider revised prediction: 1st in East
Sacramento Kings: The media needs to stop using the "window" metaphor with the Kings. Every year the preseason analysis is the same the window has closed on the Kings. Every year the on the court response is the same maybe it'll close next year.
The Kings are 15-3 after a pitiful 1-4 start. They are the second-highest scoring team in the league. Once again they average the most assists and the fewest turnovers. Those three stats together invariably add up to a winning combination.
But will they ever get over the playoff hump in the West? It may depend on who they play this year. They are well equipped to play and beat a smaller team like the Suns or Sonics. However, teams like the Spurs and Timberwolves continue to give them fits.
Insider preseason prediction: 3rd in West
Insider revised prediction: 3rd in West
Minnesota Timberwolves: Speaking of teams that might already have peaked, it's tough to believe the Wolves will ever be able to repeat what they did in 2004. Kevin Garnett is still amazing, but the supporting cast doesn't quite seem to have the sizzle it did last year.
Eddie Griffin
Minnesota Timberwolves
20 11.4 7.1 0.8 .435 .810
Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell's numbers are way down from last season, and they show no signs of perking up unless the Wolves throw some serious cash their way. The Wolves have been very active on the trade market trying to fix that problem. They thought they were a prime candidate to acquire Jason Kidd before the Vince Carter trade. Now, the best they may be able to do is swapping a guy like Wally Szczerbiak for Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
The one bright spot besides Garnett has been Eddie Griffin. Many scouts believed he was the best talent in the draft class of 2001. His off-court problems have been well documented, but they seem to be in remission at the moment. If he stays focused, he and Garnett may be able to will the Wolves deep into the playoffs on their own.
Insider preseason prediction: 2nd in West
Insider revised prediction: 4th in West
Indiana Pacers: For a few fleeting seconds on Nov. 19, it looked like the Pacers were going to be the team to beat this season. They were in Detroit, wiping the floor with the defending world champs when Mount Artest erupted and sent Indiana's season into disarray.
Fred Jones
Shooting Guard
Indiana Pacers
21 13.2 4.4 2.5 .447 .905
When the Pacers get Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson back in late January, they will rise again and become one of the powers in the East. But without Artest, will they really have the juice to make it all the way to the Finals? Maybe. Their supporting cast has gotten valuable minutes in the absence of the starters and might be ready to step up and play a bigger role especially guard Fred Jones. But as good as Jones is, he doesn't provide the same intensity Artest did.
Then again, the arbitrator could rule this week that Artest's punishment was too severe. If the suspension is reduced and the league loses its appeal in federal court, the Pistons, Heat and everyone else in the league could be in for a world of hurt as the hungry, angry Pacers try to exact revenge on everyone that stands in their way.
Insider preseason prediction: 2nd in East
Insider revised prediction: 3rd in East
Dwight Howard
Power Forward
Orlando Magic
24 10.6 10.3 1.3 .527 .640
Orlando Magic: Lost in the Suns and Sonics love-fest is this year's Eastern Conference Cinderella story the Magic. They, too, are playing a run-and-gun style that is turning heads and wearing down opponents. In fact, it's the Magic, not the Suns, who lead the league in fast-break points per game.
Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley are having career years. Grant Hill looks like his old self again. And rookie Dwight Howard has superstar written all over him. His 10.3 rpg is amazing for a rookie. Once Francis and Mobley figure out that Howard can get much higher-percentage shots than they can, they may actually pass him the ball. His 6.9 field goal attempts per game rank just fifth on the team, despite the fact he's shooting 53 percent from the field.
Insider preseason prediction: 4th in East
Insider revised prediction: 4th in East
Monday, December 20, 2004
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
The Good, the Bad, the Upside
Insider's Chad Ford rounds up the state of the NBA every Monday, looking at The Good and The Bad and offering a little dose of optimism in The Upside.
The Good
# Why the Pistons are still our pick to win it all.
# Why the Suns might have the Spurs' number.
# The Kings are dead yet, but the Wolves might be.
The Bad
# The Hornets seem to have called it quits already.
# Are the Hawks ready to trade 'Toine and start, uh, rebuilding?
# Somehow the Warriors are worse than expected.
Your team doesn't have to be a championship contender to feel a swelling sense of pride this season. Just ask fans in Seattle and Cleveland. The steps made by each franchise are enormous, and with patience, the future could even be brighter.
Now that w're nearly a third of the way through the season, here are Insider's "educated" NBA predictions. None of these teams are likely to be playing in NBA Finals this year ... but the term "success" has multiple meanings.
The upside out West
Dallas Mavericks: Life sure has a way of coming back and biting you in the butt. The Mavs finally addressed long-term toughness and rebounding issues this summer only to regress in the one area that used to be their greatest strength point guard play.
Jason Terry
Dallas Mavericks
24 9.1 2.1 3.4 .473 .780
Mark Cuban has to be beating himself over the head for letting Steve Nash get away this summer. Nash is putting on an MVP performance in Phoenix while the Mavs' three-headed monster of Jason Terry, Devin Harris and Darrell Armstrong has been average, at best. Terry has been the best of the three, though he still doesn't seem to have head coach Don Nelson's trust.
The rest of the team looks pretty good. Dirk Nowitzki has taken his game to the next level. Second-year forward Josh Howard has been impressive. Jerry Stackhouse has given them a big boost off the bench. Even Alan Henderson has contributed.
But come playoff time, the Mavs know that without a true floor general, it's going to be tough. With Jason Kidd now off the trading block in New Jersey where do the Mavs turn?
Insider preseason prediction: 4th in West
Insider revised prediction: 5th in West
Seattle SuperSonics: Calm down, Sonics fans. Going from a 15th-place prediction in the West to a sixth-place prediction is not a slap in the face. I know the team has the second-best record in the league and has beaten the Spurs twice. But how much longer can the good fortune continue?
Ray Allen
Shooting Guard
Seattle SuperSonics
23 24.3 4.3 4.3 .438 .917
As long as Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Ridnour keep shooting the lights out. Those four combined are shooting above 40 percent from behind the 3-point line. If those numbers slip even a little bit, the Sonics will start to slip a little.
The good news for Sonics fans is there's enough wiggle room here to suggest the team is not a fluke. This is a very good rebounding team ranking fourth in the league in rebounding margin. The Sonics are beating teams by an impressive 6-ppg margin. As long as Danny Fortson and Nick Collison keep playing tough in the paint, the Sonics might slip, but barring a historic collapse, they aren't slipping too far.
Insider preseason prediction: 15th in West
Insider revised prediction: 6th in West
Denver Nuggets: It's tough to fall in love with the Nuggets after their off-and-on start to the season. Of all the .500 teams in the West, they are the worst team on the road. That shouldn't come as a surprise. Last year the Nuggets made the playoffs despite going just 14-27 on the road. They are on virtually an identical pace this year.
What gives the Nuggets hope? One, they have been getting along so far without a healthy Nene. Once he's back to 100 percent, he'll add a different dimension. Second, they've been doing it without a real two guard. That too, should change.
The Nuggets have been patiently waiting for the right deal to come along, using Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White as trade bait. If they could get a star-caliber two guard like Michael Redd, they'd even part with Nene. But right now, they believe all they need is a serviceable one.
Insider preseason prediction: 6th in the West
Insider revised prediction: 7th in the West
Andrei Kirilenko
Utah Jazz
14 14.8 7.2 2.6 .504 .730
Utah Jazz: I'm not ready to write off the Jazz, despite them having won just two of their last 12 games. If you had any question about how much Andrei Kirilenko means to them, now you know. Kirilenko isn't slated to return from a sprained MCL until mid-January. That should still be enough time for the Jazz to recover.
With Kirilenko, the Jazz should quickly return to form. Earlier in the season, they were destroying teams with great defense and a precision offense, and that was before Mehmet Okur had really found his groove. Once Kirilenko is there to anchor the front line, I think they'll find a way to sneak into the last spot in the West.
Insider preseason prediction: 7th in West
Insider revised prediction: 8th in West
The upside in the East
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs have been one of the early-season success stories in the East, but they still are a piece away from being a contender. The team still lacks a great perimeter shooter who can open up the floor for LeBron and the bigs.
The team has been dangling both DeSagana Diop and Dajuan Wagner, hoping someone will bite and swap them for a shooter. The problem for Cleveland is they really don't want to take back any long-term salary, so that they can make a run at sharp-shooter Michael Redd this summer.
If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world for the Cavs. They're still on pace for a top-six finish in the East. Given the recent history in Cleveland, that's a major accomplishment.
Insider preseason prediction: 5th in East
Insider revised prediction: 5th in East
Gilbert Arenas
Point Guard
Washington Wizards
21 22.2 3.8 5.5 .418 .840
Washington Wizards: The Wizards are starting to figure out that the difference between playing the Heat and the Hawks is enormous. Despite an impressive 13-9 record, the team has just three wins against teams with a winning record.
Still, when you figure that half the East will finish below .500 this year, the good news is the Wizards can make the playoffs without beating many good teams.
How does a team made up of former Warriors fare so well? The glass-half-full theory says Eddie Jordan has finally installed his offense, and players like Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Larry Hughes are thriving in it. The glass-half -empty theory says that as bad as the Warriors have been the past decade, they likely would've been a playoff team in the East at least a few seasons.
Insider preseason prediction: 10th in East
Insider revised prediction: 6th in East
Samuel Dalembert
Philadelphia 76ers
17 5.4 7.0 0.6 .465 .667
Philadelphia 76ers: Jim O'Brien may be a great head coach, but what the heck was he thinking for the first six weeks of the season? With young studs like Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green rotting at the end of the bench, the Sixers got off to a miserable 6-12 start.
That's when GM Billy King stepped in and told O'Brien to end his control-freak, early-season experiment and start playing some of the young kids. It's hard to argue with the results. The Sixers have won four of their last five, and Dalembert, in particular, has been great, averaging 8 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 3 blocks during that span. What coach doesn't want a guy like that on his team? Rookie Andre Iguodala and Green also have seen more time during this stretch and have responded by averaging 12.3 ppg each.
If King sticks to his guns, there's no reason why the Sixers shouldn't win the Atlantic. They have the depth, the size and the athleticism to do some damage now, and no other team in the division has quite the upside.
Insider preseason prediction: 6th in East
Insider revised prediction: 7th in East
Jason Kidd
Point Guard
New Jersey Nets
7 11.3 4.4 4.0 .452 .700
New Jersey Nets: We made the 11th-place prediction this fall with the understanding it was likely Jason Kidd would be traded for cap room. Now that Vince Carter is in the fold, Kidd has dropped his trade demands for the moment, anyway.
If Kidd and Carter stay healthy, the Nets will begin rising in the East. How far they will rise, however, depends on the play of several young bigs. The Nets lost a lot of depth in the paint to make the trade. They are now relying on Jason Collins, Brian Scalabrine and rookie Nenad Krstic to step up big. Krstic, in particular, looked good Sunday scoring 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting with four boards and four assists.
That won't be enough to turn them into a contender, but in the East it should be enough to sneak them into the playoffs.
Insider preseason prediction: 11th in East
Insider revised prediction: 8th in East
The rest out West
Kobe Bryant
Shooting Guard
Los Angeles Lakers
23 27.7 7.6 7.3 .404 .800
Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant's numbers just keep getting better and better. Over the Lakers' last five games, he's averaging 32.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 8.4 apg. We said at the start of the season that if Kobe averaged more than 6 assists per game the Lakers would make the playoffs.
That's still a strong possibility. But apparently that's not the key statistic for the Lakers. Kobe is averaging the same number of assists per game in both Lakers wins and losses.
Here's our new indicator. The Lakers will make the playoffs if Kobe takes less than four 3-point shots per game. In the 13 Laker wins this season, Bryant has taken an average of 3.6 3s. In their 10 losses, he's averaging a whopping 7.6 3-point attempts.
Insider preseason prediction: 9th in West
Insider revised prediction: 9th in West
Los Angeles Clippers: What happened to the Clippers' miracle season? Just two weeks ago we were ready to call them serious contenders for the eighth playoff seed in the West. But after five straight losses, the team has fallen back to Earth.
It's a shame really. The starting five of Marko Jaric, Bobby Simmons, Corey Maggette, Elton Brand and Chris Kaman have enormous potential. And with Chris Wilcox and Shaun Livingston coming of the bench, the Clippers have the potential to be a playoff team.
But Sterling's law says the Clippers will fall a few wins short of a playoff berth once again.
Insider preseason prediction: 14th in West
Insider revised prediction: 10th in West
Houston Rockets: Tracy McGrady has broken out of his early-season funk, averaging 26 and 6 in his last five. Yao Ming appears to have turned the corner too, averaging 18 and 10 in his last five.
But after T-Mac and Yao, the talent drop-off is so deep, and Jeff Van Gundy remains so stubborn, it's tough to see the Rockets breaking into the top eight in the West. Some will blame T-Mac. Others are pointing the finger at Yao or Van Gundy.
But the truth is basketball is a five-on-five sport, and the Rockets are only putting two players on the floor. As good as they both are, that's a tough burden for anyone to bear.
Insider preseason prediction: 6th in West
Insider revised prediction: 11th in West
The rest in the East
Jamal Crawford
Shooting Guard
New York Knicks
24 19.5 2.7 3.7 .398 .867
New York Knicks: Knicks fans should all breathe a huge sigh of relief that Vince Carter is playing in New Jersey. He wouldn't have been a good fit in New York, and Isiah knew it. But "buzz" has replaced chemistry in Isiah's playbook, and Carter provided plenty of that.
In Carter's absence, the "buzz" falls on Jamal Crawford. Crawford has hit some big shots the past few weeks and isn't shy about taking them. He's the anti-Tim Thomas, who tends to assume the fetal position in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.
Crawford's willingness to step up is something to build on in New York. Despite the crazy shot selection and his surprising unwillingness to pass (Crawford still claims he's a point guard) at least he seems interested in winning. The same can't always be said for Stephon Marbury, Thomas and the rest of the Knicks crew.
Insider preseason prediction: 7th in East
Insider revised prediction: 9th in East
Boston Celtics: The Celtics are in that place right between good and awful. They have enough talent to beat just about anyone on a given night. They also lack enough to allow them to lose to just about anyone on a given night.
The team is 11-12 so far, and there's nothing to suggest the trend won't continue. Paul Pierce has been good. Everyone else has been erratic. When three or four players get it going together, the team can look impressive. When it's two or less, it's ugly.
But is the mediocrity really worth it? It's probably just a matter of time before veterans like Ricky Davis and Gary Payton are traded in an attempt to get more playing time for the youngsters.
Insider pre-season prediction: 8th in East
Insider revised prediction: 10th in East
Chicago Bulls: The Bulls are on a roll. Three straight wins for this team is enough to stand up and take notice. Eddy Curry is starting to dominate in the paint again. Ben Gordon seems to come up huge on odd games. Luol Deng fills in on the even ones.
Is that enough for GM John Paxson to sit back and wait a little longer? Maybe Curry has turned the corner. Maybe Gordon just needed some time to adjust. Maybe Tyson Chandler, who has been crashing the boards, just needed to work off the rust.
Then again, maybe now is the perfect time for Paxson to make his move. With Curry and Gordon's stock on the rise, perhaps the Bulls can get the piece that will make them respectable again.
Insider pre-season prediction: 12th in East
Insider revised prediction: 11th in East
Man, I so want to see that. Even if we don't get Ronnie back, I expect JO and Jack to have a chip on their shoulder every single game. Hopefully, they'll take it out on the opposition and not the refs. But, it sure would be nice to watch us not taking games off, like every team always does.the Pistons, Heat and everyone else in the league could be in for a world of hurt as the hungry, angry Pacers try to exact revenge on everyone that stands in their way.
Come to the Dark Side -- There's cookies!
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
SJax and JO will have 25 and 30-game fresher legs than most of the league. Not sure about Jackson - he might get out of control - but I expect JO to put up HUGE numbers.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
"angry Pacers try to exact revenge on everyone that stands in their way"
I hear that. That gets me fired up just thinking of the possibility


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[DEPRECATED] Noble Deaths
This quest is not available in game.
Bring 7 Alterac Signet Rings to Magistrate Maleb in Southshore.
I fear the leadership behind the Syndicate is bent on Southshore's ruin. We must strike hard at these leaders before their plans are realized.
Enter the ruins of Strahnbrad, in the Alterac Mountains to the north. We think the Syndicate is using the area as a headquarters.
We know this gang of cutthroats is run by former Alterac nobles. They may be hiding as normal Syndicate agents, but you'll know you've killed a noble by the signet ring he wears.
Bring me those signet rings.
You will also receive:
- 250 reputation with Stormwind


text:
L.A. designer Onna Ehrlich comes to Canada
With features in the pages of InStyle and O magazines, as well as endorsements by A-list celebrities such as Cameron Diaz and Mila Kunis — high-profile recognition is all in a day's work for handbag designer Onna Ehrlich.
But the Los Angeles-based fashionista doesn't take any of it for granted.
"It doesn't matter if it is a big magazine or celebrity," Ehrlich said of the increasing recognition among the fashionable set.
"Everything is a big deal for us because we have worked so hard on this from the beginning."
Ehrlich was recently in Vancouver celebrating the launch of her LA LUXE collection in Canada, where she chatted about all things design.
Q: Describe your collection.
A: Our line is clean, modern and classic. It's made up of pieces that regardless of when you pull them out, you would wear them.
Q: What types of materials do you use?
A: Quality is very important to us. We use very luxurious, high-end Italian leather and we hand-make many of our bags in our factory in Los Angeles. We also manufacture overseas because we can't handle all of the production in-house.
Q: Is there a dramatic difference between those bags made in L.A. versus those made overseas?
A: (The LA-made bags are from the) LA LUXE line and they are just beautiful. Some of the pieces are lined in suede and have laser-cut details that are influenced by our Nigerian heritage.
Q: Where does your design inspiration come from?
A: We pull design details from our African heritage and then interpret it on leather.
Q: How involved are you in the design process.
A: Very! And not just in the design process. I'm very involved with the whole company every step of the way. I own the company with my partner, who is also my husband, and we are involved with everything from the thread and designs to the business end of it.
Q: How did you get into design?
A: I graduated from the Arts Center College of Design (in Pasadena, Calif.) and I had always wanted to work for myself and own my own business. My partner and I decided to start our own company, this was 10 years ago, and we started with shoes. We very quickly realized how complicated it was to worry about left-foot and right-foot, so we decided to go into handbags. Since then we have added jewelry and assorted accessories including silk scarves and leather gloves.
Q: Why do you love creating handbags?
A: I see handbag design as a playground. I can have a lot of fun with them – and jewelry. It's hard to explain, but it's just this big space where it's easier to express myself.
Q: You're here in Vancouver celebrating your Canadian launch. Can you give a few more details about that?
A: We have a few meetings lined up with boutiques, but for now, you can find our full collections online.
Q: Finally, what is the price point of your line?
A: From $20 to $950. Then there is the Red Carpet Dream Collection where you can find a piece that is priced at $300,000.
For more information, visit www.onnaehrlich.com/.


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VIDEO: Mean Green Minute
Get Caught Up On Everything That Happened This Week And A Preview Of This Week
Nov. 3, 2014
North Texas Mean Green
Here's a look back at last week's Mean Green action in football, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis and cross country.
North Texas held a 14-10 halftime lead and stayed even with Iowa most of the day, but couldn't hold up in the second half in a 31-14 loss Saturday.
Sophomore quarterback Mason Fine has a quiet confidence about him that is forged from years of perfecting his craft. All while consistently hearing from the ...
North Texas' Conference USA opener against UAB will be the Town of Argyle Day, when residents of Argyle will be able to purchase special group-rate tickets. ...
Week one of the National Football League season is in the books, and MeanGreenSports.com has you covered for 2017's fifth installment of #NFLMeanGreen.
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell spoke with media members Tuesday in his weekly press conference ahead of the Mean Green's game this Saturday at Iowa (2-...
Here Is A Look Back At Last Week's Mean Green Action, Including Looks At Football, Soccer, Volleyball And Men's Golf
For the second-straight year, North Texas could not stop SMU on third down nor slow Mustang star wide receiver Courtland Sutton.


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Popular movies week 28 February 1909
Here's the list of the most popular movies in the week 28/February - 06/March - 1909. Do you remember Cuisine magnétique by Chomont or The Tenth Act of Taikoki starring Gustav Lund, Robert Storm Petersen ?
What else happened in that week of 1909?
Discover what the world looked like on:


text: SportTroubled athletics meet ends in Moscow Empty seats and protests over new anti-gay law casts shadow over just-concluded championships. 19 Aug 2013 20:03 GMT | Sport, Athletics, Russia The world's best athletes are now heading home from Moscow and what has been a troubled athletics championships. Empty seats in the Luzhniki stadium and protests over Russia's new anti-gay law have been just a couple of the controversies. Al Jazeera's Peter Sharp reports from Moscow.Source: Al Jazeera


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Private sale of pistol with transfer
So, I want to sell a .45 to a private buyer in the same town as I live. He doesn't have a CCW permit, so trying to do the right thing, I offer to split the transfer fee and go through my local pawn shop FFL so they can do a background check on him to make sure I'm not selling to a felon.
No can do.
They won't do it. They need to have it sent to them by another FFL. So I'd have to take it somewhere else, and have them SHIP it to the place down the street, then they can do the background check and transfer. All that would eat up all profit plus some of the cost of the gun.
I just wanted to do the right thing, but I can't.
Any suggestions? Otherwise, I'm going to sell to him as long as he lets me take a picture of his drivers license so I have a record. This seems ludicrous to me. Am I missing something?
Since that ffl doesnt seem to understand the rules well i wouldnt do business with him. Find a different ffl.
I called a second place and he told me that they would have to take the gun in on consignment, then sell it to the guy for me, and do the transfer and background check then. All for a fee of course.
I called a third place and they said they could do it by first running a check on the firearm to make sure it wasn't stolen, then transfer and background check on the new guy, all totalling $50.
First one is not typical.
Legally all you have to do is take the person's dl info and statement there is nothing preventing them from purchase.
Personally i dont sell guns to anyone without going through a ffl. If the buyer doesnt want to go that route it raises red flags with me. I dont want any gun i sell ending up in a chitcago type obama blessed murder spree.
Go to another FFL, they one you are dealing with is full of BS!
Look up FFL's in your area call them and tell them what you want to do. Ask how much they charge.
You can't get a NICS check as an individual.
But most police departments will work with if you ask for an NCIC check. Be sure to get the name of the person at the P.D.
BTW, as long as you have the guys DL number, and his signature on a Bill of Sale, you're pretty well covered.
I also copy his license number on his vehicle.
what does YOUR state law require?
1 Attachment(s)
Does the buyer have a pistol permit?
In NC, I can have the county sheriff check the weapon Sn. first. Then ask them what they would do next. Then do it. My $.02 FWIW. :)
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text:
Senator Hoylman Extremely Disappointed by Senate Passage of MMA Bill
"I am extremely disappointed that the State Senate has again passed a bill to permit the violent and gladiatorial sport of Mixed Martial Arts, without ensuring proper long-term health care coverage for its fighters. The health consequences of MMA are no longer hypothetical - there is mounting scientific evidence that MMA fighting is directly correlated to brain trauma. A new study by the the American Journal of Sports Medicine released in March reveals that knock-outs during MMA fights result in a higher rate of brain trauma than knock-outs in similar sports such as boxing and traditional martial arts. The UFC profits from sensationalized violence, while refusing to take financial responsibility for the health consequences. It is irresponsible to legalize MMA fighting in NYS without a state-coordinated, industry-sponsored fund to cover long-term injuries sustained by fighters, whose cognitive health is exploited by the UFC for entertainment."


text:
Project 6 of 9
This work is part of a group project to Inform ourselves about how a motor tool works. Our group chose an electric shaver to dissect and understand. The latter part of our project requires us to reform a product using some standard parts of this product.


text: RAND: Paul K. Davis 2017-07-17T18:37:48Z Copyright (c) 2017, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/about/people/d/davis_paul.html Illustrating a Model-Game-Model Paradigm for Using Human Wargames in Analysis Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR1179.html 2017-02-23T19:20:00Z 2017-02-23T19:20:00Z Proposes and illustrates an analysis-centric paradigm (model-game-model or what might be better called model-exercise-model in some cases) for relating human wargaming to modeling and analysis. Capabilities for Joint Analysis in the Department of Defense Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1469.html 2016-09-12T08:00:00Z 2016-09-12T08:00:00Z This report stems from a congressional request for an independent report about the U.S. Department of Defense's capabilities for joint analysis and ways to improve them. Developing a Risk Assessment Methodology for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Daniel M. Gerstein; James Kallimani; Lauren A. Mayer; Lelia Meshkat; Jan Osburg; Paul K. Davis; Blake Cignarella; Clifford A. Grammich https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1537.html 2016-06-29T13:15:00Z 2016-06-29T13:15:00Z This report provides a risk assessment methodology that integrates risk factors and risk management approaches tailored to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's management, operations, and acquisition structures. Deterrence and Stability for the Korean Peninsula Paul K. Davis; Peter A. Wilson; Jeongeun Kim; JunHo Park https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP66368.html 2016-03-08T09:45:00Z 2016-03-08T09:45:00Z RAND and KIDA have been conducting a collaborative research addressing the issue of deterrence and stability for the Korean Peninsula. Simple Culture-Informed Models of the Adversary Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR1135.html 2016-02-26T11:30:00Z 2016-02-26T11:30:00Z Describes a series of research efforts over three decades to build simple cognitive models of the adversary, some as complex computer programs and some exceptionally simple. Uncertainty-Sensitive Heterogeneous Information Fusion Paul K. Davis; Walter L. Perry; John S. Hollywood; David Manheim https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1200.html 2016-02-01T09:00:00Z 2016-02-01T09:00:00Z Presents research on methods for heterogeneous information fusion -- combining data that are qualitative, subjective, fuzzy, ambiguous, contradictory, and even deceptive, in order to form a realistic assessment of threat in a counterterrorism context. Using Causal Models in Heterogeneous Information Fusion to Detect Terrorists Paul K. Davis; Walter L. Perry; John S. Hollywood; David Manheim https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP50992.html 2015-12-14T11:30:00Z 2015-12-14T11:30:00Z We describe basic research that uses a causal, uncertainty-sensitive computational model rooted in qualitative social science to fuse disparate pieces of threat information. Causal Models and Exploratory Analysis in Heterogeneous Information Fusion for Detecting Potential Terrorists Paul K. Davis; David Manheim; Walter L. Perry; John S. Hollywood https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR1124.html 2015-11-17T15:15:00Z 2015-11-17T15:15:00Z Describes research fusing heterogeneous information in an effort eventually to detect terrorists, reduce false alarms, and exonerate those falsely identified. Deterrence, Influence, Cyber Attack, and Cyberwar Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP50950.html 2015-11-13T16:30:00Z 2015-11-13T16:30:00Z This study uses a simple model to speculate about whether deterrence can be a significant part of dealing with special features of the cyber attack challenge, and distinguishing different classes and contexts of cyber threats. Deterrence, Influence, Cyber Attack, and Cyberwar Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR1049.html 2014-06-26T16:45:00Z 2014-06-26T16:45:00Z Proceedings from a workshop, Navigating Deterrence: Law, Strategy, andSecurity in the Twenty-First Century, organized by New York University's Center on Law and Security and held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 19-20, 2014. Analysis to Inform Defense Planning Despite Austerity Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR482.html 2014-03-20T07:45:00Z 2014-03-20T07:45:00Z Defense analysis can better serve policymakers by exploiting improvements in the state of the art and by rediscovering and supplementing classic principles. These relate to multiple objectives and hedging against uncertainty. Toward Theory for Dissuasion (or Deterrence) by Denial Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR1027.html 2014-01-15T15:30:00Z 2014-01-15T15:30:00Z Derived from a paper presented at the conference, Deterrence by Denial: Theory, Practice, and Empiricism, held at the Munk School of the University of Toronto, October 18-20, 2013. Using Behavioral Indicators to Detect Potential Violent Acts Paul K. Davis; Walter L. Perry; Ryan Andrew Brown; Douglas Yeung; Parisa Roshan; Phoenix Voorhies https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9724.html 2013-08-23T14:15:00Z 2013-08-23T14:15:00Z Provides an overview of research on how observable behavioral indicators might be used to detect potential violent attacks, such as by suicide terrorists or those laying improvised explosive devices. Using Behavioral Indicators to Help Detect Potential Violent Acts Paul K. Davis; Walter L. Perry; Ryan Andrew Brown; Douglas Yeung; Parisa Roshan; Phoenix Voorhies https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR215.html 2013-06-11T14:15:00Z 2013-06-11T14:15:00Z Reviews the scientific literature relating to observable behavioral indicators that might, along with other information, help detect potential violent attacks, such as those by suicide terrorists or the laying of improvised explosive devices. A Computational Model of Public Support for Insurgency and Terrorism Paul K. Davis; Angela O'Mahony https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1220.html 2013-05-01T13:45:00Z 2013-05-01T13:45:00Z Details a prototype computational model that seeks to explain, as a function of contributing factors, the extent of public support for insurgency and its use of terrorism. The model is believed to be reusable and suitable for composition. Advancing Clinical Decision Support Using Lessons from Outside of Healthcare Helen Wu; Paul K. Davis; Douglas S. Bell https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP51262.html 2012-08-01T12:00:00Z 2012-08-01T12:00:00Z National efforts to advance the health information agenda could profit from experience with computerized decision support in defense and business. Lessons from RAND's Work on Planning Under Uncertainty for National Security Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1249.html 2012-07-31T15:00:00Z 2012-07-31T15:00:00Z This review of two decades of RAND work on uncertainty analysis for national security applications shows the wide range of uncertainties that arise, the variety of analytic techniques needed, and progress made in dealing with deep uncertainty. Understanding and Influencing Public Support for Insurgency and Terrorism Paul K. Davis; Eric V. Larson; Zachary Haldeman; Mustafa Oguz; Yashodhara Rana https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1122.html 2012-07-31T10:30:00Z 2012-07-31T10:30:00Z Drawing on social science and particularly social movement theory, presents and tests empirically a conceptual model of public support for insurgency and terrorism and discusses how it can inform counterinsurgency and counterterrorism strategy. Influencing Violent Extremist Organizations and Their Supporters without Adverse Side Effects Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR909.html 2012-03-09T16:00:00Z 2012-03-09T16:00:00Z Discusses approaches, strategies, and an application to understanding and influencing public support of insurgency and terrorism. Toward an Analytic Basis for Influence Strategy in Counterterrorism Paul K. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP50294.html 2012-01-01T12:00:00Z 2012-01-01T12:00:00Z This chapter discusses terrorism-related deterrence and influence analytically.