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In a time of stifling labor shortages, how can a company get and keep industry superstars? The folks at architectural-design firm Pentagram think they know: make them partners.
In a time of stifling labor shortages, how can a company get and keep industry superstars? The folks at architectural-design firm Pentagram think they know: make them partners.
Is this the best partnership ever? Meet the most smoothly functioning collection of prima donnas on the planet
Who wouldn't have envied James Biber? As an architect, as a business owner--heck, as a guy with a life--Biber had it made.
Just 38, he had already built a healthy architectural practice designing offices for ad agencies and graphic designers, clients he loved working for. He'd done glamorous projects such as Manhattan's Gotham Bar and Grill. He was making good money. And he was doing it from a studio in New York's SoHo, which he shared with his graphic-designer wife and an illustrator. It was the kind of relaxed, creative place he could bring his dog to--"almost like another home." With smart clients, challenging work, and independence, Biber had just about everything a designer craves.
And then he gave it all up.
That's how it might have looked, anyway, to an observer watching Biber in 1991 as he shut down his successful business to join, of all things, a partnership. A big partnership, even--one with, at the time, 15 full-partner graphic designers, product designers, and architects, plus another 150 staffers, spread from London to New York to San Francisco. The firm is called Pentagram, and the reasons Biber and many other design-scene luminaries have abandoned independence to join it may help answer two questions on every CEO's mind. In this age of stifling labor shortages, how can a company get and keep the most valuable employees of all--the industry stars? And at a time when the intensity and complexity of business make teaming up with partners a smart way to cope, how do you make a partnership--that most emotionally unstable of organizational arrangements--actually work?
Pentagram's answer to each question is the same. Its secret to attracting stars, thriving as a partnership, and rising to international acclaim in its industry can be described in a single phrase: make work better. Create an organization in which even Biber and his ilk can find more-fulfilling work than what they could find on their own--work that's more interesting, more fun. Pentagram has managed that feat with a carefully calibrated partnership agreement and some long-held operating principles, which together enable partners to work collaboratively and yet preserve their identities as individual artists.
"They're more themselves in that partnership than many directors of design businesses are in their own businesses," says Michael Wolff, a graphic designer at the Fourth Room, a renowned London firm. When Biber joined Pentagram, it wasn't without trepidation. He'll say now, though, that he really didn't give up anything. Instead, he found a better way to be Jim Biber.
Which is what good work design is all about.
To really understand what's different about Pentagram, first one has to understand what life is like for a designer running his or her own shop, alone or with a partner or two. To begin with, there's a practical limit to how much an independent designer can take on. Biber says he could handle just a few moderately sized projects at a time on his own: an office, a restaurant, a house in East Hampton. Then there are the limits imposed by the perceptions of would-be clients: Pentagram partner Paula Scher recalls that potential clients with large jobs would visit her previous, two-partner firm "and see a girly design firm, not a lot of bodies at desks, and think I wasn't up to the job."
For independents, cash flow can be erratic, especially for architectural work. Also, independents often find it hard to try something new, since "you can't have experience on a variety of projects when you're by yourself," says Pentagram partner Lowell Williams, who had his own graphic-design firm in Houston for 15 years. Nor do the boundaries between, say, architecture and graphic design blur very much, since few small firms have a mix of disciplines.
And finally, independents are vulnerable to acute professional loneliness: a truly solo designer--one with no partners at all--may have a team of twentysomething assistants but no real peers available to consult or communicate with.
Of course, a lot of designers are happy to work that way. What they get in return is freedom, their name on the door, and the profits from everything that they produce.
But then there's Pentagram. Size-wise, with 160 employees and $25 million in annual revenues, it occupies a middle ground between independent designers and much-larger, corporate firms, such as Landor Associates, Fitch Inc., and Interbrand Group, which are often subsidiaries of ad agencies. In other ways, Pentagram is in a class by itself. At the design world's highest levels, a cadre of about 10 firms compete regularly for the same high-profile projects, estimates William Drenttel, former president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). "At the top of the heap, if you're talking about power and clout and prestige, is Pentagram," he says. Pentagram partners win awards with dizzying monotony. Pentagram's client list includes familiar brands such as United Airlines, Hewlett-Packard, Swatch, and Anne Klein, and blue-chip cultural institutions such as the Tate Gallery in London and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. If you've ordered from a Williams-Sonoma catalog, operated a Kenwood mixer, viewed a poster for New York's Public Theater, filled out an application for an account at J.P. Morgan, or shopped at a Gymboree store, you've already seen, touched, or used a Pentagram design.
Yet a so-called Pentagram style does not exist. Each of Pentagram's partners (there are now 17) remains a formidable design presence in his or her own right. "It's unusual to hear someone say, 'That's clearly a Pentagram project,' " says AIGA executive director Ric Grefe. "He would say, 'That's clearly a Paula Scher project.' Or '...a Michael Bierut project.' Or '...a Woody Pirtle project.' "
Founded in London in 1962 as Fletcher Forbes Gill by three men bearing those names, the firm became Pentagram when the fourth and fifth partners joined, in 1972. In 1978 Pentagram opened a New York City office, and two more American offices followed: San Francisco in 1986 and Austin in 1993.
From the very beginning, the three founders adopted a couple of key principles. First, each partner runs his or her design practice as a separate profit center, with a free hand in deciding which work to take on, how much to charge, whom to hire for the design team, and exactly how much to pay the team under the firm's general guidelines for employee salaries. The only requirement is that every partner should be comfortably in the black when the monthly financial report--the "blue sheet"--ranks all the partners by profitability. That stricture is enforced mostly by the invisible but effective mechanism of peer pressure. "Nobody ever says anything," Scher says. But, she adds, "you don't want to be on the bottom, because you just want to cry." In a typical year individual profitability can vary among partners by as much as $100,000, says founding partner Colin Forbes.
Yet the second principle is that the partners are absolutely equal. So equal, in fact, that every partner gets exactly the same salary and exactly the same bonus, no matter how profitable his or her work may be. Sharing profits equally seemed simple and logical, recalls Forbes. How else to divvy up the proceeds, given that one partner might land an assignment, a second do most of the work, and a third contribute the suggestion that capped the project off? Taking financial competition out of the equation encourages partners to share work with partners who may be less busy, instead of hoarding it for themselves. "We never squabbled over work," Forbes says.
Put into practice, those founding principles have some interesting consequences that not only make working as a Pentagram partner different from working as a partner anywhere else but also make the very work of being a designer--of whatever type--better than it would be even for designers who could easily succeed on their own. Among the work-altering effects of Pentagram's organizational arrangement:
When it comes to getting better, more challenging projects, it doesn't hurt that Pentagram provides a platform that few designers could match on their own. Biber notes that when his clients visit now, they get a very different impression from the one they would have been left with after visiting his old, shared studio in SoHo. "Now they walk into a building on Fifth Avenue," he says. "They walk into our building." In fact, each of Pentagram's four offices occupies its own building, and the London and San Francisco buildings are owned by subgroups of partners--legally separate from the Pentagram partnership--that banded together to buy the buildings. "The advantage of Pentagram is that the collective net worth of the Pentagram partners makes it feasible to buy a $4-million building," says Williams.
And Pentagram partners know that lots of people will see their work. "They publish like crazy," says competitor Bart Crosby of Crosby Associates. "It's almost like the 'publish or die' ethic you have in universities." Since 1979 the firm has been putting out Pentagram Papers, small, elegant booklets on oddball subjects that happen to strike a partner's fancy--a collection of Cuban-cigar labels, say, or photographs of the homemade, weirdly inventive mailboxes of rural Australia. Also, every few years the firm publishes a large compendium of its own work.
None of that is cheap. Williams, who put together the most recent compendium, the thick, lavishly illustrated Pentagram Book Five, won't reveal how much the book cost the firm but says that the photographs and text alone ran at least $225,000, exclusive of printing costs or his own time. Most of the 7,500 copies that the firm ordered will be given away to clients, prospective employees, friends of the firm, and other designers, though the book is for sale at retailers. But it's the sort of exposure that designers love--and that ultimately attracts clients. "That's far more valuable than anything you could charge for the book," Williams says.
There's also the power of the Pentagram brand. "If nothing else, we have a truly international reputation, so when I go in to talk to someone who may not know us as individuals or even know if we're good designers or bad designers, they do know we're working with the top companies in the world," says Hinrichs. "So it's given us entrÉe to a lot of people whom we might not otherwise come across." From the client's point of view, "design's a very unnerving business because you don't know what you're going to get," says former partner Alan Fletcher. "A company that's been going for 30 years, you feel comfortable about."
To make the Pentagram equation work means selecting the right people to implement it. Recruiting new partners is a serious business at Pentagram, with a courtship that lasts at least six months. "There are people out there who lust to be considered to be a partner," says the AIGA's Grefe, laughing. "You'd be amazed at the comparatively successful designers who, when the name Pentagram comes up, start to stutter and say, 'How does it happen?' " Actually, say Pentagram partners, the considerations are rather simple. First comes the quality of the designer's work. Second, a candidate should have run his or her own successful design firm (although in recent years the firm has bent that rule to promote three associate designers to partner). Third is the question of character: is the prospective partner a responsible sort who will carry his or her share of the financial load to make the Pentagram formula work? And last, but just as important, say two partners, is the question, Do I want to have dinner with this person?
When the right person does come along, Pentagram makes it relatively easy for him or her to join. For new partners buying equity, the firm's valuation is based strictly on its assets, mostly accounts receivable and works in progress, excluding goodwill. That puts the purchase price of a Pentagram partnership into a more manageable range--less than $400,000, representing 90 days of working capital, or about 25% of revenues for an individual partner, which can be paid over a period of 10 years from annual bonuses. Keeping financial barriers to partnership relatively low, Pentagram has been able to attract younger designers on the rise--a key reason for the firm's longevity.
Pentagram's approach to recruiting does have its drawbacks. Looking for new partners who will fit well into the Pentagram structure and culture, the firm tends to skip more strategic hiring. So far Pentagram hasn't caught the electronic-media wave, because the partners haven't been able to find a suitable partner candidate with expertise in that realm. Living in the high-tech boomtown of Austin, Williams knows just how serious missing out on that particular trend could be. But he's not willing to compromise when it comes to the Pentagram way. "If it means that we do only graphic design or product design or architecture forever, that's what we'll do," he says.
Every few years, Forbes says, someone offers to buy Pentagram. The most recent proposition came last year, from an unnamed advertising agency. The possibility always stirs up considerable excitement among the partners, says Williams, who adds, "I'd be embarrassed to tell you the discussions we've had about whatever phantom number we can imagine." At the very least, partners could walk away with a couple million apiece.
But of course, they couldn't really walk away. They'd have to stay at Pentagram, which would probably be a very different place once the partners became accountable to an outside owner. Some of the older partners liked the idea of cashing out. But the younger partners weren't willing to sell their chance to have a Pentagram career.
"I look around," says Williams, "and for what we want out of it as individuals, we actually have the best deal going."
Emily Barker is a senior staff writer at Inc.


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Lineup Leak #1
On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 8:30 PM, Mista PP said:
Damn awesome!!! Off to a great start!!! :D FFF '10!!!
On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 3:03 PM, ppppppat said:
which is nice!
On Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 3:49 PM, topper said:
nizzie. i just found out. right neow.
On Sun, Jul 18, 2010 at 10:48 PM, ducttapeavenger said:
i just had an eargasm
On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 2:18 PM, AtxHipsters said:
When i want the butt hole!
On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:51 AM, TiTa said:
On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:47 AM, tonignosis said:
This'll only get awesome-r if some of the ST guys also play as Infectious Grooves, let's do it!
On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:35 AM, ballzerko said:
I got the Johnson's Baby Powder and the Polo Cologne
On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:33 AM, risekevin said:
Apparently Slick Rick is performing The Great Adventures of… in its entirety.
On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:31 AM, MissyMayhem said:
Big hitter, the Lama.
17 Results Found

subset: commoncrawl


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The only Facebook constant is change, and user criticism when those changes occur.
Wednesday morning, millions of social media users awoke to a new "News Feed," and they didn't like it.
The News Feed, which tells users what their friends are up to, now put the "most interesting" posts at the top.
Commenting on the Facebook Blog, user Brandi Genest Weeks said: "Quite frankly I don't want Facebook deciding who is most important in my life. I want my news feed to just go chronologically and if I want to hide posts from someone, I will."
Jennifer Egan Siler writes: "Give us the option to turn this stuff OFF, it's terrible and makes me want to leave facebook altogether."
Joi D Cristofori was more direct and even used all caps to make her point: ""SUCKS. IF IT ISN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT. THIS IS THE MOST GOD AWFUL THING EVER. YOU JUST TURNED ME INTO A HATER AND THAT IN ITSELF IS A SIN, JERK."
Still, more than 1,300 "liked" the changes before I hit publish on this prize-winning piece of modern journalism.
Facebook says the new News Feed acts like a newspaper, which I happen to know are hugely popular with the Facebook demographic.
"When you pick up a newspaper after not reading it for a week, the front page quickly clues you into the most interesting stories. In the past, News Feed hasn't worked like that. Updates slide down in chronological order so it's tough to zero in on what matters most," explains Mark Tonkelowitz, an engineering manager at Facebook in a CBS article.
"Now, News Feed will act more like your own personal newspaper. You won't have to worry about missing important stuff."
A new feature, dubbed "Ticker" will soon be unveiled. It will track friends' posts in "real time," which sounds a lot like the old News Feed. (My account already seems to have it in the upper-right rail.)
Those who like the old News Feed can change their Facebook preferences to "English (UK)," say some.
Facebook fans should brace for more changes. Thursday, developers are expected to announce a host of upcoming tweaks, including a more musical experience.
Mashable reports Facebook will integrate musical services from Spotify and other content providers in the near future. Facebook will not directly host or stream any music or media. Instead, it will rely on partners to provide the content, much like it does with applications and games.
Facebook recently made it possible to demote annoying friends to "acquaintance" status, which seems to mimic Google+'s "Circles" feature.
September 21st, 2011
9:51 am
September 21st, 2011
9:51 am
Does the AJC have any editors which actually proof these articles?
September 21st, 2011
9:54 am
Kinda Big Brother-esque(and I don't mean the tv show) Why is it Facebook's job to decide what I think is "most important" and how do I know something one of my "acquaintances" posts is important unless I can see it right away instead of searching for it?
I'm starting to believe everything The Social Network told me about Zuckerberg's ego.
September 21st, 2011
9:54 am
First : )
September 21st, 2011
9:54 am
Bummer : (
September 21st, 2011
9:56 am
I can't stand the new Facebook changes. I say let the users decide how they want their News Feed to be listed, not Facebook. I liked the old way. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
September 21st, 2011
9:59 am
September 21st, 2011
10:01 am
Google+ is looking better all the time.
September 21st, 2011
10:03 am


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so far, not so bad. the initial sting of the peel wasn't nearly as bad as others have exclaimed. i'm only at day 5 and still haven't seen much of an improvement yet. the peeling is more than i thought! ...but it is not painful either, just ugly. i have been using small scissors to cut off the excess dead skin. i will update this as often as i can. this page was GREAT in helping me decide if i wanted to do this.
*update, 25 Nov 12* flaking of skin has pretty...
i receive A1 service at Mea's Medispa! Monica is the individual who gives me my facials and administered the Vi Peel. I wouldn't consider going anywhere else! i'm treated as family and treated as a priority when i come in. it's clear they value their patients! would encourage anyone and everyone to try this place out! During the initial week following, received constant texts from Monica asking how everything was going. Goes to show you that Mea's Medispa only gives the very best customer care!
Comments (3)
I agree with ckaren, I can see a very nice change in your skin.
Thanks for posting such great pictures! You weren't kidding about peeling quite a bit. I've heard though, that the big sheet like peeling (which looks like what you had) is better.
Looking forward to hearing more from you. :)
- Reply
Thank you for posting your progress! I can definitely see an improvement in your skin. Good luck.
- Reply
- Reply


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Crouere speaks truth to power and as such, will be anathema to the Romney sycophants. Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
The repub party is either going to make a significant shift in returning to its core principles, and quickly, or they will have no chance to recapture the few supporters they can.I don´t believe they can br saved.. I think there are to many Republicrats that are statists too. Or they´ve been in DC so long they think they own the place and are part of the "screw them, their my constituents club". There are a whole lotta of u s who will never hold our nose again to support a party that continues to snap defeat from the jaws of victory repeatedly. Click Here if you Like this Comment
Yep, but what most don´t realize is that the Republicans causing the losses are Libs in drag...Purge the party of all RINO´s and other Libs and start over! Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
Yup. Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
Almost correct. Many of those "savaging" conservatives are others who call themselves conservatives. If those of us who are conservative had acted we would have added President Jack Kemp to our history of great Republican Presidents.Reading posts on this site all season it was obvious to me that we were picking apart each candidate who was a conservative to Mitt Romney. Some of them blew their own campaigns apart.Mitt Romney is a good man with a good record in business. He is not a movement conservative. I respect his accomplishments and would have preferred that he win the election as most here would have.There are some who won´t be happy until we nominate a candidate who is pefect. That is to say, some will never be happy.In the meantime, I´ll go back to reading Kirk, Buckley, and Burke while assessing which conservative can win. That candidate will have my support. Click Here if you Like this Comment
The writer as well as the first couple of posters continue to overlook one basic reality: we have to choose a nominee from among the ANNOUNCED candidates. You cannot make up your own favorite superhero candidate, or coerce someone who doesn´t want to run into doing so. Why is that so hard to grasp?And as to the 2012 hopefuls who may have been more conservative than Mitt (Santorum, Bachmann, Perry, Gingrich, "9-9-9" Cain) each one of them fell short FOR A REASON. There was no RNC plot against any of them, and none would have had a ghost of a chance in the general. It would have been 1964 all over again.Romney and his campaign made mistakes, no question, but those conservatives who continue to trash this fine man who gave it all he had ought to get off their asses and get in the game themselves. Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
Matthews, Sharpton, Madcow......all sane????Oh yes, and Schultz. Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
It looks like the name calling loonies who were with us last week are back name calling ( Rinos,), etc. again. An interesting letter in last week´s local rag was from one lady, who admittedly didn´t vot for Romney because he isn´t a Christian, or some such nonsense.We don´t need excuses to goof this thing up. When there is an election in a two party system, you go and vote for the person who most nearly represents your views, or, alternatively, against the person who doesn´t. Jo Jo the dog faced boy would have been my candidate if he had run on the Republican ticket.I am embarrassed to share this planet with people who did anything else. Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
Romney was an excellent candidate with a perfect background that not even the democrats could uncover a scandal. And a beautiful family to boot. Shame on those conservatives who nitpicked his positions and didn´t vote for him. Are you happy now that you made your point? Jerks! Click Here if you Like this Comment 1 person like this.
FTA: "Romney tried to make the entire campaign about one issue, the economy. As a result, social conservatives were given no reason to vote."-If social conservatives really thought that they had no reason to vote they are devoid of reason itself. If they believe Obama will address their moral political issues more favorably than Romney would have, they are deluded.-Romney picked a tea party favorite as his VP running mate.-As for Ron Paul delegates, many of them behaved like thugs during the nomination process. You don't invite thugs to a party.The author of this article is correct about one thing: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.As long as social conservatives continue to believe that our nation would be better off by letting social and fiscal progressives run our government as a result of the religious right withholding support for sympathetic but non-evangelical fiscal conservatives, our country will continue its downward spiral. And that is truly insane. Click Here if you Like this Comment
As a Christian conservative, I have to take issue with those who claim that his loss is the result of evangelicals who did not support Romney. I´m an evangelical, as are many of my friends, and we all supported him, campaigned for him and voted for him. What´s more, from what I´ve read about our demographic nationwide, the vast majority did the same. That´s why I´d say the evangelical argument is a weak one, though not unexpected, given that there were those who, during the primary, regularly trashed anyone who preferred someone other than Romney as "an anti-Mormon evangelical" and accused people who disagreed with MR politically of religious bigotry.In reality, I believe that conservative turn-out was better and the vote count was more favorable to us than the fraudulent records reflect. The problem is, we´ve been had, both by the Dems and by our own leaders in the GOP who won´t fight against lying and fraud. There has to be a better way to run a party. Click Here if you Like this Comment
Other then Romney the stupid party (the Republicans) did not have anyone who could have won the election. I think that millions did not vote for Romney because he is a Mormon. If will be even worse in 2016 if Hillary Clinton, or some Obama clone, gets the Democrat nomination. Then besides the candidate you will have both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton out there campaigning for whoever the Democrat candidate turns out to be. Click Here if you Like this Comment


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text: This product belongs to: Tote Bags Category: Bags, Packs & Totes Subcategory: Tote Bags Ships In: 3 - 5 business days (pending credit, art, and proof approval) Material: Polyester Dimensions: 16 in. W X 15 in. H Imprint Area: 8.5 in. W X 7.0 in. H Decoration Method: Silkscreen Weight: 0.13lb. This great shopping tote makes carrying extra bag tote-ally worth it! - Measures 15"L x 16"W when unfolded; 5"L x 3.5W" when folded - Made of 210 denier polyester - Folds into a carrying pouch - Comes with drawstring and 18" shoulder straps - Has a matching back panel to primary bag color - First color run charge is FREE Kid-friendly/CPSIA compliant Were you able to find what you were searching for? Zero Risk ShoppingLowest Price GuaranteeIf you find a lower price, we'll give you $50 off on your next order. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee If you're not happy with your order, it's FREE. On-time Shipment Guarantee If your order does not ship on time, it's FREE. Frequently Asked Questions about this ProductQ: What types of payment does Branders accept? A: Branders.com accepts the following methods of payment: all major credit cards, a Branders.com line of credit or cash in advance. Q: Why do minimum quantities differ from product to product? A: Minimum quantity requirements vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In cases where a manufacturer's minimum order requirement exceeds your requested quantity, a Branders.com Specialist will assist you. Call us at 1-877-272-6337. Q: How accurate are the colors I see on screen? A: The Design Studio provides best color accuracy for most monitors and color printers using factory default settings. This may vary slightly depending on the quality or age of your monitor. Write in your question about this product: AVAILABLE COLORSCUSTOMER REVIEWS9 reviews I had previously ordered this bag in green and it came with polka dots. I thought it was much cuter, but this bag was nice and just like the picture online. Color is exactly what I wanted. The color of the bags is as expected and I am very glad it was available. The font size of the printing is perfect. It's a terrific tote and everyone was commenting on how much they liked it. It was really a hit. I can't say anything bad about it. PEOPLE WHO VIEWED THIS ALSO VIEWEDMORE UPSCALELOWER PRICELOWER MINIMUMSFASTER TURN AROUND |


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Test ID: AWNC
Arbovirus and West Nile Antibody Panel, Spinal Fluid
Fees Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.
- Authorized users can sign in to the Client Price Portal for detailed fee information.
- Clients without portal access can contact Customer Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Prospective clients should contact their Regional Manager. For assistance, contact Customer Service.
Test Classification Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer's instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR), Investigation Use Only (IUO) product, or a Research Use Only (RUO) product.
This test has been modified from the manufacturer�s instructions. Its performance characteristics were determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.
CPT Code Information Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Medical Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.
86651 x 2-California virus (La Crosse) encephalitis antibody, IgG and IgM
86652 x 2-Eastern equine encephalitis antibody, IgG and IgM
86653 x 2-St. Louis encephalitis antibody, IgG and IgM
86654 x 2-Western equine encephalitis antibody, IgG and IgM
86788-West Nile virus antibody, IgM
86789-West Nile virus antibody, IgG
LOINC® Code Information Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the result codes returned for this test or profile.
Result ID | Reporting Name | LOINC Code |
26365 | Calif(LaCrosse) Encep Ab, IgG,CSF | 29802-6 |
26369 | East Equine Enceph Ab, IgG, CSF | 10897-7 |
26367 | St. Louis Enceph Ab, IgG, CSF | 21509-5 |
26371 | West Equine Enceph Ab, IgG, CSF | 9315-3 |
WNVGC | West Nile Virus Ab, IgG, CSF | 41236-1 |
WNVMC | West Nile Virus Ab, IgM, CSF | 29569-1 |
26372 | West Equine Enceph Ab, IgM, CSF | 9316-1 |
26368 | St. Louis Enceph Ab, IgM, CSF | 21510-3 |
26370 | East Equine Enceph Ab, IgM, CSF | 10899-3 |
26366 | Calif(LaCrosse) Encep Ab, IgM,CSF | 29803-4 |


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WICHITA, Kan. — Tornadoes were spotted across the Midwest and Plains on Saturday as an outbreak of unusually strong weather struck, and forecasters warned that severe storms could possibly continue in the region the rest of the weekend.
Severe weather bears down on Midwest, Plains
At least 10 tornadoes have been reported in Kansas over the weekend
Sunday, April 15, 2012 | 7:43 a.m. CDT
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A local cheerleader is getting her chance to shine in one of the biggest events of her life.
Her school's colors may be purple and white, but Thanksgiving day, Nicole Forbes will be sporting a red and silver uniform.
Nicole was chosen this summer to join about 400 cheerleaders and dance squad members from around the country to perform in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City, and she can't be more excited.
"I'm really excited. I've always watched the parade since I was little, and I've always watched the cheerleaders that's in the parade," said Southern Valley cheerleader Nicole Forbes. "I didn't think it would be possible."
The 'Spirit of America' cheerleaders will kick off the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade Thursday morning.
Two other cheerleaders from Holdrege and Silver Lake will also take part.
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You really can't miss with the Paper Shapers punches. They are relatively hand-friendly, and cut easily without causing carpal tunnel syndrome. Plus, I really like that these punches leave nice clean edges.
I found this item to be the best punch I have ever used! It is so easy to push down. I later will buy more. I really like it.
I am a huge fan of punches. Because you can use them over and over again. To me the goal of scrapbooking is to be creative. You can embellish these, ink the edges, or use one or multiple punches on a layout.


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« Debunking a popular myth about mortgage lending | Main | Atlanta Fed Blog Gets Renewed Focus »
April 26, 2012
Can home loan modification through the 60/40 Plan really save the housing sector?
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In a recent article in the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, Manuel Santos, a professor at the University of Miami, claims to offer a simple solution to "save the housing sector." Called the "60/40 Plan," his proposal is the centerpiece of a business called 60/40 The Plan Inc. Santos's article is, in our opinion, written less like an academic article and more like promotional material.
The developer of the 60/40 Plan, Gustavo Diaz, is seeking a patent for the proposal. Unfortunately for the stressed mortgage market, his idea is simply a specific variant of a long-standing mortgage-servicing practice known as "principal forbearance." In general, principal forbearance occurs when the mortgage lender grants a temporary reduction of a borrower's monthly mortgage payment, often reducing the payment by a significant fraction, with the stipulation that the borrower repay this benefit, with interest, at a later date.
Principal forbearance is a loss-mitigation tool that mortgage lenders and servicers have been using for decades. In fact, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are currently using this technique as a loss mitigation tool and alternative to principal forgiveness (which Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director Edward DeMarco discussed here). Private mortgage lenders have also widely used principal forbearance, especially in the first few years of the recent foreclosure crisis.
As articulated in Diaz's 60/40 Plan, principal forbearance simply splits a distressed borrower's current principal balance into two parts: a 60 percent share that will fully amortize over 30 years and be subject to interest payments at market rates, and a 40 percent share that is treated as a zero-interest balloon loan due at the time of sale.
Of course, in practice, the optimal shares and other terms of a principal forbearance program should be, and often are in practice, based on a given household's financial situation. One size does not fit all. Professor Santos advocates the 60/40 Plan in large part because it is, in the language of economists, "incentive compatible." What this means is that borrowers who need assistance with their mortgage payments will find the program helpful and borrowers who do not need assistance will not find the program very appealing and thus will have little incentive to pretend to be a borrower in need of help in order to qualify for the program.
He writes: "It is important to understand that the 60/40 Plan builds on financial postulates and incentive compatible mechanisms that can be firmly implemented. It is designed as a first-best contract between the homeowner and the lender by holding onto some basic principles of incentive theory."
We agree completely with this sentiment. In fact, one of us wrote an article almost five years ago that advocated a policy of principal forbearance over principal forgiveness for exactly these reasons. Thus, the 60/40 Plan is not a novel concept, as Professor Santos seems to believe. But even more problematic, principal forbearance, as we have come to realize over the past few years, is not a panacea for the housing market for several reasons. First, it is really only helpful and appealing to borrowers that have temporary cash-flow problems who do not wish to move. This is because under the 60/40 Plan and principal forbearance in general, a borrower remains in a position of negative equity, which makes it virtually impossible to sell, since the borrower would need to come up with the amount of negative equity in cash to repay the entire principal balance of the mortgage at closing. For example, in the numerical example that Professor Santos works through to illustrate how the 60/40 Plan would work in practice, the borrower remains in a position of negative equity for 15 years. Thus, if a cash-strapped borrower needs to move immediately, or even a few years down the road, default (or re-default) is very likely.
Second, carrying 40 percent of the mortgage at a zero (or below market) interest rate imposes significant costs on the lender or investor. (These costs are viewed as being offset by savings from avoiding foreclosure.) Nevertheless, principal forbearance is not always going to be a positive net-present-value proposition; this depends on the share being protected (40 percent is quite high), the amortization schedule (30 years is very long), the discount rate, and the re-default rate. Indeed, Professor Santos seemingly assumes no re-default despite the fact that under the plan a borrower would remain in negative equity for a very long time, as we discussed above.
Third, most distressed mortgages are not held by depository institutions as whole loans. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been able to selectively employ principal forbearance because they make investors whole in terms of the original promised principal and interest payments. This is not true for private-label securitizations, and there have been ongoing disagreements between investors and servicers as to optimal loss-mitigation strategies. (And there is no reason to think this proposal would not be similarly controversial.) The 60/40 Plan also seemingly ignores the significant complications posed by existing second liens and mortgage insurance policies.
Finally, Professor Santos claims that the 40 percent zero-coupon balloon shares—typically nonrecourse loans to severely distressed homeowners—will have a deep secondary market to pull liquidity back into the housing market. This seems far-fetched given that these assets have little or no yield and will have high default rates with no recourse. However, reading further, it appears that the proposal assumes a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance wrap for these assets to facilitate their sale. The cost of this insurance would likely be expensive and require a controversial new program, with premiums expected to cover losses or a congressional appropriation. However, it also ignores the fact that FDIC-insured depository institutions only hold about 25 percent of all mortgages.
Principal forbearance can be a useful loss-mitigation tool, although its value depends on economic circumstances. The 60/40 Plan that Professor Santos advocates is an example of principal forbearance and not a novel concept. Moreover, the 60/40 Plan does not consider a number of important institutional factors that have hampered loss-mitigation activities since the onset of the mortgage foreclosure crisis. Simply put, the 60/40 Plan will not save the housing market.
By Scott Frame, financial economist and senior policy adviser, and
Kris Gerardi, financial economist and associate policy adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
April 26, 2012 in Foreclosure contagion , Loan modifications , Mortgage crisis , Mortgage default | Permalink
The comments to this entry are closed.


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Right - the Super Bowl gig will be sung live.LOL
She´ll have to sing live at the Super Bowl at this point, LOL.
Someone representing the military band said they also scynched the music. Later it was told that the person who reported this was not authorized to make that statement. Not that it wasn´t true, just that they were not authorized.Michelle said earlier she is a roll model for her girls. Sorry but I couldn´t disagree more to have her as a roll model.
Skin color provides and automatic pass for whatever she does and says about this or anything else.
I really enjoyed Minny Moochy munching mightily on her one millionth lobster dinner. Now that was some serious lip-synching.
What is the problem , just play a recording at the Inauguration like they play a recording of Taps at the funeral of someone in the military.
Well, the Super Bowl IS more important than Bammy´s inagural. At least both teams had to earn their way to the game.
Seems to me that the organizers of these kinds of things could save a lot of money. Just get a body-double or, cardboard cut-out of the ´singer/performer´ and play a recording of the song.As a matter of fact, Zippy could even be replace in the same way - everything he says comes from the teleprompter anyhow and I think you could capture that imperious sneer on camera, then blow it up to life size.
...this will be GREAT!!!!!!!!! the obamaloving FOOL will be BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOED!!!!
Her singing was as authentic as the president´s birth certificate.
There have been many (conflicting) reports on what happened. The most plausible was that she was recorded individually and the Marine Band played live. What makes me think this is the true story? We noticed that she was off-key and out of synch with the band during the first part of the National Anthem. Later on the whole thing came together better and she was more on key.Surely someone who was there would know if the band was actually playing.She should save her lip-synching for something other than our National Anthem. Cheesy to the max.
i don´t actually care what the lyin´ hawaiian or any of his synchophantic slime say, think or do.
Cue Grace Slick singing White Rabbit.
Srsly? Lamest excuse ever! Professional singers (including her when she´s on tour) sing hours on end for days without a break. Lame.
I read somewhere it was because she got there late and didn´t have time to rehearse. Which is it?
If Beyonce is such a great role model for black women, why does she lighten her hair and trade on her light-colored skin?
Why do democrats always have to have an excuse for everytime they are caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar?? Wouldn´t it be refreshing to have, just once, some democratic actually admit something honestly? Yeah, I know-he77 ain´t cold enough yet...
Too bad they can´t cancel her Super Bowl contract. Maybe Zippy didn´t pay her enough to sing live for the event.Maybe they will turn their backs when she sings at the Super Bowl in protest.


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News Releases by Email
News Release
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Media contact: Joy Hill, 352-258-3426
Photo Gallery
Capt. Pierre Pierce
(Back to Commission meeting news)
At their June 8 meeting in World Golf Village, St. Augustine, commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recognized St. Augustine sculptor Pierre Pierce for his contributions to fish and wildlife conservation through his highly acclaimed marine artwork.
He uses his marine experience to intricately sculpt marine animals such as sailfish, turtles, manta rays and even manatees out of bronze. To see some of his work, go to www.pierreart.com.
"It takes people like you to promote fishing and the outdoors. Thank you Captain," FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto told Pierce during the recognition.
Pierce had praise for the Commission.
"Over the years, I've watched the FWC take difficult problems and make them work for the citizens of Florida," Pierre said.
During more than 50 years working in a marine-related environment, Pierce has been a marine technician, captained research vessels, collected tropical fish and marine animals for various aquariums, done underwater photography and fished in tournaments.
Pierce was born in Chicago in 1935. He later moved to Camp Hill, Pa., where he learned about hunting and fishing in and around the Appalachian Mountains. In 1953 he moved to Florida to study marine biology at the University of Miami. He started the "Sea Devils" spearfishing club there in 1954 and four years later got his captain's license.
He worked at the Rosenstiel Marine Lab at the University of Miami as captain, marine technician and underwater photographer. For two years he was also the captain of Chicago's Shedd Aquarium's marine education, collection and dive vessel.
From 1975-1991 Pierce worked for the Bertram Yacht manufacturing company as captain of its factory boat, Moppie. His main job was promoting the company. Although he did his first artwork in high school, it was while working at Bertram Yacht that he began sculpting professionally.
Pierce is a self-taught artist, with help from other artists and professionals, and he has been recognized by organizations such as the International Game Fish Association, the Billfish Foundation and Southern Trial Lawyers Association. He has sculpted awards for many major fishing tournaments, and his work has appeared in numerous publications.
He and his wife, Anita, who is also a licensed captain, are charter board members of the Guana Tolomato National Estuarine Research Reserve Friends of the Reserve, and he has served as the group's president for three terms. He is also a member of the St. Augustine Art Association, a past board member of the Marine Industries of Northeast Florida, and a past board member of the Ancient City Game Fish Association and the Greater Miami Billfish Tournament. In addition, he is recognized as a United States Coast Guard artist.
Pierce is currently working with the Marineland Right Whale Project as captain and technical advisor to Dr. Jim Hain for his onsite studies.
FWC Facts:The secretive little pygmy sunfish is not a true sunfish and may be more related to sticklebacks and pipefishes.
Learn More at AskFWC


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"Copped spinach leaves are layered with flour and beaten eggs. Cheese and breadcrumbs go on next, and then milk and melted butter are poured over everything. An hour later, it's done. It's great for dinner parties and family meals."
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See how to make simple homemade creamed spinach.
See how to make a tasty, reduced-fat spinach and Cheddar quiche.
See a few simple shortcuts for making easy creamed spinach.


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commercial software
Atlassian Clover for IDEAProducts: IntelliJ IDEA Vendor: Atlassian Email: Website: http://www.atlassian.com/software/clover/ Buy link: http://www.atlassian.com/software/clover/ License: http://www.atlassian.com...ut/licensing/license.jsp Description:
Clover is an award-winning Java code coverage analysis tool. Clover instruments source code and then records precisely what is executed when tests are run. The detailed test coverage reports help developers easily identify areas where the testing is weak, enabling them to write better tests faster. Clover fits into a developer's environment, be it Ant, Maven, IDEA, Eclipse or the command line. Quality Assurance and Project Managers can access important quality metrics over time via html and pdf reports. Clover provides test analysis to thousands of companies and open source projects all over the world.
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03/27/13 Revolutionary Selling Concepts (2 hour Core Course) Absolutely NO CHARGE!
Cherry Hill, United StatesBummer! Sales have ended.
Unfortunately, tickets for this event are no longer on sale.
Event Details
Don't miss your chance to fulfill some or all of your (12 hour ethics core and elective) continuing education requirements by April 30th, 2013 absolutely "FREE" by attending the following 6 phenomenal courses. These 6 courses are the best ones in New Jersey and they are conducted by Phil Mitsch, your industry's all-time top-producing residential resale Realtor and highest rated sales trainer. During his incredible 24 years of production he personally settled, without using assistants, 2713 residential resale transactions totaling over $330 million in personal production and nearly $20 million in commissions. Phil Mitsch will be revealing many of his most powerful, effective and successful listing, selling and marketing concepts in the following incredible 6 Courseswhich are an absolute must for every real estate licensee.
Course #1: Ethical Practices For Real or Success…… (Monday March 18th, 2013 – 6:00 to 9:00PM)
Course #2: Revolutionary Selling Concepts………...(Wednesday March 27th, 2013 – 6:00 to 8:00PM)
Course #3: The Ultimate Short Sale Formula………… ((Monday April 1st, 2013 – 6:00 to 8:00PM)
Course #4: How To Give The Ultimate Listing Presentation (Monday April 8th, 2013 – 6:00 to 8:00PM)
Course #5: Successful Valuations and Financing……. ……...(Monday Aprilk 15th 2013 – 6:00 to 8:00PM)
Course #6: Revolutionary Listing Concepts……………. (Monday April 22nd,, 2013 – 6:0 to 8:00PM)
Register For These Incredible 6 Courses "FREE" By Contacting
Walter Keyser
White Star Lending Group
If you do not wish to receive any further fax or email notifications from us, please email or call and you will be removed from our list.


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The winter holidays aren't complete unless there are cookies like these on the table! Festive & tasty! Preparation time includes NEITHER the 2 hours needed to chill the dough before shaping into logs, NOR the time needed to freeze the logs until firm.
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By Story by Sara Wittmeyer
Highland Heights, KY – You may remember as a child going downtown to see the motorized elves in the windows of Shillito's department store. For more than 25 years, it was a holiday tradition for many families until the early 1980's when the store merged with another company and the elf display became simply a memory. But now it's back.
View the discussion thread.


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- Home
- Trip Planning
- The Mountain
- The Village
- Things to Do
- Tickets & Passes
- Lessons, Rentals & Teams
- Groups
Squaw Valley lift tickets and season passes also give you access to Lake Tahoe ski resort Alpine Meadows! Squaw Valley's amazing sister mountain is just 10-minutes away, and free shuttles depart from each resort every half-hour.
Visit Alpine MeadowsA little suprise this morning of a fresh inch of snow. We were only expecting up to a dusting from the weak short wave moving through this morning. That brings the 3 day total to 7 inches. If only that could be our luck with the bigger storms.
We picked up another 5 inches on the mountain yesterday bringing the storm total to 6 inches. The skiing was really good yesterday and will be again today.
The low tracked straight down the coast fooling every forecast model and forecaster yesterday. But we will take snow no matter how much falls.
We picked up an inch of snow from the dry cold front that moved through overnight. That was right in line with what we were thinking. The main low pressure center is moving South into Northern CA this morning and headed our way.
No changes this morning. Expecting light snow as early as tonight but the heaviest snow will be Tuesday, with snow showers lingering through Tuesday night. Sticking with the forecast of 6-12 inches for the base, and 12-18 inches on the mountain.
Spring skiing again today along with lots of soft snow on the mountain.
Good Friday Morning to you. Hope you all had fun yesterday. Today and tomorrow we are going to get some of the warmest weather of the Winter with highs into the 50's and abundant sunshine.
If you love warm and sunny skiing get out there on Friday and Saturday as we will see temps into the 50's in a lot of areas. It is ahead of a big pattern shift we have been waiting for and forecasting to come after mid-month. There will be a system on Sunday that will move into the Pacific NW and will help to flatten the ridge over the West.
Tomorrow we will be in the 5 day range of the first storm of what will hopefully be many starting next week. That is the range I will usually start to consider talking about possible snowfall amounts with the storms.
After another cold day today the temperatures will be on the rise up into the 40's starting tomorrow and then the 50's by the end of the week, with plenty of sunshine. That is due to the ridge of high pressure that is going to be sitting along the West Coast through Saturday.
Cold air is around through Monday before the trough kicks East and the ridge builds in along the West Coast this week. Tue-Thu the temps warm into the 40's and then maybe the 50's by Friday and Saturday.


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State of mental health care is the real Navy Yard scandal
| Sep 22, 2013
In the liberal remake of "Casablanca," the police captain comes upon the scene of the shooting and orders his men to "round up the usual weapons."
It's always the weapon and never the shooter. Twelve people are murdered in a rampage at the Washington...


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Commander Chris Follin enlisted under the advanced electronics field in 1987. He served five years onboard USS BIRMINGHAM (SSN 695) as a Second Class Electronics Technician and Navy Diver. While attached to the Chief of Naval Operations Special Project, Submarine Surveillance Equipment Program and ESM Certification team, he was one of the first 50 Sailors selected for Admiral Boorda's Seaman to Admiral Program.
After receiving his commission at Officer Candidate School and completing Surface Warfare Division Officer Course in 1996, he report to USS CHANCELLORSVILLE (CG 62) where he served as the Main Propulsion Division Officer and Strike Officer and earned the SURFPAC ship handler of the year award. In June 1998, Commander Follin reported to Mine Countermeasures Rotational Crew Bravo embarked onboard USS PIONEER (MCM 9) as the Operations Officer deploying to the Arabian Gulf in USS ARDENT (MCM 12).
While attached to the Naval ROTC unit in Jacksonville, Florida from December 1999 to December 2002, he earned a Bachelor of Science in History and a Master's Degree in Business.
Returning to Sea Duty for his Department Head tours, onboard USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81), Commander Follin served as Weapons Officer and Combat Systems Officer. During his tour, WINSTON S. CHURCHILL earned the Battle Efficiency award and completed a successful Arabian Gulf Deployment. While with the NASSAU ESG conducting Maritime Security Operations in the Indian Ocean, WINSTON S. CHURCHILL rescued 16 Indian crewman through their apprehension of 10 Somali pirates onboard M/V SAFIN AL BISARAT.
Remaining on Sea Duty, Commander Follin reported to Commander Strike Force Training Atlantic from October 2006 to September 2008 as the Assistant Maritime Operations Officer responsible for designing maritime composite unit training exercises for Carrier and Expeditionary Strike Group certifications.
His most recent shore assignment was to U.S. Joint Forces Command, Joint War-fighting Center, responsible for enabling the creation of invaluable Joint Training solutions that supported all Uniformed Services, Combatant Commands, Multi-National Partners, and U.S. Inter-agency and Non-governmental agencies.
Commander Follin was selected for the XO/CO fleet up program and has served as Executive Officer aboard the USS SIMPSON (FFG-56) from April of 2011 to November 2012, when he assumed Command of SIMPSON on 16 November.
Commander Follin's awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (3), and the Navy Achievement Medal (4), Good Conduct Award, and various campaign and unit decorations.
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Every week I do something new to reduce light pollution. Eyes on the Sky is at 650,000+ views so far; more views = more awareness. Please consider sharing with others.
KJ6RGY Richard Trost
Sacramento Ca.
4.5", 6", and 10" Newtonian astrographs.
2 ST80s; ED80; 3 CCD cameras; 5 EQ mounts: all polished, tuned, and modified.
The rule of telescope features: aperture; equatorial tracking; or low cost. Pick any two.
Quote:Small steps.....
Quote:Asking you to install blinds because he wants to leave his lights on is like asking him to permanently close his windows so you can leave music on all night long. He would be annoyed if he had super sensitive hearing and you left music on all night long aimed at his house.
Quote:if I were you I would give him one more chance.
Quote:I would go to the local ordinances and write a complaint to the police department. That will permanently fix his light. You were nice above and beyond what was required. Now it is time to let other people do their jobs as well.
Meade LS8 ACF Meade 2" Diagonal Apetura 10" Tweakers Package Meade ETX-125, ETX-90 for Solar Celestron 80mm APO PST Meade SWA - 34mm,28mm,24mm,20mm Brandon 32mm, 16mm Vernonscope 40mm Erfle 2" ES 14mm,11mm,6.7mm 8.8 Nagler 13mm T6, Pan 19mm Meade 12.4 Pl,9.7mm, 15mm SP Meade 2x Shorty Barlow Powermate 2.5x WO Bino Viewer, 20mm 66* pair Denkmier 2 Super System Meade Nebula Filters Meade 9x60 Bino Vivitar S1 8x42 Bino Canon T2i, 18-55mm, 50mm 1.8, 55-250mm
Joined June 2012: Location, Ottawa, Ontario
Mes télescopes et jumelles:
150mm F5 Newt on EQ5, 127mm Mak Cass on AZ4
Oberwerk BT70-45 and 15X70 SkyMasters
Scopes: Celestron 9.25, Orion 80MM and 120MM EON Apo
Solar: Lunt LS60THa/PT/B1200/50DS
Binos: Canon 15X50 IS Mounts: CGEM and LXD75
Eyepieces: Explore Scientific, Meade & TeleVue
Camera: DMK 41, Canon 6D, SBIG STT-8300
Messier Certificate # 2508
My Images: http://www.astrophotogallery.org/u342-hfjacinto.html
Quote:If I can get the street light changed to a full cut off you can too. I just said it shined into my bedroom and I couldn't sleep , it took several months but it got changed. Neighbors are hard. I can't help you there.
Quote:That's my plan for now. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated - good / bad / adjustments, whatever.
Quote:Rob their house. Then, they will see that the light doesn't deter crime.
Quote:That's an interesting idea about the ordinance. Where do you think I can start "digging" into these in my city?Bob
My eyepieces are made from the waste product of exploding stars.
10XTi 102XLT ST80A(2" Focuser); President, Eypieces Anonymous, Denver Chapter (Hello, I'm an eyepiece junky, what's your excuse?)
DAS Dark Site
Quote:Quote:That's an interesting idea about the ordinance. Where do you think I can start "digging" into these in my city?Bob Try doing a web search for your city and/or state outdoor lighting regulations.
Yes, I too have telescopes and all of them are Go-To. Wherever I push them, that's where they Go-To. "When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there's no end to what you can't accomplish"
Quote:"Dear Mr. [Village Administrator]Exactly one month ago today, I contacted you regarding the lights shining into my daughter's bedroom window. In that time, ComEd has come out and said they will do nothing without village approval. I wrote to you about that 2 weeks ago. I am also still waiting for a Village response in regards to the review you indicated you would initiate back on July 24. It is now August 24.I feel confident that if there was loud music playing at night or other noise disturbances, the police would be on scene within a matter of minutes. I suppose because it is light - which is actually more harmful than sound, based on some recent research linking it to breast and prostate cancer, not to mention sleep disorders (see this link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002207/ ) - there is less urgency, as it only affects those in direct line-of-sight?Please, I am asking for your help. I would like this problem resolved, and the Village Code certainly appears to support my position that these lights are a nuisance and should be changed / remedied. This is a simple problem to resolve; the lights either need to be changed, or shielded so they aim down at the ground. I am not asking for them to be off. I am asking for them to light the ground underneath where they are located, and simply keep light from going into a SECOND floor window, where it is neither wanted nor needed. If you drive through Route [XX] in [ABCCity] when it is raining at night or see the new, black post lamps installed in the Village of [XYZABC], you can see how better lights make it easier to see, as there is less glare due to the well-shielded lights. Even the lights at [12345] Dodge here in [our village] are well-shielded, ensuring they light up ONLY the area on the ground below them, and not residences nearby.[The electric company] has thrown the ball back into your court. Please help me in this matter, and let me know where things stand so I do not feel as if nothing is being done. The Village Code backs me up here - it would seem that this should be a simple matter to resolve. Please let me know what the hold-up is here.And I should add that since we are nearing autumn, the streetlight at [CROSS STREETS] will be shining into my own bedroom window from over 100 feet away when the leaves fall off the trees. Note that better shielded lights use less energy as well, because they aren't shining light needlessly up into the air.
John in NW Arkansas


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Baileys and Fox in the Hound are relaxed pub enviroments. More than 20 TVs, 40 beers on draft, eight...
A cozy Café with a brand new 55 inch plasma T.V. knock out waitresses, and wireless internet. Servi...
(American, French, Italian, Mediterranean, Bistro)
Mediterranean-inspired menu including: main course salads, gourmet pizzas, pastas, gourmet signature...
"This is one of Metro-Detroit's oldest gathering spots. Originally opened just after the Great Depr...
Fans would probably rank this a three-and-a-half star experience, but there's no reason for hockey a...
(American, Breakfast, Deli, European, Greek, Seafood, Salads, Soup, Burgers)
Full service breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring a Halal menu. Breakfast served anytime. ...
Tender loving care, dished up along with great food, and served in spacious and attractive digs. The...
"In a picturesque room, which at one time housed Henry Ford's indoor swimming pool, The Pool is one ...
"Potbelly Sandwich Works began in 1977 as a small antique store run by a nice young couple. Despite ...
"22 gourmet burgers that dare to be different like the Banzai Burger with grilled pineapple rings or...
Richters Chalet is a throwback to those days before the Food Network, celebrity chefs, Neiman Ranch...
Casual, family style. Buffets and a la carte menus. Friday night all-you-can-eat pasta buffet.


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Siddhasana :-
Place one heel at the perineum and then place the other one above the genital organ.
Siddhasana |
Control the sense organs.
Keep the eyes fixed on once place and look at the space between the two brows.
Benefits :-
Siddhasana is said to give liberation and good result. The sense organs are to be controlled through control of mind. The therapeutic value of siddhasana is also considerable. It cures all diseases of the body by generating prana or life-force.


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December first, 1919 Professor G. W. Carver, Tuskegee, Alabama, Dear Professor Carver:-- I thank you for the very fine batch of fungi that came this morning. They will add greatly to our collection. The package was opened at one end but none of the specimens were lost. Yours truly, LHP/EMT.
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Availability: Plaza Pelicanos Club Beach Resort All Inclusive
Please enter your travel dates.
Standard Room - All Inclusive
- All-Inclusive
All meals are included in your stay.
- FREE Parking
Parking is included in your stay.
Resort near the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Near the beach
This resort is located on the Hotel Zone, 10 minutes from the International Airport and 5 minutes from downtown. Attractions include Plaza de las Armas,Teatro Vallarta, and the Bay of Banderas.
All-inclusive resort
Plaza Pelicanos Club Beach Resort offers 2 pools, both with swim-up pool bars, a buffet restaurant, two à la carte dinner restaurants, lobby bar, and a snack bar. Recreation activities include a tennis court, kids club, and a Beach club.
TVs with cable
Rooms have 2 twin beds or 1 king bed (subject to availability), air conditioning, TVs with cable, in-room safes, marble bathrooms, and bathroom amenities.
Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Plaza Pelicanos Club Beach Resort All Inclusive Amenities
- All-Inclusive Details
This resort is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).
Gratuities and taxes
Gratuities and taxes are included. Additional gratuities at guests' discretion are accepted.
Food and beverages
- All buffet meals, snacks, and local beverages included
- Room service during certain hours
- Surcharges for premium or imported alcoholic beverages, bottled wine, and room service
Activities and facilities/equipment
Water activities
- Scuba-diving lessons
- Snorkeling
Land activities
- Tennis
- Tennis lessons
- Volleyball
- Dancing
- Water aerobics
- Yoga
Kids' club
- Supervised activities for children between 4 and 12 years old
- Open from 9 AM until noon and from 1 PM until 5 PM
- Onsite entertainment and activities
- Onsite live performances
- Theme parties
Not included
- Airport transfers
- Childcare
- Laundry/dry cleaning services
- Motorized water sports
- Premium and/or non-domestic beverages
- Room service
- Scuba-diving certification
- Scuba-diving excursions
- Snorkeling excursions
- Spa/beauty facilities and services
- Wireless Internet access
- Offsite tours
- General
This all-inclusive resort is located near the beach, in the north hotel zone. Downtown Puerto Vallarta is a 5-minute drive away. Free valet parking and a concierge desk are available.
Guests can dine at the buffet restaurant and 2 specialty restaurants, including a sushi bar. Nightly entertainment includes theme and dinner shows. A daily activities program offers yoga and dancing classes, and a kids club is provided for ages 4 to 12.
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Number of bars/lounges 3
- Beach sun loungers
- Beach towels
- Number of buildings/towers - 3
- Children's club (free)
- Total number of rooms - 186
- 24-hour front desk
- Currency exchange
- Poolside bar
- Number of floors - 3
- Tennis on site
- Business services
- Free breakfast
- Concierge desk
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Tour assistance
- Restaurant
- Garden
- Luggage storage
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Marina on site
- Medical assistance available
- Multilingual staff
- Free parking
- Free parking (limited spaces)
- Free valet parking
- Parking nearby (surcharge)
- Patio
- Porter/bellhop
- Room service (limited hours)
- Outdoor tennis court
- Pool sun loungers
- Security guard
- Self parking
- Swimming pool - children's
- Business center
- Coffee shop or café
- Use of nearby fitness center (complimentary)
- Wedding services
- Parking nearby
- Beach/pool umbrellas
- Wireless Internet access - surcharge
- Dial-up Internet access - surcharge
- Laundry facilities
- On private beach
- Smoke-free property
- Supervised childcare/activities
- Television in lobby
- Internet
Available in all rooms: Wireless Internet access (surcharge)
Available in some public areas: Wireless Internet access - surcharge
- Parking
Free parking, Self parking, Free valet parking, Free parking (limited spaces), Parking nearby, Parking nearby (surcharge)
- Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Ceiling fan
- Direct-dial phone
- Complimentary bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Cable TV service
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- In-room safe
- Dial-up Internet access (surcharge)
- Shared bathroom with sink in room
- Turndown service
- Wake-up calls
- Signature bedding
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
- Electronic/magnetic keys
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Flat-panel TV
- Wireless Internet access (surcharge)
- Down blanket
- Free movie channels
- Garden view
- Pool view
- Dining
El Huerto - Casual buffet restaurant with salad bar. Theme dinners include Mexican, Asian, Italian, and seafood cuisine. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Caruso Ristorante - À la carte Italian cuisine. Dress code. Reservations required. Dinner.
Temaki Sushi Bar - À la carte sushi restaurant. Dress code. Reservations required. Dinner.
- Recreation
Near a sandy Puerto Vallarta beach, this resort provides canoes and snorkeling equipment. A pool and a spa tub are on site.
Daily activities include yoga, dancing, and cooking classes. Diverse nightly entertainment features dinner shows, karaoke nights, and live productions.
Two tennis courts are provided, along with complimentary equipment. Grand-section guests also have use of a fitness center and game room.
Supervised activities for ages 4–12 include swimming lessons, tennis clinics, games, contests, and crafts (complimentary).
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Motor boating nearby
- Rowing or canoeing nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Scuba diving nearby
- Water skiing nearby
- Whale-watching nearby
- Volleyball nearby
- Running track/path nearby
- Basketball nearby
- Sports center nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Parasailing nearby
- Fishing nearby
- Personal motorized watercraft nearby
- Aerobics on site
- Snorkeling on site
- Swimming on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Playground nearby
- Beach volleyball on site
- Boat tours nearby
- Accessibility
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- In-room accessibility
Plaza Pelicanos Club Beach Resort All Inclusive Policies & Fees
- Check-in
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
- Check-out
Check-out time is 11 AM
- Payment types
Accepted at this hotel: American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover
- Pets
Pets not allowed
- General
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation.
Caters to families
Caters to groups
- Additional Details
This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties. Children 5 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.


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Turkey scrambled fighters to force a Syrian passenger plane to land on Wednesday, suspecting it of carrying military equipment from Moscow, while Turkey's military chief warned of a more forceful response if shelling continued to spill over the border.Military jets escorted the Damascus-bound Airbus A320, carrying around 30 passengers, into the airport in Ankara hours after Turkey's chief of staff said his troops would respond with greater force if bombardments from Syria kept hitting Turkish territory, Turkish state-run television said."We are determined to control weapons transfers to a regime that carries out such brutal massacres against civilians. It is unacceptable that such a transfer is made using our airspace," Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said."Today we received information this plane was carrying cargo of a nature that could not possibly be in compliance with the rules of civil aviation," he said in Athens during an official visit, in comments broadcast live on Turkish television.Davutoglu said Turkey was within its rights to investigate planes suspected to be carrying military materials and that the plane would be allowed to continue if it was found to be clean. He declined to comment on what the banned materials might be.He said Turkey would continue to investigate Syrian civilian aircraft using its airspace.He also said Syrian airspace was no longer safe and that Turkish passenger planes should not fly there. A witness at the border saw at least one passenger plane turn around as it approached Syria and head back into Turkey on Wednesday."Once a week a Syrian Airlines plane flies from Moscow bound for Damascus," Interfax reported Vnukovo Airport spokeswoman Yelena Krylova as saying. "The plane took off normally, there were no incidents."Interfax cited her as saying 25 people were on board and that it was a charter plane. It was supposed to depart at 15:06, but left 20 minutes late. Source: Reuters
Gravity always wins!


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The former governor of Delta state has pleaded guilty in a British court to laundering millions of dollars in a rare case of a Nigerian politician being held to account for corruption.
James Ibori, a former governor of the oil-rich state, pleaded guilty on Monday to 10 counts of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud. He pleaded not guilty to a further 13 similar charges. Sentencing will take place in April.
"There was effectively a thief in the government office of Delta State."
- Prosecutor, Sasha Wass
British police accuse him of stealing $250m over eight years.
Ibori is a household name in Nigeria after two terms as governor from 1999 to 2007.
It was a different scene at Southwark Crown Court in London, where Ibori sat in the dock behind a glass partition as prosecutor Sasha Wass described his tenure as a time of "wide-scale theft, fraud and corruption".
"There was effectively a thief in the government office of Delta state," Wass told the court. Among other crimes, Ibori admitted that he had conspired with others to pocket $37 million that should have gone into state coffers from the sale of shares it owned in the telecoms company V Mobile.
He had already left the UK in 2007 when his assets were seized but he was arrested in Nigeria later that year.
The charges were dismissed but he was then re-arrested in Dubai on a British warrant.
Ibori has been convicted in the UK before - in 1991 for stealing from a DIY store in London with his wife who worked as a cashier.
Trial cut short
Britain's Department for International Development (DFID) said all funds recovered through the confiscation of Ibori's assets would be given back to the people of Delta.
"Ibori ... lived a life of luxury after he embezzled what the (police) estimate to be $250 million of Nigerian public funds - equal to $38 from every person living in the state at the time of his crimes," the department said after the court hearing.
At the time of his arrest in Dubai, he had been trying to buy himself a private jet worth $20 million.
His case has enormous resonance in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, where a small ruling class enjoys a jet-setting lifestyle while most of the 140 million Nigerians live in poverty with little or no access to power, health or education.
Ibori stepped down as governor of Delta, one of three big oil-producing states in the volatile region, after two terms because the law did not allow him to seek a third one.
His annual salary as state governor was less than $25,000.
In court on Monday, Ibori waved and smiled at supporters who crowded into the room, but spoke only to identify himself and enter his gulity pleas.
Ibori had been expected to face a 12-week trial involving dozens of witnesses, but after he entered his guilty pleas the prosecution said that he had in effect accepted the substance of the case against him and a full trial was no longer necessary.
The guilty pleas are the culmination of a seven-year inquiry into his affairs by British police.
Ibori's wife, sister and mistress have already been convicted of helping him launder money in separate trials in London, but media had not previously been allowed to report on those convictions in order to avoid prejudicing Ibori's own case. Nigeria's own anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had tried to prosecute Ibori after he stepped down as governor and lost the immunity he had enjoyed while in office.
But the EFCC's efforts to go after Ibori and other powerful politicians were hampered by what campaign group Human Rights Watch called "political interference, institutional weakness and inefficiency in the judiciary".
The successful prosecution of Ibori will be a relief to British investigators who were thwarted in their 2005 attempt to bring to trial Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, another oil state governor suspected of money laundering.
Alamieyeseigha was charged with money laundering in London but he jumped bail and escaped back to his country dressed as a woman.
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FtpEmployee Login
Client Focused. Solution Oriented. Quality Driven.
Applied research is the bridge between science and business. The goal of HSA's forensic science division is to strike the optimal balance between applied research and the needs of our clients. Our team of engineers and scientists has become widely recognized in the insurance and legal communities for their advancements in investigative methodologies and remedial technologies.
HSA's research experts work across all disciplines to offer an unparalleled level of technical knowledge and experience. HSA fosters individual creativity and initiative among its experts, encouraging engineers and scientists to pursue research opportunities in addition to working toward the company's goals of providing excellent client service and accurate assessment. As a result, our experts have consistently published papers in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and secured patents. Overall the experience, diversity and dedication of our researchers assure that HSA will continue to play a significant role in the advancement of the field of forensics investigations.
Fungal Growth Succession on Gypsum Board Wall Assemblies
Ralph E. Moon, Ph.D., CIAQP, CHMM, Michael Bass, LEEP, AP and Chin S. Yang, Ph.D.
A 4-month (117 days) test simulated conditions favorable for fungal growth on 6 finished wall assemblies exposed to continuous moisture. The fungal species present on wet gypsum board wall assemblies showed a sequence of fungal succession. Under conditions of constant moisture source, elevated relative humidity and stable temperature, fungal identification can support opinions of the duration of a water loss for periods ranging from several days to several months.
Drip, Drip, Drip
Ralph E. Moon, Ph.D., CIAQP, CHMM, Brett Davis, and Don Rondy CIAQP
Damage patterns inside cabinets can give pretty definitive clues about water losses. Long-standing leaks leave a different mark than abrupt incidents. The behavior of water released onto faced and unfaced cabinet bases is different, so the type of cabinet facing has to be considered in the assessment. Two new experiments conducted by HSA scientists tested faced and unfaced cabinetry under various conditions.
Swept Under the Rug
The duration and extent of a water loss can be established by studying the lowly carpet tack strip.
Ralph E. Moon, Ph.D., CIAQP, CHMM and Don Nehrig, CIAQP, EI, CIEC
Carpet tack strips are among the most humble of building products, yet they offer one of the most effective tools for determining the duration and extent of a water loss. Research using carpet tack strips that were exposed to either continuous or cyclical wet-dry periods of moisture exposure revealed visual and microbial clues that prove effective in differentiating the duration of a loss and establishing whether the loss originated from a single event or repeated ones. A study of carpet tack strips will tell the water-release history of a damaged structure and guide adjusters to more precise and defensible evaluations of water-related claims.
Feeling the Heat
Hot water can warp an adjuster's perspective on water-damaged wood composite materials.
Water losses lead personal property claims in the U.S., but are they as well understood as they are widely prevalent? A recent study shows that when medium density fiberboard (MDF), non-faced particleboard and Melamine (faced particleboard) are exposed to water, dramatic dimensional changes occur at water temperatures above 85°F. The swollen appearance of these wood composite materials was consistent with long-term exposure to moisture, although the exposure period was only 30 minutes. The test results underscore the importance of understanding the effects of elevated water temperatures on composite wood materials used in cabinetry, furniture and trim when supporting decisions of duration of loss.
The Re-birth of the ASTM E 1903 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Standard
Nicholas Albergo, PE, DEE and Brian Moore, PE
ASTM International (ASTM) is in the process of finalizing its revised E 1903 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Process (Phase II). Although this Standard has been in publication since 1997, it has never gained the mass appeal of its counterpart, the E 1527 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process (Phase I). That is about to change.
Continuing Obligations: Beyond All Appropriate Inquiries
Nicholas Albergo, PE, DEE and Steven Folsom, PE, BCEE
This article focuses on the so-called "continuing obligations" that are contemplated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), and by the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (Brownfield Amendments), 42 U.S.C. §9601 et seq. After offering a brief overview of CERCLA liability and its defenses, and the most recent landowner liability protections (LLPs) additions, we discuss continuing obligations that, generally speaking, must be performed in order to remain eligible for certain landowner liability protections under CERCLA.
Diffuse Anthropogenic Pollution and Its Potential Effect on Brownfields Development and the Landowner Liability Protections to CERCLA
Nicholas Albergo, PE, DEE and Roxanne Gause, PE
Diffuse anthropogenic pollution (DAP) is derived from human activities, as opposed to those occurring in natural environments without human influences. The term is often used in the context of environmental externalities in the form of chemical or biological wastes that are produced as by-products of otherwise purposeful human activities. For instance, some believe that the production of carbon dioxide is the primary factor driving anthropogenic climate change. DAP becomes even more complicated when considering the legal framework and liability scheme established through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund (enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980), and its negative effects to Brownfields redevelopment.
AAI and the Necessity for an Opinion
Nicholas Albergo, PE, DEE and Alex Chatham, PE
2010 World's Worst Pollution Problems Report
Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland
Nicholas Albergo, PE, DEE, member of the Blacksmith Institute Technical Advisory Board
The 2010 report follows a series of annual reports released by Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland. In 2006 and 2007, the organizations released reports highlighting the world's worst polluted places. A report from 2008 described the top ten worst pollution problems, and in 2009, the organizations released a report highlighting case studies of successful cleanup projects. The 2010 report revisits the subject of pollution problems, but draws upon the substantial volume of research the organizations have conducted on polluted sites over the last two years to identify the specific pollutants that are causing the most harm.
Forensic Engineering & Sciences
Environmental Engineering


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SANBlaze Customers
What's New
SANBlaze Announces 6G SAS Expander Rear Transition Module featuring two removable SAS, SATA or SSD Disks
SANBlaze Announces Updated AMC Storage Module to support 6Gb SAS/SATA/SSD Storage
SANBlaze Announces 4.8 Terabyte Rear Transition Module for Emerson ATCA-7370 and ATCA-7470 processor blades
What We Do
SANBlaze is a pioneer in storage emulation technologies and a leading provider of storage, networking and multifunction solutions for embedded computing systems. SANBlaze emulation systems are deployed in the test and development labs of most major storage hardware and software vendors worldwide. SANBlaze embedded computing products include a complete line of AdvancedTCA storage, networking and compute blades, multifunction RTMs and AMC storage and networking controllers and modules. Additionally, SANBlaze provides fully configured and integrated AdvancedTCA systems and services.
Featured Content
ATCA for Military, Aerospace and Other High Performance Embedded Computing Users
This paper addresses the forces driving the requirements of high performance embedded computing (HPEC) for military and aerospace applications, including the modular open system approach (MOSA), commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), and reduced size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) as it applies to ATCA.
"The ATCA® Handbook"
Just published - the third edition of "The ATCA Handbook," a reference for the AdvancedTCA. Click here to receive your complimentary copy.