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Recent Comments:
Significant changes to Northrend flying mounts discovered on the Patch 3.2 PTR [Updated] {WoW}
Jul 8th 2009 11:19AM "The game is four years old with a decrepit-by-current-industry standards graphics engine. Where is this mythical swath of new players that Blizz should cater to coming from?"
From people playing on four year old machines with decrepit-by-current-industry standards graphics cards. From people who play games but don't self-define as "gamers", who find that most games released in the last three years actually won't run on their machine while Blizzard is still releasing new content for a game that will.
Significant changes to Northrend flying mounts discovered on the Patch 3.2 PTR [Updated] {WoW}
Jul 8th 2009 11:00AM I'm sure this analogy has been used before but the computer you're using right now? Wait a year and you can buy a better one for half the price.
You paid 5000g to get epic flying *now*. It meant you could quest faster, do dailies faster, mine nodes faster, do everything faster.
To quote a poster from another thread whose name I've forgotten, you can have back the gold you spent when you give back the time you saved.
Significant changes to Northrend flying mounts discovered on the Patch 3.2 PTR [Updated] {WoW}
Jul 8th 2009 10:53AM As others have pointed out, this is only for alts anyway.
I'd also suggest that having access to a flying mount doesn't make the game "easier" it just makes it go *faster*.
I always found the "no flying in Northrend" thing obnoxious anyway. It was basically Blizzard saying "you WILL experience this content, whether you like it or not". I'm a grownup, I don't need to be forced to eat my vegetables.
All the World's a Stage: The guild hall {WoW}
Jul 5th 2009 6:04PM I really like this as an IC justification for guild chat. I like that it doesn't try to give a literal, in-world reason for people to be able to talk over vast distances which, as you say, involves introducing huge McGuffins into the Lore which really don't fit (not that hearthstones fit that well anyway - why do none of the guys you rescue on escort quests just hearth? Why don't innkeepers charge for them, since they're so insanely useful?)
Breakfast Topic: Is WoW too complex? {WoW}
Jul 5th 2009 10:04AM WoW isn't too complex - it's too *opaque*. There's very little way to work out what most of your stats or (particularly) Talents do without looking on the internet.
Breakfast Topic: Is Blizzard doing faction change the right way? {WoW}
Jul 2nd 2009 8:38AM Put me down as another one who doesn't understand why people think there needs to be a "lore" reason for this. As another poster points out upthread, this isn't really a faction change, it's a character swap. From an RP perspective unless you *really want* to have - say - your human priest succumb to the plague and become a Forsaken you just stop playing Lolipwnzu the Tauren Shaman and start playing Lolipwnzu the Draenai shaman, a different character who happens to have the same name.
It always strikes me as odd the blind-spots that some people have over "Lore reasons" for things. Does anybody ask the "lore reason" that Zeppelins and boats appear to be able to literally teleport across the Maelstrom? Or for that matter the "lore reason" that the bears in Northrend are so much more dangerous than the bears in the whole of the rest of Azeroth?
Faction Changes Q&A {WoW}
Jul 2nd 2009 5:40AM There's actual gameplay reasons you can't do this. One of the reasons for having different races in different factions is to visibly distinguish players of the opposing faction from players of your faction. It matters more on PvP realms, but until they abolish the concept of factions, you need to be able to look at somebody and say "big dude with horns - probably a hordie"
Patch 3.2: Argent Coliseum raid story and encounters, Part 3 {WoW}
Jul 1st 2009 6:08AM A Snowplain Snobold is tougher than Archmage Arugal.
Patch 3.2: Argent Coliseum 5-man story and encounters, Pt. 2 {WoW}
Jul 1st 2009 5:50AM I haven't played the instance, obviously, but it is literally impossible for a five-man instance boss to be the same as a 25-man raid boss. It's not just a question of damage output, it's a question of co-ordination and preparation.
Look at it this way: if I rock into this instance in my Heroic gear, and fight the Memory of Algalon, do you think that means I'm ready to join a guild that's doing Ulduar hard-modes? Do I get the bragging rights of saying that I "downed Algalon"? If I take down the "Memory of Lady Vashj" the day after 3.2 hits, does that mean that I get to say that I "downed Vashj pre-nerf"? Does it suddenly make me a Sunwell raider?
If the Argent Confessor can be beaten by a five-man pickup group then *by definition* none of the "memories" of raid bosses can be anything like the original fights.
Fast travel, and why it's hard to find in MMO games {WoW}
Jul 1st 2009 5:15AM I think people are missing a fundamental issue here, which is the peculiar status of time in the WoW economy.
Gold, XP, gear, gems, enchants, vanity pets, mounts, achievements. Nothing in the game is *limited* except for your playtime. There's a whole bunch of stuff in the game that is very specifically designed to slow down play, because how much time it takes to do something is a big issue in whether it is worth doing it.
To take an example. I recently rolled a new alt to help with my guild's chronic healer shortage. I've decided to make her a Scribe because I haven't got one Alliance-side yet. I didn't make her a herbalist, instead I just bought herbs off the Auction House with gold funneled from my main. A stack of Silverleaf costs me about 1.4 gold, which is worth much less to me than the time it would take for me to Death Gate to Acherus, fly to Stormwind or Ironforge, and run around gathering the damned things.
If I could just bamf direct to Elwynn, then direct to Azure Watch, then to Silvermoon, I could farm low-level herbs for my alts so quickly and easily that I wouldn't have to buy them. This in turn would mean that people who were leveling their first character would (a) not be able to find any herbs because I and people like me had farmed them all on our epic mounts and (b) wouldn't be able to sell the ones they did farm, because anybody who wanted herbs could get them trivially.
It's a slightly silly example, but the wider point is this: in an MMO what other people do matters. How quickly other people do things matters. The five minutes I'm wasting flying to Sholazar Basin is five minutes in which *other players* have the opportunity to farm there. The twenty minutes it takes to get an instance run together is twenty minutes *other people* can spend doing *their* instance runs, finishing up, and getting the hell off the instance server.
Time is important, even time that seems wasted.


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[Verse 3: Childish Gambino]
from Chance The Rapper (Ft. Childish Gambino) – Favorite Song Lyrics on Genius
Childish Gambino and Chance also collaborated on "They Don't Like Me" on Gambino's Royalty tape. They also toured together. Gambino also provided background vocals for "Interlude (That's Love)".
Edit: Later on, Chance sang the hook on Gambino's song "I. The Worst Guys".
To help improve the quality of the lyrics, visit "Favorite Song" by Chance The Rapper (Ft. Childish Gambino) Lyrics and leave a suggestion at the bottom of the page

subset: commoncrawl


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+ Chapter 08 - MEL - The Style +
Your scripts should be neat, elegant, boolet-proof and properly included comments. Many programmers are happy, because they think their script runs. You should always follow some guidelines to make your script more readable. Many times you work in a team, it will cause trouble if your script is not properly aligned and commented; your team members will have problems understanding the script.+ The Process +
Before writing any script, you have to sit down and do some pre-production. Visualize your target audience. Define your script's definition and vision. Think about the main function of the script. Which category it falls under. Do some research on the topic. Analyze other people scripts, study them and think, what extra functionality can I provide? How my script will execute faster? Once the vision is clear, then focus on who needs this tool? Will it be useful to the end user?
Draw a flowchart. Break your codes in multiple procedures, instead of one long procedure.
+ Comments & Whitespace+
Improve the format of your script by using whitespace. It will make your script more clean and readable. Properly align code inside blocks in if and loop structures. Comments are also very vital, you can use single line or multi-line comments in your script.
// This is a comment, single line.
This is multi line
comment */
Commenting is a good habit. Always include comments at the top of the script describing what script does? What are the dependencies? Is the script copyrighted? Which argument it needs?
SAMPLE HEADER FROM Famous GIJoe LIGHT SCRIPT
GI_Joe mel script - version 2.1 - (c) Emmanuel Campin - 2001 / 2002
version 2.1 / date: 12 26 2002
Bugs fixed / improvements: see www.pixho.com for this bugs fixed / improvements list
Features added:
- clean scene shadows
- clean all shadows (please refer to the doc for more details)
- HDRI fake feature (ray-trace only)
This script creates a spherical based lighting (GI fake) plus a shader which allow
the user to bake the generated shadows.
This spherical lighting is separated in 2: skyLight_group and groundLight_group.
Each group can be controlled in color and intensity independantly to the other.
You can connect/disconnect any texture (environment textures excluded) you want.
Place the GIJoe.lights scene and the GI_Joe.mel into your script directory
IMPORTANT: You'll have to change the directory location in line 57
(or search the string "your_script_directory_path/scripts/GIJoe.lights")
Source the script and execute it.
Go to www.pixho.com for more infos and limitations about the GI_Joe.mel script.
Send your comments to firstname.lastname@example.com
If you find a bug, send a mail at email@example.com with a precise description of the bug
Incorrect Formatting
string $lstA, $lstAttributes[];
$lstAttributes=`listAttr nurbsSphere1`;
for ($lstA in $lstAttributes)
print ($lstA + "\n");
Correct Formatting
string $lstA, $lstAttributes[]; // variable declaration
$lstAttributes =`listAttr nurbsSphere1`; // Fills place holder with attribute names
// Iterate through Array
for ($lstA in $lstAttributes)
print ($lstA + "\n"); //Prints the attribute's name.
+ Avoid Global Variables/Procedures +
Avoid global procedures and variables. Declare global, when it is necessary. Global variables and procedures are visible outside the scope of the script and can be modified by other script. Also, use sensible variable name. For example, if you want to assign listAttr command's output to a variable; $lstAttribute is much better then $la. Also make your code compact. According to maya documentation:
Limit procedures and command scripts to 50 lines.
Limit files to 500 lines.
+ Adding Script Path +
If your script is outside the default script path [ C:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\maya\scripts ] and you want maya to automatically search for it, you need to modify the Maya.env file, which you can found in following folder:
[C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\maya\Version]
Open the Maya.ENV file with notepad and add path to this file. For example, if your scripts are in folder c:\mayaScripts add following line in the Maya.env file.
MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH = c:/mayaScripts;
These settings will take effect only when you start a new Maya session.
+ What Next ? +
Now we understand the style of scripting. In next chapter we will learn about a cool feature of MEL, Script Nodes. Script nodes are used to store MEL scripts in a Maya Scene file.
+ Download Project +
Download Project - Downloaded times.


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Summary: Each chapter ends with a Summary, Review Exercises, and a Chapter Test. Beginning with Chapter 2, each chapter also ends with a Cumulative Review.1. Whole Numbers1.1 Reading and Writing Whole NumbersStudy Skills: Your Brain Can Learn MathematicsStudy Skills: Using Your Textbook1.2 Adding Whole Numbers1.3 Subtracting Whole Numbers1.4 Multiplying Whole Numbers1.5 Dividing Whole Numbers1.6 Long DivisionSummary Exercises on Whole Numbers1.7 Rounding Whole Numbers1.8 Exponents, Roots, and ...show more Order of OperationsStudy Skills: Taking Lecture Notes1.9 Reading Pictographs, Bar Graphs, and Line Graphs1.10 Solving Application Problems2. Multiplying and Dividing Fractions2.1 Basics of FractionsStudy Skills: Homework: How, Why, When2.2 Mixed Numbers2.3 Factors2.4 Writing a Fraction in Lowest TermsStudy Skills: Using Study Cards: Part ISummary Exercises on Fractions2.5 Multiplying Fractions2.6 Applications of Multiplication2.7 Dividing Fractions2.8 Multiplying and Dividing Mixed NumbersStudy Skills: Using Study Cards: Part IIStudy Skills: Reviewing a ChapterStudy Skills: Preparing for Tests3. Adding and Subtracting Fractions3.1 Adding and Subtracting Like FractionsStudy Skills: Managing Your Time3.2 Least Common Multiples3.3 Adding and Subtracting Unlike FractionsStudy Skills: Making a Mind Map3.4 Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers3.5 Order Relations and the Order of OperationsSummary Exercises on FractionsStudy Skills: Taking Tests4. Decimals4.1 Reading and Writing Decimals4.2 Rounding Decimals4.3 Adding and Subtracting Decimals4.4 Multiplying DecimalsSummary Exercises on Decimals4.5 Dividing Decimals4.6 Writing Fractions as DecimalsStudy Skills: Analyzing Your Test Results5. Ratio and Proportion5.1 Ratios5.2 Rates5.3 Proportions5.4 Solving ProportionsSummary Exercises on Ratios, Rates, and Proportions5.5 Solving Application Problems with Proportions6. Percent6.1 Basics of Percent6.2 Percents and Fractions6.3 Using the Percent Proportion and Identifying the Components in a Percent ...show less
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Classic Sharpshooters
By Erie's Scribe on Mar 28, 2008 with Comments 0
Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls: When you say three point specialist, I say Craig Hodges. Hodges spread the floor for Jordan during two of the Bulls championship runs in the early nineties. He won the NBA 3 point shootout three straight years from 1990-92. He was such a fixture at the 3 point shootout that he was allowed to compete in 1993 even though he didn't play one minute of NBA basketball that year (he lost in the semis).
Steve Kerr, Chicago Bulls: I love Steve Kerr. He's 2nd in NBA career 3 point shooting precentage at 45.4%, behind only Jason Kapono (of course Kerr has 440 more 3's than Kapono). His 52.4% from behind the arc in 1994-95 is a NBA single season record. He took the torch from Hodges as MJ's clutch 3 point gunner and won 3 titles with the Bulls. He won 2 more titles in a more limited role with the Spurs. He's also got a NBA 3 point shootout championship under his belt. Most of all, though, Kerr was clutch.
Curtis Staples, UVA: I don't know why, but it seemed like every time I turned on ESPN to catch a random college hoops game in the mid 90's, UVA was on and Curtis Staples was on fire. Staples held the NCAA record for threes with 413 until J.J. Redick broke it in 2006. Staples hit 103 treys as a freshman on Virginia's Elite Eight team. The Cavaliers cooled off after that run, but Curtis kept draining shots. I thought he was the best player ever for awhile.
Dennis Scott, Georgia Tech: Scott made some noise with the Magic in the NBA, but we remember him from his "Leathal Weapon 3″ days at Tech. Scott, Kenny Anderson, and the other guy (Brian Oliver) took Georgia Tech to the Final Four in 1990. Scott averaged 27.7 points per game that year and made 137 three pointers. He made it rain before it was even cool to make it rain.
Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers: Before Isiah was tormenting poor Knicks fans, it was Reggie. This YouTube clip, Reggie The Knick Killer, sums up his body of work. Reggie was the king of running all over the place in the half court set, and looking to catch and shoot. I love that goofy bastard.
Trajan Langdon, Duke: J.J. Redick might have made more 3 point shots at Duke, but he did not have a nickname anywhere near as cool as the "Alaskan Assassin." Not to mention, for his Duke career, Langdon shot 42.6% from deep for the Dukies while Redick only shot 40.6%.
Gerry McNamara, Syracuse: Anybody that can get Jim Boeheim to swear at the media is alright in our book. His career 3 point percentage isn't as high as everyone else on this list, but he won a Championship with Melo, and he made his critics eat a little crow when he willed Syracuse to a Big East Tournament championship run his senior year.
Filed Under: Uncategorized
About the Author: I am a Cleveland sports and Buffalo Sabres fanatic. I'm currently living in Erie, but even when I'm not there, Erie runs deep in me. I'm an ex multi-sport goalie, and we goalies tend to see things a bit differently. I went to college with Cecilio's Scribe and I am also a Big Red afficiando. Otherwise my college sports loyalties are all over the place. I try to keep my posts light, but I'm a Cleveland fan so the occassional rant is possible (inevitable?).


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"Prices too high"
No they aren't, the prices are rock bottom. No team overpaid for any player other than perhaps Hanzus. Holland doesn't seem to know the difference between quality versus quanity. He's hording all these prospects which will go nowhere. Gaborik, Roy, Pominville, Iginla, Meester, Jagr, every signifcant player traded, was traded for NOTHING. Worthless prospects and draft picks aren't high prices.
That's crazy. Pominville was traded for our equivalent of Jarnkrok and Mrazek...that's the real deal. Gaborik brought back 3 NHL players...that's a real deal.
- FlashyG likes this


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The postal service took a while to deliver, but I finally got my card! It came all the way the other side of the world, which still sometimes boggles my mind, despite all the cool technology we have at our fingertips living in the future and all.
Many thanks to the sender!


text:
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Questions asked by the parent/coach but answered by the Pro's………… GSSC Coaches Corner is a page we have created for Coaches/Parents/Players to ask us questions/advice on anything about baseball. We may more »
North Georgia's #1 Premier Baseball/Softball Training Facility! The Grand Slam Sports Center instructional program is designed to build on previous successes and to strengthen weaknesses in all of our students. As a more »
Baseball has been very, very good to a very, very small number of young men. But however remote the chances of eventual major league stardom may be, the dream of playing college more »


text:
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text:
Will Lodge
Saturday, July 5, 2014
With the Tour de France coming through Essex on Monday we've produced a guide to help the French cyclists understand what the crowd are shouting.
French is la langue maternelle (mother tongue) for international cycling, so readers can also use the tongue-in-cheek guide to help them tell their maillot jaune (yellow jersey) from your voiture balai (broom wagon).
So below is our guide to cycling – the Essex way:
Bonjour – Oi
Je suis très excité – I'm well 'app-y
La bicyclette – Yer bike
Le cycle shorts – Hot pants
Les drugs pour l'enhancement du performance – Ever readies
Le sprinte finish – Race to sale at Primark Lakeside
Le course a commencé – On yer bike
Casque de velo – Titfer (cycle helmet)
Un accident terrible – Cor blimey
Un tour fort – Reem! (a strong ride)
2 comments
Evidently rather desperate for material today. And besides, it wouldn't be "bike", it would be "boike"
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Give me strength.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
The views expressed in the above comments do not necessarily reflect the views of this site


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I have listed my house as "Make me an offer" on zillow. I received an email from an agent who said he often has buyers who would be interested in a house like mine and could we meet. I emailed him back and said that I wasn't interested in listing with anyone at this time, but that I would pay 2.5% to a buyer's agent.
We met the agent, he gave us a relatively un-pushy sales pitch, and said he might have a buyer. The sales pitch included the following: If he listed the house and we agreed to use him on the purchase of our next house, he would list it with a 5% commission (split 2.5%/2.5% to buyer/seller agent).
We didn't sign anything or agree to anything with this agent, although we said if he had a buyer, we'd be happy to show the house. He has emailed to say he has a qualified buyer who would like to look at the house. He wants to meet us the day before. I'm not in a rush to sell the house and in fact would prefer to wait a year. However, this seems to be a good time to sell in my area as interest rates are low and inventory is low. In addition, if I had a buyer now then I would avoid all of the staging, painting and minor repairs that I'm already planning to do. So, at the right price, I would agree to a sale. The "right price" is close to the amount a nearly-identical house to mine sold at in December. My question is: what should I expect from this meeting? Will the agent press to be the listing agent as well as the buyer's agent? Would the 2.5% I'd already agreed to in writing be enough incentive for him to show the house? How do buyer's agents normally get paid by FSBO sellers? Is their percentage just written into the purchase contract? I plan to run any contract by my attorney so I don't feel the need to hire an agent as well. Thoughts? |
Follow-Up Postings:
My guess - you'll just get a higher pressure pitch for the same stuff. When we listed on a flat fee site, we got tons of these "offers". If he has a buyer, great. Bring the buyer for a showing. If they want to make an offer, have them include the 2.5% to the agent. My guess is that he doesn't have a buyer at all and is trying to become your listing agent. |
I doubt he has a buyer. It is a common tactic used on FSBO properties to get in to discuss listing with them. I refused most of these requests, by saying that I already had a realitor that I was planning on using if I list (i did) and that if they want to bring a buyer through I would offer commission but I'm not looking for a listing agent. at least 50% drop it right there. a few persistant ones I do end up showing them the house. I even had a realtor tell me they are looking for themselves, I give them a tour, they give me their life story about their current out of state house, and selling that, and kill a good 45 minutes of my time, then turn to, do can I have the listing.... |
- Posted by alabamanicole (My Page) on Wed, Feb 3, 10 at 17:10
I agree. Since you have already met and agreed to a pay him a commission, if he had a qualified buyer, he'd just ask to show the house. |
- Posted by annkathryn (My Page) on Thu, Feb 4, 10 at 11:26
All good points, thanks. He's scheduled to come tomorrow afternoon and bring his buyer the day after. I'll update this thread when the dust settles. |
- Posted by annkathryn (My Page) on Fri, Feb 5, 10 at 19:04
Update: I had misread the agent's email. It's not his buyer; it's that of another agent in his office. So the standard 5% commission was the starting point. He didn't know very much about the buyer, other than that he was pre-approved by a lender to purchase a house in my price range. The agent left a message with the buyer's agent to get more details about him. The buyer seemed to be in a hurry to find a house. So we agreed to a 1-week listing for this buyer only. The buyer will tour the house tomorrow at 2pm. I negotiated a commission of 4.5%, with 2.5% going to the buyer's agent and 2% to my new listing agent. I increased the asking price of the house to cover the additional commission (since I'm not a motivated seller). Apparently, as an off-market sale, the price is not negotiable. It's take-it-or-leave it. I asked my agent if he thought the house would appraise at my higher listing price, and he showed me comps to support the price. To be continued.... |
- Posted by threedoghouse (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 10:57
Based on what you said in the original post, the agent misled you, he did NOT have a buyer, he just knew another agent who had a potential buyer.....and other than passing the word to that other agent, he really did nothing for you......I'd give the actual buyer's agent the 2.5% and offer a referal fee to the original agent, not the 2% he is going to get. |
- Posted by sylviatexas (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 11:35
"other than passing the word to that other agent, he really did nothing for you" This kind of thing runs me nuts. It's right up there with "X% is a lot of money to answer the phone & let people in the door." What do you think a Realtor or real estate practitioner does, anyway? The agent may have gotten a buyer for this seller. I say "may" because the sale hasn't closed. but getting buyers is what we do for sellers; Would you think your attorney hadn't "done anything" for you if he wrote your will...but you hadn't actually died yet? Do you think your doctor should be paid for measles vaccinations only if there's a measles outbreak in town? Should an adoption agency not be paid a fee if they place a healthy newborn that you'd have "taken" even if an agency hadn't been involved? |
If you are willing to pay 4.5% commission why are you only listing on zillow? Why not just list with an agent get on the mls to get full exposure and service? What is usual commission in your area? Really, I think you are being taken for a ride and wasting time since you are willing to pay usual commission. |
- Posted by alabamanicole (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 12:38
Although my first reaction is distaste at this agent's methods, Sylvia has a point. If you HAD listed this property with an agent and the agent went back to the office and found a full price buyer by talking to other agents before the property was marketed, you'd be thrilled at the agent's performance in a slow market. I wouldn't pick a listing agent long-term based soley on a solicitation, but judging from what you say in your update the agent doesn't appear to be doing anything wrong. Doubtless he hopes you sign a longer listing contract with him, but that's just the nature of sales. |
"Apparently, as an off-market sale, the price is not negotiable. It's take-it-or-leave it. I asked my agent if he thought the house would appraise at my higher listing price, and he showed me comps to support the price. " I have no idea who is feeding you this type of information, but I wouldn't trust them. An agent who tries to worm his way into a listing like this is likely willing to tell you anything you want to hear in order to get your business. Price is ALWAYS negotiable. This isn't walmart. You didn't post anything to give any indication of the house's actual value, but I find it hard to believe that you had your house listed so low as a FSBO that you could just add +5% to the price and have it appraise for that. It is possible, but you would have to be the only homeowner in the current market to undervalue their house by 5%. Everyone else seems to be overvaluing their home by at least that amount. |
Sounds to me that this "buyers agent" is trying to take a cut that he isn't entitled to IMHO. Put it this way, if the house was listed, and some agent in some office saw the listing, passed it on to his friend agent who had a buyer, then the first agent probably wouldn't be owed a commission. If he were, it would be a split of the buyer's side of the commission. He didn't have the house listed, and isn't paying for, or doing any marketing, he wants a finders fee, whcih would be fine, but his friend does too. does his friend have another friend who might be due some commission as well? I agree some commission should be paid, but I don't think you should be paying a listing agent in this. |
- Posted by sylviatexas (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 14:41
see what I mean? If the agent has a listing agreement with the seller, *that agent is legally bound to look out for the seller's best interests & to try to get the seller the best price & terms*. The agent does not have to spend money on advertising, distribute flyers door-to-door, etc. He has to get a buyer to the closing table. There's no such thing as a "finder's fee" in the real, true, actual real estate business. If you are a licensed agent, & your name appears on any contract, you have one of 3 kinds of relationship with your client: 1. seller's representative; you are *bound* to work for the seller's best interests. 2. buyer's representative; you are *bound* to work for the buyer's best interests. 3. intermediary/dual agent/whatever term your state uses when one broker represents both buyer & seller. The way this works depends on the state & usually on the size of the agency, but it always means that you have obligations to both buyer & seller. I don't know of anyone, in any field, who would take on that kind of responsibility for a "finder's fee". If you want someone to work for a finder's fee, hire a high school girl to comb the internet, put out flyers, etc. |
- Posted by annkathryn (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 16:34
An update: the buyer came through the house on Saturday as part of a tour of 13 houses in my area. He is going to make an offer on a house in a neighboring town, so no sale for us. Feedback from the buyer's agent was mostly as expected: - kitchen is dated I'd already planned to update the kitchen and strip the powder room wallpaper, wasn't sure how the faux painting would be viewed but will repaint if needed. The pool...well, why look at a house with a pool if you don't want one? The house is overpriced given the dated kitchen; new granite countertops and appliances would support the higher price. Lots of interesting comments above. I'll try to address what I can. The poster who said my agent misled me: actually, he didn't; he was clear in his email that it wasn't his buyer. I read the email again and saw my mistake. He had brought up my house to another agent in his office who had a buyer looking for houses in my price range. I didn't think it was ethical to cut out my agent completely and just offer 2.5% to the buyer's agent; I had no idea who the buyer's agent even was, and my agent would have had no incentive to give the buyer's agent my contact information/address so she could show her client my house. Whether my agent's services were worth the additional 2% is of course debatable. I saved him a lot of money that he would have spent marketing the house, and a lot of time. However, I feel he should be compensated for the referral and for any work he might do to shepherd the sale along (not a trivial process in my county). All this for 2%? Maybe, maybe not, but we thought it was a reasonable, low-risk opportunity to test the market and get feedback on the pricing and condition of our house. If you are willing to pay 4.5% commission why are you only listing on zillow? Because I don't really want to sell the house, but would be willing to sell at the right price. When I get to the point that I'm 100% committed to selling the house, I'll definitely be on the MLS. The usual commission in this area is 6%. This off-market strategy is something I really need to investigate further as it's quite new to me. The idea is that in return for an "exclusive" look at a house that's available for sale, the buyer agrees to meet the seller's asking price. That's why the price isn't negotiable in this kind of a listing. The listing agent markets the listing to other agents, rather than to potential buyers. I think the main advantage to the seller is that it keeps the dreaded days-on-market clock from beginning to tick. Any house with DOM over 30 days or so and people begin to wonder what fatal flaw the house has that keeps it from being sold. I live in an area where it's quite common for the following: Agent open house on Friday My next door neighbor's house sold like this for $62,000 over asking, 7 offers, late last year. I know my area (Silicon Valley) has a very unusual real estate market. My town is completely built-out, there's no land at all for new building, and it's a very desirable place to live. Inventory is quite low right now. Prices have come down around 10% here in the past couple of years, based on the values of the peak in mid-2008. The comps for my house support this: a house in my neighborhood with the same floorplan as mine sold in 2008 for 15% more than my zillow price. A more recent sale of this floorplan was December 2009 at the same price as my zillow price. Could I get more than the zillow price for the house and have the appraisal support that? Who knows, but I was willing to take that risk. The only issue I have with this agent so far is that he didn't do his homework regarding the buyer who came through the house on Saturday until I started asking questions. At that point he called the buyer's agent and got all my questions answered, but I thought he should have done that without my asking. Otherwise I think he's an honest agent. It's a small world - another agent from his office is a neighbor, and a third is a friend from my son's soccer teams. References will be thoroughly checked if we decide to sign any longer-term listing with him. I was upfront with him as well: I told him my soccer mom friend is someone we'd consider listing with if/when we decide to hire an agent. And I forgot to add that my "listing" agent actually does have a buyer, a different person who is out of the country. Whether this buyer is interested in my house or not hasn't yet been determined. I'm not counting on it, at any rate. |
Silicon Valley is a challenge for sales. I do wish you the best. For those not familar with the area, there is alot of computer people and engineers. That in it's self is a challenge. Good luck and be careful. There are some good agents in the area. |
"there is alot of computer people and engineers. That in it's self is a challenge." Why??? |
- Posted by threedoghouse (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 10:09
annkathryn- I'll amend my comments; you weren't misled, you misled yourself....If you agreed to hire an agent on the basis of them having one possible buyer, and not making it a short-term agreement, you've put your house sale in the hands of someone you know nothing about. Would you hire any other professional that way? slyviatexas- OK, here we go: In my opinion, I don't hire a realtor to bring me a buyer, the realtor has no control over that. What a realtor does for me is to maximize the opportunity that someone will want to buy the house. Semantics, you might say, but I think it's the difference between a passive realtor and an active realtor. I'm selling my place, and I have a very active realtor; she's working closely with a contractor and decorator to make the house look great, has a high-end digital camera to take great pictures, and keeps me totally informed about what's happening next and what the selling strategy will be, depending on what happens in the local market. She's spending tons of time and energy to make sure the place and the price are appealing to the largest number of potential buyers. And that's the service a realtor provides, and if she does her job well, then the buyer will show up. In all of your analogies, a service was provided...I see very little service being provided by annkathryn's realtor except for knowing a possible buyer.....and now that the buyer passed, it's possible the realtor will provide no additional service at all. Here's an analogy of mine in return; If a doctor refers you to another doctor for treatment, should the first doctor get the full fee for treatment? |
- Posted by threedoghouse (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 10:25
slyviatexas- "The agent does not have to spend money on advertising, distribute flyers door-to-door, etc." Wow, with that attitude, I'm glad you aren't my agent.... Do you just wait for buyers to fall out of the sky? Do you understand the direct relationship between advertising and potential sales? Or are you just "standing on principle", that you "really don't have to do a d*mn thing for your client" as an excuse for being a lazy agent? |
- Posted by annkathryn (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 11:31
you misled yourself....If you agreed to hire an agent on the basis of them having one possible buyer, and not making it a short-term agreement, you've put your house sale in the hands of someone you know nothing about. I misread the email originally. As I said above: we agreed to a 1-week listing for this buyer only. See how easy it is to miss a key piece of information when reading quickly? I also think you missed sylvia's point in the text of hers you quoted, but she can clarify. The joke (not funny, but it's out there) about Silicon Valley engineers is that they're social misfits. I'm a software engineer myself; I don't see myself as a misfit, but I get the joke ;-) |
- Posted by sylviatexas (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 12:17
I've been a Realtor for 25 years. My point is that my job is not to put in a certain number of hours, & that I don't get paid by the hour; If I bring a buyer on the last day of the listing, after having had open houses & distributed flyers & hosted Realtor tours & talked myself hoarse to everybody I run into at the supermarket, I've done my job. If I bring a buyer on the first day of the listing, I've done my job. Your analogy of physician referral isn't accurate: A more accurate analogy would be, if your doctor refers you to a specialist, should your doctor reduce his/her fee because he/she didn't cure your problem? I did miss the "one week only" listing, but I don't know that it makes a whole bunch of difference. If there's a listing, there's a fiduciary relationship between client & Realtor. |
If I bring a buyer on the last day of the listing, after having had open houses & distributed flyers & hosted Realtor tours & talked myself hoarse to everybody I run into at the supermarket, I've done my job. And a thankless one it is! I've been on both sides of the equation till my allergies drove me out permanently. Everybody in the world seems to have a cat, dog or bird. My favourite sales were those where both the Purchaser and the Vendor called me the next day to complain that, respectively, they had paid too much and sold for too little. Yep, all those "easy" bucks for a mere 24/7 work week. "Hey, all you did was come up with a buyer. Why should I pay for that?" I'm forking out a $66,000 commission in a couple of months with only a slight wince. If I coulda sold it myself, I would have! |
- Posted by annkathryn (My Page) on Thu, Feb 17, 11 at 16:52
Bumping this back up again because here we are, a year later, and I'm in a similar situation. I've spent this past year getting my house ready to sell. Among the things I've done, many of which were suggestions from this forum: - kitchen facelift including painting the oak cabinets white, granite counter tops, new stainless appliances, new paint on walls & ceiling In the meantime I've kept in regular touch with the agent from my original post, along with some of the other top agents in my town. Inventory is low and agents are looking for listings right now. I'm still not in a hurry to sell, but DH and I have done the math and we want to downsize around the time the mortgage resets next January (5/1 interest-only ARM). So the agent from my original post emailed me again: another agent in his office has a buyer looking in our price range, would we be interested in showing the house? This time I had him make sure the buyer was ok with a pool ahead of time (he is). We'll sign another 1-week listing with the original agent, same terms of 4.5% commission with 2% to my agent and 2.5% to the buyer's agent. The showing is scheduled for next Tuesday. There are several recent comps - 5 bedroom, 3000 square feet, 1/5 acre lots, some with pools, some without, some on flag lots which is common here but considered undesirable. My house is not on a flag lot, but is on the perimeter of my neighborhood and backs on to a busier street, which is the main negative of the location. We haven't agreed on price yet; my agent seems to think we can get $100-$200K more than what I feel the comps support. We also haven't agreed on whether the price is negotiable. As some of you commented above, off-market listings are unusual, and it's even more unusual to say that the price isn't negotiable. I'm going to talk to my agent about this in more detail. I think he's overpricing the house, and without leaving room for negotiation this seems to be a recipe for a lost sale. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Beadboard wallpaper project
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Cross post with laundry.
My laundry area is a 102" (H)" x 36" (W) x 32" (D) closet which for twenty years has served me well with two stackable W/D (a GE, then the infamous first model Maytag Neptune FL, now twelve years out and still ticking except bearings failing). I will be replacing the Neptune soon with a new stackable SQ from which I hope to get many years of service. We pulled the Neptune out yesterday to prepare the space (clean, prep, new paint etc). I am debating what to do with the rear closet wall. Years ago in a very cold freeze, a pipe burst and was attended to by myself immediately through basement WD water turnoff. Since then I have insulated each new pipe with rubber foam, the inter stud wall with fire rated batting 3.5 inch thick insulation, put on new gated washers, replaced stainless covered hoses every five years and changed out venting hose for lint as well as check function of outside damper twice per year. The back closet wall is partially open where the hot and cold pipe(s) come up from below and waste venting hose rests. I left it this way so plumbers have easy access to both pipes, water return and faucets. I just changed out the washer/dryer gate faucets in the basement (not closet) to ball valve (also did the main water gate to ball valve). I'm want to ensure limited hammering- there is some since this change out of basement pipes and gate valves curiously. Might need to secure those new basement pipes tighter with brackets to wood. I'm adding Sioux Chief mini resters on both cold and hot faucets in closet: I've got the vertical space. I believe some fire graded dry wall covering this is on point now. I would screw or nail it to studs. Does anyone know what grade is recommended or have any suggestions. The aperture is 30" h x 36" w x what ever depth of dry wall is chosen. I prefer function over form, and think a partial finish back wall which allows removal and attention if needed is better than not. Anything I might be missing or any suggestions on my idea? I'm a KISS kind of person. Thank you very much in advance. |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by SparklingWater (My Page) on Sat, May 19, 12 at 13:29
Plumbers et all, GW weedmiester suggested an access panel over the exposed, insulated hot and cold water pipes I mention above, and indeed Oatey makes a 6" x 9' access one which fits between typical studs. Total vertical height of exposed pipes is 30" prior to recessed gate faucets in Oatey box. Where would you advise putting this access plumbing box? Half way of vertical height so one could work above and below or closer to the faucets if the majority of breaks occur there? Thanks. Trying to proceed and appreciate any suggestions. |
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Tue, May 31, 05 at 19:49
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that's Dorothy Perkins, a large once blooming rambler that roots easily from cuttings and mildews easily as well. |
It's pretty when it blooms, isn't it? It's a shame it mildews so much. You'll often see a cherry red-pink rose blooming on roadsides, too, called Excelsa or Red Dorothy Perkins. |
- Posted by krekspeksfeks z7 NC (My Page) on Wed, Jun 1, 05 at 20:42
Thank you! The rose is indeed impressive. Do you think it just escaped from somebody's gardens? |
Dorothy Perkins has escaped from gardens around here. I often see it growing in front of abandoned homes or where there used to be houses. But it's so vigorous it often ends up a long way from where it started! |
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How Dry I Am
Most conventional batteries are shipped without any electrolyte in them. If you have a good auto parts store, they'll keep a supply of ready-to-use batteries in assorted sizes on hand. If not, you'll have to have one filled and charged. Here's the procedure: Fill the dry battery with electrolyte of the correct specific gravity. Any place that can sell you a battery will have this. Fill to the bottom of the filler neck, no higher. Now wait several hours while the electrolyte seeps into the spongy lead plates. The level will go down, but as long as it covers all of the plates inside you can proceed to charging the battery. At this point the battery probably will start the car--but it's important that it be fast-charged for an hour or so. This means being charged at a higher current than your 4-amp household charger can muster, so it must be done by a shop with a fast charger capable of putting out 20 amps or so. Failing to do so will shorten the battery's life span and reduce its capacity. Now top up the electrolyte, and rinse well.
Dropping It In
You've got the correct battery, right? Check that the positive and negative terminals are on the proper sides, and that the holddown clamp is the correct style. You may as well fasten the holddown first. Use some antiseize compound on the hardware in case you ever need to remove the battery in the future. Don't skip this step because vibration will shorten the battery's life by cracking the delicate lead plates away from the internal bus bars. The worst case would be the battery shooting out of the tray as you bottom out in some pothole.
Now hook up the positive terminal. When it's tight, put on the red rubber cover. Now hook up the negative (ground) side. Side-terminal batteries have a very small bolt head for a reason. It's to keep overenthusiastic mechanics from overtightening them and stripping the threads out of the soft lead terminal. Use a short wrench to keep torque down.
Now cover the terminals with petroleum jelly. This will substantially slow down the buildup of corrosion on the terminals. Finally, be sure to replace the battery heat insulator if there was one installed.
A proper battery holddown is necessary for safety and long battery life.
HOW IT WORKS: Built-In Battery Test Windows
Many maintenance-free batteries have no access to the electrolyte to check the level or state of charge. But most of them have a built-in tester. This is a Plexiglas wand that sticks down into the battery just below the normal level of the electrolyte. At the bottom of this is a small chamber containing a loose plastic ball that floats in the dense electrolyte when the battery is charged. When it's floating, you can see the green ball at the top window through the Plexiglas. When the battery is discharged, the ball sinks and all you can see is the dark electrolyte. But when the electrolyte is too low, the plastic wand's bottom isn't submerged in it, and you'll notice a light color through the window. This means it's time to replace the battery. Remember, this tester sees into only one cell--there are five others, any one of which could be faulty.


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The US Airways Airbus A320 that crashed into the Hudson River yesterday has been towed to a dock in New York's Battery Park, but it is missing both CFM-56 turbofan engines and divers, thwarted by strong currents and cold weather, have been unable to recover both the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the tail of the aircraft.
All 155 passengers and crew members survived the emergency water landing after the U.S. Airways Flight 1549 apparently lost power in both engines after taking off from Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport and reportedly striking a flock of birds.
National Transportation Safety Board member Kitty Higgins, leading a team of 20 federal investigators, expressed confidence that the engines and recorders would be recovered. Higgins said that the Army Corps of Engineers was working to map the aircraft's water run and that side-scan sonar would be used to find the engines, which presumably detached at impact. Photos of the aircraft show the flaps and slats extended. She said the recorders would be removed from the ten-year-old aircraft once it was lifted out of the water and onto a barge for transport. That is expected to occur tomorrow. The flight crew underwent drug testing today and will be interviewed by investigators tomorrow.
The aircraft was under the command of Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, 57, a 29-year veteran with the airline, and First Officer Jeff Skiles, 49, a 23-year U.S. Airways employee. The A320 weighed an estimated 162,000 pounds and was traveling at approximately 172 miles-per-hour when it hit the water.
Higgins said that the NTSB was working with the FBI and New York City to acquire possible surveillance video of the crash from the many buildings along the aircraft's flight path up and down the river. Higgins also said that airport radar data would be reviewed to look for birds, but she declined to confirm that a rare "double-bird strike" caused the accident, which she termed "uncommon."
"Having a successful ditching of an airplane is a very rare event," she said.—Mark Huber
Flight 1549: Engines Missing, Divers Unable to Recover Flight Recorders
October 1, 2009 12:00 AM


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Hebrew Names Version (HNV) | New International Version (NIV) |
7 But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better. | 7 And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. |
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain. (Hebrew Names Version - The Holy Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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This guy has been having trouble since coming into my home. He's drinking water, but his wrinkles are still there and now there's noticeably large air pockets forming under the skin, as well as on the roots. Take a look: What should I do? It's very soft, but there's no signs of rot. There's a bunch of air bubbles and the poor guy is shriveling up. |
Follow-Up Postings:
Also sorry about the quality of the photos. I'll post better ones when I come back from work. -Josette |
I have no clue so I have no advice, unfortunately. I hate that such a nice plant is giving you this problem. I had a seedling I was doing an experiment with. I totally cut off the bottom side of the caudex where the roots were to flatten it out. I wanted to try to see how successful I'd be as the ones you see in the pictures with all the roots circling around the base. It started to shrivel very badly and stayed that way for about two months. It never felt squishy but I thought it was just drying out completely. Then all of the sudden one day the shriveled up base and stem started to fatten up. And then within a week it was all filled out like nothing had ever happened. Kirk |
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Click here to go the the WHO Global Immunization News (GIN) site.
This Newsletter is in PDF file format. To view this PDF file you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free at: www.adobe.com
PAHO Articles published to GIN
Click here to go the the WHO Global Immunization News (GIN) site.
This Newsletter is in PDF file format. To view this PDF file you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free at: www.adobe.com
PAHO Articles published to GIN
As part of the activities conducted during the 11th Vaccination Week in the Americas & 2nd World Immunization Week; Dr. Jorge Villavicencio, Ministry of Health of Guatemala, swore in the members of Guatemala's national Immunization Advisory Committee (CONAPI, in Spanish). The role and responsibilities of CONAPI´s members are regulated by Ministerial Agreement (MA) number 464-2013.
From 20-24 May 2013, a Haitian team from the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) joined the EPI team of neighboring Dominican Republic (DR) in Santo Domingo for the DR to share its experiences in introducing the rota-virus vaccine into their National Immunization Programme last year.
Location: Antigua, Guatemala
Dates: 25 February – 1 March 2013
Purpose: 1) To exchange experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of pilot efforts in Central America to evaluate influenza vaccine effectiveness 2) To learn about the experiences of I-MOVE (a European Network to measure the effectiveness of influenza vaccines) and 3) To gauge country interest in conforming a similar network in the Americas.
Participants: Technical staff representing the influenza surveillance and immunization programmes of the Ministries of Health of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the European I-MOVE network, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Training Program in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), and PAHO.
Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Dates: 24-26 January 2013
Participants: Vice-Minister of Health of Dominican Republic, Dr. Rafael Schiffino, as well as the EPI Manager, Dr. Zacarias Garib and cooperation agencies such as PAHO and UNICEF, EPI managers from the 38 provinces.
Purpose: To evaluate the EPI performance during 2012, at the national, regional and provincial level, in order to identify challenges that should be overcome during 2013. This exercise will improve the planning process of the EPI programs, by effectively prioritizing the allocation of resources to those activities that will reduce the challenges confronted during 2012.
Location:Sao Paulo, Brazil
Dates: 5-6 March 2013
Participants:Pan American Organization, Sabin Vaccine Institute, the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University, Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, and epidemiological surveillance direc-tors from 26 countries.
Purpose: To assess the pneumococcal epidemiological profile in the region, and discuss the challenges and op-portunities of surveillance and vaccination in older children and adult populations.
Location: Panama City, Panama
Dates: 19–21 February 2013
Participants: Experts from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and US CDC; country/regional PAHO staff
Purpose: To convene the regional experts steering the project
The Haitian Government presented on 27 February 2013, the National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera in Haiti, 2013–2022. This plan outlines a comprehensive set of actions for cholera prevention and control, including the deployment of oral cholera vaccine (OCV). During the period 2013–2015, OCV campaigns are planned for densely populated agglomerations in metropolitan areas and remote rural communities that are difficult to access. Epidemiological analysis defines the areas to target. On the medium and long terms (2016–2022), OCV may continue to be deployed leveraging its distribution to strengthen the provision of other measures of cholera control and prevention (such as reinforcing case management, surveillance, hygiene and health promotion, and services for water and sanitation) and national immunization services.
Pertussis is endemic in the Region of the Americas and many countries report outbreaks or epidemics every four to six years. In an effort to better understand this disease, PAHO/WHO's Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Immunizations has established a Working Group to develop a tool to aide in the investigation and reporting of pertussis outbreaks, in order to collect information that is comparable between outbreaks and across countries. The first meeting of this Working Group was held from 4-5 March 2013 and a second meeting will take place from 6-7 May 2013. During the first meeting, a format for investigating and reporting pertussis outbreaks was de-veloped, which is now being disseminated among epidemiologists in the Region in order to solicit their comments. During the upcoming May meeting, the Working Group will analyze feedback given regarding the above document and they will also examine the pertussis outbreak reports that have occurred over the last three years. These reports will allow for the analysis of the magnitude of the outbreaks, the epidemiology of the cases, the criteria used to confirm and discard cases, case definitions, and the laboratory methods employed.
The Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) ProVac Initiative is providing technical support to the National Immunization Program (NIP) in Honduras to develop a costing study, while piloting the ProVac Costing Tool. This study aims to generate detailed estimates of the recurrent and capital costs of the routine NIP in Honduras. Additionally, this study will provide some information on the cost of new vaccine introduction for the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine relying primarily on central level data. Furthermore, this study will help map the financial resources used for immunization, identifying the different sources and flows of financial contributions to immunization activities in Honduras at the central, regional and health facility levels.
The Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago has expanded the National Immunization Programme with the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (HPV), with an official launch by the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr Faud Khan, late last year.
On 14-15 November 2012, members of the International Expert Committee (IEC) for documenting and verifying the elimination of measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), visited Haiti. The president of the Na-tional Elimination Commission presented evidence supporting the interruption of the circulation of endemic mea-sles and rubella viruses in a technical meeting with the national authorities, external measles and rubella subject-matter experts and strategic immunization partners. Posters from the ten departments, which highlighted the country experience in implementing the campaign, were also presented.
In 2011, Bolivia initiated a measles-rubella follow-up campaign as part of its strategy to maintain measles and rubella elimination in the Region of the Americas and in response to the risk of virus reintroduction due to large outbreaks in Europe and Africa. Bolivia set a goal to vaccinate: 917,546 children aged two-five years old; all women aged 22-44 years old that were not vaccinated during the "speed-up campaign" of 2006 because of pregnancy; health care work-ers; and personnel in contact with tourists and travelers (airports, hotels and transportation terminals).
Bolivia, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua received awards for their immunization achievements during the GAVI Alliance Partners' Forum, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 5-7 December 2012.
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dates: 10-12 September 2012
Participants: Representatives of nine out of the 11 polio laboratories in the Region, as well as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and PAHO's Immuniza-tion Programme participated in the meeting.
Purpose: The main objectives of the meeting were to: review the status of the Polio Laboratory Network of the Americas; review and discuss recent advances in virological and molecular methodologies used in the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN); and discuss issues relevant to the functioning of the Pan American Health Organiza-tion (PAHO) Laboratory Network and the management of laboratories.
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dates: 8-9 November 2012 Participants: Eighteen experts from four Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Australian HPV vaccination programme and cancer registry, WHO and PAHO contributed to this consultation.
Purpose: To examine the report of a 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) meeting on a similar subject; share existing country plans and experiences; identify national capacities and opportunities for the surveillance of HPV-related diseases and HPV diagnostics; and outline the necessary steps toward the completion of a Regional proposal.
Location: Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Dates: 30-31 October 2012 Participants: Nineteen participants representing six countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, and Panama), the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the World Health Organization (WHO) and PAHO.
Purpose: The workshop objectives were to share national and subnational experiences in the introduction and implementation of HPV vaccine; identify strengths and weaknesses of managerial, oper-ational and logistical processes specific to immunization pro-grammes; establish the integration level with cervical cancer pre-vention and adolescent health programmes and existing opportuni-ties; and define lessons learned for other countries in the Region considering HPV vaccine introduction.
Members of the International Expert Committee (IEC) for Measles and Rubella Elimination in the Americas, exter-nal experts from other agencies, and the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) regional advisor for measles and rubella visited Argentina, Colombia, and Haiti to conclude the process of documenting and verifying the elimina-tion of endemic measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the Region. The main objective of the visits was for the IEC to independently evaluate if the interruption of measles and rubella endemic transmission has been achieved in each country, recommend necessary revisions, and provide suggestions on additional measures for overcoming the remaining barriers in maintaining the interruption of measles and rubella transmission.
The Immunization in the Americas brochure is published every year by the Comprehensive Family Immunization Project of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Its objective is to highlight the key data on vaccine-preventable diseases and the provision of immunization services in the countries of the Americas.
Haiti's Ministry of Public Health and Population, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a successful symposium in Haiti entitled, "Introduction of New Vaccines in Haiti's Immunization Programme."
The sixth annual Mini EPI-Managers Meeting of the Dutch Caribbean was held in Sint Maarten, from 13-14 September 2012. The "mini-meeting" presented an opportunity for EPI managers from each island, to come together with representatives of the Immunization Department of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to share experiences regarding their respective immunization programmes, strengthening inter-island collaboration to guarantee uniformity in programmes and create synergies between the EPI programmes of the Dutch Caribbean and of the Netherlands.
The Twentieth Meeting of the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Vaccine-preventable Diseases was held from 17-19 October 2012 in Washington, D.C. Participants included focal points from PAHO's country offices, US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization (WHO), WHO-EMRO, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors With-out Borders, GAVI Alliance, UNICEF, among others.
Dr Cláudio Marcos da Silveira, a Brazilian epidemiologist who played an important role in the implementa-tion of immunization programs in the Americas, passed away on 28 August 2012 after losing a battle with cancer. During his years working for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), he collaborated in the development and implementation of several immunization strategies that resulted in the regional control and elimination of various vaccine-preventable diseases, notably the regional elimination of polio and measles, and was one of the main architects of the strategy that eliminated neonatal tetanus as a public health problem in most countries of the Americas.
For more information on Dr da Silveira's life, please visit this link.
Published in Global Immunization Newsletter, October 2012.
From 1-9 October 2012, the Dominican Republic implemented a study, with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to assess missed vaccination opportunities in hospitals and health centres across the country in order to identify fac-tors contributing to low coverage levels in high-risk municipali-ties (DPT3 coverage < 85%). The results of the study will help develop and implement interventions in the short and long-term.
From 24-28 September 2012, the ProVac Initiative led a planning mission to Honduras to begin preparations for a comprehensive costing study of the routine Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Honduras has introduced rotavirus in 2009 and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in 2011 with support from the GAVI Alliance. In preparation for its upcoming GAVI-graduation, the country has requested support from the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) ProVac Initiative to explore routine programme costs and financial flows to better inform long-term financial sustainability plans.
A comprehensive international evaluation of Colombia's Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) took place from 27 August-7 September 2012. The evaluation of the data quality component of the EPI evaluation started earlier, on 23 August 2012, as it was a full data quality self-assessment (DQS) including a review of the national immunization registry being rolled-out in the country. The primary objective of the international evaluation was to: assess the organization, structure, and operation of the national EPI to maintain achievements in the elimination of some vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs); address the unfinished immunization agenda by making the benefits of vaccination available to all; and, address new challenges such as the introduction of new vaccines. Evaluators visited six departments and the capital district of Bogotá, 24 municipalities, and 53 health care centres (public and private), and performed 686 interviews. Of those interviewed, 85 were from the political spheres, 65 EPI managers, over 100 managers from other programmes or representatives of cooperation agencies or institutions, and 383 users.
The Uru Chipaya Ethnic Group of the Oruro Department of Bolivia received the 2011 Pan Ameri-can Health Organization (PAHO) Immunization Award for their activities to keep immunization coverage close to 100% in their area. The group was presented with a certificate of recognition, as well as a monetary gift in the amount of three thousand US dollars at the twentieth Meeting of PAHO's Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Vaccine-preventable Diseases on 17 October 2012 in Washington, D.C (article in this issue of the GIN). PAHO created the Immunization Award to recognize outstanding contributions to a national immuniza-tion programme and to the control and/or elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Representatives from Brazil, Chile, the city of Bogotá-Colombia, Honduras and Uruguay presented their experi-ence developing and using their computerized immunization registries at the first national meeting of the American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA) in St Paul, Minnesota on 19-20 September 2012. Also, a representative from the Immunization Programme of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) was invited to present an overview of the status of implementation of national immunization registries in Latin America.
In August 2012, Colombia's Ministry of Health and Social Welfare introduced the human papillomavirus (HPV)vaccine into its national immunization schedule in order to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. Following an analysis of the current evidence available and a cost-effectiveness study of HPV vaccines, the MoH's National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), along with the Colombian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the Colombian Society of Paediatrics, the Colombian Federation of Perinatology, the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Oncology, agreed to recommend including the HPV vaccine in its national immunization schedule.
On 20 September 2012, ministers of health of the Region approved an emergency plan of action to keep the Americas free of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) at the 28th Pan American Sanitary Conference. Given the continuing circulation of measles and rubella viruses in other regions of the world, countries of the Region continue to be exposed to high risk of virus importations. Moreover, some countries have reported weaknesses and failures in their national surveillance systems and routine immunization programmes, making them vulnerable to the reintroduction of viruses that can cause outbreaks.
A new PAHO coffee table book entitled, Vaccination: An Act of Love — 10 years of Vaccination Week in the Americas, was launched on 18 September 2012 during the 28th Pan American Sanitary Conference.
From 10-14 September 2012, a meeting was held in the city of Bogota, Colombia. The objectives of the yellow fever meeting were to provide an update on the prevention and control of the disease, diagnosis methods,research and management of adverse events, as well as crisis management and risk communication. Participants also reviewed the epidemiological situation of yellow fever in the Americas, outbreaks in selected countries, and vaccination plans for yellow fever.
Between 26 July-10 August 2012, a pilot of the new GAVI Alliance Immunization Data Quality Assessment tool (IDQA) was conducted in Bolivia. The assessment team included members from the Bolivian MoH, GAVI, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the PAHO. Two previous pilot activities have been performed in 2012 in Ghana and Uganda. The objective of this activity was to field test the IDQA protocol developed in 2011, in collaboration with an ad hoc task team in a Latin American country, in order to assess the capacity of the tool for diverse country-specific settings and inform the use of the IDQA rollout, expected in 2013. Bolivia has had an excellent record in immun-ization data quality, as evidenced by results from a data quality assess-ment performed in 2010, as part of an EPI evaluation conducted by PAHO.
In June, Haiti's Ministry of Public Health and Population successfully concluded its intensive health activities focused on children. A total of 3,045,529 Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) doses were administered to children aged nine years or less and 2,938,863 Measles/Rubella (MR) vaccine doses were administered to children aged between nine months and nine years. Likewise, a total of 1,210,438 vitamin A capsules were administered to children aged between six months and six years as well as 1,352,789 albendazol tablets to children aged two to nine years.
From 9-12 July 2012, an international workshop on cold chain operations was held in Managua, Nicaragua. The main objective of the workshop was to train EPI managers and cold chain managers on cold chain operations. Other workshop objectives included providing knowledge on the use of new tools and technologies, presenting guidelines for effective management of cold chain operations and to draw on regional experiences to homologize the text in the cold chain module that PAHO is updating. The purpose of PAHO's Cold Chain Module is to help countries plan cold chain and supply chain operations for five to ten years from now, for both the introduction of new vaccines and supporting a growing population. The new Unit Five in the Cold Chain Module emphasizes management practices.
On 4 July 2012, the Dominican Republic introduced the rotavirus vaccine into its national immunization schedule in order to prevent diarrhea in children and avoid mortality. The introduction of the vaccine was announced at the official launch in the Santo Socorro hospital. The first doses were administered by the Minister of Health, Dr Bautista Rojas Gomez and the Regional Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Mirta Roses to two children aged two months (photo).
According to Dr Rojas Gomez, the new vaccine will prevent the diarrheal infec-tion that affects virtually all children in the first five years of life. The Minister explained that the administration of this oral vaccine in all vaccination posts in the country will also reduce paediatric visits and congestion in hospitals. Dr Ro-jas Gomez also stated that with the addition of the Dominican Republic, more and more countries in Latin America include this vaccine in their immunization programmes, which he assured is a great achievement.
On 6 June 2012, the results of a vaccination coverage survey were presented to the Minister of Health and other health officials in El Salvador. The survey was requested by El Salvador's EPI, designed with support from the Pan American Health Organization and implemented in partnership with a local university with ex-perience in conducting (non-health related) surveys. A survey to assess vaccination coverage for vaccines recommended for children aged under two had been recommended during the country's 2009 EPI evaluation, as problems detected for numerators and denominators were affecting administrative coverage calculation. The survey included 2,550 children aged 24-59 months at the time of the interview (Nov-Dec 2011) living in the five Health Regions of the country. The main objectives were to determine vaccination coverage for BCG; first, second and third dose of DTP-Hib-HepB and OPV; the first and second dose of Rotavirus; the first dose of MMR; and the first booster of DTP and OPV; to estimate vaccination timeliness, in relation to the recommended age; to compare survey coverage with administrative coverage; and to identify reasons for not having received some vaccines.
VINUVA (from "New Vaccines Surveillance" in Spanish) was created by the Pan American Health Organiza-tion (PAHO) in 2011 to provide a standardized computerized tool for the countries in the Region of the Americas that are part of the rotavirus and invasive bacterial disease surveillance network. The VINUVA workshop was held on 5-6 June 2012 in Paramaribo, Suriname for Caribbean countries that are part of the rotavirus diarrheal surveillance network. The objectives of the workshop were to discuss the new surveil-lance reporting processes between the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and its reporting countries; discuss the required surveillance indicators; identify the person in each hospital responsible for the monthly recording of the surveillance data in VINUVA; identify the person per country responsible for verifying and approving the surveillance data; and train participants in using the VINUVA tool.
Thanks to the recognized success of PAHO's ProVac Initiative in coun-tries of the Americas, a ProVac International Working Group (IWG) was established to share ProVac tools and methodologies with other Regions. During the two-year pilot phase, this Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded project will serve as the platform through which ProVac tools and methodologies developed and implemented in PAHO-countries can be tested and adapted to other regional contexts. The ProVac IWG is con-formed of multiple partners. PAHO's ProVac Initiative will serve as the secretariat and coordinating agency. Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP) and PATH will serve as implementing agencies by providing direct technical assistance to country teams using ProVac's tools and methods. They will provide support for cost-effectiveness evaluations of potential new vaccine introductions in three AFRO countries, two EMRO coun-tries, and two EURO countries and will hold a workshop in each of the before mentioned Regions.
From 21-25 May 2012, participants from selected countries of the
On 10 May, public health officials from across the
On 26-29 March 2012, the fourth International workshop on Good Practices for Safe Injection and a Course on Cold Chain Operations and Maintenance were held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The purpose of the Workshop was to train and update health professionals on safe injection practices, new technologies, good storage practices, and preventing risks associated with needle accidents.
From 9-18 May 2012, the local Regional Health Agency and PAHO jointly evaluated the immunization programme of the French Department of Guyane. French Guiana is located in the North-east of South America and shares borders with
This year marks two milestone events in public health: the 10th anniversary of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA), and the 1st ever World Immunization Week (WIW). In the Americas, over the last ten years, VWA has grown to become the largest multinational health initiative in the Region, thanks to the political commitment of governments and the dedication of the Region's health care workers. The objectives of Vaccination Week are: 1) to advance equity and improve access to vaccination for people of all ages through outreach to underserved and marginalized communities; 2) increase vaccination coverage of all antigens to prevent disease outbreaks; 3) raise awareness on how immunization saves lives; 4) to maintain the topic on the political agenda; and 5) to promote the transition from child to family immunization.
The International Expert Committee (IEC), responsible for documenting and verifying the elimination of measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the Americas, met on 29-30 March 2012, at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) headquarters. The objective of the meeting was to assess the progress achieved on this topic and to define the road map to sustain the elimination of these diseases in the Region. The Presidents and members of National Commissions along with health authorities from countries that reported sustained measles outbreaks and rubella cases in 2011 were also convened for an ad-hoc meeting with the IEC.
On 20-21 March 2012, PAHO immunization project conducted a workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina to identify lessons learned from the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Some of the meeting objectives were to share experiences between countries with different scenarios and vaccination schedules as well as to identify the strengths, opportunities and problems that arose in the logistic and operational process of the PCV introduction. The workshop also discussed the critical aspects of the PCV introduction in order to support the introduction process in other countries of the Region and other WHO Regions.
Senior Advisor, Dr Cuauhtémoc Ruiz Matus and Regional Advisor, Dr Mauricio Landaverde of PAHO's Comprehensive Family Immunization Project, along with select participants of Latin American countries conducted a review of the current situation of whooping cough and of the strategies recently implemented in some of the countries of the Region in order to mitigate the outbreaks and the case-fatality of this vaccine-preventable disease.
On 22-23 March 2012, the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) ProVac Initiative held an "experience sharing workshop" on the use of the CERVIVAC model (a ProVac tool for cost-effectiveness analysis of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and cervical cancer screening strategies), in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eight country teams, comprised of EPI managers, cervical cancer programme managers, PAHO Immunization focal points, health economists and other professionals, participated in the meeting.
The 28th meeting of the Caribbean Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) managers was held in Bridgetown, Barbados, 27 February-2 March 2012. The meeting convened over 120 participants from 30 countries, as well as representatives from international agencies such as the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Canadian Public Health Agency (CPHA). Participants included representatives from the Ministries of Health, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO), and the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).
Over 275,000 (not 500,000) women die annually from cervical cancer worldwide. In the Americas, the Caribbean sub-region has the fourth highest cervical cancer incidence in the world. Achieving high coverage of secondary preventive strategies, such as cytology, to detect precancerous lesions in women has proved challenging in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). A safe and efficacious vaccine to prevent the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a leading cause of cervical cancer in women, is now licensed for use in young girls.
During the second week of February, the ProVac team initiated and concluded a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) in Peru and El Salvador, respectively.
Haiti's Ministry of Public Health and Population is working to implement intensified vaccination activities nationwide in 2012. The country will implement a first round of vaccination using measles-rubella vaccine (RR) and OPV for children aged <=9 years (9 months to 9 years for RR) in April and a second vaccination round using polio (and Td for the elimination of neonatal tetanus) at least one month after finishing the first. Vitamin A supplements and deworming will be integrated. These supplementary immunization activities (SIA) represent a unique opportunity to strengthen Haiti's regular immunization program, while achieving a rapid increase in vaccination coverage against polio, measles and rubella.
Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization
525 Twenty-third Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, United States of America
Tel.: +1 (202) 974-3000 Fax: +1 (202) 974-3663


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Our Spring-Summer 2012 Blogger Makeover took place a couple of weeks ago in London at Disciple Studios, owned by fashion photographer extraordinaire Camille Sanson. It was a lovely and sunny day and the atmosphere was relaxed. Everyone had so much fun... including me, the hostess with the mostest!
I've already showed you some behind the scenes photos and the bags that starred in the shoot, now it is time for you to get acquainted with the fantastic four bloggers who participated... Starting with, well erm.. me.
You already know a lot about me since I've been gracing these internet pages for about two years now as the MCM UK Blogger Ambassador, a role I am really proud to play. As you may know, I write the blog MademoiselleRobot.com and I work as a journalist, stylist and sometimes even DJ. No two days in my life are ever the same. My favourite MCM bags? Tracey, Grace and the whole of the Shanghai Collection!
Next up is another lady that you may know by now... The wonderfully creative Kit Lee from the blog StyleSlicker.com. Kit has been an MCM fan for the longest time and she always styles our bags with a lot of flair. She shares her life between London and Hong Kong and so she likes her bags roomy. Her favourites: any bag from the First Lady range.
Peony Lim is one of those style bloggers who just oozes class and sophistication. This is why I absolutely wanted her to attend the makeover. This brand consultant and clothing designer puts together outfits that manage to be both slightly eccentric and really glamourous. Needless to say she picked just the right bag for the occasion. Her favourite: the funk rock luxury line.
Last but certainly not least, Carrie Harwood from WishWishWish brings us her inimitable girly vintage style. Carrie just graduated from a Fashion Promotion degree and already published the first issue of Wish, a magazine she crafted with the help of her best friend. How talented is she? The bag that caught her eye was the Sun Dream. Romantic!
Before I go - we also made a little video on the day, so have a look and get to know our girls even better! Stay tuned for their own take on the day, coming very soon :)
xoxo Laetitia


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Daily iPad App: Fuze Meeting HD connects to telepresence systems
The flexible Fuze Meeting web conferencing platform already had a very solid iOS story, with the ability to schedule and start meetings from the iPad (including multiparty HD videoconferencing). Now, with the recently released version 4.0 of the app, the company is building a bridge to corporate high-end conferencing gear.
The new app is compatible with Fuze's Hosted Telepresence Connect service, which allows iPad users to join in videoconference sessions with high-end installed systems from Cisco, Polycom, LifeSize and other vendors. These enterprise conferencing room systems don't come cheap, but adding the iPad clients into the mix expands their flexibility and may increase their utilization. (If you have to ask: the Telepresence Connect service starts at US$2,000 a month for connection to three endpoint systems.)
In addition to the big-ticket feature, the new app version also includes the ability to start a meeting recording from the iPad, touch annotation of shared documents, and more. The free app paired with a trial Fuze account allows you to test out the meeting functionality; monthly plans start at $29.
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Episode 220: Two 2011 Entry Level Pinot Noirs Just Over $20
February 23, 2014
We've been on a roll with Oregon Pinot Noir lately, but we suspect that that's OK with most of you. While looking for wines this week, Dan came across two entry level bottles from some producers that also make very high end wines. We've enjoyed wines from both producers in the past, and were interested in how these two would turn out. We taste the 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Adelsheim, and from Evening Land.
What do you do during the winter?
2 Responses to "Episode 220: Two 2011 Entry Level Pinot Noirs Just Over $20"
February 24, 2014 at 6:17 amI'd like to see a show or a few shows where you revisit a PNP an hour later to see how the wine evolved. I think it would give a different perspective and possibly increase a new releases complexity.