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February 14, 2007 Commission MeetingClick the title of an agenda item below to obtain a pdf file of the meeting materials relating to that item. The agenda (6 pages) and the materials for all agenda items (367 pages) are also available as pdf files. PUBLIC HEARING 1. Public Hearing on Proposed Rule Changes NEW BUSINESS 2. Ratification of minutes of the October 13, October 20, and November 2, 2006 meetings 3. Assessment of Civil Penalty for Late Filing/Hon. Joshua A. Tardy 4. Request for Guidance/Hon. Thomas B. Saviello 5. Complaints/Carol Grose and Susan Wasserott Campaigns 6. Assessment of Civil Penalty for Late Filing/Hon. Kimberly Davis 7. Request for Reconsideration of Late Filing Penalty/South Portland Democratic City Committee 8. Request for Waiver of Late Filing Penalty/Opportunity Maine PAC 9. Complaint/Late Filing of Independent Expenditure Reports 10. Assessment of Civil Penalty for Late Filing/Nancy Bessey 11. Request for Waiver of Late Filing Penalty/Todd Brackett 12. Request for Waiver of Late Filing Penalty/Christopher Wainwright 13. Request for Waiver of Late Filing Penalty/Gerald York 14. Request for Waiver of Late Filing Penalty/Bernard Ayotte 15. Referral to Attorney General for Failure to Pay Civil Penalty/David Hughes 16. Referral to Attorney General for Failure to Pay Civil Penalty/Arthur Clement Referral to Attorney General for Collection of Unspent MCEA Funds Under 21-A M.R.S.A. §1125(12), Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA) candidates are required to return all unspent MCEA funds with their final campaign finance report, which was due December 19, 2006. Four candidates who appear to owe more than $100 have not returned this money. The staff recommends that the Commission request that the Attorney General initiate civil lawsuits to recover the funds. David Hughes Arthur Clement Paul Nixon Debra Reagan 21. Presentation of Audit Reports 22. Subpoena of Bank Records of Thomas Bossie Other EXECUTIVE SESSION ADJOURNMENT |
Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved. |


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- The Spot - http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot -
Washington DC races on
Posted By Alicia Caldwell On April 8, 2010 @ 8:50 am In Education | No Comments
Don't count out Washington D.C. in the second round of Race to the Top [1] education [2] funding.
Though the district finished dead last in the original round [3] of big-money grants the Obama administration is offering to coax states into adopting cutting edge education reform, DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee [4] stormed back into the running Wednesday with an agreement with her teachers union [5]that includes important advances.
As it turns out, these are exactly the sorts of reforms Colorado [6] needs to adopt if it wants to be a contender in the second round of Race to the Top funding.
Here is an excerpt from a Washington Post editorial today [7] that describes the reforms:
No longer would teachers be paid solely according to the number of years served or degrees earned. Seniority and tenure would no longer determine where and how people are assigned, promoted or retained. The pernicious policy that permits unwanted teachers to be forced on principals would be abolished under a policy requiring mutual consent in school assignments. Minimally effective or ineffective teachers would lose job security. In addition to the generous pay raises — which would give the District a competitive edge in hiring — teachers would also benefit from a rich offering of new opportunities for professional development as well as enhanced policies on school security and discipline.
Rhee already has announced that the district will be a player [8] in the second round of Race to the Top competition. With the reforms she managed to get the teacher's union to agree to, I believe Washington D.C. has significantly improved its chances.
Delaware and Tennessee succeeded in the first round [9] of Race to the Top funding for a variety of reasons, according to the U.S. Department of Education:
The peer reviewers awarded the highest scores to Delaware and Tennessee. They awarded Delaware and Tennessee high marks for the commitment to reform from key stakeholders, including elected officials, teacher's union leaders, and business leaders. In both states, all school districts committed to implementing Race to the Top reforms. Delaware and Tennessee also have aggressive plans to improve teacher and principal evaluation, use data to inform instructional decisions, and turn around their lowest-performing schools. In addition, both states have put in place strong laws and policies to support their reform efforts.
As Washington D.C. surges ahead with reforms positioning it well for the second round of R2T funding, we hope Colorado policy makers are paying attention.
They must find the political courage to put into place reforms that stand on their own as beneficial change for Colorado students, but also help the state in securing this much-needed grant money.
Article printed from The Spot: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot
URL to article: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/04/08/washington-dc-races-on/8123/
URLs in this post:
[1] Race to the Top: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/topic/race-to-the-top/
[2] education: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/topic/education/
[3] finished dead last in the original round: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/An-Uphill-Battle-89506582.html
[4] Michelle Rhee: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/topic/michelle-rhee/
[5] with an agreement with her teachers union : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040604392.html
[6] Colorado: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/topic/colorado/
[7] Washington Post editorial today: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704215.html
[8] the district will be a player: http://www.dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Race+to+the+Top+Results+for+First+Round+Announced
[9] succeeded in the first round: http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03292010.html
Click here to print.
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subset: commoncrawl


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June 8th through the 11th 2010, over 6,000 attendees and over 175 speakers converged at McCormick Convention Center in the city of Chicago with a common goal in mind — to learn and share information about e-tailing.
Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE 2010) brings together a wide variety of business owners, marketers and technology providers to learn about the latest innovations and to discuss current trends in the world of internet retailing.
This year, Network Solutions® was well represented on the exhibition floor, showcasing our ecommerce shopping cart, online marketing services and merchant account solutions.
Several team members attended workshops and seminar sessions to learn about a variety of topics including ecommerce, mobile commerce, social media, search engine optimization and search trends, and how all of these areas are affecting online business.
This was a great opportunity to unveil our new nsMarketing™ service, SEO for Ecommerce, which aims to boost traffic to an online store (and ultimately increase sales).
We also demonstrated a new product that is currently in development. nsMobile™Pay, anticipated to launch in Fall 2010, will combine the ability of transacting credit card payments with the convenience of a mobile iPhone® application. (Stay tuned – more information coming soon!) Many attendees were intrigued by the sneak preview and several business owners had a keen interest in the new product.
As an incentive for visitors that stopped by our booth, we offered them a chance to enter into a drawing for a new 32GB, 3G iPad® with Wi-Fi. It only took "a minute to win it" by simply filling out a survey regarding their current interest in how they do or plan to use Web-enabled smart-phones and social media to assist with their business. And, they actually used an iPad® to complete the survey!
A separate drawing was held to give away a PaySaber® device, a lightweight, portable credit card machine that connects with the iPhone® or iPod touch®. Both of these drawings brought in several more new leads to our business.
After a long week and many hours of networking and exhibiting the Network Solutions booth, we came away from the event with a wealth of knowledge and the satisfaction of knowing that we will be helping many businesses to grow online.
Brought to you by Network Solutions®, a Web.com® service.


text: Just like it says guys, I'm in the market for a 99-02 Trans Am or WS6 six speed car with under 60k miles. Only interested in cars with a clean title. Some mods are fine but not looking for any track or dragged cars as this will be my DD. I will be paying cash. Would like to pick something up within the next few weeks. I'm located in Jacksonville FL, and would like to meet someone within a day's drive preferably. My name is Blake. Thanks!


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Welcome to this website. You will find some information about my works.
This site is currently actively maintained, so if you have question or wants to interact with me don't hesitate to contact me. Also, sorry if my english is not perfect, I try to be as understandable as possible, but I'm not fluent.


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What does OHMS mean in Hobbies?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand OHMS in the Miscellaneous field in general and in the Hobbies terminology in particular.
Oregon Historical Modelers Society
Find a translation for OHMS in other languages:
Select another language:
Discuss this OHMS abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"OHMS." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/term/312684>.
OHMS also stands for:
- Oak Harbor Middle School
- Occupational Healthcare Management Services
- Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
- Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
- Office of Hearings and Mediation Services
... and 8 more »
Nearby & related abbreviations:
Alternative search:
- Search Oregon Historical Modelers Society on Amazon
- Search Oregon Historical Modelers Society on Google


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** Download the new City Zombies version 1.0 NOW **
"If you like city, restaurant building or farming apps, you'll LOVE City Zombies!! You gotta try it!"
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** Brought to you by the developers of Tap Fish, the #1 aquarium game in the Appstore with millions of users! **


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5 May 2011
Colt, Europe's leading information delivery platform, today announced a new data centre deployment approach that provides customers with unparalleled flexibility in power density, size and Tier configurations. The new approach includes a range of Modular Data Centre design options which match users' specific space, power and location needs.
Size and layout - Today at DataCentres Europe 2011, Colt built upon its award-winning modular data centre design with the introduction of new Modular Data Centre form factors of 125m2, 250m2 and 375m2 data halls or multiple combinations of each model. These new designs complement Colt's existing 500m2 Modular Data Centre option.
The additional flexibility offered is in direct response to market demand. The units are unique as they can be manufactured for external deployment without the need for a separate shell to form their own building structure. Colt can supply this external version of the data centre to a customer's site in exactly the same way as the current version from order to deployment in just four months. All variations of the new designs will be available from May 2011.
Improved power efficiency - In addition to the 1500W and 1625W per square metre standard products that are already on offer today, Colt is able to increase the power density of its Modular Data Centre to up to 3000W per square metre or reduce it to as low as 750W per square metre, depending on the customer requirements. These new power densities are available across all new modular designs.
Tier configurations - Colt now also provides the Tier levels 2, 3, 3+ or 4 throughout the entire range of Modular Data Centres and is working with the Uptime Institute to have the new designs independently certified.
"This increased choice in floor space and power provides customers with a data centre that fits into any building for any type of application," explains Bernard Geoghegan, Executive Vice President of Colt Data Centre Services. "We have had tremendous interest from a number of customers across a variety of industries including financial services, retail and logistics, all looking for a customised, flexible, low risk solution that is not only efficient but quick to deploy."
These new designs mean customers are not restricted to having all their technical space with the same power density or Tier configuration. The customer could, for example, have a 125m2, 3000W per square metre Modular Data Centre to support their Cloud, alongside a 375m2, 1500W per square metre hall for their conventional server and storage equipment.
"A Modular Data Centre is like a bespoke data centre but built in a far more effective way," said Guy Ruddock, Vice President of Operations, Colt Data Centre Services. "We have been building Modular Data Centres for a few years and are including increased flexibility into all our designs. We have made hundreds of improvements since we originally launched our Modular Data Centre design. Each customer benefits from this knowledge gained from a relentless continuous improvement programme. They know exactly what they are getting four months after they've ordered it."
For additional information visit Colt at:
Data Centres Europe 2011 on May 5th and 6th – Stand B6
Colt Data Centre Services: www.colt.net/dcs
Video: Colt's Modular data centre being built: http://youtu.be/jEZec73ML9k
The Uptime Institute: http://www.uptimeinstitute.org/
Notes to editors:
Colt is responding to growing demand for greater data centre flexibility by now providing over 120 different standard design variations for the modular data centre
Colt can now deliver modular data centres at the same speed as the 500m2 data centre or in some cases, faster than before.
Colt can use 125m2, 250m2, 375m2, 500m2 of space and can deliver doubled stacked versions of those sizes.
In addition, it can offer increased power density of its Modular Data Centre to up to 3000W per square metre or bring it down to as low as 750W per square metre, depending on an organisation's requirements.
The newly available power densities are available across all new modular designs.
In 2010, the Colt Data Centre Services business was launched to deliver innovative high quality modular data centres which are rapid to deploy and power efficient.
Colt is listed on the London Stock Exchange (COLT). Information about Colt and its services can be found at www.colt.net.
For more information, please contact:
Colt press contacts
Stacey Jones, Weber Shandwick
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Rebecca Kools, Colt
Mobile: +44 (0) 7974 457 404
Email: email@example.com
Analyst Relations
Agi Donnithorne, Loudhouse
Mobile: +44 (0)7595 003328
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
*1PUE: Power Usage Effectiveness
Please choose your country


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As far as rights go, Australian tenants are left in the dust by many OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries.
Of the 34 OECD countries, Australia is one of the few that allows "no grounds" evictions. Plus, renters are forced to accept short leases and very few restrictions on rent increases. Property owners in Australia can limit a lease to any length and let renters know it won't be renewed any time they want. It's probably no coincidence, then, that Australians move house more than any other OECD citizens except Icelanders.
Martin Barker, a tenant advocate at Sydney's Inner West Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service, characterises Australia's lack of tenant support as an "international anachronism", especially compared with the enlightened rental regimes of countries such as Germany and the Netherlands.
Easy eviction has meant living in a state of stressful uncertainly for many tenants, according to Barker. "It really removes renting as a reasonable long-term option, despite the fact that many people are forced to rent anyway." Tenants in NSW, for example, can be evicted "for no reason at all" once their fixed term is up, Barker points out, and many landlords in the Sydney area are currently leaning towards terms of six months, or 12 months "at best".
This is a prime piece of evidence that the system is skewed in favour of property owners, but there are subtler inequities as well. If a tenant in Victoria, WA or NSW needs to break their lease for any reason, they can be required to continue paying until the rental agent or landlord fills the property or the fixed terms ends. Lease breakers in these states can also be liable for maintenance and the rental agent's advertising costs.
Compare this with Germany, where leases effectively confer permanent occupancy; a tenant need only give three months' notice with no further obligations. And, in the limited circumstances under which a tenant can be evicted, landlords must give six months' notice if the tenant has been there five to eight years, and nine months if they've been there longer.
In NSW, revisions to the Residential Tenancies Act in 2010 further undercut long-term rental security, argues Barker. In a compromise with the landlord lobby, the notification time frame for eviction of month-to-month renters was increased from 60 to 90 days. The trade-off was that the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) lost its discretionary power to overturn no-grounds evictions. "Now, if the landlord issues you an eviction notice, you're gone," says Barker. (The CTTT can still adjudicate in cases where the landlord wants to evict a tenant on the grounds they've breached the terms of the lease.)
Then again, a win at the NSW CTTT for a tenant in a no-grounds case did little to improve rental security, according to Barker. Tenants could previously challenge a no-grounds eviction if they believed it was issued in retaliation for making a complaint, but "even if they did win they would certainly have been on their landlord's bad side and, at best, would have only had another year. It made people very reluctant to stand up for their rights".
Receive FREE email updates of our latest tests, consumer news and CHOICE marketing promotions.
Renting can be stressful no matter where you live. However, over the years, CHOICE has heard from a number of families living on Sydney's northern beaches where competition for rentals can be cut-throat and the renting life can mean moving house every year and having to send your kids to different schools. None of the renters we spoke to had been able to secure more than a 12-month lease over the past decade or so; and none had any certainty about whether the rent would be affordable if they were given a chance to renew for a second year.
The northern beaches rental market is notorious for one especially rapacious practice: some property owners make sure any fixed lease ends before Christmas so the property can be turned over to holiday renters. At Christmas time, properties in the general vicinity of the ocean can command as much per day as regular tenants pay per week. Since landlords only have to give renters 30 days' notice that they won't be renewing a fixed-term lease when it's coming to an end, renters may only find out in November that they'll be out the door by December.
It's no better for first-time renters, some of whom have learned to put up with poor, yet pricey, living conditions. "I'm very reluctant to bring up anything because, among other things, I'm concerned about getting a good reference for another rental," says CHOICE staffer, Madison Cartwright. "Things that are wrong with the place were obviously that way when we moved in. I know a lot of first-time renters are in the same situation. There's an unspoken understanding that you don't complain out of fear you'll be evicted." With Cartwright's fixed lease period behind him, his status has automatically reverted to month-to-month, a state of limbo that the landlord can prolong indefinitely. "Now I don't want to say or do anything for fear that the rent will go up."
Another 20-something month-to-month renter we spoke with, who lives in the Sydney suburb of Newtown, is well acquainted with the dangers of complaining. "The house has been falling apart for a while now; no money has been put into it whatsoever," says Elise C. "We finally sent six or seven emails to the rental agent over a few weeks. A little while later we got a letter saying the rent would be going up by $110 a week, starting in a month. I'd say there's definitely a connection between our complaints and the rent increase."
Elise's story was echoed by many of the responses we received to our social media call-out asking whether worries about rent increases or eviction made renters reluctant to complain. Senior policy officer at the Tenants' Union of NSW, Chris Martin, tells CHOICE the advocacy service "gives advice to tenants about getting repairs done all the time – and concerns about whether raising these issues with their landlords will adversely affect their tenancy is a common theme. It absolutely has an effect on their willingness to assert their legal rights."
However, this isn't to say there aren't also conscientious property owners out there having put up with unscrupulous renters. Merryl E asked us to "spare a thought for the landlord who sees her property deteriorate with bad tenants; where extra people and animals come for a 'short stay'; where the rent is constantly in arrears; the water and council rates, insurance and repair costs keep going up; and the rent nowhere near matches the mortgage interest and costs".
Considering the upward trend in housing prices over the past decade, it's no surprise that Australians have been increasingly forced to rent. According to a widely cited 2013 International Housing Affordability Survey by the US-based public policy firm Demographia, all of Australia's major housing markets (cities with a population of more than one million) and three-quarters of all our markets are in the "severely unaffordable" category, which means houses cost more than five times the median income for those areas.
After Hong Kong, Australia is the least affordable of the seven countries reviewed, followed by New Zealand, the UK, Canada, Ireland and the US. The findings for Australia reflect "vastly overpriced housing", the survey's authors wrote, with Sydney, Melbourne and Perth seeing the sharpest spikes since 2000. The authors add a wistful note to round out their analysis, saying the stark message of the report is aimed at "younger generations who have a right to expect they will live as well or better than their parents, but may not, in large part due to the higher cost of housing that is driven by exorbitant increases in house prices relative to incomes".
The outlook for the rental world is not much rosier. Between 1995 and 2010, weekly rent has increased by about 45% across the nation, according to the ABS (after adjustments for inflation). But rents in the markets where most Australians live are much higher than in regional Australia (Adelaide's housing costs, for example, are 53% higher than the rest of SA).
The federal government established the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) in 2008, aimed at stimulating the supply of 50,000 new affordable rental dwellings across Australia by June 2012. The goal is for lower- and middle-income consumers to have access to rentals at 20% below market rates.
As of June 2010 there were 12,830 rentals available; the deadline has since been extended to 2016. A couple with one child can apply if they make $96,068 or less; a single person if they make $56,043 or less. Eligible consumers must apply through a tenancy manager in their state or territory. Tenancy managers are listed on the NRAS page.
Tenant advocate agencies throughout Australia have long pushed for the abolition of no-grounds evictions, a position we endorse as a starting point for better renter protections. "It wouldn't be a big deal for most landlords, and it would improve things considerably for tenants," says Martin. "It would also go a long way towards alleviating the insecurity people feel about renting."
Our graphic shows how rental conditions in Australia stack up against other, comparable nations.


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Schedule an Appointment
Online Appointment Scheduling is now available at Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.
Delays & Closures at PPINK
Some of our health centers are closed due to weather. Learn more here.
We Deliver!
Order your contraceptive supplies online! Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky is pleased to be able to offer you a simple and fast way to get birth control pills when you need them.
Goddesses Tickets on sale now
Experience the Roaring 20s at PPINK's annual Gathering of Goddesses and Gods, Saturday, April 25, 2015 in Downtown Indianapolis.
Women's access to basic health care is under attack. Stand with us in support of contraception, cancer screenings, and testing and treatment of STIs.


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September 18, 2013
Men, we have things to do and let's be honest, there are too many of these things to do in a day to also worry about how to get ready for them. Yet, looking good is the first part to any guy's day. That's why Blind Barber has packaged up your morning routine into 2 (cool-ass, super cool) sets. No longer do you have to think about how to get ready for your day, just how to make it better than the last. #TheRegimen
Undefeated professional boxer, Chris Algieri, is living proof of a solid Regimen. At 18-0 and an eye on being World Champion, the "Pride of Huntington" prepares for every day as if it is going to be the toughest fight of his life. Diet, workouts, sparring and dinner with the family are all apart of his routine. But the first part to every champion's day is waking up and feeling (looking) great. Blind Barber had the opportunity to follow Chris throughout a day leading up to his latest fight and to see what it really takes to be the champ.
Video by Atif Ateeq


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Antananarivo Transport
Travellers visiting Antananarivo will find themselves getting around mostly by foot. There is, however, an affordable and efficient mini-bus service, known as taxi be, that runs regularly throughout the city. The fares are usually at least half the price of a regular taxi but since most tourists are not familiar with the routes and aren't comfortable being packed into a taxi be like a tin of sardines, regular taxis are the preferred method of transport for travellers. Be sure to negotiate the fare with the driver before entering the taxi. Car rental agencies can be found throughout Antananarivo for visitors wanting to explore the city in their own time. Renting a car is useful if you want to go on excursions out of the city but the roads are not in a good condition, and driving can be stressful and dangerous.
Air Madagascar connects Antananarivo to 51 towns on the island, although flights do not depart daily for most locations and air travel can be much more expensive than going by train or bus. The train journey between the capital and Toamasina, and between Fianarantsoa and Manakara, is recommended for its scenery. Buses and taxi-brousse are the most commonly used form of transport for the local population and are generally overcrowded, leave at irregular times, and are slow. The island has just three main roads (from Tana to Mahajanga, to Toamasina and to Tuléar), with dirt tracks covering the rest of the country, and many roads are impassable during the rainy season. Car hire is not common and not generally recommended, but agencies can be found in the main tourist towns.
Become our Antananarivo Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Antananarivo travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Antananarivo or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is one of the world's leading suppliers of small group adventures focused on getting off the beaten track and having real life experiences in Madagascar.


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Here's the link to the forum post on gog.com, with a link to files that uncensor the Australian/New Zealand version of the witcher 2.
Australian users click here: Un-Edit Patch
My collectors edition arrived, i can verify that these files work. So what exactly was censored?
For both quests, the dialog options still remain, but the risky scene is removed from the game.
Should you choose the Ivoreth path, and not go after loredo as you're sailing off, there's an option should you choose to go out of your way to find a particular npc, to get a sexy thankyou. The dialog option is still there, but the visual scene itself is cut, and you get automatically given the quest reward rather than finding it in a box.
On the succubus quest. There's also an option for a risky reward at the end of that, which in the Australian version get's cut after you choose the option. Aside from that all the same otherwise.
So if you weren't aware of the issue and looking out for it, the risky rewards are effectively censored.
What really doesn't make sense is why the censor boards would have wanted this change.. the "nudity" and "sexual scenes" rating on the front is quite justified.. you'd think that would offend the nannies more than a couple of quest options..
As political as it may be right now in Aus, suspecting this lame censoring was to keep 2 interests happy (some crazy christian party, vs' the entire australian youth), closer to a federal election, considering it has a non majority government. The real issue here is the lack of a M18+ rating for video games, as the Witcher 2 quite firmly an 18+ game. And was rated so everywhere else…
Thanks to that person for the fix.


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More on Motor City
- Posted by Johanna on May 21, 2006 at 11:21 am
- Category: Comic News
Following up on the rumors I'd heard, Comics Buyer's Guide has details on the anti-bootleg bust at the Motor City Comic Con.
Around 5 p.m., Michigan State Police, assisted by members of the Novi, Mich., police, raided an estimated 14 different booths in the hall, according to Con Promoter Michael Goldman. Novi officers were seen leading four dealers from the floor in handcuffs, and police said 10 additional dealers were escorted to police headquarters. Dealers were not arrested, but instead brought to the station to provide statements and officially surrender certain merchandise, one such dealer returning to the convention said. Several booths were back in business before the end of the day, police keeping any items on their warrant. … The sudden appearance of uniformed officers and agents wearing RIAA apparel in the hall — and the subsequent searching and complete removal of entire booths — attracted attention throughout the hall, and convention staffers fielded questions from many attendees. Motor City Con 2006 has more than 200 dealer booths and more than 250 creator and media guest tables — and while the number of raided booths was small, they were spread across the long hall, making the raid visible to most attendees. Convention officials said this is the largest Motor City Con in the show's 18 years. Goldman told CBG that the Motor City Con exhibitors' agreement clearly forbids the display or sale of bootleg items. A similar raid previously occured at Wizard World Philadelphia.
There's more coverage and pictures at the link.
I have to wonder… why Motor City? Why didn't I hear about what happened in Philadelphia? Will we see more of this kind of thing continuing this year? Was this show selected because it has a particular kind of dealer likely to attend, or helpful cops, or someone with a grudge? I'm just spitballing ideas here, but it doesn't strike me as a major show, so i'm wondering what kind of message is being sent.
10 Responses to "More on Motor City"
- Michael Grabois Says:
May 21, 2006 at 12:44 PMWhy Motor City? Probably the timing. Maybe they wanted to send a warning shot across the bow of the San Diego and Chicago con vendors. Although, of course, a more effective message would have been to show up at San Diego with no prior warning.
- Dwight Williams Says:
May 21, 2006 at 1:37 PMAnd it might help RIAA's Canadian branch organization, CRIA, in Toronto when the Hobbystar show in that city rolls around.
- Alan Coil Says:
May 21, 2006 at 2:58 PMWhy Detroit? Don't know, but it didn't surprise me.
Somebody elsewhere asked who might have placed the call that set the raid in motion. Could have been: any customer, another dealer, one of the celebrity guests, a relative of a customer who got mad about the non-quality of a dvd, etc.It was apparent that this raid was not a spur of the moment thing. Also, I know the police that I spotted were there before 4, but I can understand that the promoter might have lost track of the time with all the tension involved.
- Lyle Says:
May 21, 2006 at 3:34 PMA friend of mine told me he likes smaller cons better (though, IIRC, he dislikes Motor City) because there's more bootleg material. He's not so interested in buying, but he says that, unlike San Diego, the anime rooms are showing, pretty much, one (or two) guy's collection of anime that hasn't reached American shores, giving him an opportunity to know what to watch for later. He observed that at bigger cons (ones that the corporations attend) people are a lot more cautious and the programmers don't have to ask a fan to program the anime room.
So, why Detroit? Possibly because they've realized that pirates are bolder at smaller cons where there are less copyright owners attending.
(As for San Diego, I believe there was some stuff going on last year, though it was very quiet. I heard a few whispered tales of people seeing corporate reps presenting their card and confiscating bootleg DVDs that violated their company's copyrights… in one story it was Warner, in another it was an anime distributor.)
- Dan Coyle Says:
May 21, 2006 at 3:45 PMWizard World Philadelphia was 2003, IIRC, and I was there, and I didn't even hear about it until weeks afterward. They were very discreet. They seem to choose these shows at random.
- Lea Says:
May 21, 2006 at 5:17 PMCCI has such a fine track record in dealing with bootleg vendors, the dealer's room is ripe for a Motor City-like raid.
In previous years, Randy Bowen's word that a dealer was selling bootlegs of his kits wasn't enough. Bowen had to get a C&D.
Manga artist Buichi Terasawa's assertion that a dealer selling the Cobra movie couldn't possibly have a legit copy as it hadn't been released to ANY home media meant nothing. This was a year he was a guest.
Waaaay back in 1989, when I was with Gainax, there was a guy not eight tables away selling anime recorded onto grocery store tapes, the titles written on the cases in marker. The room manager, David Scroggy, asked me how I knew they weren't legit. He did have the guy remove the bootlegs from the table top, but they reappeared.
Back in 1990 or so, Comic Relief in Berkeley carried bootleg anime. It was in black clamshell cases, the inserts photocopied in black on colored paper. I did say something. It was met with the usual "How do you KNOW?"
At cons all through the late 80's early 90's they were MANY dealers selling bootlegs. One of the tricks was to have legit tapes on the table. When someone bought one, the bootleg (good enough to pass at a distance, but not close up) would be bagged and passed to the unsuspecting buyer.)I did not go to ONE con from '87 through 2000 that didn't have at least one dealer openly selling bootlegs.
And some of the anime bootleggers were shamelessly belligerent fucks. - Lea Says:
May 21, 2006 at 5:29 PMI realize none of my examples are recent, but they illustrate a long-standing problem with bootlegging, and a seeming attitude that a dealer with a table is more valuable than a creator or company rep with knowledge and a legitimate concern.
- Johanna Says:
May 21, 2006 at 5:34 PMI can see why con staff would think that, though. A lot of shows are run by dealers, and so they have more sympathy with those like them. The dealers are the ones paying them for table space, while a lot of creators and companies get free or greatly reduced space. Plus, ignorance can be a defense if something does happen, so they may not want to know.
That swap trick you mention where the customer doesn't get exactly what they think they're buying is reprehensible.
- Judith Reboy Says:
May 23, 2006 at 10:40 PMI have attended the Motor City Con twice, in 2004 and this year.
Bootlegging was rampant at this show, and the quality of the packaging wouldn't fool my five year old niece.
Several of the products being bootlegged were either obviously taped off TV, ("Justice League", the new "Doctor Who", etc.) but a large number were things that are available legitimately on DVD, thus negating the arguement usually used by these individuals that they are really public spirited citizens performing a "service".
Note: If you pay $5.00 to a pirate for a season set of "Venture Brothers", don't cry when Time Warner decides that it's not worth the expense to make it anymore. DVD sales figures do, in fact, have an impact.
- Comics Worth Reading Says:
May 24, 2006 at 4:29 PM[…] Continuing followup on the Motor City Comic Con bust… ICV2 has an eyewitness report. […]


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Andrew Walker reports on National Review Online:
Over at the Public Discourse, University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus offers a preview of forthcoming data revealing how support for or opposition to same-sex marriage shapes a person's larger worldview and beliefs about sexuality.
He asks: "What is the sexual and relational morality of Christians who accept the moral legitimacy of same-sex marriages?"
His data from the forthcoming Relationships in America Survey reveals an interesting, if not totally unexpected result: that church-attending Christians who support same-sex marriage look more worldly and less Christian. Churchgoing Christians who support same-sex marriage also register support for other beliefs about sexuality that Christianity has historically considered taboo.
According to Regnerus, churchgoing Christians (who were comparably much fewer in number as a pool of respondents), register much higher support for pornography, cohabitation, casual sex, and higher support than the general population for abortion rights.
Regnerus' sampling method is worthy of praise. In contrast to blithe surveys that merely report the opinions of all those who identify with a particular religious affiliation regardless of observance, Regnerus does the important work of determining what those in the pews actually believe. A political poll that didn't differentiate between likely and unlikely voters wouldn't be an accurate representation of the electorate, and for the same reasons, a survey should distinguish between someone who merely answers "Catholic" or "Baptist" when asked for a religious identity and someone who actually shows up on Sunday.


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The 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship finally gets underway in Australia next weekend, with all 12 teams eager to discover how their new cars stack up against the competition. Theres new rules, new tyres and more, but one thing that remains reassuringly consistent is the warm welcome guaranteed for the paddock at Melbournes Albert Park
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2010 Qualifying - 3rd, 2010 Race - 4th
Finally, the moment has arrived! I was so impatient to get to the first race and the postponement of the Bahrain Grand Prix made the wait even longer. Yes, it did give the engineers more time to prepare and it meant the work could be done with less haste, but for us drivers, and I think the same applies to all my colleagues, the desire to go racing again is very strong.
It was a very busy winter. We have covered so many kilometres in testing and have shown that we have reached a good level of reliability, which is always important. There are reasons to be optimistic, even if we cannot really be sure where we are compared to the others. At the last test, in Barcelona, we introduced a significant number of updates and here in Melbourne we have also brought a newer version of the front wing. We will see if it delivers the expected results, even if I think we will need three or four races to get a clear picture of the situation.
I won here in 2006 and made it to the podium a further three teams, so lets hope we can repeat that. It was here ten years ago, that I first set out on the Formula One path. I have spent twenty six of my twenty nine years behind a steering wheel, controlling four wheels and ten of those, the best of them, have been spent in the blue riband category. I never would have thought that things would have turned out this way and I have achieved so much more than I had hoped for when I was little. Now I want to continue and for a long time too, trying to have even better years in the future!
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2010 Qualifying - 5th, 2010 Race - 3rd
Its time to go! Im ready to race and I think the whole team is well prepared after doing so many laps over all the days of winter testing, even more than we had planned in the end. The car appears to be reliable, but this is not enough on its own as the car needs to be quick too. For the moment, reliability has been good and I dont think we can complain about performance, but we wont have a clear picture until all the teams are together on track in Melbourne.
Im happy to be starting the season in Australia, although I am also disappointed not to be going to Bahrain from a racing point of view. I really liked going there, as the track seemed to suit me very well and also the team, because Ferrari has won so many races there. But, when you build an F1 car, you build it to be good at every track, so wherever the championship starts you have to go there thinking of the victory and I will be concentrating on doing my best in Melbourne, even if the Albert Park circuit has not been a very successful venue for me, or a lucky one, as Ive had a few accidents there.
Last year was better as I got my best ever result here finishing third on the podium. I hope this time we can have a great start to the season in Australia and I am optimistic about our chances, based on the reliability we have shown so far and I cant wait for us to measure up against the other teams and see where we stand.
Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari team principal
The atmosphere in the team is good and everyone is keen to get to work in Melbourne, to see where we are compared to the other teams. So far, we have done a lot of testing through four test sessions in Spain in February and early March but this will be the chance to see where our base line puts us. There were fifteen days of winter testing in total. I am by nature very cautious so in assessing how we went during these days, I have to take into account how we worked through our programme, as well as looking at what the other teams did and because we do not know exactly what the others were doing in testing, I have to remain cautious in rating our own work.
I see both our drivers very very motivated for different reasons. Fernando has done a fantastic winter in terms of preparation and testing and is looking forward to getting to Melbourne, because after an incredible second half to last year, he wants to cancel out what happened at the last race in Abu Dhabi. Felipe is now very strong mentally and he is looking forward to what will be a very important season for him.
Nick Heidfeld, Renault
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
I always enjoy coming to Australia. Its my favourite place to travel to on the calendar because the people are relaxed and theres always a warm atmosphere. I think we have a quick car, but like every team on the grid we have had a few issues to cope with during the tests, especially in terms of reliability. We have an idea of where we stand, but nobody knows exactly. I think we have good performance in the car and everything is working well. I hope we can fight for podiums from the start of the season.
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2010 Qualifying - 18th, 2010 Race - DNF
Its a good place to start the year. The fans are crazy about F1, the grandstands are full and its clear that the country loves the race. I feel much better prepared. I have experience, I know the team ver well and I understand more about Formula One. The R31 is certainly a big step forward. I think our solutions are good and I believe we can be competitive. The guys have down a great car with this car. Its strong, aggressive and innovative. We believe we are closer to the front than we were last season.
Eric Boullier, Renault team principal
I feel excited. We had a tough winter with a lot of unfortunate and unexpected news but we have reacted quickly and we are ready for the season. We have done an enormous amount of work over the last few weeks to really understand this car and get the performance from it. What I can say is that we are clearly in better shape in terms of ultimate performance compared to last year, which was our target. The R31 is very different from anything the team has produced before and were very proud of that.
James Allison, Renault technical director
Im pleased that we achieved what we set out to achieve, which was to assess all the new elements of the car and get through the pre-season test programme. But I wont be fully content until weve actually demonstrated in racing conditions that everything is working properly, the car is reliable and we get to the flag showing good pace.
Timo Glock, Virgin
2010 Qualifying - 10th, 2010 Race - DNF
The Australian Grand Prix is one of the best races on the calendar and Melbourne is an incredible place to start the season. I cant wait to get out on track and be racing again. This will be the first chance we get to truly weigh up the competition and I think it is going to be quite interesting for all of the teams.
Albert Park is a challenging track to get on top of. Because its a street circuit it takes a while to rubber in and there is very little grip on Friday. Its quite a stop-start circuit so brake wear can be a factor. It is also quite bumpy and because the weather can change so quickly at this time of year the track conditions can vary with each session. I think the combination of this circuit together with the surprises we expect to see anyhow should make for an incredible season opener.
The last three weeks have been less than ideal as I lost a lot of crucial track time. I spent a lot of time over the winter getting ahead of the curve with my fitness though and now I am thankful for that as I havent suffered as much as I could have. Ive been doing a lot of cycling in particular and Im pretty pleased with where Im at, all things considered.
Jerome DAmbrosio, Virgin
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
Now that its just around the corner, Im really starting to get excited about the first race in Melbourne. Its kind of strange because Ive been driving for the team since September last year and after four Friday free practice sessions and five tests since that time, I still have my F1 debut to look forward to. Its been pretty busy until now but it has started to hit home and Im really looking forward to it. Sunday will be a big day for me.
Ive had the best preparation I can imagine with so much running in all of the pre-season tests. Ive also spent plenty of time in the simulator to prepare for Albert Park specifically. Ive also spent the weeks since the last test in Barcelona really consolidating my fitness and Im ready to start racing now. Ive never been to Melbourne but Ive heard great things, so I cant wait to see it for myself.
John Booth, Virgin team principal
Its very exciting to be heading to Australia this week to begin our preparations for the first race of the season. It is disappointing for all that Bahrain was postponed but all the signs are that this was the right decision. The fact is that had we raced in Bahrain last weekend, we would have been a man down in the cockpit as Timo would still have been recovering from his appendectomy. Thankfully hell be fighting fit for next weekend, so the last minute change to the calendar has worked in our favour.
Whilst its impossible to predict how any of the teams will fare once we all take to the track next Friday in the first real barometer of competitive performance, what I do know is this - as a racing operation were like night and day compared with 12 months ago. Last year we pushed too soon on car performance and it cost us in reliability terms as a result. This year we head to Melbourne with 4642kms of pre-season testing mileage under our belts and a much more reliable baseline to develop from.
We fully expect the first few races to be challenging in terms of outright pace, but Im comfortable that prioritising reliability and strategy will help our big picture and well be in a much better place for the rest of the season. Im looking forward to a more straightforward week of preparation leading up to the first race and to planning our opening race strategy in rather more calm circumstances than last year. Albert Park is a fantastic circuit that has produced some truly memorable racing and I hope we can do ourselves justice there.
Adrian Sutil, Force India
2010 Qualifying - 21st, 2010 Race - DNF
I hope that I will be able to finish the race as last year the gearbox let us down. It is always a good feeling to finish the first race, as you then know that the season has really started. It was a crazy race in Australia last year when the rain came in; I think only ten cars made it to finish. This is also why I think it is so important to finish the race in Melbourne - there are usually points to be won if you see the chequered flag.
Paul Di Resta, Force India
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
I am very excited obviously, but it is a strange feeling as the first race was cancelled and everything was prepared for that. But the last few weeks have been pretty seamless and I am fully prepared for the race in Australia. I enjoyed the track last year and Melbourne is a great city.
I am open minded and will be concentrating on performance, getting the best out of the car on the Friday and Saturday to see what areas we need to improve as a team for the race. As for my personal expectations I am going to be realistic and gauge how it goes over the weekend and focus on the job in hand.
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
2010 was an exceptional year for the team, 68 points overall, seventh in the championship with only teams who had previously won world titles ahead of us, which demonstrated we are still on target to achieve our goals. And this year there is even more to be optimistic about.
We have an experienced technical team that have the ingenuity, flexibility and drive to adapt to the new wave of rule changes, and we also have the tools and resources in our partnerships with McLaren Applied Technologies and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines to aim even higher. Andrew Green, our new technical director, is responsible for the VJM04 and it has shown some promising signs during pre-season testing.
We have race drivers who are hungry to take the next steps in their careers, whether that be points, podiums or wins. Paul proved his mettle in DTM and for the team last year, making valuable contribution to the development of the VJM04 with his simulation work. Nico (Hulkenberg) joins as test and reserve driver having taken pole position in Brazil in his rookie season in 2010 and we are glad to start our long-term relationship together. Adrian scored 47 points for the team last year and finished just outside the top ten. He is one of the most consistent young drivers and we are very pleased that he is with us for a fifth consecutive race season.
Narain Karthikeyan, HRT
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
My first ever race in Formula One was here in Melbourne back in 2005 so its always a great feeling to be back. Even though it was disappointing to not be able to drive the new car in Barcelona, Im sure the car is a significant step forward from last years. It certainly looks the business, we just have to wait until Friday morning in Melbourne to put it all into practice. I think Albert Park will be a great place to start off with the new F111 since its not a very demanding track. For a new and unproven car such as ours, I think that reliability is something we need to work on before we can start to extract the maximum performance, so I believe that if both cars finish the race, we will have had a satisfying weekend. Once Tonio (Liuzzi) and I have driven the car in Melbourne, we will both have a better understanding of what to expect for the rest of 2011
I have been very upset and disturbed by the news reports coming out of Japan over the past week. I raced in Formula Nippon in Japan in 2002 and made many friends there. I have spoken to some of them, and fortunately they are ok. My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the families affected by this tragedy. They are all in our hearts and minds.
Vitantonio Liuzzi, HRT
2010 Qualifying - 13th, 2010 Race - 7th
Im feeling quite positive coming into the Australian Grand Prix. Its a special grand prix where the Aussie fans always prove their love for motorsport and Formula One in particular, it would be a real shame if Melbourne decides to quit F1. Albert Park is a track I like, specially the first three corners where it is difficult to overtake but not impossible, you have to be impeccable in that section in order to do a good lap. Its difficult to predict how the car will respond here since we didnt get to test it in Barcelona, but Im sure the areas we concentrated on developing will prove to be a significant improvement from last years car. The aim for the weekend is to come away with a clear picture of the car, making sure that all the new regulation items work well. If both cars make it to the chequered flag at the end with good pace and reliability then the weekend will have been a great success. Hopefully in this 2011 season we will take a giant leap forward and set some solid bases for the future.
This is a terrible thing for the Japanese population. I am shocked. I cannot watch TV anymore. I feel so sorry for all my friends there, but I am sure that they will come out of this situation stronger than ever. Hopefully they will be able to recover and limit the damage. They are a strong population and I am sure they will react soon because they have incomparable dignity and hopefully all the other nations will help in every way possible because this kind of event should make the world unite.
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
Albert Park is one of my favourite venues on the calendar. We will run our new car for the first time on Friday and hopefully there wont be too many surprises. We are confident that our package is better, quicker and more reliable than last years. We have definitely taken a step forward.
What has happened in Japan is terrible. I would like to express that I was very shocked with what occurred. Japan is one of my favourite countries and I have a huge amount of respect for Japanese people and their culture. I am sure they will overcome this terrible situation.
Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus
2010 Qualifying - 19th, 2010 Race - 13th
"As Melbourne is now the start of the season it will be very exciting. The Australian fans are great people and the city always has a carnival atmosphere because the race is right in the middle of town. The track itself is a semi-street circuit so it's tricky. It evolves a lot throughout the weekend as the rubber builds up and traction and grip improves. On Friday morning it's always very slippery and you need to bear that in mind when you're setting the car up. If you have some balance problems in the first session it's better not to worry about it too much as you just need to get a feel for the downforce levels, gear ratios and the tyres. By the third session on Saturday morning the track really starts to come into its own. In qualifying it improves every lap and the grip level gets better as people put more rubber down - it can be hard on the tyres as well so you need to look after them. It's a difficult track to overtake on and whether we get an opportunity to make the moveable wing really work for us there is still open to question. Whatever happens I'm really excited about getting back to racing and with the steps forward we have taken this year I think we're going to have a really good year."
Jarno Trulli, Lotus
2010 Qualifying - 20th, 2010 Race - DNF
(On DRS (Drag Reduction System), aka moveable rear wing): "People sometimes ask me what the acceleration of a Formula One car is like, and the only way I can describe it is that it's like driving a rocket - now we have a rocket that suddenly takes another leap forward when it's already at full speed! It was a strange feeling the first time we used the moveable rear wing, because you suddenly have about 15% less drag and therefore a lot more speed. The more you use the wing the more you get used to it and its effect on the car's behaviour. We can use it wherever we like in practice and qualifying but in the races it'll only be when we're within one second of the car ahead and in the designated area so I think it will have a big part to play strategically. We'll see how it improves the actual racing, but I hope it will make a difference."
Tony Fernandes, Lotus team principal
"I cannot wait to get back to racing. This is a very important season for Team Lotus as we are no longer a new team - we achieved what we set out to in 2010 but now it's effectively a clean sheet - an entirely new car, a fully fledged race team and factory and much higher aspirations. Now comes the next phase of the hard work - time to prove that our pre-season promise can help us take the next step forward in the amazing story that is Team Lotus."
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
This is the moment that weve been building up to for more than a year now and its very exciting for all of us. Our tyres this year are designed to be different to what we have seen before in Formula One, but I think all the teams have managed to gather some useful information about them in testing. Were aiming for between two and three pit stops in Australia, which in some ways is against our company DNA as our road car tyres are designed to be as durable as possible. But Formula One is a very different case, because our remit from the teams and promoter was to provide entertainment. With that in mind, were just keen to get going now and it will be fascinating to see exactly how the drivers and teams are going to use our tyres to employ different strategies during the race. Weve noticed a few differences between the teams already in testing, and its going to be very interesting to find out exactly how that translates into a race situation.
Mark Webber, Red Bull
2010 Qualifying - 2nd, 2010 Race - 9th
As an Australian I'm looking forward to Melbourne being the first race. We've done a huge amount of testing and a lot of work has gone into the cars - now we'll put them through their paces at Albert Park and lots of questions will be answered. It's going to be an eventful weekend, especially as the weather can be a bit hit and miss. We'll learn a lot about the tyres, which will play a key role. I hope I can improve my luck there, as it hasn't been incredible since since my first GP in '02. I hope to get my best result and there's every indication we can do that. This is the best winter we've had - let's hope we can carry it on into this event.
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2010 Qualifying - 1st, 2010 Race - DNF
We know what it feels like to start the season in Australia, it's a special place with a special track - It's one of the few cities that lives Formula One for the week, so I'm looking forward to it. It has been an exciting winter and the time around Christmas was important to calm down, but since February we have been back in the rhythm. It's nice to look back at last year and at what we achieved but we're all looking forward now and focusing on the new car and season. It all starts from zero again; we're excited, we've had enough of testing now and we want to go racing again."
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 11th, 2010 Race - 6th
Its felt like a very long winter. I started the new season feeling fitter and more positive than ever and Ive maintained that enthusiasm and momentum despite a somewhat difficult few weeks of winter tests. We cant hide the fact that testing has been tougher than we expected: our test mileage hasnt been as high as that of our rivals, nor have we had the outright pace of the fastest cars. Still, I have a good feeling with MP4-26: I like driving our car, I think it will look after its tyres quite well and I understand that well be making further performance steps ahead of this opening race.
Nevertheless, we know we go to Melbourne ready for battle: some teams are extremely well prepared - both from a pace and reliability point of view - but that can sometimes count for little in the unpredictable and somewhat chaotic opening races where its equally vital just to take points home. I strongly believe that, while our preparations havent gone as smoothly as wed have liked, I get the impression that well be arriving in Melbourne with everything finally meshing together - and that makes me really excited.
Jenson Button, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 4th, 2010 Race - 1st
In the past, Id always travelled to Melbourne full of positive energy and enthusiasm. But, at the moment, my heart is with the people of Japan as they struggle to come to terms with the scope of the terrible devastation and loss of life wreaked by last weeks earthquake and tsunami. While the prospect of a Formula One race seems to pale in the face of such a disaster, there have been occasions before when the healing power of sport can actually be beneficial; an escape for people. So I go to Melbourne this weekend resolving to not only try my best, but also to salute the brave people, and my many friends, throughout Japan.
Albert Park has been good to me: Ive won there for the past two seasons; its a great circuit for racing, it always seems to create unpredictable races and, perhaps because its habitually at the start of the season when a precise pecking order has yet to be established, we often see fast cars running out of sequence - and the excitement that that brings. With the added issue of multiple tyre stops, it could be a very exciting and unpredictable race weekend. Im regularly being asked if I can make it three wins in a row this year. On paper that might not look likely, but, seriously, who knows? I most definitely wouldnt rule it out.
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
Over the winter, we set ourselves some extremely ambitious performance targets for MP4-26. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are an uncompromising team and, as with every car we build, we tend to push development to the limit. In some cases, weve pushed over those limits, and the resulting lack of mileage has invariably eaten into our pre-season preparation.
However, its called testing for a reason - and testing MP4-26 beyond its limit has, in some ways, been highly instructive. In actual fact, weve gathered a huge amount of useful data about the car, its handling characteristics and its management of the tyres. So while weve further fine-tuned the package for Melbourne, weve once again set ourselves some extremely tough targets for this opening race weekend.
So, do I think our testing pace is representative of the pace well show in Australia? No. Do I think we head into the weekend as race favourites? Unfortunately, no. But do I feel that we have the capacity to surprise a few people and be competitive? Very much so. As with everything we do at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we never give up: were fighters - thats the spirit that has won us 20 world championships in the past and which makes us a team you can never under-estimate.
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2010 Qualifying - 7th, 2010 Race - 10th
"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar in all my years of competing. It is the atmosphere which makes Albert Park so special, and when you see all of the fans having fun, that just gives you a great feeling of how motorsport can be. I am lucky enough to have a lot of good memories from Melbourne: it's a venue where I have won four times and those races will always be very special. I'm sure it will be a great weekend, and an exciting season-opener. I'm looking forward to getting to the paddock on Thursday.
"We are well prepared. All of the hard work over the winter will start to come together over the first few races and then we will know more about the position we are in, and what still needs to be achieved as Formula One never stands still of course. I feel very 'at home' with the team after one year of working together and this experience has really benefited our pre-season preparations."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2010 Qualifying - 6th, 2010 Race - 5th
"I love visiting Australia and Melbourne is one of the most chilled-out cities on the calendar so it's a cool venue for the first race of the season. I'm travelling out early to get acclimatised to the time zone and am looking forward to training by the beach and relaxing in St Kilda in the evenings. The Australian fans are so enthusiastic which is great to see and it makes the atmosphere around Albert Park very special. The circuit holds some great memories for me from achieving my first podium here in 2008, and I have finished in the points in the last four races.
"We're in good shape. The team and car have progressed a lot over the winter, we're pleased with the performance from our upgrades and the car is handling well. Our aim is to make a good step forward from last season and I am confident that we will be able to achieve this."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"This year marks our second season as Mercedes GP Petronas, and the team has made real progress over this period. With the support of Daimler, Aabar and our team partners, we are gaining strength from being a single entity and building the team that we want for the future.
"Our pre-season programme has gone as well as we could have wanted. However, as always, the first race will be the real measure of where we are in terms of competitiveness. Everyone is eagerly waiting to see how the grid shakes out in Melbourne, and wherever we find ourselves, we will respond accordingly. Our ability to react strongly has improved considerably over the past twelve months and we have a robust development plan in place for the season. 2011 will be the second season with our drivers, Michael and Nico, and this continuity, together with our well-established relationships, has enabled both the drivers and team to prepare well for the challenges ahead.
"I believe that we can expect a very exciting season in 2011. The strategic battle is going to be fascinating with the Pirelli tyres, combined with the new adjustable rear wing and the return of KERS, increasing the challenges for the teams and drivers, and hopefully providing lots of track action for the fans.
"The Australian Grand Prix is always a fantastic motorsport weekend, and with the added excitement of being the first race of the season this year, we are all looking forward to the racing starting again next week."
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"It has been an intensive winter for Mercedes GP Petronas. We covered more than 5700 km during a total of 15 test days, which is the equivalent of more than 18 Grand Prix distances. The final test in Barcelona with our planned technical updates saw us take a step forward which is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of our whole team. There are still a lot of question marks about how the racing will unfold in 2011 with the new Pirelli tyres, the adjustable rear wing and the reintroduction of KERS. These are demanding challenges for the drivers, and Michael and Nico have done a good job mastering the new systems and understanding how to get the most out of the tyres.
"Melbourne holds many good memories for Mercedes-Benz, as the venue for our first modern era victory in 1997 with David Coulthard in a McLaren-Mercedes, and Albert Park has the knack of producing exciting races. Making predictions before the first Grand Prix of the season is certainly not what I want to do, but our target is clear from the first race: to improve on the position in which we finished our first season as Mercedes GP Petronas.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our hard-working team members in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart for their relentless efforts since the final chequered flag of last season. The best reward for all of us would be to start the new season in a stronger position compared to 2010."
Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
2010 Qualifying - 16th, 2010 Race - DNF
Of course I was very worried about my country and so went to Japan after the Barcelona test. I must say the situation is really, really bad. So many have lost their lives, become homeless, are without food and water in the cold winter, and have lost their loved ones. It is difficult to believe that a scenario worse than in any movie has become reality. We need to stay together and we need help from all over the world. I am worried the whole country could disappear - it is just too awful. Since the earthquake and the tsunami news is getting worse every day, there is nothing positive to look forward to at the moment. I feel I have to do something, I want to help - but in fact there is nothing I can do by myself. I think at least for the time being what I can do is to be focused and fully concentrate on the seasons opening race in Melbourne. Originally I was looking forward to this with great joy. Now what I really want to do is my very best to achieve a good result, which perhaps can at least give the people in Japan a little bit of hope and positive news.
Sergio Perez, Sauber
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
Without a doubt I am also worried about the people in Japan, and I really wish them all the best. At the same time personally a dream is about to come true. I have dreamed for many years of competing in my first Formula One Grand Prix, and now it is going to happen. I am excited and I am very much looking forward to it. It will be a weekend during which I have to adapt quickly to many things - to the circuit, which is new to me, and to all the aspects of a grand prix weekend from free practice to qualifying and the race. I cannot imagine yet how it will be for me when the lights go out on Sunday, but I cant wait to find that out. I have never been to Australia before. Of course, I have checked the circuit lay-out and other things. I understand it is a tough track, very challenging and not easy to find the limit, so it will be hard.
James Key, Sauber technical director
Everyone in the team is looking forward to starting the 2011 season in Melbourne. Its a good track to go to for the first race. It will be interesting to see on how things develop on what could potentially be a higher track temperature, because this is something none of us have tested yet, and there are still a few unknowns in this respect. We will go with the specification of the car that we finished the Barcelona test with, with some final refinements to it after what we learned from that test.
The format of the weekend will be somewhat different, given the fact the tyres are little less consistent than those we are used to, so this is something we need to optimize. With regard to the drivers, were obviously looking forward to working with Sergio at a F1 race weekend for the first time. He displayed some good progress during winter testing, and we hope we can transfer that directly to the first race weekend where the pressure of course is higher. Im sure he can manage that. Unlike Sergio, Kamui doesnt have to learn the track, so it will be more a case of car set up and general performance work for him. Particularly on Friday, it will be important to find the right direction. Considering the events in Japan, we know this will be a very difficult weekend for Kamui, but everybody in the team will give him all possible support.
With regard to the track, Albert Park is half street circuit with stop start, some chicanes at the beginning and then a few medium to high speed corners in the latter part of the lap. It will be interesting because it tends to be a circuit that is hard on the rear tyres, whereas the ones we have been testing on were harder on the fronts. So the balance of the car could really change in Melbourne, and if the track temperatures are higher well have to watch out for the rear tyres a little more than in testing, but this is part of the process. We go there as well prepared as possible.
For tickets and travel to 2011 Formula One races, >click here.
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Carolyn Vachani, RN, MSN, AOCN
The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: June 23, 2008
Seminoma (the most common type of testicular cancer) has traditionally been treated with orchiectomy followed by radiation therapy. Follow-up of these patients found that the radiation therapy resulted in higher risk of mortality, secondary cancers and cardiac issues. Seminomas are known to be quite sensitive to platinum chemotherapy agents. Therefore, this study compared 1 cycle of carboplatin to radiation therapy in stage I seminomas following orchiectomy.
1477 patients were randomly assigned to receive radiation or carboplatin after surgery. This report is based on 6.5 years follow up. There was no significant difference in recurrence-free survival between the groups. There was, however, a significant difference in the rate of 2 nd primary germ cell tumors (GCT). There were 2 (0.3%) cases in the carboplatin group (C) and 15 (1.7%) in the radiation therapy (RT) group.
As for side effects, patients were scored based on percentage of patients able to work at 4 weeks and 12 weeks. There was a significant difference at week 4 between C and RT, with 19% of carboplatin patients unable to do normal work vs. 38% unable to in the radiation group. However, this difference was not present at 12 weeks, at which time the majority of patients in both arms were able to function normally. There was increased grade 2 and 3 thrombocytopenia in the C group compared to the RT group. These results tell us that carboplatin is an effective alternative to radiation therapy for stage I seminomas and should be considered in this population. Longer follow up will look further at secondary cancers and cardiac problems, which may be possible in either group.
Dec 8, 2011 - A randomized controlled trial of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening is not feasible for informed patients with cirrhosis; and small HCC detection is not improved by ultrasonographic screening every three versus six months, according to two studies published in the December issue of Hepatology.


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Hello, Future Faith Student!
Thank you for taking time to explore the possibilities Faith Seminary has to offer! The programs of study available here are designed for our students to grow and serve according to the Lord's leading in their lives.
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VIEW ALL -- 30/10/2014in news
Are you prepared for October 31?
Are you prepared for October 31? —REFORMATION DAY: Trick? or Treat?— October 31, 1517:The day MARTIN LUTHER nailed his "95 Theses" to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany—initiating the PROTESTANT REFORMATION. If you are curious to know more about this historical event and its impact on the Christian Church, check out these ... - 16/10/2014in news
★★★ A Classy New Campus Sign ★★★
Faith Evangelical College & Seminary has a new campus sign. A classy way to punctuate the completion of the recent building expansion.... - 20/09/2014in news
A Photo Album: Class Photos of Graduations-past
Faith Seminary has had the privilege of training students since 1969. As a result, we've held numerous Commencement Exercises. While we do not have a photo of every graduating class, we are thankful to have a number of photos from the more recent years. We hope you enjoy this album of class photos. And if... - 21/08/2014in news
Certificate of Occupancy is Approved!
Certificate of Occupancy is Approved! 343 Days After Ground-breaking Rejoicing that the City of Tacoma has approved the Certificate of Occupancy for our Building Expansion! Posing here with the "Occupancy Sign-off Sheet" George Goff: Project Manager Dr Michael Adams: Seminary President JT Fletcher: City of Tacoma Signatory...


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In recent decades, there has not been a strong tradition of venture-capital investment in the aerospace sector.
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That is emerging as a big stumbling block as the space shuttle program winds down, potentially leaving thousands jobless as early as year's end during one of the weakest economic periods in a generation.
If Central Florida is going to retain a dominant source of its brainpower in the form of the Space Coast's work force, the region must find a solution to the venture capital problem.
The answer could lie in the $40 million President Barack Obama has designated to help the region get back on its feet once the shuttle flies its last mission.
On Friday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who Obama appointed to lead a task force to determine how to spend the $40 million, held a meeting in Orlando.
XCOR Chief Operating Officer Andrew Nelson told them his company needs more venture-capital dollars.
"We want to be the future barnstormers in space," he said. "What companies like ours need are experienced institutional investment funds."
Officials are already mulling the idea of using some of the $40 million to start a government-backed investment fund.
It's been done before. In 1999, for example, the Central Intelligence Agency launched In-Q-Tel, a not-for-profit investment firm that aims to find new technologies for the U.S. intelligence community.
It might seem common for well-known companies in the aerospace sector to be funded by their own deep-pocketed executives — think PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, whose SpaceX successfully launched a rocket from Cape Canaveral on Friday; Virgin empire mogul Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic; or Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.
But that is not the reality for all.
"We're always out there raising money," Nelson told me. "We're one of the few well-known companies in this sector not funded by your friendly neighborhood billionaire."
And that would also be the case for the thousands of NASA employees and contractors who will lose jobs when the shuttle stops flying. Their own ideas to commercialize technology they create and start new companies could be a significant source of jobs in the future — if the money is there to help them get started.
Locke, the commerce secretary, said after the meeting that the committee was considering the idea of creating a venture fund.
"It's something the task force needs to look at," he said.
The former governor of Washington acknowledged that when Boeing laid off large numbers of people there, "a lot of people started their own companies."
There's no question that designating some of the money for business investment is a good idea and one that has the backing of U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D- New Smyrna Beach, as well as people on the front lines of helping find jobs for laid-off shuttle workers such as Brevard County Workforce Development Board President Lisa Rice.
But a lot of questions remain about just when and how the $40 million will become available. Obama wants a report on how to spend the money from Locke and Bolden by Aug. 15. It could be much later, however, by the time Congress votes to OK the funds, if at all.
Beth Kassab can be reached at email@example.com or 407-420-5448. Read her blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/thebottomline.


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SA vs IND 1st ODI: Proteas draw first blood
South Africa came out all guns blazing at Johannesburg as they dished out a harsh welcome to India, beating them by a whopping 141-run margin in the 1st ODI on Thursday to go 1-0 up in the series.
To start with, MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl under good conditions, ruling out the dew factor for the bowlers. However, barring Mohammad Shami (3/68), no other bowler seemed to trouble the South African openers who were cruising right from the beginning. Hashim Amla (65) and Quinton De Kock (135) put up a mammoth 152-run stand, before Shami finally ended Amla's scratchy innings and got the much needed breakthrough. He followed it up with another wicket, that of Jacques Kallis (10).
Captain AB de Villiers walked in, only to humiliate the Indian bowlers further. His 47-ball 77 included 6 fours and 4 sixes that boosted the South African innings. Dhoni then handed the ball to part-timer Virat Kohli (1/15) who dismissed the set de Kock with a return catch and South Africa were 247-3 in the 42nd over. JP Duminy set the stage on fire with his 29-ball 59, striking 5 huge sixes to add 105 runs for the 4th wicket with de Villiers. The duo took South Africa to 358/4 at the end of 50 overs.
Chasing 359, the Indian openers were in for some chin music from Dale Steyn who looked in supreme touch as he started his spell with a couple of maidens to Rohit Sharma. There was plenty of seam on offer, the ball kept swinging and bouncing and the Protea bowlers made the most of it. Shikhar Dhawan (12) looked slightly comfortable, but he would soon top-edge a Morne Morkel delivery to get out. Virat Kohli (31) started off briskly, but edged one to slips; followed by Yuvraj Singh (0) who was castled by Ryan McLaren (3/49) on a fuller delivery. Sharma (18) was run-out by Miller and India were in deep trouble at 65/4 in the 16th over.
Suresh Raina (14) looked rusty from the start, and he was eventually run-out by a direct hit from Steyn. Half-centurion MS Dhoni (65) was the lone warrior in a battlefield of injured soldiers, but he soon ran out of partners at other end as India collapsed for 217 in just 41 overs.
South Africa have already taken a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series and they would want to continue their momentum in the 2nd ODI at Durban on Sunday.


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3600 block of Chippewa
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- A St. Louis man faces felony charges after allegedly beating his 3-year-old son, according to police.
Daniel Horton, 23, was arrested for child abuse and armed criminal action after an incident in the 3200 block of Chippewa on Thursday night.
Horton is accused of severely beating the young boy. It is not clear whether the child had to be treated for injuries.
Police have released no further information on the case.