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Quarterly Report: 2011, July - September (Q1), Port Protection
Port Protection
Lawrence Blood
DCRA Regional Office:
Gov't Type:
Community Non Profit
Agreement Date:
Port Protection Community Association
Assessment Status:
Assessment Date:
Exp Date:
Last Updated:
Community Sanitation Overview:
The water system consists of a concrete collection basin that intercepts water from Spring Creek and diverts water to a 167,000 gallon water storage tank. The untreated water system is maintained by the Port Protection Community Association. Most homes are fully plumbed. Residents use various wastewater disposal systems including individual septic systems, pit privies, and outfall pipes. There is no central electric system in Port Protection. Electricity is provided by individually owned and maintained generators.
RUBA Status & Activities This Qtr:
Village Safe Water is currently in the design stage of a water project which includes a water storage tank and upgrades to the water distribution system. The community does not have all the necessary financial and management systems in place to pass the RUBA assessment. RUBA staff has had no contact with the community this quarter. Repeated attempts to contact the community have failed. All essential and sustainable indicators are marked no until updated supporting documents are received.
RUBA Activities for the Coming Qtr:
Essential Indicators:
0 of 26
Sustainable Indicators:
0 of 23
Total Score:
0 of 49
Essential Indicators
All revenues and expenses for the utility are listed in the utility budget.
The utility has adopted a balanced realistic budget.
Monthly financial reports are prepared and submitted to the policy making board.
The utility is current in paying all water/wastewater electric bills.
The utility has on hand a year's adequate fuel supply or it has a financial plan to purchase an adequate supply.
The utility is receiving revenues (user fees or other sources) sufficient to cover operating expenses.
Sustainable Indicators
The utility is receiving revenues (user fees or other sources sufficient to cover operating expenses and Repair & Replacement (R) costs.
YTD revenues are at a level equal to or above those budgeted.
YTD expenditures are at a level equal to or below those budgeted.
A monthly manager's report is prepared.
Budget amendments are completed and adopted as necessary.
Finances Comments
The Community Association does not have a written budget. Purchases are considered on a case by case basis and voted upon by the membership at monthly meetings. The Community Association's only source of general fund income is State Community Revenue Sharing funds The water utility has a written budget which is submitted to the RCA as part of annual update for the utility's provisional certification. Being an untreated water system with a volunteer operator, the expenses are very limited. The operational cost for maintaining the water system and monitoring the water quality is typically less than $2,000 per year. The Treasurer provides verbal financial reports at monthly meetings. The public water system is an untreated, gravity feed system. Electricity and fossil fuel is not necessary for the operation of the public water system. The utility receives $4,750 operating revenue from user maintenance fees which is sufficient to cover operating costs and repair and replacement costs The utility offsets the cost of providing water by charging an annual maintenance fee. The fee is $125 for residential and $250 for commercial customers.
Accounting Systems
Essential Indicators
The utility has adopted a collection policy and actively follows it.
The utility bills customers on a regular basis.
An accounts receivable system is in place which tracks customers and reports past due accounts and amounts.
An accounts payable system is in place.
The payroll system correctly calculates payroll and keeps records.
A cash receipt system is in place that records incoming money and how it was spent.
The utility has a cash disbursement system that records how money was spent.
Sustainable Indicators
A chart of accounts is used that identifies categories in a reasonable, usable manner.
Monthly bank reconciliations have been completed for all utility accounts.
The utility has a purchasing system that requires approval prior to purchase, and the approval process compares proposed purchases to budgeted amounts.
Accounting Systems Comments
The utility uses a manual accounting system consisting of a business-type bank register for each bank account. The fields included on the register are designed to record detailed information including: the date a transaction is made, the check number, fields to mark when each check has cleared the bank, a memo line for recording who or what a check was written for, and a field for recording the amount of the check or debit. There is an additional field to record any deposits or credits to the utility account and a final field for carrying a running total balance. Due to the limited cash flow of the utility, the bank registers and the corresponding bank statements provide adequate financial record keeping for the utility. The utility has a billing and collection policy contained in tariff for the public water utility. Water maintenance fees are assessed once a year. On or before January 20th each year, the utility sends out the utility bills. Payment is due upon receipt and utility bills are considered delinquent after 60 days. The utility may charge late fees on delinquent amounts and the water service may be disconnected for continued non-payment. The Treasurer reports that due to the seasonal nature of the community, the collections policy is somewhat flexible on the time of payment but all accounts are strictly enforced by the end of the year. The Treasurer reports a 100% collection rate for annual water system maintenance fees. The Treasurer reports that all bank accounts have been reconciled through August 2009. Normal purchases are discussed and approved by the board of directors at monthly meetings. Large purchases or construction projects are discussed at the annual meeting in October and approved by the association membership.
Tax Problems
Essential Indicators
The utility has a system to accurately calculate, track, and report payroll tax liabilities.
The utility is current on filing tax reports.
The utility is current on making tax deposits.
If there are any past due tax liabilities or recorded tax liens, a lien release has been issued or a repayment agreement has been signed and repayments are current.
Tax Problems Comments
The Port Protection Community Association manually calculates payroll liabilities. RUBA staff visually inspected the community's last four 941s (employers quarterly federal tax returns). The Treasurer authorized RUBA staff to obtain federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and employment security information from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (ADOLWD). Based upon the information received, the Port Protection Community Association is deemed compliant with tax reporting and deposits requirements. The community has not received any derogatory correspondence from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (ADOLWD) within the last year.
Personnel System
Essential Indicators
The utility has a posted workers compensation insurance policy in effect.
Sustainable Indicators
The utility has adopted and uses a Personnel Policy, which has been reviewed by an attorney, AML or Commerce for topics and language.
The utility has adequate written job descriptions for all positions.
The utility has adopted and follows a written personnel evaluation process that ties the job description to the evaluation.
The utility has an adequate written hiring process.
The utility has personnel folders on every employee that contain at least: I-9, Job Application and Letter of Acceptance.
The utility has a probationary period for new hires that includes orientation, job training/oversight, and evaluations.
The utility provides training opportunities to staff as needed and available.
Personnel System Comments
The Community Association has no full time employees. Volunteers are used for day-to-day activities such as accounting and the operation of the water system. The Association will employ day labor as needed for manual labor such as repairing the boardwalks. The Associations current coverage for workers compensation insurance was verified through Alaska National Insurance. The policy is effective from 1/1/09 through 12/31/09. The policy covers work-related accidents and occupational diseases up to the Alaska statutory limits for each occurrence. Copies of the workers compensation policy are posted in accordance with state statute at the community building, Wooden Wheel Trading Post, and the water storage tank. The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the personal files. She reports that all files contain the necessary documents including I-9 and W-4 forms Due to not having any fulltime or permanent employees, the Community Association does not have a personnel policy or provide any training opportunities or evaluations.
Organizational Management
Essential Indicators
The entity that owns the utility is known; the entity that will operate the utility is set.
The policy making body is active in policy making of the utility.
The policy making body enforces utility policy.
The utility has an adequately trained manager.
The utility has an adequately trained bookkeeper.
The utility has an adequately trained operator or operators.
The utility has adopted the necessary ordinances (or rules and regulations) necessary to give it the authority to operate.
Sustainable Indicators
The utility has adopted an organizational chart that reflects the current structure.
The policy making body meets as required.
The utility complies with the open meeting act for all meetings.
Organizational Management Comments
The Port Protection Community Association owns and operates the public water system. The Board of Directors is the governing body and meeting minutes verify that it is actively engaged in making decisions on behalf of the utility. The Board meets the first Saturday of each month and holds an annual meeting the first Saturday in October. The Community Association provides meeting notices as required by their by-laws. The utility is managed by a three-person water committee. A member of the water committee makes a verbal mangers report at monthly meetings. The report includes operational information such as water testing results, water tank level, and any problems with the system. Highlights from the manager's verbal report are entered into the meeting minutes for the community association. The utility does not have an organizational chart. The Water Utility has a provisional certification and a water utility tariff on file with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA). The utility filed its last annual application, system update and income statement with the RCA on February 23, 2009.
Operation of Utility
Essential Indicators
The utility operator(s) are actively working towards necessary certification.
The utility has a preventative maintenance plan developed for the existing sanitation facilities.
Sustainable Indicators
The manager receives a monthly O&M report from the utility operator and routinely "spot checks" the facilities to see that the maintenance items are being completed.
The utility has a safety manual and holds safety meetings.
Utility facilities have not suffered any major problems/outages due to management issues that are unresolved.
The utility is operating at the level of service that was proposed.
The operator provides status reports to the manager on a routine basis.
The utility has completed and distributed its "Consumer Confidence Report".
The utility is not on the "Significant Non-Complier" (SNC) list.
The utility maintains an inventory control list.
The utility maintains a critical spare parts list.
Operation of Utility Comments
The utility has three certified operators at the Small Untreated Water System level. Name Certification Level Expiration Date Dennis Mann Small-U 12/31/2010 Jack Mason Small-U 12/31/2010 Dennis Shervey Small-U 12/31/2010 The utility has a very basic preventative maintenance plan due to the simplicity of the water system. The plan includes yearly tank cleaning and inspection and valve maintenance on the distribution system. The utility does not hold regular safety meetings or have any kind of safety manual. The operator reports that the system is operating at the proposed level of service and there have been no outages due the management issues. The operator reports system problems to the water committee. The utility does not maintain an inventory control or critical spare parts list. The utility maintains some spare parts and tools, but, due to the community's island location and dependence on floatplane air service, the level of critical spare parts may be inadequate to prevent a service outage.
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DESTIN — The sale of an abandoned church that has become a local icon has awakened memories of the past and fears for its future.
St. John Greek Orthodox Church was purchased by Destin businessman Mike Buckingham on his third offer of $330,000 after it had been on the market for months.
The chapel and property at 303 U.S. Highway 98 was appraised at a little less than $350,000 in 2012, according to the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser's office.
"My initial thought was to make it a restaurant," Buckingham said. "I'm not going to rush because it is a beautiful building. I want to make sure it is done right."
The church's most recognizable feature is its dominant stained glass windows, but over the years the building has deteriorated. The carpets are mildewed and some of the wood columns that support the church's porch are rotting.
But many residents have vibrant memories of the church, and are worried that the building will be destroyed.
"At this time, I have no plans to tear it down," Buckingham assured. "I want to take my time and think it out."
View photos of the church at The Destin Log.
The man and the church
St. John's history is intertwined with one of Destin's pioneers, John George Maltezo.
Born in 1865 on the island of Aegina in Greece, Maltezo joined the crew of a sailing ship near the turn of the century and came to America.
Maltezo settled in Milton and eventually moved to Destin in 1922, where his shipbuilding efforts included the Primrose, the last seine boat built in Destin — which still is displayed outside the Community Center.
"Capt. John Maltezo was one of the most respected members of the small fishing village known as Destin," said Capt. Ben Marler, his grandson. "He was a craftsman and could do most anything he set his mind to."
The Maltezo family grew to include Alexander P., Tony G., Nicholas, Andrew, Anastasia Inez, Margarette, Stella, Eventhia and Cleopatra.
Maltezo donated the land where St. Andrew's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church is located, and spent much of his spare time carrying lumber from the shore to the church site when it arrived by boat from Pensacola. He did not convert from his Greek Orthodox faith but called St. Andrew's his church home.
He died in 1932 at the age of 67, decades before St. John's was built next door.
'A family prayer chapel'
Maltezo's daughter, Cleo Maltezo Marler, and her husband Ben traveled to Greece many times and saw little chapels around the countryside. After their first trip, Cleo wanted to build such a chapel in Destin to honor her father.
"Mother loved him with all her heart," said Ben Marler, son of Cleo and Ben Sr. "This marvelous building was constructed to the glory of God and in memory of her dad. Once she got her mind set on something, she did it. She was a doer."
The land for the church was purchased by Ben Marler Sr., and Cleo commissioned an architect she met in Greece to draw up the plans. She also involved her family in the planning, including her sisters Stella and Vera, her daughter Joy, and Jimmy and Doris Maltezo Trammell.
"The windows cost a small fortune, along with the furniture that was flown in from Athens, Greece," Ben Marler said.
In the late 1970s, Cleo and Stella took their plans for the chapel to builder L. J. Henderson.
"The more we did, the more they wanted done," Henderson recalled. "The sisters provided the land, all the materials, and we built the beautiful building."
"Mr. Henderson did an outstanding job," Ben Marler said. "He used fine materials and did outstanding work."
The church was dedicated to the memory of John George Maltezo in 1984 and turned over to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Atlanta. The archdiocese eventually put it up for sale after it focused its resources on Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Mary Esther.
"St. John's was built as a family prayer chapel," Dale Maltezos Allen said. "It was never meant to be a church. I'm surprised they're selling it."
Dives for the cross
The Maltezo family and other Destin residents have vivid memories of the times they spent at St. John's for baptisms, weddings, funerals, cross dives and other services. The structure and décor were beautiful, with a high ceiling, paintings and icons that still adorn the walls.
Tona Newland, daughter of Doris Trammell, attended Epiphany services and St. John's Patron Saint services at the church.
"I have a photo of my mother with a priest at my niece Harmony's Chrismation, like having baptism and confirmation in one," she said. "I was filled with awe whenever I went in there."
A cross dive to mark the Epiphany was held annually at the church. The crowd would cross U.S. 98 to watch teenagers dive for the cross in Destin Harbor.
The last cross dive was in 2006 before it was moved to Saints Markella and Demetrios.
"I really do not want to see it knocked down," Newland said of the chapel. "I want it to be a church just as my grandmother wanted it to be. I guess you could call this the family funeral church. My grandmother, Stella Maltezos Marler, was the first.
"Cleo, my mother, Doris Isabelle Trammell, Cleo's daughter, Joy Hanshaw and my father Jimmy Trammell's funerals were in that church," she added. "Strong family ties, and the pews have the names of the Maltezo family.
"Grandma loved that little church."
Contact Destin Log Staff Writer Pam Griffin at 850-654-8444 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @DestinLogPam.


text:
CHICAGO - Corvette enthusiasts in search of a unique ride have much toconsider this year with the introduction of two special-edition models:the Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 and the Indianapolis 500Pace Car Replica Corvette Convertible.
The special-edition Corvettes are distinguished by unique interior andexterior appointments and will be offered in limited, pre-determinedquantities. In other words, when they're gone, they're gone.
"Chevrolet and Corvette have a long, storied history at Indianapolis,and the new pace car special-edition commemorates that heritage withwhat will surely be an instant collectible," said Ed Peper, Chevroletgeneral manager. "Ron Fellows is also a part of Chevrolet's racingheritage, and he has been instrumental in the remarkable success of theCorvette Racing team in the American Le Mans Series. The specialsignature-series Z06 model that bears his name will forever link him toone of the greatest eras in factory racing, which has produced sixconsecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers championships, and counting."
Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Replica Corvette Convertible
A 2007 Chevrolet Corvette convertible will pace the 91st running of theIndianapolis 500 on May 27, 2007. As it was selected as the OfficialPace Car, Chevrolet will supply several identically prepared anduniquely trimmed Corvette convertibles - in new Atomic Orange paint withdistinctive gold ribbon graphics - that will serve in the official paceduties of the race, as well as supporting activities.
Five hundred production replicas of those official cars will be offeredto the public - all of them convertibles. They'll be available beginningthis spring.
The distinguishing features of the pace car replica convertiblesinclude:
* Atomic Orange exterior color, including door handles
* Indianapolis 500 exterior graphics - including gold ribbon graphicsthat flow outward from the front fender vents and " Indianapolis 500"door logos
* Special Indianapolis 500 fender badges
* Z06 rear spoiler
* New aluminum "split-spoke" wheels in Sterling Silver
* Ebony seats with embroidered Indianapolis 500 logos
* Interior trim plate and pods painted Atomic Orange
* Atomic Orange engine covers
All of the pace car replicas are equipped with the Corvette's standardLS2 small-block V-8 and Z51 performance package. A six-speed manualtransmission is standard, with the six-speed paddle-shift automaticoptional. The navigation system with Bose audio, as well as OnStar, isstandard.
Pricing for the pace car replica convertible is $66,995 MSRP, includingdestination. The paddle-shift six-speed automatic is the only option,which brings the price to $68,245.
The performance-bred Corvette handles its official pace duties in nearlyfactory-stock trim, with little more than race track-required safetyequipment and strobe lights added - as well as, of course, theeye-catching graphics. In years past, many Indy pace cars requiredextensive modification to perform their on-track tasks. The 2007Corvette's powertrain and suspension, including the 400-horsepower (298kW) LS2 small-block V-8 engine, are more than adequate to maintain thespeed, acceleration and handling required to lead the pack around thefamed "Brickyard" race track.
This year marks the ninth time Corvette has served as the Official PaceCar of the Indianapolis 500. The previous years were 1978, 1986, 1995,1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. It also is a record fourth consecutiveturn for the Corvette, as well as a record 18th time for a Chevrolet, tobe selected as the pace car.
Production replicas were not offered every time the Corvette wasselected as the pace car. In fact, 2007 marks the first time Chevrolethas offered a regular-production replica since 1998. But along with theregular-production models, several dozen copies of all the pace carshave been used for official activities in support of their respectiveIndianapolis 500 races, such as parades. These cars - known as"festival" cars - have become prized collectibles, along with thelimited-edition regular-production replicas.


text:
The University of Washington Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (UW MSKTC) was funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) from 2006-2011.
The objectives of UW MSKTC were:
Primary activities of UW MSKTC included:
For more information contact us at the Center for Technology and Disability Studies
The consumer materials listed below were produced through a collaboration between the UW MSKTC and the TBI, SCI, and Burn Injury Model Systems. This health information is based on research evidence and/or professional consensus and has been reviewed and approved by an editorial team of experts from the Model Systems.
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text:
Pop quiz time. When it comes to vacations, which of the following statements is closest to your reality?
a) I make sure I take a week-long vacation with the family at least once a year.
b) It's hard to be away for an extended period of time, but I try to get away for long weekends on a regular basis.
c) I remember my last vacation — when was it, 1995?
d) Vacation? What's a vacation?
If you're like a lot of business owners — or even if you're working for someone else — answers C and D may hit closest to home. One in six U.S. employees, according to a national survey, is unable to use up annual vacation time due to job demands. And that is despite the fact that Americans — with an average of 13 vacation days annually — have the least vacation time of workers in the industrialized world.
Not taking vacation, however, may be bad for your health. A study of coronary heart disease risk factors in a study group of 12,000 people suggests that working for years without vacations could put you at risk for early death. Those who took five short vacations a year had a 40 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who didn't get away.
"Taking a vacation is not frivolous behavior. It's essential to staying healthy, "says Alan Muney, chief medical officer of Connecticut-based Oxford Health Plans Inc. "Regular vacations are preventive medicine — they cut down on stress-related illness and save health care dollars."
Other studies show that vacations boost performance and curb stress-related illness. They can help workers re-energize and relieve burnout.
How to get away
Okay. Vacations are good for me, you say. Now, how do I take one? Here are some strategies to help you get away from Margo Frey, president of Career Development Services, Inc., a career counseling/coaching firm based in Milwaukee.
Plan well in advance
Frey advises small business owners to schedule vacation time at the start of the fiscal year.
"Ideally, try for a week, especially if you haven't had a vacation in a while, "she says. "If that seems too ambitious, then long weekends may be best."
In either case, think about what time of the year is better to get away. In the painting industry, that will depend on your location, market and workload, and could be winter, summer, fall ,or maybe near a holiday.
The concept is to take a look at a blank calendar and block out a week or long weekend and treat this as you would any other important project that has to be done at a certain time.
"Think of yourself as your own best customer," Frey says. "You are the key to the success of your business." Taking regular vacations helps you perform at your highest level.
Color code it
You know the effect color has on the homes and commercial spaces you paint. Why not use that on yourself? Frey advises clients to block out the week with a bright, cheery color.
"It's a psychological trick that really works," she says.
Prep work, painters often say, is 90 percent of a paint job. The same is true of planning for vacations. Try spreading your time-away prep work out over several months instead of cramming it all in the week before you leave.
"Let's say you've chosen the second week of November for your vacation, "Frey says. "Working backward from that date, block out small periods of time — say a half-hour every two weeks — to commit to doing things to make your vacation transition smoother. "Mark these days with the same bright color you used for your vacation time."
Start delegating now
People who don't take vacations often are afraid to trust others with important jobs. One way to overcome this: Begin by delegating small tasks today and gradually work up to larger responsibilities. This helps reduce your feeling of risk. You'll feel more confident about leaving your business in your employees' hands when you're gone. They will probably also respond positively to your increased trust in their abilities.
Communicate with your customers
Frey counsels small business owners to prepare their customers well in advance for their vacation.
"Start telling regular customers at least a month before your vacation," she says. "Then repeat it, reinforce it. You may want to send an e-mail, card or letter to those on your good customer list."
If applicable, let your customers know who they can contact in your absence.
Accept a little anxiety
If you start to worry about a project while you're soaking up the sun on some sandy beach, don't sweat it.
"Understand that you probably will feel uneasy at some point," Frey says. "That's normal. "It's natural to fear that something could go wrong, but remember that it could also go wrong if you were there."
While it's healthy to focus on fun while you are on vacation, it doesn't hurt to think a little bit about work. "Getting a time out often gives you a chance to look at things differently. It can help you avoid tunnel vision and come up with new ideas to make your business operate more efficiently.
"And, if not, "Frey says, "at least you've gotten a vacation."
Are You Burned Out?
Being burned out from work comes from letting your job be your main focus in life. You find yourself not taking time off, not leaving at a decent hour, not taking lunch, bringing work home and working night and day. It has consumed you. Even if you love what you do, you need a break from it. When you start having the signs of being burned out, stop and do something about it immediately. Check Mark ("The Stress Doc") Gorkin's list of the four stages of burnout to see where you fit in.
1. Physical, mental and emotional exhaustion
Are you doing more with less? Do you have a lot of responsibility but no authority? Is juggling an unmanageable schedule starting to take its toll? If you pride yourself on quality performance, but now find yourself cutting corners and looking for short cuts, you may be in the first stage of burnout.
2. Shame and doubt
Your answering machine is full with messages from customers who want to hire you. You want to respond, but an inner voice screams: "Who are you kidding?" You don't know how to finish the jobs you've already promised, and you're starting to feel lousy about how you're doing your job. You may even start second-guessing your past accomplishments. You still project the image of competence, but your voice inside is shouting "Impostor!" You wonder, does anyone else know?
3. Cynicism and callousness
Tired of feeling insecure and inadequate, you develop an attitude. Maybe it's: "Look out for No. 1." Or: "No one's getting to me." Or that old standby: "Cover your derriere. "This strategy often works... in the short run. But this hard, bitter exterior will eventually be self-defeating. When you become sufficiently abrasive or obnoxious, people start avoiding you. Ironically, this often happens to "nice" people, those who want to be a team player and can never say no.
4. Failure, helplessness and crisis
A disorienting stage in which your psychological defenses have worn down so much that the little things that never used to bother you are incredibly irritating. Maybe you're illogically jealous of a competitor, or annoyed by your mate's behavior. In other words, you're ready to crack. You need a vacation, even if it's just a long weekend. Now get out there and... R E L A X.


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ITEM: 4033 Clean, classic lines in a quality wool and cashmere blend, updated with a versatile front zippered fleece insert for a more casual look and extra warmth. Understated details include a twobutton stand up collar, five-button placket with concealed buttons, two side pockets. Polysatin lining with polyfill keeps you comfortable in the cold. Imported. Dry clean.
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The 2013 Ford Taurus shows the kind of improvement that makes it a must-see for those in the market for a well-built, roomy sedan. Read more
Shoppers looking for a new sedan can take advantage of several great deals this month on a few popular models. Read more
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So he took their money, but didn't actually produce anything for them? Is that what he's saying? Or is he saying that despite producing something while on Opera's payroll, those things he produced while hired and paid by Opera don't really belong to Opera?
So they kept him on as a consultant for up to a year without him doing anything? You know how expensive consultants tend to be? So basically, Opera paid a whole lot of money and had nothing when their ways departed?
Since when did not doing any work under Opera in regards to the claimed stolen property translate into not doing any work at all?
Argumentum ad ignorantiam. You don't know, therefore whatever you imagined is correct?
You're just as ignorant in this case as everyone else, at least until such time as you can actually say what was stolen and what his job/contract entailed.
When did I claim that the video wasn't relevant? The video is allegedly what shows the functionality that was stolen. What isn't relevant is the part of the video that shows the minimalist browser because according to Hansen himself, that minimalist thing is not what this lawsuit is about.
If the prototype isn't relevant, then so are the features it contains.
It took him nearly a year to pitch an idea (according to his own blog, he was hired as a consultant in early 2009, and left in early 2010)? If they hired him to come up with ideas and he came up with ideas, then those ideas belong to Opera. Otherwise Opera paid him a lot of money (keeping a consultant on for a year can't be cheap) for nothing.
How do the quotes illustrate that I changed my position? You need to be more specific than that. Obviously he was working on something while hired as a consultant, and that obviously belongs to Opera because they paid him to do it. But he doesn't think Opera owns what they paid him for for some reason. So he decided to steal that which now belonged to Opera, and sell it to Mozilla.
Why do I have to be specific when you get to hide behind vague claims and semantics?
First you can't decide if it was a feature, idea or concept that was stolen, now his job seems to alternate between being a paid ideas-guy and "working on something".
Seems rather pointless to claim someone is guilty of theft when you can't even answer these questions.


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The daughter of a poor Irish clergyman in the Church of England, Anne Brontë lived most of her life with her family at the remote village of Haworth on the Yorkshire moors. For a couple of years she went to a boarding school. At the age of nineteen, she left Haworth working as a governess between 1839 and 1845. After leaving her teaching position, she fulfilled her literary ambitions. She wrote a volume of poetry with her sisters (Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, 1846) and in short succession she wrote two novels: Agnes Grey, based upon her experiences as a governess, was published in 1847; her second and last novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall appeared in 1848. Anne's creative life was cut short with her death of pulmonary tuberculosis when she was only twenty-nine years old.
Anne Brontë is often overshadowed by her more famous sisters, Charlotte, author of four novels including Jane Eyre, and Emily, author of Wuthering Heights. Anne's two novels, written in a sharp and ironic style, are completely different from the romanticism followed by her sisters. She wrote in a realistic, rather than a romantic style. Her novels, like those of her sisters, have become classics of English literature.
Anne's mother, Maria Branwell (1783–1821), was the daughter of a successful, property-owning grocer and tea merchant of Penzance, Thomas Branwell and Anne Crane, the daughter of a silversmith in the town. The eighth of eleven children, Maria had enjoyed all the benefits of belonging to a prosperous family in a small town. After the death of both parents within a year of each other, Maria went to help her aunt with the teaching at the school. A tiny, neat woman, aged thirty, she was well read and intelligent. Her strong Methodist faith immediately attracted Patrick Brontë.
Though from vastly different backgrounds, within three months Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell were married on 29 December 1812. Their first child, Maria (1814–1825), was born after their move to Hartshead. In 1815, Patrick was made curate of a chapel in the little village of Thornton, near Bradford; a second daughter, Elizabeth (1815–1825), was born shortly after. Four more children would follow: Charlotte, (1816–1855), Patrick Branwell (1817–1848), Emily, (1818–1848) and Anne (1820–1849).
Anne was barely a year old when her mother became ill of what is believed to have been uterine cancer. Maria Branwell died on 15 September 1821. In order to provide a mother for his children, Patrick tried to remarry, but he had no success. Maria's sister, Elizabeth Branwell (1776–1842), had moved into the parsonage, initially to nurse her dying sister, but she subsequently spent the rest of her life there raising the Brontë children. She did it from a sense of duty, but she was a stern woman who expected respect, rather than love. There was little affection between her and the eldest children, but to Anne, her favorite according to tradition, she did relate. Anne shared a room with her aunt, they were particularly close, and this may have strongly influenced Anne's personality and religious beliefs.
In Elizabeth Gaskell's biography, Anne's father remembered her as precocious, reporting that once, when she was four years old, in reply to his question about what a child most wanted, "she answered: age and experience".
In the summer of 1824, Patrick sent his eldest daughters Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Emily to Crofton Hall, and later to the Clergy Daughter's School, Cowan Bridge, Lancashire. When the two eldest siblings died of consumption in 1825, Maria on 6 May and Elizabeth on 15 June, Charlotte and Emily were immediately brought home. The unexpected deaths of Anne's two eldest sisters distressed the bereaved family enough that Patrick could not face sending them away again. For the next five years, all the Brontë children were educated at home, largely by their father and aunt. The young Brontës made little attempt to mix with others outside the parsonage, but relied upon each other for friendship and companionship. The bleak moors surrounding Haworth became their playground.
Those readings fed the Brontë's imaginations. The children's creativity soared after their father presented Branwell with a set of toy soldiers in June 1826. They named the soldiers and developed their characters, which they called the "Twelves". This led to the creation of an imaginary world: the African kingdom of "Angria". That was illustrated with maps and watercolour renderings. The children kept themselves busy devising plots about the people of Angria, and its capital city, "Glass Town", later called Verreopolis, and finally, Verdopolis.
These fantasy worlds and kingdoms gradually acquired all the characteristics of the real world—sovereigns, armies, heroes, outlaws, fugitives, inns, schools and publishers. For these peoples and lands the children created newspapers, magazines and chronicles, all of which were written out in extremely tiny books, with writing that was so small it was difficult to read without the aid of a magnifying glass. These juvenile creations and writings served as the apprenticeship of their later, literary talents.
At fifteen, it was Anne's first time away from home, and she made few friends at Roe Head. She was quiet and hard working, and determined to stay and get the education that would allow her to support herself. Anne stayed for two years, winning a good-conduct medal in December 1836, and returning home only during Christmas and the summer holidays. Anne and Charlotte do not appear to have been close during their time at Roe Head (Charlotte's letters almost never mention Anne) but Charlotte was concerned about the health of her sister. At some point before December 1837, Anne became seriously ill with gastritis and underwent a religious crisis. A Moravian minister was called to see Anne several times during her illness. Charlotte was sufficiently concerned about Anne's illness to notify Patrick Brontë, and to take Anne home where she remained to recover.
The children in Anne's charge were spoilt and wild, and persistently disobeyed and tormented her. She experienced great difficulty controlling them, and had almost no success in instilling any education. She was not empowered to inflict any punishment, and when she complained of their behaviour to their parents, she received no support, but was merely criticized for not being capable of her job. The Inghams, unsatisfied with their children's progress, dismissed Anne at the end of the year. She returned home at Christmas, 1839, joining Charlotte and Emily, who had left their positions, and Branwell. The whole episode at Blake Hall was so traumatic for Anne, that she reproduced it in almost perfect detail in her later novel, Agnes Grey.
It may or may not be relevant that the source of Agnes Grey 's renewed interest in poetry is the curate to whom she is attracted. As the person to whom Anne Brontë may have been attracted, William Weightman has aroused much curiosity. It seems clear that he was a good-looking, engaging young man, whose easy humour and kindness towards the Brontë sisters made a considerable impression. It is such a character that she portrays in Edward Weston, and that her heroine Agnes Grey finds deeply appealing.
If Anne did form an attachment to Weightman, that does not imply that he, in turn, was attracted to her. Indeed, it is entirely possible that Weightman was no more aware of her than of her sisters or their friend Ellen Nussey. Nor does it follow that Anne believed him to be interested in her. If anything, her poems suggest just the opposite–they speak of quietly experienced but intensely felt emotions, intentionally hidden from others, without any indication of their being requited. It is also possible that an initially mild attraction to Weightman assumed increasing importance to Anne over time, in the absence of other opportunities for love, marriage, and children. Anne would have seen William Weightman on her holidays at home, particularly during the summer of 1842, when her sisters were away. He died of cholera in the same year.
For the next five years, Anne spent no more than five or six weeks a year with her family, during holidays at Christmas and in June. The rest of her time she was with the Robinsons at their home Thorp Green. She was also obliged to accompany the family on their annual holidays to Scarborough. Between 1840 and 1844, Anne spent around five weeks each summer at the resort, and loved the place. A number of locations in Scarborough formed the setting for Agnes Grey 's final scenes.
During the time working for the Robinsons, Anne and her sisters considered the possibility of setting-up their own school. Various locations, including their own home, the parsonage, were considered as places to establish it. The project never materialized and Anne chose repeatedly to return to Thorp Green. She came home at the death of her aunt in early November 1842, while her sisters were away in Brussels. Elizabeth Branwell left a £350 legacy for each of her nieces.
Anne returned to Thorp Green in January 1843. She secured a position for Branwell with her employers: he was to take over from her as tutor to the Robinsons' son, Edmund, the only boy in the family, who was growing too old to be under Anne's care. However Branwell did not live in the house with the Robinson family, as Anne did. Anne's vaunted calm appears to have been the result of hard-fought battles, balancing deeply felt emotions with careful thought, a sense of responsibility, and resolute determination. All three Brontë sisters had spent time working as governesses or teachers, and all had experienced problems controlling their charges, gaining support from their employers, and coping with homesickness—but Anne was the only one who persevered and made a success of her work.
Anne and Branwell continued to teach at Thorp Green for the next two years. However, Branwell was enticed into a secret relationship with his employer's wife, Lydia Robinson. When Anne and her brother returned home for the holidays in June 1845, she resigned her position. While Anne gave no reason for leaving Thorp Green, it is generally believed that she chose to leave upon becoming aware of the relationship between her brother and Mrs. Robinson. Branwell was sternly dismissed when his employer found out about his relationship with his wife. In spite of her brother's behaviour, Anne retained close ties to Elizabeth and Mary Robinson, exchanging frequent letters with them even after Branwell's disgrace. The Robinson sisters came to visit Anne in December 1848.
Once free of her position as a governess, Anne took Emily to visit some of the places she had come to know and love in the past five years. An initial plan of going to the sea at Scarborough fell through, and the sisters went instead to York, where Anne showed her sister the York Minster.
In the summer of 1845, all four of the Brontës were at home with their father Patrick. None of the four had any immediate prospect of employment. It was at this point that Charlotte came across Emily's poems. They had been shared only with Anne, her partner in the world of Gondal. Charlotte proposed that they be published. Anne also revealed her own poems. Charlotte's reaction was characteristically patronizing: "I thought that these verses too had a sweet sincere pathos of their own". Eventually, though not easily, the sisters reached an agreement. They told neither Branwell, nor their father, nor their friends about what they were doing. Anne and Emily each contributed 21 poems and Charlotte with nineteen. With Aunt Branwell's money, the Brontë sisters paid to have the collection published.
Afraid that their work would be judged differently if they revealed their identity as women, the book appeared under their three chosen pseudonyms—or pen-names, the initials of which were the same as their own. Charlotte became Currer Bell, Emily became Ellis Bell and Anne became Acton Bell. Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell was available for sale in May 1846. The cost of publication was about 3/4 of Anne's annual salary at Thorp Green. On 7 May 1846, the first three copies of the book were delivered to Haworth Parsonage. The volume achieved three somewhat favourable reviews, but was a dismal failure, with only two copies being sold during the first year. Anne, however, began to find a market for her more recent poetry. Both the Leeds Intelligencer and Fraser's Magazine published her poem "The Narrow Way" under her pseudonym, Acton Bell. Four months earlier, in August, Fraser's Magazine had also published her poem "The Three Guides".
After a number of rejections, Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's Agnes Grey were accepted by a publisher in London, but Charlotte's novel was rejected by every other publisher to whom it was sent. However, Charlotte was not long in completing her second novel, the now famous Jane Eyre, and this was immediately accepted by Smith, Elder & Co., a different publisher from Anne's and Emily's though also located in London. However, Jane Eyre was the first to appear in print. While Anne and Emily's novels 'lingered in the press', Charlotte's second novel became an immediate and resounding success. Meanwhile, Anne and Emily were obliged to pay fifty pounds to help meet the publishing costs. Their publisher, urged on by the success of Jane Eyre, finally published Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's Agnes Grey in December 1847. These too sold exceptionally well, but Agnes Grey was distinctly outshone by Emily's much more dramatic Wuthering Heights.
Agnes Grey is a wish-fulfilment story in which patience and virtue are rewarded. It is also a quiet but sharply pointed critique of the life of a governess and the instruction of children at the time. Anne portrays her characters and their surroundings with the minute attention to detail of a camera eye, focusing on the direct experience of daily life in a constrained environment, and recognizing the importance of subtle impressions. Anne's understated humour and occasional satire also remind the reader of Jane Austen.
In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the twin themes of character and education are woven throughout the novel, in the experiences of Helen, who has been poorly prepared to choose a marital partner; her husband Arthur Huntingdon; and later her young son, also named Arthur, whose father appears likely to give him the worst possible education. The novel is also a realist's response to the romanticization of violence and conflict that had occurred in her sisters' writings. Anne pointedly emphasizes the degradation of drunkenness and violence, and any initial attractiveness of her 'Byronic' character, Huntingdon, is outweighed by her painstaking and detailed description of his degradation and death.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is perhaps the most shocking of the Brontë's novels. In seeking to present the truth in literature, Anne's depiction of alcoholism and debauchery were profoundly disturbing to nineteenth century readers. Helen Graham, the tenant of the title, intrigues Gilbert Markham and gradually she reveals her mysterious past as an artist and wife of the dissipated Arthur Huntingdon. The novel's brilliance lies in its revelation of the position of women at the time, and its multi-layered plot.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an immediate success. It is easy today to underestimate the extent to which it was a challenge to existing social and legal structures. May Sinclair, in 1913, said that the slamming of Helen Huntingdon's bedroom door against her husband reverberated throughout Victorian England. Anne's heroine eventually leaves her husband to protect their young son from his influence. She supports herself and her son by painting, while living in hiding, fearful of discovery. In doing so, she violates not only social conventions, but also English law. At the time, a married woman had no independent legal existence, apart from her husband; could not own her own property, sue for divorce, or control custody of her children. If she attempted to live apart from him, her husband had the right to reclaim her. If she took their child with her, she was liable for kidnapping. In living off her own earnings, she was held to be stealing her husband's property, since any income she made was legally his.
In the second edition of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which appeared in August 1848, Anne clearly stated her intentions in writing it. She presented a forceful rebuttal to critics who considered her portrayal of Huntingdon overly graphic and disturbing. (Charlotte was among them.)
Anne also sharply castigated reviewers who speculated on the sex of the authors, and the appropriateness of their writing to their sex, in words that do little to reinforce the stereotype of Anne as meek and gentle.
The increasing popularity of the Bells' work led to renewed interest in the Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, originally published by Aylott and Jones. The remaining print run was purchased by Smith and Elder, and reissued under new covers in November 1848. It still sold poorly.
Branwell's health had gradually deteriorated over the previous two years, but its seriousness was half disguised by his persistent drunkenness. He died on the morning of 24 September 1848. His sudden death came as a shock to the family. He was aged just thirty-one. The cause was recorded as Chronic bronchitis - Marasmus; though, through his recorded symptoms, it is now believed that he was also suffering from tuberculosis.
The whole family had suffered from coughs and colds during the winter of 1848 and it was Emily who next became severely ill. She deteriorated rapidly over a two month period, persistently refusing all medical aid until the morning of 19 December, when, being so weak, she declared: "if you will send for a doctor, I will see him now". It was far too late. At about two o'clock that afternoon, after a hard, short conflict in which she struggled desperately to hang on to life, she died, aged just thirty.
Emily's death deeply affected Anne and her grief further undermined her physical health. Over Christmas, Anne caught influenza. Her symptoms intensified, and in early January, her father sent for a Leeds physician, who diagnosed her condition as consumption, and intimated that it was quite advanced leaving little hope of a recovery. Anne met the news with characteristic determination and self-control. Unlike Emily, Anne took all the recommended medicines, and responded to all the advice she was given. Her health fluctuated as the months passed, but she progressively grew thinner and weaker.
In February 1849, Anne seemed somewhat better. By this time, she had decided to make a return visit to Scarborough in the hope that the change of location and fresh sea air might initiate a recovery, and give her a chance to live. On 24 May 1849, Anne said her good-byes to her father and the servants at Haworth, and set off for Scarborough with Charlotte and their friend Ellen Nussey. En route, the three spent a day and a night in York, where, escorting Anne around in a wheelchair, they did some shopping, and at Anne's request, visited the colossal York Minster. However, it was clear that Anne had little strength left.
On Sunday, 27 May, Anne asked Charlotte whether it would be easier for her if she return home to die instead of remaining at Scarborough. A doctor, consulted the next day, indicated that death was already close. Anne received the news quietly. She expressed her love and concern for Ellen and Charlotte, and seeing Charlotte's distress, whispered to her to "take courage". Conscious and calm, Anne died at about two o'clock in the afternoon, Monday, 28 May 1849.
Over the following few days, Charlotte made the decision to "lay the flower where it had fallen". Anne was buried not in Haworth with the rest of her family, but in Scarborough. The funeral was held on Wednesday, 30 May, which did not allow time for Patrick Brontë to make the trip to Scarborough, had he wished to do so. The former schoolmistress at Roe Head, Miss Wooler, was also in Scarborough at this time, and she was the only other mourner at Anne's funeral. She was buried in St. Mary's churchyard; beneath the castle walls, and overlooking the bay. Charlotte commissioned a stone to be placed over her grave, with the simple inscription "Here lie the remains of Anne Brontë, daughter of the Revd. P. Brontë, Incumbent of Haworth, Yorkshire. She died, Aged 28, May 28th, 1849". Anne was actually twenty-nine at her death.
The general view has been that Anne is a mere shadow compared with Charlotte, the family's most prolific writer, and Emily, the genius. This has occurred to a large extent because Anne is very different, as a person and as a writer, from Charlotte and Emily. The controlled, reflective camera eye of Agnes Grey is closer to Jane Austen's Persuasion than to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. The painstaking realism and social criticism of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall directly counters the romanticized violence of Wuthering Heights. Anne's religious concerns reflected in her books and expressed directly in her poems, were not concerns shared by her sisters. Anne's subtle prose has a fine ironic edge; her novels also reveal Anne to be the most socially radical of the three. Now, with increasing critical interest in women authors, her life is being reexamined, and her work reevaluated. A re-appraisal of Anne's work has begun, gradually leading to her acceptance, not as a minor Brontë, but as a major literary figure in her own right.


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Achieving and maintaining healthy skin is a matter of your behavior and genetics as well as what you choose to apply to your skin and put into your body. Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone is the newest collection by the world renowned doctor that gave us Perricone MD, a full lineup of topical skin care products along with a range of healthy skin care supplements.
Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone was founded from the doctor's expertise in what he calls super foods. These are foods that that are exceptionally healthy for the body and help contribute to beautiful skin. Super foods are loaded with vital nutrients that are actually capable of reducing inflammation, boosting the body's natural immunity and encouraging strength and vitality in all bodily organs, including the skin. Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone products are formulated with these nutrients. Concentrated and in stable form, every ingredient is rich in nourishing and beneficial properties which promote a fabulous looking complexion. Offering a wide range of topical skin care products, the Super lineup delivers the best of nature and science to assist you in your quest for your best skin possible.


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October 31, 2012
MUMBAI: Jet Airways' has introduced exciting JetEscapes holidays for guests travelling to Dubai for the famed Dubai Shopping Festival, for travel effective January 3rd to February 3, 2013.
Guests to Dubai, a veritable shopper's paradise and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, may choose between two attractive holiday packages, both spread over three nights and four days.
The all-inclusive 'Bonanza' package starts from INR 29,975/-, and the 'Extravaganza' holiday package starts from INR 33,865/- respectively, as outlined in the tables below.
While both packages include return air travel in Economy (inclusive of all taxes), Airport transfers, 3-Star Hotel accommodation with breakfast, City Tour, Travel Insurance and earns 5 JPMiles for every INR 100 spent on JetEscapes, the 'Extravaganza' package also includes, in addition, a Dhow Cruise with dinner and Desert Safari with Barbeque dinner for guests.
Guests may contact any Jet Airways ticketing office, JetEscapes service centre or an IATA approved travel agent, for their booking needs.
According to Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, "The Dubai Shopping Festival continues to remain one of the most eagerly-anticipated events of the year and one of the highpoints in the desert emirate's tourist calendar. Catering to the heavy demand for attractive, value-based travel packages to Dubai during this period, JetEscapes has introduced special holiday packages at unbeatable prices. Allowing guests to shop to their heart's content while partaking of a world-class travel experience in the desert oasis of Dubai. We are confident that our packages to Dubai will prove to be extremely popular with our guests."
For further details, the JetEscapes Service Centre may be contacted on Tel: +91 22 424 95 999; Toll Free: 1800 209 6101 (For users in India only), or guests may email: firstname.lastname@example.com or log on to jetairways.com.
© Jet Airways (India) Ltd.


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On the shores of Lake Michigan near the top of Michigan's Lower Peninsula lies the historic city of Petoskey. Today, it's a popular tourist destination, but in the late 1800s it was a center for the state's billion-dollar lumber industry. The wealth generated by the logging business funded the construction of a number of impressive 19th-century hotels. Today, they're all gone — victims, mostly, of fire. All gone, that is, with one exception: Stafford's Perry Hotel.
Completed in 1899, the hotel is on a steep bluff overlooking the lake in Petoskey's historic Gaslight District. It has been restored several times over the years, but the deterioration was near its worst when the owners started a complete exterior renovation in the spring of 2004.
"There was no shortage of rotted wood, spalling bricks and peeling paint," says Jim Arremony of The Neat Painter, Inc., which won the coatings bid. "With our knowledge of restoration and preparation, and our Sherwin-Williams rep's knowledge of coatings, we came up with the absolute best strategy to bring back the hotel to its former glory."
The Neat Painter, located three hours south in Clarkston, Mich., plans to open a second office in Petoskey, so success on this project was imperative.
"There is absolutely no better way to get an introduction to the area than to do a good job of restoring the Stafford's Perry Hotel," Arremony says. "With our crew living at the hotel during the week, the hotel staff got to know them quite well. We also knew we were 'on stage' for the owners, the locals and area contractors."
By all indications, they succeeded in their mission, and Arremony gives some of the credit to the multi-store network of his paint supplier.
"With the distance between our office and the project, it was nice knowing that the local Sherwin-Williams store was taking so much interest in the project," Arremony says. "It was like having another field supervisor at the job site."


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Authored By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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If you believe that your landlord is seeking to evict you for asserting your rights as a tenant, your landlord may be retaliating against you in violation of Texas law. Your landlord is restricted for six months from retaliating against you because you gave a repair notice, complained to a city code enforcement agency, public utility, or civic or nonprofit agency, or exercised a right or remedy granted to you by lease, municipal ordinance, or state or federal law. Some examples of illegal retaliation by a landlord might include terminating your lease, deciding not to renew your lease, filing for eviction, depriving you of the use of the premises, decreasing your services, increases your rent, or engaging in activity that materially interferes with your rights under the your lease.
There are several exceptions. For instance, your landlord can increase the rent if the lease has a provision for an increase in the rent due to higher utility taxes or insurance costs. The landlord may also increase the rent or reduce services if it is part of a pattern of rent increases or service reductions for the whole complex. Furthermore, the landlord can still terminate the lease and evict you if you fail to pay your rent, intentionally cause property damage to the premises, threaten the personal safety of the landlord or the landlord's employees, or break a promise you made in your lease.
There are other proper grounds for termination available to the landlord that are not considered retaliatory. Of course, if you received a notice of termination at the end of the lease before you gave the landlord notice to repair, you are not protected. This is why it is a good idea to give the first repair notice in writing, date it, and make a copy for your protection. If fact, the best method is to send the request via certified mail return receipt requested and keep a copy. There may be another exception to obtaining retaliation damages if the landlord legally closes down the premises, but you are typically entitled to damages in that situation.
If the landlord engages in activity that constitutes unlawful retaliation, you may file a lawsuit and seek a court order against your landlord awarding you: (1) one month's rent, plus $500; (2) the reasonable costs to move to another place and other actual damages; and (3) attorney's fees and court costs. You have two years from the date of the violation to file such a lawsuit.


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All measurements are designed to be used as a guideline.
The Britch is back...and better than ever. Your favorite lightweight sheer shaper is now more powerful than ever! Featuring Criss-Cross Britch Strips for X-tra slimming, these skinnier styles will keep you looking great from all angles.
Contact the Transformation Team for advice! Let our team of SPANX specialists help you place an order or find the right product for you!


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Compete more effectively through improved uptime, better efficiency and accelerated innovation using SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, a versatile server operating system for deploying highly available enterprise-class IT services in mixed IT environments with best-of-breed performance and reduced risk. What's new in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 ›
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Wine aficionados have a reputation for being discriminating collectors, yet other types of liquor have their cultured devotees of their own. In fact, on February 7, one such devotee at an Australian bar paid almost $13,000 for a cognac-based cocktail, a new world's record.
Few are likely to have as strong a following as some of these high-end brands, which command top dollar for the privilege of swilling them at bars, cocktail parties or on a private jet.
Scott Abramson, vice president of the Park Avenue Liquor Shop in Manhattan, said in an interview that customers seeking out luxury liquors are just as inclined as wine drinkers to pay a high price for the right bottle.
"It's not like 20 years ago, when it was a businessman in a suit and tie," he said. "People, especially rappers and athletes, will drop six, seven, $8,000 a bottle. It runs the gamut."
He added that customers purchase expensive liquors for different reasons. "Sometimes they're collectors that collect a certain scotch or cognac, and they're buying it for an investment or for a high-end gift," he said. "We sold a 60-year-old Macallan [whiskey] for $22,000, to a man who was building a new plane, and he thought it looked good in the plane."
While $22,000 for a bottle of Speyside may seem like a lot, there have been some liquors that have far exceeded that. The high price tag could be because the liquor was produced in an extremely limited run, because it has gone unopened for hundreds of years, or simply because the bottle has been "blinged out" beyond the point of ridiculousness.
Whatever the reason, however, these liquors command a high price — and demand is out there in spite of it.
Read ahead to learn about some of the most outrageously expensive liquors in the world.
By Daniel Bukszpan
Updated 8 Feb. 2013


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Seed-Stage Investor Elevator Pitch
December 10, 2012 | 6:00-8:30 PM | 425 Market Street 26th Floor | San Francisco
Event Sponsor: Hanson Bridgett LLP
The Seed Stage Angel Elevator Pitch is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to network with Seed Stage Angels and other CXOs, present their company and ideas and learn first-hand how to raise early-stage capital in today's market.
Seed Stage Angel investors generally invest $100,000-$200,000 per person in early stage technology companies as compared to traditional Angels who may invest $25,000 to $50,000 in a deal.
To Present a Pitch
Once you register additional guidelines will be sent. You must RSVP receipt. Your pitch is two minutes, timing is strictly enforced, no handouts, cards, demos or samples allowed during or immediately after your presentation.
Your pitch is followed by 4 minutes of Q&A by the panel; and 4 minutes of non-rebuttal feedback from each panelist. Only one person from the company may present the (2) minute pitch to the investors and answer questions from the panel.
Entrepreneurs not yet ready to pitch or unable to reserve a pitch slot are encouraged register and attend. By listening to the pitches, the Q&A, and the critiques you learn the key points required to develop an effective pitch that investors value. You also have the opportunity to network with investors person to person at the event.
If you are an investor, come and listen to the entrepreneurs pitchesyou never know where youll find your next deal. Learn how other investors rate the pitches; which Angels pass and for what reasons; and which entrepreneurs other Angels want to talk to ASAP.
If you are interested in serving on a Pitch or Workshop panel please contact Valerie Badgett, Program Manager.
Moderator: Max Shapiro, PeopleConnect
Robert Simon, Business Development Bank of Canada
Sean Jacobsohn, Emergence Capital Partners
Victor Belfor, Independent Angel Investor
Ron Spector, Circini Partners
Doors Open: 6 PM
Program: 6:30-8:30 PM
Hors doeuvres and soda included
$45 VC Taskforce Members
$55 Affiliate Organization Members
$75 General Admission
(If space is available, door registration is an additional $10)
Space is limited, register early!
Please note: the VC Taskforce pitch registration process has changed.
The 10 guaranteed pitch-slot tickets are automatically filled and confirmed during registration on a first-come, first-served basis, as well as the additional 4 no guarantee Standby pitch tickets. Pitch slots go quickly, so register early.
If you have questions about the program, pitching, or would like to receive feedback on your elevator pitch before the event contact program manager Valerie Badgett.
Angel Pitch Chair: Max Shapiro, CEO, People Connect
Program Manager: Valerie Badgett
Program Registrar: Karen Peirce, email@example.com, 408.505.1464
The Chugh Firm
Cloud Virtual Office
DLA Piper
Insight Circle PR
NTR Lab
RampUp Solutions/Option Sanity
Weiher Creative
Berliner Cohen
Carr & Ferrell
Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP
Garage Technology Ventures
Hogan Lovells
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Pillsbury Winthrop
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Dow Jones
Going Evergreen
Green VC
Greentech Media
IBF Conferences
Wireless Communications Alliance
WorkIt -The Hub for Technology Startup


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Escape From Mount Stupid - Season Three Teaser
We're back, folks. Here's a taste of what to expect in season three of Escape From Mount Stupid.
We're back, folks. Here's a taste of what to expect in season three of Escape From Mount Stupid.
EA Canada, Black Box reportedly see NBA Elite, Skate development teams cut; up to 100 may have been pink-slipped; EA admits "season roll-offs" of payroll.
This week, we take a look at Thongs of Virtue, demos for the Move, and rock the house with DJ Hero 2 and songs from Bob Marley.
This week, we take a look at Serious Sam HD, COD World at War, Tomb Raider Anniversary, and more.
Releases this week include Top Gun, the H.A.W.X. 2 demo, Joe Danger, and videos for Infamous 2 and Brink.
This week we check out mini-Croft, drop behind Nazi lines, and rain death from above.
Take a look at the new DLC for Skate 3 with revamped parks and new items!
Check out 24 new challenges and new skate park objects in the latest downloadable content for Skate 3!
It's pirates, punches, downloads, and future shooters.
PlayStation Store Update: Shooter's second $15 DLC hits Sony's online storefront; Monkey Island Special Edition 2: LeChuck's Revenge available for PS3, Persona 3 for PSP digital download.
April top performer Splinter Cell: Conviction drops out of NPD top-20 report as Capcom's Lost Planet 2 narrowly misses top 10.
Big sales of Take-Two's Western adventure can't stop US industry slide; UFC 2010 and Mario Galaxy 2, Alan Wake also chart; PSP sells under 60,000.
Check in for our weekly segment on what's new on Playstation Network.
We check out new releases, indie games, demos, and gameplay videos only one week after E3.
Electronic Arts' skateboarding game gets $5 Maloof Money Cup 2010 NYC Pack, includes new park, challenges, achievements/trophies.
Check out the trailer for the new downloadable content coming soon for Skate 3, "Maloof Money Cup Pack."
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Upright Six
A dark rye that delivers a lightning strike of complementary flavors dominated by caramel and peppery citrus notes.
Also try: Heater Allen Schwarz Lager
Full Sail Session Black
Genius marketing aside—we love the stubby bottle—this is a top-notch lager that delivers subtle flavor waves you'd expect in smaller-batch beers.
Also try: Widmer W'10 Pitch Black IPA
Alameda Black Bear XX Stout
Smooth, with rich mocha flavors, this cuddly cub of a stout nuzzles tongues with a milky mix of molasses, toasted nuts, and bitter dark chocolate.
Also try: Mt Hood Brewing Hogsback Stout
Heater Allen Coastal Lager
Zippy Cascade hops and wild spice notes reined in by a placid coalition of German and British malts make this a true utility player in your fridge's rotation.
Also try: Organic HUB Lager
Widmer Deadlift Imperial IPA
Taming potent, citrusy New Zealand-sourced hops—and an 8.6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV)—with sweet malt notes is proof that Widmer still innovates on a large scale.
Also try: Double Mountain Hop Lava
Bridgeport Blue Heron Pale Ale
First brewed in 1987 as a tribute to Portland's Audubon Society chapter, this pale ale continues to soar with a crisp and refreshing hop-light bite.
Also try: Alameda Klickitat Pale Ale
Cascade Gose
Proffered by Cascade Brewing, the Gose has a modest alcohol content with hints of honey, lemon, and lavender.
Also try: McMenamins Ruby
Golden Valley Red Thistle
An addictive, sweet amber with a velvety mouthfeel and toasted toffee taste.
Also try: Hair of the Dog Ruth
Lompoc Proletariat Red
Coppery red with subtle cherry and plum attributes balanced on a solid foundation of malt.
Also try: Laurelwood Free Range Red
Laurelwood Workhorse IPA
Hoppy as hell, but with enough malt on the back end and a burly 7.5 percent ABV to avoid the dreaded "bitter-beer blanch."
Also try: Fearless Scottish Ale
Hair of the Dog Fred Golden Strong Ale
At 10 percent ABV, Fred is no pushover. Still, the sweet and chewy body includes a sturdy dose of hops and fruit flavors.
Also try: Lompoc Special Draft
Hopworks Deluxe Organic Ale
It's a testament to brewer Christian Ettinger's skills that this strong ale is so evenly balanced. Perfectly poised between bitter and bready; muscle and malt; fruit, flower, and earth.
Also try: Amnesia ESB


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Please note: The deadline for applications for Fall 2015 is Saturday, August 1, 2015.The principal goal of FYI@VMI is to facilitate academic success for new cadets while they meet the demands of military duties, cadet life, and especially the Ratline. Both nationally as well as here at VMI, we have seen that even the most accomplished high school graduates often do not have the information or skills necessary to succeed in college academics. Please note: This is not a study hall.
FYI@VMI has been specifically designed to close the gap between high school and college. To launch this initiative two five-week courses were offered as a pilot in Fall 2012. The initial data were very encouraging and VMI decided to continue the pilot for three more years. We are thus approaching our final year of the four-year pilot this fall. New students at VMI will have the opportunity to apply for a seat in Academics 101 (AC 101) and AC 102. AC 101 will be offered the first five weeks of the fall semester and AC 102 will be offered the last five weeks. The designated learning outcomes for the two courses are as follows:
By successfully completing AC 101, new cadets will be able to:
By successfully completing AC 102, new cadets will be able to:
Overview of AC Rats (Class of 2017)
As part of the assessment of these courses, first semester GPA, first year GPA, and retention rates of the AC Rats and their non-AC Brother Rats were compared. The analysis examined the performance of AC Rats who completed both courses, one course, and no courses. The results suggest that those AC Rats who completed both courses achieved at a higher level than all other groups. Additionally, these completers evenly represented Rats with weaker, middle, and stronger high school grades.
F12 Term GPA
F12 Cum GPA
Sp13 GPA
1st Yr Cum GPA
AC Grads (passed 101 and 102)
AC non-grads (passed 0 or 1 course)
Control group (applied but not enrolled in AC)
Non-AC Rats
AC non-grads (passed 1 course)
AC non-grads (passed 0 courses)
Retention Rates - end of first year
AC Rats
AC control group
Additionally, here are some comments from the upperclassmen who served as AC Cadet Facilitators:
"This course provides the skills that normally take years to develop in college. They alleviate some of the stress concerning how to best contact and create a beneficial relationship with your teacher, and how to properly manage your time. With the stress of the ratline heavy on a freshman's mind, this course provides a relaxed environment to aid you in achieving success in all areas of cadet life."
"I think that an incoming Rat should take and complete this course in order to construct a solid foundation early in their cadetship and gain valuable information and skills to thrive in the unique environment that is VMI from the instructors and upperclass Cadet Facilitators."
"VMI will add many new challenges to your life. The environment is tough and demanding for even the most prepared students. In this course you will learn to manage your time and become efficient and effective with the time that you have."
"There is a pretty big gap between college and high school, so this program helps bridge that and teach the strategies and skills needed to be successful. VMI is an especially difficult college, particularly as a Rat, and so this class is twice as useful, teaching both time management and giving students the ability to talk to and learn from upperclass cadets in a relaxed environment, giving them the ability to pass on a wealth of knowledge."
NOTE: We have received some questions about the reported end of first semester and first year GPAs. Entering Rats and their parents might not be initially impressed with any GPA in the 2.6 etc. range. To put these data in context, since 2001 VMI has only had two Rat classes record first semester GPAs higher than a 2.5 and never a 2.6 so these data are noteworthy. Incoming Rats will need to recognize that the 4.0 scale they left in high school and the 4.0 scale they are entering at VMI are different. It will be necessary for incoming Rats to redefine "academic success" for themselves. The average GPA of the AC completers is very positive news for VMI!
The continuation of this pilot program will provide VMI with more data including longitudinal data to indicate any differences in academic achievement among the groups over time. It will also provide data to inform continuous improvement of the courses and opportunities for cadets to contribute to the first-year success of new cadets.
Because this is a pilot program, there will be three special rules for the Rats chosen to participate:
The benefits will include:
Only 50 Rats of the entering class of 490 will be selected to participate in the pilot program this year. To apply, you must send an email to email@example.com no later than August 1, 2015 to request consideration for selection to the AC101/102 courses. The request must include:
If you have any questions about these courses or the application process, please contact LTC Humphrey or MAJ Coates at email@example.com.
Lt. Col. Elaine HumphreyPh.D., M.A.Ed.Director, Miller Academic Center
P: (540) 464-7661F: (540) 464-7798E: firstname.lastname@example.com
202 Carroll HallVirginia Military InstituteLexington, VA 24450


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Not only that, but my theory about the Great Intelligence turned out to be wrong after all! The Great Intelligence, when it scattered itself across the Doctor's timeline, did end up in the 17th century to take over Padmasambhava. I've never been so glad to be wrong, as I thought Moffat had stuffed up by having the Great Intelligence 'born' in the 19th century.
Best episodes? Cold War and The Crimson Horror, both by Mark Gatiss, coincidentally.
Worst episode? Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.
But if we take last year's episodes into account, here are the best and worst for the seventh season.
Best: A Town Called Mercy, The Snowmen, Cold War, and The Crimson Horror.
Worst: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, The Power of Three and Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.


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Moderators: Tonyblack, Jason, Toothy
Lady Vetinari wrote:Batty wrote:He has also stated that he has received a letter the other day from a very religious lady who said that Terry should consider his Alzheimer's a gift from God ...
Isn't that akin to Glen Hoddle stating that every person with a disability brought it upon themselves for sinning in a previous life?
How on earth can that woman call herself Religous?!?!?!?
I will say this now that I am religous too - and I certainly don't call my ailments a gift from God - from the devil maybe but not from God! I believe that Life is a gift from God. Alzheimers and Senility is NOT A GIFT FROM GOD!
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Calendar of Events
Sep 14
NSW: PEAR Student-Athlete Welcome
Sunday, September 14th, 2014
5:00 – 6:00 pm / Location TBA
This event is mandatory and intended for all members of the varsity athletic teams. The Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) Department would like to provide this opportunity for all new varsity student-athletes to gather and socialize during the dinner hour. While you may already have met the members of your team, wouldn't it be great to meet the members of the other teams on campus? Join us for dinner with a brief address by Athletic Director Gerald Young at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Sponsored by New Students 2014. Contact: Jessica VanZuilen, x4462
Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Families, Prospective Students, New Students


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Nov 30, 2007
The "Green Weenie" NXT
Over the Thanksgiving holidays, my family wanted to build an NXT that bore no resemblance to anything, something that was just plain weird. The result: the "Green Weenie" NXT.
The little bugger is surprisingly agile and can turn on a dime, IF it's on a carpeted surface.
Has anyone else built something that bears no resemblance to any machine, humanoid, animal or anything else? If you have, send us a link so we can see it.
14 comments:
- 222doc said...
that is very cool and so green.
well the only thing i can think of that i made was "IT the Stix" a biped that is more like a slinky toy from long ago but not. at least for a monoped/biped? like biped it was the oddest thing i built, by mistake too. my wife thought it was oddest thing she has seen that worked programing it was a test of the nxt bricks ability to bounce off the floor as this thing fell many times as i went through the debugging part.
- Nov 30, 2007, 3:54:00 AM
- Matthias Paul Scholz said...
Looks ... err ... interesting.
Do you have a video of it moving around?
- Nov 30, 2007, 3:55:00 AM
- Rick Rhodes said...
Everyone, please check out doc's video if you haven't seen it.
Alas, no video of the "Green Weenie". At the time we built it, I had no access to a video camera. (Pity.)
Do you like the color coordination between the green wheels and the green shag carpet? The carpet is my mom's. (I'm compelled to tell you that it isn't mine).
- Nov 30, 2007, 5:00:00 AM
- Fay Rhodes said...
We had a lot of fun building the Green Weenie--and I think it may just be the most responsive robot I've ever built. Love those green wheels!
- Nov 30, 2007, 5:18:00 AM
- 222doc said...
we had carpet that color back in the 70's lol but it was shag too and was so hip to have then ;)
man those wheels are alot bigger than i thought, even at s@h their picture does not do them justic. Steve's green monster thing was filmed outside and they looked smaller in that grass. but your pics they look huge. i must not buy more lego must not...
- Nov 30, 2007, 6:01:00 AM
- Christopher R. Smith (Littlehorn) said...
Super Cool! How 'no resemblance' of you guys! I bet we see more freaky looking NXT Greenies.
- Nov 30, 2007, 11:14:00 AM
I just love the splay. Look how the liftarms lean out on the first picture. Nice
- Nov 30, 2007, 9:19:00 PM
- Rick Rhodes said...
The "splay" you refer to was difficult to minimize. Bringing the front wheels closer to the motor reduced the splay, but it negatively affected the maneuverability of the robot.
We could fix the problem by inventing a new LEGO part: the "WeeniePlug". We'll ask Lego R&D about it, but don't expect it anytime soon.
- Dec 1, 2007, 4:12:00 AM
It still doesn't explain why your structures aren't braced. I love studless -- everyone thinks things are automatically strong.
- Dec 1, 2007, 4:24:00 AM
- Rick Rhodes said...
While we deeply appreciate your ANONYMOUS sarcasm and critiques, we think them to be a little immature and cowardly, don't you?
Sorry, but the next snide comment gets you the "boot".
- Dec 1, 2007, 4:34:00 AM
I too am a little concerned about the splay. Those big wheels and the long axle stick-out generates a large moment. Could this lead to early motor failure?
I insist that my daughter's FLL team support the wheels with structure on at least one side of the motor, perferrably both. They are using my kits and I want to protect my investment.
I lost 6 of the mini motors in the old RCX day. The axle would break when a kid dropped a robot that had the wheels directly attached to the motor. The problem is much less severe with the NXT motors, but I like to err on the conservative side.
- Dec 1, 2007, 6:34:00 AM
- Rick Rhodes said...
Thanks for the comments. This model was thrown together as a Thanksgiving "lark", and, to be honest, not a lot of thought went into it.
But it's important to be reminded that other folks may try to build it and experience a structural failure.
Thanks for the constructive comment!
- Dec 1, 2007, 8:43:00 AM
Re the comments about splaying.....
Because the Green wheels are so big, even the minimal splaying looks exagerated.
I found the same issue when I designed the Green Monster using the large wheels - even when you brace them the splay reduces - but it is still visible.
- Dec 3, 2007, 1:43:00 AM
- David Levy said...
Are there tires available for those large green wheels?
- Dec 18, 2007, 4:28:00 AM


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Salvation Army, USA Central TerritoryJeffrey S firstname.lastname@example.com
g(847) 294-2046
Local Contact: Salvation Army, Milwaukee County Faithe Colas,
Community Relations Director firstname.lastname@example.com.
org(414) 531-6363
(DENVER, September 16, 2013) —As of Sunday, September 15, Salvation Army emergency disaster services personnel had provided first responders and evacuees of the Colorado floods with more than 10,000 meals, drinks and nutritional items in just 72 hours.
The Salvation Army is currently providing disaster relief at the following locations:
Ft. Collins · The Salvation Army will continue to serve meals at Timberline Church. The shelter will remain available long-term over the next 30-90 days. Salvation Army personnel have served more 2,130 meals, drinks and nutritional items to evacuees at this location since it opened Friday.
Jefferson County
How to Help: Monetary donations are needed to help The Salvation Army help those affected during the days of storm ahead and during long-term recovery. The Salvation Army uses 100% of your disaster donations in support of local disaster relief operations.
To give, visit www.imsalvationarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) and designate "Colorado Floods." You may also text GIVEHOPEIM to 80888 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army.* Donations by mail may be designated "Colorado Floods" and sent to:
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 60006
Prescott, AZ 86304
In-kind donations are not currently being accepted for the Colorado flood disaster. However, these gifts are vitally important to your local Salvation Army. To give items locally, visit www.SATruck.com or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
About The Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army, an
evangelical part of the universal Christian church
established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name
without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30
million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through
the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the
hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to
the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for
underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is
used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more
information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or
deducted from your prepaid balance. Message & Data Rates May Apply. All
charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is
available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and TMobile. By participating
you certify that you agree to the terms and conditions, that you are 18 yrs. or
older, or have parental permission, and have authorization from the account
holder. Donations are collected for the benefit of The Salvation Army by the
Innovative Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at igfn.org/t. Privacy
policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to 80888 to stop; Text HELP to 80888
for help.


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The page you requested requires Pro access
Australia GFS Surface Temperature/Wind +168 hour Chart
About GFS
Global Forecast System. The operational numerical weather forecasting model run by NCEP. The GFS superceded the AVN and MRF models, on which it is largely based. Forecast data from the GFS is available out to 180 hours at full resolution and 16 days at a reduced resolution.
Weather News
Patchy clouds with a chance of excitement for Game III
Origin Game III, the decider, is on tonight at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Agriculture Minister Joyce defends White Paper's drought loans, R&D spend and lack of inland rail plan
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says he is sympathetic to the concerns of drought-affected farmers about concessional loans, but has made no commitment to change the controversial schemes any time soon.
Canberra's run of cold still running
Canberra has chilled below freezing every morning this month, and a few days have been quite cold as well.