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Thank you very much. I was going to spend the first half of my presentation to you this morning talking about John Tower, but since that has already been done, I think I will skip the speech and just talk informally with you.
As I'm looking out in the audience there's quite a mixture of some executives, faculty members, young students, high school students as well. I don't want to take this opportunity to inflict a 27-page speech that I had prepared for you this morning.
I would like to begin with a quote taken from a book that was very important to me when I first went to Congress, it was written back in the late '60s. It was written by John Gardner called "The Recovery of Confidence."
In that book something caught my eye which has stayed with me all of these years. He said, "The problem today is that our institutions have become caught in a savage cross-fire between uncritical lovers and unloving critics."
What he meant by that was that at one end of the spectrum we had the uncritical lovers, people who were so enamored with the status quo they would do everything they could to blunt and nullify any prospect of change. At the other end of the spectrum we had the unloving critics, people who saw very little good in our present institutions and who would do everything they could to tear them down without any thought of what they might do to replace them.
What he suggested was that we have to become loving critics. We have to really appreciate the benefits of the institutions that we have, but also be willing to change them, to modify them, to alter them to deal with the present and the future.
That's something that I have tried to do during the course of my public service, which is now almost 28 years in national politics, and most recently now as Secretary of Defense. That is to be able to look at our present situation but be willing to change it, to adapt it, to modify it, to modernize it. And so it's always striking a balance. How do we hold onto the good that we have and yet make it better for the future?
I also recall a professor of mine who once talked about his view of life. He said, "If you have a situation where you have ideals without technique, you have a mess. But if you have a system where you have only technique and no ideals, you have a menace."
You think about that today as you look at the front page of the Dallas Morning News, you turn on the television set, you see the 10th year anniversary of the fall of the wall in Berlin, and you see the joy that was released when suddenly people who had been kept apart by that horrible wall were hacking and bulldozing it down, and now they're actually marketing those pieces today on a commercial basis. But in a very short period of time, ten years, you can see the tremendous power that has been unleashed all over the world.
At the end of the Cold War you had an academician by the name of Francis Fukuyama. He wrote a thesis called "The End of History." It was very provocative at that time. He said, now with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of Communism, the disintegration of the Soviet Empire, we now will see the spread of democratic capitalism all over the globe. That provoked some controversy.
You had a professor up at Harvard named [Samuel] Huntington who said, wait a minute. Fukuyama hasn't taken into account that you're going to have some fault lines here. He hasn't taken into account the power Islam, how it's going to conflict with that of Christianity or Buddhism, Confucianism, all of the regional ethnic conflicts that are out there stirring around. He hasn't taken any of that into account. He talked about the clash of civilizations. That's what we're going to see, the clash of culture.
I think we have come to the situation where nothing is inevitable until it happens. We can sit back and not try to shape events in ways that will be beneficial to us and simply let world events unfold. If we do that, we will ultimately become a prisoner of world events.
When people ask me, should we be the world's policemen, I say no. We can't be the world's policeman, but we never should become a prisoner of world events. That means we have to be engaged.
When I talk about striking a balance between loving critics and uncritical lovers, that we have to have ideals and techniques, that we also have to have diplomacy backed up by a strong military. If you simply have diplomacy without a military, you'd have what Simon and Garfunkel used to call "a dangling conversation," just talking. But if you had only a military without the diplomacy, you would have kind of a chest beating chauvinism. You would have a very dangerous situation where there was no diplomacy, only raw military power. So that could lead us into some dangerous situations. So we have to have a balance.
What we need to do as far as preparing for the future is to try to shape the future in ways that would be beneficial to us.
I remember in 1992, Admiral Stockdale. Do you recall that name? He was selected by Ross Perot to be his running mate. He took the podium on a stage much like this and he got up in front of the cameras and he said, "Who am I and why am I here?" And in some circles that provoked a great deal of laughter. They didn't realize that Admiral Stockdale had been a great war hero. He had been a prisoner of war. He had survived that. He's a man of great courage and integrity. But he asked these kinds of questions, existential questions. Who am I? Let me tell you who I am. Let me tell you why I'm doing this.
We have to ask the same kinds of questions as a nation. Who are we in the United States? Why are we here? Why are we anywhere in the world? We have to ask these questions because people say do we really have to bear the burden of being a super power? What's that mean? When we say we're the only superpower in the world, well that connotes and conveys the notion that we have to be very responsible in how we conduct ourselves.
I recently was at a dinner in California. I spoke at this dinner following a ceremony out in Riverside, California, where we saw a new monument to all Medal of Honor recipients in our country's history. That evening I was at a dinner speaking to a group and the woman next to me said, how do you make these choices? How do you know exactly where you're going to send those young people off to put their lives on the line?
I have to go through an analysis, basically. What's in our interest? What's in our national security interest? How do we identify that?
Some of you are obviously very young. We have people as young as you in this front row who are over in Kuwait today, who are serving out on ships in the Persian Gulf, who have to endure temperatures in the summer time in the Persian Gulf of 150 degrees, who wear ice collars around their necks and ice jackets under their shirts to keep cool, who have to endure the blast of jets taking off from those aircraft carriers. They're all about your age, and they are out there putting their lives on the line every single day so that we can enjoy our security.
Every time our troops move I have to sign a deployment order. And I have to make a determination, is it in our interest to be sending our young people off -- young and older people off -- to put their lives on the line for the rest of us? How do I identify what's a national interest?
I go through this analysis. Certainly we want to protect our homeland, certainly we want to protect our interests and that of our allies abroad, and we want to protect our economic interests.
When the Persian Gulf War came about, we saw Saddam Hussein had moved into Kuwait. You say well, what difference does it make that he's in Kuwait? Well, he was only six hours away from being in downtown Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What difference does that make? Suddenly, if you had a Saddam Hussein who's standing astride of the oilfields of the Middle East, that will have a major impact on the flow of oil and the price of oil to all of the Western democracies. Does that make a difference to you? The answer is, of course it does. It could jeopardize our entire economy. So there we had a clearly identifiable interest.
What happens when it's only humanitarian? I get asked this question quite frequently. Why are we in Kosovo? Why are we in Bosnia? What's wrong with being in Africa? We have certainly humanitarian disasters of a comparable magnitude. Why aren't we there?
So I have to go through this analysis. Is it in our interest to be there? Do we have a direct national security interest? Is it economic or is it simply humanitarian? And should we put our uniformed people in jeopardy for solely a humanitarian mission? Those are the kinds of questions that we have to grapple with every day.
I make those recommendations based upon whether we have enough of our force that can safely deploy to those reasons to conduct humanitarian operations as well.
I'd like to talk just a couple of minutes because I'm told you want to ask some questions, and I don't want to carry on for the whole time here and simply give you a speech, but rather to give you some idea of what's going on in the world, what I do in just my own job.
I do a lot of traveling. I spend a lot of time traveling over to Asia. I've spent a lot of time traveling to the Middle East. Most recently I was in Russia. Russia is very much in the news because of what? Chechnya. They are now conducting a major assault against the Chechnyans. Why are they doing that?
Well, during the time that I was in Moscow talking about a national missile defense system, a bomb went off. It was the fourth bomb that exploded in Moscow and it killed about 80 or 90 people. The Russian people were truly terrified. Suddenly terrorism had come to their soil and they weren't quite sure how to cope with it.
At that time I said, "We will join with you in the fight against international terrorism. We will share intelligence, information, techniques, and technologies, to help you defeat acts of terrorism on your soil."
We have a similar problem that we're going to have to contend with in the future as well. We had a bomb that went off as a result of domestic terrorism in Oklahoma City, and you saw the results of that. So we have to be concerned with terrorism when it comes to our soil.
It's going to come in a different form today. Not necessarily the kind of threat we saw during the era of the Cold War with Russian missiles or Soviet missiles possibly coming our way. We now have the threat of cyber-terrorism, when young people like yourselves, just as gifted on that keyboard, that you can hack into our computer systems in the Pentagon, the National Security Agency, get into our healthcare system, possibly alter our air traffic control patterns, possibly shut down our medical system, possibly wipe out our financial systems in New York and elsewhere. One day you have $1,000 in the bank, and the next day you have zero. Or if you have $100,000 in the bank, the next day you could have zero and it's totally vanished because someone will be able to get in the system and simply wipe it out and transfer it to an account in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. Those are the kinds of threats, in addition to biological and chemical warfare, that we have to face.
For example, when a bomb went off in the World Trade Center a few years ago, those who conducted that bombing attack also were developing a chemical release. So we would have had not hundreds of people injured but potentially thousands. These are the kinds of things that we have to prepare for the future.
So even though it appears that we are at relative peace, we have to prepare for those kinds of contingencies. The Department of Defense is now going out to prepare 150 cities to say, how do you respond if sarin gas is released in one of your public transportation systems?
Do you recall reading a few years ago in Tokyo where they had a religious cult group in Japan that released sarin gas? Suddenly you have a number of people who died, a number of people who were seriously injured.
What happens if that comes to the United States? How do we respond to that? How do we prepare our people to go and identify what it was that was released? What if anthrax is released in a major installation? How do we identify what the item is? Biological? Chemical? Is it contagious, not contagious?
So we are now trying to prepare our cities for this type of threat. We have to do so not to really alarm you, but to prepare you, to prepare ourselves so if something happens that is catastrophic in nature, that we are prepared to cope with it. That's all a part of what our military is doing as well.
I have a young colonel here in the Marine Corps, Mastin Robeson. He's an example of the kind of caliber of people that we have serving today. But I've got a real challenge. For the young people that I'm looking at right now, the question would be how many of you want to go into the military service?
There's one, great! I'm going to sign you up right away. [Applause.] We're going to sign you up right away. But you see the problem that we have when you start reading about we've got recruitment problems, we've got retention problems.
We have the finest military in the world. Why is that so? It's because we have the best and the brightest people in our military. You compare that with any other nation in the world and we're number one. It's because we look for the best people. We also train them. We lead them. We educate them, the best in the world. We are the number one role model for everyone.
But now we have a situation, because our economy is so strong that we're having trouble. The business sector is saying, hey, we like those young people, we want them to come into business from us. So we are now drawing from the same pool of talent that our business community is drawing from, and they can do a lot better in terms of pay and benefits than can the military. So it's creating something of a challenge for us to continue to get the best people in.
Once we get them, how do we keep them in? If we can't provide a decent quality of life for the men and women who are serving, and their families, they're not going to stay. If they don't stay, we have to bring more people in and start the whole process of retraining, and that costs lots of money and it makes us less capable and less ready. So that's one of the real challenges that I and anyone who follows me will face. How do we continue to attract you to serve in the military?
One thing we want to do is to make you and others aware all across the country of what it means. That the notion of service and sacrifice for yourself certainly, because you will come out a better person after going through the military; but it's also for the country. If we ever lose that ethic of serving and making a sacrifice on behalf of the nation, then we no longer can guarantee our security. We no longer will be number one. And we will be at the whim and potentially under the threat of many other countries.
So it has been one of my missions and one of my wife's, Janet, to go out and spread the message all across this country that we have the finest military. We want to reconnect America with its military to tell them how good they are and what we need in order to keep them as good as they are and keep them in the service.
I'd like to conclude by talking about idealism and cynicism. Alistair Cooke wrote a book that I read many years ago on the 200th anniversary of America. He made an analysis between the United States and Rome. He said that we, like Rome, are in danger of losing that which we profess to cherish most. Liberty is the luxury of self-discipline. Liberty is the luxury of self-discipline. Those nations who have failed to impose discipline upon themselves have had it imposed by others.
He said, "America is the country in which I see the most persistent idealism and the blandest of cynicism." The most persistent idealism and the blandest of cynicism. "And the race is on between its vitality and its decadence." He said, "We have a great country and we can keep it, but only if we care to keep it."
That is precisely the purpose of the Tower Center. Because of John Tower and who he was, determined to make sure that we have this great country and we keep it and that we care enough to keep it. As a result of the Tower Center we are hoping to continue to interest young people to study foreign policy, to study the strategic interests of the United States, to become global in their mindset, not narrow and interested only in themselves and their particular livelihood, but to take a global vision of world events.
That's a lot of pressure that young people are under today, but that is the mission of this center and that's the reason I wanted to come by, because John Tower was a mentor to me. He's somebody I admired a great deal. He carried me all across the globe with him, and the two of us met with leaders all over the world. I studied at his feet, so to speak, in terms of how to negotiate, how to deal with foreign policy issues from strength and conviction, and also with a sense of purpose.
So ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here. I think I'm being told that you've got some questions that you want to ask me. Let me thank you for your interest in issues which will affect your lives and your prospects of prosperity for the future. Thank you very much. [Applause.]


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You are hereHome/ Student Policies/ Housing
The Boston Conservatory is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all members of the community and their guests. It is important to realize, though, that safety is a community responsibility. This means that every individual needs to do his or her part in ensuring a safe and secure environment both on campus and in the residence halls. Please reference the Residence Life Handbook for specific policies and procedures.
Housing Review Board
The Housing Review Board has been established to review cases where students wish to be released from some aspect of their housing contract. The Housing Review Board consists of the Dean of Students, the Director of Housing and Student Life, the Director of Financial Aid, and the Vice President for Finance and Planning or his designee.
The following guidelines have been established and are rigorously enforced:
- If you wish to propose a change in your housing contract, you must petition the Housing Review Board in writing through the Director of Housing and Student Life.
- Students may be released from their housing contract only because of extreme financial need or medical problems. Petitions to break the contract must be supported by detailed, written evidence from doctors, parents, the Office of Financial Aid or any other relevant sources.
- Students will be released from the meal plan based on extreme medical problems. An explicit doctor's letter is required for all medical excuses and must be accompanied by a detailed copy of the student's diet. No petition for release from the meal plan will be considered unless the student has previously met with the Director of Food Services and the Director of Housing and Student Life.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Partnerships for Success
Kerri Viets - Extension 302
The Partnerships for Success program funded by the Department of Human Services focuses on the prevention of Underage Drinking and the prevention of Underage Drinking and Driving. This program partners with the Illinois State Police, the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, and the Tazewell Teen Initiative for the facilitation of environmental strategies within Tazewell County.
Illinois Youth Survey Results 2014:


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Over the past decade, companies from Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia and eastern Europe have significantly increased their global presence. And in seeking new opportunities outside of their home countries, they have increasingly turned to other emerging markets.
To better understand that trend, FT Tilt examined the financial statements of some of those companies in key sectors to see how much exposure they now have to other developing regions -- and how that exposure has changed over the past few years.
In the fourth of our series, we look at Middle East and North Africa. For our coverage of LatAm, click here. For China, Taiwan and Korea, see here. And India is here.
When it comes to businesses from the MENA region that have expanded their global footprint, the story begins, and almost ends, with the telecommunications sector. Over the last decade, five regional telcos have raced out of their home markets and built some of the world's biggest mobile operators, focussed entirely on emerging markets.
MENA telcos have been laser-focussed on Africa, the Middle East and Asia for their overseas expansion. None have moved into Latin America or eastern Europe.
On the revenues front, the most successful story of international EM diversification among MENA operators has been Qatar's Qtel. Like the rest of the Qatari economy, the last five years have been a wild ride, and a graphic from the company's 2010 annual report puts it best:
Source: Qtel
From a super-rich, high-spending home base (Qatar contributes just 3 per cent of Qtel's customers but 23 per cent of its EBITDA), Qtel has snapped up some lucrative EM assets, most notably Indosat, Indonesia's second-largest mobile network. Indosat is now the biggest single source of revenue and EBITDA for the group, contributing 29 per cent and 32 per cent respectively.
Slower moving in international expansion - but equally EM-focussed - is Saudi Telecom (STC). The kingdom's national operator has taken a more hands-off approach to international growth, choosing to make large minority investments in existing operators, rather than the more aggressive takeovers or greenfield expansions preferred by its regional peers.
Regardless, the company has made smart investments, including a 35 per cent stake in Oger, a Dubai-registered holding company controlled by the family of Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. Oger owns networks in Turkey and South Africa. STC also owns a controlling stake in Axis, an Indonesian telecoms company launched in 2008, as well as mobile networks in Bahrain and Kuwait. In 2007, STC bought a 25 per cent stake in Malaysia's Binariang Holding, an investment company that owns Maxis, a Malaysian mobile operator as well as stakes in India's Aircel and Indonesia's Axis.
How is that working out for them? In 2010 - the first year the company broke down the contribution of each unit to group - those international affiliates pulled in about $4.4bn in revenue, or 32 per cent of STC's group-wide revenue:
Source: Saudi Telecom
The UAE national telco, Etisalat, pulled in Dh31.9bn ($8.7bn) in 2010 annual revenue, and just over 76 per cent was earned in its home market. But the remainder was entirely from emerging markets. That's up from about 16 per cent of revenues coming from overseas EM operations in 2009.
Etisalat operates eight networks in Africa, six of which are run by Atlantique Telecom, a regional operator in West Africa. The company runs three more in the MENA region, including the Mobily network in Saudi Arabia, in which it is a minority shareholder but has management control. In Asia, it owns a network in Afghanistan, and is a minority investor in networks in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Notably, it's not just the share of UAE revenue in the overall mix that is declining: thanks to domestic competition, sluggish subscriber growth and falling average revenue per user (ARPU), Etisalat's revenues in the UAE are declining on an absolute basis, down by 6.5 per cent y-o-y in 2010. If it wasn't for strong overseas growth in its EM subsidiaries, particularly in Egypt where revenues jumped 56.5 per cent, company-wide revenue would have fallen in 2010.
Etisalat doesn't break down the contributions of its foreign subsidiaries in its own financial statements, but did share them at a recent analyst day. Here's how it looks, courtesy of EFG-Hermes (only included are majority-owned international affiliates whose earnings are consolidated into Etisalat's results):
Source: EFG-Hermes
Kuwait's Zain, which launched the Gulf's first mobile network in 1983, is the only MENA telco to consciously scale back its international operations in the last year, after selling off its sub-Saharan African businesses to India's Bharti Airtel in a $10.7bn deal in early 2010. The company, which was the subject of a failed takeover attempt by Etisalat, has also since agreed to sell its 25 per cent stake in Zain Saudi Arabia, although the deal has not yet been finalised.
Zain now operates in seven MENA markets including its home base of Kuwait. Of the company's $4.9bn in 2010 revenue, Kuwait accounted for about 25 per cent, with Iraq the biggest contributor at 36 per cent. Here's Zain's breakdown of 2010 revenue by geography, including revenue at its network in Saudi Arabia, which is not consolidated into the group's results but is by far the biggest earner:
And here's how that translates into EBITDA; margins in Iraq are impressive:
Egypt's Orascom Telecom is an almost-pure EM play, with networks in Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh and North Korea, as well as Telecel Globe, a subsidiary that operates networks in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Orascom owns minority stakes in networks in Canada and Egypt, whose earnings are not consolidated into group results.
Total consolidated revenues in 2010 were $3.82bn, up 1.7 per cent y-o-y. Slow growth was mainly due to a slowdown in the company's biggest unit, Algeria's Djezzy network, which is in the process of being nationalised by the Algerian government. Political and economic instability in Pakistan, home to Mobilink, the company's second-biggest revenue-generator, also didn't help:
Source: Orascom Telecom
A note on the "telecom services" category that contributed $260m in 2010 revenue: Ring is Orascom Telecom's handset distribution and retailing business, which the company says is the biggest wholesaler of Nokia phones in Egypt and North Africa. "Other" includes the company's Lebanese business, which operates a mobile phone network on contract for the Lebanese government, as well as MENA Cable and TWA, which own undersea fibre-optic cables in the Middle East and Pakistan.
Outside of the telecom sector, three other Dubai-based companies have also extended their reach across the world:
Emirates Airline, whose business model is built around connecting Europe and North America to the emerging world of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, is booming everywhere, in both developed and emerging markets. No single geographic region accounts for more than 30 per cent of the company's revenues, and EMs accounted for the majority of its $14.4bn in 2010 revenues:
Source: Emirates
Africa accounts for a little over 10 per cent of group revenue, while East Asia and Australasia, the company's single biggest region for revenues, contributes 29 per cent.
DP World, the Dubai- and London-listed global ports operator, is making heavy investments into port infrastructure across the world, from the new London Gateway port and logistics park - which it says is the single biggest employment-creating project in the UK - to the new port of Callao in Peru.
Of it's $3.1bn in 2010 revenue, 56 per cent came from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 15 per cent from Asia and 28 per cent from Australia and the Americas. Like Emirates Airline, DP World's growth story is very much a play on the growth in trade between emerging and developed markets, using its massive Jebel Ali port in Dubai as a hub for shipments from East to West.
Finally, Emaar, Dubai's biggest real estate developer, is looking increasingly abroad for growth after the bursting of Dubai's property bubble. The company has established international subsidiaries and launched big development projects in emerging markets, primarily in the Middle East, India and Pakistan.
While these projects, still in the early phases, are yet to contribute significant revenue to the company (it only recognises revenues from home sales when the property is delivered), analysts at EFG-Hermes (PDF) reckon 72 per cent of Emaar's revenue will come from outside the UAE by 2013:
Source: EFG-Hermes
See also:
EM Inc. expands its global reach: LatAm edition - FT Tilt
EM Inc. expands its global reach: China, Taiwan and Korea edition - FT Tilt
EM Inc. expands its global reach: India edition - FT Tilt


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110 W. New York Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720
Nature Scenes: White-naped crane has a party
By Lynn Bowen
posted Aug 18, 2013 - 9:56:35am
The white-naped crane decided to invite his cousins the whooping crane and the sandhill crane to his birthday party. Instead of cake and ice cream, they ate their favorite foods, which are insects, worms, small invertebrates, seeds, roots and grain. That doesn't sound delicious to humans, but to cranes, it's very good. Another benefit is that it's free and not too difficult to find.
The guest of honor, the white-naped crane, who now lives at a zoo in California, is originally from southeastern Russia, northeastern Mongolia and northeastern China. He lives in shallow wetlands and grassy marshes there.
He's a large gray crane with a white throat and white stripe from his crown down the back of his long neck. He has red skin around his eyes, is 48 inches tall, and weighs 12 pounds.
The white-naped crane is between "vulnerable" and "endangered" on the species list since only 5,000 of these cranes remain. Habitat loss, hunting, nest predation and pollution are some of the causes.
His cousin the 52-inch-tall whooping crane weighs 15 pounds, is mainly white with black-tipped wings, and has a red crown and cheeks. He resides in central Canada, Texas and Florida, with a small population of only 400 in the whole world, and is considered critically endangered.
The white-naped crane's other cousin, the sandhill crane, stands 46 inches tall, weighs 10 pounds, and is mainly gray with a red crown. He lives in the U.S. and Canada, boasts a population of 500,000, and is in the "least concern" category.
As the cousins vocalized their concerns and good wishes to the host, they marveled at their similarities and differences. All three species are tall, and have long legs and long necks. They all are beautiful, graceful dancers at courtship time, and sometimes they dance just for fun. They all dig with their beaks in soft, wet soil seeking food. All of them have red skin and no feathers on their head.
All the long-legged cranes enjoyed the birthday party and flapped their wings goodbye to their cousin the white-naped crane.
Oh, it's fun to get silly once in a while, and nature does have a lot of comedy to flaunt!
— Bowen lives in DeLand. Send email to her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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It's the 10th anniversary of the A-League this season, and interest in football in Australia has never been stronger in the wake of a captivating World Cup in Brazil. At the beginning of the A-League's inception ten years ago, many … Continue reading
In the beginning, MLS was a little league that merited little notice internationally. On occasion an all star went overseas and their previous career was noted by pundits, but MLS itself was paid little heed by the Sky Sports of … Continue reading


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Washington (CBS/AP) --Safety and sterility problems have been found at 30 specialty pharmacies, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
The agency has ramped up investigations of compounding pharmacies that mix prescriptions for patients in the wake of a recent outbreak of fungal meningitis caused by contaminated steroid injections.
The FDA said its inspectors targeted 31 compounding pharmacies that produce sterile drugs, which must be prepared under highly sanitary conditions. It issued inspection reports to all but one of the pharmacies citing unsanitary conditions and quality control problems, including: rust and mold in supposedly sterile rooms, inadequate ventilation, and employees wearing non-sterile lab coats.
"These inspectional observations reveal that there continues to be reason for concern about sterility deficiencies and other problems in some compounding pharmacies across the country -- problems that could potentially affect the health of patients," wrote FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg in ablog poston the agency's website.
The agency generally issues such reports before taking formal action against companies. Inspectors visited pharmacies in 18 states, including Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Tennessee and New Jersey.
A summary of the inspections can be found on theFDA's website.
The wave of inspections comes in response to a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak linked to contaminated steroids from the Framingham-based New England Compounding Center, a Massachusetts pharmacy. The company's preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate injections, mainly used to treat back pain, have been linked to 53 deaths and 733 illnesses since last summer. Illnesses include fungal meningitis, abscesses and secondary fungal infections in some patients who had already been diagnosed with meningitis.
Compounding pharmacies are supposed to mix customized prescriptions based on individual doctors' instructions. However, some pharmacies like the New England Compounding Center have grown into larger businesses, supplying bulk quantities of injectable drugs to hospitals across the country.
The FDA has stepped up its oversight of the pharmacies since the outbreak was identified in September, but agency officials say they have been slowed by the complex overlap of various state and federal laws that govern the industry. Pharmacies are licensed and overseen by state pharmacy boards, though the FDA sometimes intervenes when major safety issues arise.
In the Thursday blog post, Hamburg noted that four pharmacies initially refused to admit the agency's inspectors. In two cases the agency had to return with search warrants and U.S. marshals to complete the inspections.
"These challenges and others highlight the need for clearer authorities for FDA to efficiently protect public health," Hamburg stated.
Hamburg has asked Congressto pass new laws giving the FDA explicit oversight over large compounding pharmacies. Under the proposal, large compounders would have to register with the FDA and undergo regular inspections, similar to pharmaceutical manufacturers.
But the FDA proposal has faced pushback from some members of Congress, particularly House Republicans, who have been investigating whether the FDA could have prevented the meningitis outbreak using its existing powers.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee for Oversight and Investigations will hold its second hearing on the issue next Tuesday. Hamburg is scheduled to testify, according to committee staffers.


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Dave Marcouiller
Methods of Planning Analysis
The course is designed to familiarize the student with the collection and numerical analysis of data for planning purposes. The intent of the course is to provide students an opportunity to conceptualize, define, design and implement planning-relevant research and analysis; covering both theory and application with emphasis on the latter. The planning methods covered are generally applicable to planning problems in more than one field and are considered basic tools. This course is not intended to serve as a graduate course in research methodology; rather our focus in this class is on the application of common tools of planning analyses and the presentation of planning analysis results.
The course consists of three sections that include (1) research design and basic statistical methods through applied multiple regression, (2) demographic and descriptive regional analytics, and (3) regional bifurcation and economic analysis techniques. Several individual problem sets will assist learning through practical applications of the material being presented. These problems sets are intended to reinforce classroom discussion and will be self-graded.
Syllabus - Fall Semester 2014 Version 1 (tentative and subject to change)
Discussion Section 2014 Version 1 (tentative and subject to change)


text:
U.S. Patent #6871608
Re-edited 12/2008
Kayak Surfing
The word Surfing has become synonym to Fun, so much that searching the Internet just for fun is described as "Surfing the Web". But when it comes to kayak surfing the common dictionaries seem to ignore the existence of this sport, and if you look for "Surfing" you will probably get a definition similar to this one: "Surfing- The sport of riding on the crest or along the tunnel of a wave, especially while standing or lying on a surfboard. Also called surfboarding."
As a sporting activity kayak surfing dates back to the 1920s, and although it's as old as kayak touring and whitewater kayaking it has not evolved into anything remotely as popular as these activities, or as board surfing.
Generally, it is possible to distinguish between two styles of surf kayaking: Surf-skiing, which emphasizes speed and thus requires long and narrow kayaks sometime called 'wave-skis', and Kayak surfing, which is the beach equivalent of whitewater kayaking, and therefore requires kayaks that are almost identical to the small whitewater kayaks. Surf skiing requires bigger and therefore faster waves, while regular kayak surfing can be practiced in smaller surf, which is typical to the East Coast.
Another broad but useful distinction can be made between Sit-in kayaks (SIK) and sit-on-top kayaks (SOT). The latter are used almost exclusively in warmer waters. Both have in common the need to attach the kayaker to his/her boat: In the SIK the paddler is attached inside by the spray skirt without which the boat would fill with water in no time, and in the SOT the paddler must strap himself with thigh braces without which he/she won't be able to control the boat effectively and sooner than later will go overboard.
Surf Kayaking VS. Board Surfing
These activities have in common their being practiced in the surf and involving 'catching' fast traveling and breaking waves. Unfortunately, such 'runs' are usually very short and far between.
A major difference between the two surfing sports is that kayakers are more mobile than board surfers since they can paddle. Another significant difference is that board surfers can stand while surfing while kayak surfers must remain seated. This difference is particularly interesting since it is possible and even easy to surf sitting on a board rather than standing on it, yet nobody has ever seriously considered surfing sitting on a board because surfing standing is much more fun, and fun seems to be the key to understanding what people do at and around beaches.
As for safety, unlike board surfers kayak surfers are not free to separate themselves from their boats in case of emergency. This is why they have to face the risk of overturning while still being attached inside or on top of their boats and therefore severely restricted in their movement. For this reason kayak surfers are more likely to get hit in the head, and that is why they have to wear helmets while board surfers don't.
Interestingly, paddling standing on a surfboard is becoming fashionable these days among board surfers.
What Makes a Kayak Good for Surfing?
The first requirement is safety: It is hard for many traditional kayakers to agree that sit-in kayaks are very unsafe by the fact they require the passenger to be attached (i.e. practically trapped) inside. Some of them say that the 'Eskimo roll' is a perfectly safe and dependable method of recovery, and that the average kayaker should take the time and effort to practice rolling until he/she has a 'reliable roll'. Other, more cautious kayakers would agree that for most paddlers rolling if out of the question, and even among experienced kayakers a totally reliable roll is rare, especially in the surf. The perfect illustration for this dangerous problem is the helmet that most surf kayakers wear, in contrast with board surfers who don't wear helmets since they can fall freely into the water and there is little risk of them being overturned head down and slamming their heads on a rock - a scenario that's quite possible in a surfing kayak*. As for SOT kayaks, those require bindings in order to offer an acceptable level of control, and by this fact become unsafe for surfing as well.
The second requirement is maneuverability: A kayak that doesn't respond well to its passenger's attempts to swiftly and easily change directions would tend to broach i.e. align itself in parallel to the beach and to the front of the braking waves. Such kayak would also be difficult to extract from the broached position once it's stuck in it, and therefore will present a high risk of capsizing since lateral waves are among kayakers' most difficult problems to overcome. Needless to say that activating a rudder in the surf would be impractical for every possible reason, and in some cases could be dangerous.
The third requirement is speed: In this aspect surfing kayaks are different from whitewater kayaks that are never required to go upstream: A kayak that's too slow is hard to launch against big waves - It simply lacks the power to go through, and restricts the average kayaker to surfing in small, weak surf.
The fourth requirement is comfort: Kayak surfing is considered to be an extreme sport but that doesn't mean the kayaker should suffer from cramps, leg numbness and back pain that are associated with being constrained to spend long periods of time 'locked' in a single sitting position, which is notoriously uncomfortable. In comparison, board surfers can lie down, sit or stand on their boards, and perform various swimming movements in the water so they do not suffer from cramps, leg numbness and back pain.
The fifth requirement is the ability to stand: Although it may seem unrealistic, if board surfers enjoy standing more than sitting this option should be available to kayak surfers as well.
What it Takes to be Popular in the Surf
So far, this discussion may explain to some extent why kayak surfing has remained an unpopular sport among kayakers as well as surfers: Simply, it is both dangerous and difficult and yet not particularly enjoyable or rewarding otherwise.
However, in order for kayak surfing to attract participants it should appeal to a wider range of paddlers who are looking for relatively easy and not dangerous surf fun. As previously shown, this is not a viable option with either sit-in or SOT kayaks. In other words traditional, monohull kayaks may serve a small minority of surfers in their extreme activities, but in order for kayaking to be applicable in the surf for fun purposes it requires another, more suitable type of paddle boat.
The W Kayak: New Solutions to Surfing
The dictionary describes surfing as riding on the crest or along the tunnel of a wave, but the surf zone has more fun to offer than that: While board surfers and kayak surfers are generally limited in what they can do with waves, this is not the case with W Kayak surfers, who can enjoy a broader range of additional fun activities such as:
1. Paddling in parallel to the shoreline and hopping on lateral waves
2. Easy launching and hopping over frontal waves, including breaking waves
3. Paddling between waves both in the riding and standing positions
4. Surfing waves standing as well as riding
In other words, W kayaks enable people with different paddling and athletic skills and capabilities to 'roam' in the surf zone while enjoying it in multiple ways.
For example, in the same place and time a good paddler may enjoy paddling in parallel to the shoreline and hop on lateral waves while a less proficient paddler could tackle the same waves frontally and then surf back to shore in the riding position. A highly skilled W surfer could do these things while standing, while a couple of kids could have fun paddling their W kayak in tandem. In this context it is important to stress that unlike board surfers and traditional kayak surfers, W kayakers and surfers can find surf activities for practically all the time they are on the water, and their fun time is not limited to a few seconds of wave riding once in a while.
As for speed, we found that inexperienced as well as non athletic W kayakers including children aged up to ten are able to go over 4 ft breaking waves that are impossible for many inexperienced regular kayakers to go through using traditional kayaks. This is mainly due to the fact that paddling from the back of the W's cockpit raises its bow and thus enables a different approach to the wave. Other factors at play are the W's improved lateral stability, which makes it easier to control during the impact with the wave, and the W being faster than regular (i.e. short) surfing kayaks.
Interestingly, paddling and surfing a W kayak does not necessitate a spray skirt, and not even a spray 'apron'. This means that getting in and out of the boat is very easy and intuitive, which is important for most paddlers.
Another important fact is that W kayakers and surfers don't need to attach themselves to their boat in any way since they can have excellent control over it without using any binding accessory - though the use of their feet, legs, thighs and hips. This has a positive effect not just in psychological terms but also in practical, safety terms.
In addition, W kayakers and surfers benefit from the ability to position themselves back and forth along the boat's saddle, which prevents them from broaching even when they are very close to shore while being pounded by lateral waves.
And last but not least, although W kayak surfing can be much more intense than board surfing and traditional kayak surfing because of the extended range of activities it offers, its physical impact is minimal compared to problems such as leg numbness and back pain that plague traditional kayak users. This fact is due to the W's improved ergonomic design offering a multitude of ways for the user to change positions in the boat, and by that reducing both fatigue and physical impact.
Surfing With a Twinhull Kayak
The Polynesians, who invented the surfboard, also used twinhull boats (catamarans) for sailing and paddling. These things are linked by the fact that Polynesians have lived in islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean where big waves are part of everyday life whether you're traveling, fishing or having fun. Needless to say that fun has long been recognized as being an important part of life.
The W kayak is not a traditional catamaran in the sense that it is not operated from a platform supported by two hulls or pontoons, but mainly from within the boat itself whose twin hulls are closer to each other than they would be in a traditional catamaran of similar size. In this sense it is possible to say that a W is more of a vessel while a traditional catamaran's characteristics resemble more those of a raft. This distinction is apparent in the way the W kayak responds to its user in the surf, where a wider paddle craft, whether catamaran or kayak, would not be practical.
In this context it is important to remember that native kayakers never surfed, and preferred to use their kayaks in protected, relatively calm waters. The reason for this is obvious, and it is that capsizing in cold water is generally a bad idea, and if this happens in turbulent water such as the surf it's a very bad idea. Besides, native kayakers did not benefit from the use of modern materials such as Polyethylene and Neoprene, and this fact made them even more vulnerable to accidents.
How is W Kayak Surfing Done?
W kayak surfers control their boat either from the interchangeable Riding and Standing positions. Obviously, surfing standing requires some real practicing while surfing in the Riding position is easier and almost intuitive. Some (especially young) W kayak surfers would say that standing is more fun, while others would emphasize the sense of safety and control offered by the Riding position.
W kayak surfing can be practiced in small and big waves, with the latter being considerably more difficult and depending on both natural and acquired personal skills.
In the Riding position the W kayak surfer exerts a particularly high level of control over the boat through his legs: Each foot rests firmly on the bottom of a hull below waterline while the legs hold the saddle from both sides. This enables swift shifting weight from side to side while keeping a good grip on the boat
Side Wave as Sidekick
Lateral (side) waves are problematic if not dreaded by other kayakers, but to the W kayak surfer they can be a source of endless fun: You paddle in parallel to the beach and let the lateral waves roll under you - You lean into the incoming wave and once it passed under your boat you lean to the other side. This can be done even when the wave is close to point of collapsing, and even after - depending on the wave's size (and consequently its speed).
It is strongly advised never surf alone or too far from shore, and to make sure the beach is safe for surfing since rocks and other objects pause a severe danger to both kayak and board surfers.
The right approach is to practice long enough in smaller waves before tackling bigger ones.
Capsize and Recovery
The W kayak's buoyancy is distributed along its sides so it has a natural tendency to right itself unless its passenger prevents it from doing so. Practically this means that if you lose balance and control but manage to bail out swiftly enough your boat is likely to stay right even if breaking waves. If this happens in shallow water you can either hop back in, and if you happen to go overboard you can crawl back inside from the rear.
In the passenger did not bail out on time and the boat overturned or an excessive amount of water got inside it's usually easy to let the waves push it to shore, and then drag it out to dry land and drain it within seconds just by overturning it.
If capsizing occurred far from shore and there is a considerable amount of water in the boat it is often still possible to get back in, but once the passenger is in he/she should scoop or pump as much water out possible, otherwise the boat will be slow to paddle and/or unstable if one hull is considerably heavier than the other.
We recommend outfitting the W kayak with floatation for the surf.
Floatation reduces the volume of water that gets into the boat in case it capsizes. Side floatation can help preventing it from overturning.
The Spray Skirt Dilemma
With a W kayak spray isn't that much of a problem to begin with:
The boat's high freeboard protects its passenger quite well even in breaking waves, including lateral waves. When surfing you get relatively little water in, and whatever gets in is drained to the bottom of the hulls where even if several gallons are accumulated they would be unlikely to become a noticeable problem.
A spray skirt may prevent some spray from entering the boat but it might also reduce the passenger's capability to control it since moving back and forth on the saddle will not be as free as without a spray skirt.
A spray 'apron' that covers only the front part of the cockpit does not reduce the passenger's mobility inside the boat. Both 'skirt' and 'apron' confiogurations are easy to acheive with the new cockpit cover solution comes standard with every W-kayak model.
Surf Launching
Surf launching a W kayak is much easier than launching an ordinary kayak, and even children find it easy and fun: You put the boat in the water and hop in. If there are strong waves that are keeping your boat parallel to the shoreline (i.e. broached) you ride in the front of the cockpit and lean into the turn so that the wave action itself will turn your boat and make it face the ocean. After you've managed to face the ocean you paddle riding in the middle of the cockpit unless the incoming waves are big and you need to go over them by riding in the back of the cockpit and raising the bow.
Rolling a W Kayak
Like most modern kayaks (e.g. SOT and other, wide recreational kayaks) the W Kayak is not designed for rolling (i.e. 'Eskimo roll'), and for this reason it cannot be rolled. In any case, rolling a kayak is probably to worst imaginable method of recovery in the surf, and a quick look at the protective gear worn by the few people who practice traditional kayak surfing is usually enough to deter others from trying to kayak surf in the old fashion way. Even with protective gear (e.g. helmet), rolling a kayak in the surf remains a risky maneuver for multiple reasons.
Board surfers, who greatly outnumber kayak surfers prefer to disconnect from their board in case they lose control over it rather than to be closely attached to it and recover it by rolling it back to a normal position. This seems to be the natural, easy and safe approach, and therefore to logical one.
Maneuvering in the Surf
Controlling and maneuvering a traditional kayak in the surf is difficult for most people, especially if the kayak is long (e.g. surf ski).
The W Kayak makes it easy for the paddler to maintain control over his/her boat and maneuver it even if he/she lacks physical strength and other athletic capabilities, as well as much experience.
the W kayak's physical attributes that contribute to this are:
1. The W1 is just 10' 2" long (310 cm), and therefore easier to turn than a longer kayak.
2. You can create a powerful rudder effect by leaning into the turn with most of your weight.
3. You can activate the boat from the front, middle or back of the cockpit according to your need and your position relatively to the waves.
Wearing a Personal Floatation Device (PFD) and Other Safety Issues
For safety reasons it is very important and highly recommended that the W kayak surfer wear a PFD while W kayaking and surfing.
Also, it is highly recommended that W kayak surfers wear wetsuits or dry suits when kayak surfing in colder water and/or weather since Hypothermia can cause death.
It is highly recommended never to W kayak surf alone - The presence of other surfers, bathers or paddlers may indicate that the beach is safe, and in case of accident could mean the difference between life and death.
The new, patented W Kayak delivers new possibilities for all types of kayak surfing and kayak surfers, including people who were previously prevented from practicing any kind of surf sport.
It also promises the development and expansion of multiple new surfing applications on different levels - from recreational to extreme.
Watch Demo Movies
* Interestingly, a growing number of whitewater kayakers and instructors recommend wearing a protective mask as well as a helmet since apparently rolling your kayak may lead to facial injuries too. If indeed this is the trend in whitewater kayaking it is likely to reach kayak surfing sooner or later since most surf kayakers practice the Eskimo roll.


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About Rev. Michael A. Zampelli, S.J., Ph.D.
Guest Speaker, Depth of Thought, Depth of Imagination: Challenging Superficiality Monday, February 13, 2012
Rev. Michael Zampelli, S.J., serves as rector of the Jesuit community at Santa Clara University and is the Paul Locatelli, S.J., Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance. An associate professor, Father Zampelli has been on faculty at Santa Clara since 1998 teaching courses in performance and culture, gender/sexuality in performance, theatre history, and literature. His major research interests include the early modern Italian professional theatre, particularly the work of actor/dramatist Giovan Battista Andreini (1576–1654); religious criticism of the theatre; the dynamics of Jesuit performance; and the spiritual functions of theatre, especially in the work of 10th-century Saxon canoness Hrotsvit of Gandersheim.
Father Zampelli's scholarly work has appeared in journals such as Theatre Survey, Text and Presentation, and Religion and Theatre. He has also contributed essays on pre- and early modern performance to several book volumes, including From Rome to Eternity: Catholicism and the Arts in Italy, 1550–1650 (Brill); The Jesuits II: Cultures, Sciences, and the Arts, 1540–1773 (University of Toronto Press); Hrotsvit of Gandersheim: Contexts, Identities, Affinities, and Performances (University of Toronto Press); and Catholic Theatre and Drama: Critical Essays (McFarland and Company). In conjunction with his teaching and research, Father Zampelli also directs. He is particularly concerned with the process of retrieving historical performances for contemporary audiences.
Father Zampelli received his undergraduate degree in English from Georgetown University, master's degree in humanities from Fordham University, master of divinity and master of sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, and doctoral degree in drama from Tufts University.


text: Glassjaw has announced they will be hitting the road for a string of East Coast dates with their compadres New Found Glory. Acts Movie Life and Cooter round out the bill. The dates are as follows: Sat/Apr-14 Asbury Park, NJ Skatefest Mon/Apr-16 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon Wed/Apr-18 State College, PA Crowbar Thu/Apr-19 Scranton, PA Tinks Fri/Apr-20 Worcester, MA Palladium Sat/Apr-21 Albany, NY Valentines Tue/Apr-24 Toronto, ONT Reverb Wed/Apr-25 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Thu/Apr-26 Chicago, IL Metro Also, what else has Glassjaw been up to? Hangin' wit big Italian guys named ANT-NEE, hearing High Pitch Eric tell conquest tales such as how he nailed 14 hookers at the bunnyranch in Vegas (that sucks for me, I had one there myself...actually it was the Mustang Ranch outside Tahoe...phew! did I just say all that out loud???), starting a band with High Pitch Eric (to sound just like old Metallica), and more! All the above is true! Check out a letter from Beck with pictures at Glassjaw's website www.siberiankiss.com.


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Windows 10 Technical Preview for Phone is Available; Demo Video is Released - Much awaited Windows 10 Technical Preview is now available. Now people can see and feel the Windows 10 on their phones. The build is only available to Wind...
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Download Application Opera Mini v7.0.30697 for Nokia 5800, N97 and X6
|Posted by Mobile Geek
Saturday, July 21, 2012
One of the most popular mobile browser Opera Mini is here with an updated version7.0.30697 for Symbian^3 and Symbian S60 5th edition based touchscreen mobiles. This version offers some new features. Opera on mobile has always been a choice for most of us. It offers superb performance than any other browser available.
To start browsing, type an address, or select a Speed Dial or bookmark. Zoom in with a tap, and scroll effortlessly with the flick of a finger. You can click on star to save your favourite page. Browse sevral websites at the same time using tabbed browsing, switching between sites with ease. All this is possible only with Opera Mini. Apart from browsing, you can also do social networking with Facebook and Twitter in Opera Mini.
Opera Mini works with Nokia N8, E7, C6, C7, 5800 XpressMusic, N97, N97 Mini, X6, 5228, 5230, 5233, 5235 and 5530 XpressMusic. Download this cool mobile browser from the following download link and enjoy fast browsing on your mobile.
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text:
Three Law Faculty Members Receive University Merit Awards
November 26, 2013
The USF School of Law's California Bar Examination pass rate for first-time takers increased from 70 percent in July 2012 to 75 percent in July 2013.
USF's pass rate nearly equaled this year's statewide average of 76 percent for first-time takers from law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. USF's pass rate jumped by five points at a time when the statewide average dipped one point from last year.
Dean John Trasviña credited the success in part to new initiatives the law school has put in place such as the Bar+Plus exam preparation program.
"This is terrific news, indicates shared success in our new Bar+Plus program, and continues an upward trend in bar results and hiring for USF School of Law graduates," he said, noting that the "at graduation" employment rate has doubled since 2011. "Most of all, this achievement is a testament to teamwork. The accomplishments of our students are advanced by the dedication of our faculty and staff."
USF alumni who passed the bar exam will be sworn in to the California Bar by U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh in a ceremony at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 in St. Ignatius Church. For information, contact the Office of Career Planning at firstname.lastname@example.com or (415) 422-6757.
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text:
RUFSKIN wasn't around when these magazine covers came out - but I have to say there is something about them I love. Wonder if it has to do with the bulging muscles?
RUFTALK : We'll Tell You How We Like It!
More Vintage Fun
This entry was posted on February 19, 2010.


text:
Getting In
Schools & Colleges
- School of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences
- College of Arts & Sciences
- School of Business & Economics
- School of Education
Scene Design
The Theatre Arts Program offers a Concentration in Theatre Technology specializing in scenic and costume design, technical direction, costume technology, make-up, costume and scenic props, lighting and sound design. The circulumm is quite extensive for a program of our size. offering course study in the following: Sound Design, SceneDesign, Costume Design, Costume History, De'cor, Advanced costume Design, Computer -Added Design, Drafting for the Theatre Costume Construction Fundamentals of Play Productions and Theatre Production Labatory. Students who choose the technical theatere track get one- on -one training as well as hands -on construction opportunities. Students who show a vast interest in design are further encouraged, to design on the main stage with the mentorship of our design faculty. We take pride in that our program is a small program offering our students individual attention and instruction.


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Music video for Jon Hardy and The Public's version of Randy Newman's "Little Criminals".
Director/ Editor: Anthony Gaddis
DP: Andrew Cutraro
FX: John Lutjens
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This avocado lentil bowl has been my plat du jour, for more days than I'm willing to admit. It's healthy, easy to make and I've managed to make it Caribbean- which are the three determining factors in my cooking.
Truthfully, I used to hate cooking. Caribbean food tends to involve lots of prep work -overnight seasoning and marinating (for best results) and long cook times and for me, the lazy chef who thinks about cooking when I get hungry it was (and still sometimes is) too much. So for a long time, particularly my years in New York, I lived with the Chinese take-out place on my speed dial and a cupboard stacked with Easy- Mac.
Lately, I've been trying to undo the damage of those years, by eating cleaner which includes cutting back on meat. All this has meant is having to cook because unless you're Rastafarian, eating less meat is pretty difficult in Caribbean household.
The problem is finding healthy recipes on the internet that also utilize the Caribbean flavours I was raised on is almost impossible. So I've had to improvise. When I saw this image of this avocado lentil bowl, I didn't bother to find out the recipe as I knew instantly that I needed Caribbean style stewed lentils and thus my new favourite meal was born.


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|Jonathon McKitrick <j_mckitrick@xxxxxxxxx>
|Thu, 6 Jan 2005 11:22:22 -0800 (PST)
--- Matthew Dillon <dillon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Try physically disconnecting the hard drive, revert the BIOS to its normal > mode of operation, and then see if the CD will boot. Without a hard drive at all? Also, the BIOS settings didn't change. But after POST, if I hold down F8 I can get a list of devices to boot from. That's what I did when my floppy failed and stopped the POST. jonathon __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250


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Mummidi, Srinivas
School of Medicine
|9/2008 - Present
|Associate Professor
|UTHSCSA, Medicine, San Antonio, TX
|3/2002 - Present
|Head, Mol. Biol. Core
|VA Research Center for AIDS and HIV-1 Infection, UTHSC at San Antonio, Medicine, San Antonio, TX
|3/2002 - Present
|Research Health Scientist
|South Texas Veterans Health Care System, VA Research and Development, San Antonio, TX
|Postdoctoral Fellowship
|Chemokines and Chemokine receptors
|UTHSC at San Antonio
San Antonio , TX
|Iowa State University
Ames , IA
|Veterinary Immunology
|Indian Veterinary Research Institute
Izatnagar , India
|Veterinary Medicine
|Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University
Hyderabad , India
Molecular Biology- All aspects of gene regulation including epigenetics. Expertise in primary cell transfection, Chromatin accessibility by Real Time PCR (CHART-PCR), in vivo footprinting and LM-PCR, in vivo methylation analysis, comparative genomics, bioinformatics, reporter assays, Chromatin immunoprecipitation, adenoviral vectors.
Journal Article
|Riar AK, Narasimhan M, Rathinam ML, Vedpathak D, Mummidi S, Henderson GI, Mahimainathan L. Ethanol-induced transcriptional activation of programmed cell death 4 (Pdcd4) is mediated by GSK-3β signaling in rat cortical neuroblasts PLOS ONE 2014 May;9.
|Narasimhan M, Rathinam M, Riar A, Patel D, Mummidi S, Yang, H, Colburn NH, Henderson GI, Mahimainathan L. Programmed Cell Death 4 (PDCD4): A Novel Player in Ethanol-Mediated Suppression of Protein Translation in Primary Cortical Neurons and Developing Cerebral Cortex Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research 2013 Jan;37(1):96-109.
|Pham MH, Bonello GB, Castiblanco J, Le T, Sigala J, He W, Mummidi S. The rs1024611 regulatory region polymorphism is associated with CCL2 allelic expression imbalance PLoS One 2012 Nov;7(11):49498-49498.
|Murray DR, Mummidi S, Valente AJ, Yoshida T, Somanna NK, Delafontaine P, Dinarello CA, Chandrasekar B. 2 adrenergic activation induces the expression of IL-18 binding protein, a potent inhibitor of isoproterenol induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro and myocardial hypertrophy in vivo J Mol Cell Cardiol 2012 Jan;52(1):206-218.
|Jiang D, Mummidi S, Ahuja SK, Jarrett HW. CCR5 Promoter Haplotype Transcription Complex Characterization J Health Care Poor Underserved 2011 Nov;22(4 Sup):73-90.
|Bonello GB, Pham MH, Begum K, Sigala J, Sataranatarajan K, Mummidi S. An Evolutionarily Conserved TNF-{alpha}-Responsive Enhancer in the Far Upstream Region of Human CCL2 Locus Influences Its Gene Expression J Immunol 2011 Jun;186(12):7025-7038.
|Mamtani M, Mummidi S, Ramsuran V, Pham MH, Maldonado R, Begum K, Valera MS, Sanchez R, Castiblanco J, Kulkarni H, Ndungu T, He W, Anaya JM, Ahuja SK. Influence of Variations in CCL3L1 and CCR5 on Tuberculosis in a Northwestern Colombian Population J Infect Dis 2011 Jun;203(11):1590-1594.
|Reddy VS, Prabhu SD, Mummidi S, Valente AJ, Venkatesan B, Shanmugam P, Delafontaine P, Chandrasekar B. Interleukin-18 induces EMMPRIN expression in primary cardiomyocytes via JNK/Sp1 signaling and MMP-9 in part via EMMPRIN and through AP-1 and NF-kappaB activation Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2010 Oct;299(4):1242-1254.
|Venkatesan B, Prabhu SD, Venkatachalam K, Mummidi S, Valente AJ, Clark RA, Delafontaine P, Chandrasekar B. WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein-1 activates diverse cell survival pathways and blocks doxorubicin-induced cardiomyocyte death Cell Signal 2010 May;22(5):809-820.
|Funding Agency
|National Institutes of Health
|CCR5 regulation and promoter variants in HIV-1
|8/2003 - 9/2015
|Co-Principal Investigator
|Grant Detail
|An absolute requirement for HIV-1 infection is expression of CCR5 on the cell surface of specific leukocyte subsets. Delineating the molecular mechanisms that control the expression of CCR5 is of importance to our understanding HIV-1 pathogenesis, and this fact along with our quest to elucidate how genetic variation in the CCR5 gene influence its transcriptional/epigenetic machinery, and eventually its expression and coreceptor efficiency is the major focus of this competing renewal.
|Funding Agency
|Department of Veterans Affairs
|Transcriptional Mechanisms Regulating the HIV-1 Coreceptor CCR5
|4/2011 - 3/2015
|Principal Investigator
|Grant Detail
|CCR5 expression levels are a critical determinant of HIV-1 susceptibility and progression rate to AIDS. There is strong evidence indicating that these differences could be ascribed to genetic variation in the CCR5 locus. Genetic variability in CCR5 also has been implicated in susceptibility to other infectious and systemic diseases that are relevant to the veteran population. Delineating the mechanisms that modulate intersubject differences in CCR5 expression levels is thus of indisputable importance and significance for understanding pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection and other diseases such as diabetes. There is strong in vitro and in vivo evidence that the polymorphic residues at positions -2135 and -2459 in the CCR5 cis-regulatory region have a dominant effect on its expression. Our studies in this proposal are designed to elucidate the mechanisms by which differential binding of transcription factors to these polymorphisms leads to allele-specific modulation of gene expression resulting in variable CCR5 levels. Specific Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that disease-modifying CCR5 alleles exhibit variable transcription factor binding repertoire. Specific Aim 2 will determine whether the TFs that bind differentially to CCR5 SNPs also influence variable CCR5 expression. We will employ state-of-the art and innovative proteomic and molecular techniques to dissect the complex interactions between the TF binding to CCR5 polymorphisms which lead to variability in CCR5 expression levels. These studies have translational (benchAEbedside) utility as they will identify mechanisms of variable CCR5 expression that may impact on susceptibility to HIV-1/AIDS and other diseases. These molecular studies will capitalize on the vast experience of the PI in transcriptional gene regulation and collaborative efforts with Dr. Jarrett, a leading authority in transcriptional proteomics. There are several down-stream, value-added features of this application: (a) although the studies outlined
|Funding Agency
|National Institute of Health
|Redox signaling in osteoblast differentiation.
|9/2005 - 8/2012
|Grant Detail
|In this proposal, using preosteoblast cell line and primary fetal rat calvarial cells, we will test the hypothesis that concerted action of redox and PI 3 K/Akt signaling regulates BMP-2 expression via NFKappaB and MEF-2A to induce osteoblast differentiation. In the first specific aim, we plan to investigate the role of PI 3 K/Akt signaling cascade in the regulation of NFKappaB and MEF-2A transcription factors. In the second specific aim, we will examine the role of ROS, a downstream mediator of PI 3 K, in osteoblast differentiation in response to BMP-2. In the specific aim 3, we will study the PI 3 K/Akt signaling pathway as mechanism for statin-induced BMP-2 expression and osteoblast differentiation. Understanding the signal transduction pathways of osteoblast differentiation may result in the development of therapeutic modalities for the human diseases where lack of bone formation is the pathology.


text: > Using Cyrus IMAP is a bad idea if you ever want to switch to a > different server in the future since the mail store is in a non > standard format. Errr... excuse me? You say this, but you go on to recommend Courier-IMAP? Cyrus is *more* flexible than Courier-IMAP in dealing with MTAs (so if he decides to "switch to a different server" in the future he has more options), and neither of them - nor UW-IMAP - deal well with changing the IMAP server software without some duress. So actually, allow me to say: "Using Courier-IMAP is a bad idea if you ever want to switch to a different server in the future." Further, neither is in line with the original question - "an IMAP server that supports mbox." We both agree that, if one can get rid of mbox, one should - but if you're doing that, why would you switch to the maildir format over Cyrus? Cyrus offers significant scalability enhancements over the maildir format, which is the reason for leaving mbox in the first place. As an example, how do you set per-mailbox quotas in mailldir? Cyrus may not fit your needs, but that hardly calls for fear-mongering. -- Matthew Weigel Research Systems Programmer mcweigel+_(_at_)_cs_(_dot_)_cmu_(_dot_)_edu


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Local News »
Hereford man arrested on weapons, other charges
Amarilllo police arrested a Hereford man Tuesday on a weapons charge, evading arrest and a drug charge after the man ran from officers. About 12:25 a.m.
By Jim McBride
Local News »
Stratford man indicted on child porn charge
A Stratford man was released Tuesday on bond after a federal grand jury indicted him on a child pornography charge.
By Jim McBride
Local News »
Man in critical condition after shooting
On Monday, a 22-year-old man was shot multiple times in the face, neck and upper body and suffered life-threatening injuries, Amarillo police said. At 11:35 p.m.
By Aaron Davis
Local News »
Police seek men who tried to steal car at gunpoint
Amarillo police are seeking men involved in a Saturday attempted vehicle robbery and high-speed pursuit. At 7:15 a.m.
By Aaron Davis
Local News »
Baptist Community sells stake in BSA
Two large investment firms on Tuesday closed their acquisition of Baptist St. Anthony Health System's parent company, Nashville-based Ardent Health Services.
By KAREN SMITH WELCH
Local News »
Word of the Day for Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015
Today in history »
Today in History for Tuesday, August 4, 2015
■ In 1735, a jury found John Peter Zenger of the New York Weekly Journal not guilty of committing seditious libel against the colonial governor of New York, William Cosby.
By - The Associated Press
Local News »
Calendar for Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015
Entertainment Andy Chase Cundiff: 7 p.m. 575 Pizzeria, 2308 Civic Circle. No cover. 806-322-5575.
Local News »
Paxton indicted on securities law violation charges
AUSTIN - The chickens have come home to roost for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. A year ago when then-state Sen. Paxton was running for the post he now occupies, then-state Rep.
By ENRIQUE RANGEL
Severe Weather »
Nowhere to run: Record rains swamp area lakes, playas
VIDEO| After storms overnight Sunday and Monday morning dropped yet another inch of rain on Amarillo, Southwest 77th Avenue residents waited anxiously to see what another round of expected storms would mean for their homes and livelihoods.
By Aaron Davis and Perla Arellano
Local News »
Proposed city budget involves 1-cent tax hike
City leaders began the long and detailed look through the proposed budget on Monday that shows a $176 million general fund proposal, meaning a one-cent increase in property taxes. One cent would add about $940,000 in revenue.
By Kevin Welch
Local News »
Prosecutor, police chief differ on misdemeanor arrest policy
Amarillo's police chief and a Potter County prosecutor differ in their support of a law that a local defense attorney said would save on money spent jailing people who receive misdemeanors for marijuana possession.
By Mollie Bryant
Local News »
City warns of potential health risks from floodwaters
The city of Amarillo on Monday issued a health advisory, warning residents affected by flooding that floodwaters can contaminate private wells, impact septic systems and pose other hazards.
By Jim McBride
Local News »
Police: Test drive turns into robbery
Amarillo police said a man stole a GMC Envoy SUV at gunpoint from a used car salesman Saturday on South Georgia Street.
By Aaron Davis
Local News »
Flooded areas barricaded
The Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management is notifying drivers of areas where barricades have been posted to prevent motorists from driving through flooded roadways.
By Jim McBride
Latest News »
Amarillo VA to expand emergency department
VIDEO | Thomas E. Creek VA Health Care System, 6010 W. Amarillo Blvd., is expanding its emergency department for veterans and their families. "It's almost three times the size of our current emergency department," VA spokesman Patrick Hutchison said.
By VANESSA GARCIA
Word of the Day »
Word of the Day for Monday, Aug. 3, 2015
Today in history »
Today in History for Monday, Aug. 3, 2015
■ In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that took him to the present-day Americas.
By - The Associated Press
Local News »
Billionaire enters deal to purchase BSA parent company
A private investment firm co-founded by billionaire Sam Zell has entered a deal to buy the parent operating company of Baptist St. Anthony's Health System. The transaction between Zell's Equity Group Investments and Ventas Inc.
By KAREN SMITH WELCH
Local News »
Lake Meredith rises 4 feet following recent rains
July was a good month for Amarillo landscapes, Texas Panhandle crops and maybe even better for Lake Meredith, adding about 4 feet to the water level. At 57 feet, it's a level not seen since 2007. "This is the time of year we expect to gain.
By Kevin Welch
Latest News »
Advanced method behind Georgia St. project
VIDEO | An advanced pipe installation technique is behind a South Georgia Street project that should be approaching its end.
By PERLA ARELLANO
Local News »
'Texas' crew member remembered fondly
When another crew member from "Texas" left the show a couple of weeks ago, Peyton Trueblood confided to her boss that she was feeling a little homesick herself. "But I sure love my family out here," she told Kris Miller.
By Chip Chandler
Latest News »
What's on deck for Bell?
PHOTOS: BELL SINCE '68 | Bell Helicopter opened its facilities here in 1968 at the old Amarillo air base, initially a repair center for helicopters damaged in the Vietnam War. Now the company is poised to sell its trademark V-22 Ospreys to foreign customers and build a new Osprey for the Navy.
By Jim McBride
Latest News »
Timeline: Bell's History in Amarillo
■ Early February 1968: Bell Helicopter announces it will locate a repair-modification plant in Amarillo. ■ Feb. 26, 1968: The first helicopter from the Vietnam War arrives in Amarillo via truck to Bell's hangars at Amarillo Air Force Base.
Latest News »
VA in search of volunteers to drive patients
Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center is in need of volunteer drivers for its transportation program and is calling for Amarillo-area residents with a good driving record to chip in.
By Aaron Davis
Word of the Day »
Word of the Day for Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015
Local News »
Farm Briefs for Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015
It's been nine years since the inventory for cattle and calves has increased in a U.S. Department of Agriculture July 1 report, but they're up 2 percent from last year at 98.4 million head.
By Kevin Welch
Local News »
Bizstream for Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015
J. Pat Hickman, Chairman and CEO of Happy State Bank, announces the hiring of Tamara Vogel as president of the Hereford branch.
By RUSSELL ANGLIN
Local News »
Welch: Industrial salon offers memberships
Open the doors of a 1920s building in downtown Amarillo and you'll enter a space that's both modern and retro. Stylist James Koch styled his salon in the new Lofts on 10th of reclaimed wood, exposed brick, industrial metals and sleek furniture.
By KAREN SMITH WELCH
Today in history »
Today in History for Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015
■ In 1776, members of the Continental Congress began attaching their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.
By - The Associated Press
Local News »
William Morris IV named CEO of Morris Communications
AUGUSTA, Ga. - William S. "Will" Morris IV has been named chief executive officer of Augusta-based Morris Communications Co. The appointment was announced today by his father, William S. "Billy" Morris III, 80, and is effective immediately.
Local News »
Ama-Con, Barrio Bash entertain locals
AMA-CON PHOTOS | Ama-Con and Barrio Bash kicked off the first day of August with a variety of entertainment Saturday for Amarillo residents and locals.
By VANESSA GARCIA
Local News »
Classic cars cruise down Polk Street for 12th year
PHOTOS: Cruise | People | Locals looked on in awe as classic cars drove by them Saturday evening in downtown Amarillo during the Nostalgic Polk Street Cruise.
By VANESSA GARCIA
Local News »
Calendar for Monday, Aug. 3, 2015
Entertainment "Texas Originals": 7 p.m. Branding Iron Theatre in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex at West Texas A&M University. Tickets $10. 806-655-2181.
Latest News »
Victim identified in fatal 'Texas' fireworks explosion
The woman killed in a Friday fireworks explosion at Palo Duro Canyon State Park has been...
By RUSSELL ANGLIN
Latest News »
Amarillo man killed in Ochiltree County wreck
An Amarillo man was killed after crashing into a tree in a one-vehicle accident Friday...
By VANESSA GARCIA
Latest News »
'Texas' crew member remembered fondly
When another crew member from "Texas" left the show a couple of weeks ago, Peyton...
By Chip Chandler
Latest News »
Weekend brings more flooding chances
VIDEO | Friday morning brought flash floods to Amarillo, and by Friday night it was clear that more flooding could be in store for the weekend.
By Jim McBride
Latest News »
Wreck causes rollover, lane closures
A two-car crash in the turning lane of Southwest 34th Avenue rolled a Toyota Corrolla on its side on Friday afternoon.
By - Aaron Davis
Latest News »
Police arrest 4 in home burglary
Amarillo police arrested four men on burglary charges after officers said they entered a home occupied by two children Thursday afternoon in north Amarillo.
By VANESSA GARCIA
Latest News »
State OKs $26M in local road projects
Several local highway projects of note are ready to move off the planning desk, with $26.4 million coming to fund them.
By Kevin Welch
Local News »
Stockdog show gets early demonstration
Pete was invited to perform on a working stockdog demonstration at the agricultural fair in the town of Perdue, Saskatchewan. He could have brought his own lambs that were "dog-wise" but his hosts offered to furnish the sheep.
By Baxter Black
Local News »
Today in History for Saturday, August 1, 2015
■ In 1714, Britain's Queen Anne died at age 49; she was succeeded by George I. ■ In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th state.
By - The Associated Press
Word of the Day »
Word of the Day for Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015
Local News »
Calendar for Saturday, August 1, 2015
Community Ama-Con: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Amarillo Civic Center Complex North Exhibit Hall, South Exhibit Hall and Regency Room, 401 S. Buchanan St. Tickets $5. 806-378-3089 or www.ama-con.com.
Local News »
Woman indicted in Pantex credit union embezzlement case
A former Pantex Federal Credit Union employee in Borger has been indicted by an Amarillo federal grand jury on a charge of embezzling more than $800,000.
By - Jim McBride
Local News »
Mission bolsters Reedemer's legacy
Cardboard and pallets for roofs and walls, blankets for doors and dirt floors. That's how many families live in Juarez, Mexico - but not after they receive help from Casas por Cristo. "We're essentially building a brand new house," said the Rev.
By Eboni Graham
Latest News »
APD: Avoid 34th, Western
Amarillo police are advising motorists to avoid the area of Southwest 34th Avenue and...
Latest News »
Fireworks accident reported at Palo Duro Canyon
Randall County Sheriff's deputies are responding to reports of a fireworks explosion at...
Latest News »
UPDATE: 'Texas' crew member killed in Palo Duro fireworks explosion
A 21-year-old woman is dead after a fireworks explosion at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Randall County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Alexander said.
By PERLA ARELLANO
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How to Make Gay Friends
Every time you attend a Gay Pride March, festival or decent Gay Club Night, you may have noticed just how many fellow queers live in your city. The question is how to find them outside of these special events? Follow these steps to extend your Gay social network.
1Attend Queer festivals. Most larger cities have one to two sizable queer festivals per year. Use a search engine to find out when the next one is happening near you. Queer festivals often have carnival days in which a huge number of social clubs, sports groups, resources and support networks hosts stalls. Visit the stalls that interest you and participate! Even just chatting with people hanging around the site can be rewarding.Ad
2Connect Online! While a lot of online communities are tailoring to romance and are dating focused, there are new sites that are emerging with a focus on creating new queer friendship connections. Join an online community, make your profile interesting so your new BFF can find you and start participating. Upload photos, write or comment on community blogs, search for individuals which shares your interests and send them a message!
3Join Social groups and sports clubs. Join one, any one! It really helps if you have a hobby, or can fake one convincingly. If you don't have a hobby yet, maybe it's time to try something new. Those lesbian knitting circles are all the rage these days, right?
4Go to a Queer bookstore. Queer bookstores is a sure way to meet fellow queers. You know you are both there for the same reason, so you already have an excuse to strike up a conversation! If it's a slow day, how about saying hi to the checkout person? Also, check out the notice board – often it's stacked with potential book clubs, artist circles etc.
5Grab Free queer street press. Pick some up at mentioned queer bookstores or other place that may carry them, they are full of contacts. Check out what's going on in your area and chose an event that suits you!
6Attend Concerts. Play the odds in your favor and check out the bands which you know will bring your kind of people. For the lady lovers we may be talking Missy Higgins, Tegan and Sara and La Roux, for the boys Madonna and Kellie? Talk to people in the line, waiting around between support acts, at the march desk or in the bar. You are all there for the same reason, say hi!Ad
We could really use your help!
- Be cautious on dating sites. While most of them have an option for 'seeking friendship', many members may still have romantic intentions when contacting you. Be clear about your intentions from the start. If you're worried about this, consider joining a website that is intended for making friends.
Article Info
Categories: LGBT | Friends and Family of LGBT
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 17,880 times.


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Plan DescriptionThis beautiful home envelops you with southern charm. Imagine welcoming your guests onto the front porch of this country home. Inside, vaulted ceilings top the great room featuring easy access to the kitchen and grilling porch, an excellent place for family gatherings. There are plenty of options to enjoy your meal with the eating bar, breakfast room and formal dining room. Just off the kitchen, the 2-car garage enters near the laundry room and kids nook where a handy bench offers convenience. At the end of the day when the children are in their bedrooms with shared bath and ample closet space, you and your loved one can find solitude in the master suite. A ten foot boxed ceiling and master bath complete with whirlpool tub, glass shower, and his and her vanities offer a relaxing retreat. Designed for comfort and livability, this family oriented ranch house plan is sure to please you.
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Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 7/2/13, JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.38, payable on 7/31/13. As a percentage of JPM's recent stock price of $52.80, this dividend works out to approximately 0.72%, so look for shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. to trade 0.72% lower — all else being equal — when JPM shares open for trading on 7/2/13.
Click here to learn which S.A.F.E. dividend stocks also have preferred shares that should be on your radar screen »
Below is a dividend history chart for JPM, showing historical dividends prior to the most recent $0.38 declared by JPMorgan Chase & Co.:
In general, dividends are not always predictable; but looking at the history above can help in judging whether the most recent dividend from JPM is likely to continue, and whether the current estimated yield of 2.88% on annualized basis is a reasonable expectation of annual yield going forward.
The chart below shows the one year performance of JPM shares, versus its 200 day moving average:
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 200 Day Moving Average Chart" />
Looking at the chart above, JPM's low point in its 52 week range is $33.10 per share, with $55.90 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $52.78.
Special Offer: Add income and energy exposure to your portfolio with a 30 day free trial to Frank Bifulco's Oil & Gas Income Portfolio
According to the ETF Finder at ETF Channel, JPM makes up 11.42% of the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index Fund ETF (AMEX: IYG)which is trading lower by about 0.7% on the day Friday.
See what other ETFs contain JPM »
See what other stocks are held by IYG »
According to Preferred Stock Channel, there is are 12 series of preferred stock that are senior to JPM — find out what they are ».
In Friday trading, JPMorgan Chase & Co. shares are currently off about 0.7% on the day.


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Why does my pound cake collapse in the middle.
Been making the same pound cake for years. The only change this time is the flour. I usually use king arthur cake flour and this time it wasn't available so I went with the swan stuff. I don't think that would have made the difference but I don't know. Please help. Also Im baking them in the nice paper pound cake molds (like the pannetone mold) just in the pound cake form.
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


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Editorial: Important decisions, little input
Next time you're in a group of 10, maybe a Sunday school class or watching a ball game this afternoon, pick out one other person. That'll make two, and that's more on average out of 10 than went to vote on Tuesday for city representatives.
For all the talk about misrepresentation or the lack of it in Raleigh and Washington, the strongest connection to lawmakers is to those we voted for on Tuesday. We can see and talk to these people more at the grocery stores, restaurants, school events, civic clubs, etc., than any of the others.
By comparison to state and federal elected officials, local politicians are far more trusted. Yet fewer of us bother to go out and vote in these off-year elections. We were less than 15 percent turnout this past week.
But raise our water rates or taxes, or don't fix our streets or blighted areas, and we'll be hollering.
From our corner here, it remains a head-scratcher.
• Farmland still abounds in Vance County, as well as neighboring Warren and Granville.
We like the commerce secretary's idea of injecting life back into our rural ways. Sharon Decker's stop in Warrenton this past week was long on encouragement and praise, even if we have seen plenty of activity by General Assembly members that appear to give more help to urban areas.
Tourism here isn't bad, with Kerr Lake drawing more than 1 million annually and about 30,000-plus descending next weekend. But a stable backbone is elusive and needed.
We're hopeful she heard the message of our leaders' questions and together they'll supply all of us with answers.
• Hats off to Cliff Preddy, the most recent recipient of the Henderson Fire Department's top firefighter award.
The four-year veteran offered gratitude to those around him, including other firemen and leaders within the department. The staff is well trained and committed, and as is typical, most said any number of department members would have been deserving of the award.
The department's door-to-door inspections crank up next week and are worth the few minutes of time they look around and offer tips.


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Erlanger is a multi-campus system providing comprehensive services to the residents of four states. Since it opened its doors over a century ago, Erlanger has maintained its reputation in the region as a leader in healing and teaching.
Employees and volunteers at all five campuses are committed to providing outstanding customer care to patients and their families. Patient satisfaction is of paramount importance to us and we welcome your comments and observations both during your stay and afterwards. Please contact us by phone, letter or e-mail if you have any suggestions on how we can improve our level of service and/or to single out employees, volunteers or physicians who have exceeded your expectations. Share your comments about Erlanger by writing to:
Erlanger Health SystemAttn: President's Office975 E. Third St.Chattanooga, TN 37403If you have any suggestions as to how we may make the Erlanger website more user-friendly or effective—or how we can better educate the tri-state community on health and wellness issues—please share your input by emailing mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com
Patient Financial Services Department423-778-5150 or 800-262-5764 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Monday - Friday
Erlanger Health SystemP.O. Box 1150Chattanooga, TN 37401