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Stocking for Soldiers bring a taste of home
ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Thousands of soldiers are deployed overseas during the holidays, and one group has made it their mission to make sure they're not forgotten.
Judi Ann Buhl from Stockings for Soldiers told KPIC News about the process they go through to get the gifts ready to ship overseas. "We get together like little elves, get the stockings, get all the stuff that we need to fill the stockings, then we get into assembly line and we make them through the whole month of October and November," said Buhl. "By December we've got just about all them made."
The Stockings for Soldiers program is in it's eighth year, and soldiers say getting the stockings while overseas is something they'll never forget.
Nick Marshall from the National Guard says, "The stockings are pretty neat because, you know, when you're overseas, you're away from home, you miss your family, you miss your community, and when you get a package from home that has just a taste of home, it's neat to be reminded of that home and get you a little bit more home sick, but it's in a positive way."
Umpqua Indian Foods organizes the program. They say they've had a great response to the jerky they use to help fill the stockings.
The program is being expanded into the Grants Pass area.
Stockings will be sold for $20 at the Grocery Outlets in Roseburg and Grants Pass.
They hope to provide even more stockings to Oregon soldiers.


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Pickens County voters to get new voter registration cards
PICKENS - This story has been corrected from its original version.
Pickens County voters may soon get new voter registration cards because of precinct changes.
Recent demographic changes and increases in the number of registered voters in Pickens County required the South Carolina State Legislature to redraw some precincts and add nine new ones. The county is expected to have 61 voter precincts beginning with the November election this year, according to information from the County Registration and Elections Commission.
The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the proposed changes, and is expected to reach a decision about them within about a month, said elections commission Executive Director Rodney Allen.
Allen encourages registered voters to update their voter information with the commission if they have changed their names or moved.
The proposed precinct changes "will result in far-shorter lines on Election Day and an overall better voter experience," he said. New registration cards should be mailed out within the coming month, Allen said.
To update records, a voter can complete the change-of-address portion on the back of their voter's registration card and mail the card to the Pickens County Registration and Elections Commission, 222 McDaniel Ave. B-9, Pickens, SC 29671. Or a voter can download an application form by visiting www.PickensElections.org and click on the "Register to vote or Update" information link. The form should be mailed to the elections commission.
Voters may also visit the elections commission office or call 864-898-5948 to obtain a form or ask questions.
In Pickens County, the county council district electoral lines and county school board district electoral lines are the same.
The proposed precincts also allow the county to have not more than 1,500 voters per precinct.
Without the proposed changes, Allen said, lines at polling places in November, when voter turnout could be as high as 80 percent, would be "enormous."
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Oct. 31, 2011
Iowa City, IOWA – The Badgers had two players reach the round of 16 in the singles bracket, one team reach the semifinals of the flight A doubles bracket and another team reach the finals of the flight B doubles bracket in the Big Ten Singles/Doubles Championships at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex, Oct. 28-30.Junior Alexander Kostanov and freshman Jack Larsen were the two Badgers who reached the round of 16.Kostanov entered the tournament the No. 11 seed and made quick work of his first round opponent Andres Estenssero of Iowa, 6-2, 6-1.In his second round, Kostanov played Northwestern's Eric Spector. It was the second time Kostanov played Spector this fall season and, similar to his first match against him, he won the first set, 6-4. In the second set Spector pushed Kostanov to a tiebreaker, but Kostanov was able to battle back and win the tiebreak 7-5.The next round Kostanov played Penn State's Russell Bader. It was a close match but Kostanov was unable to pull it out and lost 7-6, 6-4.Jack Larsen had his best singles result of the fall season by posting a 2-1 record over the weekend.Larsen won his first round match against Iowa's Garret Dunn, 6-3, 6-4. In his second round he played Mathieu Fromont of Minnesota. Larsen won the first set in a tiebreaker and then closed the match out, 6-3, in the second set.In the round of 16 Larsen played Michigan State's Drew Lied. Both sets were close, but Lied was able to win each set with one break, 6-4, 7-5.In the flight A doubles bracket, sophomores Fredrik Ask and Petr Satral put together a pair of wins to reach the semifinals.They won the first their first round match against Iowa's Bruche and Vasos, 8-5.In the quarterfinals they played Josh MacTaggart and Stephen Vogl of Indiana. Ask and Satral were able to get a one break lead and close out the match, 8-6. Ask and Satral then lost to Michigan State's Austin Brooks and Aaron Pfister in the semifinals, 9-8 (7-4).Sophomores Alex Robles and Alexander Teppert put together the best record over the weekend for Wisconsin. The two competed together in the flight B doubles bracket and reached the finals by posting a 3-1 record.In their first round they defeated Tom Mroziewicz and Mitch Beckert of Iowa, 8-6. The pair also won their quarterfinal match, 8-6, by defeating Eric Spector and Nikhil Jayashanker of Northwestern.Robles and Teppert put together their best performance in the semifinals against Tobias Reitz and Alberto Zanotti of Northwestern. They defeated the Wildcats, 8-1. In the finals they played Iowa's Jonas Dierckx and Matt Hagan of Iowa but lost, 9-8.The strong results at the end of the fall season show the Badgers growth and development from their underclassmen over the fall season.Wisconsin Final Results from Big Ten Singles/Doubles ChampionshipsSingles Results1st RoundAlexander Teppert (WIS) def. Nikhil Jayashankar (NW): 5-7, 6-4, 6-4Fredrik Ask (WIS) def. Matt Hagan (IOWA): 3-6, 6-3, 6-4Tim Kopsinski (ILL) def. Petr Satral (WIS): 2-6, 7-6, 6-2Raleigh Smith (NW) def. Austin Akers (WIS): 6-2, 6-0Alexander Kostanov (WIS) def. Andres Estenssero (IOWA): 6-2, 6-1Billy Bertha (WIS) def. Ryan Richmond (MSU): 6-2, 6-4Bruno Abdelnour (ILL) def. Alex Robles (WIS): 7-6, 6-4Jack Larsen (WIS) def. Garret Dunn (IOWA): 6-3, 6-42nd RoundRoss Guignon (ILL) def. Fredrik Ask (WIS): 3-6, 6-3, 6-4Josh MacTaggart (IU) def. Alexander Teppert (WIS): 6-3, 3-6, 6-4Alexander Kostanov (WIS) def. Eric Spector (NW): 6-4, 7-6 (5)Russell Bader (PSU) def. Billy Bertha (WIS): 6-2, 6-4Jack Larsen (WIS) def. Mathieu Froment (MINN): 7-6, 6-3Round of 16Russell Bader (PSU) def. Alexander Kostanov (WIS): 7-6, 6-4Drew Lied (MSU) def. Jack Larsen (WIS): 6-4, 7-5ConsolationLeandro Toledo (MINN) def. Petr Satral (WIS): 7-5, 6-2Mitch Beckert (IOWA) def. Austin Akers (WIS): 6-1, 4-6, 10-4Alberto Zanotti (NW) def. Alex Robles (WIS): Advance by forfeitJuan Pablo Ramirez (MINN) def. Alexander Teppert (WIS): 4-0, RetireEric Spector (NW) def. Billy Bertha (WIS) 6-4, RetireMathieu Froment (MINN) def. Fredrik Ask (WIS): Advance by forfeitFlight A Doubles ResultsRound of 16Marc Bruche/Will Vasos (IOWA) def. Alexander Kostanov/Billy Bertha (WIS): 8-5Fredrik Ask/Petr Satral (WIS) def. Michael Sicora/Eric Freuh (MINN): 9-7QuarterfinalsFredrik Ask/Petr Satral (WIS) def. Josh McTaggart/Stephen Vogl (IU): 8-6SemifinalsAustin Brooks/Aaron Pfister (MSU) def. Fredrik Ask/Petr Satral (WIS): 9-8 (7-4)ConsolationAlexander Kostanov/Billy Bertha (WIS) def. Evan Hawkins/Thomas Krozcek (PUR): 9-7Dimitrije Tasic/Will Kendall (IU) def. Alexander Kostanov/Billy Bertha (WIS): Advance due to injuryFlight B Doubles ResultsRound of 16Alex Robles/Alexander Teppert (WIS) def. Tom Mroziewicz/Mitch Beckert (IOWA): 8-6Eric Spector/Nikhil Jayashankar (NW) def. Jack Larsen/Austin Akers (WIS): 9-7QuarterfinalsAlex Robles/Alexander Teppert (WIS) def. Will Davis/Ronnie Hulewicz (MSU): 8-6SemifinalsAlex Robles/Alexander Teppert (WIS) def. Tobias Reitz/Alberto Zanotti (NW): 8-1FinalsJonas Dierckx/Matt Hagan (IOWA) def. Alex Robles/Alexander Teppert (WIS): 9-8ConsolationJack Larsen/Austin Akers (WIS) def. Mat Nelson/Ryan Richmond (MSU): 8-2Jack Larsen/Austin Akers (WIS) def. Connor Gilmore/Andres Estenssoro (IOWA):Jack Larsen/Austin Akers (WIS) def. Garret Dunn/Michael Swank (IOWA): 8-6
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text:
Smoke without fire
|BBC News: Church no smoking signs condemned
(I'm sure that should involve a hyphen, but hey.)
I am one of the very few people I know who have never put a cigarette to their lips. When I was seven or right I was sick off school with the flu and saw a programme on the television which must have been meant for teenagers to deter them from the demon weed. In my case, it gave me more information and gruesome mental images than a seven or eight year old really ought to have and I became very concerned about my Dad's smoking.
This was one respect where I was quite naughty and got away with it because Mum hated the smoking and Dad knew that to defend his habit would be to condone it in us should we wish to have a go (he knew this, because I told him as much). I would hide the cigarettes, I once dipped all the tips in soapy water and put them back in the packet. I would collect all the butts together and stew them in a jar of water before declaring, "Yuck! That's probably what it looks like inside your lungs!"
I know. But I felt very let down; if Dad didn't want us to watch him die horribly (which I was sure was imminent), he'd stop. If he wanted to set a good example to his growing children, he would stop. My world was uncomplicated like that.
So anyway, I don't like cigarettes. I really don't like cigarettes. But...
The UK government has taken what I consider to be the entirely sensible move of banning smoking in all places of work, effective from the first of July. This is a health and safety move and it'll also enable some disabled people to work or simply go to places they couldn't previously access; people with severe asthma or cystic fibrosis for example, who simply haven't been able to go for a drink in a pub. Wonderful stuff.
However, it's only bloody cigarettes. Everyone understands what the ban means. You don't need to put no-smokings signs up in churches - since when was it ever okay to smoke in church? And I do wonder what a smoking compliance officer might actually do that another health and safety worker couldn't. We don't have signs up in places of work or special officers coming round telling folks not to sexually harass one another or stick pencils up our noses.
I find it all rather suspicious. Well, of course I'm not that bothered, I'm just writing this post as an excuse to post my ideas for no-smoking signs that could be used in church. You knew that, didn't you? I spent a while thinking about Moses, the burning bush and the pillar of smoke, but I didn't get anywhere. Yes, I know, quite tired today, head full of nonsense.
Labels: Bodies, General Nonsense, Media, Past Tense


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Researchers are trying to solve a classic driving dilemma by eliminating its danger.
What would happen if you took every neat idea in the realm of public works and piled them all onto one city vehicle?
At the very least, it seems to slow the rise of highway traffic, according to a new report.
A flood of new cameras in Chicago aims to slow motorists driving near schools.
An American in India, advising cities on how to avoid traffic hell.
How the city controls its traffic system, then and now.
This is the opponents' last stand, though it's likely the project will be approved.
Your cell phone may provide the insight planners need to develop more efficient roads.
These roadways have performed well by some traffic standards, but problems remain.
The Philippines capital turns roads into temporary highways to ease shopping-related congestion
Fatalities are on pace to hit their lowest mark in a century. A look back at the way things were when traffic statistics began
Five years on, Stockholm's congestion pricing program remains a great success
Traffic provides cities money and robust street life - why should we do away with it?
Photographer Rob Whitworth pieced together 10,000 images to capture the city's everyday movements
Study finds that Portland cyclists regularly run reds
Researchers link a drop in beer consumption, and resulting drunk driving, with the availability of medical pot
It may be the best solution to city traffic, but that doesn't mean it's a perfect one
A new report ranks the corridors that are most susceptible to sudden traffic jams
A growing number of cities are letting buses cruise highway shoulders to improve service


text:
Curly Hair Solutions Silk Leave-In Conditioner 8 oz.
We know you want the goods as soon as possible, which is why orders received by 3pm ET leave our warehouse the very same day. We'll send you an email that day to confirm shipment and the email will include your tracking information.
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Folica stands behind the authenticity of everything we sell. Since 1998, Folica has made it our mission to provide you with an outstanding selection of hair and beauty products at highly competitive prices.


text:
Alfred StieglitzAmerican (Hoboken, New Jersey, 1864 - 1946, New York City, New York)
Marsden Hartley
1915-1916photograph | gelatin silver print
Not on view at this time; find out where you can see works from our collection at locations around the Bay Area while our building is closed for expansion
9 13/16 in. x 7 5/8 in. (24.92 cm x 19.37 cm)
Acquired 1952
Collection SFMOMA
Purchase, Alfred Stieglitz Collection


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Most Americans share the perception that the Supreme Court is objective, but is it? Preeminent constitutional scholars Erwin Chemerinksy and Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz will tackle this controversial question tonight at the National Constitution Center.
Currently browsing: Town Hall Debates
Event preview: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand invites women to get 'off the sidelines'
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will take the stage in Philadelphia with Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to discuss her personal journey in public service and the pressing need for women to speak up and speak out in civic life.
Video: Richard Epstein defends the 'classical liberal' Constitution
What does the Constitution mean, and how do we know? NYU Law School's Richard Epstein joined the National Constitution Center's Jeffrey Rosen and Penn Law School's Theodore Ruger for a lively examination of the "classical liberal" approach to constitutional interpretation.
Nonpartisan talk pays off for National Constitution Center
Can people really debate the Constitution in a respectful way that yields positive results? Read this profile of National Constitution Center president Jeffrey Rosen's drive to bring all sides to the table in a national debate that's needed now more than ever.
Inquirer: 'Civil discourse' at the National Constitution Center
In today's edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Chris Mondics sits down with Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to reflect on Rosen's one-year anniversary at the helm and the importance of "civilized, respectful conversation" about the Constitution.
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BPLers Gathering of Gear Geeks: Henry Coe State Park February 17-19th, 2012 Corral Trail Head to Manzanita Point Group Campsites 2.7 MilesManzanita Point Camptsite Elevation 2,270 Ft.Daytime Temps: 50F to 60FEvening Temps: 40F to 37F75 People Signed Up, 60-70 Showed UpWebsite: Henry Coe State ParkPark Head Quarters where parking permits were obtained for $8Ken Thompson had been working since last year for months with the Park Rangers to reserve two group sites that would accommodate up to 100 people. Ken also arranged it so that we could have two support vehicles to drive out to the sites to haul in plenty of firewood and water. The sites only had pit toilets, no clean sources of water close by, and gathering wood was not permitted. The Rangers were great to deal with and even provided Ken with a combination to a lock to one of the parking lot gates to get access without them being present. Weeks and days before this event, Ken was in constant contact with the staff to inform them of our growing numbers and to assure them that we would be no trouble to them at all.Trail HeadOn the trail with Jeremy once again and my first trip since completing the John Muir Trail with Cameron and him in August 2011.Jeremy has his priorities when packing for a trip like this.A New Addition to Our Adventures: Jeremy's SonKen greets us at the campsite with this trusty vanRarely Seen BPL Bumper Sticker, though people were looking for the Blue Painters Tape on the side of his van saying, "BPL"Doing a little bit of work to prepare the siteCleaning up the facilitiesKen provided rolls of Toilet Paper, a Box of Disposable Wipes, and Glow Sticks at night outside and inside the pit toilet to make the experience as pleasant as possible. Water Jugs Provided by Ken for all to useMarc Eldridge volunteer to use his truck to haul in all of the firewood that we would need for the entire trip and 80 gallons of water so that others would not have to carry in water. Without his generosity the evenings would not be the wonderful gatherings that they were to share with old and new friends.Matt Steps up to Cut WoodJosh hanging out by Cameron's Four Kegs of Home Brew BeerFriday Nights Small Group Gathers by the FireThis was the second time that the GGG was expanded from just an overnighter to two nights. Given that we now have people traveling from all parts of California and from out of State, it made sense to make the event longer to make the trip worth while for those traveling longer distances. Eventually, we would have between 25-30 people coming through out the day and night on Friday. We even had people mountain biking into camp as late as midnight.Ken with the big stove making and sharing soupDiana Hauls in the Good Stuff to ShareThis was Diane's first time to the GGG and she hauled in a 60 lb pack filled with good things to share like expensive/good alcohol and dark chocolate.A Pleasant Night with a Warm GlowUnlike last year's GGG, we had unbelievably mild and good weather. Without Marc's firewood last year, we would have been cold and miserable. This year, the fire was a casual affair that gave all around it time to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. Kat with others enjoying a fire side chatGetting to know each otherRed Leader Denis HazelwoodHot Dog on a Ti StickDenis, Marc, and Ken H.Ken H. and Diana V. Savoring some nice Scotch and Good CompanyBPL Ladies of the Night: Michelle and JulieMen of BPL: Chris S., James DeMonaco, and Doug CoeScoundrels of the NightThe Morning RoutineLaying half asleep in my bivy, the familiar chill of the night greets me at the edge of Dawn. Pulling my quilt tightly around my shoulders and neck, I hope for a bit more warmth to grant me the peace of a little more sleep. Drifting off into slumber, only to awake with the curtain of night to slowly recede with the grey skies lighting up before my eyes, hazed over by the netting of my bivy, my ears hear the cry of a bird and the stirring of bodies and voices around me. It is morning time out on the trail, like so many others that have come and gone before this one. Yet I awake with the comfort that I am not alone and that I am with friends new and old in a familiar place.Now we are Cooking with FireGolden SurpriseWarm SurpriseComfort FoodThe Warmth and Smells of a Good MoringBacon, it's what's cooking and it is good for you.The Real Jack's Back Country Easy Bake OvenPowered by Tea CandlesWarm and Fluffy GoodnessAre you Kidding Me?! This is Jack's idea of "roughing it"?Master Easy Bake Chef JackJob Almost DoneRewards of Creative CookingEric's Alcohol Stove and Beer Can Pot with Silicone Wrist Bands as pot holderEric & SaraBeth enjoying breakfast and a laugh together.Partners in outdoor adventures and crimes that we shall not speak of.Rick and Phoebe Back AgainIt was really nice to see Rick & Phoebe again after first meeting them last year. One major difference between last year and this year was the number for families that came out to share in the fun. Also of note was that Jane returned from last year and I was really pleased to see that she clearly had moved into lightweight backpacking with a frameless Golite Jam2. She said that after her experience last year and the generous advice that she gained by talking to people at the 2011 GGG, it helped her transition from traditional backpacking to lightweight backpacking. Wonderful transformation to see.Someone is photographing the photographerBlue Orikaso Folding BowlGive Us This Day our Daily CoffeeDiana V. with an elaborate and tasty meal which she had pre-made at home and placed in vac-sealed bags.Plenty to ShareDiana graciously cooked up extra food to share with everyoneAlmost DoneDriving to the Parking Lot to Greet the New ArrivalsAfter having a leisurely breakfast, Ken T and Kat drove back to the parking lot to greet the new arrivals and to point them in the right direction.Ken T. Driving Where Others Fear to Drive in an Old VW VanActually, it was really impressive to see Ken work a three point turn on a fire road to turn the van around.Ken Pointing People in the Right Direction and letting them know that we had plenty of water at the campsite so that they did not have to haul in the extra weight. Ken also picked up a large plastic bin full of stoves from "Hikin Jim", who is in the blue jacket, to take back to camp in the van for Jim's show and tell on the various stoves in the market.Kat Takes Some Time to Knit Some More Toasty Warm Hats on the Ride Back to CampThe Road Less Traveled, By a VehicleHike Down to China HoleAfter Returning Back to Camp, Jeremy organized a day hike to China HoleInteresting note, despite the name, I failed to see any of "my country people" at this Hole. A bit deceptive advertising with the name of the trail. Jay, Jeremy, and Justin on the TrailJames Taking a Photo Along the TrailBeware of Evil, Rabid NewtsShack or House Destroyed By the Stream/RiverGuessing that this dated back to the 60's or 70's by the look of it.Looked like a bad location as it was right next to the river/stream.Colorful Details Along the TrailOdd One Room Structure Out in the Middle of NowhereJeremy Making Burritos While His Son Helps OutJames Preparing His Vargo Hexagon Wood StoveVargo Hexagon StoveTi Version 4.1 oz.Stainless Steel Version 7.4 oz.All Fired UpCameron's Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Monk TarpCuben Fiber -.7 oz version 4.3' X 9'4.2oz or 3.7oz without LineLocsDoug Wolf's Henry Shires StratoSpire 1 33 oz.With Yellow Neo Air Sleeping Air mattressTim Marshall Revelation K cuben fiber quilt, rated to 40 degrees.Doug says, "With clothing was able to sleep comfortably through overnights in the mid-30's."Enlightened Equipment Quilts Double Doors on Stratosphire 1Henry Shires TarptentHexamid Solo Tent or TarpHexamid Solo Tarp - 3.3 oz (94 grams)Hexamid Solo Tent w/ Screen - 8.8 oz (250 grams)Zpacks.comMarc's Creative Hammock SuspensionMarc says about his setup, "The hammock is a DIY with a piece of 1.1oz/yd ripstop nylon. I bought a piece 5'x12', hemmed the edges and tied it in different lengths to see which would work best. I think it ended up being 10.5' when I finally finished the end channels. The structural ridge is a little over 9'. I made some nacrabiners and dynaglide whoopie slings and some 1" polyester tree straps which I sewed loops on the ends. I cut some small bamboo for shackles. Got a Te-wa freeze underquilt with 2 oz. overfill and a ZPacks cuben hammock tarp w/doors. I used a Western Mountaineering Highlite for a quilt and the Goosefeet down booties, pants and parka and a Blackrock down beanie for sleeping."Marc continues, "This is way more info that you probably want so I will summarize:A DIY 1.1oz/yd ripstop nylon with dynaglide whoopies, 1" polyester straps and bamboo shackles. Te_wa Freeze underquilt with 2oz. overfill and a Western Mountaineering Highlite for a top quilt. Quite comfy."Kevin's 2011 six moon designs skyscape scout.Kevin says, "A great tent at 34 oz and a mere $105 price tag." Ken Trying On a New Head NetPeter's Head NetsThe Story : Years ago .. Peter handed the design concept and patterns to his friends @BackPackingLight.com. BPL contracted production to SimBlissity, of who's Brett Tucker improved them by developing the crown and lightening things up a bit. Eventually SimBlissity lost interest in sewing Head Nets, and after a polite amount of time, Peter entered commercial production. It's all good.Peter Helps Ken OutHeadnet UL StyleEstimating weight at 0.33 oz, which is the weight of the discontinued BPL HeadnetPhoto #10 Unknown Tarp & Bug Shelter....think it is a Gossamer Gear TarpSix Moon Designs Lunar Solo 23.0 oz.Six Moons Design Lunar SoloTi-Tri Caldera Cone SidewinderDebbie came out last year just for the day with a big box of brownies and this year she came out with even a larger box that was a huge hit with everyoneAddictive Chocolate Brownie GoodnessI was so busy running around taking photos, I managed to miss out on these tasty looking treats.Lisa Snags a Brownie while Hikin Jim Breaks Out His Collection of Stoves to ShowJeremy Attends to Important IssuesCameron brought four different types of beers that he brewed for people to try:"Two were vienna malt lagers, intended to showcase the flavor of the German malts. Two were westcoast style pale ales, featuring organic brown rice from the San Joaquin valley. One made fresh to showcase the Nelson Sauvin hop from New Zealand, another aged 8 months as an educational experience to see how the same beer tastes without the hop aroma." -CameronSix Moon Designs Gatewood Cape 11.0 oz Poncho Tarp/ShelterMy friend, Linda, has one of these and it handled a 13 hour rain storm on Mt. Whitney just as well as my MLD Poncho tarp, but has the advantage of providing more room to sit upright, but at the expense of a little more weight.Six Moons Design Gatewood CapeDenis Hazelwood's Big Sky InternationalNot Shelter is Complete without on of TheseSide View of Red Leader's Big Sky International TentJeremy's Squall 2 Tarptent 34.0 ozTarptent Squall 2Gossamer Gear CubicTwinn Tarp???? 5.5 ozPhoto #14Zpacks TarpKatabatic Quilt???Caldera Cone, Short Neo Air?, and Unknown Yellow Foam PadZpack Cuben TarpRon & Lisa's Chouinard Shleter, before they were know later as Black Diamond Stuff Bag for Shelter Showing Old Company LogoDave From Gossamer Gear on the Right in the Green JacketRuss from Trail Designs on the Left in Blue ShirtSix Moon Designs Lunar DuoGossamer Gear SwagDave was nice enough to hand these out to people at the GGGRite in the Rain All Weather Min NotebookGossamer Gear Stickers- take less, do moreGossamer GearUnknown Green Cuben Tarp, Unknown OwnerOld Integral Designs Poncho Tarp????Kat's CribOlder GoLite Mid ShelterBearikade Carbon Fiber Bear CanisterNeo AirMountain Laurel Designs Cuben TrailStar 10.5 ozMLD Cuben TrailStarMLD Silnylon Duo Mid 16.0 ozSide View of Duo MidMountain Laurel Designs Silnylon TrailStar 16.0 ozJason says of his shelter, "The name of the shelter is the Appy Trails, Mark V. Cheap at $120 and his largest size. He has 1 at $99 that is called the Mark III. I loved the Mark V and reviewed it on the BPL sight. 4/5 because everything, just about, could be better. But I would call it a 5 when you include cost!"Appy Trails Backpacking TentsBig Agnes ShelterBlack Diamond Shelter- HiLight Tent???Richard's Hexamd Solo Tarp with HexaNet Solo Bug Shelter 10.2 oz approximatelyRick Kicking Back with a Chair & BookNote: He was smart enough to bring a chair this year...I need to learn from him. :)Phoebe Kicking Back in the Double Rainbow TarptentBlue Zpacks HexamidNever Seen This Color BeforeZpacks Hexamid Solo Tarp - 3.3 oz (94 grams)Black Diamond Beta Light Tent 1 lb 3.0 oz ???MYOG Version of MLD Patrol Tarp?Unknown GoLite ShelterDebbie's Lightheart Gear- Duo TentLightheartGear.comDuo Tent 2 Lbs.Debbie says, "In case you want to be more specific, the custom MLD Exodus sitting next to the Lightheart Duo is made of VX21 and Dyneema. It was a PIF from Thom Darrah who'd had Ron make it for him and decided not to keep it. It's my first try at a frameless pack; not sure yet if it works for me...".Jason and his children: Dillon and Lucy AKA- Diggy and LuluStolen Quote from Forum from Jason:"THANK YOU SO MUCH. I am at a loss for words... Well not really... The fact is you all said it so well. I brought my daughter for her first backpacking trip and she loved it. The perfect distance for a 9 year olds first trip! She required a little more attention than I expected so it put a bit of a damper into some of my mingling. However, I got to meet a lot of people and even found a potential hiking partner or two. THIS GGG IV EVENT Rocked!!!"Kat working hard to keep your head warm with her toasty warm hats3 types: 100% Baby Alpaca, Baby Alpaca & Merino Wool Blend, and 100% Merino Wool2 different styles: rolled edge (40 grams) and folded edge (60 grams) Get Yours Here: Mountain Goat HatsJeremy's Son Lovin' His New HatUnpaid Hat ModelFor More Views of Hat Models and different choices of colors and materials: Click HereJosh's Love ShackCustom Modified Oware Pyramid that is now 9 lbs with everything you see...including the wood burning stove.Josh describes his unique shelter, "The tent is an Oware 30 D 10x10 pyramid. The modifications were made by Bearpaw Wilderness Designs and the stove is titanium a size large made by Seek Outside. Bearpaw added: the stove jack, the perimeter netting/sod skirt, the screen door, and the extra tie outs on the inside and out that line up with each other to create a clothes line inside and extra wind stability outside."Sewing 12" Inch Bottom Perimeter Extension with Bug NettingCustom Modifications done by Bearpaw WildernessInterior Installed Tie Outs for Clothes LineJosh, Proud Owner of a Renaissance Fair TentCool Wood Burning Stove by Seek Outside that you can cook on and it packs flat when disassembled.950 Cubic inches2 lbs 12 ounces Dimensions 8" x 8.5" x 14" Includes damper, stuff sacks and 6.5 ft of titanium pipe Plenty of Room for Two or ThreeModified Stove Pipe Heat Resistant Fabric with Velcro Flap that can Seal the Roof when the Stove Pipe is not in use. (Josh says that he wishes that the whole flap could be removed and then Velcro back in place. Excess heat has melted the flap) Stove Staked Down to Stabilize Stove Pipe in Heavy WindsView of the Interior Bug Netting Along the BottomDenis Park's 1st GGGDenis came out for the day to visit, make new friends, and to check out the wealth of UL gear to help him with his own lightweight evolution with his kit.The Mountain Bike BrigadeWe had people arriving on Friday night up til midnight on their bikesKen T.'s Hileberg UnnaHileberg Four Season Tent 4 lbs 14 oz to 3 lb 15 oz(Weights for Soulo, which may be the succesor to the Unna)Hileberg Akto2 lb 10 oz. to 3 lb 8 oz.Hikin Jim from Adventures in StovingJim was generous enough to bring out just a few of his stoves to share with everyone, to answer questions about, and to even demonstrate. He was even nice enough to fire up one of the New Soto Canister stoves that I was curious about. He is a wealth of information wrapped up in a bundle of humility with the passion and desire to share his knowledge with others. He easily spent two or three hours giving demonstrations and answering everyone's questions.Just a few StovesTalking into the EveningLee from Trail Designs, maker of the beloved Caldera Cone StovesKen T. says, "Russ, his son and his brother Lee from Trail Designs were a hoot as well, also bringing a few surprises." (Surprises were in the form of prototypes and other possible products for the future)Lee Setting Up Shop and Hanging OutExtra Large Wood Burning Caldera ConeBase of the Cone with Hot Coals, Plenty of Heat for a Group of BackpackersKeeping the Fires Going All Night LongCooking Up A StormDave From Gossamer Gear Next to Jason on the LeftDiana Installing a Bearpaw pyraNet under her cuben TrailStarIt's the extended length, customized with 10 inch silnylon added to the sidesCreative Use of a Water Jug as a Pole to Allow for Extra VentilationCasey with his Son and ParentsWhat was great about this year was the number of families that came out to enjoy this event. Always a pleasure to see a new generation of campers and backpackers learning to enjoy the outdoors. The outdoors can be a wonderful way to bring all generations together and to build up memories to treasure for years to come.Jack the Eternal Tinker and InventorHot Coals for Baking BrowniesNot content to know that Tea Candles were enough to bake muffins, Jack used charcoal that someone offered to him to make another round of goodies. Rumor was that they were tasty and spoken for before the oven was opened up with the finished goods.Dinner Time Means Crowds Looking for Spots on the Table To Cook OnRichard at the Second CampsiteWith 70 or so people at this year's gathering everyone was more spread out vs. last year's 2011 GGG where most everyone was all clustered together in one site.Dinner Time Over at the Second SiteMind you you that each site is able to handle 50 people, so we had to reserve both group sites this time around. As they were right next to each other, you only needed to walk about 30-45 seconds to get to the other site and it did offer people a site that was a little less chatty and noisy. Safe from Ken H's shenanigans. Someone Borrowing Kat's Under Quilt to Stay Warm(Think this is a Jacks R Better Down Underquilt???)Jacks R Better.comKat's Table Enjoying Dinner Before the Sun SetsJason and his family hanging outNightfall Quickly Descends as Another Family Arrives & Sets UpWarming Up in Josh's Amazing TentAs night fell and the temperature was dropping into the mid 40's, my hands were getting a little numb, so I decided to drop in on Josh. It was easily 15 degrees warmer inside his shelter with plenty of room to stretch out and hang out. Josh was happy to let me warm up in his tent and to allow me to ask him questions about how this shelter to come to be. Oddly, now that he has this marvelous creation, he is not exactly sure how he is going to use it. At 9 lbs, with the stove, it is an amazing shelter, but not exactly backpacking material. Maybe as a base camp for winter camping. Either way, however and where ever he chooses to set it up, it will be the envy of all and appreciated by those hanging out with Josh in it. The Source of Warm GoodnessI was not the only one to pay a visit to Josh to check out his sweet setup. Later there might have a been a group of 3-4 people hang out with Josh and sharing good times.The Fiery BeastFood for the FiresJosh Brought Cut Strips of Redwood to Feed His StoveHe was one of the support vehicles and was able to drive in everything in his truckPhoebe Enjoys the Makings of a S'moreToasty warm after spending 10-15 minutes with Josh, I headed back out to take more photos and to see how things were at the first campsite, now that they had a nice fire crackling away in the night.We have Ignition!Just have to enjoy seeing the beauty of an alcohol stove at workThe Warmth of Glowing Fire Brings Us TogetherSense of CommunityAs night fell and people huddled together in the warm glow of the fire, it was not because of the cold, but the sense of community. People shared S'mores, homemade cookies were passed around, the last of Cameron's home brewed beer made its way around, people shared what they had in food and drink and shared a wealth of stories to inspire future adventures.Enjoying the Warm GlowAndrew, Jack, and MatthewLaying Out by the Fire for a Nap- The Look of Pure ContentmentLike a Cat at Your FeetA Public Service Message From Ken H.Actually, before this Ken did give a very heartfelt speech to thank Ken T. for all of his efforts over the past year to make sure that this event would happen. Ken T. scouted out different locations, spoke to park officials, used his own money to reserve the sites, arranged for support vehicles, made sure that the restroom had baby wipes, plenty of toilet paper, glow sticks to illuminate the restroom at night, and a host of other things big and small.Just in Case You Did Not Get the First Message from Ken- The Soul of Punk Lives!Ken was in full force this year and then some. Perhaps to make up for last year, where he suffered from some health issues that denied us his always entertaining and colorful personality.All I have to say is, "Keep your tents locked up night! You might wake up to find out that Ken H. has sneaked in to share your tent with you."A Place for Everyone and All AgesThe Dancing Flames Holds Our GazeThroughout the night, as the chatter of new and old friends carried on, the logs were tossed onto the fire. The ebb and flow of the light of the fire shifting from a raging and crackling inferno of heat to the dull and fleeting sparks of a fire near its end. All the while, people swapping stories, sharing adventures and advice.Last LightIs there anything better than a S'more for breakfast?Is that another S'more that I see!Cameron- Your Brew MasterA.K.A. --B.G.-- (Beer Guy)Jermey's Son Enjoying BreakfastWorking on a Morning Marsh mellowSistersMorning at the Second SitePeople Stiring About at the First SiteThe Morning can not come soon enough. Restful slumber becomes a series of restless catnaps throughout the night. It is not cold and there are moments when I feel too warm. Laying in my bivy, I wait for the light of the morning to break the darkness of night. Opening up bivy in the middle of the night, I shuffle out as quietly as I can to use the restroom. The night has its own rhythm as I walk about. A collection of shelters dot the night, there are the sounds of people shifting on their sleeping pads, a light that shines inside a tent and cast an inviting glow, and the moon that is high in the sky to cast a pale light for me to walk by. Everyone Preparing at Welcome Hot Breakfast on a Grey DayStoking Up the Fire from Left Over Hot Coals from the Night BeforeLast GatheringThose Who Linger on to Savor the MomentSome people have already packed up and have started to hike out as other are just getting out of their bed and dressed in their warm layers of clothing. People casually go about their business and have a meal. Slowly, people drift off and haul their packs onto their shoulders and say good bye to new and old friends and head off down the trail.My Time Has Come to LeaveNeither the first to arrive or the last to leave, we pack up and head out, saying good bye to everyone and satisfied with the outcome of this journey. Another year has come and past with the satisfaction that something wonderful has happened. That the beginning of a tradition has been established. With each passing year something has taken shape and form to become more than just 14-16 strangers meeting in a parking lot. Jay put it perfectly back then, "We are a bunch of introverts trying to make conversation for the first time in a group of introverts(solo hikers)." Maybe today we are more than Gathering of Gear Geeks, but a small and welcoming community of like minded souls who share a passion and love for the outdoors and want to share it will everyone.Passing It AlongTo Another Generation"You are the reason the GGG is successful. With such a wide range of ages and social and economic backgrounds being able to come together and play nice with each other. So funny to hear from so many how they usually do the solo thing, but were glad to have come to this event." -Ken T.***Click Here: Need Your Help, Feed Back Needed to Make This Better Next Year****Other photo essays by Tony:BPLers 2011 GGG: Henry Coe State Park, CA.Special Video Made by EJ Documenting the 2011 GGGBackpackers Gone Wild: BPL 3rd Annual SF Bay Area Gathering of Gear Geeks (GGG) Jan 26-27, 2011.BPLer's 2010 GGG: Point Reyes, CA. 2nd Annual TripBPLer's GGG: San Francisco Bay Area, CA.; Mt. DiabloBPLer's GGG: Yosemite: Hetch Hetchy Resevior to Rancheria FallsBPLer's 2009 GGG: Point Reyes, CAEmigrant WildernessHigh Sierra trail to Mt. WhitneyLassen Volcanic National ParkSequoia & Kings Canyon National Park: Deadman CanyonTahoe Rim TrailVentana WildernessYosemite: Glacier Point to Red Peak Pass to Lake MercedYosemite in Winter: Crocker Point & Dewey PointYosemite: Lake Vernon & Hetch Hetchy ReservoirYosemite: Tenaya CreekPhoto Essay by Linda Vassallo: Mt Whitney Summit Hike: A photo essayTrip Report & Article by Jeremy Pendrey: Hiking The Diablo Trail: A Conservation Success StoryPhotography and Backpacking Article on Hike It. Like It.Photo Essays: Telling the Story, Sharing the Adventure
Edited by Valshar on 04/09/2012 01:03:30 MDT.
Thanks for all the kind words Tony. Don't be so modest though. Taking and posting all the photos is not an easy task. So let's thank Tony for documenting and promoting this event also.
I really enjoyed the trip this year, and my son had a great time too. He already said he is in for next year.Great to meet so many good people, and to see old friends.I'm looking forward to seeing you all on the trails this summer.-Jeremy.
Posting our pics from the other GGG thread into this one....The primary gathering areaThe Kens and others chatting with the Trail Designs folks (I think)Jack cruising down the hillThe good stuff. Thanks again, Cameron!The secondary gathering area in campsite #10Setting up the TrailstarSmallest TarpHighest TarpMost Uniquely Pitched TarpJosh's smokin' setupA view inside Josh's pyramidCooking with woodGathering around the campfireNo event is complete without some colored lightsJulie's flaming silhouetteFire FightingMore fireBed time for Morgan
Edited by csteutterman on 02/24/2012 23:16:37 MST.
The wonderful thing about our little hiker community is the way you get to meet some of the best friends you never knew you had.You are the best!Here is my photo essay of BPL's GGG IV in chronological order (kinda)......................................Thankyou Ken, Ken, Cameron, Kat, GG man, Jack, Jack, Mark, and so many others...Thankyou so much everyone for making me feel so welcome at GGG. Kegs were drained, gear was geeked over, some hiking was done, some eyebrows were burnt, some hurling was had (it's okay Mark.. i wont tell a soul!)I had a total blast!
Reposted from other thread:Thanks to everyone who came out in the beautiful weather to enjoy themselves in the revelry that is the GGG. Please post your photos and such here to share. You were a great group this year!The gear to be seen of course did not disappoint. Many mouths agape walking around camp, Awesome.More children this year. They had a good time as well. Quite a few repeat offenders this time. Nice to see you all again. The dynamic has changed though. We now have more people than can converge around a single fire anymore. We were more spread out this year. Also this year marked the change that more people came out for both night instead of just Saturday night.Wide range of topics discussed. Always someone to geek out with.I really appreciate all the good feedback and words of appreciation and encouragement from everyone. So much so that I'm game to do it again.You are the reason the GGG is successful. With such a wide range of ages and social and economic backgrounds being able to come together and play nice with each other. So funny to hear from so many how they usually do the solo thing, but were glad to have come to this event.Special thanks to the cottage manufacturers that attended. Dave from Gossamer Gear was great and had some interesting things to show off. Russ, his son and his brother Lee from Trail Designs were a hoot as well, also bringing a few surprises. Peter Vacco, living legend, and owner of Peter's Headnets always brings a special flair to these events and is always a welcome addition. Dear friend and the knitting powerhouse behind Mountaingoat Hats, Katharina makes every trip a pleasure and spreads warmth one head at a time.Thanks to Hikin' Jim for the marathon stove demo. A long drive for him as well. I wound up with your cooler.All my helpers this weekend made my weekend all not work, so thanks to Tony Wong, The Real Jack Elliot, Iceaxe, Cameron aka B.G. for the fantastic home brewed beer. Jay Wilkerson, Dave Lutz(sorry to stick you with the trash, unintentional, but fortuitous),Marc Eldridge, and Josh Billings. Thank you all so much.Diana V. Pure pleasure, thanks for the single malt. And a proper glass to drink from.Henry Coe Ranger, Jennifer Naber and the volunteers were easy to work with and appreciated the cooperation they received from our "well prepared bunch".Thanks again to all of you.I made some new friends and hopefully hiking partners. I'll keep you all in the loop.I kept too occupied "working the room" to take any photos. So don't hold back, post yours here.Got a lot of constructive suggestions for next time from the optimists. If you have some thoughts on how I can make this event better, please don't hold back. PM me if you would.I look at the members here at BPL as an extended family. I gladly put this together for all of us to enjoy. I'm so glad that 60 out of 70, could have been a few more I lost count, turned out and participated. It looked to me like most were having a enjoyable time, and many said that they were. To those who were on the fence about coming and did not. Well there is next year.Thanks again to Ken Helwig for thinking up this event, and getting Trail Designs and Gossamer Gear to show.Thanks to to BPL for the site/forums that make the largest gathering of your members happen. Even though you seem to be fairly unaware that this event goes on. I think we got some new members for you.
Thanks Ken,Next time I'd like to see "official" presentations of gear, techniques, etc. Maybe a few hours set aside at a specific time where people could spend a 5 or 10 minutes giving a presentation.
Casey & Ken,Good idea....I am actually one of the offenders on this.I had prepared a presentation on fire starting and had stuff to do the demo, but never got around to it.Mark it up to shy and lazy.Having a location for demos and designated time to give the demo would help.That is okay, I will give the presentation next year.Besides, showing people how to use a fire steel light up a gallon of white gas is not hard. :)Ken,Later, can you give us some feedback on the suggestions you get from people for making things better next year?Great post up above and heart felt....you should be very proud Ken T. at what you have created here with the GGG. Yes, you have helpers, but you are man in the middle organizing and directing people to pull this off. No small thing that you have done to help contribute to people making friends, hooking up with travel buddies on future trips, etc.P.S. To everyone else...if anyone has photos of the gear swap, please post them up. I missed that, so I have no photos of what happened there.-Tony
Edited by Valshar on 02/21/2012 19:16:59 MST.
Ken,Another thought, what should we NOT do? In other words, what can we do or not do to make organizing the event easier?
I will post the outcome of suggestions and what not. I do realize that the group is large enough now that things need to be done differently. Keep the suggestions coming. I'll start planning.As far as things not to do. I've got some thoughts there too. Good thing you clarified. I thought you were talking about Ken H. at first.
Edited by kthompson on 02/21/2012 20:52:27 MST.
Our group campsites at Henry Coe had interesting landscape features which were hidden from view on our hike in the night before. This Pacific Madrone/Manzanita/Pacific Madrone/Manzanita/... tree had bark so polished it looked wet.The morning greeted us with many dew covered spider webs.Diane had quite the menu prepared for the weekend with lots of fresh ingredients. It made me wish that I had brought in a little more than my freezerbag foods.The campfire was the social hub of the gathering and we kept it burning all day long.Jack's 'Easy Bake Oven' was quite the hit.The muffins he made with it were an even bigger hit. I had one and it was delicious!Hikin' Jim of Adventures in Stoving arrived Saturday with a large container full of a selection of his stoves. He gave demonstrations non-stop from when he arrived until he left.Several people took advantage of the firepit to boil their water on the provided grate. My Heinie pot is a little to precious to put over a flame like that.Doug Wolf flew in from the D.C. area, the furthest traveler for the event, and hiked in part of the way with my group. He and I ended up unconsciously coordinating our wardrobe for the event.The quiet camp was more exposed to the winds but also had some fantastic views.Here's Tony, the rarely seen camera wizard at work. He moved around the campsite so fast documenting everything he's only a blur in this here photo.--Casey's son enjoyed the fire and the s'mores.Phoebe had some s'mores too. We had fun visiting earlier in the day with her and her dad. It reminded me a lot of when my Dad started taking me camping, books and all.S'mores seconds or thirds?So many shelters and so many lights.Without manual focus I missed my intended target but I like the bokeh in this image more than the photo I was hoping to get.Hikin' Jim still at it.A slow departure on Sunday morning. I suspect no one wanted to leave.One last look at the trail until next year.It was a great get together and I enjoyed it as much at the Trinity Alps trip earlier this year. I've had the opportunity to meet some of the cottage makers who design the stuff I drool over all year round. Let's get them back again next year. The glow sticks in the lav were a nice touch. It'd be great to know in advance next year what needs to be brought in terms of firewood/water. Perhaps a note at the overflow lot? I think I was supposed to takes Jacob's place for the photo workshop but it didn't happen. I think a schedule for presentations/workshops/shelter tours would be a great addition. I enjoyed the gear swap as well and some more toy's to play with. I picked up a Mountaingoat hat which I already love. I had a great time and hope to attend again. Thanks again, Ken, Ken, et al!
Edited by cobberman on 02/21/2012 23:35:46 MST.
That's why it's called Manzanita Point.Really nice job on the photos Eric. I knew taking my own pictures would be a waste.
Edited by kthompson on 02/21/2012 22:41:00 MST.
Actually that is a Manzanita. There were a few Madrones as well, but with a much lighter color and none showing that amount of "wood". Local Manzanitas were indeed more like trees than the usual shrubs, but still Manzanitas.
Edited by Kat_P on 02/24/2012 17:52:17 MST.
Thanks for posting the all of the pics, I always feel like I am a small part of it looking at these each year!
Looks like this thing is picking up enough steam that you guys should start calling all the cottage gear makers to come out and have booth's/demo's. It would be a great opp for them to market and us to drool. I guess you could even call it a mini norcal trail days or ADZPCTKO..
This gives me an idea for the next GGG.It was really nice on the last day walking with Kat P. and her showing us about the living Cambium of the trees and how the living and dead parts of the Manzanita are so well defined compared to other trees.So how about a nature hike next time with Kat and others that are versed in such things.I was also wondering what all the other species of trees and plants were around. I think i spotted some spanish moss down around poverty flat. There were several types of Oaks. It would also be interesting to know the uses of some native plants and which ones are edible.
"Actually that is a Manzanita. There were a few Madrones as well"Botanically similar, the ground-hugging bush is generally the Manzanita. The tree is generally the Pacific Madrone, especially when that much smooth exposed wood is present. Time for a DNA test.--B.G.--
Not that similar; different genus.....I can see how people confuse them, but the easiest is just looking at the leaf. Much larger on the Madrone, like 6 times the size. We hiked around and several of us discussed the two plants and no one had any doubt about the difference. Like I said, the picture may be confusing, except for the color and dead wood.
Edited by Kat_P on 02/22/2012 00:21:29 MST.
So, the giant manzanitas grow taller like a tree? Most manzanitas are bushy shrubs? And all madrones are trees?--B.G.--
Eric,Amazing photos that you have there....from the Sony Nex5N?Love how well your camera captured the low light shots at night.So looking forward to getting a better camera in the future.Appreciate everyone putting their photos up to share.Okay, back to work and putting up some more photos.-Tony
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West Homestead council president resigns
West Homestead council president Dave Weir has resigned.
"They've got some important decisions to make about the new borough manager and things," Weir said after his resignation at Tuesday's council meeting. "I felt it was more important for them to get a replacement in there and for them to work on deciding who's going to be their borough manager. I think it's important for them to pick someone they're comfortable with and lead the borough."
Borough manager Ray Fonos announced earlier this year he will be leaving his post for personal reasons after a little more than 2 1⁄2 years of service. An official departure date was not announced. Council voted in late April to advertise the open position.
Weir said he hopes council will consider Ashley Nicole Cain as his possible replacement.
Cain was the second top vote-getter for a Democratic nod in the primary election for four seats. Incumbents William Stasko, David Harhai and Margaret Chervenak Holder also ran in the Democratic primary.Weir declined to seek re-election. He's in the last year of his third term.
Weir served on council for the 12 years, and 10 as council president.
"It was time for me to move on," Weir said. "I'm pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish during that time. We didn't raise taxes. In fact, we lowered taxes twice and still managed to improve the infrastructure of the borough roads, maintain all the levels of service and manage to improve the administrative efficiency within the office here."
Weir said he will remain on the board of the West Homestead Development Corp. and continue to work on making the borough a better place.
"We've got a lot of areas around the borough that need some improvement and enhancement that I think I can help with," Weir said.
He plans to spend more time with family and tend to his work obligations as president of UPMC Work Partners.
Weir is the third councilman to resign within the past year. Councilmen Dean Collins and Daniel Isaacs resigned in July.
Council has 30 days to appoint a new council member to fill the vacant seat.
The matter goes before a vacancy board if no appointment is made within that time. If the vacancy board cannot select a new councilor, the Allegheny County courts will make the appointment.
In other matters, council awarded the $83,103.50 bid from Peter J. Caruso and Sons Inc. for street paving.
Streets to be paved are Manorwood Drive between Laurel Hill Drive and Breezewood Drive, Edgewood Drive from Pinewood Drive to 1302 Edgewood Drive, and Neel Street from Seventh Avenue to Eighth Avenue.
Council hired Tracy Carson and Randy Ernst as part-time patrolmen.
A public hearing is scheduled for July 9 for Community Economic Development Block Grant Year 39 demolition.
Michael DiVittorio is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1965, or email@example.com.
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Bristol Community Yoga I Yoga by Nature
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Om Yoga Show London 23rd - 25th October. Come to a class with me at 5.30pm at the Vitacoco Open class on 24th Oct. I'll be teaching Akhanda Yoga- Come back to Joy!
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Cast The Inevitable Batman Reboot
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August 5 2012, 02:27 AM
Vice Admiral
Re: Cast The Inevitable Batman Reboot
The casting really depends on what kind of Batman movie they eventually decide to make. If rumors are true, it sounds like they are opting for a slightly established Batman in his second or third year, meaning he can still be relatively young.
Unlike last time, I don't have a leading contender for Bruce Wayne/Batman. I wanted Christian Bale for a very long time, and I was very surprised and elated when he was cast. This time around, I really have no idea who could play the part. Jake Gyllenhaal would still be interesting. I know he was a contender for the part in
Batman Begins
and according to David Goyer, he was the runner-up (and Goyer's first pick for the role). I'm not sure if he would still be interested, or if WB would still want him, though. I seriously think Ryan Gosling is going to be a big name being thrown around for the part. He's got the pedigree and he's at the perfect stage in his career to do a movie like Batman. I'm not sure if he would be interested, but he has the acting chops (and then some) for the role. Armie Hammer would be an interesting choice. He showed good acting chops in
The Social Network
. Joe Manganiello is a good actor, but I don't think he's right for Batman. Matt Bomer, who was McG's top choice to play Superman, could also be an interesting pick for the Caped Crusader.
If they are going for an older Batman, which is doubtful, Jon Hamm would make a great Bruce Wayne/Batman. I know he was rumored for
Man of Steel
last year, but alternatively I think he would make for a great Bruce Wayne that is older and more mature. Similarly, Guy Pearce was someone who always intrigued me for the character. Back during the casting days for
Batman Begins
, Pearce was briefly rumored (probably because he appeared in Nolan's
) and I was excited at that notion. I still think Pearce would be interesting. I can also see bigger name actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Michael Fassbender being bandied about.
As for James Gordon, there is really only one guy who should replace Gary Oldman:
Breaking Bad
's Bryan Cranston. He was
when he voiced Gordon in the animated
Batman: Year One
movie, and while that may put him out of contention for the role, he would be wonderful, especially if the reboot is going to focus on a Batman in his second or third year. If not Cranston, I can see Chris Cooper, who was the runner-up for Gordon in
Batman Begins
. He would be great if he could be persuaded. Jeff Bridges would be interesting. Perhaps a little too much of a big name for the part, but I can see him settling into the role well. Josh Brolin would also be interesting. Sean Penn would be brilliant but it will probably never happen.
As for Alfred, I kind of hope they go for someone younger this time around. In the comics, Alfred has been an elderly butler, but he's also been in his late 50's/early 60's and I think it would be refreshing for a slightly younger take on the character. Alan Rickman is my first choice. Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Albert Finney (albiet a little older) etc. would all make an excellent Alfred in my mind.
As for the villains and other supporting characters: Melissa Leo as Leslie Thompkins, Phillip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin (this
to happen), Rachel Weisz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman or Talia, Daniel Day-Lewis, Viggo Mortensen or Jason Issacs as Ra's al Ghul, Liev Schrieber as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Rebecca Hall as Julie Madison, Ray Winstone as Det. Harvey Bullock, Kevin Spacey or Robin Williams as Hugo Strange, and the list continues.
"Please... We need you to hope again... " - Professor Charles Xavier,
X-Men: Days of Future Past
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IT IS AGREED as follows:
In this Agreement:
" A.M. Best Company Inc " means A.M. Best Company Inc, a credit rating agency incorporated in New Jersey and any successor thereto.
" Accounting Principles " means in respect of any person, generally accepted accounting principles in accordance with the relevant GAAP in its jurisdiction of incorporation.
" Accounting Reference Date " means 31 December.
" Additional Cost Rate " has the meaning given to it in Schedule 3 ( Mandatory Cost Formula ).
" Affiliate " means, in relation to any person, a Subsidiary of that person or a Holding Company of that person or any other Subsidiary of that Holding Company.
" Approved Issuing Bank " means:
" Authorisation " means an authorisation, consent, approval, resolution, licence, exemption, filing, notarisation or registration.
" Availability Period " means the period from and including the date of this Agreement to and including the date falling one year prior to the Final Maturity Date (but subject to the further provisions of Clause 7.4 .)
" Available Commitment " means the Commitment under the Facility minus:
" Available Facility " means the aggregate for the time being of the Available Commitment in respect of the Facility.
" Base Currency " means US Dollars.
" Base Currency Amount " means, in relation to a Letter of Credit, the amount specified in the Utilisation Request delivered by the Borrower for that Letter of Credit (or, if the amount requested is not denominated in the Base Currency, that amount converted into the Base Currency at the Spot Rate of Exchange on the Utilisation Date adjusted under Clause 5.7 ( Revaluation of Letters of Credit ) and as adjusted to reflect any repayment or prepayment of a Letter of Credit.
" Break Costs " means the amount (if any) by which:
" Business Day " means a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks are open for general business in London, Luxembourg, New York and Switzerland.
" Cash " means, at any time, cash denominated in sterling, euro, US Dollars (or Australian Dollars) credited in a Cash Account and to which the Collateral Provider is alone beneficially entitled and which, for the avoidance of doubt, excludes cash held exclusively for the benefit of the Collateral Provider's customers which is not available to the Collateral Provider for its own use and for so long as:
" Cash Accounts " means the accounts of the Collateral Provider with the Issuing Bank with the following details: Sterling, sort code 200000 and account number 03493083; US Dollars, sort code 200000 and account number 79768933; Australian Dollars, sort code 200000 and account number 48314433; and euro, sort code 200000 and account number 48314444.
" Cash Charge " means the charge over cash deposit in the agreed form to be entered into by the Collateral Provider on or about the date of this Agreement pursuant to which the Collateral Provider creates a fixed charge over the Cash Accounts in favour of the Issuing Bank.
" Cash Collateral " means any Cash provided by the Collateral Provider as collateral in accordance with Clause 22.4 ( Minimum Security Cover ) and subject to the Transaction Security.
" Cash Proportion " means, at any time, the proportion, expressed as a percentage, of the value at that time of any Cash Collateral to the Total Collateral Value.
" Certified Copy " means a copy of an original document which is
(i) in the case of the Borrower, certified by a director of the Borrower; and
as being a copy of that document..
" Change of Control " means any person or group of persons acting in concert gain direct or indirect control of the Borrower or the Collateral Provider. For the purposes of this definition:
" Charged Property " means all of the assets of the Collateral Provider which from time to time are, or are expressed to be, the subject of the Transaction Security.
" Commitment " means $200,000,000 to the extent not cancelled, reduced or transferred under this Agreement.
" Commission Period " means, in relation to a Letter of Credit, each successive period commencing on the day after a Quarter Date and ending on the next Quarter Date except that the first Commission Period for a Letter of Credit shall commence on the date such Letter of Credit is issued and that no Commission Period in respect of a Letter of Credit may end after the Expiry Date for such Letter of Credit (so any Commission Period which would otherwise end after the Expiry Date for such Letter of Credit shall end on the relevant Expiry Date).
" Compliance Certificate " means a certificate substantially in the form set out in Schedule 5 ( Form of Compliance Certificate ).
" Constitutional Documents " means (i) the up-to-date and certified articles of association of the Borrower and the Collateral Provider each in the agreed form, (ii) an extract from the registry of commerce in respect of the Borrower, (iii) a certified extract from the Luxembourg trade and companies register in respect of the Collateral Provider, and (iv) a certified negative certificate issued by the Luxembourg trade and companies register stating that on the day immediately prior to the issuance of the certified negative certificate there were no records at the Luxembourg trade and companies register of any judicial decisions regarding, inter alia the bankruptcy ( faillite ), composition arrangements with creditors ( concordat préventif de faillite ), reprieve from payment ( sursis de paiement ) or controlled management ( gestion contrôlée ) of the Collateral Provider, each such extract or certificate, dated no earlier than 10 days before the date of this Agreement.
" Control Agreement " means the securities account control account agreement in the agreed form to be entered into on or about the date of this Agreement between the Issuing Bank, the Collateral Provider and the Custodian.
" CSSF " means the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier of Luxembourg .
" Custodian Account " means the accounts established pursuant to the Custodian Agreement to hold the Securities Collateral, with numbers: G14965; 81360; G21040; 81359; G21039; 81358.
" Custodian " means J.P Morgan Bank Luxembourg S.A. or any replacement custodian from time to time in respect of the Securities Collateral approved by the Issuing Bank.
" Default " means an Event of Default or any event or circumstance specified in Clause 25 ( Events of Default ) which would (with the expiry of a grace period, the giving of notice, the making of any determination under the Finance Documents or any combination of any of the foregoing) be an Event of Default.
" Disruption Event " means either or both of:
and which (in either such case) is not caused by, and is beyond the control of, the Party whose operations are disrupted.
" Eligible Securities " means:
" Expiry Date " means, for a Letter of Credit, the last day of its Term.
" Event of Default " means any event or circumstance specified as such in Clause 25 ( Events of Default ).
" Facility " means the revolving letter of credit facility made available or to be made available under this Agreement for the purposes more specifically set out in Clause 3 .
" Facility Office " means the office in the jurisdiction in which the Issuing Bank is resident for tax purposes.
" Fannie Mae " means The Federal National Mortgage Association, a corporation created under the laws of the United States of America.
" Final Maturity Date " means 31 December 2014 (as the same may be extended in accordance with Clause 7.4 ( Extension option ).
" Finance Document " means this Agreement, any Transaction Security Document, any Utilisation Request and any other document designated as a "Finance Document" by the Issuing Bank and the Borrower.
" Financial Indebtedness " means any indebtedness for or in respect of:
" Financial Year " means in relation to the Borrower, the Parent and/or the Collateral Provider, each calendar year ending on the 31 December.
" Fitch " means Fitch Ratings Ltd, a credit rating agency incorporated in England and Wales and any successor thereto.
" Freddie Mac " means The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, a corporation created under the laws of the United States of America.
" Ginnie Mae " means the Government National Mortgage Association, an agency of the government of the United States of America.
" Government Securities " means US Treasuries (i.e. US Government Bonds), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), & OECD Government Bonds and Agency Bonds of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Canada or Japan which are AAA rated by Standard & Poors or in the case of the United States, rated no lower than the credit rating for the United States' sovereign debt (at the date of this Agreement such debt being rated by Standard & Poors as AA+) or in the case of Japan, rated no lower than the credit rating for Japan's sovereign debt (at the date of this Agreement such debt being rated by Standard & Poors as AA/AA2).
" Government Guaranteed Securities " means Agency Bonds explicitly guaranteed by the national governments of any of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Canada or Japan and rated AAA by Standard & Poors or in the case of bonds guaranteed by the United States, rated no lower than the credit rating for the United States' sovereign debt (at the date of this Agreement such debt being rated by Standard & Poors as AA+) or in the case of bonds guaranteed by Japan, rated no lower than the credit rating for Japan's sovereign debt (at the date of this Agreement such debt being rated by Standard & Poors as AA/AA2).
" Group " means the Borrower, the Collateral Provider and each of their Subsidiaries for the time being and " Group Company " means any of them.
" Group Structure Chart " means the group structure chart in the agreed form.
" Holding Company " means, in relation to a company or corporation, any other company or corporation in respect of which it is a Subsidiary.
" Inflation Linked Securities " means US Tips, Canadian Government Real Return Bonds, French Global Inflation linked bonds, Japan Global Inflation linked bonds, and UK, German and Australian index linked bonds which are AAA rated by Standard & Poors or in the case of Japan Global Inflation Linked bonds, rated no lower than the credit rating for Japan's sovereign debt (at the date of this Agreement and debt being rated by Standard & Poors as AA/AA2).
" Interest Period " means in relation to an Unpaid Sum, each period determined in accordance with Clause 12.1 ( Default interest ).
" Issuing Bank " means:
which in each case has not ceased to be a Party in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
" Legal Opinion " means any legal opinion delivered to the Issuing Bank under Clause 4.1 ( Initial conditions precedent ).
" Legal Reservations " means:
" Letter of Credit " means a letter of credit denominated in US Dollars or Australian Dollars, substantially in the form set out in Schedule 4A ( Form of US Dollar Letter of Credit ) or Schedule 4B ( Form of Australian Dollar Letter of Credit ) in the case of a Letter of Credit issued in Australian Dollars or in any other form requested by the Borrower for the purposes of meeting the requirements of the regulatory body with whose rules the beneficiary of the relevant Letter of Credit is seeking to comply in order to benefit from credit for reinsurance provided such form is approved by the Issuing Bank (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld).
" LIBOR " means, in relation to an Unpaid Sum:
as of 11.00am on the Quotation Day for the offering of deposits in the currency of that Unpaid Sum and for a period comparable to the Interest Period for that Unpaid Sum.
" Limitation Acts " means the Limitation Act 1980 and any other legislation in force for the time being in England and Wales relating to the time barring of claims.
" LMA " means the Loan Market Association.
" Mandatory Cost " means the percentage rate per annum calculated by the Issuing Bank in accordance with Schedule 3 ( Mandatory Cost Formula ).
" Margin " means in relation to any Unpaid Sum, 3 per cent per annum.
" Material Adverse Effect " means a material adverse effect on:
" Month " means a period starting on one day in a calendar month and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the next calendar month, except that:
" NAIC " means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
" New York Insurance Regulations " means the New York Insurance Law and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder which are in effect from time to time.
" Optional Currency " means a currency (other than the Base Currency) which complies with the conditions set out in Clause 4.3 ( Conditions relating to Optional Currencies ).
" Original Financial Statements " means in relation to the Borrower its audited financial statements for the period of 12 months ended 31 December 2010 and in relation to the Collateral Provider means its audited financial statements for the period of 12 months ended 31 December 2010 and in relation to the Parent means its audited consolidated financial statements for the period of 12 months ended 31 December 2010.
" Parent " means Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings S.A. (R.C.S. Luxembourg company no. B 153 214) whose registered office is at 37, Val St André, L-1128 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a company incorporated in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
" Participating Member State " means any member state of the European Communities that adopts or has adopted the euro as its lawful currency in accordance with legislation of the European Community relating to Economic and Monetary Union.
" Party " means a party to this Agreement.
" Perfection Requirements " means any and all registrations, filings, notices and other actions and steps required to be made in any jurisdiction in order to perfect security created by the Transaction Security Documents or in order to achieve the relevant priority for such Security.
" Permitted Disposal " means any sale, lease, licence, transfer or other disposal which is on arm's length terms:
" Permitted Financial Indebtedness " means Financial Indebtedness:
" Permitted Security " means:
" Quarter Date " means 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December in each year.
" Quasi Government Securities " means Freddie Mac debentures and/or mortgage backed securities, Federal Home Loan Banks debentures and/or mortgage backed securities, Federal Farm Credit Banks debentures and/or mortgage backed securities and Fannie Mae debentures and/or mortgages backed securities each of which are at least AAA rated by Standard & Poors.
" Quasi-Security " has the meaning given to that term in Clause 23.3 ( Negative pledge ).
" Quotation Day " means, in relation to any period for which an interest rate is to be determined the first day of that period.
" Receiver " means a receiver or receiver and manager or administrative receiver of the whole or any part of the Charged Property.
" Reference Banks " means, in relation to LIBOR and Mandatory Cost, the principal London offices of the Issuing Bank, HSBC Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc or such other banks as may be appointed by the Issuing Bank in consultation with the Borrower.
" Relevant Interbank Market " means the London interbank market.
" Relevant Jurisdiction " means, in relation to each of the Borrower and the Collateral Provider:
" Repeating Representations " means each of the representations set out in Clause 20.2 ( Status ) to Clause 20.6 ( Validity and admissibility in evidence ) (inclusive), Clause 20.8 ( No filing or stamp taxes ), Clause 20.10 ( No default ), Clause 20.11 ( No misleading information ), paragraphs (d) and (e) of Clause 20.12 ( Original Financial Statements ), Clause 20.13 ( Pari passu ranking ) and Clause 20.14 ( No proceedings pending or threatened ), Clause 20.15 (Custodian arrangements), Clause 20.16 (No Insolvency), Clause 20.18 ( Security and Financial Indebtedness ), Clause 20.19 ( Legal and beneficial ownership ) and Clause 20.20 ( Centre of main interests and establishments ).
" Screen Rate " means in relation to LIBOR, the British Bankers' Association Interest Settlement Rate for the Base Currency and period displayed on the appropriate page of the Reuters screen. If the agreed page is replaced or service ceases to be available, the Issuing Bank may specify another page or service displaying the appropriate rate after consultation with the Borrower.
" Securities Collateral " means at any time, any Eligible Securities provided by the Collateral Provider as collateral in accordance with Clause 22.4 ( Minimum Security Cover ) and subject to the Transaction Security.
" Securities Collateral Charge " means the Luxembourg law governed account pledge agreement in the agreed form to be entered into on or about the date of this Agreement by the Collateral Provider in favour of the Issuing Bank granting a first ranking perfected security interest in the Securities Collateral held in the Custodian Account.
" Securities Collateral Proportion " means, at any time, the proportion, expressed as a percentage, of the value at that time of any Securities Collateral to the Total Collateral Value.
" Security " means a mortgage, charge, pledge, lien or other security interest securing any obligation of any person or any other agreement or arrangement having a similar effect.
" Security Period " means the period starting on the date of this Agreement and ending on the date on which the Issuing Bank is satisfied that all of the liabilities of the Borrower and the Collateral Provider under each Finance Document are irrevocably discharged in full and the Issuing Bank has no commitment or liability, whether present or future, actual or contingent, in relation to the Facility.
" Spot Rate of Exchange " means the Issuing Bank's spot rate of exchange for the purchase of the relevant amount of the relevant currency with the Base Currency in the London foreign exchange market at about 11am on a particular day.
" Subsidiary " means in relation to any company or corporation, a company or corporation:
and for this purpose, a company or corporation shall be treated as being controlled by another if that other company or corporation is able to direct its affairs and/or to control the composition of its board of directors or equivalent body.
" Supranational Securities " means European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank & European Union securities which are in each case at least AAA rated by Standard & Poors.
" Standard & Poor's " means Standard & Poors Rating Services a division of the McGraw & Hill Companies, Inc., a New York corporation, and any successor thereto.
" Supportable Capital Transactions " means a dividend paid out of retained earnings, a return of share capital or any analogous transaction.
" Tax " means any tax, levy, impost, duty or other charge or withholding of a similar nature (including any penalty or interest payable in connection with any failure to pay or any delay in paying any of the same).
" Term " means each period determined under this Agreement for which the Issuing Bank is under a liability under a Letter of Credit.
" Total Collateral Value " means, at any time, the aggregate of the value of the Cash Collateral and the value of the Securities Collateral, in each case as determined by the Issuing Bank, acting reasonably and for the avoidance of doubt in determining the value of the Securities Collateral the Issuing Bank's determination shall be made on the basis of the most recent valuation of the Securities Collateral provided by the Custodian pursuant to paragraph (a) of Clause 21.4 ( Information: miscellaneous ) except that where there is no readily available market value for the Securities Collateral and the Custodian has based its valuation of such Securities Collateral on a financial model which is not satisfactory to the Issuing Bank (acting reasonably), the Issuing Bank shall be entitled to obtain and have regard to a further independent valuation of the Securities Collateral.
" Total Shareholder Equity " means, at any time, the amount appearing next to the heading "Total Shareholder Equity" in the most recent audited financial statements of the Borrower provided to the Issuing Bank pursuant to paragraph 21.1(a) of Clause 21.1 ( Financial statements ).
" Trade Instruments " means any performance bonds, advance payment bonds or documentary letters of credit, credit for reinsurance trusts or collateral trust funds issued in respect of the obligations of any Group Company arising in the ordinary course of trading.
" Transaction Security " means the Security created or expressed to be created in favour of the Issuing Bank pursuant to the Transaction Security Documents.
" Transaction Security Documents " means each of the documents listed as being a Transaction Security Document in paragraphs 2(b) to 2(d) of Part 1A of Schedule 1 ( Conditions Precedent ) together with any other document entered into by the Borrower or Collateral Provider creating or expressed to create or deal with any Security over all or any part of its assets in respect of its obligations under any of the Finance Documents.
" Treasury Transactions " means any derivative transaction entered into in connection with protection against or benefit from fluctuation in any rate or price.
" Unpaid Sum " means any sum due and payable but unpaid by the Borrower or the Collateral Provider under the Finance Documents.
" Utilisation " means a utilisation of the Facility.
" Utilisation Date " means the date on which a Utilisation is made being the date on which a Letter of Credit is to be issued.
" Utilisation Request " means a notice substantially in the form set out in Schedule 2 ( Utilisation Request ).
" VAT " means value added tax as provided for in the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and any other tax of a similar nature.
and the amount by which a Letter of Credit is repaid or prepaid under paragraphs (A) and (B) above is the amount of the relevant cash cover, eligible collateral or reduction.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Issuing Bank makes available a multicurrency revolving letter of credit facility in an aggregate amount equal to the Commitment.
All amounts utilised by the Borrower under the Facility shall be applied in the issuance by the Issuing Bank of Letters of Credit required as collateral in respect of reinsurance policies provided by the Borrower.
The Issuing Bank is not bound to monitor or verify the application of any amount borrowed or utilised pursuant to this Agreement and shall not be responsible for, or for the consequences of, such application.
The Issuing Bank will only be obliged to comply with Clause 5.5 ( Issue of Letters of Credit ) in relation to any Utilisation if:
in each case in form and substance sat


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ZOTAC Working on Custom Built GeForce GTX 580
"ZOTAC is hard at work preparing a completely revamped version of the GeForce GTX 580 from the ground up."
Published: 17th December 2010 | Source: Expreview |
The guys at Expreview have laid open ZOTAC's plans of working on a customized GTX 580 card - the manufacturer is hard at work preparing a completely revamped version of the card from the ground up. Expreview has even posted photographs of the disassembled card from ZOTAC.
The GeForce GTX 580 is definitely not the newest kid on the block from NVIDIA, but it continues to command its fans; after all it is still the fastest single-GPU on the market. There have already been several custom version of the GTX 580 by NVIDIA's partners, but these have largely been restricted to overclocking or custom coolers.
ZOTAC is now out to break this mould and present a truly custom designed card. If the information on Expreview is to be believed, the new card will come with a 16-phase power design and features tantalum capacitors. Now everyone in the tech industry knows that tantalum capacitors are made for ultra-stable operations and keep the card running smoothly even when it is overclocked to the extreme. So that's good news for the enthusiasts out there.
The images also suggest that ZOTAC will be equipping the GTX 580 with a dual-fan custom cooler, which should be good considering the card is most likely to be tweaked a lot. The fans seem to be 120mm ones and quite capable of blowing lots of air over the GPU parts. Also evident are the 6-pin and 8-pin PCI Express power connectors, multiple video outputs, a DisplayPort, an HDMI port, two DVI connectors, and support for SLI.
The specifications of the card on the hardware side definitely sound impressive and hint at a hardcore gaming GPU. However, there is absolutely no information available on the clock speeds or other performance aspects. So we will have to wait until the official announcement before we can start further more about the card. And where there is no information about the performance, there is bound to be no information about the availability or pricing either.
Keep those fingers crossed ZOTAC comes through with the card soon.
Discuss in our Forums
Most Recent Comments
Started watching OC3D on youtube quite a while ago, and was impressed by the overall demeanor of Tom's reviews. Honest, and seems a true tech enthusiast, getting excited about great skus and disappointed with lesser ones; nice to see someone who cares.
Glad to be a part of the community!
Glad to be a part of the community!
Nice to hear :-)
Maybe - now where you know that we read things - you want to join our
folding-team? That would be perfect integration in our community :-D
Ok... >read< your post, analyzed it and answered... I hope I gave you a start in the
community you have not expected


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|ASU Begins Spring Practice In Mid-March
|Written by Staff Reports
|Friday, 03 February 2012 12:47
The Appalachian State University football team, coming off its best recruiting season in a while, will officially start spring practice the week of March 19. And there will be some familiar faces among those attending those spring drills. Among the returnees will be
linebacker Lanston Tanyi, who missed most of last season for an unspecified university issue, and offensive tackle Kendall Lamb, who was dismissed by coach Jerry Moore for a conduct issue, will rejoin the team this spring.
|Share This Article:


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Blogger Luo Yonghao, right, and supporters smash Siemens refrigerators in front of the company's headquarters in Beijing, Nov. 20. (Photo/CFP)
Roland Gerke, CEO of Siemens China, has apologized to Chinese customers through a news release on Dec. 4 for the company's unsatisfactory handling of a faulty product complaint, our sister newspaper Want Daily reports.
Gerke's remarks were made in response to Luo Yonghao, who protested in front of the company's Beijing headquarters on Nov. 20 after buying a faulty refrigerator, the doors of which would not close properly. Gerke said that Siemens did not handle Luo's case well and that the company still has room to improve. He also said a refrigerator that cannot close properly should absolutely be regarded as a malfunctioning product and that the company should reimburse customers with this kind of problem.
Luo, an influential blogger, went with his supporters went to Siemens' Beijing headquarters, where they smashed refrigerators with hammers. Luo explained that they were attempting to persuade the multinational electrical goods manufacturer to change its attitude to dealing with customer complaints. He claimed that Siemens had refused to admit that some of its products had defects and that it ignored the complaints of its customers. The protestors also demanded the recall of all the refrigerators they claimed to be faulty.
Want Daily reported that another protest against Siemens will be carried out in Beijing but the exact date had not been revealed as of press time.
Luo Yonghao 羅永浩
Xu Ningsheng was appointed to head Fudan University in 2014 when the government for the first time directly appointed presidents of Shanghai's three top universities: Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong ...


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Success Stories
Justin completed his Vision Therapy in the Spring of 2008. It was a lot of time commitment for our family because of the sports he is involved with. We received over the summer his OAT [Ohio Achievement Test] scores and he brought all the scores up substantially! The area he still struggles with is Comprehension. This year as a 5th grader he is so much more organized! He brings home the assignments and books needed for homework. He is able to explain the work for the night and upcoming tests – not as overwhelmed. His grades overall have improved and we are seeing less "transfer" errors in math. We are still pushing him to read and continue to work on comprehension. Overall we had a positive experience. The office was great to work with. We hope to see Justin continue to improve and gain confidence with his reading. Thank you so much!
— Barb & Todd [Justin, 10]
The VIP program has made a tremendous difference for James. We noticed a change in him almost immediately. I told Marilyn that it was like he had been underwater and finally came to the surface. He is far more "clued in" to his surroundings. He started reading all the signs, etc. around him, and enjoys reading for pleasure now. He is proud of his ability to read out loud to the family now… something he never volunteered to do before. He seems more confident socially and more able to participate in complex board games, etc. I am so glad that we discovered this program existed and would whole-heartedly recommend to others. James is definitely on his way!
— Alison & Robert [James, 10]
We have spent over a year worrying about Beth/ She was doing terrible in school (It was said maybe she was lazy or we just didn't with her. Her father is a teacher). I was setting up appointments with doctors to have Beth tested for ADD and dyslexia. I had seen an ad in Toledo Parent for Dr. Schmakel and his program. I called. After a 45 minutes talk with Margie we were set for the next parents meeting. Wow… Who knew something like eye tracking could do so much damage to a child. After a couple of weeks we did see a change in Beth. I about cried when she said she was "seeing" things better. Over the weeks she has been a trooper. She does her tutoring with no complaints. She knew something was going to happen. Something good. The day she brought home her spelling pre-test where she missed only 3 words floored me. You might have thought she won the lottery (Beth usually missed 8 or more out of 15). Her confidence has grown. This is NOT the same Beth who entered this program and other people have noticed, too. We have a long road ahead of us to catch her up to her grade… but at least we have the direction and the tools to get there. I thank God for making me pick up that paper "even though it was expired". Would I do this again? In a heartbeat. I tell everyone about this program in the hopes of helping someone like everyone here has helped us. Thank you so much for saving my baby!!! Her future is so bright now!! [She might need to buy (prescription) shades!! ]
— Holly [Beth, 7]


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Winter Fun
posted at 1/9/2012 10:00 AM ESTI know it hasn't felt like winter for some of the past month or so, but I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for what parents can do with their kids on the days when it's tough to get outdoors.
Re: Winter Fun
posted at 1/9/2012 12:10 PM ESTFor Christmas, I got my niece (2 years) and nephew (3.5 years) a trip to Imagination Island in Plymouth. It's an indoor play area. My sister and BIL liked the gift a lot more once I told them the trip comes with me and that they don't have to go. :-)
Re: Winter Fun
posted at 1/13/2012 8:36 AM ESTThanks! Looks like more bitter cold temps are coming our way, so indoor activities are on the horizon!