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Even the greatest match ever didn't get Americans interested in tennis again.
Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played, by L. Jon Wertheim (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $24.00)
Tennis has long played a major role in my sporting life. Seriously.
A serviceable high-school second-doubles player, I had a John-McEnroe-like temper but a un-McEnroe-like skill set. From my time as a summer-of-1989 exchange student in Spain, I don't recall much about the Real Madrid soccer match I personally attended, but I vividly recall seeing Boris Becker win Wimbledon on my host family's TV.
Fast forward to my European return in '96. It was August, so The Championships were over, but neither Big Ben nor Parliament was of primary interest. Hopping a train and ambling through a hilly village to lay eyes upon historic Centre Court was. Seeing the scoreboard, even turned off, left me awed. I snapped a roll of film and left with a green-and-purple All-England Tennis Club hat. (I lost the hat in Amsterdam a couple days later, but the pics are still with me.)
Thus, it saddens me that the sport has drifted so far from American consciousness that some folks may know "that Andy guy who dated, whatshername, Mandy Moore" is a pro, but not that his last name's Roddick. (They'd probably win on Tennis Jeopardy, sadly.)
What I appreciate most about tennis aren't the physical elements (though Becker's diving about the court is both what first drew me in and bruised me up). It's the psychological side of everything from amateur knockarounds to professional ranks. On the court, there's nobody to blame but yourself and no coaches to offer advice. It's mano-a-mano (or womano-a-womano); only the mentally stronger survive a given day. It's competition at its purest, bared for all to see, sometimes cruelly but generally tactfully. A cordial war.
And at no point in the tennis history has that been clearer than last July 6.
Roger Federer, the unquestioned No. 1 player was pursuing the all-time record for Grand Slam tournaments won (actually, coasted to). He faced budding rival Rafael Nadal, who was becoming increasingly successful at getting in Federer's way and staking his claim to the "Best in the World" title.
I've long had difficulty picturing how a single sporting event translates into a compelling book, Ali fights or future Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowls notwithstanding. But tennis? It's hard enough to describe what hitting the optimal shot feels like, let alone how someone else experienced doing so. Seven hours on the edge of my couch that summer Sunday took care of the translation, though.
Suffice it to say, I was amped to dig into Sports Illustrated senior writer L. Jon Wertheim's attempt to chronicle the intricacies of what quickly took the mantle of Greatest Match Ever Played. The 206-page book's subtitle is an accurate depiction of what he delves into: both players' histories and performances that day, and how the match played out in person both on the court and in the cramped locker room, before, during and after the match.
Quasi-spoiler time: After five sets that lasted nearly as many hours and two rain delays that brought dark skies before the match ended, the young Majorcan defeated the established Swiss Mister. The latter, who was seeking a record-setting sixth consecutive Wimbledon title, was driven to tears after being dethroned at the site of his last stranglehold on the sport. (After all, just two years ago, tennis aficionados wondered whether he would ever meet his match.) The former gracefully didn't take the celebration into the locker room where his opponent bemoaned his newfound fate as second best. It was a compelling, back-and-forth showdown that even McEnroe said "was the greatest match that I ever witnessed," a title once given to his 1980 Wimbledon victory over Bjorn Borg.
Wertheim does a splendid job capturing the athletic event's minutae. The 14-stroke first rally. The marked lack of obnoxious advertising signage. The science behind the replay technology, racket stringing and Nadal's aching leg to players' body language and tics (including those that led Federer into uncharacteristic mini-tantrums). Tennis' extensive drug testing. And Federer's not clearing the net on Championship Point after 9 p.m. London time.
Stories from their upbringings go a long way to explain why Federer is seen as an almost-regal artiste while Nadal is viewed as a rough-and-tumble wheelhouse of overpowering strength, but also why they're cordial to foes, media and fans alike.
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who loathes either player as disrespectful or arrogant. (Though, to be sure, Federer supporters may have a healthy distaste for "Rafa" since he's owned the rivalry since 2006.) The two seem to genuinely respect and like one another, a dynamic considered rare if you're used to America-only sports. (Full disclosure: I'm a Nadal guy, but most Americans aren't.)
Having gathered a lot of inside details, the book offers depth and intensity to what was a deeply intense event. If I had to complain about something, and it's probably just me, some aspects depended on observation and impression rather than the science of mentality. I finished the book knowing what they went through physically, but I would have liked to have Federer and Nadal delve into their mindsets during the match. Alas, that's probably too much to ask for because of everything else we got out of a five-set tennis match.
Writes Wertheim: "Tick off the Classic Sporting Event checklist and this match had it all – skill, courage, sportsmanship, grace, discipline, gallantry, poise, intelligence, humility, injury, recovery, fibrillations of momentum, even acts of God."
But, was it compelling enough to garner widespread American interest in this year's tournament which starts this week? It should have, but I suspect it won't.
"I just received the book as a gift this weekend, and it has not let me down. After having watched the match last July, the book is just an extension of the greatest sporting even I have ever seen. This match brings to light everything that is good about sport. Without getting too deep about how sport has changed for the worse lately..(drugs,ego, money, etc.). it is well worth the time. I can't wait to go back and re-watch the match. And believe it or not I was born right here in the USA."
"This book is next on my list. The Federer-Nadal rivalry has never failed to leave audiences astounded. I still have their Australian Open match saved on my DVR. In a time where Major League Baseball has fallen to repeated instances of PED use and the NFL has succumbed to "no-celebration" rules, it's good to find excitement in a rivalry not seen since Jordan vs. Bird."
Never Wed: An excerpt from "Haunted Philadelphia"
"Zahav" cookbook introduces home chefs to the world of Israeli cuisine
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Carrie Brownstein and Simon Winchester headline fall author lineup in Philly
Philly fantasy author's "Updraft" conjures a sky city of winged teen angst
Taste this ASAP: "Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small That Redefine Vegetable Cooking" at Big Blue Marble
Shop local: The Reading Terminal Market Cookbook at The Cookbook Stall
Kate Mulgrew, Toni Morrison & Freeman Dyson top Philly's literary season
Stephen King on writing a musical with John Mellencamp: 'I don't know how to do this'


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It's official--El Niño is back in the tropical Pacific, and it's big. It's so big so early in the year that "we think this is shaping up into an extraordinary one with large effects around the globe," says Ants Leetmaa, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) in Camp Springs, Maryland. He and his forecasters, who announced the prodigal child's return at a press conference yesterday, believe the warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that has been building during the past several months will trigger jarring shifts in weather patterns from India to California.
The latest meteorological mayhem comes after more than 5 years of hard times for El Niño forecasters. An oddly persistent warmth pervaded the tropical Pacific during the first half of the 1990s, out of which short bursts of El Niño-like warmth would leap without warning. Much to the relief of researchers, the current warming seems better behaved; both of the CPC's forecast techniques--a sophisticated computer simulation of Pacific ocean-atmosphere interactions and a statistical analysis of Pacific climate trends--began predicting the warming as early as last fall.
The forecasters' next chore is to predict what effects this El Niño will have on weather around the world. If it's anything like the El Niño of 1972 that Leetmaa compares it to, this summer in the Northern Hemisphere the Indian monsoon should weaken and the Caribbean region dry out. Next winter, drought should strike Australia, South Africa, and northeast Brazil, while storms bring extra water to California and the Southeast if not much of the southern half of the United States. By then, of course, forecasters will know just how well behaved this El Niño really is.
Updates are available on the Web [2].

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
From inception to power generation, WindGuys USA will help you along the road to Energy Independence!
Our mission is to bring affordable, renewable energy via small wind systems to homeowners and small businesses. Providing you with a sustainable alternative to traditional power.
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text:
Top economist Saul Eslake says the numbers stack up for Tasmanian AFL side
- From: Mercury
- March 30, 2014
A NEW Tasmanian AFL team would deliver local fans 11 games a season and save taxpayers more than $1 million a year, a State Government report reveals.
The Sunday Tasmanian has exclusively obtained a copy of the government's 2008 business case that helped open the AFL's eyes to a team from the island state.
Respected economist and Tasmanian AFL team taskforce member Saul Eslake said a Tasmanian team would save on ongoing costs while delivering better content, more tourists and a bigger economic impact.
The business case, produced by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and James Hird's former business Gemba, was so strong even AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou was forced to go from "never, ever" to "next cab off the ranks", praising the state for a professional report that ended claims Tasmania could not support its own team.
Mr Eslake said the case stacked up.
"Even Demetriou had to say it ticked all the boxes, he then went on to say you're still not getting a team but even he had to admit it ticked all the financial boxes," Mr Eslake said.
"There is a legitimate concern on the part of Tasmanian people, 'How can we afford this when we don't have decent schools and hospitals?' I totally understand that but the actual point is it would cost the Tasmanian Government less than it is presently putting into Hawthorn.
"And what do you get from Hawthorn and the money you are putting in for North Melbourne from the TT-Line? You get a small number of games a year against teams that have no followers in Tasmania and they have no meaning for the competition as a whole.
"That is not a criticism of Hawthorn, I think Hawthorn has done a magnificent job by Tasmania."
The Hawks deal delivers four premiership games a season to Launceston and "Tasmania" on the famous yellow and brown jumper at a cost of about $3.5 million a year, with bonuses for finals and grand final appearances.
The North Melbourne contract sees the Roos pick up $500,000 a year from the government-owned TT-Line's marketing budget, and an additional half a million from the Hobart City Council and the RACT. The Hawthorn deal ends after the 2016 season, while the Roos' contract runs out at the end of this year.
There is now a push on to have one team commit to eight games a season in Tasmania as the next step to the state landing its own side.
The 2008 report stated there would be initial one-off establishment costs for a new team of $8 million that may come from the AFL, which has spent millions establishing the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney teams, or from taxpayers.
The Tasmanian team's case is largely based on the Geelong model, a regional area with its own stadium and supporter base.
Using this as a case study and membership take-up rates per capita achieved when the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows entered the competition, Mr Eslake said a Tasmanian team would achieve an immediate membership of 25,000 from either locals switching allegiances or taking up secondary memberships to watch AFL games at home.
Since 2008, Tasmania has increased its annual contract with Hawthorn and spent considerably on infrastructure at both Launceston's Aurora Stadium and Hobart's Blundstone Areana.
With a slight increase to a 25,000-seat capacity at Aurora Stadium, Mr Eslake said the Tasmanian team would have the fourth best stadium deal in the competition, behind only Geelong and the two West Australian clubs.
The third major revenue raiser would be sponsorship but the case found this would not be the insurmountable hurdle so many here and interstate believe.
"People say, 'Who is the major company in Tasmania able to sponsor a Tasmanian team?' " Mr Eslake said. "The answer is there isn't one, but you wouldn't look for one.
"If you look at the major sponsor of existing clubs, Emirates is the major sponsor of Collingwood. The Emirates office isn't in Collingwood or Abbotsford, it is in Abu Dhabi. They do it because they want the exposure."
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Comments on this story
Waren Oakley of St Helens Posted at 1:17 PM April 01, 2014
Tasmania couldn't even run a side in the second division (VFL). Now you want a team in the AFL?
michael ashman of launceston Posted at 5:01 PM March 31, 2014
Charles Gregory. Hobart want's whatever Launceston has, always has done, so i suppose you want Tasmania to be united in Hobart, we up North just want our share, the South have never wanted us to have that,it's you lot that are the problem.
Barry Knott of Montagu Bay Posted at 9:59 AM March 31, 2014


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Income Statement – Multi-Step
Posted by Professor Cram in Financial Statements
Income Statement – Multi-Step, Bogus Manufacturing, Inc. example
Learn about the structure and contents of a multi-step income statement by examining one for the fictitious company Bogus Manufacturing, Inc.
How to Use the Multi-Step Income Statement
Click the "To Learn More" button to access the interactive financial statement, where you can mouse over different terms and sections to learn what they are.
Click the "Statement" button to return to the nicely formatted income statement.
Click the "Print" button to get a printout of the nicely formatted income statement.
4 Responses to "Income Statement – Multi-Step"
Where do I put the EPS data on an Multi Step INcome statement, this is my assignment; to create a multi step income statement excel worksheet with EPS data
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text:
Posted February 24, 1999
젨젨젨젨젨HOLLAND -- As his career at Hope College nears its
젨end, long-time music professor Dr. Robert Ritsema will be
젨honored during a Hope tradition that he helped begin.
젨젨젨젨젨Ritsema, who is retiring at the end of the current
젨school year, will receive a Meritorious Service Award from
젨the college's Alumni Association during the 11th annual
젨Musical Showcase.젨The concert will be held on Monday, March
젨15, at 8 p.m. at DeVos Hall in Grand Rapids, and will
젨feature all of Hope's major performing groups as well as
젨several soloists and small ensembles selected by audition.
젨젨젨젨젨The award recognizes the significant role Ritsema
젨has played during his entire 32-year career at Hope, with
젨the concert providing an ideal opportunity to present it,
젨according to Lynne Powe, the college's alumni director.
젨"Since Dr. Ritsema has been an integral part of Musical
젨Showcase over these 11 years, we thought it would be a
젨fitting audience of his colleagues, students and others who
젨appreciate his talents," she said.
젨젨젨젨젨Ritsema has been a member of the Hope faculty
젨since 1967, and is the long-time conductor of the college's
젨orchestra and Symphonette.젨During the concert, he will lead
젨the orchestra in its performance of the "Finale" from
젨Tchaikovsky's "Fifth Symphony."
젨젨젨젨젨He has conducted the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony
젨Orchestra for the past 20 years, and is a member of the
젨"Early Music Ensemble" which specializes in playing musical
젨instruments of the 12th-17th centuries.젨In 1994, he
젨received the "String Teacher of the Year" award from the
젨Michigan chapter of the American String Teachers
젨젨젨젨젨Musical Showcase owes its origins to a joint
젨concert featuring the college's
젨Chapel Choir and Symphonette at DeVos Hall in April of 1987.
젨The event was such a good experience for the two groups that
젨Ritsema proposed that all of the department's major
젨ensembles consider joining together for a similar event.
젨Former colleague Dr. Rusty Floyd suggested that the concert
젨assume the "collage" format that's become its hallmark, and
젨in 1989 "Musical Showcase" was born.
젨젨젨젨젨"That's how it had its beginnings, almost
젨innocently, not with any long-range project in mind,"
젨Ritsema said.젨"It was not billed at that time as the 'first
젨annual' Showcase concert."
젨젨젨젨젨However, the event was so popular--and such a good
젨learning experience for the students--that it returned the
젨next year, and the next, and every year since.
젨젨젨젨젨The format has been much the same, with multiple
젨groups holding the stage simultaneously, each beginning as
젨soon as its predecessor finishes.젨Ritsema feels that the
젨quality, however, has grown, in part because the student
젨soloists and ensemblists have come to view the now-
젨established event as a spring highlight.
젨젨젨젨젨"We have very spirited auditions for it.젨It's one
젨of the plum things for students to do," he said.젨"While in
젨its format the concert has not changed dramatically over the
젨years, I think it has changed consistently in terms of its
젨level of performance."
젨젨젨젨젨Tickets for Musical Showcase cost $9 each, and may
젨be ordered through the Office of Public Relations at Hope.
젨The office, open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday
젨through Friday, is located on the second floor of the DeWitt
젨Center and may be called at (616) 395-7860.
젨젨젨젨젨Tickets may also be purchased over the counter at
젨the Grand Center Ticket Office for $9 each.젨The Grand
젨Center Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 10
젨a.m. to 6 p.m.
젨젨젨젨젨In addition, tickets may be ordered by phone, and
젨charged to Visa, through Ticketmaster by calling (616) 456-
젨3333.젨A service fee is added to the cost of each ticket
젨purchased this way.
젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨젨 -30-


text:
Chad Wiley, a Buckeye High School graduate and Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office deputy, shows off his catch at the Bassmasters Central Open last month in Bossier City. Wiley, who has been fishing professionally for the past seven years, finished fifth in the tournament and is having the best year of his career.
- Filed Under
A professional bass fisherman is the envy of all who sit behind a desk, a machine or the wheel day in and day out. Why? Because an angler spends his day in a bass boat doing what he so loves to do.
Reaching that point in their careers where he can fish all day every day takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice. It also takes a lot of confidence, good equipment, preparation, drive, commitment and a very understanding boss.
Pineville's Chad Wiley is blessed to have all of the above as well as one more thing working in his favor ... God. ...


text:
- © 2010 - 2015 DBolical Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Making games the indie way.
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
StarMade is a Minecraft inspired multiplayer 3D space shooter. Build your own ship and conquer the galaxy.
These are screenshots from the StarMade faction system user interface.


text:
originally posted by Adeel Ansari - forward to error page from your servlet using RequestDispatcher. Or make an error page entry in your deployment descriptor. Both would work fine.
Originally posted by Nikhil Menon: 1.If you use RequestDispacther to forward to an 'jsp error page' then you have to set the request attribute asrequest.setAttribute("java.servlet.jsp.jpsException",e) and then forward('e' is your exception object). Advantage of doing so is can get the exception object in your error page too as the jsp implicit object 'exception'. Then you do stack trace or handle it in your way.


text:
Dani Pedrosa took his first victory of the 2011 MotoGP season this weekend at the Portugal GP in Estoril. Pedrosa has finished on the podium at every MotoGP event so far this year, and is now just 4 points behind the season leader, Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa's two Repsol Honda teammates came across the line next. Casey Stoner claimed the final spot on the podium and Andrea Dovizioso beat out Valentino Rossi for fourth place.
Here's a video recap of the highlights from Esotirl.
Official Video Podcast – Estoril 2011
And if the racing action isn't enough for you, here's a video of the MotoGP paddock girls at Estoril.
The MotoGP
Courtesy of AllAboutBikes.com


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Rev. Mary Glasspool and Next Steps for the Episcopal Church
The U.S. arm of the Episcopal Church has done it again — elected an openly queer bishop. At the 114th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the Rev. Mary Glasspool was elected to become its eighth bishop suffragan.
But the reception is mixed.
Integrity, a grassroots organization working for the full inclusion of LGBTQ persons in the church, considers Glasspool's election a clear sign of the church moving forward.
"As Episcopalians, we are proud of the historic links between the founders of our church and the uniquely American democratic process that influences our church polity. We are very different from the Church of England and the Church of Rome, and we rejoice that lay members are valued for their significant role in the choosing of our leadership, and empowered to stand as radical witnesses that can heal past discrimination and prejudice,†Integrity wrote.
But with the Church still wrestling over Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire's consecration as the church's first openly gay bishop, Glasspool's election is a slap in the face to conservatives.
Last July, the House of Bishops voted overwhelmingly to overturn a three-year moratorium on the election of LGBTQ to the episcopate. But the Anglican Communion Network, known as the "Breakaway Conservatives,†also suggested that Robinson resign to avoid disintegration of the Anglican Communion.
Is the Episcopal Church's impending schism really about the theological rift that ensued after the consecration of Robinson? Or, is the brouhaha instead about a church embattled with itself over how to be financially solvent and theologically relevant in today's national and global competitive religious marketplace?
While the U.S. has, at best, approximately 2.2 million Episcopalians today, the center of Anglican gravity is neither here nor in Britain, but in Africa. There are approximately three million Episcopalians in Kenya, and nine million in Uganda. But those two countries combined do not even come close to the 20 million in Nigeria, making Peter Akinola, the archbishop there, one of the most influential men in the Anglican Communion.
A vociferous opponent of LGBTQ civil rights, Akinola has used the issue of homosexuality to flex his muscle as a sign of African power in the Anglican Church, and has expanded his missionary power by capitalizing on the theological schism that has developed.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has been trying to bridge the gap between liberals and conservatives on homosexuality by floating the idea that there might be "two styles of being Anglican."
"The ideal is that both 'tracks' should be able to pursue what they believe God is calling them to be as Church, with greater integrity and consistency," Williams said. And I agree with Williams.
While many would like to believe that secessionist congregations battling sodomy-endorsing liberal bishops brought on the financial crisis in the Episcopal Church, the coffers were bare prior to Robinson's consecration. The reasons: declining membership for over four decades; the rise of Third World bishops from countries in Africa, South America, and Asia; and egregious acts of inhospitality and exclusion toward its LGBTQ population.
At least if Glasspool's election is approved, the Episcopal Church will be taking a step on the road toward improvement.


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1650C Air Furnace for physical testing
This furnace chamber can easily be mounted in test frames to combine our high temperature, controlled atmosphere zones with other manufacturers' physical testing units. The chamber will accept a variety of our hot zones for different atmospheres, temperatures and different sample sizes (3" x 2" hot zone shown). An extensometer can be rear mounted through the second access door on the side. A viewport is supplied for a pyrometer. Multiple spare ports are supplied for other instrumentation.
Major parts
Chamber and hot zone
The furnace chamber is a front loading rectangular chamber, double walled, manufactured with stainless steel and water-cooled. Chamber is equipped with top and bottom stainless steel welded bellows to allow operation of physical test grips while maintaining a protected environment. The chamber is polished after all welding and machining for an ergonomic appearance and good vacuum practice. Access to the furnace chamber is through the full opening hinged front door.
The unique feature about this furnace chamber is that the depth of the chamber is so that the extensometer can be rear mounted, not side mounted as others do. This prevents the chamber from being mounted in the test frame at an angle. The rear section of this chamber has an access port on the right side. This allows full access to the extensometer. A port is provided in the rear for a manipulator to pre-set the extensometer after the unit has been evacuated and back-filled with the desired inert gas and brought up to temperature.
The front door has a viewport. The rear of the chamber has provisions for mounting a 6.00" High Vacuum Pumping System.
The Hot Zone is a 180 degree split design with Ceramic Refractory Shields. The heating elements are Moly- Disilicide and are capable of temperatures up to 1650oC. The usable, uniform, hot zone is 3.0" ID X 2.0" long. Power to the heating element is supplied by means of water cooled water cables and feed throughs. An optional protective folding shroud can be installed to protect the door insulation assembly while the door is in the open position.
The chamber and power supply have been designed to accept a higher temperature hot zone. The chamber will have additional power feed ports for the power leads.
Power supply & controls
The Power Supply is designed to accommodate a high ramp rate up to the maximum operating temperature of 1650C. The power supply is designed to accommodate different hot zones allowing higher furnace temperatures. Power is supplied to the elements with an SCR controlled Power supply.
A single power console contains all electrical devices such as: circuit breakers, contactors, over temperature controller, Volt and Amp meters, an SCR which provides an economical and efficient means of modulating power to the main stepdown transformer, etc. The Main Stepdown Transformer is matched to meet the heating element resistance. The transformer has two (2) secondary voltage taps, provided to match the element resistance for the different hot zones.
A set of water cooled power cables supplies the power to the heating elements from the main step down transformer. This reduces the conductor size as well as allowing for greater distances between the hot zone chamber and the control console.
The furnace temperature will be controlled through a Honeywell Digital Controller with setpoint programming. This controller has several segments of programming available for ramp
This controller will read and display the furnace temperature up to 1650C from a type "C" thermocouple. This loop sends a controlling signal to the SCR which will modulate the power to
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Gas & vacuum system
This furnace system was designed to operate in air, an inert gas environment or vacuum. The normal positive pressure to be used in this furnace is 2 P.S.I.G. A relief valve and a compound gauge (30 P.S.I.G. x 30 in. Hg.) are located on the top of the furnace body. The relief valve has been factory pre-set at 2 P.S.I.G.. A solenoid valve will serve as the gas valve. The inlet gas flow is regulated by means of a manual valve mounted on a flow meter.
This pumping system will evacuate the furnace into the 10-3 TORR vacuum range. The purpose of this pumping system is to quickly remove most of the oxygen from the inside of the furnace
The vacuum system consists of the following components:
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Water Cooling system
The water manifold provided with this system is designed to adequately cool the furnace and power cables. The water temperature should be less than 68F. To insure proper flow, a water flow switch will be installed with a light for visual indication. In the event water flow is disrupted for more than 5 seconds when the furnace is at operating temperature the power will be disconnected to the heating elements.
The water manifold has several circuits supplying water to the various parts of the furnace. Each one of these can be manually adjusted to allow each circuit just the proper amount of flow to save water and allow a drain temperature of approximately 100 F.
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Physical testing & mounting
The physical test rods will be sealed with metal bellows top and bottom. The bottom bellows will have adequate stroke to compensate for the bottom actuator and the top bellows will have approximately 1 inch of stroke to relieve strain on the load cell and for miss-alignment of the rods.
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Home Product Overview Spare parts


text:
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Since 1981 black and white copying and printing has been the backbone of our company, we deliver accurate image reproduction at a fast turnaround. We support a list of today's top software applications to print digitally and utilize the most advanced copiers to reproduce hard copy documents.
For all your copy center needs, visit Sun Copies at Swansea, IL. We provide high quality and professional service you can afford. May it be a business card, invitation or ticket, name it and we will do it.


text:
AUBURN HILLS — Bedford's boys basketball team played a lot like the 2013-14 Detroit Pistons in the first half Tuesday.
But the Mules resembled the 2004 NBA champions Pistons in the third quarter.
Playing a special game at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Bedford scored just 24 points in the opening half against Chelsea.
The Mules got acclimated to the home floor of the Pistons in the second half, scoring 29 points in the third quarter in pulling away for a 70-34 victory.
Defensive pressure was the key in the decisive third quarter. The Mules led just 24-19 at halftime, but built a 26-point lead by the end of the third period.
Lowe said that Dylan Barr, Brad Boss and Alejandro Tremmel keyed the defensive pressure.
Barr had an outstanding night with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Jeremiah Harris had another big game with 17 points and 14 rebounds, Brad Boss added 10 points and Hunter Delaney provided a lift off the bench for the 5-5 Mules.
For the complete story, pick up a copy of Wednesday's Monroe News.


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I have now confirmed Jame's death. His body was located completally lifeless on the ground, about 13 miles from the Canadian border. He was found, what couldn't be coincidentally, near Lexi's mother and father's house. Her parents knew greatly of James, and it must've been quiete disturbing to see him being taken away just a few feet from their home, but I can only imagine. I have no more information to tell anyone at this point, that ive heard from someone face-to-face, except Lexi's previous phone activity 9 years ago in the house. I find it almost irritating I started to remember and talk about the occurence, now. If I had brought it up in '02 people would've had a lot more respect for me, then they would if I told of the situation years afterward. I told Harvard, and that was all. I barely even told them the truth. If I said exactly what Lexi had told me, I was afraid I was leaking information to put the whole school in danger. Im not sure if this knowledge has affected my life, or my chance of death, but Im not taking anymore risks to this point. I told the Dean at Harvard Lexi simply went to go to school in her home country, so she could be closer to her parents. No one in the U.S. knows of Lexi's death, and it was very difficult to persuade the entire country, or atleast the sources that could easily get the news across, to beleive Lexi was still, very alive. I'm now afraid, this being a selfish fear, but if any person of Authority in Canada, ALSO where James was found, found Lexi's corpse, I would be ridiculed and driven out of Harvard for being an Asset to a plan for suicide or running-away, or hiding her murder. I'm very confused as to what to do, now. And as I peice this together even more, the confusion grows. These facts im retreiving aren't adding up to the anything to do with occurence, or atleast the part of it that I know about. Maybe im too uneducated about it, I need to learn a lot more about what happened before I can learn anything else. Side-details are gonna throw me off. This is all I have to type right now, and I feel horribly scared whenever I do type to you, or whoever is reading these, but I feel its neccessary. If I die with them...none of us are going to be rememberd, so thank you for reading this, whoever is out there. More later.
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Connection refused: connect
I am receiving the following error, where I understand that the connection was refused. I used the default port of 1099 as in the tutorial. Has anyone got this to work under Netbeans 6.7.1?
Preston Thornton wrote:No worries . . .
same problem at the JMX Forum.


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I always criticized my Candidate Mom for going back to work when my brother and I were in elementary school.
Like most women who came into wifehood and motherhood in the 1950's and 60's, my mother traded her life of cooking, cleaning and negotiating fights between my brother and I for a job in politics where she could dress up, collect a paycheck and discover what the boys in the back room were doing every day- taking a lunch.
When I became a mom, I carried each of my babies around in a sling and breast feed them until they were old enough to ask for it. (Not as old as the time magazine cover) I vowed I would not abandon them. My career was on the back burner until some faraway time when my kids were on their way to college.
I had even written to our Bernard Madoff Feeder Fund head about how grateful I was for the investments and how that extra money allowed me to not work and stay home with my children.
I originally came to Los Angeles to find fame and fortune. As a 20 something single girl, I was filled with ambition and fire in hot pursuit of an acting career. I worked at temp jobs during the day, hopefully had an audition or two, went to acting class at night, rehearsed for scenes, worked part time as a massage therapist (women only) and spent any extra hours that I had sending out photos and postcards to casting directors who might like my curly hair and quirky personality. Picture Sarah Jessica Parker in Square Pegs.
I loved what I did and knew this was all for a higher purpose. Like Angelina Jolie, I would fly around the world (wrapped in a silk head scarf) giving starving children renewed hope as they got a hug and a few words of encouragement from my movie star self. A check to the charity would then be handed over as I flew back to my movie set, an indie film about peace finally happening in the Middle East. The film would win the Nobel peace prize and serve as the true inspiration for peace, which occurs the following year.
As my narcissism faded, I found a tiny bit of satisfaction behind the scenes as a producer. I married a great guy who was willing to tame my inner shrew and found the last two eggs available to have my daughter and son.
Three months after my thank you note, Bernie Madoff was arrested and I was on the phone frantically calling my friends desperately looking for a job. The next week, I was working as a Segment Producer for a Discovery Channel show called Extreme Peril.
Picture a girl jumping out of a plane, parachute malfunctions, girl plummets to the earth and survives…boyfriend films it all from the sky screaming at her the entire way down. My days were spent trying to convince traumatized people to re-live their worst nightmares on camera. They were to do it for free since my Executive Producer felt that we were doing them a favor.
I'm no longer a single gal plowing through endless days with no one else to think about but myself. When I'm not on a television project, I have two to four hours to find more freelance work, finish my side production jobs, deal with house chaos and walk the dog, who has been stuck inside the house for two straight days. That is without furlough days, teacher conferences or sick kids.
My one pointed focus is sliced in five. We women know this as Mommy Brain. How do I wrestle with my mommy brain, which works the opposite of my work brain? How can I combine the two and find my MOMBITION?
Can one find it in the park while answering emails on your smart phone? In the supermarket while yelling at the kids to put the Lucky Charms back, or chasing the escaped dog down the block? How and where do I find my Mombition? Can a mom have a successful career and still be child focused? Or do moms have to burn out to break through?
As the constant kid hovering gives way to independence we watch as they take charge of a small part of their lives. Finishing 15 minutes of homework in less then two hours, brushing teeth without punching each other, and reading to themselves gives us a small piece of our pre-kid lives back.
I hate to admit this (especially to my mother) but there is a part of me that likes leaving all of the child rearing and house operations behind and going to work.
At this point in the motherhood journey, my kids are their own mini people with big personalities. They harangue and harass to play computer games (my son), shimmy around in high heels (not my son), and sassy talk back like ICarly and Justin Bieber wannabes (both of them).
While I was fortunate to have been with my babies' full time, it's exciting to watch this other part of life reemerging again. There have been 2,920 days of poopy diapers, night feedings, teething, pre-school transitions, kindergarten transitions, and first and second grade transitions. Coupled with nighttime trips to the bathroom without pull-ups, learning to crawl, learning to walk, learning not to hit, sleeping through the night, and eating something other then candy canes…not necessarily in that order.
As I carve the path to this next chapter and find my inner Mombition I need to let go of the clean house (Noooooo), children who won't need therapy later and seriously limit my screen time! Can I disable Facebook, People and TMZ on my computer?
At 77 years, my mother (and feisty Grandma) is currently the Senate Majority Leader in the New Jersey State Senate. She is the best mother and grandma around. She is less judgmental, doesn't worry like I do and was a hover less mother. As we stumble through life, less then perfect, she shows me that there is time for us late bloomers. In finding our Mombition we must figure out a way to balance it all.
Mothering Heights columnist Christine Fugate once said to me everything has its price, everything has its sacrifice. Perhaps a giant mortgage isn't feasible. If my kids aren't able to take big vacations, get iPods, or have college savings will they complain to their therapists wondering how we could've made such ridiculous choices? I would.
In the end everything does have it's price. It's all a gamble. While I plan to be there for my children as much as possible, I bow to my inner Mombition and do a ceremonial dance (when no one else is around) to re-awaken her spark and fire.


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Thursday, March 31, 2011
6 comments
Well l've gone of the beaten track once again, Why do l do this to myself. Why can't l just stick to something and keep going.
l was seeing a Naturopath and things were going really good for me, loss of work stop everything. l just can't seem... Read more
Saturday, July 24, 2010
0 comments
Sunday 25th July is the annual King of the Mountain race in Pomona, on the Sunshine Coast.
This event is on every year, men and women race up this mountain and down again. Last year l was a little bit fitter and ran up that mountain after bein... Read more
Thursday, July 22, 2010
3 comments
lt has been close to 2 months since l was last on SP......things have been happening in my life that have been stressful and upsetting.
ln my last blog, l did go to the doctor and got all my bloods done and results back, everything was good no... Read more
Thursday, June 03, 2010
2 comments
Tuesday June 1st 2010...... Today is the start of something new, some go by a new week and always start on a Monday....mine is a new month one step at a time to loose the weight l wont to achieve.
Over the past month things havn't been so gr... Read more
Monday, May 24, 2010
3 comments
Today was my doctors appointment, got my regular bloods done as well as my iodine levels checked....now it's just a waiting game until l get my results back. Also get my vitamin b's,iron,zinc and gluten intolerances, and a few others, as they to... Read more
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
2 comments
Getting aches and pains, started in my right shoulder now has move down my arm before my elbow. Lately the pain has been there alot more than normal, today exspecially. l took pandol, but no relief at all. ls anyone else been getting any pains, ... Read more
Thursday, May 06, 2010
2 comments
My first week is just about over or is my first week up already. This week since Monday is going really well, back into my exercising. Zumba Monday and Wednesday....also been doing walking and strenght program thanks to SP.
Food wise is still... Read more


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Option Trading Strategies Sitemap
Foreword - Options are probably as old as history. The early Phoenician merchants, and later the Romans, sold what we would term "options" on the goods in their incoming argosies. Later, some three centuries ago, options were used in various ways in Holland and became an important factor in many markets.
Option-Dealers - Practically all the orders for the purchase and sale of Put and Call options come to New York, where they are executed by members of the Put and Call Brokers and Dealers Association, Inc. As previously explained, this association consists of approximately twenty-five members who deal exclusively in Put and Call options, and all of the options in which these members deal are guaranteed by member firms of the New York Stock Exchange.
Holidays - Options are never made to expire on a known holiday. The contract will be made to expire on the next business day after the holiday.
Besides arranging for the purchase and sale of new options on order, some option-dealers carry an inventory of option contracts which they offer for resale through newspaper advertisements, as on page 32 or by quotation sheets sent through the mail.
Uses Put Option - In all of the following examples, for the sake of better understanding, I will try as much as possible to use one figure for the price of the stock and one figure for the cost of the option. Understand, please, that these prices change in actual practice. The cost of an option on a stock selling at 50 would be less than one selling at 80 and, likewise, the cost of an option for 90 days would be less than one for 6 months on the same stock.
Special Tax Factors - In the two preceding examples, the trader bought a 90-day Put option. In the first example, he was protecting an unrealized profit of 20 points (he had bought the stock at 30 and four months later, when the stock was at 50, he bought a Put at 50). In the second option he protected himself against loss on a new commitment (he bought the stock at 50 and at the same time he bought a Put at 50).
Option Orders Originate - Before going into the further explanation and application of options, it might be interesting to explain how orders for options originate and are executed. An interested party—perhaps in Detroit—will ask his stockbroker to ascertain on what terms a Call option can be had on a certain stock for, let us say, 90 days. The stockbroker will find this out through his New York office, which in turn gets in touch with an option-dealer for the terms on which a Call option can be had on that particular issue.
Closing Out - The preceding example of a Call contract for speculation showed a handsome profit. Suppose that when a Call option at 50 was about to expire the stock was selling at 52. While the holder of the Call contract could not recover all of his premium of $350, he could, nevertheless, Call for his stock at 50 and sell it in the market at 52, so instead of losing the $350 premium, he would recover $200 of it. -
Protect Profit - Here's a tricky one but very useful. A man bought a 90-day Call at 50 (stock was selling at 50) for $350. In 60 days the stock rose to 70. At this price of 70 he has a 20-point profit, less the cost of his option, and he buys a 60-day Put at 70 for about $400. Let us see what happens. Say that in the 60-day life of his Put the stock declines again to 50. He has lost the profit that he had on his Call, but he has a 20-point profit on his Put, less 2 premiums totaling $750-a net gain of $1,250.
Long-Term Calls - The idea in finance today is to make money, true; but how much money net? What's left after tax? For that reason people look for long-term capital gains on which the tax is 25 per cent maximum. A man in the upper income tax bracket may have to pay a tax of 75 per cent or 80 per cent on his ordinary income, but the same amount of long-term capital gain calls for a maximum tax of 25 per cent. Instead of making a dollar, paying 75 cents in tax, and having 25 cents left, one is better off making only 50 cents on a long-term capital-gains basis, paying 12½ cents, and having 37½cents left. Therefore, in any form of capital asset, people look for capital gains opportunities.
Options Exercised - I can remember when I testified before the Senate Finance Committee in 1934. I was, of course, younger and less experienced, but I had been in the option business for fifteen years at that time and, although the business then was different from what it is now, I knew it well. I had already appeared before Congressman Sam Rayburn's committee in the House and now I had been selected by the Put and Call Brokers and Dealers Association to represent the industry before the Senate.
Selling of Options - I remember lecturing in Chicago some years ago, and after this talk, during a question-and-answer period, one of my audience said, "I have bought options, but I never knew I could sell them." Well, for every trade—whether in options or clothing or real estate—there must be both a buyer and a seller. It is usually very interesting to my audiences to learn where options come from, who makes them, and why. I'll try to explain the selling of options, the advantages to the seller, the disadvantages, and the pitfalls, for I said at the outset that I would show the good side and the bad.
Selling Straddles - The owner of 100 shares of a stock may be willing either to buy more shares of the stock or to sell out at a premium. In such a situation he can sell a Straddle. A Straddle, as previously defined, is a combination of a Put and a Call, both at the market price of the stock. Let us say that a man sold a Straddle on XYZ at 50 for 90 days, and for it received $500 per 100-share Straddle. By selling the Straddle, he has contracted: (1) to sell 100 shares at 50 any time within 90 days when Called by the holder of the Straddle; (2) to buy 100 shares at 50 any time within 90 days if the holder of the Straddle Puts stock to him.
Appendix -
Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954
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Join Date: Aug 2003
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Posts: 924
My first zero turn was a snapper 60 inch bought it used in the mid 90's I was a snapper guy still like the walk behinds. It had the joy stick control witch was great the best turns on a mower the bad it was slow the wheel drive belt allway needed to be adjusted did I mention slow. In 98 I bought a Exmark lazer 60 inch so much faster handled better on hills cut better all around better less down time. I cut with it till may of 2011 but engine was leaking oil real bad pumps were getting old and had about 3900 hrs so went to my exmak dealer. To get a comparable mower I was looking at at least 10 grand I had paid under 7 for last one so was a bit taken back. They tried to sell me a cheaper version for about 8 grand but wasn't trilled with it as far as specs. I shopped around snapper, toro, skag, hustler and a friend told me about gravelys said they were like a tank. I ended up with a 260 pro turn with a 29 hp efi koller for 8200 and have been very happy. No problems with the mower mechanically it isn't as good on the hills as my exmark have to slow down a bit but make up time with its speed everywhere else. The stock blades are the best I have ever used very heavy hold an edge for longer then I expected. I have used it to cut fields of grass over 2 foot high with 2 passes and very happy with the cut. The fuel injection has saved me some on gas even with this years high prices. I'm all about Gravely now thanks Normie.
60'' Gravely pro-turn 29 hp
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- KNIA / KRLS - http://kniakrls.com -
Pella High to Add New Courses
Posted By News On November 29, 2013 @ 6:27 am In Today's Local News | Comments Disabled
During the Pella community school board meeting earlier this week, it was revealed that the high school is looking to add some additional course options for their students. One of the classes would be a technology course taught in the new Career Academy. The other alternatives would be introductory Chinese, and a program that would allow students chosen as a legislative page, to be able to earn high school credits for their participation.
Article printed from KNIA / KRLS: http://kniakrls.com
URL to article: http://kniakrls.com/2013/11/pella-high-to-add-new-courses/
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Copyright © 2009 KNIA/KRLS. All rights reserved.


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As the Guantanamo hunger strike widens, the president deflects blame.
Regions / Cuba
Come off it--Cuba is not a 'state sponsor of terrorism.'
The opportunity to redesign U.S. policy towards Cuba will not last forever.
Welcome, Beyonce and Jay-Z, to the club of those anathematized and cursed by the McCarthyist embargo supporters.
Moving toward a comprehensive policy of engagement with Cuba is in the national interest of the United States--and is certainly in the best interests of Alan Gross.
John Kerry may have bungled the lessons of Vietnam on Iraq, but when it comes to Cuba, he's gotten the message.
The Cuban missile crisis was started by imperial jockeying and resolved by genuine diplomacy.
This article examines the sixth summit of the Americas and analyzes how the event reflects a trend of Washington's declining hegemony in Latin America and the rise of unified opposition to American policies, particularly the militarization of the region, drug war and isolation of Cuba.
Presidential hopefuls are dusting off tired arguments about Cuba as a national security threat.
A new book on Cuba is a thoughtful treatment of a topic that has usually generated more heat than light.


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She's never done a beauty pageant before, but Brittany Aragon of Carlsbad is excited to be representing her hometown in the upcoming competition for the Mrs. New Mexico crown.
Aragon, 22, grew up in Carlsbad and was drawn back to the area after living in Dallas for some time. A longtime fan of televised pageants, Aragon decided in April to try her hand at one when she sent in her application for the Mrs. New Mexico pageant. She was chosen by Executive State Director for the Mrs. New Mexico Pageant Sheree Lynch to be Mrs. Carlsbad, a title Aragon said she's proud to wear.
"I would love to win to represent Carlsbad. I'm mainly out there to get our state noticed," Aragon said. She's been getting pointers from former Mrs. Carlsbad, Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School Principal Kim Arrington, who won the Mrs. New Mexico pageant in 2000. Arrington went on to compete for Mrs. America that year in Hawaii and earned the title of Mrs. Fitness.
Since then, Arrington has been involved on the other side of the pageant world. She judged the Mrs. New Mexico competition in 2011 and helped Carlsbad contestants behind the scenes of the 2012 Miss New Mexico competition, Arrington said.
Arrington said her best advice for Aragon is to remain true to herself during the interview portion of the competition.
"They want to know your heart, who you are and that you're going to represent their organization.
In the interview, you have a platform and everything, yes, but set yourself apart so that they'll remember. As a judge, you see so many women come through, and you're looking for not just beauty but something that will really make them stand out character-wise," Arrington said.
And from her experience, Arrington said the pageant is more than glitz and glamour. It's just like a job interview, and there's a business side to it as well, she said.
"Really overall, people are very kind.
Everybody is going for the same job, so there is that competition, but there's also respect. They are there for the same reasons that you are - an opportunity help others," said Arrington.
Aragon hopes her opportunity will be a chance to help underprivileged children and abused or homeless animals. As an early childhood education major, Kidz Too teacher and mom to five dogs and a cat, Aragon is making those causes her platform.
In preparation for the pageant on June 29 at the John Lewis Performing Arts Center in Albuquerque, Aragon has been keeping up with current events and just about anything she thinks the judges may ask during the interview portion of the competition.
"I have no clue what they're going to ask," Aragon said. "It's important to know as much as you can to think quick on your feet."
Besides the interview, Mrs. New Mexico contestants will participate in a swimsuit and evening gown contest. Aragon said her background in dance and cheerleading has given her experience in stage presence, and she hopes that will help her in the competition.
Aragon said she's thankful for her sponsors - Windstream, Mesquite Services, Steven's Inn, Integrity Well Service, Taddy Family Clinic, Leslie Bailey Photography, Bobby Bowen, Gayla Cowert, Michael and Trish Bingham and Marsha Nicholas - and her many family members who have given their support as well.
She's especially appreciative of her husband Blaine, Aragon said, who she's been married to since July 7, 2012. He encouraged her to apply for Mrs. Carlsbad, even though he knew the pageant meant putting off starting a family. Aragon said Blaine will be escorting her on stage during the evening gown portion of the competition.
"I wish0 Brittany (Aragon) the best of luck," Arrington said. "I know that all the women that represent Carlsbad are going to do a wonderful job. They're beautiful on the inside and out, and that's what makes a pageant winner."


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|Combined iliac angioplasty and infrainguinal revascularization surgery are effective in diabetic patients with multilevel arterial disease.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 11221947 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
|The success of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the treatment of common and external iliac atherosclerotic lesions has been established for the general population. However, several studies have suggested that the presence of diabetes may reduce the effectiveness of iliac angioplasty, particularly in the setting of limb-threatening ischemia requiring concomitant lower extremity revascularization. This study compared the results of iliac artery PTA performed in conjunction with infrainguinal bypass for limb-threatening ischemia for diabetic (DM) and nondiabetic (non-DM) patients. Between 1991 and 2000, 159 PTA were performed in 126 patients (DM = 99/79%, non-DM = 27/21%) in conjunction with subsequent infrainguinal bypass for limb-threatening ischemia (gangrene = 42%, ulcer = 36%, rest pain = 22%). These patients were followed prospectively using a computerized vascular registry. Stents were placed in 34 (21.4%) cases for suboptimal angioplasty results. In this study the combined use of standard surgical and endoluminal modalities for the treatment of multilevel arterial occlusive disease resulted in excellent cumulative patency and limb salvage rates. The presence of diabetes did not alter these favorable results. Multimodal vascular therapy may be used effectively in diabetic patients with limb-threatening ischemia due to multiple levels of arterial occlusion.
|P L Faries; D Brophy; F W LoGerfo; C M Akbari; D R Campbell; L D Spence; S C Hook; F B Pomposelli
Related Documents :
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Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article
Journal Detail:
|Title: Annals of vascular surgery Volume: 15 ISSN: 0890-5096 ISO Abbreviation: Ann Vasc Surg Publication Date: 2001 Jan
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2001-02-26 Completed Date: 2001-05-03 Revised Date: 2004-11-17
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 8703941 Medline TA: Ann Vasc Surg Country: United States
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 67-72 Citation Subset: IM
|Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. firstname.lastname@example.com
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
Angioplasty, Balloon* / adverse effects
Arteriosclerosis / complications, therapy*
Diabetic Angiopathies / complications, therapy*
Iliac Aneurysm*
Ischemia / complications, surgery*
Leg / blood supply*
Life Tables
Middle Aged
Vascular Patency
Vascular Surgical Procedures* / adverse effects
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Endovascular revascularization of renal artery stenosis in the solitary functioning kidney.
Next Document: Analysis of nonpenetrating clips versus sutures for arterial venous graft anastomosis.


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The school board reported that the Morgan Education Foundation has raised more than $530,000 towards the Trojan Century Center as a major donor in the county contributed an additional $100,000 and the foundation added funds from the 100 for a $1000 campaign.
The school board now believes that they have the funding necessary to complete the project and authorized some items which had been determined as optional to the plan. These included completing the mezzanine, offices, a ticket booth, the concessions stand, a storage room, and signage. The additions will bring the total cost of the facility to just over $3.6 million.
The transportation facility also has needs beyond the current budget, but the board decided to wait and see if any additional costs arise at the century center before committing to the additional items. The request for additional funds for the transportation facility is $32,400, and could be paid for from the sale of the land to the county.
The Education Foundation has been working tirelessly to raise funds since the announcement of the Trojan Center and has been very effective at delivering the committed funds. Their work has ensured that the Century Center will open as a completed facility.
Construction on the facility has been progressing well. Walls are raised and the shape and size of the large facility can now be seen. The facility is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012.


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The Census Bureau introduced a new sample with the 2011 Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS). This new sample is designed to produce estimates based on the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). This section describes the design, selection, and estimation procedures for the new samples. For descriptions of the prior samples, see prior ARTS releases.
The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS) to produce national estimates of total annual sales, e-commerce sales, end-of-year inventories, purchases, total operating expenses, inventories held outside the United States, gross margins, and end-of-year accounts receivable for retail businesses and annual sales and e-commerce sales for accommodation and food service firms located in the United States. Estimates are summarized by industry classification based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and are released approximately 15 months after the reference year. Firms without paid employees, or nonemployers, are included in the estimates through imputation or administrative data provided by other federal agencies.
The sampling frame used for the ARTS has two types of sampling units: Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) and large, multiple-establishment firms. Both sampling units represent clusters of one or more establishments owned or controlled by the same firm. The information used to create these sampling units was extracted from data collected as part of the 2007 Economic Census and from establishment records contained on the Census Bureau's Business Register as updated to December 2010. The next few paragraphs give details about the Business Register; the distinction between firms, EINs, and establishments; and the construction of the sampling units. Though important, they are not essential to understanding the basic sample design and readers may continue to the Stratification, Sampling Rates, and Allocation section.
The Business Register is a multi-relational database that contains a record for each known establishment that is located in the United States or one of its territories and has paid employees. An establishment is a single physical location where business transactions take place and for which payroll and employment records are kept. Groups of one or more establishments under common ownership or control are firms. A single-unit firm owns or operates only one establishment. A multiunit firm owns or operates two or more establishments. The treatment of establishments on the Business Register differs according to whether the establishment is part of a single-unit or multiunit firm. In particular, the structure of an establishment's primary identifier on the Business Register differs depending on whether it is owned by a single-unit firm or by a multiunit firm.
A single-unit firm's primary identifier is its EIN. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues the EIN, and the firm uses it as an identifier to report social security payments for its employees under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The same act requires all employer firms to use EINs. Each employer firm is associated with at least one EIN and only one firm can use a given EIN. Because a single-unit firm has only one establishment, there is a one-to-one relationship between the firm and the EIN. Thus the firm, the EIN, and the establishment all reference the same physical location and all three terms can be used interchangeably and unambiguously when referring to a single-unit firm.
For multiunit firms however, a different structure connects the firm with its establishments via the EIN. Essentially a multiunit firm is associated with a cluster of one or more EINs and EINs are associated with one or more establishments. A multiunit firm consists of at least two establishments. Each firm is associated with at least one EIN and only one firm can use a given EIN. However, one multiunit firm may have several EINs. Similarly, there is a one-to-many relationship between EINs and establishments. Each EIN can be associated with many establishments but each establishment is associated with only one EIN. Because of the possibility of one-to-many relationships, we must distinguish between the firm, its EINs, and its establishments. The multiunit firm that owns or controls a particular establishment is identified on the Business Register by way of the establishment's primary identifier.
The primary identifier of an establishment owned by a multiunit firm consists of a unique combination of an alpha number and a plant number. The alpha number identifies the multiunit firm, and the plant number identifies a particular establishment within that firm. All establishments owned or controlled by the same multiunit firm have the same alpha number. Different multiunit firms have different alpha numbers, and different establishments within the same multiunit firm have different plant numbers. The Census Bureau assigns both the alpha number to the multiunit firm and plant numbers to the corresponding establishments based on the results of the quinquennial economic census and the annual Company Organization Survey.
To create the sampling frame, we extract the records for all employer establishments located in the United States and classified in the Retail Trade or Food Service and Accommodation sectors as defined by the 2007 NAICS. For these establishments we extract sales, payroll, employment, name and address information, as well as primary identifiers and, for establishments owned by multiunit firms, associated EINs. To create the sampling units for multiunit firms, we aggregate the economic data of the establishments owned by these firms to an EIN level by tabulating the establishment data for all retail establishments associated with the same EIN. Similarly, we aggregate the data to a multiunit firm level by tabulating the establishment data for all retail establishments associated with the same alpha number. No aggregation is necessary to put single-unit establishment information on an EIN basis or a firm basis. Thus, the sampling units created for single-unit firms simultaneously represent establishment, EIN, and firm information. In summary, the sampling frame is a complex amalgam of establishments, EINs, and firms.
Stratification, Sampling Rates, and Allocation
The primary stratification of the sampling frame is by industry group based on the detail required for publication. We further stratify the sampling units within industry group by a measure of size (substratify) related to their annual sales. Sampling units expected to have a large effect on the precision of the estimates are selected "with certainty." This means they are sure to be selected and will represent only themselves (i.e., have a selection probability of 1 and a sampling weight of 1). Within each industry stratum, we determine a substratum boundary (or cutoff) that divides the certainty units from the noncertainty units. We base these cutoffs on a statistical analysis of data from the 2007 Economic Census. Accordingly, these values are on a 2007 sales basis. We also used this analysis to determine the number of size substrata for each industry stratum and to set preliminary sampling rates needed to achieve specified sampling variability constraints on sales estimates for different industry groups. The size substrata and sampling rates are later updated through analysis of the sampling frame.
The first step in the sample selection identified firms selected with certainty. If a firm's annual sales or end-of-year inventories were greater than the corresponding certainty cutoff, that firm was selected into the ARTS sample with certainty.
All firms not selected with certainty were subjected to sampling on an EIN basis. If a firm had more than one EIN, we treated each of its EINs as a separate sampling unit. To be eligible for the initial sampling, an EIN had to have nonzero payroll in 2009. The EINs were stratified according to their major industry and their estimated sales (on a 2007 basis). Within each noncertainty stratum, a simple random sample of EINs was selected without replacement. The selected noncertainty EINs were divided into two approximately equal groups. One group is canvassed for both the monthly and the annual survey, the other group is canvassed for only the annual survey.
Periodically, we update the sample to represent EINs issued since the initial sample selection. These new EINs, called births, are EINs, recently assigned by the IRS, that have an active payroll filing requirement on the IRS Business Master File (BMF). An active payroll filing requirement indicates that the EIN is required to file payroll for the next quarterly period. The Social Security Administration attempts to assign industry classification to each new EIN.
EINs with an active payroll filing requirement on the IRS Business Master File are considered to be "BMF active" and EINs with an inactive payroll filing requirement are said to be "BMF inactive."
EIN births are sampled on a quarterly basis using a two-phase selection procedure. To be eligible for selection, a birth must either have no industry classification or be classified in an industry within the scope of the Service Annual Survey, the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey, or the Annual Retail Trade Survey, and it must meet certain criteria regarding its quarterly payroll. In the first phase, births are stratified by broad industry groups and a measure of size based on quarterly payroll. A relatively large sample is selected using equal probability systematic sampling within the payroll strata. The selected births are canvassed to obtain a more reliable measure of size, consisting of sales in two recent months, company affiliation information, and a new or more detailed industry classification code. Births that have not returned their questionnaire after 30 days are contacted by telephone.
Using this more reliable information, the selected births from the first phase are subjected to probability proportional-to-size sampling with overall probabilities equivalent to those used in drawing the initial ARTS sample from the Business Register. Because of the time it takes for a new employer firm to acquire an EIN from the IRS, and because of the time needed to accomplish the two-phase birth-selection procedure, births are added to the samples approximately nine months after they begin operation.
Births that are selected in the quarterly birth-selection procedure in November of the annual survey reference year are included in the initial mailing of the annual survey questionnaires in January of the following year. To better represent all EIN births in the reference year, and specifically to account for the lag between the time a business starts operation and the time it takes to acquire an EIN and identify and select the EIN into the ARTS sample, births are added to the annual survey sample that are selected in February, May, and August of the year following the annual survey reference year. We mail annual survey forms to these births in June and August to supplement the initial annual survey mailings.
To be eligible for the sample canvass and tabulation, an EIN selected in the noncertainty sampling operations must meet both of the following requirements:
If a firm was selected with certainty and had more than one establishment at the time of initial sampling, any new establishments that the firm acquires, even if under new or different EINs, are included in the sample with certainty. However, if a single-unit firm was selected with certainty, only future establishments associated with that firm's originally-selected EIN are included in the sample with certainty; any new EINs that might later be associated with that firm are subjected to sampling through the quarterly birth-selection procedure.
Each quarter, we check against the current Business Register to determine if any EINs on ARTS have become BMF inactive. Typically, we do not canvass BMF inactive EINs during the reference year. Likewise, if any EIN on ARTS that was BMF inactive in a previous reference year is now BMF active on the current Business Register, we again include these EINs in the canvass. In both cases, we only tabulate data for that portion of the reference year that these EINs reported payroll to the IRS.
Singleunit EINs selected into the sample with certainty are not dropped from canvass and tabulation if they are no longer on the IRS mailing list. Rather, the firm that used the EIN is contacted, and if a successor EIN is found, it is added to the survey. For both inactive and reactivated EINs, data are tabulated for only the portion of the reference year that these EINs reported payroll to the IRS.
Estimation and Sampling Variance
Total estimates are computed using the Horvitz-Thompson estimator (i.e., as the sum of weighted data (reported or imputed) for all selected sampling units that meet the sample canvass and tabulation criteria). The weight for a given sampling unit is the reciprocal of its probability of selection into the ARTS sample. These estimates are input to a benchmarking procedure, as described below. Variances are estimated using the method of random groups and are used to determine if measured changes are statistically significant.
Annual estimates prior to 1999 are derived from data that were collected and published based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. For a description of how these estimates were derived, see: http://www2.census.gov/retail/releases/benchmark/annpub00.pdf
Because of the method used to derive annual estimates prior to 1999, these estimates should be used with caution. It is expected that for estimates for NAICS codes, that, by definition, are the same or nearly the same as a given SIC code, the quality of the estimates will be similar to that of the estimates released on an SIC basis. Estimates may be of less quality for NAICS codes that consist of more than one SIC component. Additionally, for reference years further from 1997, estimates are likely of less quality than for those years close to 1997. Note, however, that estimated year-to-year changes for 1992 through 1998 are dependent on the underlying SIC-based year-to-year changes. Year-to-year changes for 1999 and subsequent years are derived from data collected on a NAICS basis.
Special caution should be exercised when using the end-of-year retail inventory estimates prior to 1999. Retail inventory data has historically been analyzed at much broader industry levels than for sales. Determining clear relationships between NAICS and SIC codes was much more difficult at broader levels.
Firms without paid employees (nonemployers) are included in the ARTS estimates through administrative data provided by other Federal agencies and through imputation. Imputed nonemployer estimates for reference year 2012 have been updated to reflect values published by the Nonemployer Statistics program where applicable. ARTS nonemployer estimates for reference year 2013 are imputed because values from the Nonemployer Statistics program are not yet available.
ARTS estimates of total and detailed expenses and accounts receivable are not affected by this revision as these estimates are based only on employer businesses.
The current sample was introduced with the 2011 ARTS. This sample is designed to produce estimates based on the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to maintain the time series for each industry, an operation was performed to link estimates from the prior and new samples. For the linking operation to occur, two years of data were collected (2010 and 2011) from units in the new sample. The linking is done so that the new sample estimates are implicitly benchmarked using results of the 2007 Economic Census. For more information on how the samples were linked and what was changed between samples, see the methodology section of the archived 2011 ARTS release.
Because the ARTS sample is selected from a sampling frame of firms with paid employees, the following methodology, which is used to link the samples, is applied to employer-only estimates. Then, the published ARTS estimates are obtained by summing the estimates for employers and nonemployers. See the "Nonemployers" section for more details.
Sales estimates from the new sample for reference year 2010 and subsequent years are linked to the prior sample estimates by multiplying the Horvitz-Thompson estimates from the new sample by a ratio. The ratio is calculated as follows:
The resulting sales estimates (call these "modified" sales estimates) are implicitly benchmarked to 2007 Economic Census results via this linking procedure.
The following method is used to produce "modified" estimates for the following items: end-of-year inventories and purchases. First the sales ratio described above is multiplied by the Horvitz-Thompson estimate for the given item for 2010 and subsequent years. Then the estimates for 2004 through 2010 from the prior sample are input into the benchmarking program. Using this program, the estimates for 2005 through 2010 for each detailed industry are revised in a manner that:
A similar method is used to produce "modified" estimates for total expenses and inventories held outside the U.S. For total expenses, the benchmarked estimate for 2006 from the prior sample is used as a constraint because total expenses were not collected as part of ARTS for 2004 or 2005. For inventories held outside the U.S., the estimates are benchmarked at the 3-digit NAICS aggregate industry levels because detail industry estimates can be very small. Inventories held inside the U.S. are calculated by subtraction from "modified" total inventory.
Sales tax estimates for 2010 and subsequent years are "modified" by first multiplying the Horvitz-Thompson estimate of sales tax by the sales ratio described above. Estimates for 2009 and earlier years are linked to the new sample estimates by multiplying the Horvitz-Thompson sales tax estimates from the prior sample by a ratio. The ratio is calculated for each detailed industry as follows:
Total accounts receivable estimates for 2009 and earlier years are linked to the new sample estimates by multiplying the Horvitz-Thompson accounts receivable estimates from the prior sample by a ratio. The ratio is calculated as follows:
Open-end and Closed-end accounts receivable estimates are raked to the "modified" total accounts receivable to ensure they sum properly to the total.
For e-commerce estimates, other than NAICS 4541 (Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses), the following method is used to produce "modified" estimates. First the sales ratio described above is multiplied by the Horvitz-Thompson e-commerce estimate for 2010 and subsequent years. Because these e-commerce estimates tend to make up a small percentage of total e-commerce and are subject to larger dollar volume revisions across samples, a longer revision span was chosen to better minimize the revisions to the year-to-year percent changes. The estimates for 1998 through 2010 from the prior sample are input into the benchmarking program. Using this program, the estimates for 1999 through 2010 for each detailed industry are revised in a manner that:
For NAICS 4541 (Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses) e-commerce estimates, the above methodology is applied using the benchmarked estimate for 2004 from the prior sample as a constraint rather than 1998. Modified merchandise lines sales and e-commerce estimates within the NAICS 4541 industry group for 2005 and subsequent years are then obtained using methodology similar to that used for inventories and purchases.
Modified estimates at aggregate industry levels are computed by summing the modified estimates for the appropriate detailed industries comprising the aggregates.
Benchmarking to 2012 Economic Census
Preliminary results of the 2012 Economic Census are now available and are used to benchmark the ARTS sales estimates. The modified estimates described above are input to the benchmarking program. Using this program, the modified sales estimates for 2008 through 2013 are revised in a manner that:
Refer to the estimates output from the benchmarking operation as "benchmarked." All of the 2007 Economic Census constraints, with one exception, remain unchanged, which guarantees 2007 modified sales estimates are not revised. The one exception is described in the "Revisions" section.
A method similar to the one for benchmarking sales is used to benchmark end-of-year inventories, purchases, expenses, and e-commerce estimates. The modified estimates for 2007 through 2013 for these items are revised in a manner that:
The output of this step represents the "benchmarked" estimates for these items. Note that while modified estimates for these items are revised further back than 2007, the definition of the 2007 constraint guarantees no revisions on or prior to that year in this step, since the ratio of benchmarked sales to modified sales for 2007 will be equal to one.
Benchmarked estimates for sales tax for a detailed industry are calculated by taking the modified estimate for each year and multiplying it by the ratio of benchmarked sales to modified sales for the same year.
For the Electronic Shopping and Mail Order Houses industry group (NAICS 4541), benchmarked merchandise lines sales estimates are calculated by taking the modified estimates for each year and multiplying by the ratio of benchmarked sales to modified sales for the same year. Benchmarked merchandise lines e-commerce estimates are created using the same method, replacing the sales ratio with the ratio of benchmarked e-commerce to modified e-commerce.
No revisions are made to estimates for accounts receivable after the modified estimates described in the previous section.
Benchmarked estimates at aggregate industry levels are computed by summing the benchmarked estimates for the appropriate detailed industries comprising the aggregate.
A revision to the 2007 Economic Census was released affecting NAICS 443112 (Radio, Television, and Other Electronics Stores). While this revised Census value could have been used as the 2007 constraint in the benchmarking process described in the previous section, that process would not have revised earlier year estimates to properly account for the new difference between 2002 and 2007 Census values.
To better integrate the revised Census value, the benchmarking step from the 2010 ARTS, the last year of the previous sample, was recalculated using the new Census value. These results were then used as new inputs to the steps described in the "Linking Samples" section above.
For more information on the benchmarking methodology used in this revision, see the 2010 ARTS methodology document: http://www2.census.gov/retail/releases/historical/arts/2010_ARTS_summary_of_changes_and_methodology.pdf
The published estimates may differ from the actual, but unknown, population values. For a particular estimate, statisticians define this difference as the total error of the estimate. When describing the accuracy of survey results, it is convenient to discuss total error as the sum of sampling error and nonsampling error. Sampling error is the error arising from the use of a sample, rather than a census, to estimate population values. Nonsampling error encompasses all other factors that contribute to the total error of a sample survey estimate. The sampling error of an estimate can usually be estimated from the sample; whereas, the nonsampling error of an estimate is difficult to measure and can rarely be estimated. Consequently, the actual error in an estimate exceeds the error that can be estimated. Further descriptions of sampling error and nonsampling error are provided in the following sections. Data users should take into account the estimates of sampling error and the potential effects of nonsampling error when using the published estimates.
Because the estimates are based on a sample, exact agreement with results that would be obtained from a complete enumeration of firms on the sampling frame using the same enumeration procedures is not expected. However, because each firm on the sampling frame has a known probability of being selected into the sample, it is possible to estimate the sampling variability of the survey estimates.
The particular sample used in this survey is one of a large number of samples of the same size that could have been selected using the same design. If all possible samples had been surveyed under the same conditions, an estimate of a population parameter of interest could have been obtained from each sample. For the parameter of interest, estimates derived from the different samples would, in general, differ from each other. Common measures of the variability among these estimates are the sampling variance, the standard error, and the coefficient of variation (CV). The sampling variance is defined as the squared difference, averaged over all possible samples of the same size and design, between the estimator and its average value. The standard error is the square root of the sampling variance. The CV expresses the standard error as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers. For example, an estimate of 200 units that has an estimated standard error of 10 units has an estimated CV of 5 percent. The sampling variance, standard error, and CV of an estimate can be estimated from the selected sample because the sample was selected using probability sampling. Note that measures of sampling variability, such as the standard error and CV, are estimated from the sample and are also subject to sampling variability. (Technically, we should refer to the estimated standard error or the estimated CV of an estimator. However, for the sake of brevity we have omitted this detail.) It is important to note that the standard error and CV only measure sampling variability. They do not measure any systematic biases in the estimates.
The Census Bureau recommends that individuals using published estimates incorporate this information into their analyses, as sampling error could affect the conclusions drawn from these estimates.
The estimate from a particular sample and its associated standard error can be used to construct a confidence interval. A confidence interval is a range about a given estimator that has a specified probability of containing the average of the estimates for the parameter derived from all possible samples of the same size and design. Associated with each interval is a percentage of confidence, which is interpreted as follows. If, for each possible sample, an estimate of a population parameter and its approximate standard error were obtained and using a t-statistic with 15 (16 random groups - 1) degrees of freedom, then:
To illustrate the computation of a confidence interval for an estimate of total sales, assume that an estimate of total sales is $10,750 million and the CV for this estimate is 1.8 percent, or 0.018. First obtain the standard error of the estimate by multiplying the total sales estimate by its CV. For this example, multiply $10,750 million by 0.018. This yields a standard error of $193.5 million. The upper and lower bounds of the 90-percent confidence interval are computed as $10,750 million plus or minus 1.75 times $193.5 million. Consequently, the 90-percent confidence interval is $10,411 million to $11,089 million. If corresponding confidence intervals were constructed for all possible samples of the same size and design, approximately 9 out of 10 (90 percent) of these intervals would contain the average of the estimates derived from all possible samples.
Nonsampling error encompasses all other factors, other than sampling error, that contribute to the total error of a sample survey estimate and may also occur in censuses. It is often helpful to think of nonsampling error as arising from deficiencies or mistakes in the survey process. Nonsampling errors are difficult to measure and can be attributed to many sources: the inclusion of erroneous units in the survey (overcoverage), the exclusion of eligible units from the survey (undercoverage), nonresponse, misreporting, mistakes in recording and coding responses, misinterpretation of questions, and other errors of collection, response, coverage, or processing. Although nonsampling error is not measured directly, the Census Bureau employs quality control procedures throughout the process to minimize this type of error.
A potential source of bias in the estimates is nonresponse. Nonresponse is defined as the inability to obtain all the intended measurements or responses about all selected units. Two types of nonresponse are often distinguished. Unit nonresponse is used to describe the inability to obtain any of the substantive measurements about a sampled unit. In most cases of unit nonresponse, the questionnaire was never returned to the Census Bureau after several attempts to elicit a response. Item nonresponse occurs either when a question is unanswered or the response to the question fails computer or analyst edits.
Economic surveys at the Census Bureau are required to compute two different types of response rates: a unit response rate and weighted item response rates. Read more[PDF] about ARTS response rates (including the 2013 rates).
An estimate with a coefficient of variation (CV) greater than 30 percent or with a total quantity response rate (TQRR) less than 50 percent has been suppressed from publication, unless the estimate has consistently been published for prior years and the CV and TQRR are acceptably close to the thresholds. A suppressed estimate and its corresponding measure of sampling variability has been replaced with an "S" in the published tables. For a description of the Census Bureau's standards for Releasing Information Products, see https://www.census.gov/quality/standards/standardf1.html
Further explanation of the quality of the data and the estimates can be made available upon request.


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Many years ago, I wrote about the disadvantages of Windows 3.1 because I started noticing people searching for that. Now, I see people asking the same question about Windows 98. I spent 9 months of my life ripping Windows 98 apart and putting it back together again and writing about it, so I know it well.
As much of an improvement as Windows 98 was over Windows 3.1, it, too, is feeling the effects of time. Windows 98SE was the best of the Windows 9x series (better than its successor, Windows ME), but there are better things to run today.
Plug and Play in Windows 98 still had some problems. You'd plug stuff in, find a conflict, and mess around for a few hours trying to eliminate the conflict. I never had that happen in Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Never. In 12 years of using Windows 2000 and XP, the only trouble I ever had was with a Firewire card, which I resolved by installing drivers for a different brand of Firewire card. Then it recognized the card with the correct drivers. I have no idea why that worked. But that's the only problem I've had. In Windows 98, I had weird problems like that all the time.
And in Windows 98, USB just never completely worked right. Usually it did. But when it didn't, it was hard to figure out why. In Windows 2000 and XP, USB devices just work. They may need a driver, but they'll find the driver and then go.
Newer versions of Windows are a lot more stable. Windows 98 still has DOS at its core, and a badly behaved program can pull the rug out from under the whole operating system. Windows 2000 and later versions have memory protection, which keeps badly behaved programs from interfering with the operating system itself. I can run XP systems for months without rebooting them and they won't crash.
A lot of newer software just doesn't run on Windows 98 anymore. None of the new web browsers will–Firefox 2.00.20 is the newest browser that will run on it, and that's 2006 technology. The current generation of web browsers is much faster, much more secure, and has more and more features that web designers are relying on. As time goes on, fewer and fewer web pages will display properly on Firefox 2 on Windows 98.
Most antivirus software won't run anymore either. And you need antivirus software, because most viruses do run just fine on Windows 98. Needing protection and not being able to get it is a bad thing.
If that's not bad enough, Microsoft hasn't released security updates for Windows 98 or 98SE in many, many years. So old viruses and exploits that no longer have any effect on newer versions of Windows still work on Windows 98 and SE.
Similarly, a lot of newer hardware doesn't have drivers for Windows 98. Windows XP has been out for nearly 10 years now, and it's the oldest thing most hardware manufacturers want to support.
I know performance was a big concern, and part of the reason for people sticking with 98 back at the turn of the century. That's not so big of a deal now. Yes, Windows 98 will run better on a 400 MHz PC than Windows 2000 or XP would. But faster computers are cheap now. You can get used PCs in the 2 GHz range, with XP installed on them, for $50-$100 rather easily. Once you get into the 2 GHz range with 1 GB of RAM, Windows XP can easily outrun Windows 98 or SE. Bugs in Windows 98 make it impossible, without tweaking, to address more than 512 MB of RAM, and even with tweaks, it's limited to 2 GB. Windows 2000 and XP can address about 3.5 GB. The exact amount depends on the computer's hardware configuration.
I've heard Windows 98SE referred to as "tried and true" by adherents, but Windows 2000 and XP can legitimately make the same claim. The Windows NT kernel at the heart of newer Windows operating systems has been around since the early 1990s and it's proven reliable. I'll admit to not being all that impressed with XP when it came out, but it really came into its own with the service packs. When running legitimate, clean software–not pirated, and not spyware-infested freebies–I can go for years between system crashes. When I was running 98, I experienced system crashes a couple of times a week. I run my systems hard. Right at the moment, I have four different programs running, and that's unusual for me. Usually I have more like 12 things running at once. An XP system with a couple of gigs of RAM won't flinch at that load.
If you want to run late 1990s software on a late 1990s computer, then sure, Windows 98 or SE is a great choice for that. You'll get a true to the era experience, and that's precisely what some hobbyists want.
But for general computing use, Windows 98's time has passed. Especially considering the low cost of computers capable of running XP. For that matter, brand-new PCs with Windows 7 installed cost less today than anything from the Windows 98 era cost when it was new.
Frankly, if you can afford to do it, getting a new computer with more than 4 GB of RAM and 64-bit Windows 7 would be a good move. 64-bit computing isn't mainstream yet in 2011, but its time is coming, and it promises better reliability, better security, and, eventually, increased performance. But even a $50 used XP computer will be a nice big step forward.