text:
Embryos in Legal Limbo: The Beginning
Ten hours before Augusta Roman's in vitro fertilization appointment at the Center of Reproductive Medicine, in Webster, Texas, her husband, Randy, announced that he had changed his mind. It was April 19, 2002, and Augusta, a registered nurse, had been resting in her nightgown on their floral-patterned living room sofa, watching the evening news. She was tired but excited. The next day was to be the culmination of nearly four years of temperature monitoring and scheduled intimacy, unsuccessful artificial inseminations, and painful fallopian tube surgery.
At 40, Augusta believed that in vitro was her last chance to have the baby she wanted so badly. Two days before, 13 eggs had been harvested from her ovarian follicles. Combined in the lab with Randy's sperm, six of the eggs had become viable embryos, which were to be implanted in her uterus the next morning. When Randy, a NASA technician, backed out, Augusta felt as if her world were spinning out of control. But she says she knew even then that she would do whatever it took to implant her embryos.
While Augusta and Randy fought that night, the seeds of their divorce and the Roman v. Roman embryo-custody proceedings — now heading for Texas Supreme Court — were stirring to life. And as the case wends its way through the legal system, the arguments that divided the Romans hang in the air in a debate that affects a growing number of midlife women.
We are, after all, the primary customers for assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF. Back when we were in our 20s, "choice" meant having both the means and the legal right to prevent an unwanted birth. Many of us now feel that choice also means the ability to have a baby at 40, or 45, or even 50 and beyond.
But…does Augusta Roman's desire to bring these embryos to term transcend Randy Roman's change of heart about becoming a father? Are embryos simply community property to be divvied up in a divorce tussle, as if they were a car or a plasma TV? Or are they budding lives? Augusta insists they are, in fact, children, offspring that she has a maternal duty, a parental right, to protect. At the fertility clinic, the Romans had initialed an agreement saying the embryos would be discarded if they divorced. So maybe the answer is as simple as enforcing that contract. Or should courts favor the woman because her window of biological opportunity is so much narrower than a man's?
The Desire & Struggle to Have a Family
Sitting at her dining room table, smoothing the crisp white cloth with long, nervous fingers, Augusta speaks of the agony she experienced in her job as an intensive care nurse until she made peace with the idea of mortality — both her own and that of others. "Life is fragile," she says. "I was crying every time someone died. Watching the family go through it is the hardest. Sometimes I say to them, 'I'm not abandoning you, but I have to step away.'"
Yet she can't step away from her embryos. "People ask me why I fight, ...I don't want to be a poster child." But, she adds, "I made a mistake when I initialed that contract."
When Augusta was a girl, one of seven siblings in a bustling Nigerian household with a father who was a school principal and a mother who traded goods in the local market, she wanted to be a flight attendant. "I liked the hat and the uniform," she says, sitting in the house that she is willing to sell, if necessary, to pay her legal bills. A rare smile, raised by the childhood memories, softens her strong features. Most of the time, she appears stuck in the fog of disbelief that descended the night Randy changed his mind.
Augusta was 22 in 1983, when she left her home country for Houston. There she juggled plates as a Denny's waitress and worked as a healthcare aide to pay for her nursing studies at Texas Woman's University. Her graduation, in 1992, meant more money to send home to Nigeria. But her American dream was about more than a career: It included a family and children of her own.
Around Christmastime in 1996, long after a brief first marriage had ended, Augusta began chatting with a man she met at the gym. They made an unlikely couple. Augusta was in peak condition, having earned a master's degree in fitness after completing her nursing studies, whereas Randy seemed the stereotypical techie, slender and pale. He'd recently arrived from California to work under contract for NASA.
"He espoused my values and religious beliefs; he had what I was looking for in a husband," says Augusta, who was baptized in the Anglican Church. "I was going on 35. We had both gone through this dating stuff, and we thought, 'We know what we want, so why not get married?'"
Six months after they started dating, they did. They bought the house in Webster in part because one bedroom was already decorated in blue, for a boy, and another in pink, for a girl.
Life together was quiet. They weren't church- or moviegoers, but they enjoyed dinner out and reading the Bible. On weekends, they explored neighborhoods more upscale than their own, fantasizing about where they would move as their children grew. In 1999, Augusta was thrilled when she became pregnant, then devastated when she miscarried at 10 weeks. "I thought maybe I was on my feet working too much," she says. She had no reason to doubt her fertility: Augusta had terminated two unwanted pregnancies when she was a young woman in Nigeria. But by 2000 it had become apparent that having a family wasn't going to happen naturally, so Augusta began taking hormones to stimulate her ovaries. "Getting older added so much pressure," she says.
In 2001, Augusta underwent a series of unsuccessful artificial insemination treatments, then a painful dye test to examine her fallopian tubes, followed by laparoscopic surgery to remove scar tissue. She still couldn't conceive. "With each new test I was so hopeful," she says. "Then to be disappointed every time was really tough. But I didn't think about giving up. This was America. They have technology. I was going to try everything that we could afford."
Bleak Odds for Pregnancy
Five years ago, when she was 40, Augusta Roman's odds of becoming pregnant with the help of a fertility specialist were 20 to 25 percent, according to her clinic doctor, Vicki Schnell. Now, even if Augusta is awarded the embryos and they survive thawing, the odds of her conceiving will have dropped to around 10 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control, only 16.5 percent of non-donor frozen embryo transfers result in live births among women age 41 to 42 (the CDC doesn't track this statistic for older would-be mothers). The likelihood of a successful midlife pregnancy is even lower when you factor in the women who drop out simply because they don't have enough viable eggs (which is why older women are increasingly reliant on eggs donated by women in their 20s and early 30s).
Those bleak odds did not weigh heavily on Augusta's mind on the warm March day in 2002 when she and Randy initialed a sheaf of consent forms in a small room at the Center of Reproductive Medicine. The couple signed off on potential embryo-transfer medical risks, such as infection and multiple gestations. The paperwork also stated that each embryo was considered joint property "based on currently accepted principles." When asked to decide on "disposition" of this property should the couple divorce, both Randy and Augusta initialed the box giving the clinic permission to discard the embryos.
Cognizant of couples' giddy, baby-centered state of mind, Schnell, who is the center's founder and director, always includes a cover letter stressing the importance of reading the forms carefully. "I've had people who want to initial everything and not read it," she says. "I will not let them do that." Her consent forms also warned of possible psychological strains that high-tech baby-making can put on a marriage. "There have been cases where it does bring them to the edge of divorce," she says. "But it's usually well before [egg] retrieval."
Schnell recommends that couples go to at least one counseling session before they undergo IVF. The Romans chose not to, and Schnell did not force the issue. Later, in court, Randy (who declined to be interviewed for this article) would testify that Augusta didn't think they needed it. That's correct, she says, "but from his treatment and support of me, I thought we were in it together. There was no doubt in my mind. And who would think about divorce when you're trying to have a baby, with your husband encouraging you?"
After Randy broke the news, Augusta, in shock but still hopeful that he would apologize and relent, administered her hormone shot. Neither of them slept, she says. But this was not a case of temporary cold feet. For two years, it turned out, her husband had harbored secret doubts about their relationship. "In my heart, there was just this little nagging, this little tweak going on that something here isn't right," Randy would say later in court. He added how much he regretted waiting so long to speak his mind. Learning of the couple's impasse and expecting them to enter counseling, the fertility center put the three embryos that had developed enough to undergo freezing into a liquid-nitrogen storage tank. "I was thinking, 'Okay, maybe we'll come out of this stronger, with more maturity,'" Augusta says.
But the counseling sessions — first with a therapist, then with a pastor — foundered. Suddenly, Augusta says, the husband she thought had admired her for her strength was claiming that he needed to regain control of the family. "He said, 'Maybe if we had sex, the counseling would go faster,'" she recalls. "Now I'm going to give him sex to negotiate for a successful counseling session?"
Augusta persisted: "I said, 'We have our whole life to learn about each other. That's what marriage is about.'" According to Randy's testimony, however, her admonishments sounded more like "Get with the program, or get out." It was her threat of divorce, he testified, that coaxed him back to Vicki Schnell's office. Once again, they signed consent forms. But Randy still appeared to have mixed feelings, so Schnell asked the Romans' therapists to weigh in. They raised a red flag.
"The counselors said there was nothing they could do," Augusta says.
Divorce & a Bitter Embryo Custody Battle
Somehow, Augusta and Randy coexisted in the same house, eating together but sleeping in separate rooms: "I tried to make things as normal as possible," she says. Finally, in December 2002, Randy filed for divorce. In the settlement, Augusta got the house and Randy got the 32-inch Sony TV and some furniture. The embryos' fate was still to be decided.
"I think Augusta absolutely deserves to have them," says her lawyer, Rebecca Reitz. "I just don't think the in vitro process should create the veto that the law seems to give men over women. The effect has been that the husband can say, 'I don't want you to have this child.'"
Reitz is 52 and intense, with white-blond hair, lively blue eyes, and a throaty voice. A former dental hygienist, she earned a law degree at 40 after promising her attorney husband, who is 18 years older, that she'd take care of him forever if he'd put her through law school. She jokes that she once took on clients only if they liked her King Charles spaniel. But she warmed to Augusta within minutes of speaking with her. There was, undeniably, the intriguing possibility of making Texas law where none existed. But equally significant, Reitz says, was Augusta's sincerity.
"She has a quiet, simple desire to have her child," Reitz says, adding that if Augusta were pregnant — by any means — "Randy Roman could not have forced her to have an abortion or to give the child up for adoption."
In February 2004, the Romans finally went head-to-head in a bench trial before the Honorable Lisa A. Millard, whose Harris County courtroom is decorated with drawings by her grandchildren. Reitz argued, among other things, that her client believed that life begins at conception. (Augusta now deeply regrets her two abortions and sees her current infertility as some sort of divine retribution.) By not awarding Augusta the embryos, Reitz said, the court would be denying the plaintiff her constitutional right to procreate.
"If you are not awarded these embryos to implant in your womb, do you believe you'll ever have children of your own?" Reitz asked her client. "I don't," Augusta replied.
When Randy's lawyer, Gregory Enos, asked her about adoption as an alternative, she again stressed her desire for a biological child and her firm conviction that the embryos were her children.
As for the agreement Augusta and Randy had signed with the Center of Reproductive Medicine, Augusta said she thought it was with the clinic, not between her and Randy. In addition, she testified, one section of the document referred to "remaining" embryos. Augusta says that when she checked the box, she thought she was agreeing to discard embryos left over after an implantation. And that implantation had never occurred.
Augusta was willing to relieve Randy of financial and emotional responsibility for any children that resulted from her pregnancy and to keep his name off their birth certificates. But when questioned by Enos, Randy testified that he hadn't intended to be a mere sperm donor and was greatly disturbed by the thought of Augusta raising his children alone. "I believe in the traditional nuclear family," he said.
If the court did award Augusta custody of the embryos, he would take responsibility for any children, he said. But, he added, "[the embryos] were not created to be used against my wishes." "[Why] would it matter to you that she's out there with children that have your DNA?" Enos asked.
"I could not bear the emotional consequences of being forced out of my child's life," Randy replied. "And if my DNA does bring a child in[to] this world, I would want to be a father in every sense of the word, such as financial, emotional, spiritual, soccer, Little League, everything else in between."
Rather than asking to discard the embryos, Randy was now requesting permanent cryopreservation. "Is it just easier on your conscience to have them frozen forever instead of having them destroyed?" Reitz asked. Enos objected, and Millard sustained before Randy had a chance to answer.
The judge announced that she would read her ruling on the embryos at 9:00 the following morning. Augusta was held up in traffic. Millard sidestepped the constitutional issues and the sticky question of when life begins. She treated the embryos as community property, and she awarded them to Augusta. Reitz met Augusta in the hallway, told her the news, and the two women hugged. Then Augusta, weeping, entered the courtroom and repeatedly thanked Judge Millard.
The case was far from over, however. Almost immediately, Randy Roman appealed the court's ruling. The embryos remain in storage, where they have been ordered kept pending all appeals.
The Bigger Picture: Embryos in Divorce Cases
There are now estimated to be close to half a million frozen embryos in the United States. Although President Bush has declared embryos to be "unique and genetically complete, like every other human being," there is no national policy defining what, exactly, they are in the eyes of the law. Thus, there is no policy about what to do with any "leftovers." Are they property or human life? Potential life, because they can't thrive outside the womb? Or "microscopic Americans," as the conservative newspaper columnist Deroy Murdock has called them?
So far, the half-dozen state supreme courts that have handed down opinions about embryos in divorce cases have sided with the individual's right not to be forced into parenthood. The first such case, in Tennessee, came closest to clarifying the status of embryos. It was 1992 — still early in the era of IVF treatment — and Junior and Mary Sue Davis hadn't signed an agreement. When they divorced, the lower court boldly declared their embryos "human beings" and gave them to Mary Sue. Junior appealed, and the Tennessee supreme court decided in his favor, stating that the partner who didn't want to procreate should generally prevail, an opinion that courts in subsequent cases across the country have followed. The court also declared embryos neither human nor property, but "occupying an interim category deserving a special respect." It ordered them destroyed.
No one tracks exactly how many couples divorce before their embryo implants take place. Usually such disputes are resolved informally, says Barbara Katz Rothman, a sociology professor at Baruch College and author of Recreating Motherhood. "Cases don't come up when things are going well," she says. "So you always end up with crappy, weird, unusual situations when everything else in the world that usually works" — from informal negotiations between the couple to the pressures and pleadings of family and friends — "has failed. It's not particularly sensible for these cases to be used as the basis for judging what happens to everybody else."
One case that began with discord yet didn't become a state supreme court battle was that of Allison Le Compte, 46, owner of a Houston human resources management company, whose divorce became final in 2005. Le Compte's attorney husband wanted to keep the 13 remaining embryos from two IVF cycles (which had produced their three children). Le Compte wanted to donate the embryos. "I was a little hesitant about giving mine up to an infertile couple," she says. "But I knew I was done." The divorce was so contentious that ultimately Le Compte decided to let the issue slide. She hasn't even called the clinic to see whether the embryos remain in storage. But she can sympathize with Augusta. "Bless her heart. I don't blame her," Le Compte says. "Genetically, she knows what she's got, and those were her children."
This past February, to Augusta's dismay, Texas's first court of appeals overturned Lisa Millard's ruling and ordered the Romans' embryos destroyed, based on the clinic contract they signed. The court did not address Randy Roman's claim that he shouldn't be forced to father children he didn't want. In March, claiming that the appellate court had misinterpreted the contract and failed to weigh Augusta's interests against Randy's, Pamela George (a former law school professor of Reitz's) filed a motion for the court to rehear the case. By donating his sperm, she also argued, Randy had already consented to fatherhood, and it was too late for him to change is mind. The court declined a rehearing. As MORE went to press, Augusta's legal team was preparing an application to the state supreme court.
There is conflicting legislation in Texas regarding the status of embryos, says Reitz. "The penal code has recently been amended to state that life begins at the point of conception for the purpose of prosecuting people who cause a fetus to die by killing or injuring its mother. But embryos created with the IVF process are not subject to the penal code. And the family code does not view frozen embryos as children…. They're considered property." If Augusta's bid to appear before the Texas supreme court is granted, it will be the first such case to reach that level in the state. Reitz hopes it will be a legislative call to arms to give fertilized embryos protected status.
"The law is having trouble keeping up with technology," she says. If the motion is declined, Augusta will have to decide if she wants to take her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Despite the fact that she supports Augusta's contention that life begins at conception, Rebecca Reitz is pro-choice. Roe v. Wade, she asserts, guarantees a right to reproductive privacy that, in essence, runs both ways. "Our legislatures cannot require us to have an abortion," she says. "So I don't think it should be any different than if Augusta had gotten pregnant any other way. Life has been created."
If you buy the argument that judges should not require a woman to "abort" an embryo, implanted or not, what about the notion that a man should not be required to produce children against his will?
"I understand the argument — 'I'm not in love with this woman anymore, and I need a complete break,'" says Ellen Waldman, a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, in San Diego. "But when you weigh that against the individual looking for this very special relationship [with a child], which is not easy to create, I don't think the argument measures up." She suggests that judges consider the human yearning for childbearing, then weigh possible alternatives before awarding embryo custody — adoption, perhaps, or donor eggs or sperm. Ultimately, they could create a "last chance" standard for someone looking at his or her only option for having a biological child.
This line of thinking alarms Theresa Erickson, a 40-year-old San Diego attorney who specializes in reproductive law. Years ago, as a married law school student with two children, Erickson became a repeat egg donor herself, and she sympathizes with infertile women. But, she says, "if we make rulings that say, 'If it's her only embryo, let her use it,' then we may step into an era where, if a woman wants to have an abortion, then the man could have a similar right to weigh in. It's a slippery slope."
A slippery slope where, theoretically, a man claiming a constitutional right to parenthood might be able to implant an embryo made with his ex-wife's egg in another woman.
And yet, isn't that eerily similar to what Randy Roman wants to avoid? "There's an element of rape or assault if someone makes a child with your gamete without your permission," insists Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. "If a divorced couple can't agree, then it shouldn't be used," he says.
That buzzing noise you hear? It's the sound of King Solomon's head spinning.
This is not where Augusta, who now uses her maiden name of Nzoiwu, expected to be at midlife — without a family and in a state of limbo, her biological options running out. "I'm consumed with getting my kids and moving on," she says, rubbing wearily at her face. Her court fight leaves her little free time. At one point she held down three jobs to pay legal fees that have now mounted to more than $60,000. "Catching up on sleep, that's my lightening up," she says. "Dating is the last thing on my mind."
Reitz has stopped billing her, but Augusta charged $15,000 to her credit card to pay for Pamela George's appellate work. She even tried, unsuccessfully, to sue Randy for fraud.
These days she is sending less of her $40,000-a-year salary home to Nigeria. Although her family is encouraging, she says, they're shocked by what she is spending on her fight. "When you're making $250 a month and your sister is spending $250 an hour [on lawyers], it doesn't make sense," Augusta says. "I tell them, 'This is for my family. This is for my future.'"
For now, the embryos remain at the Center of Reproductive Medicine in a locked, alarm-equipped container in a locked, alarm-equipped room. The hospital where Augusta works is right next door. When she drives her old Honda Del Sol from the hospital parking lot onto palm-lined Medical Center Drive, she glances over at the low-slung clinic building where the embryos lie. "If I could just reach out and get them…" she muses. "But you can't do that."
Originally published in MORE magazine, September 2006.


text:
Ballet West Principal Artists Christiana Bennett and Christopher Ruud as The Sugar Plum Fairy and Her Cavalier. Photo by Luke Isley.In the Dance world December tends to mean one thing: The Nutcracker. As many little girls are dreaming of being the Sugar Plum Fairy the professional ballet dancer may look towards the daunting schedule of 30 performances in less then a month with a sense of trepidation and a touch of fear. But yet here we are in the middle of December midstream through the Nutcracker performance schedule and we thought it high time to give you the full scoop on all things Nutcracker.
The background: The Nutcracker is a two act ballet that was first performed in 1892 at the Marinsky Theatre in St Petersburg Russia. The libretto (story line of the ballet) is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The original production was not a success but the 20 minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet has become one of his most popular compositions; and the full ballet The Nutcracker has been performed by countless ballet companies since the mid 20th century and has gained massive popularity particularly in America.
Okay enough of the history, besides the beautiful costumes, enchanting Tchaikovsky score and bewitching sets what keeps people coming back to see this ballet year after year? The combination of all of the above with Hoffman's story blends together to produce a truly magical journey that is timeless. To many it just wouldn't be Christmas without the tradition of going to see The Nutcracker. One of the companies that does this best and has been performing The Nutcracker since they were established in SLC in 1963 is Ballet West.
To read a Ballet West Dancers backstage glimpse of opening night read this entry from Ballet West's dancers blog
Ballet west will hold 27 regular Nutcracker performances and three shows for people with special needs. Thirty shows in all. This year more then 500 children from across Utah auditioned to be in Ballet West's production of The Nutcracker, 280 children made the cut.
Artists of Ballet West | Photographer Luke IsleyFor the last four years Ballet West has been doing something a little different with select performances of The Nutcracker. It is called The Nutty Nutcracker and was first performed in December of 2008. The "Nutty" Nutcracker still features the traditional choreography but the dancers throw in "fun flourishes and whimsical surprises". While the dancers are not the choreographers for the Nutty Nutcracker they are heavily involved in the creation and concept of each year's production. The company describes it as their annual spoof on the holiday favorite. It is a new and different Nutty production each season. The Nutty Nutcracker is December 30 and 31st and tickets can be purchased by visiting www.arttix.org. Patrons cab also purchase a ticket to both the traditional "Nutcracker" performance and The Nutty Nutcracker in a "Nutty and Nice" Package by calling Ballet West at 801-869-6900.
There are four ways to buy tickets to The Nutcracker - (1) as part of Ballet Wests Season Subscription (save up to 40 percent off the regular price), (2) as part of the Family Series Package with "The Little Mermaid," (3) bring along a Group of 15 or more and save up to $9 off per ticket, and (4) attend The Nutcracker as a Single Show. Great seats are still available, but are selling fast. For more information, visit Ballet West.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
XIMETA (ndas) support
at ximeta.com there are ancient linux driver files for ndas technology. ndas are network enclosures/HD that connect your harddrives to the network via ethernet. they do not use tcp/ip and have their own protocol (lpx) that ximeta owns. ximeta is not willing to update the drivers on the website. I have digged around for months trying to help people stuck with ndas devices. most of them are dual booting with windows to get around the problem but why should us mighty linux users have to settle for this work around?


text:
Customer Reviews
May 26, 2016
April 18, 2016
February 29, 2016
February 24, 2016
Beautiful wallet
I bought this for my husband for Valentine's Day and he absolutely fell in love with it. When I recieved the package I opened it to check it out myself first and it was packaged beautifully, I love when you can tell how much care goes in to a product. Once opened the leather was so beautiful and had that wonderful leather smell, it has so many slots and the I.D flap is a wonderful addition. I got the wallet in the dark brown leather and I am so in love with it. My husband loves it so much and we're hoping it stays in great condition for a long time. Thank you Bosca.
February 16, 2016
January 27, 2016
December 9, 2015
December 4, 2015
Ditto to everyone that said BEST WALLET they ever had!
Had mine for about ten years and the only reason I order another was because the plastic broke that holds ID. They are perfect for me, don't want any other wallet at any price!
November 27, 2015
Best I've Owned
I purchased this wallet probably 8 years or more ago so I have some experience with it. This wallet is my favorite of all the wallets I have owned. And I've been carrying a wallet for at least 60 years! Great quality, it lasts and lasts, the cards stay put in their slots and it has plenty of room.
November 9, 2015
October 30, 2015
September 30, 2015
It suits my needs perfeclty.
About seven years ago my wife bought this very style for me and I am spoiled. IT finally began to wear out. When we shopped for less expensive wallets I couldn't find one that came close to the functionality of this one. I remain spoiled - yes, it's expensive - but it's worth it.
August 18, 2015
I absolutely love Bosca Old Leather. It is the finest! I bought this to replace a Bosca old leather bifold that I gave to my brother more than a decade ago. He loves it and it has worn exceedingly well, but it's time for a new one. The dark brown leather is exquisite and the layout and design is so functional. Love it!
August 17, 2015
August 14, 2015
Favorite Wallet
This is, by far, my favorite wallet. It is very thin in the back pocket and the leather wears like iron. The flap makes it so easy to show my ID without displaying the entire contents of the wallet. I've always liked the quality of Bosca leather goods and this design just makes it great!
March 23, 2015
March 21, 2015
Excellent wallet - great workmanship
I purchased this wallet for my husband to replace the leather wallet he had purchased 10 years ago in Italy. He loves this new wallet. The workmanship is beautiful, the color is exactly as described/shown on the website, and it has all of the features that my husband wanted. I would highly recommend this wallet. Bonus that I was also able to get it monogrammed, just like his old wallet.
March 13, 2015
Very nice
This wallet is a bit pricey, but it is exactly what I was looking for. The leather and the color is better than I hoped (dark brown), pockets behind the card slots, ID holder, very simple yet you can't find it anywhere without a blatant logo or ugly texture/color. It is larger than I expected but my last wallet was a trifold.
March 11, 2015
February 4, 2015
January 27, 2015
January 9, 2015
January 1, 2015
December 5, 2014
Elegant yet practical gift.
The wallet (of dark brown color) looks so elegant with thought out design and well-made details. My wife ordered it for me as an anniversary gift. Both she and I like the wallet so very much that we already placed another order for my son and another order for a business grad student (a family's friend.) Thank you, Bosca, for your wonderful products. We'll be back again shopping for some more.
December 5, 2014
November 11, 2014
August 26, 2014
He loves it.
I got this wallet for my boyfriend and he loves it. His main comment was that it fits so much better in his back pocket than any other wallet he has had in the past. It came nicely packaged and was for sure a win with him.
August 26, 2014
June 12, 2014
Great Wallet
This is my third version of this wallet over a period of several years. I love the 11 card slots plus the driver's ID in the foldout.
The split paper currency area works great to keep receipts separate from paper money. The wallet is well built and very attractive
and I plan on wearing this one out and buying another in about 3 years - great quality product
April 23, 2014
December 29, 2013
December 29, 2013
December 28, 2013
December 10, 2013
wonderful function and great style
My wife was thoughtful enough to give me this wallet for my birthday. I am very pleased with the quality of leather and the craftsmanship. I am afraid to look any further into this web page for fear I will find more things to fall in love with.
October 12, 2013
October 10, 2013
October 9, 2013
The best!!!
This is my second Bosca wallet. My first lasted for many, many years and was extremely durable. My second is as good, if not better than the first. It has just the right amount of space to hold all my cash, credit cards and other miscellaneous items. It is very functionable and stylish at the same time. I highly recommend this wallet!
Chris Bosca - Owner, BOSCA
"We believe that each of our products tells an inspired story. Our team thoughtfully designs and passionately creates products that are both handsome and functional."
Crafted with an artist's touch.
Working with leather is a true art. Our team is passionately dedicated to each stitch, leather source, and color scheme that goes into each product. Our leather accessories are proof that art is beautiful and functional.
Designed for rugged function.
Our leather accessories are not only fashionable, but fashioned with performance in mind. Designed to compliment your busy, on-the-go lifestyle, Bosca leather accessories prove to be extremely dependable the more they are used.
Created with inspired vision.
Bosca leather accessories are birthed from our experiences. Our design team passionately designs each product with a unique story or feature in mind, giving our products a character you simply can't find anywhere else.


text:
ASU T&F To Wrap Up Season at NCAA Outdoor Champs
National championships will be on the line in Eugene, Ore., this weekend as the Sun Devil track and field team wraps up the 2012-13 ASU competition calendar.
Sun Devils Finalize NCAA Championship Roster in Austin
The ASU track and field team added five qualifications on the final day of the NCAA West Prelims
Sun Devils T&F Punches Three to Nationals from NCAA West Prelims
Following a six-hour rain delay in Austin, Clarke, Jelmini and Milus all advanced in Austin.
Two Advance to Eugene Following Day One at NCAA West T&F Prelims
Chelsea Cassulo and Christabel Nettey will each advance to the NCAA Championships following solid performances in Austin.
National Championship Bids on the Line for Sun Devil T&F
The Sun Devil men and No. 9 women will take part in the NCAA West Preliminaries in Austin, Texas, this weekend.
Arizona State: Returning All-American who holds the second-best long jump in ASU history with a mark of 21-07.25 (6.58m) and also ranks seventh all-time in the heptathlon with a score of 5,068... Automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the long jump as a true freshman... ranks among the ASU all-time Top 10 in the hurdles and the long jump after one season of competition... indoors, jumped 21-01.50 to move into fourth on the all-time long jump chart after also running 8.45 in the 60m hurdles, the fifth-best time in ASU history... outdoors, ranks 10th all-time in the 100m hurdles (13.62) and holds the second furthest all-time mark in the long jump... 2012 Outdoor: Was a first team selection outdoors... after placing first in the long jump at the NCAA Division I primliminaries with a wind-aided mark of 6.56 (21-06.25), she went on to place eighth overall at the NCAA Division 1 Championships with a mark of 6.37m (20-10.75)...Compete in ten events at the Pac-12 Championships where she finished second in the long jump and seventh in the 100m hurdles... placed seventh and 14th in the long and triple jump respectively at the 54th Annual Mt. SAC Relays... snagged two first place finishes at the 33rd Sun Angel Classic in Tempe in the long and triple jumps while adding to points for her team with an eighth place finish in the 100m hurdles...set a personal best in the triple jump at the Arizona State invitational with her first place jump of 12.80m (42-00) while also setting a personal best in the high jump with a mark of 1.73m (5-08) that earned her a second place finish... placed first in the long jump at the Baldy Castillo Invitational with while setting a personal best record of 6.58 (21-07.25)... 2012 Indoor: Earned All-American honors in the long jump indoors... qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships in the long jump where she finished 11th overall with a mark of 6.11m (20-00.50)... placed first in the long jump at the UW Final qualifier jumping 6.24m (20-05.75)... competed at the MPSF TChampionships where she advanced to the finals in the long and high jump and finished second in the long jump... opened up the season at the Texas A&M Challenge with a first place finish in the long jump and second place finish in the 60m hurdles...2011 Outdoor: Finished seventh at the NCAA Championships in the long jump with a wind-aided mark of 21-02.75 (6.47) to earn All-American honors for the first time in here career... Competed in the long jump, 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay in the NCAA Division I West preliminary round, advancing to the finals in the long jump and placed seventh overall with a wind-aided jump of 21-00.75 (6.47m) to advance to the NCAA Championships... Competed in her first and only heptathalon at the PAC-10 Championships to place fourth overall with a score of 5,068 - the seventh-best score in ASU history - while setting career records in the javelin throw at 72-7 (22.12m), shot put at 31-07.25 (9.63m), triple jump at 41-01 (12.52m) and high jump at 5-5.25 (1.66m)... Was the PAC-10 long jump champion with a wind-aided mark of 21-05.50 (6.54m) though her best wind-legal mark of 21-03.50 would have been good enough for the victory as well and stands as the second-best wind-legal mark in school history... finished fourth in the 100m hurdles and seventh in the long jump at the 53rd Annual Mt. SAC Relays... seized first place in the long-jump at the 32nd Sun Angel Track Classic with a wind-aided jump of 20-11.25 (6.38m)...2011 Indoor: Advanced to the long jump finals at the NCAA Division I Indoor championships to place 17th overall... scored in two events at the MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships with a first-place showing in the long jump (6.44m) and a sixth-place showing in the triple jump (12.13m)...2010 Outdoor: Finished sixth in the long jump at the Pac-10 Championships... opened the outdoor season with a leap of 20-07.25 (6.28m) to win the Sun Angel Track Classic... won the Double Dual with the same mark... runner-up at the Mt. SAC Relays and Sun Devil Open... ran a season-best 13.62 in the 100m hurdles at the Mt. SAC Relays to post the 10th-best time in school history... helped the 4x100m relay reach the semifinals at the NCAA Championships after taking eighth at the NCAA Preliminary Round meet... relay also took third in the Pac-10 after winning the Sun Devil Open and Double Dual races... 2010 Indoor: Automatically qualified to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships in the long jump with a leap of 21-00.75 (6.42m), finishing second at the MPSF Championships behind teammate Constance Ezugha (6.45m)... joined Ezugha as two of three rookies to hit the auto mark this year in the long jump... won the NAU Team Challenge and NAU Tune-up... hit the auto mark at the Tune-up with a leap of 20-11.25... finished 17th at the NCAA Championships... also ran the 60m hurdles in several meets... finished fifth in the MPSF meet... ran personal-best 8.46 to finish fourth at the Husky Classic... that time ranks fifth all-time at ASU.
High School: A 2009 graduate of Johnston Heights Secondary (Surrey, BC, Canada)... two sport standout in track & field and basketball... earned a silver medal in the long jump for Canada at the 2009 Pan-American Junior Championships (Trinidad) with a jump of 6.05m... also ran on the 4x100m relay team... competed for Canada in the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championships and placed eighth in the 100m hurdles... ran a personal-best 13.49 in the preliminaries to advance to the finals... also competed in the long jump... 2008 Canadian Youth National Champion in the long jump (20-04.50)... three-time MVP for her basketball team.
Personal: Majoring in justice studies... parents are Eustace and Genevieve Nettey... has one sibling, sister Sabrina, who also ran track at Stanford... born June 2, 1991, in Surrey, BC, Canada... hobbies include shopping... full name is Christabel Saakor Nettey.
Personal Bests 60H: 8.45 100: 12.07 100H: 13.62 200: 24.88 Long Jump: 21-07.25 Heptathalon 5068
In NCAA Championship Meets
2012 OTF Long Jump * 20-10.75 * (6.37m) * 8th
2012 OTF 4x100m Relay * 44.84 * 16th
2012 ITF Long Jump * 20-02.25 * (6.15m) * 11th
2011 OTF Long Jump * 21-02.75 * (6.47m) * 7th
2011 ITF Long Jump * 16-10 * (5.13m) * 17th
2010 OTF 4x100m Relay (s) 44.96 15th
2010 ITF Long Jump (p) 19-09.75 17th
* Indicates All-America honors attained


text: Rita transitioned from Broadway dancer to stand-up comedian in her early twenties. After performing all over the world, she decided to make Las Vegas her permanent base in 2000. She has since become the longest-running solo comedy show in Las Vegas history. A bestselling author, Rita has written four books and collaborates with her writer/producer husband Martin Bergman, developing and selling movie and television scripts in Hollywood.


text:
What Did You Hear -- 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Rebecca Teti
Something new today: what did you hear? What did your pastor preach about on Sunday?
We'll move the Parenting discussion to Friday this week -- or there's always Open Forum tomorrow.
(Join each day's Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Changing Roles)
Good Samaritan without any strings attached went all out to help the needy, this lesson challenges my style of living.
What struck me this time hearing that Gospel reading was the fact that he didn't just help the man, but left money for continued care, and promised to follow up on his return trip. Then father went and drove the point home in his homily, how we need to "follow through" on our actions. It wasn't enough to just start to take care of the man and take him to shelter, but he promised to see that the man was healed. Father also used several sports analogies on the importance of "following through" (baseball swings, golf swings, etc.) which did stick with several of my children, so that was good.
Since I'm Catholic and also the organist for a church of a different denomination, I get to go to church twice every Sunday. Both sermons were about Jesus as the Good Samaritan and us as the man who fell in among the robbers. (Both Father and Pastor had clearly read the Church Fathers who saw this parable as an allegory.) Father talked about the oil and wine as the sacraments and Pastor said that he thought that the robbers were the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. I'd read that allegorical interpretation in one of my high school religion texts, but I don't think I'd ever heard a sermon about it and then I heard two. :)


text:
Behind nearly every organization, you will find a complex network of electronic data. In this major, you will develop the skills to plan, build and direct the sophisticated information systems (IS) that drive business today.
As an IS student, you will learn how to design and manage secure, reliable computer systems that help businesses operate efficiently and allow people and companies to exchange and store all types of information. You will study software and hardware systems, telecommunications, data resources, IS administration and more.
IS professionals know technology, but they must also understand business. That's why, through a nationally recognized Integrated Business Curriculum, you will gain valuable practical knowledge and experience not only in information systems, but also in management, marketing, finance, operations and other business functions.


text:
Things to see and do - Mulhouse
Leaving for France
Mulhouse :
Unmissable tourist sites
Where to sleep?
Mulhouse Hotel tips
Kyriad Hôtel Mulhouse Centre from54 €Book
B&B Hôtel Mulhouse Centre from48 €Book
Hotel Le Strasbourg from40 €Book
Mulhouse Travel guide
Mulhouse : Michelin's recommendations
Mulhouse, a paragon of an industrial city, has made the most of its heritage: it boasts the world's leading motor museum, a rail museum (Cité du Train), plus museums dedicated to decorative textiles, wallpaper and electricity. Its other aspect may be seen in its city-centre of old houses with painted façades, earning it the title of "Ville d'art et d'histoire" (art and history town). Visitors can see its finest sites by following the Vieux-Mulhouse trail.
Tourist attractions Mulhouse : Things to see and do
Cité de l'Automobile and Schlumpf collection
15 rue de l'Épée F - 68100 Mulhouse
This fabulous collection of 400 vintage cars, some of which are incredibly rare or unique, was assembled by Fritz Schlumpf - the story of which can be viewed here. The museum highlights over one hundred years of automobile history, from the "anc..
Cité du Train
2 rue Alfred-de-Glehn F - 68200 Mulhouse
The superb collection at the French Railway Museum retraces the "Golden Age of Rail" (1844-1960) via displays that recall aspects such as holiday travel, the lives of railwaymen etc. Don't miss the carriage decorated by Viollet-le-Duc for t..
Former town hall
place de la Réunion F - 68100 Mulhouse
The building dates from 1552 and is built in Rhone Renaissance style. Three of the walls are decorated with fine paintings and allegories. On the right side of the building hangs a grimacing stone mask, a copy of the Klapperstein, weighing 12 to 13kg..
Hotels Mulhouse
Hôtel De Bale
19 Passage Central F - 68100 Mulhouse
Prix Prices from : 40 €
This traditional hotel is situated 200 metres from Mulhouse city centre and a 5-minute walk from the train station. The modern and comfortable guestrooms of the Hotel de Bale are well furnished and styled with a contemporary touch. They are equipped..
Inter Hôtel Salvator
29 Passage Central F - 68100 Mulhouse
Prix Prices from : 49 €
Located in the centre of Mulhouse, Inter Hôtel Salvator features a 24-hour front desk, private parking space for your bicycles, air conditioning and daily newspapers. It is within walking distance of shops, museums and restaurants. All rooms are sou..
Hotel Le Strasbourg
17, Avenue De Colmar F - 68200 Mulhouse
Located in the centre of Mulhouse, this hotel is 2 km from Mulhouse-Ville Train Station and a 10-minute walk from Place de la Réunion. It features an elevator and a dining room with patio views. All the rooms at Hotel Le Strasbourg include a TV and ..
Restaurants Mulhouse
Hôtel du Parc
26 rue de la Sinne F - 68100 Mulhouse
La Table de Michèle
16 rue de Metz F - 68100 Mulhouse
Michèle Brouet is a figure on the local gastronomy scene. Her restaurant is the reflection of her generosity and cheer, as is the atmosphere, which is welcoming with its various random objects and bouquets of flowers. Good food and good times are on ..
Il Cortile
11 r. des Franciscains F - 68100 Mulhouse
The self-taught chef is of Italian origin and clearly quite a talent. After 30 years in business and a nine-month traineeship in the kitchens of a top Parisian restaurant, he realised his dream of dazzling diners with Italy's delicate flavours! The w..
Mercure Centre
4 place du Général-de-Gaulle F - 68100 Mulhouse
Le 4
5 rue Bonbonnière F - 68100 Mulhouse
Le 4 is named after a form created by the initials of Lionel and Tatiana, the young couple in charge of this little restaurant in the centre of Mulhouse. Their dishes are colourful and inventive, and include regular nods to ingredients and spices dis..
Chez Auguste
11 rue Poincaré F - 68100 Mulhouse
Behind the wood-panelled, nicely old-fashioned façade, this inviting place is a meeting point for fans of traditional dishes. Oyster mushrooms pan-fried with garlic, foie gras terrine and apple chutney, confit pig's cheeks like grandma used to make t..


text:
In their matching black polo shirts, the Latinos in Action students flipped through stacks of elementary school work as they worked with the English Language Learners at McPolin Elementary. They lined the tables of the cafeteria, covering mini-lessons such as pronunciation or reading comprehension.
On any given day, the activity the might look different, but the high school leadership class Latinos in Action will be somewhere providing translations or peer-tutoring, an effort to incorporate and bolster the Hispanic community in Park City. One day, the group might attend a Parent-Teacher Nights, another day, the group might help register a student or help an elementary student with their homework.
"We are so happy to provide program for students who are active bilinguals," said Anna Williams, the teacher for Latinos in Action. "This is a place for them to showcase their bilingual contributions and capital."
"Our Latino students had been placed in remediation classes before this program," she added. "There weren't many opportunities for them to use this incredible linguistic capital. Latinos in Action provided that opportunity, the chance to go into other schools in district and serve as leaders."
The Latinos in Action program was originally created by an Alpine School District administrator and a Brigham Young University professor. When the creators held an informational seminar to spread word about the program, Williams was there.
"We attended this seminar, and it instantly sounded like wonderful program," Williams said. " after learning more, we recognized the need for this program in the Park City School District.
The students who join the leadership class are required to be bilingual and must keep their grades up. Every year, students are interviewed before they can join the class.
Daniela Montejano, the co-president of the group and a PCHS senior, is in her second year with Latinos in Action. She knew the students in the program since she first started at the high school, hoping to join the group as a junior.
"I heard about the group and it sounded really cool," Montejano said. "They looked so united, helping the community. I felt inspired by it."
Montejano is not the only student seeing the impact.
"When little kids come up to me and tell me they look up to me that feels really good," added fellow co-president Ketzel Morales. "A lot of Latino people in the community have told me they are glad to have someone like us to support them and show we care."
Juan Zarate, a junior in his first year with Latinos in Action, said the group helps dispel stereotypes about Hispanics.
"Seeing these kids come in and take time to sit down with high school students to practice their vowel sounds, it shows you these kids do want help," Zarate said. "They want help and that's when I feel like, 'Wow, these kids want to do better.'"
"I feel like I'm making a change," he added. "I'm breaking a stereotypical barrier by showing people that we can help and we are a part of the community. That's the change I see."
In its fourth year at Park City High School, Latinos in Action continues to grow with more than 50 students in the school district participating and offering translation services. Treasure Mountain Middle School incorporated the program the same year as the high school under Nora Buchanan, the schools' Latino Outreach Coordinator. And this year, Ecker Hill Middle School is joining the fold, creating a similar program to give Hispanic students an opportunity to take on larger roles in the community.
" having these students helping, we are encouraging Latino families to participate," Williams said. "There is no more language barrier. If I, as a Spanish-speaking parent, know there will be translator there so I can communicate with teacher, I will be more likely to attend.
"These students serve as a liaison between the schools and the community."


text:
Sam, the son of two doctors, suffers from a rare genetic protein disease called progeria, which causes his body to age abnormally fast. Children with progeria commonly die young from heart attacks and strokes.
Sam's parents, Leslie Gordon and Scott Berns, received his prognosis when he was 2 years old, and immediately set out to find a treatment and cure for not only their son, but all who suffer from progeria.
"Life According to Sam" follows Sam and his family as they navigate life, death and science.
"It's not just a film about disease, or about medicine or science," said Sean Fine, film cinematographer and co-director, along with wife Andrea. "It has all that in it, but if you step back, it's about how we spend our time here, who we value and what we pay attention to."
The film is also about the importance of family and friends, Fine added.
"In this day and age we sometimes don't slow down and reflect on those things," he said. "Here is this amazing family that's been dealt this devastating hand, and you see what they do with that and what they make of it. They are probably living a better life than many of us are."
Sean fears the film will be categorized offhand as a "feel-sorry-for-the-handicap-kid" film.
"But it's nothing like that at all," he said. "It can relate to anyone that's in the audience. One of the first things Sam said to us when he met us was to promise that no one would watch it and feel sorry for him.
Sean said he came away from the production experience with a deeper appreciation of the smaller things.
"There's a pure joy from dropping your kid off at school and spending that time together in the car while you drive," he said. "It seems really hectic, but if you take the time to enjoy it, it's actually really fun. You listen to what they have to say. It's a great part of the day. It's those little moments. And you have to allow your kid to enjoy those moments. It's your job to allow them."
Gordon and Berns frequently told Sean their job is to let Sam live his life.
"So if it means getting to band practice on time, they're going to do that. If that means finding the first drug that will prolong his life, they are going to do that. And they never ask much from him, only that he lives his life and that he goes for it," he said.
And Sam does go for it. Now 16, he is on the student council, the debate team and in the marching band.
"He has a fuller schedule than I had in high school," remarked Sean.
The film begins as the family starts the first drug-trial to try to prolong the lives of Sam and 28 other children suffering from progeria.
"Sam looks directly at the audience and shares what it's like to be him, to be living with this disease and have people staring at him, and to have his mom be a doctor trying to cure him," Fine said. "It's this really unique perspective on what's going on from this kid who knows he may not have as long as we all do on this planet."
Andrea noted that, besides being very bright and friendly, Sam is also very much a kid.
"He plays video games with his friends, is in the marching band and he's obsessed with sports like everyone in the Boston area," she said. "I think he's very much of the mindset that, 'this is just a piece of me, not all of me. I am Sam.' I think on one level he understands he's going through a lot of things that other kids don't, but he also is very connected to the idea of experiencing all the great rites of passage his peers are going through, like becoming an Eagle Scout."
While Sam's family raced against time, the drug trial process lengthened beyond anyone's expectations, causing the film to span four years of Sam's life instead of the planned one year.
"It was really tricky for us to try to figure out how to manage that," Andrea said. "You want to be covering the life of this child and the family within this, but you can't just keep filming, filming, filming, both time-wise and financially. And then, if you film too much, it's structurally a mess."
The bright side of the prolonged filming was watching Sam mature and gain a different perspective on his life, she said.
Sean added that he used to tell Andrea he would never work on a film for four years, because it can be all-consuming.
"It really scared me as this film kept getting longer and longer, but it pushed us to be more creative and to whittle it down to what it's all about. I think we have a better film because of it," he said.
"Life according to Sam" will screen at the Temple Theatre on Jan. 21 at noon, The MARC on Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m., Redstone Cinema 2 on Jan. 24 at 1 p.m., the Broadway Centre Cinema in Salt Lake City on Jan. 25 at 6:45 p.m. and Prospector Square Theatre on Jan. 26 at 8:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.sundance.org/festival


text:
Police Intimidation Watch: Deputies Rough Up Nevada News Photographer
Sheriff's deputies in Nevada allegedly pushed a 60-year-old Reno Gazette-Journal photographer to the ground and shoved his face into some gravel, the newspaper has reported. The incident happened at the scene of a city fire. The deputies ended up citing the photographer for obstruction and resisting their orders.
Tim Dunn, a 21-year veteran of the paper, said that after he identified himself to an officer at the scene, he was ordered to move down a hill, away from the fire, where other media had been directed. Dunn objected, but said he was moving as he'd been ordered to do when the deputies arrived, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him. He suffered minor injuries to his face.
Dunn is quoted in the RG-J report: "My rights were violated, and the force they used was not necessary."
Beryl Love, executive editor of the paper, called the treatment of Dunn "shocking" and said the paper would file a formal administrative complaint.
Click here to read the full story.
Update: The Associated Press reported today (6/25) that Dunn has filed a formal complaint, citing the use of excessive force by sheriff's deputies during his arrest last week.
Related stories:
Police Intimidation Watch: Mannie Garcie Files $500K Lawsuit for Unlawful Arrest
Police Intimidation Watch: Photog Sues a Long Island Police Department
Police Intimidation Watch: Boston to Pay $170K for Wrongful Arrest of Videographer


text:
NFL salary cap set, Dolphins have about $14 million to spend
The NFL is on the eve of unleashing a new year (YEAH!) and it begins by setting the budget for every NFL team, which is $120.6 million.
That's a $225,000 increase per team from 2011.
However, each team can borrow $5 million from future funds within a two year period to increase their spending limit. BUT, they can only take $3 million the first season, and $2 million the next.
The Miami Dolphins used the $3 million allowance in 2011, and will likely use the remaining $2 million this year.
Every NFL team can also apply to have their unused salary cap space carried over into the next year. The Dolphins have requested to do so, and will carry over $4,142,190 into this season.
That figure was larger but the Dolphins had a $4.8 million adjustment levied against them (I'm ASSUMING that is bonuses paid to players for Pro Bowl appearances, incentives reached, and playing time incentives).
The bottom line is the Dolphins have approximately: $11,816,017 to spent BEFORE borrowing another $2 million. That brings us to an estimated budget of $13.8 million the Dolphins have to use before restructuring contracts, or cutting players.
Here's some answers to frequently asked question the league provided.
Q. When does the 2012 free agency signing period begin?
A. At 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday, March 13.
Q. What are the categories of free agency?
A. Players are either "restricted" or "unrestricted" free agents. Within the categories are also "franchise" and "transition" players.
Q. What is the time period for free agency signings this year?
A. For restricted free agents, from March 13 to April 20. For unrestricted free agents who have received the June 1 tender from their prior Club, from March 13 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later). For franchise players, from March 13 until the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season, November 13. If a franchise player does not sign by November 13, he must sit out the season. There are no transition player designations this year.
Q. What is the difference between a restricted free agent and an unrestricted free agent?
A. In the 2012 League Year, players with three accrued seasons become restricted free agents when their contracts expire. Unrestricted free agents have completed four or more accrued seasons. An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any club with no draft choice compensation owed to his old club.
Q. What constitutes an "accrued season"?
A. Six or more regular-season games on a club's active/inactive, reserved/ injured or reserve/physically unable to perform lists.
Q. Other than accrued seasons, what determines a restricted free agent?
A. He has received a "qualifying offer" (a salary tender predetermined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players) from his old club. He can negotiate with any club through April 20. If the restricted free agent signs an offer sheet with a new club, his old club can match the offer and retain him because it has a "right of first refusal." If the old club does not match the offer, it may receive draft choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer. If an offer sheet is not executed on or before April 20, the player's negotiating rights revert exclusively to his old club.
Q. What determines an unrestricted free agent?
A. A player with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired. He is free to sign with any club, with no draft choice compensation owed to his old club, through July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later). At that point, his negotiating rights revert exclusively to his old club if by June 1 the old club tendered the player a one-year contract for 110 percent of his prior year's salary. His old club then has until the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season (November 13) to sign him. If he does not sign by that date, he must sit out the season. If no tender is offered by June 1, the player can be signed by any club at any time throughout the season.
Q. What determines a franchise player?
A. The salary offer by a player's club determines what type of franchise player he is: exclusive or non-exclusive.
An "exclusive" franchise player – not free to sign with another club – is offered the greater of (i) the average of the top five salaries at the player's position for the current year as of the end of the Restricted Free Agent Signing Period on April 20; or (ii) the amount of the Required Tender for a non exclusive franchise player, as explained below.
The methodology for calculating the Required Tender for a non exclusive franchise player has changed. Formerly, such players were tendered a one year NFL Player Contract for the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position at which the Franchise Player played the most games during the prior League Year, or 120% of his Prior Year Salary, whichever is greater.
Article 10, Section 2(a)(i) of the CBA sets forth the new methodology, known as the "Cap Percentage Average," for calculating the Required Tender for such a player:
The Nonexclusive Franchise Tender shall be a one year NFL Player Contract for (A) the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position . . . at which the Franchise Player participated in the most plays [formerly, "games"] during the prior League Year, which average shall be calculated by: (1) summing the amounts of the Franchise Tags for players at that position for the five preceding League Years; (2) dividing the resulting amount by the sum of the Salary Caps for the five preceding League Years . . . ; and (3) multiplying the resulting percentage by the Salary Cap for the upcoming League Year . . . (the "Cap Percentage Average") . . . ; or (B) 120% of his Prior Year Salary, whichever is greater . . . .
If a club extends a Required Tender to a non exclusive franchise player pursuant to this section, the player shall be permitted to negotiate a player contract with any club, except that draft choice compensation of two first-round draft selections shall be made in the event he signs with a new club.
Q. How many franchise and transition players can a team designate each season?
A. A club can designate one "franchise" player or one "transition" player among its potential free agents.
Q. Can a club decide to withdraw its franchise or transition designations on a player?
A. Yes. A club can withdraw its franchise or transition designation and the player then automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent, either immediately or when his contract expires.
Q. After withdrawing the designation, can a club then designate another player?
A. Not in the 2012 season.
Q. When do teams have to be in compliance with that number and be under the cap?
A. At the start of the 2012 League Year, which begins at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 13.
Q. If a team is under the salary cap at the end of a given season, can the team carry over room to the next season?
A. Yes. A team may "carry over" room from one League Year to the following League Year by submitting notice to the NFL prior to 4:00 p.m. ET on the day before the team's final regular-season game indicating the maximum amount of room that the club wishes to carry over.
Q. What is the maximum amount of room that a club can carry over?
A. One hundred percent of its remaining room.
Happy spending on Tuesday.


text:
Jay Joyner enters his third season as the associate head coach for the North Carolina A&T men's basketball program.
As the Aggies associate head coach, takes the lead in the Aggies recruiting efforts. Joyner is no stranger to working with North Carolina A&T head coach Cy Alexander, having played for him as a student-athlete, worked for him as a professional and Alexander served on Joyner's staff as an assistant men's basketball coach at Columbia State Community College during the 2011-12 season. Their time together has produced championships and postseason appearances. Joyner looks to bring that winning legacy with Coach Alexander to the A&T program.
In his first season with the Aggies program, the Aggies won the MEAC title, won its first-ever NCAA tournament game and won 20 games for the first in 25 years. Before coming to Greensboro, Joyner spent three seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Columbia State Community College, a two-year school in Middle Tennessee. Joyner led the Chargers to a 61-23 record and two Tennessee Community College Athletic Association regular-season titles.
In 2012, the Charges made their first national tournament appearance in 34 years. The 2011-12 team went 23-8 and finished the season ranked sixth in the nation. Joyner earned the 2011-12 National Junior College Athletic Association District 7 Coach of the Year honor and was named the TCCAA Coach of the Year in 2010 and '12.
Joyner spent the 2008-2009 season as an assistant coach for the Cumberland University men's basketball program, a National Association Intercollegiate Athletics institution, in Lebanon, Tenn. He helped the Bulldogs to an NAIA National Championship Tournament appearance with a 26-6 record. He developed the post players, coordinated all recruiting, and scouted each opponent. He was also responsible for implementing the team's game plan.
Prior to finding success in Tennessee, Joyner gained experience working in the Big East. Joyner served as the director of player development for Rutgers University (2006-08), and spent two seasons developing and managing the Scarlett Knights' mentoring program. He worked with each student-athlete to help enhance their athletic performance through video sessions. He also handled NCAA compliance documentation for student-athletes and assisted with scheduling. Joyner also served as the campus liaison for recruits.
His coaching career began in Tennessee, where he served as the assistant coach at Columbia State Community College for the 2005-06 season, helping guide the Chargers to the conference championship game under head coach Malcolm Montgomery.
Joyner got his professional start in athletics in 2003, where he served as the administrative assistant/assistant strength coach for the men's basketball program at Tennessee State under Alexander. In his two years at TSU, he monitored the academic progress for Alexander's players and ran the program's strength and conditioning workouts. He was responsible for the daily operations in the men's basketball office and coordinated film exchange with other institutions. He was the co-director of the Cy Alexander Basketball Camp as well.
Before making the jump to collegiate athletics, Joyner was an assistant boys basketball coach at Centennial High School in Franklin, Tenn., for the 2002-03 season.
Joyner's familiarity with the Aggies comes from his playing career with S.C. State from 1993-96. He was part of the Bulldogs' 1995-96 championship team under Alexander. After leaving S.C. State, he competed professionally overseas.
Joyner holds a bachelor's degree in physical education from Middle Tennessee State. He is a native of Amityville, N.Y. He and his wife have three children.
|Head Coach


text:
LA, gear up for some sexy time with John West and some very special guests compliments of VIBE. Reminise to "Lovely" and other tunes from John's self titled EP as we ready ourselves for his upcoming debut album, which will be sure to delight.
Enter our contest to win tickets to the show!
Event Details
VIBE Presents John West
+ Jon Mcxro, Tiron & Ayomari, Tha Boogie
Wednesday, January 25
Doors: 7:30 PM
Show: 8:00 PM
The Roxy
9009 W.Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA
Advance Tickets: $15
Purchase tickets


text:
Green Materials Handling; Industry Outlook Survey
April 01, 2010 - MMH Editorial
Reducing a carbon footprint
Last year, Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. (800-226-0009, http://www.toyotaforklift.com)) was awarded the Governor's Award for Environmental Standards in Indiana for an initiative that reduced energy consumption by 2.2 million kilowatt hours and a reduction in carbon dioxide output of 3,611 tons. "That's important because our customers are asking not just about our products, but also what we as a company are doing about sustainability," says Melinda Beckett-Maines, Toyota's national marketing manager. But Toyota's efforts don't stop with energy consumption. The company has converted 60% of its painting processes over to dry coat and reduced the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the paint process in half. A Toyota plant in Columbus, Ind., is a zero landfill facility. And, Toyota is working to ensure that its suppliers share its commitment to environmentally sustainable manufacturing. "Companies are not only looking for environmentally friendly products, they are interested in doing business with environmentally-friendly companies," says Beckett-Maines.
Developing fuel cells
Over the last year, NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG), maker of Yale and Hyster brand lift trucks, (503-721-6000, http://www.nmhg.com)) has been working with Plug Power and Central Grocers to develop a fleet of 236 fuel-cell powered Yale lift trucks. When the entire project is complete later this year, hydrogen fuel to re-power the cells will be delivered and dispensed on-site, allowing for quick refueling, increased productivity and zero emissions. For end users that aren't ready for the leap to hydrogen fuel cells, NMHG has introduced a new line of industrial combustion engine trucks that reduces fuel consumption by at least 8%. It is also partnering with environmental agencies and technology companies to develop the next generation of battery-powered lift trucks. "Some of our largest customers are already planning facility enhancements to accommodate new types of equipment to charge their trucks in an efficient, productive and safe manner," says Jonathan Dawley, vice president of marketing.
Automatic Guided Vehicles and mobile robots
Smooth and efficient robots
Industrial robotic technologies bring two components to the table, contends Brad Wyland, director of product strategy at Seegrid (412-621-4305, http://www.seegrid.com)). First, they are unmanned and run on electric power rather than fossil fuels. And because a robot is computer controlled, it is more smooth and efficient in how it uses power. "That not only leads to better energy consumption, we believe you'll also see a reduction in wear and tear on wheels and other parts," says Wyland. "That will reduce the total cost of ownership and reduce your overall footprint." In the future, Wyland adds, Seegrid plans to investigate alternative sources of energy to power the robots. Second, robots enable the move toward "lights out" automation. "When you're using robotic technology, you can reduce your HVAC costs and the amount of lighting you need in certain areas of the facility," Wyland says.
Controlled efficiency with AGVs
Like industrial robots, automatic guided vehicles use electric batteries and computer controls to operate more efficiently than lift trucks. "We do the same tasks as a lift truck, but we can more precisely control the acceleration and deceleration rates," says Mark Longacre, JBT's (215-822-4489, http://www.jbtc-agv.com)) marketing manager. "Because we can control the battery cycles, you'll see longer battery life." JBT is also researching alternative power sources for its vehicles. For instance, the company implemented a nine-vehicle system that uses hydrogen fuel cells for a tire manufacturer. "The vehicle creates a little bit of water vapor that evaporates," says Longacre. "So far, it has worked well and provides an even source of power that is rock solid." The company is testing a methanol fuel cell to recharge a traditional battery during operation. "Methanol doesn't have the energy density we need to power the vehicle directly," he says. "But it does give us some efficiency gains, and methanol is considered a cleaner and more sustainable fuel."
Green equals lean
"For Jervis B. Webb, sustainability is about enabling a lean operation that reduces waste," says Sarah Carlson, marketing director for Jervis B. Webb (248-553-1000, http://www.jervisbwebb.com)). For the last year, Webb has replaced the standard absorbed glass mat batteries (AGM) that it used with fast charging, thin plate pure lead batteries (TPPL). "TPPL batteries last up to 50% longer than AGM batteries, and they are 90%-plus recyclable," says Carlson. "And, because they charge faster, you can operate your facility with fewer batteries." That translates into less energy, less parts and less maintenance. "To us, that's part of green in the bigger picture," says Carlson.
About the Author
Executive Editor
Bob Trebilcock, executive editor, has covered materials handling, technology and supply chain topics for Modern Materials Handling since 1984. More recently, Trebilcock became editorial director of Supply Chain Management Review. A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Trebilcock lives in Keene, NH. He can be reached at 603-357-0484.


text:
Play Slideshow >>
Getting the lead out
Photo: Lansing Board of Water and Light
A crew removes a lead service line for the Lansing Board of Water and Light.
Photo: Greenville Utilities
This apparatus was used as part of a study by the Greenville Utilities to evaluate the effectiveness of several different corrosion inhibitors.
A new copper service line is pulled through with the lead service line to replace it.
Elevated levels of lead in Washington, D.C.'s drinking water became national news in 2004, reviving interest in a public health issue that had largely faded from the media spotlight since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in 1991. Although most utilities continue to comply with the lead regulations without too much difficulty, others are discovering that changes made to comply with other regulatory requirements can affect lead levels in unforeseen ways.
The LCR is unique because it requires water providers to address contamination that often results from factors beyond their direct control. For example, lead is rarely present in water supplies, and drinking water usually contains little lead following treatment. However, lead in service lines, household plumbing fixtures, and solder can leach into drinking water under certain conditions. Because the corrosivity of water often plays a key role in this process, the LCR requires that utilities take steps to reduce corrosion within their distribution systems.
Drinking water providers are required to collect samples periodically from a certain number of residences or buildings considered at high risk of contamination. The LCR establishes a so-called action level of 0.015 mg/L of lead based on the 90th percentile level of tap water samples. If the results of its sampling exceed the action level, a utility may be required to conduct a host of measures, including additional monitoring, treatment to control corrosion, public education, and replacement of lead service lines.
Overall, the LCR has been a success, said Jim Taft, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators in Washington, D.C. Lead levels present in drinking water have declined significantly compared to levels present before 1991, he said. However, he acknowledged that the LCR is "not a straightforward regulation." Because lead in drinking water tends to leach from the distribution system, Taft said, adjustments made by a drinking water provider to comply with another regulation can inadvertently make the water more corrosive and cause more leaching to occur.
For more than a decade since Greenville Utilities in Greenville, N.C., began testing in 1992, its lead levels never came to close to exceeding the EPA's action level. However, that changed abruptly in 2004. "We were surprised," said Barrett Lasater, Greenville's water plant manager, when the results of testing conducted that year indicated that 22% of samples contained lead in concentrations above the action level. Follow-up testing in May and June 2005 found that 27% of samples surpassed the action level.
Because none of the 565 miles of pipeline that comprise the utility's distribution system contains lead, Greenville is certain that the contaminant is leaching from faucets containing lead and lead-based solder used to connect pipes in the homes of its customers. Although the utility is still trying to determine why lead levels spiked in 2004, the presumption is that changes to the disinfection process at the utility's water treatment plant likely reduced the effectiveness of the corrosion inhibitor used to prevent lead from leaching from customers' faucets and pipes.
Between the time it tested for lead in 2001 and its subsequent testing three years later, Greenville made a series of changes to its drinking water treatment plant to comply with EPA's regulations regarding disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Considered by the EPA to be a potential health threat, DBPs form when organic matter in drinking water comes in contact with chlorine. In December 2002, Greenville began using chloramines, rather than free chlorine, to provide secondary disinfection, because chloramines do not create DBPs. Then in August 2003, the facility switched from chlorine to ozonation as its method of primary disinfection before filtration.
Pilot testing conducted by the utility before making the changes did not indicate that they might make the treated water more corrosive, Lasater said. "We had not anticipated any problems from the treatment changes," he said. Other treatment plants in North Carolina had made similar changes without experiencing elevated lead levels. However, Greenville was using a polyphosphate corrosion inhibitor, while the other plants employed an orthophosphate inhibitor.
Greenville hired AH Environmental Consultants Inc., Newport News, Va., to study its corrosion control approach within its distribution system. Although the testing found that the water was not more corrosive than it had been before the changes to its disinfection system, the study determined that orthophosphate likely would provide the most effective corrosion control. Based on these findings, Greenville switched from polyphosphate to orthophosphate in 2004.
The most recent round of testing, conducted in November and December 2005, would appear to indicate that the change is having a positive effect, with only 16% of samples exceeding the action level. "We're encouraged that we're starting to see some improvement," said Lasater. "But obviously we're not meeting EPA's requirements yet."
Natural Metals
The new skid-steer plow from the SKTE Series of SnowDogg plows is the latest addition...
Krausz USA introduced its HYMAX Clamp which quickly and easily repairs holes and...
Environmental Protection...
Jay Landers
Water Treatment
These all-in-one prefabricated structures are difficult to vandalize.
That's what I asked every exhibitor and attendee I talked to at the American Water...
Please read our Content Guidelines before posting.
Copyright ©
2016 Hanley Wood Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
So what you are saying SJ is the Heller decision only applied to the District of Columbia. All that money and effort and time spent and the decision means nothing on a State by State level.
Excuse my ignorance, but I was usually the one standing in front of the Judge in my younger days. :rofl:
So what you are saying is each State can now ignore the SCOTUS decision and it has to be fought on a State by State level. Then back to the Supreme beings in D.C. Damn I'm confused. Why do we have a Supreme Court if this is the case.
Speak English Bud I'm getting old and senile. Plus I only have till 4 o'clock. That starts happy hour. :geezer::cheers::)


text:
- Exhaust (select all)
- Air Cleaners (select all)
- Engine Kits (28)
- Engines (select all)
- Crankcase (28)
- Flywheels (32)
- Camshafts (120)
- Carburetors (82)
- Manifolds (47)
- Oil Pumps (35)
- Gear Covers (5)
- Cylinders & Pistons (0)
- Cylinders / Pistons (328)
- Cylinder Heads (48)
- Tappets (18)
- Pushrods (39)
- Rocker Arms (12)
- Valve Springs (20)
- Rocker Covers (8)
- Throttle Bodies (13)
- Electronics (31)
- Transmission (8)
- Clutch (8)
- Lubricants (12)
- Gaskets (45)
Slash-Cut style dual mufflers for 2008-Up Fat Bob®, and 2010 Dyna® Wide Glide® models. All steel construction with a show chrome finish. Fits on stock header pipes.
One of the most popular and cost effective performance upgrades you can make to a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle is to replace the stock exhaust with a set of low restriction, high performance mufflers. The stock exhaust pipes and S&S performance mufflers make a great high performance exhaust system with a low price tag. S&S Slip on mufflers are great for stock displacement engines, and they provide exceptional low end and midrange torque when used with big inch engines. Performance exhaust will enhance the effectiveness of other performance upgrades like carbs, air cleaners, cams, and increased displacement.
Carburetor or fuel injection adjustments are generally not required, but are recommended for best performance.
Exhaust Noise Disclaimer: Unless noted, S&S exhaust components do not meet U.S. EPA noise standards and may be restricted to closed course competition use. Check local noise ordinances before use.


text:
Useful Links
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
- Date submitted: 1 Nov 2011
- Stakeholder type: Major Group
- Name: International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
- Submission Document: Download
Full SubmissionSubmission to the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development The importance of trees for their contribution to sustainable development is well understood by the international community. However, most attention has been paid to trees in forests, and much less to trees in agricultural settings and pastoral lands. It has been calculated that at least half of the world?s farmland has at least 10% tree cover. This amounts to over one billion hectares of Land where 558 million people live. On over a quarter of the world?s agricultural Land, tree cover is over 20%. These trees on farms represent a huge and largely untapped resource both for production and better management of the environment. There is great potential to enhance tree cover in agricultural landscapes through better management but this requires supportive policy, appropriate institutional development and improved tree germplasm and technology options for farmers. More and better managed tree cover on farms could lead to higher and more stable farm incomes, greater food security, more resilient production systems and enhanced environmental services. Agroforestry is the practice of incorporating trees within agricultural landscapes. The trees are perennial crops that can provide food for people, fodder and shade for livestock, timber and renewable wood energy. They can also contribute to biodiversity conservation, store carbon, maintain and improve soil fertility, regulate water flows, and reduce Land degradation and improve water use efficiency. Agroforestry is at the heart of the three Rio UNCED conventions and is vitally important for food security. Agroforestry and climate change Climate change adaptation and mitigation come together in agroforestry. Most agricultural Land has been obtained by clearing forests and rangelands, resulting in increased carbon emissions from Land use change. In turn, many agricultural livelihoods are facing challenges as a result of climate change. Agroforestry, by increasing tree cover on farmland and pastures, helps to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon, and assists the sustainable management of Land thus helping people to adapt to the effects of climate change. Despite its proven efficiency to improve livelihoods with mitigation and adaptation co-benefits, agroforestry has frequently fallen between the gaps of the climate negotiations in relation to agriculture and forestry. A whole landscape carbon accounting approach that recognizes adaptation and livelihood benefits will bring agroforestry into the centre of ways to sustainably manage natural resources for the future. The micro- and mesoclimatic effects of trees are absent from most discussions of adaptation options in agriculture, although tree cover has large effects on maximum and minimum temperatures, windspeed and humidity, relative to global climate change predictions. Agroforestry and biodiversity Trees on agricultural Land can provide a wide range of niches and corridors that support biodiversity and enhance habitat connectivity. For example, trees on pastures and coffee farms surrounding protected forest in Central America facilitate the migration of important bird species that are essential for maintaining the integrity of wildlife reserves. Hotspots of abundance and activity of soil organisms have also been found close to trees on agricultural Land, indicating that they promote below-ground biodiversity that underpins soil health. Using trees in agricultural systems can both enhance biodiversity conservation and improve the stability and resilience of crop yields. Agroforestry and desertification Trees are a key component of dryland systems that are susceptible to desertification. Tree roots hold the soil and reduce erosion caused by wind and water. They facilitate the infiltration and penetration of water into the soil and mediate the loss of water through run-off and evaporation. Trees provide sustainable sources of fodder for livestock and can reduce grazing pressure. Trees can improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and tightening nutrient and water cycling , thereby increasing the productivity of the Land. Trees provide shade and windbreaks that can increase crop and livestock productivity as well as improving animal welfare. Trees have often been seen as free goods provided by nature and they have been lost across many dryland landscapes, but in some places farmers, realizing the multiple benefits they bring, are managing their natural regeneration. For example, in Niger, farmers have nurtured tree cover over almost 5 million hectares of Sahelian farmland. Because of their role in improving food security, improving livelihoods and sustainably managing Land, trees play an important role in efforts to restore desertified Land. Agroforestry, food security and ecosystem services Trees on farms help to improve food security. Fruits and leaves contribute to human nutrition and fodder feeds livestock. Appropriate trees, if well managed in crop fields can also improve the fertility of the soils and increase crop yields. Timber and fuelwood are harvests that can be used or sold, fuelwood still being the most important source of cooking fuel in many rural communities. Trees on farms also contribute to a broad range of ecosystem services that landscapes provide. Trees regulate run-off, helping to conserve water in the soil. Trees and their roots reduce soil erosion, especially when managed as part of agricultural systems that utilize various systems of conservation tillage. Trees on farms produce numerous products including food, medicines, fencing, timber and fuel. Decisions on agroforestry for the Conference Some text that The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development could adopt is as follows: 1) Agree that agroforestry lies at the heart of the three Rio Conventions and food security, and contributes to the Green Economy. 2) Agree that agroforestry is an important form of farming and that international and national policies are needed to promote its broader adoption. Recognize that agricultural policies need to embrace agroforestry, rather than agroforestry being discussed exclusively in the context of forests. That said, it is often forest legislation that constrains the use of trees by farmers, so integrated approaches amongst sectors is required. 3) Agree that trees on farms contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and recommend that the UNFCCC work towards a whole landscape accounting approach with mitigation, adaptation and livelihood benefits. 4) Agree that agroforestry can contribute to biodiversity conservation and utilization, and recommend that plans to achieve the Aichi targets should include agroforestry. 5) Agree that agroforestry is vital to the achievement of the targets of the Ten Year Strategic Plan of the UNCCD and recommend that agroforestry should be included in plans to achieve those targets. 6) Agree that agroforestry is an important contributor to improving food security and also to improved livelihoods through the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services. Recommend that agroforestry should be included in Green Economy practices in order to create productive mutli-functional landscapes that include mosaics of farmland, agroforests, woodlots, pasture and forest that work synergistically to produce food and provide other ecosytem services. 7) Finally, recognize that through the incorporation of trees on farms, agroforestry creates green jobs that contribute to a Green Economy. World Agroforestry Centre 1 November 2011


text:
Search IEEE:
The not too distant future of electric vehicles
Mentor.com Blogs
By, John Day
How different will cars and the driving experience be in, say, 2020 from what they are today? Take electric vehicles, for example. It's likely that they will be much more common in another eight years or so, especially if battery makers are successful at eliminating two current barriers to widespread consumer adoption of electric vehicles – cost, and specific energy.
Battery makers have a handle on safety, lifespan and specific power – the ability to take a vehicle to maximum speed – according to Russell Lefevre, an IEEE Fellow and co-chair of the IEEE Transportation Electrification Steering Committee.
Lefevre says performance, which includes a battery's ability to work well despite high or low temperatures, is an issue that battery manufacturers worry about but are working on. The more significant issues, he says, are cost – currently around $500 to $600 per-kilowatt hour – and specific energy, which relates to an electric vehicle's range. "Everything else related to electric vehicle batteries has an engineering solution, but cost and specific energy need a breakthrough," he says.
Fortunately, breakthroughs may be closer than we think. Lefevre, an adjunct professor of physics and electrical engineering at the University of North Dakota, cites a couple of possibilities. Envia Systems (enviasystems.com) describes a battery capable of reaching 400 watt hours/kg, priced nearer $150 per kilowatt hour. General Motors CEO Dan Akerson reportedly believes Envia's battery will be able to take a car 100 miles within a couple of years, and GM has better than a 50-50 chance to develop a car that will go 200 miles on a charge.
Then there's A123 co-founder Yet-Ming Chiang, who has a new company, 24M Technologies, he thinks can achieve greater density than Lithium Ion at a significantly lower cost, and IBM, which has put a lot of effort and investment into lithium air batteries. Can we anticipate electric vehicles able to go toe-to-toe, or wheel-to-wheel, with internal combustion engine vehicles in as little as eight years?
For more Vehicle System Blog articles by Mentor.com please see http://www.mentor.com/products/vnd/blog/
For more articles by John Day please see http://johndayautomotivelectronics.com/


text:
Dietary triacyglycerols rich in sn-2 palmitate alter post-prandial lipoprotein and unesterified fatty acids in term infants
Human milk TAG contain 20–25% 16:0, with over 70% of the 16:0 at the TAG sn-2 position. The benefits of TAG sn-2 16:0 have been ascribed to reducing 16:0 excretion as insoluble fatty acid soaps. This study builds on knowledge that infants conserve milk TG sn-2 16:0 post-absorption. Comparison of p...
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation, Which impair insulin and glucose metabolism. Fruit and vegetables high in antioxidant compounds improve glucose and insulin metabolism in T2D. Rosehips contain significant levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammator...
Plasma lipoprotein fatty acids are altered by the positional distribution of fatty acids in infant formula triacylglycerols and human milk
BACKGROUND: Triacylglycerol digestion involves hydrolysis of fatty acids esterified at the glycerol 1,3 positions by gastric and pancreatic lipase to produce 2-monoacylglycerols and unesterified fatty acids, which are then absorbed, reesterified to triacylglycerol, and secreted in chylomicrons. Palm...
The development of obesity and associated insulin resistance involves a multitude of gene products, including proteins involved in lipid synthesis and oxidation, thermogenesis, and cell differentiation. The genes encoding these proteins are in essence the blueprints that we have inherited from our p...
Incidence of iron-deficiency anaemia and depleted iron stores among nine-month-old infants in Vancouver, Canada
This review describes the mechanisms by which polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate the activity of the nuclear transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1, and it describes the role that the peroxisome proliferator-activated recep...


text:
Background The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCP) require that cities and counties in ownership of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) obtain a municipal storm water permit. Permit holders are required to develop a storm water management program (SWMP). The City of Roseville submitted its SWMP to the Regional Water Quality Control Board March 3, 2003 and was granted permit coverage May 2013. City staff developed the Urban Stormwater Quality Management Discharge Control Ordinance which was adopted by Council July 7, 2006. A component to the City's Stormwater Permit requires the City to develop an ongoing maintenance program to ensure that stormwater quality treatment devices installed by private developers are properly maintained and functional over time. Summary of Ordinance Amendment Stormwater quality treatment devices are installed as part of the overall stormwater management plan to slow, clean, infiltrate and capture urban runoff thus reducing water pollution to our receiving waters. They are generally small scale devices that are integrated into the fabric of the community and vary in design from grassy swales to underground vaults. In keeping in compliance with Roseville's municipal storm water permit requirements, City staff has developed a stormwater quality maintenance program for new and existing development projects. The stormwater ordinance amendment is intended to minimize City oversight and to make it easy for business owners that incorporate storm water quality treatment devices to comply with the ordinance. As part of the ordinance, a maintenance plan and a maintenance agreement will be required for each site. Thereafter, on an annual basis the reporting party will be required to provide to the City a self certification demonstrating that the device has been maintained per an established protocol.
Each owner will be issued an annual stormwater permit to operate their devices. Staff has included a provision within the ordinance to allow the Council the ability to impose an annual permit fee that will help off-set the estimated City cost to implement the program. The permit fee may be adopted by separate resolution at the future direction of the City Council.
For questions concerning the Stormwater Quality Maintenance Program, contact Darrell Robbson, Senior Construction inspector, at (916) 774-5339 or email@example.com.
Darrell Robbson Senior Construction Inspector Development Services - Engineering Land Development Construction Management 311 Vernon Street Roseville, Ca 95678 (916)774-5339 (916)746-1339 Fax (916)774-5220 TDD Quick Links Stormwater Ordinance/Amendment Stormwater Quality Maintenance Program Brochure Stormwater Quality Maintenace Program Frequently Asked Questions