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As the Knish points out, with a new Carter in office, the cycles of 1970's high crime rates in cities are coming full circle again. In calling attention to the pre-Giuliani days of New York City there are a whole slew of films that gave a good example of what gritty Gotham was like – Death Wish, The Warriors, Serpico, Panic in Needle Park, Dog Day Afternoon, Alphabet City, Fort Apache: The Bronx, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, Across 110th Street, Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy. The sunny city of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" had long since pretty much vanished. Giuliani made it safe for their heads up their butts hipsters to take over Williamsburg by giving them a sense of security to be able to sip their lattes all night at the myriad of coffee shops.
Daniel Greenfield
In Washington D.C., the office of the Honorable Joseph Biden was busy phoning up everyone from Mothers Against Pointy Things to the Gay Communist Gun Club of America to Wal-Mart to invite them down for a serious no-holds-barred discussion about doing to the Bill of Rights what his boss had done to the economy.
Meanwhile over in Chicago, the 13th corpse was being scraped off the sidewalk. In just nine days, Obama's hometown, one of them anyway, was already 15% ahead of last year's whopping murder rate. East of Second City, in the city that would be Chicago if it wasn't for a lot of money and a Republican mayor, one of the city's liberal judges gave civil rights activists a late Christmas present with a verdict against the NYPD's 'Stop and Frisk" program in the Bronx.
The Bronx is the part of New York City voted most likely to be Detroit. An ironic fate for a borough that built the city's biggest zoo and botanical garden as a way of keeping the riffraff out of what was once an exclusive area. It's the place where you are mostly likely to shoot or be shot at. The Bronx is the fourth smallest borough of the five, but it's number one in murders, rapes and robberies.
New York's Finest commute to work from Staten Island, where the homicide rate is less than half that of the Bronx. In the 40th Precinct (you may know its neighbor, the 41st Precinct from the movie, Fort Apache, The Bronx) last year there were 12 murders, 21 rapes, 476 robberies, 387 felony assaults, 1,337 misdemeanor assaults, 62 shooting victims and a partridge in a pear tree.
That's not too bad considering that there were 72 murders there in 1990. In 1998, after 4 years of Giuliani, 72 murders had become 15. The two forces that transformed the 40th from a really bad place to just a bad place were aggressive policework and gentrification. The aggressive policework wasn't pretty, but it made the gentrification possible and kept New York City from turning into Newark or Chicago.
Stop and Frisk, which is just what it sounds like, allowed police to stop suspects and frisk them just on suspicion that they might be up to something bad. It's one of those programs that upsets people on both sides of the aisle, but it happens to work because it lets police stop gangbangers before they bang and lowers the murder rate to something you can actually live through.
Civil rights groups have been protesting against Stop and Frisk for years because it's racist, in the sense that it tends to take place outside dilapidated Bronx apartment buildings rather than Upper East Side high rises. For the 40th Precinct, civil rights group statistics show that 17,690 stops were made, and of those stopped, 9.200 were black, 6,039 were Hispanic, 119 were white, 63 were Asian and 15 were American Indians. Considering the lack of major tribes in the five boroughs, it is a testament to the NYPD's dedication to diversity that they were able to find and frisk that many Native Americans.
Since the only white people in the 40th are hipsters who think Williamsburg is over and went looking for somewhere edgier to set up their metal working studios, these numbers are not too surprising. […….]
Water dripping down eventually bores a hole in a rock. Civil rights lawyers suing and screaming long enough eventually dismantles a police force. Crime is rising again in New York City, which makes it more dangerous to move to some formerly dilapidated part of the city and set up shop in an abandoned warehouse while constructing giant jagged metal figurines as a protest against capitalism that will one day decorate the lawn of a corporate office park.
Bronx crime, like most urban crime, is driven by gangs. The Black Assassins, Majestic Warlocks and the Black Muslim Five Percenters are one of the 70 street gangs in New York's own Detroit. While civil rights activists call for fighting gang violence with peace treaties and afterschool programs, there are really only two things that work. Either a police state of the kind you will find in the Bronx where the cops monitor the Twitter and Facebook postings of gang members, and their text messages, or an armed population that is capable of defending itself against them.
Liberals invariably choose none of the above.
In the 90s, the Democrats learned that they could be tough on crime or they wouldn't even be elected dogcatcher. It was a lesson that the humiliation of Michael Dukakis drove home, and no matter how often Democrats denounced the Willie Horton ad, they took its lesson to heart. At least until now.
While Obama pitches gun control, his Attorney General has undermined local law enforcement at every turn. It would seem that the only crime that Obama wants to fight is the crime of owning the type of rifle that those experienced hunters, Barack Obama and Diane Feinstein, have decided that no hunter needs. But the idea that gun control is a substitute for law enforcement is laughably insane, even by Chicago standards.
Urban mayors like to believe that cracking down on rural sporting goods stores will end the killing. It won't. The real gun culture isn't at gun shows and Wal-Marts, it's down in the 40th where kids grow up listening to 50 Cent and where pointing your own gun sideways is a rite of passage. There's no place in the United States where you can legally sell heroin, but heroin use is still off the charts in the Bronx. Gun control nationwide will be just as effective as heroin control in the Bronx.
When you scuttle both law enforcement and gun ownership, then what remains is the hell that the country descended into in the seventies when civil rights lawyers got their way and major cities, including New York City, became unlivable.
In 1965, there were 836 murders in New York at a rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people. In 1976, the number of murders had increased to a grisly 1,969 to a rate of 7.2. By 1993, the last year of David Dinkins, New York City's first black Democrat mayor, they peaked at 2,420 at a 13.3 rate. Only a little below Chicago's current 15.65 rate. By Giuliani's second year in office, the city was down to 1,550 murders, a low that it hadn't seen since 1970. By the time he left office, there had only been 960 murders at a rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people. Giuliani had taken the city back to 1965 and its murder rate today is, incredibly, at the national average for the northeast.
The New York City success story was the triumph of prosperity and the police state. With enough cops on the street, given a free hand, New York City could have the murder rate of liberal paradises like Austin or Seattle. Giuliani made it safe for liberals to move back to New York City and play artist, uptown banker with social justice commitments, aspiring actress, foodie, tech guru or random trendy urbanite. And once they were there, the golden fountain began to flow, crime rates continued falling and the city could be taken off life support.
Reagan cleaned up the economy and allowed liberals to begin safely getting rich again. Giuliani cleaned up the city and allowed liberals to safely walk its streets. Both men fulfilled the traditional function of the Republican as the paternal figure who steps in when baby makes a mess and cleans it up while allowing baby to believe that it was done by magic.
Liberals cannot come to terms with what happened in New York City, because it would force them to acknowledge that their lifestyle is made possible by either right wing suburban cops violating civil rights or by fleeing to sheltered cities with low minority populations. And with a new Carter in office, the cycle of the seventies is coming full circle again, not just militarily or economically, but also when it comes to crime rates.
Urban liberals like to believe that it was unthinking city planners and the automobile that destroyed the city, when it was actually them. The city planners are still unthinking and the automobiles are still motoring, but the cities are back only to the extent that law enforcement has undone some of their worst mistakes. Now with an urban liberal in the White House, the mistakes are being repeated again, backed once again by the power of the Federal government.
The rural area is protected by the 2nd Amendment and the urban area by the police state. The liberal, who is only interested in enforcing laws against real criminals like people who fill in swamps or make politically incorrect jokes, would like to take away the firearms of the rural gun owner and dismantle the law enforcement defenses of the urban area. […….]
Down in the 40th, the boys in blue still walk the streets as they do in so many other cities. It's a thin line here and everywhere else where everyone wants more cops, but can't afford to pay them. […….] Gangs, many of them even more dangerous than the ones you'll find in the Bronx, are spreading across the country. Stopping them will take more than the police state that Bloomberg still oversees.
The old urban lesson of the seventies is that the difference between civilization and the jungle is security. And there is no substitute for security, whether it's the security of one man with a gun, or a very expensive police department of men with guns carrying out the marching orders of statistical analysts.
The political left has forgotten the lesson of Willie Horton in its arrogance and its base of metal working artists in converted warehouses has forgotten the lessons of that old Times Square that they never visited, but still nostalgically pine for. […….]
Read the rest – Crime and Disarmament


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El Burro
|El Burro
|Grab copies of El Burro's magazine, then kill the thief.
|Hepburn Heights, Portland, Liberty City
Death of Claude
Arrest of Claude
Running out of time
Destruction of the Rumpo
|Unlocked by
|Trial By Fire
"Big'n'Veiny" is a mission in Grand Theft Auto III given to protagonist Claude by Diablos leader El Burro from a payphone in the Hepburn Heights area of Portland, Liberty City.
Upon answering the ringing payphone in Hepburn Heights, Claude is informed by El Burro that a Rumpo van containing a shipment of the latest copies of Donkey Does Dallas magazines has been stolen by a thief high on SPANK, leaving behind a trail of the magazines all over Portland as the van's rear doors were left open. Claude is asked to collect the magazines while tracing the thief's whereabouts and killing him, before delivering the magazines to a porn store in the Red Light District.
The player is directed to drive a second Rumpo not far from the payphone, which immediately activates a checkpoint driving sequence with a time limit. The player starts with 25 seconds left, and must prevent the timer from running out by collecting as many magazine pickups (each worth a 1-second time extension) that leads all over Portland. The trail eventually leads to Portland Docks, where the thief will be found standing behind the stolen van. The player must then kill the thief by any means, before delivering the van the player has been driving (and the collected magazines) to the marked destination behind XXXMags. The mission is completed upon successful delivery of the van, with the player treated with a cutscene of customers lining up for the magazines in front of the shop.
The reward for completion of the mission is $20,000 and the unlocking of the looped version of Turismo race, El Burro's first mission. The inside of the Portland safehouse will also be seen with stacks of pornographic magazines thereafter.
- The mission's name may be a reference to a veiny penis.
- As the player begins picking up the magazines, police radio chatter can be heard mentioning "donkey porn" littered all over Portland.
- The end cutscene sequence uses a unique pedestrian model to represent shady men obtaining new copies of El Burro's pornographic magazine.
- The player will receive a $10,000 bonus if all 106 magazines are collected.
- The timer stops as soon as the player obtains the last magazine before the thief's position or kills the thief before the last magazine is picked up.
- Seasoned players will be able to skip about half of the checkpoint dash by taking a shortcut from Saint Mark's directly to Portland Docks via a Portland View road that connects the two districts (behind the local police station and hospital). This is provided the player has a minimum of about 15~20 seconds left in the timer that will be necessary to make the run through the shortcut without the aid of a single checkpoint before the player can continue obtaining time extensions at the Docks.
- If the player has completed Sayonara Salvatore for Asuka Kasen, Mafia gangsters will wield Uzis rather than shotgunss in this mission, lowering the difficulty.
- The same occurs for Espresso-2-Go!.
Video walkthrough

subset: commoncrawl


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The premiere of the much anticipated movie trailer for "Fifty Shades of Grey" garnered a lot of interest after the July 24, 2014 launch on "YouTube." According to the "Hollywood Reporter" magazine. The trailer grabbed a whopping 36 million views. Reviews by thousands of critics followed with their take on the 2:34 glimpse into the world of dominance, submission & bondage sex. The full length film opens in U.S. theaters on Valentines Day 2015.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" stars, Jamie Dornan (Christian Grey), Dakota Johnson (Anastasia Steele), Luke Grimes (Elliot Grey), Eloise Mumford (Kate Kavanagh) & Marcia Gay Harden (Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey).
The "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy has sold over 100 million books worldwide. A portion of the sales first came from e-books that thrust publishing companies into a bidding war over hardcover & paperback distribution. Women around the world snapped up the erotic book & made it into a phenomenon. As the film rolls out on movie screens, the anticipation to see the book turn visual has become palpable.
According to the official website of author E.L. James. The full synopsis of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" is right here. "When Literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating."
"The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana's quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too - but on his own terms."
"Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success - his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family - Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey's secrets and explores her own dark desires."


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Four Win Conference Crowns
Feb. 21, 2003
BUFFALO, N.Y.-After the second day of competition at the Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Championships, the Minutemen remained in second place while the women's team moved up to fourth place.
St. Bonaventure still leads the men's competition with 520.5 points, topping UMass' 509 points. Richmond remained in first place on the women's side with 563 points.
The Minutemen were led by three first-place finishes on Friday. Senior Tommy Keane (Melrose, Mass.) won gold in the 400-yard IM at 4:02. 97, while senior Ryan Zaucha (Auburn, Calif.) placed first in the 100-yard backstroke at 51.79 and junior Conner Townsend (Memphis, Tenn.) won the 100-yard butterfly at 50.60.
Senior Kate Allery (South Hadley, Mass.) tallied a first place finish for the Minutewomen, claiming gold in the six dive 1-meter with 270.40 points.
The A-10 meet will conclude Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y. with prelims starting at 10:30 a.m. and the finals starting at 6:30 p.m. The men's team will be vying for its third-straight A-10 crown.
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It's hard to believe that this is our fifth annual beauty pageant for Dallas homes. Let's be honest—there aren't a lot of cities that could support five years' worth of these contests. And there aren't a lot of staffs who could withstand five years' worth of arguments. (Sorry about insulting your moms, guys.) But here we are, ready to name this year's winners. You know the drill: we drive all around the city and—based on curb appeal alone—we choose the prettiest places. This year, we added something more–just to make things interesting. All residences are less than 5,000 square feet. So they're pretty and petite.
Click here to explore a gallery of the winners from this year and years past.
All housing information is from dallascad.org.


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Graham "Sharknose"
Sharks are formidable creatures, simultaneously beautiful and terrifying, one of nature's little subtle reminders that you are not necessarily at the top of the food chain. It's no wonder we find them compelling. I'm old enough to remember the excitement that ensued when Jaws first hit the theaters, and the shark has been a pop-culture icon ever since. One of the cable channels likes to celebrate an annual "Shark Week," serving up seven straight days of documentaries about sharks, with spectacular and sometimes lurid footage of sharks swimming, sharks jumping out of the water, sharks attempting to eat the camera operator, and so on.
You can think of today's presentation as Car Lust's attempt to serve up a few shark bytes of our own. Our subject "shark" lives on dry land, it probably won't bite you, and Steven Speilberg will never make a summer blockbuster about it . . . although, if you use your imagination, . . . okay, cue the menacing theme music . . .
Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the highway comes . . . Sharknose!
Now, at this point, many of you are probably thinking that not only have you never before heard of a 1938 Graham-Paige Sharknose Spirit of Motion, much less seen one, you didn't even know until five seconds ago that there ever was a Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. A brief history lesson is perhaps in order.
The three Graham brothers, Joseph, Robert, and Ray, were energetic entrepreneurs who started out in the glass bottle business in 1901. They sold that business in 1916 and used the proceeds to go into truck manufacturing. Their truck-building firm was acquired by Dodge in 1925. The Graham brothers became Dodge's largest shareholders, and got positions in management and seats on the board of directors out of the deal.
This lasted about six months. Unable to get along with Dodge's bankers, the Grahams quit Dodge and sold their stock. As part of their disengagement, they signed non-compete agreements which prohibited them from going back into the truck business.
The non-competes didn't say anything about automobiles, however. The Grahams bought the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, a small independent carmaker with declining sales whose owners wanted out of the business--but which had just built a new factory building. Beginning in 1928, cars were sold under the Graham-Paige brand name. The company officially dropped the "-Paige" from the nameplate after 1930, though most people still referred to the cars as "Graham-Paiges" right up to the end.
Like many of the smaller prewar manufacturers, Graham got its powertrain components from outside sources. Its cars were powered by a Continental engine--a flathead straight-six or straight-eight--and used a Warner Gear (later Borg-Warner) transmission. The engines came from Continental as a short block, which Graham finished with cylinder heads of its own design.
Graham's cars were notable for a few unique engineering touches. Graham began offering a supercharger option in 1934. While the blowers were a bit finicky and had teething problems, they did give a six-cylinder Graham performance comparable to a Pontiac straight eight. Graham also used a four-speed transmission at a time when nearly all other passenger cars (even high-end luxury models) used a three-speed, and it was an early adopter of sway bars. Finally, Graham had what may have been the first "digital" speedometer, using a rotating drum with numbers marked on it in place of the usual dial.
Up through the 1937 model year, Graham's styling was mainstream conventional, like the '36 Cavalier sedan above--a neat and attractive car, appealing in a sensible-shoes way, but not a whole lot different than its contemporaries. Sales had been declining through the 1930s, mostly as a consequence of the ongoing Great Depression, and the operation was losing money. The powers that be decided that maybe a dramatic restyling would turn things around. Give the car looks to match its supercharged performance, the reasoning went, and it would sell better.
The design was started by Amos Northup of Murray Corporation, and finished by others when Mr. Northup died unexpectedly. It was given the name "Spirit of Motion," and it expressed that spirit with a grille and fenders and even wheel openings that leaned forward, as if the car couldn't wait to get moving. The "motion" theme was further reinforced with horizontal accents running down the hood and across the doors. Everything was rounded off in streamlined Art Deco fashion, and the rear fender was given skirting to make it look even more streamlined.
The Spirit of Motion required completely new tooling, which cash-strapped Graham-Paige financed by selling the designs and body dies for its 1936-37 models to Nissan in Japan.
The new design was unveiled to enthusiastic praise from design professionals and the automotive press. It won design awards from the Concours D'Elegance in Paris, the Prix d'Avant-Garde at Lyon, the Prix d'Elegance at Bordeaux, and the Grand Prix d'Honneur at Deauville.
Sales, however, were disastrous.
The Spirit of Motion had the bad timing to be introduced in the fall of 1937. We who were born too late to have lived through the Depression tend to think of it as one continuous span of uniform misery running from the 1929 stock market crash straight through to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The actual economic history is a little more complicated: after hitting bottom in 1932 and '33, the U.S. economy had clawed its way out of the hole in fits and starts, to the point where in 1936 every economic indicator except the unemployment rate was almost back to where it had been in 1929. In the middle of 1937, however, the economy took a sharp drop that lasted into 1938, an event the historians call the "Roosevelt recession." A recession is exactly the wrong environment in which to be introducing new automobiles with edgy styling--as Ford would also find out twenty years later on "E-Day."
And that was the Spirit of Motion's other big problem. The car isn't ugly by any means. It has a design theme, and it follows through on that theme from front bumper to tailpipe with a consistency that few others can match. It's easy to see why artists and design professionals liked it.
On the other hand, it's definitely not mainstream styling for 1938. It's interesting, but it's not lovable. The forward-raked front end gives it a bit more drama and malevolence than most people would want in their daily driver--on a vehicle intended as a family car! Remember, too, most families that owned cars back then could only afford one car. People might be willing to have something that's a little out-of-the-box in the looks department as a second car, but they're not so willing when it's their only car.
Though the Spirit of Motion sold poorly, Graham-Paige was stuck with the design--it couldn't afford another retooling, and the dies for the previous model were off in Japan under new ownership. The car held over into 1940, selling only about 8,800 units total in three model years. This was unsustainably bad. In fact, one might be tempted to say that, on account of the shark-nosed Spirit of Motion's poor showing, Graham-Paige jumped the shark. The last Graham automobile rolled out of the factory in April of 1940.
(The ill-fated Spirit of Motion wasn't the last car to wear the Graham name, however. In 1940, Graham-Paige briefly built the Hollywood, an attractive little ride which used the body dies from the 1936-37 Cord 810/812. The Hollywood is an interesting story in its own right, but it'll have to wait for another day.)
So where does "Sharknose" come from?
The "Sharknose" nickname was originally applied to three different series of locomotives built for the Pennsylvania Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works, all of which were styled by Raymond Loewy & Associates: the T-1 duplex-drive steam locomotives built from 1942 to 1946, and two different models of diesels built after the war. Loewy's designers gave these locomotives a dramatic forward-raked nose which is similar in basic concept to the grille of the '38 Spirit of Motion. After the rail buffs pinned the "Sharknose" name on the Baldwins, the car buffs retroactively applied it to the Graham-Paige. I don't know if Loewy's designers deliberately set out to copy the Graham-Paige design, but given the resemblance, it's easy to see why they ended up sharing a nickname.
And with that, our shark tail--er, tale--is fin-ished.
--Cookie the Dog's Owner
The black '38 Sharknose at the top of the page is owned by a member of the Graham Owners Club International; the image comes from the Club website's photo gallery. The red and silver two-tone comes from Wikipedia, as does the dashboard photo and the Pennsy T-1. The menacing gray Sharknose closeup comes from this for-sale listing at the Antique Automobile Club of America website. The restored 1936 Cavalier photo comes from Restomod Plus, which did the restoration.
UPDATE: located by regular commenter "tigerstrypes":


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What to Know About Combination Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer
For pancreatic cancer, you will likely have more than one kind of treatment. You may have surgery plus chemotherapy, for example. This is called combination treatment or combination therapy.
You may have a treatment before surgery. This is called neoadjuvant treatment. You may have chemotherapy or radiation, or both, before surgery. All of these help shrink the tumor. A smaller tumor is easier to take out.
You may have treatment after surgery. This is called adjuvant treatment. You may have chemotherapy or radiation, or both, after surgery. The goal is to kill any remaining cancer cells. Your doctor may suggest adjuvant treatment even if there are no signs of cancer cells left after surgery. It lowers the risk that cancer may come back or spread.
If you cannot have surgery, you may still have chemotherapy and radiation.


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In what was an absolutely pulsating final from start to finish, Real Madrid claimed "La Decima", their 10th European Cup crown, against cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid, winning 4-1 after 120 hard-fought minutes at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. Madrid needed 4 goals after 90 minutes to amass that score line though, having gone down early in the 36th minute to a Diego Godin header following a critical mistake by RM Captain Iker Casillas, who found himself in no man's land during a goal-mouth scramble after a corner kick. The goal was well deserved by Atletico, who had to endure 111 minutes of the match without star Diego Costa, who was withdrawn after just 9 minutes as he was unable to give 100% following his late push for fitness (although a horse placenta treatment is a bit extreme).
The score remained tilted 1-0 in Atletico's favor all the way to the 93rd minute, when Sergio Ramos found a pocket of space (in what had previously been an air-tight seal provided by the Atletico back-four) to head past Thibaut Courtois in a last-gasp equalizer to push the game to extra time and crush the hearts of Atletico players and fans alike.
That shift of momentum would forever change the course of history, with Real going on to DOMINATE the extra 30 minutes, pushing 3 goals past an overworked and exhausted Atletico Madrid defense in the form of a Gareth Bale tap-in header on 110 minutes, a Marcelo strike on 118, and lastly, a Cristiano Ronaldo spot kick in additional time of additional time to rub salt in the wound and provide the culminating end to Real Madrid's 2014 Champions League title (although the removal of his shirt WAS a bit unnecessary).
Ronaldo's penalty conversion spurned a mini-melee on the pitch between the two sides, with frequently agitated Atletico manager Diego Simeone going after Real Madrid youngster Raphael Varane due to some sort of gesture made by the 20 year-old Frenchman. Indeed, it wasn't the first time of the night that Simeone took to the pitch in Lisbon, with Simeone also charging at Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipersat the end of regulation to vent his frustration at the 5 minutes of added time awarded.
Regardless, the night belonged to Real Madrid, with their rapid-fire offense on full display despite its late, late arrival to the party, leading the way to their 10th European Cup crown. From all of us here at Footyblog.net, a hearty congratulations goes out to Real Madrid, your 2013-14 UEFA Champions League Winners.


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"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Brandi Glanville kept saying that people would change their minds about Lisa Vanderpump after this season, but it sounds like people are very understanding of Lisa's point of view. Before the season started, Brandi kept saying that Lisa would be busted for lying. But people seem to believe Lisa's side of the story. According to a new Radar Online report published on March 19, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Brandi Glanville is now revealing that people will continue to support Lisa because she can do no wrong with fans.
"@LisaVanderpump could BBQ a baby and people would think it was cute," Glanville shared this week, as she was tired of how people were interpreting the season. "Holy crap…you're a b—h and your jealousy of Lisa is palpable ( big word, look it up)," one fan tweeted. "WTF is wrong [with] you? Who tweets a comment like that? Disgusting!" tweeted people, while another added, "Brandi you're scum! Lisa was not the one joking about molestation, you're a real PIG."
Everything that she writes seem to be under scrutiny from fans of the show. People are shocked that she would say such a thing, considering she herself is a mother. In addition, it sounds like people are upset with ever comment.
What do you think?


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Semester Programs
Tropical Rainforest StudiesAustralia
The astonishing biodiversity of Australia's rainforest and the country's dynamic conservation efforts make Queensland an extraordinary laboratory for students to study rainforest management and restoration. Students gain an understanding of the dynamics of coastal rainforest ecosystems, explore downstream effects of rainforest management practices, and consider management strategies that support both biodiversity and the economic stability of local communities in the face of a changing climate.
Summer Programs
Session I: Rainforest Management StudiesAustralia & New Zealand
Large areas of northeastern Queensland, Australia, and northern New Zealand were once covered in spectacular rainforests. In New Zealand, students discover its critically endangered flora and fauna and the impacts that have led to their decline. In Australia, students take their New Zealand experiences and examine similarities and differences in political structure, co-management arrangements, land-use patterns, and biogeography.
Session II: Techniques for Rainforest ResearchAustralia
Australia's rainforests are faced with continual threats due to development, climate change, and invasive species, leaving fragile fragments that are often too small or isolated to sustain some species. Students explore these rainforests, examine the effects of fragmentation in highly endangered rainforest systems, and develop effective field research skills in multiple disciplines while learning about rainforest restoration and conservation.
How can the future of the Wet Tropics in a changing world be ensured?
This is the third long-term strategic research plan of The School for Field Studies Center for Rainforest Studies, located within the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia. This bioregion covers less than 0.01% of the land surface of Australia, but contains 36% of Australia's mammal species, including 30% of its marsupial species and 58% of its bat species; 50 % of Australia's bird species; high percentages of other vertebrate and invertebrate groups and 17% of Australia's vascular plant species. It is also an important repository for plant and animal evolution, supporting many species indicative of a range of stages in the evolution of life on earth.
For these reasons, and due to the threat of land clearing for agriculture and logging, in 1988 large parts of the Wet Tropics were listed as World Heritage areas. It adjoins, and through run-off and sedimentation directly impacts another World Heritage area, the Great Barrier Reef. While agriculture remains an important industry in this region, the presence of these two natural icons means that tourism now underpins the economy of the region.
We aim to improve the stability, sustainability, environmental awareness, and concern for natural resources in the Atherton Tablelands.
While the World Heritage declaration has prevented further clearing of areas of rainforest listed under the declaration, a long history of resource exploitation for agriculture, grazing, logging and nearby mining has left a legacy of land degradation and threats to biodiversity. The rainforest that remains on fertile soils in the uplands and coastal lowlands is highly fragmented, exposing it to detrimental edge effects and impacts of introduced plants and animals. Extensive clearing has caused sedimentation of creeks and rivers, which along with fertilizer and effluent run-off, threatens the Great Barrier Reef. The upland areas of the Wet Tropics support many cool-adapted plants and animals, which are threatened by climate change as their habitats shrink up mountainsides. Local communities are responding to these threats by carrying out rainforest restoration; primarily along riparian areas and at higher elevations.
In its first and second 5YRPs, CRS made an important contribution towards addressing these problems by conducting research on the impacts of tropical cyclones on flora and fauna, the effects of drought, frost and weeds and their implications for rainforest management and restoration, investigating the effectiveness of rainforest restoration techniques, and by conducting basic research on important flora and fauna elements; epiphytes, cane toads, birds, tree-kangaroos and snakes.
This third 5YRP builds on this previous work by addressing the question: How can the future of the Wet Tropics in a changing world be ensured? Staff and students of SFS-CRS attempt to answer this question by engaging in research under three core components:
1. Understanding ecological and social systems;
2. Conflict, vulnerability, and change;
3. Effective response to change
This 5YRP is aimed at assisting a range of stakeholders and research partners. These include local landholders; non-government conservation organisations conducting rainforest restoration or having special interest in flora and fauna; several levels of government, particularly local and state government; regional research organisations, including universities and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
We aim to improve the stability, sustainability, environmental awareness, and concern for natural resources in the Atherton Tablelands. Our goal is to strengthen research, technical and practical collaboration between SFS-CRS and other research organisations, governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations to carry out this agenda.
* Indicates SFS student, ^ indicates SFS intern or SAM
Berry^, Z. C., K. Wevill* and T. J. Curran 2011. The invasive weed Lantana camara increases fire risk in dry rainforest byaltering fuel beds. Weed Research15: 525-533.
Boxall*, G. A., J.J. Sandberg* and F.J. Kroon. 2002. Population structure, movement and habitat preferences of the purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa. Marine and Freshwater Research 53: 909-917.
Cummings, J. 2006. Evaluating vascular epiphyte abundance and distribution patterns in critically endangered rainforest. Australasian Plant Conservation 14: 14-16.
Cummings, J., M. Martin^, and A. Rogers*. 2006. Quantifying the abundance of four large epiphytic fern species in remnant complex notophyll vine forest on the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland, Australia. Cunninghamia 9: 521-527.
Cummings, J., N. Reid, I. Davies, and C. Grant. 2005. Adaptive restoration of sand mined areas for biological conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 160-170.
Curran, T.J., Reid^, E.M. and Skorik*, C. 2010. Effects of a severe frost on riparian rainforest restoration in the Australian wet tropics: species foliage retention and the role of plant height and forest shelter. Restoration Ecology 18(4):408-413.
Curran, T.J., Clarke, P.J. and Bruhl, J.J. 2008. A broad typology of dry rainforests on the western slopes of New South Wales. Cunninghamia 10(3): 381-405.
Curran, T.J., Clarke, P.J. and Warwick, N.W.M. 2009. Water relations of woody plants on contrasting soils during drought: does edaphic compensation account for dry rainforest distribution? Australian Journal of Botany 57(8): 629-639. (doi: 10.1071/BT09128)
Curran, T., L. Gersbach*, W. Edwards, and A. Krockenberger. 2008. Wood density predicts plant damage and vegetative recovery rates caused by cyclone disturbance in tropical rainforest tree species in North Queensland, Australia. Austral Ecology 33: 442-450.
Curran, T. J., R. J. Brown^, E. Edwards*, K. Hopkins*, C. Kelley*, E. McCarthy*, E. Pounds*, R. Solan*, and J. Wolf*. 2008. Plant functional traits explain interspecific differences in immediate cyclone damage to trees of an endangered rainforest community in north Queensland. Austral Ecology 33: 451-461.
Deines^, J. M., J. J. Hellmann, and T.J. Curran. 2011. Traits associated with drought survival in three Australian tropical rainforest seedlings. Australian Journal of Botany 59: 620-628.
Fill^, J. M., A. B. Freeman, G. Story, and T.J. Curran. 2013. "Predation on a cryptic rainforest rodent (Pogonomys sp.) by a carpet python (Morelia spilota)." Australian Mammalogy online http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AM12035.
Fill^, J. M., P. McBride*, A. J. Powell*, L. K. Shanahan*, J. R. Stark*, A. B. Freeman and T. J. Curran. 2012. Diet of Amethystine (Morelia kinghorni) and Carpet Pythons (Morelia spilota) in North Queensland, Australia. Herpetological Review 43(1): 30-34.
Florentine, S. K. 2008. Species persistence and natural recruitment after 14 years in a restoration planting on ex-rainforest land in north-east Queensland. Ecological Management & Restoration 9: 217-221.
Florentine, S. K., M. Craig, and M. E. Westbrooke. 2003. Flowering, fruiting, germination and seed dispersal of the newly emerging weed Solanum mauritianum Scop. (Solanaceae) in the wet tropics of north Queensland. Plant Protection Quarterly 18: 116-120.
Florentine, S. K., and M. E. Westbrooke. 2003. Allelopathic potential of the newly emerging weed Solanum mauritianum Scop. (Solanaceae) in the wet tropics of north-east Queensland. Plant Protection Quarterly 18: 23-25.
—. 2004a. Evaluation of alternative approaches to rainforest restoration on abandoned pasturelands in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Land Degradation and Development 15: 1-13.
—. 2004b. Restoration on abandoned tropical pasturelands-do we know enough? Journal for Nature Conservation 12: 85-94.
Freeman, A. N. D. 2003. The distribution of Beach Stone-curlews and their response to disturbance on far north Queensland's Wet Tropical Coast. Emu 103: 369-372.
—. 2004. Constraints to community groups monitoring plants and animals in rainforest revegetation sites on the Atherton Tablelands of far north Queensland. Ecological Management and Restoration 5: 199-204.
Freeman, A., and A. Freeman. 2009. Habitat use in a large rainforest python (Morelia kinghorni) in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland, Australia. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 4: 252-260.
—. 2007. Giants in the rainforest: a radio telemetry study of the amethystine python in North Queensland, Australia. Iguana 14: 215-221.
Freeman, A. N. D., A. B. Freeman and S. Burchill (2009). Bird use of revegetation sites along a creek connecting rainforest remnants. Emu 109: 331-338.
Freeman, A. N. D., K. Pias*, and M. F. Vinson^. 2008. The impact of Tropical Cyclone Larry on bird communities in fragments of the endangered rainforest Type b. Austral Ecology 33: 532-540.
Freeman, A. N. D., and L. S. Seabrook. 2006. Increase in riparian vegetation along Peterson Creek, North Queensland. Ecological Management & Restoration 7: 63-65.
Freeman, A. N. D., and M. F. Vinson^. 2008. The effect of Tropical Cyclone Larry on tooth-billed bowerbird Scenopoeetes Dentirostris court attendance and decoration. Austral Ecology 33: 570-572.
Garnett, S. T., J. R. Clarkson, A. Felton, G. N. Harrington, and A. N. D. Freeman. 2005. Habitat and diet of the star finch (Neochmia ruficauda clarescens) in the early wet season at Princess Charlott Bay, Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Emu 105: 81-85.
Heise-Pavlov, S., J. Hueppe, and R. Pott. 2008. Revisiting factors affecting deciduousness in tropical rainforest at a study site in coastal lowland rainforest in NE Australia. Phytocoenologia 38: 213-219.
Heise-Pavlov, S. R., S. L. Jackrel*, and S. Meeks*. 2011. Conservation of a rare arboreal mammal: habitat preferences of the Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus lumholtzi. Australian Mammalogy 33: 5-15.
Heise-Pavlov, S. R. and L. J. Longway*. 2011. Diet and dietary selectivity of Cane Toads (Rhinella marina) in restoration sites: a case study in Far North Queensland, Australia. Ecological Management & Restoration 12(3): 230-233.
Heise-Pavlov, S. R., & Meade*, R. D. 2012. Improving reliability of scat counts for abundance and distribution estimations of Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) in its rainforest habitats. Pacific Conservation Biology, 18:153-163.
Hunt, C. 2008. Economy and ecology of emerging markets and credits for bio-sequestered carbon on private land in tropical Australia. Ecological Economics 66: 309-318.
King*, J. R., A. N. Andersen, and A. D. Cutter*. 1998. Ants as bioindicators of habitat disturbance: validation of the functional group model for Australia's humid tropics. Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 1627-1638.
Laurance, W., and T. J. Curran. 2008. Impacts of wind disturbance on fragmented tropical rainforest: A review and synthesis. Austral Ecology 33: 390-408.
Rasiah, V., S. K. Florentine, B. L. Williams, and M. E. Westbrooke. 2004. The impact of deforestation and pasture abandonment on soil properties in the wet tropics of Australia. Geoderma 120: 35-45.
Vinson^, M. F., and A. N. D. Freeman. 2006. Tooth-billed bowerburds established in a lek in Acacia regrowth forest. Sunbird 36.Waugh, S. M., P. F. Doherty, A. N. D. Freeman, L. Adams, G. C. Woods, J. A. Bartle, and G. K. Hedley. 2006. Demography of Westland Petrels (Procellaria westlandica), 1995-2003. Emu 106: 219-226.
The Atherton Tablelands and Wet Tropics have been home to The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies for more than 25 years. SFS is an active and engaged partner with many community organizations including TREAT, Landcare, Tablelands National Park Volunteers, and Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group. Our research provides scientific data and has direct policy implications for local decision makers. It also creates important linkages between our Center and the diverse stakeholders involved in rainforest restoration and management and the development of sustainable communities and industries.
Our students forge strong connections with residents who are passionate and knowledgeable about environmental stewardship. Participating in restoration projects alongside citizen volunteers, students come to understand rainforest ecosystems and management from a local perspective.
SFS students and staff add significantly to the social fabric of the community by getting involved in community volunteer projects and social activities such as:
- Helping local conservation groups and communities plant rainforest trees
- Participating in community fauna surveys
- Attending special lectures on wildlife in conjunction with local conservation groups
- Hosting community dinners and participating in short homestays
- Attending bush dances and community festivals, visiting the Malanda theatre, and socializing at the local pubs and sporting competitions
- Engaging with Aboriginal elders to learn more about their culture and efforts to reclaim their role in land management


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In China, Most Overseas Acquisitions Are Held by Offshore Units
Last month, a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate Sanpower Group said it will buy House of Fraser Ltd., a storied U.K. department-store chain established 165 years ago.
It was a high-profile acquisition for the relatively unknown unit, Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co., which is buying 89% of House of Fraser in a deal valued at around £480 million ($808 million). But perhaps what made it most unusual is that Sanpower chose a mainland-listed subsidiary to buy House of Fraser, rather than one offshore.
There have only been a handful of such deals valued at more than $500 million in recent years. Last year, Shenzhen-listed Bohai Leasing Co., a financial leasing firm, bought marine container leasing company Seaco SRL for $1.3 billion, according to data provider Dealogic. Also, in 2012 Shanghai-listed Sany Heavy Industry Co., a maker of construction equipment, and Chinese conglomerate Citic Group's private-equity arm together paid $694 million for German concrete pump maker Putzmeister Holding.
In all, the value of overseas mergers and acquisitions directly by mainland-listed companies since 2008 has totaled $17 billion—a mere 5% of the value of such deals done by Chinese companies overall during the same period, Dealogic data showed.
Consider the biggest-ever Chinese acquisition of a U.S. company, Shuanghui International's $4.7 billion takeover last year of U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc. Shuanghui has since been renamed WH Group. It is registered in Hong Kong and bought Smithfield directly rather than using its Shenzhen-listed subsidiary, Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co., which operates the pork business in China.
"A firm's strategy and source of funding could be factors affecting the decision," said David Wu, head of China corporate finance at ING Bank. "For instance, sometimes a company would prefer to use domestic units to make foreign acquisitions for company-specific reasons such as financing or simplifying management structures. That said, most firms would still prefer to use offshore entities to make overseas acquisitions for reasons such as tax, listing prospects, corporate governance."
One of the biggest reasons Chinese companies use offshore units to make overseas acquisitions is to avoid the need to obtain the central government's approval of the deal.
The Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange all must sign off if the buyer is domestic and the acquisition target a foreign company, but not if the buyer is an offshore unit that doesn't require any onshore funding.
To be sure, many offshore units are shell companies that would need financing help from their onshore Chinese parent—as a guarantor or source of capital injection, for example. In such cases, the deal would still require the approval of those three government bodies.
On the other hand, one reason an acquiring company might use an onshore unit is the need to obtain onshore financing, particularly from Chinese banks.
Click here to read more.


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We're confirming your subscription now. We want to make sure your email isn't already on the list.


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Diddy's Son Justin Combs Responds to Football Scholarship Controversy
Justin Combs has taken to Twitter to address the controversy regarding his football scholarship to UCLA.
As Gossip Cop previously reported, critics have complained that Combs, son of music mogul Diddy, doesn't need or deserve a $54,000 scholarship given his father's $475 million fortune.
Combs, however, sees things a bit differently.
"Regardless what the circumstances are, I put that work in!!!! PERIOD," the 18-year-old defensive back tweeted.
Combs continued, "Regardless of what you do in life every1 is gonna have their own opinion. Stay focused, keep that tunnel vision & never 4get why u started."
While Diddy has remained mum on the controversy, Combs' mom Misa Hylton has also weighed in via Twitter, saying, "My Son is his own man. He will earn his own way through life."
Hylton went on to stress that Combs is receiving a merit-based scholarship that won't have any effect on need-based aid packages for other students,
"You want to penalize my son for working hard and putting education first? Shame on you," she wrote, adding, "He deserves to be rewarded."
What do you think — should Combs keep the scholarship?
Follow @GossipCop on Twitter!
Like us on Facebook!


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The common garter snake has a dark, distinguishable head and a long slithery body. Its
red and black, forked tongue is used as a detection device. This snake pops its tongue out
of its mouth to collect chemicals in the air. It then places its tongue back into its mouth
and inserts the fork into a special organ, called the Jacobson's organ, on the roof
of its mouth. The snake uses this process to detect scents like pheromones from other snakes
and their next meal.
Common garter snakes can be found in just about any environment except water. Marshes,
fields and forests are just a few of the habitats these snakes can occupy. During the winter
months, common garter snakes hibernate in natural burrows, either in log piles or old rodent
burrows, but sometimes come out to warm up their bodies by basking in the sun.


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Student Health Services in the lower southeast corner of Hubbard Hall on Administration Drive. SHS is next door to the police department and directly across the street from the Administrative Conference Tower (ACT) building. Campus map.
Student Health Services is open Monday - Friday, 8am to 5pm. SHS is open in the summer and between semesters. (SHS is closed when the campus is closed.)
Student Health Services is able to provide a variety of services to Dallas campus students. The following locations are available to provide healthcare and immunization services to TWU Dallas students. Contact each location directly for more specific information.
Concentra Urgent Care
Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:00am to 10:00pm;
Sat, 8:00am - 5:00pm; Sun, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Corporate Health Management
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm
Parkland Health & Hospital System
Immunization Information: (214) 590-8121
Hours: Monday- Friday, 6:30am - 4:00pm
The University of Texas Health Services (U.T.H.S.) is a TWU Student Health Provider. We are working together to provide for your healthcare needs.
Your TWU student ID is necessary for services.
U.T.H.S. is conveniently located within the Texas Medical Center (TMC).
7000 Fannin, Suite 1620
(713) 500-3248
Visit the UTHS website for more information regarding their services, location, and hours http://uthealthservices.com/
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday & Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Injury and Illness Care and Prevention
- Immunizations (also offered on campus during fall and spring semesters - check with Student Life Coordinator for dates and times)
- Travel Immunizations
- Flu Shots (offered on-campus in late October)
page last updated 6/21/2016 8:50 AM


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Chef Kenneth Corrow Out at the Cleveland
Expect a more casual concept when the restaurant names a new chef in the coming weeks.
The Cleveland — the neighborhood American spot in the Cleveland Place location that once housed What Happens When — only opened back in January, but today co-owner Paul Shaked confirmed tips that chef Kenneth Corrow has left the restaurant. No replacement has been named yet, but Shaked says the new concept will be similar but "more casual."


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The following information has been received by our office from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Amanda Eamich
WASHINGTON, June 8, 2007 - Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., a Sherman, Texas, establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 40,440 pounds of ground beef products due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The products subject to recall include: [View Labels]
1.5-pound trays of "ANGUS STEAK BURGER ALL NATURAL, 85/15, 6- 1/4 POUND PATTIES."
1.33-pound trays of "ANGUS STEAK BURGER ALL NATURAL, 85/15, EXTRA THICK, 4- 1/3 POUND PATTIES."
2.25-pound trays of "73/27 ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF, CARNE MOLIDA DE RES."
5.5-pound trays of "73/27 ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF, CARNE MOLIDA DE RES."
Each label bears the establishment number "Est. 244S" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a "Use or Freeze By" date of "JUN 13 07."
The problem was discovered through trim sampling done by the company. The ground beef products were produced on June 2, 2007 and were distributed to retail establishments in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the Tyson Consumer Hotline at (800) 233-6332. Media with questions about the recall should contact company Director of Media Relations Gary Mickelson at (479) 290-6111.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
This product was not distributed in Indiana but counties bordering Kentucky could be affected. This information may be distributed as necessary. If you have any questions, please feel free to call this office at 317-233-7360


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TV's Powerful Doctor Shows vs. the H.M.O.
By Burkhard Bilger
Published: December 22, 1996
Tommy Wilmette slouches against a doorjamb with coiled reptilian calm, his hooded eyes searching for signs of weakness in his lumbering prey. A specialist in hostile takeovers, Wilmette has set his sights on a new victim: Chicago Hope Hospital. ''You're too expensive; your surgeries aren't cost-effective,'' he tells one of the hospital's finest doctors, who also happens to be his ex-wife. ''In fact, you're exactly the kind of doctor I'll be eliminating when we downsize.''
Just across town and a couple of prime-time evenings later, paramedics wheel a new patient into County General Hospital's emergency room, rattling off staccato symptoms: ''Two-day-old male infant, full-term vaginal delivery, found cyanotic in his crib, resp 50, heart rate 160.''
''When was he born?''
''Yesterday night.''
''When did he come back from the hospital?''
''This morning.''
''Somebody sent a mother and child home after one night?''
''Yup. Welcome to managed care.''
Or, more precisely, welcome to managed care on television.
One show takes place in mood-lighted hallways and gleaming offices, the other in a dumpy, hyperkinetic emergency room. One centers on smug superstar surgeons, the other on frazzled medical students and residents. One caters to patients who can afford the very best; the other is overrun by the health-care system's dispossessed: drug addicts, illegal immigrants, patients on Medicare or Medicaid or with no insurance at all. Yet for all their dissimilarities, ''Chicago Hope'' and ''E.R.'' share an affinity stronger than their Chicago setting and near-identical opening credits: both shows have a deep distrust, if not contempt, for the business of medicine.
As a doctor on ''Chicago Hope'' put it in an episode earlier this year: ''When a bean counter tells me he has to pull up guidelines on a computer screen to see whether my wheezing patient qualifies for a tank of oxygen, I have a problem.''
''E.R.,'' Thursday nights at 10 on NBC, and ''Chicago Hope,'' Monday nights at 10 on CBS, have found rich pickings in the scorched landscape of health care reform. And the popularity of these two medical dramas gives them great power to shape public debate on the subject. Their characters battle health maintenance organizations and debate politicians over budget cuts. They show viewers, in graphic style, just what's at stake. ''I would love to think that we have some kind of political impact,'' said John Tinker, executive producer of ''Chicago Hope.'' ''In fact, if Hillary is reading this, perhaps she can pick up a pen and write us an episode.''
Chances are, Mr. Tinker would be disappointed with the First Lady's efforts. Both shows are often very good at portraying personal ethical conundrums -- whether, for instance, a nurse should risk losing her job by telling her employers that she is H.I.V. positive. But they do less well by health policy. Having scratched at a few inflamed issues -- malpractice, the cost and danger of exotic treatments, and rationing limited health care dollars -- the writers apply a balm of stubbornly old-fashioned values: doctors are noble despite their failings; the more sophisticated the treatment the better, and a human life, however tenuous its hold, is worth saving at any cost.
Medical dramas have long held up a warped mirror to the country's health care system. In the 1960's, when shows like ''Ben Casey'' and ''Dr. Kildare'' flashed the American Medical Association's seal of approval during their credits, the A.M.A. was allowed to censor scripts. As a result, doctors were rarely shown making mistakes or driving fancy cars, much less cursing or having sex. ''In a way it came back to bite them,'' said Joseph Turow, a professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book ''Playing Doctor: Television, Storytelling and Medical Power.'' ''People would say, 'Gee, how come my physician isn't like Dr. Kildare?' ''
These days, television's doctors make mistakes all the time, and sex is a weekly plot point. But to keep a flattering light on their souls, medical dramas keep the doctors poorer than ever. On ''E.R.'' they live in shabby flats, eat at greasy diners and ride motorcycles or the subway. They have been transformed, improbably, into antiheroes.
All of which gives a lopsided spin to any talk of health care costs. Greedy H.M.O.'s and greedy insurance companies are frequent whipping boys, but greedy doctors are rarely mentioned. For all their foibles, doctors are the people's saviors, not their extortionists. ''I think that viewers get what they want from medicine on television,'' said Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. ''And there is a sort of schizophrenia about medicine. People will say that they are angry about health care, but doctors are still the modern priesthood.''
The hospitals, by the same token, are like embattled fortresses, their patients like villagers fleeing from rapacious invaders. Chicago Hope is under siege from entrepreneurs; County General was nearly shut down by a strapped county government, then had to cope with overflow from another hospital that got the ax instead. Although the writers usually get the details right, the bigger picture can be lost or misrepresented. At County General, there was no policy wonk on hand to mention that American hospitals, on average, are filled to only 60 percent capacity. There was no convenient chart showing that H.M.O.'s have helped bring the growth of health care spending in the private sector below the rate of inflation for the first time in decades.


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July 29, 2013, Beijing,China --- "OFF AND RUNNIN' IN BEIJING" --- Superstar Manny Pacquiao(L) and former world champion Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios(right behind) race up the Great Wall of China, one of the great wonders of the world, Monday in Beijing,China.
Pacquiao and Rios are in town for a Tuesday press conference to announce their upcoming mega fight in November. Both fighters are making a stop in Beijing as part of their world-wide media tour which will also include stops in Shanghai, Singapore, New York and finally ending up in Los Angeles. Pacquiao vs Rios will battle on Sunday, November 24 from The Venetian Macao Resort in Macau,China and will be televised live in the US, Saturday, Nov. 23, 9pm ET/6pm PT on HBO Pay-Per-View. --- Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank
On TOP of THE WORLD, Babeeeee! Da Manny is in Radam G's Hot PINK, and he doesn't STINK! Real MEN can wear anything. And there is no hate going on in BEIJING! Holla!
Who will win the Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward fight?


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1 Jul 09:13 2002
Re: A Rocket A Day
Randall Clague <rclague <at> rclague.net>
On Sat, 22 Jun 2002 02:41:48 +0100, Ian Woollard <i.woollard <at> btinternet.com> wrote: >http://www.ghg.net/redflame/launch.htm New to me was Whitehead pointing out that although space nuts use SSTO and RLV interchangeably, the two are almost mutually exclusive: SSTO has to be light, and RLV has to be rugged. Doing an SSTO RLV... We're going to sneak up on it from both directions, improving the performance of our RLV until a stripped down version will just make orbit with no payload - and then we'll try to improve it some more. >It's got some very interesting bits, particularly when he talks about >the safety of LOX... >not sure I agree with his conclusions overall. I would be interested on >this groups opinion on how >the behaviour of LOX compares with HTP though. That's a religious question here. "There is no oxidizer but peroxide, and silver is its prophet." Because it can be used as a monoprop, peroxide is the best propellant to use when you're learning how to do liquid fuel rocketry. It's simple and it's safe. The downside is its cost. Paying several dollars per pound for peroxide is not an unusual experience. LOX costs about 1% of that, so any large biprop operation cries out economically for LOX. Peroxide need not cost as much as it does, and we're working on ways of reducing its cost, but if we ever get HTP cost down to LOX cost it'll be a miracle.(Continue reading)


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Jhonattan Vegas, UT Alumni, is having an amazing rookie season notching his first career win earlier this year at the Bob Hope Classic and is currently ranked 33rd in the FedEx Cup standings. The next challenge starts on Thursday as Vegas tees it up at his first PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
Vegas seems to have a calm, yet naturally excited demeanor while preparing for the PGA's final major championship this week. "It should be fun. Playing long courses is always fun for me but on major championship courses it is all about making putts and getting it up and down at the right times. Hopefully I will be ready for it tomorrow," said Vegas in an interview with Reuters. Striping the ball long down the fairway is something Vegas is accustomed to, ranking 15th in driving distance on the tour this year. He is going to need every bit of this power as the AAC is playing at 7,467 yards making it one of the longest courses for a major in PGA history.
His golf partners include Ernie Els and Anthony Kim as part of the 1:05pm (EDT) grouping. Although Els and Kim have not played up to their potential thus far in 2011 this should be a fun group to watch. If Vegas can keep his putter in line he could play well into the weekend and hopefully be in contention come Sunday.
Groups to watch
- 7:55 am Ryo Ishikawa, Matteo Manassero, Adam Scott - Can Scott follow up his impressive victory at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational with his first major win and what will Steve Williams say this week?
- 8:15 am Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, David Toms - Big names we all know and love. Toms won the last PGA Championship played at AAC back in 2001. That year's runner-up? Phil Mickelson.
- 8:35 am Padraig Harrington, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods - No matter how poorly Woods has played over the past year, there is still an interest to see him make a comeback as the Tiger of old.
- 1:45 pm Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel - The tour's major winners this year. Good buddies McIlroy and Clarke playing side by side should be entertaining. We could see these two playing together all 4 rounds if they play anything like they did during their major victories.
Additional Info
Official PGA Championship Website


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Erin Bond, former co-leader of the English Department student exchange with Nanjing University, has created a movie (opens as Quicktime) that will give students an idea of the experiences they will have in this semester-long program. Learn the language, see the colorful city, taste the food ... and more. See the travel movie here.
Buenos Aires
This two-week, 3-credit course travels in May but counts as a Spring course. Explore the city that Jorge Luis Borges roamed, see the museums, visit the most beautiful cafes in the world and walk through the most renowned cemetery this side of Paris. This city, in fact, is called the "Paris of the Western Hemisphere" for a good reason. You don't even need to speak Spanish.
See our Web site for more details or contact Dr. Paula Kamenish or Dr. Ashlee Balena (if you want to take this as a Spanish course)..
And here's the photo album for the 2013 trip! (Opens as pdf)
wentworth travel
Want to see England the way Jane Austen saw it? You can -- if you are awarded one of the dozen or so fellowships that Mr. Charles F.Green III provides. Details are here.
Want to see the possibilities? Here's an interactive map of where previous scholars have gone.
And here's a photo gallery and bios of scholars and where they went.
go global
Paris, London, Madrid, Rome – and beyond – all begin with a visit to International Programs. Figure out where you want to go, and follow the step-by-step directions to get there.
English in Action Showcase
Want to get a sampling of what other students have accomplished in their classes? Take a look.
Photo Above: (l-r) Kenny Gilliard, Ashleigh Huffman, Daniel Faulkenberry and Juliane Bullard stand with the fine arts museum of Buenos Aires behind them. They were part of the 2013 3-credit, 2-week course to Argentina. - Photo by Shirley Mathews
Buenos Aires
Wentworth Travel Fellowships
International Studies Courses
The English Department offers a varying number of study abroad courses that take place in countries such as Argentina and Wales.
These courses, not a part of the permanent course list, vary in length and may take place during the regular semesters or summer sessions.
Each course is approved by the appropriate dean and include regular classroom assignments, lectures and discussions, travel and field work, and visits to historic and cultural sites.
Study takes place outside the United States, and often is in association with local universities abroad.
Requirement: A student must have an overall grade point average of at least 2.0. The student may take up to 12 credit hours in INT 294 (ENG 294) and/or INT 494 (ENG 494).
Study Abroad/International Exchange
The first stop for interested students is the Office of International Programs, which gives a step-be-step how-to on registering for these study abroad opportunities.
If the student wants to apply credit in these courses toward a degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, they should start the process here by searching on all the possible options.
Semester in Swansea
UNCW has a long-standing relationship with Swansea University in Wales where students can live and learn in one of the most well-regarded universities in the UK.
Two Weeks in Buenos Aires
Students can register in the fall for the 2-week, 3-credit Spring semester course, ENG 294: Buenos Aires - Capital of Culture. Students travel in May to one of the most beautiful cities in the world to study the art, literature, music and culture of this South American center. Visit the Web site for more information and to see photo galleries of past trips. Also, you can look at this overview of all that the city has to offer.
Wentworth Travel Fellowships
Each year, a dozen or so students are awarded funds to travel to the country or area where their favorite authors or literary characters have existed. Our students have explored countries as far flung as China and India and as close to home as Concord, Mass., and New Orleans. Details are here.


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The BSS AR133 provides added functionality and enhanced audio performance and was designed to be more affordable for musicians, studios and PA companies.
The unit includes phantom power and battery supplies as standard. Should the phantom power from the console fail or be accidentally switched off, the AR-133 automatically switches over to the internal 9V battery providing uninterrupted use.
The AR133 is housed in a rugged aluminium extrusion case, with robust polyurethane end-cheeks which give the AR-133 a very distinctive look.
Input connectors are both 1/4" jack sockets and an XLR socket, the latter meaning that the AR-133 can be used to convert unbalanced signals to a balanced output on XLRs throughout.
The arched case allows cables to run back underneath the unit from the end for neat cable management.
Input attenuation is 0, -20 or -40dB, making the box suitable for instrument, line or amplifier levels on inputs. On the output side, a ground-lift switch is provided for quick solutions to ground-loop problems.
The AR-133 uses an enhanced version of the same audio path as the AR-116, now regarded by many people as a reference standard. The sound quality is legendary, particularly on acoustic and bass guitars. Numerous applications can be satisfied by the AR-133. For example, as well as the traditional guitar use, the AR-133 can be used with keyboards, DJ consoles, amplifier outputs, and other electronic sources. An additional bonus is the ability to use the AR-133 as an active balancing device.
The audio signal path of the AR-133 is an enhanced design based upon the long established BSS AR-116, now regarded by many as a reference unit. The sound quality, particularly on acoustic guitar and bass guitar pick-ups, is recognized as outstanding. The uses, however, are not limited to guitars or keyboards. The AR-133 is suitable for use whenever it is critical to match levels and impedances, sources need isolation or long cables are used. The provision of both 1/4" and XLR connectors on the input further extends the use of the AR-133 with a multitude of source devices.
Powered from the Console or Battery
The AR-133 takes its power either from the standard microphone phantom powering available from the desk, or from an internal 9V battery. When phantom is used, the power led on the AR-133 is lit continuously. If the phantom fails, the battery immediately takes over, with a flashing led showing battery use.
Ground Lift for Solving Grounding Problems
The ground lift switch enables the input signal's earth to be separated from the output ground, a quick and easy way to prevent ground-loop problems.
Typical Applications


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Teresa and Joe Giudice plan to plead guilty to fraud and the other charges that have been brought against them. Radar Online reports on Feb. 28 that the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" couple has been working on a plea deal to try to avoid jail sentences. Although Teresa allegedly has a chance of avoiding prison time, Joe may still face several years in jail.
The Giudice family is rumored to be in the process of securing a plea deal that would give Teresa probation and limit Joe to five years in prison. The couple would have to pay an $11 million fine, and Joe could still be deported to Italy.
The Giudice's have allegedly shifted from originally pleading not guilty by deciding to plead guilty. The change may be greatly influenced by the plea deal, but their actions in court will reveal the true state of their negotiations. Teresa and Joe had hoped they could both avoid jail time for the 41 charges because they did not want to leave their daughters without any parents.
If the plea deal is not accepted, then both Joe and Teresa could spend several years in jail. Joe may spend three years while Teresa may spend two years, but probation is also possible. In addition to wanting to raise her daughters, Teresa wants to avoid prison because she does not want to jeopardize her part on the "Real Housewives of New Jersey." The reality show provides an important paycheck for the family that faces an $11 million fine.


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One of my favourite local fabric designers is Kristen Doran. Kirsten is Sydney based and produces some stunning screen printed designs that are both fresh and unique.
FQ: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your artistic background? "I am a graphic designer/textile designer/mother (of two awesome little boys). I hope they will grow up big and strong, make their fortune playing NBA basketball and buy me a loft apartment in NYC. But until then I spend my days selling hand printed fabrics and trying my hardest to ignore the housework."
FQ: Everyone has a dream – what's yours? Are you living it? "My dream is to sell fabric to a store in NYC. In a few months a new craft store will open and… they have ordered some of my panels. Insert insanely wild happy dance here.
FQ: How would you describe your designs? "One of the hardest questions to answer. So I might just take the easy way out on this and direct you here: www.kristendoran.com
FQ: How do you juggle motherhood and designing? "It's both hard and easy. Hard because there's so many distractions. Easy because I get to do what I love and spend lots of time with my children. Before kids I spent many years working in offices and it has given me a great appreciation to be able to work from home."
Kristen blogs at: http://kristendorandesign.blogspot.com/
You can find Kristen's fabric here: http://kristendoran.bigcartel.com/


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Student Home
Employee Home
Eligibility Guidelines
How to apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Information for Tutors
Monthly Assignments
Parents & Family
The Senior Spot
Upward Bound Alumni
Thank you for your interest in becoming a part of our Tutoring Staff! The information below will help you get a better understanding of what it's like to be a part of our program!
What is TRiO/Upward Bound?
The goal of the Upward Bound program is to develop in students the motivation and skills necessary to complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education following high school graduation. In order for the program and student to meet this goal, it is necessary for both the student and parent/guardian to be committed to completing the requirements of the program.
The activities of the Upward Bound program are all designed to meet the following objectives:
Increase academic performance of program participants
Increase motivation of participants to complete high school and pursue postsecondary education
Provide informative career and educational opportunities for all participants
Increase participation in cultural/educational opportunities beyond those available through high schools
Provide tutoring services, academic advising and counseling to program participants
Provide assistance in completing the application process for admission to a postsecondary institution
Upward Bound requires that students are either first generation or come from modest income households. Upward Students range from 9-12th grade and have a wide variety academic skill levels.
What types of students participate in Upward Bound?
What will I be doing as a Tutor?
Tutors are paired up with our Academic Advisors and go out to area high schools to work with our students after school. There you will meet with students in a classroom and assist them in completing homework and studying for tests. This is done individually with students, and also in study groups.
Schools that we serve include: Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park, Coon Rapids, Osseo, Park Center and Spring Lake Park. Tutoring is held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2:45 to 4:45pm.
What math levels would I be required to help tutor?
Most of the students will be in Geometry, Algebra II or Trigonometry. Every now and then we will have a student who is in Calculus. Students will have their books and will have examples to help lead the tutor.
How do I apply?
1. Download our application here and submit to Robert Cancino, Interim Director of Upward Bound at email@example.com
TRiO / Upward Bound 763-433-1170 press 2 for Coon Rapids Campus


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We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists Movie Reviews
We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists
Release Date: Unknown
Genre: Documentary
Rating: (NR)
User reviews on We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists
"If you want to see Anonymous rise up, try to shut down the message."
"You could argue that the most powerful people on Earth are a bunch of nameless, faceless 17 to 35 year olds."
"It is both exhilarating . . . and terrifying."
These are just some of the sweeping, inspiring, and simultaneously unnerving sentiments pronounced in the fascinating new doc**entary, We Are Legion, which chronicles the rise, successes, failures, and future of the internet community known only as "Anonymous". For a group of (likely young) individuals whose primary aim is to disseminate information that exposes the corrupt ways of establishment regims, systems, and individuals, it is frequently ruthless, unmerciful, and exacting in producing the kind of uproar and change that it sees as vital to the very existence of a world that is at all aware of what is actually going on.
The community that calls itself "Anonymous" has played a major part in everything from the Arab Spring to the 47 Percent video that currently plagues the Romney presidential campaign, and filmmaker Brian Knappenberger has made a doc**entary that is truly impossible to ignore, no matter how you feel about the subject at hand. The most interesting part of the film for me was the series of interviews with the many "Anonymous" pioneers and "celebrities" that have helped take down the likes of the Church of Scientology and ultra conservative gadflies like Glenn Beck. If establishment power is your thing, Anonymous is your No. 1 enemy. You'll likely be shocked and stunned by how ordinary and run-of-the-mill some of them seem when giving interviews; but then their very ordinariness is also what inspires the audience. The fact that anyone with an Ethernet chord and a lucky discovery can upend an entire society with a simple upload is the truest manifestation of democratic power the world has yet known.
Like the old saying goes, with incredible power come incredible responsibility. Will Anonymous always use its powers for good? Is corruption of such a force inevitable? The film doesn't get to answer these lofty question, but it still makes for an amazing viewing experience that is much more jarring than anything even Loose Change or Zeitgeist could conjure.
Write a review for We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists
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Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz granted an interview with U.K.'s 'Financial Times' during his stay in Casablanca, Morocco. Excerpts from the wide-ranging questions follow.
On the Kingdom's concern over the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories and instability in the region as a whole, Crown Prince Abdullah said that it is in the interest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be in a region in which peace, security and justice prevail and where its peoples have equal rights. He added that as long as Israel thinks of itself as a superpower dominating the region and dictating its will on its peoples, stability will not be achieved in the region. He noted that Al-Quds [Jerusalem] is an integral part of the conscience of all Muslims and the only Muslim who will abandon his interest in it is one who has lost that conscience.
In reply to a question on the deteriorating situation and the actions of [Israeli Premier] Ariel Sharon since he assumed power in Israel last March, Crown Prince Abdullah noted that it is a great mistake to leave dangerous international issues such as the Palestinian issue to the mercy of local elections, adding: "We do not care who rules Israel but we care that Israel respects its obligations and agreements." He referred to approval by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell of the report by Mitchell's committee and the appointment of a new American envoy to the region as good and positive steps, and indicated that Secretary Powell, having fought for the security of the region during the liberation of Kuwait, knew very well the effect of Israeli violence on this security and on stability in the region.
To a question on requests that the U.S. administration mount pressure on Israel, the Crown Prince remarked that the United States of America proclaims its call for human rights and the rights of all peoples, and its eagerness for the new world order; therefore, "We look forward to America's effective and just role." The success of the United States in convincing Israel to stop its expansionist and oppressive policies and go along with the will of the international community and the resolutions of the United Nations, is in the interest of global peace as well as that of the United States, and if achieved, will have a positive impact on the overall situation in the region. Concerning the fact that he has declined to visit the United States, he gave assurances that relations between the two countries are long-standing and strong, based on mutual interests, and not easy to harm. "The visit that is not paid today", he declared, "can be done tomorrow. What is important is not the date but the atmosphere for the success of the visit."
On the European role in the peace process, he said the Europe has a moral and political responsibility towards the region, noting the cultural, economic and historical links between them.
On relations with Iran and U.S. press reports alleging Iran as being involved in the Al-Khobar bombing, Crown Prince Abdullah said policy is not formulated on press reports, but on protection of interests for the service of the people, adding: "We see that it is in the interest of stability and development in the region that there should be rapprochement with Iran''. To a question on the security agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, he said that was concluded according to the desire of the two countries to fight terrorism, drug smuggling, money-laundering and other violations that harm the interests of the two peoples. He said the matter of lifting the U.S. embargo on Iran is for the two countries concerned, but that greater stability in the region could result from an American-Iranian dialogue.
On a question on the smart sanctions against Iraq that the U.S. administration is trying to develop, Crown Prince Abdullah referred to an announcement three years ago of a Saudi initiative aimed at eliminating the sufferings of the Iraqi people; the responsibility, he said, now rests with the Iraqi leadership, which has obstructed every movement to alleviate these sufferings. Sanctions, he said, do not target the Iraqi people but are a means to an end, which is protection of the region from new ventures by the Iraqi regime. As to whether Arab governments should continue their efforts for reconciliation between Iraq and Kuwait, he said the problem is not just between these two countries, but between Iraq on the one hand and on the other, its neighbors, the Arab world and the United Nations.
On the possibility of using Saudi oil as a means of pressure in the peace issue as happened in the 1970s, Crown Prince Abdullah explained that oil is an economic and strategic material on which depends the welfare of industrial and developing countries alike, and expressed concern that the Kingdom's oil policy be logical and effect a balance between the interests of producers and those of consumers. It is therefore not useful, he stated, to speak about oil outside of this framework.
To a question on the U.S. administration's policy on oil, the Crown Prince referred to a series of oil policies that had been suggested, one of them emphasizing the importance of dialogue between producers and consumers. That approach, he said, is what the Kingdom has always called for. As for pressures on OPEC, he expressed his belief that everyone now knows that OPEC is not alone responsible for market stability; producers outside OPEC and the governments of consumer countries have no less important roles. Referring to OPEC's next meeting on July 4, Crown Prince Abdullah said production will be increased if it is felt that there is real need for that increase in order to maintain stability in the market. Concerning his proposal to set up in the Kingdom a secretariat-general for the International Energy Forum, he explained that it is important to coordinate among all parties to maintain an equilibrium that protects the interests of both producers and consumers. He added that such a forum will ensure price stability and maintain balance between supply and demand.
On the Kingdom's domestic reforms, the Crown Prince said that economic reforms are running according to the planned program and at an appropriate speed. Regarding the decision to ban foreign companies from investment in the production of oil, he said that since Saudi Aramco is one of the largest companies in the world and has the technical ability to produce and market oil, there is no need for other companies to compete in this sector. He added that Saudi Arabia's capacity for oil production exceeds 10 million barrels per day; this can be increased if it is deemed necessary. Concerning the refining and petrochemical industries and secondary industries that depend on gas or oil, these are all open for foreign investment, he declared. Referring to the companies who have won contracts for the development of natural gas, Crown Prince Abdullah said that certain large companies were asked to invest in this sector and provide gas for industries producing electricity, desalinated water, and petrochemicals. He estimated the amount of investment in the three gas projects to stand at over U.S. $ 20 billion in the next few years, more than doubling in the following years. This, he said, will lead to job opportunities for thousands of citizens as well as an increase in the growth rate of the Saudi economy.
In reply to a question that foreign companies investing in gas will also be concerned with electricity and that the Saudi government subsidizes electricity prices, the Crown Prince explained that the power sector is being restructured, and new charges have been issued in which the government subsidy is greatly decreased. He noted that any project for generating electricity will be preceded by comprehensive negotiation between the government and the concerned company.
On unemployment in the Kingdom, Crown Prince Abdullah said that in the past citizens depended almost completely on the state to provide job opportunities, but today the natural area for job seekers is the private sector. He indicated that the state gives priority to the issue of unemployment and deals with it by enabling the private sector to provide new job opportunities, and by finding new areas of investment for national and international capital. In response to a question on how to attract Saudi capital from overseas, he said the Saudi government has embarked on several reforms to convince Saudi capitalists that investment in their own country is safer and more profitable for them, adding: "However, we cannot prevent any Saudi from running his money the way he likes".
Asked whether the Saudi government was planning to allow the Shura Council to discuss state budgets, Crown Prince Abdullah said the Council already discusses the five-year plans on which the budgets depend. The recent increase in the number of the Shura Council members, he remarked, evidences the fact that it has been granted greater responsibility and authority. On the legality of the fact that the government selects the Shura Council members, he said: "This question is irrelevant to our society, since the government chooses Shura members according to their qualifications and contributions in the public life rather than through any other consideration."
Casting light on the main characteristics of the Saudi economy, the Crown Prince cited its openness, ever since the early days of King Abdulaziz. The main changes it has experienced have been the recruitment of young Saudis, the introduction of new industries and technologies, the upgrading of the performance of certain industries and services in both the public and the private sectors, and modernization of society to comply with the information era and advanced technology, all without contradiction to shari'ah [Islamic Law] and Islamic values. To this effect, he cited the setting up of the Higher Economic Council, the Supreme Council for Petroleum and Minerals, and the Saudi Telecommunications Company as influential mechanisms to create a better atmosphere for the economy to grow. Saudi decision-makers, he said, are currently considering a package of economic studies and visions that he described as bringing about greater prosperity for all categories of the Saudi people. Referring to the fact that the government is also considering the possibility of setting up a number of centers for economic, petroleum and water desalination studies, he declared: "We are determined to continue taking whatever action is needed to create an appropriate environment for investment in the Kingdom, enhance the role of the private sector, and pave the way for our economy to join the World Trade Organization." The projected strategic perspective of the Saudi economy, he said, is based on utilization of the potential of young Saudis, diversification of sources of income, development of the investment climate, formulation of Saudi expertise in various economic fields and effective action concerning globalization and its ramifications.


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Feb. 14, 2009
Oregon State at Washington State - Feb. 14, 2009 - Pullman, Wash. (Friel Court)
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Game Action | Photo Gallery
- Klay Thompson scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career...the fourth 20-point performance of his career.
- Aron Baynes ended his nine-game double-figure scoring streak...first time in Pac-10 play that neither Baynes nor Taylor Rochestie scored in double figures...first time since Nov. 29 against Pittsburgh that they were both held to single figures.
- Thompson has hit a 3-pointer in every Pac-10 game of his career...has hit at least one 3-pointer in 13-straight games...in 11 of the 13 games he's made multiple.
- He combined for nine 3-pointers this weekend.
- Marcus Capers tied his career high with six points...most he's scored since six the season opener against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 15)...his three field goals is a career high...second dunk of his career.
- WSU snapped its five-game winning streak over the Beavers, first loss to an Oregon school since the 2006-07 season (64-59 loss to Oregon, Feb. 22, 2007).
- For the fourth time this season, Taylor Rochestie did not score in the first half...third time in Pac-10 play.


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"Rich; Deep; Addictive… Dragon Oath will have you hooked and playing for a very long time." – IGN.com
"The Best GamePlay F2P MMO!" – MMOSite.com
"Dragon Oath Rocks!" – OnRPG.com
"A martial arts tour de force and a kickin' good time for fans of the genre!" – Warcry.com
"Dragon Oath posses a lot of potential and is filled with rich and engaging concepts, it is a must play MMORPG!" – CGE Network
Once upon a time, when moral character and honesty weighed more than gold, and mysterious dragons still roamed the earth, there was a kingdom as vast as the horizon, with lakes so large they could fill the sky and mountains that touched the stars.
The kingdom was filled with great warriors and legendary artifacts. The warriors and artifacts usually went hand in hand, and they'd been protecting the kingdom and its people since the beginning of time.
However, as time went by, things in this beautiful kingdom started to change. Perhaps fate is not without its sense of irony, for after centuries of peace and love within the kingdom, people gradually got more and more caught up in life and began to lose sight of the big picture. Instead of trying to maintain this long term prosperity and stability, they started going after short term gains for themselves. They took everything in this wonderful kingdom for granted and forgot what got them there in the first place. Eventually greed got the best of them, and selfishness took over.
One day the kingdom was forced to wage war against foreign aggressors, but unfortunately it turned out they weren't ready at all. Apparently years of peace had made them soft; people lost the will to fight. Furthermore, they'd never really been in a real war before, so right then they knew they had gotten themselves into some serious trouble. They looked for true warriors everywhere to protect them. And when need turned to desperation, a young man showed up.
He knew he could have remained quiet and lived a normal life like everyone else, but he didn't. He chose to fight, and he was determined to be a true warrior. He thought that was the right thing to do, and he was willing to make sacrifices for it.
As his first step to becoming a great warrior, he found a Pyromancer Master to help complete his training. He learned powerful skills and knowledge from the Master, and he completed the training by performing the Hand-in-Hand Master and Disciple trial with him. Afterward, the Master gave him a Kung Fu Cowboy Pack, some nice equipment, and a big bag of gold and sent him on his way.
Now the Pyromancer warrior was ready for his mission to save the world. He learned that in order to achieve such a noble cause, he must rescue the Legendary Dragon. To do this, he needed to find the four famous Artifact Weapons.
His first destination was Pet Island, and on the way, he met a beautiful woman named Emei in Luo Yang. They immediately felt a connection between them, so she joined him on his quest. They then moved on to Su Zhou where they became friends with an Assassin disciple and the chief's daughter, a Minstrel disciple, during the "Trade Day Event".
After a long boat ride, they finally arrived at Pet Island. Their first task was to tame a Dragon Tortoise, a dangerous job indeed. Once that was completed, they found their first Artifact, the "Traceless Sword", buried deep beneath the island's surface. Finally, they rescued all of the animals on Pet Island as a simple act of virtue.
The four of them then left Pet Island for Yan Tomb, and after defeating King Yan at the lowest level of the tomb, they uncovered the second Artifact, the "Winds in stone Fan".
From the tomb, they headed to Su Zhou, but before they reached the city, they encountered a mysterious portal. Entering the portal brought them to a separate dimension called Ice Space. It was eerily quiet and yet surging with power. They discovered the third Artifact, the "Blue Silver Circle", there and deduced that it must have been the source of all the power.
After passing back through the portal and travelling through Su Zhou to Reed Port, they confronted a very powerful man named Fu Rong at Swallow's Dock. They defeated Fu Rong with the help of the Dragon Tortoise, Fire Rat, Bolt Wing Beast, and Bladewind Dragon. From Rong's corpse, they retrieved the fourth and final Artifact, the "Melting Falchion".
With the four Artifacts in hand, they were able to rescue the Legendary Dragon and save the kingdom. However, as a sacrifice for saving the Dragon, the warrior's friends were all transformed into dragons themselves. They knew the price they had to pay, but they were willing to bare the cost anyway. As an afterthought, the warrior then realized that the Dragon Bladewind once must have been human as well.
In the end, the warrior had saved the day, and everyone both praised him and pleaded with him to become king of the newly liberated kingdom. He recognized and greatly appreciated the sacrifice his friends had made for him; he wouldn't have succeeded without it. He did not want to let their choice be made in vain, so he continued on the path his destiny had laid before him.
The warrior became a great king to the people he had saved and a legend to all the heroes of the world.