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|Preliminary design description (2003.08.01)
|Task analysis by Saturday - actually, Friday afternoon (2003.08.01)
Needs analysisCS21A: Introduction to Computing is the first of two introductory computer science courses offered by a liberal arts tertiary-level institution, the Ateneo de Manila University. It is taken by all freshmen majoring in computer science and sophomores majoring in management and information systems. Non-majors occasionally take the course as a free elective or as part of their interdisciplinary studies.
For this needs analysis, data was collected from CS21A section B (CS21A-B), the introductory computer science section that I teach. CS21A-B is composed of 16 freshmen majoring in computer science, 3 juniors taking interdisciplinary studies, and 1 graduate student working toward a master's degree in computer science.
This report is based on anonymous polls conducted during section hours, observations of interaction inside and outside the sectionroom, and student feedback through notebooks and projects.
Curricular goals of CS21AIn CS21A, students are expected to learn basic programming concepts (input, output, variables, expressions, Boolean logic, loops, objects, and simple graphical user interfaces) and implement small programs in Java.
Aside from language-specific syntax, they are also expected to learn how to:
- Analyze problems and design solutions: identify subproblems and
objects in a situation and expressing their solution as a series of
step-by-step instructions in clear and precise natural language
- Learn independently: refer to primary sources such as source code
and application programming interfaces (APIs) as well as to
secondary sources such as tutorials and textbooks
- Read programs: determine what a program outputs given certain sets
of input without running the program
- Develop solutions: develop correct, clear, precise,
well-formatted and easy to read programs that meet or exceed the requirements
- Test and debug: systematically identify and fix syntactic and
logical errors in programs
- Write documentation: write clear and understandable natural language descriptions and explanations
Intended learning activity: peer review of programsPeer review of programs can help students improve their programming, testing and writing skills.
Students who are assigned to review non-working programs practice testing and debugging. The students who authored the non-working programs learn how to correct their mistakes and they can ask their reviewers for help understanding a topic.
Students who are assigned to review working programs can comment on how clearly the program demonstrates the topics taught in section. They can also suggest ways for the authors exceed the requirements.
Students may encounter advanced features while reviewing their sectionmates' programs. This helps them develop their ability to learn independently.
Current practices
|Private e-mail
|Students e-mail quizzes and other exercises that should not be shared with their sectionmates. The files are stored in an ordinary e-mail account and filtered by hand into a separate mailbox.
|Mailing list files
|Students upload projects and exercises to the Files section of the section mailing list hosted on http://groups.yahoo.com .
|Mailing list messages
|Students e-mail some files (particularly non-working files that urgently need help) to the section mailing list.
|Web-based forum
|phpBB (http://courses.ateneo.edu/forums/) and WebCT (http://ilearn.ateneo.edu) offer web-based forums with attached files. The section currently does not use these resources.
|Submit v2 can be found at http://courses.ateneo.edu/submit/ . WebCT also supports project submission. The section currently does not use these resources.
Perceived needs
Peer reviewSome students feel that no one else reads their programs. Most expressed a desire to know what other people thought about their programs. Currently, there are few mechanisms for feedback. A few questions have been posted on the mailing list, but most students do not discuss their work there. This is probably done through informal, face-to-face discussions held outside section. Students tend to stay within their clique.
Public recognition is a powerful motivator, according to one of the students' notes: "What we're really proud of is that our project was chosen to be an example for one of the lessons: array (Flashyflash3). It really does pay to read ahead." (jaze)
|Private e-mail
|Currently, no peer reviews have been assigned. The teacher can require students to Cc: an assigned partner when submitting a project; however, this means that all the students have to remember all the other people's addresses, or their e-mail submissions are facilitated by a webpage that keeps track of the assigned partners.
|Mailing list messages
|Very little discussion takes place on the mailing list.
|Mailing list files
|No discussion in the files area. However, some students cited other people's programs in their own.
|Web-based forum
|This resource is currently not being used. The teacher can require students to participate in threads, but it may be hard to track their activity.
|The submission systems do not support collaboration or peer review.
Categorization of programs
Students faced with an unsorted list of programs are discouraged from reviewing other people's work. Some programs do not work yet while others use advanced features not yet discussed in section. Filenames do not give much information.
Organizing the programs according to the features they implement and their readability provides students with a learning guide. Students can then study simpler programs before moving on to more complicated code. They can also look for programs that demonstrate concepts they want to learn. Here are two examples of organized submissions:
- http://sacha.sachachua.com/cs21a/Gallery.html
- http://sacha.sachachua.com/cs21a/:.html
Private e-mail The teacher extracts and categorizes each program. Feedback can be slow, but the summary is well-organized. Mailing list messages No categorization is usually done. Keywords in the subject can be helpful. Mailing list files Rough categorization can be done if students upload to the appropriate folders, but it's difficult to do a finer-grained search. Web-based forum Rough categorization can be done if students post to the appropriate threads. Full-text search may help for finer-grained searches. Submissions Not applicable. Students cannot view other students' files. No support for collaboration or searching.
Namespace collisions
Projects frequently specify standard names for uploaded files to simplify checking and enforce coding standards. Java requires the section name to match the filename.
|Private e-mail
|No problem.
|Mailing list files
|The mailing list software does not allow duplicate filenames in one directory. As a result, students have to create directories in order to store files with prescribed names.
|Mailing list messages
|Files can be named the same, but this results in high traffic.
|Web-based forum
|Files can be named the same, but files are available to everyone, and downloading all the files is tedious.
|No problem.
Activity trackingThe teacher needs to keep track of students' progress through different topics. This is currently manually maintained. Students may also want to see which files have been most recently submitted.
|Private e-mail
|The teacher can sort received messages by date or by author. Students cannot see their sectionmates' contributions.
|Mailing list messages
|Archived messages are sorted by date. The mailing list search functions can be used to find a student's most recent posts.
|Mailing list files
|Archived files are sorted by filename. An activity log under the management section helps the teacher monitor student activity, but log entries do not link directly to uploaded files. Students can choose to notify the mailing list when they upload a file. However, students complained about the resulting traffic.
|Web-based forum
|Posts are sorted by date. Threaded discussions like the WebCT forum may make it difficult to track activity inside threads.
|The teacher can see a list of students and their submitted files. Files submitted after the deadline are marked in red. Activity logs are not available.
ConvenienceMany users do not have easy or inexpensive access to the Internet. They have many accounts and can forget to check special sites.
|Private e-mail
|E-mail can be written and read offline. The teacher must sort and extract files individually.
|Mailing list messages
|E-mail can be written and read offline. Users must download files individually.
|Mailing list files
|E-mail notification is possible, but results in unacceptably high traffic. Users must download files individually. If the files are in different folders, users must enter each folder and download each file.
|Web-based forum
|No e-mail interaction, so students might forget to check the site. Users must download files individually. WebCT can show multiple messages on one page.
|No e-mail interaction, so students might forget to check the site. In WebCT, the teacher must download files individually. In Submit v2, the teacher can download all the current project submissions in one archive.
Version control
|Private e-mail
|Each message is archived. No problem.
|Mailing list messages
|Each message is archived. No problem.
|Mailing list files
|No versioning. Users can delete their old files and upload new version, or they can name their new versions differently.
|Web-based forum
|Each message is archived. No problem.
|No versioning. Users can overwrite their old files and upload a new version, or they can name their new versions differently.
Learner analysis
Academic BackgroundThe CS21A course requires basic computer skills but does not require previous programming background. Our students are a heterogenous group. Some have extensive programming backgrounds in Turbo Pascal or C++, and some have never programmed at all.
Personal characteristicsBased on the survey and the informal interviews, most students appear to be strongly motivated and enthusiastic about learning. Some are a little hesitant, but try their best even though they feel that their sectionmates far outperform them.
They are interested in games and graphics. They enjoy writing programs that suit their interests or help them with their other academic subjects. They are willing to read ahead in order to implement the features they want.
Social characteristicsBased on the survey and on feedback in their notebooks, peer recognition appears to be very important to the students. They prefer working in groups, and frequently work on their programs over lunch or during their other breaks. However, certain people tend to dominate the discussion, so I need to find some way to involve the other students and help them feel that they have something valuable to contribute.
ConclusionStudents are keen to learn from each other, but peer reviews must be organized so that students are not overwhelmed with information or limited to their cliques.
Task analysis
Major goalStudents will be able to monitor their progress in CS21A through frequent evaluation and practice.
SubgoalsBy using the system, the student will be able to
- post programs for sectionmates to review
- post and read reviews of programs
- discuss programs
- search for programs that demonstrate a concept
EvaluationStudents will be evaluated on their ability to
- write clear, understandable code that helps other students learn
- test and evaluate programs other students wrote
Major goalTeachers will be able to monitor student progress and encourage collaboration.
SubgoalsTeachers will be able to
- assign student projects
- monitor student progress and activity
- grade projects and reviews
- moderate discussions
EvaluationThe system will be compared with informal collaboration, files uploaded to the common webspace, and e-mail discussions. It will be evaluated based on
- how students have interacted with people outside their cliques
- how useful the students find the system for searching for programs relevant to their needs
- the participation of students who are not as active in section and on the discussion list
Design description
Task definitionStudents will submit programs for review, evaluate other people's programs and their own progress, and ask and answer questions.
Detailed design
Peer review, categorization of programsThe teacher can evaluate project submissions based on a user-defined rubric. The teacher can also enable student evaluations through a 'buddy' system, where each student is assigned to review another student's code. Buddies can be assigned manually or automatically. Evaluations can be a mix of free-form comments, checklists, and scales. When students upload new versions, their buddies are notified. The evaluated programs can be viewed as a matrix of student submissions versus project topics. In addition, students looking for examples can search for relevant programs.
Students will be paired with 'buddies' for each project. The teacher can specify the buddy assignments or allow the system to set them.
The buddy may be required to post an initial evaluation by a certain deadline. The buddy is responsible for checking the features implemented in a particular project and helping the author look for and fix errors.
After the buddy has posted the initial evaluation, all students can then comment on the project submission. The author is encouraged to upload new versions incorporating suggestions made.
Questions and answers can be handled through a modified bulletin board system.
Namespace collisionsThe system allows users to upload files with the same name.
Activity trackingAll student submissions can be tracked on a matrix, with late submissions marked accordingly. Student progress through topics can also be tracked through project features implemented. Collaboration between students can be viewed as a graph or as an adjacency matrix. This helps teachers ensure that students interact with people outside their clique. Activity logs help users track what programs were recently submitted, reviewed or discussed.
ConvenienceAutomatic archiving of files makes it easy for teachers to download all submissions for a project.
A cross-platform application allows offline participation in the discussion boards and program evaluations, allowing students to collaborate even if they do not have convenient Internet access. They can download packets from the system and disconnect from the Internet, process the packets offline, and then reconnect and upload the reply packets.
Version controlUploaded files are automatically placed under version control, allowing students to submit multiple versions of their project without worrying about overwriting their old files. Users can see the state of the system at arbitrary dates.
Required contributionsTeachers can set required contributions on a per-project basis. For example, teachers can require students to submit evaluations by a certain date. Several deadlines can be specified.
Strategy for moderationBecause some students can dominate an unmoderated discussion, teachers should make sure to encourage students who are not as active. Charts showing student activity will help teachers identify lurkers.
Teachers should also make sure that all programs are reviewed, that reviews are of sufficient quality, all relevant questions are answered, and answers are not mistaken. Students can help keep track of unanswered questions and unreviewed programs as well.
Without intervention, students might confine their reviews to their friends' programs. Teachers need to make sure that students review different people's programs by assigning different pairs of reviewers for each program.
Rules for contributionsDemonstration programs should be short, well-commented, and easily understood. The programs do not have to work at the start, but the author should update the program to incorporate the suggestions from the review.
Tutorials and reviews should be written with the aim of helping the author, one's sectionmates, and other people who are learning how to program. Criticism should be constructive.
TimeframeSemester-long, with frequent deliverables.
CollaboratorsThe main collaboration is between students in a section. The teacher can comment on programs or correct mistakes that other students miss.
Programs and reviews can be shared with the outside world (configurable on a per-project basis). Questions and answers are forwarded to the students.
StructureSubmissions are categorized by project. Within each project, submissions are sorted by student ID, student name, or status and features. Each program page will display a screenshot, links to the program, the review, and questions and answers. Student pages summarize all the contributions made by the student. Teachers can view a number of charts and graphs to help them track student progress.
System designThe server maintains the canonical system data. It will initially store data in XML files in a directory structure, but can be adapted to databases if required.
Users will interact with the system through either of two front-ends. A web-based interface allows users to access the system when online and a Java client allows offline use.
URL structure
Section URL
|Sections for the current semester
|List of sections
Project URL
|Description of the project and the list of actions
|jar of all the standard files
|Feature matrix
|Current code
|Base URL for the most recent version of their code.
|Base URL for notes and discussion.
Time warp
|Warps to midnight of the given day
|Warps to HH:00:00 of the given day (24h)
|Warps to HH:MM:00 of the given day (24h)
|Warps to the given time (24h)
Student information
|Directory of people
|Progress matrix
|Description, list of their work
|Activity so far
|Activity so far
|List of projects
|Project details
|Project information
File structure: CVS repositoryStudent code is stored in a CVS repository. There is one repository for each sem. There are two modules: sections, people
sectionsCVS directory tree structure:
|an index
|an index of all sections
|an index of all sections
|section files
|a description of the section
|a list of students and teachers
|student projects (see projects)
Allowable values for sem: "1st", "2nd", "sum". Example: 2003/1st/cs21a/a/
projectsThe projects directory has one main file - index.xml . When a project is created, $project_id/ is added to the project module. The following files and directories are part of the project:
|the project description
|support sections and other files
|the student's code
|combined notes of the student and the buddy
|evaluation of the project
peopleWhen an account is created, $account_id/ is added to the people module. The following files are found in the account directory:
- foaf.rdf - Friend-of-a-Friend description
- sections.xml - A list of section URIs (checked against sections/$section/accounts.xml)
Current mirrorCurrent mirrors are needed very frequently. After every upload, a cvs update is run in the appropriate project directory. This can be found in $BASEDIR/current/sections/$section/projects/$project_id/ Similarly, a current copy of student information and progress is kept in $BASEDIR/current/sections/$section/accounts/
Time warpsTime warp checkouts are handled on a file-by-file basis when done through URL rewriting. Making an archive of timewarped entries uses $BASEDIR/tmp/ as the temporary directory. The timewarp only works for the current semester. People who need past data need to approach the server administrator.
I'd love to hear about any questions, comments, suggestions or links that you might have. Your comments will not be posted on this website immediately, but will be e-mailed to me first. You can use this form to get in touch with me, or e-mail me at [email protected] .


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Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Cats I Know
I happened to get copies of Kaori Mitsushima's Cats I Know zines earlier this week. Kaori's zines have personal drawing style which feels very unique and fresh to me. Drawings are strong and by looking then it's possible to see how Kaori enjoys every stroke she makes. It's also refreshing to see how well the strong drawings work in simple black and white zines.
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With the arrival of the London Olympics and the recent Golden Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth we are all reminded of our British heritage and its traditions.
One of these traditions became the subject of an argument and ensuing bet in Hap's Bar that once operated at the corner of Mott and Powell streets in New Madrid. The New Madrid Chamber of Commerce now occupies the portion of the building that was Hap's.
Luke "Happy" Dawson and his wife, Verba, operated the bar into the 1980s. The songs on the juke box that stood in the southwest corner had not been updated since about 1946. Doris Day's Sentimental Journey was a favorite. Hap always meticulously wrapped each beer, can or bottle, in a white paper napkin. It always took 3 or 4 minutes. There was no hurry for anything at Hap's. Time pretty well stood still.
The bar had a number of regular customers, many of whom came in as soon as Hap arrived at the bar each morning. They would sit at the bar, watch television, and wile away their day. One evening the television news announced the Queen of England was coming for a visit to the United States.
It just so happened that Perry Leuer, a local philosopher, was at the bar that evening. Sitting next to him was another regular, Charles "Toddy" Higgerson, a local house painter and fisherman.
Perry turned to Toddy and told him that when the Queen comes into a room everyone bows. Perry was quite well read and knew about protocol and royalty--and many other things.
Toddy, not intimidated by such a pronouncement, replied, "I don't bow to no one, Dub."
He addressed most people as "Dub."
"Oh, yes you would," replied Perry. "Everyone bows to the Queen when she comes in."
"I said I don't bow to nobody, even the Queen," shot back Toddy.
"Well, if the Queen walked in this door (pointing to the entrance to the bar) you would get up and bow," announced Perry.
Back and forth the argument went until Hap intervened.
Hap had heard enough, and the way he ended all such serious arguments between loyal customers was to propose a bet. Both agreed, and each produced a five dollar bill.
Hap wrote the bet on an envelope: "If the Queen of England comes in the bar, Toddy will bow to her. Perry says yes and Toddy says no." He then pinned the envelope with the $10 to the bulletin board next to the cash register where it hung with all of the other pending bets between customers. Perry and Toddy went back to watching the news and drinking their napkin-wrapped beers, each glancing at the door every-now-and-then to see if the Queen had come in.
There the bet hung until after Perry's death some years later.
Toddy was in the bar one evening recovering from the effects of the paint fumes of the day and noticed the envelope on the bulletin board. "Hap," he said, "I'm going to call down the bet."
Now, under the rules, a customer could call down the bet and get his money back if the other party didn't protest the call. By right of longevity, Toddy knew his "call" was a sure thing.
Hap looked around, and, hearing no objections from any of the patrons, handed Toddy the envelope. Toddy promptly bought a round of beers with the money--which everyone expected.
Hap eventually sold his bar and retired. Toddy died in the early 1990s.
But, if ever the Queen of England should ever come to New Madrid . . .


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NEW DELHI: Air India will get Rs 342 crore ($85 million) from aircraft manufacturer Boeing to train pilots. The funding for training is part of the national carrier's deal to buy 68 aircraft from Boeing.
The funding for training is in addition to $100 million Boeing would organise to set up an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) in collaboration with Air India. The MRO will be set up and operated by a joint venture formed by Boeing, Air India and a third partner. Boeing is in talks with various players with experience in managing an MRO.


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May 10, 2013
In this monthly column, Brenda Hiscock endeavours to put a positive spin on personal finance by empowering readers with practical tips and good news from the financial world.
Are you concerned about the costs associated with long-term care in your golden years? Do you feel unprepared to deal with the emotional and financial impact of deteriorating health? If so, you are not alone. A recent survey discovered that 57 per cent of people worry about paying for care, 67 per cent fear deteriorating health, and 90 per cent feel that preparing for one's own long-term care needs is the responsible thing to do.
Let's face it, none of us want to think about getting older and being unable to care for ourselves in the future. It's a frightening prospect. But the reality is that up to 50 per cent of us will require home or facility care in our senior years.
Our population is aging, and baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – are going to create a huge strain on our healthcare system in the not-too-distant future. Beginning in 2021, the first of the baby boomer generation will start to turn 75, at which point the demand for long-term care is expected to become even greater.
Already there are people on waiting lists, and over the past eight years the median wait times have almost tripled from 36 days to 98 days to get into a facility.
About 85 per cent of long-term care facility residents are aged 75 and over, and between 2005 and 2012 the number of Ontarians aged 75 and older increased by more than 20 per cent. According to Statistics Canada, over the next ten years Ontario's population aged 75 and older is expected to grow by another 30 per cent. This trend will certainly increase the demand for long-term care.
What does all this mean? Well, if you are a baby boomer, chances are that our healthcare system will be under tremendous strain by the time you reach age 75. Many people mistakenly believe that the government will take care of all the costs when they can no longer care for themselves. While the government may provide some assistance, there are limitations, and, according to Ontario's Health Minister Deb Matthews, a trend towards income tested care is likely in the future.
For most of us, the ability to maintain a dignified quality of life without putting a lot of financial and emotional strain on our loved ones and children is very important. So what can we do to prepare?
We have three options:
1) We can rely on the government, and hope that funds are available when we require care. This can be very stressful, both emotionally and physically.
2) We can earmark savings that we have accumulated to pay the costs of our care. This will have a significant impact on our estates and transfer of assets to our next generation, something for which we have worked our whole lives.
3) We can purchase long term care insurance, which will provide a regular source of funds to pay for home or facility care. Why do people buy long term care insurance? According to a recent survey, these are the primary reasons:
- 80 per cent want the option of choosing where to receive care.
- 76 per cent want control over decisions about care.
- 75 per cent want to make sure their dignity is maintained.
- 82 per cent do not want to be a burden on family.
- 61 per cent wish to leave an inheritance for their children.
Your advisor can help you to create a plan to suit your needs, or you can drop me a line if you want more information. Preparation can provide you with peace of mind, and that, to me, is priceless.
Brenda Hiscock
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Focus Pointe Global sets the industry standard for high-quality qualitative/quantitative marketing research data collection services. FPG owns and operates 18 premier focus group facilities in major commercial centers across the U.S. Services include: focus groups, taste tests, jury simulation, product placements, Webcam focus groups, online communities, qualitative/quantitative research. Locations: Appleton, Wis.; Atlanta; Atlanta-Buckhead; Bala Cynwyd, Pa.; Boston; Chicago; Chicago-Oakbrook; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; New York City; Philadelphia; Phoenix; St. Louis; San Francisco; Teaneck, N.J.
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Bonnie Owens No. 82 Lyrics
Last updated: 03/23/2004 02:29:55 AM
They warned me not to look at you and flirt with you for fun
They said your book of broken hearts had names of eighty one
But still one night I let myself get much too close to you
And the sunrise found me number eighty two
Sometimes when the honky tonks have closed I hear from you
The time has hushed and you have missed the chance with someone new
I don't know how I keep on loving you the way I do
And stand the shame of number eighty two
[ steel ]
I know that I'm a fool to let your lips touch mine again
In front of me your arms have been around my closest friend
But I can't stop my wild desire from giving in to you
Or hide the love of number eighty two
Sometimes when the honky tonks...
Click here to submit the Corrections of No. 82 Lyrics


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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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A guide to what has been the #1 modified import car for the street during the last decade?the Honda engine. This book covers some performance theory basics, then launches into dyno-tested performance parts combinations for each B-series engine. Topics covered include: performance vs. economy; air intakes, manifolds and throttle bodies; tuning; turbocharging; supercharging; and nitrous oxide.. Price: $19.39
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Trainers and riders practiced for the upcoming classes on Monday in Hale Arena.
The National Championship Stake Night will be held on Saturday night. National champions will be crowned in 14 Classes.
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Welcome to Gold Crown Limousine! Gold Crown Limousine is
a family run chauffeured car service based out of Rochester,
Minnesota, specializing in corporate and leisure
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and comfortable transportation. From pick-up to drop-off,
our professional chauffeurs are skilled in accommodating
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Three cheers for our friends at LaNay Farms in Orem, Utah. Not only are they an amazing farm where they grow nutrient-rich produce and they deliver it fresh to you within HOURS of being picked, but, they are also a great source of information. Yes, they offer great information about raising food, preparing food and eating food. In their latest newsletter, they shared this recipe for Honey-Thyme Cough Syrup. We are happy to share this recipe with you. Be sure to take a few minutes and visit their website: http://lanayferme.com/main/ and if you really want something special, you will sign up for their weekly co-op and perhaps even their weekly newsletter.
Honey-Thyme Cough Syrup
Easy to make, more soothing than store-bought, natural and fresh will more powerfully provide the relief your body needs. Take one teaspoon as needed to relieve a cough.
2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh or dried thyme (best from the garden)
1 cup raw honey
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat. Add the thyme, cover and let sit for 10 minutes or until cooled. Strain, then whisk in the honey until dissolved. Store in a glass jar. The cough syrup will keep refrigerated for 2 months.


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My hearts and prayers go out to the families of those who perished because of Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane and its aftermath may end up costing at least $50 billion dollars in damage. In addition, the media is reporting that at least 50 people lost their lives due to this storm.
Sandy knocked offline popular websites Gawker, Huffington Post, and Deadspin. At this point, it is too early to fully calculate all of the damage done from this horrific storm. In the comming days, weeks, and months there may be a better assessment of how this storm has affected those living the path and wake of Sandy.
I could discuss the importance of utilizing the cloud to back up data, or how social media can save lives. However, as a former resident of New York City and one who became homeless after 9/11, I understand now is not the right time to talk about how social media or other digital technologies can be utilized to help lessen the effects of future calamities.
The bottom line is that New York City is the toughest city in the world and it will get through this and become stronger by doing so. The lessons learned from this terrible tragedy may help avert some of the same problems from happening again in the future.
To learn more about these issues you may contact me at www.shearlaw.com.
Copyright 2012 by the Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC. All rights reserved.


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- Daily Feature August 25, 2001
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Rated 5 / 5 stars
One of the best Esquimo Bob yet!
Rated 3.5 / 5 stars
......until the ending. I hated the part when the walrus Hits the penguin. However, the fight scene was great and it was pretty funny. I would have liked to see Eskimo magnus become a popular character as well. Next time, don't let the walrus be the hero. I was lovin' til then. But good work. Peace!!
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Eskimo Bob rules!
Let's see...Eskimo Bob is funny. Transformers are cool. Mocking transformers with Eskimo Bob is funny. Do a spoof of the GiJoe movie next! that would rock! Go Eskimo Bob!
Rated 4 / 5 stars
That was goddamn hilarious. Especially the Transformers/DBZ/Sailor Moon spoofs. This series seems to be getting better with age.
Rated 5 / 5 stars
This episode is really funny....I loved the fish!
This movie is funnier than any of the other Eskimo Bob episodes I've seen(not to say the other ones are bad, cuz they're still funny). I love the fish in the spaceship and the walrus is funny too. The singing aliens are the best. The movie is nice and long, too.


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Excellent Product
I( needed a particular size series of a couple of drill bit. They worked great nice and sharp and reamed existing holes to my jig clean as a whistle.
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Tad bit lacking
Snapped the 5/32" bit off in a polymer assembly. Plastic. Now I'm trying to get it out without destroying the part. $15 for black oxide bits....they're brittle...Read complete review
Snapped the 5/32" bit off in a polymer assembly. Plastic. Now I'm trying to get it out without destroying the part. $15 for black oxide bits....they're brittle bits. Better luck with the power this at least.
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I will buy this again
By Yankster
from Houston Texas
About Me Avid Do-It-Yourselfer
Comments about Warrior High Speed Steel Drill Bits with 3/8 in. cutdown Shanks 29 Pc:
Bits are very sharp and good for steel drilling
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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3/8 cutdown shanks 29pc drill bit set
By Rick
from Fort Thomas Ky
The product is awesome and the price is spot on. i would recommend these to anyone!
1st time shopper
By Colby
from Montgomery, Michigan
About Me Professional
Been looking for a set of high speed drill bits for awhile. Already used them twice now and they 're great. Will be shopping there again.!
By Bob's Fashion Jewelry
from St. Pete Florida
good strength
By RALPH
from Medina Ohio
About Me Casual Do-It-Yourselfer
drill steel 3/8 most of the time and are great lasting
Great buy!
By Mike
from Rogersville, AL
Great price. Love the 3/8" shanks on the larger bits. Can't beat the price on a 29 piece drill bit set.
Drill bits
By Woodie
from NEPA
They are good for a back up set of bits. I don't think they will last all that long drilling through steel or hard material. What they are good for is that one odd ball size you may need. That's why I bought them. Drilling through wood works fine.
Hole is oblong
By Jamie's garage
from Boston
I've only used these on light steel and plastic, they seem to rip right through it but every hole has had an oblong shape to it
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
By Dunklergeist
from Corona, ca
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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3 pieces of a brittle bit
Cheap, weak steel.
By MH
from Austin
Was trying to drill into aluminum pipe, drill a pilot hole with one of my usual small bits then tried using 3/8" and it broke off. Plan on returning with receipt
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Wings of gold
Category: Nature
Photo and caption by Jenna Zetisky
Up close the dragonfly is so perfect and intricate in its beauty. The wings lit up in brilliant gold every time the sun caught them.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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By Tim Fisher
Gentoo penguin seemingly picking up a tourist.
By Tim Fisher
By Dawn Nelson


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Home > Route by subject > Divinities, heroes and... > Statue of Hercules restored as killing the Hydra of Lerna
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- Great bronzes
- Masterpieces
- Decoration of the Conservators' Apartment
- Imperial portraits
Divinities, heroes and mythological characters
Statue of Hercules restored as killing the Hydra of Lerna
From an original of the Early Hellenistic period. Modern restoration by Alessandro Algardi (17th century)
cm 200
The sculpture was discovered during the reconstruction of the Chuch of Sant'Agnese. The sculptor Alessandro Algardi doncuted a complete restoration of the statue. He probably modified the ancient iconography of Hercules who domesticates the hind of Ceryneia to iconography of Hercules who kills the Hydra. At any rate, the work is a Roman reworking of a Greek creation attributed to Lysippus who, according to the sources, sculptured the labours of Hercules.
Location: Palazzo Nuovo > Gallery
Provenance: From Rome, Via Nomentana - S. Agnese
Acquisition data: Verospi-Vitelleschi Collection - Clement XII donation (1738)
Inventory: inv. MC0236


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U.S. Stocks Advance at the Open on Google While Bonds Fall With Gold
- Google posted revenue that exceeded analysts' estimates.
- GE slipped 0.9 percent as profit matched estimates and the company moved forward with an IPO of its Synchrony Financial.
- IBM fell after saying revenue dropped for a ninth quarter.
- AbbVie was little changed after agreeing to buy Shire.
- The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since April 10 as concern about the implications of escalating tension in Ukraine and the Middle East.
- Malaysian Airlines jet went down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
- Israel began a ground operation in Gaza.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary July index of consumer sentiment decreased to 81.3 from 82.5 the prior month.
- Treasury 10-year yields climbed to 2.47 percent.
- Gold, which climbed 1.3 percent yesterday for the biggest advance in four weeks.
Google Sales Top Estimates on Robust Ad Demand
- Revenue was $12.7 billion. That topped the average projection of analysts for $12.3 billion.
- Net income rose to $3.42 billion from $3.23 billion a year earlier.
- The average price for an ad declined 6 percent as smartphones encourage users to bypass Google's search services and instead go directly to applications to find information.
- The number of clicks on ads on YouTube, search and other Google sites increased 33 percent in the latest quarter, making up for a decline in ad prices.
- In the mobile-ad market, prices on smartphones were 57 percent lower than those on desktop computers.
- Google's operating expenses, other than the cost of revenue, climbed 25 percent during the quarter to $5.58 billion.
- The company ramped up hiring during the quarter, adding more than 2,000 employees, pushing headcount to more than 52,000.
GE Profit Matches Estimates as Synchrony IPO Set for July
- Profit climbed 8 percent from a year earlier to $3.9 billion.
- Quarterly revenue rose to $36.23 billion, up 3.4 percent from a year ago. Analysts estimated sales of $36.3 billion.
- GE's profit margin for its industrial businesses, a closely watched barometer by Wall Street, expanded 0.2 percentage point to 15.5 percent.
- GE's backlog of equipment and services rose in every segment, up 10 percent overall, to a total of $246 billion.
IBM's Nine-Quarter Sales Slump Overshadows Cloud Growth
- Second-quarter revenue dropped 2 percent from a year earlier to $24.4 billion.
- Net income climbed to $4.1 billion from $3.2 billion a year earlier.
- IBM's contract signings for services — an indicator of expected future revenue — fell 33 percent from a year earlier to $11 billion.
- IBM ended the quarter with $9.7 billion in cash on hand, little changed from the last quarter.
Kansas City Southern revenue beats on grain, automobile shipments
- Total revenue rose 12 percent to $649.7 million. Analysts had expected revenue of $645.1 million.
- Net income jumped to $129.8 million from $15.4 million a year earlier. The year-ago quarter included debt retirement costs of $111.4 million.
- Revenue from grain shipments rose 33 percent while it increased 25 percent in automotive.
- KSU operates on a unique, north-south route in central U.S. and derives half of its annual revenue from cross-border business with Mexico.
- Exports from the United States to Mexico rose 6 percent in the first five months of 2014 while imports increased 3 percent.
Honeywell Tops Profit Estimates on Factory-Gear Demand
- Honeywell beat analysts' second-quarter profit estimates, boosted by rising demand for factory automation equipment, and raised the lower end of its full-year forecast.
- Honeywell is benefiting from U.S. industrial output that expanded at a 5.5 percent annual rate last quarter.
- The company also is tapping an energy boom in the U.S. on increasing hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for oil and gas in shale formations.
- Sales rose 5.8 percent to $10.25 billion, beating the $10.18 billion average estimate.
Johnson Controls revenue rises on higher demand from China
- Johnson Controls reported a 3 percent rise in quarterly revenue, as demand rose for its car seats.
- Demand in Johnson Controls' automotive business, its largest was driven mainly by China, which contributed about 32 percent to the division's third-quarter revenue of $5.7 billion.
- Total revenue rose to $10.8 billion from $10.5 billion, a year earlier.
Rebounding North America boosts Schlumberger revenue
- Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield services company, reported better-than-expected second quarter revenue as drilling activity picked up in North America.
- North America revenue jumped 16 percent to $3.89 billion from a year earlier.
- Schlumberger has the lowest exposure to North America among the big four oilfield service providers, which include Halliburton and Baker Hughes.
- International markets brought in about two-thirds of Schlumberger's quarterly revenue.
- Total revenue rose 8 percent to $12.05 billion.
- Net income fell by nearly a quarter to about $1.60 billion from $2.10 billion. The company recorded $205 million settlement charges.
Amazon Starts $9.99-a-Month Service for Unlimited E-Books
- Amazon introduced a $9.99-a-month service for unlimited Kindle e-book downloads.
- Kindle Unlimited includes more than 600,000 Kindle books and thousands of audiobooks from Audible.
AbbVie to Buy Shire for $54.8 Billion in Tax Inversion
- Shire holders will receive cash and stock valued at 52.48 pounds a share.
- The price is 53 percent above Shire's closing level on May 2, before AbbVie made its first takeover proposal.
- AbbVie becomes the latest U.S. health company to move abroad amid a record period of pharmaceutical deals.
Leading Economic Indicators Index in U.S. Increased 0.3% in June
- The Conference Board's gauge, a measure of the outlook for the next three to six months, increased 0.3 percent after a revised gain of 0.7 percent in May.
- The median forecast of 49 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.5 percent advance.
U.S. consumer sentiment dips in preliminary July reading
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's preliminary July reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 81.3, below both the consensus analyst expectation of 83 and the final June read of 82.5.
- The survey's barometer of current economic conditions rose to 97.1 from 96.6, compared with a forecast of 97.0.
- The survey's gauge of consumer expectations slipped for a third straight month, to 71.1 from 73.5. The subindex was below an expected 74.0.
Russian-Made Missile Hit Malaysian Jet, U.S. Officials Say
- A Russian-made air-defense missile appears to have hit the Malaysian Airline plane that crashed in Ukraine, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.
- Evidence so far indicates that the plane was struck by a weapons system known as the SA-11 or Buk, according to four officials.
- It's not clear who fired the missile at the airliner.
Netanyahu Orders Military to Ready Wider Gaza Incursion
- Israeli soldiers, backed by tanks, heavy artillery, aircraft and warships, moved into the Hamas-controlled enclave late yesterday after 2,100 air strikes over 10 days failed to quash barrages of rockets fired from Gaza at Israel.
- More than 260 Palestinians, including dozens of children, and two Israelis have been killed since fighting intensified last week.
TODAY in HISTORY
- A great fire began that ultimately destroyed most of Rome. The emperor Nero blamed it on Christians and began the first Roman persecution of them (64)
- President Harry S. Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act (1947)
- 14-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci earned the first perfect score, a ten, at the Olympics and went on to score six more tens and win three gold medals (1976)
This information has been prepared from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation is being made as to its accuracy or completeness. The information provided should be used only as general information and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. The economic forecasts set forth in the material may not develop as predicted. All indices, such as the S & P 500, are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg.
Content posted by third parties on this site is screened in order to protect clients' privacy and comply with regulatory requirements. Content containing sensitive personal information, inappropriate language, information about specific investments, misleading information, information about other companies or websites, or information related to litigation will be removed. Content posted by third-parties on this site remains the responsibility of the party posting the content and is not adopted or endorsed by Pence Wealth Management or LPL Financial. Any opinions or statements posted by third parties are their own and may not be representative of the experience of others and are not indicative of future performance or success. Third party content on this site does not reflect the views of LPL Financial and have not been reviewed by LPL Financial as to accuracy or completeness.


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NEW DELHI: Tobacco-cum-hospitality major ITC-owned travel company, International Travel House (ITH), is foraying into the booming leisure travel business. The company, which till date focused on car rental, ticketing and corporate travel businesses, will soon start marketing leisure tour packages through a new division, ITH managing director Anil Bhandari told ET.
To be marketed under Travel House WorldClass Holidays, the leisure division would get into outbound travel, domestic getaways, meeting, incentives and exhibitions markets, popularly called the MICE segment in trade parlance, while offering destinations management services to outbound travellers.


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Mark the date, Aspen, because on Feb. 6, it's going to be a spelling throwdown with no holds barred.
The third annual Spell What?! Celebrity Spelldown is less than a month away, and already the competitors are talking trash concerning who will win the coveted title in 2014.
"Of course I'm going to win," said Matthew Hamilton, the sustainability director at Aspen Skiing Co. and school board president for the Roaring Fork School District. "Why not? Pressure is relative, and my confidence will put pressure on my opponents."
The Spell What?! event is a fundraiser, all the proceeds of which will go to the Aspen Youth Center. The fun starts at 6 p.m. at the Hotel Jerome with a cocktail reception and silent auction before dinner.
The highlight of the evening is the celebrity spelling bee, this year featuring Hamilton, Adam Frisch, Kathy Klug, Lori Pevny, Robin Smith and defending champion Oliver Sharpe.
Sharpe is an Emmy-winning television producer and host as well as a board member of the Aspen Youth Center.
"My strategy is simple," Sharpe said, "because I have none. I'm staying loose, doing yoga and eating lots of oatmeal. I'm going up against some heavy hitters, but I'm confident I'll be winning again."
Producer Kale Lacroux came up with the idea three years ago for a celebrity spelling bee as a fun way to raise money for the youth center. It was originally going to be just a table, six chairs and a pitcher of water for the contestants, but that idea morphed into a '70s-style game-show format.
"I collaborated with the folks at the youth center to make this a bigger and better event," Lacroux said. "I'm encouraging all the contestants to have some fun and raise the profile of the event. It's a great event for a great cause. If you haven't been to one, it's a blast. The audience can get involved, as well. It's really a great time."
Smith is the owner of Meridian Jewelers in Aspen and is excited to participate in the spelling competition.
"Do I think I can win?" she asked herself. "Yes — maybe — well, I really hope so. My strategy is practice, practice, practice. Oliver is the guy to beat, but I think whoever gets immunity will have the inside track. I hope that's me."
Smith was referring to one of several "cheats" the competitors can use. Each contestant can use each of the four cheats once during the spelldown.
If an audience member donates $150, the competitor of their choice gets a "try again" option if they make a spelling mistake. For $300, a table of people can help a contestant by spelling a word out loud and giving the contestant an opportunity to agree or disagree with the recommended spelling.
For $500, if your favorite contestant makes a spelling error, he or she gets a free pass to the next round of spelling.
The final cheat option has yet to have a monetary value set, but this will buy your favorite contestant immunity all the way to the final round. That contestant gets to wear a crown, sit in a comfortable chair and have drink service until the finals.
Frisch, an Aspen City Council member, says the key is to keep things simple and stick to your strategy.
"I'm a horrible speller," he said. "I'm going to need some cheats because right now, my strategy is to win without spelling any words correctly. In fact, I'll need a lot of help."
Klug, the Aspen High School college counselor, said there's no doubt she's going to win.
"I'm going to win with a combination of my friends and fundraising for the Aspen Youth Center," she said. "My strategy is to raise enough money to get immunity. I may be smart, but I'm not a speller. An educator who can't spell just isn't good, so I'll need some help with the cheats."
Pevny is the final competitor. She's a mother of three and a broker at Alpine Real Estate. Pevny is investing heavily to win the spelling title.
"I'm currently at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Ohio," she said tongue-in-cheek. "I'm here to hire a spelling-bee coach because I really need one. I'm determined to win the crown and help the Aspen Youth Center as much as possible. Tell my fellow competitors I'll see them on Feb. 6 and they'd better be ready."
The winner also gets to keep the spelling-bee trophy for a year. The first winner and first name on the trophy is none other than former Mayor Helen Klanderud, who died in October.
"Helen meant business when she was competing," Sharpe said. "We're all going to be missing her this year. All the competitors will be dedicating the competition this year to her memory."
The Aspen Youth Center has been providing young people a safe and supportive place they can call their own since 1991. In 2013, 13,000 kids visited the center free of charge.
For more information, call 970-544-4130, or visit www.aspen youthcenter.org to reserve seats at the event.


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Detroit Tigers fans have been frustrated much of this season, mainly because the team has a 32-38 record when expectations were high coming out of spring training. There were several high profile off season deals which led to heavy advance ticket sales, but of course, the year has been a struggle. Injuries to key pitchers have been a problem, but Fernando Rodney returned in relief last night in San Francisco. He was part of a five run eighth inning in which the Giants cemented an 8-6 win that ended the Tigers' six game winning streak. Rodney was thrown to the fire with the game on the line-- I heard fans moaning today that Leyland pulls pitchers at the wrong times, doesn't use righties vs. lefty hitters the right way, etc., and that Rodney needed some work in games where the outcome was not on the line before being put in the line of fire. Look for the Tigers to make a deal prior to the July 31st trade deadline and clearly they need more starting pitching help.
Suzy Merchant has landed a prominent recruit who will sign with the Spartans in November-- 6-4 Kelsey Smith from North High School in St. Charles, Illinois. Smith will be a senior in the fall. Her team went 23-6 last season while she averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game. She had Wisconsin and Marquette on her possibility list but liked her visit to East Lansing recently and decided to end her recruiting routine. She is currently in France playing in a tournament for a Philadelphia based all star team.
Beginning with the 2010 season, each Big Ten football team will automatically get a bye week. That means the regular season will end the Saturday following Thanksgiving. That means Michigan State will play Penn State one week later in their traditional season ending game after the holiday beginning in 2010.


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Download the article (PDF)Have you wondered how many really good life science M&A exits happen every year? Are the big guys even buying? Do these exits actually provide returns that materially affect the venture funds that are investing?
This article examines U.S. venture-backed life science exits over the last 5+ years and focuses on private M&A "Big Exits". We define Big Exits as acquisitions of private venture-backed life science companies in which the upfront payment was about $50 million or more in cash for device companies and about $100 million or more in cash for biotech companies1. We measure only the upfront cash payments, not milestone payments or earn-outs. The data is based on 49 device acquisitions2 and 53 biotech acquisitions from 2005 through August 2010. The term Big Exits may not be entirely accurate, as some companies require substantial investment to get to Big Exits, but may return little if any capital; however, the vast majority of these exits represent at least a 1X cash on cash return on venture investment. We have added venture-backed diagnostic and services companies to the device section in order to include these exits.
Fairly Consistent Big ExitsAs Exhibit 1 shows, Big Exits over the last five years have been fairly consistent3. On average, there are eight device and 10 biotech Big Exits per year. The oft-extolled perspective that a small group of investors receives a disproportionate amount of larger exits does hold true in our analysis. Exits do tend to congregate around the same firms. The top three device investors earned nine, eight, and eight Big Exits each. In biotech, the top three investors had nine, seven and seven Big Exits. Overall, the top four life science venture firms achieved 13, 13, 12 and nine Big Exits in this period. Accounting for overlap, at least one of these four firms were investors in 39 percent of all Big Exits since 2005.
Exhibit 1: M&A Big Exits Per Year
Source: VentureSource, press release, conversations with life science experts.
Biotech BluesThe year 2010 has been a disappointing one for biotech, with only two Big Exits to date. Why? There are a few possibilities to consider, including the return of the IPO market as well as the continual consolidation of Big Pharma. Let's tackle the IPO market question first. Is the slowdown in Big Exit biotech M&A a function of the open IPO window? Could companies be spurning acquisition offers and instead becoming public? I don't think so. The historical totals of Big Exits stayed constant even in the years of the open IPO window. In 2005-2007 there were 48 U.S. venture-backed life sciences IPOs, but during that span Big Exits still averaged about 10 per year.
I think part of the answer lies in the recent consolidation activity, as this can take Big Pharma/biotech's eye off restocking their pipeline, despite the very real patent cliff many of these companies face with large revenue products losing exclusivity in the market and having to compete with generics. Many believe this consolidation has led to a general slowdown, if not inability, to complete partnering deals in Phase II assets and has quelled the appetite for acquiring companies outright.
In addition, the slowdown could be gamesmanship between acquirers and the venture industry. The very real threat of low reserves in older funds and the pressure to deliver some liquidity to LPs translates into an advantage to the buyers. In turn, this trend spawns a waiting game between the two parties, resulting in lower offers with reduced up-front payments from acquirers being weighed against the ability to take an asset through the next trial or milestone on inside venture support alone.
Situations like this can cause quite a bit of discussion in the board room, as each venture firm measures its active dry powder available to invest and its own fundraising plans. These factors absolutely affect a firm's ability to wait out possible delays in exits. It would not surprise me to see resurgence in exits in the fourth quarter as many of these discussions come to a resolution.
Dandy DevicesDevice, on the other hand, has shown quite a bounce-back recently, despite continued lack of clarity on clinical trial makeup and approval path. In 2009 Big Exits handily surpassed 2008 totals and 2010 to date is just behind the full-year total for 2009. It is also interesting to note that device crosses over biotech in 2009 in total value of Big Exit M&A, despite a higher number of Big Exits in biotech in 2009 (see Exhibit 2). Again, this reflects the movement in biotech to staged acquisitions with smaller up front payments.
Exhibit 2: Total Acquisition Amount Per Year
Big Wins are Real!Big Exit average multiples in the last five years (see Exhibit 3) show a healthy 4.4X cash-on-cash in biotech and a robust 6.3X cash-on-cash in device4. Interestingly, device multiples on average are higher than biotech in each year since 2005. Larger multiples (9X and higher) account for 22 percent of all device Big Exits and 10 percent of all biotech. What is the reason for the discrepancy? High exit multiple deals distinguish themselves in two different ways: either in the total overall exit value or the total venture money in. The average Big Exit values in device and biotech are similar, but the average venture money is quite different, with biotech at $82 million and device at $41 million during this five year time frame.
Exhibit 3: Exit Multiples by Year in Private VC-Backed M&A
Big Exits 2005-Present biotech M&A >$100 M. Med device M&A > $50M. Source: VentureSource, press release, conversations with life science experts.
Show Me the Money? The other question (one asked quite often by the LP community) is how these Big Exits translate into realizations. We analyzed Big Exits and created a model to determine individual VC realization from a single exit, assuming a 15 percent ownership in the company at the time of exit. In this model, 70 percent of biotech Big Exits and 82 percent of device exits provide less than $50 million back to each VC.
Our initial assumption (which was proven out) was that biotech exits would provide larger realizations based on dollars in and a higher average Big Exit value. Biotech average realization was $41 million and device was $31 million. However, an interesting point to note is that this analysis yielded four deals in which the realization was $100 million or more, and three of the four deals were device deals.
Exhibit 4: VC Realization Per Year in Private VC-Backed M&A
VC realizations defined as money realized by a single VC based on assumption of 15% ownership at the time of M&A. Big Exits 2005-Present. biotech M&A>$100M, Med device M&A>$50M. Source: VentureSource, press releases, conversations with life science experts
Breakfast is ServedSo what does this all mean? Are funds generating returns to the LPs? If you analyze the top firms by number of exits and calculate the realizations based on an assumed 15 percent ownership, you would find the top three venture firms had projected realizations of $684 million, $524 million and $455 million since 2005. The numbers show that these private M&A exits provide substantial money back to the firms and to the LPs through distributions.
If you measured these realizations as a percentage of capital raised between 2000 and 2007, the top three venture firms in this category would have realized 131 percent, 98 percent and 86 percent of their respective capital raised — not exactly setting the venture world on fire, but at least a good start. Note that these realizations do not take into account any additional VC gains that come from IPOs, PIPES or public company M&A events.
In summary, while it would be fair to say that there is an overcrowding of private, venture-backed companies waiting for exit, when these companies do get a Big Exit, it often is a substantial return. This is good news for LPs who remain hungry for distributions and for many venture firms that are nearing the end of the active investing cycle of their current fund and need to ramp up the marketing machine to hit the fundraising trail in 2011.
1 Announced cash upfront (via press releases and other public data) is the measure used for Big Exit calculation. A small percentage of exits are estimated based on anecdotal conversations with Life Science experts. 2 Diagnostics and Services companies included in device data3 Date of acquisition is when deal is announced.4 Calculation of exit multiple is upfront cash divided by total venture investment
For purposes of this article, the author referred to VentureSource reports, press releases, and publicly available information. A small percentage of the exits were approximated using anecdotal conversations with Life Science industry experts.
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Easy Knit Baby-to-Toddler Cardi
Make this wear-anywhere sweater in any color so that baby will always have the perfect layer to keep cozy and comfortable. We've included sizes 12 months to 4 years so you can make a new sweater as baby grows.
pattern details
Required Supplies:
One ¾" button
- Red Heart® Baby TLC™: 3 (3, 5, 5) balls 5960 Strawberry Orange (E258 Baby TLC is discontinued)
- Knitting Needles: 5mm [US 8] straight needles, 5mm [US 8] circular needle 24" long
- Stitch markers
- Yarn needle
One ¾" button
|Pattern Number:
|Designed By:
|Red Heart Design Team
|Project Type:
|GAUGE: 18 sts = 4"; 24 rows = 4" in St st (knit on Right Side, purl on Wrong Side). CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size needles to obtain the gauge.
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In the Bush Camp, the Florida Justices´ Decision Brings a Sense of Weary Disbelief
Published: December 9, 2000
AUSTIN, Tex., Dec. 8 — They knew that the ruling might not go their way, because they saw the Florida Supreme Court as a wild card that had thwarted them before. They were braced for any and every possibility, because the winding, wacky road since Nov. 7 had taught them not to predict the next turn.
Even so, the court's order of additional manual recounts in Florida, an action that would further delay and complicate a resolution of the 2000 presidential election, left some of Gov. George W. Bush's aides and advisers in a state of disbelief today.
At the campaign headquarters here, they stared in silence at the television sets that brought them the news. Even if they had not counted on anything different, they had fervently wanted it, and now, more than a month after Election Day, there was still no end imminent.
"The word I've heard around here most is `unbelievable,' " one aide said. "We have no reactions left. We've had them all, and there are none left."
The aide said that in the wake of the ruling, Mr. Bush expressed a similar sense of astonishment that nothing had been settled, that the turmoil might go on and on.
Late this morning, during his one public appearance of the day, Mr. Bush had made teasing, lighthearted comments about whether some of the friends destined for senior roles in a Bush administration could pass background checks, and he had signaled progress in filling out a cabinet. He smiled. He chuckled.
And about two hours later, he and his aides were given more reason for mirth: two lower Florida courts had declined Democrats' requests to throw out thousands of absentee ballots that tilted in his favor.
But then the Florida Supreme Court weighed in on the separate matter of manual recounts, dashing the hope he had voiced at the governor's mansion that "we'll finally see some finality when it comes to this election."
He made no public comments after the ruling. Aides said he was displeased with the decision but still believed strongly that he would, and should, end up in the White House.
Aides and advisers shared that feeling, which was laced, in one adviser's words, with a "ferocious anger" that the Florida Supreme Court had ruled in a manner that was "totally partisan, totally hack, intellectually corrupt."
They expressed concern about the impact of further legal wrangling, further political skirmishing, further forays into dimples and pinpoints and chads. They wondered how long it would all take, and whether there would be vote counts that showed Vice President Al Gore in the lead for the first time, and what that would mean for a Bush presidency.
Several said the challenges of bipartisan healing and of governing were looking more and more formidable. "It's bad," one adviser said. "I hate to say it, but everybody goes to the mattresses now. It's just going to be uglier."
Another adviser joked bitterly that what had happened in the Florida Supreme Court set the stage for "the usual constitutional crisis."
"He will win," this adviser said of Mr. Bush. "But how bad is it in terms of his ability to govern and the legitimacy of his presidency? It's potentially severe, because everybody goes to nuclear war now."
Earlier in the day, some of Mr. Bush's aides worked on the speech that he might have given this weekend had the court gone a different way and Mr. Gore conceded. It was a routine of sorts that they had gone through before, every time it seemed as if a clear-cut victory for Mr. Bush might be in the offing.
But after the ruling, the Bush campaign sprang into a different sort of action. According to one aide, more than a dozen workers in Austin hastily packed their bags and headed to the airport to board a private charter bound for Florida, where extra hands would be needed to talk to reporters and monitor recount efforts. An e-mail message went out to campaign workers who were no longer in Austin, advising them that they might be needed in Florida, perhaps right away.
The campaign also turned to the task of finding the tone it wanted to strike and the message it wanted to deliver as it continued its battle in another court, that of public opinion.
The chosen messenger was James A. Baker III, Mr. Bush's chief representative in Florida, who portrayed today's developments as a kind of insult to democracy and Mr. Gore as the agent of that affront.
"This is what happens when, for the first time in modern history, a candidate resorts to lawsuits to try to overturn the outcome of an election for president," Mr. Baker said at a news conference in Tallahassee. "It is very sad. It is sad for Florida. It is sad for the nation. And it is sad for our democracy."
Mr. Baker, who said the decision would be appealed to the United States Supreme Court, cited parts of a dissenting opinion by the Florida court's chief justice that warned of "an unprecedented and unnecessary constitutional crisis" and "substantial damage" to the country.
Mr. Bush's aides and advisers said they took great comfort from that dissent, which they said could augur a very different result in the United States Supreme Court.
But the dimensions and implications of the Florida decision clearly unsettled them.
"The breadth of this is extraordinary," said one aide, referring to the court's demand for manual recounts in so many counties.
The decision scrambled a script that the Bush campaign had been following. In previous days, as Mr. Gore's planning for a transition remained nascent, the Bush campaign unveiled a transition slogan, "Bringing America Together," and Mr. Bush pursued a crescendo of statements and signals about his progress in assembling an administration.
The scene at the governor's mansion late this morning was part of that effort. Mr. Bush sat at a table with three senior aides and said they had been discussing potential members of his cabinet.
Asked about high-level staff positions in the White House, he motioned to two of those aides, Karen P. Hughes, the campaign's communications director, and Karl Rove, its chief strategist.
"It shouldn't surprise you that I hope some of my good friends will come up to Washington with me," Mr. Bush said, "should I end up being the president. These two characters to my right here have been great friends."
Later, senior Bush aides confirmed that Ms. Hughes was set for a position in a Bush administration as a counselor to the president, overseeing all facets of the White House communications operation, including the press secretary and the speechwriting department.
These aides said Ari Fleischer, the official spokesman for the transition, would most likely be the press secretary. Other advisers said Mr. Rove was in line for a title similar to Ms. Hughes's.
The Florida court's decision seemed to throw at least a few grains of doubt into all that planning. But even before the ruling, the campaign's awareness that Mr. Bush's situation remained unsettled was suggested by some of his remarks and demeanor at the mansion.
A number of his sentences had a stop-and-go quality and long pauses that seemed to reflect the uncertainty of events and a sense of caution about commenting on them.
And he telegraphed that his lawyers in Florida were prepared to file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court if the Florida justices did not rule in his favor.
"We'll see what they do," he said.


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Anorexia Nervosa Health Center
Pro-Anorexia Web Sites: The Thin Web Line
"Thinspiration." "Ana." "Mia." "I love you to the bones."
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The sites speak of anorexia and bulimia as if they were almost human, hence the names Ana and Mia. The illnesses are treated almost like beloved but demanding and relentless old friends. They feature photos of rail-thin actresses and models as "thinspiration," and offer tips on suppressing hunger pangs and hiding the evidence of missed periods or vomiting spells. But what's most important, say the sites' creators and visitors, is the support they find from people who understand what they're going through.
"It's a place where we can find like-minded people," says 19-year-old Lizzy, a young woman from the San Francisco area who's created one of the better-known "pro-ana" sites. "Most people don't understand what it's like: They see anorexia as a disease to be cured, but they don't realize that it's also a mental demon that you have to deal with every day. At sites like mine, people can talk about what they're feeling without being judged."
There's no doubt that sites like Lizzy's are shocking and troubling. "Imagine if there were web sites encouraging people not to get treatment for cancer, or celebrating how great it is to have diabetes," observes Doug Bunnell, PhD. "They promote a myth that eating disorders are choices, rather than a physical and mental illness."
But are they doing real harm, or are they just provoking a lot of controversy? Bunnell thinks they're doing serious harm. "In my group of patients, these things are really damaging. Patients are supported in their illnesses and encouraged to stay ill by these web sites," he says. "Anorexia and other eating disorders are notoriously difficult to treat, and one primary reason is because the patient's wish to get better is an ambivalent wish. Things drawing someone toward that illness can be quite damaging."


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Two exciting speakers will be gracing the campus of Lees-McRae College in the coming weeks, including one of our own - Humanities Professor Dr. Allen Speer.
On April 27, Dr. Speer will present his program My Little Postage Stamp of Native Soil in the Stafford Room of the Carson Library as part of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture Series.
Based on the three volumes of his survey of his family heritage, his presentation will focus on the final volume recently published by Overmountain Press, From Boonville to Banner Elk, Speer's personal memoir that draws together his heritage and his life.
A reception and book signing will begin at 3:00 p.m., with a presentation at 3:30. The event is open to the public and free of charge.
Continuing the Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture Series will be Dr. Mark Banker, a history professor at the Webb School of Knoxville.
On May 6, Dr. Banker will present a lecture based on his recently published book, Appalachians All: East Tennesseans and the Elusive History of an American Region, in the Stafford Room of the Carson Library at 7:00 p.m.
Banker will focus on the process of creating this important contribution to the study of Appalachia, discussing how his personal history, the courses he teaches, and the research he followed combined to produce a study that challenges stereotypes of Appalachia and Appalachians.
Media Contact:Blaine Hansen | Vice President of Strategic Planning and Effectiveness
Tel: 828.898.8838 | Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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