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Featured Golf News
Arnie, Padraig & Watson to Receive Honors from St. Andrews University
Three of the world's greatest golfers will be honored by Scotland's oldest university on the eve of the 139th Open Championship at St. Andrews. Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington will be awarded Honorary Degrees by the University of St. Andrews in a public ceremony in the town's Younger Hall on July 13th.
The trio has won 18 major championships, including nine British Open titles, over the course of the last half century. The University will award each of them the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa in recognition of their achievements and outstanding contributions to the game of golf.
The awards ceremony - a traditional feature of Open Week in St. Andrews - will take place at 3 p.m. in the University's graduation venue at Younger Hall in North Street. The degrees will be conferred by University Chancellor Sir Menzies Campbell.
Members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony. Tickets are free. Register by email at email@example.com.
Of the ceremony, University Principal Dr Louise Richardson said, "Individually and collectively, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington exemplify excellence, drive and achievement at the highest levels of professional sport.
"This will be an opportunity for St Andrews and Scotland to honor their determination and achievement in the game of golf and the pursuit of excellence. We are absolutely delighted that they have agreed to accept these Honorary Degrees at the home of golf on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship."
Two-time Open champion Harrington said, "I am very proud to be awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of St. Andrews and I am really looking forward to receiving it at the public ceremony in July during the Open Championship week. It is fantastic to be recognized for this honor but what makes it even more special is that I will be receiving it alongside golfing legends Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, whose achievements and contributions to the game I have admired and aspired to throughout my career."
Previous recipients of Honorary Degrees from St. Andrews include golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Gary Player, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Peter Thomson and Peter Allis. All have been invited to this year's ceremony.
Among its Honorary Graduates are Bob Dylan, Benjamin Franklin, Michael Douglas and the Dalai Lama.
Founded in the 15th century, St. Andrews is Scotland's first university and the third-oldest in the English speaking world. The University is one of Europe's most research-intensive seats of learning. It is one of the world's top-rated for research, teaching quality and student satisfaction and is consistently ranked among the UK's top-five universities.
As it prepares to celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2013, the University is pursuing a varied program of capital investment, including a New School of Medicine, the refurbishment of its Main Library, new sports facilities and the provision of new student accommodation.
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Scrub wooden garden furniture and give it a lick of preservative. If this soaks straight in, give it a second coat. Stand the legs on slips of stone or plastic so they are not touching moist ground all winter long.
Fruit trees are best planted this month, whether they are cordons and espaliers on a fence or free-standing trees. Use a new stake and buy a proper tie, broad enough not to bite into the bark.
Whether they're in pots or in the ground, plant your tulips now. Keep potted ones cool, moist and dark (and mouse-proof) while they root,

subset: commoncrawl


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"I was just excited, really," Williams said. "I was mostly worried about not falling coming out. I didn't want to be the one known as, 'Aw, he fell coming out the tunnel,' so I was just going out there with a lot of excitement."
Well, Williams made it safely out of the tunnel. First goal completed.
"When I ran out of the tunnel I was excited," Williams said. "I ran out jumping all up and down. I wasn't even playing but I was excited on the sidelines. I never had so many people in my life, like, not even at my championship game in high school. It was like one section of the stadium. When I saw all those people out there I was just smiling and just had a great time out there."
As BYU was able to pull away with a lead over Washington State, the BYU coaches gave some of their younger players a chance to play. Williams' number was called.
"I was worried about not fumbling, doing my job and getting positive yards," said Williams. "If I can get positive yards on my first carry, I'm good. I mostly go by my first yards. If I can get positive yards on my first carry, I'm set and usually play great for me."
So how does he feel he did?
"It was pretty good," Williams said. "I know I made a little more mistakes because it was my first game and everything, but I did more positive things than negative things. They were just minor negative things though, so I think I did really good for it being my first game."
Having faced BYU's defense in practice, Williams felt he was well prepared.
"You just have to keep going with the same momentum of just trying to get better. You know, people are faster and stronger than in high school, so it's a good way to prepare for a game when you play against one of the best defenses in college football," said Williams. "It was much easier when I went out there [against Washington State] and more natural and everything. I got used to it really easy."
But he didn't think he would get as many reps as he did.
"It was a little bit of a surprise in the beginning, but then at the end I knew it was going to come because we were blowing them out a little bit," Williams said. "So, I knew I was going to get a slight chance to play, but the good thing is I'm on special teams. So I play special teams too to get used to the speed of the game, so when I came out my first time on offense it was a little more natural.
"I knew they were going to call me once in a while. I was waiting, but I was occupied on special teams and everything, but I was just waiting on offense. When they did I just went out there with the mentality that I just have to do my best because I know Washington State, even though they were down, they would still play hard. I just gotta go out there and play my best."
Running back coach Joe DuPaix spoke to Williams about his first-game performance afterwards.
"He said I did pretty good for it being my first game and all, for my first time playing," Williams said. "He just said that I need to keep working hard and keep going downhill and just don't dwell on the things you do negative all the time. Just keep on playing football and keep going."
Having jumped in with both feet against Washington State, is there a chance Williams could get more playing time against Weber State?
"Yeah, it's possible, it's possible," said Williams. "I just have to keep working hard and show [the coaches] that I deserve more playing time as we keep going along the season. I just have to keep working hard at it."
In fact, Williams feels he'll see more playing time throughout the season. Naturally, he is hoping the coaches don't redshirt him.
"Of course, of course," Williams said with a smile. "No matter what, I might be 17 but I have a heart of a 25-year-old."
So what's it been like being away from home and in college?
"It's okay right now. Even though I'm 17, it's usual," Williams said. "I mostly just stay [home] doing my homework and practicing my plays mostly in my room all the time, but when I come out most people are friendly, asking me if I want to play basketball and something like that."
But just because he's away from home doesn't mean he doesn't get some motherly attention.
"I still have my mom and she comes to every game," said Williams with a smile. "So she stops by my dorm and cleans my room for me. I'm still not used to cleaning, so I try. But she comes by and cleans it up for me a little bit. That's why I love her."
Back when Williams was playing high school football at Summit, his mother was known for her loud support for her son. Apparently, she hasn't lost her cheering touch despite LaVell Edwards Stadium being much larger and much louder.
"She saw me play," Williams said. "She was in the stadium and, I don't know how, but everyone can still hear her cheering. People definitely heard her in high school and can now hear her in that stadium. People were like, 'Was that your mom screaming out there?' So people call her 'Momma Williams.' She's proud of me and gave me a big hug afterwards and everything."
Williams is currently rooming with Dylan Collie. The two became very close during the recruiting period, and that relationship continues now that the two are together at BYU.
"Yeah, he mostly helped me to come here, to commit here at BYU," said Williams. "He's a great [inspiration] and he motivated me a lot, so I mostly look up to him too."
However, Collie isn't the only one that has taken Williams under his wing. Williams also gave credit to other teammates such as Kyle Van Noy, Joe Sampson, Ross Apo, Cody Hoffman, Michael Alisa and David Foote.
Although Williams has only been at BYU for a short time, his experience is exceeding all his expectations.
"It exceeded more than I expected," Williams said. "I'm still not used to asking for things, and they give it to you, like towels and cleats and stuff. So, I mostly keep things they gave me the first time. They would all be telling me, 'Hey, go change your shoes,' and I would be like, 'You can do that? Oh!' Then I get everything. I'm just getting used to the generosity and all the availability of the items that I can. I don't have to go out and buy stuff anymore. My experience here has exceeded all of my expectations so far. It's been good."


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Kim Kardashian visits the famed New Jersey reality TV Show boardwalk. Buzz60's Leigh Scheps (@LeighTVReporter) has more.
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MBG 13-04: Jennifer Higdon, part one
In this episode of NMFBG, we begin our three-episode tour of BGSU alumna Jennifer Higdon's Grammy-winning discography, curated by the composer herself. Jennifer tells us about her early years as a flute major at Bowling Green; how she got her start in composition, and how painting and colors figure prominently in her work.
Music heard in this episode:
Summer Shimmers across the Glass of Green Ponds (Gary Graffman, piano; Lark Quartet) Bridge 9379 »
Autumn Reflection (Jennifer Higdon, flute; Hugh Sung, piano) IVR 501 »
Autumn Music (Musical Arts Woodwind Quintet) Albany Troy1369 »
Piano Trio (Anne Akiko Meyers, violin; Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Adam Neiman, piano) Naxos 8.559298 »
Concerto 4-3 [excerpt] (Time for Three; Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor) Fwso Live 844667029154 »


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It can be round, square, tiered, simple and elegant or covered in flowers. But no matter how a couple envisions their wedding cake, it's important for the baker to turn the couple's design into a celebrated part of the wedding.
The cake often reflects the style of the couple - and it must be unique, just like them.
When Beverly Brown, of Laporte, first began decorating cakes in two years ago, she had no idea where her ideas would take her.
Article Photos
Shown is a cake made by Sara and Lisa Bartholomew of Mona Lisa Cakes.
Shown wedding cake designed and made by Beverly Brown.
In December, she ended up designing, baking and decorating her daughter's wedding cake, which ignited a spark inside her.
Brown now teaches cake-decorating classes each week at Michaels near the Lycoming Mall and showcases her designs on her Facebook page, Simply Elegant Cakes by Beverly.
Through trial and error, Brown has created a way to make not-so-tasty fondant icing become an incredibly smooth product with a candy vanilla flavor.
"I'm working on a four-tier wedding exhibition cake with pillars," Brown said of her latest design. "It's a good example of an elegant cake that is fairly simple."
For her daughter's wedding, Brown ended up making three practice cakes and investing in a cake stacker system for transporting the cake.
"My daughter was given an estimate of $6,000 for that cake by a designer," Brown said. "With each cake, I try to do something different."
She's now experimenting with lace work and Australian drop string work, a technique that was featured in the royal wedding cake of Prince William and Kate Middleton. She said the "in" colors that she's noticing are gray and yellow, but her favorite still is ivory.
"And owls are real big on cakes right now," Brown said. "And the hot accent color is turquoise."
She said she also has seen a lot of glam ribbons with rhinestones become more popular as the royal icing flowers fade out of the spotlight. Candy clay roses or sugar paste flowers still are popular.
She said a few years ago, real flowers on wedding cakes was a popular trend but because of the risks of using real flowers - pollen getting on the cakes, weather disrupting the blooming cycles and holes in the cake for water tubes - more bakers are recommending the use of sugar flowers.
She said that even if a cake is spectacular, it has to arrive at its destination intact, which can be a challenge.
She said her daughter's wedding cake weighed more than 125 pounds and was white chocolate velvet with raspberry filling topped with white chocolate buttercream covered with vanilla fondant.
Simple cakes can range from $2.50 per 2-by-2-inch slice, while more complex cakes can average up to $14.50 a slice.
"When serving 150 people, you can see how it adds up," she said, adding that making a cake can take a week of baking and construction, along with additional hours in decorating, transporting and dismantling. "I have a lot of hours into this, it's a labor of love," she said. "I prefer simple cakes that are beautiful - less is more - which is why my cake business is called Simply Elegant."
Sara and Lisa Bartholomew - the mother-and-daughter duo who run Mona Lisa Cakes, 201 Basin St. - recently expanded their 1-year-old business that was located in South Williamsport.
They initially got into the business to bake wedding cakes, but have now expanded to make cookies, cupcakes and whatever baked goods a customer requests.
Sara has noticed more brides requesting wedding cake toppers surrounded by cupcakes.
But round cakes decorated in fondant and gum paste flowers still are the most traditional and popular ones.
She also has been getting a lot of requests for pastel colors and unique combinations, such as red and orange.
Mona Lisa cakes average about $2.95 a slice per person, but the bakery also includes a free anniversary cake with each order.
Lisa said she and her daughter enjoy weddings that have unusual themes such as a "Hallowedding" Halloween-themed wedding cake and a bright-red Lego cake.
Lisa and Sara said they usually consult with a bride several times to get a concept of what she wants before sending the bride off with a sampling of cupcakes to taste to decide flavor combinations.
The Bartholomews bake their wedding cakes the day of the event and transport them in sections, if necessary, so that the cake will arrive at its destination intact.
They also use the highest-quality flavors and ingredients in order to ensure a great tasting cake.
Lisa said that many brides come in with a basic idea of what they want, having watched several cake-themed television shows or perusing bridal magazines for ideas.
"They want something different," Lisa said. "They're looking to stand out."
Ordering a wedding cake time frame
The cake should be ordered as soon as the wedding season, colors, location and time of day are known, recommended Lisa Bartholomew of Mona Lisa Cakes. As a general rule, cakes or cupcakes should be ordered at least three to six months before the wedding; earlier if your baker is in demand. Elizabeth Whitnack of Cupcakes by E suggests brides book the date as soon as possible with the baker to guarantee the date is available.
In general, three to four tiers will yield about 200 slices and feed 150. For cupcakes, anticipate one cupcake per person and have a top layer cake for cutting by the bridal couple.
Bakers charge by the slice, based on the number of guests; prices range from $2.50 per slice per person, up to $14.50 per slice, according to Beverly Brown of Simply Elegant Cakes by Beverly. Cupcakes can range from $20 to $27 a dozen based on if the cupcake is a traditional, dipped or filled.
Flavors and fillings
Brides should schedule a tasting with the bakery once they have the first consultation.
Although the design is up to the couple, Brown suggests not going overboard and keeping it simple. More intricate designs are costlier and also leave more room for error. "Less is more," Brown said.


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Samsung Galaxy S4 easy to repair says iFixit, after a teardown leaves the flagship naked
0. phoneArena 26 Apr 2013, 17:39 posted on
iFixit's teardown of the Samsung Galaxy S4 notes the handset's use of a replaceable battery, something rarely seen on today's high end smartphones; the new Android flagship model is rated highly by iFixit for easy accessibility to the phone's innards making the model easy to repair with a score of 8 out of a possible 10...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. _Bone_ (Posts: 2154; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)
One more reason to choose it over the competition. Phones are imperfect, rushed and price-cut so you want the best rapairability possible for your own sake.
14. akki20892 (Posts: 3901; Member since: 04 Feb 2013)
right dude, this is more important thing.
31. chocolaking (Posts: 494; Member since: 22 May 2012)
without surprise, sFall has a high score of getting it fixed.
feels like a desktop computer structure. you can actually just open it and change out the parts and make upgrades. sorry, I see zero design quality in it.
34. kclgphilsbsa (Posts: 765; Member since: 21 Jan 2013)
design quality IS not just about its looks
It includes ergonomics and design flexblity w/ rplacble battry
35. Nephylim (Posts: 134; Member since: 04 Apr 2013)
u right
2. Hemlocke (unregistered)
Easy to repair, or in this case, cheap with 11 screws and a bunch of plastic holding it together, and only 8.8GB free to use on the 16GB model. Of course, the screen is one fused unit that is glued in, which won't be cheap or easy to repair, so there is that.
4. RORYREVOLUTION (Posts: 3108; Member since: 12 Jan 2010)
Wow that is the stupiest thing I have ever seen on here.
8. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
Apparently a unbody aluminium back that cost a few dollars more than a plastic back makes your phone special. Alumnium isn't a premium metal and is very cheap, just like plastic.
10. SleepingOz (unregistered)
"But it feels great in the hand!"
13. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
Actually the S4 feels better in your hands than the HTC One, not preference its fact.
22. KingKurogiii (Posts: 5711; Member since: 23 Oct 2011)
uhh huh, i'll just go ahead and take your word for that. :P
32. chocolaking (Posts: 494; Member since: 22 May 2012)
LOL....are you making wishes here??
I am not saying which one feels better.
until you hold both on your hand.
11. umadden (banned) (Posts: 90; Member since: 14 Apr 2013)
cheap recycled soda can aluminum is cheaper than plastic
17. BadAssAbe (Posts: 456; Member since: 22 Apr 2011)
SGS4 is like a SuperCar; lightweight, flexible material on the outside with the best V12/V10 Engines on the inside.
Teaching one person at a time about
5. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
Just FYI HTC One scored a 1/10 on this test
6. Hemlocke (unregistered)
I know. Out of the 60+ smartphones I have owned, care to guess how many I have broken and need to repair? I pay $600+ for each device, so I don't want some plastic POS that looks like it came out of a Lego Mindstorm box. There are plenty of undiscriminating sheep out there who buy for a brand or some elusive percentage better performance that is only measurable on a benchmark, so I think Samesung will do fine without my money.
7. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
The space between the black plate and screen is metal on galaxy devices andhttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb
_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=galaxy%20s4%20metal%2, have fun with believing that samsung is cheap, the galaxy s4 cost a decent amount more to make then the htc one to make. Also "better performance" matters, and the s4 (exynos 5) destroys the snapdragon 600 in battery life. 0back&sprefix=galaxy+s4+m%2Cap s&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Agalaxy%20s4 %20metal%20back
If you want an all metal galaxy then its going to cost you $10 extra. The stock ones don't come with them because they break NFC.
16. papss (unregistered)
Dude SS is cheap.. He'll the inside looks about as generic as the outside... It's like a fing cult with you SS suckers
18. BadAssAbe (Posts: 456; Member since: 22 Apr 2011)
SGS4 is like a SuperCar; lightweight, flexible material on the outside with the best V12/V10 Engines on the inside.
Teaching one person at a time about, you are welcome
20. papss (unregistered)
Thanks for the analogy and pretty funny too
21. Hemlocke (unregistered)
Except supercars aren't made with the cheapest possible materials. This is more like the derp kid on your block with the Civic with a fart can exhaust who stuffs a JDM twin turbo K23 under the hood. Fast? Yeah, but at the end of the day, it's still just a Civic, not a Skyline.
23. joey_sfb (Posts: 5741; Member since: 29 Mar 2012)
How you know the SS plastic is cheap, maybe its the most expensive plastic for SS pay much more for it than other manufacturers.
You don't know and yet to proclaim loudly like you did the procurement.
24. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
Its not even part of the phone thats plastic its a polycarbonate backcover lol, anyways a majority of the s4 body is metal. People are blind and obviously don't realize between the back and glass is metal.
9. tiara6918 (Posts: 2036; Member since: 26 Apr 2012)
I wonder what is the repairability score for the HTC butterfly. I did mention in a previous article that my dad's butterfly screen cracked and it will cost him $300 to get a new screen and I'm trying to see if there are any alternatives. HTC is charging way too much,for$300 I could already get a brand new sensation xl and a few bucks more a galaxy grand
12. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
The batterys also cost $150 to replace in HTC phones.
19. papss (unregistered)
I've never had to replace a battery so that's a moot point for me
15. InspectorGadget80 (unregistered)
Pretty impressive? what a dumb blonde. ifixit only have a hot girl in their videos so they can get more views. and in this case her comments bout how too tear apart the GS IV is simple. just open the cover and take out the screws. what a idiot
26. HDShatter (Posts: 1021; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
It will still break, should be harder to break though.
29. kclgphilsbsa (Posts: 765; Member since: 21 Jan 2013)
Go to youtube there is a drop test, gorlla glass 3 isnt yet that strong:) but the plastc and everything that wraps d phone are brilliant :)
27. kinnizle (Posts: 12; Member since: 24 Apr 2013)
Well I must say I have been reviewing the one and the s4 for some time. Its was like having to pick from two hot girls and imagining which one was best to sleep with. I decided on the One, yes I'm a sucker for aluminum. After the painful ordering process for the 64gb version I quickly found out that the unit that was shipped was defective. The top speaker grill and injection plastic molding were not fused all the way by the it blaster, I could stick my fingernail in between. Now I'm forced to go with an S4 because Att can't get me a replacement in Time. Granted its a switch that I'm ok living with but ill be up and early at the atstore probably in a long line. Moral of the story the hottest girl isn't always the best one to go for because at tines she can be severely flawed. I still give credit to HTC for trying something bold and new, it will open a new market of android phones to be availible for consumers with time to come. So for those of you going into the battle of plastic vs aluminum its getting old guys lets keep it constructive and positive.
30. kclgphilsbsa (Posts: 765; Member since: 21 Jan 2013)
Well off topic,
As far as all d reviews are concerned, the results are pretty interestng and mixed..
Htc one and gslaxy s4 are d greatest phones to date, it will just come to ur prefernce. I recommnded htc one for my bro and ill be getting s4
But im really disappointed that some reviewrs arent that professional esp when it comes to design, for exmple the verge gave 5/10 for galaxy s4 design while 8/10 for s3, thats a pretty damn thing consdering s4 is actually beautiful compared to the ugly s3 w/ large bezels.. for me design includes ergonomics so giving 5/10 is so unprofessional and it seems that reviewing a phone only boils w/ design as d main factor..
It is just so true that s4 created a lot of expectations thats why its overachievements were disclosed in minor ways, an underrated overachiever..
I cudnt say that gs4 is d best ryt now, htc one is also d best, just a matter to who will use the phone..
And if teue, samsung admttd in a lab test that gs4 isnt d best ryt now and i truly appreciate that humility :) and that makes me so excited with note3 and s5 coz for sure samsung will fill every possible shortcomings they have given that their devices are almost total package.
36. carper33 (Posts: 2; Member since: 21 May 2013)
We know this phone is full of plastic but hey it's one of those "if you dont like it dont buy it" :) I smashed mine after the first day and had to get it fixed by a third party repairer lol if anyone smashes theirs i recomend these guys repairsuk.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s4-i9500-repairs
37. nopsts (Posts: 1; Member since: 08 Jul 2013)
You can see detailed teardown and repair on this video: youtube.com/watch?v=ixnHfkXYunw


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Created in this Craftsy class
Quilting Quickly: Patterns, Techniques & Tips taught by Jenny Doan
Learn how to make quilts in a fraction of the time. This class is perfect for beginners and quilters who want to pick up the pace of piecing.
Other projects made as part of this class:
QuiltingStarburst II
QuiltingSewing Machine Pad
Quiltingcharm pack bag using d9p block
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
This is on my wish list. I just love the chance to show off some beautiful fabric with a white background. I like both of your quilts - thanks for inspiration to get moving on it (after the holidays?)
11/13/2013 Flag
I like the fact that there is enough neutral color to take away the 'jarring' of so many colors - haven't caught up with the rest of the world yet.
04/09/2015 Flag


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Johnny Rockets Featuring Americana at its Best
Enjoy great tasting food at one of the largest Johnny Rockets in the country, located near Lake George, NY on the lower level of Six Flags Great Escape Lodge. Designed to recreate the look and feel of a timeless hamburger and malt shop, this fun restaurant offers juicy hand-pressed Hamburgers, classic sandwiches and Shakes, reminiscent of the days when 'soda jerks' and bobby socks were all the rage.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, diners in Lake George will enjoy an all-American look and feel, tabletop jukeboxes, authentic décor, a dancing wait staff featuring servers who know the secret behind getting ketchup out of the bottle.
There are kids meals designed to please the pickiest eater as well as double-sized Hamburgers for healthy appetites and a variety of sandwiches and salads will please a wide range of ages and tastes. Plus, our American Fries are all you can eat. View the delicious Lunch-Dinner Menu JRs or view the BREAKFAST menu.
- Open 7 days for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Open at 11:00 a.m. Daily for Lunch and Dinner
- Open at 8:00 a.m. Daily for Breakfast
- Closes at 9:00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday / 10:00 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Book Your Next Birthday Party at Johnny Rockets
Be the cool parent and celebrate your child's next birthday at Johnny Rockets. We'll do the work, you'll have the fun. View available birthday party packages or call 518-824-6022 for more information.


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Our Specialty Programs
Comprehensive and robust treatment centers
Acute and Critical Care Surgery at Emory University Hospital
The Acute and Critical Care Surgery service at Emory University Hospital was implemented in July 2010 to improve response time to EUH Emergency Department cases requiring surgery, enhance continuity of patient care, and standardize the clinical care pathways for the primary surgical needs presenting in the Emergency Department. Since its initiation, the ACCS has maximized efficiency, reduced patient wait times for procedures, demonstrated shorter hospital length-of-stays, and lessened the 30-day readmission rate. According to recent data, the top five most common conditions presenting at the EUH Emergency Department are appendicitis, diverticulitis, cholelithiasis/cholecystitis, intestinal obstruction and hernia.
Emory Bariatrics Center
Our surgeons perform laparoscopic weight-loss surgery at the Emory Bariatric Center, one of the leading weight-management programs for treating obesity in the southeast and an accredited Level 1 Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network of the American College of Surgeons. The center's multi-specialty team, which includes a bariatrician, psychologist, dietitians, surgeons, physician assistants, and exercise specialists, offers appropriate, customized weight loss plans that also include such non-surgical options as nutrition and exercise therapy, lifestyle education, and pharmacotherapy.
The center offers a free, online seminar for interested individuals. For more information, please call Emory HealthConnection℠ at 404-778-7777 or 1-800-75-EMORY (1-800-753-6679).
Clinic Location
Emory Bariatrics
The Emory Clinic A
1365 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Emory Endosurgery Unit for Minimally Invasive Surgery
The Emory Endosurgery Unit is committed to advancing minimally invasive surgery through education, research, and surgical treatment with a focus on endoscopic and laparoscopic bariatric surgery, colon and rectal surgery, gastroesophageal surgery, hernia surgery, and solid organ and endocrine surgery.
The unit is a referral/consultation center known for treating difficult hernia cases with laparoscopic ventral hernia and inguinal hernia repair, and our surgeons have been involved in some of the world's most extensive multi-institutional studies of the techniques. Our surgeons have cooperated with other Emory surgical programs to develop such techniques as live donor nephrectomy, laparoscopic management of polycystic kidney and liver disease, thoracoscopic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis, and laparoscopic access for spine surgery, and have developed such innovative methods as single incision laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer, gall bladder, and appendix operations, as well as laparoscopic-assisted formal liver resections such as right hemicolectomies that involve extremely small incisions.
Clinic Location
Emory Endosurgery Unit
The Emory Clinic, Building A
1365 Clifton Road, NE
Suite A3300
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Physician Referral and Patient Inquiry Contact
(404) 778-3648
Emory Gastroesophageal Treatment Center
Using either laparoscopic, endoscopic, or open methods, the gastroesophageal center treats esophageal cancer, Barrett's esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Available procedures include esophagogastric myotomy, fundoplications, redo procedures for failed attempts at operative treatment, and such minimally invasive approaches for the diagnosis of GERD as catheterless/wireless esophageal pH testing. New innovations for the treatment of reflux and esophageal diseases are being evaluated and tested.
Clinic Locations
Emory Gastroesophageal Treatment Center at The Emory Clinic, Building A
1365 Clifton Road, NE
Suite A3300
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Emory Gastroesophageal Treatment Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown
Medical Office Tower
550 Peachtree St, NE
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Book Review: Anti-Market Antitrust: The Latin American Paradox, Some Comments on an Institutional Assessment of Antitrust Policy, The Latin American Experience (Spanish)
Francisco Marcos
IE Law School
November 16, 2009
Revista de Derecho de la Competencia y Distribución, Vol. 7, pp. 457-467, 2010
The commented book offers a solid and convincing critique about the origins and evolution of competition policy in Latin America, which probably could be extended elsewhere. Some of the assumptions on which the competition authorities act are unsound and farfetched, this causes notable uncertainty on business firms, undermining the rule of law. However, no matter the antitrust epistemology in Latin America may be based on simplifications and some questionable assumptions, the alternative analysis claimed by the book is both unrealistic and illusory.
Note: Downloadable document in Spanish.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 6
Keywords: Antitrust, Competition Policy, Latin America
JEL Classification: K21, L40, L50
Date posted: November 17, 2009 ; Last revised: January 9, 2011
Suggested Citation
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Should fall back to low 30's now.
I doubt that, unless something really bad happens on the Street.
In pesos did it.
- Yesterday close price , keep over MA50 in Pesos In pesos SQM double bottom at $ 18300 , (ADR 35,10 36,56) from where run furiously to the upper range $ 22.000, twice , for the momment had not break this point, so we are basicly in a 20% trading range , MACD turn to bull , but have not enter it yet , RSI above 50 now , (1 year RSI up trend keep intact) so I belive we need extra days or weeks to realise where this trend its finally end (UP or down) , But what if price break down above trade channel....The controlers (Ponce and POT) bought large ammounts betweenUS$ 32 and US$ 34 mainly to financial institucions and other long term holders . so I belive a "big dog fight" could be seems at this levels . for the momments it seems the "market" avoid to "touch" this "kind" of "Holy" price level .... could be near...... but dont touch it......Burger
Other way it is to avoid this "crazy" trade range , and wait until its finish .


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Ray Conniff
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The man who popularized wordless vocal choruses and light orchestral accompaniment on a mix of popular standards and contemporary hits of the 1960s,
Ray Conniff
was a trombone player for
Bunny Berigan's Orchestra
Bob Crosby's Bobcats
before being hired as an arranger by
Mitch Miller
for Columbia Records in 1954. After he wrote the charts for several sizeable Columbia hits during the mid-'50s,
became a solo artist as well, applying his arranging techniques to instrumental easy listening for the booming adult album market. The result, 12 Top Ten LPs and well over 50 million total albums sold, cemented his status as one of the top LP sellers of all time, but his increasingly watered-down and commercially focused arrangements gained few young fans by the end of the '60s. Though he continued recording and touring the world into the '90s,
albums slipped off the charts in the early '70s.
Born in November 1916 in Attleboro, MA,
Ray Conniff
gained much of his musical experience inside the home. His father, a trombone player, led a local band, while his mother played the piano.
began leading a local band while in high school -- picking up the trombone for the first time not long before -- and began writing arrangements for it; after graduation, he moved to Boston and began playing with Dan Murphy's Musical Skippers (besides playing and arranging,
drove the band around). By the mid-'30s, he was ready for the big time, landing in New York just after the birth of the fertile swing era. He comped around Manhattan for several years, and by 1937 landed an arranging/playing job with
Bunny Berigan
. Two years later, he moved to
Bob Crosby's Bobcats
, one of the hottest bands of the time, though
stayed for only a year before joining up with
Artie Shaw
and later
Glen Gray
With the advent of American involvement in World War II by 1941,
joined the Army, though the closest he came to Wake Island was Hollywood, where he worked as an arranger with Armed Forces Radio. At the end of the war,
worked with
Harry James
but lost interest in arranging when bop moved to center stage during the late '40s. Completely divorced from the music business, he studied conducting and music theory during the early '50s, emerging by 1954 to accept a position with Columbia Records and notorious pop producer
Mitch Miller
. The following year, he put his theories to practice with
Don Cherry
(the vocalist, not the jazz trumpeter) on a Top Five hit, "Band of Gold." Close on its heels were some more big hits of 1956-1957, including the number ones "Singing the Blues" by
Guy Mitchell
and "Chances Are" by
Johnny Mathis
, plus Top Five entries by
Johnnie Ray
("Just Walking in the Rain"),
Frankie Laine
("Moonlight Gambler"), and
Marty Robbins
("A White Sport Coat [And a Pink Carnation]"). Columbia, undoubtedly ecstatic over the success of its arranger, agreed to let
record an instrumental album, and the result,
'S Wonderful
(1956), spent months on the album charts. With a similar intent (though far tamer results) to
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross'
album of the same year,
Sing a Song of Basie
-- which transcribed classic
orchestra solos into vocal parts --
arranged parts for an easygoing chorus of singers just as he had with instrumentalists in the past.
'S Wonderful
was background instrumental music for adults who still liked to hear the human voice, and the technique grew to define the "Muzaky" feel of much of the adult pop of the 1950s and '60s.
During the rest of the late '50s, four
Ray Conniff
albums reached the Top Ten, led by the gold-certified
'S Marvelous
Concert in Rhythm
did well in the early '60s as well, with popular theme albums like
Say It with Music (A Touch of Latin)
Memories Are Made of This
So Much in Love
'S Continental
, and
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
, which continued to chart during the holiday season of the next six years after its 1962 release date. The rise of rock & roll in the mid-'60s obviously hurt
record sales, though in 1966 the inclusion of "Lara's Theme" in the film Doctor Zhivago resulted in
only significant singles-chart placing at number nine, and a million-selling album with
Somewhere My Love
. During the late '60s, he began to include the softer side of rock and
pop into his repertoire, with artists from
Simon & Garfunkel
the Carpenters
the Fifth Dimension
all receiving the
treatment (alongside more questionable attempts, such as "Theme from 'Shaft'"). He continued to record albums and perform to his large Latin American audience into the '90s. On October 12, 2002,
passed away after falling down and hitting his head. He had suffered a stroke months prior, but his health had continued to deteriorate. He was 85.
John Bush, Rovi
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Tokyo, Japan (March 16, 2011) – Square Enix Group (the Group) today announced that, following Tohoku Pacific Earthquakes and Tsunami, the Group will donate 100 million Japanese yen to help relief and recovery efforts in the affected regions. Additionally, the Group will collect charity donations from employees worldwide for the disaster relief fund.
The Group also plans to host several support programs through select Square Enix online services and the amusement facilities that TAITO operates across Japan.
We send our deepest sympathy and prayers to the victims, and for those injured we sincerely hope for their full and earliest recovery.
I. Support from the Square Enix Group
Both donations will be sent for the relief and recovery efforts in the affected regions through the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami fundraising campaign launched by The Japanese Red Cross Society.
II. Support programs through services and amusement facilities of the Square Enix Group
SENGOKU IXA website : http://sengokuixa.jp/
ii.Square Enix will also host a donation program using Square Enix Crysta®, the billing system provided for a Square Enix Account that is a free service provided in all of Square Enix's online services.
Square Enix Account website :
ii. TAITO will also collect donations by placing special charity items in its social games for mobile phones, and all sales of the item will be donated.
TAITO website : http://www.taito.co.jp/
Nicotto Town website : http://www.nicotto.jp/
All the trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


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Three state lawmakers who cited constituents' concerns in triggering threats of a lawsuit against Bisbee for passing a new ordinance allowing civil unions received very few official calls or e-mails from people in their district.
A public-records request by The Arizona Republic showed only one e-mail opposing last week's City Council approval of the ordinance and a phone call questioning its legality, while another e-mail supported allowing civil unions.
Two of the lawmakers, however, said they had been personally approached by constituents concerned about the constitutionality of the ordinance and asking them to look into it. They did not say how many people had approached them or under what circumstances.
Hours before the Bisbee City Council passed the ordinance to allow the city clerk to issue civil-union certificates that would allow gay couples to have official recognition of their partnerships, House Majority Leader David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista; Rep. David Stevens, R-Sierra Vista; and Sen. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, sent Republican Attorney General Tom Horne a letter asking him to investigate whether the ordinance would violate state law and the state Constitution.
"We have been contacted by constituents who are expressing concerns that this proposed ordinance may be in violation of Arizona law and the Arizona Constitution," read the letter from the three lawmakers, who represent the Legislative District 14 that includes Bisbee.
The Attorney General's Office, which warned Bisbee not to proceed, is expected to file a lawsuit alleging the City Council's decision violates the state Constitution's definition of marriage, among other things, possibly later this week.
Bisbee resident Gayle Schasteen copied the lawmakers on a letter she sent to the Bisbee council opposing civil unions for religious reasons.
Another Sierra Vista resident sent Stevens an e-mail saying that she supports civil unions and opposed his getting involved.
Griffin's legislative office got one phone call from someone asking if Bisbee had the legal right to pass such an ordinance, but not taking a stance one way or the other.
Griffin declined to comment on what prompted her to call on Horne to look into the matter. Both Stevens and Gowan said they had heard in person from constituents when they were back in their home communities.
Bisbee resident James Coull, who supports the ordinance, last week criticized state leaders for getting involved in a city issue.
"I don't see how it affects them," he said. "This state is always wishing the (federal) government would stay out of their business, yet they don't stay out of the business of their municipalities."
Legislative District 14 covers a large and mostly conservative block of southeastern Arizona that includes Safford, Willcox, Sierra Vista and Benson, as well as the more liberal Bisbee.
"Some people over the weekend asked me about it, so I looked into it," Stevens said. "It violates the state Constitution and seven (state) statutes."
Both the state Constitution and federal law define marriage as between only one man and one woman. Stevens said he took an oath as a state representative to uphold state and federal law, and that's why he got involved with the Bisbee issue.
"Just like I would have if they had an ordinance that allowed bank robberies," he said.
Gowan, who said he lives about 30 miles from Bisbee, said he also had constituents ask him to look into the legality of the ordinance.
"The vast majority of my district believes in the Constitution," he said. "This is coming from me because it's a constitutional issue. We told them we'd look into it."
Bisbee became the first city in the state to legalize same-sex civil unions last week on a 5-2 vote of the City Council after more than three hours of emotional pleas from residents on both sides of the issue.
Bisbee's ordinance, which goes into effect in May, creates a civil union recognized only within city limits. Any two unrelated, unmarried adults can seek a civil-union certificate from the city clerk for $76. It grants same-sex couples a civil-union certificate and allows them some of the rights of married couples.


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Top Definition
the word thushara is used in sri lanka to introduce an idiot who always ends his talk with sex. talking and waching sex is prefered more than doing. the word Suranga also gives a similar mening.
This guy is a thushara
viết bởi Sharmila 29 Tháng một, 2008
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Johannesburg - Major winners Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel will lead a strong line-up of South African golfers at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which starts on Thursday.
Schwartzel, who won the US Masters at Augusta in April, will play with his father, George, at the European Tour event, which is centred around St Andrews, the "home of golf", in Scotland.
"I'm really looking forward to playing this week," Schwartzel said on Wednesday.
"Standing on the first tee at St Andrews still gives me goosebumps.
"It is difficult to describe the feeling to someone who has never played it."
In other SA family tie-ups, former world No 1 Ernie Els teams up with father, Neels, and 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen will play with brother, Rikus.
Goosen, a two-time US Open champion, said he looked forward to the tournament, but admitted he had not yet fully recovered from a back injury.
"I am still struggling a little bit with my back," Goosen said.
"I have been working on it during the past month when I have basically had a break from golf.
"I've only played two rounds of golf in that time".
Goosen said he hoped to produce a solid showing at the event, but he was not putting pressure on himself to win the title.
"I'm keen to get back out there and compete, but I am not expecting too much of myself," he said.
"You never know in this game, of course, and being relaxed after my month off might mean I go out there and shoot a low score or two.
"But overall, I'm just going to go out there and hit shots and see where it takes me."
An impressive field will tee off at the Links Championship, including world No 1 Luke Donald, world No 2 Lee Westwood, and defending champion Martin Kaymer.
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Big month in the world of golf as the FedEx Cup concludes on the PGA Tour, the Race to Dubai gathers steam on the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour offers local golfers the chance to bank some cash. Oh, and not forgetting the USA v Europe Ryder Cup showdown at Hazeltine!
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2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, The Land Rover Vary Rover Sport is an athletic SUV designed to deliver on-road performance driving to the standard Land Rover off-road expertise. It enters its second generation in 2014, along with daring, revised styling within and out and further normal gear, along side a brand new light-weight all-aluminum monocoque platform and new powertrains.
2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Gallery
Just like the standard Range Rover, the Sport model will be all about the reduction of weight. For that, Land Rover has paid extra attention to the materials used to construct the vehicle. The most most important addition is an all-new, first-in-class aluminum architecture that helps save an amazing 420 kg (925 pounds).
The new Range Rover Sport will be put on sale in the third quarter of 2013. Customers will have the possibility to choose between four equipment levels: S, SE, HSE and Autobiography.


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Sailing the Oceans - not as modern as we thought
by Sail-World Cruising round-up on 19 Nov 2012
Were they sailors as well? .. .
Leisure sailing as we know it may have begun a mere 150 years ago or so, but researchers across the world are now becoming more and more convinced that Neanderthals, or even older homo erectus, knew how to cross seas and oceans by boat.
Neanderthals lived around the Mediterranean from 300,000 years ago. Their distinctive 'Mousterian' stone tools are found on the Greek mainland and, intriguingly, have also been found on the Greek islands of Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. That could be explained in two ways: either the islands weren't islands at the time, or our distant cousins crossed the water somehow.
In March this year, George Ferentinos of the University of Patras in Greece said we can rule out the former. The islands, he said, have been cut off from the mainland for as long as the tools have been on them.
Ferentinos compiled data that showed sea levels were 120 metres lower 100,000 years ago, because water was locked up in Earth's larger ice caps. But the seabed off Greece today drops down to around 300 metres, meaning that when Neanderthals were in the region, the sea would have been at least 180 metres deep (Journal of Archaeological Science, DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2012.01.032).
Ferentinos thinks Neanderthals had a seafaring culture for tens of thousands of years. Modern humans are thought to have taken to the seas just 50,000 years ago, on crossing to Australia.
The journeys to the Greek islands from the mainland were quite short - 5 to 12 kilometres - but according to Thomas Strasser of Providence College in Rhode Island, the Neanderthals didn't stop there. In 2008 he found similar stone tools on Crete, which he says are at least 130,000 years old. Crete has been an island for some 5 million years and is 40 kilometres from its closest neighbour - suggesting far more ambitious journeys.
Strasser agrees Neanderthals were seafaring long before modern humans, in the Mediterranean at least. He thinks early hominins made much more use of the sea than anyone suspects, and may have used the seas as a highway, rather than seeing them as a barrier. But the details remain lost in history. Any craft were presumably made from wood, so rotted away long ago. The oldest known Mediterranean boat, a dugout canoe from Lake Bracciano in Italy, is just 7000 years old. Ferentinos speculates that Neanderthals may have made something similar.
New Study:
Now there is a new study from Washington that agrees: This study has provided new evidence which suggests that 'Upright Man' might have sailed around the Mediterranean, stopping at islands such as Crete and Cyprus.
Other evidence outside of the Mediterranean supports that pre-Neolithic humans could sail. Researchers have pointed out that these individuals 'must have been able to cross substantial expanses of sea to reach Australia by at least 50,000 years ago.
'Additionally, findings from the Indonesian Wallacea islands suggest the presence of hominins as early as 1.1 million years ago on Flores Island.'
'They had to have had boats of some sort; unlikely they swam,' Discovery News quoted Alan Simmons, lead author of a study about the find, as writing in this week's Science.
'Many of the islands had no land-bridges, thus they must have had the cognitive ability to both build boats and know how to navigate them,' he added.
Simmons, a professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada, added that there is no direct evidence for boats dating back to over 100,000 years ago. If they were built then, the wood or other natural materials likely eroded.
However, other clues hint that modern humans may not have been the first to set foot on Mediterranean islands.
On Crete, for example, tools such as quartz hand-axes, picks and cleavers are associated with deposits that may date to 170,000 years ago.
Excavations at an Akrotiri site on Cyprus have turned up ancient thumbnail scrapers and other tools dating to beyond 9,000 years ago. There is also a huge assembly of fossils for a dwarf pygmy hippopotamus, which might have been a good food for the earlier islanders. It's possible they hunted the small, plump animal to extinction.
'Conventional wisdom used to be that none of these islands had too much settlement prior to the Neolithic because the islands were too impoverished to have supported permanent occupation. This likely is untrue. Hunters and gatherers can be pretty creative,' Simmons said.
Thomas Strasser, an associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History at Providence College, told Discovery that he believes 'future research will confirm recent discoveries that hominids reached the Mediterranean islands when they first left Africa. I believe the Homo erectus radiation out of Africa was both terrestrial and maritime.'
Letter from Reader:
Sender: kim Klaka
Message: Article states''Mousterian' stone tools are found on the Greek mainland and, intriguingly, have also been found on the Greek islands of Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. That could be explained in two ways: either the islands weren't islands at the time, or our distant cousins crossed the water somehow.'
I suggest there is a third possibility: the tools were developed independently and simultaneously at the two locations. This happens a lot with technology, even today. I have seen it occur several times in my profession and is simply the result of similarly trained people being exposed to new materials or concepts.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/103893
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CLEARWATER, Fla.—Except for the dateline, the afternoon start time and 80-degree sunshine, the Phillies vs. Red Sox game on Monday felt like a preview of the World Series.
OK, at least the pitching matchup between aces Roy Halladay and Jon Lester offered a hint of what could come in the fall, as predicted by the Sporting News.
Both teams already ranked among the game's best before they made the biggest and best moves of the offseason: the Phillies signing Cliff Lee and the Red Sox bringing in Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
But seven long months remain before the World Series and already there are signs that our forecast is in trouble. Here's five of them:
Chase Utley's knee
Forget about him being available on opening day. He hasn't run or taken ground balls in weeks, much less face live pitching. At this point, the Phillies are hoping Utley can avoid surgery that likely would sideline him for months.
The Phillies are so concerned about their All-Star second baseman's status that they are giving Mets' castoff Luis Castillo a tryout. If Castillo doesn't work out, manager Charlie Manuel seems to like Wilson Valdez, who filled in capably on a short-term basis last year.
"I'm not sure who they will have filling in for him," Braves starter Tim Hudson said, "but whoever he is will be a major downgrade."
Josh Beckett's bounce-back
The Red Sox dropped Beckett into the No. 4 spot in the rotation because of early season matchups. Other than getting conked in the head with an errant fungo early in spring training, the big righthander has enjoyed a spring of good health.
But he hasn't enjoyed much success on the mound. For such a veteran, allowing 16 hits in 14 2/3 innings in March might not mean much. The Red Sox say Beckett's velocity has been good and his back has remained sound. His problems have come from an inconsistent breaking ball, which is not uncommon for a starting pitcher in the spring. Spring training, however, is nearing an end.
Phillies' production
The departure of Jayson Werth had left a hole in the Phillies' lineup even before Utley's injury. Then the first choice to take over right field, top prospect Domonic Brown, broke a bone in his hand and is out indefinitely. Third baseman Placido Polanco also is out with a sore elbow, though he could return this week.
Without Utley and Werth surrounding him, cleanup hitter Ryan Howard's job becomes more difficult. Howard has been known to chase pitches when trying to carry more than his share of the offense.
Manuel has seen that tendency in Howard at times this spring but the big lefty had some good-looking swings the past two days against top lefty starters CC Sabathia and Jon Lester. For the spring, nine of his 14 hits have gone for extra bases, including four for homers.
A matter of health
For the Red Sox, the "as long as we stay healthy" disclaimer means more than the obvious. They battled injuries to key players from the start of 2010, and injuries eventually derailed their playoff chances. "It got to the point where it was just too much," manager Terry Francona said.
All of the injured reported healthy and have stayed that way. At Francona's pregame media session on Monday, in fact, there was not a single inquiry about the state of Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Cameron or anyone else who ended last season on the disabled list.
The one important Red Sox player to report at less than 100 percent was Gonzalez (offseason shoulder surgery) and he made his spring debut well ahead of schedule.
An uncertain end game
Closers Brad Lidge and Jonathan Papelbon have similar styles. When they are on, they use fastballs to get ahead in the count, then finish off hitters swinging at pitches that often wind up in the dirt. Lidge counts on a slider, Papelbon a split-finger fastball.
Their teams can't fully count on them to be on, though. Lidge enjoyed a great second half in 2010 but was shut down recently with biceps tendinitis. He is scheduled to throw an inning in a minor league game on Tuesday.
Papelbon's stuff is as strong as ever but now he must regain the confidence he lost last year. Being in his last season before becoming a free agent could spur him on—or add a burden he does not need.


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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – Transferring oversight of the Ottawa County Road Commission from its own appointed board to the county Board of Commissioners could add as much as $167,000 to the road agency's annual budget, according to a task force assigned to study the feasibility of such a move.
The report from the 12-member task force, released to commissioners Tuesday, doesn't specifically recommend whether the county board should take over the Road Commission's operations or keep its current structure. It does the give the Road Commission a "satisfactory" grade in its operations.
However, the report expressed concerned that adding on the responsibilities of the Road Commission could expose the county to significant risk and liabilities.
"If the Road Commission was transferred to the Board of Commissioners and revenue sources were not increased to address rising expenses and existing liabilities, the county could be forced to utilize its general fund revenue to balance the Road Commission budget," County Planning and Performance Director Mark Knudsen said.
"This could jeopardize existing services that the county provides to citizens."
In addition, those liabilities could hurt the county's historically strong bond rating, which would resulting in higher interest costs not only for county projects but also projects for local municipalities who use the county bond rating for its financing, Knudsen said.
Commissioners last summer established the task force, which consists of representatives from the board, road commissioners, local government and the business community. They wanted to see whether such a move would be feasible in light of changing state laws that now allow counties to assume oversight of road commissions. Several counties, including Ingham, Calhoun and Jackson, have passed measures allowing their county boards to oversee their road commissions.
While the county could save money on salaries by eliminating Road Commission administrative staff and accounting, those costs would be more than offset from lost overhead revenues from public utility projects as well as the county taking on both administrative and information technology responsibilities from the road agency. The potential additional cost to the county ranges from $94,000 to $167,000, Knudsen said.
Commissioners' initial reaction to the report seemed to favor keeping the present Road Commission structure. "There's no significant cost savings. So what are we accomplishing?" asked Commissioner Stu Visser, R-Park Township.
Commissioner Matt Fenske, R-Tallmadge Township, says the appointed five-member Road Commission board offers levels of expertise that may take awhile for the elected Board of Commissioners to match.
"I wouldn't touch it," Fenske said. "I would leave the Road Commission as is."
One of the options offered in the report would keep the current Road Commission structure but also call for greater collaboration with the Board of Commissioners on a variety of issues, most notably trying to control rising pension and retiree health care costs.
"With flat revenues, it's going to reduce the amount of road we're going to be able to do," County Administrator Al Vanderberg said.
Such collaboration between the board and Road Commission could also eventually involve a proposal for a county road millage for road improvements and maintenance, the report said.
Commissioners are expected to decide Aug. 13 on a memorandum of understanding, which would have to be ratified by both the county board and Road Commission board, that will set forth the agency's future direction, said board Chairman Jim Holtrop, R-Hudsonville.


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new video footage
i finally managed to finish a video!! there is another one in the works that involves my other marble run. i will post a link as soon as i'm finished... Read more
pictures of a 'kickstarter edition' set
here are some pictures of how your marble chute sets will look. each one will have the backer's name engraved on the lid!
as far as the issues with the... Read more
back in town
i just got back from two weeks in england, and just before i left i was working on the hanging of the marble run for modulor, but tommorow, and during... Read more
lots of good news (and a little bad news too)
the berlin company modulor wants me to hang the world's longest marble chute for the grand opening of their store on the 30th of september.
the developments of the past week have... Read more
official sponsor list
i have been working on the official sponsor list for all of you supporters, and i have a rough draft up and running, that can be seen here; meandermind.com/wlm
as... Read more
new video footage!!!
i know this has been very long in coming, and i'm not at all content with the quality, but i thought some of you might be interested...


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Top Definition
A person who eats, sleeps, and breaths skateboarding. Someone who thinks about skating all day at school, or anywhere else they might be. A person who only see skate spots in the city surrounding him.
od uživatele SK8RAT 25. únor 2011
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
A person Who Skate Boards All THe Fucking Time MHaw Mhaw
I Am A Sk8 Rat
od uživatele johnienatonialafagetsononua 21. leden 2010


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As Seen On TV Pillow Pet- Dream Lites- Monkey
Create a soothing bedtime ambience for your child with a Dream Lites Monkey Pillow Pet. This adorable toy will keep your child company and also act as a comforting nightlight. Able to project a starry night sky on the ceilings and walls in 3 calming colors, the Monkey Pillow Pet is a must have companion for sleepy time cuddles.
- Projects A Starry Night Sky On Ceiling & Walls!
- Shell Glows As A Comforting Nightlight
- Color-Changing LEDs - Projects 3 Soothing Colors; Amber, Blue, Green
- 20 Minute Sleep Timer Option
Specifications & Dimensions
Product Documentation


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If Mark Wahlberg and longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham tie the knot in Southern California, don't expect his entourage to be in attendance.
"If we do it here [in L.A.], it'll probably just be us and the kids," Wahlberg, 37, told reporters at Monday's Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., benefiting the Entertainment Industry Foundation's cancer research programs.
"If we do it in Boston, I would say there'd be a lot more family members, so there'll be some fighting," he joked.
Walberg and Durham, who have three children – Ella Rae, 5, Michael, 2, and 4-month-old Brendan Joseph – haven't finalized all the wedding details but the actor says it will most likely happen in August and will "definitely [be] in a Catholic church."
And even with some sibling rivalry in the Wahlberg household, the Entourage executive producer says the family's newest addition, Brendan Joseph, is doing well and is "well behaved."
"He doesn't go crazy like the other little ones," he explained. "They love him. Everybody wants mommy's attention but they love him."
Mark sheds bad boy ways for fatherhood
1993: Mark and Madonna rumble at L.A. party!
Mark Wahlberg Plans a Catholic Wedding
Semmer/face to face/IPHOTO


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Malaysians must be careful with the growing deceits, lies and dangerous allegations and unscrupulous practices in our local politics.
The government must be careful too in reacting to these allegations. The normal respond of responding harshly to those who are seen as "outsiders" or opposition symphatizer may not help the government cause to act fairly and just.
Something must be done to check on Utusan Malaysia's editorials. Their editors have a wild of side of writing based on hearsay or pure allegations. Utusan's current editorial stand is giving the government controlled media channels a bad name.
Recently, an Utusan Malaysia editor said yesterday that Muslim primary schoolchildren are being taught about Jesus by Christian youths aiming to convert them, which is illegal under Malaysian law.
Zaini Hassan, assistant chief editor at the Umno-owned daily, had written in his column that poor Malay children living in squatters along Jalan Klang Lama were singing, "Yes, I know Jesus loves me" and reciting the story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, in their primary school.
He said that an Indian teacher from the school, known only as Cikgu S, had informed him Malay children were being given free English classes by young Christian evangelists every Sunday.
Zaini should do better than just assuming the event did actually happen. If the informant is authentic and real, he should reveal his identity and offer himself as a witness. Who is Cikgu S? Is he another Datuk T in the making?
As a responsible newspaper, Utusan's stand and editorials on many issues are worrying. Not many of them are contributing towards the society's common good.
Similarly, we demand a stop to political lies and deceits such as allegations against PSM6 who had been linked to communism, Bersih's Ambiga receiving foreign funding, DAP anti-Islam claims and so forth.
Lies and deceits against Barisan leaders must stop too e.g. unsubstantiated attacks on PM Najib and his wife, Jais raid, mud slinging using religion and race etc.
Another victim, Minister of Tourism Dr Ng Yen Yen is finally getting her public apology from advertising director Austen Victor Lauw Zecha over the latter's claim that Ng had demanded commission for the "Malaysia Truly Asia" campaign deal worth hundreds of million.
Under the settlement, Zecha, 71, has agreed to read out a statement of apology over the matter in open court.
Zecha also consented to publishing the statement of apology in a prominent Chinese daily – Sin Chew Daily or Nanyang Siang Pau – within 48 hours of it being read in court.
He also agreed to read out the statement in the Business FM 89.9's Current Affairs radio programme within a week after it was read out in court.
Zecha will also pay an undisclosed sum in damages to Dr Ng. This case may not be politically driven but the Minister's credibility had taken a beating soon after the allegation was made and politicized. It is doubtful is the apology may be enough to repair the damage.
It is pertinent for politicians and their supporters to realize that using deceits and lies to win power is going to drag this multiracial country into irreversible division and destruction.
They should compete on providing good policies and governance to the people. Our national interests and goodwill should take precedence over petty and dangerous politicking.
We should demand for first world politicians and not just winnable candidates.


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Cardinals and their feathered friends flit around in the backyard retreats set up for them at the home of Merle Morton off Dorchester Road in North Charleston.
"It's taken me more than 40 years to get them here," the 80-year-old retired bookkeeper said while watching the birds dart from one feeder to another outside the kitchen window of her Marilyn Drive home in the Glyn Terrace subdivision. "I love looking at them. They add some color in the dead of winter."
Morton's home, like scores of others, backs up to a huge chunk of land the state is leasing to Boeing for the aerospace company's future expansion. A new highway will slice through the Boeing land right behind Morton's neighborhood.
Boeing hasn't said what it intends to do with the nearly 500 acres of mostly wooded land and a former mobile home park, and that has residents such as Morton concerned.
She welcomes the jobs and opportunities the Chicago-based airplane manufacturer will bring to the Lowcountry, but she wants to know more.
"Boeing is good, but we have to be considered too," she said. "They have to consider the residents."
Boeing spokeswoman Candy Eslinger said the company plans to meet with neighborhood groups after the new year, but no dates have been set.
For more than a year, residents have worried about what was going to happen to the former Trailwood mobile home park, a huge, rectangular swath backing up to the Glyn Terrace and Northpointe subdivisions.
The last mobile home residents moved out this year after property owner Truluck Properties decided in 2012 to sell the land and another chunk along Trailwood Drive behind Morton's home.
"They never let us know anything," Morton said, referring to city officials who have pondered rezoning the land over the past year.
"We are very much concerned about what's going to happen back there," said Glyn Terrace Neighborhood Association President Steve Ayer, a former member of North Charleston City Council. "We are concerned about the lighting, the drainage, the noise and whatever comes with it. What's going to happen to our property values when you build an industrial park around our community?"
In addition to what Boeing decides to build on the property, residents have another reason to be concerned.
Road work ahead
A four-lane highway is planned along a power line that runs behind Glyn Terrace. That road is expected to eventually replace a critical section of International Boulevard, the highway that now carries air travelers to Charleston International Airport and workers to Boeing, and acts as a cut-through via Michaux Parkway for motorists between the Mark Clark Expressway and Dorchester Road.
In all, about 33,300 cars travel International Boulevard every day, according to traffic counts from the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments.
The combination of airport and commuter traffic on the road between the airport and Interstate 526 has concerned the Federal Aviation Administration for years, according to Charleston County Council Vice Chairman Elliott Summey. As a result, the county has been working on road plans that will dramatically change traffic around the airport, Boeing's campus and nearby neighborhoods.
While the roads are still being planned, with public hearings expected in 2014, these are the key points shown in plans reviewed by The Post and Courier:
In each scenario for what would be a $42 million project, a new road would be built adjacent to a power line that runs between the former Trailwood trailer park and the Glyn Terrace and Northpointe neighborhoods, connecting from West Montague Avenue to the airport.
In each scenario, Michaux Parkway would connect to the new road, but would no longer be open to commuter traffic continuing to International Boulevard and the Boeing campus.
Meanwhile, the state plans to widen Interstate 526 from West Montague Avenue to Interstate 26, which will mean reworking the interchanges at West Montague, International Boulevard, and I-26.
The section of International Boulevard between I-526 and the airport would eventually not be used for airport traffic.
"In the short term, five to 10 years, we could have both roads," said Summey. "This is a proactive look at infrastructure, rather than a reactive one."
Jim Armstrong, the county's assistant administrator who oversees transportation and public works, said public meetings, preliminary road design and permitting will take place next year.
"I believe we're looking at completing this project in about three years," he said.
While it may seem today like Charleston County is re-routing airport traffic for Boeing's benefit, Summey said the road plans pre-date Boeing's arrival. He said traffic studies began in 2008 after the FAA stopped paying for maintenance on International Boulevard and Michaux Parkway because of all the commuter traffic.
Michaux Parkway, which cuts through airport land, was never intended to be a commuter road. It was an old construction road that motorists started using, and it morphed into a short cut between Dorchester Road and International Boulevard to I-526 and Tanger Outlet Center.
Noise abatement
Depending on the final plans the county develops for new roads, much of that traffic could end up zooming by within a few yards of Marcelino Pascual's Marilyn Drive residence, where he has lived for the past 32 years.
"It will be too noisy here," the 75-year-old retired Navy serviceman and military police officer said while walking through the remnants of a vegetable garden in his backyard. "We are quiet here."
Pascual has grown accustomed to airplanes flying overhead on their approach to Charleston International, just a mile or so away through the woods across Boeing's planned expansion zone.
He doesn't like the prospect of a new highway coming so close to his back door, but he doesn't plan to move either.
"I will stay here until I die," he said. "This is my home."
Ayer is upset about the highway as well.
"Who wants a four-lane highway plus an industry beside their neighborhood?" he said.
Morton mentioned talk of sound walls rising to deflect noise from traffic and industry workings, but she hasn't seen any concrete plans.
Ayer said a county official once told him, "'If we build that road, we will put up a wall.' It will stop some of the noise, but not all of it."
Traffic and industrial noise will be addressed, said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, who is Elliott Summey's father.
"We will be working to protect the neighborhoods as far as noise and any operations that may go in there," the mayor said. "I think, with the working relationship we have with Boeing, I'm sure they will work with us."
"We're not sure (about sound barriers) yet," he said. "It will depend on the design."
Paul Campbell, director of airports for the Charleston County Aviation Authority, said the road scenarios haven't been nailed down, but he confirmed plans to move airport traffic off International Boulevard and over to a new road running between Glyn Terrace and the former mobile home park, and eventually joining Michaux Parkway at either a traffic circle or lighted intersection.
Airport traffic will continue forward on the new road, which also may be called International Boulevard, running between the airport police department and rental car parking before crossing over and tying into what's now International Boulevard just before the airport parking deck.
Much of the current International Boulevard between I-526 and the airport would cease to exist, at least for public use, and part of Michaux Parkway also could disappear for commuter use from the new tie-in with the new International Boulevard over to the entrance to Boeing.
Boeing hasn't decided how it will reconfigure the roads on its newly leased land once it starts expanding.
"You will still be able to get to the airport going by Boeing," said Jack Jones, Boeing South Carolina's top executive. "At least for a while yet."
Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or David Slade at 937-5552.


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JK Rowling's rags to riches story to be made into a movie in Canada
- From: NewsCore
- February 18, 2011
- Movie to reveal JK Rowling's rise to fame
- Author won't have anything to do with film
- Aussie Poppie Montgomery to play Rowling
AN Aussie actress is to play Harry Potter creator JK Rowling in a new biopic which charts the single mother's transformation into a multi-million dollar author.
However, the television movie, Strange Magic, won't have the blessing of Rowling who has earned a £500 million ($804 million) fortune from her writing and has launched legal action in the past over infringements on her work.
Australian actor Poppy Montgomery is to play Rowling
Australian actor Poppy Montgomery, who stars as FBI agent Samantha Spade in the hit US television series Without a Trace, is to play Rowling.
The film will focus on the failure of Rowling's first marriage, her difficult life as a single mum in Edinburgh, and the moment that she dreamt up the Harry Potter books on a train journey from Manchester to London.
It will also look at how Rowling would spend hours in Edinburgh cafes writing the first of the Potter books, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was published in 1997.
Film producers initially toured Edinburgh in their search for shooting locations, but decided to move production to Canada to save money because they found similar buildings there that could be used as backdrops, Scotland's Herald newspaper reported.
The seven Harry Potter books sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and were translated into 65 languages.
The books were also turned into a movie franchise with the eighth installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 due out later this year.
Read more about JK Rowling's rags to riches story at The Herald.
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Angry of Brisbane Posted at 12:59 AM February 18, 2011
I wonder if the movie producers will still be sending her royalties on the movie even if she doesn't authorise it?


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Attorneys representing private plaintiffs as well as the states of Louisiana and Mississippi argued Friday (Dec. 20) that evidence presented during the first two phases of the trial to determine liability in the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill clearly establishes that BP and its subsidiaries "exhibited a willful, wanton and reckless disregard for the environment, the property rights of others, and public health and safety."
Those arguments, as well as motions by BP, and by its contractors Transocean and Halliburton Energy Services, made for a busy day in court Friday, the deadline for the parties to file post-trial arguments with the court.
BP contractor Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded and sank after the blowout of BP's Macondo well, and Halliburton Energy Services, which provided the cement that failed to seal off the well before it blew out, argued that BP's lies about how much oil and gas was flowing from the failed well in the days immediately after the blowout, admitted in the company's criminal guilty plea earlier this year, delayed efforts to cap the well.
In a separate filing, attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department contend that the blowout and oil spill resulted in the release of 4.2 million barrels of oil, compared to BP's contention that only 2.45 million barrels were released.
BP contends that it did everything in its power to halt the flow of oil after the blowout, and was acting during that time under the authority of the federal government. The company also came up with a smaller estimate of the oil that was released during the spill.
"The evidence presented during Phase 2 of the trial showed that no one wanted to cap the Macondo well more than BP," said BP Senior Vice President Geoff Morrell in a statement released after the company's arguments were filed with the court. "It is always possible, with the benefit of hindsight, to second-guess decisions made in the face of substantial uncertainty -- and that is precisely what the aligned parties are doing. Their allegations are completely at odds with the evidence."
Friday was the deadline set by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier for the parties in the lawsuit to file post-trial briefs and what are called "findings of fact and conclusions of law," summarizing testimony during the second phase of the trial, which ended on Oct. 18.
The second phase was aimed at determining what actions were taken by BP and Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which held a 25 percent interest in BP's Macondo well, to halt the oil spill, which Barbier labeled "source control," and how much oil actually entered the Gulf, referred to by Barbier as "quantification."
While Transocean and Halliburton are considered defendants in the suits, they teamed with the private plaintiffs and the states in presenting evidence during the source control portion of the second phase of the trial. If they are successful in convincing Barbier that BP's actions during the response to the spill delayed the well's capping, Barbier might reduce their share of any fines and other damage payments.
The Justice Department opposed BP alone in the quantification portion of the trial, presenting expert witnesses supporting its contention that a much higher amount of oil flowed from the well.
The nearly two-month first phase of the trial, which ended in April, focused on the actions taken by BP and its partners and contractors in planning and drilling the well, through the time when the Deepwater Horizon sank, three days after the blowout. The explosion and fire aboard the drillship killed 11 workers and injured dozens more.
Barbier heard evidence without a jury in both phases of the complex trial that combines individual suits filed by more than 100,000 private plaintiffs, the federal government and individual states. He will use the post-trial briefs filed after the first two phases in deliberations that will follow a third, penalty, phase, sometime in 2014.
He must determine whether the actions of BP or any of its drilling partners constituted gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Such a finding could result in a four-fold increase in any fines levied against the companies for violation of the Clean Water Act. Those fines could total as much as $18.06 billion, and determine which of the defendants are responsible for paying them. Such a finding could result in a four-fold increase in any fines levied against the companies for violation of the federal Clean Water Act.
In their filings, the plaintiffs' attorneys told Barbier that testimony and evidence presented during the second phase of the trial showed that "BP consciously disregarded the need to prepare for an uncontrolled deepwater blowout and willfully extended the capping of the Macondo well by intentionally concealing material information and affirmatively misleading the U.S. government and others regarding the volume of hydrocarbons escaping from the well after the blowout."
They said that during the first phase of the trial, evidence showed that BP allowed "fast and reckless drilling" of the well, maintained a "dysfunctional leadership team," allowed cement to be placed in the well "without reliable test results," allowed heavy drilling mud to be removed from the drillpipe "despite a failed negative pressure test" that should have warned that gas could flow to the surface. BP also refused to correct maintenance problems on the blowout preventer atop the well and refused to upgrade the preventer with a newer and safer model.
The plaintiffs' lawyers also argued that during the second phase of the trial dealing with source control, BP didn't dispute that the company did nothing to develop plans and equipment in anticipation of a deepwater blowout.
"BP simply attempts to muster, in its defense, an argument that the government allegedly 'approved' of its lack of preparation and that others in the industry allegedly failed to do the same," they argued.
The plaintiffs filings also list several times when senior BP officials told federal officials overseeing efforts to cap the well that only between 1,000 and 5,000 barrels of oil per day were being released. The amount of oil flowing was important at the time, because BP had recommended a variety of "top kill" methods of stopping the flow of oil by pumping drilling mud and pieces of rubber scrap termed a "junk shot" through tubing attached to the blowout preventer. Any flow over 15,000 barrels per day would have been too fast for those techniques to work.
What BP officials didn't tell the federal officials was that some company employees had estimated the flow at rates between 15,000 and 25,000 barrels per day, with one estimate being as high as 100,000 barrels per day, the filings said, citing evidence agreed to by BP in its January guilty plea to 11 counts of felony manslaughter, and one count of felony obstruction of Congress. The obstruction of Congress charge resulted from a senior executive withholding documents, and providing false and misleading information about the amount of oil being discharged.
In its defense, BP pointed out that the federal law required approval by the federal Minerals Management Service of the company's oil spill response plan. "And, if there is a substantial oil discharge, federal law requires the President to 'direct all federal, state, and private actions' to respond to the discharge ..."
"Under this legal framework, private parties are neither required nor even permitted to respond to an oil spill independent of the federal authorities," the BP filing said.
"The undisputed evidence here shows that BP's source-control plan was duly submitted to and approved by federal regulators, which is hardly surprising because that plan fully complied with relevant industry standards," the filing said.
As for the company's role in shutting off the flow of oil, once the blowout occurred, the BP filing said its role was subsidiary to the federal government as part of the Unified Command structure under the federal Oil Pollution Act, which requires the responsible party involved in a spill to work alongside the Coast Guard and other federal agencies, with a federal incident commander in charge.
"As relevant here, Unified Command did not blindly rely on BP for the science, but instead engaged the Federal Science Team, a group of scientists led by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize wining physicist, to independently analyze source-control strategies," the BP filing said.
The company also argued that the timing of the capping of the well was driven by engineering challenges and a "don't make it worse" principle.
The arguments by the Justice Department and BP concerning how much oil flowed from the well over the 87 days before it was capped mirrored testimony during that part of the trial
In their filings, Justice attorneys said its experts began with accurate measurements of the flow of oil on the day the well was capped, and then mapped out the conditions under which the oil was flowing from the underground reservoir through the piping and blowout preventer back to the blowout to come up with an estimate of 5 million barrels of oil released.
Those experts said the flow from the well was largely restricted because obstructions in the blowout preventer and in piping eroded away soon after the spill began.
BP's experts have argued that the reservoir was smaller than government witnesses thought, and thus less oil could be released. They also argued that the obstructions in the well and blowout preventer reduced the amount of oil released.
Barbier already has ruled that any estimate of oil released must be reduced by 810,000 barrels, the amount BP was able to collect through piping to the surface during part of the spill. The company sold that oil to refineries and donated the money to charities. That results in the government's 4.2 million barrel estimate, and BP's 2.45 million barrel estimate.
Under the Clean Water Act, BP and its drilling partners could be fined a maximum $1,100 per barrel if their actions are found to be only negligent, but as much as $4,300 per barrel, if Barbier were to find they acted with gross negligience or willful misconduct.
That means the fines could be as much as $4.62 billion to $18.06 billion if Barbier agrees with Justice attorneys, or $2.7 billion to $10.5 billion if he adopts BP's smaller estimate.
Barbier is not likely to fine the company at those maximum levels, however, because he must weigh the companies' actions against eight mitigating factors included in the Clean Water Act, including efforts taken to halt the spill and clean up its effects, and the economic effects of the fine on the businesses. Barbier also could come up with an estimate of the amount of oil spilled between the Justice and BP numbers.