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Welcome to Antique Barn CompanyOur company primarily specializes in the preservation of antique barns built from 1700-1880 across the US and Canada. The majority of these barns are relocated and repurposed. We have a large inventory of antique timber-frames available. To clarify, unlike other barn companies, we DO NOT use our frames as salvage material. Our company disassembles these frames, and restores their structural integrity, whilst preforming any desired modification work before re-erection.
Traveling the country, constantly expanding our inventory, we inevitably come across barns that we consider to be "Premium" this is for a variety of reasons. A barn listed here could be the last of it's kind (type of frame), or one-of-a-kind (cut by a signature Timber-Wright). Some barns are also considered premium for their size; either being of a large dimension, or having timbers much larger than average. Occasionally we come across other old timber frame structures such as; churches, homes, mills, and other outbuildings. I would like to take the time to say that the "River Of Recovery" is in need of a 24' x 36' barn frame. This donation will be a great asset to their program. This program, as most of you already know, is designed to help our fellow men & women who serve in both Iraq & Afghanistan war to recover from PTSD. It is a wonderful fully sponsored retreat facility located on the Arkansas River in town of Salida, Colorado founded by Dan Cook. For ALL the men and women who served our great nation, Thank you and God Bless! Please enjoy our updated website and barn listings. We look forward to meeting you. Donald Polaski Barn Wright
2016 Wedding Barn
Summer Special
24' x 30' Dismantled c.1849 VT barn
Vertical sawn and hand hewn Hemlock
$42,000 plus shipping


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SAN SEBASTIAN — Barcelona-based shingle Zip Films will be a minority co-producer on Henning Carlsen's big-screen adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short novel "Memoria de mis putas tristes" (Memories of My Melancholy Whores).
Zip takes Spain, Portugal, Israel and Andorra rights on "Memories" against a 20% equity stake in the project, Zip CEO Jordi Rediu said at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Budgeted at $7 million, pic's also financed by Mexico's Memorias del Sabio Production and Mercer Films and Denmark's Crone Films.
Shooting is set to begin Oct. 26 in Puebla, Mexico. Cast, still not unveiled, will be entirely Spanish-speaking and from all parts pf the Spanish-speaking world, Zip chief finance officer Norbert Llaras added.
The 82-year-old Danish auteur Carlsen ("Hunger") has teamed with France's Jean Claude Carriere to pen the screenplay.
Published in 2004, "Memories" turns on El Sabio, a journalist who decides to celebrate his 90th birthday buying the services of a 14-year-old prostitute, with whom he falls in love, for the first time in his life.
Producer credits include Zip's Rediu and Llaras, Memorias' Raquel Guajardo, Vicente Aldape and Leonardo Villarreal, and Crone's Nina Crone.
Mexican producer Ricardo Del Rio ("Kill Bill Vo.2," "Fast and Furious") exec produces and also co-directs.
David Castellanos and Manuel Yebra, at Madrid-based Cinema Republic, figure as associate producers. Postproduction will take place at the Cromosoma group's Digital 360 in Barcelona.
After taking a co-production stake on Al Pacino's $20 million film project "Betsy and the Emperor," the bet on "Memories" confirms Zip's big film ambitions, which have seen it evolve from producing low-budget, indie movies to dealing with established film companies or recognized filmmakers.
"Memories"' release date in Europe and Latin America is set for late May, while the U.S. launch is scheduled for November 2010.

subset: commoncrawl


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Christians should be the living example of Jesus Christ. Listen to today's Points of Power to hear Yolanda Adams and AV discuss maturing in the word and demonstrating the Kingdom of God.
Get more Points Of Power here and listen LIVE weekdays at 9:45 am EST/8:45 am CST on "The Yolanda Adams Morning Show!"
RELATED: Points Of Power: Developing A Kingdom Mentality [EXCLUSIVE AUDIO]
RELATED: Meagan Good: "I Want To Give Back To The Kingdom" [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]
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For years, Penny Henderson wintered in Arizona. Even after her husband died, she left the ice and snow of Muskegon for the sunshine of the desert.
• AgeWell Services (formerly Nutritional Services for Older Americans/Meals on Wheels): 755-0434.
• Senior Resources of West Michigan: 739-5858.
• Community Access Line of the Lakeshore (CALL 211): 733-1155, (877) 211-5253.
• LifeCircles: 733-8686.
Not this year.
"I'm staying," she says.
Henderson, 65, is putting away her suitcases, pulling out her boots and parka -- and heading for Tanglewood Park where she is enrolled in a series of health and fitness classes offered by AgeWell Services, formerly Nutritional Services/Meals on Wheels.
"Why would I leave?" Henderson asks. "This is a wonderful gathering place. I don't want to leave."
Even before the doors officially open today at Tanglewood Park -- a unique collaboration of four nonprofit agencies serving senior citizens -- it is accomplishing its mission.
Exhibit A: Henderson.
"I can't go away," she says, "I'd miss out on too much."
Last week, Henderson was one of a dozen senior citizens, ranging in age from their 50s to their 80s, working out in one of Tanglewood Park's activity rooms. The classes officially will move from their former home at McGraft Park in mid-October to Tanglewood Park.
But they couldn't wait to try out the new space.
First, they went through their Tai Chi class, meditative and serene; then Zumba, a cardiovascular workout for senior citizens.
Tanglewood Park is having its grand opening today, "but we just couldn't keep people away. They couldn't wait to get here, and that's exciting," says Maggie Jensen, public relations director of the project.
Exhibit B: Fred Swope, a 79-year-old retired teacher living in Norton Shores. One day last summer while the $5 million project was still under construction, Swope stopped by, just to see what was up.
"It has great potential," he says.
He, too, has shelved his plans for going away for the winter so he can volunteer "wherever I'm needed" at one of the agencies housed at Tanglewood Park.
Besides piquing people's interest at home, Tanglewood Park is getting national attention for its "first of a kind" approach to serving senior citizens, Jensen said.
Four distinct agencies will be housed under one roof, sharing costs and saving expenses while providing a "continuum of care and services" for active older adults, as well as frail elderly.
AgeWell Services, which changed its name to coincide with the move to Tanglewood Park, will cook 1,300 meals daily to be delivered in its Meals on Wheels programs to individuals and "congregate" sites from Pentwater to Jenison.
Senior Resources of West Michigan, which has an $8 million budget, will continue to serve senior citizens in Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties. The bulk of the budget is made up of Medicaid dollars, used for low-income clients.
Community Access Line of the Lakeshore (CALL 211), that helps connect people to agencies or volunteers who can help with a specific need, also will move into Tanglewood Park. About half of the 40,000 calls 211 receives annually concern senior citizens.
The biggest player in the project is LifeCircles Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or LifeCircles/PACE. The program is for people 55 and older who qualify for Medicaid and nursing-home care, but who still can live at home safely alone or with a caregiver.
There are 45 other PACE programs in the United States; two in Michigan. But this is the only one "embedded" in a building with other agencies serving senior citizens.
LifeCircles/PACE, which eventually hopes to serve 235 people, will take its first patients in December, said executive director Bob Mills. LifeCircles/PACE is the brainchild and creation of Porter Hills Retirement Communities and Services of Grand Rapids, Mercy Health Partners and Senior Resources of West Michigan. LifeCircles/PACE is expected to bring $9 million of federal funds into the community during its first year, Mills says.
Work began in the fall of 2007 on the former D&W grocery store in Norton Shores. It took nearly $4 million in modifications to complete the project, which includes a cafe, classrooms and exercise areas.
Early into the project, Larry W. Hines, president of Hines Corp., took on chairmanship of a $1.8 million capital fundraising campaign. He announced last week that $1.3 million has been raised.
"Once we had a chance to tell our story, people really understood what we were about and gave," Hines said. "The upside is, virtually everyone in the community's going to be touched."
Exhibit C: Pat Burns, 70, of Norton Shores.
Three years ago, she enrolled in a Tai Chi class offered through what was then called Nutritional Services. She'd had surgery "and lost all my strength. I couldn't walk far."
But there she was in class with Henderson and the others, holding her own.
"Every day, I'm getting stronger," she says. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."


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BREAKING: State Police on Tierra Blanca RanchUPDATED 10:39 PM MDT Oct 12, 2013
BREAKING: State Police on Tierra Blanca RanchVideo Transcript
STATE POLICE HAVE NOW BEEN SEARCHING FOR DAYS FOR CHILDREN THEY SAY ARE MISSING FROM A YOUTH RANCH. THE ATTORNEY FOR THE SIERRA COUNTY YOUTH RANCH SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE HIS CLIENT IS. THE OWNER OF THE SIERRA BLANCA HIGH COUNTRY YOUTH RANCH DENIES ALL ALLEGATIONS AND SAYS ALL CHILDREN HAVE BEEN REUNITED WITH THEIR PARENTS. THE ATTORNEY SAYS POLICE HAVE BACKED THE OWNER INTO A CORNER. Until they can generate an arrangement where parents can come forward and remove this amber alert. Then they have put Mr. Chandler in a position where he can not speak to them. STATE POLICE SAY THEY WILL CONSIDER EVERY CHILD MISSING UNTIL THEY HAVE SEEN THEM AND MADE SURE THEY ARE SAFE.
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Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4: Top Game Consoles Duke It Out
Next-gen is now this-gen. The Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 arrived two years ago, and both have found their footing as the top game consoles competing for your allegiance. If you want to get a new video game system, these two are the frontrunners of the current generation, with several years of games ahead and some well-established, powerful hardware and features inside. We pit the Xbox One the and PS4 against each other in a variety of categories to determine which system comes out on top. From a broad gameplay perspective, the Nintendo Wii U also deserves your attention for its compelling exclusives, but for now let's look at the two big technical powerhouses.
The PS4 was the frontrunner in this category at launch, because the Xbox One with Kinect retailed for $500. However, since then Microsoft has backed off of the Kinect, first launching a Kinect-free version of the Xbox One at the same $400 price tag as the PS4, and then introducing several Kinect-free bundles with games included for $350 to $400 (depending on the games and whether the system has a 500GB or 1TB drive). Meanwhile, Sony has met Microsoft with similar bundles and options with the same price tags. So, for sheer console pricing, the systems are tied. This changes a bit when you look at the premium subscription services, which places the PS4 ahead of the Xbox One by a hair.
Both Microsoft and Sony offer premium subscriptions to their online services. Xbox users can get a year of Xbox Live Gold for $60, and PlayStation users can get a year of PS Plus for $50. For both systems, this premium service is required to play multiplayer games online, and now neither system requires the extra subscription to watch media services.
Winner: PlayStation 4 (Just Barely)
Arguing about technical specifications seems moot. On paper, the PlayStation 4 has a slight edge thanks to using GDDR5 RAM instead of the DDR3 RAM used in the Xbox One, but besides that, the hardware is incredibly similar. Both have 8-core AMD CPUs, 8GB of memory, 500GB internal hard drives, and Blu-ray optical drives. The systems now have versions with 1TB drives as options, and the Xbox One's 1TB version uses a hybrid drive with solid state storage in addition to a hard disk to improve performance. However, in our tests, the Xbox One's hybrid drive wasn't noticeably faster than the 500GB drive.
Because of differing architectures and operating systems, benchmarking and directly comparing the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 is effectively impossible. They're so similar we can't declare one to be superior based on specs, and they're different enough that we can't directly compare performance. At this point, it's up to developers to get the most out of either console, and whether one truly shines as more powerful will only be revealed with new games and how they perform. Different games might run at 720p or 1080p, or 30fps or 60fps, between the different systems. But there's no single, set winner here.
Winner: Tie
You need a good gamepad to play games, and both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have them. The Xbox One gamepad is a slightly updated version of the Xbox 360 controller, with a more rounded feel and trigger buttons that offer individual force feedback. The DualShock 4, the PS4's gamepad, is a completely overhauled controller that keeps the best parts of the DualShock 3 gamepad and fixes the worst. The analog sticks feel better, the triggers are more responsive, and the controller just feels nicer in the hand. It even features a built-in speaker and a potentially useful but so far underutilized touchpad in the middle. The only problem with the DualShock 4 is the light bar that marks which controllers are on and assigned to which players. Fortunately, Sony has since updated the PS4 to let you dim the light bar significantly, which cuts down on glare.
The Xbox One gamepad is great, but the DualShock 4 is outright excellent. However, the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller beats even the DualShock 4 with bulletproof build quality and extensive customization options. Of course, that gamepad is a $150 optional accessory (or $100 if you buy it as part of the Xbox One Elite bundle). Neither pack-in controller should be considered a deal breaker because they both play very well, but the DualShock 4 is simply the most comfortable included-by-default gamepad we've tested yet.
Winner: PlayStation 4
The biggest games are generally cross-platform, and you can count on the latest Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Destiny, Metal Gear Solid, and other major releases to appear on both systems. Each console has a few notable exclusives, though. The Xbox One boasts Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and others. The PlayStation 4, meanwhile, has Bloodborne, Until Dawn, Dragon Quest Heroes, and others. Plenty of games are coming to both systems next year, and with so many titles available on both it boils down to a matter of taste for the exclusives.
Winner: Tie
Online Services
Whether you want to play games online or watch Netflix, you need to connect your game system to the Internet. The Xbox One uses Xbox Live, and the PlayStation 4 uses the PlayStation Network to access online services. In both cases, you need to purchase the premium subscription plan (Xbox Live Gold for Xbox Live, PS Plus for PlayStation Network) to play games online. Xbox Live used to require an Xbox Live Gold subscription for media services, but Microsoft has since dropped that requirement and you can now watch Netflix and other streaming media apps without Gold, including television with OneGuide. You can also use any app on the PlayStation 4 without a PS Plus membership, and with the PS4 requiring a premium service for online multiplayer just like the Xbox One, this category comes out to a tie.
Winner: Tie
Media Features
Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can play Blu-ray movies and access a variety of online services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. The Xbox One goes an extra step with its television integration. An HDMI passthrough lets you run your cable or satellite box through the system, though without a Kinect you'll need a third-party infrared blaster to control it. This incorporates live television through your cable or satellite provider into the Xbox One's menu system. You can also add over-the-air television with a third-party USB tuner. The OneGuide program guide displays both live television and what content is available on services like Hulu Plus and Machinima, giving you total control over what you watch, and you can even enjoy a split screen view of what's on television while you play your favorite game or browse the Web, thanks to the Xbox One's Snap feature. In bringing all of your home entertainment together into one HDMI input, the Xbox One wins by far.
Winner: Xbox One
Game Capture
The massive popularity of Let's Plays on YouTube and game streaming on Twitch has brought capturing game footage to the mainstream, so both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 feature built-in capture options. The Kinect let you record clips just by saying "Xbox, record that," and thanks to the latest update you can easily capture what you're playing just by double-tapping the Xbox button on your gamepad and pressing X or Y to save a screenshot or video clip. You can also snap the Game DVR app to the side of the screen to record up to five minutes of footage on demand. The PlayStation 4 goes a step further, however, with a dedicated Share button right on the DualShock 4 controller. At any point you can tap it to save the last 15 minutes of gameplay, grab a screenshot of what you're playing, or start streaming live to PSN or Twitch. The longer capture length and more convenient setup makes the PS4 the better system for recording or streaming your games.
Winner: PlayStation 4
When both consoles first launched, cameras were held up as a major feature, either as a required, included accessory (the Kinect with the Xbox One) or an option (the PlayStation Camera with the PlayStation 4). That didn't pan out, and both Microsoft and Sony have backed off from the idea of using a camera with their game systems for gesture and voice control, and integration with certain games. Both the Kinect and PlayStation Camera are nearly forgotten, though you can buy either separately if you want to use the features supported by them. Still, they've become an afterthought, and you shouldn't hold your breath for any major new games using, or even remembering, either camera.
Category Retired
By the numbers, the PlayStation 4 still wins two years later. Of course, by the numbers assumes no weighting between categories. The PlayStation 4 has an edge in price, albeit a much slimmer edge than it did at launch, and a better controller. On the other hand, the Xbox One jumps far ahead in media features if you don't mind getting either a Kinect or a third-party IR blaster and setting up the system to work with your cable or satellite box. Either way, the biggest determining factor should be which games you want to play, and which platform will have them.


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PAMPA - Pampa authorities have confirmed one case of rabies - the first since 1990 - in the city limits, an animal control officer said Wednesday.
A skunk found its way into Curtis Well Service offices March 20 and was shot, said Monty Montgomery, an animal control officer with the city.
Although the skunk had no animal or human contact, it was sent to Austin to be tested, and it was found to be rabid on Friday, he said.
The rabid skunk has prompted authorities to warn rural and city residents about the danger of rabies. The last case of rabies within the city limits concerned a bat in November 1990, Montgomery said.
"Be on the lookout for strange behavior," Montgomery said.
The Texas Department of Health reported four cases of rabies in Region 1, which covers Gray County and 40 others. Three of those cases occurred this month, said Karen McDonald, zoonosis control specialist with TDH in Lubbock.
Confirmed rabies cases have risen from about five a year before 1997 to 26 cases in 2000, McDonald said. That number could rise along with the trend this year, McDonald said, and almost all in the Panhandle area will concern skunks.
"We've always gotten complaints from agencies from across the area: 'Boy, we're seeing a bunch of skunks lately,"' McDonald said. "An increase tends to create stress in populations (of skunks), and stress makes the animals more susceptible to disease."
McDonald said owners should keep their animals vaccinated against the disease. Livestock can be treated with similar vaccines available from a veterinarian, Montgomery said.
Rabies cases often prove fatal, but are rare in humans in the United States, McDonald said.
If a possibly rabid animal comes in contact with a pet, McDonald said the owners need to call animal control or the sheriff's office immediately.
An officer will come out to pick up the possibly rabid animal to be sent to Austin for brain tissue testing for rabies.
The pet's owners have a few options in this case, McDonald said. They can get their pet euthanized, which is the quickest way to deal with the situation, she said.
If the pet hasn't been vaccinated recently, the pet should be taken to be vaccinated immediately and kept isolated, away from contact with other animals or too many family members. The pet will receive boosters on its third and eighth weeks of isolation, McDonald said.
If the owners have kept up with vaccinations for the pet, the pet will receive one booster and be isolated for 45 days, she said.
To help control rabies, the TDH Web site suggests the following:
Have your veterinarian vaccinate your cats, dogs and ferrets. Keep the vaccinations up to date.
Reduce the possibility of exposure to rabies by keeping animals on your property. Do not let pets roam free.
Don't leave garbage or pet food outside because it may attract wild or stray animals.
Wild animals should not be kept as pets. Wild animals are a potential rabies threat to their owners and to others.
© 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


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South China Botanical Garden, CAS
Institution Code: IBSC
International Agenda Registration: Yes
BGCI Member: Yes
About the South China Botanical Garden, CAS
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCBG, CAS), formerly known as the Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, Sun Yat-Sen University, was founded in 1929 by Chen Huanyong (Woon-young Chun), a renowned botanist and academician of CAS. It was renamed South China Institute of Botany, CAS in 1954, and then to its present name in 2003 in accordance with CAS developmental plans.
As one of the most important botany research institutions in China, SCBG has obtained abundant research achievements in the fields of ecology, systematic and evolutionary botany, plant resources, biotechnology, landscape and gardening. Since 1954, approximately 335 monographs such as Flora of China, The Vegetation of Guangdong, Studies on the Tropical and Subtropical Degraded Ecosystem and Its Rehabilitation, Rare Plants of China, and Introduction to Restoration Ecology have been published. From 1978 to 2010, over 1150 papers were published in international journals indexed in SCI, including two highly prestigious journals, Nature and Science; 369 research achievements have been obtained, of which 264 were awarded prizes at various levels, including a first prize and a second prize National Natural Science Award and five second prizes of the National Science and Technology Advance Awards. The research achievements were twice honored as "Top Ten Basic Research News in China" in 2000 and 2006, respectively. 98patents have been filed, of which 49 have been licensed.
As one of the largest gardens in China, SCBG is composed of three divisions: 1) a nursery and exhibition zone, viz. the arboretum, occupying an area of 282 ha. It was designed mainly for plant ex-situ conservation with more than 13,000 plant taxa grown in over 30 specialized gardens, including magnolias, bamboo, palms, gingers, orchids and medicinal plants; 2) a research and residential zone, covering an area of over 37 ha. It features a herbarium conserving more than 1,000,000 plant specimens and a state of the art laboratory complex; and 3) Dinghushan Nature Reserve, which was established in 1956, the only reserve of CAS and the first national nature reserve in China. The total area of the reserve is 1,155 ha, where over 2,400 plant species are under in situ protection. In addition, SCBG runs several field research stations, including Dinghushan National Field Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, Heshan National Field Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, and CAS Xiaoliang Research Station for Restoration of Tropical Coastal Degraded Ecosystem.
At present, there are about 410 staff members in SCBG including over 280 professional researchers. There are 318 graduate students in either Ph.D.(119) or M.S.(199) programs.The Ph.D. or M.S. degree is conferred in the fields of botany, ecology, and biochemistry & molecular biology, while the M.S. can also be conferred in ornamental plants & gardening, and biological engineering apart from the three fields above. There is also opportunity for postdoctoral training and the present number of postdoctorates is 20.
The research fields of SCBG include: 1) Global change and ecosystem service; 2) Environmental degradation and ecological restoration; 3) Plant systematic and evolutionary biology; 4) Biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization; 5) Agricultural food quality and safety, and phytochemical resources; and 6) Sustainable use of plant and gene resources. At present, there are 30 research groups associated with the 6 research fields.
In the past decades, SCBG has established productive exchange and collaboration programs with research institutions in dozens of countries, with the number of exchange scholars close to 100 each year. During the period of 2002-2010, SCGB successfully organized 12 international conferences including Symposium on Theory of Ecosystem Succession and Practice of Ecological Restoration, Third International Conference on Vetiver, Symposium on Theory and Methods of Carbon Equilibrium and Circulation in Ecosystems, International Symposium on Artemisia and its Allies, BGCI China Program Workshop, Second International Symposium on Family Magnoliaceae, and 23rd New Phytologist Symposium: Carbon Cycling in Tropical Ecosystems. Approximately 1,000,000 visitors from home and abroad visit the SCBG every year.
In tune to national strategic objectives and the frontiers of science, SCBG will further carry on fundamental, strategic and cutting-edge basic research projects in restoration and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems, systematic and evolutionary botany, conservation and sustainable utilization of plant resources, as well as landscaping and horticulture. SCBG is also striving to integrate popular science education with tropical and subtropical plant research, species conservation, and sustainable resource utilization. SCBG is beginning the steps towards becoming a world-class botanical garden.
Main Address:
South China Botanical Garden, CAS
No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District
Guangdong 510650 China
Telephone: 0086 20 38314070
Fax: 0086 20 83986637
URL: www.scbg.ac.cn
Primary Email: email@example.com
Ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems in oil shale waste
South China Botanic Garden is carrying out research in cooperation with Maoming Petrochemical Company. We screened out the suitable plants, including 20 tree-species and 3 grass-species. These species have strong adaptability to oil shale waste and could be extended to revegetate acidic discarded mineral waste residue in tropical and subtropical regions and degraded ecosystems in arid wasteland. Six tree-species showed strong ability to enrich Cd, Pb, Zn and Mn via uptake through their roots, indicating that these plants had strong scavenging capacity to these toxic metals, speeding up the revegetating process of the oil shale waste dump. Paspalum notatum was found to have strong accumulation capacity of active Al in its leaf and finally pull Al away from the waste. This technology was granted a national patent "A method eliminating Al toxicity in soil by phytoremediation" (Patent No. ZL 200710035750.2)
Ecological Research in South China
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCBG), CAS carries out studies on the structure, function, mechanisms during the process of degradation and restoration of degraded ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions of China. It integrates basic research and applied studies by assessing the health status and establishing restoration models at the same time. The Garden is establishing sustainable models for degraded ecosystems such as hilly lands, coastal regions, agricultural fields and urban areas, recognizing that it is critical for the sustainable development of economy in southern China to restore the vegetation and soil of degraded ecosystems.
In 1984, SCBG together with Heshan Forestry Research Institute, established the Heshan Station, to set up demonstration models for comprehensive utilization and exploitation of abandoned hilly lands that can ensure sustainable and concerted development both ecologically and economically. Studies on the relationship between species diversity and stability, structure and function in artificial forest ecosystem have been carried out.
In one project experiments are carried out across various vegetation types with grass land (control plots), monoculture plantations of native tree species or exotic fast-growing tree species, and mixed plantations of native tree species. Issues addressed concern the configuration of pioneer community, tree species adaptation and selection; the impacts of spatial configuration of plant species and communities on the establishment of native tree species and soil biodiversity; variation of soil properties and the carbon balance of different plantation ecosystems in response to vegetation restoration. The results show that legume tree species were more suitable to be pioneer species, while fast-growing tree species were effective to reduce the leaching of soil nitrogen. The impacts of fallen litter and live roots of Eucalyptus and Acacia species on native tree species were examined separately. According to the findings, different strategies for colonization of different native species in those plantations are proposed. Additionally, a simplified system was designed to measure rhizosphere respiration in situ, and the data demonstrated that the contributions of fine and coarse roots were much similar in terms of their contribution to total root respiration; importantly, young plantation of Eucalyptus urophulla was proved to be a strong carbon sink.
Initiated in 2012, a BGCI supported project aims to promote and contribute to forest restoration using native tree species in large-scale pine, eucalyptus and acacia plantations of Heshan County, Guangdong. In the first part of 2013, work continued to grow native species in eucalyptus and acacia plantations as understorey vegetation, including medicinal species (e.g. Millettia speciosa, Gardenia jasminoides, Polygonum cuspidatum, Flemingia stricta), and to study their ecological role and economic benefits. To date, some 9000 saplings of these species have been planted in pilot plots. In the same vein, to enhance the conservation value of the plantations, some 1000 plants of three native tree species (Machilus chekiangensis, Phoebe bournei, Aquilaria sinensis) were introduced to the plantations.


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Search the woods to find and collect fall mushrooms from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center, 17030 Bush Road in the Waterloo Recreation Area.
After the search, mushroom expert Phil Tedeschi will talk about what was collected and identify those that are edible. Bring a basket or paper bag and waxed paper for collecting.
Cost is $2, or $5 for a family. Registration is required. A Michigan State Park Recreation Passport also is required.
For more information, call 734-475-3170.


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Earlier this month, I was in Washington, DC and met up with people from all over the country who are concerned about pedestrian and bicycle issues at the National Bike Summit; it was fantastic to hear how other towns and cities are taking a hard look at how the ways we choose to get around impacts health, community, the environment, and economic revitalization efforts.
It was really encouraging to hear the Secretary of Transportation Roy LaHood address the summit and later read his comments on livable streets.
Later in the week, a group of us from New Jersey met with our representatives and asked them to consider supporting a few things:
The idea that we should be building roads only for cars seems silly, especially in such a densely populated state as New Jersey. Roads should be designed so all users can get around; cars, pedestrians, bicycle riders, people who travel with mobility aids.
That we would continue to build roads that limit access is really pretty surprising. Anyhow, I am totally onboard with the idea of complete streets; I was delighted to find out that it was not just me, and the idea is supported by a wide range of groups like AARP, the Natioanl Association of Relators, the YMCA, United States Conference of Mayors, and many others.
(quick side note: It looks to me like Montclair is really take the lead on this issue in northern New Jersey, and their mayor is holding community ward meetings this week that will focus on "leveraging state and federal dollars to implement "Complete Streets" town-wide.")
Other things we pushed at the bike summit after the jump, including Safe Routes to School, a multi-modal commuter benefit, and CLEAN-TEA. We also asked our repesentatives to consider joining the Congressional Bike Caucus and also invited them to the Morrstown Bicycle ride, in May, which is Bike to Work month or in June, when the second annual Art of the Bicycle Show is going to be held in Morristown.
This is such an awesome program, and I was surprised to hear that New Jersey's Safe Routes to School program had so many requests for funding local programs, that there were 15 times as many requests as it could fill.
I have been at meetings and heard parents say that they would never let their kids walk or bike to school in Morristown because of the traffic issues.
That in one or two generations, we have let ourselves get to a place where kids can't walk or bike is something we should be talking about.Check out these success stories from other towns in New Jersey.
One totally not scientifically studied item regarding the Safe Routes to School program someone mentioned is that test scores for schools with this sort of program improve; you can probably imagine that walking with a group of friends and neighbors to school might get your brain going a little bit earlier in the morning than sitting in a car or riding a bus.
If you have kids in school, check out this idea of a walking school bus that is very clever.
Multi-Modal Commuter Benefit. Last year, a Bike Commuter Benefit Act was passed that allowed bike commuters a $20 a month benefit for expenses.
The Mult-Modal Commuter Benefit tweaks this idea and makes it really awesome for people in New Jersey, as you would be able to some days ride your bike and others take transit and mix it up.
CLEAN-TEA: The Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act. This links climate to transportation issues and would set aside a percentage of a carbon tax to help communities reduce the carbon-footprint of their transportation, making it more sustainable in the long term. I think that's how it works, but don't quote me on that.
Joining the Bike Caucus. The congressional bike caucus "aims to promote cycling by improving infrastructure and increasing awareness of cyclists."
It was really great to meet with members of Congress and/or their aides and let them know that people in New Jersey care about having livable streets and getting around without safely no matter what mode they choose.
Thanks to Congressman Frelinghuysen, and Congressman Andrews, for taking the time out of their day to meet with us. It was also great to meet with really helpful aides for Senator Menendez and Senator Lautenberg, as well as aides for Congressman LoBiondo.
I have to say I was really nervous about these meetings, and everyone was very personable and so encouraging on these issues that it really made me very hopeful.
People who attended the summit from New Jersey included folks from JORBA, the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association, people from the East Coast Greenway, bicycle shop owners Marty Epstein from Morristown, and Patty Woodworth from Action Wheels.
I showed up as bike commuter for the last several years.
One of the most surprising things to me, and not really a Morristown issue was one person's experience with the Ben Franklin bridge. I heard that it had 2 walkways, which sounds great, but then I heard that it closes at night and sometimes at random times, possibly with people still out there?
That's crazy! You would think that link to Philly would be New Jersey's version of the Brooklyn Bridge and open 24/7. I hope that gets straightened out. Here's a user group if that is a bridge you use.
Also check out this video on how the Ben Franklin Bridge's original concept was that it was for people who did not own cars.
I think that's it! It looks like spring is finally arriving this week (I hope) and the sun is out and it is a great time to ride. Or walk!


text:
Skip to comments.Burris acknowledges trying to raise money for gov.
Posted on 02/17/2009 12:13:40 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has acknowledged trying to raise money for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich before being appointed to the Senate.
According to a transcript posted on the Chicago Tribune's Web site, Burris told reporters in Peoria Monday night that he talked to some friends about putting together a fundraiser after being called by the ex-governor's brother
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Ah yes, as the layers get peeled back we see exactly how rotten the onion truly is..............
Hasn't been a good last six months for people with the last name "Burris" or "Burress"
He's safe unless he has to go to jail. The Dems aren't gonna move against the black guy, and if R's do - they'll be called racists.
Americans are getting tired of corruption in business and govt....this is a bad environment for him and as such, his skin color may not save him at this point in time.
Bad time to be a corrupt, black legislator.
This is really astounding to watch. If Burris was a conservative white guy the cable news channels would be leading every fifteen minutes with the story, which doesn't mean that the conservative white guy should be ignored. Every SOB that engages in this behavior should be prosecuted if laws are broken or drawn and quartered in the public square.
We, as a society, are allowing this crap to occur without serious ramifications for the offender. WE, as a society, are the ones being punished by this behavior. We have to wake up and take control.
Americans may be getting tired of it (though methinks most don't even pay attention), but it will be a Senate decision. They protect their own....and libs are in charge.
"...The Dems arent gonna move against the black guy, and if Rs do - theyll be called racists...."
That claim no longer has any effect on me. It is also losing its effect on more and more people. Folks are fed up with all the racist cop-out screams.
The guy is dirty, doesn't matter what his melanin levels are.
see #10
Everyone knows black men don't cheat, come ON!
What did O know and when did he know it?
If he was solicited to do some fundraising for Blago prior to the November election and declined, I don't see an issue with his appointment as a Senator two months after the election. In fact, I then have no problem with his testimony. When he was asked "did anyone close to the Governor contact you", I would presume that this would be in connection with the appointment, not something that happened 3 months prior.
That's the speculation. Since his testimony in the impeachment trial, it has slipped out that not only was ROD Blago being taped, but his brother ROB Blago was being taped also. Burris had been extremely careful not to discuss money with Rod, but he had been blabbing to Rob, who is his brother's campaign manager. Had to CYA.
Even though Burris was the LAST person to cast a "yes" vote, the bill needed 60 votes to pass. He was number 61! So his vote was actually superfluous.
Once again... Chicago politics. Same story, different character. The state of IL richly deserves this humiliation for putting these people on the national stage.
Oh, c'mon, everyone!! Y'know, it's Roland. He's just sloppy!! (heh heh) Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy! That's just the way he is! He didn't mean any harm!
/sarc off
As usual: NO PARTY IDENT!! I guess he`s an out of the desert anomally. New party: the "C"s CORRUPT
I just found this:
Snowe and Collins sold out the country for $87,142,555.50 each! That is ONLY .0045% of the $38,101,898,173 in total Infrastructure money! (Source: house Committee on transportation and infrastructure) Talk about cheap hoses!
Leave him there. This is a seat we can take in '010
Another liar from Chicago? What a surprise!
Why did Obama go to Chicago this weekend with the "stimulus bill" unsigned by him after the emergency passage in Congress?
Valentine's Day my foot. CYA work re Burr and Blog.
It should be the Burr, Blog and Bama scandal - but he put a stop to that.
I wonder which FBI tape Obama is on?
This is IL. There simply is no other way to do business there. The FEDs should call it a victory because they got the price for the seat down so low.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
Trial set for Christmas tree-lighting bomb plot
PORTLAND, Ore. -- For more than two years, the only image the public has had of the man accused of plotting to detonate a bomb at a Portland Christmas tree-lighting ceremony is this: A sullen-faced, sunken-eyed terrorism suspect in a mug shot taken just hours after his arrest.
At the trial that begins Thursday, Mohamed Mohamud's attorneys will attempt to present a different image, one of an impressionable teenager lured by undercover agents with the FBI, which snared one of its youngest terrorism suspects with his arrest in November 2010.
At issue is whether Mohamud was entrapped, as his defense claims, when he gave the go-ahead for the detonation of what he thought was a bomb at the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. The 1,800-pound bomb was a fake, provided by FBI agents whom the 19-year-old thought were his jihadist co-conspirators.
It was one in a series of high-profile FBI terror stings dating back to the Justice Department's directive to ramp up its terror prosecutions and informant network after the 9/11 terror attacks.
Based on pretrial filings, one of the avenues Mohamud's attorneys are likely to pursue is based on an undisputed fact: Mohamud was a teenager when he was arrested.
This, his attorneys say, made him much more vulnerable to FBI enticements, and a jury should consider him an unwilling pawn of a Justice Department hungry for a conviction that demonstrates its regard for terrorism as its highest priority.
This, too, is not in dispute: Mohamud pushed a button on a cell phone that he thought would set off a bomb placed in a van and kill thousands.


text: Seattle Metropolitans Will The NHL Beat The NBA Back To Seattle? By Kirsten Kendrick & Art Thiel • Mar 7, 2014 imgur.com Listen Listening... / 3:46 Sports with Art Thiel weekly commentary Could Seattle get a professional hockey team before professional men's basketball returns to the city? Speculation has ramped up recently, and KPLU sports commentator says there are reasons for that.


text:
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Hi! My name is Red
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I am not sure how I stumbled upon this fine example.
I don't normally feel the need to degrade other's work, but this article just made me a little sad.
#1 the author does a poor job of conveying their misinformation.
#2 It's just wrong.
I guess healthmad.com exists to sell ads and not good information.
Continuing the cycle of nutritional ignorance in this country.


text:
Sheffield Lane Top weather map
- Recent locations
Your chosen location:
City of London
An error has occurred.
Weather type
Forecast summary
Regional forecast for Yorkshire & Humber
Dry overnight, but turning cloudier by dawn. Some rain Wednesday.
This Evening and Tonight:
Evening sunny spells will be followed by a dry overnight period. There will be some clear spells, although cloud will tend to increase from the west by dawn. It will also stay rather breezy. Minimum Temperature 11 °C.
A generally cloudy, but dry start. Outbreaks of rain and drizzle will then spread east by the afternoon, mainly across the Pennines. Turning windy through the evening. Maximum Temperature 19 °C.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:
Overnight rain will clear to sunny spells and showers during Thursday, but staying windy. These sunny spells and blustery showers continue during Friday and Saturday, turning heavy at times.
Updated at: 1414 on Tue 27 Sep 2016
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Fine and dry in the south-east. Windy in the north.
Dry with variable cloud and occasional bright or sunny spells in the south and east, but cloudy with occasional rain and drizzle in the west. Scotland will be cloudy with rain in the west, and gales further north.
A band of rain will move south-east overnight. Cloudy conditions to the south-east of this, and clearer conditions, although with some showers, to the north-west. Very windy in the north.
Cloud and rain will slowly clear through the south-east. Mostly dry with sunny spells elsewhere, although with showers in the north-west. Gales, or severe gales are expected for Scotland.
Outlook for Friday to Sunday:
Sunshine and showers on Friday and Saturday, the showers perhaps heavy and prolonged on Saturday. Winds easing, although still breezy. Sunday should be drier, with light winds and sunny spells.
Updated at: 0207 on Wed 28 Sep 2016
Outlook for the UK over the next 6-30 days
UK Outlook for Sunday 2 Oct 2016 to Tuesday 11 Oct 2016:
Generally a brighter end to the weekend, with sunshine and a few showers on Sunday and lighter winds, though becoming cloudier and windier later as outbreaks of rain spread in from the west during the start of the week. Changeable conditions are then expected to continue through the remainder of the period bringing showers or longer spells of rain interspersed by drier and brighter periods. The heaviest and most persistent rain along with the stronger winds are likely to occur in the west and northwest, whereas eastern and southeastern parts should see more prolonged drier and brighter spells. Temperatures near normal at first, though soon rising to slightly above average and perhaps even warm at times in the southeast.
Updated at: 1219 on Tue 27 Sep 2016
UK Outlook for Wednesday 12 Oct 2016 to Wednesday 26 Oct 2016:
There is currently low confidence for the forecast during the second half of October, however the most likely scenario is a continuation of the more changeable conditions. The north and northwest is likely to see the most unsettled weather, with strong winds and showers or longer spells of rain, intermixed with some drier interludes. Further south and southeast there is a greater likelihood of drier, brighter weather with a low possibility of more prolonged settled spells here. Temperatures will vary through the period, but probably averaging out slight above average for the time of year, with an increasing risk of overnight frost in the more settled spells.
Updated at: 1220 on Tue 27 Sep 2016
Location Details
Sheffield Lane Top
Location: 53.4246, -1.4604
Altitude: 124.0 m above mean sea level


text:
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Good morning. It feels remarkably solemn for the Monday before the Fourth of July, with remembrances of Gettysburg, flood victims wringing out their drenched homes and great sadness in Arizona. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in New York City today, and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is expected to release an audit on the governor's economic development agency. If anyone can drum up some good news, please let me know. I could use it.
The Empire State Development Corp -- the gatekeeper to billions of public dollars for tax breaks for businesses -- spent $2.7 million on its overseas operations without showing whether that benefited New York businesses back home, Thomas Kaplan reports. The news comes from an audit by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, which is to be released today.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's lawyer will cost taxpayers $500 an hour, the New York Daily News reported. The state's comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, approved the cost for Silver, who is a defendant in a lawsuit from two staffers about his handling of sexual harassment complaints.
Meanwhile, Silver and other lawmakers left Albany without addressing how to handle confidential settlements -- an arrangement in the complaints against former Assemblyman Vito Lopez (see above).
New York
Thousands of local government officials are getting full-time pensions for part-time work, the Albany Times Union reported.
Some high waters subsided this weekend while families went on searches for medicines and missing pets.
And more rain is on the way, with flash flood warnings in Madison, Oneida and Otsego counties til Tuesday.
Cuomo had a wet weekend. He went fishing in the Adirondacks to celebrate a free fishing weekend, then celebrated the opening of the Keene Fire Department, damaged last year in storms. Later Saturday, Cuomo toured flooded areas in Herkimer County,
As Cuomo continues his effort to win back Upstate voters and improve the region's economy, some New York voters fed up with Cuomo's agenda are trying to launch a new political organization that would "Rock the Vote" in the coming 2014 elections, Fred Dicker reports.
Syracuse's downtown will once again qualify for the state's historic tax credits. For a brief moment there, the city's development made a few key blocks too rich -- and disqualified them for the tax credits meant for poor neighborhoods.
Cuomo marched in Sunday's Gay Pride Parade and his tourism office launched a new "I Love NY LGBT" website.
When it comes to Interstate 81, just what options are still being considered?
Tweet of the Day
@Drew_Smellie Oneida's ambulance calling server got damaged by the flooding here and there are cards in there that cost $12,000 a piece.— Logan VanDyke (@rlvandyke14) July 1, 2013
Contact Teri Weaver at: firstname.lastname@example.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.


text:
Mountain Hardwear Alakazam Shell Jacket
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
Be the last one skiing in the Alakazam shell jacket from Mountain Hardwear thanks to its premium breathability and tough, waterproof shell. Durable Dry.Q(TM) Elite 3-layer nylon shell offers highly breathable, waterproof protection that efficiently dumps excess heat and moisture before clamminess sets in. Air-permeable shell fabric lets heat and moisture escape so you stay comfortable. Soft-shell fabric side panels and elbows enhance mobility and comfort. Zippered vents at pits offer cooling airflow so you won't overheat during vigorous activity. Attached hood protects you from the elements and offers enough room for your snow helmet. Quickly adjust the hood and hem with 1-hand drawcord pulls. Removable, adjustable powder skirt blocks out cold air and snow entry. Pockets on the Mountain Hardwear Alakazam shell jacket include zippered handwarmer pockets and 2 zippered chest pockets.
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The Mountain Hardwear Alakazam Shell Jacket is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen January 4, 2013 at REI.
If you're looking for a new waterproof jacket, check out the best reviewed current models.


text:
Clement Mubungirwa's window of opportunity to become eligible to play sports at Episcopal in Baton Rouge next school year opened up some Tuesday (April 29) when Senate Bill 633 passed the Louisiana Senate.
The proposal, sponsored by state Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, would require third-party arbitration on eligibility issues for any association in order for public schools or private schools that receive government funding to be members.
The 21-17 vote for Claitor's bill following passionate testimony against the measure means the legislation will advance to the House for approval. The same bill failed to pass the full Senate last week.
Mubungirwa will turn 19 on July 7, making him ineligible for athletics under Louisiana High School Athletic Association rules.
Episcopal appealed March 26 to the association's Executive Committee for an exception in the Congo native's case, presenting a compelling set of circumstances from his childhood, which include his family's stay in a refugee camp in war-torn Uganda and a difficult move and transition to the United States with little education or knowledge of the English language.
Board members denied that appeal by an 11-8 margin, admitting afterward their difficulty in doing so, but pointing to the fact that the "19-year-old" rule has been among those which the association has most firmly stuck, citing potential safety concerns for younger opposing athletes.
"The young man in question is an outstanding student and an outstanding human being," said Sen. Gerald Long, R-Winnfield, who opposed the bill. "This is an issue that we cannot micromanage."
Long said every school could name an exception to the rule, but passing the legislation would "weaken the very fiber of what makes LHSAA so good," adding the organization is admired across the country. Long also pointed out the cost the bill would result in, amounting to an estimated $45,000 to arbitrate an individual case.
Long said the measure circumvents LHSAA. "This is shaky ground."
Claitor read from a stunning list of factors that contributed Mubungirwa's hardship, including that his father was murdered, he was forced to flee out of Africa and others. His situation has received support from the local community, as well as on Twitter.
Long noted the athlete had already received a hardship exception but the age limit was a hard line. Other Baton Rouge delegates, like Sharon Weston Broome, spoke in favor of the bill and question's Long's strong opposition.
"I am passionate because I have grandchildren," he said.
Full coverage of the 2014 session will be provided by Emily Lane and Julia O'Donoghue. Follow them on Twitter at and @emilymlane and @jsodonoghue. Latest stories can be found on the Baton Rouge hub's Facebook page.


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I just played a game on live chess (standard) and got a message that I apperently was accused of cheating or that my game was suspicous. I am actually quite anoyed by this message appearing on my screen. My acual rating is 1800-1900 and my current live only 1500. I will just show the game to prove my point. When the computer's moves are also the most logical moves you should just not send this message. (I did not even computer check the moves but I am assuming so because of my warning)
I just don't understand why this was neccessary.
i got one of these too, i can't find the game but i crushed him really fast becouse of some blunders that i found. So you shouldn't worry too much about it.
I didn't realize I was not allowed to use a database for live games. I did it for a few games in a row to help my openings and was given a warning. I have not used it since but the only time I got a warning was when i was actually cheating.
But if cheating warnings are given based on correlation with database/ computer moves, then shouldn't high level players be getting them all the time? If that were the case, I would think that there would be a lot more threads on the forums complaining about this. But there aren't, so I'm assuming that correlation to db/comp moves is not how chess.com decides to send someone a warning.
I'm also interested in this. Personaly I have never received a warning, but every 20th game of live chess I play, my opponent stops playing in the endgame faze and I win on time - after which the same message appears on screen - this member has been suspected for fair game violation and may have his account restricted etc.
It seems to me that this happens to often. My point is - is it possible that there is so many cheating players here? Or is the system simply not working as it should?
That's not cheating - that's a fair play issue. For people at my level, it happens a lot more often than once every 20 games. Cheating is suing computers, etc to make moves for you, which is a lot more prevalent at your level than mine.
The "fair play" warning also occurs when you or your opponent abondon a game. It is not just for cheating.
well i guess that's what happened to me. he pretty much left after e5 (problably recognizing that his position was hopeless) and played a few moves before resigning. still I don't get why I would get this if my opponent has connection problems.
If you're not cheating, ignore the automated messages. The staff does a review to make sure you are cheating before they ban you, although they have botched that up in the past (cough- chess2knight/s cough).
Really the opening book thing is a tough issue. Masters for some years now have been basing their extended repertoire on computer analysis. In turn when you read a book on openings and mimic the repertoire, it can look like computer moves as well, escpecially when your opponent quickly blunders and you win what appears to be a "perfect" computer game.
In the end, I think chess.com will need to do away with the automated detection system and go back to a player complaint form that they review.
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text:
Jerry's wish: Dallas Cowboys' fast finish keeps Wade off firing line
No one is rooting for Wade Phillips to succeed more than Jerry Jones.
He'd like nothing better than for Phillips to beat Philadelphia this week and capture his second NFC East title in three years, which means the Cowboys would host at least one playoff game.
If Phillips succeeds, then it justifies Jerry's decision to hire Phillips instead of Norv Turner, and it justifies his decision to go with a players' coach after Bill Parcells left.
Besides, Jerry loves working with Phillips because the coach allows him to be himself. He can be part of the process instead of feeling like an intruder when he wants to address the team after a game.
Jerry doesn't want to fire Phillips.
Frankly, he's looking for reasons to keep Phillips around. His 32-15 is a good start, but Jerry wants some playoff success. You can't blame him, considering the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since 1996.
That's why Jerry hasn't been shy about saying what needs to happen for Phillips to keep his job.
It's also why he hasn't yet signed the club option that will guarantee Phillips another year.
Win Sunday and Phillips might just get a belated Christmas gift from the owner.
Q: If Dallas goes to the NFC title game, should Wade still keep his job?
Erick Waldrop, Oklahoma
TAYLOR: I think you're really asking two questions. Should he keep his job and will he keep his job. My interpretation of Jerry Jones' comments much of this season is that he wants to win the NFC East, host a playoff game and win a playoff game to consider this a successful season. By that standard, two more wins and it looks like Jerry will finally sign the team option and give Wade at least one more year. After listening to Jerry's comments after the win over Washington, it's pretty clear that he doesn't want to fire Wade, because he likes working with Wade and likes what he brings as the defensive coordinator. As for whether he should keep his job, let's see how the season plays out. I could see scenarios where I would say he should keep his job and others where I would say get him out of town as soon as possible. Be patient. You'll get you answers in a couple of weeks.
• • •
Q: I blocked as much as Roy Williams did on Jason Witten's 69-yard catch-and-run, and I was sitting at home on the couch. Williams could have done something to help Jason get into the end zone, but he didn't. Saying he helped with a block is not true and could get you guys in trouble with your devoted fans.
Cheryl Wood
TAYLOR: I must respectfully disagree. If Roy doesn't shield the defender, then Witten gets tackled at about the Washington 40. It was a tough play because Williams was trying to block in space and he didn't have a good angle. Witten made it to the 3 because that's how long it took the defender to get in front of Roy and make the play. I don't mind criticizing Roy when he has a bad play, but that wasn't one of them. He's been a terrific blocker all year. It's probably been the best part of his game.
• • •
Q: Isn't it time the Cowboys consider moving Marion Barber and let Felix Jones and Tashard Choice do it all?
Gonzo Rincon
TAYLOR: Y'all call me negative, but the Cowboys are 10-5, exorcising their December demons and all most of y'all want to focus on is the negative. Frankly, I find it amusing. I wouldn't blame all of the short-yardage woes on Barber. I distinctly remember Albert Haynesworth walking Kyle Kosier into the backfield on one of those plays. It's a combination of issues from the play calls to the blocking to the running. It's not just one thing, but they'd better figure it out pretty quickly.
• • •
Q: For whatever reason, Terence Newman has lost it. He's tentative, skittish and afraid to play any closer to the receivers than he does, apparently. Thoughts?
Roger Wilgus, Texarkana, Texas
TAYLOR: What you have to realize is that Newman is a good player - not a great player - so he's going to get beat from time to time. Some of whether he's playing press coverage or off has to do with the defensive play. Sometimes the coaches want him playing off. Then there's the fact Mike Jenkins is excellent at bump-and-run, so the coaching staff asks him to do it more.
• • •
Q: Roy Williams continues to disappoint, and this time he caused his quarterback to get an interception. If I were Tony Romo, I would tell the coaches to send him long every play because I am not throwing to him unless he is open in the end zone.
F.B. Rhea, III, King of Prussia, Pa.
TAYLOR: Williams has had a case of the dropsies lately. It's too bad, because he really does have good hands. He might not have speed or run great routes, but he's always had good hands. I think he's probably thinking too much, while trying to turn every opportunity into a big play because he knows he's not going to have that many chances. That's why he dropped the ball against Washington. He was trying to run before he caught it.
• • •
Q: It's amazing to me that Jason Garrett called a double reverse that killed a drive and goes for a 13-yard loss against an inferior Washington team in a game the Cowboys were controlling. What's up with this guy?
Emil Calomino, Kingston, Pa.
TAYLOR: You can't have it both ways. You can't say Garrett's too vanilla and then rip him when he uses a trick play that doesn't work. Actually, I thought it was a good play call, because he put the ball in the hands of one of his playmakers and it was a play the Cowboys hadn't used before. The play fell apart because Choice whiffed on his block, the defender who just happened to have containment responsibilities. If Choice knocks him down, then it's probably a big play. I rarely second-guess individual plays, because if a play works, it was good and if it doesn't, it wasn't. I second-guess trends like running too much or throwing too much or not using the tight end in the red zone.
• • •
Q: I would love to see Patrick Crayton moved back in to a starting role and have Roy Williams the third receiver. I would love to see more of Kevin Ogletree, who sure seems to make the most of his opportunities.
Bret L. Jenkins, San Antonio
TAYLOR: I understand your frustration, but Williams isn't getting moved out of the starting lineup anytime soon. He's actually giving the Cowboys decent production for a No. 2 receiver, when you consider he has seven touchdowns, which is second on the team. He's been too inconsistent, but he remains better than Crayton or Ogletree. Those guys are each better when they can attack third and fourth cornerbacks instead of starting cornerbacks.
• • •
Q: Why don't we spread the ball out more, maybe a three-receiver set, even four, or a tight end and then try to run it in? Why stack the whole line of scrimmage and bunch everyone up? Your thoughts?
Mike Chambers, Madisonville, Ky.
TAYLOR: If you're supposed to have one of the biggest, most physical offensive lines in the NFL, shouldn't you be able to get a yard? Shouldn't your guys be determined to create a lane for the running back? Sometimes it's the players' fault. Move someone out of the way and make a yard. It's not that complicated.
• • •
Q: I wonder if anyone's looked at production (catches, yards, third-down conversions, etc.) per pass attempt for Kevin Ogletree. I don't recall many misses in his direction and do recall some fine receptions at important times.
Dick Cassidy
TAYLOR: First, Tony Romo has only thrown him seven passes to Ogletree, and he's caught six of them. Most of them have been bubble screens, so he should've caught those. That said, he made a sensational catch against New Orleans, when he dragged his feet along the sideline. Ogletree's problem is that he's inconsistent in practice, which you would expect form an undrafted free agent. He's talented, but he's still learning the game's nuances, especially reading coverages and making sure he's where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there.
• • •
Q: I get it that he's been dinged up since they drafted him. But I have never seen a team baby a player, especially a running back, like the Cowboys have done with Felix Jones. He's had two weeks where he goes for 10 and 14 carries, and it's a big deal.
Does this seem weird to anyone else?
Brian Gallagher
TAYLOR: Nope. He never carried the ball much at Arkansas. And he's been dinged so much with the Cowboys that they don't want to expose him too much. I initially balked at drafting him, because he was always billed as a backup, a niche back with game-breaking ability. You can give him 20 carries if you want, but he's not going to hold up with that workload.


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Hi! My name is simba- please vote for me in the longest streach
I am a Bengal from alpine, TX
Nicknames: mister mister
Age: 10 years old
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Education: im very lazy instead of jumping i will pull myself up on things. and i loves to give lovings
My favorite tricks and treats are: swims in bath tub and love to plays featch like a dog. and chips
Where I hang out: lying on the arm of my love seat.
My favorite grubs: deer
My pet peeves: dont like to be moved when im sleeping. and dont let me run out of food.
What I love about my owners: im her baby boy. she take really good care of me .people say that im spoiled rotten
My cat hobbies: i love to play with straws and im sneeky i will steal my moms straw out of her drink when she's not looking ...
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Welcome back! Sorry to hear about your husband and wish you the best of luck getting back on track.
Hi everyone, I'm Denise.
I was here a while back when I bought the PB book and successfully completed a 30-day challenge. Even after the challenge was up, I stuck with most of the program and was feeling and looking great.
Then, life threw me a devastating curveball last November when my husband of 10 years died suddenly of a cardiac arrest. Needless to say, last winter went by in a blur of emotional eating and way too much drinking. Primal living was the furthest thing from my mind. I was just trying to get through each day.
Now it's 9 months later and I'm emerging from the fog. I want to embrace life again and go back to looking and feeling my best. I never felt better in my life than when I was living the PB, and I want that again.
I'm not quite starting from scratch...some good habits did stay with me. I never did go back to drinking coffee, and now have a cup of green tea in the morning. I gave up cereal, and I usually start my day with some combination of fruit, nuts, eggs, and/or meat. Or sometimes I make a green smoothie. Lunch is usually still a big-ass salad. Dinner is where I've fallen off the wagon, back to way too much bread, pasta and sweets. And vodka, too much vodka.
Also I can't even remember the last time I worked out. I haven't really gained weight, but my 48-year-old middle has reverted to its soft, mushy self. Last summer I had a six-pack!
So here I am, hoping to get back into the primal groove, and uncover the strong, confident cavewoman that I know is still in here somewhere.
Welcome back! Sorry to hear about your husband and wish you the best of luck getting back on track.
Denise, I'm so sorry about your husband. I admire your strength and wish you luck on your (continued) primal journey!
I'm very sorry you lost your husband. Of course primal would take a back seat after that sudden loss.
The strong, confident cavewoman is already apparent from the fact that you have made the decision to return to primal living. I'm sure you can transition back to the lifestyle, and that you will get all the support and encouragement you could want from this community. Best of luck to you.
Live your life and love your life. It's the only one you get.
Oh dear, Welcome back and also really sorry for your husband. You have to strong enough to get out of all these problem you are facing now. I wish you all the best.
Thank you all for the warm welcome! Two days in, and so far so good....
Hugs. So happy to have you back in the tribe.
Ancestral Health Info
I design websites and blogs for a living. If you would like a blog or website designed by someone who understands Primal, see my web page.
Primal Blueprint Explorer My blog for people who are not into the Grok thing. Since starting the blog, I have moved close to being Archevore instead of Primal. But Mark's Daily Apple is still the best source of information about living an ancestral lifestyle.


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Can anyone tell me if this anime is any good before go and watch it. tell me what u guys think of this anime


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357 Mag 145gr Silvertip?
Tools and Technologies
Handguns: Revolvers
> 357 Mag 145gr Silvertip?
October 2, 2005, 02:11 PM
Anyone give me the FPS and ft/lb of the .357Mag 145gr Silvertip out of a m340pd?
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October 2, 2005, 04:59 PM
1,290 fps out of a 4 inch Ruger Security Six if that helps any
October 2, 2005, 05:11 PM
Got this from somewhere - can't remember where cause I am having a senior moment: Winchester 357 magnum 145 gr silvertip HP.
From four inch vented barrel.
Muzzle - 1290fps - 535 ftlbs
50 yds - 1150fps - 428 ftlbs
100 yds - 1060fps - 361 ftlbs
This isn't exactly what you want but it gives you an idea. Some folks will tell you that fps will be slower by about 50 for every inch the barrel is shortened.
Speer will soon deliver us 135 grain 357 magnum ammunition specifically designed for short barrel revolvers. Hopefully by early next month.
October 3, 2005, 12:56 AM
In your 640 the WW load, which by the way is my favorite in my SP 2.25", will do between 1150-1185. Depends on bbl/cyl gap and fit work on revolver.
I like this round as it is especially easy to shoot in a 357 Snubby compared to those 125 gr JHPs that are real nasty.
You want to be able to control the weapon so that you can make a quick follow up shot(s) if necessary and the Silvertip affords you that opportunity. :)
October 3, 2005, 08:09 AM
I use them in my J-Frame.
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(KVAL News – Oregon ) After a fire destroyed all of her family's belongings, a Eugene-area woman is warning all renters to purchase insurance.
"You can't save the sentimental things, of course, but at least if you have children, there is something" if you have insurance, said Rhea Chrismer. "You can replace their bedrooms again."
A fire destroyed Chrismer's rented house and garage last Monday, charring most of the family's belongings. The cause of the fire has not been determined and the investigation is on pause unless new information surfaces, according to Heather Miller with Lane County Fire District 1.
Chrismer, boyfriend Micheal Kezer and Chrismer's three children were not home. The family was renting the property on Territorial Road but did not have renters insurance.
According to a Farmers Insurance branch in Eugene , the average person will pay less than $200 a year for a renters insurance policy.
"We're not going to let this stop our little family," she said. "I'm learning good things come from bad things. You meet really good people."
People like the passerby who saw smoke coming from the house Monday, searched the rooms for people and finding none, let the family's dogs outside. The dogs survived.
People like the communities of Crow and Lorane, who have offered clothes and started fundraising efforts. If you would like to donate to the family, an account has been set up at the Selco Bank on Gateway Street. Mention the Kezer Family Fund.
To see a short video of this story, click here: http://www.kval.com/news/49463987.html
Are Your Property Transfers and Acquisitions at Risk?
Over the past several years, exclusions for mold, microbial matter and lead-based paint have consistently appeared on general liability policies to create substantial coverage gaps.
As a result, uncovered claims can be significant. Take, for instance, the discovery of mold in an apartment community in the State of Delaware. A leaking kitchen sink was the verified cause of discoloration and foul odor in a bedroom ceiling as well as the dark-rimmed holes in the bedroom ceiling.
Despite repeated complaints, building management was slow to respond resulting in health-related issues for the two women living in the apartment. During the law suit, the women demonstrated that the owners rarely performed repairs beyond cosmetic patchwork. After two weeks of testimony, the jury awarded $1.04 million to the complainants for personal injuries.
Another example of catastrophic loss occurred at a condominium complex in the Northeast. It included the sickening of two people as well as the death of a 50-year-old woman who contracted Legionnaire's Disease. The resulting effects included evacuating the entire complex, disinfecting the water system and a significant law suit.
As the above-mentioned situations show, habitational property owners have significant environmental worries.
Other environmental risks commonly associated with habitational real estate may include, but are not limited to:
- Contaminants from known and unknown historical usage/operations or neighboring properties
- Construction debris containing hazardous materials
- Sick Building Syndrome i.e. carbon monoxide, mold, or bacterial air releases from faulty heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems
- Hazardous chemical storage (such as maintenance degreasers, pool chemicals, pesticides and herbicides used both indoors and outdoors)
- Lead, asbestos, polychlorinated byphenols (PCBs)
- "Midnight dumping" on vacant land parcels
- Leaking underground or aboveground storage tanks or piping.
Managing the risks
Despite the obvious challenges, environmental liabilities needn't be an obstacle to property transfers and acquisitions if they are proactively identified, managed and mitigated.
In recent years, habitational real estate developers and owners alike have mitigated their environmental exposures through contractual means, the use of environmental insurance or the combination of both. This trend is also likely to continue due to the ever-increasing need of financial institutions to protect their loans in today's economic climate and the desire of sellers, who would prefer to be free from potential claims related to unknown legacy issues.
At the top of the ($2.5B annual premium) environmental insurance market are the five leading environmental liability insurers of AIG, XL Capital, Zurich, ACE USA, and Chubb, which account for approximately 90 percent of the total premiums written. However, the remaining 10 percent of the environmental liability insurance market is growing with a number of very solid insurers providing at least some form of environmental liability insurance. These markets include Liberty, Markel Underwriting Managers, American Safety, Freberg Environmental/Endurance and Great American.
Available coverages
Each environmental liability insurer offers its own manuscripted coverage forms. To complicate matters even more, each insurer also offers a portfolio of environmental liability coverage forms, with the largest offering up to 15 different coverages totaling over 100 forms in the marketplace.
Among these is Premises Environmental Liability/Pollution Legal Liability (PLL), which provides coverage for pollution conditions or events on, at, under or migrating from a covered location(s). Coverage is afforded for third-party bodily injury, property damage, clean up costs and legal defense expense. A unique feature of many PLL policies is their ability to offer various and different coverage parts under one policy form. This includes, but is not limited to:
- New pollution conditions
- Existing pollution conditions
- On site clean-up coverage
- Transportation coverage
- Non Owned Disposal Site (NODS) coverage
- Business interruption including Loss of Rental Income
- Mold liability coverage and clean-up
- Legionella coverage
- Fines and Penalties and Punitive Damages where allowable by law
- Natural Resource Damages.
PLL is an effective risk management tool for commercial real estate since it helps to fill the "environmental gap" left in most general liability policies. It also helps reduce the uncertainty about environmental liability associated with the property and provides simple asset protection from potentially catastrophic environmental events associated with day-to-day operations.
In today's environmental insurance market, available programs can even be tailored to address the diverse needs of each property and then structured to meet a variety of requirements that include regulatory obligations, contract requirements, lender requirements, landlord obligations, and business objectives. Another important aspect of coverage offered under PLL is that it can be structured to provide coverage for contamination, even if it is known certain environmental conditions already exist on site.
Fortunately, the environmental insurance marketplace is continually adapting to keep pace with the growing risk management demands of real estate owners and lenders—demands that are not likely to subside in the near future due to the costly nature of environmental liabilities.
(The Wall Street Journal) A growing number of lawsuits are being filed against bloggers based on a wide variety of allegations, from defamation to copyright infringement. The Citizen Media Law Project at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University reports that 106 civil lawsuits were filed against bloggers and others in social networks and online forums in 2007, compared with 12 such lawsuits filed in 2003. According to the Media Law Resource Center in New York, approximately $17.4 million has been awarded in trials against bloggers so far. Although many lawsuits are dismissed or settled before trial, the risks for bloggers are expanding. One blogger recently named in a lawsuit was fortunate because her legal defense was covered by her personal umbrella insurance policy from Allstate Corp. These policies provide additional liability protection, often including defamation, libel and slander, coverage that varies according to the insurer, policy language and state law. Standard homeowners policies generally do not protect bloggers from lawsuits but many personal umbrella policies do. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and some other insurers offer protection in many states from the risk of lawsuits for something written or posted online as part of a special personal injury endorsement to a homeowners policy. Bloggers are advised to check with insurers on the specifics of their policies. According to the Insurance Information Institute, a $1 million umbrella policy costs an average of $200 to $350 a year in addition to regular homeowners and auto premiums.
(TMC News) In a study published by Geoscape, several revealing facts about the auto insurance market came to light. The publication of this 2009 auto insurance syndicated survey database, called "BehaviorBase(TM) Auto Insurance", draws upon 1,400 carefully sampled survey respondents across demographic and economic segments nationwide. The first of its kind, this database provides a multi-dimensional view of the large and fast growing Latino population and their adoption of auto insurance as well as their impressions of the underwriting companies and coverage options.
With the steady-resident U.S. Hispanic population reaching 48.6 million this year, insurance companies are looking more closely at where to find policyholder revenue growth. With multiple wage earners and drivers per household along with increasing adoption rates, Hispanics are now an attractive target for insurance companies (particularly auto insurance).
"BehaviorBase Auto has validated some of our hunches and has shed light on behaviors that can help us hone the strategies and tactics within our Latino initiatives…the competitive intelligence was a big eye-opener, as we drilled down on language segments," states Luisa Acosta-Franco, Vice President of Multicultural Marketing for Farmers Insurance.
Among the insights borne within the study is the finding that unacculturated (assimilated) Hispanics focus more heavily on customer service than price, relative to more acculturated Hispanics. Both aided and unaided brand awareness reveals which companies have managed to gain mindshare within the Hispanic community and switching behavior data provides insights to avoiding policy churn.
"BehaviorBase Auto Insurance is first in a series of industry-specific consumer behavior resources that Geoscape will develop to provide actionable insights to our clients," according to Cesar M Melgoza, President of Geoscape.
An executive summary of the database will be available at no charge from the company's website and the full database along with tabular and graphical information and interpretation of results is available by subscription. During the summer of '09, BehaviorBase Auto will be available within the Geoscape Intelligence System (GIS) which offers a suite of databases and analytic modules within an online software-as-a-service platform.
About Geoscape Geoscape serves its clients by providing business strategy, analytics, databases and automated intelligence systems. The online Geoscape Intelligence System (GIS), the DirecTarget database enrichment system and a variety of geo-demographic, consumer, business and media databases enable actionable insights that lead our clients to gain significant business advantages. Geoscape is a portfolio company of Goldman Sachs, Inc. with principal offices in Miami. Geoscape is pleased to have served most of the Fortune 500 corporations over the last several years.
Insuring your home-based business success
Tamsyn Burgmann
It wasn't until a valued customer called, freaked out by a rogue bumble bee she found resting dead in her loose leaf tea, that the risks of running a home-based business dawned on Hatem Jahshan.By then, Jahshan and his wife Tonia had been operating their tea party consultancy, Steeped Tea, out of the converted basement and two-car garage of their Hamilton home for a full year.
Though he also runs a fast-food restaurant, Jahshan knew zilch about protecting his home-based business.
"In fact, it felt like you didn't even have to worry about insurance when you start your home business. As a business person, I like to hang out with business people, and nobody's got insurance. It's a very, very quiet issue that nobody talks about," he said. "Usually, you start thinking about insurance when bad things happen."
Facing added premiums can be daunting for the small business owner, but insurance shouldn't be a dirty word, say the experts. No matter whether you're running a full-scale taxidermy outfit or typing data into a single laptop, protection is integral to a savvy business plan.
"The worst case scenario is that you could be financially ruined if you don't have insurance," said Peter Warner of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
"A policy will cover anything pertaining to running your business."
As soon as doing business from home enters your mind, set up a meeting with your insurance broker, agent, or the company that insures your home, he said.
They'll listen to the particulars, asses whether you're underinsured and offer options to ease the nerves.
In many cases, the company providing your home or "property" insurance can add an extension to your homeowner's policy, protecting you against common business risks.
Standard property insurance rarely protects anything business-related. Should fire rip through your home, compensation won't be offered to replace computers, printers, fax machines, samples and paper records. And it won't protect you from a lawsuit.
Generally, "home-based business" or "home business" insurance provides three areas of coverage: business property; business interruption; and legal liability.
The first protects property kept on or off the home premises, including inventory, samples, supplies, tools, filing cabinets, computer equipment and software.
If disaster strikes the home, rendering office space unfit for use, business interruption coverage pays the cost of your temporary office relocation, thus insuring your products and services are delivered to customers.
Legal liability coverage – usually set at $1- or $2-million – becomes a lifesaver if your company's products or services cause harm to a customer. If Steeped Tea's frazzled caller had alleged trauma or an allergic reaction to the pesky bee (which likely slipped into the mix when the tea was being dried in India's fields before export) this coverage would have paid for legal defence or compensation ordered by the courts.
A classic example of legal liability involves a delivery person who slips on a piece of ice while carrying a package up your front steps; falls and breaks a leg; then sues.
"The liability portion of your home insurance doesn't protect you, because the activity was directly related to your business," Warner said.
Insurance providers calculate premiums based on exposure to risks – the possibility of loss – receipts and how much income you're making from the business. The lower both are, the lower the premium. Knitting sweaters and selling them online is likely to be considered less risky than running a massage clinic that brings clients into the home.
Premiums are likely to run several hundred dollars a year – usually not more than $500, according to the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario. But if your business liability is higher than that for your property policy, it will probably be boosted to the same level, potentially costing you more.
Most insurers keep lists spelling out what is or isn't likely to fall under their home business insurance. The tricky part of the equation arises with vastly increased exposure. The line blurs between where home business insurance ends and commercial insurance begins.
To assess whether obtaining a heftier policy might be wise, look at how often clients, or consumers, visit your home and also, whether you run the risk of "professional" exposure. The latter occurs when a business person provides advice or expertise to a client who later might theoretically allege it caused them financial or other harm – for instance, an accountant.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to navigating home-based insurance coverage. When in doubt, call a broker – who represents multiple insurers rather than a single provider – suggests Bryan Yetman, IBAO president-elect.
"You can have a candid, honest conversation with your broker. They'll give you a true evaluation and then you decide," he said.
"Shop around," agreed Catherine Swift, chair of advocacy organization Canadian Federation of Independent Business, adding the biggest complaint mounted by members is around insurance costs and short notice of cost increases.
Every business presents risks, but someone who buries his head in the sand could be making the riskiest move of all, the experts agreed.
"(Insurance) brings me peace of mind now," Jahshan said. "Once you have insurance you can remove fear out of the way and you can actually focus on bettering your business."


text: A stipend of $3,500, travel cost of up to $500, and a small supply allowance are provided for each participant. Applications are limited to graduate students who have passed their Ph.D candidacy examination and should include a copy of their dissertation prospectus, a letter from their dissertation adviser, and a curriculum vitae. All materials should be sent to Professor Ronnie Po-chia Hsia, Department of History, 108 Weaver, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802 by February 15, 2009. Results will be announced in early March.


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TINICUM, Pa. — Authorities are searching for the body of a Virginia man who appears to have drowned while tubing Saturday along the Delaware River.
Anthony Del Prete, 30, was with a group of about 10 people trying to return to shore near Kingwood, said Tinicum Officer Mark Compas. Del Prete rolled over on the tube to begin paddling and fell out, Compas said.
The river is about six-feet higher than normal because of last week's rains and there is a swift current.
"We were coming down and he just went over and I went in there looking for him," an unidentified friend told philly.com hours later. "There were some bubbles and I dove after him and I couldn't find him. Then I saw his hand come up and I dove after that and I just couldn't find him. I just don't know what happened."
Rescue crews stayed out until sunset Saturday and were back out at 9:30 this morning, Compas said.
Related coverage
• Possible drowning on Delaware River brings out rescue units
• Body pulled from Delaware River ID'ed as Summit man missing after tubing accident
• Two teens drown after pick-up truck plunges into Delaware River


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When you're buying a new cell phone, the choices can be overwhelming. Should you opt for the cheapest, no-frills handset? Or what about the slick-looking smartphone with all the bells and whistles? Or, what about all those phones in between? How will you ever know which one meets your needs?
We can help. Take this quiz and answer 10 simple questions about what you'd like your phone to look like, how much you'd like to spend, and how you plan to use it. The results will help you find the cell phone or smartphone that is perfect for you.


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Hi! My name is Sami
I am Domestic Shorthair from North Vancouver, BC
Nicknames: Sami Sam
Age: 12 years old
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Coat: short haired
My favorite tricks and treats are: when mom snaps her fingers, I come running and whiskas temptations
Where I hang out: on mom's lap
My favorite grubs: meow mix
My pet peeves: I don't like mom rubbing my belly.
What I love about my owners: She lets me cuddle with her all the time
My cat hobbies: Jump onto high places and sleep
Pet motto: If you leave it on the ground, I may eat it, even if its plastic.
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