text:
When The Journal announced it was planning a series on the problem of bullying in our communities, the newsroom received numerous calls and e-mails from parents wanting to talk about their child's situation. It was already apparent that bullying was a local concern, but the response to our request for information made it very clear that the Eastern Panhandle has a serious problem.
As we were gathering information, the suicide of a local student, after being bullied at school, as well as other student deaths around the country, showed that this local problem was really a national crisis.
Children are dying and parents are afraid.
Article Photos
Here at The Journal, despite our awareness of the problem, we were shocked that bullying in our communities had become so severe that a child would consider suicide. More frightening was the fact that other parents we spoke with - those with a child in the same circumstances - were not shocked. Those parents were all too familiar with the harassment, constant fear and daily suffering of a child who is the victim of bullying.
It's impossible for us, in writing, to adequately describe the anger, fear and frustration in a mother's voice as she tells the details of her daughter suffering daily humiliation and intimidation at the hands of other students. Imagine being a parent and realizing that you feel helpless and unable to protect your child from real harm and danger.
There are parents in our communities who are desperate to get help for their child, who fear for their child's life and who say they are at a breaking point in terms of reacting.
One father, whose high school son was being bullied every day after school by a bigger boy, was ready to react with violence after filing complaints and making reports failed to stop the harassment. Several mothers couldn't help crying as they talked about the bullying. Many told of children who suddenly hated going to school, started having trouble with grades and began withdrawing from favorite activities.
"I can't make it stop and no one will do anything," one mother said, "but I'm not going to let them hurt my child."
There are people trying to help. Our school systems have policies and programs in place and staff dedicated to working on the problem of bullying. Across the country, experts and educators are meeting to discuss the problem, and locally, officials at all three Eastern Panhandle school system said current policies and practices are being evaluated and new methods are being considered.
Apparently, change is necessary. Most of the families we spoke with - those with serious bullying problems - said, despite talk of "zero tolerance" and assurances that "it will be taken care of" from school officials, the bullying continued and often got worse. There were callers who said certain school personnel did a good job but others said it only got better when law enforcement officials got involved with the case.
As you will read this week, comments from parents of local students who are being bullied differ greatly from the comments of area school officials when discussing how bullying problems are handled in the schools.
Perhaps the greatest benefit possible from this series would be to have parents and school officials sit down together and examine how the policies and procedures are enforced, how the information is communicated and, ultimately, answer the question: Is what we're doing really working?
There will be no quick solution to the problem. Bullying will not stop because a newspaper writes about it, because a school system monitors it or because a parent desperately wants it to stop. However, if enough people are aware of it, watching for it and working to stop bullying, perhaps the situation can improve.
The Journal hopes this series of articles, "Bullying: When growing up hurts," and continuing coverage will help draw attention to the scope and seriousness of the problem. It's our intention that the stories, comments and information in this series provide greater understanding and serve as a resources on how to help our child.


text:
Fixed PriceBudget: $75
Start DateDecember 23, 2012
I am looking to have a project done where a user would sign into a webpage and on the webpage it would have the tracking application. The application would basically allow for tracking of an iPhone using the FindmyiPhone feature.
This would be something I would be able to use with my young kids to track their phones and where they are and where they have been. Features will be discussed with selected candidates
PS. It should be a web application that I can access through iPhone safari and PC browsers.
Skills: web-services, iphone-sdk
Activity on this Job
Last Viewed by Client: 3 years ago
Hired: 1
About the Client
United Kingdom
Hayes 01:46 AM
Jobs Posted
56% Hire Rate, 1 Open Job
Total Spent
48 Hires, 2 Active
Avg Hourly Rate Paid
9 Hours

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Heavy-duty vandalism
Millcreek Township police are investigating damage done to Asbury Woods property on or around June 15 by an unidentified person operating this Case skid steer loader owned by Russell Standard Corporation. The destruction was photographed on June 18, including two mangled picnic tables as well as damaged trees and torn-up grass. The construction vehicle was reported June 16. The vehicle was found here, stuck in mud. Anyone with information is asked to call Millcreek Police Department at 833-7777.


text:
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Hi! My name is dutchess
I am Domestic Mediumhair from stuart, FL
Nicknames: dutchie
Age: 10 years old
Gender: F
Coat: long haired
Education: we lost her durring a moove for two weeks and she came back right before we left
My favorite tricks and treats are: she can catch any thing with a bell on it is it's coming twards her... and people food
Where I hang out: on top of the t.v. stand in her bed or where ever i am
My favorite grubs: tuna,any seafood,or chicken
My pet peeves: tipping over bowls,plates cups and begging like a dog when my mom cooks chicken she sits in front of me and meow's like crazy to get chicken
What I love about my owners: she gives me people food and she let's me sleep in a kingsized full tempripedic bed
My cat hobbies: sleep in her bed run outside when the neighbors cat is out
Pet motto: eat,sleep.eat sleep,eat, play,eat. sleep.play,eat,- sleep
See all awards »
a ldy in my office had a big box of little grey kittens and she was the last one
I've had 557 friends visit me.
I'm the 17,433rd member on CatChannel.com.
24 friends have voted for me since I joined Club Cat!
Come visit me, Team RAGDOLL PAWesome PURRsonality #235194, :¦:Chloe:•:(¯`v´¯):•- :208036:¦: & Team CHLOE, a PAWSitively PURRfect NAME #234964.
Come visit me, Catty, Baby & Razz.
Come visit me, Biddy.
Come visit me, ~**Krystal**~ (I love Riley).
Come visit me, Vinnie, Fierce Felines- MHL-Team Page, Cindy, Jake,Elwood,MightyMa- ck(The Blues Brothers), Angel Casha, ., Cisco, Angel Sugar (12-10-11)(Q 1/13)Capt FF MHL & Chica.
Come visit me, Leah.
Come visit me, Angel Ali. Hi, we miss you all!, Milo, love and miss you all! & Angel Chance, RIP 4/26/11 See PET MOTTO please.
Come visit me, Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler Catvention Center & Wolfgang Vladimir LePew, COTD 5/12/09.
Come visit me, Cora.
Come visit me, Riker, Trouble & Loki.
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text:
$48 Sorry that selection is not available. Please choose another option.
Design your own perky queen-dom in bedrooms, playrooms, and nurseries with princess wall decals that add a pinch of magic to any space. To apply each majestic maven and her pastoral empire, simply peel and stick. Arrange and rearrange each repositionable wall sticker to create a uniquely splendid scene with starry skies and lush flower fields. Need to relocate your royal realm? This wall decals kit is removable, reusable, and safe for walls.
|Self-adhesive, removable vinyl.
Princess: Overall: 7H
Cloud: smallest is 8W
|Catalog ID
Ships via 2Modern Standard Delivery.
Have a question about this product? Need help finding something? Our expert Customer Service team is here to help. Give us a call at (888) 222-4410 or fill out the form below.


text:
oooh, me too.
could some mk me a sig. or tell me how 2
oooh, me too.
^Thanks Monsteroids^
Tell me what you want, and I'll do my best.
theres like 5 currently open sig shops that you can post a request at, search
"sig shop"
then post what you you want yours to be at one of the shops
@jeterslave: I have two gnome selections:
I can make more if you dont like any of these, or I can also add a border, whaever you want.
I can make one. Example of my work:
MOH:H2 Persona: KCBlack
If anyone wants to play (total nub btw lol), just IM me and we can set something up.
@KCBlack: That's some good stuff you've got there! I see you put a lot of time and effort into making your signatures. He wants gnomes (he PMed me).
ssbb_lover or bubbagump
those are the 2 people you want to talk to....but yes please search for sig shop or go here
those are people who either had people make them signatures or did them themselves.
PM them and be kind and curtious and ask them to make a sig
Yes, please stop making these topics asking for sigs. There are far too many of them already. Just look in the topic Loose_Cannon provided and shoot one of the many talented people here (Mario Famous, Wiired, Bubbagump, ssbb_lover, Vert, KCBlack, myself, and others) a PM
~Well, it's been the ruin of many a poor boy and God, I know I'm one ~


text:
IRC-UK has hosted regular public lectures to mark World Refugee Week in the UK. Previous speakers have included Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Dambisa Moyo and Lord Malloch-Brown.
Transcripts of some of our lectures are included below.
Dr Ashraf Ghani, Major-General (retd) Tim Cross and Mike Young; chaired by Sir Jeremy Greenstock
'Soldiers on the School Run: Sensible Strategy or Disastrous Compromise?'
Dambisa Moyo, Yash Tandon and George Biddle; chaired by Sir Jeremy Greenstock
'Foreign Aid: Dead Right or Dead Wrong?'
Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
'People on the Move: The Challenges of Displacement in the 21st Century'
Sir Mark Malloch Brown, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
'The Politics of Humanitarianism After Iraq'
H.E. Mr Kamalesh Sharma, High Commissioner of India
'Sustainable Rescue: from Survival to the Knowledge Society'
Richard C. Holbrooke, US Ambassador to the United Nations
'The UN, the US and the World'
Monica Ali, Hari Kunzru and Dave Eggers
'Conflict, Refuge and Identity'
Paddy Ashdown, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
'Broken Communities, Shattered Lives: Winning the Savage War of Peace'
Clare Short, Secretary of State for International Development
'Refugees and Conflict'


text:
Many young Pennsylvania students will be learning their BMIs this year along with their ABCs.
The ritual of checking into the nurse's office to be weighed and measured will have a new twist as most of the state's elementary school students are evaluated for the first time using a growth screening tool called Body Mass Index.
The school nurse will still record that a fourth-grade girl stands 4 feet, 5 inches and weighs 77 pounds, but will also use those numbers to compute the child's BMI and plot them on a growth chart for her age and gender. In the 77-pound girl's case, her BMI would put her in the "at risk" category for future weight problems.


text:
Download citation file:
From Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston University Medical Center, and Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; the Brockton/West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Roxbury, Massachusetts; and the West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Haven, Connecticut.
Grant Support: This research was supported by grant RO1 HS06742-03 from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Dr. Daley is Senior Research Associate, Career Development Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service.
Requests for Reprints: Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Room LY-326, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.
Current Author Addresses: Dr. Iezzoni and Ms. Mackiernan: Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Room LY-326, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.
Copyright ©2004 by the American College of Physicians
Objective: To determine whether assessments of illness severity, defined as risk for in-hospital death, varied across four severity measures.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Setting: 100 hospitals using the MedisGroups severity measure.
Patients: 11 880 adults managed medically for acute myocardial infarction; 1574 in-hospital deaths (13.2%).
Measurements: For each patient, probability of death was predicted four times, each time by using patient age and sex and one of four common severity measures: 1) admission MedisGroups scores for probability of death scores; 2) scores based on values for 17 physiologic variables at time of admission; 3) Disease Staging's probability-of-mortality model; and 4) All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRGs). Patients were ranked according to probability of death as predicted by each severity measure, and rankings were compared across measures. The presence or absence of each of six clinical findings considered to indicate poor prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction (congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, coma, low systolic blood pressure, low left ventricular ejection fraction, and high blood urea nitrogen level) was determined for patients ranked differently by different severity measures.
Results: MedisGroups and the physiology score gave 94.7% of patients similar rankings. Disease Staging, MedisGroups, and the physiology score gave only 78% of patients similar rankings. MedisGroups and APR-DRGs gave 80% of patients similar rankings. Patients whose illnesses were more severe according to MedisGroups and the physiology score were more likely to have the six clinical findings than were patients whose illnesses were more severe according to Disease Staging and APR-DRGs.
Conclusions: Some pairs of severity measures assigned very different severity levels to more than 20% of patients. Evaluations of patient outcomes need to be sensitive to the severity measures used for risk adjustment.
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text:
____/ [H]omer on Thursday 25 October 2007 22:31 : \____
> OneCare Slopware to blame, apparently:
> Microsoft OneCare Silently Changes Automatic Updates[/color]
They tried to develop something /themselves/.
Microsoft shipped OneCare unfinished?
,----[ Quote ]
| Since shipping in May, OneCare has failed industry tests and exposed
| users to attack because of a security flaw in the antivirus engine.
| The application also incorrectly flagged Gmail as a virus and in some
| cases quarantined or even deleted complete in-boxes when a single
| e-mail was laden with a virus.
Also on OneCare:
,----[ Quote ]
| Asked about these problems, Arno Edelmann, Microsoft's European business
| security product manager, told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the code itself
| has pieces missing.
| "Usually Microsoft doesn't develop products, we buy products. It's not a bad
| product, but bits and pieces are missing," said Edelmann.
> [url]http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138939-pg,1/article.html[/url][/color]
~~ Best of wishes
One person' diction is another's verbiage
[url]http://Schestowitz.com[/url] | RHAT GNU/Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
run-level 2 2007-10-16 15:14 last=
[url]http://iuron.com[/url] - help build a non-profit search engine


text:
Monster Wrangling CHALLENGE 3000!!!
Hoooooo boy! Welcome back to CMC 3000! I've never seen a mess quite like that. (At least not since last week...) BUT! It's time for our next contestant to come... Read more
A Twist of Fate Challenger!
Wow! That last challenge was CRAAAAAAZY! It'll take us *weeks* to get all the shrimp off the walls... but it was totally worth it!
You know what that means:... Read more
A New Challeger Approaches and Magic at the Table
A New Challenger Approaches
Ladiiiiiiiies and gentlemen! We know you're excited to see our contestents battle it out for chopstick supremacy, but we have a NEW CHALLENGER! Who is this?!... Read more
Another Dexterity Game from Mayday, but this one is total garbage!
Garbage Day
Our latest Kickstarteris ending in just a couple of weeks and we are blowing out all the stops. As a backer of Chopstick, we KNOW you love... Read more
CDMC 3000 is shipping!!
Hello everyone! We are sorry for the delay. We have all been working long hours to answer questions and prepare the Kickstarter packages for shipment. I do not wish to... Read more
Shipping Update
We should have the last of the domestic stuff into our system by the end of the week and shipped out. We also arranged Singapore, Australia and Brazil shipments today.... Read more
Finally shipping!!
Thanks for hanging in there everyone! Things have been pretty busy in our warehouse these last few weeks.
We are finishing up the USA shipments this week and plan on... Read more
They are finally coming in and a PERFECT GAME it is too!
We JUST got word that the games have arrived in SLC and will be delivered to our warehouse in Layton, Utah TOMORROW! We will begin shipping those rewards out... Read more
Shipping update and Viceroy (You knew that was coming!)
Shipping Update:
We have been waiting patiently for 2 weeks and just got this from our logistics person in California:
"As you know, the congestion situation is beyond our... Read more
Game arriving any day now and contents clarification!
Arrival is NOW
We are extremely happy to report that this game has hit port and is just stuck in customs in the Long Beach port in California and we... Read more
Survey says! Delivery is coming!
Survey Sent!
We have just sent out all the survey requests for the game as we expect the game to ship in the next few days. Please get your survey... Read more
Production Photos & Coconuts Duo for you...
Production Photos
The game is in production, really, check it out:
I think those shrimp pieces look great and good enough to eat, though I'm starving right now so it's... Read more
Production Completion Date and Delivery discussion....
Production Nearing Completion!
We just wanted to give you all a quick update on the project, we know it is overdue and we are very sorry for the delay. The... Read more
Production Update and Pirate Game
Production Update
Well the huge, huge pain of getting a food safety inspection on our chopsticks and bowls has finally been done and the components of the game just got... Read more
Food Fight!
Hello, all you sushi slingers! We wanted to serve up a quick update since we know you're hungry for news about the game. To be honest, we couldn't have invented... Read more
Game Specifications Detail
Lots of you have been asking for the specifications of the game, size of the box, components and specific colors of the tokens. Here you go:
The game will be... Read more
FUNDED already! Update #1
Wow! We have already funded this project, or rather YOU have! We have reached our funding goal in just a few days and are really excited by the speed at... Read more


text:
April 1 2013: In a flurry of big introductions, Maruti Suzuki India has softly launched the new 2013 Maruti Suzuki SX4 facelift in the Indian auto industry. The new SX4 has now received a more better exteriors and interiors along with a better fuel economy, however the company fif not changed the prices. Both diesel and petrol powered sedan have got better in terms of fuel economy. The petrol version of 2013 SX4 gives 16.51kmpl of mileage(a increase of 6 per cent), while the 1.3L turbo diesel SX4 returns 21.79kmpl of fuel economy. The CNG version of the sedan delivers a fuel efficiency of 22.1 km/kg.
|Ex-Showroom Price
ZDI Leather (Discontinued)
1248 cc, Manual, Diesel, 21.79 kmpl
|`9.54 Lakh
ZXI AT Leather (Discontinued)
1586 cc, Automatic, Petrol, 12.6 kmpl
|`9.04 Lakh
ZDI (Discontinued)
1248 cc, Manual, Diesel, 21.79 kmpl
|`8.98 Lakh
ZXI AT (Discontinued)
1586 cc, Automatic, Petrol, 12.6 kmpl
|`8.69 Lakh
ZXI MT Leather (Discontinued)
1586 cc, Manual, Petrol, 16.51 kmpl
|`8.54 Lakh
VDI (Discontinued)
1248 cc, Manual, Diesel, 21.79 kmpl
|`8.06 Lakh
ZXI MT (Discontinued)
1586 cc, Manual, Petrol, 16.51 kmpl
|`7.98 Lakh
Green Vxi (CNG) (Discontinued)
1586 cc, Manual, CNG, 22.1 kmpl
|`7.74 Lakh
Vxi (Discontinued)
1586 cc, Manual, Petrol, 16.51 kmpl
|`7.15 Lakh
Get up-to-date expert videos of Maruti SX4 - Subscribe Now! See below our handpicked SX4 Videos from Youtube and Web.
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11964 views
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|Fuel Type
|Mileage (kmpl)
|Engine Description
|88.73bhp @ 4000rpm
|88.73bhp @ 4000 rpm
|ZDI Leather
|88.73bhp @ 4000rpm
|103.2bhp @ 5600rpm
|103.2bhp @ 5600rpm
|ZXI MT Leather
|103.2bhp @ 5600rpm
|103.3bhp @ 5600rpm
|ZXI AT Leather
|103.3bhp @ 5600rpm
|Green Vxi (CNG)
|18.2 km/kg
|22.1 km/kg
|85.7bhp @ 5600rpm
The home grown automobile manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited that has produced a wide variety of vehicles in the market. It has a very good reputation of offering them at an economical price range besides being easy on the pocket in terms of after sales service and repairs as well. Among the various impressive models available, Maruti SX4 is one of the good looking sedan from its awe-inspiring fleet. It is available in a total of seven variants with petrol, CNG as well as diesel engine options for the buyers to select from. It has a 1.6-litre petrol engine that is based on a DOHC valve configuration. This can deliver a maximum power of 103.2bhp in combination with torque output of 145Nm. It is also offered with a CNG fuel kit that will help in returning around 22.1 km/kg, which is quite good. Meanwhile, its commanding 1.3-litre diesel engine can displace 1248cc and is coupled with an efficient five speed manual transmission gear box. This sedan has captivating exteriors along with luxuriant interiors, which will certainly lure a number of buyers. Its front facade features a bold radiator grille and a wide windscreen, while its sides includes neatly carved wheel arches as well as door handles. The rear end has a decent look and has aspects like a boot lid, radiant tail light cluster and a wide bumper. It is offered in six body paint options for the customers to select from. In terms of interiors, the cabin space is quite large and packed with many sophisticated aspects. It has a well designed dashboard integrated with many equipments, while there are well cushioned seats incorporated that offer good comfort and support to its occupants. There are also a few practical features available that helps in making the journey quite comfortable. Some of these include an air conditioning unit, adjustable head rests, key less entry and a tilt steering wheel as well. An advanced music system is also installed in the cabin that lets its passengers listen to their favorite music and stay entertained all through their way.
Apart from these, it has ticket holder, front seat back pockets, assist grips and a few other such utility based aspects that further adds to the convenience. It has a large fuel tank with the capacity of 50 litres, while the boot space is good enough for storing a lot of luggage. On the other hand, this stylish sedan is bestowed with quite a number of protective features, which will ensure proper security of its occupants and the vehicle as well. There are child locks available for the rear doors that keeps the kids safe, while the advanced ABS with EBD improves the braking mechanism even on wet and slippery surfaces. Besides these, it includes driver and front co-passenger airbags for enhanced protection in the event of a crash. All these aspects put together makes it one of the safest and sought after vehicles in this segment. It is bestowed with disc and drum braking system, which is quite effective and the suspension system ensures it remains stable on any road condition. Moreover, its handling is also made quite easier with the help of an electronic power steering system. This is offered with a standard warranty of 24 months or 40,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. The customers can also avail the extended warranty program for another one or two years for a nominal amount. It competes with the likes of Hyundai Verna Fluidic, Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Vento and a few other vehicles in this segment.
The exteriors of this Maruti SX4 sedan is designed with a number of stylish aspects, which makes it look appealing. Starting with its frontage, it has a broad chrome based grille, which has four horizontal slats. It is also affixed with a large chrome plated badge of the company in the center. There is a radiant headlight cluster, which is integrated with halogen lamps and side turn indicator. Below this, there is a body colored front bumper with a wide air dam in the center, which helps in air intake that allows its engine to cool faster. It is also fitted with a pair of bright round shaped fog lamps, which further enhances the visibility of the driver. There is also a thick chrome strip on the tip of its hood, which makes it look classy. It has a slanting forward bonnet with a couple of character lines on it. The wide windscreen is made up of laminated glass and is further fitted with a couple of intermittent wipers. The side profile is equipped by body colored molding and outside door handles as well as ORVM's, which have turn indicators fitted in them. The neatly carved out wheel arches of its top end trim have been fitted with a set of alloy wheels covered with robust tubeless radial tyres. While the other trims have been given steel wheels. There are front and rear mud flaps equipped to the wheel arches, which protect from dirt and other debris. The rear end has a large windscreen with a high mount stop lamp and a glass antenna as well. Then there is bright tail light cluster with reversing lamps and turn indicators. The boot lid is fitted with a prominent company logo along with variant badging, a thick chrome band and license plate area. The body colored bumper gets a pair of reflectors that further adds to its safety.
Exterior Measurements:
This sleek sedan is very spacious and can take in 5 passengers with ease. Its overall length is about 4500mm along with a total width of 1735mm. The height of its base trims (VXI and VDI) is 1550mm, while the other two top end trims are close to 1560mm. It has a roomy wheelbase of 2500mm, while its front and rear track are measured at 1500mm and 1495mm respectively. The average ground clearance of its top end trims is about 180mm, while the other couple of trims have it at 170mm. This elegant sedan has a minimum turning radius of 5.3 meters, which is quite decent.
Editor's take : The interior space on the SX4 is good in the front and the second row. The bells and whistles on offer are also decent, however it misses out on the stylish interiors that most of its competition possesses.
Maruti SX4 is blessed with a roomy internal section that is decorated beautifully with a dual tone black and beige color scheme. There are five well cushioned seats incorporated that are wide and offer good comfort to its occupants. These are integrated with adjustable headrests and covered with premium fabric upholstery. The cockpit includes a smooth dashboard that is integrated with air vents, three spoke steering wheel and a stylishly designed center console. It also has an instrument cluster with functions like a tachometer, speedometer with white illumination control, amber switch illumination and an information display. There is an integrated music system fitted to its center console that is operated through a remote control. The dual toned dashboard and wood finished armrests on door trims with cubic printing gives it a classy look. This is further complimented by chrome finished door handles, AC louvers and silver garnished gear shift knob, which makes its interior appearance quite appealing. It has a spacious glove box compartment that is good enough for placing small things, while the interior light can be turned on by switching on the central locking. Apart from these, it is bestowed with several utility based aspects like front door trim pockets, ticket holder, vanity mirror on co-passenger side, three assist grips, day and night rear view mirror and front seat back pockets as well. There are also cup holders available on the center console and bottle holders on the door trims for added convenience.
Interior Comfort:
There are a lot of innovative features available in this stunning sedan, which gives a comfortable driving experience. It has an instrument panel that displays door ajar warning lamp, driver seat belt indicator, key off reminder, headlight leveling as well as audible headlight-on notifications for the convenience of its driver. The base level trims are blessed with a manual AC, while the rest of them have a single zone automatic air conditioning system. It comes along with a heater and helps in regulating the cabin temperature. There are electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors, which are foldable as well in the high end trims. It has all four power operated windows, while the rear windshield has defogger. The rear seat has center armrest, while the top end trims have driver's seat with height adjustment facility. The steering wheel is mounted with audio controls, which makes it very convenient for the driver while using it. In addition to these, it includes twin map lights, trunk room lamp, tilt adjustable steering column, keyless entry, adjustable headrests, center room lamp as well as remote fuel tank and trunk opener that increases the level of comfort while traveling.
Interior Measurements:
It is designed with a spacious cabin that can easily accommodate five passengers inside it. There is enough legroom offered to its passengers along with ample head and shoulder space. It is offered with the boot space of 504 litres, which is quite good for placing a lot of luggage. This storage space can be further increased by folding the rear seat. Furthermore, the centrally mounted fuel tank comes with the holding capacity of 50 litres, which is rather good.
Editor's take : The acceleration on the SX4 is now more linear, and the turbo lag isn't that prominent. This has resulted in better drivability even in lower engine power.
The company has skillfully paired both the power plants with an efficient five speed manual transmission gear box that distributes torque output to its front wheels. The variants with a diesel mill can accelerate from 0 to 100 Kmph in nearly 13 to 14 seconds. These are capable of attaining a top speed of around 155 Kmph, which is not bad at all. Whereas, the petrol trims consumes around 12.1 seconds to cross the speed barrier of 100 Kmph. Moreover, these can achieve an impressive top speed that ranges between 175 to 180 Kmph, which is rather thrilling for the passengers.
Editor's take : The performance of the 1.6-litre petrol is good, while the diesel still lags that punch that competition has. The engine has to be in a certain rev band else it still struggles.
The automaker has introduced it with a 1.6-litre, VVT (variable valve transmission) petrol engine that has the total displacement capacity of 1586cc. It carries four cylinders, 16 valves and is based on a double overhead camshaft valve configuration. It produces a peak power of 103.2bhp at 5600rpm along with a torque output of 145Nm at 4100rpm. It also comes with a CNG fuel kit that helps in delivering a maximum fuel economy of 22.1 km/kg, which is rather good. On the other hand, it is incorporated with a 1.3-litre, DDiS diesel engine that has the ability to displace 1248cc. It has four cylinders, which are further fitted with sixteen valves in it. The maximum power generated by this motor is 88.7bhp at 4000rpm, while it yields a peak torque output of 200Nm, which is rather good. Both these power plants are skillfully paired with a proficient five speed manual transmission gear box that gives a smooth and precise gear shifting experience. Furthermore, these performance packed engines are compliant with Bharat Stage IV as well as OBD II emission standards.
Editor's take : The SX4 has decent fuel economy, however Maruti Suzuki engineers have further revived the fuel economy on the diesel engine.
Its performance packed petrol engine is integrated with a multi point fuel injection system. As claimed by the company, it can return a healthy mileage of around 12.0 kmpl within the city limits, which increases substantially to about 16.51 kmpl, when driven on highways. In the CNG mode, it gives nearly 22.1 km/kg on expressways, which comes down to nearly 18.2 km/kg on the city roads. On the other hand, it has a commanding diesel engine that is incorporated with a direct diesel injection fuel system. The maximum fuel economy delivered by this motor is 21.79 Kmpl, whereas it gives around 17.5 Kmpl, when the vehicle is driven in city traffic conditions.
Editor's take : The power ratings on the SX4 remain the same for the petrol and the diesel, however the company has made some changes to the ECM for better response.
The petrol mill can churn out a peak power of 103.2bhp at 5600rpm along with a torque output of 145Nm at 4100rpm, which is rather incredible for the Indian roads. In the CNG mode, it produces a maximum power and torque of 85.8bhp and 122Nm respectively. Meanwhile, its diesel engine has the ability to generate a peak power of 88.7bhp at 4000rpm. At the same time, it can yield 200Nm maximum torque output, which is rather good considering the Indian roads and traffic.
Editor's take : The SX4 gets an in-built music system with steering mounted audio controls, USB connectivity, etc.
Both the top end variants of this dynamic sedan series have been integrated with an advanced audio system, which will certainly enhance the in-cabin ambiance for the occupants. This feature packed music system has the ability to play CD, MP3, WMA format and also has a AM/FM Radio tuner as well. This music system also has other input options such as a USB interface along with an Aux-In port. It also gets a convenient stereo remote control, which makes it easier for the passengers to handle the music system. This sedan series is equipped with a total of four speakers, a couple of them at the rear and a pair in the front. Apart from these, it also has two tweeters in its front door trim. The multifunctional steering wheel has mounted audio buttons for further making the driving hassle free.
Editor's take : The ride on the SX4 is decent, while the handling is good as well. The meaty tyres do grip well.
This feature is one of the most crucial part of any vehicle and the company has taken good care of it. This sedan has a sturdy braking system along with a highly dependable suspension mechanism as well. This impressive Maruti SX4 sedan has been equipped with ventilated discs for its front wheels, while the rear wheels gets a drum brakes, which ensures that this sedan is well under the control of the driver on any road conditions. Apart from these, this sedan series also gets the advanced anti lock braking system along with a brake assist and a electronic brake force distribution mechanism as well for additional advantage and safety. On the other hand, the front axle of this sedan gets a independent suspension with gas filled McPherson strut type of a mechanism along with an anti roll bar. While, the rear axle gets a semi independent torsion beam with gas filled shock absorbers for better stability and balance. All these systems and mechanisms put together makes sure that this sedan is well balanced and under the control of the driver at all times.
Editor's take : The safety features on the SX4 are airbags and ABS.
This sedan series have been equipped with some of the best in class protective aspects. The company has incorporated this sedan with a driver and front co-driver airbags for enhanced protection of these passengers in case of any crash. Then there are 3-point ELR (energy load reduction) front and rear seat belts for its occupants with pre-tensioners and force limiters along with a 2-point lap belt for the rear center passenger that ensures all the passengers are safe. It also has child locks for the rear doors, which is an added feature to keep the kids safe. There are height adjustable front seat belts, which helps the driver to adjust it according to their requirement making the drive more comfortable. Apart from all these, there are side impact protection beams that help in minimizing the impact in case of an accident, an iCATS (intelligent Computerized Anti Theft system) equipped engine immobilizer that ensures that this sedan is safe from car thefts, an advanced ABS with EBD for better braking even on wet roads and many more such aspects, which will ensure proper safety and protection of its passengers as well as this sedan.
The company has given a set of different wheels depending on its variants. While the pronounced wheel arches of its top end trims (ZDI and ZXI) have been equipped with a modish set of 16 inch light weight alloy wheels. These classy alloy rims are further covered with sturdy tubeless radial tyres of size 205/60 R16, which have a superior road grip on any terrain. The other remaining trims in this Maruti SX4 model line-up are fitted with a robust set of 15 inch steel wheels. These strapping steel rims have been further covered with tubeless radial tyres of size 195/65 R15, which have a strong grip on the roads. The company has also equipped all the variants of this sedan series with a full size spare wheel. This wheel has been fitted in the boot compartment across all the trims along with a tool kit and other necessary things, which help in changing a flat tyre.
1. Its interiors are quite stylish and spacious.
2. Advanced comfort and safety features.
3. Instrument cluster loaded with several important notifications.
4. Roomy boot compartment that can take in lot of luggage.
5. Petrol engine performance is rather good.
1. There is still scope to improve its external appearance.
2. Its diesel engine performance can still be improved.
3. Pickup and acceleration needs to further improve.
4. Cost of ownership can still be made competitive.
5. Mileage is not up to the mark.
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The mock trial team at Hills has done amazing this year!
The Grammys were a night to remember!
You say you want a revolution?
Student Council Vice President shares her thoughts on this past spirit week!
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck requires Flash Player 9 or better.


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MOBILE, Alabama -- Students can give their teachers gift cards this holiday season, so long as it is to buy items for the benefit of the class, according to an opinion just rendered by the Alabama Ethics Commission.
The commission met this morning and approved a 26-page opinion addressing the issue of holiday gifts for teachers and other state employees as well as other questions surrounding Alabama's new ethics laws.
As Christmas shopping is underway, the Ethics Commission has been getting about 25 calls per day asking what gifts can and cannot be bought for teachers. Alabama's new ethics laws were designed to limit gifts and actions of lobbyists toward legislators.
"However, the unintended consequences trickled down and affect school teachers just as they affect legislators," the opinion states. In fact, the law affects all 200,000-plus city, county, state and school employees.
Alabama law used to allow gifts as long as they were less than $100. Now, the law states that gifts must be of de minimis, or little, value. Ethics Commission director Jim Sumner has said the commission cannot set a specific dollar amount to de minimis, because doing so would be arbitrary.
In today's opinion, the commission gave these examples of acceptable gifts for school teachers:
-- fruit baskets, homemade cookies, etc.
-- Christmas ornaments of little intrinsic value.
-- Coffee mugs filled with candy or of a holiday nature.
-- Any item that the teacher may use to assist him/her in performing his or her functions as a teacher, such as notebooks, school supplies, etc.
-- CD's or books of a nominal value, scarves, etc.


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Elevator Accident Leaves One Dead
By Sean Gardiner and Aaron Rutkoff | UPDATED AT 4:30P.M.
A 41-year-old worker at an advertising company was killed Wednesday morning when an elevator in an office building in Midtown Manhattan began moving as she was stepping inside.
Police said the woman, Young & Rubicam employee Suzanne Hart, was boarding the elevator on the ground floor of 285 Madison Avenue when it moved up suddenly, crushing her. The elevator went up two floors, stopped and then plummeted back down, police said.
Hart's body became trapped between the first and second floors and remained lodged inside the elevator shaft, a spokesman for the Fire Department said. Two other people were injured.
City building inspectors are investigating the cause of the accident and have issued a cease-use order for the elevator, the Department of Buildings said Wednesday.
John Hanna, the manager of the Riflessi clothing store inside the building, had been opening the store when the accident occurred. "We heard banging and screaming," he said. "People came out and were saying a lady got crushed in the elevator."
The two people injured in the accident were taken to New York University Hospital. Their names have not yet been released.
A call reporting the elevator accident was made around 10 a.m. Wednesday, police and fire officials said. Fire officials initially said the elevator had fallen and crashed.
Transel Elevator Inc., based in Manhattan, is listed in Department of Buildings records as the company that services the 13 elevators inside 285 Madison Avenue. Robert Pitney, director of Transel, confirmed that his company maintains elevators there.
"Our information is scant," he said in a phone interview. "It would be premature to make any comment other than we recognize this as tragic incident and our hearts go out to those involved."
The elevator was most recently inspected in June, and had no safety issues that would relate to Wednesday's accident, a buildings department spokeswoman said. According to the DOB, the elevator last recorded a hazardous violation in 2003, and the condition was corrected. The building's other elevators have not presented safety hazards, according to records.
Young & Rubicam, now a division of advertising giant WPP PLC, owns 285 Madison Avenue and has been a presence in the building since its founding in 1926. The office tower is also home to other advertising firms owned by WPP, including Blast Radius, K&L, BrandBuzz, Bravo, KBM Group and VML.
Y&R chief executive Peter Stringham said the company is "deeply, deeply saddened to confirm that one of our employees has died" and called the accident "a great emotional shock" in a statement put out Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier this month, Young & Rubicam announced plans to move its offices to 3 Columbus Circle, where they agreed to take 340,000 square feet of space.
Patrick Carrajat, an elevator-safety consultant and founder of an elevator museum in Queens, said deaths caused by an elevator moving while a passenger is entering are extremely rare. "For someone to be killed is almost beyond comprehension," he said in an interview.
Two redundant elevator systems are designed to prevent a car from moving with the door open, and Carrajat noted that a malfunction like this "is unheard of."
"This is going to be a major case against the elevator [servicing] company, for sure," said Carrajat, who sometimes serves as an expert witness in elevator-related lawsuits. "It is extraordinary, this kind of failure."
–Pervaiz Shallwani and Eliot Brown contributed to this report.


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With an entire show shot on an iPhone 5S and beamed around the world, Burberry leads the way in Fashion Week access, but it's still not a public event.
Crosby Noricks, a brand strategist and fashion PR maven, said something poignant to us about Fashion Week — "These days, the runway show is but a single component of an entertainment and marketing machine." With Paris kicking off the last week of the Spring/Summer 2014 shows tomorrow, we've been thinking a lot about that statement, and subsequently, the varying attitudes regarding publicity and privacy at the shows. As an example, London Fashion Week was more public than ever this time around; concomitantly, it's registering more highly on international buyers' to-do lists. But is the open door policy, however incrementally wider it may be, contributing to the event's elevation on fashion insiders' radars?
In reality, the two factors are probably unrelated. Noricks points out that "while turning Fashion Week into a public event certainly provides more marketing fodder for brands eager to engage with consumers, and even makes sense now that runway shows are more spectacle than functional, exclusivity drives interest." In other words, if you give anyone who wants one a seat at a show, all those livestreams and social media blasts and street style photos will lose a lot of their appeal. Looking at instant online updates isn't necessary when you can watch the thing in person.
"The requisite PR stories include not only the trends, but who sat front row, who posed outside the show, and which designer broke the seal on the latest digital technology," notes Noricks. In order for the story to have any traction, there needs to be at least one barrier to direct access — and that's keeping the runways themselves invite-only.
More far-flung Fashion Weeks can and do embrace the public, but they have other agendas to meet. Australia, for instance, livebeams its runways, opens a temporary bar near the Fashion Week venue, and generally invites all of Sydney to get in on the action. But without the perennial crush that, say, New York faces, cultivating a wider audience and getting its brands on the international radar are more important than keeping people out.
With the big four — Paris, New York, Milan, and London — in order to retain some kind of mystique for outsiders, the event still has to be appealing for insiders. And not just any marketing team, but the editors, buyers, photographers, and other players who have the most legitimate, career-related reasons to be there. Noricks says, "If Fashion Week becomes nothing more than a date on an eager marketer's calendar, the magic of the event becomes diluted and eventually, those clamoring for access will have their cake, and move on."


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Mizuho Rides Softbank to Top in M&A
Until Softbank's takeover bid for Sprint Nextel, Japan's Mizuho Financial Group was known more as a lending bank than one that advised companies on acquisitions overseas.
The group's brokerage arm, Mizuho Securities Co., had losses for six consecutive quarters before turning around in the April-June quarter. And it has consistently ranked behind Nomura Holdings and even foreign banks like J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley an advisory bank in Japan-related deals.
But now, thanks to its long-standing relationship with Softbank, Mizuho is advising Softbank on a planned $20 billion purchase of Sprint. It has leapfrogged to No. 1 in the Japan league tables that rank investment banks by the value of deals they advise on. It was in third place last week, according to Dealogic.
So far this year, Mizuho has advised on $73.7 billion worth of mergers and acquisitions involving Japanese companies, a lead over longtime market leader Nomura, at $55.3 billion. Last year, in the same period, Mizuho ranked eighth.
Raine Group LLC, a relatively unknown M&A house in Japan that is advising Softbank along with Mizuho, also leaped, to 9th this year from 32nd for all of 2011.
Citigroup, which is advising Sprint, rose to No. 4 from 11th for the same period a year earlier.
Mizuho has spent the last several years trying to ramp up its investment-banking brokerage division. Mizuho Chief Executive Yasuhiro Sato has said his vision for his bank is as a one-stop shop, from lender to advising on deals.
A banker close to the deal said Mizuho is getting paid "a small amount" to advise on the M&A transaction of Softbank, though it will make profits from the hefty loans involved.
Mizuho, as well as Japan's two other top banks—Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group—and Deutsche Bank are providing Softbank with a bridge loan of about ¥1.6 trillion ($20 billion) for the deal, ¥700 billion of which will come from Mizuho.
Softbank's president, Masayoshi Son, said at a news conference that banks were willing to lend more money, given that his company has reduced its net interest-bearing debt to ¥800 billion from ¥2.47 trillion in the past six years.
An executive at one of Softbank's lenders said, "Mizuho got into this deal because of its financing ability and its strong relationship with Softbank."
Japanese banks in general have relatively strong capital bases, though lending has been sluggish.
"This [deal] could benefit Mizuho's profitability," said Nana Otsuki, an analyst at Merrill Lynch Japan Securities, adding that Mizuho's structure, which includes both a commercial bank and an investment bank, helped in getting the deal.
Mizuho's strong ties with Softbank date back to more than a decade ago when one of the three banks that were later merged to create Mizuho, Industrial Bank of Japan, led a syndicated loan of ¥53 billion that financed Softbank's purchase in 1995 of the U.S. Comdex computer trade shows. In addition, Kazuhiko Kasai, senior executive of another Mizuho predecessor, Fuji Bank, became a Softbank board member and chief financial officer in 2000.
Mizuho was an adviser on another big cross-border deal by Softbank: the Japanese mobile carrier's ¥1.75 trillion ($22.2 billion at today's exchange rates) acquisition of Vodafone Groups Japanese cellular-phone subsidiary in 2006. And Mizuho led a group of banks that financed the ¥1.45 trillion funding for the Vodafone Japan purchase.
Mizuho's rise to the top of Japan's league tables may not be sustainable, as firms like Nomura and Daiwa Securities Group and other brokerages owned by MUFG and SMFG compete for roles in Japanese companies' increasing acquisitions overseas. But for now, staying close to Softbank has paid off.


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Contact Information
Hotel Elegante Conference & Event Center (formerly Crowne Plaza CO Springs)
Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs
2886 South Circle Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: 1-843-760-5839 / 1-888-233-9527
** Due to the popularity of this event, we are SOLD OUT for all dates, except for June 28th & 29th. Please check back for any additional rooms that become availabile**
Welcome Race Fans! The Crowne Plaza is thrilled to be the Headquarters Hotel for the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. We look forward to hosting you during this event here in beautiful Colorado Springs!
After being greeted by the dazzling views of Pikes Peak and the surrounding mountains enjoy a comforting night sleep at the Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is easily accessible and close to all area attractions such as the World Arena, Garden of the Gods, Olympic Training Center, Old Colorado City and downtown Colorado Springs. And, with almost 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the Crowne Plaza Hotel welcomes meetings from 2 to 2,000.
|Room Service
|Fitness Center/Health Club
|Business Center
|Internet Access
|Airport Shuttle
|Cable TV
|Car rental
|Convention Center
|Gift Shop
|Golf nearby
|Indoor pool
|In-room movies
|Iron/ironing boards
|Meeting rooms
|Pets allowed
|Free Wireless internet
|Seasonal outdoor pool
|Conference Center
|Balcony Rooms Available
|Roll Away Beds Available at an Additional Fee
|Desk in Room
|No Smoking
|Air Conditioning
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Assistant Professor - Management
Niagara University in New York
|Open until filled
|Date Posted
|August 6, 2014
|Tenured, tenure track
|Commensurate with experience
|Employment Type
Management: The Management Department at Niagara University invites applications for a full time, tenure track faculty position at the Assistant Professor rank, beginning in January 2015 or September 2015, pending budget approval. Home to 650 undergraduate and 225 graduate business students, the College of Business Administration has long-standing AACSB accreditation. Its MBA program was recently named in the Top Tier in North America and global best 150 by CEO magazine. This combination of outstanding quality and small size fosters close student-faculty relationships permeating all aspects of instruction, research, and service. Niagara University was founded in 1856 by the Catholic Vincentian Fathers, whose mission emphasizes practical training and excellence in service of society. NU's traditional stone buildings and leafy green campus sits on Monteagle Ridge, overlooking the Niagara River Gorge just three miles north of the majestic Niagara Falls. Immediately adjacent to Canada, NU's bi-national culture is built on close proximity to major manufacturing and business centers in Buffalo and Toronto, attracting from both countries significant populations of students and faculty. Niagara Falls also boasts an affordable cost of living almost 20% below the national average. Please visit https://jobs.niagara.edu/JobPosting.aspx?JPID=1817 to view application instructions and apply online. Candidates will be asked to submit the following with application:(1)Letter of interest(2) Curriculum vitae(3) Teaching evaluation summary (4) Sample research paper. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Management or equivalent degree. All areas of specialization will be considered with preference for Management/Strategy with supporting areas of supply chain management, entrepreneurship, or MIS. Candidates should demonstrate success or the potential for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. ABD's will be considered for tenure-track position but PhD must be conferred by 9/15/2015 for continuing employment. Salary and benefits are AACSB competitive (3/3 teaching load and travel/faculty development support). Niagara University is an AA/EOE employer.
How To Apply
You can apply for this position online at https://jobs.niagara.edu/JobPosting.aspx?JPID=1817


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[Previous] | [Session 26] | [Next]
P.P. Plucinsky (SAO), ACIS-OPS Team
We describe the pivotal first 20 days of operations for the AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). ACIS coupled with the High Resolution Mirror Assembly aboard CXO will usher in a new era of X-ray astronomy providing an unprecedented combination of angular and spectral resolution. We will step through the first moments of the mission, from launch aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, through the in-bay activities, the deployment and transfer orbit, the initial activation of the instrument, the first data collected with the CCDs, up until the first astronomical light observation. We will discuss the critical stages of this sequence which pose a threat to the instrument and our efforts to minimize these threats. We will describe the first datasets which may eventually be useful to guest observers and the astronomical community in general.
If the author provided an email address or URL for general inquiries,
it is as follows: