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Why 6 Passenger Vehicles Are Worth Consideration In Your Next New Or Used Vehicle Purchase
Years ago, all a large family could do if everyone wanted to go on the same trip was to buy a station wagon. In fact, many couples bought that type of vehicle if they were even thinking about having a family. It seems as though American families went through the 50s, 60s and 70s is that mode of thinking. Then along came the 80s and the minivan was invented along with the SUV and, just like that, the station wagon was gone. Today, there are many variations of 6 passenger vehicles, from full-size sedans and mini-vans to SUVs.
6 Passenger SUVs And Vans
Everyone agrees that the Mazda 5 (2.3 liter) is the top choice in the best 6 passenger cars in a van. Sporty and roomy, this big-little 4 cylinder minivan gets 28 mpg and has enough cargo space to haul around your son's football team with no worries. 27.6 extra wide sliding doors on both the driver and passenger sides, makes loading and unloading easy and hassle-free. Many standard features on the Sport, Touring and Grand Touring models, such as high intensity discharge headlights (HID), auto-rain sense windshield wipers, high-mounted tail lights, and 5 spoke alloy rims. Prices start at 18,510 to $23,240. Notable 6 passenger SUVs would include the Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Chevrolet Traverse.
6 Passenger Sedans
There are only a few sedans that are on the 6 passenger vehicle list; or at least, ones that are still being manufactured today. The Buick Lucerne, manufactured from 2006 through 2011 is a 4-door sedan that comes standard with a 4-speed V6 engine and a V8 option. Even though the Lucerne got an overall good rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, interest in this car has dwindled and it is being discontinued as of June of 2011.
The Cadillac DTS is another great 6 passenger full-size luxury sedan. The DTS comes loaded with standard features, like the North Star V8 engine, Xenon high-powered headlamps, leather and power seats, luxury trims and multiple air bags. Cadillac will be replacing the DTS with the XTS as one of their 2012 passenger vehicles. There are not many sedans (6 passenger) that are still being made, but the few that are would include the Chevrolet Impala (which has a history with the American public since 1957) the Lincoln Town Car, the Ford Crown Victoria and the Mercury Grand Marquis.
Used 6 Passenger Cars
There is a long list of used 6 passenger vehicles that have been discontinued due to disinterest by the buying public that were looking for more gasoline conservative vehicles. Some of these notable vehicles that shared a long run with American drivers are; Buick Century (1936-2005); Buick Electra (1959-1990); Cadillac Deville (1949-2005); Oldsmobile 88 (1949-1999); Oldsmobile 98 (1941-1996); and the Pontiac Bonneville (1958-2005).
Considering the fact that most of the 6 passenger cars being manufactured today not only come with the standard features of some luxury cars but offer comparable gas mileage to their smaller counterparts as well, is evident that 6 passenger vehicles are an excellent choice. If you have a large family however, or need to transport several people from one place to the other on occasion, the storage space and roomy comfort of a luxury sedan or a sporty 6 passenger SUV, is incomparable in terms of cost, comfort and enjoyment of the ride.
Mazda 5 Review Video
Image Source 1 By IFCAR (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Image Source 2 By U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (safercar.gov) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Image Source 3 By IFCAR (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


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Actually I've just realized that it should be n-dimensional vectors and matrix...
So the matrix just continues in the same way but the vectors are defined as...
We have n vectors
for , otherwise.
To be honest im not entirely sure either all I have is that definition to go on. Our lecturer tends to SAY most of the important stuff rather than write it down so you tend to miss lots of information...
So, given the vectors defined as you said, and the matrix H as in my first post.
How could I show that ? I really don't know where to start...[/COLOR]
EDIT: this is for all vectors, not just any two.
Let be any two vectors as you defined them before, and suppose first that , then:
Why? Let us denote by the k-th COLUMN of the matrix, with the first -1 in the -th positiion.
Now, while we get , for some
If , we get , and if then .
For the above product yields zero (since the first -1 in the column vector mutiplies the i+1 entry of the vector, which already is zero, and the same for the next ones)
We see, thus, that the only contribution in the above product is in the k-th and the (k+1)-th columns, and thus , and since the first non-zero entry is in the i=k-th position and , we'll get .
Now you try to do the case following the above lines.

subset: commoncrawl


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KUYPER Genealogy in All Regions
Search criteria: All Regions, Surname KUYPER
What can you do here?
Search online databases for your ancestors:*
Find related genealogy web sites:
Web sites 1 through 3 of 3
2. home-page van John H. de Rijk
Search for KUYPER at partner sites:
KUYPER queries on CousinConnect.com
KUYPER genealogy records at DistantCousin.
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I've been blogging a lot about things other than my novel lately, so it seems it's time for an update. For anyone who hasn't been following along, I'm working on a novel about an ostrich farmer. Her name is Tallulah Jones. She inherits the farm from her grandfather when he passes away. This much has remained constant, but every other detail of the story has changed, then changed again, then changed again. I've been working on this bitch for about 7 years. And when I say "working on" I mean actually working on. Some writers talk about working on their novel, and then write a few pages when they feel inspired. I don't believe in inspiration.
I get up almost every morning at 5am to write before my kids wake up. I have been working my ass off, and so it is with no small amount of frustration that I admit that I am 7 years in and going back to my outline. But that is the truth.
These days, I cling to the hope that with each draft I am getting closer to the core of what this story is, and with each passing year I am becoming a better writer. I must be getting better. The idea that I could do something so consistently for so long and not get better is too upsetting to even consider.
The other thing that gives me hope is that this new outline is actually not entirely new. I simply decided to start the story sooner. The beginning of my last draft will now be the mid-point, and starting so much earlier, I have a lot more room to develop the characters. I like the story more and more, even as I become increasing sick of working on it.
So that's the haps on the novel. I have a writing retreat planned for Labor Day weekend. I'm hoping to have the outline nailed down before that, and to start drafting then. I'm hoping that I can keep 50,000 words of the old draft (might be optimistic), and I'm shooting for about 100,000 words total. I write 500 words a morning, so that's 100 mornings. Six mornings a week is 16 weeks. With any luck, I might just finish a draft before the end of the year.
Of course, holidays and junk always get in the way, but if I can stay focused on the goal, I think I could do it.
I'll keep you posted.


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Station Group History
CTV Two
While the new A Channel "mini-network" was structured so that its news operations would be responsible to CTVglobemedia and not to the existing CTV News organization, CTVglobemedia was quick to recognize the new programming opportunities that A Channel ownership offered. CTVs deals for packages of US programs had often meant that some series had had to be shelved until the summer, because there had not been room in the fall schedule for all their purchase commitments. The acquisition of the "A"s now offered an opportunity for this programming to be scheduled in these key markets, often in simulcast.
In July, Corus Entertainment Inc. purchased ACCESS, and later in the summer CIAN Calgary and CJAL Edmonton were re-branded VIVA. (In March 2011 they were rebranded yet again on becoming part of the Oprah Winfrey OWN Network).
In July, CTV announced that in view of policy changes announced by the CRTC, aimed at providing new funding for small-market TV stations, CHWI-TV Windsor/Wheatley would stay on the air.
However, in September, CKNX-TV Wingham, after 54 years of local service, ceased broadcasting local programming, and became a rebroadcaster of CFPL-TV London. A deal for the sale of CKX Brandon to Bluepoint Investments broke down on October 1st, and the station closed down the following day.
On August 9th, the CRTC announced administrative renewals of all the broadcasting licences held by CTVglobemedia, which would now expire at various dates in 2011 and 2012.
In making the announcement, the Commission said that this would enable them to consider the renewal of the major large English-language private conventional television ownership groups by taking into account the determinations in the aforesaid Broadcasting Regulatory Policy.
On September 10th, BCE Inc. (Bell) announced it had agreed to acquire 100% of CTV. Bell had owned a 15% equity position in CTV and would acquire the remaining 85% for $1.3 billion inequity value from The Woodbridge Company Limited, the Toronto-based holding company of the Thomson family; Ontario Teachers Pension Plan; and Torstar Corporation.. The acquisition would be subject to CRTC approval.
On April 1, BCE Inc. (Bell) announced that it had completed its $3.2-billion acquisition of CTV and launched Bell Media, a new business unit encompassing all CTV and other Bell content assets. All CTV on-air programming and promotion was immediately given the Bell Media Brand.
On May 30th, Bell Media announced that it would extend its CTV brand to its "A" network, renaming it CTV Two in the Fall of 2011. The debut of the new identity would coincide with the launch of the network in High Definition. The move would include the movement of A NEWS outlets under the CTV NEWS banner.
The A Network became CTV Two at 6 a.m. on August 29th, 2011.
Sources include:
Book - "CTV - The Television Wars" by Susan Gittins.
Updated by Pip Wedge September, 2011
In addition, CKX-TV Brandon, MN carries some "A" programming.


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The Story of More: Richard Heinberg
What if we aren't about to return to economic growth? What if the economic growth era is actually behind us? Richard Heinberg's latest landmark work, The End of Growth, goes to the heart of the ongoing financial crisis, explaining how and why it occurred, and what we must do to avert the worst potential outcomes. He describes what policymakers, communities, and families can do to build a new economy that operates within Earth's budget of energy and resources. We can thrive during the transition if we set goals that promote human and environmental well-being, rather than continuing to pursue the now-unattainable prize of ever-expanding GDP.
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Statement for the Hearing on Securing America's Safety: Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-Terrorism Tools and Inter-Agency Communication
Statement of Patrick F. Kennedy, Under Secretary of State for Management
Department of State Before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Hearing on Securing America's Safety: Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-Terrorism Tools and Inter-Agency Communication
Written Testimony
January 20, 2010
Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Sessions and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to address you today. As a result of the attempted terrorist attack on Flight 253, the President ordered corrective steps to address systemic failures in procedures we use to protect the people of the United States. Secretary Clinton reiterated this direction when she stated, "we all are looking hard at what did happen in order to improve our procedures to avoid human errors, mistakes, oversights of any kind. We in the State Department are fully committed to accepting our responsibility for the mistakes that were made, and we're going to be working hard with the rest of the Administration to improve every aspect of our efforts." Therefore, the Department of State now is working on reviewing visa issuance and revocation criteria and determining how technological enhancements can facilitate and strengthen visa-related business processes.
Our immediate attention is on addressing the deficiencies identified following the attempted attack on Flight 253. At the same time we continue to plan for the future, incorporating new technology, increasing data sharing and enhancing operational cooperation with partner agencies. We have a record of quickly adapting and improving our procedures to respond to security imperatives. We have a highly trained global team working daily to protect our borders and fulfill the overseas border security mission and other critical tasks ranging from crisis management to protection of American interests abroad. Within the Department we have a dynamic partnership between the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security that adds a valuable law enforcement and investigative component to our capabilities. We will use these strengths to address the continuing security threats.
In the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, on the day following his father's November 19 visit to the Embassy, we sent a cable to the Washington intelligence and law enforcement community through proper channels (the Visas Viper system) that "Information at post suggests [that Farouk] may be involved in Yemeni-based extremists." At the same time, the Consular Section entered Abdulmutallab into the Consular Lookout and Support System database known as CLASS. In sending the Visas Viper cable and checking State Department records to determine whether Abdulmutallab had a visa, Embassy officials misspelled his name, but entered it correctly into CLASS. As a result of the misspelling in the cable, information about previous visas issued to him and the fact that he currently held a valid U.S. visa was not included in the cable. At the same time the CLASS entry resulted in a lookout using the correct spelling that was shared automatically with the primary lookout system used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and accessible to other agencies.
We have taken immediate action to improve the procedures and content requirements for Visas Viper cable reporting that will call attention to the visa application and issuance material that is already in the data that we share with our national security partners. All officers have been instructed to include complete information about all previous and current U.S. visa(s). This guidance includes specific methods to comprehensively and intensively search the database of visa records so that all pertinent information is obtained.
In addition to this change in current procedures to search visa records, we immediately began working to refine the capability of our current systems. When dealing with applications for visas, we employ strong, sophisticated name searching algorithms to ensure matches between names of visa applicants and any derogatory information contained in the 27 million records found in CLASS. This strong searching capability has been central to our procedures since automated lookout system checks were mandated following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. We will use our significant experience with search mechanisms for derogatory information to improve the systems for checking our visa issuance records.
The Department of State has been matching new threat information with our records of existing visas since 2002. We have long recognized this function as critical to the way we manage our records and processes. This system of continual vetting has evolved as post 9/11 reforms were instituted and is now performed by the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC). All records added to the Terrorist Screening Database are checked against the Department's Consolidated Consular Database (CCD) to determine if there are matching visa records. Matches are sent electronically from the TSC to the Department of State to flag cases for visa revocation. In almost all such cases, visas are revoked. In addition, we have widely disseminated our data to other agencies that may wish to learn whether a subject of interest has a U.S. visa. Cases for revocation consideration are forwarded to us by DHS/Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) National Targeting Center (NTC) and other entities. Almost every day, we receive requests to review and, if warranted, revoke visas for potential travelers for whom new derogatory information has been discovered since the visa was issued. Our Operations Center is staffed 24 hours per day/7 days per week to work these issues. Many of these requests are urgent because the person is about to board a plane. The State Department then uses its authority to prudentially revoke the visa.
Since the Presidentially ordered the Security Review, there have been changes in the thresholds for adding individuals to the Terrorist Screening Database, No Fly and Selectee lists. The number of revocations has increased substantially as a result. This revocation work is processed electronically in the Department. As soon as information is established to support a revocation, an entry showing the visa revocation is added electronically to the Department of State's lookout system and shared in real time with the DHS lookout systems used for border screening.
In addition to these changes, the Department is reviewing the procedures and criteria used in the field to revoke visas and will issue new instructions to our officers. Revocation recommendations will be added as an element of reporting through the Visas Viper channel. We will be reiterating our guidance on use of the broad discretionary authority of visa officers to deny visas on security and other grounds. Instruction in appropriate use of this authority has been a fundamental part of officer training for several years.
The State Department has broad and flexible authority to revoke visas and we use that authority widely to protect our borders. Since 2001, we have revoked 51,000 visas for a variety of reasons, including over 1,700 for suspected links to terrorism. We have been actively using this authority as we perform internal scrubs of our data with watch list information provided by partner agencies. For example, we are re-examining information in our CLASS database on individuals with potential connections to terrorist activity or support for such activity. We are reviewing all previous Visas Viper submissions as well as cases that other agencies are bringing to our attention from the No Fly and Selectee lists, as well as other sources. In these reviews, we have identified cases for revocation and we have also confirmed that substantial numbers of individuals in these classes hold no visas and of those few who did, many were revoked prior to the current review. We recognize the gravity of the threat we face and are working intensely with our colleagues from other agencies to ensure that when the U.S. Government obtains information that a person may pose a threat to our security, that person does not hold a visa.
We will use revocation authority prior to interagency consultation in circumstances where we believe there is an immediate threat. Revocation is an important tool in our border security arsenal. At the same time, expeditious coordination with our national security partners is not to be underestimated. There have been numerous cases where our unilateral and uncoordinated revocation would have disrupted important investigations that were underway by one of our national security partners. They had the individual under investigation and our revocation action would have disclosed the U.S. Government's interest in the individual and ended our colleagues' ability to quietly pursue the case and identify terrorists' plans and co-conspirators.
In addition to revocation efforts, consular officers refused 1,885,017 visas in FY2009. We now are renewing guidance to our officers on their discretionary authority to refuse visas under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act with specific reference to cases that raise security concerns. No visa is issued without it being run through security checks against our partners' data. And we screen applicants' fingerprints against U.S. databases as well.
The Department has a close and productive partnership with DHS, which has authority for visa policy. Over the past seven years both agencies significantly increased resources, improved procedures and upgraded systems devoted to supporting the visa function. DHS receives all of the information collected by the Department of State during the visa process. DHS has broad access to our entire CCD, containing 136 million records related to both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas and covering visa actions of the last 13 years. Special extracts of data are supplied to elements within DHS, including the Visa Security Units of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These extracts have been tailored to the specific requirements of those units. We are working closely with ICE Visa Security Units established abroad and with domestic elements of DHS, such as CBP's National Targeting Center.
We gave DHS access to U.S. passport records, used by CBP to confirm the identity of citizens returning to the U.S. We developed new card-type travel documents that work with the automated systems CBP installed at the U.S. land borders. We are collecting more information electronically and earlier in the process. Expanded data collection done in advance of travel will give DHS and partner agencies richer information and more time for analysis.
We make all of our visa information available to other involved agencies, and we specifically designed our systems to facilitate comprehensive data sharing. We give other agencies immediate access to over 13 years of visa data, and they use this access extensively. In November 2009, more than 16,000 employees of DHS, the Department of Defense (DOD), the FBI and Commerce made 920,000 queries on visa records. We embrace a layered approach to border security screening and are fully supportive of the DHS Visa Security Program.
The Department of State is at the forefront of interagency cooperation and data sharing to improve border security, and we embarked on initiatives that will position us to meet future challenges while taking into consideration our partner agencies and their specific needs and requirements. We are implementing a new generation of visa processing systems that will further integrate information gathered from domestic and overseas activities. We are restructuring our information technology architecture to accommodate the unprecedented scale of information we collect and to keep us agile and adaptable in an age of intensive and growing requirements for data and data sharing.
We proactively expanded biometric screening programs and spared no effort to integrate this expansion into existing overseas facilities. In partnership with DHS and the FBI, we established the largest biometric screening process on the globe. We were a pioneer in the use of facial recognition techniques and remain a leader in operational use of this technology. In 2009 we expanded use of facial recognition from a selected segment of visa applications to all visa applications. We now are expanding our use of this technology beyond visa records. We are testing use of iris recognition technology in visa screening, making use of both identity and derogatory information collected by DOD. These efforts require intense ongoing cooperation from other agencies. We successfully forged and continue to foster partnerships that recognize the need to supply accurate and speedy screening in a 24/7 global environment. As we implement process and policy changes, we are always striving to add value in both border security and in operational results. Both dimensions are important in supporting the visa process.
The Department of State is an integral player on the border security team. We are the first line of defense. Our global presence, foreign policy mission and personnel structure give us singular advantages in executing the visa function throughout the world. Our authorities and responsibilities enable us to provide a global perspective to the visa process and its impact on U.S. national interests. The issuance and refusal of visas has a direct impact on foreign relations. Visa policy quickly can become a significant bilateral problem that harms U.S. interests if handled without consideration of foreign policy impacts. The conduct of U.S. visa policy has a direct and significant impact on the treatment of U.S. citizens abroad. The Department of State is in a position to anticipate and weigh those possibilities.
We developed and implemented intensive screening processes requiring personal interviews, employing analytic interview techniques, incorporating multiple biometric checks, all built around a sophisticated global information technology network. This frontline of border security has visa offices present in virtually every country of the world. They are staffed by highly trained and multi-lingual personnel of the Department of State. These officials are dedicated to a career of worldwide service and provide the cultural awareness, knowledge and objectivity to ensure that the visa function remains the frontline of border security.
In addition, we have 145 officers and 540 locally employed staff devoted specifically to fraud prevention and document security, including fraud prevention officers at overseas posts. We have a large Fraud Prevention Programs office in Washington, D.C. that works very closely with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and we have fraud screening operations using sophisticated database checks at both the Kentucky Consular Center and the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Their role in flagging applications and applicants who lack credibility, who present fraudulent documents, or who give us false information adds a valuable dimension to our visa process.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security adds an important law enforcement element to the Department's visa procedures. There are now 50 Assistant Regional Security Officer Investigators abroad specifically devoted to maintaining the integrity of the process. They are complemented by officers working domestically on both visa and passport matters. These Diplomatic Security officers staff a unit within the Bureau of Consular Affairs that monitors overseas visa activities to detect risks and vulnerabilities. These highly trained law enforcement professionals add another dimension to our border security efforts.
The multi-agency team effort on border security, based upon broadly shared information, provides a solid foundation. At the same time we remain fully committed to correcting mistakes and remedying deficiencies that inhibit the full and timely sharing of information. We have and we will continue to automate processes to reduce the possibility of human error. We fully recognize that we were not perfect in our reporting in connection with the attempted terrorist attack on Flight 253. We are working and will continue to work not only to address that mistake but to continually enhance our border security screening capabilities and the contributions we make to the interagency effort.
We believe that U.S. interests in legitimate travel, trade promotion, and educational exchange are not in conflict with our border security agenda and, in fact, further that agenda in the long term. Our long-term interests are served by continuing the flow of commerce and ideas that are the foundations of prosperity and security. Acquainting people with American culture and perspectives remains the surest way to reduce misperceptions about the United States. Fostering academic and professional exchange keeps our universities and research institutions at the forefront of scientific and technological change. We believe the United States must meet both goals to guarantee our long-term security.
We are facing an evolving threat. The tools we use to address this threat must be sophisticated and agile. Information obtained from these tools must be comprehensive and accurate. Our criteria for taking action must be clear and coordinated. The team we use for this mission must be the best. The Department of State has spent years developing the tools and personnel needed to properly execute the visa function overseas and remains fully committed to continuing to fulfill its essential role on the border security team.
Patrick F. Kennedy
U.S. Department of State, Under Secretary for Management
Term of Appointment: 11/06/2007 to present
Patrick F. Kennedy, a Career Minister in the Foreign Service, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Under Secretary of State for Management on November 6, 2007. As Under Secretary for Management he is responsible for the people, resources, facilities, technology, consular affairs, and security of the Department of State and is the Secretary's principal advisor on management issues. He also provides regular direction to the Bureau of Resource Management, and the Chief Financial Officer serves as a core member of the Under Secretary's senior management team. He is the State Department's representative on the President's Management Council.
Prior to assuming his new position, he was Director of the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation from May 2007; Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Management from April 2005 to May 2007; and from February 2005 to April 2005 he headed the Transition Team that set up the newly created Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
From September 2001 to May 2005 he was U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform with the Rank of Ambassador. During this period he also served from May 2003 to the end of November 2003 as Chief of Staff of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, and from May 2004 to late August 2004 as the Chief of Staff of the Transition Unit in Iraq.
In 1993 he became Assistant Secretary of State for Administration and served in the post until 2001. Concurrently, from August 1996 to August 1997 he served as the Acting Under Secretary for Management; during 1998, as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security; and from 1997 to 2001 as the coordinator for the reorganization of the foreign affairs agencies. From 1973, when he joined the Foreign Service, to 1993, he served in a number of positions in Washington and overseas, including as Management Counselor at the Embassy in Cairo and Executive Director and Deputy Executive Secretary of the Executive Secretariat.
Mr. Kennedy is a native of Chicago, Illinois and received a BSFS from Georgetown University.
Oral Testimony
Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Sessions, and distinguished Members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. As Secretary Clinton stated following the attempted terrorist bombing of Flight 253, "we all are looking hard at what did happen in order to improve our procedures to avoid human errors, mistakes, oversights of any kind and we're going to be working hard with the rest of the Administration to improve every aspect of our efforts."
We acknowledge that errors were made and that processes need to be improved. Here are the steps we already have taken. The Department of State misspelled Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's name in a Visas Viper report. As a result, we did not add the information about his current U.S. visa in the report. To prevent this we have instituted new procedures that will ensure comprehensive visa information is included in all Visa Viper reporting that will call attention to the visa application and issuance material that is already in the data that we share with our national security partners.
We also re-evaluated the procedures and criteria used to revoke visas. The State Department has broad and flexible authority to revoke visas and we regularly use this power. Since 2001, we have revoked 51,000 visas for a variety of reasons, including over 1,700 for suspected links to terrorism.
In an ongoing effort with our partner agencies, new watch-listing information is continuously checked against the database of previously issued visas. We can and will revoke visas without prior consultation in circumstances where an immediate threat is recognized. We can and do revoke visas at the point people are seeking to board aircraft, preventing their boarding. In coordination with the National Targeting Center we revoke visas under these circumstances almost daily. We are standardizing procedures for triggering revocations from the field and we are adding revocation recommendations to the Visa Viper report. We scrubbed our databases and reviewed information in coordination with partner agencies.
In our data scrubs since December 25 we have reviewed the names in all prior Visa Viper submissions. We have re-examined information in our consular lookout CLASS database on individuals with potential connections to terrorist activity or support for such activity. In these reviews, we have identified cases for revocation and we have also confirmed that substantial numbers of these individuals hold no visas and of those few who did, many were revoked prior to the current review. We recognize the gravity of the threat we face and are working intensely with our colleagues from other agencies to ensure that when the U.S. Government obtains information that a person may pose a threat to our security, that person does not hold a visa.
At the same time, expeditious coordination with our national security partners is not to be underestimated. There have been numerous cases where our unilateral and uncoordinated revocation would have disrupted important investigations that were underway by one of our national security partners. They had the individual under investigation and our revocation action would have disclosed the U.S. Government's interest in the individual and ended our colleagues' ability to quietly pursue the case and identify terrorists' plans and co-conspirators.
We will continue to closely coordinate revocation processes with our intelligence and law enforcement partners. Information sharing and coordinated action are foundations of the border security systems put in place in the past eight years. These remain sound principles.
We believe that U.S. interests in legitimate travel, trade promotion, and educational exchange are not in opposition to our border security agenda and in fact further that agenda in the long term. We continuously make enhancements to the security and integrity of the visa process. As we continue this work, we take a comprehensive view of the process and its impact on U.S. national interests. We fully believe the U.S. is capable of enhancing border security and facilitating legitimate travel and in fact must meet both goals to guarantee our long-term security.
The Department has close and productive relationships with our interagency partners, and particularly with the Department of Homeland Security, which has authority for visa policy. The State Department brings unique assets and capabilities to this partnership. Our global presence, international expertise and highly-trained personnel provide us singular advantages in supporting the visa function throughout the world. We have developed and implemented an intensive screening process requiring personal interviews and supported by a sophisticated global information network. This front line of border security has visa offices in virtually every country of the world and they are staffed by highly-trained, multi-lingual, culturally aware personnel of the Department of State.
We support them with the latest technology, and access to advanced screening tools and information systems. We are introducing a new generation of visa software to more efficiently manage our growing mission and the increasing amounts of data we handle. We are pioneers in the use of biometrics, a leader in the use of facial recognition and we are expanding into the field of iris screening. We have and we will continue to automate processes to reduce the possibility of human error.
The State Department makes all visa information available to other involved agencies, giving them immediate access to over 13 years of data. We introduced online visa applications in 2009, which expanded our data collection tenfold and provides new information readily available for analysis by State and other agencies. This system will be rolled out worldwide in the next few months.
We embrace a layered approach to border security screening which gives multiple agencies an opportunity to review information and requires separate reviews at both the visa and admissions stage. No visa is issued without it being run through security checks against our partner's data. And we screen applicants' fingerprints against U.S. databases as well. We take our partners into consideration at every step we take forward.
We are fully supportive of the Visa Security Program of the Department of Homeland Security and work closely with them in 12 countries.
This multi-agency team effort, to which each agency brings its particular strengths, results in a more robust and secure process with safeguards and checks and balances. It is based on broadly shared information and is the solid foundation on which to build our border security future. We are past the era of stove-piped data, but there is clearly more work to be done. We are doing that work now and planning further improvements as we continue our review.
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Sen. Rand Paul Ruins More Things with Anti-Choice Antics
Today, a key committee of the U.S. Senate was a supposed to consider a bill to give Washington, D.C. greater autonomy over its own budget.
But, the committee won't get a chance to because of...Sen. Rand Paul.
The junior senator from the commonwealth of Kentucky filed several amendments to the D.C. budget bill, including one that would permanently ban the District from using its own money to pay for abortion care for low-income women. Sen. Paul's anti-choice antics helped derail the entire bill.
This comes a day after the senator stuck a "personhood" amendment into a flood-insurance bill - delaying action just as hurricane season heats up.
Now, you may be thinking, for a guy who's supposed to be all libertarian and states' rights-y, this behavior sure looks like big-government overreach.
Here's what Sen. Paul had to say for himself, "We don't have [control] over the states, but we do for D.C."
So, there you have it: Sen. Rand Paul, or "why Congress can't get anything done."


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PhD, Biochemistry, University of Bristol Medical SchoolView Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
School of Medicine E552-D
10900 Euclid Ave
Cleveland , OH 44116-4970
Phone: 216-368-5530
Fax: 216-368-5586
Sodium-coupled bicarbonate transporters
Structure-function relationships of Na+-coupled HCO3- transporters (NCBTs) and molecular mechanisms of NCBT regulation by protein binding partners.
Interactions between the cytosolic and transmembrane domains of NBCe1
The cytosolic amino terminal domain (Nt) of the electrogenic Na+/HCO3- cotransporter, NBCe1, exerts a stimulatory effect on the ion-transporting transmembrane domain (TMD). Even when expressed as separate fragments in the same cell, the Nt can still influence the activity of the TMD. We are investigating the reciprocal binding sites for the two domains as well as the mechanism(s) by which the Nt activates the TMD.
Stimulation of electroneutral Na+-coupled HCO3 transporters by protein binding partners
The three electroneutral Na/HCO3 cotransporters (NBCn1, NDCBE, and NBCn2) are abundantly expressed in neurons and in the epithelia of exocrine glands. HCO3- influx mediated by nNCBTs promotes neuronal excitability and also supports ion and fluid secretion by exocrine gland epithelia. All three transporters are stimulated by interaction of their Nt with the soluble protein IRBIT. NBCn1 is also stimluated by interaction of its Nt with calcineurin (Cn). We are investigating the mechanism(s) by which these binding partners stimulate HCO3- transport by NBCn1, NDCBE, and NBCn2.
- Parker MD, Qin X, Williamson RC, Toye AM, and Boron WF. HCO3--independent conductance with a mutant Na/HCO3 cotransporter (SLC4A4) in a case of proximal renal tubular acidosis with hypokalemic paralysis. J Physiol In press: 2012.
- Lee S-K, Boron WF, and Parker MD. Relief of autoinhibition of the electrogenic Na/HCO3 cotransporter NBCe1-B: role of IRBIT versus amino-terminal truncation. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 302: C518-C526, 2011.
- Boron WF, Chen LM, and Parker MD. Modular Structure of Sodium-Coupled Bicarbonate Transporters. J Exp Biol 212: 1697-1706, 2009.
- Parker MD, Musa-Aziz R, Rojas JD, Choi I, Daly CM, and Boron WF. Characterization of human SLC4A10 as an electroneutral Na/HCO3 cotransporter (NBCn2) with Cl- self-exchange activity. J Biol Chem 283: 12777-12788, 2008.
- Parker MD, Ourmozdi EP, and Tanner MJ. Human BTR1, a new bicarbonate transporter superfamily member and human AE4 from kidney. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 282: 1103-1109, 2001.


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Italian Herb Monkey Bread
- Prep Time: 50 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Ready Time: 75 min
- Yield: 16 servings
- 1 (16 oz.) package Pillsbury™ Hot Roll Mix
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- OR 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and thyme; 1/4 tsp. each dried oregano and rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water, 120° to 130°F
- 2 tablespoons Crisco® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large egg
- Pillsbury BEST™ All Purpose Flour, as needed to handle dough
- Crisco® Olive Oil No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation Directions
- COMBINE flour and yeast packets from roll mix, Italian herbs and salt in large bowl. Stir in water, olive oil and egg until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead on lightly floured surface 5 minutes until smooth, adding more flour as needed. Cover with large bowl; let rest 5 minutes.
- HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with no-stick cooking spray. Combine butter and garlic powder in small bowl. Divide dough into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into ball. Dip each ball in butter mixture and place in prepared pan. Pour any remaining butter over dough. Cover and let rise in warm place (80° to 85°F) 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- UNCOVER dough. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.
Nutritional Information Per Serving
Serving Size (1 slice, 1/16 of loaf), Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 60), Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 300mg, Total Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 2g), Protein 4g; Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 2%, Calcium 0%, Iron 2%.
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
* Ensure all recipe ingredients are gluten free by referencing the ingredient labels, as products may vary. If uncertain, contact the ingredient manufacturer.


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Doug Garland
Shot this video completely hand-held with a GH1 and a Dyaliscope Junior 16 Anamorphic lens. It was very difficult to judge exposure because it was so unbelievably bright that I was practically blind. A word of advice when shooting anamorphic; use additional camera support. Any kind will help. Because the image is so narrow, every little movement is exaggerated. Even with all of its flaws, I still love this city.
Music by David Holmes


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By Karl Terry, PNT Managing Editor
After discussion Tuesday threatened to revisit Roosevelt County's fire ban ordinance, county commissioners instead put a ban in place utilizing the provisions within the ordinance adopted last year.
Commissioner Gene Creighton said he had concerns that the ordinance wording still wasn't adequate. He felt that verbage providing for local fire departments to be notified prior to a controlled burn simply placed more responsibility on local departments without addressing the problem.
"The way it reads now, all they (residents) have to do is call in and 24 hours later they can set the fire," Creighton said. "Right now it's like not having a ban."
Creighton suggested that wording in the ordinance be changed so that residents would have to get approval from commissioners to burn when a resolution prohibiting burning is in effect under the ordinance.
Commissioners Paul Grider and David Sanders along with County Attorney Randy Knudson said they didn't believe it was that easy to change the wording and feared it would reopen the whole fire ban debate that erupted last year.
"We agreed in our meeting (to outline the ordinance) that there ought to be a call placed, whether they (departments) do a standby or not," Knudson said. "The departments made it pretty clear they wouldn't be able to do standbys."
Sanders said he wasn't against putting a fire ban resolution in place, he just wanted to make sure any changes were done right.
"I think we could give this resolution a chance for a month or so and see how it works out," Commissioner Bill Cathey said referring to the process as it stands.
The resolution passed by a 3-1 vote with Grider dissenting and Commissioner Dennis Lopez absent.
The resolution banning burning as outlined in the ordinance goes into effect until commissioners rescind it. According to County Manager Charlene Hardin this is the first time the ban provisions of the ordinance have been put into effect since it was enacted.
Commissioners also cleared the way for work to begin on remodeling the new office space for the 9th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Portales by selecting Davtek of Clovis as construction management for the project.
Davtek's proposal was rated over BRC Construction of Clovis in evaluations by District Attorney Matt Chandler, Kevin Spears of the district attorney's office and Hardin.
Davtek was construction manager on a similar project for the district attorney's office in Clovis recently.
The project is funded through a $180,000 appropriation from the state legislature along with $80,000 from the county, according to Hardin. Construction should get under way soon with a goal of occupying the space by the end of June.


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July/August 2002
Secret Heart
Concord Records
As the pool of credible male vocalists grows ever shallower, it's reassuring to know that Curtis Stigers has decided to swap pop stardom for the relative anonymity of life as a jazz singer. Stigers' bravura Secret Heart (Concord) is proof positive that this guy is ready to join the ranks of Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy. Casual listeners are likely to mistake Stigers for John Pizzarelli. There is, however, an added depth and maturity that distinguishes Stigers' singing. To my ear, he sounds like a potent blend of Sting and Jimmy Scott. The results are stunning. Playing it for laughs off the top, Stigers opens with "How Could a Man Take Such a Fall," a splendid self-parody that cleverly catalogs his tumble from flavor-of-the-week grace. The other Stigers original included here, "Swingin' Down at 10th & Main," is a joyful, bouncy paean to his hometown of Boise, Idaho. (For the record, both originals also feature some dandy tenor sax work by the man himself). Stigers has a hoot of a time with Steve Earle's "Hometown Blues" and really goes to town on "You're Driving Me Crazy" and "Down With Love." He's equally at home with heartbreak, serving up a version of Randy Newman's "It's So Hard Living Without You" that's appropriately melancholy but never slops over into maudlin sentimentality, then wrings every ounce of regret from Mercer and Mancini's eminently sorrowful "Days of Wine and Roses." As for the ballads, suffice it to say that gems like "My Foolish Heart" and "Body and Soul" are rarely handled with such velvety tenderness.


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Roughly one week later, the NBA's Orlando Summer League is still going strong.
Like, really strong.
Free agency is still consuming our offseason lives. Breathe, check Twitter, go bonkers on Google, stalk LeBron James' website, then repeat.
It's been madness.
Luckily, the summer league has provided a legitimate reason to put your phone down and not contribute to the crashing of superstars' websites.
Youngsters are getting serious burn this year, offering insight into their futures, lending further merit to the point of summer league play—which is, and shall forever remain, our actual basketball lifeline during this hectic time of year.


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Use a PivotTable report to summarize, analyze, explore, and present summary data. Use a PivotChart report to visualize that summary data in a PivotTable report, and to easily see comparisons, patterns, and trends. Both a PivotTable report and a PivotChart report enable you to make informed decisions about critical data in your enterprise. The following sections provide an overview of PivotTable reports and PivotChart reports.
About PivotTable reports
A PivotTable report is an interactive way to quickly summarize large amounts of data. Use a PivotTable report to analyze numerical data in detail and to answer unanticipated questions about your data. A PivotTable report is especially designed for:
Querying large amounts of data in many user-friendly ways.
Subtotaling and aggregating numeric data, summarizing data by categories and subcategories, and creating custom calculations and formulas.
Expanding and collapsing levels of data to focus your results, and drilling down to details from the summary data for areas of interest to you.
Moving rows to columns or columns to rows (or "pivoting") to see different summaries of the source data.
Filtering, sorting, grouping, and conditionally formatting the most useful and interesting subset of data to enable you to focus on the information that you want.
Presenting concise, attractive, and annotated online or printed reports.
You often use a PivotTable report when you want to analyze related totals, especially when you have a long list of figures to sum and you want to compare several facts about each figure. In the PivotTable report illustrated below, you can easily see how the third-quarter golf sales in cell F3 compare to sales for another sport, or quarter, or to the total sales.
1. Source data, in this case, from a worksheet
2. The source values for Qtr3 Golf summary in the PivotTable report
3. The entire PivotTable report
4. The summary of the source values in C2 and C8 from the source data
In a PivotTable report, each column or field in your source data becomes a PivotTable field that summarizes multiple rows of information. In the preceding example , the Sport column becomes the Sport field, and each record for Golf is summarized in a single Golf item.
A value field, such as Sum of Sales, provides the values to be summarized. Cell F3 in the preceding report contains the sum of the Sales value from every row in the source data for which the Sport column contains Golf and the Quarter column contains Qtr3. By default, data in the Values area summarize the underlying source data in the PivotChart report in the following way: numeric values use the SUM function, and text values use the COUNT function.
To create a PivotTable report, you must define its source data, specify a location in the workbook, and lay out the fields.
For more information, see Create a PivotTable to analyze data, Create a PivotChart, and Use the Field List to arrange fields in a PivotTable.
Ways to work with a PivotTable report
After you create the initial PivotTable report by defining the data source, arranging fields in the PivotTable field List, and choosing an initial layout, you can perform the following tasks as you work with a PivotTable report:
Explore the data by doing the following:
Expand and collapse data, and show the underlying details that pertain to the values.
Sort, filter, and group fields and items.
Change summary functions, and add custom calculations and formulas.
Change the form layout and field arrangement by doing the following:
Change the PivotTable report form: compact, outline, or tabular.
Add, rearrange, and remove fields.
Change the order of fields or items.
Change the layout of columns, rows, and subtotals by doing the following:
Turn column and row field headers on or off, or display or hide blank lines.
Display subtotals above or below their rows.
Adjust column widths on refresh.
Move a column field to the row area or a row field to the column area.
Merge or unmerge cells for outer row and column items.
Change the display of blanks and errors by doing the following:
Change how errors and empty cells are displayed.
Change how items and labels without data are shown.
Display or hide blank lines
Change the format by doing the following:
Manually and conditionally format cells and ranges.
Change the overall PivotTable format style.
Change the number format for fields.
Include OLAP Server formatting.
For more information, see Design the layout and format of a PivotTable report.
About PivotChart reports
A PivotChart report provides a graphical representation of the data in a PivotTable report, which in this case is called the associated PivotTable report. A PivotChart report is also interactive. When you create a PivotChart report, the PivotChart Filter Pane appears. You can use this filter pane to sort and filter the underlying data of the PivotChart report. Changes that you make to the layout and data in the associated PivotTable report are immediately reflected in the layout and data in the PivotChart report.
A PivotChart report displays data series, categories, data markers, and axes just as standard charts do. You can also change the chart type and other options such as the titles, the legend placement, the data labels, the chart location, and so on.
A PivotChart report of sport sales by quarter
You can automatically create a PivotChart report when you first create a PivotTable report, or you can create a PivotChart report from an existing PivotTable report.
For more information, see Create a PivotTable to analyze data, Create a PivotChart, and Use the Field List to arrange fields in a PivotTable.
Comparing a PivotTable report and a PivotChart report
When you create a PivotChart report from a PivotTable report, the layout of the PivotChart report, that is, the position of its fields, is determined initially by the layout of the PivotTable report. When you create the PivotChart report first, you determine the chart layout by dragging fields from the PivotTable Field List to specific areas on the chart sheet.
Note: The Totals and Subtotals of an associated PivotTable report are ignored in a PivotChart report.
The following PivotTable and PivotChart reports of sales data illustrate the relationship between the two.
1. A row label corresponds to a category
2. A column label corresponds to a data series
Differences between PivotChart reports and standard charts
If you are familiar with standard charts, you will find that most operations are the same in PivotChart reports. However, there are some differences:
Row/Column orientation Unlike a standard chart, you cannot switch the row/column orientation of a PivotChart report by using the Select Data Source dialog box. However, you can pivot the Row and Column labels of the associated PivotTable report to achieve the same effect.
Chart types You can change a PivotChart report to any chart type except an xy (scatter), stock, or bubble chart.
Source data Standard charts are linked directly to worksheet cells. PivotChart reports are based on the data source of the associated PivotTable report. Unlike a standard chart, you cannot change the chart data range in the Select Data Source dialog box of a PivotChart report.
Formatting Most formatting—including chart elements that you add, layout, and style—is preserved when you refresh a PivotChart report. However, trendlines, data labels, error bars, and other changes to data sets are not preserved. Standard charts do not lose this formatting once it is applied.
Although you cannot directly resize the data labels in a PivotChart report, you can increase the font size of the text to effectively resize the labels.
Working with the source data of a PivotTable or PivotChart report
When you create a PivotTable or a PivotChart report, you can use any of several different types of source data.
Creating a PivotTable or PivotChart from worksheet data
You can use data from a Microsoft Excel worksheet as the basis for a report. The data should be in list format, with column labels in the first row. Each cell in subsequent rows should contain data appropriate to its column heading. There should not be any blank rows or columns within the data of interest. Excel uses your column labels for the field names in the report.
Using a named range To make the report easier to update, name the source range, and use the name when you create the report. If the named range expands to include more data, you can refresh the report to include the new data.
Excel tables Excel tables are already in list format and are good candidates for PivotTable source data. When you refresh the PivotTable report, new and updated data from the Excel table is automatically included in the refresh operation.
Including totals Excel automatically creates subtotals and grand totals in a PivotTable report. If the source data contains automatic subtotals and grand totals that you created by using the Subtotals command in the Outline group on the Data tab, use that same command to remove the subtotals and grand totals before you create the report.
Using an external data source to create a PivotTable or PivotChart
You can retrieve data from a source that is external to Excel such as a database, an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cube, or a text file. For example, you might maintain a database of sales records you want to summarize and analyze.
Office Data Connection files If you use an Office Data Connection (ODC) file (.odc) to retrieve external data for your report, you can input the data directly into a PivotTable report. We recommend that you retrieve external data for your reports by using ODC files.
OLAP source data When you retrieve source data from an OLAP database or a cube file, the data is returned to Excel only as a PivotTable report or a PivotTable report that has been converted to worksheet functions.
Non-OLAP source data This is the underlying data for a PivotTable report or a PivotChart report that comes from a source other than an OLAP database. For example, data from relational databases or text files.
Using another PivotTable report as the data source
The PivotTable cache Each time that you create a new PivotTable report or PivotChart report, Excel stores a copy of the data for the report in memory, and saves this storage area as part of the workbook file. Thus, each new report requires additional memory and disk space. However, when you use an existing PivotTable report as the source for a new report in the same workbook, both reports share the same copy of the data. Because you reuse the same storage area, the size of the workbook file is reduced and less data is kept in memory.
Location requirements To use a PivotTable report as the source for another report, both reports must be in the same workbook. If the source PivotTable report is in a different workbook, copy the source report to the workbook location where you want the new report to appear. PivotTable reports and PivotChart reports in different workbooks are separate, each with its own copy of the data in memory and in the workbook files.
Changes affect both reports When you refresh the data in the new report, Excel also updates the data in the source report, and vice versa. When you group or ungroup items in one report, both reports are affected. When you create calculated fields or calculated items in one report, both reports are affected.
PivotChart reports You can base a new PivotTable report or PivotChart report on another PivotTable report, but you cannot base it directly on another PivotChart report. However, Excel creates an associated PivotTable report from the same data whenever you create a PivotChart report; therefore, you can base a new report on the associated report. Changes to a PivotChart report affect the associated PivotTable report, and vice versa.
Changing the source data of an existing PivotTable report
Changes in the source data can result in different data being available for analysis. For example, you may want to conveniently switch from a test database to a production database. You can update a PivotTable report or a PivotChart report with new data that is similar to the original data connection information by refreshing the report.
To include additional data or different data, you can redefine the source data for the report. If the data is substantially different with many new or additional fields, it may be easier to create a new report.
Displaying new data brought in by refresh Refreshing a report can also change the data that is available for display. For reports based on worksheet lists, Excel retrieves new fields within the source range or named range that you specified. For reports based on external data, Excel retrieves new data that meets the criteria for the underlying query or data that becomes available in an OLAP cube. You can view any new fields in the Field List and add the fields to the report.
Changing OLAP cubes that you create Reports based on OLAP data always have access to all of the data in the cube. If you created an offline cube file that contains a subset of the data in a server cube, you can use the Offline OLAP command to modify your cube file so that it contains different data from the server.


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Recorder file photo Amsterdam's Andrew Druziak competes during a track and field meet earlier this season in the town of Amsterdam.
By MICHAEL KELLY
TOWN OF AMSTERDAM -- Competing at Friday's outdoor track and field state championships likely offers no stress to Amsterdam High School junior Andrew Druziak.
That all came during the run-up.
While three of the spots in the Rams' 4x400-meter relay lineup were spoken for almost from the moment the season started in juniors Izaiah Brown, David Graveley and senior Julian Gallup, the fourth opening was not closed until Druziak won the position for good a couple weeks ago.
"After the Eddy Meet (on May 17), he was almost a lock," AHS head coach Kevin Wilary said Monday. "But, then, he ran a great time at sectionals, too, and that's where he locked it in."
Druziak won a five-way battle with teammates Gabe Fernandez, Jared Gallup, Edgar Maldonado and Bryan Stanavich for the final spot. All five AHS runners regularly had relay splits better than 54.0 seconds, making the competition between the Rams both elite and spirited.
"But, slowly but surely, you noticed [Druziak] was getting better," said Brown. "It was pretty amazing, honestly, because he missed some meets, too, but then he came out of nowhere."
Druziak has mixed his spring running season with playing AAU basketball, a split schedule which sometimes caused him to miss weekend meets for the Rams.
"One thing about Drew, though, is that he was always at practices and working on his own," said Wilary. "He's done everything he can to make himself better."
Still, Druziak needed some luck -- and irony -- to work in his favor.
At the Eddy Meet, Druziak was looking like a longshot to make the Rams' relay team and was an alternate for that day's race after missing several recent relays. But, when some of his teammates were unable to race in that day's relay -- the AHS baseball team had a game at the same time, taking both the Gallups and Stanavich away from the Rams -- Druziak got the unexpected call and made the most of it, helping his team to a win with a split better than 52.0 seconds.
Druziak said he is aware that without that chance at the Eddy Meet, his season could have ended much differently.
"But," he said, "I'm here."
And, Druziak will be in a key spot at Friday's state championships. The junior will run the third leg for the Rams, which means it will be Druziak's job to get the baton to Brown -- the state's reigning champion in the 400-meter dash -- within striking range.
Druziak said his goal is for the Rams' first three runners to clear the track in a time right around 2 minutes, 30 seconds. That will require the first three AHS runners to average splits of 50.0 seconds, a feat that will be difficult -- but not impossible, especially considering Druziak has run in the 51s the last three times out.
"He's been going lower and lower each time he runs," said Brown. "We really need him."
Wilary said it won't surprise him if Druziak has saved his best for states.
"Other than just the confidence, he has guts," said Wilary. "He's going to run through pain and that's what you need to be a good 400 runner."
Follow MICHAEL KELLY on Twitter at twitter.com/RecorderMK


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Today, I was about to break up with my psycho girlfriend. As I sat her down, she told me she wanted to show me something. She then took off her shirt to reveal my name tattooed across her chest. FML
by guess I'm stuck / 04/16/2013 at 3:23am / United States (California) / Love
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The major seed companies continue to work to find ways to control problematic pests in soybeans.
Monsanto will have a total of 77 new SCN-resistant soybean varieties available to growers for 2013, all with PI 88788 source resistance, according to Bruce Schnicker, Monsanto global plant health. "Nearly all current Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean varieties contain resistance to the primary race [Race 3] of soybean cyst nematode, a pest that causes an estimated yield loss of 100 to 200 million bushels per year in the United States," he says. "Monsanto breeders continue to develop new soybean varieties that will contain traits targeting additional SCN races, with planned introductions in the next several years."
Other soybean insect-control products from Monsanto include Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield aphid-tolerant varieties for the upper Midwest, which were launched in 2011, says Nick Weber, Monsanto public affairs. "This product was developed via breeding, using the Rag1 gene discovered by the University of Illinois. In phase 2 of our R&D pipeline, we have the second-generation of aphid-tolerant soybeans, which will be a stack of multiple-resistant genes."
A second-generation insect-protection soybean product, which will provide multiple modes of action and include protection against armyworms, is in phase 2 of Monsanto's research and development pipeline, Weber adds. "This product can offer improved durability of insect control, and additional modes of action," he says.