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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (31 votes).
In short: OkIn full: Minuses - not enough parking. Directions/signs at registration not great. Needed more loos. No gun at the off ('3, 2, 1, go'). Water stations poorly manned (wouldn't want to be arriving with a pack of runners). Goody bag woeful - worst ever (50p socks, no use for runners!). Lots of club runners might scare first timers.Pluses - fairly good PB potential if there's no wind. Loop course good for spectators.Date of review: February 28, 2012
In short: Well organised enjoyable run.Date of review: February 28, 2012
In short: fast course n nice medalIn full: couple of things need sorted for next year, toilets - lots more of them pls, people were pissing everywhere (haha), also runners need some access to the start, there was too many heavy people near the front, can we pls get better goody bags ( flydecoastrunning are u just there to rip people off?) - you can do better for sure.i would only come back for the p.b. hope the marathon next sunday is betterDate of review: February 27, 2012
In short: Not the greatest Half I have doneIn full: Felt dissapointed..expected more...Why you may ask?Abrupt to leave the HQ when you have collected your number..why?plenty of room...bag pipes blowing your mind..good intention I suppose.water stations un manned nearly had my head shaken at mile 9 with some tall bloke taking the water.Goody bag pathetic.Handed out with no thanks well done...but it round our heads weve jsut ran 13.1 miles...socks ha ha ha 3 pairs for a pound...wont do this race again...boring flat wall to your left sea to your right...Date of review: February 27, 2012
Date of review: February 27, 2012
In short: PB PotentialIn full: Nice and flatDate of review: February 27, 2012
In short: A good race but could be SO much betterIn full: First... the car parking problems really annoyed me. Got there two hours before race start, had a shcok as there was £2 charge, and then it was a free for all as the guy sorting cars was not up to the job and the other bloke with the money was boarderline rude to most people. Someone people attempted to warn them of the problems they were about to cause but on they went! In the end 200+ Cars were blocked in! Really spoit the day for me as I got back and had to wait for a while before enough people turned up so there was a gap! The race, I liked the course, intresting to a non Blackpool resident, and not that challenging. PB breaker for sure. Other than the car park, its was well organised. Agree that for the money we paid you would expect a better goody bag, or if not more than just water at the water stations. Not the cheapest race I have done, and certinly one of the worst in terms of value. Other runners were great though helping people around, the pacers were great, and the Blackpool residents where they were cheered people on. Idea race for a weekend away as well. All in all, considering this as something like the 23rd running of the race I expected much more for my money.... would probs do it again as I liked the course though. Quick getting times and photos up on the net too.. bonus points for that Date of review: February 27, 2012
In short: anybody want these socks ?? LOL LOLIn full: nice flat traffic-free run and the weather waskind too. the bagpipe player was not really mycup of tea to be honest and runners need to getto the start line from the back and not fromthe front which resulted in slow runners at thevery front of the race-two nearly tripped me up.nice medal but goody bag very poor, the sockswere rubbish to be totally honest.stayed overnight (the wilton) about 200 yards away and arranged a shower there after the runwhich made such a difference-great stuff.will do again but please improve the goody bag.PS the 1-30 pacer, how can you run that quickwhile carrying a stick and chatting !! amazingDate of review: February 27, 2012
In short: Slick organisation, good flat course, cracking medal!In full: This was my first half marathon and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it!Registration was quick and efficient.Parking was almost shambolic - there seemed to only be one chap directing cars and he was a bit overwhelmed - more staff needed for this next time!Massive crowd support at the start, this had thinned out a bit by the time I finished but was still very vocal. Not much support on the way round, though the water-stop marshalls were very good. Traffic-free course was great, although there was a bit of pedestrian/dog/pushchair/bike dodging to be done!Near perfect weather (chilly and overcast) however the sea breeze, refreshing at first, soon felt relentless.Quality medal made up for duff goody bag.And to top it all, finished 7 minutes quicker than anticipated!Date of review: February 27, 2012
In short: wonderful, nothing but good things about this race, In full: its a good race, everything you need you got, except for energy drink like lucazade or powerbar, but perfect excuse to get your supporters to carry it for you and ad its two loops, you will surely pass them a couple of times!! i will surely do this againDate of review: February 27, 2012
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Chocolate Cupcake "Sandwiches" with Easy Chocolate Mousse
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Easy Chocolate Mousse, recipe follows or chocolate frosting,
- Whipped cream
- Assorted candy pieces like chopped candy bars, chocolate chips, sprinkles
DirectionsWatch how to make this recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Fill a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
Combine cocoa powder and water and mix until smooth. Fold in mayonnaise. (Make sure cocoa mixture is not to hot to prevent breaking of mayonnaise). Add vanilla and whisk until smooth.
In mixer, combine sugar, cake flour, baking soda and salt and mix slowly until well incorporated. Add wet cocoa mixture, mix on medium-high until well blended. Scrape down the sides and blend for 30 seconds.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 way full of batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack.
Slice each cupcake in half, horizontally, and serve the halves with chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and assorted candy toppings. Kids build the sandwiches by spreading one half of a cupcake with mousse or whipped cream, sprinkling on candy toppings and placing other half of cupcake on top.
13 ounces bitter or semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and the butter. Heat in the microwave until melted, about 35 seconds depending on your microwave, and stir to melt completely. Whisk in the egg yolks and set aside to cool.
Pour the cream into a chilled bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until the cream starts to form stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Contains Raw Eggs: The Food Network Kitchen suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello
Cooking Tips
More Recipes and Ideas
Panini with Chocolate and Brie
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
The Italian Elvis
Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro
Caramel and Chocolate Bon Bon Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Aaron McCargo Jr.

subset: commoncrawl


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Unemployment rises across U.P.
ESCANABA – The unemployment rate in the Upper Peninsula rose in December to 9.4 percent, a seasonal increase of 1.9 percentage points over the November rate of 7.5 percent.
All 15 Upper Peninsula counties registered higher jobless rates during the month of December, with monthly rate increases ranging from 0.7 to 6.0 percentage points.
The jobless rate was 9.5 percent in Delta County during December. That's an increase of 1.5 percent from November. The jobless rate a year ago was 9.6 percent.
The December unemployment rate was 12.7 percent in Schoolcraft County – up from 9.9 percent in November. The jobless rate was 13 percent in Schoolcraft County a year ago.
Menominee County had a less severe increase in the jobless rate. It was 6.9 percent in November, up from 6.2 percent the previous month. The unemployment rate in Menominee County was 6.5 percent a year ago.
For the second consecutive month, Mackinac County recorded the largest rate increase, moving up by 6.0 percentage points. This rate gain reflected ongoing typical reductions of seasonal tourism-related jobs. Baraga and Schoolcraft counties also reported above average jobless rate hikes, moving up by 4.5 and 2.8 percentage points, respectively.
During December, the lowest jobless rate in the Upper Peninsula was posted by Menominee County at 6.9 percent, followed by Marquette and Dickinson counties with 7.3 and 7.5 percent, respectively. The highest jobless rates in Michigan were recorded by Baraga County (18.3 percent) and Mackinac County (17.9 percent). Other U.P. counties with high jobless rates included Keweenaw County (15.9 percent) and Ontonagon County (13.4 percent).
Job cuts in December in the Upper Peninsula counties are seasonal and are concentrated primarily in construction.
Compared to a year ago, the Upper Peninsula jobless rate is just -0.3 of a percentage point lower than the December 2011 rate of 9.7 percent. Throughout the year, jobless rates edged down in 11 U.P. counties. Many over-the-year rate reductions were modest, although Gogebic and Mackinac counties had rate drops of about a full percentage point. The rate in Iron County was unchanged over the year, while Luce, Baraga and Menominee counties experienced minor rate gains since December 2011.
The Upper Peninsula's not seasonally-adjusted December 2012 unemployment rate of 9.4 percent was higher than Michigan's average rate of 8.9 percent and the national rate of 7.6 percent.


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Finding A Fix
FALCONER – Legislators will soon be hearing a pitch to invest money for a new building for the Falconer Department of Public Facilities Shop.
On Monday, George Spanos, director of public facilities for the county, will be meeting with the Public Facilities committee for a discussion about the Falconer shop. According to Spanos, the discussion will be regarding his recommendation to build a new facility in Falconer.
"For the last 20 years, the county has been trying to get a new facility for Falconer, because the facility has been aged, and it has been in existence since 1926 with no upgrades," Spanos said. "It's very hard to maintain the building, it's very hard to maintain the equipment, because the equipment has grown and the facility has remained the same."
County Executive Greg Edwards said that an analysis had been done many years ago, which recommended upgrading the location.
"Approximately 20 years ago, an analysis of this was done, and it confirmed that a new building needed to be constructed," Edwards said. "George Spanos has been asked to come and present to the (Public Facilities) committee those facts and certainly the results of the study that was done 20 years ago that showed that needed to be done and to propose potential solutions."
This suggestion comes just months after a proposal to close the Sherman Department of Public Facilities Shop during summer. Spanos and Edwards said that in closing the shop during the summer, cost savings of around $250,000 would be realized. However, the proposal was met with much resistance. In March, Edwards announced the shop would not be closing, however a study would be done to look for further cost-savings.
"There is no question that we need a facility," Spanos said. "The Sherman shop, actually, if you had followed what my recommendation was, it was to build a new shop across the street. It wasn't to eliminate the shop. The facilities are getting old. I don't think that anybody has any facilities as old as ours. But, that's not an excuse to build a new facility. It's that we have outgrown it. The equipment has really gotten bigger, and the facility, of course, has remained the same."
Monday's discussion will focus on the changing needs to DPF shops. Spanos said that, although the county would look at its options if it chooses to build a new shop, the cost would still fall back upon the taxpayers.
"With government, everything is absorbed by the taxpayers," Spanos said. "We will, of course, look for grants. But, it's still taxpayer's money."
The Public Facilities committee will meet in room 331 of the Gerace Office Building in Mayville at 4 p.m. Monday. The public is welcome to attend.


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Ciriaco "Yaco" Garcia
Ciriaco "Yaco" Garcia, 27, of New Ulm, formerly of Oaxaca, Mexico, died Thursday, June 7, 2013 in an unfortunate drowning accident.
Yaco was a former employee of Plaza Garibaldi in New Ulm.
He really enjoyed his time spent working and visiting with customers. One of the most important days in his life was the day his daughter Isabella was born. She quickly stole his heart and became the light of his life and the apple of his eye. On March 21, 2010 Yaco declared his eternal love for the love of his wife Dulce. Together they lived in New Ulm and raised their daughter Bella (4). Yaco loved to spend his time teaching his daughter the importance of a good education.
Yaco was an extremely friendly person with a huge and loving heart. His humbleness was limitless. Yaco was always more than willing to help those in need. He was always there for friends and family in times of need. Yaco loved to be outdoors and enjoy nature. Yaco also enjoyed spending time with friends and family and just having fun.
Yaco was determined to provide a good education for his daughter. For this reason instead of floral arrangements, the family would prefer cash memorials to provide an education fund for Isabella.
Yaco's body will be laid to rest in his hometown in Oaxaca, Mexico.
A local memorial service will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 13, 2013 at New Hope Community Church in Sleepy Eye.
Yaco is preceded in death by his brother Gilberto Garcia.
Yaco is survived by his wife Dulce and daughter Isabella; parents, Maria Zurita and Gonzalo Garcia of Oaxaca, Mexico; and many brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews.


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Surprised by Suffering
Book by R.C. Sproul
Suffering often seems to catch us by surprise. One day we are healthy, comfortable, and happy. The next we find ourselves ill or injured, struggling, and distraught. The pain that invades our lives may come from our own suffering or … Learn MoreHardcover $15.00 $12.00 Add to Cart
Also available in four other formats
Book by R.C. Sproul
In John, the second volume in the St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary series, Dr. Sproul deals with major themes in his easily understandable style. Readers will find invaluable insights into the goals John had in writing his Gospel, the background for … Learn MoreHardcover $27.00 $21.60 Add to Cart
Also available in two other formats
Book by R.C. Sproul
Throughout church history, the study of the book of Romans has been pivotal to understanding Christian life and doctrine. Convinced that "Paul's fullest, grandest, most comprehensive statement of the gospel" is just as vital today, R.C. Sproul delivered sixty sermons … Learn MoreHardcover $38.00 $30.40 Add to Cart
Also available in one other format
The Intimate Marriage
Book by R.C. Sproul
Does your marriage fufill your dreams? Are you not yet married but eager to wed? Are you afraid to marry because you've seen so few happy marriages? R.C. Sproul offers this practical guide to help married couples-or those seeking to … Learn MoreHardcover $17.00 $13.60 Add to Cart
Also available in one other format
Discovering the God Who Is
Book by R.C. Sproul
"The minister gently guided my mother away from the grave to a waiting car. I moved behind them in a grim stupor. I was confused. I was hurt. I was angry. Two questions pierced my soul…Who are You, God? And … Learn MoreHardcover $18.00 $14.40 Add to Cart
Famine in the Land: A Passionate Call for Expository Preaching
Book by Steven Lawson
True expository preaching is the greatest need of the contemporary church. Steven Lawson understands how important it is to feed God's people from His Word. He's concerned that what started as a genuine attempt to attract a broader hearing by … Learn MoreHardcover $17.00 $13.60 Add to Cart
The Family Worship Book: A Resource Book for Family Devotions
Book by Terry Johnson
"In a day and age when family worship is a rarity, and in which parents who are called to lead it are not likely to have had personal experience of it in their own upbringing, The Family Worship Book will … Learn MoreHardcover - out of stock $20.00 $16.00 Backorder
Gospel Fear
Book by Jeremiah Burroughs
Reverence has nearly vanished in our day. We have become irreverent towards holy things through our ignorance of God and His holiness. Were we to have Isaiah's vision of the holiness of God, we would be changed indeed. Fear, in … Learn MoreHardcover This item has sold out.
The Christ of the Prophets
Book by O. Palmer Robertson
In this thorough introduction to the prophets of ancient Israel, O. Palmer Robertson captures the passion and purpose of their extraordinary writings. He writes, "A new covenant, a new Zion, a new temple, a new messiah, a new relation to … Learn MoreHardcover $30.00 $24.00 Add to Cart
The Christian Lover
Book by Michael Haykin
Marriage is under siege in our time, and Christian unions are not going unscathed. Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin believes that love letters written by Christian husbands and wives of the past can help strengthen the ties that bind believing … Learn MoreHardcover $15.00 $12.00 Add to Cart
Also available in two other formats
Christ & Culture Revisited
Book by D.A. Carson
Called to live in the world, but not to be of it, Christians must maintain a balancing act that becomes more precarious the further our culture departs from its Judeo-Christian roots. How should members of the church interact with such a culture, especially as … Learn MoreHardcover $24.00 $19.20 Add to Cart
The Expository Genius of John Calvin
Book by Steven Lawson
"The aim of this book is to raise the bar for a new generation of expositors."—Steven J. Lawson Looking to the past for outstanding Bible-based, Christ-centered, and life-changing preaching, Dr. Steven J. Lawson focuses on sixteenth-century Geneva, Switzerland. It was … Learn MoreHardcover $16.00 $12.80 Add to Cart
Also available in three other formats
Foundations of Grace, 2006 Edition
Book by Steven Lawson
Understanding the doctrines of grace will give you a clearer picture of God's sovereignty. From the lawgiver Moses to the apostle John, and from the early church fathers to modern defenders of the faith, there has marched onto the stage … Learn MoreHardcover $28.00 $22.40 Add to Cart
Also available in one other format


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This week, IBM launched the new [IBM Expert Network] that provides presentation materials from subject matter experts. I am honored to be one of the 20-plus experts selected for PRO accounts on SlideShare.Net to help seed this with initial materials.
I have a bit of behind-the-scenes history to share on this. Back in 2008, I first discovered SlideShare.net as an excellent resource to get ideas for presentations. Much like YouTube is for videos and FlickR is for photos, SlideShare.Net is for presentations. In my June 2008 post, [Summer Jobs and the Singularity], I embedded someone's presentation from SlideShare.
Earlier this year, I uploaded a presentation on [IBM Solid State Disk in eX5 servers], and a presentation that I gave publicly to the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), which I embedded in my post [Cloud Computing for Accountants].
This latter one got me in a bit of trouble internally. Neither presentation had anything secret or controversial, so I didn't see the issue. Several other bloggers had asked how I got "permission" to use an external Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) like SlideShare.net for my blog. I never asked for permission! I explained that since IBM's internal Lotus Connections software we use for blogging did not have a feature to embed PowerPoint (PPT) or Open Document Format (ODP) presentations, I chose an external service instead. Yes, I guess I could have converted each page to a JPG or PNG graphic instead, or I could have put the PDF on an FTP download area of the "Files" feature of Lotus Connections, but I chose SlideShare.net instead.
The result? IBM communications decided to make an official list, it's actually three lists. A "white list" of services that we are allowed to use, a "grey list" of services under evaluation or negotiation, and a "black list" of services we are not allowed to use, and sadly Slideshare.Net was on the black list. I protested, argued that unless IBM offered something to replace it, to re-evaluate this external service. I got it back on the "grey list" and now, this week, it is officially on the "white list".
Of course, this probably involved negotiation on EULA terms and conditions, but I am not a lawyer and have no idea what went on behind closed doors to make this happen. I am just glad it did.So please, check out the new IBM Expert Network at: [http://www.slideshare.net/ibm]. Let me know what you think!
technorati tags: IBM, expert network, slideshare, cloud computing, singularity, IMA, PPT, ODP


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President's Forum with Young African LeadersAbout the Author: Tau Shanklin Roberts serves in the Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy Pretoria in South Africa.
Delivering remarks in Accra, Ghana, in July 2009, President Obama said, "We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans...we've learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. It will be the young people brimming with talent and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous generations never realized."
The President's Forum with Young African Leaders starts today. From August 3-5, President Obama will host approximately 120 young leaders from the civil society and the private sector representing more than forty countries in sub-Saharan Africa to discuss their vision for transforming their societies over the next 50 years.
I caught up with one of our delegates from South Africa, Lesego Sekano, to ask a few pre-forum questions regarding her expectations of the event and visions for the future of Africa.
What do other people think about your attendance at the forum?
They think that it will make a difference to have young people speaking on behalf of their future. They are excited that such opportunities exist and that I can be part of such processes. They believe that the knowledge I will bring back will be worthy and that the initiative will bring about great opportunities for me and them at large. Yet most of all, they think it is exciting.
What do you think your attendance adds to the forum?
Being from labor trade unions, it will bring a different perspective when meeting with business and politics. Building Africa into a viable economic hub will take a combination of factors not just business. Thus, I think the experience that I will bring into the forum will fare well with the objectives of the forum and bring about a different view.
How do you think participating in this forum will benefit you?
I will get a better (shared) understanding of what is lacking according to the future leaders in Africa, in particular to becoming a strong economy that can compete with the best of major economies when we have so many resources but do not have the wealth from those resources. There will be opportunities to build new networks that could help build Africa. I will learn from developed economies how they managed to get to the stage they are in, and if the same could work for Africa. Mostly I will meet young leaders who are as passionate about Africa as I am, and who want to make a difference in building a better non-dependent Africa with an economically, independent Africa through initiatives like entrepreneurship and skills development.
What is your vision for the future of Africa?
My vision for Africa is to see it eliminate poverty and grow economically. I want Africa to be self-sustainable and independent not just from formal colonization, but free from economic colonization.
What resources (human or otherwise) do you need to accomplish that vision?
We need competent leadership, free of corruption, and we need to transform our resource-based economies to manufacturing industrialized economies. However, I am practical enough to know that we are still miles away from realizing the African Dream. For now, it will have to start with the realization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) then everything else should fall into place. Before you can have competent leadership, future leaders have to have the opportunity to go to school and receive an education. It all begins with education.


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Results for the search term cnc
Incredible Walking CNC Robot Router
Learn to build your own six legged robot with an attached CNC router for a head. The demonstration video is fantastic, showing the robots mobility while it carves an intricate 3d human face. You can even build your own. The...
How to Make a Low Cost CNC Table using Servos
The purpose of this machine is to control movement on X and Y axis using servos and keeping a low hobbyist budget. Applications for this type of movement control is commonly used for things from CNC milling to robotic whiteboards. ...
Build your own CNC Machine
Ready for some hard core gadget creation If you thought your dremel tool was handy before, in today's How-To we'll start building our own CNC machine. Aside from the geek factor, it can be handy for making things like PC boards without chemicals...
Make an Etch a Sketch Clock
Using some basic stepper motors combined with a bit of programming, one man created this awesome Etch a Sketch Clock. Although it may not look too aesthetically pleasing on your kitchen wall, it would be pretty retro awesome to place in your Evil...
Robotics: Snake-like Robots
Dr. Gavin Miller has been investigating snake robots for over ten years. His first models, S1 and S2, use one servo at each joint. S3 used a pair of servos to create a sidewinding motion along with the more common horizontal undulations. S4 was an...


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Grapefruit & Mint Spritzer
Contributing Monkie GreenChef Staff Monkies
Topics of Interest Grapefruit, Spritzer
Published on October 26, 2008
Section Full Recipe List, GreenChef Foodie Talk, Recipes / Drinks and Smoothy, Recipes / Raw
Grapefruit and Mint Spritzer (raw)
Usually made with white wine , this grapefruit juice spritzer is a refreshing alternative for an early morning wake up call. Who wants to get buzzed first thing when they wake up anyways? Well, I'm sure you know someone–if you're reading this any time before 10am though, it's probably not you. I'll bet it's even great for hangovers, or even sipped in between cocktail glasses to prevent you from getting properly sloshed in the first place.
I love the accent of the fresh mint against the bubbly tang of the sour grapefruit and lime juice. I also prefer to use a natural sparkling mineral water, but you can use any sparkling water.


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Over the past dozen years, PwC has covered the Chinese semiconductor journey from the world's smallest, to the largest and most influential region of worldwide semiconductor consumption. Since China has become an established player, we're shifting our focus away from in-depth coverage on growth, and looking at other, related topics that impact both the Chinese and the larger, worldwide industry.
For our long-time readers, you will still find a selection of updated figures and tables organized in the same fashion as our previous in-depth reports so you can keep track of the major growth trends that impact the worldwide market. Should you find something you need that is not included, feel free to reach out to our report author, Clements (Ed) Pausa at email@example.com.


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Doesn't the Nirvana squabbling remind you of the Beatle legal hassles that denied fans good music and box sets for close to 30 years. Courtney Love is worse than Yoko because she most likely played a major role in that poor guy's suicide. She is an absolute nightmare
Eminem - i don't like his slandering gays and minorities. But, the guy is brilliant at what he does. The new video reminds me of some of the cheeky, funny humour that made the Beatles hilarious. I mean hate what he does but the guy is funny as all hell. Plus, he respresents everything rap and rock n roll are about: no rules, no boundaries, and just straight up chaos. He has really tapped into some funny stuff in the video (dancing in a cave like OSama, playing a superhero trying to stop a kid listening to his record, dissing the pretensious moby). Very funny stuff.


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With how hot the Red Sox offense has been, it is not too surprising that they have a slew of players in this week's American League Power Rankings. The best has been, who else, Adrian Gonzalez, who has n RBI total that rocks anyone else in the big leagues. Time will tell how high that total can climb, and how much Fantasy owners will feast on his production. These are the American League Power Rankings as of July 27th.
1) Adrian Gonzalez – BOS (Last Week: 2)
While he still has not been able to hit the long ball as of late, Adrian Gonzalez has been on an RBI tear. With 7 RBIs in his last 4 games, Gonzalez has pushed his season RBI total to a phenomenal 85. (more…)


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Monday, April 28, 2014 - Text by Dev Sukumar
South Africa emerged champions at the African Championships 2014, beating Nigeria 3-1 in the final at Lobatse Sports Complex, Botswana, yesterday.
South Africa (BWF home page and below) got off to a great start with their Mixed Doubles pair, Willem Viljoen and Michelle Butler Emmelt, getting the better of Olaoluwa Fagbemi and Dorcas Adesokan 21-14 21-14.
It was a similar story in the Men's Singles as Jacob Maliekal (below) dominated Victor Makanju. The South African took just 23 minutes and his superiority overall was confirmed by the score 21-10 21-7.
Nigeria's ace in the pack was African champion Grace Gabriel and she cruised to a 21-14 opening game victory over Elme De Villiers. The South African refused to surrender without a fight: even though she was down two match points, she gave it everything and had her own game point at 21-20. The match became a tense thriller with nothing to separate the two and at last Gabriel edged past her opponent 28-26, giving Nigeria a lifeline.
It was up to Eneojo Aba and Olaoluwa Fagbemi of Nigeria to equalise in Men's Doubles and they produced a sensational effort against South Africa's Andries Malan and Willem Viljoen, which however fell short, 21-16 22-20.
"After we lost in the Men's Doubles this morning against a very good Mauritius side, we were a bit nervous," said South African captain Viljoen. "The pressure was more this year than last year as everybody was expecting us to win now. We are very happy and we will look forward for the individual event now. The individual championships will be very tough as most of us are defending champions and also the other African countries have progressed a lot since last time."
Jacob Maliekal, who had ensured that the Men's Singles match had gone South Africa's way, said: "It's the fourth time that I've won gold in the team event and I am very glad to have achieved this. This year it was very special to us because we had to confirm our victory from last year and we did it very convincingly."
* In the semi-finals, Nigeria came from behind to beat Seychelles 3-1 while South Africa escaped a sticky situation against Mauritius and survived with a 3-2 score.
* South Africa were in Group A with Seychelles, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Cameroun, while Nigeria were in Group B with Mauritius, Egypt, Zambia and Congo. South Africa and Seychelles were toppers in Group A and Nigeria and Mauritius in Group B.
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White Bean Ravioli with Brown Butter and Caper Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee
- Semi-Homemade Cooking
- For the ravioli:
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning (recommended: McCormick)
- 24 wonton wrappers (recommended: Dynasty)
- For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (recommended: McCormick)
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley leaves
- Salt
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
DirectionsFor the ravioli:
In a blender, puree together the beans, egg, vinaigrette, cheese, and Italian seasoning; set aside.
Working in batches, so the wrappers don't dry out, lay out 6 to 8 wonton wrappers. Place 1/2 tablespoon of bean mixture in the center of each. Moisten 2 connecting edges of the wonton wrapper with your finger dipped in water.
Fold wrapper in half to form a triangle. Press edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until it begins to brown and have a nutty aroma. Turn off heat and stir in capers and Italian seasoning.
Working in batches, cook ravioli in boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to hot butter sauce. Add parsley to pan. Use a spoon to coat ravioli with sauce. Transfer to plates and add salt.
Serve immediately garnished with grated Parmesan.
Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee, 2007
CATEGORIES:View All
Cooking Tips
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Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri
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2015 Missouri Valley Wine Competition Results
Here are the results of the 2015 Missouri Valley Wine Competition.
Medals and score sheets have been mailed out. We had 320 entries of which 236 entries qualified for a medal. There were a lot of high quality wines this year as evidenced by the number of medals awarded.
Thank you for entering the 2015 Missouri Valley Wine Competition. I hope you will enter next year's competition.
Click on the link below to view the competition results, or to download the results, right click on the link and save it to your pc
Missouri Valley Wine and Label Competition Results
This is an article about the Lodi Grape Region in California


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PLDL Friends say 'thank you'
The Friends of the Portage Lake District Library would like to thank everyone who helped make the Cinco de Mayo salsa contest at the library a huge success. Jim's Foodmart, the Keweenaw Co-op, and Tadych's Econo Foods donated delicious salsas for tasting. Habanero's Restaurant in Hancock donated salsa and homemade tortilla chips which were especially popular. Anthony Butina DJ'ed the event and gave it an especially festive flair. Thank you also to all our entrants and volunteers!
Sandy Hubscher
Atlantic Mine


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Welcome to our blog! Sit back, relax & enjoy reading our 'hot off the press' blog posts. We're obsessed with (yup, it's almost a problem :) finding out about the latest trends, cool new places and fun local tips. Whether it's a cute little cafe or a hot new club, you'll read about it here. P.S.: Don't be shy to speak up (this isn't high school!) - we LOVE getting comments.
Thanks a bunch for reading & hope to hear from you!
Prague is a city which needs to be seen! But what about you have already been here or just you want to get out from the city and take a deep breath in the middle of beautiful nature. Czech Republic has many things to offer and you will be surpsise what you can explore just few hours from the meain city
Every nation has his own tradions and some of them can be funny for foreigners. There are many things which has meaning for Czech and doesnt make sense the others. Are you interested? Here we are bringing you 13 interesting facts about Czech republic that are cool to know!
Are you a morning person who likes to indulge a mighty fine breakfast? I am bringing you some of Prague's hot spots for all of your breakfast needs.


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Powerful images of wilderness can inspire conservation action. "Take a look," they say. "Then take a stand."
Fluttering down for the winter from as far as southern Canada, monarch butterflies face growing threats in their Mexican mountain sanctuaries
Once restricted to the continent's midsection, this adaptable predator now roams from coast to coast
If bird feeders are against the rules—or impractical—natural foods provide the perfect alternative
Native trees provide wildlife a steady supply of food and shelter from harsh weather conditions.
Visit Wildlife Gardening.
Winter months can be majestic and peaceful throughout the natural world. To usher in winter, check out these photos from past National Wildlife Photo Contest.
Visit PhotoZone.
Beneath winter's white blanket lies a complex community of creatures for which snow means warmth and shelter.
Visit Animals.
How birds stay warm in winter, and how humans can help.
Visit Birds & Birding.


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Paolo, that Marg. looks very nice! Have you taken any temp. readings on your new oven....the Margarita in particular?
Thanks Bob, I am still trying to figure out the exact temperatures and times in the oven.....I believe the floor was around 900F, the dome over 1000F. Cooking time approximately 75 seconds....Tomorrow night I am going to try a floor temp closer to 850F and may be a bit less cooking time?Will show pics to see if there is any esthetic improvement.....
I know that are not exactly round or pretty and may be a bit well done, but they tasted better than any pizza I had ever made.......
BTW, that oven is definitely chubb inducing to us WFO forlorn folks.
I have been looking at buying this oven, looking for reviews on it. Paolo what are you impressions so far?
Maybe I'm not forlorn enough, but, between the dome height, door size and chimney position, I'm pretty limp. If ovens were women, I'd rate this about a Snooki Not that it can't make beautiful pizza- as seen here. I just think that when it comes time to produce something Craig-ish, it could get tricky with these features.


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I have been to Greece many times, but I never had time to understand Athens properly. This time, as I visit the Greek capital for the opening of the 2nd DVF shop there, in Kifissia, I decide to come a few days early and visit the city.
I arrive on a Saturday afternoon and Aris, my Greek partner is at the airport to welcome me and bring me to the Gran Britania Hotel where I settle in. Work does not start until Tuesday, so I have two full days for sightseeing. My very close friend, Greek artist Konstantine Kakanias is in town and has promised to take me around.
We visit the Benaki Museum, an exquisite museum of Hellenic art with a beautiful costume collection. We meet a friend at the Monastiraki, the flea market and continue to walk through hundred of gypsies selling odds and ends until Gazi, the hip neighborhood. We stop for lunch at Mamakas where I eat souvlaki and eggplants… delicious!!!
We then go to the new Acropolis Museum where we have a wonderful private visit. The Museum, created by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi and Greek architect Michalis Photiadis was a challenging task but the result is a masterpiece! Through the glass floor you can see the excavations and for the first time you can see the entire sculpted decoration of the Parthenon while seeing the Parthenon itself through the windows.
At Rebecca Camhi's gallery, I see an exhibition of Konstantine's paintings and buy 4 of them!!
Wednesday is the big day…the opening of the Kifissia DVF shop, and the day of the fashion show…The show takes place in an amazing theatre, the Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center…it sits 500 people…the girls are very beautiful…I think it is a success!!
I love Athens, its people, its history, and I am so happy to have 2 DVF stores there.


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Inside Our Movies Checking In with Babies director Thomas Balmès
It's been seven months since Babies took over movie theaters. How's it been for the director?
Inside Our Movies Babies - Meet The Parents
In the fall of 2009, the Babies families – including the children themselves – were shown the finished movie by director Thomas Balmès. Afterwards, they were invited to discuss (with translators present, as needed) their feelings about this most unique component of their family history.
Inside Our Movies Bringing up Babies: Director Thomas Balmès and producer Alain Chabat talk
In advance of the release of Focus Features new film Babies, the two men behind the documentary sit down to discuss the fascinating journey they went on to bring the project to fruition.
Inside Our Movies Meet the Indie Babies Filmmakers
With Babies in theaters soon, FilmInFocus introduces the directors commissioned to make short films for the site's Indie Babies series.
My Favorite Things The Baby Planners on Baby Films
To celebrate the forthcoming release of Babies, FilmInFocus asked a group of baby professionals to pick their five favorite baby movies. First up, Ellie and Melissa, aka The Baby Planners.
My Favorite Things Angela Gold on Baby Films
Angela Gold, the official blogger for March for Babies, is the next baby professional choosing her five favorite baby-centric flicks.
Inside Our Movies Great Babies of History
With Babies coming soon to theatres, we take a look back on some of the most memorable babies of all time.
Inside Our Movies Starring Babies
FilmInFocus' Scott Macaulay examines the often elaborate steps a filmmaker must take to have a baby (real or otherwise) in their movie.
Inside Our Movies Taking My Baby To The Movies
Film critic and new mother Marcy Dermansky explores the growing phenomenon of Mommy and Me screenings – by taking her daughter Nina to the movies.
My Favorite Things Christine Fugate on Baby Films
For the second of our Five In Focus baby professionals, Mothering Heights blogger Christine Fugate picks her five favorite baby movies.
My Favorite Things Deborah Skolnik on Baby Films
The Senior Editor at Parenting magazine is the next "baby professional" to make cinematic selections for our Babies Five In Focus series.
slideshow The ABCs of Babies
Babies may be universal, but the way that society and culture has viewed the little darlings has changed through history.


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Ekelund, Vilhelm
Vilhelm Ekelund 1880-1949
Swedish poet, aphorist, and essayist.
Ekelund is considered Sweden's leading aphorist and among its most influential modern poets. His career is generally divided into two phases. Prior to 1909 Ekelund focused exclusively on poetry, producing highly personal verse in the romantic mode. Later he abandoned poetry altogether in favor of prose, taking cues from classical models and the thought of such individuals as Friedrich Nietzsche, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The at times cryptic style of his aphorisms and essays betoken Ekelund's visionary quest in search of beauty and truth in an abstract or Platonic sense. Nevertheless, his writings—in both the symbolic imagery of his poetry and compact, philosophical musings of his prose—are acknowledged among the most enduring in twentieth-century Swedish literature.
Biographical Information
Ekelund was born in Stehag in the Skåne district of southern Sweden, son of a village blacksmith. He attended the University of Lund—his father had moved to the larger town when Ekelund was in his early teens—but never obtained a degree. In 1908 he left Sweden to avoid some minor legal entanglements after engaging in a public altercation and simultaneously cast aside poetry, opting instead to write essays and aphorisms. He lived in Berlin until 1912, then relocated to Denmark, which he preferred to Germany, though he became seriously ill for many of the years he spent there. He eventually returned to live in Sweden in 1921, hoping to provide a spiritual voice to the younger generation in his native country, but instead found himself alienated from all but a small, devoted following of readers. Ekelund died in Salsjobaden, Sweden in 1949.
Major Works
Ekelund's earliest poetic efforts are represented by his collections Vårbris and Melodier i skymning, which contain a variety of rhymed lyrics on personal subjects and introspective meditations inspired by the natural landscapes of his native Skånia. Ekelund's later poems, contained in In candidum, Dithyramber i aftonglans, and other volumes, represent developments in form, such as Ekelund's resonant use of free verse, as well as his passionate adoption of the ideals and precepts of classical antiquity. After forsaking poetry in favor of prose, Ekelund sustained his exploration of classical themes in a modern idiom, while breaking away fully from the romantic origins of his early verse. Inspired by his admiration for the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche, Antikt ideal includes an impassioned praise of the German philosopher's concept of the indomitable will. A later, less strident collection of essays Veri similia represents the more moderate side of Ekelund's thought and betrays the influence of Emerson and Goethe among its models. The ideal of moderation is the ruling force in the essays of Metron and Attiskt i fågelperspektiv, both of which contain Ekelund's thoughts on the world's preeminent thinkers and artists since the classical era. In Påhafsstranden Ekelund equates the Nordic and classical ideals of bravery, fortitude, and sobriety. Among his later works, Plus salis offers Ekelund's thoughts on the synthesis of idea and reality in life.
Critical Reception
Ekelund's poetry, essays, and aphorisms never reached more than a modest popularity during his lifetime, and drew consistently negative criticism from many of his contemporaries. Influenced in his style and thought by the German classicists, notably Friedrich Hölderlin and August Graf von Platen, Ekelund placed his passionate longing for the philosophical ideal of beauty before all other concerns, leading to what critics have observed are highly personal and at times abstruse writings. Still, Ekelund's passionate appeal in favor of the classical ideals of balance, moderation, beauty, and ultimate truth, coupled with his prophetic and experimental use of language, proved influential on the succeeding generation of poets in Scandinavia. Likewise, his bold style and mastery of the aphorism have made him one of the most highly regarded prose writers and versifiers in his native Sweden.
Principal Works
Vårbris (poetry) 1900
Syner (poetry) 1901
Melodier i skymning (poetry) 1902
Elegier (poetry) 1903
In candidum (poetry) 1905
Dithyramber i aftonglans (poetry) 1906
Grekisk bukett (translated poetry) 1906
Havets stjärna (poetry) 1906
Antikt ideal (essays and aphorisms) 1909
Böcker och vandringar (essays and aphorisms) 1910
Båge och lyra (essays and aphorisms) 1912
Tyska utsikter (essays and aphorisms) 1913
Agenda (essays and aphorisms) 1913-14
Nordiskt och klassiskt (essays and aphorisms) 1914
Veri similia (essays and aphorisms) 1915-16
Metron (essays and aphorisms) 1918
Attiskt i fågelperspektiv (essays and aphorisms) 1919
På hafsstranden (essays and aphorisms) 1922
Sak ock sken (essays and aphorisms) 1922
Lefnadsstämning (essays and aphorisms) 1925
Västöstligt (essays and aphorisms) 1925
Passioner emellan (essays and aphorisms) 1927
Lyra och Hades (essays and aphorisms) 1930
Spår och tecken (essays and aphorisms) 1930
Båge och lyra 1932 (essays and aphorisms) 1932
Valda sidor och essays 1908-1930 (essays and aphorisms) 1933
Det andra ljuset [The Second Light] (essays and aphorisms) 1935
Elpidi (essays and aphorisms) 1939
Concordia animi (essays and aphorisms) 1942
Atticism-humanism (essays and aphorisms) 1943
Plus salis (essays and aphorisms) 1945
Dikter (poetry) 1951
Prosa (essays and aphorisms) 1952
Nya vakten (essays and aphorisms) 1953
Ars magna (essays and aphorisms) 1954
Saltet och helichrysus (essays and aphorisms) 1956
In silvis cum libro (essays and aphorisms) 1957
Skoltal (essays and aphorisms) 1961
Själens tillflykt (essays and aphorisms) 1962
Campus et dies (essays and aphorisms) 1963
Brev (essays and aphorisms) 1968-70
Hjärtats vaggvisor (essays and aphorisms) 1970
Hemkomst och flykt (essays and aphorisms) 1972
Den ensammes stämningar (essays and aphorisms) 1985
Lars Gustafsson (essay date 1936)
SOURCE: "Vilhelm Ekelund," in Forays into Swedish Poetry, translated by Robert T. Rovinsky, University of Texas Press, 1978, pp. 65-71.
[In the following essay, Gustafsson analyzes Ekelund's poem "The First Spring Rain," noting the particular Swedishness of Ekelund's work.]
"Det första vårregnet"
Som ett nät av svarta spindelvävar
hänga trädens våta grenar.
I den tysta februarinatten
sjunger sakta, klingar, svävar
fram ur däldens snår och stenar
suset av en källas vatten.
I den tysta februarinatten
gråter himlen stilla.
-Syner, 1901
"The First Spring Rain"
Black, like webs from spinning spiders playing
branches, moisture-heavy, bend
In the silent February night
singing slowly, ringing, swaying
out of rock-strewn, brushy glen
sounds of wellspring, watery delight.
In the silent February night
cry the heavens softly.
-Visions, 1901
For the average Swede, Ekelund's poetry can occasionally take on an exotic quality, which comes about quite simply because his Scanian landscape truly is a foreign landscape. Our everyday experiences mean more to our relationship with a poem than we would normally imagine.
I remember how, while teaching Tomas Tranströmer to students at the University of Texas, I came to the wellknown line that reads: "like a sun-warm stone in my hand" ("som en solvarm sten i handen").
"That can't be," one of the students said immediately. "If somebody were to hold a 'sun-warm stone' in his hand, he'd get blisters. And he'd toss that stone away as fast as he possibly could."
Undoubtedly, this is how stones and men behave in the parched regions around Texas' Colorado River. Of course, that did not prevent the student from understanding what Tranströmer meant. I think the poem even became more interesting to him when he understood that this brief picture contained a wholly alien climatic experience.
For a reader from central or northern Sweden, February is a period of deep snow and dryness; arctic-clear days, when bullfinches and silktails come out from the deep woods in search of food; ice-cold nights, when contraction brought on by the chill causes a moaning and groaning in wooden houses, and shoes crunch on unplowed roads.
For Ekelund, "the silent February night" is the time when the landscape begins to shed silent tears. I think that a northern Swedish reader would more readily associate this experience with the beginning of April.
Differences which do not mean anything and, yet, most profoundly do mean something. They compel us to make an extra effort, and in this small exertion there is always a gain, a small electrical charge. I know of no more sterile an...
(The entire section is 1331 words.)
Leif Sjöberg and Niels Lyhne Jensen (essay date 1982)
SOURCE: "Early Scandinavian Symbolism by Leif Sjöberg (Stony Brook) and N. L. Jensen (Aarhus)," in The Symbolist Movement in the Literature of European Languages, edited by Anna Balakian, Akadémiai Kiadó, 1982, pp. 580-84.
[In the following essay, Sjöberg and Jensen discuss how Ekelund was influenced by early Swedish avant-garde poets.]
While avant garde Symbolist and Decadent coteries were forming in Paris after 1880, August Strindberg (1849-1912) and Ola Hansson (1860-1925) made great headway in developing an avant garde in Sweden, where by 1900 there were several counterparts to Parisian groups. Students at Uppsala University joined to form Les...
(The entire section is 1805 words.)
Further Reading
Gustafson, Alrik. "Two Early Fröding Imitations: Vilhelm Ekelund's 'Skördefest' (1900) and 'I pilhäcken' (1901)." Journal of English and Germanic Philology 35, No. 4 (October 1936): 566-80.
Notes considerable stylistic affinities between two of Ekelund's early poems and the works of Gustaf Fröding.
Shideler, Ross. "'The Glassclear Eye of Dreams' in Twentieth-Century Swedish Poetry." World Literature Today 51, No. 4 (Autumn 1977): 530-34.
Traces Ekelund's contribution to the tradition of poetry as dream-vision in Swedish literature.
(The entire section is 72 words.)


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Related Entry:"To Walk the Earth in Safety": Progress in Conventional Weapons Destruction
On August 3, the State Department released the annual report called "To Walk the Earth in Safety," which underscores U.S. efforts around the world to eliminate the threat of a variety of conventional munitions to civilian populations, particularly those in post-conflict societies. The U.S. has delivered more than $1.8 billion in 50 countries for conventional weapons destruction/humanitarian mine action programs since 1993.
The Department of State has played a central role in the government-wide effort, providing funding, technical support and assistance for the clearance of landmines and other explosive remnants of war, as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions, to 32 countries -- places as diverse as Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Since 2001, the Department has helped other nations destroy over 1.4 million small arms and light weapons, 80,000 tons of munitions, and almost 32,000 man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) missiles.
The report released this week highlights successes such as community-baseddemining in Afghanistan, conventional weapons destruction in Bosnia and Herzogovina; mine awareness through sports programs in Jordan; the clearance of 900 kilometers of roads and 300 acres of arable land in Angola; mine victim rehabilitation in Yemen, and Albania's announcement of mine-safe status. The report also underscores that conventional weapons destruction is much more than demining. Today's post-conflict battlefields -- and even those of many yearsago -- feature caches of small arms and light weapons, and ammunition that can be used to continue hostilities or can be fashioned into improvised explosive devices. Weapon stockpiles pose threats from pilferage and accidental detonation, and MANPADS threaten civil aviation.
For all these reasons, a focus on conventional weapons destruction is "smart power" in action. The Department works closely with a wide array of partners, from the U.S. Department of Defense, USAID, and Health and Human Services to dozens of public and private non-governmental and international organizations to address the challenge of conventional weapons destruction -- a challenge at the center of diplomacy, defense, and development.


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re-Bound: A Dramatic Improv Experience
Purchase Tickets
re-Bound: A Dramatic Improv Experience
Saturday, December 07, 2013 10:30 PM
Second City Chicago Skybox Theater, Chicago, IL
re-Bound: A Dramatic Improv Experience
The show "re-Bound: A Dramatic Improv Experience" uses dramatic and long form improv techniques to create unique 50-minute theatrical pieces. Each week, performers will serve as both narrators and improvisational actors to create a world of dramatic characters and explore the vulnerable, humorous, and emotional moments that exist in their lives. This performance was inspired by Rachael Mason, instructor of "That's Not Funny: Dramatic Improv" class offered at The Second City Training Center. This show runs Saturday's at 10:30pm November 30th - January 4th in Donny's Skybox Theater at the Second City Training Center.
Tickets: $13 - General, $10 - Students and $8 - Training Center Students


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Alopecia Areata Registry (NAAR)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Totalis
Alopecia Universalis
Autoimmune Hair Loss
Alopecia Partialis
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case Control
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Alopecia Areata Registry and Immunogenetic Mechanisms
- Alopecia Areata Registry [ Time Frame: Registration on-going ]Database registration of participants via collection of participant epidemiology data.
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|November 2001
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|November 2099
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|November 2099 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Alopecia areata is a condition in which hair is lost either from part of the scalp, all of the scalp, or the entire body, and it affects 1% to 2% of the population. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease and in some cases the disease is hereditary. The Alopecia Areata Registry will collect information and blood samples from clinically well-characterized patients with these three forms of alopecia areata: alopecia partialis (patchy loss of the scalp hair), alopecia totalis (total loss of all scalp hair), and alopecia universalis (complete loss of all hair everywhere on the body). This will be a collection of patients in multi-generational families, twins, single patients with patchy, persistent transient alopecia areata or long-standing alopecia totalis/universalis and with controls (persons unaffected and not related to alopecia patients). Information from these patients will be used to search the human genome for disease-associated loci and/or genes. Researchers interested in doing pathophysiology or treatment studies of this disease will also be able to contact patients having the appropriate form of the disease for the studies in question.
Patients who have been diagnosed with alopecia areata by a dermatologist will be eligible for the registry. Patients will fill out an information form online (alopeciaareataregistry.org). Patients who have a family history or specific types of alopecia will be invited to participate in a more detailed questionnaire and physical exam and have blood samples drawn.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Senior
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Patients with alopecia areata (AA), both children and adults, who have been diagnosed by a physician with alopecia universalis, alopecia totalis, patchy persistent AA, or transient mild AA. Family members (related by blood) of these patients, preferably sib-pairs plus parents and multiplex families(persons with at least three family members with AA or alopecia universalis and alopecia totalis).
Also, healthy individuals who are unaffected, non-blood related individuals and do not live in the same household with alopecia areata patient are needed as controls.
Inclusion Criteria
- Diagnosed with alopecia areata by a dermatologist
- United States resident
Accepts Health Volunteers: Non blood-related individuals who are unaffected with alopecia areata and do not live in the same household with alopecia areata patient.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00069589
|Contact: Alopecia Areata Registry Patient Recruitment
|Contact: Alopecia Areata Registry Toll Free Number
|United States, California
|University of California, San Francisco
|San Francisco, California, United States, 94143
|Contact: Charles Chiang, MD 415-353-4333
|Sub-Investigator: Vera Price, MD
|United States, Colorado
|University of Colorado - UCHSC - Health Science Center at Fitzsimons
|Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80010-7163
|Contact: Lisa Maestas 303-724-4032 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Sub-Investigator: David Norris, MD
|United States, Minnesota
|University of Minnesota
|Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
|Contact: Chelsy Jungbluth 612-625-9338
|Sub-Investigator: Maria Hordinsky, MD
|United States, New York
|Columbia University
|New York, New York, United States, 10032
|Contact: Carol Coppola, RN 212-305-6953 email@example.com
|Sub-Investigator: Angela Christiano, PhD
|United States, Texas
|M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|Contact: Joyce Osei, MPH, MHA 713-794-1442 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Madeleine Duvic, MD
|Principal Investigator:
|Madeleine Duvic, MD
|M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Additional Information:
|Responsible Party:
|M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00069589 History of Changes
|Obsolete Identifiers:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 29, 2003
|Last Updated:
|November 2, 2016
Keywords provided by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center:
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Partialis
Alopecia Totalis
Alopecia Universalis
Autoimmune Hair Loss
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Alopecia Areata
Hair Diseases
Skin Diseases
Pathological Conditions, Anatomical
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on January 24, 2017


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Realism has always been the Holy Grail for both animators
and game developers. Games often live or die on their
creator's ability to program personality into their
characters; just look at how Tomb Raider's Lara Croft has
become a superstar. But currently, game development companies
have to pay programmers buckets of cash to achieve those
personal touches.
(Nasdaq: MSFT),
long known for its desktop software, is showing a more playful
side these days, with Xbox, the game platform that wowed game
enthusiasts and technologists alike, and new software tools
that will provide consumers with the ability to create their
own games and animations.
But the Redmond giant isn't stopping there. It wants to
make the game experience even more personal, which is why the
graphics group at Microsoft
Research is working on Face Mapping, software that lets
computer users scan their heads in 3D using a $100 webcam. The
tools include Expression, a technology that creates facial
animation; Verbs, which can make an animated character walk,
run, jump, or jive; and Adverbs, which gives characters
emotional expression.
Of course, the ability to animate with emotional expression
or scan a cranium is not new. Any Hollywood director with a
large wad of cash, some expensive scanning equipment, and half
a dozen highly paid animators can achieve such wonders.
What's new here? Microsoft is making the creation of
realistic animation easy and cost-effective. Simply put,
Microsoft is doing what Microsoft does best: bringing complex
computer programming tasks to the less-technical user. What's
more, if successful, such tools may do for animation and games
what the digital camera has done for desktop video by making
the creation of animation as easy and as popular as editing a
home video.
HEAD SHOTTo make the economics of game
development more tangible, let's take a look at head scanning.
To do this now, a developer needs a very complex piece of
equipment that uses lasers to gauge the shape of the head and
cameras to read the hair color and skin tone. When all of
those data are captured, the computations are done on a large
computer so that the texture and shape can be mapped onto a
computer-simulated replica.
With Microsoft's Face Mapping, all the game user or
developer does is have someone sit in front of a cheap webcam
and have the camera record their facial image, which is then
used to assemble a model of the face, utilizing 50 predefined
parameters. It's not that much different from the way a police
artist builds the face of a suspect with an IdentiKit package.
Face Mapping simply matches the subject's chin to one of its
predefined chins, then the nose, ears, and so on. The finished
product, it has to be said, is about as pretty as a police
sketch and makes most subjects actually look like they have a
criminal record.
Why bother, then? Well, it appears that gamers have a
desire to see themselves and their friends take part in the
game they are playing. Other applications could include using
a 3D representation of one's self during online meetings or
instant messaging conversations, according to Microsoft
Research graphics group team leader Michael Cohen.
Mr. Cohen's team is also developing animation software that
provides novice game users with simple point-and-click tools
for creating a realistic image.
WALK THIS WAYBut the quest for realism
doesn't end at the neck. Game developers want to give their
characters more personality; for example, a happy walk or a
wounded walk. That isn't so easy. Typically, animators get an
actor and put him in a sensor-embedded suit. The sensors' data
are fed into the computer; the animator then must map the
motion to the animated character.
That's where Microsoft's Verbs and Adverbs come in handy.
The actor's motion still has to be recorded, but with the
tool, the mapping is automatically generated, thus dispensing
with the need to have highly paid animators hand-code the
Some game observers even believe it's possible that not too
long from now, actors' motions could be sold by companies like
Viewpoint (a firm that
provides an A to Z of 3D objects) as prerecorded data objects.
At that stage, enthusiastic amateurs will be able to build
their own animations without ... well, having to animate. Once
they have added the motion from Verbs, they can add the
emotional expression of that motion from Adverbs.
No doubt game developers will be the first to take
advantage of such tools, but it may not be long before
enthusiastic amateurs follow suit and use them to create their
own games and animations. So why is it that Microsoft, a
company that, after all, has been focused on the business
market, has taken an interest in games and animations? Well,
it's just another take on Bill Gates's famous maxim: content
is king. Only this time, the corporation is trying to get
users to create their own content. Who knew playing games
would become such a serious business?
Niall McKay is a contributing editor to Red
Herring magazine and can be contacted at http://www.niall.org/.


text:
Topic: Question about ? (.nil?, .blank?, .include?)
What's the best way to explain what the "?" question mark does in ruby?
Take for instance this snippet of a view
<%= @user.name unless @user.name.nil? %>
To me that says "print the name of the user instance variable unless the name of the user instance variable is nil (or is it?)"
The ? seems to complicate things since it seems to me that you could just use
<%= something.do unless something.do.nil %>
"Do something unless do is nil."
Does the ? return true or false? Is the first example really saying "print the name of the user instance variable unless I(ruby) evaluate the name to be nil in which case return false"
I looked through "Why's" guide since he does a good job of explaining this kinda stuff but only found a brief little bit about it.


text:
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text:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1
Calories 324
Total Fat 14 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Sodium 571 mg
Total Carbohydrate 31.5 g
Dietary Fiber 5.5 g
Protein 21 g
Ingredients and Preparation
Ingredients Measures
Olive oil 2 teaspoons
Garlic cloves, minced 3
Medium onion, diced 1
Crushed tomato with basil 28 ounces
Dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon
Large eggs, lightly beaten 2
Plain dry breadcrumbs ¾ cup
Eggplant (about 1¼-1½ pounds), unpeeled and cut into ¼-inch slices 1
Cooking spray
Part-skim ricotta cheese 1½ cups
Part-skim mozzarella, shredded 1 cup
Parmesan cheese, grated ¼ cup
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Lightly whisk together eggs in a shallow plate. Add breadcrumbs to another shallow plate. Dip eggplant slices in eggs and then in the breadcrumbs.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat lightly with cooking spray. Add eggplant slices and cook until browned, about 5 minutes on each side.
- Pour 1/3 of the tomato sauce into a 12x7-inch baking dish. Layer half of the eggplant slices on top. Spread half of the ricotta over the eggplant. Repeat layers and end with remaining sauce. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for about 40 minutes.


text:
Topic: Migrate application from one server to another?
I'm pretty new with Rails (and web dev in general)... always been more of an applications developer, so bare with me
A colleague of mine designed a Rails site for one of his clients a few years ago. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months ago. I am trying to get this application moved over from his shared hosting (HostingRails) to my dedicated server. I'm running into all sorts of errors, and I'm assuming this is because of different Rails versions, different GEMs, etc.
What is the recommended path to do this? Thanks


text:
Topic: Rails Carrier Wave with JQueryUploader
I am wondering why I always get this kind of error in firebug when I try to upload an image/images. I am using it as on this tutorial.
(https://github.com/blueimp/jQuery-File- tup-for-V5)
And I endedup having this error, the first GET request error is automatically appearing when I load the page, and the second POST error is when I hit the Start upload:
Even though I had does errors I successfully uploaded the images when I hit the refresh button.
Any Comment or Suggestions are much appriciated..
Thank You.
Last edited by kingpangilinan (2011-12-05 18:57:16)


text:
11/16/2012 (4 years ago)
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Whether it comes through our baptism, our life of devotion and mortification or ultimately at the end of time as we know it, the days of Noah are upon us. The floodwaters rush headlong to take away anything that is not of God and leave those things that are pure and holy.
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
11/16/2012 (4 years ago)
Published in Year of Faith
Keywords: left behind, second coming, rapture, baptism, commitment
WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Raised in the Episcopal Church, like many of my generation I drifted away from my spiritual roots as a teen, playing in rock bands and ending up as a rock-n-roll DJ in my early twenties. Higher education at that point in my young life was more important as a draft deferment than as a means of deepening my intellect.
My less than stellar first attempt at college, unfortunately, did not provide sufficient protection. The Navy became my next destination, as I didn't want to be drafted and sent by the Army to Vietnam.
I learned a number of lessons in the Navy. The first was quite ego-shattering - being a former DJ wasn't as impressive to the other sailors on board my destroyer as it was to me.
The second came when while catching up with my destroyer in Vietnam. After landing in Danang, I looked at the number of young men - all around my age - that we waiting in the terminal for a flight home. Many were bandaged and recovering some serious wounds and debilitating injuries. Lesson two: I was mortal and could lose my life.
 These two sobering thoughts - humility and mortality - became the pathway through which the grace of God could lighten the darkened hallways of my soul and bring me back to life again regarding the things of the Lord.
It was easy to get excited about God during the lates 60's and early 70's. It was the height of the Jesus movement and being a Christian was cool! Jesus was our "natural high," "the bridge over troubled waters," and "the One Way to heaven."
We even had our own music, thanks to groups like Love Song and the 2nd Chapter of Acts. We also grooved to the folk melodies of people like Randy Stonehill, Barry McGuire, and Nancy Honeytree.
Perhaps the one name that was more closely linked to this movement than any other was Larry Norman, especially with one popular song - "I Wish We'd All Been Ready."
The second verse goes:
A man and wife asleep in bed
She hears a noise and turns her head he's gone
I wish we'd all been ready
Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one's left standing still
I wish we'd all been ready
There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind
The song became a theme for the modern doctrine of the rapture, which swept its way into every crevice of modern protestant Christianity. According to this doctrine, prior to the Second Coming of Christ, He would return in the clouds and "rapture" all believers - the living and the dead. They would disappear from the earth and be taken up with him.
Contradictory views of this doctrine have spawned Second Coming maps and charts, large amounts of specialized Bible study and a host of conferences.
This teaching really took root predominantly in the 1800's but swept America in the 20th Century, most recently through movies in the 1970's and then the "Left Behind" book series.
The whole idea of leaving this messed up world behind is attractive to many. The worse things get, the closer we are to getting out of here.
The Church has always rejected these teachings for a number of reasons, especially for the fact that the return of Christ was being split into so many smaller pieces based on very narrow interpretations of isolated Scripture verses.
Texts, like the one in today's Gospel - Luke 17:26-37 - referring to the days of Noah, were often cited to support teaching on the rapture.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.
The Church Fathers give us a whole different perspective on this passage and the importance of following after Christ, whether He will come back today or in a thousand more years.
First, St. Cyril of Alexandria helps us to understand that this passage does, in fact, help us to put things in perspective when Christ comes again.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom. (Lk. 17:28)
Things will continue as usual until He returns. St. Cyril reminds us that "he requires us to be always watchful and ready to make our defense before the tribunal of God."
In the latter 1980's a book was written on "88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988." Obviously, this didn't happen. Scripture tells us that we won't know when, but to always be ready. We are to live our lives always ready to meet the Lord whether at this return or at our death.
In fact, our Lord uses the parable of the 10 Virgins to remind his followers to be sure that their lamps are filled with oil and their wicks are trimmed, as five of the ten were eager to do. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Mt. 25:13)
In the Preface for the Dead in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we read, "Life is changed not taken away." Recognizing our mortality, as I did in Vietnam, can be quickly changed from dread to delight by the fact that in Christ we have the blessed hope that awaits us in heaven. This is not all there is.
Secondly, St. Augustine gives us an even more important view of this teaching on being left behind from Jesus. In a letter to Evodius, a fellow bishop, he writes, "Since this (Ed. - the days of Noah) signified a future event, the flood also signified baptism for believers and death for unbelievers."
In another letter, this one to Hesychius, he talks about this issue when he refers to the one on the housetop. "In all our trials, each one must take care not to be overcome or to come down from a spiritual height to a carnal life. He who had progressed should not look back by turning toward the past or failing to reach out to the future."
What a picture! Here is the one preparing for baptism - and the flood waters are there, ready to remove all of his old life, when he looks down and sees something there he doesn't want to leave behind. Trying to grasp it with all he's worth, he falls into the torrent and is swept away rather than raised up to new life in Christ.
Whatever pursuits were ours, whatever delights were ours, and whatever appetites were ours prior to baptism must be left behind at the waters of baptism. This is not only important for later converts but also for those whose battle with our lower nature - what the Church calls concupiscence - continues.
As Lot's wife learned, when leaving Sodom, don't look back!
Whether it comes through our baptism, our life of devotion and mortification or ultimately at the end of time as we know it, the days of Noah are upon us. The floodwaters rush headlong to take away anything that is not of God and leave those things that are pure and holy.
My understanding of the old Larry Norman song is much different than it was when I first heard it, yet the hook remains the same: I wish we'd all been ready. Ready to follow Christ, forsaking those things that are not of Him. Ready to abandon all that our lower nature craves and the world caresses. Ready to take the message of the Gospel into all the world, no matter the cost.
To be honest to today's text, when those waters recede, we want to be the ones left behind. With our lives unencumbered by those things that distract us from Christ, we are left to do the work he has called us to do.
Father Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and a priest with the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter (http://usordinariate.org) established by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, through the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum Coetibus."
By Fr. James Farfaglia
The consideration of Jesus' baptism, gives us an opportunity to remember our own baptism. If you do not know the date of your own baptism, it is a good idea to go through your personal files and find out when it occurred. CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic ... continue reading
By Fr Samuel Medley, SOLT
I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. HYTHE, KENT, UK (Catholic Online) - I didn't steal any cookies mommy! says a little boy whose mother asked him if he was hungry, wiping the ... continue reading
By Catholic Online
The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man's self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith Fournier
It is not accidental that the Bible, from beginning to the end, uses marriage as a metaphor and a symbol to reveal the plan of God for the whole human race. Marriage was God's plan from the beginning as we see in the first book of Genesis. Throughout the Old ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith Fournier
"A sower went out to sow. And, as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for ... continue reading
By Michael Terheyden
How we interpret the Bible is of immense importance! It directly affects what we believe about Christ, the Church, and our faith, but it is also related to many of the grave problems in our society and the world. Yet, despite the gravity of this situation, we have good ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith Fournier
We celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. It is one of many opportunities the Catholic Church year offers to each one of us to consider the creature called time, receive it as a gift, and begin to really live our lives differently. This is one of ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith Fournier
On the Solemnity of the Feast of Christ the King, the Sunday which marks both the end of the Church Year and the end of the Year of Faith, inaugurated by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis greeted thousands of the faithful and presided over Holy Mass and the ... continue reading
By Father Randy Sly
Becoming a House of Prayer is the best discipline we can take on. St. Ephraem of Syria states that Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith Fournier
If this day you only knew what makes for peace- but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your ... continue reading


text:
Diptera are a large order of insects, containing 120,000 species including flies and mosquitoes.
Our extensive Diptera research is focused in the following areas:
Provides information about the taxonomy, phylogeny and nomenclature of Diptera.
Discover more about the Museum's large collection of Diptera.
Discover more about the different groups of flies.


text:
"Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life. "
Cessna Sovereign+
A major makeover renders a popular midsize jet even more appealing.
The emperor has new clothes.
Cessna's latest incarnation of its midsize Sovereign fits advanced technology and improved interior design into a fuselage tube cross section introduced by the Citation III back in 1979.
Certified late last year, the Sovereign+ features subtle winglets Cessna calls "swooplets," new touch-screen Garmin avionics, a new cabin-management and entertainment system, a better environmental-control system, uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, a redesigned cockpit and an upgraded cabin with seats for eight to nine passengers. While it may look almost identical to a legacy Sovereign, the new model offers a nine-foot-longer wingspan that holds more fuel and boosts takeoff weight from 30,300 to 30,775 pounds.
The airplane incorporates these improvements while retaining its ability to use runways as short as 3,530 feet, cruise at 460 knots and post slightly faster climb times. Bundled together, the changes on the Sovereign+ also yield an airplane with a range of 3,000 nautical miles, 150 more than its predecessor, making it officially transcontinental in the U.S. It executes the trip with dramatically improved functionality and comfort, while—so far, at least—holding the line on price: $18.1 million. This is the type of incrementalism Cessna does better than anyone else in the business.
Certified in 2004, the original Sovereign quickly built market appeal, selling 350 copies through the end of last year, more than half for export. The basic design is simple: mechanical linkages to the control surfaces, no exotic fly-by-wire here. Stylistically, from the cruciform tail to the trenched center aisle in the passenger cabin, the Sovereign harkens back to the first transcontinental business jets of the 1960s, such as the Rockwell Sabreliner 65. You can't really call this airplane super-midsize as it has nowhere near the cabin volume, wide floors or headroom of a true super-midsize such as a Gulfstream G280 or a Bombardier Challenger 350, but then it costs millions less.
As previously suggested, the Sovereign borrows from several Citations. It has the same 66-inch tube width at the shoulders that the company adopted with the Citation III and later shared with the smaller Citation XLS and the faster, longer Citation X. The trenched drop-floor center aisle provides 68 inches of headroom. The passenger cabin is just over 25 feet long. Eight individual swivel, slide and reclining passenger seats are arranged into two facing "club 4" layouts. A single side-facing seat opposite the aircraft entry door can be added, bringing passenger capacity to nine, if you select the shorter 31-inch-wide "refreshment center." It holds an ice drawer, storage, trash and two beverage containers. The nine-seat layout is the most popular, as most operators use their Sovereigns in roles akin to corporate shuttles: they skip the frills, load up the seats and go.
Stowage space remains respectable for an aircraft in this category. A heated, externally accessed 100-cubic-foot baggage hold in the tail section can swallow 1,000 pounds; inside the lavatory is a 27-cubic-foot hanging closet rated for 312 pounds; and another smaller closet, in the front opposite the galley, can take 123 pounds.
The sole lavatory is aft of the main cabin and separated from it by a pair of sliding doors.
None of this changes on the Sovereign+, but plenty else does. The cabin is completely restyled with more flowing cabinetry and new LED lighting to brighten the space. Other touches include a more robust side-table design and the elimination of traditional cup holders in favor of multifunctional storage for keys, cell phones and beverages.
But it is the new air conditioning, seats and cabin electronics that passengers will appreciate most.
Cessna says the air conditioning provides 37 percent better cooling.
Passenger seating has long been the bane of midsize Cessnas: the comfort of a church pew locked into the styling of a 1980s minivan. Working with Ipeco, the European manufacturer long lauded for its cockpit seating, Cessna designed a common seat platform, used now in the Sovereign+ and new Citation X and soon in the under-development Latitude and Longitude. It features eight degrees more pitch, allowing passengers to lean back farther—and more comfortably. The armrests retract into the seatback, widening the aisle and providing more seated thigh room for larger passengers. You get the sensation that you are sitting in the seat, as opposed to on it. It's not the same level of comfort you get in a high-end Mercedes, in which the seat-cushion side bolsters automatically inflate and deflate as you round corners, but it's light years away from a minivan. You can enhance comfort more by ordering the adjustable mechanical lumbar.
Passenger electronics have also made a quantum leap in this airplane, thanks to the new Clairity cabin-management system. Clairity integrates the cabin electrical system, avionics and communications through a fiber-optic backbone. Six 110V outlets are located throughout the cockpit, cabin and lav with jacks at each club-four seat grouping, and USB charging ports are standard at each seat. As an option, the 110V outlets can be added at each seat. Interactive touchscreen controllers at every seat, about the size of smartphones, operate cabin lights, window shades, temperature, digital audio and video and an interactive moving map. The controllers also have built-in Web browsers (Internet service required). Options include RGB mood lighting, Wi-Fi, high-speed Internet and satellite radio.
Five basic fabric and color combinations are available for the Sovereign+. Customers can also choose their own fabrics and colors.
The restyled cockpit is built around the new Garmin G5000 touchscreen avionics suite, which features three 14-inch flat-panel displays, an integrated autopilot and autothrottles. The G5000 offers the latest communications, safety and navigation technology, including synthetic vision, weather radar, GPS with wide-area-augmentation system for precision approaches, traffic-collision-avoidance system (Tcas II), terrain-awareness and warning system (Taws), ADS-B out, radio altimeter and cockpit voice recorder. Automatic functions built into the G5000 speed engine start and preflight checks and add additional layers of idiot-proofing.
While more refined inside for passengers and pilots, the Sovereign+ retains a few of the handling drawbacks of its progenitor, mainly the truck-like handling in the roll axis. But that's a small price to pay for a thoroughly modernized aircraft that offers almost the ideal combination of economy, range, utility, speed and payload. Even with all this, the Sovereign+ still may not be the perfect airplane. But it's really close.
2014 Cessna Citation Sovereign+ at a Glance
Price: $18.13M
Crew: 2
Passengers: 8-9
Range: 3,000 nm*
Max cruise speed: 460 kt
Takeoff distance: 3,000 ft**
Cabin: height: 5 ft 8 in
width: 5 ft 6 in
length: 25 ft 3 in
Baggage: 135 cu ft
*with 200 nm IFR reserves, two pilots, four passengers
**at maximum weight
Mark Huber is a private pilot with experience in single-engine, multi-engine, turbine, amphibious, aerobatic and rotary-wing aircraft.
The old Sovereign was a good machine that I flew to Europe and Hawaii a few times, and about 500 hours domestically. The new and improved Sovereign sounds downright exciting.
Add your comment:
By submitting a comment, you are allowing AIN Publications to edit and use your comment in all media.


text:
Adobe: Demand Creation Generation Strategies for B-to-B
October 24, 2012
Scott Harris, director, enterprise campaign and demand marketing at Adobe Systems, discussed how Adobe has successfully grown its enterprise business through using its own digital marketing solutions combined with focused strategies for sales and marketing alignment.
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text:
Sorry in advance as Waborat walked off with both Kansas and Duke.
Matt has Ohis State to account for the other #1 seed.
You can see the randomized pull here at the end of the thread:
To sum up:
Rich 1 Butler & Arizona
Wabo 4 Kansas and Duke (fer fucks sake)
Comish 6 BYU and Kentucky
JTA 3 Marquette and VCU
Matt 5 Richmond and Ohio State
Mother 2 Florida and UConn
Furls 8 San Diego ST and Florida ST
Peeker 7 Wisconsin and North Carolina


text:
Mustang Hoofprints: Feb. 14
Hello Mustang fans!
Eight days and counting to the 10th annual Gold Rush Raffle held on Friday, Feb. 22 at the SMSU Conference Center. We have some great live and silent auction items planned for this year's event. You can go to the "Events" tab at SMSUMustangs.com and click the Gold Rush Raffle tab to view the live auction items up for bid this year.
We have some new group trips and individual auction items for you to bid on, including a two-day golf trip for four people to a private Minnesota golf course including lodging, meals, gas and eight rounds of golf. We have also worked with Pepsi of Pipestone, who donated a Pepsi machine decorated with Mustang graphics. The Mustang Pepsi machine would look great in a basement or workshop. These are just a couple of the new items we will have up for auction next Friday evening.
The Gold Rush Raffle committee has set a goal of raising $50,000 this year, with all the proceeds going to SMSU athletic scholarships. Please mark your calendars now for this great mid-winter social event. If you did not get a Gold Rush Raffle ticket, we will have social tickets available at the door.
For more information on the Gold Rush Raffle and Mustang Athletics, please go to SMSUmustangs.com.
This Week in Mustang Athletics:
The SMSU wrestling team (12-6 overall, 2-5 NSIC) will conclude its NSIC schedule Saturday versus Minnesota State-Moorhead (8-6, 3-3) as the Mustangs pay tribute Saturday to their three seniors – Chris Hale, Ed Reno and Devin Terry – on "Senior Night" in the PE Gym at 7 p.m. Last week, SMSU made the long trek to the University of Mary and Minot State, losing to Mary in the first contest of the trip 24-12 before making a statement at Minot State defeating the Beavers 44-3.
The SMSU men's basketball team (14-11, 11-7) completes a four game NSIC home stand this weekend. The Mustangs will welcome Wayne State College (15-9, 9-9) to the R/A Facility on Friday, with tip-off slated for 8 p.m. Saturday, the Vikings of Augustana College (17-5, 13-5) come to Marshall for "Senior Night", with game time set for 7 p.m. The Mustangs will honor six seniors – Michael Appel, Tramel Barnes, Jordan Buddenhagen, Jordan Miller, Tyler Peschong and Lavione West. SMSU is coming off a pair of NSIC victories last weekend over the University of Mary and Minot State.
The Mustangs come into the weekend fifth in the NSIC South Division standings and seventh overall. WSC currently sits in sixth in the NSIC South and is tied for 10th overall, while Augustana is tied for third in the NSIC South and tied for third overall. SMSU is currently two games behind Augustana and Upper Iowa for the third and fourth seed in the NSIC South. The top four seeds in each division will host a first-round game in the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament starting on February 27.
The SMSU women's basketball team (4-20, 2-16) will lead off the weekend's games by hosting Wayne State College (14-8, 10-8) on Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday, Augustana College (17-5, 13-5) comes to the R/A Facility for "Senior Night", with the contest scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The Mustangs will honor their lone senior – Nathalie Svensson – at Saturday's game. SMSU is coming off two home losses last weekend against Mary and Minot State
The SMSU wheelchair basketball team is 13-13 overall after going 2-1 last weekend while playing host to the Rollin' Timberwolves from the Twin Cities. The Mustangs won the first game 42-30 before losing Game 2 on Saturday 54-60. On Sunday, SMSU won 52-40 in a game of runs by both teams. The final contests of the year for the Mustangs are scheduled to be at the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, played on March 7-10 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The SMSU tennis team opened up the 2013 season with a 7-2 loss to Macelester College last Saturday. Shelby Monahan won by default over Katelyn Glenna in singles competition. In doubles, Katie Kienitz and Allison Niedert teamed up to beat the Macalester pair of Katelyn Glenna and Alicia Roopchand, 8-5. The Mustangs will begin NSIC action this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. versus Winona State at the Lifetime Fitness Oakdale complex in St. Louis Park.
Today, the SMSU baseball team opens the 2013 season with a non-conference doubleheader versus Upper Iowa at the Metrodome in Minneapolis starting at 3:30 p.m. The Mustangs will continue non-conference play on Sunday with a doubleheader versus the University of Mary starting at 6 a.m.
Head coach Paul Blanchard begins his 17th season as the Mustang head coach and has 37 players on the 2013 roster. This season's team features 17 letterwinners from the 2012 squad that finished 22-23 overall. SMSU will play a total of four doubleheaders at the Metrodome before beginning an eight-game road trip the week of March 9 as part of the team's spring trip to Tucson, Ariz.
I would like to wish all of our Mustang teams the best of luck this weekend!
Go Mustangs!
This week no one provided the correct answer to the last week's Mustang Hoofprint's Trivia Question: How many drunk driving fatalities occur in Minnesota each year? In 2011, there were 109 drunk driving fatalities in Minnesota, and 128 in 2010.


text:
Hallo artist and maker-type people!
Kata and I are planning to do a surge of FoH work connected to the fundraising campaign: as well as re-beautifying the Forest space, we want to get some really clear messages in and outside the building about what we're doing to save the Forest and how people can get involved. There's a lot to do, and a lot of scope for both artistmakery-people to create things (and bottom-line regular things).
Some stuff we want to do:
- Build a funny Forest-style funding thermometer
- Make a couple of stylish banners for inside and out
- Get the outside chalkboards up-and-running again every week
- Make some new posters and artwork for fundraising-related posters
- Build a display of shop items for the café
- And more!
- And any ideas you have!
Want to get involved? E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com and email@example.com to be part of it.