text:
Jason Henderson got his first glimpse of Dracula on television more than three decades ago.
He has been obsessed with vampires ever since.
He's an author, based in Grapevine, who today loves nothing more than writing about the toothy bloodsuckers. "As a storyteller," Henderson says, "there are so many cool things you can do with them."
His new novel, Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising, is the first in a series of books chronicling the cliffhanger adventures of a 14-year-old vampire hunter.
It's precisely the kind of story that Henderson would have sunk his teeth into as a kid -- and it's a far cry from the campy TV vamp that initially inspired him.
"The first vampire I remember having a strong reaction to was, of all things, in The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Meet Dracula," Henderson says. "In it, whenever Dracula appears on-screen, stalking various people, including members of Shaun Cassidy's band, you see only his awesome black boots."
If Henderson were to watch the show again today, it probably would strike him as being laughably bad. "But at the time," he says, "I was really struck by this powerful and iconic figure."
All these years later, the Prince of Darkness, and others of his kind, still capture his imagination.
"I don't write about vampires because they're popular," Henderson says. "I write about them because I like to write about vampires."
Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising (HarperTeen, $16.99) goes on sale Tuesday.
Before Henderson decided to give novels for teens a try, he wrote comic books and computer games. His work includes the Activision game Wolfenstein, the manga series Psy-Comm and the vampire action comic series Sword of Dracula. In the mid-1990s, while still in college, he wrote sword-and-sorcery adult fantasy novels, but he says he never had the same passion for that genre that he has for vampires.
Henderson believes vampire fiction is so durably popular because vampires themselves are so malleable. "There's always one more way that you can take this piece of folklore that we call vampires and turn it into a new story," he says. "It's interesting, however, what has happened to vampires in recent years. There has been a tendency in a lot of vampire work to take the obscenity out of vampires.
"Traditionally, they're supposed to be something that's full of guilt. They're perverse. They're drinking blood, for Pete's sake. But vampires can do so much cool stuff that it makes them super-attractive. So you've got writers who tweak it a little bit, taking away the moral implications of them drinking blood, maybe by giving them synthetic blood, and what you end up with is vampires as the new superheroes."
Not that Henderson has any real objections to taking such liberties. He says he believes there is room out there for all kinds of vampires. From serial-killer vamps to romance-novel vamps, he says, it's all fair game.
Still, Henderson is a purist when it comes to his vampires -- which is to say that his vampires are pure evil. "As a matter of fact," he admits, "my vampires are basically like James Bond villains."
Which is fitting because Alex Van Helsing, a direct descendant from literature's most famous vampire killer, the Abraham Van Helsing character from Bram Stoker's Dracula, is essentially a teenage agent-in-training attached to a super-secret international vampire-hunting organization.
Henderson is a native North Texan, born and raised in Irving. He's a University of Dallas graduate. He and Julia, his wife of 16 years, have two young daughters. They've lived in Grapevine for the past five years.
Henderson has a day job as a product marketing manager for Verizon Communication. "Then, when my workday is over, I come home and I pound out vampire novels," he says.
It stands to reason that he should be writing these things during "vampire hours."
Book two of the Alex Van Helsing series, already written but untitled, is scheduled to be published in May 2011. Book three will come out in May 2012.
What Henderson and his publisher hope to achieve with these books, he says, is "to bring boys back into reading." Studies show that, for a variety of reasons, girl book readers greatly outnumber boy readers. As a result, books for teenage boys are an under-published area, which is something of a self-defeating marketing strategy. The Alex Van Helsing books, if successful, could help fill that void.
That said, it's ironic that Henderson started writing Vampire Rising with a girl protagonist, Veronica "Ronnie" Van Helsing. A grown-up version of Ronnie was the hero of his Sword of Dracula comic books, which he wrote for several years, collaborating with various artists. In the comics, she was a professional superspy who hunted vampires.
Henderson was well under way in writing the first book when his editor suggested, because of his visceral, action-packed style, that he switch the lead character from a girl to a boy.
"It turns out that I was instinctively writing a boy book all along," Henderson says. "So I switched gears and made the books about her brother Alex."
Now he's eager to see how the target audience responds.
"I know that boys will read if you just put something out there that's more to the taste of boys," Henderson says. "There are a few examples that pop right to mind. Boys are reading the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books. Boys like the Harry Potter books. And boys love Alex Rider, which is a spy series. If I could occupy a space alongside them with Alex Van Helsing, I would be so thrilled."


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Food fight: Bacteria's biological warfare
You're not just eating for one. You're eating for trillions.
We like to think of ourselves as an individual, but the truth is we are never alone. We are a buzzing hive of bacteria and other microbes that make up our 'microbiome'. They eke out a living in whatever niches they can find, our skin or parts of our digestive system; we are an ecosystem.
Like all ecosystems there is competition for resources, and some microbes don't take it lying down, they fight. I've written before about Cholera's spring loaded dagger, but microbes have many means at their disposal, some release enzymes to chew off important bits of their competitors, or poison them. But a few go a step further; they use biological warfare: unleashing viruses to kill off the competition.
Over millions of years of evolution with our microbial hoard we've come to rely on them; some help in digestion, breaking up long molecules into smaller chunks more manageable by our own cells, or by tutoring our immune system, helping it to learn what's acceptable and what's not. They're an important, maybe even essential, part of normal, healthy life.
We're only just starting to peek through the window of this world, to understand how it works and just how important our relationship with our microbiome is. But microbes, like bacteria and fungi, aren't the whole picture; there're other things hidden in there too, more subtle, less obvious.
Ever since we've been able to peer into, and 'read', the genomes of plants, animals and microbes we've seen traces of DNA from viruses littered throughout them. Even complete viral genomes can be found, often silenced somehow; but everything needed to make the fully functioning virus is there. They're an important part of our own genomes; and make up around 8% of our total genetic inheritance.
One bacterium, a denizen of the lower intestine, called Enterococcus faecalis has been found to harbour 7 'prophages'—viral genomes carried in circular strings of DNA—and it uses them as a weapon. A team from The University of Texas and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, led by Associate Professor Lora V. Hooper, has revealed that this bacterium produces viruses (also called 'bacteriophages' or just 'phages' when they infect bacteria) that attack related species competing for the same resources.
But it doesn't just chug out these proviruses randomly; it selects from them. It uses the structural components from prophage 1, providing a shell in which is carried a deadly payload. The payload comes from prophage 7 and contains the machinery needed to 'lyse', or split open, an infected bacterium.
At first the team couldn't be sure that it was a combined virus like this that was the culprit. They had detected DNA for provirus 1 and 7, but only one virus particle. To check, they genetically engineered E. faecalis to make two new strains.
In one strain they removed prophage 1, the other, prophage 7. When they grew the strain without prophage 1, they saw no virus particles. Without prophage 7 they saw the virus particles, but they were non-functional. Only when both prophages 1 and 7 were present was the virus able to carry out its nefarious deeds.
To check if this really offers an advantage the team inoculated mice bred under sterile conditions, so they had no microbiome, with E. faecalis and a similar strain of bacteria sensitive to the phage it produces. Another group of the same mice were inoculated with the mutant E. faecalis, lacking prophage 7, and the phage sensitive bacteria. They monitored the number of bacteria of each type and found lower levels of the phage sensitive bacterium in mice with E. faecalis compared to the mice with the mutant E. faecalis. Confirming that producing the virus can give an advantage.
But can phage production be manipulated without negatively affecting E. faecalis? This could be important because if we could control the release of phages against different types of bacteria, for example the antibiotic resistant Clostridium dificile which can cause lethal diarrhoea, we could have a new antibacterial weapon. Or, if we could turn them off, a way to restore levels of an important 'good' bacteria whose numbers are being depleted for some reason.
To find out if this was possible they looked at the conditions E. faecalis was grown in in the lab. Various combinations of different things were tried but one condition stood out. When they added more amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—there was an increase in the number of phage made. When there were less amino acids, there was less phage, even though the bacteria grew normally.
The researchers are quick to point out that it's difficult to be sure that this is what happens when E. faecalis is in the body or how big a part amino acids really play; there are likely be other factors at work, but it seems reasonable to expect that the availability of amino acids in the body will be one of them.
Viruses that naturally prey on bacteria and those released in a more measured way by bacteria themselves are promising ways to treat disease. But it is still at an early stage compared to the chemicals and proteins we currently think of, and use, as drugs.
Before we can get there, there is a long road ahead. Not only are there the viruses hiding out silently in bacteria, released when conditions are right, there are also the viruses working to their own game plan. Of the millions of different microbe species that make up the microbiome that we are trying to understand, there are likely even more viruses capable of influencing and shaping its composition: the 'virome'.
Duerkop, B., Clements, C., Rollins, D., Rodrigues, J., & Hooper, L. (2012). A composite bacteriophage alters colonization by an intestinal commensal bacterium Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109 (43), 17621-17626 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1206136109
Image credits:
Main image
Scanning electron micrograph of Streptococcus faecalis, Wellcome Images, Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons by-nc-nd 2.0 UK: England & Wales

subset: commoncrawl


text:
West Kingdom Awards List
Award Recommendation to the Royalty of the West
This form may be used if you wish to recommend someone you know to the Crown of the West or Coronets of the Principalities or Baronies of the West for recognition. Please note that recommendations are generally "taken under advisement", and that there is no guarantee that any one recommendation will be acted upon by the Royalty. The email sent from this form will go only to the Royalty with a copy to you -- no one else will see it.
When done, use the 'back' button on your browser to return to whatever website you were viewing when you came here.


text:
Onslaught! Defense
by: Lost Decade Games • 12
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by: Lost Decade Games • 12
Wield powerful weapons to defend your castle from hordes of dragons and demons in this action-packed castle defense game. Upgrade powerful swords, axes and spears to earn the mighty Runeforge! How many monsters can you slay before your castle is overrun?
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text:
$ 38.89 In Stock Free Ground Shipping
- Condition:
- New
- Item No.
- 391743
- Mfg Part No.
- 62-140
Product Information for IDEAL TRACETone Tone Generator and Amplified Probe Test Set
Highlights for IDEAL TRACETone Tone Generator and Amplified Probe Test Set
- Product Type:Probe
General Information
Technical Information
Test continuity and located signal of installed wire and cable
Battery Information
Power Description
Environmental Conditions
Physical Characteristics
Package Contents
Additional Information
Voltage Without Damage:
Tone frequencies (+/-5%):
Tone voltage:
Tone power:
Management & Protocols
Power-on indicator
Media & Performance
Display & Graphics


text:
To be fair, doing nothing is more fun than doing work.
Another indicator that coal-based power systems are an endangered species.
Dispersants have been shown to kill plankton, a critical part of the food web. The impacts of this may not be known for years.
With signs of fast ice melt on the island, Europe is racing to figure out who gets what.
Because they're smart and they love America and if you think that reducing pollution is "cool" then you might as well go to Canada the end.
See if you can guess why.
We've looked into our crystal ball, and it doesn't look good.
There is a correlation between how much waste is shipped by rail and America's economic health. Which is weird.
The famed NASCAR driver signs on to shill for Big Coal.


text:
Reading fictions
Mellor, Bronwyn, Patterson, Annette J., & O'Neill, Marnie (1991) Reading fictions. Chalkface Press, Scarborough, W.A.
Each of the six chapters, which offer a cumulative course of study, begins with a concise overview of the concepts to be explored through the students' reading of selected stories. The first chapter, 'Texts and readings', tries to make reading seem 'strange' through a series of de-familiarising activities that ask students to consider not only what particular stories might mean, but also how they are made to mean in different, and often quite contradictory, ways.
This is explored further in the second chapter which introduces the idea of 'reading positions' and investigates the idea that in some senses, stories are always 'already read'. The next two chapters, called 'Intertextuality' and 'Re-readings?', invite students to consider how they produce particular readings and how they might choose among quite different readings or interpretations of the same story.
The fifth chapter explores ideas about texts and their relationship to 'reality' through readings of racism, while the final chapter, 'Real people?' asks students to consider how they produce often rich and detailed readings of characters from minimal textual information. Terms and concepts which may be new to some students are highlighted in the text and indexed for easy reference.
The short stories in this collection are by writers from different parts of the world and will appeal to students. They range from 'expressive realist' texts to less conventional narrative forms. Those teachers who have enjoyed using Reading Stories with their students will have a lot to look forward to in this collection of surefire 'winners' - by writers as varied as Bessie Head, Kristin Hunter, Tim Winton, Joyce Carol Oates, John Wain and Patricia Grace - each of which is accompanied by imaginative, enjoyable and thought-provoking activities.
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from Scopus and Web of Science® citation databases.
These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
Citations counts from the Google Scholar™ indexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
|ID Code:
|Item Type:
|Literature teaching, Curriculum and pedagogy , Secondary English teaching
|Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY (130200) > Curriculum and Pedagogy Theory and Development (130202)
|Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Education
Past > Schools > School of Cultural & Language Studies in Education
|Copyright Owner:
|Chalkface Press
|Deposited On:
|09 Mar 2010 22:34
|Last Modified:
|10 Aug 2011 16:36
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text:
We have tough days here at ColorLines. After all, it's not easy to report case after case of police brutality without feeling a bit jaded about how little accountability exists. But when reader Dawud Salaam reached out to us with a moving poem inspired by his lost son, Jamil, we were floored.
Salaam wrote to us after our ongoing coverage of Oscar Grant, the 22-year-old man from Oakland who was killed on camera by former BART cop Johannes Mehserle, to tell us the story of his son. Jamil was only 23 when he was killed in what his father said police are calling an attempted robbery. The incident happened in a Colorado Springs parking lot in July of 2007, and police are still investigating. So today's daily love is dedicated to a father's love.
Oaktown injustice
Pointblank dead
Two years, sentence
I am seeing red
Can't keep going on like this
Like nothing happening
Oscar is dead
And the racist cop
And the system don't stop
To see that there is value in me
Young, black and brown
There is value in me
Young, black and brown
To serve and protect is a joke
To protect what, it is sure not
Black folks
My people are seen as the enemy
Of the state
Sentenced to life without
the possibility of parole
a life of peril unfolded
Oscar is dead
Oaktown injustice, America's injustice
Is alive
We're ending the day as often as possible by celebrating love. We welcome your ideas for posts. Send suggestions to firstname.lastname@example.com, and be sure to put Celebrate Love in the subject line. You can send links to videos, graphics, photos, quotes, whatever. Or just chime in to the comments below and we'll find you. Be sure to let us know you've got the rights to share any media you send.


text:
Hey guys,
I've been up in Maine for T-giving and shot my first Sea Ducks. I am going to be cooking them up tomorrow (Monday) and was wondering if anyone had any delicious recipes for Sea Ducks? I have never shot any before and this is my first time cooking them. I have already got them soaking in saltwater and will switch them over to buttermilk later this afternoon. Any recipe suggestions?


text:
Finding the elusive pair of perfect-fitting jeans is a dilemma for most women – so this Valentine's Day point your man towards this!
BODYMETRICS, the revolutionary jeans company, is offering a fabulous Gift Voucher for Valentines Day. Wrapped in a beautiful box, the voucher will entitle you to experience the unique body-scanner at Bodymetrics based in Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, where in just 10 seconds, one of three body shapes will be identified – RUBY, SAPPHIRE or EMERALD.
Next, choose from a large range of luxury jeans styles – designed by chic US band Serfontaine – knowing they will be the best fitting pair ever. Just as fabulous as made-to-measure.
The voucher is available at the special price of £200 and enables you to choose any of the 30 styles of jeans on offer.
To purchase a voucher go to BODYMETRICS, 3rd Floor, Denim Wall, Selfridges, Oxford Street, London or purchase on-line at www.bodymetrics.com.
Ps. Don't forget to enter my special Valentine's Giveaway.VIEW MORE >
Unless otherwise indicated products reviewed are press or brand samples. Links may be affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase through one of our links we receive a small commission which helps support and run this website.


text:
Seriously?? bad dream huh?? better watchout if you wake up to the bed shaking and you see him humping the bed post..lol BTW..my soon to be ex did the same thing, but to his defense..he got tangled in bed sheets..lol
send me a note!!
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text:
April 29, 2012
Box Score
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The UAB softball team downed Southern Miss, 4-2, in eight innings in the series finale to sweep the three-game series at the Southern Miss Softball Complex on Sunday.
The Blazers (35-17 and 16-5 C-USA) are the only other C-USA team next to Tulsa that has swept the Golden Eagles (13-30, 4-16)
UAB got on the board in the third inning as Whitney Fletcher smacked a leadoff double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Catherine Crawford. Kayla Orr stroked a base hit to left, scoring Fletcher.
The Golden Eagles countered in the home half of the frame. Two UAB miscues allowed Southern Miss to score two runs and take their first lead of the three-game series, 2-1.
Gabby Luciani reached first on a fielding error by Kate Armstrong. She scored on a single off the bat of Caroline Walker. Leslie LeJune provided the second run after a muffed pickoff attempt at third sent her home.
UAB tied it at two in the next inning. With two outs, Heather Pearson drew a walk and scored from first on Fletcher's second double of the game.
With the score knotted 2-2 in the seventh inning, Crawford smacked a double to center field and Lowman drew a two-out walk. K. McGrath was safe at first on a dropped-third strike to load the bases. Lauren Webster popped up to third to end the inning, stranding three runners on base.
A costly UAB error in the final frame put USM in position for the win. LeJune hit an infield single to start things off for the Golden Eagles. Britney Dinelt followed up with a fielder's choice to Webster, who turned to get LeJune out at second, but overthrew Pearson, allowing the runners to advance an extra base. The Blazer defense retired the next three batters to preserve the tie and force extra innings.
"I told the girls, we've gotten out of this before. You have to trust yourself and play outstanding defense like you're capable of doing and I challenged them to get out of them," UAB head coach Marla Townsend said.
Kate Armstrong took a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for her first home run of the season to break the 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs, Fletcher ran out an infield single and scored on Crawford's second double of the game and fourth of the series to give UAB its final 4-2 advantage.
"Kate stepped up to the plate, knowing she made an error earlier in the game that allowed a run to score and she came through with a home run that was awesome," Townsend said.
UAB starter Leigh Streetman pitched the first four innings and allowed four hits and two unearned runs. Lannah Campbell (13-6) pitched the remaining 4.0 innings and scattered three hits, while striking out five for the win.
Beth Dietrich (7-13) suffered the loss, pitching 5-1 innings of relief for starter Courtney Ramos. Dietrich allowed six hits and three earned runs, while striking out five.
"I'm proud of the team for coming back through adversity," Townsend said. "I think Lannah pitched us out of some tight spots and gave us momentum going into the eighth."
UAB returns to the diamond this weekend to wrap up the regular season with a three-game series against Tulsa at the UAB Softball Field. The Blazers and Golden Hurricane will square off in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. The game will be televised on FSN.
The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. UAB's six seniors will be honored after the game.


text:
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text:
Austin for Sale
Selected Filters:Type of Ad: Vehicles for Sale Make: Austin
1980 Austin Mini Cooper Right Hand Drive
Stratford, NJ
Just Arrived from the Islands......1980 Austin Mini Cooper Clubman Convertible Looks and runs great!!!! Enjoy this Mini TREAT!!!!! FUN FUN FUN IN THE SUN............... More
1958 Austin Cambridge Saloon
North Canterbury, New zealand
CAR DESCRIPTION The Austin Cambridge (sold as A40, A50, A55, and A60) is a motor car range sold by the Austin Motor Company in several... More
1949 Austin A40
Newberg, OR
Original unmodified all steel body, ground up new build, factory sunroof, all power windows, dyno-matted through out and carpeted, new 18 gauge flooring, firewall... More
1938 Austin Light 12 / 4
North Canterbury, New zealand
The Austin Light Twelve-Four was a car produced by the Austin Motor Company from 1933 until 1939. It was replaced in 1939 by a... More
1962 Austin Mini Van LHD in a very good unrestored condition v
Waalwijk, Netherlands
Austin Mini Van LHD in a very good unrestored condition very rare Very rare this 1961 Austin Mini Van. Originally delivered in Brussels, Belgium so... More
1929 Austin Roadster
St. Louis, MO
The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded in the early 1920s by William Walmsley who soon after establishing his business partnered with a young designer... More
Advertiser since 1990
1930 Austin Saloon Coupe
St. Louis, MO
It can be said that the Austin 7 was Britains equivalent of the Ford Model T. Of course the little 7 came along a... More
Advertiser since 1990
1948 Austin A40 Panel Delivery
Cleveland, OH
NEW PRICE! Beautiful professional build of a rare Austin panel delivery. 350 Chevy, TH350 transmission, A/C, power leather seats, tilt, stereo, back-up camera. Magazine... More
1980 Austin Mini Moke
Fort Worth, TX
What's a Mini Moke, you ask? How about a cool utility vehicle based on the ever-popular Austin Mini. Originally proposed as a military vehicle,... More
Advertiser since 2008
1964 Austin
Collierville, TN
The Austin FX4 cab tootled around London, England as the successor to the Austin FX3, which in its day, was London's most widely used... More
Advertiser since 2011
1940 Austin Bantam 2 Dr Coupe
College Place, WA
Thank you for visiting another one of AUTOCHOICE Is Yours, LLC's exclusive listing. It is a rare occasion and privilege for AUTOCHOICE to represent two rods like the... More
1977 Austin Mini Moke
Vero Beach, FL
1977 Leyland Mini Moke Australian Navy Green colors and graphics, black vinyl interior Completely restored in 2005 to replicate the Mini Mokes which were used on... More
1989 Austin Mini Cooper
Grand Rapids, MI
Offered here is a super clean and great-driving classic Mini Cooper. This 1989 30th Anniversary example provides a unique right-hand drive with an automatic... More
1964 Austin Mini
Vero Beach, FL
1964 Austin Mini Traveler "Woody" Wagon Blue with blue interior Excellent restored condition New paint, new interior Very solid bodyshell New wood panels 1098cc engine with a 4 speed transmission Alternator... More
1969 Austin Mini
Brummen, Netherlands
Austin Mini 1000 Mk2 Countryman ''woody'' from 1969, original Dutch delivered. From first owner!!! A few years ago, very professionally restored and overhauled with... More
Advertiser since 2015


text: BRISTOL, Va., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE:ANR), a leading U.S. coal supplier, today announced the appointment of Deborah M. Fretz to the company's board of directors. Ms. Fretz was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunoco Logistics Partners from its initial public offering in 2002 until her retirement in July 2010. Sunoco Logistics is a publicly-traded master limited partnership that was formed to acquire, expand, own and operate a geographically diverse group of crude oil and refined products pipelines, terminals and storage facilities that currently operates in eleven states. Ms. Fretz also serves as a board member of GATX Corp., a Chicago-based global transportation services firm, and Niska Gas Storage Partners L.P., an independent owner and operator of natural gas storage in North America. She also currently serves as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Ms. Fretz holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Chemistry from Butler University and an MBA from Temple University. She completed the Senior Executive Program through MIT's Sloan School. "We are pleased to welcome Debbie Fretz as a member of Alpha's board of directors," said Michael Quillen, Chairman. "Her knowledge of energy, logistics and storage companies, coupled with her broad managerial and financial background, brings additional depth to our board's collective expertise and positions us for continued growth and success in the coal industry. I look forward to working with Debbie in our efforts to bring additional value to our stockholders and many stakeholders." Fretz joins current board members: Michael Quillen, William J. Crowley, Jr., Kevin S. Crutchfield, E. Linn Draper, Jr. Glenn A. Eisenberg, P. Michael Giftos, Joel Richards, III, James F. Roberts, and Ted G. Wood. About Alpha Natural ResourcesAlpha Natural Resources is one of America's premier coal suppliers with coal production capacity of greater than 120 million tons a year. Alpha is the nation's leading supplier and exporter of metallurgical coal used in the steel-making process and is a major supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries. More information about Alpha can be found on the company's Web site at www.alphanr.com. SOURCE Alpha Natural Resources


text:
CHARLOTTE - DeAngelo Williams will not play again this season, as the Carolina Panthers placed the running back on injured reserve Wednesday.
Williams missed the past three games because of a sprained right foot, and the 27-year-old will watch the remainder of the season on the sideline. The Panthers currently sit at an NFC-worst 1-8.
"He was probably two to three weeks away (from being healthy enough to play)," Panthers head coach John Fox said of Williams. "It was healing a little slower than originally expected, and we needed a roster spot."
With the open roster spot, Carolina signed guard C.J. Davis off of the practice squad and added running back Jeremiah Johnson to the practice squad.
In his fifth season out of Memphis, Williams, coming off back-to-back 1,000- yard campaigns, rushed for just 361 yards and one touchdown. He did not eclipse the 100-yard plateau in any of the six games he played.
The former first-round pick has a career 5.0 yards-per-carry average with 35 total touchdowns -- 31 rushing -- and 4,211 yards on the ground.


text:
Access Control / Manchester Access Control
Intercom systems allow communications between an entrance door and those inside the building.
On pressing the 'press for access' button on the intercom panel, handset(s) can ring inside the building, for example at the reception desk, and a two way conversation can take place.
Once the identity of the caller is confirmed, the door can be unlocked by pressing a button on the handset allowing the visitor entry.
Where it is difficult to install cable we can either use a wireless door intercom or a GSM door intercom. This provides a very neat and versatile installation.
Keyways can integrate these access control systems into your overall security system to make your security as easy as possible to control.
We use cookies to monitor the performance of our website and ensure we are giving our users the best experience. OK


text:
New Jersey Adds GPS to Snowplows
Last year was a brutal winter in the Northeast. The record snowfalls left New York's Mayor smarting from criticism that the city was unprepared. After an early and costly snowfall already this winter city and state agencies around the region are getting ready for a smoother go around this time. One move in particular, is that New Jersey announced Wednesday that it plans to add GPS devices 0nto 700 snow clearing vehicles to better manage the fleet when the white stuff comes.
"Last year the storms were just relentless," Joe Dee of the New Jersey state Department of Transportation tells Transportation Nation. "It was just constantly sending out the trucks, sending out the private contractors."
Last year NJ spent $48 million on removing snow. $10 million is budgeted for this year. To make that process more efficient, eventually the N.J. DOT will tag 3,300 agency vehicles and mobile equipment units for year round fleet management.
The DOT says real time information about roadway conditions and progress crews are making will make their work more efficient.
"We are excited about this new technology and anticipate that it will improve the teamwork among our crews, supervisors and managers that is so essential to a successful snow-fighting operation," N.J. DOT Commissioner James Simpson said. "Storms are dynamic events, and GPS adds another layer of communication that will enable us to quickly adapt our plans to conditions that can change rapidly."
Additional information on road conditions will also come from about 180 sensors at nearly 40 locations around the state. The sensors, installed after last winter provide data including temperature, wind speed, and whether pavement is wet or dry to help storm mangers decide when to take anti-icing or snow clearing measures.


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Tuesday, December 23, 1997
The Daily Dow
by Robert Sheard
ST. PETERSBURG, FL. (Dec. 23, 1997) -- I'm not sure if this is an omen or not, but today I'm going to see an exhibit of the artifacts from the Titanic. While this is probably as useless an indicator as the star formations and the length of hemlines, I think I can make some useful comparisons.
By all accounts of the time, the Titanic was the most impressive ship ever constructed. Fast, strong, enormous, it re-wrote the book on luxury liners. And yet it still succumbed on its maiden voyage to a larger power. And I'm not referring to nature, actually, but to hubris.
The Titanic didn't sink because it struck icebergs. If we can believe the stories surrounding that first and only voyage, it sank primarily because the owners and crew felt invincible. The Titanic was designed to withstand the kind of ice it ran into, but not at the speeds at which it was being forced through the ice fields. But in order to break speed records and add to the glory surrounding the ship's maiden voyage, the Titanic was pushed beyond safe limits and the passengers paid the ultimate price.
The comparisons to investing are easy. Even the best strategies built on the soundest principles of Foolish investing can't withstand foolhardy management. The Titanic may not have become as famous had it served a long and boring career on the seas, but it would have served the purposes for which it was designed.
Stories abound of famous failures, but when it comes to one's portfolio, which is more important, to succeed quietly and unspectacularly for many years, or to sink in glorious infamy? I'll take the quiet success, thank you, and pass the extra life-jackets.
Stock Change Last -------------------- T -2 5/16 61.63 GM - 5/8 59.38 CHV - 1/2 74.69 MMM - 3/4 83.50
Day Month Year FOOL-4 -2.13% 0.96% 27.29% DJIA -1.63% -1.68% 19.28% S&P 500 -1.53% -1.70% 26.78% NASDAQ -1.44% -5.66% 16.95% Rec'd # Security In At Now Change 1/2/97 479 AT&T 41.75 61.63 47.60% 1/2/97 153 Chevron 65.00 74.69 14.90% 1/2/97 179 Gen. Motor 55.75 59.38 6.50% 1/2/97 120 3M 83.00 83.50 0.60% Rec'd # Security In At Value Change 1/2/97 479 AT&T 19998.25 29518.38 $9520.13 1/2/97 153 Chevron 9945.00 11427.19 $1482.19 1/2/97 179 Gen. Motor 9979.25 10628.13 $648.88 1/2/97 120 3M 9960.00 10020.00 $60.00 CASH $2051.96 TOTAL $63645.65


text: My son just purchased a 2006 Silverado 1500. The front wheels have a noticeable camber issue. Truck had a plow on it with the previous owner. Since been removed. Took it to a respectable alignment shop and they said it was all set. It still has that same inward leaning front tires. It is the same on both sides. Tire shop said they didn't know what was causing it. Don't know how many miles are on the rubber but the outside edge is showing wear. Due to the weight of the plow is there something that may have been added to make up for this and now that its not on maybe it has to be removed. We compared components to my truck and everything appears the same. He is planning on a leveling kit in the near future and tires too but is concerned he will chew through them quickly. Any help will be appreciated. About 92000 miles if that helps and 5.3l.


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As you know, we are celebrating the 15th Year Anniversary of Gran Turismo & as part of that, we've put together a documentary called KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide. This film is about drive. It's about the passion and creative drive of Kazunori Yamauchi, the architect behind Gran Turismo's birth and breath-taking fifteen-year evolution. This film will trace his relentless willingness to challenge himself, to hold none of his past achievements sacred, and push beyond the virtual divide in his pursuit of perfection.
This weekend, at the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours, two former GT Academy Champions, Lucas Ordoñez and Jann Mardenborough, both raced in a Nissan-powered LMP2 car recording an impressive 4th place finish in class. Ordoñez and Mardenborough are among the elite band of Nismo Athletes who have successfully challenged the traditional route into motorsport as graduates of GT Academy – a unique collaboration that leverages the virtual world of the Gran Turismo game to unearth real-world racing talent for Nissan's race team.
A little over 15 years ago, what was then a small Japanese studio (headed up by Kazunori Yamauchi) embarked upon on a journey that would enrich the lives of many millions of gamers. The journey that the team undertook set new benchmarks in graphics, game physics and sheer entertainment factor.
That studio eventually became known as Polyphony Digital, and the brand they created was — of course — Gran Turismo.
After seven months, 400,000 competitors, and a six-week television series that captured every challenge and human drama of an intense week of racing boot camp, Steven Doherty of Plainfield, IL defeated the rest of the top 16 to win the coveted title of 2012 GT Academy US Champion.
The 29-year old mechanic actually competed in the first US GT Academy competition in 2011, but during the National Finals he missed the final 16 for Silverstone by just six tenths of a second. So in 2012, Steve came back with a vengeance and trained incredibly hard, both mentally and physically, to be a top contender at Silverstone. In the end, Steve came away victorious in the final "Winner Take All" race — and set an all-time track record amongst all previous GT Academy contestants in the process.
November is quickly becoming the month of Gran Turismo as we celebrate two key milestones for the franchise – the 10th Annual GT Awards, and securing a place in the top 15 best-selling video game franchises of all time, as the series has now topped 67.8 million copies shipped.
The 10th Annual GT Awards was hosted at the SEMA (Speciality Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas, with a headlining performance by hip hop icon Snoop Dogg (AKA Snoop Lion).
The judging process started with Kazunori Yamauchi, CEO of Polyphony Digital visiting all of the individual category winners, including…
Nearly 400,000 gamers across the United States entered the second iteration of Nissan and PlayStation's innovative gamer-to-racer competition this year. The top 32 gamers faced off in July at the National Finals at Comic-Con in San Diego, and only 16 advanced to Silverstone Circuit in August for the one-week challenge at GT Academy Race Camp. After seven days of intense challenges, racing Nissan 370Z and GT-R race cars, a new U.S. Champion now joins the ranks of the 2011 GT Academy Champion, Bryan Heitkotter.
Want to know which of the top 16 is the new 2012 GT Academy Champion? Be sure to tune into Spike TV starting November 1st, as every moment of the week-long competition will be aired as a six-part reality show. Be sure to keep your eyes glued to the official GT Academy Facebook page, as we'll have daily updates on GT Academy Race Camp — including behind-the scenes videos of various challenges — and interviews with the Top 16.
Congratulations to our Top 32 competitors, who beat out a field of nearly 400,000 participants to compete in this year's GT Academy 2012 National Finals. The 32 finalists (pending eligibility confirmation) will take part in a live head-to-head competition at the GT Academy National Finals event on Friday and Saturday, July 13th and 14th, at the Jolt'n Joe's Gaslamp – a short distance away from the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con.
Introducing a new twist in this year's competition, PlayStation and Nissan are backing up our "Victory Is Anyone's" message by allowing any gamer to show up and secure one spot in the National Finals to compete against the top 32 finalists.
Back for its 9th year, the Gran Turismo Awards is ready to crown a new performance vehicle with the honor of being digitally recreated in a future edition of the Gran Turismo franchise. The awards ceremony will be held this Thursday evening, November 3rd at 9:00pm (PST) at Marquee Nightclub, located in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel. In addition to the awards presentation, guests will be treated to a musical performance by Stone Temple Pilots to celebrate the evening in style.
The Gran Turismo Awards recognizes the best vehicles at the SEMA SHOW (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in five different categories: Best Hot Rod, Best Asian Import, Best European Import, Best Domestic Automobile, and Best Truck/SUV. After the five category winners are judged, one winner from each category is selected on performance and style by leading automotive media.
Would you be willing to answer a few brief questions about PlayStation.Blog?


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An annual review of student Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward an eligible degree or certificate is required by federal, state and institutional rules as one condition for financial aid eligibility. Students who do not meet the standards for satisfactory academic progress are not eligible for financial aid funding. There are limited opportunities to appeal. The Financial Aid & Scholarship Department will notify students who may be eligible to appeal immediately following the determination of failing status. Appeal procedure and deadline information are posted every June on the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department website. Appeal decisions are final.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
This SAP policy has four parts. Students who do not meet every condition cannot receive financial aid.
Part One: Satisfactory Pass Rate
We assess the satisfactory pass rate standard as an overall ratio of Northridge units earned to Northridge units attempted. Students must have passed at least 80 percent of all units attempted. Transfer units are not included in this calculation. However, units for repeated Cal State Northridge course work are included. Grades of F, I, NC, W, and WU count as units attempted with zero units earned. These units are not counted as units attempted on transcripts, so the units attempted on a Cal State Northridge transcript may not match the units counted by the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department when determining the satisfactory pass rate.
Part Two: Satisfactory Grade Point Average
Students disqualified by the university are ineligible for financial aid based on grade point average standards. Students are not eligible for financial aid until they are officially readmitted to Cal State Northridge. Students readmitted to the university are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department as soon as they are officially readmitted and no longer disqualified. Readmitted students must meet all other SAP policy standards.
Part Three: Unit and Time Limits
Undergraduates are limited to 150 attempted units (125 percent of units required to graduate) and are ineligible for further financial aid at the undergraduate level. Undergraduates enrolled in programs that require more than 120 units may have the cap extended to125 percent. For example, a student in a program requiring 135 units would be capped at 169 attempted units. Post-baccalaureate students are capped at approximately 125 percent attempted units of the total units required for their academic program (see chart below).
|Maximum Units
|Second bachelor's
Units attempted at all institutions attended, including transfer units, must be counted for both undergraduate and post-baccalaureate maximums, including repeat, incomplete, no credit, failure, in progress, and withdrawal units.
Part Four: Other Provisions
- Students who enroll in classes inconsistent with their academic program, or students who violate the university's policies related to change of major, will be held to the maximum unit cap without exception. A student will not meet satisfactory academic progress for financial aid if records indicate that he or she is enrolled in courses for financial aid purposes and not because of degree requirements. This includes enrolling in unnecessary units to obtain financial aid based on full-time units.
- Students who exceed the university limit for repeated course work are subject to review for eligibility. Courses that are repeated more than once may not be eligible for financial aid funding. A decision will be made by the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department after the term has begun. If a repeated course is not eligible for funding, the student may have to repay funds.
- Students who exceed the university limit of 18 CR/NC units while in a degree, credential or certificate-granting program are subject to review for eligibility.
- Students who complete all undergraduate degree course requirements but do not graduate, for any reason, are ineligible for funding. Unacceptable claims or reasons for further funding include, but are not limited to, improving one's GPA, failure to take or pass the Writing Proficiency Exam, or desire to complete a minor or additional major.
- If at any point it becomes clear that a student will not be able to graduate within the maximum units allowed, then the student becomes ineligible for aid.
- In addition to being identified through the SAP appeal process, students may also be identified through individual consultations with financial aid counselors, or when a review of the aid status is requested by a student, parent, or university official.
- Students who complete zero units in any term are not meeting reasonable academic progress standards and may be ineligible to receive aid the following term. Aid received in that term may have to be repaid by the student.
- Academic progress can be reevaluated at any time throughout the year by a member of the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department staff, academic personnel or school administrators.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Conditions
Please note the following information is for the fall 2016, spring 2017 and summer 2017 terms.
To comply with federal and state requirements, Cal State Northridge has adopted an annual Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to measure whether a student, who is otherwise eligible for financial aid, is maintaining satisfactory progress toward the completion of his or her educational objective.
How does SAP affect eligibility for aid?
During the SAP review, which is conducted every June or weekly thereafter if an aid application is received after the initial review, progress is reviewed in several areas. Academic disqualification by the university, unit and time limits required to complete a degree, and the total number of units attempted at Northridge compared to the number of units completed at Northridge are all taken into consideration.
If you do not meet one or more of the standards for each measure, you will not be eligible for grants, work-study or federal loans at CSUN until you regain eligibility by meeting all standards or file an appeal that is approved. A notice will be emailed to you detailing the standards that have not been met. The notice will include a link to the Appeal Form if you have passed at least 50 percent of the units attempted at Northridge. The form will include further instructions.
Reinstatement is possible if you regain the ability to meet all of the standards, or if you are eligible to appeal and the appeal is approved. See below for acceptable conditions to appeal. Please note, only two appeals may be approved for each academic program of study at Cal State Northridge. For example, only two appeals may be approved during a student's entire undergraduate career and two appeals as a graduate student. Students who have passed fewer than 50 percent of their attempted units or do not meet one of the allowable appeal conditions are not eligible to appeal. Please note, if you are eligible to appeal it does not mean your appeal will automatically be approved.
How are maximum units and the pass rate determined?
For detailed information about maximum units and the completion ratio, please read "Maximum Units and Pass Rate" information on this web page.
How do students regain eligibility after not passing enough attempted units and being told they are not eligible for appeal?
Eligibility for financial aid will be reestablished when the student has successfully attained the minimum 80 percent pass rate for Northridge units attempted and can graduate within the maximum unit limit.
|Appeal Conditions
|Appeal Filing Period
Undergraduate students:
Undergraduate students who have completed at least 75 percent of Northridge units attempted, but fewer than 80 percent, may appeal without conditions. You will receive a link to the appeal form in your SAP notice.
Undergraduate students who have completed at least 50 percent of Northridge units attempted, but fewer than 75 percent, may appeal only if they meet at least one of the following conditions:
Undergraduate students who have exceeded 125 percent attempted units of the total units required for their academic program may appeal with the condition they have a registered graduation date and must explain, through an appeal, the reason they have exceeded the maximum units allowed.
You will receive a link to the appeal form in your SAP notice.
|Deadline to submit a 2016/17 SAP appeal is 4:00 p.m. July 11, 2016
Graduate students:
|Deadline to submit a 2016/17 SAP appeal is 4:00 p.m. July 11, 2016
When will I know the status of my appeal?
Students will be notified about their appeal status in mid-August via CSUN email. Appeal decisions are final.
Where can I view the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy?
You can learn about the Cal State Northridge Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and the standards you must meet to maintain financial aid eligibility by selecting the "SAP Policy" tab on this page.
Fee Payment and Enrollment Protection
If you do not meet satisfactory academic standards for financial aid and are not eligible to appeal, you are responsible for paying tuition fees* and housing payments with your own resources by the established deadline. For payment information, visit University Cash Services.
If you are eligible to file an appeal, and you file your appeal by the stated deadline, your enrollment will be protected until a determination is made. If your appeal is denied you must be prepared to immediately pay your fees or drop your classes. If your appeal is approved your enrollment will continue to be protected if your aid package (including accepted loans) is large enough to cover your full fees charged.
*Fees and obligations you may owe
The CSU makes every effort to keep student costs to a minimum. Tuition fees listed in published schedules or student accounts may need to increase when public funding is inadequate. Therefore, CSU must reserve the right, even after initial fee payments are made, to increase or modify any listed tuition fees, without notice, until the date when instruction for a particular semester or quarter has begun. All CSU listed tuition fees should be regarded as estimates that are subject to change upon approval by The Board of Trustees
Maximum Units and Pass Rate
Maximum Units and Pass Rate
In order to determine financial aid eligibility, federal, state and institutional rules require an annual review of student progress toward an eligible degree or certificate. During this review, progress is measured by calculating a pass rate (units attempted vs. units completed) and the maximum units allowed while attempting degree completion.
How are maximum units calculated?
Add all of your units attempted at Cal State Northridge, including repeated course work, withdrawals, failures, incompletes and no credits. Then, add all transfer units accepted at Northridge.
As a graduate, second bachelor's, credential or doctoral student, you must complete your degree within 125 percent of units required for your degree. If you have been enrolled in more than one post baccalaureate program, units for all programs are counted towards the maximum attempted unit cap.
Example: Sally has transferred in 110 units. This includes 70 units from community college and 40 units from Cal State Los Angeles. Sally has also attempted 45 units at Cal State Northridge. Add the 110 units transferred and 45 units at Northridge to calculate a total of 155 maximum units.
As an undergraduate, you must complete your degree within a maximum of 150 attempted units or within 125 percent of units required for your degree.
How is a pass rate (units attempted at Northridge vs. units earned at Northridge) determined?
Take all of the units earned at Northridge and divide it by the units attempted at Northridge.
Units earned include any Northridge course you enrolled and received a passing grade in, from A-plus to D-minus or CR.
Units attempted include all units attempted at Cal State Northridge and do not include transfer units. The Financial Aid & Scholarship Department counts grades of F, I, NC, W and WU as units attempted with zero units earned, but these are not counted as units attempted on a student's transcript. Therefore, when determining a satisfactory pass rate, Cal State Northridge transcripts may not match the units counted by the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department.
Course work taken at Cal State Northridge includes remedial, credit/no credit and repeat course work, as well as failing grades, incompletes and withdrawals.
Example: Sammy is admitted for the spring semester and enrolls in 12 units, which count as total units attempted. At the end of the spring term, Sammy completes one three-unit course with a passing grade, withdraws from one three-unit course with a grade of W, and receives an NC for three units of remedial math and three units of English. Sammy's pass rate is 25 percent (3 units earned divided by 12 units attempted).
How do I calculate the amount of units I need to reach the 80 percent pass rate?
To determine how many additional units you need to take and pass to reach the 80 percent pass rate, you will first need to determine your total CSUN units attempted and CSUN units completed. To determine the total CSUN units attempted, follow the steps below.
- Add all of your units attempted at CSUN. You will use this number as your units attempted at CSUN in the calculation.
- Don't forget withdrawal units, including medical withdrawals, and course units for which your received a grade of F, I, NC, W, WU.
- Please note that these units are not counted as units attempted on your transcript. Therefore, your transcript may not match the units counted by the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department.
To determine the total CSUN units completed, follow the steps below.
- Add all of your units for CSUN courses in which you received a passing grade. You will use this number as your units completed at CSUN in the calculation.
- A passing grade is defined as D-minus or better and includes CR grades.
Once you know your total number of CSUN units attempted and CSUN units completed, use the formula below to determine how many more units you need to reach the 80 percent pass rate.
|0.8 multiplied by total number of CSUN units attempted minus total number of CSUN units completed
Student has 57 units attempted and 29 units completed. How many does he need to complete to get to 80%?:
|0.8(57) – 29
|45.6 – 29
X=83 ←ALWAYS ROUND UP. The student needs to complete 83 units to reach 80%. This would bring the student to 112 completed out of 140 attempted = 80.0%


text:
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text:
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st: using frequency weights with stcox
Michael Eisenberg <email@example.com>
st: using frequency weights with stcox
Thu, 28 May 2009 22:23:01 -0700
Dear all,
I am attempting to perform an analysis bases on propensity scores.
After running psmatch2 which generates propensity scores and matches
cases and controls, I'd like to run a cox proportional hazards model.
The match works in such a way that some controls are counted more than
once for the final analysis. I would like to be able to incorporate
the weights into my cox model, but when I type
xi: stcox y1 x1 x2 x3 [fw=_weight]
I get the message
weights not allowed
A logistic model works without problems.
Are weights not allowed with the stcox command?
If not, are there any clever ways around this?
Thank you in advance.
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
|© Copyright 1996–2017 StataCorp LLC | Terms of use | Privacy | Contact us | What's new | Site index


text:
2017 indianapolis sprint triathlon series
The Indianapolis Sprint Triathlon Series consists of three summer triathlons and duathlons at Eagle Creek Park. All three events are limited to the first 600 individuals and 50 teams. You must be at least 14 years of age to compete.
June 10, 2017 - 8:00AM
July 15, 2017 - 8:00AM
August 19, 2017 - 8:00AM
Eagle Creek State Park - 7840 W 56th Street, Indianapolis
Event Options
Sprint Distance - 500 meter swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run
Duathlon - 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run
Triathlon/Duathlon Relay - 2 to 3 person team (one person swim/runs, one person bikes, one person runs)
If you register by the Thursday before each event, you may download a parking pass for free entry into the park from the "PRE-RACE INSTRUCTIONS" PAGE - WE ARE NO LONGER SENDING PARKING PASSES THROUGH POSTAL MAIL. If you register at Packet Pick-Up or on Race Day, you will be required to pay a $6.00 entrance fee into the park.
There will be two water and Gatorade stations located on the course. The first will be located at the run exit of the transition area and the second will be at the half way point of the run course. Additional refreshments and snacks will be provided at the finish line.
Clydesdale/Athena Division
You must be a 220+ pound male or a 165+ pound female to qualify for the Clydesdale or Athena Divisions. Competing in one of these divisions will make you ineligible for age group awards.
Fat Tire Division
In order to qualify for the Fat Tire division, you must have a mountain bike with a minimum of 1.5 inch tires and upright handle bars. Competing in Fat Tire will make you ineligible for age group awards. There will be both a male and female Fat Tire division.
Bike Tech Support
Endurance House will be providing race day tech support for participants.
Interested in being part of the action, but not sure you are ready for a triathlon? Come out and volunteer! Volunteering is a great way to get involved, have fun, and learn the in's and out's of a triathlon! If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out and submit our Volunteer Form. Our events would not be a success without our dedicated and helpful volunteers!
The event will be timed using the IPICO multi-sport timing tag system. Each participant will be given a timing tag that will need to be secured properly to the provided ankle strap. The ankle strap, with the timing tag attached, MUST be worn around your ankle during the duration of the event. If you are a participant on a relay team, the timing tag and ankle strap will serve as your relay "baton" and will be passed to each team participant as they finish their portion of the event.
Participants can see their results posted online after the event on our Results Page.
Overall Awards
- Triathlon Individuals - Top 3 male and female finishers
- Duathlon Individuals - Top 1 male and female finishers
Age Group Awards
- Triathlon - Top 3 male and female finishers
- Duathlon - Top 1 male and female finishers
- Age Ranges: 14-17, 18-20, 21-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60- 64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and above.
Fat Tire & Clydesdale/Athena Awards - Top 3 male and female
- Clydesdale (220lbs+) - Age 39 and under, and Age 40 and above
- Athena (165 lbs+) - Age 39 and under, and Age 40 and above
Team Awards- Top 3 in each division
- All Male
- All Female
- Co-ed
The Award Ceremony will take place immediately following the event.
Pre-Race Instructions
Pre-race instructions will be posted to the website 5-7 days prior to the race.
Event Photography
Photography information coming soon.
USAT Sanctioned
These events are sanctioned by the USA Triathlon. All USAT rules will be enforced. Please visit https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon for information on rules and regulations as well as information for those interested in obtaining a USA Triathlon License. The event is limited to ages 14 and above.


text:
About this paper
One of the biggest challenges facing midsize businesses today is how to benefit from the huge amounts of internal and external data they collect. This paper describes how SAS® Visual Analytics can help organizations overcome budget constraints and lack of technical know-how and talent to uncover usable insights from vast stores of data. In addition, it focuses on SAS Visual Analytics' flexible deployment options – including cloud, which delivers the fastest possible time to value and easiest implementation.
About SAS
SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 83,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.
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text:
Seth Rogen Redefines the American Anti-Hero in Observe and Report
Fresh off the success of his recently renewed HBO series Eastbound & Down, which cast Danny McBride as a degenerate ex-baseball star whose boozing and athletic decline earned him a one-way ticket out of the game, director Jody Hill returns with yet another portrait of an unlovable loser in the mall cop-meets-Taxi Driver fantasy Observe and Report.
I say fantasy rather than comedy for two reasons. For starters, Observe and Report exists in a reality purely of its own creation. Ronnie Barnhardt, the grim psychopath with a thousand-yard scowl played by Seth Rogen, is clearly better suited to a prison cell than a shopping mall, a fact the movie acknowledges but otherwise ignores. And though his violent outbursts and delusions of grandeur are often laughable, it would be misleading to classify Hill's latest offering simply as farce.
If anything, the experience of watching Observe and Report is very much akin to rubbernecking, minus the spinal contortion: It invites us to watch Ronnie unravel as he ineffectually patrols the mall, attempts a truly uncomfortable romance with a heartless salesgirl (Anna Faris, who continues to amaze) and butts heads with the cops. There's redemption in the offing, but little joy. For Ronnie, life is a succession of failures, some with consequences, most without.
Yet I enjoyed watching him for reasons that are almost impossible explain. But let me try. Even during Ronnie's lowest moments – among them, his date with Brandi (Faris), which ends in a conquest that most would deem criminal – there are darkly comical undertones to the surreal absurdity of his plight. He wants desperately to be a real cop, which would give him a license to, as he puts it, destroy people. All he asks in return for his humble service is the gratitude of the entire human race.
There is a telling line in the movie, delivered by Ben Best, who co-wrote Eastbound & Down and Hill's 2006 debut, the equally unsettling Foot Fist Way. "I thought this was gonna be funny," he says as Ray Liotta's sadistic detective informs Ronnie that his police-academy application has been denied. "It's just sad."
The same could almost be said of the movie itself, which invites us into a world of bitterly unhappy people and rubs our noses in their failings. It's disquieting and eerily perverse, but somehow, despite itself, very funny.


text:
|Yes, I did take the photo on top of the lid of the lock&lock container I was storing the macarons in.
|Here's to a 'light heart' this week!
I always look forward to meeting my girlfriends, because like the macarons, they are the nearest and dearest friends that I'll ever have; and my heart immediately lightens whenever I'm out with them because of the great company. On a side note, I'm definitely going to try macarons out a few more times at the very least, because I have yet to come up with a satisfactory filling/buttercream and there are a couple more variations on flavor and technique that I wanna experiment with!
5 comments
Its not easy to pipe heart shapes. I think you did well, at least better than me. I can't even pipe a decent heart shape out~ 🙂
Hi Janine! Well done on these macarons! 🙂 decided on a filling yet? The first photo looks like a bikini suit! But then again, maybe its just me. hahaha
No classes means more baking? 🙂
@cathy: thanks 🙂
@travellingfoodies: LOL I totally didn't think of that but it does look like one, now that you've mentioned it. Heh i used a salted mint chocolate ganache for them – you can kinda see them from the first picture where it's oozing out. I basically melted some chocolate, some mints and added some of my failed caramel buttercream to lighten the ganache and it tasted surprisingly good. Minty and salty at the same time!
i couldn't even pipe a proper circle for my macs and you managed to pipe a heart shape! hehe well done!
@jess and cathy: you guys are way too kind! i've seen both of your macarons posts and the shells all look uniform and nice!


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Member's Mark Valley Select Crinkle Cut Fries (30 lbs.)
by Member's Mark | Item #: 886633 | Model #: 1890 |
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Non-members pay 10% surchargeJoin now!
- Free Pickup
Delivery estimates, taxes, and fees are based on ZIP Code. Club Pickup orders are based on your club's current price and item availability on the day of payment.
About this item
- Crinkle Cut French fries in convenient food service ready packages.
- Deep fry for optimal results
- Made with Grade A Frozen Potatoes
One box contains six 5-lb. bags of 1/2" inch crinkle cut Grade A long frozen potatoes.
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
12.875 x 15.5 x 8.5 inches
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James Hopkins Smith house, Falmouth Foreside, ca. 1895
Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Purchase a reproduction of this item on VintageMaineImages.com.
James Hopkins Smith commissioned Portland architect John Calvin Stevens (1855-1940) to design this summer home in Falmouth Foreside. Smith named the house "Stonecroft."
Stevens started his own architectural firm in 1884 after training in the offices of Francis H. Fassett.
Stevens was known for the shingle style in which Stonecroft was built.
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Other Information
- Title: James Hopkins Smith house, Falmouth Foreside, ca. 1895
- Creation Date: circa 1886
- Subject Date: circa 1886
- Town: Falmouth Foreside
- County: Cumberland
- State: ME
- Media: Photograph
- Dimensions (cm): 40 x 26
- Local Code: 1994.1000.30; Coll. 209, Box 37, fl. 6; Record 127
- Collection: John Calvin Stevens
- Object Type: Image
For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822
Cross Reference Searches
LC Subject Headings
Smith, James Hopkins--Homes and haunts--Maine--Falmouth Foreside
Dwellings--Maine--Falmouth Foreside
Houses--Maine--Falmouth Foreside
Stevens, John Calvin
Buildings--Maine--Falmouth Foreside
Smith, James Hopkins
Stevens, John Calvin
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Basil HTML version
Chapter III.1
WHEN the blind are operated on for the restoration of sight, the same succouring
hand which has opened to them the visible world, immediately shuts out the
bright prospect again, for a time. A bandage is passed over the eyes, lest in the
first tenderness of the recovered sense, it should be fatally affected by the
sudden transition from darkness to light. But between the awful blank of total
privation of vision, and the temporary blank of vision merely veiled, there lies the
widest difference. In the moment of their restoration, the blind have had one
glimpse of light, flashing on them in an overpowering gleam of brightness, which
the thickest, closest veiling cannot extinguish. The new darkness is not like the
void darkness of old; it is filled with changing visions of brilliant colours and ever-
varying forms, rising, falling, whirling hither and thither with every second. Even
when the handkerchief is passed over them, the once sightless eyes, though
bandaged fast, are yet not blinded as they were before.
It was so with my mental vision. After the utter oblivion and darkness of a deep
swoon, consciousness flashed like light on my mind, when I found myself in my
father's presence, and in my own home. But, almost at the very moment when I
first awakened to the bewildering influence of that sight, a new darkness fell upon
my faculties--a darkness, this time, which was not utter oblivion; a peopled
darkness, like that which the bandage casts over the opened eyes of the blind.
I had sensations, I had thoughts, I had visions, now--but they all acted in the
frightful self-concentration of delirium. The lapse of time, the march of events, the
alternation of day and night, the persons who moved about me, the words they
spoke, the offices of kindness they did for me--all these were annihilated from the
period when I closed my eyes again, after having opened them for an instant on
my father, in my own study.
My first sensation (how soon it came after I had been brought home, I know not)
was of a terrible heat; a steady, blazing heat, which seemed to have shrivelled
and burnt up the whole of the little world around me, and to have left me alone to
suffer, but never to consume in it. After this, came a quick, restless,
unintermittent toiling of obscure thought, ever in the same darkened sphere, ever
on the same impenetrable subject, ever failing to reach some distant and
visionary result. It was as if something were imprisoned in my mind, and moving
always to and fro in it--moving, but never getting free.
Soon, these thoughts began to take a form that I could recognise.
In the clinging heat and fierce seething fever, to which neither waking nor
sleeping brought a breath of freshness or a dream of change, I began to act my
part over again, in the events that had passed, but in a strangely altered
character. Now, instead of placing implicit trust in others, as I had done; instead
of failing to discover a significance and a warning in each circumstance as it
arose, I was suspicious from the first--suspicious of Margaret, of her father, of her
mother, of Mannion, of the very servants in the house. In the hideous
phantasmagoria of my own calamity on which I now looked, my position was


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The Refer a Friend program is very near and dear to many of you. It was highly requested, and, like anytime our members want something, we're inclined to give it to you. We rolled out an initial program and it just wasn't good enough. So, we did what we always do; asked ourselves and asked you if we could make it better. We could, and we did.
Fast forward to where the Refer a Friend program is today and how it aligns with the program's goals:
- Participation is low–both in regard to the number of members actually participating, and the number of referrals those members make. The vast majority of folks refer just one person. Ever.
- This tells us that the current program may not be the best value to you, our members.
- We want the next iteration to inspire more participation and make it easier to spread the word to others in a more meaningful way.
- We aren't rewarding the right kind of behavior.
- With the current program, we are only incentivizing online, transactional-focused activities (i.e. sharing links).
- We've found that a lot of the times people talk about Republic is because of genuine excitement. Our strongest evangelists really do want to help reduce their cellular footprint, use WiFi to the fullest for calls, texts, and data, and keep costs down for our entire Community. We want to strengthen that experience and help you bring in even more like-minded people who'd be a great fit for Republic too.
- Today's Refer a Friend program isn't flexible.
- It only offers one type of incentive: financial. For many of you, an extra $20 credit is nice, but we could offer so much more to make your time with Republic better in a variety of ways.
- For example: Wouldn't it be cool if you could save points for products, coveted RW swag, a grand prize trip to Republic HQ, or free service? Or what if we could pool points together and donate to a non-profit? We would love to have your input on what these incentives could be.
We've been big picture thinkers since 2011 – always willing to try new things, but focused on giving people the power to improve the quality of their lives. We believe that word of mouth is our best asset, and we're on a mission to identify the right ways to reward our strongest brand advocates that are more relevant and meaningful.
So where do we go from here?
At the end of the day we have two options: Keep the current program running and potentially confuse everyone with a separate, competing program. Or, we focus all our energy into working with you to test and try new ideas. We're choosing the latter. Really, it's all about you and how we can develop the best program possible. We rely on you, just as we always have, to make our unique model and services work.
So with that, our current Refer a Friend program will be coming to a close on October 31, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Any and all credits you've earned up until October 31st will still be processed and will of course still remain in your account. And, you will still be able to refer friends through the launch of our new Moto E smartphone (through 10/31/14), so you both still receive $20 credit towards service. For more questions regarding this change, please visit our FAQ.
As always, thank you for being such great members. We look forward to bringing you an even bigger, better Republic experience as we continue to disrupt the mobile industry. Please leave us any feedback you might have and please start leaving us any ideas for perks you'd enjoy for participating in referrals in our Think Tank. Thank you.


text:
- Hawaii Police Department - http://www.hawaiipolice.com -
Missing man: Kahapea 11-08-11
Hawaiʻi Police Department
Area I Criminal Investigation Section
Detective Wendall Carter
Phone: 961-2378
Report No. C11029156
Big Island police are searching for a 50-year-old Hilo man who was reported missing.
Ronald Kahapea of Hilo was last seen at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday (November 8) on Banyan Drive.
He is described as 5-foot-7, 141 pounds with black short-length hair, brown eyes and a mustache. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, an unknown color t-shirt, a black North Face jacket and white New Balance shoes.
He has a medical condition that requires medication.
Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call the Police Department's non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn't record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Article printed from Hawaii Police Department: http://www.hawaiipolice.com
URL to article: http://www.hawaiipolice.com/missing-man-kahapea-11-08-11
Copyright © 2014 Hawaii Police Department. All rights reserved.


text:
Shares of Memorial Production Partners (NASDAQ:MEMP), an upstream master limited partnership, or MLP, engaged in production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in some of the country's oldest, lowest-decline, and highest-margin hydrocarbon fields, dropped by over 5% last Wednesday on the release of the company's quarterly earnings. Memorial's distributable cash flow came in at a frightening 0.70 times distributions, falling well short of both expectations and the minimum coverage at which distributions can be paid. Also, today's earnings call came on the heels of an announcement of Memorial's largest acquisition ever. This article will evaluate Memorial's results, its distributable cash flow coverage, and finally its most recent acquisition.
A tough first quarter
There is no doubt that Memorial's distribution coverage came up well short this quarter. However, before investors panic, they must first consider a few things. First and foremost, the first quarter of any North American exploration and production company, especially those operating in the mid-continent like Memorial does, is almost always the weakest. That's because winter weather often leads to forced downtime. This winter was much colder than most, and so Memorial's production, along with that of many others, was hurt. The EBITDA impact on Memorial's Permian curtailments was between $5 million and $7 million, which is quite big considering that Memorial's total EBITDA this quarter was only $55 million.
Second, Memorial faced an issue with a natural gas plant in South Texas, which was offline and unable to receive natural gas liquids production for a good period of time. Other South Texas NGL producers, such as Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ:ROSE), suffered from similar circumstances.
However, management explicitly said that it still planned on hitting its distributable cash flow, or DCF, guidance of between 1.1 and 1.2 times distributions. Memorial still has one of the highest coverage ratios in the upstream MLP industry. Sure, the partnership has quite a hurdle to jump, but I believe management deserves the benefit of the doubt here.
Apparently the market doesn't agree.
Bairoil acquisition
This quarter's results come right on the heels of a gigantic $931 million acquisition of oil-producing acreage in southern Wyoming.
As you can see, the 'Bairoil' acquisition completes Memorial's transformation from a dry gas producer to a diversified producer of dry gas, natural gas liquids, and crude oil. The Bairoil acquisition is also consistent with Memorial's mission to secure mature, low-decline, and high-margin production. For example, the Bairoil acreage is expected to continue producing oil for at least the next 39 years. At only 7.5 times EBITDA, this acquisition is immediately accretive to DCF.
Discovered way back in the early 1900s, the Bairoil fields are still operative today thanks to an enhanced oil recovery technique called CO2-flooding. Oil fields using CO2-flooding often have margins far higher than that of other prevailing techniques such as shale drilling or deepwater drilling, simply because the oil recovered by CO2-flooding is found at a much shallower depth. This is an important acquisition for Memorial.
Bottom line
Memorial undoubtedly has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to hit its lofty guidance goal for the year. With yesterday's drop, Memorial once again yields over 10%. I believe that is a bankable yield at a very reasonable price. However, Memorial will also likely issue equity at some point to finance its big, recent acquisition. You may yet get Memorial at a better price, but nevertheless I believe that it is a good value right here.
Casey Hoerth has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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- //Home
- //Music
- //Reviews
- //Charlie Parker
If, as is incontrovertibly the case, Charlie Parker is the most influential figure in post-war jazz and if, as we are always told, it was his live experimentations that captured the true "Bird in Flight", then this (representing the pick of a four CD collection) must therefore be just about the most important modern jazz album ever made.
The historical significance of the cream of Parker's radio broadcasts from the Royal Roost is probably even greater than the much loved 1953 Jazz at Massey Hall set, which has the advantage of being a complete live performance but was actually a (superior) reunion session rather than a portrait of the artist in his pioneering phase. These sessions, from the late '40s, show Parker at the moment when the bebop style had reached its full expressive powers, with the new vocabulary now established but still fresh and operating at the very frontiers of the Modernist movement.
Charlie Parker
Best of the Complete Live Performances on Savoy
(Savoy Jazz)
US: 21 May 2002
UK: Available as import
Fortunately, its musical strengths are almost enough to carry the weight of the impossible expectations we thus bring to any actual Parker recording. A few tracks in and you suddenly realise that everything you've read is true, that there never was and there still isn't anyone quite like him. Also, because of the unique atmosphere of these club broadcasts, if you don't find yourself musing about notions of genius, imagining yourself back in that most creative and troubled of decades or picturing yourself as a young hipster in that most hip of audiences, then jazz is not for you and I bid you farewell.
In late 1948, Charlie Parker was booked for a long residency at the Royal Roost. The former chicken restaurant (at 1580 or 1474 Broadway, depending on which sleeve notes you read) had moved in to fill the gap created by the decline in fortunes of 52nd street, which never recovered from its free and easy war-time days or the attentions of racially motivated police scrutiny. The self-proclaimed "Metropolitan Bopera House" was to present the new jazz in a club setting more suited to the "concert" aspirations of the new generation. The Innermost of the In Crowd duly gathered to pay homage to their heroes. Parker was the hero of heroes, of course. Recognising that this was no ordinary gig, the proselytizing DJ, Symphony Sid, transmitted the Saturday night sessions on local radio. Thankfully, one Bronx jazz buff (Boris Rose, not the better remembered Dean Benedetti) recorded these and they form the core material for this priceless opportunity to hear Parker as only the privileged few heard him at the time.
Far reaching as were its consequences, Parker's revolution was in essence a simple one. Its aim (and its achievement) was the liberation of the jazz solo. Some time in 1939 or 1940, while searching for a way to avoid what was becoming a rather restrictive and stereotyped approach to soloing, he discovered, in the process of working through "Cherokee", that "by using the higher intervals of a chord as a melody line and backing them with appropriately related changes, I could play the thing I'd been hearing. I came alive." Indeed he did.
A few standards (essentially, "Cherokee", "How High the Moon", "I Got Rhythm") plus a strong dose of Kansas City blues provided the basis of everything to come. Never has an artistic sea change been conjured up from such a seemingly straightforward discovery. The core values were very strong though, residing as they did in the African-American musical continuum. The breakthrough was one of changed perspective and, of course, the supreme playing power needed to put Parker's ideas and insight into practice.
And that is what you get on these recordings—pure Parker, putting that conceptual leap into, by now nearly perfect, practice. Fascinating as it is to hear a young, frenetic Miles Davis, delightful though his trumpet replacement, Kenny Dorham, sounds, the focus of attention is rarely far from Parker. A focus of amazement too—at the daring, the incisiveness and most of all the absolute logicality of every phrase and flourish. This is all the more astounding because, even if he had not been present, a series of line-ups that includes (apart from Davis and Dorham) Tadd Dameron, Curley Russell, Max Roach, Tommy Potter, Al Haig, Joe Harris, Lucky Thompson, and Milt Jackson would represent a major chunk of jazz history in itself. All perform admirably (though piano and bass don't always come across as clearly as one would wish) but all are secondary to the altoist and his applied imagination.
A splendid "period hip" intro from Symphony Sid introduces Monk's "52nd Street" and the music hits full throttle straight away. So many great moments—"Hot House", "Chasin' the Bird", "Scrapple from the Apple", "Barbados", "Groovin' High", "Salt Peanuts", "Cheryl", and "Anthropology"—all of them prime examples of bebop heaven and each containing a Parker solo that still challenges, still appears beyond the reach of lesser mortals. Only on "Little Willie Leaps In" does he sound at all awkward and unsure. On the other hand, "Scrapple from the Apple" is the finest version available and the Kansas City echoes apparent on "Chasin' the Bird" add warmth and unexpected roundness to the tune. Each song is in fact, a model of compact, creative magic that easily transcends both time and technological limitation.
The inclusion of a very tender "East of the Sun" does make you wish that a few more ballads had been caught on tape. Parker was superb at a slower tempo, listen without prejudice to the once despised With Strings sessions for full proof. No complaints though. Bebop was mostly about rapid-fire playing and impossibly quick changes, and that is what is on offer here in abundance. Not self-indulgently or anarchically, but with a precision and control his epigones could not always manage.
Bebop, like Parker himself, was an incandescence that lit up the night but could not be sustained. This package, with well-written and authoritative sleeve-notes, allows us as close an experience of that moment as can be hoped for. The spoken intros add historical and nostalgic resonance. But this is no heritage trip. If you want to know why "Bird Lives" mysteriously appeared on so many walls after Parker's untimely death, the "Roost" recordings are as good a place as any to begin to find the answer. Vital—in every sense of the word.
Bubblemath 'Edit Peptide' (album stream) (premiere) // Music
Swarming Branch 'Surreal Number' (album stream) (premiere) // Music
On a Bang: An Interview with Biffy Clyro
// Sound Affects
"As they Scot-rockers try and make more and more inroads Stateside, the value of the struggle isn't lost on a group releasing their seventh full-length.READ the article


text:
Charles M. Boggs
Interior design professor
- B.A., architecture, University of Cincinnati, 2001
- M.A., interior design, Florida International University, 2010
- Coordinator of cruise ship and super yacht design certificate program, Florida International University.
- Lead designer and project manager of several spaces for Royal Caribbean International's Oasis-class flagships and Celebrity Cruises Solstice-class flagships.
- Featured Artist, Allure of the Seas.
Awards, recognitions and honors
- Worlds Ahead Graduate as designated by President Mark Rosenberg, Florida International University
- ASG Design Team Member on Salisbury University's Teacher Education and Technology Center
- Outstanding Design in Architecture in Education, honorable mention, College Planning and Management magazine, 2009
LEED AP, U.S. Green Building Council, IDEC, Grants Chair, IIDA, Director, Coastal Empire City Center
Publications and Presentations
Published design work
- Luxury Onboard: Oasis of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship, by RTKL," Starczynski, S. , Contract Magazine, online edition, 2011
Invited presentations
- October 2014, South Regional Interior Design Educators Council Conference, presentation of the 2014 International Contemporary Furniture Fair Collaborative Class in PechaKucha style, celebrating the work of SCAD interior design, furniture design and fibers students
- February 2013, IDEC National Conference, panel discussion moderator, "Codifying Sustainable Design: Where do we Stand?"
- June 2011, Aging in Place: Living Well in the Community Conference: "Prescribing Smart Design: How understanding the influence of interior design to engender, support and sustain the well-being of elders will help healthcare practitioners promote Aging in Place"