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Amanda Covalt, Miss Woodward, walked away with the title of Miss Cinderella in the 62nd annual Miss Cinderella Pageant at Northwestern Oklahoma State University Friday.
The Miss Cinderella Talent Show was on Thursday with interviews taking place Friday morning, ending with the Pageant on Friday.
First runner-up was Kelsey Castle, Miss Timberlake; second runner-up was Ashlee Shryock, Miss Shattuck; the third runner-up award went to Kaci Livingston Miss Seiling; and fourth runner-up was Victoria Kimbrell, Miss Cimarron.
Macy Starks, Miss Cherokee, was voted as Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants. As the winner of Miss Congeniality she will receive a one-year room waiver.
Amanda Covalt also took home the interview portion of the contest, as well as the talent award. She performed a vocal solo to "Don't Rain on My Parade."
Miss Cinderella Amanda Covalt is pictured with the runners-up contestants and the winner of the congeniality award. (From left) Fourth runner-up Victoria Kimbrell, Miss Cimarron; second runner-up Ashlee Shryock, Miss Shattuck; Covalt; first runner-up Kelsey Castle, Miss Timberlake; third runner-up Kaci Livingston, Miss Seiling; and Miss Congeniality winner Macy Starks, Miss Cherokee, are photographed after the crowning of Miss Cinderella 2013.
As Miss Cinderella, Covalt will receive eight semesters of tuition, a one-year room waiver scholarship at Northwestern-Alva, and for winning the interview portion of the contest, she will receive a book scholarship.
All Miss Cinderella contestants are a part of the annual homecoming parade that takes place Saturday at 10 a.m. on the downtown square.
Each contestant who participates in the Miss Cinderella Pageant automatically receives a one-year tuition scholarship for Northwestern-Alva.
The first and second runners-up will receive six and four semesters of tuition, respectively.
Third and fourth runners-up will receive a one-year room waiver in addition to the tuition scholarship each contestant already receives.
MISSION STATEMENT: Northwestern Oklahoma State University provides quality educational and cultural opportunities to learners with diverse needs by cultivating ethical leadership and service, critical thinking and fiscal responsibility.


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IPEC-324 Political Economy of Growth, Redistribution and Poverty
Spring for 2017-2018
No faculty information available
In this course we will talk about the political economy literature on growth, redistribution, income inequality and poverty. The bulk of the course is devoted to the political economy of growth, but the topics are clearly related, as you will see. Income inequality may have an impact on growth rates through incentives for redistribution, and growth may, or may not, have an impact on income inequality and poverty, etc. The purpose of the course is twofold. First of all I hope that you will leave this class with more knowledge about the impact of different political variables and institutions on growth rates, income inequality and poverty. Secondly, we will throughout the course go through some formal, but relatively simple, economic models and we will talk about papers that use econometrics to derive empirical regularities. The second purpose is thus to increase your understanding of an economists "tool kit", and to this end we start out the course with two lectures on the very crude basics of econometrics.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Other academic years
There is information about this course number in other academic years:
More information
Look for this course in the schedule of classes.
The academic department web site for this program may provide other details about this course.

subset: commoncrawl


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This kitchen sink is made from stainless steel and has a gorgeous unbrushed satin finish. This inset sink comes with a half sink for rinsing and a draining board attached. This sink set would look great in a smaller kitchen.
Not quite right for your new kitchen? Check out all our other sink options here
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Stainless steel products have a grade, which shows the ratio of chrome to nickel. The higher the percentages, the better quality of stainless steel being used.
This sink, drainer and tap set has a ratio of 18:10.
Satin steel sinks are easy to clean and are fairly robust. They can look good in most style of kitchen, this one works especially well in smaller kitchens as the integrated style of the items mean that it doesn't take up too much space.
Perfectly suited to a family kitchen, stainless steel sinks are more durable against dishes being dropped in them than their cast iron counterparts.
£15.00 for all 'Big & Bulky' orders. These products will only be delivered to post codes within our South West network. You will be contacted within 24 hours of ordering to arrange a delivery date. Please note that deliveries are to the kerbside only.
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Find products for volunteers!
Volunteer Resources
Welcome, Girl Scout volunteers!
You belong to a network of nearly one million adults who share an important commitment: preparing girls to lead successful lives.
Now you can prepare yourself to be a more successful volunteer!
Check out these online resources and training courses that you can access whenever it's convenient for you.
Girl Scouting 101
Class is in session—whenever you're ready! This self-paced, 45-minute course is your online orientation to Girl Scouting, and is required for all volunteers before starting a volunteer position. Just sign in to get started.
Volunteer Essentials
Get just about everything you need as a Girl Scout volunteer, including basic facts and forms, as well as tips on planning outdoor activities, managing troop finances, promoting safety, arranging trips, selling cookies, and more. Ask your local council for a copy of Volunteer Essentials.
Safety Activity Checkpoints
Every adult in Girl Scouting is responsible for the physical and emotional safety of girls, and we follow these guidelines at all times. From archery to hiking, outdoor cooking to ziplining, get checklists to help everyone stay safe—and have fun! Ask your local council for a copy of Safety Activity Checkpoints.
Outdoor Resources
Are the girls you volunteer with excited about going outdoors? Maybe they'd like to get closer to nature, go on a hike, or plan a camping trip? Let's make it happen!
Thanks to a grant from the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, we've created several introductory videos for volunteers focused on outdoor activities. They are specially tailored for volunteers (or even older Girl Scouts) working with Daisies, Brownies, or Juniors.
There are six outdoor skill-building videos covering topics ranging from setting up a campsite to camp cookery to cleaning up—all to help you plan your outside adventures and get girls and adults excited about heading outdoors. What's more, you can tap into Venture Out!, a unique resource that can help you make the outdoor experience more girl-led and gain new insights (or refresh what you already know) so you feel more confident leading more girls to engage with the outdoors.
By showing girls how STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects are woven throughout their everyday lives, this new guide, Helping Girls Become STEM Superstars, gives Girl Scout volunteers and parents tools to keep girls' passions and curiosity for STEM subjects alive.
The guide shows—with conversation starters, troop activities, and examples of STEM role models—how easy it is to make STEM matter for young girls.
The result of a partnership between GSUSA and Netflix, Helping Girls Become STEM Superstars is part of a larger initiative to motivate young girls to envision their futures in STEM and includes tools inspired by the Netflix original series Project Mc2.
Helping Girls Become STEM Superstars (PDF)
Volunteer Toolkit*
The Volunteer Toolkit is a new digital planning tool that gives you resources and program content to get your year started—and keep it going smoothly! Fully customizable, the toolkit is digitally responsive so you can plan and prepare practically anywhere.
Girls have more fun when they can shape their own experience, do hands-on activities, and work together as teams. With the new toolkit, girls and leaders can explore meeting topics and program activities together, and follow the fun as they plan their Girl Scout year.
*Member authentication is required. You will be notified when the Volunteer Toolkit is available at your council.
Volunteer Toolkit Tutorials
Looking for forms?
Each Girl Scout council maintains its own set of documents to administer its unique programming. So if you're looking for forms covering safety, travel, events, camp, membership, financial management, awards and scholarships, cookie/product sales, or any other form related to Girl Scout programs, please contact your local Girl Scout council.
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Hi, was just wondering, is there any reason the plugins dont have rollover images?
They are wp plugins. Only js scripts have roll over previews..
But I agree with you, wp plugins and php script should have big roll over previews too
I figured it must be policy of some kind, but couldn't understand the reasoning :s (still can't tbh ;)).
Puts the plugins at a disadvantage I think, because they are mingled in on the new items page with the other scripts it looks like the authors couldn't be bothered to create em imo.
Yeah I think it is a bit odd. Even for php scripts/plugins you could add more textual details to an image representing the product then you could with just a text title. I think the images are a much more powerful, flexible and useful way to handle it for authors.
Yeah – I agree with you guys. It's a bit odd. We'll look into it.
Great, thanks
Hi, Just wondering if there is any news on this?
(I don't mean to come across as pestering – just I think the large rollover would help sales, the other php scripts have it and us poor plugin authors are losing out )


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Not everyone gets to be a movie star.
It's a rough life for us lesser-known Tallulahs.
Oh sure, mention the name "Tallulah" and everyone assumes you're talking Tallulah Bankhead, but-
Really? Don't even know who she is? Are you serious? Oh, that's a crying shame. It also kind of kills my premise so I'm going to ignore you said that.
Anyhoo, every RIGHT-THINKING person assumes you're talking about Tallulah Bankhead, famous actress, liberal gadfly, and original "strong, determined woman." And who could blame them? She's got quite the legacy; she's earned it. But in this case, they'd be wrong, because I'm talking about the 2006 Tallulah Bald Mountain Ranch Syrah 3-Pack I just picked up.
Sure, you can make comparisons. Both are big and powerful, Tallulah with her engaging personality and bravado, the Syrah with its Côte-Rôtie-like charm and notes of plum, cassis, and crushed black pepper. Both have more to them than you'd first suspect, the Syrah with its smoky minerality and Tallulah with whatever was going on inside her head that led her down a rough path of drug addiction and (some would say) reckless promiscuity.
But this Tallulah ain't that Tallulah, and I've said the name so much that it's starting to lose all meaning in my head, so raise a glass of Tallulah TO Tallulah!
2006 Tallulah Bald Mountain Ranch Syrah Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 3-Pack
- Alcohol: 15.4%
- pH: 3.74
- TA: 6.5 g/l
- Cases Produced: 503
A rich, powerful Syrah with appealing Côte-Rôtie characteristics and flavors of plum, cassis, crushed black pepper and a smoky minerality. The fruit was picked on October 17th after a long growing season. All grapes were hand-sorted and 50% whole clusters were used. Naturally occurring yeast completed fermentation after a 5 day cold soak. Pressed off at dryness and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation naturally in barrel. The wine spent 27 months in 30% new French Oak Burgundy barrels. The wine was racked only once prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Rules and restrictions:
- Wine sold by winery
- You must be 21 or older to order
- Whoever receives the package must be 21 or older
- If you're drunk when the package shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it
- Wine cannot be delivered to a P.O. Box
- We highly recommend you use a business address as your shipping address
Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
If your state's not on the list, you're out of luck... for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.


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Reiterating what most believe, Naina Kidwai, president, FICCI thinks fiscal consolidation is the key to the Indian economy's growth. The statement comes after the economic survey today pegged FY14 growth at 6.1-6.7% and emphasised on the need to curb the twin deficits- fiscal deficit and current account deficit.
Kidwai believes there is capital locked up in unproductive assets in the country. "So, if we can work to ensure that the projects that we started actually kick in, it is going to be very important to bring these investments back to life. The money has been spent. It is a case of making this money now work for us," she adds.
On the Union Budget to be announced tomorrow, Kidwai believes that though the GST may not kick in enough to give a huge kicker for the whole year, but it might help contribute a total of two percent to the gross domestic product (GDP).
Below is the edited transcript of Kidwai's interview to CNBC-TV18.
Q: The fear is that on one side while the market is saying that the government needs to get its act together as far as fiscal consolidation is concerned, now there is a sense and a fear that perhaps in the quest for fiscal consolidation and austerity, we are going down the road of sacrificing growth. Now, the onus is on the Reserve Bank to actually jump-start growth and fiscal policy is shifting now to fiscal consolidation and austerity?
A: I have absolutely no doubt that embarking on this course of fiscal consolidation is key. We have to be able to contain this. Infact, if we don't, it is a very big price that we are going to have to pay going forward.
If you look at some of the near-term gains, the capital output ratios, which are standing at 5 percent where until recently, even last year and year before they were at 4 percent. The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister has suggested that 3 percent is the ideal. What this tells us, is that there is capital locked up in unproductive assets. We have to work and probably not have to work too hard to ensure that these projects kick in. So, if we can work to ensure that the projects that we started actually kick in, it is going to be very important to bring these investments back to life. The money has been spent. It is a case of making this money now work for us.
The other is the goods and services tax (GST). GST may not kick in enough to give us a huge kicker for the whole year next year, but it should come in some stage in the course of next year. It will help because our estimate is that it kicks in two percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) after it is in, in full form. So, maybe some part of that benefit could be available to us next year.
Monetary easing, lowering of interest rates, bringing investment back, bringing industrial production back are going to be very important measures. The world is a better place too going forward this year, better than it was last year.


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You are hereBlogs / War Criminals Watch's blog / Hurrican Sandy, Climate Change and a Protest Against Drone Strikes
Hurrican Sandy, Climate Change and a Protest Against Drone Strikes
By Debra Sweet, National Director World Can't Wait. Thanks to all who have messaged those of us in the northeast to check how we're doing. We know many of you have been affected, and are not even able to read this, or follow the news. The scale of the disaster in the US is unprecedented, and still remains to be grasped, as tens of millions are affected. A reminder, given how seriously people in NYC/NJ are affected... proportionately, the poor countries who got the storms brunt first, especially Haiti, suffered more loss. People in Haiti's slums who have nothing — a situation fostered by centuries of U.S. actions — were washed away, and survivors face cholera. This is an international problem, and we can't get all "Ah-MUR-i-can" as the politicians do.
Some of our activists have been affected by the storm surge directly cutting off power and access to where they live. Everyone is affected by the shut off of transport. Yesterday we learned how widespread the loss of power is, affecting most of the people in public housing (but Wall Street got opened!). Today, we are seeing horrific reports of Katrina-like conditions in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens, with bodies being found today as houses are searched. Beyond the politicians and press conferences on CNN, see these 2 reports from on the ground:
revcom.us: Reports from those affected by Hurricane Sandy
alternet.org: Residents of New York Face a Huge Range of Crises
We'll be talking with people who went through the storm, and are involved in helping and researching conditions, tonight on our regular conference call. Please join in.
Two words as we go forward: "climate change." Do you think either candidate will mention climate change? Even if they do, they offer no solutions.
The debate on whether one should vote for Obama scheduled for Monday between Daniel Ellsberg and David Swanson on KPFK should be worth listening to. David wrote a remarkable account of a visit this week to Obama headquarters in Charlottesville, where he asked former UN ambassador Madeleine Albright whether she "still believed that killing a half a million young Iraqi children was 'worth it.'" He described a scene where Obama supporters jumped on him:
Not a single person present expressed the slightest concern over Albright's having taken part in the murder of so many young lives and many more older ones. Not a single person expressed an interest in learning about a history they were perhaps ignorant of. Not a single person offered an argument for what the positive "it" was that could have made such slaughter "worth it." Not a single person offered a claim that George Bush Sr. or Bob Dole would have killed even more children.
I don't mean to give the impression that Albright's audience was comatose. On the contrary, numerous individuals began grabbing me, shouting at me, pushing me, grabbing my camera, twisting my arm, and spitting out the most vicious hatred. In theory they would all, no doubt, agree that in a system of self-governance people should be able to question their elected officials, former elected officials, and at-large mass-murdering former elected officials. But in this case, this official was playing for the Good Team. The proper role, they believed, therefore, was that of cheerleaders, the highest value deferential respect.
Do they believe the wholesale slaughter of human beings, whether by sanctions or bombs, is sometimes justified by some mysterious "national interest"? Do they believe I was a raving lunatic and that Albright would never have hurt a fly? Do they just believe it's most appropriate not to ask, because that would involve disrespect toward someone on the Good Team? No matter which way you slice it, you come back to a room full of well-dressed polite supporters of mass-murder.
9 Arrested for Blocking Gate of Beale AFB to Protest Drone Strikes
Nine military veterans and peace activists from throughout California were arrested around at the main gate to Beale AFB (North Beale Road), protesting the inhumane and cruel U.S. Drone Program, now killing thousands of innocent men, women and children around the world.
Meanwhile, the U.S. detained a candidate for the presidency of Pakistan who opposes US drone bombings there, for questioning: US Detention of Imran Khan Part of Trend to Harass Anti-Drone Advocates.
Our friends Andy Worthington and Kevin Gosztola bring out the important of military trials going forward in Guantanamo now:
Who Are the 55 Cleared Guantánamo Prisoners on the List Released by the Obama Administration?
Guantanamo Military Commissions: 'Piece of a Larger Disturbing Trend Toward Centralized Presidential Power'
- War Criminals Watch's blog
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Quick Details
- Product Type: Coats
- Age Group: Adults
- Supply Type: OEM Service
- Shell Material: 100% Cotton
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Fitocracy: More Than Just a Fitness App
My body is definitely NOT what's hot in the streets right now. Since we've moved down to ATL I've noticed that there are a bunch of sexy people running around being all sexy and such. So I've decided to go find my sexy, who's currently hiding somewhere in my old college dorm room. I have several fitness apps on my iPhone, but none of them comes close to the beauty, complexity, and community of the Fitocracy app. So I loaded it up and will be using it to…
*What's another way to say bring sexy back? 'Cause the last time I checked, that phrase if pretty old…and a #ManLaw violation*
Let me start off by saying that this is one of the nicest looking apps I've seen, period – From the layout to the functionality…the app makes you want to workout just so you can interact with it. You don't have to just use the iOS app either, you can also visit the Fitocracy website and manage your account if you're too tired after a workout to mess with your smartphone.
The primary focus of Fitocracy for iOS is to provide a simple way to track your daily exercise routine, no matter how you workout. You can view/add your activities by day, and there appears to be no limit to the types of exercises you can track. Just find the day and tap the "track" button, find your exercise and how much (time, reps, sets, etc.) and complete your workout. With Fitocracy, you just don't find workouts, the app also gives you a brief description of the exercise and gives you the option of doing it now or adding it to your list while you "continue shopping" for other exercises. Fitocracy also suggests "achievements" if you need a quick workout to complete, but don't feel like browsing the database.
Another cool tidbit about Fitocracy is that it gamify's working out, so you get points for every workout you complete. There are different levels, achievements, badges, quests, challenges and a leaderboard so you can see how you stack up against your friends or everybody using Fitocracy.
As you log more workouts, your profile gets compiled on the "you" tab where you can see all of your data for a better picture of your progress. Again, the app is pretty dope – The "you" tab reminds me of those cool Windows Phone Metro tiles that you can flip through to view your without navigating to another screen.
In addition to just tracking your workout routine and competing against other users, Fitocracy is a social network where you can chat with your friends and see their progress, or join different groups and follow other "Fitocrats" in hopes that you can learn more about fitness and gain the support you need, versus just trying to emulate what you've seen on TV or what somebody else did in the gym.
The only knock I have against the app is that you can choose to share your workouts, achievements, etc. via Facebook and Twitter, but from what I can tell, if somebody wants to view that info, they need a Fitocracy account. I think there should be a public page where anybody can see your shares, similar to what Instagram does.
According to the app's creators "Our mission is to make exercise more addictive and accessible for everyone. Join the best fitness community around and finally reach your goals." Fitocracy is definitely on the right track. The question is, can I use the Fitocracy app to stay on the right track to sexiness?
Time will tell.
If you want to join me on my quest, Download the Fitocracy app for iOS, or visit the Fitocracy website and follow me "BrothaTech"…and let me know what you think in the comments section.


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Johan Djourou has revealed he took a pay cut to leave Arsenal and join Hamburg on loan for the whole of next season.
Djourou has fallen out of favour under manager Arsene Wenger and was desperate to move elsewhere in order to get more first team football.
The 26-year-old defender, who has been at Arsenal since 2004, hopes playing for the Bundesliga club will give his career a much needed boost.
He said: "In London I could have earned considerably more money, but that wasn't the decisive factor. Everything was just right for me at Hamburg. Above all, the sporting aspect convinced me.
"I want to play as much as possible and to improve, and this is why I can see the ideal conditions for myself in Hamburg."
He could end up making the switch permanently should he impress as Hamburg included an option in the loan deal to talk about a transfer at the end of the campaign.
- More about:
- Arsenal


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|Patriots Look Poised For Another Super Bowl Run
|Bruins Trade For Drew Stafford
|Black and Gold Bruins Turn Yellow On Parade Day
|Inconsistency Will Continue For Bruins Unless A Change Is Made
* Interesting to hear Middlebrooks saying he couldn't handle the off the field stuff
* How much does Ellsbury sign for next year in Seattle– $80mm for five years is my guess
* At bats for outfielders: Ellsbury – 471 / Nava – 344 / Victorino – 336 / Gomes – 217 / Carp 165
* Victorino and Ellsbury have stolen 58 bases combined and caught 7 times – take that you baseball computer heads
* Post juice – only one Red Sox is on a pace to hit at least 20 home runs – Ortiz at 22 now (Napoli at 12)
* Tazawa is 0 for 5 in save opportunities
* Jon Lester last two years: 19-21 / 4.64 ERA – He had been 76-34 going into 2012
* Hasn't Buchholz used up all his sick time?
Considering the fact that the regular season has meant nothing to the Patriots, the new faces are adding some excitement / Brady wicked good / Poor Tebow was embarrassing not looking off his primary receiver and holding on to the ball too long
* Another good summer for Jack Nickalaus
* Another major Sunday in which Tiger doesn't break 70
* The 17th and 18th were the toughest holes on the course
From ESPN – Miguel Cabrera has hit 8 home runs this year on balls outside of the strike zone
If Crush Davis wants his home run surge legitimized in the minds of fans and media – he should offer to take blood tests for anyone that will donate $50,000 to the Jimmy Fund
Dodgers 9-1
Braves 9-1
Texas 9-1
Detroit 8-2
Astros are on pace to go 52-110 – records of pitchers with most decisions:
Philip Humber – 0-8
Jose Veras – 0-4
Wesley Wright 0-4
Erik Bedard – 3-8
Lucas Harrell – 5-13
Max Scherzer vs. Ron Guidry from 1978 (with the Tiger pitcher's stats extrapolated over the season):
Scherzer – 24-1 / 2.84 ERA / 5.04 K to BB / 0.90 WHIP / Complete Games 0
Guidry – 25-3 / 1.74 ERA / 3.44 K to BB / 0.95 WHIP / Complete Games 16 (9 shutouts)
With Sandlot actor getting arrested this month for head butting a cop – a Sandlot Fun Fact:
* Movie grossed $36mm at box office and $76mm in DVD sales
* Great reviews on Diana Ross concert Friday night
* Every parent of a young athlete should make the Daniel Nava article in the Globe Magazine required reading
* Do you think Spider Rico tells his grandkids that he fought the Heavyweight champion of the World?
* What a random town for a Triple A – Pawtucket
* Big loss to local sports Greg Bedard leaving the Globe and going to Sports Illustrated
* You think Patrice Bergeron is still sore?
Tags: Connelly's Top Ten, Top Ten
recently went to a pawsox game for work! good take. sleepy town, yep.
it is amazing the lack of progress that tebow has made in 4 years at the pro level. i could deal with his accuracy (or lack thereof), but the abandonment of his progressions / reads is too much. will he ever get better…? NO.
REPLY – MPC – I agree in Paw Sox is a good take / And no one is a bigger Tebow fan than me but that was embarrassing Pop Warner stuff
Ellsbury will look good with the Rangers.
Guidry blew away everyone that year. Rice was great in 1978 but he couldn't solve Guidry that year if memory serves correct.
Eagles D looked brutal. Huge holes for the NE running backs.
Next college coach to jump into the NFL? David Shaw? Bill O'Brien?
Cabrera is by far the best hitter I have ever seen. Putting up bigger numbers this year than last year, and he won the Triple Crown last year.
FYI: Jose Veras got traded to Detroit prior to the trading deadline.
REPLY – MPC – Imagine if Cabrera didn't throw a couple of years away with bad attitude and drinking? I'm a big David Shaw fan / Eagles defense embarrassing
i went to a pawsox game, and loved it. sat out in left, and we were surrounded by nice kids with gloves trying to snag homers and long fouls. knowledgeable fans, who liked good baseball at an affordable price. nothing in Pawtucket baseball not to love. The park felt like a big league park, only tiny.
REPLY – MPC – I agree – I usually go every year – just a random location to pick
A good take is Manchester Fischer Cats when Portland Sea Dogs visit.
REPLY – MPC – I heard they do a good job up there


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Good Morning, Broncos fans! Jason Cole says to expect that this week's ownership meetings are going to mark a crucial point in the labor talks, as owners need to find a common ground among themselves before they can reach a deal with the players. Cole writes that the owners taking charge in the recent negotiations have been the more moderate ones, including Clark Hunt of the Chiefs and Dean Spanos of the Chargers, and that Jerry Richardson and Robert Kraft have softened from earlier hawkish stances.
Interestingly, Cole reports that many NFL owners do not know the framework of the deal as is being currently negotiated, due to Judge Boylan's order that the subject of the talks be kept as confidential as possible. Tuesday in Chicago is when the owners' meetings begin, so the hope is that there's not enough dissention there to hold up the deal. Cole writes that the outcome of those meetings could determine the future of Roger Goodell, whose power and relevance has come into question in recent months.
Floyd Little thinks the labor talks are down to posturing, and he thinks the two sides need to just get the deal done.
Kiszla: dumb questions, dumb answers to emails.
Current Texans GM and former Broncos coach and FO man Rick Smith has caught some heat this week from former Texans; first, it was Ahman Green saying that Smith accused him of faking an injury a few years ago. More recently Marcus Coleman (who didn't play under Smith at any point) said that Smith acted as a "mole" in the locker room for the Broncos' FO.
Roger Goodell wrote in a letter that the league is insisting that HGH testing be part of the new CBA.
Sam Mellinger of the KC Star says the interests of smaller market owners like Clark Hunt as opposed to those of guys like Jerry Jones are a key part of the labor talks.
Chad Pennington is taking the 2011 season off as he recovers from yet another injury and will be an analyst for FOX.
The turf at the Metrodome may need to be replaced.
Tiki Barber says he's attempting a comeback because he's been depressed without football.
In his Sunday column, Dan Pompei writes that it's time for Indy to plan for Peyton Manning's successor, and that free agency will be very unpredictable once it begins.
Nathan Jahnke on the greatness of Ravens DE Terrell Suggs.
Doug Farrar recently checked out a motivational seminar by Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
One-liners via PFT.
Soon-to-be U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy had an interview punked by a kid with active eyebrows the other day.
Some Cleveland woman claims she's going to name her next child after Dirk Nowitzki in honor of the Mavs' takedown of LeBron and the Heat.
The brilliant Joe Buck thought a solo homer tied a 4-2 game yesterday.
Here's an on-plane video of the New Mexico football player who got arrested for his pants being too low on an flight the other day.


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Just because you have difficulty reading or turning a page doesn't mean that you can't share in the enjoyment of books.
Children and young people may have difficulty reading ordinary printed books for a number of reasons. The technology that is available to us today makes it easier than ever before for everyone to access books irrespective of their difficulties. By getting hold of a book in digital format, readers can enlarge text, change background colours or even convert books to speech by means of a few simple key strokes on a computer. CALL Scotland have created the excellent Books for All website which contains a wealth of information on accessible books and provides links on how you can obtain these for your child.


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UPDATE 4-BlackBerry shares fall as doubts on software revenue emerge
(Adds comments from CEO, background, details on results)
By Euan Rocha
WATERLOO, Ontario, June 23 (Reuters) - BlackBerry shares fell on Tuesday as doubts surfaced about the sustainability of the sharp growth the former smartphone pioneer reported in crucial software revenues, an area BlackBerry's CEO said he will augment via acquisitions.
The company's shares were down 3.5 percent in afternoon trading. They had risen 8 percent before the market opened after BlackBerry reported first-quarter results that showed a more than 150 percent rise in software and licensing revenues to $137 million.
Initial investor elation over that growth, however, was later undermined by uncertainty over how much came from recurring revenues, versus one-time licensing payments.
As the Waterloo, Ontario-based company transforms from being a hardware-driven smartphone maker to a more software-focused entity, all eyes are on the growth it gets from its core device management platform BES12, which manages and secures all manner of traffic on Android, iOS, Windows and BlackBerry devices.
"When the headline hits, you say 'wow they really blew out that software number, good for them, they're starting to get some traction'," said BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis. "But, of course, it's not truly $137 million because there is some licensing in there."
BlackBerry said two new licensing deals, one with Cisco Systems Inc and one with an unnamed party, made a "significant contributions" to software revenue in the quarter, but it did not disclose the terms of the agreements. It was also not clear how much they would boost revenue in future quarters.
On a conference call, analysts grilled the company on its business and Chief Executive John Chen vowed to follow up with more details. Chen later told media that overall software revenue growth was roughly around 30 percent year-over-year. However, it was still not clear what percentage of the $137 million in software revenue was recurring in nature. Continued...


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The Jennie-O Turkey Store's West Central Turkey Plant which is part of Jennie-O Turkey Store and the Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL), announced today that it donated $10,000 to the Pelican Rapids Community Food Shelf on April 18. The plant also donated funds to this organization in 2013 and 2012.
The Pelican Rapids Community Food Shelf provides a food pantry to alleviate hunger in the Pelican Rapids area.
"We are thrilled to partner with these organizations and contribute to their efforts to feed the families in need in our area," said Todd Kampstra, plant manager for Jennie-O Turkey Store's West Central Turkey Plant. "Our employees and the company are excited to continue fighting hunger in our community."
For the fourth consecutive year, Hormel Foods is giving funds to U.S. manufacturing facilities to share with nonprofits in their respective communities to fight hunger. In 2013, Hormel Foods donated $220,000 to local hunger relief organizations in more than 20 U.S. communities where it has manufacturing facilities. In 2014, the company will provide 39 plant locations with funds to help local organizations fight the hunger needs specific to each community.
"Hormel Foods has been able to help our plants relieve hunger in their local communities for the past three years," said Julie H. Craven, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel Foods. "Because of the success we've had with this program, and as part of our ongoing commitment to helping fight hunger in the areas where we live and work, we are further expanding these donations to a total of 39 locations."
Hormel Foods is helping those in need both in the United States and internationally through its On Our Way to Ending Hunger program. The company collaborates with retailers, nonprofits and the government on hunger relief efforts; nourishes the hungry in the U.S. and abroad; and motivates individuals and corporate partners to take action to fight hunger.
About Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, S&P Dividend Aristocrats for 2013, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders and was again named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the fifth year in a row. Hormel Foods has been recognized on the G.I. Jobs magazine list of America's Top 100 Military Friendly Employers in 2012 and 2013. The company enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality, taste, nutrition, convenience and value. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com.


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heat/ac controls not working?
Hey, figured id throw this out there. Im on my phone and for aome reason when i search its not working so i apologize if this has been asked. Here is my problem.
My ac/heat controls arent responding anymore. Full max power/min noting. No air blows. Ive tried vent, defrost, floor, etc. Nothing
Ill bring it in to the dealership tomorow since i have the max care bit i thought id ask in advance for any ideas. Anyone?
Re: heat/ac controls not working?
Did you check fuses?
Re: heat/ac controls not working?
not yet, where is the fuse box in the car? I'll try to check in the morning
Re: heat/ac controls not working?
I don't have my Jeep yet, but the owners manual should tell you. You can even download a free PDF from Jeep. That makes it easier to search than the paper version.
Re: heat/ac controls not working?
i'll check in the morning tomorrow. Hopefully it's something just that simple. Would be sweet. Anyone have a diagram of the positioning of what fuses control what under the hood? I know it says position 1 is for the HVIC but still. A pic would be nice
Re: heat/ac controls not working?
So any other advice? It's not the fuses, its not the controls, it's not a short as of yet. Dealership had it for an entire day and can't figure out the problem yet. Sucks.
Re: heat/ac controls not working?
Check the blower motor resistor. It's under the dash in passenger foot well area. Easy to see and check. The pigtails get hot and start to melt causing a loose connection.
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Warhol's 'Headlines' Brings Out the Headliners
The pop artist was also a pop editor. Andy Warhol's serious playfulness with the tabloid media, news and society makes newspaper editors smile with art lovers. Friends and admirers got a chance to do just that at a Oct. 5 trustee dinner for the National Gallery of Art exhibit, "Warhol: Headlines" in its East building.


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Get Book Savvy Helps Current and Aspiring Authors Publish and Market Their Books
Frances Keiser and Jane Wood are award-winning authors and publishers with more than twenty years' experience. Together they offer workshops and seminars that include how to start a self-publishing company; publishing, printing, and distribution options, and marketing. They'll also answer your questions and give you one-on-one guidance to help you make your book a success.
Award-Winning Authors Celebrate!
Congratulations to Get Book Savvy clients Diane Harper (D.W. Harper) and Laura Merrill Godfrey for being recipients of the Florida Authors and Publishers President's Book Awards.
Diane's Lost Twin, an adult fiction book, is a page-turner, and also received an award for cover design.
Laura's Air Diet Cookbook is a great resource for anyone trying to cook allergy-free recipes.
By the way, France Keiser also won an award for her new Pelican Pete's Backyard Adventures: Nature Discoveries and Outdoor Fun, and Jane Wood won for her latest juvenile fiction book, Lost in Boston.
These awards are especially meaningful because they are judged by librarians from five different states.
All of the books can be found on Amazon or on the authors' websites.
How to Get Your Books into Schools
Former teacher and award-winning author Jane R. Wood has released a new book, Schools: A Niche Market for Authors, as an e-book on Kindle and Nook. Wood shares the many strategies she has used for ten years to successfully market and sell her books to schools. Authors will learn how to:
- Contact schools
- Create educational resources
- Develop dynamic presentations
- Provide reinforcement to school curricula
Wood shows how both teachers and students can benefit from a meaningful connection with a published author.


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Track My Order
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about 6 years ago
I second!
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I was hoping something like this would be added after Free Day!
News - Free Day Bite-Sized Tutor…
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These are awesome, I think its a great idea to post these little tutorials on things people take for granted, like soldering basics, ADC, etc..
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Offense stalls in second half in consecutive games
WATERTOWN, NY – For the second straight game the Herkimer Generals men's lacrosse team had a poor second half. This time the opponent was Jefferson Community College. The Cannoneers scored 10 goals in the second half, defeating the Generals 16-7 on their home field.
Herkimer 3-2 (1-1) has lost their last two games, allowing 18 goals in the second half. In consecutive games the Generals have found themselves down by two goals at intermission – 5-3 against SUNY Delhi and 6-4 against Jefferson – then came out in the second half and allowed four unanswered goals to their opponent.
On Saturday, the Cannoneers scored four goals in a six minute span, increasing the General deficit from two goals to six goal. Stopping the bleeding was Jonathan Camera (Staten Island, NY). Camera finished the game with two goals, tying Kyle Lee (Cincinnati, OH) for the team lead. It was the lone goal of the third period before Tony Karam (New Hartford, NY) and Lee netted goals in the fourth.
Rounding out the scoring for the Generals in the game was Michael Fuoco (Kingston, NY) and Joel Braun (Troy, NY). Each player had a goal. Fuoco's was the first of the game, giving the Generals a 1-0 lead with 12:41 left in the first period. Braun's goal came with 2:30 left in the first period, also giving the Generals a one goal lead over the Cannoneers 4-3.
In the net for Herkimer was Mario Diaz (New Rochelle, NY) and Austin Loeffel (Red Hook, NY). Diaz played the first half, saving six shots. Loeffel played the second half, saving eight shots.
The Generals next game is today (4/7). They'll host Finger Lakes Community College at 4 p.m. at Wehrum Stadium.
-Giorgio Varlaro; Athletic Website Manager


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Central Administrative Tribunal Principal Bench OA No.2599/2010 New Delhi this the 13th day of July, 2011 Honble Mr. George Paracken, Member (J) Honble Mr. Khushi Ram, Member (A) 1. All India C.P.W.D. Office Staff Association, C Wing Ground Floor, Near Generator Room, I.P. Bhawan, New Delhi-110 0002 (Through its General Secretary, Shri Birender Kumar) 2. Shri Davinder Kumar, S/o Shri Jagan Nath, R/o G-242, Nanak Pura, New Delhi -Applicants (By Advocate: Shri L.R. Khatana) -VERSUS- 1. Union of India, Through Secretary to the Govt. of India, Ministry of Urban Development, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi 2. Director General (Works), Central Public Works Department, Ministry of Urban Development, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi 3. Secretary to the Govt. of India, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, North Block, New Delhi -Respondents (By Advocate: Shri R.V. Sinha) O R D E R (Oral)
Mr. George Paracken:
Applicant No.1 in this case is the All India CPWD Office Staff Association and the second applicant is Shri Davinder Kumar who is Head Clerk in the CPWD. Their claim is that Head Clerks of the CPWD may be granted the grade pay of Rs.4,600/- as in the case of Assistants and Personal Assistants of the Central Secretariat to whom the Government as per its order vide Annexure A-5 OM No.F1/1/2008-IC dated 16.11.2009 granted the upgraded pay of Rs.4600.
2. The background of this case is that the Sixth Pay Commission in its report has considered disparity between staff in Headquarters organizations, namely, the Secretariat of the Ministries and Departments of Government of India and its field agencies. According to it, time has come to grant parity between similarly placed persons employed in the field offices and in the Secretariat and such parity will need to be absolute till the Grade of Assistant. It has also been observed that the disparity was aggravated in 2006 when the Government further upgraded the pay scales of Assistants belonging to Central Secretariat Service from Rs.5500-9000 to Rs.6500-10,500. The relevant part of the recommendation is as under:-
3.1.1 The various Secretariats of the Ministries and Departments of Government of India together constitute the headquarters organization. The Secretariats are chiefly involved in matters relating to formulation of policy and ensuring that these policies are executed in a coordinated and effective manner. Actual execution of these policies, however, is left to field agencies outside the Secretariat which may be either attached or subordinate offices or quasi-Government/autonomous/public sector undertakings.
3.1.2 The senior administrative posts in the Secretariat are mainly filled by officers of All India Services and Central Group A services on deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme. Some of the posts in the middle level are also held by officers of the Central Secretariat Services, Railway Board Secretariat Service in Ministry of Railways, Defence Forces Headquarters Services in Ministry of Defence and by Indian Foreign services (B) in Ministry of External Affairs. Historically, various services in the Secretariat have been given an edge over analogous posts in the field offices. This was done on the ground that office staff in the Secretariat performs complex duties and are involved in analyzing issues with policy implications whereas their counter parts in field offices perform routine work relating to routine matters concerning personnel and general administration, etc. Another argument that is used to justify the edge for various posts in Secretariat is that in Secretariat, level jumping occurs and personnel in the grade of Assistant etc. submit files directly to decision making levels of Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary, etc. 3.1.3 Higher pay scales in the Secretariat offices may have been justified in the past when formulation of proper policies was of paramount importance. The present position is different. Today, the weakest link in respect of any Government policy is at the delivery stage. This phenomenon is not endemic to India. Internationally also, there is an increasing emphasis on strengthening the delivery lines and decentralization with greater role being assigned at delivery points which actually determines the benefit that the common citizen is going to derive out of any policy initiative of the Government. The field offices are at the cutting edge of administration and may, in most cases, determine whether a particular policy turns out to be a success or a failure in terms of actual benefit to the consumer. Accordingly, the time has come to grant parity between similarly placed personnel employed in field offices and in the Secretariat. This parity will need to be absolute till the grade of Assistant. Beyond this, it may not be possible or even justified to grant complete parity because the hierarchy and career progression will need to be different taking in view the functional considerations and relativities across the board.
3.1.4 A parity has long been established between the posts of Lower Division Clerk (LDC) and Upper Division Clerk (UDC) in Secretariat and field offices. The position becomes different for posts above UDC level; with the Assistant in Secretariat offices being placed in higher pay scale vis-`-vis those working in field offices. Earlier, the respective pay scales of Rs.5500-9000 and 5000-8000 existed for Assistants in Secretariat and in Field offices. This disparity was aggravated in 2006 when the Government further upgraded the pay scales of Assistants belonging to Central Secretariat Service to Rs.6500-10500.
3. Further, in the para 3.1.14 of its Report, they have recommended that the earlier scales of Rs.4500-7000/-, Rs.5000-8000 and Rs.5500-9000 granted to Stenographers Grade II and Grade I shall stand merged and be placed in the higher pay scale of Rs.6500-10500. Similarly in the case of ministerial post in non- Secretariat Offices, the posts of Head Clerks, Assistants, Office Superintendent and Administrative Officers Grade III in the respective pay scales of Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 and Rs.6500-10500 will stand merged. The relevant part of the said recommendation is as under:-
3.1.14 In accordance with the principle established in the earlier paragraphs, parity between Field and Secretariat Offices is recommended. This will involve merger of few grades. In the Stenographers cadre, the posts of Stenographers Grade II and Grade I in the existing scales of Rs.4500-7000/Rs, 5000-8000 and Rs.5500-900 0 will, therefore, stand merged and be placed in the higher pay scale of Rs.6500-10500. In the case of ministerial post in non- Secretariat Offices, the posts of Head Clerks, Assistants, Office Superintendent and Administrative Officers Grade III in the respective pay scales of Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 and Rs.6500-10500 will stand merged. The existing and revised structure in Field Organization will, therefore, be as follows:-
Designation Present pay Scale Recommended Pay scale Corresponding Pay Band & Grade Pay Pay Band Grade Pay LDC 3050-4590 3050-4590 PB-1 1900 UDC 4000-6000 4000-6000 PB-1 2400 Head Clerk/Assistants/ Steno Grade II/equivalent 4500-7000 5000-8000 Superintendent/ Asstt. Admn.
Officer/Private Secretary/equivalent 6500-10500
4. The Government of India has accepted the aforesaid recommendations of the Pay Commission and the pay scales of Rs.5000-150-8000, Rs.5500-175-9000, Rs.6500-200-6900 and Rs.6500-200-10500 have been placed in the Pay Band (PB)-2 and scale of Rs.8700-34800 with the Grade Pay of Rs.4200.
5. However, later the Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, vide Annexure A-5 Office Memorandum No.F.No.1/1/2008-IC dated 16.11.2009, have decided to grant the pay structure of grade pay Rs.4600 in the pay band PB-2 to posts that existed in the pre-revised scale of Rs.6500-10500 as on 1.1.2006. Accordingly, the Assistants and Personal Assistants in the Central Secretariat Service, Armed Forces Headquarters, Indian Foreign Service B and Railway Board Secretariat Service have been given Grade Pay of Rs.4600 w.e.f. 1.1.2006, in view of the fact that in their cases, there is an element of direct recruitment is involved. The relevant part of the said OM is as under:-
4. While considering the case of granting upgraded grade pay of Rs.4600 to Assistants and PAs in the Central Secretariat, it is noted that Sixth Pay Commission had recommended parity in terms of hierarchical structure of Office Staff in Field and Secretariat offices upto the level of Assistants and this recommendation had been accepted by the Government. However, one of the reasons due to which Assistants of Central Secretariat are being granted grade pay of Rs.4600 is the fact that there is an element of direct recruitment to the post and that too, through an All-India Competitive Examination. With the issue of this Departments OM of even no. dated 13th November, 2009, the Grade Pay of Rs.4600 has already been introduced in the case of office staff in Field Officers. As far Central Secretariat is concerned, in order to continue to maintain parity between Field and Secretariat officers, introduction of a level in the hierarchy of Central Secretariat having grade pay of Rs.4200 in the pay band PB-2 between the grades of Upper Division Clerks and Assistants is necessary.
6. The applicants have made a representation dated 8.2.2010 (Annexure A-7) against the aforesaid decision of the Government of India and demanded the same grade pay of Rs.4,600 also on the ground that once the Pay Commission has recognized a homogeneous group of employees and the Government has already accepted that recommendation, one sub group among them cannot be taken out and treat them differently by granting higher grade pay, which is discriminatory.
7. The respondents have considered the aforesaid representation and vide impugned Office Memorandum dated 21,4,2010 (Annexure A-1) stated that the post of Head Clerk in the CPWD does not involve the element of direct recruitment through All India Competent Examination, and therefore the Head Clerks are not likely to be placed in the pay scale of Rs.4600. They have stated that element of direct recruitment has been made by the Government for granting higher grade pay to the Assistants of CSS cadre. They have further stated that certain percentage of post of Head Clerks has been taken to be filled by direct recruitment through All India Competitive Examination in the draft recruitment rules but until the said recruitment rules are published, it is premature to recommend the grade pay of Rs.4600 to the Head Clerks of CPWD.
8. The applicants have challenged the aforesaid decision of the respondents in this OA on the ground that the impugned Annexure A 1 order is absolutely illegal, arbitrary, discriminatory, unjust and unreasonable inasmuch as the same has caused hostile and invidious discrimination between the Field and Secretariat offices in respect of which Sixth Pay Commission has recommended parity upto Assistant cadre of CSS and Head Clerks of the CPWD and the same has been duly accepted and implemented by the Government. Hence, the subsequent discrimination made against the aforesaid homogenous group of employees in respect of whom, the parity has already been established and accepted totally is again illegal, arbitrary and therefore, bad in law. The other contention of the applicants is that the impugned action of the respondents is contrary to the earlier statement made by the Sixth Pay Commission itself in regard to implementation of its recommendations as a package and any deviation therefrom is bound to result in anomalies to destroy the entire structure of the recommendations as has happened in the present case. In this regard, they have referred to paragraph 1.2.25 of the report of the Sixth Pay Commission which reads as under:-
All the recommendations are inter-connected and need to be treated as an organic whole. Partial implementation of these recommendations will destroy the underlying spirit, break the common thread and bring in several anomalies and inconsistencies. The Report would, therefore, need to be treated in a holistic manner and the recommendations considered as a package.
9. The learned counsel for the applicants, Shri L.R. Khatana, relied upon the following judgments of the Apex Court in support of his aforesaid submissions with its respective relevant parts:-
(a) State of Mizoram & Anr. Vs. Mizoram Engineering Service Assocaiton & Anr., (2004) 6 SCC 218 6. Great stress was laid on the fact that Engineering Service in the State was not an organized service and therefore, it did not have categorisation by way of entrance level and senior level posts and for that reason the higher scale of Rs. 5900-6700 which was admissible for senior level posts could not be given in the Engineering Service. The main reason for dubbing Engineering Serv-ice as an unorganized service in the State is absence of recruitment rules for the serv-ice. Who is resposible for not framing the recruitment rules? Are the members of the Engineering Service responsible for it? The answer is clearly 'No'. For failure of the State Government to frame recruitment rules and bring Engineering Service within the frame-work of organized service, the engineers can-not be made to suffer. Apart from the rea-son of absence of recruitment rules for the Engineering Service, we see hardly any dif-ference in organized and unorganized serv-ice so far as Government service is con-cerned. In Government service such a dis-tinction does not appear to have any rel-evance. Civil Service is not trade unionism. We fail to appreciate what is sought to be conveyed by use of the words 'organised service' and 'unorganised service'. Nothing has been pointed out in this behalf. The ar-gument is wholly misconceived.
(b) The Employees of Tannery and Footwear Corporation of India Ltd. & Anr. Vs. UOI & Ors., 1991 Supp(2) SCC 565 16. State of U.P. v. J. P. Chaurasia (AIR 1989 SC 19) (supra) on which reliance has been placed by Shri Mahajan deals with the question as to equation of duties and responsibilities for applying the principle of ,equal pay for equal work'. Therein this Court has held that the matter of equation of posts for the purpose of equation of pay must be left to the executive and must be determined by expert bodies like Pay Commission and that if there is such a determination by a Commission or Committee the Court should normally accept it. The principle laid down in the said decision was reiterated in the other decisions relied upon by Shri Mahajan. Here we are not concerned with equation of posts because the posts falling in the abovementioned four categories of employees in the respondent corporation as well as the Cotton Corporation of India are of the same level and employees working on these posts were having the same pay-scales in 1970. There is nothing on the record to show that after 1970 there has been any change in the duties and functions of the persons holding these posts in the two corporations which may justify fixation of different pay-scales for these posts in the two corporations. The pay-scales of the petitioners as revised by order dated April 25, 1986, cannot, therefore, be upheld. The respondents Nos. 1 and 3 should so revise the pay-scales of the petitioners as to be at par with pay-scales enjoyed by the employees falling in the same category in the Cotton Corporation of India on the date from which the said revised pay-scales are to be applied. Under order dated April 25, 1986, the revision of the pay-scales of the petitioners has been made with effect from August 1, 1983 and is valid up to July 31, 1987. The revision in the pay-scales of the petitioners should be made keeping in view the pay-scales and allowances enjoyed by the employees falling in the same category in the Cotton Corporation of India on August 1, 1983 and such revision may be made operative up to July 31, 1987, as provided in the order date April 25, 1986.
(c) Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan Vs. Rajesh Mohan Shukla & Ors. (2007) 6 SCC 9 9. Now, these appeals have come up for hearing. We find that the nature of duties being discharged by the Youth Coordinators who have come on deputation and have been absorbed as such and those who were directly recruited on fixed term are discharging the same duties. The only difference is their source of recruitment. Once the deputationists are discharging the same duties and are being paid salary and other allowances then there is no reason to deny the same benefits who are discharging the same duties and functions. Those deputationists now absorbed obtained the order from this Court but the direct recruits did not approach this Court, they were treated as a class apart because of their source of recruitment. Once these persons are already working for more than two decades discharging the same functions and duties then we see no reason why the same benefit should not be given to the respondents. Looking to the nature and duties of these respondents we are of opinion that there is no reason to treat them differently. However, at the time of admission this Court on 1.5.2000 confined the relief from the date of filing of the writ petition before the High Court. In fact, these directly recruited Youth Coordinators approached the Court in earlier point of time but they were advised to approach the Government and they did approach the Government but the Government denied them the same relief as was given to the deputationists. Therefore, there is no reason not to grant them the same scale pay and as such this Court at the time of admission has confined the relief that why it should not be granted from the date of the filing of the writ petition in the High Court. Accordingly, we dispose of these civil appeals with a direction that the same benefits as were being given to the Youth Coordinators who were initially on deputation and were absorbed, should be given to the respondents from the date of filing of the writ petition in the High Court of Allahabad. Hence, the order of the High Court of Allahabad is affirmed with minor modification as indicated above. There would be no order as to costs.
(d) State Bank of India & Ors. Vs. T.J. Paul, (1999) 4 SCC 756 12. We have considered the limited issue. We are of the view that all these appellants should get the same relief as the appellants in the earlier Civil Appeal which arose out of Special Leave Petition No. 16646 of 1995. Once they were all in one cadre, the distinction between direct recruits and promotees disappears at any rate so far as equal treatment in the same cadre for payment of the pay scale given. The birth marks have no relevance in this connection. If any distinction is made on the question of their right to the post of Data Processing Assistants they were holding and to its scale - which were matters common to all of them before the impugned order of the Government of India was passed on 2-7-1990, - then any distinction between Data Processing Assistants who were direct recruits and those who were promotees, is not permissible. We, therefore, reject the respondent's contention. We have examined the record and the common points arising in this case and those in Civil Appeal which arose out of Special Leave Petition 16646 of 1995 and we are unable to find any lawful distinction between the appellants and those in the other appeal which has been allowed.
(e) Purshottam Lal Vs. Union of India, (1973) 1 SCC 651 15. Mr. Dhebar contends that it was for the Government to accept the recommendations of the Pay Commission and while doing so to determine which categories of employees should be taken to have been included in the terms of reference. We are unable to appreciate this point. Either the Government has made reference in respect of all Government employees or it has not. But if it has made a reference in respect of all Government employees and it accepts the recommendations it is bound to implement the recommendations in respect of all Government employees. If it does not implement the report regarding some employees only it commits a breach of Arts. 14 and 16 of the Constitution. This is what the Government has done as far as these petitioners are concerned. Randhir Singh Vs. UOI & Ors., (1982) 1 SCC 618 3. No doubt, equation of posts and equation of pay are matters primarily for the Executive Government and expert bodies and not for the courts, but where all things are equal that is, where all relevant considerations are the same, persons holding identical posts may not be treated differentially in the matter of their pay merely because they belong to different departments. Of course, if officers of the same rank perform dissimilar functions and the powers, duties and responsibilities of the posts held by them vary, such officers may not be heard to complain of dissimilar pay merely because the posts are of the same rank and the nomenclature is the same.
10. The learned counsel for the respondents, Shri R.V. Sinha, has submitted that applicants claim for parity with the CSS cadre of Assistants and Stenographers is absolutely untenable as later category has always been in higher pay scales even before the year 2006. He has, thus denied the contention of the applicants that there was historical parity between the Assistants of CSS cadre and Head Clerks of CPWD. The Assistants of CSS cadre were earlier placed in the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.6500-10500, whereas the Head Clerks of CPWD were placed in the pre-revised pay scale of Rs. 5000-8000. He has also submitted that though the element of direct recruitment to fill up the post of Head Clerk through All India Competitive Examination has been proposed in the draft Recruitment Rules, they are under consideration of the Ministry which will scrutinize the same and to send it for approval of DOPT, UPSC and Ministry of Law. Further, the CPWD is not the final authority in the matter of Recruitment Rules and a mere proposal of partial direct recruitment does not confer any right for the grade pay of Rs.4600/- to Head Clerks.
11. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties and we have gone through the records. The basic contention of the learned counsel for the applicants, Shri L.R. Khatana, is that once the Pay Commission has considered the Head Clerks of CPWD and Assistants of CSS cadre as one homogenous group, the Government is restrained from making any exception in the matter and grant grade pay of Rs.4600 to only one sub-group. In our considered view, the aforesaid contention of the learned counsel cannot be accepted. What has been considered by the Pay Commission is parity of pay scale and grade pay with respect to certain categories of employees and it has been accepted by the Government. However, the Government being the ultimate authority to grant the pay scales and grades pay to the various categories of staff working under them, they cannot be prevented from reconsidering the matter for other reasons. It is also its prerogative to grant different pay scale and grade pay to any particular category of employees considering the differences in their source of recruitments. Admittedly, the Assistants and Stenographers in the CSS cadre are appointed after rigorous competition held by the Staff Selection Commission on All India basis whereas the source of recruitment of Head Clerks in CPWD is by promotion from among Upper Division Clerk working in the same office. Accordingly, the source of recruitment of Head Clerks and Assistants are not comparable at all. Moreover, the Pay Commission has recommended the grade pay of Rs.4200 to the applicants and the Government has accepted it. The higher grade pay granted to another category of employees for specific reason is not a ground for the applicants to claim the same. So long as there is no curtailment in their grade pay, they cannot have any valid grievances.
12. In view of above position, we do not find any merit in the present case and accordingly the OA is dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs.
(Khushi Ram) (George Paracken) Member (A) Member (J) /lg/


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By Sergei Plekhanov
UPDATE #2: Check out these three new pieces relevant to nuclear proliferation:
Shultz, Perry, Kissinger and Nunn advocate a nuclear-free world
(Action of Citizens for the total Dismantling of Nukes, Jan. 5. 2007) (Note: Article is a .pdf file.)
UPDATE #1: The Nuclear "Doomsday Clock" Ticks Two Minutes Closer to Midnight
Editor's note: A former arms control expert in the Soviet Union argues that Bush, in his obsession with North Korea and Iran's relatively minuscule nuclear threat, has effectively ignored the much more perilous threat of Russia's 10,000-strong nuclear arsenal.
This week, the international crisis that started in September with U.S. discovery of stepped-up uranium enrichment activities in Iran is expected to trigger a nuclear war between Russia and the United States. In the past few weeks, international attempts to defuse the crisis failed, as Russia, supported by China and North Korea, increased the readiness of its armed forces and made several threatening moves. In his address to the citizens of Russia, President Valdimir Putin called the situation "grave" and expelled U.S. diplomats from Moscow. President Bush invoked the War Powers Act. A Russian reconnaissance plane collided in midair with a U.S. plane in the vicinity of U.S. ballistic missile defense installations. It is expected that in the next few days, Russia will launch a strategic nuclear strike at American command centers and armed forces. The U.S. will retaliate.
This is the gist of the scenario, called Vigilant Shield '07, for this year's Homeland Defense Exercise, currently being conducted by the U.S. Northern Command, according to Washington Post columnist William Arkin's Early Warning blog ("Russia Supports North Korea in Nuclear War" and "The Vigilant Shield 07 Exercise Scenario"). War games are a peculiar genre, easy to make fun of, but the logic of this scenario merits serious attention, as it reminds us of an important reality we usually prefer to forget about.
When we think about the danger of nuclear war nowadays, the mind zeros in on North Korea and Iran and stays there, preoccupied with the fact that North Korea has a few nuclear bombs, while Iran may or may not build a few of its own in the next decade. The international community is tying itself in knots trying to respond to the colossal threats to world peace and security that these two countries present.
Now, the reality is that of the world's estimated 22,000 nuclear weapons, about 21,000 belong to the U.S. and Russia, each of the two possessing nearly equal numbers and keeping about 1,000 of them ready for launching within 30 minutes. The rest are distributed in batches of a few hundred among France, the UK, China and Israel, while the new members of the "nuclear club," India and Pakistan, possess a few dozens each (Nuclear Issues—CDI).
If we should worry about the existence of nuclear weapons with their unique capacity to put an end to human life on this planet, it is odd that we overlook the thousands and peer at the murky single digits through a magnifying glass and tremble with fear.
What happened to the clarity of mind that defined world thinking about nuclear weapons 20 years ago, when it was obvious that the really dangerous nukes were those in massive numbers that the Americans and the Russians trained on each other and were ready to use on a few minutes' notice? Recognition of the danger and willingness to do something about it was then a mark of supreme statesmanship. So, when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan jointly proclaimed in Geneva in November 1985 that "nuclear war can never be won and should never be fought," it resonated through the global community, generating hopes that maybe, just maybe, they really meant it and would do something real to reduce the nuclear threat. And they did. They worked out a series of agreements to bring the Cold War to a close and start the process of nuclear disarmament. After the Soviet Union's collapse, the momentum of nuclear arms reduction continued for a decade. And then, at the dawn of the new century, just as we stopped worrying about the big bombs because they seemed to be on the way out, a Second Nuclear Age began. One of its hallmarks is that both Washington and Moscow have rediscovered the political value of nuclear weapons and are working to make sure that their still-enormous arsenals can be used, quickly, for unleashing a war that would cripple this planet beyond repair.
The existing architecture of nuclear arms control, composed of dozens of international treaties and institutions created to monitor their implementation, was built in the 1960s-1990s primarily to reduce the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Underpinning the architecture was U.S.-Soviet strategic parity. In a very real sense, the energy of the global East-West conflict fueled the efforts to contain and regulate it. And Washington and Moscow became joint custodians of international arms control. Today, that joint enterprise seems to be on the way to Chapter 11.
There are a number of reasons for this.
First, there is complacency. Since the 1980s, the sense of urgency that had stimulated arms control efforts in the past has progressively weakened. The fear that the U.S. and Russia might use their fearsome arsenals gave way to a fear that the Russian economic crisis might make the post-Soviet arsenal easy prey to organized crime and terrorism. Safe dismantlement and storage of the redundant weapons and submarine reactors was becoming a more important area of U.S.-Russian cooperation than mutual reduction of the arsenals.
Even more important is the impact of the new U.S.-Russian strategic disparity. The fact that both countries have continued to maintain roughly equal numbers of nuclear arms has been increasingly at odds with the real dimensions of the two sides' international influence. While Russia reeled under the impact of its calamitous transition to capitalism and the Kremlin's attention largely turned inward, the United States claimed the role of the world's hegemonic power intent on remaking the global order.
In the Clinton-Yeltsin era, the new Russian state, more virtual than real, presiding over a collapsed economy and a massive social crisis, was preoccupied with its own survival and incapable of, or even interested in, pursuing any coherent and active foreign policy. The Democratic administration in Washington saw management of U.S.-Russian relations as its No.1 foreign policy concern because it viewed Russia's post-communist crisis as a source of major threats to U.S. and global security. In the 1990s, the U.S. was deeply involved in designing and implementing Russia's transition to capitalism, and in order to create a safer environment for that transition, Washington ostensibly treated Russia as an equal, agreeing to establish a strategic partnership. A key condition of that partnership, even if not spelled out officially, was Russia's willingness to follow America's lead. It was in the framework of that partnership that START-I and START-II treaties were signed by both sides, providing for deep cuts in the strategic offensive arsenals of the two sides. This progress in arms control reflected the liberal internationalist worldview of the Clinton administration, which believed that U.S. interests would be better served by significant progress in nuclear arms control. As far as Russia was concerned, it needed deep reductions both because it could not afford the Soviet-era capabilities and because its new leadership, accepting the basics of the liberal internationalist outlook, did not need those capabilities.
In 2000, governments were changed in both capitals, and U.S.-Russian relations entered a new stage.
In its first months in office, the George W. Bush administration treated Russia as a basket case of botched transition and a failing state. Engagement with Russia and adherence to parity with it were now viewed as redundant baggage from the liberal '90s. The neoconservative shift in U.S. foreign policy produced a different attitude to nuclear arms control: Existing treaties were now seen as hangovers from the Cold War era—and as unnecessary constraints on the exercise of global power by the United States.
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, served as a trigger for full-scale enactment of the neoconservative program: the declaration of war on international terrorism and "the axis of evil," the assertion of U.S. military superiority, the doctrine of preemptive war, the weaponization of space, etc. There was no place in this program for measures to strengthen the global nonproliferation regime, for meaningful reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, or for a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. Russia, like every other country, now faced an ultimatum: Support the new U.S. war or fall into the category of an enemy.
By declaring early and unqualified support for the U.S., President Putin secured some political capital with Washington. The Bush administration's original dismissive attitude to Russia gave way to a new appreciation of Russia's value as a possible ally in the "war on terror." The resulting positive impulse in U.S.-Russian relations made it possible for the two sides to sign the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty in 2002. But the treaty reflected the ambivalent nature of the new stage in U.S.-Russian relations. On the one hand, it confirmed the principle of parity and a commitment to further reduction of offensive nuclear arsenals. On the other hand, it seemed almost a sideshow to the more important things going on in U.S. foreign policy. Glaring weaknesses in the treaty's provisions, coupled with Washington's decision to abrogate the ABM Treaty, reflected the new U.S. interest in nuclear weapons as key tools of global hegemony, with arms control serving as political cover for the drive for nuclear primacy.
As the weaker power of the two, Russia has little to gain from the dismantlement of arms control structures—and Moscow has so far remained committed to their preservation and strengthening. But it takes two to tango, and Moscow began to modify its posture to take account of the new U.S. approach. In their new relationship, in which they cooperated on terrorism but were increasingly at odds on major issues of East European and Eurasian geopolitics and security, the two countries, one confidently, the other reluctantly, nearly abandoned their traditional joint role of the chief custodians of global arms control.
Instead, each of the two went about its own way. As the Bush administration pushed for full U.S. military dominance, Russia took it as a direct challenge to its security; in response, it increased its reliance on nuclear arms. The effectiveness of Russian nuclear deterrent became a matter of debate. In a highly controversial article published in Foreign Affairs in early 2006, two American analysts, Kier A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press, argued that the U.S. is on the verge of acquiring an ability to fight and win a major nuclear war. They wrote, "Today, for the first time in almost 50 years, the United States stands on the verge of attaining nuclear primacy. It will probably soon be possible for the United States to destroy the long-range nuclear arsenals of Russia or China with a first strike. This dramatic shift in the nuclear balance of power stems from a series of improvements in the United States' nuclear systems, the precipitous decline of Russia's arsenal, and the glacial pace of modernization of China's nuclear forces. Unless Washington's policies change or Moscow and Beijing take steps to increase the size and readiness of their forces, Russia and China—and the rest of the world—will live in the shadow of U.S. nuclear primacy for many years to come." (See Foreign Affairs, "The Rise of U.S. Nuclear Primacy," Keir A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press. See also discussion in Foreign Affairs, "Nuclear Exchange: Does Washington Really Have (or Want) Nuclear Primacy?" Peter C. W. Flory, Keith Payne, Pavel Podvig, Alexei Arbatov, Keir A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press.) In other words, Gorbachev and Reagan were wrong, and we are freer in the new century than we were in the last one: American nuclear primacy will assure that nuclear war can be won and just might be fought, if the need arises.
Moscow views the new U.S. drive for military superiority and nuclear war-fighting capability in the context of a geopolitical full-court press against Russia, aimed at reducing her influence in the post-Soviet space and attaining maximum control of hydrocarbon resources in the area. Recent U.S. interest in possible deployment of ballistic missile defense components in Poland and the Czech Republic is seen by Moscow as proof that NATO's eastward expansion is motivated, among other things, by the American determination to undercut the Russian strategic deterrent. The Bush Doctrine of "democracy promotion" by means of fostering regime change in countries considered adversarial has exacerbated the sense of heightened insecurity in the Kremlin: The Putin regime considers itself one of the targets of this policy.
The sense of being under threat and pressure from Washington made it virtually inevitable that military and security elites would gain dominance in Russian politics, with a mind-set less geared for arms control than for "robust" resistance to the American challenge. President Putin has stepped up efforts to rebuild Russia's military potential. Given the deep deterioration of Russia's conventional forces since the Soviet collapse, nuclear weapons have become more valuable to Russia's security and defense than ever. The Kremlin is pursuing a vigorous program to modernize and upgrade its nuclear arsenal—even if only for the psychological effect of preventing the other side from believing that it, indeed, was about to achieve strategic dominance. Russian military leaders have floated the idea of abrogating the 1987 INF Treaty [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty], that historic achievement of Gorbachev and Reagan, on the grounds that Russia's security now demands the deployment of such nuclear forces. And the Russian strategic doctrine emphatically declares Moscow's readiness to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear adversaries in case Russia's security is challenged.
Continuing with the legacy of 20th century arms control, Russia remains committed to bilateral cooperation with the U.S. But, in the absence of U.S. interest in meaningful bilateral cooperation, it is increasingly conducting a unilateral nuclear policy aimed at assuring its "national security." At the same time, it is pursuing multilateral diplomatic efforts at various fronts, in cooperation with China and others, to resist the American drive for military superiority and use of force against "rogue states."
The new U.S.-Russian relationship, as it is currently evolving, contains a potential for very serious threats to international security. In a major international crisis, conflict between the two major nuclear powers may escalate to extreme levels.
Barring worst-case scenarios, however, the U.S.-Russian asymmetry may actually help the case for arms control and disarmament. First, the pursuit of hegemony, at least in its current neoconservative variant, has turned out to be a prescription for U.S. setbacks in the international arena. By failing so compellingly in its use of force at a time when its power seemed so overwhelming, the U.S. is serving everyone a useful lesson: Alternative, nonmilitary approaches to international security are urgently needed. Second, it is a very good thing that Russia is unable to follow the U.S. into its current folly and engage it in the kind of arms race the USSR pursued in the Cold War. Neither can it afford to indulge in nuclear war-fighting fantasies the way American neoconservatives do. The maximum possible goal Russia can reach with the ongoing upgrade of its nuclear forces is to secure its second-strike capability. Third, the fact that Russia now finds herself in a position of one among many nations opposed to the exercise of U.S. hegemony creates a wide range of opportunities for multilateral diplomacy promoting the arms control agenda.
But the maximum of what can be achieved in arms control without active participation of the United States is damage limitation. Revitalization of the arms control process is impossible without a new U.S.-Russian partnership for security and disarmament. To kick-start such a partnership, some prominent experts, such as Alexei Arbatov and Vladimir Dvorkin in Russia, are proposing wide-ranging "strategic stability talks" between Moscow and Washington.
Arguably, political conditions for such a partnership would arise only after the next change in governments in the two countries, which will take place in 2008. In the meantime, there are practical measures that might well be adopted by the current governments and effectively reduce the global threat presented by their continuing reliance on nuclear weapons.
For instance, we might persuade them to abandon Launch on Warning (LOW), the operational posture of their nuclear weapons that keeps them in high readiness. In this posture, each side is prepared to launch hundreds of its weapons upon receiving credible signals that the other side has launched nukes. The assumption is "use them or lose them." The problem with LOW is that the warning might be false. The U.S. and Russian tracking systems, scanning the Earth and beyond for signs of an imminent nuclear strike, get false warnings on a daily basis. From time to time, a false warning generates a serious alert. It is a matter of mathematical probability that at some point, a false alert is likely to give us a nuclear war that nobody wanted. American arms control specialists Alan Phillips and Steven Starr and Canadian expert Robin Collins are making a strong case that LOW can be quite safely replaced by a different posture they call RLOAD (Retaliatory Launch Only After Detonation), under which you would launch your nukes only after one or a few enemy weapons have been detonated, removing any doubts that a nuclear war has begun ("The Russell-Einstein Manifesto and the Origins of Pugwash").
Interestingly enough, military people on both sides seem to be more receptive to the idea than the politicians. Perhaps this is because it is the military people who are keeping their fingers on the nuclear triggers and therefore are more keenly aware of the dangers inherent in LOW. The challenge is to persuade the politicians.
Actually, "persuade" is too soft a word. We need to demand accountability from them. There is something totally absurd and even criminal about the fact that the giant machines of nuclear omnicide, created in the last century on the basis of bankrupt Cold War premises, are still standing ready for war, 24/7, waiting for orders from their commanders in chief. It is time for us to question their right to give such orders.


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Cold Start problems
Hello everyone.
Have been experiencing cold start problems only in the winter. Summers and warm temps. No issues. When too cold or the car has stayed out idle for long in cold it won't start. The temperature gauge shots to red and remains for a while when turn the ignition to on position. The temperature gauge comes back to cold and then the fuel pump kicks in and lights on the dash flicker. The needle shoots to red again and stays there for a while. The whole process repeats a few times depending on how long the car stayed out in cold. Once the gauge settles on blue (as it should since the car is cold) the pump kicks in intermediately and dash lights flicker in between (not one continuous heesing sound as it should) once the dash lights have stopped then the car will start in one crank. I had a bit of leak in the coolant sensor in the lower rad hose. Replaced it and also did a coolant flush while at it. There is no check engine light and used peake tool to scan and no error showing.
Anyone with any ideas? Would really appreciate some help here. Thanks
I know this one, and the solution in my case wasn't cheap (replace DME). When you turn the key to position two (just before you go a bit farther to crank the engine), your "check engine light" should come on and the temp gauge should immediately go back down to blue. If this doesn't happen, it means the DME computer isn't online and the engine won't start. Sounds like yours loses connectivity for a while (temp gauge in the red, no start), and then comes online sporadically (temp gauge moves to left, pump primes, and engine starts). Mine would consistently not start in the cold for days, and then one day it would suddenly fire up. Check my thread here: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=957315 for the whole tale.
I would be curious to see if you could try the "hairdryer to heat up the DME" to see if it starts (take off the DME compartment cover in the engine bay and just blow the hot air onto the DME unit for a few minutes). I considered installing a hair dryer in the dme compartment rather than spending the $1000 to get a refurbished DME coded for my car :yikes: (just kidding).
See this thread for info on the company I bought the DME from: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=966802 . There are other options (as mentioned in the thread), but since you are in Canada too then RPM might be a good option for you. At least you can order one of their "off the shelf" keys-EWS-DME packages for your 325 while mine was a special order (MS45 ECU on M54 engine)
thanx for the reply. It helps to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. heating up with the hairdryer is certainly a good start as that will definitely say whether its the DME. i'll try that out over the weekend as see how that goes.
thanks again!
Hey Junglee. It might be your lucky day if the DME is your problem. I was looking at one of my favourite salvaged BMW parts websites and they may have a complete matched replacement set for your car - EWS, key and MS43 DME unit. It says the kit is for a 99-03 325, but check it out at least to see if it will work in your '04 car. If it does, it's an easy plug and play replacement fix for only $308 Cdn. The seller is in the GTA, and the url is http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Bmw-E46-MS43-...item2c6cc0f233
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