text:
Glenn Adams takes back a pan of lobsters from his son's catch. With some Island buyers imposing boat quotas this week, some fishermen are running into difficulty finding sale for their entire catch and others are only fishng part of their gear.
The provincial government is hoping to launch a pilot project this year that could see lobster fishermen paid for the quality of product they are fishing.
Nova Scotia Fisheries Minister Keith Colwell told the New Glasgow News he is aware of ongoing issues in the lobster fishing industry that include low prices for fishermen and rising tensions with the buyers and processors. He said he believes the best way to improve the industry is to look at quality control.
"Top quality lobsters demand top quality prices," he said.
Colwell said his department has been speaking with processors and fishermen in an undisclosed area of the province that is considering taking on a quality control program this year.
Currently, he said, all lobster caught are graded by size only and this is the only price differentiation. This means that lobsters of poor quality are given the same price, with the exception of size, as lobsters that may live longer or have better meat.
This, in turn, ends up costing the processors money because if the lobster quality is not good in the entire "mystery crate," then some of the lobsters could die before they are processed.
He said if they pilot project goes ahead then training, new equipment and marketing for fishermen, processors and buyers will be needed so they can identify and process quality lobster that will get top dollar when it is exported.
The pilot project follows in line with the Maritime Lobster Panel's recommendations to get rid of "mystery crates" and develop industry-grading standards. The panel said the value of the lobster can be more than just its size: it can be the condition, shell hardness, colour, meat yield and integrity of the fish.
For example, Colwell said, if a lobster with one claw was sold locally, it would fetch the same price in Nova Scotia as a lobster with two claws because Nova Scotians are familiar with the product and know that the amount of claws has no bearing on the taste of the meat.
However, if that same one-clawed lobster was exported to an overseas market, it would not sell because those unfamiliar with the product would consider it to be of poor quality.
He added that word-of-mouth is also a major factor in promoting a product so if a customer gets a sub-par lobster on his first purchase from Nova Scotia, he won't be so inclined to try the product again.
"You know when you buy something at the store and you take it home and it falls apart on you and you know it was made in another country," he said. "When someone else goes to buy the same product, you will tell them it is no good because you had it first."
He said the end result is to get money in the pockets of everyone who had a hand in getting that lobster from the bottom of the ocean to a person's dinner plate at the best possible price.
"Fortunately landings have been high this season which is a good start and there's a real future for this industry," he said. "The processors are geared for this pilot program. We will make the investment and we will see a return on the investment."
Colwell acknowledged that sudden changes are not going to come as a result of one area taking part in the pilot project, but change needs to start somewhere.
"We are going to work through these tough times and start a trend and get high prices and guarantees," he said, adding that participation in the pilot program is voluntary, but he hopes once people and areas see the benefits, others will want to join in.
He commended fishermen in the Gulf area for their conservation efforts and said he wouldn't be surprised if they were interested in taking the next step towards quality control.
"We are dealing with an industry that is fiercely independent and it has made a lot of progress on a lot of things," he said. "We have to show them that it will work. We will invest in it and do what we have to."
Colwell said he hopes to firm plans for the pilot project by mid-summer during which time more details will be announced.


text:
In other words, his childhood question to his mother has by definition no answer — and furthermore, must have none.
Hunter S. Thompson had this ability; his words cut the most powerful men in America to the bone.
"I was a nobody there," Sisler insisted in a telephone interview, during which he slurred his words and acknowledged he was drunk.
In other words, Malcolm MacDougall is off their books for good.
It was soon after, with just three words, that Mottola realized he was in love.
Her words were the result of an impetuous defense of the absent man.
How I have loved you since, words have not shown, then how should words express?
She clapped her hands, and her first words were, "Shut the gates."
To the sisters there seemed a world of desolation in these words.
The effect of her words was like an electric shock to the man.
Old English word "speech, talk, utterance, word," from Proto-Germanic *wurdan (cf. Old Saxon, Old Frisian word, Dutch woord, Old High German, German wort, Old Norse orð, Gothic waurd), from PIE *were- "speak, say" (see verb).
The meaning "promise" was in Old English, as was the theological sense. In the plural, the meaning "verbal altercation" (as in to have words with someone) dates from mid-15c. Word processor first recorded 1973; word processing is from 1984; word wrap is from 1977. A word to the wise is from Latin phrase verbum sapienti satis est "a word to the wise is enough." Word of mouth is recorded from 1550s.
It is dangerous to leave written that which is badly written. A chance word, upon paper, may destroy the world. Watch carefully and erase, while the power is still yours, I say to myself, for all that is put down, once it escapes, may rot its way into a thousand minds, the corn become a black smut, and all libraries, of necessity, be burned to the ground as a consequence. [William Carlos Williams, "Paterson"]
Related Terms
eat one's words, fightin' words, from the word go, weasel words, what's the good word

subset: commoncrawl


text:
When the blog started a few months ago, I encouraged everyone to use it as a place to have conversations about the current and important topics in emergency management.
Since my first blog, we've featured posts from leaders within FEMA, as well as insights from other members across the emergency management team. Now with the spring season upon us, which has already brought flooding, wildfires and tornadoes, I wanted to jump back into the blogosphere and give another opportunity for you to directly ask me some ask questions.
So what would you like to know - either about FEMA or emergency management in general?
You can leave your question on the blog, or send it via Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. I'll provide video answers to some of the questions next week. For those I can't get to myself, look for future blog posts from other FEMA leadership if the question falls within their area.
I'm looking forward to keeping the conversation going.
- Craig


text:
Results 1 to 2 of 2
Hybrid View
9th February 2014 07:36 AM #1
Have you ever donated your breastmilk to a milk bank?
Milk banks (containing donated breastmilk) are becoming more common around the world. Milk banks predominantly provide breastmilk for babies in the special care unit. Sometimes babies are born so early that it takes a while for a mum's breastmilk supply to be established particularly if the mum is also unwell (you can read more about breastfeeding a premature baby here).
Sick babies also benefit hugely from breastmilk (sometimes the mum's own breastmilk supply needs to be helped from the milk bank for a period of time) because it is gentle on their delicate digestive systems and aids immunity as well as protecting the gut from infection. This is in addition to the many, many other advantages of breastmilk including: its content of stem cells, less likelihood of developing eczema and type 2 diabetes, reduced risk of childhood cancer etc
Have you ever donated your breastmilk to a milk bank? Is this something you would consider?
I feel that donated breastmilk is an incredible gift to another baby and family. If you pump for the same amount of time each day then your breastmilk supply will adjust (breastmilk works on a supply and demand basis); so the extra milk being expressed will not affect your own baby's milk supply. Your local milk bank will check your health and that you meet their eligibility for donating milk. The donated breastmilk is pasturised. This is believed to be necessary in destroying any bacteria or viruses but it is one reason why a mothers own breastmilk is still preferential for any baby, however, donated pasturised breastmilk is still much more complex and nutritious than formula milk.
One mother whose baby received donated breastmilk is quoted by La Leche League as saying:
'Unless you have gone through months with a chronically ill infant, you cannot appreciate how glorious it is to enjoy a healthy, happy child. A baby so happy that after a feeding, he can lie in my arms and look up at me with contentment and trust instead of agony and confusion as to why eating is so awful.'
We look forward to hearing your views and experiences of donating to a milk bank.
Last edited by ljmarsden; 9th February 2014 at 07:45 AM.
14th February 2014 04:03 AM #2
- Join Date
- Feb 2014
- Posts
- 931
I have thought about donating before, and honestly haven't found much time to do so. Their are many sites online as well as facebook groups that connect mothers to donor milk.
I applaud any mother who has the ability to donate.
Breast milk is very beneficial to any baby to whether it is from mum or another mum who has been pumping extra.
Id love to hear from mums who have and how they found a mum to donate too.
Those are always very fascinating stories.


text:
The BMW 5-Series (E39 chassis) was introduced in the United States as a 1997 model year car and lasted until the 2004 when the E60 chassis was released. The United States saw several variations including the 525i, 528i, 530i and 540i. -- View the E39 Wiki
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How to CHOOSE the right oil for you for your E39
How to CHOOSE the right oil for you for your E39 based on what is printed on the can!
(Note: Please improve as needed so as to form a reference for others!)
Double Note: Read the spec sheet to select oil based on other characteristics (such as viscosity at other temperatures than freezing & boiling).
Choose motor oil by:
(a) quality,
(b) cold start,
(c) viscosity,
(d) type, &
(e) cost (in that order)
Never by brand!
a) QUALITY: Perhaps the most contentious of oil-selection issues shouldn't be an issue at all, because quality selection is (almost) as simple as reading the can. The can should say:
- LL-01 Approved (not "LL-01 recommended").
Note (thanks to 540M-Sport): LL-04 spec oils are NOT recommended for BMW's with gasoline engines in North America. From BimmerFile.com "What we can tell you now is that for most newer gasoline BMW models in the US the required oil must meet BMW LL-01 (approved not recommended for) specifications. There is further confusion because BMW LL-04 is recommended in gasoline and diesel engines for most other countries. In the US it will be required only for the new Advanced Diesels. The issue with the LL-04 oil in the US is that even though the sulfur content in gasoline has decreased in the US it is still not consistent. The inconsistency in levels makes the LL-04 oils not recommended in the US gasoline engines. Since the new sulfur requirements of diesel in the US require consistent levels LL-04 can be utilized in these applications."
The problem is BMW LL-01 approved oil is listed on the can of very few motor oils readily available in the USA (e.g., the only Mobil-1 that is approved is the Mobil1 SAE 0w40 variety; and you might be able to find German-made Castrol Syntec SAE 0w30 European Formula if you're resourceful, or even Pentospeed SAE 0W30, or Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30, or Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30, etc. For more choices, please see this document listing the available LL-01/LL-04 motor oils available for sale in the USA.)
Strictly speaking, in the USA, for E39s, LL-01 is all you need to know about quality. Never assume a brand name automatically equates to the desired quality. It doesn't. Never did. Never will. Not all Mobil1 oils are LL-01 approved, for example.
- If you can't find LL-01 rated oil, then some will tell you any fully synthetic oil rated ACEA A3/B3 or better meets BMW specifications; but again, the problem is finding an oil locally available that has ACEA A3/B3 printed on the can.
- Otherwise, historically, at least in the United States, the main reliable measure of quality has been the American Petroleum Institute (API) "Service" rating (buy API SL for older BMWs or API SM or better for newer BMWs) printed on every can of oil sold in the US. This more readily available API quality designation is chronological, i.e., SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SI, SJ, SK, SL, & SM. Over time, this API quality designation moved higher and higher in the alphabet as more and more problems are specified and overcome by the petroleum engineers (note SA is special in that it is unspecified, and note each specification exceeds the prior specification).
- Note that anyone who says "use Castrol" or "Mobil1", without suggesting the BMW or ACEA or API quality rating, isn't providing enough information to make the right quality decision for you; brand and price and label hype are meaningless for this purpose (for example, even some BMW-branded oils don't meet BMW specifications for M cars).
b) COLD START: Depending on where you live, pick an appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) winter (W) rating based on the range of temperatures you expect to start the car in while that oil is in the vehicle and on what is recommended in your owners manual.
It's a simple but important decision. If it's really cold where you start the BMW, use a lower SAE W rating; if it's warm, then use a higher SAE W rating (the point being to minimize the SAE spread, even for synthetics but especially for dino juice). Just remember the oil will be in the car for a few months so you have to factor in the coldest expected temperature during that time period.
Bear in mind, the SAE W rating only holds true for the first few minutes no matter what climate you live in. This rating is probably the least understood of all motor oil descriptors, but, since most wear occurs at startup, it's an important measure. Since engine oil viscosity decreases logarithmically with temperature, the SAE W rating of, say "SAE 10W", tells you that the oil "acts like" a straight SAE 10 weight oil would act at 0° Fahrenheit (°F). Remember, it is NEVER an SAE 10 weight oil! It just acts like an SAE 10 would at 0°F (i.e., before the engine is warmed up). After the engine is warm (212°F) the SAE W rating is meaningless. It is important to understand that a straight 30 weight oil acts exactly the same at engine temperatures as does a 5W30, or 10W30, or 15W30 motor oil. It is also important to understand the logarithmic decrease in viscosity still applies at all temperatures below 212°F, even though the only listed temperature is the 0°F W rating. See included charts for more details.
c) VISCOSITY: Depending on engine factors, you'll choose a warmed-up SAE oil viscosity (measured as kinematic or Saybolt) that suits you and your engine. Just pick a warmed-up viscosity that your owners manual lists as an option. That's pretty much it.
People make a much bigger issue of selecting the warmed-up viscosity than they need to. In my humble opinion, if you don't already know, before you got here, exactly which warmed-up viscosity you prefer, then simply choose the warmed-up viscosity by one of the other factors below this one in the selection criteria.
Bear in mind, it is known for dino juice the greater the spread between the SAE W rating and the SAE warmed-up rating (measured at 212°F), the greater the tendency of the dino oil to carbonize in your engine. Synthetics, I'm often told, do not have such a propensity to carbonize so the viscosity spread is much less of an issue. However, for dino juice, the simplest advice is to lean toward the closest multi-weight spread listed in your owners manual.
d) TYPE: Almost all BMW posters recommended synthetic motor oil for longevity, reduced wear and tear on gears, reduced incidence of oil oxidation, and lower sludge formation (as compared with similar quality traditional motor oils); but there are always tradeoffs, not the least of which are price considerations.
In addition, the viscosity spread, if you're going with something like a 0W40, will tend to carbonize much less with synthetic than with dino juice. However, as with many of these factors, if you change your oil religiously, in my humble opinion, it really won't make that much of a difference even theoretically; and from a practical sense, it will make even less of a difference, mostly due to the cost differential balancing out the benefits.
e) COST: Duh. As low as you can get. Buy Internet. Buy bulk. Stock ahead. If you buy good-quality (as measured by the API or BMW rating) oil, brand is nearly meaningless (see Consumer Reports' canonical diatribe on motor oil quality consistency over time).
Note (thanks to 540M-Sport): One really needs to read the specification sheets which are available online for most oils. You will find pretty significant differences between 5W-30 synthetic oils, both in viscosity at cold start up, and at operating temperatures.
More about LL-01 here ...
If you want to truly be an oil expert, read here:
Last edited by bluebee; 06-01-2010 at 05:54 AM.
Thanks bluebee.
However, I have my own personal thoughts about engine oil. Having had a Honda Civic, Volvo etc. with 300K miles using standard dino oil, I have mixed feeling about synthetic and BMW LL01 oils.
If one has money to buy synthetic, by all means, use synthetic.
I am a "practical" kind of person and am also cost-conscious (I have a tight budget to operate the car) and go for the most bang-for-the bucks and since I live in cold climate:
- WINTER: 5W30 synthetic oil for easier cold start.
Whatever brand I can get for $3.99/qt. Menards hardware store here goes on sales quite often and I can buy synthetic for $3.99/qt.
- SUMMER: 10W30 dino oil for $2/qt.
I change my engine oil every 4-5K.
My daily trip is 12 miles/each way.
At 106K, my engine runs smooth like butter.
BMW "LL" is for marketing purpose of long-life oil change and does not sound very scientific at all. So I don't pay attention to LL01 spec. since I change my oil every 4-5K.
My 0.02...
The second group never asks, other than to doublecheck their comprehensive calculations.
And the third group can read the 'quality' on the can so they don't ask either.
a) Use only bmw-approved oils (based on LL standards)
b) Use only bmw-approved & similar oils (based on LL standards and specs)
c) Use only bmw-approved & similar oils & any other 'good' quality oil (based on LL standards and specs and other well-established standards)
- E46 (1999 - 2006) > First Oil change (brand of OIL)
The response:
Thank you bluebee, this is very informative. I kindda follow the same path as CN90. but if I can get an ACEA A3/B4 or BMW LL01 for the same price as any other synthetic I'll go for it. Plus just like CN90 I will never wait more 5k miles to change the oil.
One thing I would like to add is if any of you can check this http://www.lubrizol.com/EuropeanEngi...ToolIntro.html you will find the difference between dino oil and synthetic.
IMO, I will never use dino oil again.
There is a great description of the reasons behind BMW owners-manual recommendations by edjack here in a recent thread.
Basically, I conclude, if the viscosity range is within the BMW recommendations, and it meets the temperatures you'll expect between now and your next oil change, then, I conclude, it's perfectly fine for your E39.
Whenever BMW recommends something that's easier than harder on the face of it, it tends to be a bad idea (lifetime fluids, long-life oil, run-flat tyres). Just sayin'. (OTOH I like to stay with BMWLL oils).
'99 528i ('98/12 build). 282,000km BY29428/Royalrot
Breaking My Wallet since 2009
Mods: Stoptech SS brake hose, 280piece toolkit resting on trunk floor, Beisan VANOS seals, increasing amounts of duct tape and glue
'99 540i (grandfather's)
Check this link out... read all of it... more then meets the eye on the oil debate: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/aehaas/
Flow rate at cold temp MOST important.
Warm oil weight at 10 NEXT most important
Oil PSI at higher RPMs NEXT most important.
Syn or dino less important, but Syn can do the above better the dino, hence why Syn is preferred... lots to read before even going to the bobistheoilguy web site.
2002 530i
Exterior: Black
Interior: Black
Packages: Sport, Premium, Cold Weather
Options: HID, Folding Rear Seats, Ski-pass
Bluebee, sorry, but I found a minor error in your oil recommendations, related to the "cold start". This is an important characteristic, but is not chosen based on the SAE "W" weight rating. You find out the cold flow characteristics of an oil, by looking up the oil data sheet on the manufacturer's website. The key data you need to look for is the "Viscosity @ 40 degrees C". That is still pretty warm spec (100 degrees F), but unfortunately, as cold as they go...but good for comparison. Compare Mobil 1 0w-40 with most synthetic 5w-30 oils, and you will see that the Mobil 1 is considerable thicker at cold start. Granted it is a 40 weight at operating temp, and is probably the thinnest 40 weight you are going to find at cold start, but you need to see the trade off. In other words it is not going to flow as well at cold start as a 0w-30 or 5w-30 synthetic...even though it rates a "0W" on the SAE rating.
540 M-Sport package (Canadian market), factory Bluetooth phone integration, factory M-Audio 10" dual voice coil subs, Homelink, M5 rear stabilizer bar, M5 rear subframe braces, H&R 15mm wheel spacers, ST X (KW) coilovers, Stop Tech ss brake lines, Akebono Euro Ceramic brake pads, oem Brembo and Zimmerman rotors, Dinan Stage 1 software, Strong Strut front upper stress bar, BMP strut tower reinforcement kit, USA Spec Ipod/Iphone integration.
I should have noted that my recommendations assume you need to make a choice on two oils in the store based on what is printed on the can.
Given only these printed-on-the-can items:
- marketing rah rah
- brand name rah rah
- SAE rating
- API rating
- any other rating printed on the can (e.g., LL or ACEA, etc.)
- price
how I'd choose the oil is listed in post #1 above.
If, however, we were comparing oils based on having all their spec sheets lined up, then I'll let you guys point out the major items to compare against as tradeoffs (as there would now be muuuch more information available to you).
Last edited by bluebee; 06-01-2010 at 05:55 AM.
If you want to get serious about it, go to the bobtheoilguy web site and READ, READ, READ. After about 20 pages you will start to see what guys that are into oil and oil analysis based on chemical test results think... bottom line, flow rate at cold temp and adequate oil PSI at higher rpms is what you are after... assumes the oil mfg can get a 10 weight oil at 200 degrees (which not all can).
2002 530i
Exterior: Black
Interior: Black
Packages: Sport, Premium, Cold Weather
Options: HID, Folding Rear Seats, Ski-pass
When opinions vary, a good solution is simplicity.
Here's an excerpt from here that outlines the simplicity while taking into account the complexity:
Oil and Filter Intervals
BMW recommends their Castrol 5W-30 synthetic motor oil in all BMWs except contemporary M cars, for which they recommend their Castrol 10W-60 synthetic motor oil. The factory oil change interval is controlled electronically, but is presently about every 15,000 miles. If you are running BMW's oil, I recommend an oil and filter change interval between 5,000 and 7,500 miles.
I use Red Line synthetic oil (www.redlineoil.com) in 5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-50, or 20W-50, depending on factory recommendation, ambient temperatures, and severity of service (track use, sustained high rpm use), with a drain interval 7,500 to 15,000 miles depending on engine and severity of service. Under racing or track conditions I'd use a short interval; same for carbureted engines which tend to get some fuel into the oil. I would run the same intervals with very high end "designer synthetics" such as Agip, Amsoil, Lubrication Engineers Monolec Ultra, Lubro Moly Vol-synthese, or Motul.
All other commercially available synthetic oils, 5,000-7,500-mile drain intervals.
BMW's High Performance Synthethic 5W-30 and their Motorsport 10W-60 can go 7,500 miles.
Old fashioned petroleum oil, same viscosities, 3,000-to-5,000 mile drain intervals
The following information is courtesy of Motorwatch.com:
"Redline is Group V (polyol ester) based (POE or esters).
"Amsoil and Mobil-1 are Group IV (poly-alpha olefin) based (PAO or synthesized hydrocarbons SHC).
"Castrol Syntec and all the others calling themselves synthetic are Group III (hydrocracked slack wax).
"The petroleum motor alls are all mineral oil based and make up Group II.
"We really should group Red Line by itself, and put the others in separate categories (according to the groups) because their performance is so different.
"See motorwatch>AutoMotiveBible>Oil Change Intervals>oil classifications
"AutoMotiveBible> Oil Change Intervals>oil change intervals
Original BMW filters are recommended for price and quality, or MANN, Mahle, Bosch, or Knecht filters
Last edited by bluebee; 08-05-2010 at 09:08 PM.
This summary guidance for selecting motor oil, from this thread today, is useful to repeat here:
Given the BMW "official" recommendations, I still buy oil by applying these criteria in the order listed:
1st. quality = highest API rating only (all others disregarded)
2nd. cold-start = expected ambient temperatures (desired SAE W rating)
3rd. warm viscosity = desired viscosity (desired SAE rating)
4th. slipperiness = type (synthetic or dino, both work, I go synthetic)
5th. cost = lowest available
6th. If necessary to break a tie, I limit the spread between #2 & #3
As cn90 intimated, in the end analysis, anything more complicated is overkill, keeping in mind, marketing people LOVE overkill when they can make something simple "sound" complex (PT Barnum was right), they can manipulate the price inversely proportionate to the stupidity of their consumer & directly proportional to the price of the investment (the engine) that is being protected.
Here is the simplest way to choose a motor oil, for those that want a definitive answer:
540 M-Sport package (Canadian market), factory Bluetooth phone integration, factory M-Audio 10" dual voice coil subs, Homelink, M5 rear stabilizer bar, M5 rear subframe braces, H&R 15mm wheel spacers, ST X (KW) coilovers, Stop Tech ss brake lines, Akebono Euro Ceramic brake pads, oem Brembo and Zimmerman rotors, Dinan Stage 1 software, Strong Strut front upper stress bar, BMP strut tower reinforcement kit, USA Spec Ipod/Iphone integration.
Notice what you said. One one hand, you mention simple. On the other hand, you note that a definitive BMW-approved list already exists.
I just realized, from another thread, that there are (might be?) THREE camps of knowledgeable people when they choose oil.
And, I'm assuming, if you're in one camp, you won't easily switch to another religious camp - yet - there will always be someone in another religious camp wanting to convert you.
Check out my newly forming hypothesis here:
- The three "oil" camps (no, this is not another "what oil should I use" thread)
My revelations after reading this thread from Bill:
- Hey Blue, check out this great oil article-really
K.I.S.S. "keep it simple stupid"
Use BMW 5w30 synthetic. The old BMW guys at the service and parts counter at my local dealership, as well as the younger guys all recommend this oil. It's genuine "BMW" parts so it certainly is not going to be worse than any other oil out there. At a similar price to Mobil1, I don't know why anyone wouldn't use it.... I use it for every oil change, along with the BMW oil filter that I also buy from the dealer.... total cost of filter and 9 quarts = $77. Probably the same or maybe even a little less than getting Mobil1 and a filter from anywhere else. I do all my oil changes this way since acquiring my car at 46k miles. I change the oil and filter every 5K-7K miles and my M62 runs great at 106k miles and running.
All this debate over which oil and why.... again, K.I.S.S.
Last edited by 98540iA; 02-06-2011 at 11:02 AM.
Yesterday, I paid $5 a quart at K-Mart for Mobil 1 5W30. A great sale price that definately helped influence my decision on which oil to use. Bought 14 quarts so I'm all set.
PS...... I always use Mobil 1 5W30 anyway!
1995 525i 5 speed - sold at 225,000 miles
2002 530i 5 speed - 187,000 miles
Hey bluebee,
Just a quickie, would you in all honesty recommend using a 0w oil in my m54b25? It's done 190,000km. I'm planning to so an oil change next Monday for the first time and I'm just stuck on this.
Also I don't know when the last time my air filter and spark plugs where changed. Should I change them while I'm at it?
Sent from my iPhone using BimmerApp
- The three "oil" camps (no, this is not another "what oil should I use" thread)
Within any one religion, there is really very little debate!
30/5 = 6
If you used 10w30, that would have a viscosity spread of only 30/10 = 3.
15W30 would be even better (i.e., 30/15=2).
Same spread as with 20w40 (i.e., 40/20=2).
But, in reality, the viscosity spread matters little (look at the BMW recommendation, for example, in post #4 above).
"All long life oils approved by BMW are suitable for operation at any ambient temperature. You consequently do not need to pay specific attention to the viscosity class".
You car will not blow up no matter what viscosity you use. Yes, wear and tear is mostly in the startup, and especially in cold temperatures, so, use your common sense. See, for example:
- What are the key factors that govern (all) our decisions when it comes to E39 fluids?
Look at the BMW attachment in post #4. The viscosity choice, if reasonable, doesn't really matter.
You seem to be in cold country, so 0w seems just fine; but, for folks like me, any common viscosity would work just fine. The only caveat I would add is to minimize the spread (divide the cold viscosity into the hot viscosity and minimize that number if at all possible).
Hmmm... I just realized ... that doesn't work with "0w" weights. So ummm.... how do you calculate the viscosity spread when the cold viscosity is zero?
I'm in warm country gets up to 47 degrees celcius. Thanks for that info bluebee!!! I might stick with a 5w30 BMW recommended. I might just leave the car 10mins warm up before driving
Sent from my iPhone using BimmerApp
For the record, this thread today:
- Castrol vs. Bmw
Got me thinking about adding a line to the bestlinks so that every question has an answer (over time) in the bestlinks:
- Why does BMW mold "Use Castrol" on the oil filler cap (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) & what is the definitive list of BMW-approved motor oils (1) (aka BMWCurrentListing_of_SyntheticOils.pdf).
Notice the marketing horseradish in the top and bottom of this link (below):
Castrol Motor Oil and Lubricants - BMW.pdf
The right oil for me?
Virgin Olive will do just fine.
Of course there is marketing and promotion of the relationship between BMW and Castrol, that is a mutual agreement between them, so get over it. What is incontrovertable, is BMW and Castrol do INDEED share technical information and collaborate on product development. It is up to each individual owner to decide if that weighs enough in their decision making process on whether they choose to purchase the "official" BMW branded oils, or simply purchase one of the other BMW "approved" oils, of which there are several alternate brands http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ngineOils.aspx. Or in the alternative, they can simply buy whatever they like, and ignore the manufacturer....their car, their choice.
Remember the phrase is "BMW recommends Castrol"....BMW does not DICTATE or MANDATE.
540 M-Sport package (Canadian market), factory Bluetooth phone integration, factory M-Audio 10" dual voice coil subs, Homelink, M5 rear stabilizer bar, M5 rear subframe braces, H&R 15mm wheel spacers, ST X (KW) coilovers, Stop Tech ss brake lines, Akebono Euro Ceramic brake pads, oem Brembo and Zimmerman rotors, Dinan Stage 1 software, Strong Strut front upper stress bar, BMP strut tower reinforcement kit, USA Spec Ipod/Iphone integration.
Last edited by 540 M-Sport; 03-16-2011 at 01:57 PM.
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2012/13 NFL betting preview
The 2012/13 NFL season kicks off on Wednesday when Super Bowl XLVI champions New York Giants host Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium and will end on Sunday, February 3rd 2013 at the Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.
European fans will get their chance to see the action at the now regular International Series game which this year will feature the St. Louis Rams against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium on October 28th.
And bookmakers make the Patriots 13/2 joint-favourites to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy this season, along with the 2010 Super Bowl winners, the Green Bay Packers. Both sides can be backed at best odds of 13/2 with William Hill (6/1 with most other bookmakers), while the Giants are as big as 22/1 (Bet365) to retain their title.
For reference, eight teams have managed to win back-to-back Super Bowl's, the last being the Patriots in 2004 and 2005, although it's interesting to note that (discounting the first) 24% of Super Bowls have featured the previous year's winner.
From a betting perspective, a more relevant stat is that 5 of the last 7 Super Bowls have been won by a wild-card qualifier to the post-season. In other words, teams who have found form at the right time have generally prevailed over those who have had the best regular season.
This season is notable for a referee labor dispute, which has led to the regular NFL game officials being locked out and the season will start with low-level college and high school officials as replacement referees. This is highly likely to mean some poor rulings by under qualified and inexperienced replacements and it wouldn't be a surprise if this were the cause of an upset or two until such time as the dispute is resolved.
We take a brief look at all 32 contenders from eight divisions in both the NFC and AFC, including our recommended bets for the season.
Philadelphia Eagles – Last Season: 8-8
9/5 (Paddy Power) to win division, 14/1 (BetVictor & Coral) to win Super Bowl
One of the most hyped teams last season, the Eagles began the year 4-8, before winning their final 4 games thanks to a strong finish by Michael Vick, their controversial but immensely talented quarterback. Vick needs to stay injury-free, but he has made it through 16 games just once in a nine-year career and missed 3 games for the last two seasons. Running back LeSean McCoy ran in a remarkable 17 touchdowns last season, whilst receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin give Vick enviable options. Add into the mix defensive stars DeMeco Ryans and Nnamdi Asomugha and you have a team who really should make the post season at least. But you would have thought that last season.
New York Giants – Last Season: 9-7
9/4 (BetVictor) to win division, 22/1 (Bet365) to win Super Bowl
Last season the Giants overcame pre-season odds of 40/1 to be crowned Super Bowl champions - indeed they had drifted to 66/1 in mid-December when 7-7 with two regular season games remaining. They have traded Mario Manningham to the 49ers, breaking up one of the best trio of receivers in the league, but Eli Manning still has Hakeen Nicks and Victor Cruz to throw to, with Domenik Hixon expected to fill the gap. Running back Brandon Jacobs has also headed to San-Francisco, but they have plenty of strength here in Ahmad Bradshaw, plus rookies David Wilson and Andre Brown. Despite last year's triumph, the G-Men are not even favourites to win their division, but it would be foolish to rule out a team orchestrated by Manning, who already belongs in the elite echelon of NFL quarterbacks, whilst their relentless pass rush game will trouble many opposing quarterbacks.
Dallas Cowboys – Last Season: 8-8
11/4 (Coral) to win division, 33/1 (Ladbrokes) to win Super Bowl
Failed to make the post season after their loss to the Giants for the division title in the final game of last season - one of 4 defeats in their final 5 games. Tony Romo is perhaps more crucial to the Cowboys than most quarterbacks (he contributed to 82% of the team's total touchdowns for 2011, a higher percentage than any other player in the regular season) and whilst prone to occasional mistakes, he has the potential to keep improving. Miles Austin (if he can stay injury free) and Dez Bryant give him excellent wide options, whilst in DeMarcus Ware they have one of the meanest linebackers in the league. The have also spent heavily to trade-up in this year's draft to capture Morris Claiborne in sixth overall spot to strengthen their much maligned secondary. Would surely be better than third-favourites in many other divisions.
Washington Redskins – Last Season: 5-11
13/2 (Bet365 & Stan James) to win division, 80/1 (BetVictor) to win Super Bowl
Managed to beat last year's Super Bowl champions twice in the regular season but those were rare highlights in a tough season which started brightly with 3 wins in 4, but descended rapidly with 10 losses in their last 12 games. Another team to trade-up in the draft, they captured Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III as the No. 2 pick, but RG3 is likely to find things tough in his rookie campaign behind a weak offensive line and it would be a big surprise if they did not finish the year propping up this division for a fifth successive season (they haven't finished top since 1999).
|New York Giants
|NFC East
Green Bay Packers – Last Season: 15-1
1/2 (Coral) to win division, 13/2 (William Hill & Sky Bet) to win Super Bowl
Having won Super Bowl XLV two seasons ago, the Pack marched to a 15-1 tally last year, smashing records along the way (one of only three teams in NFL history to score 35 points or more 9 times in a single season), yet fell short in their first play-off game against the eventual champions. Whilst last year's NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers threw 45 touchdown passes and just six interceptions, the quarterback's ability somewhat masked a weak running game and poor defence. Indeed, they conceded more points than divisional rivals Chicago Bears who finished third with just an 8-8 seasonal record. Unsurprisingly their first four picks in the draft were all defensive players and it remains to be seen if they will plug the gaps, although with Rodgers feeding receivers such as Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley, it would be a surprise if the Cheeseheads fail to reach the post-season for a fourth successive season.
Chicago Bears – Last Season: 8-8
5/1 (888sport) to win division, 28/1 (888sport) to win Super Bowl
The Bears were undone last season by quarterback Jay Cutler suffering a broken thumb when 7-3 and on the verge of a playoff berth - their scoring average dropped from 26.8 points per game to 13.8 and they lost 5 straight to end their hopes. A weak offensive line leaves Cutler vulnerable to further injury, having taken 105 sacks over the last two seasons, although he will at least be pleased to have a first rate receiver to aim at, with former teammate Brandon Marshall arriving from Miami. Running back Matt Forte was another major loss at the end of last season - missing the last four games with a knee injury having been the only player in NFL history to have at least 900 yards rushing and 400 yard receiving in a season. If he and Cutler can stay injury free this season they should be competitive and at 5/1 look a big price to top the division.
Detroit Lions – Last Season: 10-6
11/2 (Ladbrokes) to win division, 28/1 (888sport) to win Super Bowl
Last season the Lions made the playoffs for the first time since 1999 on the back of a 10-6 regular season, although they haven't won a post-season game since 1991. In Calvin Johnson (nicknamed Megatron) they boast one of the best receivers in the game for Matt Stafford to find, whilst defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is a fearsome obstacle for any offense (selected second overall in the 2010 draft he has been labelled "the dirtiest player" in the NFL). The Lions passing game is as good as any, but they still struggled offensively last season and it's hard to see them improving much in this area, whilst defensively they need to learn to maintain their discipline.
Minnesota Vikings – Last Season: 3-13
33/1 (generally) to win division, 150/1 (Bet365, BetVictor & Ladbrokes) to win Super Bowl
The Vikings have lost their last 11 contests against NFC North rivals, so it's no wonder bookmakers are writing off their chances in this tough division. The return from injury of star running back Adrian Peterson should ensure they improve upon last season's dismal 3-13 record, however rookie quarterback Christian Ponder is yet to impress and the Vikes will do well not to prop up the division for a third successive season.
|Chicago Bears
|NFC North
New Orleans Saints – Last Season: 13-3
11/8 (Coral) to win division, 18/1 (generally) to win Super Bowl
Last season the Saints were the no. 2 seed in the NFC for the playoffs, behind Green Bay, but lost their Divisional Playoff game with the 49ers to a last-minute touchdown. It was nonetheless a remarkable season in which they broke the NFL record for offensive yards from scrimmage (7,474) and quarterback Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's single-season NFL passing record with 5,746 yards, as they won their last 8 games of the regular season. All of which would point to the Black and Gold being amongst the Super Bowl favourites, were it not for the off-season controversy around alleged "bounty" payments made to defensive players for intentionally injuring opponents, which has led to coach Sean Payton being suspended for a year. This will surely have a heavy impact on morale if nothing else, and despite the bookies making them favourites for the division, they cannot be considered seriously as a betting proposition whilst under this cloud.
Atlanta Falcons – Last Season: 10-6
6/4 (Ladbrokes & William Hill) to win division, 28/1 (Bet365 & BetVictor) to win Super Bowl
The Falcons have been to the playoffs for the last two seasons (both times falling at the first hurdle to the eventual Super Bowl winners) and they look the obvious beneficiaries to events in New Orleans. Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 30 of his last 31 games and has explosive receivers Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, plus exciting rookie Julio Jones (sixth overall pick of the draft) to aim at. Michael Turner is one of the best running backs in the league despite his size (5ft 10in) - averaging 84 rushing yards per game last season as well as contributing 11 touchdowns - and the Falcons also have the speedy Jacquizz Rodgers to lessen the load for Turner. Atlanta's biggest weakness is their offensive line and they've used their first two draft picks to shore up this area with the arrival of centre Peter Konz and offensive tackle Lamar Holmes, while in defense the arrival of experienced cornerback Asante Samuel from Philadelphia is a big boost. Samuel has been there and done it having previously won two Super Bowl rings with New England and having reached the postseason in eight of his first nine seasons in the NFL. Atlanta fans will be expectant of another strong run this season and they look value at 6/4 to win the division, whilst they are our outsiders to win the NFC Championship at odds of 14/1 and the Super Bowl at 28/1.
Carolina Panthers – Last Season: 6-10
11/2 (generally) to win division, 50/1 (BetVictor & Ladbrokes) to win Super Bowl
Quarterback Cam Newton, first overall pick in the 2011 draft, had a stellar rookie season with 35 touchdowns (21 pass, 14 rush) - the most by a rookie player in NFL history. In DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart he has a great 1-2 running back combo and last season Carolina became the first team in NFL history to have 3 players with 700+ yards rushing in a season. Those 3 also now have fullback Mike Tolbert blocking for them, who is also able to receive and carry (54 receptions for the San Diego Chargers in 2011 despite starting just one game). In addition to this excellent rushing attack, veteran wide receiver Steve "Mighty Mouse" Smith became just the 35th player in NFL history to reach the 10,000-yard receiving mark last season. However, defense is a big area of concern - last year they allowed the fifth-most total yards in the league and sixth-most points. Linebacker Jon Beason's return from injury should improve them in this area, that but they will do well to live up to centre Ryan Kalil's bold pre-season proclamation (via an ad in the Charlotte Observer) that they would be Super Bowl Champions in 2012.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Last Season: 4-12
17/1 (Paddy Power) to win division, 125/1 (Coral) to win Super Bowl
Winners of Super Bowl XXXVII ten years ago, the Bucs ended last season with ten consecutive defeats and their first job is to end that streak. Quarterback Josh Freeman will benefit from the arrival of the excellent guard Carl Nicks from New Orleans and now also has top class wide receiver Vincent Jackson to aim at after his arrival from San Diego. Like the Panthers, the big problem is in defence - they conceded an average of 41 points per game for the last 5 games of 2011 and finished the season having allowed the most points (494), the most rushing yards (2,497), the most rushing touchdowns (26) and the third most total yards (6,311) in the league. With a rookie and second-season player likely to start as line-backers, it is going to be a tough season for new head coach Greg Schiano and the play-offs are unrealistic.
|Atlanta Falcons
|NFC South
|Ladbrokes & William Hill
|Atlanta Falcons
|NFC Championship
|BetVictor & Paddy Power
San Francisco 49ers – Last Season: 13-3
8/15 (Coral) to win division, 14/1 (Ladbrokes & Paddy Power) to win Super Bowl
The 49ers cruised in one of the weaker divisions in the league last season and thus it's no surprise that bookmakers make them such a short-price to win the NFC West again this year. San Francisco's 10 turnovers during the 2011 regular season were the fewest in the league and they were one step away from the Super Bowl but agonisingly lost the NFC Championship game to the Giants in overtime. Their success last season was built from a strong running game (indeed their passing offense ranked just 29th in the league) and a defense who conceded just two rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Mario Manningham and running back Brandon Jacobs arrive from New York and they know how to win a Super Bowl, while quarterback Alex Smith also now has Randy Moss to aim at, after the legendary receiver elected to come out of retirement. 'Coach of the Year' Jim Harbaugh also acquired offensive players with his first three draft selections - including the promising A.J. Jenkins (wide receiver) and LaMichael James (running back), and with a markedly improved offense to add to an elite defense, the Niners have a reasonable chance to win their first Super Bowl since 1994.
Seattle Seahawks – Last Season: 7-9
15/4 (888sport) to win division, 50/1 (BetVictor & Paddy Power) to win Super Bowl
Despite bringing in quarterback Matt Flynn from Green Bay, the Seahawks are set to make rookie Russell Wilson, a third round draft pick, their starter in this position, ahead of both Flynn and last years starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. With a much maligned offensive line that hasn't been improved in the draft, it looks likely to be a tough season for a 5ft, 10in rookie and Seattle are likely to rely on a strong defense again this season. Last year they did win five of their last eight games, including victories over the Giants and the Eagles, with each of the losses by 6 points or less, but it would be a surprise if their offense leads them into the play-off this season.
Arizona Cardinals – Last Season: 8-8
9/1 (Stan James) to win division, 80/1 (generally) to win Super Bowl
The Cards won 7 of their last 9 games last year, having started the season 1-6 and notably this included 4 overtime wins (an NFL record) and 6 wins from fourth quarter deficits (one short of an NFL record). This resilience bodes well, but they have yet to settle on a preferred quarterback, with Kevin Kolb and John Skelton vying for the role. Despite handing Kolb a massive contract last year, Skelton is set to start ahead of him this season - although whoever lines up has a porous offensive line to protect them. On the plus side, they not only have the formidable Larry Fitzgerald to take aim at, but also Michael Floyd - a first round draft pick from Notre Dame - giving them a formidable 1-2 punch at wide receiver. And with Ryan Williams, who missed his rookie season with injury, set to join Beanie Wells at running back, there is potential for Arizona to surprise a few people this season and possibly even squeak into the post-season at best odds of 9/2 with Coral.
St. Louis Rams – Last Season: 2-14
12/1 (Bet365, BetVictor & Ladbrokes) to win division, 125/1 (BetVictor) to win Super Bowl
Bookmakers expectations are low for a Rams side that managed just 193 points in 2011, losing their first six and last seven games of an injury-hit season, but quarterback and former no. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford should improve on those numbers with the return of his no. 1 wide receiver Danny Amendola. In defense, linebacker James Laurinaitis has a relentless engine in both the passing and running game and new coach Jeff Fisher has lured cornerback Cortland Finnigan (one of the most aggressive players in the league) from Tennessee, plus excellent defensive tackle prospect Michael Brockers in the draft, so UK fans should at least see an improved Rams when they face the Patriots at Wembley.
|San Francisco 49ers
|NFC Championship
|BetVictor & Coral
New England Patriots – Last Season: 13-3
2/7 (William Hill) to win division, 13/2 (William Hill) to win Super Bowl
The Pats represented the AFC in last season's Super Bowl despite having one of the worst defenses in the NFL and Bill Belichick has attempted to address this in the draft, with New England taking defenders with their first six picks. Offensively they will always be a threat with 12-year quarterback Tom Brady still calling the shots - last season Belichick and Brady became the first quarterback-head coach combination to reach the Super Bowl five times, with Brady passing a career high 5,246 yards (which would have been a new NFL record if Drew Brees hadn't exceeded it for New Orleans). Wide receiver Wes Walker led the NFL with 122 receptions (22 receptions ahead of second place) and they have two of the best tight ends around in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski - the latter of whom shattered the record for touchdown catches for the position with a remarkable 17 (only four wide receivers in history have beaten that number in a single season). There is also veteran receiver Deion Branch for Brady to aim at and thus it's no surprise to see bookmakers offer best odds of just 2/7 on them winning this division and making them joint-favourites to win another Super Bowl. Odds of 13/2 aren't generous but given they've reached 5 of the last 11 Super Bowl's it's easy to see why the bookies are wary.
New York Jets – Last Season: 8-8
15/2 (Stan James) to win division, 50/1 (BetVictor & Stan James) to win Super Bowl
The Jets boast a strong defense, including one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Darrelle Revis, but quarterback Mark Sanchez convinces very few - last season throwing just 26 touchdowns, against 18 interceptions. They have bought in the evangelical quarterback Tim Tebow from Denver as backup, but he'll need to pray very hard to get the Jets to Super Bowl XLVII with their offensive limitations. Their best receiver is Santonio Holmes who, despite managing 8 touchdown receptions, finished last season with just 51 catches and a career low 654 receiving yards (just 12.8 yards per reception average).
Buffalo Bills – Last Season: 6-10
8/1 (BetVictor & Coral) to win division, 66/1 (generally) to win Super Bowl
The Bills have not made the playoffs since 1999 and they have spent heavily in the off-season to improve on their defense. Mario Williams arrives from Houston with the most lucrative contract for a defensive player in NFL history (worth up to $100m) and the defensive tackle is joined by defensive end Mark Anderson, who recorded 12.5 sacks for the Patriots last season, in an attempt to add some teeth to their pass rushing. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was selected with the 10th pick overall in the summer draft and they also have the highly rated defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus (third overall pick in the 2011 draft), so should now start to make life more difficult for opposing offenses. Wide receiver Stevie Johnson recorded his second consecutive 1000-yard season last year, but quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick finished with a league-high 23 interceptions and his inconsistency offers little hope to backers that they'll be able to break their twelve year play-off drought.
Miami Dolphins – Last Season: 6-10
16/1 (generally) to win division, 100/1 (Bet365 & BetVictor) to win Super Bowl
Considering the Dolphins started last season 0-7, they did remarkably well to finish 6-10, but this year they will rely on a rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, selected with the eighth overall pick in the draft. He has pacey running back Reggie Bush to support him but wide receiver Brandon Marshall has left for Chicago and the offense looks pretty toothless, so new coach (and former Green Bay offensive coordinator) Joe Philbin has his work cut out. The defense has excellent pass rusher Cameron Wake, but cornerback Vontae Davis heads to Indianapolis and having lost all four preseason games the Dolphins look to have lost the momentum gained at the end of last season.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Last Season: 12-4
11/8 (Ladbrokes) to win division, 20/1 (Bet365 & Ladbrokes) to win Super Bowl
The AFC North was the best division in the NFL last year, sending three teams to the postseason - only two other divisions sent two teams (the other five sending just one). Pittsburgh fell at the first playoff hurdle and it's somewhat of a surprise to see them as favourites for the division this season, given that the Ravens reached the AFC Championship game (they are both 20/1 to win Super Bowl XLVII). Their defense kept Pittsburgh dominant last season (allowing the fewest points, passing yards and total yards in the NFL), but they will surely miss defensive linesmen Chris Hoke and Aaron Smith, run stoppers who allowed them to control the line of scrimmage for years. Of course, they still have two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger - one of the most efficient passers in NFL history - whilst wide receivers Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace both excelled last season, but their offensive line is suspect and Roethlisberger gets hit regularly (he's been sacked at least 40 times in five of the past six seasons), leaving him vulnerable to injury.
Baltimore Ravens – Last Season: 12-4
13/8 (Coral) to win division, 20/1 (Sky Bet & William Hill) to win Super Bowl
The Ravens were a dropped pass away from Super Bowl XLVI last season and look highly likely to be back in contention this season, despite the loss of linebacker Terrell Suggs (2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year) to injury. Crucially he could be back for the postseason and they still have the legendary Ray Lewis to reply upon, plus they shrewdly added linebacker Courtney Upshaw with their first pick in the draft as cover. Quarterback Joe Flacco has had his critics but appears to be growing in confidence - his tremendous arm strength can be a game changer and with speedy wide receivers such as Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith to aim at, plus star running back Ray Rice to feed, the Ravens look good value at 13/8 (Coral) to win this division again, 9/1 (Sky Bet) to win the AFC Championship, plus 20/1 (Sky Bet & William Hill) to win the big prize.
Cincinnati Bengals – Last Season: 9-7
9/2 (William Hill) to win division, 45/1 (Bet365) to win Super Bowl
Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton led Cincinnati to the final playoff spot last season, despite going 0-7 against teams with a winning record. He and another rookie, wide receiver A.J. Green, gave the Bengals a potent pass-catch combination although this didn't mask other offensive frailties. They have looked to beef up the offensive line by picking up guards Kevin Zeitler (in the first round of the draft) and Travelle Wharton (free agency) to help protect Dalton, but Wharton has been injured pre-season. At least the defense looks strong and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, another first round draft pick, will strengthen them here, but with so much inexperience and a tougher schedule this year, they'll exceed expectations if they make another postseason.
Cleveland Browns – Last Season: 4-12
35/1 (Bet365 & Paddy Power) to win division, 250/1 (BetVictor) to win Super Bowl
If inexperience is an issue for the Bengals, it's nothing compared to that of the Browns roster - almost half of which has no more than a year's experience. Whilst they lost nine of their final ten games last season (including the last six), few were by big margins, but it will be a difficult trend to reverse with a rookie quarterback. Brandon Weeden was a first round draft pick and will fire at wide-receivers who led the league in dropped passes last season, which is no doubt why Josh Green arrives as a supplemental draft pick. Just four of Cleveland's meagre total of 20 touchdowns last year were contributed by running backs, and they have also acquired the very highly rated Trent Richardson as the third overall pick of the draft to address this, but this trio of college stars face a baptism of fire and with significant injuries to their defense, the Browns will inevitably finish bottom of this division once again. If we were bookmakers we'd gladly offer 1000/1 on the Browns even reaching Super Bowl XLVII, so don't back them to win it at the best odds of 250/1 (Paddy Power's 150/1 is frankly insulting).
|Baltimore Ravens
|AFC North
|Baltimore Ravens
|AFC Championship
|Sky Bet
Houston Texans – Last Season: 10-6
2/7 (Coral) to win division, 9/1 (Sky Bet & Coral) to win Super Bowl
The Texans look the only winner of one of the weakest divisions in the league. Last season they made the postseason for the first time in franchise history (where they made the second round) despite losing quarterback Matt Schaub to injury after 10 games (when 7-3) and then back-up Matt Leinart, so having to rely on then third-string TJ Yates for the last 4 regular games of the season and the playoffs. Schaub has recovered from surgery and if he can stay healthy the Texans look to be on the verge of an even stronger showing this season. Indeed, Schaub was just one of various high profile Houston players to get injured last year - star linebacker Mario Williams' season ended in just week 5, but their defense, headed by the likes of Connor Barwin, Antonio Smith, JJ Watt and Brooks Reed still allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league in 2011, the second-fewest yards allowed and the third-fewest yards per play (4.8). They've also strengthened here with the arrival of linebackers Bradie James from Dallas and Whitney Mercilus in the first round of the draft - indeed such is their defensive depth, they've even felt able to trade Mario Williams to Buffalo in the off-season. Offensively, Schaub's main target remains Andre Johnson (who himself missed 6 games to injury last season) and they've also added a couple of more wide receivers in the draft, whilst running-back Arian Foster and his back-up Ben Tate remain a potent combination. Almost a certainty for the post-season, the Texans are rightly considered by bookmakers to be one of the Super Bowl favourites at best odds of 9/1 and the AFC Championship looks between them, the Ravens and the Patriots.
Tennessee Titans – Last Season: 9-7
5/1 (Bet365 & BetVictor) to win division, 66/1 (Bet365 & BetVictor) to win Super Bowl
The Titans haven't reached the playoffs since 2008 and are 3/1 with Bet365 to reach the post season this season. Whether they do so may well depend upon whether they opt for veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck or his young pretender Jake Locker and the latter would likely offer a greater offensive threat. Whoever gets the nod will look to receivers Nate Washington and Kenny Britt (once he returns from suspension), plus the rookie Kendall Wright, who was a first round draft pick. Star running back Chris Johnson will need to return to form if the Titans are to progress on last season's 9-7 record and he will be assisted by the arrival of guard Steve Hutchinson from Minnesota. However, 5 of Tennessee's 9 wins last year were by six points or less and with a tough looking schedule, the suspicion is that they are more likely to move backwards than forwards this season.
Indianapolis Colts – Last Season: 2-14
28/1 (Stan James) to win division, 150/1 (Bet365 & Stan James) to win Super Bowl
The Colts started the 2011 season looking to set an NFL record for the most consecutive playoff appearances (10), but suffered heavily due to the loss of star quarterback Peyton Manning to injury (he sat out the entire season due to neck surgery) as they won just two games all year. This at least earned them the no.1 pick in the 2012 draft, which they have used to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, as Manning moves onto Denver. Luck has big shoes to fill, but arrives with arguably the highest expectations of any rookie in NFL history and it will be fascinating to see how he copes behind an inexperienced offensive line. His main target will be veteran receiver Reggie Wayne, plus tight ends Coby Fleener (a Stanford teammate) and Dwayne Allen, who both also arrived in the 2012 draft. Indeed, it is hard to gauge how the Colts will perform with a completely different roster and new coaches from last season, but if Luck lives up to the hype they might surprise a few people and the 9/1 offered by Bet365 on them reaching the play-offs looks slightly over generous.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Last Season: 5-11
25/1 (Stan James) to win division, 300/1 (Stan James) to win Super Bowl
The Jags are the only side you can back at 300/1 for the Super Bowl and you'd be wasting your money if you did. Although defensively sound (they finished with the 6th ranked defense in the NFL last season) they only scored more than 20 points once and new head coach Mike Mularkey has first to deal with running-back Maurice Jones-Drew's refusal to participate in pre-season training. Jones-Drew led the league in rushing with 1,606 yards last season (and contributed 8 touchdowns), but the standoff over a new contract will have done little for team morale or cohesion. Young quarterback Blaine Gabbert's first season was tough, getting sacked 40 times (12 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) and he will at least be pleased with the arrival of receivers Justin Blackmon and Laurent Robinson. Blackmon was considered the best wide receiver in the 2012 draft and picked fifth overall by the Jags, whilst Robinson had a great season at Dallas with 54 receptions, 858 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. However, the offensive line needs to enable Gabbert to find his new teammates and the Jaguars did not draft any offensive linesman to give him some more protection. Last season they finished last in the NFL in passing yards and total offensive yards gained and more of the same is anticipated.
|Houston Texans
|AFC Championship
|Stan James & Coral
|Indianapolis Colts
|To Reach Playoffs
Denver Broncos – Last Season: 8-8
15/8 (William Hill) to win division, 20/1 (Ladbrokes & William Hill) to win Super Bowl
Inevitably, the Bronco's season is all about the arrival of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, who arrives from Indianapolis after 14 seasons where he won eight divisional titles, two AFC Championships, one Super Bowl and a record four league MVP awards. The question is whether he can return from a year out following neck surgery and ignite his new team at the age of 36 - but clearly he has the confidence of his new employers who signed him on a five-year, $96 million contract. Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker will be delighted at Manning's arrival and he'll also have some familiar faces to aim at, as the Broncos have signed veteran receiver Brandon Stokley and another ex-Colt in tight end Jacob Tamme. Last season the Bronco's snuck into the playoffs for the first time since 2005, but were crushed 45-10 by the Patriots and they have moved to improve their defense in the offseason by signing linebacker Keith Brooking and safety Jim Leonhard, but this still looks an area of weakness. However, if Manning has fully recovered and stays fit, that alone should be enough to see Denver in the post-season again.
San Diego Chargers – Last Season: 8-8
9/4 (Stan James & Coral) to win division, 33/1 (Stan James) to win Super Bowl
The Chargers had an unusual season last year, starting well with a 4-1 record; they then hit a six game slump to drop to 4-7, before recovering to win four of their remaining five games. It wasn't enough however and they missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Quarterback Philip Rivers had a poor season by his standards, throwing a career high 20 interceptions and he has lost receivers Vincent Jackson who heads to Tampa Bay and Mike Tolbert to Carolina, while Vincent Brown has broken his ankle. However Rivers still has Malcolm Floyd to aim at and Robert Meachem arrives from New Orleans and Eddie Royal from Denver to help fill the gaps. Another injury concern is running back Ryan Matthews who broke his collarbone pre-season, but he shouldn't be out for too long and, crucially, their exceptionally talented tight-end Antonio Gates is reported to have finally recovered from the foot-related injuries he has been dogged with for the past four seasons. Last year, Broncos pass-rusher Von Miller, the 2011 no. 2 overall draft pick, won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award after recording 11.5 sacks and San Diego will be hoping for a similar impact from rookie pass-rusher Melvin Ingram who arrived in the first round and 18th overall in the 2012 draft. This promise, allied to the quality of Rivers, Matthews and Gates, offers enough reason for optimism and if Manning fails to deliver in Denver, the Bolts are the team most likely to benefit.
Kansas City Chiefs – Last Season: 7-9
7/2 (William Hill) to win division, 50/1 (Bet365 & William Hill) to win Super Bowl
Kansas were the only team to beat the Packers in the regular season last year, but that was a highlight of a mediocre season in which they only scored over 20 points on four occasions. To be fair to the Chiefs, their 7-9 tally was probably a decent return considering the injuries suffered, with tight-end Tony Moeaki missing the entire season, safety Eric Berry lasting only one game and running back Jamaal Charles just two. Their return, along with the arrival of running back Peyton Hillis from Cleveland, offers hope - but there doesn't look to be much depth on the offensive line and quarterback Matt Cassel looks vulnerable, so it would be a surprise to see them in postseason action.
Oakland Raiders – Last Season: 8-8
13/2 (Bet365 & Stan James) to win division, 100/1 (Coral) to win Super Bowl
The Raiders last won a Super Bowl in 1984 and haven't reached the postseason in the 10 years since their their 21-48 mauling by Tampa Bay at Super Bowl XXXVII. Their current offense is one of the speediest in the league, with wide receivers Jacoby Ford, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore, plus explosive running back Darren McFadden. But crucial to Oakland's season will be keeping them fit, most notably McFadden, who missed 7 games last year and and has never played more than 13 games in any of his four NFL seasons. Quarterback Carson Palmer also has a decent offensive line which only allowed 25 sacks last season, the third-lowest amount in the league - not that surprising given that it includes the mammoth Jared Veldheer, a 6ft 8in, 320lb left tackle - but Palmer still threw 16 interceptions in his 10 games before also getting injured last year. Defensively, the Raiders need to improve dramatically against the pass and run - last season they ranked 29th in the league in run defense and so the wait looks likely to go on for the Men in Black
|Denver Broncos
|AFC West
|William Hill
|San Francisco 49ers
|Super Bowl Winner
|Ladbrokes & Paddy Power
|Atlanta Falcons
|Super Bowl Winner
|Bet365 & BetVictor
|Baltimore Ravens
|Super Bowl Winner
|Sky Bet & William Hill
|Houston Texans
|Super Bowl Winner
|Sky Bet & Coral


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Barbara Walters announces final day on 'The View'
Barbara Walters is making good on a promise she made last year.
The 84-year-old broadcast vet announced on her talk show Monday that May 16th would be her final appearance as a co-host on "The View," winding down decades of a groundbreaking career.
Walters became the first female co-anchor of a network evening news show in 1976 when she teamed with Harry Reasoner on the "ABC Evening News." And even though she's retiring from work on camera, Walters says she'll still be active behind the scenes as an executive producer for the talk show she launched back in 1997.
Following Walters' last hurrah on the "The View," ABC will air a primetime special celebrating her life and career that night. On Monday's "View," co-host Whoopi Goldberg also announced that ABC would rename its news headquarters in New York City, The Barbara Walters Building.
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker Accessories
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Rocket Espresso 58mm Bottomless PortafilterIf you haven't seen the coloration that comes out of a bottomless portafilter, you are really missing out. This unique way to extract shots with the 58mm Bottomless Portafilter for Rocket Giotto and Rocket Cellini models offers a great view into the process as rich hues of brown come waterfalling out from underneath your brewhead unit. Learn More
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Rocket Espresso 58mm Double PortafilterThe portafilter for many espresso machines is the most handled element in the brewing process, so it's a good idea to have a spare one on hand in case you need a replacement or if you frequently switch between single and double shot filter baskets. This heavy-duty portafilter features rugged chrome plated brass construction with a durable plastic handle. Use with any single or double shot Rocket 58mm filter basket (not included); fits all Rocket models. Made in Italy. Learn More$69.95
Out of Stock


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Dates and locations for GSA sponsored seminars, workshops, meetings, and other events are listed below. Visit Training Programs for descriptions by topic of these and other online training offered to federal employees and vendors. GSA also participates in events sponsored by other organizations. View a list highlighting some of these events.
There are no GSA events scheduled for this selection.


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:: Business Writing
Fall 2013
@Leeward CC
|53111, 53112, 53113, 53114, 53115
|Credit Hours:
Pat Hurley
455-0426 (Ph)
455-0640 (Fax)
|Course URL:
|Instructional Mode:
|08/26/2013 - 12/12/2013
|Course Requirements:
|*Students will be contacted by their instructor by UH email before the first day of instruction. Students must check their UH email for course correspondence before the first day of instruction.
|Course Prerequisites:
|ENG 100 with a grade of
C or better, or equivalent, or permission of Language Arts
|Course Description:
|Designed for students interested in a career in business;
learning to organize and evaluate effective communication in writing; how
to compose the various forms of letters and reports found in the business
field; and how to evaluate job resume.
|Students will not be purchasing a textbook for this course. Instead, course materials will be available free of charge to students to use, save, and print, as they prefer.
|Technical Requirements:
|The Internet allows students to take a course at home using a personal computer. Familiarity with using a computer and basic Internet skills (browsing, sending e-mail, saving/sending files) is required. Students must have a computer with Internet access. Depending on the online course, students may be required to log in at a specific day and time or at anytime. Students taking an online course should always contact their instructor after registration or prior to the first day of class to get detailed information regarding the course.
Minimum Computer Hardware/Software Requirements:
It is also required that you obtain a UH Email account. Please go to the following URL for more information: http://www.hawaii.edu/askus/563
Laulima Help
|Additional Notes:
|DE AA Degree elective
Alternate Technology Access Plan: In registering for a Distance Education course (Cable or Web) the student is responsible for finding immediate alternate access to a computer with Internet connectivity or cable television should that student experience technical difficulties. Technical difficulties can include but are not limited to problems with a student's computer hardware/software; inoperability of a student's VCR or DVR; or lack of service by a student's Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Cable Provider. Technical issues do not constitute the extension of an assignment, project, quiz or exam deadline unless agreed upon by the instructor.
An Alternate Technology Access Plan will be made by the student prior to the start of the semester and should be implemented immediately upon encountering technical difficulties. The student is required to continue course work as a result of having an alternate plan of access while independently resolving any technical issues with hardware/software, VCR/DVD, ISP, or Cable Provider.
|Tuesday, August 6, 2013 07:16:09


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Republicans push missile defense spending after failed tests
Top Republicans are urging Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to allocate additional funds and testing for a multi-billion dollar missile defense program following the high-profile failure of critical system technologies in a July 5 test.
Reps. Howard McKeon and Mike Rogers, respective chairmen of the House Armed Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, were joined by their Senate counterparts James Inhofe and Jeff Sessions in a Friday letter condemning the Obama administration's inadequate financing of the project.
"It is already clear that President Obama's decision to drastically cut funding for the ground-based midcourse defense [GMD] program since he came to office and to 'curtail additional GMD development,' has drained funding available to conduct needed tests of this system," the lawmakers wrote.
On July 5, an interceptor missile launched from California missed its target as it flew over the Pacific Ocean, forcing the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency to detonate both projectiles remotely.
The precise reason for the failure remains unknown, although some experts have speculated that a power loss prevented the separation of a kinetic "kill vehicle" from its thrusters as the two missiles hurtled toward each other at a combined speed of nearly 15,000 miles per hour.
The test cost $214 million and is the third intercept test failure in a row. The last time the system was successfully tested was in December 2008.


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After seeing you recently and getting Dan to stretch more, was wondering if there was an "All round" stretching routine for lifting/mma? or should you just stretch the areas you are working each session?
After seeing you recently and getting Dan to stretch more, was wondering if there was an "All round" stretching routine for lifting/mma? or should you just stretch the areas you are working each session?
Professional MMA Referee www.mmaofficials.co.uk
This is a good question mate, off the top of my head I would say the following areas need to be stretched by most for development of flexibility (from the ground up):
Hip Flexors
Some people might not need to do all of em and some will have to emphasise certain areas due to tightness etc. Some may need rotator cuff, forearm, etc etc more specific work.
Its generally a good thing to stretch the muscles worked after a session and even better if this is preceded by foam rolling to work on the quality of the muscle tissue.
40s is a minimum for development ideally 60s IMO but low intensity like 3-5/10 in terms of discomfort.
I am going to do a tutorial on stretching very soon so will post it up.
That answer your question?
S&C Made Easy: http://www.brendanchaplin.co.uk/ twitter @brendanchaplin
I am sure i read somewhere that strectching can be bad? actually reduces performance?
I don't believe in belts. There should be no ranking system for toughness.
All about context - there's an optimal level of flexibility for each person, and it is possible to have too much. At the same time, having enough flexibility is also important. It's making sure you get the trade off right.
It's a complicated subject (which is why research tends to show mixed results). Looking forward to reading Brendan's take on it!
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Fighting out of Next Generation
Again, just throwing out a link to a nice, simple and quick dynamic stretching routine that I've been using for a while and seen a lot of benefit from:
Joe has trained a bunch of high level athletes in the States so although it isn't specifically MMA or BJJ, it's probably fairly relevant to us lot too.
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Thanks Brendan, yes it does answer the question but I will be looking out for your tutorial.
I have heard varying opinions on the positives and negatives of stretching.
I know many people I see regularly do no stretching at all or very little and seem to get away with it but others ar just so tight they must surley benefit from some form of stretching at the correct time and in the correct way.
It is not something I am properly informed about. Having started Martial Arts 30 years ago much of the stretching then was prehistoric. Having said that the guys then were very flexible/supple. How much damage over the years this type of stretching caused I dont know. I know I have many joint issues and regular soft tissue damage now even though my stretching methods have evolved over the years. And I suppose stretching in certain ways would be particular to the individual, what works for them?
Professional MMA Referee www.mmaofficials.co.uk
Thanks all for your comments,
Static stretching before exercise has generally been shown to reduce power outputs in jumping and sprinting. It is thought that this is due to changes in the length tension relationship in the muscle groups which then increases contractile time, reducing explosiveness. However there was a recent study that showed that static stretching followed by dynamic warm-up does not impact your power output. (only 1 paper).
Training implications are don't do static stretching in your warm-up unless you follow this with a full dynamic warm-up.
There is an optimal length/tension relationship in certain muscle groups which varies between individuals, ss Rosi mentioned in her post. The key is to find the right balance for you as an individual.
For me you need to have a flexibility surplus meaning that you need to be able to go beyond the ranges you'll experience in your sport in order to reduce incidence of injury, but its like any physical quality, you need to be realistic about where you want to go with it in line with the rest of your training. You can't develop flexibility like a gymnast when you've got to do all the other components that make up a fighters programme.
Good anecdotal story about Michael Owen (not totally convinced its true) during the time he was going through difficulties with his hamstrings. They put a physio on him with a brief to get rid of his hamstring tweaks and strains, the physio did his job and got him injury free, but then got promptly fired! Why? His 10 and 20 metre sprint times had increased (He'd slowed him down)! Although we can't say exactly why this was the case, it could well have been down to the increased length impacting the length tension relationship in the hamstring group.
To be honest as always the best way to assess whether you need to stretch a certain muscle group is to be assessed by a qualified professional, or buy a product like Assess and Correct by eric cressey and learn to do it yourself.
For me, developmental stretching is best achieved as a separate training unit where you can focus on the goal of the session (increasing range). If you have adequate range you need to make sure you keep it as well as developing other areas that need work.
A good dynamic warm-up is KEY to a good training session, staying injury free as well as improving your mobility. Sure the defranco one is good.
Here some mobility movements that might be worth you doing: Daily mobility 1 Daily mobility 2
You can use static stretching at the end of a session to restore range in key areas that have been worked in that session.
Just my thoughts on it though!
Good thread, any more thoughts?
S&C Made Easy: http://www.brendanchaplin.co.uk/ twitter @brendanchaplin


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When will 4S and 5 be jailbroken!!! Still waiting...
what he said ^
Even though this isn't for A5 or higher devices, its still great to know people are hard at work with these jailbreaks.
maybe they should stop making JB's for this phones and concentrate on the NEW,,, they have the iPad 3/4/mini and iphone 5.
otherwise it can be said that JB its dead as of now.
So it's not the same. Why do you think that there is an untethered JB for the old bootrom 3GS every single time a new iOS comes out almost exactly after it comes out? And the same going for tethered A4 chip devices.
I think that the people that have their noses in the air and complain that there's no A5/A6 jailbreak available for ios 6.x should think about the hard work that the devs put into finding these exploits. Sure they get donations but it's not like they charge for all the hours they put into finding/creating these jailbreaks. Perhaps try taking a look at what you need to know to be able to do what they do. It's not at all easy and these devs are smart as hell. Cut them slack or find the exploit and create the tools to implement the jb yourself.
With the new hardware however it is my opinion that they are smart in taking their time and being patient in developing the first jailbreak for these devices in order to avoid a quick mod to OS by apple once the JB is released.
You must also take into account how much jail breaking has changed since the first iPhone JB was released. Back then you would have to follow a long list of directions and have some sort of understanding as to what you where trying to accomplish in order to complete a successful jailbreak other wise you would end up with a $600 paperweight. Now you have a totally automated JB with a Nice looking GUI that does everything for you. In order to design and execute something of this magnitude it is going to take some time and patience. Trust me it has and always will be worth the wait.
Just my .02 cents
INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING, we should be cheering the DEV's on.
I had a jailbroken iphone 4 set up the way I wanted it.
I sold it and bought an iphone 5 that is unjailbroken.
I appreciate all the work that the devs have done so far and
I believe they will jailbreak the new devices eventually.
So for the complainers...get a life, and create your own jailbreak.
I understand both sides. The Devs do this for free and it takes time to find exploits that are stable and will work. On the other end is the user(US) that is used to getting free jailbreaks in a decent amount of time. Once again they are free and we do nothing but use them. Be patient and it will come as it always does..when it is ready now an hour sooner :]


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RANCHO CUCAMONGA - The city has begun removal of trees and turf on Haven Avenue medians - part of an effort to save money, bolster water conservation, eliminate lane closures for maintenance, and see if the plan works for other areas of town.
Officials hope to reduce water and maintenance costs through the retrofit project, which would ultimately remove 71,933 square feet of grass in the medians from Hillside Road to Fourth Street.
The project would also remove 192 magnolia trees on the median. About 305 magnolia trees and 85 Canary Island date palm trees would remain. Many of the Magnolias have been suffering from wilt disease.
Some of the healthy trees that had been removed will be planted in other areas of town. A number of replacement trees that consume less water will be planted to help preserve the feel of the existing landscape design, officials said.
Work on the first phase of the project, between Church Street and Foothill Boulevard, is expected to be completed by Friday. The remainder of the Haven Avenue project will be completed by mid-2013, officials said.
The first phase is meant to be a demonstration to show the public what the rest of the project will look like as construction continues on Haven, said Public Works Director Bill Wittkopf.
"I think we want to get through this project and make sure we have a good demonstration area so we can show what the final project will look like. We can use that as we move forward with other retrofit projects based on time and funding."
The median project, which costs $242,110, is estimated to save $99,900 annually, officials said and reduce annual water consumption by as much as two million gallons.
"We've been forced to look at ways we can conserve our precious resources such as water and man-made resources such and energy, natural gas to do our best to try to grow into a sustainable green community," said Mayor Dennis Michael of the Haven project.
"I know some people are concerned about eliminating trees but the trees are starved and are having problems themselves. Many of the Magnolia trees will remain and the benefit is reduced cost to the taxpayer. It's still going to be just as beautiful."
The project will serve as a pilot for similar proposed landscaping overhauls on Milliken Avenue and Base Line Road. Proposed projects to convert medians for less water usage on Milliken and Base Line are on hold depending on council direction and water costs there, Wittkopf said.
Michael said expansion of such projects would continue.
"This is the first of many retrofits yet to come," he said.
The Haven project, Wittkopf said, was chosen to move forward first because it had the highest return on investment.
Reach Neil via email, call him at 909-483-9356, or find him on Twitter @InlandGov.


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- Home
- About
- Current Productions
Past Productions
- 2008-2009
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- 2012-2013
- 2013-2014
- 2014-2015
- 2015-2016
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- Support
Meet the Groundlings
TSC Groundlings Volunteer Committees and Chairs
Admin., Postering, and Box Office Committee
Chair: Mary Donald
- Admin: Marketing, research, assisting with mailings, and maintaining professional contacts in the community and in the state.
- Box Office: Phone answering, in-office and on-site ticket and merchandise sales.
- Help get the word out about TSC performances through distribution of advertising posters and postcards.
Front-of-House Committee
- Front-of-House and lobby area set-up, greeting and directing patrons, assisting disabled audience members, ushering for public performances or Student Matinees, communicating audience delays, placing "Reserved" signs on the latecomer seats closest to the door to prevent distraction of the audience, merchandise sales, and overseeing concession stand.
Host Committee
- TSC brings many artists in from around the country.The Host Committee helps with locating housing hosts for the actors, transporting actors to and from the airport upon arrival and departure, providing hospitality for actors, and sending 'Thank You' to house hosts after season close.
Production Committee
- (Pre-production) set construction, set painting, set and prop acquisition, costumes, hair & makeup, directed assistance in lighting, sound, stage hands, general assistance (taking notes, running errands).
- (Post-production) striking the set, packing and storing of set, props, and costumes, clean-up.
Special Events/Gala Committee
- Act in support of TSC's Board of Director's Special Events Coordinator,in the following areas:planning and staffing TSC's monthly dinner events, company and opening night parties, annual gala, and finding new opportunities for public interaction with TSC.
College Liaison
- Connect TSC to college classes, clubs, and groups in support of Groundlings projects, special events, and ticket discounts.
Contact Us
Box Office:
(901) 759-0604
Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 382143
Germantown, TN 38183-2143
Office address:
3092 Village Shops Drive
Germantown, TN 38138
Latest News
- TSC presents its first Mainstage production of madcap The Comedy of Errors
- Save the Date for Our 10th Anniversary Gala
- TSC Receives Shakespeare in American Communities Grant for its Innovative Romeo and Juliet Project from Arts Midwest in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts
- Southern Literary Salon features Flannery O'Connor: Georgia Gothic
- Fantastical Summer Camps


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For the past year Oracle and Google have been locked in high-profile dispute over Oracle's rights to the APIs in the Java Virtual Machine. Oracle asserts that Google's Android operating system infringes on JVM patents and copyrights that Oracle inherited as part of its 2009 acquisition of Sun. At … [Read more...]
Google Gives Oracle a Tutorial on API Copyright Law
September 11, 2011 By


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A LONG established book shop in Ilkley town centre has leafed through the pages of its history for a nostalgic celebration of Independent Booksellers' week.
The celebration of independent bookshops across the country takes place this week (June 28 to July 5).
With the full programme of Tour de France events already happening, the Grove Bookshop bookshop, on central shopping street The Grove, decided to do something different, rather than generate additional crowds by hosting signing events with prominent authors.
Instead, staff opted to delve into the shop's history.
With help from local historian, Mike Dixon, and former shop proprietor, Andrew Sharpe, the shop has been able to put together a display of photographs and information looking back at the many years in building's history.
Mr Dixon kindly loaned photographs from his own collection [[pictured]] for the display.
The result of this work is an account of over a century of, independent businesses occupying the premises,
Originally built as a house, Number 10 The Grove went on to become Burgon's Bakers in the 1890s. A whole host in independent businesses set up shop there over the next century, including a cycle sales shop, piano hire, car repairs garage, two different wine and tobacco merchants, and a gentlemen's outfitters during the sharp-dressing 1960s and 1970s.
Ilkley residents Mr and Mrs Townson took over the building to open a bookshop in 1978.
It was later taken over by Andrew Sharpe, who went on to run an antiquarian book business at Bolton Abbey, and present day owner, Kevin Ramage, too over in 2002.
Assistant manager, Mike Sansbury, said: "It's been real fun doing it. and I do think customers will like it. They might have some of their own stories to share."
"We are hoping that the display will inspire customers to share with us their own memories of shopping here over the years."
Some of today's customers remember the shop first opening as a bookshop - and have made regular visits ever since.
As well as the names of the businesses which occupied the shop, records have been found of the traders, and goods sold in store.
When the piano tuning business was there, the shop also sold sheet music - which the Grove Bookshop also does today, in its basement music shop, Grove Music.
The same basement was used as a cellar for keeping barrels of beer during its occupation by one of the beer and wine merchants.
And in the 1980s, the bookshop was deemed the ideal backdrop by car company Vauxhall to promote its new Chevette model.
A picture of the shop, with a Vauxhall Chevette parked in front, appeared in a brochure for the car.
Although much has changed about the shop over the years, including both the frontage and interior, some older features remain. Among these are the mosaic in the doorway of the shop, created by one of the previous businesses to occupy it, and a carved panel depicting tobacco leaves, made when the shop was used by a tobacconist.


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Three to receive Alpha Lambda Delta Trow scholarship
The University of South Carolina's chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta national honor society will hold its annual awards ceremony Sept. 24. Three students will be honored for receiving the ALD Trow Scholarship, awarded to outstanding students with a 3.5 or higher grade-point average.
The recipients are Steven Nash of Greer, majoring in international business and accounting; Ji Lim of Sumter, majoring in insurance and risk management; and Bernadette Riemer of Oak Ridge, Tenn., majoring in marketing and management major from Oak Ridge.
Three is the maximum number of Trow awards a university can receive, and USC has received the maximum for two years in a row.
Posted: 09/30/10 @ 12:00 AM | Updated: 09/30/10 @ 10:51 AM | Permalink


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