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Blog -
In 4. Others
By admin
Do you know about the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Scheme and how it impacts properties in bush fire zone?
On 22, Oct 2015 | No Comments | In 4. Others | By admin
If you live in a bush fire zone property, you are covered by the 10/50 scheme. This scheme basically makes it simple for those higher risk properties wanting to reduce their risk in the event of bush fire.
The scheme allows people in a designated area to:
- Clear trees on their property within 10 metres of a home, without seeking approval; and
- Clear underlying vegetation such as shrubs (but not trees) on their property within 50 metres of a home, without seeking approval.
Click this link to access the online tool to easily check if you land is covered by the 10/50 scheme. Be sure to check this regularly and on the day you are clearing to confirm eligibility as entitlement areas might change.
In 4. Others
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Interactive Buildings – Free tool to assess approval requirements
On 15, Oct 2015 | No Comments | In 4. Others | By admin
Have you ever wondered what you can or cannot do to your property without approval from your local council? The works that can be done without approval are often called exempted development. Now there is a new and free tool developed by NSW government to simplify the process called the Interactive Buildings tool. Read more…
In 4. Others
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Is it better or worse for developer with the new Apartment Design Guide?
On 01, Oct 2015 | No Comments | In 4. Others | By admin
The new Apartment Design Guide (ADG) and the revised SEPP 65 were officially launched on 17 July, 2015. Review of these planning guides is long overdue since the release of the original SEPP 65 and Residential Flat Design Code (RFDC) 13 years ago in 2002. The new guide is aimed to provide more clarity to both council and architects as well as developers with updated design quality principles to respond to contemporary issues . It also strengthen the requirements around design review panels to ensure quality development is proposed and built.
One of the key measures with this new guide is to add car parking to the non discretionary development standards. This means that there are now 3 matters covered by clause 30A of SEPP 65, where council has no ground to refuse an application if it meets the minimum requirements of CEILING HEIGHT, APARTMENT SIZE and CARPARKING. Read more…
In 1. Planning News
Granny Flat/Duplex
By admin
Duplex development is on the rise.
On 03, Jul 2014 | No Comments | In 1. Planning News, Granny Flat/Duplex | By admin
As the cost of property and land has progressively risen across most capital cities (Especially in Sydney) and the demand of occupant is shifting towards smaller living spaces; the demand for duplex has recently gained momentum. For those who are not familiar with duplex development; a duplex property is effectively two adjoining properties occupying one block or plot of land sharing at least one common wall.
There are a number of reasons why people purchase or build a duplex. The units can be very spacious and are usually much bigger than the average apartment and duplex usually still has good sized private outdoor spaces. Another wonderful thing about a duplex development is that the build costs may not be that much more than building one larger house. However, the land cost is halved for each dwelling.
This is good alternative for those that want to live in a house rather than apartment but find that cost of house is out of budget. Duplex can also help home owner paying for part of the mortgage by renting the other half of the property out to others or for investors to rent or sell both out. Even though it is sharing at least a common wall, each unit of the duplex has its own entrance so privacy is never an issue.
With so many benefits associate to it, no wonder duplex development is set to significantly increase in numbers in 2014/15.
In 4. Others
By admin
Wood Wool Acoustic Panel
On 03, Jul 2014 | No Comments | In 4. Others | By admin
Finally, a building material that is created to fit aesthetic and functionality expectation and comes in line with sustainability. The wood wool acoustic panel is a new building material designed by Swedish design group Form Us With Love (http://www.baux.se/). The material is known as "material that breathes", it is made from wood wool, cement and water, the combination of natural elements provide many functional characteristics such as sound absorbent, high moisture diffusion, low energy cost, less environmental impact along with its aesthetic appearance, making it the perfect sound insulation solution for residential, commercial or even public places.
The panel comes in 6 different shapes and a range of astonishing colors to choose from to create your own feature wall, your imagination is the only limit.


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The Denver Broncos go into this offseason in a better situation than most teams that didn't make the playoffs. Finishing 9-7 and out of the postseason, the Broncos have the financial ability to patch holes on the roster, along with an assortment of choices in the upcoming draft.
http://www.scout.com/nfl/broncos/story/1757296-combine-sale-get-5-months... Signing big names drives fans into a frenzy but Denver can field a formidable team this upcoming year with value, under-the-radar signings — akin to the deals that brought Emmanuel Sanders and Darian Stewart to Denver.
I'm leaving players like Andrew Whitworth or Kevin Zeitler off the list for a couple of reasons. Both are very good players and are obvious upgrades for any team that can procure their services. However, since they have a following and name recognition, it's harder to make the distinction that they would be anything but a high profile signing.
Here are my top 5 sleeper free agents.
Sio Moore, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Moore is the kind of player that is a nightmare to project. Between two teams last season, Moore looked uninterested for the first half of the year before catching on with the Arizona Cardinals, serving as a reliable replacement for the injured Deone Bucannon.
Whatever team does sign Moore is going to point to his time in the desert, while keeping in mind that he looked less than impressive with the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the year.
I've followed Moore pretty closely since he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders out of Connecticut back in 2013. He's always had the talent to put up solid numbers and in his one year as a full-time starter with Oakland he tallied 90 total tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.
Moore's biggest obstacle seems to between his ears but with a defense loaded with character guys like Denver's, Moore is low-risk, high-reward signing.
Karl Klug, DL, Tennessee Titans
Klug is the type of defensive end that any team running the 3-4 covets. As a 3-4 defensive end, Klug can do everything well, including taking on double-teams and getting after the passer.
According to Pro Football Focus, Klug created 25 quarterback hurries in under 400 snaps last season. With no other credible pass-rusher on the defensive line outside of Derek Wolfe, a guy like Klug can come in right away and provide a lift.
Some will be scared off by a late-season injury that hampered his effectiveness and that for as many pressures as he had, he managed to only nab 1.5 sacks last year. But with someone like Klug in Denver, it would allow Jared Crick to go back into a rotation on first and second downs, while adding another pass-rushing defensive lineman on third downs, an element that was sorely lacking last season.
Eric Kush, C, Chicago Bears
I love watching HBO's Hard Knocks and that's where I was introduced to Kush. At the time, the center/guard was known more for his wide-array of tank tops than his play.
Although he did impress in his time with the Rams, the lineman was one of the last players cut at the end of camp before managing to catch on with the Bears.
With an O-line decimated by injuries, Kush proved be a godsend and was able to fill in at both center and guard over the course of the season. In referencing PFF, Kush didn't give up a sack all year and allowed just six QB hurries all season.
Still only 27 years old and getting better, Kush would provide depth at center and guard and is an upgrade if either Matt Paradis struggles to acclimate to a power-scheme or Max Garcia or Michael Schofield falter.
Tim Hightower, RB, New Orleans Saints
In an offense that figures to get even younger over the offseason, it doesn't hurt to add a greybeard to the roster, even if it is just as a backup. It was apparent to many that once C.J. Anderson went down for the season in Week 7, the offense missed his experience and leadership.
Even with Anderson coming back and Devontae Booker looking to build on a solid rookie season, more depth is needed at running back.
Yes, the veteran Hightower is no spring chicken at 30 years old and comes with a medical history that is concerning. But, he still amassed 548 yards for a healthy 4.1 yards per carry last season in a backup role to Mark Ingram.
More impressively, Hightower caught 22 balls for 200 yards, along with being a valuable pass-protector on third downs. With Anderson's problems staying healthy and Booker still learning the nuances of pass protection, having someone like Hightower would be useful.
Matt Barkley, QB, Chicago Bears
One of John Elway and Vance Joseph's missions in the offseason is to find a veteran backup quarterback in the event that Paxton Lynch struggles or Trevor Siemian doesn't improves from his first year as the starter.
Five Hot Threads On The MHH ForumsKyle Shanahan: Broncos Dodged A Bullet Broncos Interested In Victor Cruz Where Broncos Sit In Draft Order Broncos Draft Talk Free Agent Wish LIst
Many a teams have dealt with seasons torpedoed by an injury to the quarterback, so it behooves all in the NFL to have someone on the roster that can play at a moment's notice.
Matt Barkley was signed after season-ending injuries to Brian Hoyer and Jay Cutler, and entered his time in Chicago as an emergency starter. Playing with a banged up offensive line and backups at the wideout positions, Barkley had his moments and nearly pulled off an upset win over the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers late in the year.
Barkley is only 26 but is already a veteran in the league. Bouncing around the past couple of seasons gives him experience in picking up a system quickly and the USC alum has the arm talent to be a quality player in the right situation.
As much as we would love Denver to make another splash in free-agency and sign some big names, I don't see it happening. Denver suffered more from lack of depth at some spots more than not having talent.
The Broncos are best served by using free-agency to add quality depth at multiple spots, rather than adding big names that have lots of zeros on their checks. By adding solid football players and keeping the salary cap in check, Denver sets itself up nicely — not just for this year but for seasons to come.
Adam Uribes is an Analyst for Mile High Huddle. You can find him on Twitter @auribes37.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter @MileHighHuddle and on Facebook.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fairfield Boathouse
Mar 15 2010
Category: Australian, Lunch, breakfast
There's something very beautiful about this 'rural' oasis in a rapidly expanding urban jungle. It's as if a patch of Melbourne was frozen in time, allowing children to run free in the innocent days when kids could really be kids, before the words 'Twitter' and 'tween' could ever be found in the Macquarie Dictionary. Fairfield Boathouse plays upon this old-school aesthetic well, advertising its classic array of Australian foodie favourites with a splash of sepia. I found myself craving Devonshire tea and a raspberry spider quicker than you could say 'bonza'.Fairfield Park Boathouse and Tea Gardens
Fairfield Park Drive, Fairfield VIC


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These kicks by Nike are a definite winner in my book – stylish, comfortable and weather proof. I purchased them from Mr Porter online where the customer experience is always superb!
Here are some pictures I took after unpacking them from the box.
The leather on the boots is supple and the striped laces are a nice touch.
Overall they have a rugged quality similar to what you would expect with a hiking boot. The rubber soles are perfect for inclement weather where I live in Chicago.
Perfect with slim sweatpants or denim.


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5 Ways to Keep Your Walk in Check
Walking is one of the best and easiest ways to fit a little extra exercise into your day. To really get the most out of walks, it's best to use proper form to reap all the benefits. Health.com created a great little how-to on the basics of walking the fitness walk. Here are highlights to think about the next time you're strutting your stuff:
- Head: Look straight ahead, not down at the ground.
- Arms: Relax your arms by your sides and swing them front to back, not out to the sides; your hands shouldn't come up higher than your breastbone. On hills, bend your arms to 90 degrees for more pumping power.
- Hips and waist: Stand tall and keep your hips positioned directly above your feet. Don't lean forward or back from the waist, even when going up hills (although it's OK to sit back slightly when heading downhill, as long as you keep your weight over your feet).
- Legs: Stick with your natural stride length to help avoid shin pain, the most common complaint among walkers. To increase your speed, focus on taking quicker steps, not longer ones.
- Feet: Land on your heel first, then roll through to the ball of your foot.


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would Bird have drafted him? i know this is hypothetical but kinda of interested in your guys responses.
i was surprised the Jazz grabbed Hayward at 9. i wonder if Bird would have taken Hayward or went with George.
guess we will never know but that would have been interesting to see in some ways.


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Grantee recognized by WSU
By Eddy Ball
Veteran NIEHS grantee Michael Smerdon, Ph.D. , received the Eminent Faculty Award during the annual Showcase celebration March 30 at Washington State University (WSU). Smerdon, a regents professor of biochemistry and biophysics, is the 12th recipient of the highest honor his university bestows on faculty members, according to a Feb. 27 WSU press release .
For more than 30 years, Smerdon has been an NIH grantee, and he currently holds two NIEHS grants overseen by NIEHS Health Scientist Administrator Les Reinlib, Ph.D., "Repair of carcinogen damaged DNA in human chromatin" and "DNA repair in a hormone responsive gene." NIEHS first supported Smerdon as a junior investigator with a Young Environmental Scientist Grant Award from 1978 to 1981, following completion of his postdoctoral fellowship in pathology at Washington University School of Medicine.
"We are proud to have sponsored Dr. Smerdon for many years," Reinlib said. "He is a shining example of an investigator producing insights that will lead to a comprehensive understanding of ways that environmental chemicals or harmful radiation attack DNA and our ability to defend ourselves against these agents."
Smerdon's Eminent Faculty Award is the latest in a long list of honors for teaching, research, and service. Smerdon was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2010, he received the Science and Engineering Alumni Leadership Award in 2003 from St. Cloud State University, his alma mater, and he has been recognized several times for faculty excellence. In 2001, he was selected for the prestigious NIH Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award, a special award of up to 10 years of research funding to select leaders in their field.
In a comment posted with the WSU press release, former Smerdon trainee Feng Gong, Ph.D. , now an assistant professor at the University of Miami, wrote, "I am excited to hear that Mick will receive the 2012 Eminent Faculty Award. In addition to his numerous scientific contributions to the field of DNA repair, Mick is also a great mentor. He will continue to be a great source of inspiration for all his students in the years to come."


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Let's End the 47% Nonpayer Nonsenseby
Mitt Romney may have killed his campaign by saying that President Barack Obama's base is the 47 percent of Americans who are freeloading, non-income-tax-paying losers. With any luck, he also killed the stupid Republican talking point about "nonpayers."
Tax collections at all levels of government will total about $4 trillion this year. Of that, just $1.1 trillion will come from the federal income tax, which is by far the most progressive major component of the tax system.
So, when Republicans complain about "nonpayers," they're only talking about one-quarter of the whole tax system. Worse, it's a quarter of the tax system that is hugely unrepresentative of our tax system as a whole. Why would you look at only one piece of the tax code to figure out who is a "maker" and who is a "taker"?
Payroll taxes will raise more than $900 billion this year. And payroll taxes are regressive -- about two-thirds of people who don't pay income tax do pay payroll tax, and they pay at a higher average rate than wealthy people do. State and local taxes, which will total about $1.4 trillion, also tend to be much less progressive than the federal income tax.
This is why we exclude so many people from the federal income tax: It's a way to offset the regressivity of other taxes and achieve a desirable level of progressivity in the tax code as a whole.
Contrary to the Wall Street Journal's insinuations, most people who don't pay federal income tax are not "lucky duckies." The Tax Policy Center has a useful chart explaining why people don't pay income tax. In about half of cases, it's because their incomes are simply too low -- a family of four gets a standard deduction and personal exemptions totaling $26,400, so if they make less than that, they pay no taxes.
In the other half of cases, the $0 bill is due to exemptions, deductions and credits. And in 74 percent of those cases, it's due to three specific tax policies -- the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides income support to poor people; the Child Tax Credit; and tax preferences for the elderly, including an additional standard deduction and favorable treatment of Social Security benefits. Only 26 percent of these filers -- which is to say, about 6 percent of all Americans -- have a $0 income tax bill for other reasons, such as tuition tax credits.
These are policies we adopted for good and considered reasons. The Earned Income Tax Credit, expanded by both parties since its introduction in 1975, is designed to boost poor people's incomes while encouraging them to work. The Child Tax Credit was designed to knock certain low- to middle-income families off the income tax rolls in recognition of the fact that their child-rearing expenses reduce their ability to pay.
And tax preferences for the elderly are just a component of our social insurance system. Excluding a portion of Social Security benefits from tax is effectively a way of augmenting those benefits. If we raised benefits and then started taxing them in full, more seniors would be "on the tax rolls" without any net impact on either the federal Treasury or those individuals' disposable income. Similarly, an expanded standard deduction for seniors serves as a substitute for higher Social Security benefits.
It would be fine to tinker with these rules at the margins. Reforms that broaden the tax base would mostly increase the taxable income of people who already pay income tax, but they would likely pull in some of the current "nonpayers," for example if we eliminated the additional standard deduction for the elderly.
But desirable tax reforms could just as easily go the other way and exempt even more Americans from federal income tax. For example, we could adopt a Michael Graetz-style tax reform that combines a value-added tax with a smaller and more progressive income tax paid only by high income households. Introducing a new broad-based tax would make it workable to narrow the base of the income tax. Alternatively, we could raise the payroll tax and exclude more taxpayers from the income tax.
None of these reforms would involve balancing the budget by accessing some great, untapped fiscal capacity that exists among the 47 percent. And none of these reforms would change who has "skin in the game" -- in any case, most government revenue would come from sources other than federal income tax, and most everybody would be paying tax on something.
The "nonpayer" talking point gets at a "problem" with our tax code that doesn't exist. Now that Romney has hurt himself so badly by using it, I hope it will finally go away.
(Josh Barro is lead writer for the Ticker. E-mail him and follow him on Twitter.)
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg View's editorial board or Bloomberg LP, its owners and investors.
To contact the author of this story:
Josh Barro


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Los Angeles magazine's Brunch In Bed
Los Angeles Magazine
Saturday, September 21, 2013 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
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Event Details
Let's Do
in bed.
Los Angeles magazine invites you
to a celebration of leisure.
Join us for an afternoon worth of indulgence including
a gourmet feast, stiff daytime cocktails,
and captivating entertainment.
September 21
supperclub, The Restaurant
6675 Hollywood Boulevard
$35 (Includes All Food & Drinks)
Must be 21 years or older to attend
Benefitting Homeboy Industries
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Carolina Cares marks 40 years of compassion
"That's when we decided to call it Carolina Cares," Cannon said. "A lot of student volunteers got involved, and University staff, and members of the community. For example, the Burger King on College Street agreed to feed all the volunteers that day. We were very organized and ran it like a military operation. The Marine Reserve came with us and drove collection trucks, and we used buses from the University's motor pool to move all the donated items.
"That first year we collected between $5,000 and $10,000. We took two Marine Corps trucks to the local Kmart and bought almost all of the toys in the place," Cannon said. "We filled up the two trucks with brand new toys and gave them to the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. Other items went to the Salvation Army. It got bigger each year after that.
"When we started it all, we thought we had a winner," he said, "but it never occurred to me that 40 years later it would be still going."
After all these years, the idea behind Carolina Cares hasn't changed, although the program is now sponsored by the University's Community Service Programs and the Carolina Service Council.
"Carolina Cares still gives students and student organizations the chance to help members of the community during the holidays," said international business and finance junior Jennifer Conner, who is director of Carolina Cares this academic year and has been involved with the Carolina Service Council since her freshman year.
"The activity culminates with the Carolina tree lighting ceremony on the Horseshoe. This year at the tree lighting, we had speakers from the Salvation Army and the Nurturing Center, the two groups we are working with this season. We're also participating in Adopt-A-Family, a program sponsored by the Nurturing Center."
During its four decades of generosity and compassion, Carolina Cares has been energized by countless students, faculty, and staff.
"There have been a lot of really good people who have been involved in this over the years," Brewer said. "Carolina Cares always brings together people from different areas of the University. We're a diverse community, but we can all agree on this as a worthy project."


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Central Exuma, Exuma
A seven-acre private island situated in the beautiful Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park with deep-water access.
The island is undeveloped and is well suited for a single family home plus caretaker's quarters. The Exuma Cays are well known for their pristine beaches and crystal clear waters.
This island enjoys the environment of the park and will always be ensured an abundance of sea life and limited development.
|Listing #
|under contract
|Lot Size
|7 acres
|Property Type
|Private Island
|Exuma, Central Exuma
Tel: 242 477 7027


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ITM 604: Communications Networking & Security
Professor Duchessi's AssignmentsIn the first third of the course, Professor Duchessi will give one homework assignment. Details are listed in WebCT.
Professor Goel's AssignmentsAssignments can be in-class or take-home and will be designated as individual or group assignments depending on the specific assignment. Please see the Assignments section of the course site for further details and guidelines. An example of a project is to perform a risk analysis based on a case or on in organization using the risk analysis methodology presented in the class.
Information Security Risk Assessment Project
Instructions: The end of semester project involves the use of qualitative risk analysis methodology described within the lecture and should be due May 2, 2007. This should be done based on organizations that you work for (or another real organization). Make sure to scope the work appropriately. First, collect the data on assets, threats, vulnerabilities, and controls. Use the spreadsheet provided to fill in the three matrices based on the qualitative data collected:
- Asset & Vulnerabilities
- Vulnerabilities & Threats
- Threats & Controls
Compute the values of the assets for the asset-vulnerability matrix and then find relative associations between assets-vulnerabilities, vulnerabilities-threats, and threat-controls. You will need to figure out the impacts and probabilities based on the information you can gather from co-workers or other sources to come up with the best estimates possible. Remember that this information should not be the average of opinions, but should be a result of consensus. Make sure to write the reasoning behind the values you came up with similar to the case presented. Use the methodology in the lecture notes (and recommended readings) to cascade the values from one matrix to the other to compute the relative impact of different vulnerabilities, threats, and controls. You may choose any scale that you like (e.g. 0, 1, 3, 9) to reflect the associations between different parameters. Finally, compute the costs of the controls and perform a cost-benefit analysis. Please also include a 2-3 page single-spaced write-up which includes:
- Background of Organization (including details on mission, size, etc.) and/or Topic of Risk Analysis
- Scope of Risk Analysis
- Resources used (positions of people, online resources, standards)
- Challenges in obtaining information on assets, vulnerabilities, threats, and controls.
- Rationalizations for all asset values, as well as vulnerability, threat, and control probabilities.
- Final analysis of the results and proposed security implementations
Assessment of the Project: The project will be assessed based on the thoroughness of the analysis as well as the rationalization provided for the different values that are input into the matrix. Students should make exhaustive lists of the assets, threats, vulnerabilities and controls and then use the ones that they deem most critical to the organization to limit the scope of the exercise.Download: risk matrices
PAPER ON SECURITY-RELATED TOPICPaper Description
Students are expected to write a paper on a security-related topic based on "Secrets & Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World" by Bruce Schneier. Each student should submit a list of three assigned chapters (in order of preference) and will be assigned one of these to write a one-paged summary.
In addition to this one-page summary, each student is expected to write a two-page write-up which expands on a topic discussed in the assigned chapter using at least 5 recent (within the last 5 years) scholarly references (e.g. journal articles, conference papers). In this second paper, discuss:
- Why the topic is interesting / important?
- What have other people written about this topic?
- How does this relate to what you have personally learned and experienced?
- How does this have the potential to impact business / what should businesses do related to this topic?
I expect you all to write things in your own words without copying from the book and the literature. I do not want any direct quote or long summary of the book or the literature (even with proper citation style). The goal of this assignment is to make sure that you are able to express your thoughts and improve your writing skills. Plagiarism defeats the purpose of this assignment and will be dealt with severely. Grammar and spelling will also be taken into consideration.


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As is evident from the past years, Europe as a whole tends to shut down for large football events. It is a time when people come together, through their love of the sport and celebrate the best of the best. While certain social issues do arise during this time, in general the atmosphere is rather positive. Yet, as with any crowd, there are always those that take it way too serious and ruin the fun for everyone. Hopefully this year will be different, or that the issues that arise will be limited. Regardless, if you have never experienced a premier league playoff setting I would strongly suggest that you look into attending one. Sure, you could visit your local pub and get the general idea, but I would suggest that you look into particular locations in London which offer the best experience possible. You can expect the pub to be packed to the ceiling with chanting fans, beers by the bucketful, and good times had by all. Continue reading
The Gambler
Betting On England For Euro 2012
I would say that really there are only three teams competing at Euro 2012 who are really capable of winning the tournament – England, Spain and Germany – and consequently England's chances of doing so are going to depend almost entirely on how they far against their old German and Spanish adversaries. The earliest that Fabio Capello's men can face one of these two nations is in the quarterfinals by which time Wayne Rooney will be available for selection again following his three match ban, though he may be lacking a little match sharpness. With Rooney back in the side England can beat anybody in the world on their day and so I would say that betting on England to win next summer's tournament isn't a bad idea at all. Continue reading
Euro 2012 Betting
If you are thinking of placing a bet on the eventual winner of Euro 2012, take my advice and try and see past your own nationalistic leanings. Bizarrely, the truth is that no matter what the actual quality and form of the teams in the tournament, the majority of bets are laid by people on their own nationalities because they can't differentiate between being a fan of the game and making money from it by betting. I would even go so far as to say that there is next to no point betting on any nation in the competition other than Spain. Germany, England and France might all have an outside chance, but not enough to actually merit a wager. Continue reading
Betting On Next Week's Premiership Football
Looking at next week's fixture list in the Premier League, there are quite a few games that stand out when searching for matches in which it is relatively easy to predict the outcome. Queens Park Rangers play host to Chelsea at Loftus Road on Monday night and I would be very surprised if the home team can emerge from this encounter with even one point, let alone three. QPR have struggled since their promotion from the Championship despite their free-scoring form last season and they have already been on the end of some thrashings. Their recent form has been so woeful that their captain Joey Barton felt moved to call in to a radio chat show and bemoan the lack of effort from his teammates, in particular their playmaker Taraabt. This unusual move in turn prompted Neil Warnock to reprimand his captain and the incident goes some way to highlighting the current turmoil at the club. Continue reading
Things You Didn't Know About Sports Betting
It's an easy enough trap to fall into, complacency; thinking you know a lot more than you do. Without sounding too cocky, it's likely that you've actually got more holes in your betting knowledge than you thought you had. Here I'm going to deal with a couple of the biggest sports betting misconceptions around and help you win a lot more, next time you're crossing your fingers behind your back at the bookies. Continue reading
Welcome Betting Fans
If you are looking for the ultimate online betting guide, then you've come to the right place. Europe Bet is blog entirely devoted to help betting enthusiasts find the right odds, accurate predictions and the best betting tips. The authors in the blog cover large selection of sports including football, hockey, snooker, rugby, cricket and even horse racing. And sometimes just for the fun the authors will publish post about anything else.


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Mr. COBURN. Going back to the Congolese, most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. Some were decapitated. Remember, these are U.N. peacekeeping forces--peacekeeping. Others were chopped to death by machete, beaten to death with clubs as they tried to flee.
They may not have been actual U.N. officers, but the U.N. was supplying all the logistics, all the transportation for this group of people. Where is the oversight? U.N. contribution: Compiling forecasts of global agriculture production and identifying areas of likely famine and the risk of severe hunger, to facilitate food assistance. We make a contribution to the U.N. The Food and Agriculture Organization is currently hosting a U.N. conference, a food summit in Rome, where the opening speaker is Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who has literally destroyed his Nation, which used to be the bread basket of Africa and which is now dependent on food imports. We are helping to pay for President Mugabe--who can't travel hardly anywhere else in the world because he is such a rogue dictator--we are sponsoring, through our dollars, meetings where he is the headline speaker.
The meeting was branded a failure within a couple of hours of its start after the 192 participating countries unanimously rebuffed the United Nations' appeal for commitments of billions of dollars in yearly aid to develop agriculture in poor nations.
It is not because they don't care about people having problems with food; it is they recognize the U.N. is ineffective at doing that and they are not going to commit more money, but we continue to commit more money.
The U.N. Environment Programme spends $1 billion a year--20 percent of it our money--on global warming and its effect on agriculture.
The U.N. has coordinated efforts by the global shipping industry and governments to prevent and respond to acts of piracy on the high seas.
It was totally ineffective. Do you know why we decreased the amount of piracy on the high seas? It is because of Task Force 51, which was formed by the U.S. Navy because the United Nations was totally ineffective in accomplishing that purpose.
I could go on and on. But the fact is, the United Nations is not only morally bankrupt in its leadership and efficiency, it is filled with fraud, waste, and, as noted, tremendous acts of violence through the peacekeeping armies it sends throughout the world. Yet we are going to have people say we shouldn't take some of that money away. We are not taking all the money away with this amendment anyway; we are just taking a small portion to pay for our bill.
We are going to have people actually vote to continue to do these things, instead of taking care of our veterans and not steal it from our children.
I heard Senator Tester speak about the wonderful things in this bill to help people who drive to VA clinics and VA hospitals. There is a better idea. If a veteran is deserving of care, give him a card. Let them go wherever they want. [Page: S11530] Why should they have to drive 160 miles, when they can get the care right down the street from somebody they trust and they know. But instead we say: We are going to promise you health care, but you can only get it here. Real freedom for our veterans--real health care for our veterans is to honor their commitment by saying: Here is your card, you served our Nation, go get your health care wherever you want. If you want to get it next door or if you want to go to the M.D. Anderson or Mayo Clinic, you can. You can go wherever you want because we are going to honor your commitment.
I recognize our VA hospitals have done a magnificent job in improving their care, but I will tell you the test for the VA hospital system is this: Go ask any doctor coming out of training who experienced part of their time in a VA hospital and ask them to choose for their family: Do you want your family treated at a VA hospital or somewhere else where you trained? Nary a one will pick a VA hospital because the care isn't as good. It is better, and it is getting better all the time, but it is not as good. So we are saying to veterans: Here is where you have to go, when what we should say is: Thank you for your service. Here is what we owe you. Go get care wherever you want to get it or wherever you think you can get the best treatment.
On prosthetics, the VA is the best in the world. Nobody compares. On post-traumatic stress disorder, they are the best in the world. Nobody can compare. They are underfunded in those areas. This bill is right on that. But the real commitment is to give the choice. The veteran fought for freedom. Give them the choice, the freedom to choose what they want for them.
Why is it important we change how the Senate operates in terms of making hard decisions? The reason it is important is there are millions of these little girls out there. I have five of them, five grandkids just like her. She has a little sign around her neck. She says: ``I am already $38,375 in debt and I only own a dollhouse.'' Of course, when you divide up the $12 trillion which we passed this week in directly owned debt; it doesn't count the billions--I mean the trillions--we have borrowed from Social Security and the other trust funds, such as the waterway trust fund and all these other organizations we have stolen from, it doesn't include that.
But that is for every man, woman, and child in this country. It is over $30,000 now, this year. I think when you look at her, you have to say, certainly, we ought to be making some changes. By the way, between now and 2019, that number goes to over $96,000 per man, woman, and child. But she is a child. This doesn't apply to veterans, but it applies to almost everything else we are doing.
This is what Thomas Jefferson said: The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work to give to those who would not.
If you think about what is happening in our country right now and how things are being shifted, what we are doing is, we are on the cusp of a dramatic change in our country in terms of balance. This huge bill, which I will talk about later, is a major move in that direction. Senator Byrd and I were talking this morning about this. In this bill is a 5-percent tax on cosmetic surgery. Just the day before yesterday, the U.S. Preventive Task Force Services recommended--because it is not cost effective--that women under 50 not get mammograms unless they have risk factors. You tell that to the thousands of women under 50 who were diagnosed with breast cancer last year with a mammogram. Tell them it is not cost effective. But also in this bill is a 5-percent tax on breast reconstruction surgery after they have had a mastectomy. They are going to tax having their breasts rebuilt after their breasts have been taken off because it is an ``elective'' plastic surgery. It is an elective cosmetic surgery. We are going to have a tax on it because we have taxed elective cosmetic surgery.
We are in trouble as a nation because we have taken our eye off the ball. I see the majority whip is back. I told him I would be happy to yield. At this time, I will reserve the remainder of my time and yield the floor to the majority whip.
Exhibit 1 Rebuttal of State Department Talking Points on Coburn Amendment 2785 The State Department Bureau of Legislative Affairs opposes the Coburn amendment to S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 (S. 1963). In its formal opposition, it lists a number of programs as reasons to support the U.N. and oppose the Coburn amendment.
Many of the programs and activities that the State Department listed have experienced severe problems in execution or are taking credit for activities by national governments or private entities. (Their document is after the rebuttal).
Below is a list of those ``accomplishments'' and facts that should be considered.
U.N. Contribution: Facilitating and holding elections in Afghanistan and Iraq (U.N. Secretariat).
Response: The United Nations cannot account for tens of millions of dollars provided to the troubled Afghan election commission, according to two confidential U.N. audits and interviews with current and former senior diplomats.
The Afghan election commission, with tens of millions in U.N. funding and hundreds of millions in U.S. funding, facilitated mass election fraud and operated ghost polling places.
``Everybody kept sending money'' to the elections commission, said Peter Galbraith, the former deputy chief of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. ``Nobody put the brakes on. U.S. taxpayers spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a fraudulent election.'' Galbraith, a deputy to the senior U.N. official in Afghanistan, was fired last month after protesting fraud in the elections.
As of April 2009, the U.N. spent $72.4 million supporting the electoral commission with $56.7 million coming from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction states that the United States provided at least $263 million in funding for the election.
In one instance, the United Nations Development Program paid $6.8 million for transportation costs in areas where no U.N. officials were present. Overall the audits found that U.N. monitoring of U.S. taxpayer funds was ``seriously inadequate.'' U.N. Contribution: Monitoring nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran.
Response: In 2002, the North Korean government used United Nations Development Program, UNDP, aid to purchase conventional arms, ballistic missiles. It also transferred millions of dollars in cash to the government of North Korea with no oversight of how the money was spent.
In September 2009, North Korea announced to the United Nations Security Council that it was almost complete in ``weaponizing'' nuclear materials from its nuclear reactor. Last week, North Korea announced the processing was complete.
As of this morning, Iran had rejected the U.N. offer to send enriched uranium out of the country to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
U.N. Contribution: Funding 17 U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, including those in Haiti, Liberia, Lebanon, Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Response: U.N. Peacekeeping operations plagued by rape and sexual exploitation of refugees--In 1994, a draft U.N. report was leaked detailing how peacekeepers in Morocco, Pakistan, Uruguay, Tunis, South Africa and Nepal were involved in 68 cases of rape, prostitution and pedophilia. The report also stated that the investigation into these cases is being undermined by bribery and witness intimidation by U.N. personnel.
In 2006, it was reported that peacekeepers in Haiti and Liberia were involved in sexual exploitation of refugees.
In 2007, leaked reports indicate the U.N. has caught 200 peacekeepers for sex offenses in the past three years ranging from rape to assault on minors. In all of these cases, there is no known evidence of an offending U.N. peacekeeper being prosecuted.
Just this month, Human Rights Watch reported that Congolese armed forces, supported by U.N. peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have brutally killed hundreds of civilians and committed widespread rape in the past three months in a military operation backed by the United Nations.
Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. Some were decapitated. Others were chopped to death by machete, beaten to death with clubs, or shot as they tried to flee.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission provides substantial operational and logistics support to the soldiers, including military firepower, transport, rations, and fuel.
The attacking Congolese soldiers made no distinction between combatants and civilians, shooting many at close range or chopping their victims to death with machetes. In one of the hamlets, Katanda, Congolese army soldiers decapitated four young men, cut off their arms, and then threw their heads and limbs 20 meters away from their bodies. The soldiers then raped 16 women and girls, including a 12-year-old girl, later killing four of them.
The U.S. now pays 27 percent of all U.N. peacekeeping operations. Reducing our contribution to these wasteful efforts could help ensure that U.N. peacekeepers are not funding widespread rape and exploitation of refugees.
U.N. Contribution: Compiling forecasts of global agricultural production, identifying areas of likely famine and risk of severe hunger, to facilitate emergency food assistance (FAO). [Page: S11531] Response: The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is currently hosting a U.N. food summit in Rome, where the opening speaker is Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. Mugabe is barred from travel to most Western countries because of his atrocious human rights record, but receives an exception for U.N. sponsored events. No G-8 leader attended the event save the Prime Minister of Italy, the host nation.
``The meeting was branded a failure within a couple of hours of its start after the 192 participating countries unanimously rebuffed the United Nations' appeal for commitments of billions of dollars in yearly aid to develop agriculture in poor nations.'' The U.N. Environment Program spends over $1 billion annually on global warming initiatives (and weighs in on its effect on agriculture) but there is almost no auditing or oversight being conducted. The U.N. Environment program has one auditor and one assistant to oversee its operations. According to the task force it would take 17 years for the auditor to oversee just the high-risk areas already identified in UNEP's work.
U.N. Contribution: Coordinating tsunami and earthquake relief projects in Indonesia and Pakistan (U.N. Secretariat/OCHA).
Response: The United States is the top contributor to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for funding disasters after they occur. In addition to billions in supplemental funding (above and beyond normal U.N. contributions) the United States military expends tremendous resources in money and personnel to be the first response for disaster aid.
U.N. Contribution: Coordinating efforts by global shipping industry and governments to prevent and respond to acts of piracy on the high seas (IMO).
Response: The key deterrence factor in combating piracy in Somalia is the creation of Task Force 151, which was formed by the United States Navy.
The United Nations has pushed the U.S. to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, the convention has no way to address piracy issues coming from failed states such as Somalia. Fighting piracy is being conducted by individual states patrolling their own waters and working with other nations to protect sea lanes that are in their national interest.
U.N. Contribution: Creating and maintaining systems to protect the intellectual property rights of American entrepreneurs (WIPO).
Response: Until last year, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO, was run by Dr. Kamil Idris, who was appointed to that position in 1997. According to an internal investigation, he falsified his U.N. personnel file to drop nine years from his age--making it possible to extend his time at WIPO and to extend his ability to obtain a lucrative benefit package, including a possible payout of more than $500,000. The scandal was first reported in a leaked U.S. State Department cable authored by former Secretary of State Rice. The cable also states that this official is suspected of using U.N. funds for personal items such as the construction of a swimming pool at his residence.
WIPO has also been criticized for its working culture under Dr. Idris's leadership, with a report by accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers citing high levels of absenteeism, incompetence and inadequate disciplinary measures.
U.N. Contribution: Enabling the delivery of mail around the world (UPU).
Response: The Universal Postal Union, UPU, which coordinates international postal policies among nations, was created in 1874 (renamed in 1878). Its creation predates the United Nations by 72 years.
United Nations Funding CAREGIVERS AND VETERANS OMNIBUS HEALTH SERVICES ACT OF 2009 (S. 1963) Senate Amendment: Senate Amendment No. 2758 submitted by Senator Coburn to S. 1963. To transfer funding for United Nations contributions to offset costs of providing assistance to family caregivers of disabled veterans.
Department Position: Oppose amendment.
Talking Points: U.N. assessed contributions fund a wide range of U.N. activities that support high U.S. foreign policy priorities. Some examples include: Facilitating and holding elections in Afghanistan and Iraq (U.N. Secretariat); Monitoring nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran (IAEA); Funding 17 U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, including those in Haiti, Liberia, Lebanon, Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo; Compiling forecasts of global agricultural production, identifying areas of likely famine and risk of severe hunger, to facilitate emergency food assistance (FAO); Coordinating tsunami and earthquake relief projects in Indonesia and Pakistan (U.N. Secretariat/OCHA); Detecting outbreaks of avian flu and H1N1 and other infectious diseases and defending against a world pandemic (WHO, FAO); Creating and maintaining systems to protect the intellectual property rights of American entrepreneurs (WIPO); Enabling the delivery of mail around the world (UPU); Coordinating international aviation safety standards (ICAO); Coordinating global use of electronic communications frequencies to ensure essential global telecommunications function smoothly (ITU); Coordinating efforts by global shipping industry and governments to prevent and respond to acts of piracy on the high seas (IMO).
Furthermore, the President has stated his commitment to paying U.S. dues to international organizations in full.
As Ambassador Rice has said, we meet our obligations. As we call upon others to help reform and strengthen the U.N., the United States must do its part--and pay its bills. Our dues to the United Nations and other international organizations are treaty obligations, and we are committed to working with Congress to pay them in full.
With the support of Congress, the U.S. has just cleared our arrears which accumulated over the past decade. The full payment of assessed contributions affects the standing and influence that the U.S. has at these organizations.
Going into arrears undermines U.S. credibility, particularly on matters dealing with budget, finance, and management of IOs, and negatively influences world opinion regarding U.S. respect and appreciation for the role of multilateral organizations that support and advance U.S. foreign policy. Arrears also have a real impact on the organizations, making it more difficult for these organizations to manage cash flows and execute budgets, and thus accomplish their missions.


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Mira Costa may pride itself on its pitching and defense, but its offense reared its head in a big way on Thursday afternoon.
Mira Costa pounded out 16 hits and had an 11-run fourth inning en route to a 15-1 victory over Los Altos in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs at Mira Costa High.
Mira Costa advances to the second round on Tuesday to play Quartz Hill at a location determined by a coin flip today.
It was Mira Costa's biggest run output of the season in a game not played against Leuzinger.
"It was just our day," Mira Costa senior catcher Austin Henning said.
That was what Henning was thinking when he was rounding the bases in the fourth inning after slugging a two-run homer to left-center field.
"I was just looking to keep the inning going and hit something hard," Henning said. "I got something extra, so I can't complain."
Keyon Allen went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs scored and sparked the offense with his speed as well.
In the first inning, Allen led off with a single and took second on the play when the center fielder had trouble fielding the ball. Allen scored from second off an errant throw on Kevin Lopez's bunt single.
Allen had an RBI single to right field that gave Mira Costa a 2-0 lead in the third inning. He had a two-run triple during Mira Costa's 11-run fourth inning.
"I've been putting in extra work hitting, and I felt good in the box," Allen said. "I just try to get on base and use my speed."
During Mira Costa's 11-run fourth, the team had 10 hits and took advantage of two errors. Garrett Wells had two singles in the inning, Gordon Cardenas had an RBI double and Braden Casady had a two-run triple.
Lopez, Wells and Cardenas each had two hits in the game for Mira Costa.
The offense overshadowed a fine defensive performance, particularly by Casady at third base. Casady made the play on six ground balls and Mira Costa did not make an error in the game.
Cardenas (6-3) was pulled after throwing four scoreless innings. He gave up four singles and a walk and had three strikeouts.
Chris Alcala allowed one run in two innings and Kevin Lopez threw a scoreless seventh. All three pitchers will be available on four days of rest on Tuesday in the second round.
"Cardenas has been better for us toward the end of the season," Mira Costa assistant coach Russell Kontos said. "He was spotting his fastball, curveball and changeup, and if he does that he's going to be tough to put up runs against."
Mira Costa added two runs in the fifth inning, sparked by pinch-hitter Greg Whitaker's RBI single.
Los Altos, the third-place team out of the Hacienda League, scored its run in the fifth on an RBI double by Esteban Ortega.
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The US announced it will return more than a dozen illegally smuggled dinosaur fossils to Mongolia.
The latest discovery includes two more Tyrannosaurus bataars, six Oviraptors and several Gallimimuses, BBC reported.
It follows the handing over to Mongolian officials on Monday of a 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus bataar, which was looted from the Gobi Desert.
US Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement the recovery of the "treasure trove of dinosaur fossils" is a significant step forward to restoring the Mongolian people's history.
"One cannot put a price tag on cultural artifacts or overstate the importance of their role in a country's history, and we are delighted to be moving the process of returning these fossils to Mongolia forward," he said.
The skeletons were recovered in a recent probe into the illegal importation of dinosaur fossils from Mongolia, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Mongolian government said it intends to open a dinosaur museum to display the skeletons.


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By Jordan Socran, email@example.com
Brick-and-mortar retailers have been faced with declining profits due to competition from Internet retailers, as well as declining consumer spending in an uncertain economy. Retailers now find themselves under assault by yet another threat – "Showrooming" – when consumers physically visit a store location, gather product information at the store, to eventually compare products, prices online and purchase the said product online for a lower price. This practice has grown exponentially since the explosion of smartphone technology, which enables consumers to use their mobile device and view pricing information instantaneously. The practice has led to a decrease in physical purchases from brick-and-mortar retailers and allowed online outlets with much lower overhead costs to continue to siphon business. Meanwhile retail locations are paying staff to answer questions about products and educate the consumer, yet can't lock in the sale.
Fortunately, the problem does have a solution. While the products purchased online and in-store may be exactly the same, brick-and-mortar retailers can differentiate their offerings by providing 24-hour premium technology support. Premium technical support services are already offered by many leading brick-and-mortar retailers. Best Buy has Geeksquad; Costco created Costco Concierge; Staples boasts EasyTech. The premium support provided by these retailers reminds us that consumers continue to patronize these businesses. With very few exceptions, businesses tend to stick to a very traditional and sometimes outdated "one-and-done" transactional approach that fails to capitalize on the growing demand for technology support, which can result in improved customer loyalty and optimized revenue.
The retailers mentioned above recognize the value of the user experience and research indicates expanding retailer services is a worthy investment. A recent Forrester report, "The Business Impact of Customer Experience, 2012," shows that companies with higher customer experience scores tend to demonstrate and drive higher customer loyalty. Premium technology support can improve the user experience, and address a specific growing need. As consumers adopt more complex technologies and seek support for their connected devices the retailer that is able to help them get the most from their technology and improve their experience post-purchase will ultimately build loyalty and win.
The first step to launching a premium support program is to examine the problem the business is trying to solve. Is showrooming resulting in less traffic to the store, driving costs and impacting revenues? Retailers would best determine this information by reaching out to existing contact centers and "bucketing" the types of calls they receive regarding products and services. Those buckets can then be analyzed and recurring patterns identified.
In parallel, an examination of existing technology must also take place. Is the business able to provide advanced customer support across all its channels whether in-store, online or mobile? Or, will the premium technology support service you want to provide require you to partner with a technology vendor that can help you increase revenues, reduce costs and deepen customer relationships? This is an especially important portion of the process to consider since more than a third of retailers are unable to respond quickly to customer demands due to outdated technology that is not integrated across all channels and services. Premium technology support enabled by a purpose-built technology can provide that one view on the customer to support customer demands and deliver seamless and consistent experience across channels and services.
Companies must then conclude if the best approach to developing its premium technology support service is to "build or buy." If a retailer has some form of call center support in place, should they use those existing resources? Or, would a retailer be better served by working with a premium technology support provider that can give answers to such fundamental yet difficult questions. The most successful premium technology support providers are the ones that can ultimately deliver the customer experience, provide quality of service and out-of-scope problem resolution, and at the very same time, help businesses lower their support costs. Can the business do all of this on its own?
Only after completing these steps can a retailer properly determine the best course of action for implementing an effective customer support program capable of combating showrooming.
Almost one billion connected devices were shipped last year and that number is expected to double by the second half of the decade. Retailers equipped to deal with the implications of these figures and make necessary changes to their business will be better positioned to expand existing customer relationships, gain new ones and maximize the bottom line. The benefits of offering premium technology support to customers and retailers that recognize this and plan accordingly will undoubtedly fair better than the competition.
Jordan Socran is VP business development at Radialpoint, which helps technology brands grow revenue by creating and managing white-label services businesses. He can be reached at email@example.com.
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Auditor: Bay getting low on cash
By Geoff Belcher
Jul 11, 2014, 20:16
Bay St. Louis has little money in its general fund and practically no reserve fund, an independent auditor told the city council on Tuesday, a problem which has Mayor Les Fillingame at odds with a couple of councilmen.
"There's been a downward trend in the total cash, especially the water and sewer fund and general fund," Mike Guel, CPA, of Gulfport-based auditing firm Wright, Ward, Hatten & Guel, told the council Tuesday, "so we'd like to see a reserve built so operations can continue over unexpected expenditures."
Guel, remarking on the city's 2013-14 audit report, said that by September, the city will have no more than $30,000 in its general fund. When Ward 6 Councilman Lonnie Falgout asked if the city has a reserve fund, Guel said "Oh, no."
The city's reserve fund, or lack thereof, has been an ongoing issue.
The state of Mississippi recommends that municipalities keep a reserve fund capable of paying three months' worth of bills. Most Coast cities comparable in size to Bay St. Louis keep about $2 million-$2.5 million in reserve.
In July 2013, Falgout and Ward 5 Councilman Joey Boudin balked when the mayor sought to use about $233,000 of the city's then-$250,000 reserve on the Main Street lighting project.
"There are all kinds of reserve funds," Fillingame said at the time. "It all depends on what these funds are for. ... Bay St. Louis never had a true reserve fund. You always want to keep more operating capital, sometimes there is just more trouble."
Guel said Tuesday that not having a healthy reserve fund could "put the city in jeopardy."
Falgout said Wednesday that the Fillingame administration "has put Bay St. Louis at a serious crossroad and what's on the other side is not good at all."
He said he fears that if the auditors report an "on-going concern" in the city's finances, the state may eventually step in to correct the situation.
Fillingame said Wednesday that Guel's report was serious, but offered nothing new or unexpected.
"Bay St. Louis is not in dire straits," Fillingame said. "The only thing that is really potentially going to be off the table if we don't address expenses is capital projects going forward.
"Most of the findings and most of the concerns in the audit report were from the shortness of cash towards the end of the last fiscal year, which actually caused us to fall behind on some of our bills. Everybody's been paid up-to-date now."
Fillingame said several factors have contributed to the problem, including the fact that FEMA did not provide expected reimbursements for Katrina-related projects; sales tax revenues continue to slide due to a lackluster economy; and gaming revenues are down Coast-wide.
The administration and the council have also had continuing debates over utility rates.
Currently, Bay St. Louis residents enjoy practically the lowest utility rates on the Coast, just a $35 fee based on a 3,000-gallon minimum usage; with a "step-up" fee of $3.80 per 1,000 gallons of additional usage. By comparison, Gulfport residents pay $43.70 for the 3,000 gallon-minimum, with a $10.45 step-up fee per 1,000 gallons of additional use.
City Clerk David Kolf pleaded with the council last month to adopt one of two options to counter the shortfall in utility revenues: Either add nine dollars to each customer's total utility bills, with an enhanced step-up fee; or a line-item increase to every customer's utility bill that could be removed once the debt service was paid.
The council voted the increase down four-to-three.
Both Falgout and Boudin said they wanted more time to go over the figures and explore other options.
"The council appears to be taking the position that Bay St. Louis's reputation as having the lowest utility rates and lowest property tax on the Coast is worth preserving at all costs," Fillingame said Wednesday, "and I don't necessarily agree with that.
"We can maintain operations like they are. Our biggest problem ongoing is coming up with funds for capital reserves (for) any major repairs coming up or any disaster.
Rev. Jeffery Reed, councilman for Ward 3, complained Tuesday about the city's dwindling sales-tax revenues. He pointed to other Mississippi communities similar in size to Bay St. Louis that had much higher incomes from sales tax.
Fillingame said Wednesday that he understood Reed's point, but "every city that he referenced is a major shopping hub that has ... all the big box retailers that cater to regional trade. Bay St. Louis is not blessed with any of those major retailers ... That's just he luck of the draw there. Ultimately, the I-10/603 interchange will probably develop and ultimately, we'll have some large retailers there, but we can only speculate what year that may occur. Every opportunity to solicit a new retailer, we do.
"Everything that we have set out to accomplish from a capital standpoint from the days immediately after Katrina has been achieved," Fillingame said. "Nothing has been left behind. Every project has been finished – within budget. From landscapes to splash pads, all the things that we have set out to accomplish for this little community have been done, at very little or no burden on the local taxpayers."
Unfortunately, he said, the time has come when more of the city's revenues will have to come from local pockets.
Boudin said Tuesday that he wants to consider every other viable option for reducing costs before raising any rates.
"I am looking forward to having the workshop with the auditors and then take
the necessary steps to make the city financially stable again," Ward 4 Councilman Bobby Compretta said. "We are going to have to cut expenses and raise revenue. We cannot keep trying to operate the city on the same revenue we did 10 years ago."
Guel told the council the complete 2013-14 audit report will be available for public viewing within a few days.
Falgout asked for a series of workshops for the council to hammer out the 2014-2015 budget, which must be complete by September. The council scheduled workshops on July 15 and 21 and Aug. 4 and 18.
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Teacher Bonuses Cut After Test Scores Decline
New York City's Department of Education doled out teacher bonuses this year that were a fraction of those it awarded last year, reflecting the plummeting of students' state test scores.
Out of nearly 200 participating schools, 26 won bonuses this year totaling $4.2 million. The largest award went to P.S. KO77 in Brooklyn, for $574,595. At the schools, each member of the United Federation of Teachers is eligible to receive as much as $3,000.
Over the summer, the state revised its definition of proficiency in English and math for elementary schools, resulting in far fewer New York City students reaching proficiency levels in state tests.
Last year, 162 schools won the bonuses for a total of $30.6 million.


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I will be running a new interview with one of the best MLB draft prospects 2010 has to offer each Sunday and Wednesday up until June, and you can click here to find an up to date archive of them all.
As always, you can friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter to get notice of when the newest interviews are put up, as well as to contact me with any questions or comments you might have.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Are you still 6'6", 225 lbs?
Jesse Biddle: I'm about 6'5½", and actually around 235 lbs right now. I started my freshman year at about 172 lbs and ever since then I've been growing. I think part of it is just my frame getting bigger as I've gotten older, but I've also been working really hard in the weight room to put on weight since the start of my sophomore year. That effort has really helped me out a lot.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Before we get to baseball, can you tell me a little about you and sports in general? Have you played any others?
Jesse Biddle: I was on my high school varsity basketball team as a freshman, and I played a lot of basketball growing up, but after freshman year I quit basketball just to focus on baseball.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Did you hit a growth spurt at a specific point, or have you always been a tall kid?
Jesse Biddle: Actually, when I was born I was the second heaviest baby in the hospital's history, weighing over 11 pounds – I think I was 11 lbs, 7 oz or something like that. My mom is a trooper! [Laughs] I was always a step ahead in height I think – you can look at the measuring wall where we kept my height and see it.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: When did it hit you that you were pretty good at baseball and could maybe do something with it?
Jesse Biddle: Well, when I was 11 years old I broke the homerun record in my Little League and then when I was 12 I wasn't allowed to pitch very much. I hurt my arm when I was 12, but before that, in one of my first times out, I almost hit a kid and it kind of scared people because I was throwing pretty hard. That made me realize that maybe I was pretty good, and then when I was 14 as an 8th grader my school team didn't let me pitch because it was too close – it was 50 feet. So I didn't get to pitch at all my 8th grade year, other than maybe two or three innings for the high school JV team. Then I tried out for this team called the Philadelphia Senators, who at the time were the #3 team in the country, and after making the team I flew down to Orlando the following week with them. That was when I kind of realized that maybe I do have a shot at this and maybe this is something I want to pursue as a career.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Do you remember the first time that you hit 90 MPH?
Jesse Biddle: I think it was my sophomore summer that it happened, because freshman year I was mid 80s, sophomore year I was high 80s, and then that summer I was finally able to get it up to 90 MPH.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Do you find it different playing baseball in the northeast when the majority of the other talked about draft prospects are from states like California, Texas, and Florida?
Jesse Biddle: You know, I think it is a lot different, I think that there are definitely a lot of things that are true about living in the northeast – it's April and it's still 50 degrees here, whereas in Florida it's beautiful, as always. I think that in the end though there really aren't any excuses. I understand that the kids from the west coast and the kids from Texas get to play a lot more, but I like to think that we're raised a little tougher, got a little tougher skin on us because we know how to pitch in the cold weather, you know? In that respect I think my arm has a little bit more left than some other people's because I haven't really thrown that many innings in my life compared to a lot of these prospects.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: What is it about Oregon that drew you completely across the country to play for the Ducks?
Jesse Biddle: Well, when I hit 90 MPH that sophomore summer, I actually played for this team called NorCal out in California. When I was 15 I had pitched against them down in Florida and we ended up losing 2-1 in extra-innings, but I threw really well and they offered me a spot on their team. I don't know why, but something that had always been intriguing to me was being recruited by and playing in the PAC-10, so when I got the opportunity to be out in that area I took advantage of it. I flew out there and stayed for seven or eight weeks in the summer and played with that NorCal team, and from there a lot of the PAC-10 schools saw me pitch and offered me scholarships, so being able to choose Oregon in the end was pretty awesome.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: What other schools were you considering out there?
Jesse Biddle: I visited North Carolina over here, and then I flew out with my family to visit Arizona State, Oregon State, and then Oregon. I was on the phone with a lot of different schools all over the country.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: How much have you thought about the draft? Some guys say that that it's the last thing on their mind before they go to sleep and some guys say that they're trying hard as hell to not even contemplate it. Where do you stand in that spectrum?
Jesse Biddle: I'm kind of in the middle. I don't want to say that it's the last thing on my mind before I go to sleep, because it's not. I see that it's something that I can't control because in the end I don't choose which team picks me – the only thing I can do is control how well I play. In the long run the thing I'm worrying about is how hard I'm working compared to the other guys, and the last thing in the world I want to have is regrets. If I don't get drafted as high as I think I should have, the last thing I want to say to myself is that I could've worked harder to get there.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: When you do allow yourself to dream, what is the image you get in your mind when you think about playing professionally?
Jesse Biddle: It seems perfect to me, you know? It's playing baseball for a living, playing it as a job, and in that respect I don't think there's any way to beat it. I know it's a grind and there's a lot of stuff about how you don't get paid that much, and it's everyday that you're going out there to play baseball, which some people are scared away by, but to me that's perfect – that's what I want.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: How many teams have you heard from?
Jesse Biddle: I've filled out questionnaires for all 30 of them, and I think I've had 24 come into the house.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Have you had contact with the Yankees?
Jesse Biddle: I played for the Yankees scout team over the summer in the Area Code Games, so I got to be really close with the main area scout from the northeast, Matt Hyde, and we still talk on the phone a lot – he's become a pretty good family friend. I also got to talk to some of the other area guys, too, so just being around the Yankees scouts I think they got a good feel for me, and I got a good feel for them. Also, when I was just down in Florida I got invited to go to the minor league spring training complex in Tampa. I got to hang out with the assistant scouting director, John Kremer, he showed my high school coach and me around the facility, and we got to sit down and watch a game. So I got to sit down with him, I got to sit down with the mental conditioning coach, and I got to sit down with the head of player development, Mark Newman. I talked to them, got to ask some questions, and they made playing for the Yankees sound like a pretty sweet deal. As far as I can tell, I haven't really seen an organization that handles its players better than the Yankees. There might be some that handle them equally, but as far as I can tell there's nobody better.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Did you throw for them?
Jesse Biddle: No, I just went around the complex. I had a start the next day that Mr. Kremer said he was going to come to, so I guess I threw for them then.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Can you give me a detailed description of your arsenal?
Jesse Biddle: My go to pitch is my four-seam fastball. I throw it about 90-93 MPH, sometimes I might touch 94 MPH, and I throw from a three-quarters arm-slot – I think that helps me get a little armside run to it. From there, I like to say that I have three pitches that I feel evenly about, but my curveball is the one that I probably feel a little more comfortable throwing, with two strikes or when I'm behind in the count. That's probably low to mid 70s depending how I throw it, and it's a 12-to-6 curveball. I've always had a pretty good feel for it, to be able to throw it for strikes, and it being a 12-to-6 is something that's always helped me a lot because that's pretty hard to teach. Then I have a slider that I've been working on, and I've only had it for a year now, but that's high 70s to low 80s when I throw it right. I'll throw it more to lefties when I'm ahead in the count, and then use a back-foot slider to righties to see if I can see if I can get a swing. I have a changeup, too, and that's high 70s to low 80s also. That's the one I used a lot this summer and it was really big for me, because just throwing 90 MPH doesn't mean these big hitters in these tournaments can't hit you. In high school ball a changeup is not really that important, but when the big guns are swinging the bats you've got to have an offspeed pitch to offset the fastball. I also have a two-seam fastball that I've been experimenting with, I don't use it a lot yet, but that's mid-to-high 80s. So those are my five pitches and I pretty much feel comfortable throwing all of them in any count, which I think is a big part of pitching.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Is the slider you're throwing of the hard, biting variety, or more slurvy? Also, what kind of change are you throwing?
Jesse Biddle: I'm still experimenting with the slider, I think I can throw both of them, but right now I'd say it's closer to a slurve. I'd like to be able to get it up into the mid-80s, but right now it's in the high-70s, low-80s until I get really comfortable with it. For my change I have a new grip that one of my advisors taught me, and he learned it from Pedro. I can't really explain it, but it's got a little bit of a two-seam action, it dips a lot, and it's really good to throw to a righty.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: You said you're sitting 90-93 MPH now, which is a little higher than you were last summer, correct?
Jesse Biddle: Yeah, last summer it really depended on the start. I didn't get many innings under my belt in my high school season so I was still kind of getting warmed up going into the summer. This year I'm sitting in the low 90s and hit 94 MPH in my last start, which is pretty good, and I just want to keep on ramping it up. It's still cold here, but that's alright [laughs].
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: What is your personality on the mound?
Jesse Biddle: I used to be one of those kids listening to hardcore rap before games and really getting into it, but what I saw was that I'd get out there throwing as hard as I could but I couldn't find the strikezone. So now I have a different pregame ritual, I like to be really calm out on the mound and not have anything faze me, because when you're out there you never know what's going to happen. When things are going your way it's really easy to be hyped and all that stuff, but that doesn't happen every time. I like to think that I'm really even-keeled out there – when things are going bad I'm able to stay focused, and that's when I get even tougher.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Is it safe to assume you are a Phillies fan?
Jesse Biddle: Yes, big-time Phillies fan. I live in Philly, and I've lived in the same house my whole life, so it's hard not to be a Phillies fan. Especially now that they're pretty good, which is cool, but yeah – I go to Phillies games; I do the whole thing, I'm a big Phillies fan.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: So, after last fall, it had to hurt a little going to Tampa for that visit, huh?
Jesse Biddle: [laughs] Wearing a Yankees hat over the summer was tough. I think that as much as I don't like the Yankees as a fan, I can get over that pretty quickly. I actually went to a couple of those World Series games in Philly, and as much as there's this whole thing about the Yankees really not doing it the right way by buying all their players, the way I see it is that they really buy ballplayers; guys that know how to play the game. From that perspective you've got to respect the team and the guys on it.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Who are the players that you look up to for their skills or the way they play the game?
Jesse Biddle: As a Phillies fan I think it's easy to say that the way Cliff Lee pitched in the postseason last year was the best. I mean, that's the guy I look up to the most, for the way he handled it in his interviews after he threw a complete game shutout. He was so relaxed it didn't even seem like it was a big deal to him – it was like he expected to do it, and when he did it he just said "that's what I came here to do, that's why I worked hard, and I just wanted to help the team win". I think that's the best way to approach it. When I was growing up, and this is probably an unorthodox answer, but my dad always showed me video of Steve Carlton. He was just an intense guy that didn't let anybody walk all over him, and being lefty he was someone I really emulated. I obviously didn't see him live, but watching video and seeing clips of him talking has made him someone I try to model myself after.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: If you could steal one pitch from any other pitcher in your draft class, whose would it be and why?
Jesse Biddle: I'm going to say Jameson Taillon's curveball. I mean, when I went to National team trials, and when I was Jameson's roommate at the tournament of stars, I didn't really know who he was. Then I saw him pitch and obviously he's pretty impressive, but when we went down to the national team trials he threw five perfect innings in his outings, and just hearing the best hitters in the country talk about his curveball, they were basically saying they had no shot. I don't think you can really ask for anything more than that.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Who is the toughest hitter you have faced.
Jesse Biddle: I'm going to say Sean Coyle from Pennsylvania. We've kind of always been battling - we grew up in the same area, so I've always had to pitch to him. He's definitely the toughest out I've had all year. I was able to get most of the other guys out, but he really battles with me, and we both kind of have a personal thing with it. We're good friends, but we kind of want to one up each other on the field, so he's probably the toughest guy.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Have you heard of scouts making any comparisons with you?
Jesse Biddle: I've heard some people compare me to Andy Pettitte, and I don't know how concrete those lines are between us, but it's obviously a good comparison – I'll take it! I've also had someone compare me to Brian Matusz of the Orioles, and another guy compared me to David Holmberg, a 2nd round pick of the White Sox last year.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: Given that everyone wants their team to win as much as possible, What is the biggest thing you want to focus on as an individual this season?
Jesse Biddle: My biggest focus is work hard and get better. That's obviously what everybody wants to do, but my main goal is to throw harder. The biggest thing for me is to keep adding velocity and that will allow me to move myself up the draft board. That's the one thing I know a lot of scouts want to see from me. I've taken a step in the right direction so far, and I've got to keep going forward.
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: What do you like to do away from the field?
Jesse Biddle: I'm not really any different than a lot of teenagers. I like to hang out with my girlfriend, I hang out with my friends a lot, but I try to get my work in every day, too. I've made sacrifices in my personal life, as a lot of these guys have, but I'm still a big family guy – I love hanging out with my family and I've been blessed by that. In the end I don't do anything too special though [laughs]
Kevin Levine-Flandrup: What is it like being 18 years old and having these amazing opportunities in front of you, yet trying to balance the pressure associated with them with just being an ordinary teenager?
Jesse Biddle: First of all it's good. This is what I'm working so hard for and this is what I've wanted my whole life – to be able to make this decision. I go to a private school that's one of the top academic schools around, and a lot of my friends have really been freaking out about going to college because that's the biggest thing around here – going to an Ivy League school or something like that. I committed to Oregon last February or March, so I've known where I'm going to school for a very long time, and the biggest thing for me now is to be able to help my friends out through their process and be a good friend. I'm the kind of guy that doesn't talk about himself, I rarely talk about my baseball unless I'm asked about it, so to balance my situation out I just try not to think about it that much, because, as I said before, it's something I can't control. In the long run I'm going to end up playing professional baseball no matter what – at least that's the way I see it – whether it's in three years or in a couple of months, so either way it's the same result. For me it's good to see it that way, because it keeps my mind off just how big a decision it's going to be.
2010 MLB Draft Q&A: Jesse Biddle
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text: reinmacre June 19, 2014 12:10 AM Good that Jonathan won his maiden WSBK race in Misano. Surprising that after completely running away from everyone in Imola, JR65 struggled so much the following two rounds. Is this attributable to bike setup and the strengths and weaknesses of the Fireblade? One would have to think so. Reply Report abuse 1 agree 0 disagree


text: Gorgeous clothes, tons of parties, star sightings city-wide — what's not to love about Fashion Week? Well, the prices, for one thing. We might fall madly in love with a dress right off the runway, but we'd be mad to shell out $3,000 for it, no? That's why we've taken to the Internet in search… READ MORE »


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i guess the subject says it all. anyone had any luck running m0n0 on the
above CPU ? it seems to be supported under freebsd, but upon the boot
process consistently fails at autoboot. loading kernel and mfsroot both
work fine.
any clues and help is much appreciated.
Regards, /\_/\ "All dogs go to heaven."
dinesh at alphaque dot com (0 0) http://www.alphaque.com/
| for a in past present future; do |
| for b in clients employers associates relatives neighbours pets; do |
| echo "The opinions here in no way reflect the opinions of my $a $b." |
| done; done |


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Secular trends of nasopharyngeal carcinoma incidence in Singapore, Hong Kong and Los Angeles Chinese populations, 1973–1997
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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare cancer in most parts of world, but rather common in Southern China and Southeast Asia. This study used IARC published datasets to explore the secular trends of incidence rates of NPC among different Chinese populations in Singapore, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, over the time period 1973–1997. We observed great disparity in the risks and time trends of NPC in those selected Chinese populations. The highest risk was in Hong Kong where the incidence rates have declined rapidly throughout the whole study period in both males and females. For Singapore Chinese, the incidence rates also dropped recently in both genders, but the low incidence rates in Los Angeles Chinese have remained essentially unchanged over time. We further assessed the contribution of period and cohort effects to the observed trends in Hong Kong and Singapore populations through age-period-cohort modeling and found that an age-cohort model provided the best fit to the data in both populations, although for Singapore females a simple age-drift model fit the data well. There was a statistically significant decrease in the drop in incidence of NPC for cohorts born around 1940 in Hong Kong and 1958 in Singapore. This indicates that environmental and lifestyle changes play an important role in the declining incidence of NPC over time.


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Back to School After Amazing Vacation
Parents need to prepare their children well before returning back to school after a long holiday break. With some proper planning, your kids would be able to transition well both socially and mentally. Moreover, studies show that those who assist their young ones get back to school often get better results come end-semester. Discussed below are some ways this can be done:
- Help the student develop a study timetable 2 weeks prior to opening day. This would help him get prepared mentally for the hard work ahead. Furthermore, most schools tend to give assessment tests a few days after the students come back from holiday. Those who read before sitting for these exams stand a better chance of passing.
- Buy all supplies that would be needed in school. It's appropriate to get them early enough to avoid the typical last minute rush. Also, make a list of all the things you require so as to avoid overspending. In most cases, students who are in boarding school would need more supplies than the day scholars. Apart from common study materials such as books, these students would also require living materials like foodstuff, new uniforms and personal hygiene products.
- Give your kids some time to socialize with friends and say a few last-minute wishes. Returning back to school may cut your kids off from seeing close buddies for a while. Therefore, allow them some time to mingle appropriately so that they can have some psychological peace once they go back to school.
Moving on, there are some college students who pursue their education in foreign countries. Such learners need a special plan on how they would start the semester. Below are some tips to consider when preparing for a new scholarly term.
- Check that your visa and passport documents have been renewed. This is very important since the host country cannot allow anyone into their territory unless these two items are provided. Students can get their documents by visiting the foreign country's official embassy.
- Go for a professional health check-up. This would help you identify any minor illnesses that need to be treated before leaving the country. Remember that some nations actually require visitors to present a clean medical record before stepping into their land.
- Ensure your credit card is functional. You need enough money to survive as a student in any foreign country. Nevertheless, most people prefer using international cards for their transactions rather than carrying paper money. It's also much safer to use them especially when handling big cash sums. Most Visa and MasterCard's can be used to make transactions from international ATMs, so long as the teller machine is approved by either of these brands. The best thing about plastic money is that it can be used to make transactions in local currency, therefore saving the student time that could have otherwise been wasted visiting an exchange bureau.
- Book a cheap hostel before leaving the country. Nowadays this is possible with the help of internet connectivity, just compare the prices of different accommodations and choose one that best suits your needs. Moreover, ensure that there's enough security where you would be staying. American students can also register for ESTA. This is a special visa waiver program that assesses the suitability of foreigners to visit US.


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Drogheda stands beautifully in a deep valley through which flows the Boyne Water, spanned by one of the finest viaducts in Europe.
At a Parliament held by him at Drogheda two acts were passed.
The Four Masters tell us it was the monks of Drogheda who had expelled him from the abbacy for his own crime.
The blow that had desolated Drogheda and Wexford did not need to be repeated.
What has been said of Dublin and Drogheda applies to the other cities and towns of Ireland.
Opposite this tavern lived Wycherly, with his wife, the Countess of Drogheda.
Cromwell began his career in Ireland by massacring for five days the garrison of Drogheda, to whom quarter had been promised.
Drogheda, in Ireland, taken by assault by the English, under Cromwell.
He meant Mellifont, near Drogheda; but there was no monastery at Mellifont for nearly five hundred years afterwards.
The outbreak at Drogheda was as sudden and disastrous as at Sligo.


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Clartickus Ladradorwrote a review of Deuter Kid Comfort III Carrier on July 11, 2012
Still the Best
The review from "Clartikus" below is mine, and I just wanted to post a quick update. This carrier still looks like new even after frequent use and abuse - we use our KCIII weekly during the summer, and it provides a lot of room for baby to grow. The build quality is excellent, the colors and materials look sharp, and we couldn't be happier with our purchase.
A friend of mine purchased the Osprey Poco Premium, and I got to run it through a few test hikes to see how it compared to the KCIII. There are definitely a few features on the Osprey that I would love to see integrated into the KCIII (such as the padded frame to prevent your child from being squished if you fell on your back somehow; the detachable daypack; the diaper-changing pad; the nice soft material throughout the cockpit; and most importantly the extra packing space available by extending the kickstand). While these features are definite wins for the Osprey, I still prefer the KCIII for safety (they are equally comfortable to wear and both have high build qualities). The higher headrest on the KCIII is what sells me on the Deuter over the Osprey - it's just safer, does a better job of protecting my babies' heads from low hanging obstacles and any spills I might take.
I'm very impressed with both packs, but we've purchased two KCIIIs and loved being a double-Deuter family. If we bought a third, it too would be a KCIII.
I'm glad to see so much innovation in this field - things can only get better from here! :)