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Visas: Everywhere You Want to Be?
A visa is a legal document that a foreign national gets at a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. The visa is printed onto the foreign national's passport or travel document. The visa gives the foreign national permission to seek entry into the United States. However, it does not guarantee entry into the United States. The foreign national will be inspected at a port of entry, such as an airport, before being legally admitted to the United States.
Visa Categories: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
There are two general categories of visas: immigrant and nonimmigrant. An immigrant visa allows a person to enter the United States with the intention of staying in the United States permanently. A person who receives an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy abroad has six months to travel to the United States and seek entry. Once the person is admitted, he or she becomes a permanent resident of the United States and will receive a green card shortly thereafter.
A nonimmigrant visa is given to a foreign national who only intends to stay in the United States temporarily and for a specific purpose. For example, an F-1 visa (student visa) is given to someone who intends to study in the United States and then return to his or her home country.
It should be noted here that the consular officer at the embassy or the customs and border officer will assume that the foreign national has immigrant intent when applying for a nonimmigrant visa. In other words, it is assumed that the foreign national plans to stay in the United States permanently. It is up to the foreign national to prove that he or she plans to stay in the United States temporarily and will only do activities allowed by the visa. Certain nonimmigrant visas like the speciality occupation H-1B visa allow for dual intent. For example, with respect to this visa category, the foreign national could have both the intention of staying temporarily or staying permanently by having the employer sponsor him or her for permanent residence (a green card).
As stated above, simply getting a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. For example, let's say that Joan obtains a nonimmigrant visitor visa (B-1/B-2). Joan is inspected at the airport and it is discovered that she intends to marry her U.S. citizen fiancé and stay permanently in the United States. Joan could be denied entry because her intention to stay permanently goes against the purpose of the visitor visa. She could also be denied entry if it were discovered that she got her visa by fraud or providing false information at the U.S. embassy in her home country.
Let's say, on the other hand, that Joan married her U.S. citizen fiancé in her home country. Her husband now petitions for her so that she can immigrate to the United States. After she is interviewed at the U.S. embassy in her home country, she gets an immigrant visa. As long as there aren't any other reasons to deny her entry into the United States when she shows up at the airport, Joan will be able admitted as a permanent resident and receive her green card shortly thereafter.
The Visa Waiver Program: Foreign Nationals Who Don't Need a Visa
There are certain foreign nationals who do not need a visa to enter the United States.The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows nationals of 37 participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without getting a visa. For more about the Visa Waiver Program, click here.
Citizens of Canada and Bermuda are not participants of the Visa Waiver Program. However, citizens of these countries do not need visas to enter the United States except for certain travel purposes. For more information about citizens of Canada and Bermuda, click here.
To learn more about visas, including how to read and understand a visa, click here.
Immigration Green cards US visas Non-immigrant visas Immigrant visas B-1 business visa Student visas F-1 visa for students B-2 tourist visa Immigrant status Fraud Spousal immigration
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Lives in Tongeren, Belgium
Has a website at http://www.bokehs.be
Joined on Mar 2, 2009
|Total: 4, showing: 1 – 4
That's a very interesting article.
I agree it's somewhat unlikely that they would actually put a dSLR on the market. That's not a product that would fit in their philosophy of design. Or let me put this another way: that's not what Jobs would have wanted.
I don't see them implementing optical zoom into iPhones, at least not until that technology gets a lot more compact. The option of getting a Nokia Pureview kind of system seems more viable.
The scenario that seems most likely to me is that they invest a lot of R&D into sensor-design and camera unit performance and try to expand the quality of iPhonography.
It would be very cool if designers were be able to come up with a replacable battery ring around lenses to give your body extra power for an extra couple of hundred shots. With this kind of technology that should really be possible.
Great article and interesting pictures.
|Total: 4, showing: 1 – 4

subset: commoncrawl


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Romney backers help Pawlenty erase campaign debt
WASHINGTON – More than half the political donations Republican Tim Pawlenty received since ending his White House bid came from Mitt Romney's donors, who helped erase the campaign debt of a politician whose early exit and endorsement boosted Romney, a USA TODAY analysis shows.
Pawlenty, who owed more than $435,000 to consultants, staffers and others last September, announced Tuesday he had paid off all remaining debts and was shutting down his campaign account.
"It was truly an honor to run for president of the United States. Mary and I will be forever grateful to the many supporters who inspired and sustained the campaign," Pawlenty said in a statement. "I am also glad we were able to pay all campaign debts and wind down the campaign properly."
Romney loyalists, including 11 members of his family, several key fundraisers, his campaign aides and employees of the private-equity firm he helped create, donated more than $330,000 to Pawlenty since Aug. 14 when he withdrew from the race after a third-place finish in Iowa's straw poll, according to the USA TODAY analysis. The former Minnesota governor endorsed Romney less than a month later.
Pawlenty, who coined the term ObamneyCare to slam Romney's health plan only to decline to use the word to Romney's face during the first major GOP primary debate, has emerged as one of Romney's leading surrogates, launching sharper attacks against Romney's rivals than he did as a candidate.
Earlier this year, for instance, Pawlenty denounced former House speaker Newt Gingrich to reporters as a Washington "influence peddler." During an appearance on Fox News last week, Pawlenty urged another Romney rival, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, to "get real" and drop out of the race.
"It makes sense they are helping him repay his debt," said Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Maine, said of Pawlenty. "He has been a loyal soldier."
Writing checks to Pawlenty also gives Romney's donors, many of whom have given the maximum $2,500 primary-election donation to Romney's campaign, another way to demonstrate their support for the former Massachusetts governor, Corrado said.
The USA TODAY analysis found that more than 160 Romney donors contributed after Pawlenty ended his campaign. They include Romney's five sons, his campaign manager Matt Rhoades and dozens of prominent supporters, including Robert "Woody" Johnson IV, the owner of the New York Jets football team and a top Romney fundraiser.
"I was happy to help Gov. Pawlenty when he decided to withdraw and end his campaign," said Mel Sembler, a Florida developer raising money for Romney. Sembler gave $2,500 to Pawlenty last year. "Did I give him money to secure his endorsement? No."
Charlie Spies, who runs a super PAC aiding Romney's campaign, donated $250 a few weeks after Pawlenty endorsed the former Massachusetts governor. Spies, the CFO of Romney's 2008 campaign, said Pawlenty "ran an honorable campaign and didn't deserve to be stuck with debt."
Spies said no one on the Romney team urged him to donate but said Pawlenty's endorsement "certainly made me want to help him more."
Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul declined to comment.
Last week, Romney said he hasn't asked any of his GOP rivals to withdraw. But he added that he hopes "we're able to resolve our nomination process as soon as possible."
Corrado expects Romney's donors may not prove so generous to Gingrich and other opponents who have helped turn the GOP primary into the longest-running nomination battle in a generation.
"After a divisive and combative race, it's difficult to get your supporters to turn around and support your rival," Corrado said.
Gingrich's campaign has been buoyed by more than $16 million in donations to a super PAC from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his family. But he is likely to have a significant financial hole when the nomination battle ends. Gingrich has cut back staff. On Sunday, Gingrich told Fox News that he has nearly $4.5 million in debt.
Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said the GOP primary race isn't ending anytime soon.
"The reason the campaign scaled down was so it could operate within its means," he said. "We're not getting out. He's in the race until Tampa," Hammond said, referring to the party's national convention.
Posted | Updated


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Eye defocusArchives Forums/General Discussion/Eye defocus
| ...recently i brought Luxor for my PSP, and i really like that game...however, after playing it for about 45 minutes, i notice that my right eye went out of focus a bit so i see blurry image instead of normal...i never had any issues with my eyes, so i drop PSP and leave it for a while and my eye came back to normal for about 10 minutes...i tried again, for purpose of testing, and same thing happen again....now i got curious, since thats happening only when i play Luxor on PSP, everything else is just fine...so...i asked my gf Yoshi to give it a try, and poop...she got same thing as i did...then we asked her bro, he got same thing...im wondering whats that thing? Have you guys ever had such thing? Or it is some weird color phenomena with Luxor and all colored balls around in motion?
| i get the same problem when i play games for 5+ hours in a row.
| I sometimes get that, among other things, when I stay up for 36+ hrs.
| Never had a problem like that. However, I can adjust the focus of my eyes very easily- helps when nearby fat or ugly people.
| I haven't experienced that with games but if I spend an hour or more taking lots of photographs with an SLR camera, one of my eyes sometimes ends up out of focus for a while from squinting into the viewfinder.
Slightly off-topic but I've also noticed that if you wear 3D anaglyph (red/cyan) glasses for a long time, your brain (knowing that the colour information from each eye should be the same) actually starts to 'correct' the colours. When you take off the glasses, your view through the eye that had the blue filter in front of it has a red cast and vice versa with the other eye. So I guess if you spent some time wearing the glasses upside down, when you took them off you might be able to see anaglyph images in 3d with the naked eye for a while. I don't recommend trying it though.
| the guy afaik only known as "3D" from back to the future must have had one hell of a headf**k each scene break
derek jacobi in twin peaks had red/blue tinted glasses but a wearer of tinted glasses myself just cos they look as dark on the outside as 3d glasses dont mean they are going to be as dark looking out
id love to have a pair just to see how real an assumption that really is
mine are sort of an opaque black/brown but white is still white just a bit dimmer
my brother had blue (more cyan) tints i couldnt wear them as i had a different pescription but although blurry the world wasnt cast in a cyan tint ... he was colour blind though so god knows what he saw :))
i found wearing my "going out" glasses at work was handy as i was nigh on eyeball level to a strip light for most of the working day and it kinda difused it somewhat
i can cycle safely in the dark wearing them as i no longer wear 'normal' glasses
but i do get the "it aint sunny enough for shades" comments ... and these have no uv coating no matter how much like sun glasses they look
and no i dont think ive f**ked up my vision even more by wearing them ... im almost blind without em (ok a stretch) but its safer for me to wear em than not at all
I haven't experienced that with games but if I spend an hour or more taking lots of photographs with an SLR camera, one of my eyes sometimes ends up out of focus for a while from squinting into the viewfinder.
my dad used to wear an eye patch for long term camera use* ... i found it hard keeping the other eye closed and without my glasses on the open other eye would be too out of focus to really help trying to focus with my short sighted camera eye
tis another reason why i use the lcd for framing on my digital slr-esque camera how can you tell its in focus when the eye your looking through is naturally out of focus and glasses get in the way
*this also came in handy for snipers he told me
but when removed the patched eye would be ultra light sensitive comared to the normal one
but when removed the patched eye would be ultra light sensitive comared to the normal oneThis happens to me when I wear my eyepatch. Sure confused me the first time.
| I sometimes (fairly rarely) get this phenomena when i have been coding the whole night straight and am tired the next day. Both eyes go out of focus until i shake my head and it goes away. Only happens when i am thinking of something else (daydreaming on the job)
| I think it's fairly well documented that you should take a break from a screen every hour or so. I would suspect the PSP thing is probably due to it being a small screen and focussing on a small object for 45 minutes straight.
Anyway, for you own health, I would suggest taking a break from the screen more often.
| D4NM4N: Same here, but I'm less tired now and healthier and it happens less.
| It's possible to screw up your vision by doing any sort of repetitive task, sitting at a PC screen is bad simply because your eyes are focusing up close for long periods. After a day's coding I often have blurry vision if I happen to drive, for about 5 mins till my eyes get used to long range again. Reading a book is just as bad, if not slightly worse.
It's of no surprise the nerdy book worm stereotype who is wearing glasses and the overweight truck driver who isn't wearing glasses. Driving for long periods is great exercise for your eyes, continually focusing on traffic at different lengths and directions, speedometer etc, lots of flexing for your eye lense muscles constantly.
(Of course not good for the waist though sitting for long periods and eating convenience foods out on the road)
I recommend setting your computer up near a window, preferable so you can move your eyes around your monitor and look into the street/back garden easily. That way you can continually be looking outside like say when your code is compiling or when something flashes past. Good eye exercise without needing to take a break. I like to look down the corridor or the posters at the other end of my room.
Sure it's a bit of distraction but what's more important a bit of loss of work, or your eye sight?


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1. You should check out Stephen Witmer's church blog. Stephen is a bright, godly pastor in Pepperell, MA who has a PhD from Cambridge and training under John Piper. As a fellow New Englander, I am really excited to see what the Lord does through the ministry of his church in coming days. He just started blogging, but has already written a number of very thoughtful posts.
2. Can I say something about "The Office?" The show, which started as promisingly as any other and continued on that promising vein for two seasons, has tanked. Why is it that Michael Scott, who used to be uproariously needlesome, now cries for 10 minutes every episode? And why do the writers expect us to feel so deeply about a relationship that lasted for about three weeks?
Furthermore, why have Dwight and Jim lost all their zip? And why did they select Karen in season three as Jim's new squeeze? That generated absolutely no heat. The writers squandered a great opportunity to give Pam a real competitor for Jim's affections. The Angela-Andy thing went absolutely nowhere. The writers also let Pam and Roy's relationship, with all the tension built in, fizzle out with barely a mention. The Jim-Pam relationship is a dead fish these days; they make eyes at each other, but they have very little spark. If you don't believe me, watch season one, where they had explosive chemistry and the drama was amazing.
In short, the show is embarrassingly bad these days and often gross and sometimes inappropriate. It's still good compared to most of what's on tv, but it pales in comparison to what it used to be, when the Jim-Pam-Roy love triangle generated a lot of heat, when Michael wasn't a wimpy, weeping, anesthetized version of his hilarious, overbearing, awkward self, and when the writers didn't rely on ridiculous low-brow humor like cats in heat. Give me a break. As one who has loved this show and talked it up to lots of poor, unsuspecting people, it pains me to say: writers and producers, please, just end it all. Your show is a shadow of what it used to be.
3. John Piper has publicly pointed out that Yale is offering the Works of Jonathan Edwards online for free. I have been using this resource for months now in my work on a five-volume series on Edwards that I'm writing with Doug Sweeney, and I can tell you I was astonished when I stumbled on this offering by accident some months ago. It's way too good to be true. But there's no catch. It's all there, it's easily searchable, and it's free. Incredible resource, and one that pastors and thoughtful Christians should consult extensively.
4. Less than two weeks until Union University's conference on "Making Men Moral" in honor of conservative scholar Robbie George. I can't wait. See if you can join us for a high-level event featuring several of the best conservative minds around.
–Have a great and spiritually rich weekend, all.


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Conventional wisdom has predicted that once Wall Street's troubles manifest themselves in job losses, the office market will begin to feel the heat. And last month saw Lehman Brothers announce it will lay off 5 percent of its global workforce, along with JPMorgan's stunning purchase of Bear Stearns, with predictions that at least one-third of the bought-out firm's 14,000 employees will get cut.
Adding to the grim news last month:
Citigroup reportedly said it would cut another 2,000 jobs, on top of a January announcement of 4,200 layoffs. The layoffs, mostly in its investment banking unit, will largely affect the bank's New York and
London offices.
And more pain is expected to be on
the way.
"We haven't seen the major shakeout in job numbers yet," said Robert Sammons, managing director of research at Colliers ABR. "I don't know when we will, but I expect it will be in the next couple of months."
But job cuts or no, vacancy rates have already seen a rise in Midtown, Midtown South and Downtown in February from the month before.
The borough's vacancy rate was up 40 basis points to 5.2 percent in February, from 4.8 percent the month before, according to data from CB Richard Ellis. It was still slightly lower than its rate of 5.4 percent in February 2007.
Asking rents also increased in all three markets, according to the data. Experts say that a lag exists between when space comes on the market and when rents soften to reflect the surplus. Another possible explanation for strong rents in the face of rising vacancy is that concessions, such as months of free rent or construction allowances, are already reducing the effective rent tenants pay without changing the recorded asking price per square foot.
The average asking rent in Manhattan was up 67 cents to $69.56 per square foot in February, from $68.89 per square foot the month before. It was up almost $13, over 22 percent, from $56.64 per square foot in February 2007, according to CBRE's statistics.
Citigroup, iStar Financial and Bear Stearns are expected to dump a combined 610,000 square feet of space onto the market in the near future, according to Crain's New York. The publication also reported that after its announced layoffs, Lehman Brothers could unload around 400,000 square feet of office space.
"The good news is, there hasn't been an overabundance of new construction in the commercial market recently," said Michael Heaner, managing director of the Kaufman Organization. He suggested that the lack of new space will act as a cushion and "facilitate a fast recovery" in the likely event of vacancy increases (see related story on page 86).
Meanwhile, speculation abounds as to what JPMorgan will do with the 1 million square feet of office space it has garnered in the trophy of 383 Madison Avenue that came in the Bear Stearns deal. Sammons, who is not personally involved with JPMorgan, guessed that even with the firm's expected layoffs, JPMorgan would be more likely to occupy such a "coveted space" than to sublease it, and would first rent out at its other locations or at secondary Bear Stearns office buildings received in the trade.
Manhattan's leasing activity was down to 1.32 million square feet in February, from 2.20 million the month before. It was 1.15 million square feet in February 2007.
"[Tenants'] sense of urgency in the leasing market that we saw six to nine months ago has subsided, and there is a little more patience out there," said David Menaged, director of Adams & Co. Real Estate. "In the first quarter, we have seen more space in all sizes become available — we are no longer in a frenzied market."
Menaged said that the cooling demand will result in downward pressure on asking rents, with a full recovery of Manhattan's market in a time frame of two years.
Leasing activity in Midtown was down to 1.02 million square feet in February, from 1.77 million square feet the month before, according to CBRE data. It was down from 1.15 million square feet in February 2007.
The average asking rent in Midtown
was up 35 cents in February to $84.27 per square foot, from $83.92 the month before, and up from $68.32 in February 2007, CBRE reported.
The vacancy rate went up to 4.7 percent in February, from 4.5 percent in January. Midtown's vacancy rate was 4.8 percent in February 2007.
Midtown South
Midtown South's average asking rent leapt $1.85 between January and February, to $52.94 per square foot. In January, the average was $51.09, after a $1.16 drop from the month before, according to CBRE.
Industry experts told The Real Deal that Midtown South was the office market with the most promising near-term prospects. Heaner said the Kaufman Organization is "very bullish on Midtown South," and Menaged agreed that it is the healthiest market. "Tenants continue to consider this area very desirable due to its great access to transportation, affordable rents and quality buildings," Heaner said.
Leasing activity fell to 130,000 square feet in February, from 210,000 the month before, according to CBRE's report. The vacancy rate climbed to 6.5 percent in February, up 40 basis points from 6.1 percent in January, CBRE reported. The rate was 5.3 percent in February 2007.
Downtown's leasing activity fell to 160,000 square feet in February from 220,000 square feet the month
before, and 510,000 square feet a year before, according to CBRE's report.
The vacancy rate in Downtown was up 80 basis points in February to 5.7 percent. It was 4.9 percent in January 2008 and 7.1 percent in February 2007.
The average asking rent was $48.91 per square
foot, up from $47.64 per square foot in January, and
$42.44 per square foot in February 2007, according to CBRE statistics.


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MCKEE-L ArchivesArchiver > MCKEE > 2002-01 > 1011449532
Subject: [MCKEE] Re: William Mckee,James Mckee
Date: 19 Jan 2002 07:12:12 -0700
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
Message Board Post:
We do have a William and James McKee in our family tree in Ohio the early 1800's. William was born May 31, 1797. His brother James was born Oct 25th 1807. They are the sons of a John McKee. Unfortunately, John, James and William in the McKee Clan are probably the most common names. They had a hierarchy of naming children. First Boy after Fathers Father etc.
We have some indication that this branch of the McKee Clan came from Virginia in the very early 1800's. William and James mother was Elizabeth Reed. She remaried in Ohio in about 1820, so we think that John sr. died abt. 1815.
This thread:


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|Sport, 1 pitch, 50'
|YDS: 5.12b/c French: 7b+ Ewbanks: 27 UIAA: IX- ZA: 27 British: E6 6b [details]
|Jack Marshall
|Page Views:
|Submitted By:
|duh on Jan 3, 2007
|Comments on Double Kneebar Ranch
|Add Comment
|Show which comments —
By Michael Levato
Feb 27, 2012
|there is a huge undercling missing from this climb. anybody know anything about it? book says its a 12d. its definitely 12d or harder now.
By duh
Mar 2, 2012
I'm pretty familiar with the route, done it dozens of times. Which undercling do you think broke? You can see them in the second pic on this page, red shirt. Id the hold.
By andy patterson
From: Carpinteria, CA
Jan 21, 2013
rating: 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
I first climbed this post-undercling breakage, so I've never known it any other way. Definitely harder than 12b, but 12d seems slightly high. I think it's solid at 12c. This is one of those climbs you kind of just have to say is "hardish" 12, without getting hung up on specific letter grades. I've only climbed NJC over a hand-full of visits, so I lack comparisons. I did climb You Don't Know Jack (5.12c) and I thought Double Kneebar Ranch was longer, a bit more powerful, and slightly harderat least for me.
Even though the crux was turning the lip and going to the jug, the upper headwall stays engaging. You can definitely fall up there if your attention wanes.
Super, super fun crux.
By duh
Feb 5, 2013
|Seems like Andy has given a fair assessment of the grade. On the fa I rated it 12c/d. For what ever reason, when it came out in the guide book it was rated 12d. When Tom Linder did it, he thought it was soft at 12d, and he is right. But for my own reasons, when ever somebody starts spraying/ complaining about grades, I just think to myself FU and then sandbag the rating. I tried to change my 12b/c to a 12c but the site wouldn't let me make the change. Solid 12c seems to be a fair rating. You Don't Know Jack is easier and likely on the softer side of 12c.
By ACassebeer
From: Mojave, CA
Jan 11, 2015
rating: 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
|Regardless of the grade, I found this route to be excellent for the area. I think it's probably slightly easier than Lethal Weapon (or equal), and harder than Red Devil for sure. I would also say it's easier than Ride the Wild, which would put it at a solid 5.12c.


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The Phillies and reliever Mike Adams have finalized a $12 million US, two-year contract.
The 34-year-old right-hander is expected to fill the eighth-inning role for the Phillies. He was 5-3 with a 3.27 earned-run average last season for the Texas Rangers.
Adams's deal, which was completed on Thursday, includes a club option for 2015 that would become guaranteed at $6 million if he has 65 games pitched in 2014. His 2015 salary would become guaranteed at $6.5 million if he has 120 games pitched in 2013 and 2014 combined, with at least 60 in 2014.
Adams had surgery in October for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a numbing sensation in his fingers that sidelined him the last week of the season, and he's expected to recover by spring training.
Overall, Adams is 18-15 with a 2.28 ERA in 358 appearances — all in relief — in eight seasons. He pitched for Milwaukee and San Diego before joining the Rangers during the 2011 season.
3B Polanco joins Marlins
Third baseman Placido Polanco has agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract with the Miami Marlins.
The 37-year-old battled injuries this year and hit .257 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 90 games with the Philadelphia Phillies. The 15-year veteran is a career .299 hitter with 103 homers.
The deal Thursday, which includes $250,000 in performance bonuses, solidifies the Marlins' lineup following a payroll purge. Other projected starters include Logan Morrison at first, Donovan Solano at second, Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, Jeff Brantly at catcher, Giancarlo Stanton in right, Justin Ruggiano in centre and Juan Pierre in left.
Polanco was chosen to start in the All-Star game for the second time in 2011, but last year he went only 10 for 58 (.172) after June 30.
Cubs reportedly sign Edwin Jackson
A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract with right-hander Edwin Jackson.
The person spoke Thursday on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Several outlets had previously reported the agreement.
The Cubs will be the eighth team in 11 years for the 29-year-old Jackson, who also pitched for the White Sox. He is 70-71 lifetime with a 4.40 ERA. He was 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA for Washington last season.
The Cubs also were trying to reach a deal with pitcher Carlos Villanueva. That would give them seven experienced starters, including newcomers Scott Baker and Scott Feldman and holdovers Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and Travis Wood.
Twins, Pelfrey finalize 1-year contract
Recovering right-hander Mike Pelfrey and the Minnesota Twins finalized a $4 million, one-year contract on Thursday, filling another hole in a thin rotation.
For Pelfrey, the simple opportunity to pitch — rather than competing with several others for a spot on a team with a deeper staff — was what lured him to Minnesota. Target Field's reputation as a place that's difficult to hit home runs in helped, too, as did the chance to move closer to his home in Wichita, Kan.
After making only three starts for the New York Mets in 2012, a season cut short by elbow ligament-replacement surgery on May 1, Pelfrey's passion for the sport was renewed as well. He said in a phone interview on Thursday he's fully confident he'll be ready for the start of spring training, a little more than 10 months removed from the Tommy John procedure.


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With individual scores of:
Language Arts/Reading: 800 ------- 99 %
Language Arts/Writing: 600 ------- 84%
Math: 500 ------------ 50% (I know, not great)
Science: 540 --------- 66% (not good either.)
Social Studies: 660 -----------95%
Were these scores okay, from a college standpoint? Was my score average, above average?
Using the estimated GED-to-GPA conversion at http://www.fastweb.com/cpt/help/faq/upda... , your overall score would be about the equivalent of a 3.5 high school GPA.
That's pretty good, but keep in mind that every college is going to interpret GED scores differently.
What's more important is your percentile rank. The percentile rank makes it possible to compare your performance on each one of the tests to with the performance of graduating high school seniors. For example, if your score on one of the tests has a percentile rank of 90 that means you have done as well as, or better than 90% of graduating seniors in that subject. (GED standard scores are normalized scores based on a nationally representative random sample of high school seniors tested in the spring of their graduating year.)
Now, using the chart here, http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ged/colladmiss... , to convert from score to class rank, your ESTIMATED national class rank puts you in the top 10%. And that is very good!
Few colleges would exclude you from consideration based on these scores.
Don't know much about GED, but from the scores, it seems like you did overall above average on language arts. math seems to be below average, science (considering ppl usually flunk) should be average, social studies should definitely be above average.
as far as i'm concerned, from a college standpoint, GED, to begin with, is not okay (there may be exceptions).
my best advice to you, since you seem like a person who has the will to do better in the future, is to join a local community college to get the basic courses done. study real hard, and im sure you are going to do really well. once you acquire perfect or near perfect GPA from your community college, i'm sure many good universities will be willing to take you.
good luck.
Hey, I just got my scores too... your math and science are (only) slightly above average, but the others are really very good... getting an 800 is nearly impossible, or so I've heard. I got a 780 on the math, and I'm still in the 99th percentile, so being at 800 is at least the top third of the 99th, maybe higher. When it comes to college, it's really a crap shoot. Some schools will take the ged and sat/act at face, some will consider the ged to be "lower" and require a letter of recommendation... or they may not let you in at all. They may take your GPA prior to leaving HS into account, they may not (most likely they will, but poor grades won't sink you).
I, personally, am planning on going to community college for a couple of years. It is quite a bit cheaper than the cheapest state schools, and after a year or two, most schools won't care at all if you have a GED, they'll just look at your college GPA. It may not be for you, but it's an option.
All in all, very good scores. Congratulations.
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Conan O'Brien takes a samurai sword to the gut
Ever since Conan moved to LA he has been getting the crap kicked out of him by stunt man Steven Ho. Last night he drew blood. Lots of blood. See what happens when Steven Ho stabs Conan with a samurai sword.


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5.0 stars 12 totalReview Brian Erikson
Posted by anonymous
gave my options in easy to understand terms
Posted by Tami Gray
I had a question in regards to problems that I have with a contractor, and Mr. Erikson promptly answered back. He was thorough, clear, and precise in his answer. I was able to understand what I needed to do per his response. He basically provided step by step procedures that I would need to make in order to resolve my issue with the contractor. I appreciate his help.
Posted by anonymous
Even though I corresponded with Brian very briefly, as part of a free consultation, he was extremely helpful and very quick in responding. He was genuinely very interested in helping out and doing the right thing. He also came across as very knowledgeable and I will certainly choose to work with him again.
Posted by anonymous
An obviously talented attorney, very proficient in several areas of law, with a high intellect. Yet he's very down to earth & pleasant to deal with. A good sense of humor as well. I was thoroughly impressed with him as an attorney and a human being.
Posted by anonymous
I had a very specific question. I've asked two other attorneys and the sales pitch was more than enough. Brian was answered my question quickly and effectively. I feel confident now perusing my case. If I need further assistance, I feel if I retain his services the situation would be handled quickly.
Posted by Bea
Great advice if I had to go to court I would want Mr. Erikson on my side.
Posted by Nicholas
In a near-panic on a holiday weekend, I asked an on-line question about an acute situation that could have become a huge legal problem. Brian Erikson responded promptly. I called and spoke with him the next business morning and within a few minutes during an informal consultation, he had me feeling better. I followed his advice which turned out to solve the problem. The most remarkable thing about this is the fact that he was very responsive and helpful even without being formally hired. If I had needed further counseling, I'd have hired him in a heartbeat. He was very friendly and genuine. We need more lawyers like Brian Erikson. Thanks.
Posted by anonymous
I have posted several posts on Avvo that Mr. Erikson has answered, and I can say that his replies have been helpful, thorough and show he has a great handle on the law and how to achieve good results. I fortunately have not yet had to use a Dallas attorney, but if I did, I would turn to him before looking elsewhere. What I like most about his advice is that it is not comprised of "you need to find an attorney" ad infinitum. Rather, he answers questions and gives very good advice. Thank you Brian.
Posted by Eric
We have known Brian Erikson for many years during which he has always been a great resource for both us and our clients. His engineering background, construction law expertise, morals, ethics and good attitude all combine to make him one of the few that we refer our clients to. We trust him with our clients and have used him many times to present seminars on construction law topics. Since our company specializes in construction, and all of our several hundred clients are commercial contractors, we have gotten to know many construction attorneys over the years and Brian is one of the best.
Posted by Tom
Brian is both an attorney and an engineer and as a result brings a unique perspective to his approach to construction consultation and cases. I have referred Brian to several construction companies over the past 20 years both for development of contracts as well as dealing with involved claim issues on construction. Brian is very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator and negotiator.


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What questions should you ask without seeming too intrusive, especially for a first date? These are some really good questions to ask to find out more about your date. Before proceeding, must read: How to Start a Conversation with a Girl and How to Start a Winning Conversation with Someone You Meet
These are just some casual questions anyone would ask to get to know someone without them thinking you are investigating:
1. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? The answers can be very interesting, but at the same time, gives you an idea of what kind of things / people he or she is interested in.
2. Where do you want to be in five years? This will give you a general idea of what kind of aspirations / goals he or she may have. Which, in turn, can be totally opposite / match what you have in mind.
3. What is your most treasured possession? Now, if the answer is something like, "my collection of beer bottles" can take some things from this.
4. What kind of music do you like? This can prepare you for future concerts, or long car trips with the stereo on. The question is, will you hear all the time?
5. What do your parents do? This shows the interest of the family, also his answer may say a lot about how they feel about their family.
6. What do you do for a living? This can show if they are already established in their careers or are still trying to find its niche real. Be careful though, you can still attend school or planning to create more schooling after his career. Be sure to keep this conversation open, especially when they learn that they are working somewhere that are not desirable, this does not always mean that it has no suction.
7. Where have you traveled? This may be an interesting question to ask or answer. Someone is always going to mention the most memorable in the first place. You may be surprised with the answer as it can be exactly where you've always wanted to go, or a place that already has been. It can be a great conversation piece.
8. How was your day? This can be a very important question to ask. This can show if you are someone who likes to complain about everything, or if you really enjoy a lot of things. Work and everyday life can be challenging, but when you stop to think about it, it is always a learning experience. It all depends on how each person perceives it.
9. Do you own any pets? You will be surprised with this question. So can people love their pets so much. Now, again, this question could be a NO. But if you do, the next question would be, why not?
10. What has been your most embarrassing moment? Now, this would save me closer to the end. The reason you can tell how much the other person is enjoying what we have so far. If they reveal nothing, maybe things are not going so well.


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We are coming down to the count. Every moment is leading up to what will be the biggest E3 we've seen in a long time! There happens to be so much at stake this year, and it looks like every company is trying to take you home with them, but what are we expecting? What are we not expecting? Here's my personal picks for what I would like to see at this year's E3!
There are so many huge titles on the table right now, it's almost mind-boggling! The bar is set aggressively high with games set to release at the end of this current generation's lifespan and the beginning of the next generation's. I'm sure that many of us are curious how some of these games will play and how exactly we will experience them as the player. Here are a few of the games I would love to see some gameplay from!
With Rocksteady out of the picture for this game, there are many of us who are skeptical about this game's next step. After the success they have had with the two previous titles, will the game's mechanics continue to play the way they have in the past? Will there be slight changes or improvements over what they're doing now? Or will they decide to change it up from its previous predecessors?
Running on the success of the Halo franchise, Bungie has created almost a frenzy of excitement towards their newest game, "Destiny". We know quite a few things about this game... its design, its story, its characters, but we have yet to see exactly how the game will play. What kind of mechanics will they choose to run with in their new action role-playing first person shooter?
A majority of the Metal Gear Solid games have stuck to the same tried-and-true formula for years now, with a high degree of success. Going into the next generation, will Kojima Studios change the format of the experience to continue pushing its over-the-top franchise? After getting a short preview of what's to come from GDC 2013, we can hope that it'll be something positively jaw-dropping.
There have been many times over the last couple of months where we've only been given names and pictures of upcoming titles on both current and next generation consoles. While they all sound so intriguing and potentially awesome, I would personally love to get a little more detail on a few of them. Here are a selection of the titles that have peaked my interests!
It's been a long time since we've gotten a new edition to the Final Fantasy franchise. No, I don't think that Final Fantasy XIII-2 counts, but that can certainly be debated. At Sony's PlayStation 4 conference, Shinji Hashimoto of Square Enix took the stage and told viewers across the world that Square Enix was working on a Final Fantasy game and that we should "be excited for E3" this year. With the event only a week away, we can only dream of what exactly Square Enix has in store for us.
We got a short preview of this upcoming game for the XBOX One on May 21st. The last game, "Forza Horizon" was released a few months ago in October 2012 with very favorable ratings. It is said we could expect the same high standard from this title. This begs the question, what new ideas can they bring to an already successful franchise? Hopefully we'll get a good taste of that action in this year's Microsoft Press Conference.
For a game that released in 2008, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is still widely considered as one of the best competitive fighting crossovers. Just hearing that a new installment would be coming to the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS has excited many fans worldwide. Thing is, that's all we know. It's coming. What new characters and modes will be included this time around? How will the Wii U's gamepad factor in? We'll find out next week!
Unfortunately, there are times where games are announced, but don't or won't be highlighted at the E3 conference. Sometimes, things won't be ready or be presentable by then. It happens. Still, these are the games I would love to see show up and be part of the E3 party!
We're seeing a huge amount of survival-horror games roll out this year. "The Evil Within" is no exception. With Shinji Mikami at the helm and knowing what we've seen so far of this upcoming game, I would love to see and hear anything! With Mikami's success on similar games, we could be looking at one of the most cryptic and terrifying games ever to be released.
We were teased a bit with a high definition "Legend of Zelda" last year and haven't heard from it since. After the success of "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword", many fans are hungry for a new title and many are looking for a reason to buy a Wii U. With what was shown and the mention of "cooperative" play, I would personally love to see this make a showing at this year's conference. One can only dream.
Two of the most obscure titles, that have their own cult followings, have joined together to make what could be the weirdest, but most amazing combinations we may ever see. But that's it. That's all we know about it. It was announced during a Nintendo Direct a few months ago and that was the last we heard or saw anything about it. Wouldn't this make most of our days if this made an appearance at E3? We don't even know how it plays or what it's about! Tell us Nintendo!
It's not often that we have a chance to experience the newest generation of consoles as they make their debut. It's certainly been a long lifespan for the most current generation of consoles. We have a myriad of reasons to be looking at the present and the future of gaming next week.
With the seventh generation coming to a close, there are still consumers that have just begun their gaming experience with these consoles. There are others who wish to remain on these gaming platforms a little longer before transitioning to the next gaming landscape. The question is, what games and services will be released over the next couple of months or even years that will continue to provide for these gamers, who are not ready to make the next leap? With games like "The Last of Us" and "Beyond: Two Souls" releasing in this fall, is it safe to say that we could still be looking at powerful concepts on what others argue are dated technology?
The gaming landscape is changing, and these consoles are seeking to improve and change the way we experience gaming all together. With new concepts, hardware and ideas that seek to immerse you in the games and entertainment we choose, what else is there to expect from these newly releasing consoles? While most companies have chosen to focus solely on games and not specifically on their hardware in this conference, what games and services will we see that will make the thought "I NEED THAT CONSOLE NOW" etched in our minds? Will it be enough?
Ladies and gentlemen, we are at the dawn of a new age! There will be so much to see and hear for both the current and next generation of games, it literally fills me with excitement. What are you excited for personally? Are there any games you'd love to see some gameplay from? What information would you like to hear about upcoming games? What games would you love to see at E3? Are you excited about games for this generation or the next? How about both? Is there anything in general that you can't wait for that will be making its appearance at E3? Let me know in the comments below! Keep your eyes locked on IGN for all the latest news and updates and as always, thanks for contributing to the conversation!
Erik Gerolaga is a content creator for WTF Gamers Only! Check out all the hilarious gaming posts and content that the net has to offer! Also check out the twitter and Instagram! When he's not busy interacting with the gaming community, he enjoys playing the piano and getting lost in the music it makes. Follow @splitmindeddude on Twitter or follow his obsession with games, tech and food on his Instagram, which also happens to be @splitmindeddude. Go figure.


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Updated: October 2013
Energy Services is a crew that tracks, analyzes and reduces energy and water consumption within the built environment at Warren Wilson. We go into buildings, figure out what is wrong, and then propose how to fix the problems. To find problems, we perform energy audits, lighting audits, water audits, occupant comfort surveys, indoor air quality tests, look at preventative maintenance plans, use Energy Star Portfolio Manager and sometimes get into retro-commissioning. Usually other crews or outside contractors fix the problems once we find them. Then we monitor the improved building some more and analyze the results to figure out how much energy, water and money we saved. Eventually we will be looking for on campus renewable energy opportunities.
We're doing all this because Warren Wilson's Climate Action Plan specifies that the college has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 30% by 2015 and an 80% reduction goal by 2020. The built environment causes a significant amount of emissions, so it is the perfect place to look for improvement. Plus, saving the environment is awesome and building science is cool.
Our office is in the basement of Vining B. Stop by and see us if you have energy or building questions, are thinking of using a seed grant to improve a building or if you'd like to get on the crew.


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I'm really excited about this week's giveaway! It's so hard to find flattering and fun nursing wear, don't you agree? I actually learned of Au Lait from the founder Emily and her mother-in-law, who are both readers of Copy Cat Chic. Emily emailed me and offered me a piece from her new shop and I couldn't resist. Her designs are so chic and so useable. I loved them from the start and I really wanted to share them with you guys as well! Au Lait is offering their signature nursing cardigan to one lucky reader. It's so perfect for cold-weather nursing.
the pullover cardi with interchangeable front nursing panel
The idea that started it all. The Pullover Cardi offers the same convenience as throwing on any nursing top but the end result is a polished multi-layered layered look that belies it's specialized construction. The front nursing panel snaps out so you can throw it in the wash easily and The Pullover Cardi can be worn alone or with The Interchangeable Front Nursing Panel in another color. The Pullover Cardi hides nursing vents on each side of the front panel for discreet and easy breastfeeding access. This is the nursing top that will never betray its true identity no matter which way you look at it. So go ahead and look stylish.
You can enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below! Good luck and happy nursing!


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You teach your kids about proper nutrition. You make sure they lead a healthy and active lifestyle. But are they picking up insidious messages about dieting and body image issues elsewhere?
Australian mother Amy Cheney said she felt "physically ill" when she stumbled upon a list her daughter had been keeping of her exercise and food intake. The most staggering part: Her daughter is only seven-years-old – barely old enough to spell, let alone develop weight anxieties.
As highlighted on Buzzfeed, Cheney who wrote about the discovery on mamamia.com.au, says she was at a loss. "Where did she learn the word diet? How does she even know what a freaking diet is? Whose fault is this? Is it mine because I let her play with Barbies?" Cheney wrote.
The list, scrawled in pencil on pink-lined paper, begins with a headline, "Diyet," and goes on to log items like "17 pooshups 2 times a day," "16 star jumps 2 time a day," "3 appals, 1 per, 2 keewee froots" and "rid my bike 3 time a day."
Cheney goes on to explain she has a degree in early childhood studies and that her family focuses on promoting "healthy eating and healthy bodies."
"I am smart about this stuff," she wrote. "Our attitudes are reasonable and balanced. Weight has never been an issue in our home – it is, for the most part, irrelevant."
Her shock, she says, then turned into anger over society's obsession with women's appearances and its "ridiculous standards."
"I am tired of the beauty and body obsessed arena we live in," she wrote. "I am tired of women being portrayed as objects to be saluted and admired or shunned and shamed depending on whether they measure up to societies [sic] idealistic standards. … And then, because I was so tired (and sad, so sad) that I cried."
Cheney says she later learned that her daughter's friend had taught her about diets because she was on one herself. The mother and daughter then discussed the issue.
"I know this will not be the last time I talk about food and weight and bodies with my daughter. I am just ultra pissed that it had to start when she was seven," Cheney wrote.
While some readers sympathize with the mother, others feel she overreacted.
Some have pointed out that children simply tend to get interested in certain ideas, and that there was no need for Cheney to get upset or pass blame on society. A few commenters on mamamia.com.au even found the list to be a positive thing.
"Sounds pretty healthy to me," one commenter wrote. "Eat some fruit everyday, drink lots of water everyday and do a bit of exercise. … It's not like she's writing about throwing up or starving herself or doing something bad. … Most parents would be happy their kid is so interested in staying healthy."
Added another: "When I was a kid my parents would have doubled my allowance if this was what I planned on doing. I just wanted to sit around and play Nintendo all day…"
It can be tricky for parents to promote healthy habits amid surging childhood obesity rates, while at the same time deterring their children from getting too hung up on their body image.
What would you have done in this mother's shoes?Report Typo/Error
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The commitment run continues.
Rich Rodriguez and the Arizona Wildcats landed their third junior college commitment in as many days this morning when Santa Ana (Calif.) Community College defensive lineman Jeff Worthy pledged to the UA.
Worthy began his college career at Boise State, but was dismissed from the team in February after being suspended for most of the 2012 season for breaking unspecified team rules.
"blessed beyond words! just made the commitment to the university of arizona! #BearDown #UofA #blessed #RoseBowl #herewecome," Worthy tweeted this morning.
Like the two players that committed before him the last two days--Iowa Western safety Jamie Byrd and Scottsdale Community College linebacker Antonio Smothers--Worthy is expected to graduate in December and join the team in time for spring drills next year.
Worthy is listed at 6-feet-4-inches and 285 pounds by the Scout.com recruiting service. Scout has him rated as a two-star recruit. Rivals.com rated him as a three-star.
Out of high school, Worthy had offers from several big-time programs including UCLA, ASU, Oregon State, Washington State, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota and others before choosing Boise State.
Originally a product of Whittier Christian High School in La Habra, Calif., Worthy redshirted the 2011 season for the Broncos before running into his near season-long suspension last season.
He's the 23rd player to commit to the UA for 2014, meaning the Wildcats are already nearing a complete class. After signing just one junior college player last year, the UA already has commitments from six JC players for 2014.
Worthy is also the ninth player in the last eight days to commit to the UA. The lineman attended last weekend's red carpet event at the new Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.


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When it comes to leaving money behind for his rightful heirs, Sting is rather stingy.
The ex-frontman for eighties super-band The Police has announced that his six children shouldn't expect a financial windfall any time in the near or distant future.
"I told them there won't be much money left because we are spending it," the 62-year-old pop star told The Daily Mail's Event magazine in a recent interview.
Sting, who was born Gordon Sumner to a working-class family in Wallsend, North Tyneside, has two children – Joseph, 37, and Kate, 32 – from his first marriage to actress Frances Tomelty and four children – Brigitte, 30, Jake, 28, Eliot, 23 and Giacomo, 18 – from his second marriage to Trudie Styler.
"People make assumptions that they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but they have not been given a lot," said the singer in the interview.
According to the 2013 Sunday Times Rich List, Sting ranks as the ninth-wealthiest musician in Britain and Ireland, with an estimated personal wealth of £180 million.
Former Beatle Paul McCartney tops the list with an estimated personal worth of £680 million, followed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with £620 million.
But with great wealth comes considerable responsibility.
Since The Police disbanded in 1987, Sting has sold an estimated 100-million records as a solo artist and through his various philanthropic endeavours became a corporation unto himself: The singer has more than 100 people on the payroll, according to The Daily Mail's Event magazine.
Beyond his ongoing efforts to save the Amazonian rainforest, Sting is also currently mounting his first stage musical, The Last Ship, which was inspired by his own blue-collar upbringing and is slated to debut on Broadway next October.
All of which means there won't a whole lot of money left when the time comes to share with his children.
"We have a lot of commitments," he said in the interview. "What comes in we spend, and there isn't much left."
To be certain, Sting is not a fan of the trust-fund concept.
"I certainly don't want to leave them trust funds that are albatrosses round their necks. They have to work. All my kids know that and they rarely ask me for anything, which I really respect and appreciate," he said.
And no doubt the kids won't be expecting a cut from the pending sale of Sting and Trudie's expansive nine-bedroom townhouse, which sits in the shadow of Buckingham Palace and was recently listed by London real estate agents for £15 million.
"It's just too big," said the singer in the Daily Mail interview. "The kids have all gone and there are just so many empty bedrooms. We're just rattling around. But we are not leaving. I love England. I'm still English."Report Typo/Error
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On the Road with Maintenance Superintendent John Acosta
To supervise many of our maintenance crews it takes leadership, dedication, and a bit of creativity. According to many sources, Superintendent John Acosta has just that.
Everyday Caltrans maintenance crews perform the tough task of trying to keep our freeways and highways operational. With cars, trucks, and semis flying by them at high speeds while they are working on the roadside, maintenance workers take risks to accomplish daunting tasks that on some occasions goes unnoticed by the general public.
Acosta, a 22-year veteran of Caltrans Maintenance Division, is a superintendent in the District 7's East Maintenance Region where he oversees five supervisors who manage two road maintenance crews, two landscaping crews, and one regional tree trimming crew.
Geographically, Acosta's area includes San Gabriel Canyon Road (SR-39) and portions of the Foothill Freeway (I-210), which is in Los Angeles County. "John is part of the team that helps us accomplish our short-term and long-term objectives," said East Region Maintenance Manager Al Sanchez. "
Acosta's crews on SR-39 have to contend with many of the challenges that come along with having a highway in the Angeles National Forest. "Keeping the weeds down and clearing rock and mudslides is a huge challenge. One way or another, we have to get the job done," said Acosta.
Due to the lack of resources, funds and personnel, Acosta's crews have had to improvise to accomplish their work. "Our crews are able to respond to problem areas by borrowing personnel from other crews to perform what we call gang maintenance," said Acosta. Gang maintenance helps to resolve potential hazards that Acosta and others have identified. Additionally, during "gang maintenance" operations, landscaping, plumbing, lighting, graffiti abatement, striping and other tasks are performed at the same time. "It is best to try to stay ahead of things, so down the road the job will be a lot easier."
"I know I have good crews," said Acosta. Cross-training and reviewing what the expectations are for the crews are what Acosta believes to be essential in helping them work effectively. "Before working on the freeway, personnel should familiarize themselves with the equipment, procedures, and Chapter 8 of Maintenance Manual." As part of the crossing-training effort, Acosta's crews have repaired a few slabs in the East Region, saving the state money, and improving safety. (See related story "They Don't Just Maintain the Roads, They Fix'em).
Acosta is not all about business. When he is not at work, the long time Whittier resident is he refurbishing a '46 Chevy, '57 Chevy, and '60 sedan.


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Marcos Orozco LIVE at the Moose Lodge on August 10th
Please join us as we welcome one of the most beautiful voices in Tejano music to the family dancehall on the east side.
Before his successful career as a solo artist, Marcos was lead singer for several groups, including the legendary Los Fabulosos 4. But it was his time with David Lee Garza y Los Musicales, lending his romantic voice to such hits as "Tu Boca Roja," "Tonta," "Una Noche Mas," and many more, that made him a star.
His latest album, 100%, featuring the single, "Como Un Tigre," is available now.
Tickets are $12 at the door, $10 presale at Estrada's Cleaners on 7th Street and Turntable Records in Austin, and also online here atranchoalegretexas.com.
All our dances are family-friendly and children under 12 are free.
For more information, contact Piper at 512-609-9208.
Learn more about Marcos by listening to our interview!
To find out more click here: http://www.ranchoalegretexas.com/blog/?p=4108


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The Coin's Edge
After a near-fatal shooting incident, David Freeman is left with a fragmented memory of what happened. Through a series of flashbacks, he is reminded of previously unconnected "accidental" events that have occurred throughout his life. Each obscure tragedy having in common the appearance of a mysterious visitor, professing to be an ally.
From that moment, David realizes that not everything is as it conveniently seems. Both good and evil are clearly at work, yet it is nearly impossible to discern the difference. Though no longer certain of whom to trust, he is forced to choose. Are the current events the actual fulfillment of ancient prophecies, the elements of a cryptic alliance whose plan of deception encompasses the entire world, or both?
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|Guide to the
|Owen-McCutchen-Merrit Papers
|9.0 linear feet.
|Correspondence, scrapbooks, business and legal papers, ephemera, postcards, and photographs of the Owen, McCutchen, and Merritt families, who were connected by marriage and were influential, early settlers in the Campbell and Four Mile, Missouri communities in Dunklin County. The families owned and operated local businesses including a mercantile company and the Bank of Campbell, and were active in local politics.
|I. Descriptive Overview
|II. Series Descriptions
|III. Container List
|Created by by Lisa Graham, 2006


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So I know most people around here don't advocate counting calories, however, I occasionally like to input my food to myfitnesspal just to see where I'm at. I feel like I eat a lot, usually 3 eggs and 3 pieces of bacon for breakfast with salsa and a dab of sour cream or cheese, sometimes some kale chips or a salad for lunch if I'm hungry, and I have at least 6 oz of either beef, poultry, or fish with lots of veggies for dinner, and of course a glass of red wine and a small square of 70% chocolate for dessert. I use at least 3 tablespoons of coconut oil daily to cook with, I can't stomach eating it or drinking it straight. I probably have sweet potato oven fries twice a week and I do drink a glass of coffee everyday and green tea in the afternoon. This only amounts up to around 1300-1400 calories. From what I've read around these boards that is not really enough to lose weight. Should I try to move more during the day to work up a bigger appetite or just go with my gut and only eat when I'm truly hungry?
No announcement yet.
Just not hungry
new posts
If you are feeling good, have enough energy and have as much muscle as you need, go with your gut. Otherwise, add protein or fat.Ancestral Health Info
I design websites and blogs for a living. If you would like a blog or website designed by someone who understands Primal, see my web page.
Primal Blueprint Explorer My blog for people who are not into the Grok thing. Since starting the blog, I have moved close to being Archevore instead of Primal. But Mark's Daily Apple is still the best source of information about living an ancestral lifestyle.
When I started I was in that calorie range or a little lower and losing weight at a fast clip. After trial and error, and forcing myself to eat more, I have found that not eating when I'm not hungry is the best policy for weight loss for me. If I make myself eat when I don't feel like it I pretty much don't lose any weight.
I started with about 70 lbs to lose and I'm about halfway after four months.
Don't force yourself to eat. It is common to go through periods of very low appetite when eating primal foods. Your appetite will likely cycle with periods of very low appetite and then periods of eating everything you can find
Just make sure you are getting adequate zinc in your diet if this persists.Using low lectin/nightshade free primal to control autoimmune arthritis. (And lost 50 lbs along the way )


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October 11, 2008 at 11:52:25 Oct 11, 2008 @ 11:52
I kind of like it but without the "VANE" on the bottom - plus I don't think I could really pull that off, as I already have a middle finger ring on my right hand and a thumb ring on my left.
I am going to get one this week. I like the look but if it doesnt look right then just check the sale ads in 2 weeks lol
Almost all "stylish" 2-finger rings that I find are well over $100. I agree it's still a piece of metal for $80 but then again look at the price you can pay for a "peice of cotton" that says Louis Vuitton or Supreme ect. Either way I will make sure to take pics and let you all know how it feels. Im going to go get my fingers measured at the jewelery store today and order it.


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2 Recommendations
angelam's recommendation
Mod birdhouses from the ceramic master, Jonathan Adler. Decorate your backyard!
auntbeep's recommendation
I love sculpture in gardens anyway...better still to offer the little birdies some sweet digs by Jonathan Adler. The organic shapes look beautiful in trees. Perfect gift for a bird lover, gardner or design enthusiast.
My Collections:


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I was born and raised in Canada. In 1968 the Marine Corps sent me to MCRD, and since 1971 I've resided in California. After graduate school, I started working for a Berkshire Hathaway company that specialized in underwriting workers compensation insurance.
For the last 18 years I have owned my own brokerage firm and taught economics at MSJC.
A.S. Mt. San Antonio College
B.S. California Polytechnic University, Pomona
M.P.A. University of Southern California
Currently studying in the graduate history program at California Polytechnic University, Pomona
Other than economic issues, I enjoy the study of aircraft, auto, and World War II history. I collect baseball and hockey memorabilia, when there is a bargain.
If the weather is warm, I enjoy riding my Harley through the wine country or down to the ocean.
I am currently restoring a 1951 Ford Woodie.


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This article describes the formula syntax and usage of the ATAN2 function in Microsoft Excel.
Returns the arctangent, or inverse tangent, of the specified x- and y-coordinates. The arctangent is the angle from the x-axis to a line containing the origin (0, 0) and a point with coordinates (x_num, y_num). The angle is given in radians between -pi and pi, excluding -pi.
ATAN2(x_num, y_num)
The ATAN2 function syntax has the following arguments:
X_num Required. The x-coordinate of the point.
Y_num Required. The y-coordinate of the point.
A positive result represents a counterclockwise angle from the x-axis; a negative result represents a clockwise angle.
ATAN2(a,b) equals ATAN(b/a), except that a can equal 0 in ATAN2.
If both x_num and y_num are 0, ATAN2 returns the #DIV/0! error value.
To express the arctangent in degrees, multiply the result by 180/PI( ) or use the DEGREES function.
Copy the example data in the following table, and paste it in cell A1 of a new Excel worksheet. For formulas to show results, select them, press F2, and then press Enter. If you need to, you can adjust the column widths to see all the data.


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goodtoknow user Michelle Wood said: 'I made this cake for my daughter's 4th birthday! She "adores" princesses, she actually is Snow White.'
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Looks like The Panorama is no longer available on Rent.com which means this information is likely out of date.
Make sure to check out these similar properties in the area.
Kitsap Penisula's Most Desirable Apartment Community is The Panorama. The water views at The Panorama really are breathtaking, nestled on a wooded hillside this private location provides a secluded atmosphere while still being close to shopping and dinning. The home interiors are spacious by design while providing great natural light making your living experience one to be treasured.Stop Looking and Start Living! WE HAVE EXECUTIVE APARTMENTS!!!
Our lease terms are: 12 Months, (Please note that lease terms may vary, are subject to change without notice, and are based on availability. Inquire with property staff for complete details).
Pet Policy: Dogs and cats allowed, Breed restriction on dogs.
2 pets maximum
$200 refundable pet deposit
$200 non-refundable pet fee for one pet.
None of the deposits is refundable for 2 pets.
Breed Restriction. Cats Allowed. Dogs Allowed. Call for service animal policy.
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ABE Welcome Back Picnic
The annual Welcome Back Picnic for our undergraduate and graduate students will be held at the ADM Agricultural Innovation Center on Thursday, August 29, 2013, at 5:30 pm (doors will open at 5). An industry contact session will precede the picnic.
Contact Yvonne Hardebeck for more information.


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Type of Document Dissertation Author Onalbayeva-Coleman, Kadisha Author's Email Address firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com URN etd-04052010-231449 Title Sofia Gubaidulina: Chaconne for Solo Piano in The Context of Her Life and Work Degree Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) Department Music Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Gurt, Michael Committee Chair Marchand,Suzanne Committee Co-Chair Peck, Robert Committee Member Sioles, Gregory Committee Member Neff, Thomas M. Dean's Representative Keywords
- Piano works
- Sofia Gubaidulina: Her Life in Historical Context
- Chaconne
Date of Defense 2010-03-16 Availability restricted AbstractThis study examines the selected: Sofia Gubaidulina: Chaconne
for Solo Piano in The Context of Her Life and Work. The first chapter provides a brief biography of Sofia Gubaidulina and an overview of her most important compositions. Chapter Two contains an overview of the solo piano works of Gubaidulina. Chapter Three examines the selected piano composition Chaconne from a formal and stylistic perspective.
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access OnalbayevaColemandiss.pdf 858.90 Kb 00:03:58 00:02:02 00:01:47 00:00:53 00:00:04indicates that a file or directory is accessible from the LSU campus network only.
If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact LSU-ETD Support.


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WHILE a lot of fuss is being made over the interim Director of City and Environmental Services (The Press, Wednesday, June 18), all has been very quiet over the appointment of an interim assistant director in the same directorate some months ago, ie the interim assistant director of highways, transport and waste.
So having had a string of directors over recent years, none of whom seemed to stay very long or, in some cases, reside in the city, there are now "interims" with even less of a connection.
Mick Phythian, Monkton Road, York.


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5 Min Read
* Bill to require rights to be developed or lost * Introduces auction system for some mining prospects * Vale CEO says would have "major impact" on companies By Jeb Blount RIO DE JANEIRO, June 18 (Reuters) - Brazil, a major producer of iron ore, gold, copper and other metals, unveiled a long-awaited bill to reform its 46-year-old mining code on Tuesday, proposing a doubling of the current top royalty rate and stricter rules for opening new mines. Murilo Ferreira, chief executive of Vale SA, the world's largest iron ore exporter and Brazil's dominant mining company, said the bill would hit the industry hard. He expects the government's revenues from royalties to more than double to 4.2 billion reais ($1.93 billion) from 1.7 billion reais. Even so, provisions of the bill are less onerous than the industry feared when the discussion of reforms began nearly four years ago. The top royalty rate under the proposal of 4 percent, is only one-third of typical rates charged in some Australian states and about half of proposals in Mexico and Ecuador. Vale's preferred stock, the Rio de Janeiro-based company's most-active shares, rose 2.4 percent in Sao Paulo late Tuesday. "The government is showing itself to be more responsive to industry concerns," said João Neves, an analyst with Eurasia Group in Washington. Brazil is pushing ahead with changes at a time when the mining industry is experiencing a sharp slowdown. When the bill was first proposed in 2009, the industry was in one of its most prosperous periods ever. "It's part of a global trend to increasingly tax the mining industry," said Wiktor Bielski, base metals analyst at VTB Capital in London. "Four percent is not punitive, but it doesn't help for a country that's already facing growing internal political headwinds to mining." Brazil's top two mining states recently imposed their own regulatory charges on output. Environmental rules and bureaucracy have slowed licensing and construction of ports, railways and processing plants needed to commercialize production. TEST FOR BUSINESS The bill is the latest test of the Brazilian government's efforts to reduce tensions with investors, many of whom have criticized President Dilma Rousseff's economic polices as erratic and her attitude toward business as heavy handed. In a surprise, the bill makes no provision for a windfall profits. Ecuador's proposed 3-to-5 percent royalty plus a 70 percent windfall tax prompted Canada's Kinross Gold Corp last week to cancel a gold project in the Andean nation. Kinross, which owns the Pracatú gold mine in Brazil, is monitoring any changes in Brazil, spokesman Louie Diaz said. Rousseff said the government wanted miners to have contractual stability and security and for concession renewals to be contingent on them meeting investment and environmental goals. The government will propose royalties of up to 4 percent calculated on gross revenue, minus taxes, generated by mining projects. The government could charge lower rates in some cases, the mines and energy ministry said. (See factbox ) MORE UPFRONT CASH In the Americas, the trend is shifting to gross revenue-based taxes, which allow governments to collect money far sooner than with a profit-based tax, said Liam Fitzgerald, a partner with PwC Canada's tax practice. "It's really about trying to increase the amount of revenues they receive, and getting it a lot earlier," he said. But mining companies prefer profit-based taxes, which only kick in after the miner starts making money. Mexico's lower house of Congress approved a 5 percent gross-revenue royalty, a measure awaiting a Senate vote. The new royalty could also reduce the competitiveness of Brazilian companies such as Vale because the rules no longer allow transportation costs to be deducted. Vale's main iron ore competitors, including Australia's BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd, are closer to China, the main global market for iron ore and other metals. In addition to iron ore, Brazil is also a major producer of copper, gold, bauxite, nickel and manganese. The bill also proposes the creation of a new mine regulatory agency and would require holders of mining rights to develop their claims or lose them. Initially at least, auctions would only be held in areas where the geology is well known and the resources are significant enough to warrant a state interest, Telton Correa, a mining ministry spokesman, told reporters in Brasilia. New concessions for exploration and development will also require rights holders to carry out a minimum program of investments over a specific period of time or lose the rights. Congress is expected to vote on the bill by the end of the year, Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobão said. While no changes will be made to existing rights, Lobão warned he will strictly enforce the terms of existing licenses.


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A Brazilian prison has come up with an innovative new role for its prisoners.
Euro News reports that Brazilian fashion designer Raquelle Guimaraes was short on staff but was keen to boost production for her clothing line.
But rather than train locals in the art of knitting and crocheting, she took a different approach and decided to turn to the inmates at the Ariosvaldo Campos Pires for workers.
The scheme, entitled the Lotus Flower Project, was launched in 2009 and has been hugely successful in the institution with a total of 20 prisoners now taking part.
Ms Guimaraes, who is from the state of Minas Gerais, now goes into the prison to teach the inmates about knitting and crocheting, ensuring that they are producing high-quality items and improving their skills continuously.
Once the finished garments are ready they are then exported around the world to countries including France, the US and the Japan.
Many of the inmates have been helped by the project and have discovered new skills they never thought they would have, as well as a great opportunity to relax and be creative.
Former prison inmate Celio Tavares, who was convicted of armed robbery, told the publication that he first picked up a pair of knitting needles as part of the Lotus Flower Project.
He said: "The program gives inmates skills and confidence they can use when they return to life on the outside. This raises the self-esteem of the prisoners, and opens the door to work and employment for everyone else."
What makes the scheme particularly innovative is the rewards the prisoners get in return for their work.
Each inmate has a starting salary of 75 per cent of Brazil's minimum wage, with one quarter of this money set aside and made accessible when they are freed.
For every three days' work of knitting that the prisoners do, they are also allowed to have one day taken off their sentence.


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According to reports, in the wake of the recent increase in petrol prices and India's looming fiscal deficit situation, it is important to understand why diesel prices should also be revised upwards.
For several decades, India has been subsidising the price of diesel. But in recent years, both the global environment and the Indian economic scene have undergone substantial changes.
Despite this, many economic policies, such as the heavy subsidy on diesel prices, have remained unaltered over the period; this needs serious reconsideration.
For instance, in the last six years, the average growth rate of crude oil prices (based on the Indian basket) has been at 13.5 per cent.
During the same period, however, the average value of diesel under-recoveries, as a percentage of fiscal deficit, stood at 14.6 per cent!
Similarly, between 2009 and 2010, when global oil prices fell by more than 21 percentage points, diesel under-recoveries as a percentage of fiscal deficit fell only by 13 percentage points.
What is wrong in subsidising diesel?
It is vital to understand that subsidies are associated with two important (negative) economic fallouts, besides many others.
Why it is wrong
First, a subsidy of any kind involves a disincentive to use the subsidised good or service efficiently as they have been obtained cheap.
Second, the government can finance a subsidy only by expanding its fiscal deficits. In the process, scarce resources are transferred from a private party (tax-payers) to the government.
It is well documented that owing to the absence of a profit motive in government spending, such resource transfers leads to decreased productivity.
Revision in diesel prices, no doubt, would entail temporary displeasure, and resistance from the pubic and political parties. But it would only help the country's cause to keep political interest aside, and focus on the economic benefits.
In the name of shielding the economy from fuel price volatility, the government is exposing future generations to tougher times. It is time people realise this fact.
The Government may also want to look back at the heavily resisted policy shifts in the 1990s that has created a slew of positive changes in the Indian economy.


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On the Amendment S.Amdt. 2587: Gregg S.Amdt.2587; To limit the matching rate for coverage other than for low-income children or pregnant women covered through a waiver and to prohibit any new waivers for coverage of adults other than pregnant women.
Result: Rejected (42-53, 5 members not voting, 1/2 threshold)
Details: [click here]
This Month


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01620175, Bracket
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The brainchild of local mom Andee Harris, Bedroom Chemist "breaks
the boudoir boredom." Its monthly subscription service for products
and toys to spice up what goes on between the sheets offers
everything from massage oils and balms to vibrators and toys. The
premise is that couples, especially married ones, need to keep it
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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
We report on optimized architectures containing layer-by-layer (LbL) films of natural rubber latex (NRL), carboxymethyl-chitosan (CMC) and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (MNPs) deposited on flexible substrates, which could be easily bent by an external magnetic field. The mechanical response depended on the number of deposited layers and was explained semi-quantitatively with a fully atomistic model, where the LbL film was represented as superposing layers of hexagonal graphene-like atomic arrangements deposited on a stiffer substrate. The bending with no direct current or voltage being applied to a supramolecular structure containing biocompatible and antimicrobial materials represents a proof-of-principle experiment that is promising for tissue engineering applications in biomedicine.
The wide variety of new nanomaterials with multifunctional properties has sparked studies aimed at biological applications such as artificial muscles [
As a further step in LbL film applications, we conceived new architectures exploiting the properties of three types of material, namely natural rubber latex (NRL), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). NRL was chosen due to its biocompatibility and ability to induce angiogenesis [
A detailed study of the adsorption kinetics of the sequential LbL assembly was carried out to determine optimized immersion times for a full layer to be built. The stability of the magnetic nanoparticles in solution was induced by using CMC in two ways: (i) CMC was added during the MNP synthesis (MNP-CMC1) and (ii) through a physical mixture of MNPs and CMC (MNP-CMC2), obtained after 30 min in an ultrasound bath. The optimized immersion times for the LbL film fabrication were 600, 420, 300 and 300 s for NRL, CMC, MNPs and MNP-CMC2, respectively (results not shown), with an immersion time of 120 s for MNP-CMC1, since longer times led to MNP precipitation during film fabrication.
The following LbL film architectures were fabricated: NRL/MNP-CMC1, NRL/MNP-CMC2, NRL/MNP/CMC and NRL/CMC/MNP. The UV-Vis. absorption increased linearly with the number of trilayers and bilayers for all film architectures, as indicated in
Because of a more effective adsorption, we chose the NRL/MNP/CMC and NRL/MNP-CMC2 systems for further studies. The presence of the film components in these LbL architectures was confirmed in the FTIR spectra in
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images for NRL/MNP/CMC and NRL/MNP-CMC2 LbL films in
Since the RMS roughness values were close for NRL/MNP/CMC and NRL/MNP-CMC2, the bearing tool was used in the AFM analysis, providing the ratio between the MNPs occupied area and the total LbL area against the average height of the MNPs at the LbL film surface.
The spots containing higher concentrations of NRL (brighter spots in
15-layer NRL/MNP-CMC2 LbL films were deposited onto cellophane paper and transparency sheets. Due to its higher density, a 32-layer NRL/MNP-CMC2 LbL film was deposited onto NRL membranes, all of them responding positively to an external magnetic field, as shown in
The lowest amount of deposited material required for a response to an external magnetic field able to bend the flexible membranes positioned 2 mm from a magnetized iron core was seven bilayers of NRL/MNP-CMC2. This was inferred from
The mechanical properties of LbL films have been studied [
The experimental data in
The interactions between atoms in the membrane, nanoparticles and substrates were simulated using the well-known, widely tested CHARMM force field potential [
Finally, the experiments performed here do not allow us to determine whether stresses generated by migration of magnetic particles in the LbL films would affect the bending. In case this migration occurs, the reorganization of materials on a molecular scale could actually maximize the transduction efficiency, thus enabling hundreds of bending cycles under small magnetic external stimuli. This would be promising for sensing and actuation, especially as the reversibility of the bending process is dictated by the magnetic effect of the MNPs in the LbL films, instead of swelling, electrostatic, steric or solvation forces of the polymer layers.
All solutions were prepared using ultrapure water supplied by a Millipore Direct-Q system (18.2 MΩ.cm at 25 °C). Natural rubber latex was collected from
The quartz substrates used were thoroughly washed in ethanol, acetone and immersed in a (1:1:5) solution of (NH4OH:H2O2:H2O) and heated at 80 °C for ~10 min. After cooling, the quartz plates were washed and stored in Milli-Q water. The flexible substrates used were cellophane paper, transparency sheets and NRL membranes (made by spreading 9 mL of neat NRL in a Petri dish heated at 60 °C till drying). These substrates were all cleaned in ethanol before use. It is worth mentioning that a layer of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) was used as a cushion to improve the LbL growth on flexible substrates. The LbL films were mechanically fabricated by alternated immersions in the different materials using the dipping mechanism of a Langmuir trough (NIMA, Coventry, UK, model 602). We investigated four different architectures: trilayers of NRL/CMC/MNP and NRL/MNP/CMC and bilayers of NRL/MNP-CMC1 and NRL/MNP-CMC2.
UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy measurements were performed in a Thermo Scientific, Mumbay, India, Genesys 6 and Varian, Santa Clara, CA, USA, Cary 50 Conc spectrometers. FTIR data were obtained in a Brucker, Coventry, UK, Vector 22 equipment, and Raman analysis was done using a micro-Raman Renishaw, in-Via model, with a 633 nm laserline. AFM micrographs were acquired in a Multimode Nanoscope 3a (VEECO-Digital Instruments, Santa Barbara, CA, USA) in the tapping mode with a silicon cantilever at 330 kHz and 10 μm/s scan at ambient temperature. The images were analyzed with the WSxM 5.0 software from Nanotec Electronics, Madrid, Spain [
We have tested various LbL film architectures using NRL, CMC and MNPs deposited onto quartz substrates. The transfer of the film components was confirmed using FTIR and Raman spectroscopes. Because LbL films with the NRL/MNP-CMC2 were the most uniform with more homogeneous distribution of MNPs, according to the AFM and micro-Raman analyses, they were further deposited on flexible substrates. This allowed the bending of flexible membranes, which increased with the amount of MNP embedded in the LbL assembly. These experimental data could be explained semi-quantitatively with a molecular dynamics model at the atomistic level, in which the films were represented by graphene-like structures containing embedded magnetic nanoparticles. Bending was the outcome of two major competitive forces, namely the magnetic force and the elastic restoration force. The successful modeling paves the way for assisting in the design of supramolecular structures used in biomedical applications, in particular with promising LbL structures that could be successfully applied as versatile interfaces able to be modulated by external stimuli. Moreover, with the use of biologically compatible materials from natural resources, as in the LbL films employed here, one may achieve a reversible actuation mechanism due to an interfacial stress promoted by MNPs in the LbL films. This might be an advantage for biomedicine, as there is no need of metallic electrodes, ionic transport, swelling of the materials or currents passing through the sample.
The authors are grateful to FAPESP, CAPES, CNPq and rede nBioNet (Brazil) for the financial support, to Felippe Pavinatto and Adriana Pavinatto for kindly providing CMC and to Mateus Silva Laranjeira with the electrical measurement setup.
FTIR spectra for NRL/MNP/CMC and NRL/NMP-CMC2 LbL films and cast films of CMC, MNP and NRL. The MNP band at 563 cm−1 appears for both LbL films, while the band at 629 cm−1 for the cast film appears in the trilayer LbL film at 650 cm−1. This band is not evident in the LbL film because each bilayer was obtained with a mixed MNP and CMC solution, sonicated 30 min before using, and under such conditions CMC might form a structure surrounding the MNP, thus causing changes in the vibrational spectrum. In other words, the shift is probably due to steric hindrance, being typical in LbL films owing to the intimate contact between the film components [
XRD diffraction patterns for the synthesized magnetic nanoparticles. Using the Scherrer equation, an average diameter of 12.6 nm was obtained for the synthesized nanoparticles.
A video film is available at
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Growth of containing layer-by-layer (LbL) films: (
3D atomic force microscopy (AFM) height micrographs: (
Raman spectra and optical micrographs (500× magnification) made at distinct regions of a 10-bilayer NRL/MNP-CMC2 LbL film. Excitation laser line: 633 nm.
Raman mapping for a 10-bilayer NRL/MNP-CMC2 LbL film grown onto a quartz plate. (
Flexible membranes bent by an external magnetic field: (
Electric current required to bend a flexible membrane placed 2 mm from a magnetized iron core. With thicker films a lower current is required.
Scheme of the atomistic model used, with the case of 5-layer structures being highlighted. The membranes represented in cyan color containing magnetic nanoparticles (in orange) were constructed as hexagonal lattices. The substrate is represented by a green layer which was made stiffer than the graphene-like membranes to mimic the rigid substrates. (
Bending deformation as a function of the number of layers. The deformation is measured as indicated in the inset.
Morphological parameters for the LbL films. The average height of grains was estimated from the ratio between their volume and area. This procedure was adopted because the AFM image could not be segmented accurately into grains, and taking the grain size directly from the image could introduce errors due to convolution of the AFM tip.
|RMS roughness (nm)
|Maximum height (nm)
|Average roughness (nm)
|% of the ratio between the occupied area against the total area
|Occupied area (106 nm2)
|Occupied volume (107 nm3)
|Average height (nm)
Voltage and current values for a NRL/MNP-CMC2 LbL film deposited on different substrates.
|Mass (g)
|Minimum number of deposited bilayers for attraction at 2 mm
|Voltage (V)
|Current (A)