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Army Ground Forces, Study No. 1
In addition to all of its other functions, GHQ became involved in defense planning for the continental United States. Though this activity never became as urgent as its responsibility for certain overseas bases and never as important as the control it exercised over training, the ideas of GHQ on the military organization of the country's defense were a definite factor in the plans developed up to March 1942. The recommendations of GHQ regarding defense planning were governed by General McNair's fundamental belief in unity of command. The problems raised in applying this principle to the organization of defense commands in the continental United States as well as of those outside its limits brought to light the basic difficulties in carrying out the plans for GHQ as conceived by the Harbord Board twenty years before. The vast difference in the strategic situation of 1918 and 1941 was among the major causes leading to the dissolution of GHQ. This development was hastened by overlapping of planning and command responsibilities, the inability of the War Department to delegate full authority to GHQ, and the unsettled relationship between GHQ and the Army Air Forces in the organization for the defense of the United States established in March 1941.
The Role of GHQ in Planning the Defense of the United States
Before 3 July 1941, while still exclusively a training headquarters, GHQ had already made its influence felt in military planning. It participated in the separation of the field forces from the corps areas, an action which made possible the creation, apart from fixed administrative establishments, of large mobile armies for tactical employment in the field. These field forces were expected to become capable of offensive warfare. The War Department over-all strategic plan prescribed, as the primary task of the United States Army, the building of "large land and air forces for major offensive operations."1
But in 1940 and 1941 offensive warfare, however desirable, seemed on sober calculation of means, a possibility only for the future. During most of this period, it was by no means certain that Great Britain could stand up under the blows with which the Luftwaffe was hammering her cities. A War Department G-2 conference in May 1941, attended by the G-2 of GHQ, attempted to estimate the military power which the United States could exert if the British should be defeated and came to the following conclusions:2
May-November 1941:
An unbalanced force without combat aviation could be put into the field
in any area not within a thousand miles from the west coast of Europe
or Africa.
November 1941-April 1942:
A small force with combat aviation could be used.
April-November 1942:
Balanced forces would be available up to the limit of ship tonnage.
After November 1942:
Shipping, equipment, and training would permit an expeditionary force of 430,000 to be put into action.
In these circumstances, the War Department had to consider above all the immediate defense of the continental United States. GHQ had no responsibility in the matter before 3 July 1941, but after that date it was responsible for the planning and after Pearl Harbor for the execution of measures to resist attack. Even before 3 July 1941, the advice of General McNair was sought and frequently accepted. Since attack was unlikely except by air, air officers played a leading part in defense planning. Indeed, they tended to feel that the problem was exclusively theirs and to attach slight importance to collaboration with ground troops in the repelling of invasion. Nevertheless plans for the air forces and plans for the defense of the United States became inextricably interwoven.
The Principle of Territorial Command Unity and the Air Problem
An Air Defense Command had existed since 26 February 1940, with headquarters at Mitchell Field, New York, under command of General James E. Chaney.3 It was a planning body, with authority to organize combined air-ground operations, but it had no territorial responsibility and no control over either aircraft or antiaircraft artillery except as they might be attached to it by the War Department. General Chaney repeatedly urged the organization of definite defense measures for the vital northeastern area of the United States.
In the discussions which came to a head late in 1940 General McNair was consulted. He favored the division of the continental United States into four regional defense commands. He wished to keep these distinct from the four field armies, which as mobile units might by moving away leave a region unprotected, and from the nine corps areas, which as fixed administrative organizations were not suited for combat. In each defense command, in his view, there should be unity of command over all elements of defense; pursuit aviation, antiaircraft artillery, mobile ground troops, harbor defenses, and the aircraft warning service. The area under a defense command, if invaded, would become a theater of operations and the defense commander would become theater commander with unified control over all military means in his theater.4
Fear that unity of command within a given area subject to attack might be lost caused General McNair to disapprove of certain features of reorganization of the Air Corps effected at this time. The Air Corps, in order to create an intermediate echelon between its seventeen wings and the headquarters of the GHQ Air Force, divided the United States into four air districts. General McNair, dubious at first, was brought to accept these territorial air districts for purposes of training and administration. The Air Corps, supported by G-3 of the War Department General Staff, then proposed the creation of a bombing command and of an air defense command within each air district, the former to conduct offensive operations, the latter defensive operations, "within the theater of the Air District."5 General McNair concurred in the formation of these commands for the training and organization of mobile air units, but he demurred at the identification of air districts with theaters of operations. He maintained that, in the event of actual operations, the business of the air district was not itself to fight, but to supply appropriate bomber and pursuit aviation to the theater commander, who must be placed over air and ground forces alike and held responsible for operations as a whole.6
Creation of the Four Defense Commands
Action taken by the War Department in March 1941 embodied most, but not all, of General McNair's ideas. A formal order of 17 March divided the United States into four Defense Commands—Northeastern, Central, Southern, and Western.7 Each defense
commander was to be responsible in peacetime for planning all measures against invasion of the area of his command. Should such invasion occur, he was to take charge of operations until otherwise directed by the War Department. To avoid accumulation of overhead, the commanding general of each of the four armies was designated as the commanding general of the defense command within which his headquarters was located, and the army staffs, with some reinforcement, were used as the staffs of the defense commands. GHQ was made responsible for the supervision and coordination of their planning, but not "until such time as the staff of GHQ has been expanded to undertake these additional responsibilities."
The same order of 17 March replaced the four air districts with four air forces. To prevent confusion between territorial and mobile activities, against which General McNair as well as General Chaney of the Air Corps8 had warned, each air force was divided into a fixed and a mobile echelon. The fixed echelon would control bases, airdromes, aircraft warning services, etc. The mobile echelon would comprise a bomber command and an interceptor commend. "Interceptor Command" was the name now chosen for what the proposals of the preceding fall called "Air Defense Commands" and was in turn to yield to the name "Fighter Command" in 1942. Under whatever name, pursuit (i.e. fighter) planes were meant as distinguished from bombers.
The order of 17 March did not fully provide the regional unity of responsibility desired by General McNair. The four air forces stood directly under the GHQ Air Force. They were not subordinate to the defense commends and were only roughly coterminous with them.
For peacetime planning and preparation the distribution of authority was not clear. The principle of regional unity was recognized in the provision that the "planning for all measures of defense" in each area should rest with the commanding general of the defense command. But the conflicting principle of functional autonomy was recognized on the same page of the order, where responsibility for "the aviation and air defense portions of defense plans for Defense Commands" was conferred upon the commanding general of the GHQ Air Force. This provision was strengthened by additional instructions issued on 25 March, which directed that "current plans for organization of means of air defense will be transferred from the army commanders and other commanders to the commanding general, GHQ Air Force," and that the latter should nominate his own representatives on local joint planning committees.9 In the geographical situation of the United States, with attack unlikely except by air, this was a considerable limitation on the planning powers of the regional defense commanders. The discrepancy was noted at once by General McNair as well as by others and led to prolonged discussion in the War Department. To General McNair it seemed "manifest that there must be a unified responsibility in peace for the preparation of war plans, even as there must be an undivided command within the defense command in war."10
The question became even further entangled in the summer of 1941. By the directive of 3 July 1941, GHQ received authority to supervise the planning of commanders of defense commands. But in June the Army Air Forces had been established as an autonomous element in the War Department, and the GHQ Air Force, renamed the Air Force Combat Command and responsible only to the Chief of the Army Air Forces, had passed out from under such authority as GHQ had ever been able to exercise over it, carrying with it the power to make aviation plans for defense commands.11 Nevertheless General McNair continued his efforts to have planning authority transferred from the Army Air Forces to the regional commanders by whom, in case of attack, the plans would presumably be executed. On 15 August 1941 General McNair stated his position in full detail. He requested that the plans of the Air Forces for a theater should be submitted to GHQ, to be embodied, if approved, in a directive from GHQ to the theater commander; that local plans proposed by a theater commander should be transmitted through GHQ to the Chief of the Army Air Forces for approval or comment; and that, at the outbreak of
hostilities, GHQ would assume command of the air forces assigned to the theater and take the necessary action to obtain such air reinforcements as might be requested.12
Regional unity for war operations was provided for by the directive of 17 March. As construed by the War Department, this directive prescribed in case of war the attachment of an air force to its geographically corresponding defense command. The basic War Department strategic plan stated explicitly: "When the War Department, to meet an actual or threatened invasion, activates a Theater of Operations (or similar command) in the United States or contiguous territory for the combined employment of air forces and ground arms (other than antiaircraft artillery), the commander of the theater (or similar commander) will be responsible for all air defense measures in the theater." This hypothetical situation became a reality with the declaration of war in the following December. The First Air Force was attached to the Northeastern Defense Command, which was now activated and renamed the Eastern Theater of Operations. The Fourth Air Force was attached to the Western Defense Command, which was in effect alerted as a theater of operations while retaining its old name. The Second and Third Air Forces, in the interior of the country, remained for training under the Air Force Combat Command. On the two coasts, the theater commanders obtained unity of command including aviation. The principle of unity, strongly advocated by General McNair, had been adopted for the potential combat zones.13
Coordination of Antiaircraft Weapons and Pursuit Aviation
Though in matters of higher command and planning General McNair sought to moderate the claims of the Air Forces, in the coordination of aviation and antiaircraft artillery he found himself trying to impose on the Air Forces more control of ground forces than they were willing to assume.
As early as May 1940, the Air Defense Command under General Chaney began to organize Southern New England into a Test Sector for a rehearsal of defense measures against air attack. The Test Sector exercise was executed in January 1941. Pursuit planes, coast artillery, regional filter boards, and the aircraft warning service, manned both by military personnel and by civilian volunteers, cooperated to resist an attack simulated by American bombers. Three observers from GHQ were present: the Air Officer, Colonel Lynd, and the two Coast Artillery officers, Lieutenant Colonels Milburn and Handwork.14
Colonel Lynd's report to General McNair, dated 1 February 1941, concluded that the main lesson learned from the test was the need of putting antiaircraft defense under air command. This doctrine was accepted by GHQ and was incorporated in a War Department order of 7 March, assigning to the GHQ Air Force the responsibility for air defense in the Continental United States. Ten days later the order of 17 March, establishing an interceptor command within each of the four air forces, provided specifically that antiaircraft artillery, searchlights, and balloon barrages should be attached to interceptor commands during operations.15
Precisely how the interceptor commander, always an air officer, should exercise his control over these ground elements was a question admitting many different answers: There was agreement on the general aim. The interceptor commander must distribute local responsibilities for defense between ground elements and pursuit planes and, when both came into action in the same place, he must prevent his pursuit planes from being shot down by friendly artillery or entangled in friendly balloon barrages. Experience in England had shown that such mishaps were only too common.16 Tactical coordination required centralization of command and intelligence together with very rapid channels of command and communication.
As a result of experience in the Test Sector exercise, General Chaney recommended that the fire of all antiaircraft artillery be controlled by regional officers of the interceptor command, and G-3 of the War Department drew up a proposal to this effect. The Chief of Coast Artillery accepted the principle, but made an exception for combat zones, considering it impracticable to have antiaircraft batteries in the actual presence of enemy bombers await instructions from a regional officer.17 The question was taken up by the Air Defense Board created in April 1941 and composed of the Chief of Coast Artillery, the Chief Signal Officer, and the Commanding General of the GHQ Air Force, Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons. The Board agreed with the Chief of Coast Artillery, excepted combat zones from the terms of the War Department proposal, and suggested the appointment of an Antiaircraft Artillery officer on the staff of the interceptor commander.18
Reluctance of Air to Accept Command over Ground Forces
General McNair took issue with the findings of the Air Defense Board. On 9 July he pointed out that coordination of air defense was at least as necessary in combat zones as elsewhere, He insisted on unity of command over all air defense means. "It follows," he said, "that organic corps and army antiaircraft units should be abolished. All such units should be assigned or attached to interceptor commands." He recommended also that the proposed staff officer be replaced by an antiaircraft command officer, who should stand in relation to the interceptor commander somewhat as the commander of divisional artillery stood to the commanding general of a division.19
The issue between GHQ and the Air Forces was now reduced to two questions: (1) whether an interceptor commander should have all antiaircraft artillery in his area assigned, or attached to his command, and (2) whether he should exercise command over such artillery, or only "operational control." The latter phrase, borrowed from the British, was favored by many officers in the Army Air Forces. On both questions General McNair insisted on the larger powers for the air commander.
During the following months the Air Force Combat Command, under General Emmons, acting for the Chief of the Army Air Forces, prepared a draft for a Basic Field Manual on "Air Defense," which was submitted to GHQ for comment in October 1941. General McNair, in consultation with General Clark, Lieutenant Colonels Milburn and Handwork of the GHQ Coast Artillery Section, and Colonel Lynd, now liaison officer representing the Air Forces at GHQ, prepared comments which restated his basic views. He objected to the term "operational control" as uncertain in meaning and recommended the substitution of the word "command." Moreover, he insisted that an interceptor command should include all antiaircraft weapons in the area and urged the creation of antiaircraft commands to be placed under interceptor commanders.20
These recommendations, dated 22 October and repeated in a memorandum of November, were eventually incorporated in training circulars published by the War Department. Training Circular No. 70, 16 December 1941, stated: "All antiaircraft artillery and pursuit aviation operating within the same area must be subject to the control of a single commander designated for the purpose." Training Circular No. 71, 18 December 1941, repeated almost word for word General McNair's language on the creation of antiaircraft commands under interceptor commanders and used the word "command" to, the exclusion of "operational control."
The Air Forces were not satisfied. On 30 December General Emmons submitted to the Chief of the Army Air Forces an amended draft of the proposed Field Manual on Air Defense. Though General Emmons stated that all acceptable changes had been made, General McNair's main criticisms had not been embodied.21 In view of this development General McNair renewed his objection to the term "operational control." It is
"objectionable," he wrote, "because it is unnecessary. The relation between the interceptor command and antiaircraft units operating in the same area is either command or cooperation. It cannot be something between these two."22
In January 1942 Gen. C. W. Russell became Chief of the Air Support Section of the Air Forces Combat Command, which was located at GHQ. In his last post as Chief of Staff to General Emmons, he had signed most of General Emmons' refusals to adopt General McNair's recommendations, but he now came to agree with General McNair. "The term 'operational control,'" he reported on 14 February 1942 to General McNair, "... is giving considerable difficulty. Action is required either to define the term explicitly or do away with it altogether and establish unity of command."23
The Basic Field Manual on Air Defense, when finally published on 24 December 1942, embodied General McNair's recommendations. The phrasing was less simple and clear-cut than that suggested by him, but "all" antiaircraft weapons were put under the "command" of the interceptor commander and no use was made of the term "operational control."24
Return to Table of Contents
Last updated 18 February 2005


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The National Latino Congress opened its five-day conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, with more than 1,600 leaders from around the country working to create a platform that includes traditional issues like immigration, as well as education, the environment and voting rights.
Organizers say they chose Los Angeles, "the capital of Latino America," as the host city because is it home to the country's largest Latino population, as well as some of the oldest, most evolved Latino groups.
"We have the numbers. The future of the Latino community is being set in Los Angeles," said John Trasvi a, interim president and general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
And with Congress stalling on immigration reform, organizers say, they are also sending a clear message about their influnce."One hundred million Latinos by 2050 will be the majority of America. It has dramatic implications on every level of society," said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the Southwest Voter Education Registration Project, a voting rights group. While the conference is endorsed by a who's who of Latino politics, from Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu ez to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, it's unclear how an agenda set by community groups will translate on a national level - or with other ethnic coalitions.
Still, organizers say they want to use their platform to create alliances with others.
"In some ways this is an attempt to solidify a Latino house but have that house reach out to others," said Jaime Regalado, director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State Los Angeles. "But, it's fraught with difficulties. Once you try and work across class and ethnic and racial lines, it becomes difficult."
Irma Mu oz, an environmental organizer in Los Angeles, said she was encouraged by the broad agenda. "You can't stereotype and think that immigration is our only issue and our focal point. Yes, it is important to us, and I don't want to take that away. But there is so much more," said Mu oz, who founded Mujeres de la Tierra, an environmental advocacy group that has seven chapters in Los Angeles.
But for many of the participants, immigration and stalled reform remain the most pressing issues. Lurvin Lizarado, who helped form Hondurenos Unidos Florida in Tampa last year, said she came to the congress to learn more about voting rights. "There are so many of us, and we are hungry for information," she said.
(818) 713-3741

subset: commoncrawl


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Well Played: Chris Hemsworth's Little Hippie Family Is Too Cute For Words
I love everything about this picture, from Chris Hemsworth puckering up to kiss daughter India, to India's pink and purple toddler outfit, to Elsa Pataky's colorful bohemian layers (and baby bump!). Cutest, most color-coordinated family ever. So excited for them to add a second sure-to-be-adorable child to the mix! [Photo: Fame/Flynet]


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Jordanians have purchased over 500 kilos of gold over the past two weeks following a sharp dip in the prices of the precious metal [2]on the global market, according sector leaders.
Jordan Jewellers Association's secretary, Rebhy Allan, told The Jordan Times over the phone on Wednesday that gold prices on the domestic market went down by a "record" JD5 ($7) per gramme over the past two weeks.
Allan estimated the value of the quantity of gold that was sold over the past two weeks at around JD18 million ($25 million).
"Gold prices had been on the rise for five years, and this is the first time the metal's value has seen such a sharp fall," he added.
Gold has fallen to its lowest level in two years in the last few days amid fears that cash-strapped countries in the euro zone would need to sell off their reserves, as Cyprus [3] is expected to do so, to raise 400m euros. However, the amount it garners from the reserves will drop if prices keep falling.
According to the global market index, the price of gold by the ounce has fallen by nearly $200 in the last two days, making it now cost to below $1,400. This is first time this has occured since February 2011.
Concerns over economic recovery [4] in the US and China are also blamed for the sharp decline in prices.
Allan indicated that there has been a large surge in the number of buyers at jewellery stores, and she expects the rising demand to continue as the summer wedding season is approaching.
He indicated that the Kingdom's gold importers have increased their orders so as to meet this surge.
On Wednesday, Allan said the price of 24-karat gold stood at JD32 ($45) per gramme on the local market, while 21-karat gold was priced at JD28.2 ($40) per gramme, and 18-karat gold was worth JD24 ($33) per gramme.
On the international market gold was last traded at $1,372.85 an ounce, according to Reuters.
[1] http://www.syndigate.info
[2] http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/04/15/market-eye-gold-loan-providers-crash-idINDEE93E04D20130415
[3] http://www.albawaba.com/business/cyprus-bailout-middle-east-480609
[4] http://www.albawaba.com/business/imf-global-economy-485510
[5] http://www.jordantimes.com


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|Statut :
|Organisation :
|Victoria International Development Education Association
|Acronyme :
|Type :
|Organisme non gouvernemental
|Mandat :
|VIDEA works to inspire thought and action on global issues, and has been involved in the promotion and delivery of global education in British Columbia since 1977. VIDEA actively engages teachers, students, youth and the general public in learning about--and becoming involved in--international issues, with a particular focus on the need for socially just and sustainable global development. VIDEA provides learning opportunities through special events, seminars, workshops, tours and conferences; it conducts research and publishes quality learning resources that are used in Canada, the United States, and overseas. Through such CIDA-funded projects as Harnessing the Wave: Community Action for Africa and Time to Deliver: Community Action on AIDS in Africa, VIDEA's Africa Programme creates sustaining linkages between Canadian communities and Zambian communities in the belief that community-driven, grass-roots action can lead to positive change. The Community Action for Africa Internship Project facilitates these community connections by supporting partnership-building with Zambian organizations, allowing VIDEA to develop a greater understanding of these organizations and the strengths and needs of the communities in which they work, while also providing young Canadians with valuable international work experience.
|Adresse :
|407-620 View Street
Victoria, British Columbia,
|Veuillez visiter le site Internet de l'organisation offrant ce stage pour connaître ses exigences avant de lui envoyer votre curriculum vitae.
|Personne ressource :
|Jennifer Savidge
|Courriel :
|Pays :
|Afrique du Sud
|Ville :
|Secteur :
|Concours fournis aux organisations non gouvernementales
|Description du stage :
WHEAT Trust's Grantmaking Programme provides grants to poor women to
enable them to access training opportunities that will improve their economic
self-sufficiency and contribute to community development. While in the past
WHEAT Trust has conducted an impact study/evaluation of its Grantmaking
Programme, the organization has not had the capacity to do so in recent years.
Ongoing impact measurement of this programme is essential for ensuring its
effectiveness, and an intern in the position of Grantmaking Programme
Researcher would contribute significantly to achieving this objective.
In Canada
With VIDEA support, the intern will be responsible for:
-familiarizing him/herself with Zambia background reading/information;
-applying for travel documentation required for Zambia;
-obtaining necessary vaccinations/medications for Zambia;
-fundraising $300 for contribution towards internship with VIDEA support;
-researching WHEAT Trust and mandate/programming;
-familiarizing him/herself with internship-specific workplan supplied by WHEAT Trust;
-developing correspondence with WHEAT Trust;
-reading Canada's International Policy Statement and familiarizing him/herself with the Millenium Development Goals;
-attending VIDEA orientation session;
-developing workplan outlining career goals;
-attending VIDEA debriefing/reintegration session;
-reflecting on/planning/conducting outreach activities in his/her community;
-providing feedback to CIDA and VIDEA before, during, and after internship placement.
The Grantmaking Programme Researcher will assist in the ongoing measurement and evaluation of the Grantmaking Programme and contribute to the development of the grantmaking process by:
-conducting participatory research with women who have received WHEAT Trust grants in past years;
-identifying factors contributing to and limiting the success of women who have accessed WHEAT Trust grants;
-identifying factors that may limit organizational growth and providing recommendations for improvement;
- assisting in the identification of local leadership to serve on the WHEAT Trust committee and board;
- assisting in the identification of WHEAT Trust ambassadors to champion WHEAT Trust's work.
|Organisation d'accueil :
|Women's Hope Education And Training Trust
|Détails au sujet de l'organisation d'accueil :
|WHEAT Trust promotes a culture of giving through supporting South African grassroots women's empowerment for the development of local communities. WHEAT Trust believes in women as agents of social change to bring about sustainable development. Backing up this belief with action, WHEAT Trust's primary activity is the provision of grants for training and educational opportunities to women working at a grassroots, community level.


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Indiana man seeks to challenge ticket in high court
A north-central Indiana man wants to challenge the authority of law enforcement officials to pull over vehicles for speeding.
The Journal & Courier reports that Jim Sanders of Mulberry, near Lafayette, considers himself a "sovereign man" or a "freeman," part of a growing movement that questions the authority of government.
Sovereign citizen followers rely largely on common law to justify why they're exempt from certain rules and regulations, such as speed limits. The growing popularity of the sovereign citizen movement and other anti-government movements prompted the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana to hold a training course recently for prosecutors across the state.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Tim Horty says the sovereign citizen movement poses problems for prosecutors because they frequently file voluminous, convoluted pleadings.
Information from: Journal and Courier
Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This story may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.


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Ann Brashares has created a wonderful, heartfelt series for teens (and adults) around a pair of pants. In her breakout bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares introduced readers to four girls, Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby, and to the magical pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly, and inspired them to live their young lives to the fullest. Forever in Blue, the fourth and final novel in the series, promises a dazzling finale--one "last glorious summer" for the four girls, and their fans. See a note from author Ann Brashares, below.--Daphne Durham
With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.From the Hardcover edition.


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Publisher: Stardock
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy / 4X
Players: 1
Reviewer: Philip Smith
Overall: 8 = Excellent
2.4 GHz Processor, 1 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce 6800 / Radeon x1600 256MB DirectX 9.0c comp. video card, Win 7/8/Vista (SP2)/XP (SP3)
Fallen Enchantress – Legendary Heroes has something of an involved history, being an improved re-release of 2012's Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, which was already a remake of 2010's Elemental: War of Magic, but the good news is that all of its troubles haven't been for naught. Despite a pained development process, the end result is a highly addictive 4X strategy title that attains many of the lofty goals introduced in the first Elemental. By keeping and tweaking what worked and dropping what didn't, Stardock has created a title that, while in need of some fine-tuning, is well worth checking out.
If Legendary Heroes is one thing, it's a little of everything. Of all of its many influences, the two most prominent are Civilization and Heroes of Might & Magic. This will be evident at the outset during the game's sole scenario, The War for Anthys, which features a forgettable storyline that's serviceable enough as a vehicle to get a bunch of factions going for each other's throats. It will become even more so as players explore the New Game (re: sandbox) option.
As a Sovereign, players will lead their fledgling kingdom or empire through a tumultuous period of strife and resurgence. A cataclysm has wrecked the realms and its people, and into this power vacuum steps a handful of leaders who can still muster the energy of the world's crystal shards to command their people. By settling cities, constructing outposts, harvesting the land's resources, and researching the lost technology and arts, the Sovereigns will have the means at their disposal to unite the lands under their banner. There are five Kingdoms of Men and five Empires of the Fallen, and all want to reign supreme.
Regardless of which faction is chosen, they all start with very little. The Sovereign leads a small group of followers who must find the optimal tile with the best resource yields of grain, material, and essence on which to settle the faction's capital. Each resource dictates how the city will evolve, with higher grain allowing for a larger populace, a higher material allowing for greater production, and higher essence allowing for additional enhancements to be cast on the city. After the capital has been settled, the research trees for Civilization, Warfare, and Magic are unlocked for study, and the city can begin recruiting units or building structures. Construction is limited to a handful of buildings, befitting the capacities of a newfound city, while recruitment typically includes a military-type unit, as well as Explorers and Pioneers. I found Explorers to be surprisingly ineffective: they have no means of escape or defense and yet enemies regularly targeted them, and they also proved to be a significant economic and construction drain at the outset. Pioneers, on the other hand, are incredibly useful and are the true workhorses of the civilian corps because they are responsible for settling cities and establishing outposts.
Founding cities can be a tricky endeavor due to the dangers of the wilds. A city might inadvertently attract the attention of some of the land's many monsters by expanding the faction's zone of control too far and causing it to overlap with those of the beasts, who don't take kindly to incursions into their territory. Unless garrisoned, a new city is easy prey for a band of irritated ogres, ice elementals, or other unsavory monsters. Fortunately, cities can increase their defenses by erecting certain buildings, such as forts and barracks, and leveling up. Cities also level over time, and three initial upgrade types quickly become available, the benefits of which vary from increasing research, increasing the hit points of recruited units, and increasing productivity. Deciding on the proper city type will depend on the tile it was founded on, its place within the faction's borders, and the player's long-term goals.
Further upgrades can stamp down on an unseen enemy: unrest. Unrest is caused by the founding of cities, as larger populations become increasingly harder to control, and when the people are angry, research and production suffer. Sovereigns can offset unrest by researching and building entertainment for the citizens to enjoy, casting penalty-reducing spells, selecting certain upgrade traits, and of course, keeping taxes low. Taxes also have an inverse reaction to productivity, with low taxes resulting in a more congenial populace who are eager to work. The coin earned through taxation is required to fund and upgrade the army, so as much as the people might dislike paying into the Sovereign's coffers, they have little choice if they don't want their city razed by some vicious invaders.
Cities are only part of the player's empire, and while they are vital to survival, they are frequently dwarfed by outposts. These handy structures are erected wherever there is enough space: they provide a quick and easy way to extend the faction's zone of control, allow nearby resources to be harvested, and establish linking roads for faster travel. After additional research, the outposts become even more useful as unlocked upgrades offer a wide variety benefits, some of which include a defense bonus to nearby units and caltrops to reduce the speed of invading enemies. Outposts are linked to the nearest city, and any upgrades are added to the city's building queue, which means careful planning is essential in order to roll out the upgrades in a timely manner.
As the capital gets on its legs and the faction's influence spreads through its cities and outposts, the Sovereign is left to tackle nearby quests and monster mobs. Quests range from collecting a set number of wolf pelts for a hermit to saving a caravan from bandits, with each successful quest resulting in an item, Fame, and at times, an extra party member. The party members are not like the ones trained in cities but are instead special units that can be equipped with items from the faction's shop, such as weapons, armor, accessories, and even horses. Similarly, earning Fame will attract special units known as Champions, who can also be equipped with items. Both character types, as well as the Sovereign, earn new traits as they gain levels. As leaders of the general soldiery, they have access to General traits; these offer a handful of improvements both for the squad, including increased squad health regeneration and initiative, and themselves, such as the ability to wear better armor. There are other types of traits, however, which are dependent on the upgrade path chosen: Assassin, Commander, Defender, Mage, and Warrior. What's nice about the system is that each path is viable, and while not all traits are unique, the number of traits and upgrade paths allow for a significant degree of variety. I don't recall ever having two units exactly alike, and I was constantly discovering new and exciting trait combinations throughout my time with the game.
Even though some factions are more geared towards smaller, Champion-heavy squads, most of the heavy lifting will be done by the trained soldiers. As new technologies are researched and structures erected, new soldier types, arms, and armor become available. Many unit types are shared between factions, with the traditional (spearmen, axemen, archers) mixing with the non-traditional (spiders, trogs). Eventually, squads of nine can be formed. However, unlike many other hero-centric strategy games, Legendary Heroes does not require that a squad be led by any unit in particular. There are some restrictions on leaderless squads in that they cannot cast spells, accept any quests, or dig through any of the equipment caches strewn about the world map; however, this is expected, since these abilities are precisely what makes the special units so special. The grunts aren't just fodder, either, but have their own special abilities due to each weapon unlocking a special ability for the units that have them equipped. For example, spears can impale both the target unit and another unit standing directly behind them, while an axeman can cleave through up to three adjacent enemies. Knowing each unit's specialty is important because there is no way to undo or reverse a move, and going in for a triple cleave kill only to realize that only the single-target bash attack is available certainly won't be appreciated by the soon-to-be-dead soldier.
Squads move across the world map in small groups that are roughly visually equivalent to their composition. Capturing an outpost is as simple as marching onto it, while moving onto any resource being harvested by the enemy will result in the destruction of their production facilities. Moving into enemy territory is especially dangerous in Legendary Heroes, though, because of the slow move rate when not traveling on local roads and the enemy's use of spells to harry intruders. There is a wide variety of magic, but the AI tends to heavily favor those abilities which do squad-wide damage and freeze them in place. Players can access similar spells in their spellbook, which come in two types: strategic and tactical. Strategic spells are those available for use on the world map, while tactical are those that can be unleashed on the battlefield. After some pre-engagement magical skirmishing, two armies will clash whenever their squads collide on the world map. The battle system is similar to the newer iterations of Heroes of Might & Magic, with a grid-based battlefield hosting both armies in a turn-based system. Each unit can only move once and act once during their turn, though there are some spells and abilities that can switch things up a bit. Once a unit engages in an action, it cannot move, and it will also stop moving once it comes into range of an enemy's melee attack. These rules, along with the aforementioned weapon-specific abilities, make positioning all the more important. Units only get a defense bonus when they 'pass' their turn, either by not moving or by moving and not engaging in an action. Letting a unit get too far out exposes them to increased danger because of a swarm modifier, which is an attack bonus that occurs whenever multiple soldiers surround and attack an enemy unit. Although, if they are lucky, some stragglers might make it out alive due to the enemy's tendency to go after low-hanging fruit, even if it's to their detriment.
A recurring problem I encountered was that my units would not move to the tile I selected, opting to instead stop on one behind or alongside the target tile. There was also one narrow battlefield map type in particular whose border tiles my long-range units could not target; I had to either send in melee troops or hit the auto button in the hopes that the computer would send a volley, though sometimes the computer did nothing and I had to pass the turn anyway. The actual battlefield grid can be turned on and the camera freely moved around, so I know exactly where I was clicking each time, and it was incredibly frustrating to see my unit run to or attack enemies on the wrong tile. A simple mistake can inadvertently kill a high-level troop because there is no way to undo the move. Given the cost of maintaining an army, with researched arms and armor costing a tidy sum to outfit on existing soldiers, the loss of an elite troop not only represents a significant waste of money and time, but will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on the squad's performance.
Actually, coming to grips with spells and the combat system can be fairly frustrating. Because the game seems familiar, with a world map and research system similar to Civilization and the turn-based, hero-centered battles of Heroes of Might & Magic, it's easy to fool oneself into thinking they can jump right in without browsing the manual or going through the tutorial. I quickly found that to be untrue. It's easy enough to establish a few cities and send out troops looking for trouble, but it will quickly become apparent that things aren't quite as they should be, as the other factions' scores skyrocket past the player's. The immediate sense of recognition when first booting up is in fact quite deceptive. Much of the design's nuances are lost behind this veneer of familiarity, and that is also in part because the game makes little effort to reveal its intricacies. The manual helps immensely in coming to grips with the factions and the many gameplay options, and reading through it thoroughly is an absolute necessity because the included tutorial is severely lacking. Instead of offering a series of tutorials or having the sole scenario function as an extended and engaging learning tool, the game relies on the Hiergamenon, an in-game encyclopedia, to fill in many of the details, but neither the manual nor the Hiergamenon adequately explain the game's interwoven mechanics. The game's economic system is only briefly mentioned, and even after playing for hours, I'm still not sure how to counter some of the spells simply because of either not knowing where to look or because that information wasn't available. Getting a firm grasp of what to build when and how to counter your foes takes hours of practice, and this time could have been much better spent perfecting the systems rather than learning the basics.
The end game and diplomacy model are also lackluster. As with so many other grand strategy games, the opening gambits, when picking what to research and train, and the mid-game, with all of its warfare and adjusting for some really awesome world events (e.g., all-out war between non-allied factions, a plague in the capital, an eclipse that makes monsters more powerful, etc.), are great, but once everything is researched and the armies have been upgraded, it can be a slog. Contributing to this is the autoresolve function, which is only useful when there is an overwhelming advantage, and even then, long-range units might be lost; this makes it necessary to fight nearly every single one of the many battles towards the end. Diplomatic relations can also be spotty. A stronger enemy might offer tribute, or another want to trade for the exact same item. Coin and military might are the only real way to carry favor, but that is still no guarantee. Despite the AI's early aggressiveness in its declarations of war and its constant requests for tribute in exchange for allowing the player's continued existence, it tends to not go in for the kill when it hold all the cards. On the up side, the computer actually fights mutual enemies when in an alliance with the player, which is a nice change of pace from so many other titles.
The game does, however, offer a lot in return for the player's efforts. One of its most outstanding features is its customizability. Each of the game's 10 factions (Kingdom of Altar, Kingdom of Tarth, Kingdom of Gilden, Kingdom of Pariden, Kingdom of Capitar, Empire of Kraxis, Empire of Magnar, Empire of Yithril, Empire of Resoln, and Empire of Resoln) provides a Sovereign and a people whose magical proficiencies, traits, unlocks, and perks are already established; and Designer's Notes in the manual give additional information so that players pick the faction best for them. The basic soldiery's entire ability template can also be customized. The pre-set Sovereigns certainly get the job done, but the real joy comes in creating one by modifying several categories: name, faction, gender, attributes (magical proficiencies and profession), talents (talents and weaknesses), appearance (clothes, equipment, head, and body), and backstory. This hero can also be loaded for subsequent play sessions, which offers a nice touch of continuity.
Players who wish to delve even deeper can take advantage of the Faction Creator within the Workshop. The Workshop offers a set of customization tools that allow for a number of tweaks, such as tile and particle alteration, but its most interesting option is the ability to found a new faction. In addition to its name and the race of its inhabitants, there are options to choose ideology (Empire for dark magic users or Kingdom for light magic users), crest, strengths, weaknesses, appearance (clothing, armor, roof, skin, and hair colors), and backstory. Unlike the "faction" option when creating a Sovereign, however, this faction is permanently available among the roster. A pop-up notice appears upon entering the Workshop that notes that the tools provided are as-is, as a series of extras for players to tinker with the world and experiment with assets, but I fortunately had no problems with choosing or using the faction I created.
The map generator is also packed with options. A large number of options can be set to create the optimal experience: map size, map type, world size, wildland frequency, production pace, quest frequency, world difficulty, monster frequency, pacing, magic strength, resource frequency, and random event frequency. Further options include setting the number of opponents, the AI, opponent surrender threshold, kingdom vs. empire balance, and victory conditions (conquest, diplomatic, master quest, and spell of making). Opponents can be customized for specific factions, the teams they are on, and difficulty level. A few more scenarios would have been nice to further flesh out the lore and add extra context to the factions' animosities, but the sheer volume of options makes the lack of an extended campaign much more palatable, if not a non-issue altogether.
As good as Legendary Heroes is, the game will greatly benefit from being patched. Aside from the control problems mentioned earlier when fighting battles, I also crashed to the desktop after extended play sessions several times. There were also moments on the world map when my units would disappear but still be selectable. The interface is wanting in many respects, with some menus not displaying the action's associated hotkey and some tasks are just too time consuming, like upgrading, forcing players to go unit by unit to upgrade each troop in each squad. The game's autosave feature meant that I didn't lose much if any progress, and the interface and control issues were more of an annoyance, but taken together, it's indicative of a lack of polish. The game looks great and sounds good, but these remaining problems should definitely be ironed out.
Overall: 8/10
Fallen Enchantress – Legendary Heroes is a good game that is a patch away from being a great one. Technical and interface issues can bog things down too much, including problems with tile selection and graphical anomalies, but fans of the genre will also find a lot to like with myriad customization options, great world events, an engaging combat system, and a fantastic mix of strategy and role-playing. Despite its lingering issues, I'm fully prepared to sink even more hours into my own glorious faction.
(This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher.)


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Time flies when you're having fun, right?It's hard for me to fathom that we're already into March of 2011. Weren't we just putting the Holiday decorations away a few days ago?In just a few short weeks I'll have the privilege to meet with many of you at the 2011 Member Summit that is being co-hosted alongside the National Collegiate Conference in Orlando, Florida. The program for the event is look very strong, thanks to a lot of work by our Events Committee. This is an event you do not want to miss!Speaking of the National Collegiate Conference, this event is another example of how AITP is working to enhance our industry with the leaders of tomorrow. I believe this is my fourth NCC (Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit). It is such a thrill to see college students so excited about their future in Information Technology! Kevin Jetton and team have done an outstanding job once again this year with this flagship event of AITP! Go Team! Many positive things are happening within AITP. One I'm most happy with is the streamlining of the awards process for award year 2010. At the member summit, we will be acknowledging the awards for Chapter Outstanding Performance (COPA), Region Outstanding Chapter (ROCA) and Association Outstanding Chapter (ROCA) awards for 2010 - just three months after the end of the award year. This is down from 12-15 months that normally go by before we acknowledge these awards. Thanks to the outstanding work of the Awards Committee, mainly Barbara Shaver, we can acknowledge the winners while the award is still relevant! Lastly, the Association Board of Directors filled the vacancy for the office of Secretary by appointing Beth Pirrie to finish out 2011. To all members of AITP: My door is open. Please feel free to contact me via phone or email with any questions you have about what the association is up to for 2011. Jim R. Henry2011 Association President907-248-3908 email@example.com
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3/10/2017AITP Welcomes New Members - February 2017
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English League Championship Standings
Championship News
Fulham sign Chelsea centre-back Tomas Kalas on season-long loan
Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas has joined Fulham on a season-long loan, the Championship club confirmed on Thursday.
Brighton's Connor Goldson urges clubs to scan for heart problems
Goldson, 24, has not played competitively since January after the discovery of a swollen aorta left him fearing for his career.
Chelsea's Tomas Kalas set to rejoin Fulham on loan - sources
Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas is set to rejoin Fulham on loan, sources close to both clubs have told ESPN FC.
Wolverhampton Wanderers sign Diogo Jota on loan from Atletico Madrid
Portugal under-21 international Jota is reunited with coach Nuno Espirito Santo, for whom he played on loan at Porto last season.
Fiorentina sign midfielder Jordan Veretout from Aston Villa
Fiorentina have completed the signing of Jordan Veretout from Aston Villa, with the French midfielder signing a four-year contract on Tuesday.
John Terry lifts first trophy as Aston Villa player, and it's... different
Aston Villa have lifted what is surely the weirdest piece of preseason silverware so far this summer.


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Forums: Admins | Moderators
Lacrosse news straight to your inbox.
Monday July 23rd, 2012 5:11pm
Just two days after the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Selection Show Presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, ESPNU will feature an exclusive inside look at this year's NCAA defending champions the University of Virginia. There and Back: All-Access with Virginia Lacrosse will air in two half-hour shows (Tuesday, May 8, and Wednesday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m.) exploring the players, coaches and facilities that contribute to the team's success on the field.
After achieving the ultimate success in 2011, the All-Access special goes inside the program over the course of the 2012 season with an exclusive look into the locker room, team practices and strength training sessions. The program also introduces fans to the heart and soul of the team, taking viewers inside the dorm rooms, team meals and bus rides that translate into team camaraderie and victory for the Cavaliers, currently ranked No. 6.
"What I would tell you about being at Virginia, is that we are hardly ever quite as talented as everybody thinks…but we are generally talented enough and it's the other things that make the difference," said head coach Dom Starsia. "Are we willing to sacrifice? What kind of commitments are you willing to make? What are you willing to give up for the greater good. When we have kids that are willing to do those kinds of things, then usually we are on our way to a special season."
Check out the trailer for All-Access with Virginia Lacrosse below. And be sure to check out the Behind the Scenes: "There and Back" with Virginia preview feature published on Inside Lacrosse earlier this season.


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Originally Posted by Fluent
I'm sure I understand more about game design then you.
Your idea of game design is isolation. Keep all the cookies for yourself. I know your type.
My idea is inclusive. I like many to share the experience and have fun. All types of people - young, old, disabled, etc.
I'm sure the first time you saw a young child playing your precious Dark Souls, you would be the first one to say how the company sold out, they're garbage now because *gasp*, even KIDS can play the game now!
You're like the fan of some obscure indie band that you don't want anyone else to find out about and listen to.
You're selfish.


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Wegman's To Join Boycott Of Rolling Stone Issue
Wegmans has joined the list of retailers who say they won't sell an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine that features Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover.
Many believe the photo of Tsarnaev on the cover of the August 3 edition glamorizes the suspected terrorist. Nationwide retailers CVS and Walgreens have also said they will not sell that issue.


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A Guide to The Pill for Teen Girls
Circle of Moms member Keisha B. wonders if she should advise her teen daughter to take the birth control pill, and if so, when.
There's no doubt that teen sex is a hot-button topic — politically, morally, philosophically. But we're most concerned about this question from a biological standpoint. We're doctors. It's not our place to urge teens to choose abstinence or otherwise but to help teens stay healthy—physically and emotionally—regardless of the choices they make. Also keep in mind that many teens on the Pill are not having sex, nor is having sex a requirement for using a bit of hormonal help. Going on the Pill is not going to change your teen's values or change her sex drive significantly. Young women who are borderline anemic, get really bad cramps or migraines, or are swimmers or athletes for whom periods are an inconvenience that might impact performance, can improve their quality of life by taking the pill.
After her first period, a girl still has one to four inches left to grow in height; starting a birth control pill too early may slow growth a bit early, cutting off one to two of those inches. But for girls who have had a few years of periods, the Pill and the patch can be used safely to affect menstrual timing, flow, and cramps.
Once you start the Pill or the patch, if you are on the extended cycle pill (Seasonale and Seasonique), you can plan what's called your placebo week (your week off the Pill or the patch) to be anywhere between weeks four and twelve, as in those ads for Seasonale. The Pill makers in the 1960s, who were mainly a bunch of middle-aged men, arbitrarily decided to make the Pill cycle one month, to match the calendar months. It is okay to have periods every one, two, or three months, as long as you shed the lining by the start of every fourth month. So, if you're on the Pill, and your family is planning a beach vacation right when your placebo week and period are due, you can start a new pack early, then plan your period for the week after you get back. You just take the placebo week then. You don't want to cycle faster than four weeks, however; periods every other week are a drag, and this schedule might actually increase your chances of releasing an egg while on the Pill.
Our medical view on the birth control pill as contraception? For many teens, abstinence ensures maximal satisfaction and safety. But face it, not all teens today are choosing to put off sexual intercourse until marriage. Talk to your teens about the balance between safety and satisfaction. And again, help your teens stay healthy, regardless of the choices they make. The Pill controls pregnancy by suppressing ovulation, and has the longest track record for safety and effectiveness of any contraception method.
A New York Times #1 best-selling author and host of The Dr. Oz Show, Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. is also professor and vice chairman of surgery at New York Presbyterian-Columbia University and the director of the Heart Institute. For more from Dr. Oz, check out You: The Owner's Manual for Teens, co-authored with Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.


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School's back ... AA urges extra care on the roads
14 October 2013
School's back ... AA urges extra care on the roads
Don't make your kids cross the road alone when you pick them up from school. That's the advice the AA would like all parents of young children to follow as the last school term of the year begins today.
"Young children can run out onto the road without looking and the consequences of a driver missing seeing them can be horrific.
"One of the best things parents can do to help young children stay safe is meet them at the school gate and cross the road with them. Or make sure they only use school crossings.
"Research has shown the best thing that can be done to reduce accidents around schools is to eliminate the need for children to cross the road."
Last year 5 school-aged children were killed and 72 seriously injured on our roads when they were walking or cycling. After 3pm on weekdays is the highest risk time.
The AA is urging motorists to be extra watchful for children travelling to and from school and to be prepared for more traffic to be back on the roads. Many schools now have electronic signs showing reduced speed limits at times of the day when children will be present and drivers need to look out for and obey these.
Drivers also need to slow down around school buses when they are picking up or dropping off passengers. The legal speed limit for vehicles travelling on either side of the road past a school bus is 20kph.
The New Zealand Automobile Association is an incorporated society with over one million members. It represents the interests of road users who collectively pay over $2 billion in taxes each year through fuels excise, road user charges and GST.


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333 E. Washington Street, Stockton, CA 95202 (209) 468-1000
RSVP volunteers work at public and private nonprofit agencies throughout San Joaquin County. RSVP volunteers are busy people involved with their families, friends and communities. Your RSVP work assignment is tailored to your schedule and interests, and becomes an important part of a fulfilled lifestyle.
Doing a great job that makes a difference in the daily lives of our fellow residents children, seniors, and needy families.
Meeting other active adults of all ages and enjoying the satisfaction of using your skills for essential, positive programs that help all of us.
Playing an important role in improving the quality of life in our county.
P.O. Box 201056
102 S San Joaquin St
Stockton, CA 95201-3006
(209) 468-2208 office
(209) 932-2664 fax
(209) 468-1333
(209) 468-3780 or
(888) 800-4800
(209) 953-7733


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Alice Anderson
Going Paperless: Evernote for Authors
Alice Anderson is, as yet, an unpublished romance writer. She lives in the Southeast with her husband, dog and two kitties. When she's not slaving over her latest novel, she's hard at work creating designs for other authors and promoting romance to the world through her creation, the CataNetwork. A member of RWA, Georgia Romance Writers, Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter, CataUniversity, and RWClist, Alice has done designs and promotion for authors. She's created communities that are popular with readers. And her website for writers has been named one of the Top 101 Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest. Twice. Learn more about Alice on her website.
Kelsey Browning
Founding Daily Tips Coordinator
With degrees in economics and higher education administration, Kelsey Browning worked in fundraising, job development and employer relations for over a decade. In those settings, she developed strengths in strategic planning (why are we on this path?), relationship management (who is interested in our product?) and selling the invisible (who believes in us enough to be our advocate?). Her business specialties are networking, public speaking, productivity and organization. To this day, she enjoys a long-term love affair with outlines and bullet points. Kelsey writes contemporary and paranormal romance and is a co-founder of Romance University blog where the mission is to empower writers, entertain readers and understand men. In addition to fiction, she writes and edits non-fiction on a freelance basis. For more about Kelsey, please see her website.
Jana DeLeon
Estimated Tax Payments Series
Jana DeLeon is a former CFO who jumped off the corporate ladder to write books. Today, she writes boring training manuals by day and murderous fiction by the dawn's early light. Her 2012 Harlequin Intrigue release THE LOST GIRLS OF JOHNSON'S BAYOU earned her a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Jana has a degree in accounting and gives accounting, tax and writing advice on her writing website http://louisianaliar.com/.
Michelle Diener
WordPress Section (Dashboard & Advanced Images lessons)
"Born in London and brought up in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, reading and writing have always been my passions. My parents gave me a typewriter for my birthday when I was about twelve to write my stories on, and I have been able to type two-handed and at speed ever since." Michelle's debut historical novel, IN A TREACHEROUS COURT, was released with Gallery Books on August 2nd, 2011. The second book in the series, KEEPER OF THE KING'S SECRETS is scheduled for an April 2012 release. The books are set in the court of Henry VIII and feature the real historical figures of artist Susanna Horenbout and Henry's Keeper of the Palace of Westminster, John Parker. A short story, which fits between the two books chronologically, is due out as an ebook in January / February 2012, and is entitled DANGEROUS SANCTUARY. Michelle currently lives on the west coast of Australia with her husband and two children. She can be found online at Magical Musings, Twitter and Facebook.
Kelli Finger
Campus Coordinator
Kelli is a writer and classically-trained vocalist who earned a Masters of Social Work from Wayne State University and is now studying grant writing. A strong advocate for people with disabilities and minorities, she's worked the last six years as a Braille proofreader, reading textbooks in every subject and grade level alongside a sighted person, checking for errors, and matching the Braille text with the print. Kelli has been writing for publication for ten years, and is published as Abbey MacInnis by digital presses. She also indie publishes and knows firsthand the tough obstacles and difficult decisions writers face everyday. "My family's a strong support system. Along with a close circle of friends, composed of both writers and nonwriters, and my now retired guide dog black Labrador Tess. Each gives me their own unique brand of love and support, allowing me to walk my life's path with confidence. I don't know where I'd be without them all."
Margaret Golla
Blogger Section
Margaret is a late-to-bloom writer. Oh, that isn't to say she hasn't written stuff over the years, but she did successfully stop writing for about twelve years. Various interests got in her way: horses (buying, riding and showing hunters takes time and money!), marriage, travel (England, Wales, Germany, France) and that nasty word "work." But in the year 2000, when she had a child and went to work part-time, she wondered if she could write a novel. She did—and she's grateful it will never see the light of day. That isn't to say she didn't learn from her writing mistakes and—oh, boy—there were many! Eleven years later she is still learning, but mixed in with the mistakes is a variety of epiphanies. In 2008, she discovered her love for writing children's books. And the stories continue to unfold. Visit her blog, Gnome de Plume.
Suzan Harden
Author Business Plan Series
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Suzan Harden spent eight years in management information systems with companies such as DuPont and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Instead of facing the requirement of an MBA to advance her career, she took a left turn and entered law school. She had her own law firm and later joined Hissey, Kientz & Herron, PLLC, where she headed the Probate Department in the Houston office. Suzan now writes fiction full-time. You can learn more about Suzan at her author website.
Guido Henkel
Take Pride in Your eBook Formatting series
Guido is the author of the Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter series, an accomplished musician and composer and computer game developer. He continues to write and publish his fiction and also offers professional services as an ebook formatter and cover designer. Learn more about him on his website.
Joan Leacott
Tips 4 WIPs series, Campus Instructor
Over the course of her career, Joan Leacott has worked with most versions of MS Word, creating user documents with all the bells and whistles. When she began writing fiction, Word was the easy part. To help other fiction writers, she waded through the complex MS Word software, selecting the functionality necessary for producing, editing, and critiquing a manuscript. The result is the course Mastering Word for Fiction Writers. After releasing her third title, she put her newly honed Word skills to use for her friends—and her business Woven Red Author Services was born. Joan is a member of the Romance Writers of America. Her home chapter is in Toronto, and she belongs to a number of online groups. Joan Leacott writes—and proudly self-publishes—contemporary multi-generational novels featuring the lives, loves, and scandals of small-town Clarence Bay, Canada. Check out her books at www.joanleacott.ca or friend her at Joan Leacott on Facebook.
Chip MacGregor
What Does An Author Need To Ask About Book Contracts?
Chip MacGregor has been a lifelong book guy—from high school literary magazine to bestselling books, from conference speaker to an unbeatable track record of representing renowned writers. Founder of MacGregor Literary Inc., Chip shares with his clients his comprehensive knowledge of the publishing industry and has secured more than 1,000 book deals for authors with all of the major publishers. Chip is also an author with more than two-dozen titles to his credit, including two books that hit #1 on the bestseller lists in their category. A popular writer's conference speaker, Chip has presented workshops at more than 100 locations. Learn more about him by following his blog.
Pepper Phillips
Researcher, Spreadsheet Developer
Author of sassy, Southern romance novels, Pepper still commits much time to curating contest and conference information on various websites. She released her debut book THE DEVIL HAS DIMPLES in October 2011. Visit her website.
Jamie Raintree
WordPress Section
Jamie Raintree has been a web and graphic designer for seven years. She recently made the decision to focus on writing full time…or as much time as her little girl will allow. Jamie writes Women's Fiction and blogs about her writing journey as well as the writing craft on her website.
Edie Ramer
Edie Ramer is funnier on the page than in real life. A multiple award-winning writer, she writes about cats, dragons, aliens, ghosts and people with attitude. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two dogs and one important cat. Read more about her on her website.
Alison Stuart
Facebook Events: Launching a Virtual Book in a Virtual World
Alison Stuart is an award winning Australian writer of cross-genre historicals with heart. Whether dueling with dashing cavaliers or waywards ghosts, her books provide a reader with a meaty plot and characters who have to strive against adversity, always with the promise of happiness together. Alison is a lapsed lawyer who has worked in the military and fire service, which may explain a predisposition to soldier heroes. She lives with her own personal hero and two needy cats and likes nothing more than a stiff gin and tonic and a walk along the sea front of her home town. She loves to hear from her readers and can be found at her website.


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Posts: 2
Joined: January 14, 2010
This is my first time to post and I just signed up today. I am 32 yr. young lady and am currently taking 7-8 10mg Norco per day. I want so badly to get off these pills and was thinking about ordering the withdrawal ease pills....Will someone please give me advice and tell me if this has worked for them. Also, is it better to quit cold turkey or ween myself off the pills? No one knows what I am going through and I so desperately want my life back!! I bought $100 worth of vitamins as advised by a book a year ago and got really sick because it had me taking over 30 vitamins a day. I want to thank all of you for your posts as this is the platform that has truly motivated me to quit sooner than later!!! Today I have only taken 4 pills and would have normally had 6 by now. Also, after 9pm I take a caripsodol or xanax to sleep so technically my body will go about 10 hrs. without norco...does that mean my withdrawals won't be as bad? I switch between the anxiety medication and muscle relaxer because I don't want to get addicted to those also. PLEASE HELP!!! God bless!
Posts: 2248
Joined: October 17, 2004
So you have been taking 80 mg of hydrocodon a day and you are 32 years young (which is young). I know it takes courage to post here the first time, even though you are anonymous. Thank you for having the courage. You will find some good help here because there is not anyone here to a greater or lesser degree, that has not been what you are going thru.
You are asking several different questions all at once. I'll help as much as I can. You are smart to not to want to get hooked on benzos, as that is a much worse addiction, that being said, taking a small amount (u know what that is for yourself) for a few days definitely takes the edge off. Realize, I am not a Dr., don't know your physical condition and can only go but what I have experienced.
The withdrawel depends on a lot of things, primarly how many you have been taking for how long. There are those who might disagree with me, but if you can figure out a way to wean down, and are able to stick to it, I think thats best.
I don't see a benefit in WD's.
The way I think to wean down would be as follows. What you are trying to do in weaning down is get to the lowest amount where u r not sick at first. Try cutting your dose in half. If that works, keep it at that for several days, and then maybe go down by 1 & 1/2 pills for a few days. When you get used to it, go down a little more. Eventually you will get to a point where you can be at say 1 pill a day, then 1 every other day.
The problem with weaning yourself is some would say you are prolonging your misery. I don't know about that, but I do know it does take commitment and dicispline (sp?). While weaning, if you have a rough day, it is easy to say the hell with it. (But the same can happen even if you have gone cold turkey.)
If possible, it would be best if you could talk to a good drug Dr. and get help. Is a hospitol detox out of the question?
If you go cold turkey, you can talk to any Dr., and they will prescribe u clonidine which is a BP medicine that 'tricks' the brain by filling opiate receptors. You don't get high, you are less sick, but its not the kind of thing you can go to work on. If you go this route, you definitely need to talk to a Dr. I wouldn't mix that with benzos except under medical advice.
Several times there have been postings on this board as to a stratagy and some OTC medicines and things u can do for wd's. If someone remembers them, or knows how to look them up, it would be good for them to post them.
Try to give yourself some peace. I don't think your wd will be as bad as you imagine. The first WD I had after a couple years of vikes & percs was not much: I wasnt expecting them, and believe it or not , didn't realize I had them till they were over. At the time though, I remember I had been taking a small amount of xanax to sleep, and that might have helped.
Mostly what I experienced were severe leg cramps, confusion, apathy, etc.
Now , if I know they are coming, they are much worse, partially in my head.
I wish and hope for the best for you.
No matter what right you did or what wrong you didn't do: When you're the black sheep, all blame belongs to you
Posts: 50
Joined: January 8, 2010
Soulsearcher,I can relate to you on more levels than you know. Everybody is different(to some extent). What I mean is withdrawal is almost a personal experience.Things like attitude,health,support,tendencies toward depression,these thoings all seem to play a part.My 1st withdrawal occured and I also did not realize what was going on.I went to put a breaker box in a ladies house and felt really weird,withdrawals.Started to get flatout sick.All thiis was from hydros(vic ESs specifically.Beleive it or not,all this discomfort was coming from just 40-50mg/day for about a year.Guy I workede w/said here,take some of my percs!Needless to say,it helped alot.That vic addiction eventually led me to losing a very good job because I in my iinfinite wisdom found a doc.OXYs.I ended up w/dope if i could get it.If not I would settle in to around 500mg oxy/IV-in 3-4 doses/day.I was out there.Stop now.You're better off.Wean yourself down.Something I had alot of trouble doing.Bad day and I'd take a little extra.There goes the taper.Got a friend?Have them give you your dose.A long enough taper and the withdrawal wont hurt.Problem is we deal w/life through our drugs.Therein lies the rub.Life is hard,easy fun,painful,exciting,you get the idea.With pills its just easy.You heave to relearn how to deal w/EVERYTHING w/out them and it uscks but its worth it.Couple of months down the road and you'll be fine.Do it.Not only is it worth it but yourt life depends on it.You CAN do it.Good Luck!!!!
Posts: 2248
Joined: October 17, 2004
If you can get it, darvon or darvocet are a great way to detox. Then u can simply forget about your vikes, and sometimes as little as 1 or 2 can take care of wd's for several hours.
The thing to be careful with on those, is they take about an hour to have an effect & (at least in my generation) the chances of OD were not taken seriously.
If you are not familiar with them, & you can get them, I would look up their effects before u use. Though many people get addicted to them, most find it not a good 'high' until they get used to it. But you don't have to take enuf to get high to get rid of vike wd's, & then work ur way down with them.
No matter what right you did or what wrong you didn't do: When you're the black sheep, all blame belongs to you
Posts: 2248
Joined: October 17, 2004
Soulsearcher, I am sorry, I missed your question on "withdrawel ease" --the first thing you asked, i never heard of it so I'll see if i can look it up to know what u r talking about. I DO (& i bet most others here also do) HAVE A GUT FEELING ABOUT IT, but let me see if I can find anthing.
No matter what right you did or what wrong you didn't do: When you're the black sheep, all blame belongs to you
Posts: 2248
Joined: October 17, 2004
I checked out their web site, read some 'testimonials' and read over their 'special product.' Their product is probably helpful, and there are no false claims made, at the same time there is no way their product does what they try to give you the impression it does. I dont believe many of the testimonies are true.
What they give you are pills that contain herbs that work on various symptoms. For example, there is St Johns wt for depression and valerian for nerves or sleep or something.You almost get the impression that they discovered these things. There is nothing in their pills that u couldn't get urself at a health store.
They also give u some kind of guide book with advice on quitting and things to do, like if u get leg cramps.. Matter of fact, one of the letters to them was frorm a person who thanked them for the great tip they gave him for dealing with something like leg crams.
I forgot exactly what it was but it was something along the lines of them telling him to use a warm or heated blanket around his legs. He wrote them amazed at the results, putting warm blankets around his legs helped his cramps.
Wow are these people brilliant - how on earth did they ever come up with such an ingenious idea.
Bottom line, I am sorry to say that I really dout that stuff like ginger route and kava and valerian and all that kind of stuff will do much to help withdrawels, and people like that offend me, for there words are true- but you will not get the relief promised.
Some of the testimonials are so transparant and stupid, that is makes me wonder if these people are a couple guys with a web page, maybe saw the tv show house and maybe talked to their aunt Matilda who they heard once went thru vicodan withdrawels, looked up withdrawel symptoms on Wikepedia, asked someone in a health food store what herb does what,and got a vitamin place to make and drop ship these.
No matter what right you did or what wrong you didn't do: When you're the black sheep, all blame belongs to you
Posts: 2606
Joined: July 13, 2007
Personally, I never had any success in tapering. I just couldn't stick to a taper schedule. With my addict mentality, I would talk myself into rewarding myself when I had followed the schedule for a few days....You know "I've gone 5 days taking much less than usual so I deserve a couple of freebies just to relax a little"....that kind of thinking.
Have you tired to quit before?
Welcome to the board and I applaud you for taking this step and reaching out for help. It is hard to admit having an addiction even to strangers. There are many people here to help and with some great advice. The weekends are usually slower so keep checking in and keep posting.
This post has been edited by RKT on January 17, 2010, 12:39 PM
Me & Rob.......(bad pic but it's treasure to me)
Faith, Hope, And, Love And The Greatest Of These is Love......
Posts: 20396
Joined: February 12, 2004
Dog..did you seriously just tell her to get Darvon/Darvocet to withdraw??? Are you nuts? They are painpills. A narcotic. You don't get off one painpill by taking another. I used to think I could get off percocet by taking vicodan. Sheesh.
I've never heard of withdrawl ease but I'm willing to bet it's a scam. If it worked, we would have heard of it, on the news, etc.
Tapering never worked for me either. Just prolonged the enivitable. I always found an excuse to take more or all of them and then start over. It takes so much energy to keep it all straight.
Have you thought about NA or AA? It's free...talking here really helps too. Sometimes I posted 600 times a day just so that I had someone to talk too and could get stuff off my chest and out of my head.
I used Drugs to forget, I got clean to remember.
Posts: 1
Joined: August 26, 2014
You folks are being a little too hard on Withdrawal Ease. Ibogaine root isnt heard of commonly either and it works wonders, although you cant get it here in the USA because its illegal.
Anyway, my thoughts on Withdrawal Ease...
I just wanted to add I bought this withdrawal ease for a close friend of mine and convinced him to try it. Hes on day one. What I CAN say according to feedback from him is it DOES "work", but its not a miracle drug.
What it does is HELP with WD symptoms. That is, you will still slightly feel them but they will be just an annoyance, instead of agonizing thoughts of thinking you are gonna die. I bought him the entire bundle of Withdrawal Ease Daytime , Nighttime formula and 2 bottles of Recovery Easy, daytime and nighttime formula.
He hasnt had any pills in about 12 hours now and he wasnt even able to follow the program to the letter. You are supposed to taper your pills down and 3 - 5 days before you jump off, you begin taking Withdrawal ease supps. He wasnt able to do that, so he took the ease as soon as it arrived with me supervising and watching over him.
So as far as I can say on day 1 , its working. He isnt irritable or lethargic and he reports that while he CAN tell the symptoms are there, they are a LOT easier to deal with.
This post has been edited by functional on August 26, 2014, 2:18 PM
Posts: 6246
Joined: May 27, 2005
never mind
This post has been edited by 12 stepper on August 27, 2014, 9:10 AM
१२ स्तैप्पैर!
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
Mark Twain
Just because the monkey's off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town
Laugh because it shows people that you have what they want and what they need: a hope in things unseen, a peace that passes understanding, and a God of miracles who also has a great sense of humor.
Posts: 6728
Joined: September 15, 2005
You lost your mind decades ago--Hi Kat--Enjoy the sun--Jeff
It is Just Not worth it.
"Inside every older person is a younger person
wondering what the puck happened."
One Day At A Time
Posts: 8
Joined: August 27, 2014
Withdrawal ease is something that's starting to fly around the web, but I would warn you to be cautious. Like many things on the web, there isn't a way to verify these claims without forking over $90 to try it yourself.
It's easy for internet marketers to spread the word that this is a miracle, but in my experience it usually is not. I always choose to go with my gut, and I always ask myself is this too good to be true?
Like many things peddled on the internet, you have to be very careful not to buy into a scam. Do you really think a "natural" supplement can work on such an unnatural process such as withdrawals?
If you wanna learn more about withdrawal or Suboxone, check out this blog.
Posts: 3
Joined: August 31, 2014
I've tried withdrawal ease and elimidrol. Neither the miracle they claim to be. Elimidrol made me so nauseous and contains so much Red 40 it stains your teeth.
There is some wisdom in the Thomas Recipe. A lot of what is in withdrawal ease. My doctor was quick to warn that kava kava has caused acute liver failure resulting in death. Both contain that.
I didn't want to go the klonidin route and am just toughing it out. Joined this hoping to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It seems there is.....
Any books people had help them?
This post has been edited by Mylife17 on August 31, 2014, 3:29 PM
Posts: 3
Joined: August 31, 2014
Oh, I might add, the vitamin supplements seem to make a lot of sense with restless leg and can't hurt in small doses. I have read about the vitamin D deficiency and there is true clout there!
Wishing everyone the best and for myself. The guilt is overwhelming. I'm a highly educated medical professional with beautiful children. I couldn't even look myself in the mirror. I'm doing this on my own. Of course people know something's up, but I've had life reasons to be in counseling and on and off antidepressants that I chalk it up to. Basically I got tired of living the LIE!!!!
Phew, thanks. :)
Posts: 4
Joined: August 31, 2014
I am medically educated but most addicts I know become that way without reg college...
I am tossing sub around in my mind. I have posted here hrs ago and remember dog, Kat, and cowgirl.... Listen to them.
Posts: 2
Joined: November 7, 2014
Elimidrol is certainly not like every other product that claims to help with the withdrawal process after doing research of my own and actually using the stuff I can personally say that this stuff works great it reduces a lot of the bad that goes along with the process and some users that have been addicted to opiates for more than a decade admit that they feel like they can stop taking the product after a few days because they aren't in pain. The recommended time to take the stuff is for two weeks but you get a months supply just in case. This drink takes the edge off. For every 100 reviews on the stuff there is always 1 person that is disgruntled about the product so at a 99% success rate I'd rather take my chances then believe one person. You don't have to wait long periods of time before you take it like suboxone and that's just replacing one drug with another many people get addicted to the treatment and then have to go through another detox to get off the supplement. I'd take a natural remedy over another opiate any day and I'm sorry it didn't help you out like you wanted. Just read the reviews and see for yourself how successful this stuff is.
Posts: 2
Joined: November 7, 2014
And to add about what your doctor said I'm sorry to let you know that rehabilitation realm is based on treatments like subutex and suboxone so taking an alternate to one of those means your doctor can't write you an expensive script to fatten his pockets with the commission he receives every treatment has it's side effects and since elimidrol is full of vitamins, amino acids, etc chances are something going wrong is greatly reduced rather than your doctor telling you to take 24 mgs of suboxone the first day and accidentally making the call to induct and you accidentally go into a precipitated withdrawal and have the worst experience of your life since it like withdrawal times 3 and are traumatized into thinking no treatment will ever work. There's a light at the end of the tunnel after your first dose and tolerance doesn't build and if you're really having a rough time you can take up to 4 doses. Ever go to impatient and they tell you drink this you don't know what it is but after you drink it you start to feel
Better a lot of expensive rehabilitation centers are sneaking this to you and giving the center credit for the success of your sobriety it's true that they give you a support network which is important for you in the future but a lot of the stuff these rehab specialists use are similar in nature.Good luck!
Posts: 2
Joined: February 18, 2015
does anyone have any good recipies for elimidrol? this stuff taste awful.
Posts: 1
Joined: June 19, 2015
Hello all,
I have to be the second person to recommend Elimidrol. I will be honest, it tastes absolutely horrible, but it DOES work. It says to drink 8 oz. of water with each scoop, but if you add more water, say 24 oz. of water, it will dilute the taste quite a bit; especially if you have juice or something similar to mix it with.
I found that mixing it with the regular Red Hawaiian Punch made it much easier to get down, and keep down. I will also say this; the taste is bad enough for a person to develop an anxiety about having to take it, much like I did. It comes with a nighttime formula as well to help you sleep soundly.
So, there are obviously some negatives about it, but overall, it is a great thing in the world of making detoxing and withdraws easier. I was skeptical at first as well, as you should be with things like this on the internet claiming to be a cure-all. But I am grateful I took the chance, and Elimidrol worked for me. If you can get passed the taste, you are on your way to recovery.
This post has been edited by moderator on June 19, 2015, 1:31 PM
Posts: 1
Joined: November 21, 2014
STO 1...."Hi Elimidrol & Co!"
...give me a break.
This post has been edited by firstname.lastname@example.com on June 20, 2015, 3:28 PM


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If you were waiting for a big pullback to buy into Methanex Corp., one of the best growth stories on the TSX, now's the time.
After its share price doubled last year – then added almost 30 per cent more to start 2014 – the chemical company's stock has dropped by 17 per cent in the past two months.
"We encourage investors to 'sharpen their pencils' amidst current volatility, lest they miss any opportune entry points that might surface," Raymond James analyst Steve Hansen said in a recent note.
With the stock wounded by a recent earnings miss, this is one of those entry points, said Barry Schwartz, chief investment officer at Baskin Financial Services, which has owned the stock since 2001.
Long an overlooked pure-play methanol producer, the Vancouver-based company became impossible to ignore last year as a number of favourable trends aligned.
Methanex is a bit of an unusual stock in that it benefits from both high oil prices and low natural gas prices, a combination that has mostly held over the past couple of years.
Methanol has many applications – it's used in the production of paint, plywood, sealants, synthetic fibres, windshield washer fluid and chemicals such as formaldehyde. It's also used as an alternative or additive to gasoline, hence the close relationship with oil prices.
As such, long-term demand for methanol is a pretty safe bet, and Methanex is the world's largest producer and distributor of the chemical.
Meanwhile, natural gas is the company's greatest input cost, so the supply glut brought on by the fracking boom helped lower the company's costs considerably.
Markets eventually caught on to Methanex. "For many years, it was worth so much more than what the stock price was telling you," Mr. Schwartz said.
But the company's run was interrupted. New Asian production put heavy pressure on methanol prices, with the Chinese spot price falling by 38 per cent between December and April, while the U.S. Gulf Coast price for the chemical fell by 22 per cent over that same period.
"A methanol price correction is finally upon us," Cowen and Co. analyst Charles Neivert said in a March note, as Methanex shares fell to the $65 (U.S.) range on the Nasdaq exchange. "We view this as a good entry point to Methanex shares, as we believe long-term methanol fundamentals are still intact."
Then last week, the company badly missed analyst expectations for first-quarter earnings, posting earnings per share of $1.65 compared with an average estimate of $1.90. Part of the blame was placed on falling prices. The stock declined once again, this time to the $60 range.
Mr. Hansen downgraded the stock to "market perform" from "outperform" and reduced his price target to $75 from $85. But, he noted, "our long-term view of Methanex's earnings growth … and leverage to methanol market fundamentals is unwaveringly positive."
The analysts covering the stock are evenly split between "buy" and "hold" recommendations, at an average target price of $71.20, representing an 18-per-cent premium on Thursday's closing price of $60.81.
One glaring dissenting opinion is that of CIBC World Markets analyst Jacob Bout, whose target price of $46 is 35 per cent below consensus. "We expect methanol prices to remain under pressure globally," Mr. Bout said in a recent note.
Others see signs that the commodity has bottomed. "We believe the longer term methanol supply/demand fundamentals are intact as demand for newer applications grows rapidly and capacity additions are relatively sparse over the next two to three years," said Cowan and Co.'s Mr. Neivert, who has an "outperform" rating and a $78 price target on the stock.
"Thoughtful long-term investors should see value," Mr. Schwartz said. "New management has figured out they have a lot of options to create value."
In 2012, the company began relocating its Chilean production facilities to Louisiana to take advantage of the long-term, low-cost supply of natural gas there. The first new plant is expected to start up later this year, the second in early 2016.
"Once we get through finishing these two plants in Louisiana, they're going to have billions in free cash they won't know what to do with. No one's talking about that story," Mr. Schwartz said.Report Typo/Error
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- Methanex Corp$56.37-0.96(-1.67%)
- Methanex Corp$44.95-1.15(-2.49%)
- Updated July 27 4:00 PM EDT. Delayed by at least 15 minutes.