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Newly announced talks with the City of Vancouver have prompted Canadian Pacific Rail to suspend work along an 11-kilometre-long corridor of unused track that included the controversial clearance of scores of community gardens.
Both CP and the city said Wednesday that work along the Arbutus corridor will be suspended for two to three weeks while talks proceed. They are the first such negotiations since CP began work to reclaim the track for use earlier this month.
"CP willingly participates in these meetings and is hopeful a resolution may be reached," said a CP statement issued by spokesperson Breanne Feigel. "If a reasonable solution has not been found in this time frame, CP will resume work in preparation for rail operations."
A statement from the city said senior officials from the city and CP Rail would meet to talk about the corridor's future.
Earlier this month, the transportation company moved to reclaim the area for possible future rail use in an action Mayor Gregor Robertson deemed a "bullying tactic" to get more money from the city for the land.
Kate Wilczak, who has been nurturing crops in the Arbutus Victory Gardens for four years, said the announcement that CP's work to clear the rail corridor has stopped — at least for now — has given herself and her fellow green thumbs fresh hope.
"It's a bit hard when you're facing a corporation," said Wilczak, whose garden has yet to be disturbed by CP.
"It's a positive step. We're really hopeful that CP is able to negotiate something with the city. We know the city is doing everything that they can to try to get this done."
Wilczak said she and her fellow gardeners plan to meet on Thursday to discuss any action they might take.
Residents opposed to the change have started a Facebook page and an online petition that's garnered nearly 2,000 signatures.
Many are concerned for their crops and don't understand why CP took the action before the harvest, said Wilczak, whose garden includes fava beans, potatoes, raspberries, herbs and an apple tree.
"One of the gardeners likened moving the fruits right now to moving a pregnant lady — asking her to bungee jump," she said. "They're ripening, they've got buds, they've got immature berries and a few mature berries. Now is such a dreadful time to be moving plants."
In its statement, the company also warned the public to be careful around the land, which hasn't been used since 2001.
"We would like to remind everyone that it is not safe to be on or near the railroad tracks at any time," the statement said.
"Designated public crossings must be used to cross over railroad tracks and caution should be exercised at all times when near the railway."
In May, CP indicated that it would begin clearing the corridor for rail traffic for the first time since trains moved in 2001.
Mr. Robertson has touted a city "fair-market offer" for the land, reportedly about $20-million, although CP is reportedly looking for $100-million for the land.
On Wednesday, both CP and the mayor's office declined further comment beyond the statements, leaving open questions about what prompted both sides to resume talks.
Kirk Lapointe, Mr. Robertson's key challenger for the mayor's job in municipal elections this November, said he hoped the Vision Vancouver mayor would be at the negotiating table and consult the community on the future of development along the Arbutus corridor.
He conceded timelines are tight for consultation, but some effort might yield information that would guide the negotiations.
"For a parcel of land this important, he should be [at the negotiating table] as a representative of the people," said Mr. LaPointe, mayoral candidate for the Non-Partisan Association.
"I don't get any sense that he has any personal involvement in this," Mr. LaPointe said in an interview.
The mayor's office did not respond to a query on whether Mr. Robertson is at the table for the negotiations.
CP's work meant uprooting plants and bulldozing tool sheds to clear 350 plots along the Arbutus corridor between False Creek and the Fraser River.
Scores of local gardeners and their supporters have been reeling from CP's action, which wiped out plots used to grow food and other plants – many for area residents who live in condos and apartments, and do not have their own lawns.
With a report from The Canadian PressReport Typo/Error
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Here's a list of Things I Know Now. I am so behind with blogging it seems like the only way to give the space to Numenius, who has been gently pressuring me.
The use of color in this manner is in most ways an illusion, at least from the point of view of human visual perception. Cones, the anatomical structures in the retina that respond to color, are not sensitive to light at low levels, so looking through even a very large telescope at the nebula one will not discern the color brought out in the photograph. The color in the image may be useful in terms of scientific visualization, for instance illustrating different emission spectra, but it's not what the eye can see.
Astrophotography is perhaps an extreme example, but I'm philosophically confounded by the question of representation of color in the digital age. Consider what might be the modal life of a digital photo shared with others. A snapshot taken with one's smartphone, then posted to the web via Facebook or Instagram. The issue is of calibration. How does one ensure that the color intended by the photographer is what is seen by the recipient? Without both the creator's and recipient's monitors calibrated to a common standard, one cannot. These standards exist, but 99.99% of the time both parties are not so calibrated. Even enthusiastic photographers tend to spring for new lenses in lieu of color calibration equipment. One can adjust color curves in image software to one's heart's content, but without calibration both sides, one's artistic intent in terms of color cannot be reliably shared.
And what if the intent is simply to record the colors one sees? The problem persists and is refracted twicefold. First, how faithfully do the levels of color recorded by the digital sensor represent the spectra of light being reflected by the object? Second, what are the colors being displayed by one's monitor?
A solution I often adopt is to directly record the color in watercolor paint. With sufficient practice in color mixing, this can work reasonably well. Soil scientists have a more scientific answer to this problem — they go to the field armed with Munsell color swatch books to match and note the color of a soil unit. And the astrophotographer in me wishes there was a market for black-and-white consumer digital cameras: these problems go away, and cameras without RGB filters are more sensitive to light.
It's also not clear where octarine fits in any color calibration system I know of.
[Image below is one of my attempts at astrophotography, being of the Orion Nebula.]
I am looking forward to helping people find their way.]]>
Point Reyes Station is an odd place. Marin is one of the very richest counties in the United States, and on weekends the town is a gateway for recreational and culinary tourism. Cyclists meander in over the hills from towns on the San Francisco Bay side of the county, stop to browse at the Bovine Bakery. The food here is pricey, emphasizing the local and organic — if I hadn't found my burrito, I was going to settle for a $8.95 mac-and-cheese. West Marin is quite stably rural though — most of the land is in agricultural easements, mainly for dairy ranching. It made perfect sense for Pica's symposium on locally-sourced fiber production to be held in this town.
At left is a view from Point Reyes Station, looking west towards the ridge of the Pt. Reyes Peninsula.]]>

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Fiscal Affairs Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
The Governor's Budget Recommendation
Executive Office of Family Services
Line Item Information
Executive Office of Family Services
Department of Public Health Services
Department of Disability Services
Department of Transitional Assistance
Department of Children's Services
Department of Juvenile Justice
Executive Office of Family Services
The new Executive Office of Family Services will oversee health, social, disability and juvenile justice programs for residents of the Commonwealth. Its goal will be to defeat dependency and promote the dignity of those seeking assistance. Family Services will seek to protect children, provide transitional assistance to the truly needy, promote public health, and help those with developmental and physical disabilities.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Executive Office of Family Services will pursue the following objectives:
improve client access and service coordination by developing a 1-800 help line for all services and congruent regional boundaries for all Family Services agencies;
develop outcome-based purchasing standards for contracts to hold providers accountable for achieving high quality results; and
integrate and improve the Secretariat's information generating capabilities to provide timely, accurate and useful policy and program management information.
The Executive Office of Family Services will be positioned to pursue these objectives through the consolidation of the existing 16 Health and Human Services agencies into five new departments: the Department of Public Health Services, the Department of Disability Services, the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Children's Services, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Agency consolidation will streamline administrative functions, save both agency and vendor resources by reducing the number of service contracts, and allow for greater purchasing power and volume discounts. Consolidation will also foster improved use of information technology to help reduce duplication of services and ensure that program resources are allocated effectively.
Through reconfiguring central, regional, and field offices, with the ultimate goal of providing a single access point for the consumer, the new Family Services secretariat will be better designed to serve those Massachusetts residents and families seeking assistance, many of whom have multiple needs and who are not effectively served under the current system. Currently, the various agencies within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services provide services across the Commonwealth based on different service delivery regions. The new Family Services secretariat will seek to develop service regions with congruent boundaries featuring an integrated network of multi-service field offices equipped to best expedite client intake and referral to services.
Recognizing that many individuals require long-term inpatient care, the Secretariat will maintain a system of facility-based services for the mentally ill, mentally retarded and other chronic care populations; however, because current funding mechanisms appropriate taxpayer dollars to state facilities and not directly to consumer and consumer family needs, there are often many individuals residing in state facilities who both do not want and do not need to be institutionalized. Across the Secretariat, facility-specific accounts will be consolidated with community-based accounts to change the focus from tying dollars to buildings to connecting them with consumer needs. This flexibility will encourage the Secretariat to continue developing alternatives to inpatient care but, importantly, will preserve those facilities capable of delivering high quality, cost-effective care.
The Office of the Secretary will consolidate several functions currently provided at other agencies:
a new investigative unit with functions currently performed by the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Office for Children, and the Departments of Mental Health, Retardation and Public Safety, will offer better coordinated and cost-effective investigations involving alleged abuse, as well as welfare fraud investigations;
public housing services, currently managed at the Executive Office of Communities and Development (EOCD), such as the Massachusetts Rental Housing Assistance Program, and the new, mixed population housing pilot programs, will be moved to a new housing division within the Executive Office. Administration of state and federal programs that provide home heating and weatherization assistance for low-income families and the elderly will also move into this new Family Services housing division from EOCD. The integration of low-income, public housing services within Family Services will better enable the Commonwealth to offer a continuum of transitional services;
structured living programs for pregnant and parenting teenagers, currently administered through the Department of Transitional Assistance and the Department of Social Services, will be managed by the Executive Office as part of an interagency effort to develop and coordinate a comprehensive continuum of services. This new system of service delivery will be designed to prevent teenage pregnancies, improve health outcomes, and reduce long term dependency for young families; and
educational services, currently managed at the Department of Education through the Bureau of Institutional Schools and Special Education Residential Schools, will give the Executive Office greater flexibility to work with families and school districts in developing education programs for children in residential settings, and increasing the use of in-home support services for special needs children in other Family Service programs. These dollars will fund educational services for children in public health residential settings and juvenile correction facilities, and will provide partial support for the non-educational costs for special education placements approved by local school districts. The program will also fund intensive support services to allow children with mental retardation or autism to live at home and attend special education programs in the public schools.
The Executive Office will develop and direct statewide policies on child care programs and services. The Office will manage the $52 million federal Child Care Assistance Block Grant which will fund training programs for child care providers; information and referral services for families; and family preservation, employment services, income eligible and special needs child care. These federal funds will be allocated to the Department of Transitional Assistance and the Department of Children's Services. During Fiscal Year 1997, the Executive Office will develop a comprehensive, unified eligibility and intake system for all day care programs.
Finally, the Office of the Secretary will oversee the Commonwealth's soldiers' homes in Chelsea and Holyoke which offer an array of medical and residential services to veterans.
During Fiscal Year 1997, services provided by the Executive Office of Family Services will be performed by 23,012 full-time equivalent staff (FTEs), representing a reduction of 808 FTEs from Fiscal Year 1996 levels.
Budget Recommendations
Fiscal Year 1997 funding recommendations for agencies within the Family Services secretariat include nearly $14 million for improving salaries for the lowest paid, contracted, direct care workers that provide human services to the Departments of Public Health Services, Disability Services, Juvenile Justice, Children's Services, and Transitional Assistance.
Click here for line item information
Department of Public Health Services
The new Department of Public Health Services will promote and assure conditions that improve and protect the health of Massachusetts residents. The Department will focus on coordinating health care and promoting community-based heath care activities; fostering continuous improvements in the health status of individuals and communities; supporting programs that prevent and treat disease and disability; intervening to reduce public health threats; and assisting families and individuals in obtaining high quality, appropriate health services. The Department will provide health services to those at highest risk and in greatest need, including those with serious psychiatric illnesses, in a manner which stresses integration of disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and encourages the highest level of functioning and self-sufficiency.
The Department's services will benefit financially needy individuals and families with little or no health insurance; seriously and persistently mentally ill adults and seriously emotionally disturbed children; troubled, at-risk children and adolescents; pregnant women and infants; groups at risk of infectious diseases (including AIDS/HIV), intravenous drug use, homelessness, sexual and domestic violence; and more broadly, state employees and retirees through the purchase of group health insurance; and the general public through health education and safety services.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department of Public Health Services will pursue the following objectives:
save $14 million through consolidation of administration and staff;
save $8 million through consolidated and coordinated purchase of acute client services;
save $18.6 million by more effectively purchasing long-term care services; and
substantially reduce the number of contracts currently maintained with provider agencies.
The Department of Public Health Services, through its three divisions: Public Health; Purchased Medical and Support Services; and Health Policy, Research and Planning, will combine the expertise of the current Departments of Mental Health (DMH), Public Health (DPH), Medical Assistance (DMA), Medical Security, and the Rate Setting Commission to provide an integrated and cost-effective public health services system. Under the current multi-agency structure, the Commonwealth is prohibited from pursuing many innovative strategies in health care purchasing and program design.
As one agency, the Department will be better able to allocate resources in preventive, acute, and continuing care services, and minimize cost shifting that occurs under the current multi-agency system. For example, having separate agencies responsible for mental health services for preventive care (DPH), acute care (DMA), and continuing care (DMH) creates perverse incentives in which agencies benefit by shifting expenses onto each other even though it may not maximally benefit the consumer or be cost-effective for the taxpayer. By consolidating resources and accountability, money saved through purchasing efficiencies in acute and emergency mental health services, an initiative begun this year, can be reinvested in the continuum of mental health services, thus reducing long-term costs.
The Department will also benefit from an integrated network of Family Services field offices with consistent regional boundaries. With services centralized in one area office and a single eligibility process, access and appropriate referral to health care services will be streamlined and improved.
The Division of Public Health will provide innovative care services for persons now being served by several different state agencies, made possible by the integration of prevention and treatment programs within a single agency. As a cornerstone of the new Department of Public Health Services, the Division will provide individuals who currently receive medical services, through programs such as Medicaid, with the necessary assistance to reduce the incidence and severity of health problems, thus lowering the overall cost to the Commonwealth. By creating links between existing prevention, education, and treatment programs such as AIDS/HIV, Substance Abuse, Early Intervention, and Teenage Pregnancy Prevention, the Division will offer a comprehensive continuum of care that will address a variety of individual client needs. Community-based approaches to identify appropriate strategies for preventing disease, promoting early diagnosis and treatment, and improving access to care for the underserved, will allow the Division to build upon the current Department of Public Health's strengths of improving and protecting the public health.
The Division of Purchased Medical and Support Services will provide both acute and continuing health care services including comprehensive mental health care. With consolidated funding and accountability relationships, the Division will purchase health care and support services more effectively through greater purchasing power. For example, the Division will save the Commonwealth money by purchasing health care benefits for both state employees and other program recipients jointly. In addition, client services will improve through performance-based contracting and better coordination of services in co-located field offices.
By pooling funding for facilities and community services, the Division will be able to purchase long-term care services for mental health and chronic care populations more effectively. Currently, the Commonwealth pays for services in state facilities at great cost to the taxpayer. For example, the average daily cost for a chronic care client at a public health facility is roughly twice as much as the cost of serving the same client in a more appropriate community-based setting. Through its ability to purchase the most site-appropriate and cost-effective services, the Division will help to assure a proper mix of high quality inpatient care units and appropriate community placements at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.
The Division of Health Policy, Research and Planning will enable the Commonwealth to keep up with our changing health care environment through improved collection and evaluation of health care data; better monitoring of market trends in health care delivery systems; investigation of alternative financing systems; and development of health outcomes research. In addition, by integrating the agency management information systems of the current DMH, DPH and DMA, more effective program management and planning will be possible.
During Fiscal Year 1997, services provided by the Department of Public Health Services will be performed by 7,649 full-time equivalent staff (FTEs). During Fiscal Year 1996, these services are provided by 7,865 FTEs in the Division of Medical Assistance, Department of Mental Health, Department of Public Health, Department of Medical Security, the Rate Setting Commission, medical assistance eligibility workers at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, and the administrative staff who purchase employee health benefits at the Group Insurance Commission.
Budget Recommendations
The amount recommended for the Department of Public Health Services will provide funding for expanded services including:
additional mental health capacity in the community for adults and children to help provide alternatives to and timely discharge from hospitals ($4 million);
AIDS prevention and treatment ($2.5 million);
prevention, support and referral services for teenage families ($2.5 million);
statewide expansion of the Collaborative Assessment Program (CAP) to provide mental health assessments and services for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents in conjunction with the Department of Children's Services ($2.5 million, of which $585,000 is within the Department of Public Health Services); and
mental health services for county houses of correction which currently have none (Barnstable and Middlesex), and a statewide specialized case management component to help link mentally ill inmates to community mental health programs before and after discharge from correctional facilities ($545,000).
In addition, nearly $3 million is included to enhance the salaries of the lowest paid direct care workers in the mental health system.
Click here for line item information
Department of Disability Services
The mission of the Department of Disability Services will be to afford individuals with disabilities the opportunity to maximize their quality of life and achieve economic self- sufficiency in the community of their choice.
The Department will pursue its mission by:
providing intensive family and individual supports to help families remain intact and to reduce the number of costly placements in residential settings;
providing vocational rehabilitation and employment assistance for individuals with disabilities;
moving individuals currently living in institutional settings into homes in the community; and
offering a variety of technological aids and supports, such as CARTS services and talking computers for the blind, that promote the independence of disabled individuals.
The Department will serve approximately 113,000 individuals with disabilities, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing, physically disabled, developmentally disabled, legally blind, and those with traumatic brain injuries.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department of Disability Services will pursue the following objectives:
develop and phase in a new management and operational structure for state-owned facility operations that will allow these facilities to offer specialized services and compete in the open market;
register 5,000 new clients in the Central Register for the blind, and provide counseling and referral information regarding available services; and
expand the availability of interpreter services and interpreter referral services.
The newly integrated Department will foster a more coordinated, cost-effective, and efficient service delivery system. The current system of discrete departments hinders efficiency by requiring some clients to interact with three or more existing agencies to receive services. The Department of Disability Services will share coordinated administrative services thereby reducing duplication of effort and resulting in more administrative efficiencies, ultimately yielding more resources for direct services for individuals with disabilities. The realignment of administrative resources will be enhanced by a quality assurance function that ensures clients are receiving the services and supports they need to achieve greater independence.
The Department of Disability Services represents a consolidation of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, Rehabilitation Commission, and Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as well as the Department of Mental Retardation and the Administering Agency for Developmental Disabilities. This new Department will deliver services through four component programs: residential supports, vocational supports, family and individual supports, program management and administration; and two bureaus: the Bureau of the Blind, and the Bureau of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The agencies that will comprise the Department of Disability Services employ 8,517 full-time equivalent staff members (FTEs) in Fiscal Year 1996. By the end of Fiscal Year 1997, increased efficiencies will result in fewer than 8,265 FTEs providing the same services and administrative support.
Budget Recommendations
The Fiscal Year 1997 funding recommended for the Department of Disability Services is $793.9 million. Included in this recommendation is an increase of over $4 million for Turning 22 clients, and an additional $4 million to reduce the number of individuals who are currently unserved or underserved, with particular emphasis on consumers and potential consumers whose caregivers are elderly and may no longer be able to provide adequate care. Also included in this recommendation is over $6 million to provide salary increases for the lowest paid direct care workers in the purchase of service system, and $186,448 to pay for salary increases for special education providers. An additional $200,000 for interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing is also included.
Click here for line item information
Department of Transitional Assistance
The mission of the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) will be to provide low-income individuals and families with transitional services that promote responsibility and self-sufficiency. These services will include income assistance, child care services, and emergency shelter assistance.
The common focus of all DTA programs will be to provide short-term assistance to individuals currently unemployed and longer-term assistance to individuals who cannot work due to age, disability, or other factors. The Department will administer three cash assistance programs for 277,000 low-income individuals and families: Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC); Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC); and the state supplement to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The Department will also administer the federal Food Stamps program for 127,000 low-income individuals and families.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department will focus on the following objectives:
unify the intake, eligibility, and referral system for all subsidized day care programs;
streamline DTA local offices to reduce the number of offices from 44 to 32;
expand the finger imaging pilot project to cover all TAFDC recipients;
provide EAEDC cash assistance to approximately 15,000 legal immigrants who are expected to lose SSI benefits as a result of federal eligibility changes; and
pilot the Benefit Eligibility and Computer On-line Network (BEACON), which is the Department's new computerized eligibility system, by June 1997 and implement the network on a full-scale basis by the beginning of Fiscal Year 1998.
In Fiscal Year 1995, the Weld/Cellucci Administration implemented the Commonwealth's welfare reform initiative. The core objectives of the initiative are to require able-bodied TAFDC recipients to find employment and to provide support services, including day care and health coverage, that enable recipients to retain employment.
The success of the new TAFDC program is contingent upon the efficient provision of subsidized child care to allow recipients to maintain employment. Subsidized child care also assists low-income working families to avoid the need for TAFDC or other income assistance programs. In Fiscal Year 1997, the Administration will expand the average number of TAFDC child care slots by 33% to 34,500, and will increase the number of income-eligible voucher slots by 27% to 4,700.
To ensure that the provision of day care is properly integrated with TAFDC, the Department will become the state agency responsible for administering all subsidized contract and voucher day care programs to low-income families. To enhance the integrity and coordination of the various programs, the Department will work with the Executive Office of Family Services to develop a unified eligibility and intake system for all subsidized child care programs.
The success of welfare reform is also contingent upon the Department's ability to quickly provide TAFDC recipients with effective job entry skills. During Fiscal Year 1997, the Administration will continue to change both the focus and the method of delivering employment and training services. The fundamental goal of the Employment Services Program will be to increase the labor force participation of TAFDC recipients by placing more emphasis on immediate job readiness services and less emphasis on long-term job training. As recommended in the Governor's Reorganization Plan, statewide employment and training services will be centralized into regional career centers, which will be coordinated by the Office of Education and Training. DTA will determine the eligibility of TAFDC recipients for employment and training services. The career centers will refer eligible recipients to programs that provide them the most appropriate services.
In Fiscal Year 1997, as recommended in the Governor's Reorganization Plan, the Department will take steps to improve the integrity of the SSI state supplement program, which is funded by the state but federally administered under contract with the Social Security Administration (SSA). To ensure that only truly disabled individuals are eligible for continued benefits, DTA will collaborate with the Department of Disability Services and SSA to conduct approximately 50,000 disability redeterminations. A similar medical screening and redetermination process, established when the Administration replaced the General Relief program with EAEDC, has resulted in a 55% decline in the EAEDC caseload since Fiscal Year 1992.
The Department will also develop plans, for Fiscal Year 1998, to assume administrative responsibility for the SSI supplement program. A state-administered program will provide the Commonwealth with more flexibility in establishing eligibility standards and monitoring participation in treatment and rehabilitation programs. Furthermore, it will permit the integration of the supplement program with EAEDC, and allow DTA to develop disability standards that are uniform across all assistance programs.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department will assume responsibility for several programs that were previously administered by other agencies. DTA will administer all subsidized day care programs, except for Family Preservation Day Care. Previously, the responsibility for these programs was shared between DTA, the Department of Social Services and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. DTA will also administer the Early Childhood Education and Care program, which was previously managed by the Department of Education. State SSI supplement benefits to the blind will be provided by DTA, rather than the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Finally, the Department will assume responsibility for the New Chardon Street Home (a shelter for homeless women and children), which is currently administered by the Department of Social Services.
The Department will also yield responsibility for several programs to other agencies in Fiscal Year 1997. The Department will no longer administer the Employment Services Program, EAEDC health services, or structured housing for teen parents. These services will be provided by the Board of Education and Training, the Department of Public Health Services, and the Executive Office of Family Services, respectively.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department of Transitional Assistance will employ 2,550 full-time equivalent staff members (FTEs), which is 96 fewer FTEs than in Fiscal Year 1996.
Budget Recommendations
The Fiscal Year 1997 budget recommendation for DTA anticipates significant federal changes to cash assistance and child care programs. Block grants will replace the current methodology of funding TAFDC programs, in which the State receives 50% federal reimbursement for most spending. The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Block Grant will provide the Commonwealth with approximately $432 million to fund TAFDC program and administrative expenses, Emergency Assistance, and Employment Services Program. The Child Care Assistance Block Grant will provide approximately $52 million to fund child care programs for TAFDC and income-eligible families.
For Fiscal Year 1997, the Administration recommends $241 million in subsidized day care funding, including $188 million from state appropriations and $53 million in federal block grant funding. This represents a 24% increase from Fiscal Year 1996. The Administration also recommends $513 million in funding for TAFDC, including $98 million from state appropriations and $415 million from federal block grant funding. This represents a 12% decrease from Fiscal Year 1996.
The Fiscal Year 1997 budget recommendation includes $1 million in item 4930-0000 to expand the finger-imaging pilot project to cover all TAFDC recipients. Item 4930-0020 includes about $12 million in new funding to provide EAEDC cash assistance to legal immigrants, who are expected to lose eligibility for SSI as the result of federal eligibility changes.
Click here for line item information
Department of Children's Services
The mission of the new Department of Children's Services will be to protect children from abuse and neglect. The Department will provide services to abused and neglected children; provide prevention services to support and strengthen families; and ensure that each child has a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.
The Department will serve approximately 22,000 families. Programs provided by the Department will include crisis intervention, counseling, and family skills training, which help create an environment that will allow children to remain safely in their homes. For children whose families are unable to care for them, the Department will seek alternative permanent homes through adoption, guardianship, or independent living.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department of Children's Services will pursue the following objectives:
finalize over 1,000 adoptions and 500 guardianships;
provide a flexible continuum of services for youth that meets the clients' diverse needs and functioning levels;
improve levels of care for children in foster care by expanding the number of service options available in foster homes and other out of the home placement settings;
expand support for foster parents through training, mentoring, and support groups;
maintain the mandated 18:1 caseload/social worker ratio by closely monitoring case openings and closings;
continue timely response to all complaints alleging violations of licensing standards that place children's life, health, or safety at risk; and
facilitate the training and education of 20,000 child care providers through workshops.
An important initiative of the Weld/Cellucci Administration has been the promotion of adoption as the means to find permanent homes for nearly 4,000 children in foster care and group care who cannot return to their home of origin. The Department of Children's Services will continue the Administration's efforts to expedite adoptions. Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 1992, over 3,500 children have been placed in permanent homes. The implementation of legislation (Chapter 303), signed into law by Governor Weld in 1992, and the success of performance-based adoption contracts, have resulted in earlier development of permanency plans and more expeditious movement of cases through the Probate and Family Court system. The Fiscal Year 1997 budget recommendation includes an additional $570,000 for judicial resources within the Probate and Family Court system, to further streamline and expedite the adoption process. In Fiscal Year 1996, the Department will finalize approximately 1,000 adoptions.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department of Children's Services will complete implementation of a new system of residential group care. The new system will offer a comprehensive array of services to children and their families through a network of private providers. The primary goal of the new system is to return youth, as quickly as possible, to their families, or to prepare them to live independently in the community. The program will emphasize education programs, and it will offer an improved level of services to younger adolescents with serious behavior problems.
The Department also plans to improve the foster care system by providing more service options to children in foster care. The improved system will have multiple levels of care through regular foster homes; specialized foster homes; and emergency foster homes, where children will receive the level of treatment required to meet their needs.
The Department will be the primary provider of services to families affected by domestic violence. The Weld/Cellucci Administration continues to support shelter and counseling services for victims of domestic violence. The Department will expand services for children, teenagers, and non-English speaking women affected by domestic violence. The Batterer Intervention Program, currently administered by the Department of Public Health, will be transferred to the Department of Children's Services to foster a more coordinated and effective service delivery system.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Office for Children's licensing function will move to the Department of Children's Services, eliminating the duplication of administrative services. The licensing function will strengthen and support the Department's Quality Assurance efforts. The Department will license and monitor over 14,500 child care providers including family day care programs, group day care programs, school age day care programs, and substitute day care providers serving approximately 170,000 children and their families.
The essential state services being consolidated within the Department of Children's Services are currently provided through the Department of Social Services, the Office for Children, and the Department of Public Health.
Budget Recommendations
The Fiscal Year 1997 funding recommendation includes $3.6 million for caseload growth in adoption and guardianship services; $7.8 million for foster care services; $3.3 million for expansion of services to families affected by domestic violence; $2.5 million for statewide expansion of the Collaborative Assessment Program (CAP) with the Department of Public Health Services, of which $1.9 million is within the Department of Children's Services; $885,629 for salary increases for special education staff; and $589,722 for salary increases for direct care workers in the purchase of services system. Additionally, the New Chardon Street Home for the Homeless (4800-0050), will be transferred from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Transitional Assistance; and the Family Preservation Day Care (4000-0230) program will be transferred from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to the Department of Children's Services. The Social Services Block Grant, totaling $63.3 million, will be transferred from the Department of Social Services' state appropriations to a federal grant.
Click here for line item information
Department of Juvenile Justice
The Department of Juvenile Justice will be responsible for the enhancement of public safety; crime prevention; and rehabilitation of delinquent youth. The Department will be primarily responsible for two categories of youth who appear before the courts: those who have been charged with criminal offenses and are detained on bail or without bail; and those who have been committed by the Juvenile Court to remain in the custody of the Department.
The Department will provide a continuum of services ranging from secure residential programs to non-residential community supervision. Treatment services in residential facilities will provide education; clinical and family services; and vocational training. These services are designed to reduce the risk that youthful offenders pose to the community. Youth who are deemed to be lower risk will live at home where they will be supervised by caseworkers and community monitors.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Department of Juvenile Justice will pursue the following objectives:
restructure the service system in each geographic area to ensure the separation of the bail population from the committed population;
continue to expand residential capacity to include youth sentenced under the new gun legislation signed by the Governor in December of 1995;
ensure offender accountability to victims and the community through the development of community service and restitution programs;
coordinate the transfer of probation supervision with the Juvenile Court, focusing on integrating the new population into the juvenile justice service system;
work in conjunction with the District Attorney offices to coordinate the sharing of information focusing on priority prosecution cases, as well as crime prevention activities; and
develop day reporting programs, which include alternative education centers operating in conjunction with local school systems.
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Weld/Cellucci Administration is proposing the transfer of juvenile probation from the Juvenile Court to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The transfer of juvenile probation will enable the Department to expand the continuum of services necessary to carefully monitor youth in the community; ensure the public's safety; and reduce future crime. This intensive supervision will save taxpayers the cost of incarcerating certain offenders, while assuring that probation can be revoked if necessary.
The essential state services consolidated within the Department of Juvenile Justice are currently provided through the Department of Youth Services and the Juvenile Court Division of the Trial Court.
Budget Recommendations
The Fiscal Year 1997 recommendation is $101.69 million. This level of funding includes $5.01 million for expected caseload growth, and $6.17 million for juvenile probation. In account 4950-0012, Juvenile Corrections, $1.52 million of additional funds will cover the expenses related to improving the salaries for direct care workers, and $46,261 of additional funds will cover salary increases for special education staff.
Click here for line item information
Click here for the table of contents
Click here to go to the next section: Executive Office of Public Property
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The Indian central bank has asked Paypal to suspend some cash transfers to and from the subcontinent, leaving thousands of small companies without an income.
The Reserve Bank of India said yesterday that Paypal was not properly registered, following a change to the law in 2008. "Providers of cross-border money transfer service need prior authorization from the Reserve Bank under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act," a spokeswoman told the NYT. "PayPal does not have our authorization." The problems may take months to solve. Read more


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|From: Grant Rettke (grettke at acm.org)
Date: Fri Oct 17 22:44:51 EDT 2008
On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 9:08 PM, Robby Findler <robby at cs.uchicago.edu> wrote: Check this out: http://www.wisdomandwonder.com/link/51/visualizing-lisp-without-parentheses > Anyways, the season'd schemers around here will probably tell you that > the parens eventually fade away. It is really the indentation that > clues you in to where things match up. You may not believe it now, but that is true; it does happen.
|Posted on the users mailing list.


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OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Retired Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps addressed the Baltimore Ravens on Monday at the team's headquarters, offering encouragement as they wind down the preseason.
Coach John Harbuagh said the 27-year-old's message was simple: "Go get 'em."
Phelps, a Maryland native, won six medals in London to become the most-decorated Olympian ever.
Asked to note comparisons between Phelps' last four years and the Ravens' last four years, in which they have reached the playoffs each season but failed to win the big one, Harbaugh said, "I wish I was smart enough to draw that parallel right now... I'll let you do that."
Here goes:
• Phelps left the Beijing Olympics with eight gold medals, but spent the next four years in a sometimes-losing battle with rival Ryan Lochte. The Ravens are a constant AFC favorite, but ever since Harbaugh showed up in 2008, have a 1-3 record vs. the New England Patriots.
• Michael Phelps once had a pretty awful mustache. So did Joe Flacco.
• In 2009, a photo emerged of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana from a bong. Ricky Williams took numerous hits playing running back for the Ravens in 2011.
Okay, maybe we're stretching it. But you get the point. The Ravens are trying to get over the hump and win a title or two, and there are probably few athletes with more experience in that department than Mr. Phelps. Gotta wonder if his pregame speeches would be anything like Ray Lewis delivers.
Nate Davis is a reporter, blogger and editor who's been at USA TODAY since 2000. He has covered the NFL since 2005. No, he did not play quarterback for Ball State. Davis' succession of our esteemed colleague Sean Leahy at The Huddle is considered a Brady-for-Bledsoe swap by most "insiders."More about Nate


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Our Purchase Order Terms and Conditions:
(Revision 6/20/2017)
Agreement Seller's commencement of work on the goods subject to this purchase order or shipment of such goods, whichever occurs first shall be deemed an effective mode of acceptance of this purchase order. Any acceptance of this purchase order is limited to acceptance of the express terms contained on the face and back hereof. Any proposal for additional or different terms or any attempt by seller to vary in any degree any of the terms of this offer in Seller's acceptance is hereby objected to and rejected, but such proposals shall not operate as a rejection of this offer unless such variances are in the terms of this offer in Seller's acceptance is hereby objected to and of this offer unless such variances are in the terms of the description, quantity, price or delivery schedule of the goods, but shall be deemed a material alteration thereof, and this offer shall be deemed accepted by Seller without said additional or different terms. If this purchase order shall be deemed an acceptance of a prior offer by Seller, such acceptance is limited to the express terms contained on the face and on the back hereof. Additional or different terms of this purchase order shall be deemed material and are objected to and rejected, but this purchase order shall not operate as a rejection of the Seller's offer unless it contains variances in the terms of the description, quantity, price, or delivery schedule of the goods.
Termination for Convenience of Purchaser
Purchaser reserves the right to terminate this order or any part hereof for its sole convenience. In the event of such termination, Seller shall immediately stop all work hereunder, and shall immediately cause any of its suppliers or subcontractors to cease such work. Seller shall be paid a reasonable termination charge consisting of a percentage of the order price reflecting the percentage of the work performed prior to the notice of termination, plus actual direct costs resulting from termination. Seller shall not be paid for any work done after receipt of the notice of termination, or for any costs incurred by Seller's suppliers or subcontractors which Seller could reasonably have avoided.
Termination for Cause
Purchaser may also terminate this order or any part hereof for cause in the event of any default by their vendor, or if the vendor fails to comply with any of the terms and conditions of this offer. Late deliveries, deliveries of products which are detective or which do not conform to this order, and failure to provide Purchaser, upon request, of reasonable assurances of future performance shall all be causes allowing Purchaser to terminate this order for cause. In the event of termination for cause, Purchaser shall not be liable to Seller for any amount, and Seller shall be liable to Purchaser for any and all damages sustained by reason of the default which gave rise to the termination.
Proprietary Information
Confidentiality – Advertising – Seller shall consider all information furnished by Purchaser to be confidential and shall not disclose any such information to any other person, or use such information itself for any purpose other than performing this contract, unless Seller obtains written permission from Purchaser to do so. This paragraph shall apply to drawings, specifications, or other documents prepared by Seller for Purchaser in connection with this order. Seller shall not advertise or publish the fact that Purchaser has contracted to purchase goods from Seller, nor shall any information relating to the order be disclosed without Purchaser's written permission. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, no commercial, financial or technical information disclosed in any manner or at any time by Seller to Purchaser shall be deemed secret or confidential and Seller shall have no rights against Purchaser with respect thereto except such rights as may exist under patent laws.
Seller expressly warrants that all goods or services furnished under this agreement shall conform to all specifications and appropriate standards, will be new, and will be free from defects in material or workmanship. Seller warrants that all such goods or services will conform to any statements made on the containers or labels or advertisements for such goods, or services, and that any goods will be adequately contained, packaged, marked and labeled. Seller warrants that all goods or services furnished hereunder will be merchantable, and will be safe an appropriate for the purpose for which goods or services of that kind are normally used. If Seller knows or has reason to know the particular purpose for which Purchaser intends to use the goods or services, Seller warrants that such goods or services will be fit for such particular purpose. Seller warrants that goods or services furnished will conform in all respects to samples. Inspection, test, acceptance or use of the goods or services furnished hereunder shall not affect the Seller's obligation under this warranty, and such warranties shall survive inspection, test, acceptance and use. Seller's warranty shall run to Purchaser, its successors, assigns and customers, and users of products sold by Purchaser. Seller agrees to replace or correct defects of any goods or services not conforming to the foregoing warranty promptly, without expense to Purchaser, when notified of such nonconformity by Purchaser, provided Purchaser elects to provide Seller with the opportunity to do so. In the event of failure of Seller to correct defects in or replace nonconforming goods or services promptly, Purchaser, after reasonable notice to Seller, may make such corrections or replace such goods and services and charge Seller for the cost incurred by Purchaser in doing so.
Price Warranty
Seller warrants that the prices for the articles sold Purchaser hereunder are not less favorable than those currently extended to any other customer for the same or similar articles in similar quantities. In the event Seller reduces its price for such article during the term of this order. Seller agrees to reduce the prices hereof correspondingly. Seller warrants that prices shown on this purchase order shall be complete, and no additional charges of any type shall be added without Purchaser's express written consent. Such additional charges include, but are not limited to, shipping, packaging, labeling, custom duties, taxes, storage, insurance, boxing, crating.
Force Majeure
Purchaser may delay delivery or acceptance occasioned by causes beyond its control. Seller shall hold such goods at the direction of the Purchaser and shall deliver them when the cause affecting the delay has been removed. Purchaser shall be responsible only for Seller's direct additional costs in holding the goods or delaying performance of this agreement at Purchaser's request. Causes beyond Purchaser's control shall include governmental action or failure of the government to act where such action is required, strike or other labor trouble, fire, or unusually severe weather.
Seller agrees upon receipt of notification to promptly assume full responsibility for defense of any suit or proceeding which may be brought against Purchaser or its agents, customers, or other vendors for alleged patent infringement, as well as for any alleged unfair competition resulting from similarity in design, trademark or appearance of goods or services furnished hereunder, and Seller further agrees to indemnity Purchaser, its agents and customers against any and all expenses, losses, royalties, profits and damages including court costs and attorney's fees resulting from any such suit or proceeding , including any settlement. Purchaser may be represented by and actively participate through its own counsel in any such suit or proceeding if it so desires, and the costs of such representation shall be paid by Seller.
In the event that Seller's objections hereunder require or contemplate performance of services by Seller's employees, or persons under contract to Seller, to be done on Purchaser's property, or property of Purchaser's customers, the Seller agrees that all such work shall be done as an independent contractor and that the persons doing such work shall be considered employees of Purchaser. Seller shall maintain all necessary insurance coverages, including public liability and Workman's Compensation insurance. Seller shall indemnify and save harmless and defend Purchaser from any and all claims or liabilities arising out of the work covered by this paragraph.
Seller shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless Purchaser against all damages, claims or liabilities and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising out of or resulting in any way from any defect in the goods or services purchased hereunder, or from any act or omission of Seller, its agents, employees or subcontractors. This indemnification shall be in addition to the warranty obligations of Seller.
Purchaser shall have the right at any time to make changes in drawings, designs, specifications, materials, packaging, time and place of delivery and method of transportation. If any such changes cause an increase or decrease in the cost, or the time required for the performance, an equitable adjustment shall be made and this agreement shall be modified in writing accordingly. Seller agrees to accept any such changes subject to this paragraph.
Payment for the goods delivered hereunder shall not constitute acceptance thereof. Purchaser shall have the right to inspect such goods and to reject any or all of said goods which are in Purchaser's
judgment defective or nonconforming. Goods rejected and goods supplied in excess of quantities called for herein may be returned to Seller at its expense and, in addition to Purchaser's other rights, Purchaser may change Seller all expenses of unpacking, examining, repacking, and reshipping, such goods. In the event Purchaser receives goods whose defects or nonconformity is not apparent on examination, Purchaser reserves the right to require replacement, as well as payment of damages. Nothing contained in this purchase order shall relieve in any way the Seller from the obligation of testing, inspection and quality control.
Entire Agreement
This purchase order and any documents referred to on the face hereof, constitute the entire agreement between the parties.
Assignments and Subcontracting
No part of this order may be assigned or subcontracted without the prior written approval of Purchaser.
Set off
All claims for money due or to become due from Purchaser shall be subject to deduction or set off by the Purchaser by reason of any counterclaim arising out of this or any other transaction with Seller.
If in order to comply with Purchaser's required delivery date it becomes necessary for Seller to ship by a more expensive way than specified in this purchase order, any increased transportation costs resulting therefrom shall be paid for by Seller unless the necessity for such rerouting or expedited handling has been caused by Purchaser.
Purchaser's failure to insist on performance of any of the terms or conditions herein or to exercise any right or privilege or Purchaser's waiver of any breach hereunder shall not thereafter waive any other terms, conditions, or privileges whether of the same or similar type.
Limit on Purchaser's Liability
Status of Limitations – In no event shall Purchaser be liable for anticipated profits or for incidental or consequential damages. Purchaser's liability on any claim of any kind for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with or resulting from this agreement or from the performance or breach thereof shall in no case exceed the price allocable to the goods or services or unit thereof which gives rise to the claim. Purchaser shall not be liable for penalties of any description. Any action resulting from any breach on the part of Purchaser as to the goods or services delivered hereunder must be commenced within one year after the cause of action has accrued.
Compliance with Laws
Seller agrees that all goods shipped to the Purchaser under this agreement will be produced in full compliance with all applicable laws including, but not limited to, the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Choice of Law
This purchase order and any contract formed hereunder, shall be governed by, and construed under the internal laws of the State of Arkansas, without regard to principles of conflict of law, as the same may be from time to time in effect, including, without limitation, the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Arkansas.
Seller Compliance
The Seller agrees to comply with the following:
A) Executive order 11246 as amended and all regulations promulgated pursuant to that Executive Order including but not limited to the provisions of paragraphs (1) through (7) of the "Equal opportunity Clause" and the "Certification of Non-segregated Facilities" each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
B) Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 including the applicable parts of the affirmative action clause entitled "Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers" (41 CFR 50-741.4) incorporated herein by reference, and
C) the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (30 USC 2012) including the applicable parts of the affirmative action clause entitled "Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era" (41 CFR 60-250.4) also incorporated herein by reference.
Metal Suppliers
Metal and metal alloy components shall be certified that the level of radioactivity inherent in any individual unit has been confirmed to be below 7.5uSv/hr by the supplier. If an individual unit exceeds a radioactivity reading of 7.5uSv/hr, the entire shipment is subject to immediate return to the supplier.


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How many gallons of spirits can I produce as a craft distiller?
A craft distillery can produce 150,000 gallons or less a year.
How much product can I sell to customers at my craft distillery?
You may sell two liters per day per person of spirits of your own production for off-premises consumption. Sales must be reported monthly to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (see below).
What is the process for selling my product at my craft distillery?
All spirits must be sold at Washington liquor stores, with the exception of the product you can sell at your distillery.
In order to sell product at your distillery, you must follow this process:
After completing the standard quotation form, you will obtain a retail price from the WSLCB Purchasing Division (call 360-664-1600). This price will include state and federal taxes and the state markup.
You must sell your product at your distillery at the WSLCB retail price.
- You must report any sales and production to the WSLCB Financial Division using the Craft Distillery Report Form.
You will be required to submit a payment based on your sales in Washington.
- Product that you produce and sell at your distillery does not have to be transported to the WSLCB Distribution Center.
When are my tax reports due?
Tax reports must be postmarked on or before the 20th of the month following activity. A report must be filed each month, including those months when there is no activity. When the 20th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, the filing must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service no later than the next postal business day. If you do not have any activity to report, you can file tax reports in advance.
Producing spirits as a hobby
I want to make small amounts of distilled spirits as a hobby. Is this legal?
No, it is illegal to produce distilled spirits without a license.
Spirit samples
Can I have a tasting room?
Yes, you may have a tasting room that is physically separated from the production site. Retail sampling and sales cannot occur in the TTB bonded area.
Can I sell samples of my distilled spirits to customers?
No, sales of samples of spirits to customers are not allowed.
Can I offer free samples to customers?
A craft distillery may offer a maximum of two ounces per person per day free of charge at the distillery. An employee involved in the service of samples must have a Mandatory Alcohol Server Training Permit. You must report these samples on your Craft Distillery Tax Form.
Can I charge for using the glass for the sample?
No, the sampling offered at the craft distillery must be offered free of charge. You can charge for a glass that the customer keeps (i.e. a commemorative glass), but it cannot be required that the customer purchase the glass to receive the sample.
Can I put soda or water in my samples?
No, the craft distillery or customer cannot add anything to a sample. The sample must be unaltered.
Special occasion events
How can craft distilleries participate in a special occasion event?
A distillery or representative of a distillery can donate product to a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) nonprofit.
A distillery representative can pour and educate the public about their spirits.
Please remember that the event is operated by the special occasion licensee, not the manufacturer.
A distillery may not sell spirits to the public during these events.
- A distillery may not donate money of any kind to these events (booth fees, sponsorship)


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We will notify you, when the site will launched. We don't do any spam with your email address.
We are Coming
Really Soon
We at Indori Chatora are swearing to bring every good place to eat online. Staring with menus & photos, soon we will bring a lot more exiting features to help you find new places every day. Indore is famous for poha-jalebi, laung-sev, Bhutte ka kees, Hot chips, Burf ka gola, Dahi Bada, Kachori, Samosa, Chaat, Garadu, Kulfi, Mawa Jalebi, Shikanjee, MaalPua, Mawa Baati , Fariyali Sabudana Khichadi and a lot more.
At Indori Chatora.com, we are working hard to bring every good place in notice & every menu available to you online. So next time when you go out to eat you can plan for new places, know about good places suggested by other people, or decide based on reviews.


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Originally posted on NESN.com | Last updated 2/6/13
Ryan Braun's image just suffered another hit, regardless of what ultimately comes of the new allegations against him. According to a Yahoo! Sports report, Braun's name appears on records from the South Florida clinic that allegedly supplied Alex Rodriguez and other majors leaguers with performance-enhancing drugs. Braun has since issued a statement saying that his attorneys consulted with the clinic's chief, Anthony Bosch, while preparing for a successful appeal of the outfielder's 50-game suspension last season. Braun also said that he has nothing to hide regarding the situation, and that he has never had any other relationship with Bosch. At this point, though, plenty of damage has already been done to Braun's reputation, no matter what the findings of this still-developing story end up showing. The mere link to the Biogenesis clinic in the wake of last year's situation is not only enough to reopen the conversation about Braun's innocence — or perhaps lackthereof — as it pertains to PEDs, but it's also enough for him to lose supporters in the court of public opinion. And that's a court in which he didn't have many supporters to begin with. Braun was found to have an elevated level of testosterone last offseason, which prompted Major League Baseball to attempt to suspend him for 50 games. An individual arbitrator ruled last February, though, that Braun could not be suspended because there were chain-of-custody questions surrounding the five-time All-Star's urine samples. The decision was immediately met with scrutiny by MLB, which considered the successful appeal to be the result of a technicality. Braun still managed to restore his image to a certain extent this past season, even finishing second in NL MVP voting. While there will always be questions about whether Braun did win out in his appeal because of a "technicality," the superstar at least restored some of the faith that once existed in him by putting up monster numbers even in the wake of such major allegations. That restored faith is now a thing of the past, however. It should be noted that Braun's statement regarding Tuesday's report is entirely plausible. His name is reportedly on three records, but there is nothing that links him specifically to PEDs, which is a stark contrast from the players, including Rodriguez, who appeared in last week's Miami New Times report that brought the clinic and its alleged clients to light. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. It's a simple philosophy that may not even apply to this situation, because for all we know, Braun could be telling the truth. Bosch may really have been reached out to simply as a consultant, and the note in the record about Braun owing the clinic $20,000 to $30,000 may really be in regards to a dispute over compensation for that consultation (as Braun claimed in his statement). But ignoring that there are people already completely convinced that Braun is guilty of some wrongdoing in the wake of these new allegations would require the assumption that most people have the patience necessary to see this whole thing out before passing judgment. At a time when PEDs are essentially seen as one of the worst things on the planet (or at least in sports), that's an assumption that can no longer be made. As of right now, nothing can prove that Braun is guilty of having received PEDs from the South Florida clinic in question, but certain details of the story seem a bit fishy. For example, an elevated level of testosterone is the same thing that Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal — three players also linked to Bosch's clinic — have already been suspended for by Major League Baseball. Then, there are the simple facts that the clinic is located near the University of Miami, where Braun played college ball, and that one of Braun's former teammates was also listed in last week's Miami New Times report. None of this proves anything, except that there are plenty of questions that remain unanswered. It would probably be best if we all waited until they're answered before judging Braun, but it's hard given his controversial past and the inherent skepticism that now exists in regards to athletes and PEDs. Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.
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Visit Finland's skipper, Olly Osborne, describes, 'The passage through the Luzon Straits will not be so pleasant though, and at today's lunchtime meeting we discussed the various preparations to be made for heavy weather, and also had a fairly in depth man overboard refresher. I think the process of preparing for the weather ahead makes everyone feel more confident and is an important part of being mentally ready, too.
'But for the meantime the helms are eagerly watching for the first signs of a wind shift which should allow us to put some good miles under the keel in the right direction, and hopefully provide a chance to better our position.'
Visit Finland is in the second group of four yachts which also includes Derry-Londonderry, New York and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital.
'Progress is very steady as the gradient wind decreases and our boat speed moderates. This calls for even more focus on sail trim and helming as the pressure builds to make the correct tactical call every time,' notes Mark Light, skipper of the Northern Ireland entry.
'We on Derry-Londonderry are sitting in a decent position just inside the top five and although we have consolidated over the last few days I have noticed a small gap beginning to open up between us and the top four boats so a call to all crew went out today to make sure we are operating at over 100 per cent at all times.
'These races are fairly long and one of the key ingredients for success is the ability to remain focussed and concentrated for long periods. I have a very good and capable crew and when the going gets tough (which it will!) nobody is ever found wanting.
'Preparations, mental and physical are being made in advance of the impending heavy weather as we approach Taiwan and the Yellow Sea.'
Further to the west than Derry-Londonderry, their Celtic competition, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital is firmly embedded in the chasing pack.
'Short tacking up the rhumb line, whilst putting in a bit more east on the port tack, seems to be working out well for us,' says skipper, Gordon Reid.
'Currently we are racing in company with the New York yacht which is just six miles to our north and getting closer.
'The Purple Beastie is making the best use of the favourable current as we ride around the various shallow banks, waiting to strike north when the wind veers as forecast in the next 12 hours or so.
'The next stage of the race is all about getting into position for when the wind veers and setting ourselves up to make best use of the significantly stronger currents stretching across the Luzon Strait, ensuring we are on the right side of the set.'
Gordon notes the volume of shipping in the area, both cargo ships and local fishing fleets.
'This area is a highly congested with lots of commercial shipping between the Macclesfield Bank and the Scarborough Reef, and many little fishing boats on the fringes. This is certainly keeping us on our toes as the focussed crew maintain a sharp lookout both visually on deck and on our AIS and Radar systems, carefully monitoring CPAs, distance and bearings to the fast moving traffic,' he continues.
Stuart agrees and explains, 'We now have a fishing watch team during the hours of darkness to ensure that we do not inadvertently get snared in any nets. Last night we were almost surrounded on all sides and had to sensitively weave our way through the multi coloured lights that we could see. Add to this the commercial shipping and this leg is proving to be a busy time for the crew!'
There's a small fly in the ointment for New York, according to skipper, Gareth Glover, who tells the Race Office, 'In the last 24 hours we have being heading north which give us the best VMG (Velocity Made Good i.e. speed in the right direction) but now we find ourselves too far to the west of the leaders.
'We have now tack to the east but are still not getting a great Course Over Ground and are sailing towards Scarborough Reef, 65nm to the east. We are hoping that by the time we get there the wind is going to be set more from the east and we can tack and head towards our Taiwan waypoint.'
The crew is absolutely focussed on getting onto the podium in Qingdao.
Gareth adds, 'In today's meeting we went over sail trim and helming again and went around the team, taking ideas on how we can make improvements to our racing overall and get into the top three yachts.'
Qingdao continues to hold off Welcome to Yorkshire but, says skipper Ian Conchie, 'The wind continues to confound us, constantly changing strength and direction. This in turn forces us to keep changing sails in order to maximise our speed. In the process of one of the sail changes we found damage to our Number 3 Yankee so we had to spend an hour and a half repairing it.
'In the meantime we are heading north east as best we can and hoping that the promised easterly winds kick in to allow us to make good time towards Taiwan and the finish!'
Those changeable conditions have also been frustrating the Welcome to Yorkshire team, currently the fleet back marker.
'The crew have been kept very busy alternating between Yankee 1 and Yankee 2, throwing reefs in and out on the mainsail,' says skipper, Rupert Dean. 'To top it off, we were becalmed for several hours yesterday afternoon between two monsoonal squalls, making any progress at all very difficult.
'At least the lack of spray over the bow allowed the crew to change the port (red) light bulb on the pulpit, making our fine vessel easier to see for passing ships. In fact later that night, one of the team mistook our own red light for that of a fictitious ship, much to the amusement of his shipmates!
'This morning sees Welcome to Yorkshire with maximum sail area up again, in the form of full main, staysail and Yankee 1. In the light winds and lumpy sea, progress has seemed sluggish indeed, enough to warrant putting a camera over the side in order to find out whether there were any nets trapped around the hull appendages.'
They didn't see anything wrapped around the keel or prop but the style of fishing in the South China Sea, where huge and often unmarked nets drift for miles, means the danger of entanglement is ever present.
The teams are due to begin arriving in the Qingdao International Marina and Olympic Sailing Center between 22 and 25 February.
Positions at 1200 UTC, Monday 13 February
Boat DTF*
1 De Lage Landen 1,239nm
2 Gold Coast Australia 1,239nm (+1nm DTL**)
3 Geraldton Western Australia 1,252nm (+13nm)
4 Singapore 1,254nm (+15nm)
5 Derry-Londonderry 1,298nm (+59nm)
6 New York 1,308nm (+69nm)
7 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 1,319nm (+80nm)
8 Visit Finland 1,331nm (+92nm)
9 Qingdao 1,397nm (+159nm)
10 Welcome to Yorkshire 1,418nm (+180nm)
*DTF = Distance to Finish, **DTL = Distance to Leader. Full positions are updated every three hours and can be found online.
www.clipperroundtheworld.com/" target="_blank">Clipper Round the World Yacht Race website


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Linking Selenium Sources to Ecosystems: Local and Global Perspectives
A predictive global map of latent risk for environmental Se loading indicates that ancient organic-rich depositional marine basins, unrestricted by age, are linked to the contemporary global distribution of Se source rocks. Given the geographic patterns, Se emerges as a contaminant within specific regions of the globe that may limit phosphate mining, oil refining, and drainage of agricultural lands because of potential ecological risks to vulnerable food webs. Selenium also may serve as a geochemical exploration tool that signals an ancient productive biological environment.
The sources and biogeochemistry of selenium (Se) combine to produce a widespread potential for ecological risk (Figure 1). Documented environmental effects across scientifically investigated sites include deformities in birds and fish, degraded fish communities, and exclusion of habitats for bird use (see Modeling and Irrigation pages).
The large geologic extent of Se sources is connected by human activities that include power generation, oil refining, irrigation drainage, and coal, phosphate, copper, and uranium mining (Figure 2). Study areas from the 1) San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, California, 2) watersheds of the Colorado River and other arid basins of the western US; 3) upper Blackfoot River watershed, Idaho; 4) upper Mud River watershed and other Appalachian basins, West Virginia; and 5) coal ash receiving basins such as Belews Lake in North Carolina include a range of processing activities that call attention to anthropogenic connections to the environment (e.g., production, storage, and disposal of subsurface irrigation drainage, oil refining effluents, and waste shales), in addition to surface processes (weathering, erosion, and runoff), that can ultimately mediate contamination.
The Se sources model components are:
The global distribution of organic-enriched sedimentary rocks (i.e., black shales, petroleum source rocks, phosphorites, and coals) (Figure 1) depends on the fundamental role of major and trace nutrients in determining primary productivity. Although black shales and their recoverable organic fractions as sources of trace elements are widely recognized, the implications of worldwide reservoirs, site-specific fluxes, and persistent biologic cycling of Se are not. Given the geographic distribution of these source rocks, Se emerges as a contaminant within specific regions of the globe that may limit mineral extraction and agricultural growth or exacerbate environmental toxicity.
Development of technologies for controlling Se pollution and predictive forecasts of ecological effects will become increasingly critical to commercial exploitation, as well as to faunal conservation. Based on our conceptual model, adoption of methodologies to protect fish and wildlife that recognize the full sequence of interacting processes from sources through food webs to vulnerable predators will advance risk management by including all considerations that cause systems to respond differently to Se contamination.
Development of an ecosystem-scale Se modeling methodology and its site-specific applications (e.g., San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, mountaintop coal mining areas) are examples of a new type of approach that predicts ecological Se effects based on dietary exposure and the major processes that determine how Se is processed through food webs to top fish and bird predator species.
A Se sources model that depicts anthropogenic activities that contribute to exposure in the environment.
Presser, T.S., Piper, D.Z., Bird, K.J., Skorupa, J.P., Hamilton, S.J., Detwiler, S.J. and Huebner, M.A., 2004, The Phosphoria Formation: a model for forecasting global selenium sources to the environment, in J. Hein, ed., Life Cycle of the Phosphoria Formation: From Deposition to the Post-Mining Environment: Elsevier, New York, p. 299-319.
Presser, T.S., Hardy, M.A., Huebner, M.A., and Lamothe, P., 2004, Selenium loading through the Blackfoot River watershed: linking sources to ecosystems: in J. Hein, ed., Life Cycle of the Phosphoria Formation, From Deposition to the Post-Mining Environment: Elsevier, New York, p. 437-466.
Skorupa, J.P., Detwiler, S., and Brassfield, R., 2002, Reconnaissance Survey of Selenium in Water and Avian Eggs at Selected Sites Within the Phosphate Mining Region Near Soda Springs, Idaho, May-June, 1999: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento, California, 95 p.
Piper, D.Z., Skorupa, J.P., Presser, T.S., Hardy, M.A., Hamilton, S.J., Huebner, M.A., and Gulbrandsen, R.A., 2000, The Phosphoria Formation at the Hot Springs Mine in southeast Idaho: a source of trace elements to ground water, surface water, and biota: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-050, 73 p.
Theresa S. Presser
National Research Program
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 435
345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Joseph P. Skorupa
Division of Environmental Quality
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
134 Union Blvd., Denver, CO 80228
Policies and Notices
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov/Selenium/index.html
Page Contact Information: firstname.lastname@example.com
Page Last Modified: Thursday, 28-Aug-2014 15:00:19 EDT


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Get an overview of this hotel4-star luxury hotel, walk to Reykjavik City Hall
Popular property highlights
Situated in Reykjavik, this luxury hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Reykjavik City Library and Reykjavik City Hall. Hallgrimskirkja and National Museum of Iceland are also within 15 minutes.
Hotel Features
Along with a restaurant, this smoke-free hotel has a fitness center and a bar/lounge. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include a coffee shop/café, a 24-hour business center, and meeting rooms.
Room Amenities
All 88 rooms offer free WiFi, minibars, and flat-screen TVs with satellite channels. Room service, coffee makers, and hair dryers are among the other amenities available to guests.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The hotel offers a restaurant and a coffee shop/café. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Business-related amenities at this 4-star property consist of a 24-hour business center and a meeting room.
A computer station is located on site and wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. This luxury hotel also offers a fitness center, tour/ticket assistance, and multilingual staff.
Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik is a smoke-free property.
- Fitness facilities
- Restaurant
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Total number of rooms - 88
- Express check-in
- Multilingual staff
- 24-hour front desk
- Express check-out
- Number of floors - 5
- Television in common areas
- Bar/lounge
- Year Built 1919
- Coffee shop or café
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Computer station
- One meeting room
- Elevator/lift
- Hair salon
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms 3
- Luggage storage
- 24-hour business center
- Smoke-free property
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Room Amenities
- Pay movies
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Phone
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Satellite TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Room service (limited hours)
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
Continental breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 6:30 AM and 10:30 AM.
1919 Restaurant - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Happy hour is offered.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include a fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Sailing nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time ends at 11 AM
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Children 17 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for ISK 36 per night.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available for ISK 36.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- A tax is imposed by the city: ISK 300.00 per accommodation, per night
Optional extras
- Fee for continental breakfast: ISK 19 euro per person (approximately)
- Cribs (infant beds) are available for an additional fee
- Rollaway bed fee: ISK 36 per night
Hotel Name
- 1919 Hotel Reykjavik
- 1919 Reykjavik
- Hotel 1919
- Hotel Radisson Blu 1919 Reykjavik
- Radisson Blu 1919
- Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel
- Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel Reykjavik
- Radisson Blu 1919 Reykjavik
- Radisson Blu Hotel 1919 Reykjavik
- Reykjavik Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel
- Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik Hotel
- Reykjavík Radisson
- Radisson Reykjavik
- Radisson Reykjavík
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the airport. Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
Awards & Affiliations
- This property is affiliated with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) guests.


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Are you aware of the condition of the Kent City Police building? The longer we keep patching it up the more of our citizens' money we are wasting. The building is falling apart.
Issue 4 on the November ballot doesn't suggest options about if we replace the Police Department facility; it has to be replaced and it will be replaced. It becomes a question of how long do we want to put our money in a building that has outlived its useful life.
My Dad spent a lot of time in that building 55 years ago and changes had to be made then. Thirty years ago, I spent time there and fix-up projects were necessary, and there have been more makeovers since then.
There comes a time when another project won't respond to the need.
Optimistically, when we pass Issue 4 in November we are still at least two to three years away from a new, adequate building for the Police Department. We are wasting money every day that we postpone moving forward.
Do yourself a favor and join Bruce and me by voting "Yes" on Issue 4 in November.
Nancy Hansford, Kent
Nancy Hansford was mayor of Kent from 1982 through 1986. Her father, Redmond Greer, was mayor from 1960 through 1963.
Wow...another crisis is Kent. If, as our former mayor says, the building was inferior back then why didn't she lead our community to replace it back then. Why not her Dad...This crisis is only because of the short sightedness of the past leaders of our police and fire departments. A joint police and fire department was proposed by our former city manager and the two departments did not want a joint building. So now we are being blackmailed by the police department. Our "services" will be cut...will they stop protecting us if the levy fails! That sounds like blackmail to me. Yes I agree a building is needed, the money should come from bonds NOT an income tax. Why is this not a solution? The fire department palace was paid for with bonds why not a new police department and jail? A 30 year "temporary" income tax levy is the wrong way to go about this. An emergency? NO! a made up emergency, YES! Vote NO on this levy and start the process over for a new jail and police department. This is NOT an emergency. Planning is needed for financing this building. Not irrational behavior by this administration. Vote NO.


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Is this the week that Microsoft jumps aboard the mini tablet train bound for glory? It looks like it might be.
The erstwhile software titan has sent out invitations for a tablet launch this week in New York, and the smart money is on the event being the launch of a Surface Mini tablet to complement the Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2 tablets Microsoft already has on the market.
Whether the Surface Mini will be a small version of the Surface Pro 2 or just the Surface 2 is the big question. Let's all hope it's the former, whilst bracing ourselves for the strong possibility it's the latter.
The Surface Pro 2 is a proper Windows 8.1 computer, capable of running just about any Windows application ever written. The Surface 2 runs that unpopular version of Windows known as Windows RT, which runs on mobile-phone-type processors, which will not run regular Windows applications, and which the marketplace has roundly rejected as a bad idea. Microsoft and its mobile phone subsidiary Nokia are just about the only companies still making RT devices.
On Amazon you can already order a cover for a mini Surface, which the cover's maker is calling a "Surface X". That may well prove to be the name of the device, or it may simply be that the X is just a placeholder for the real name.
The launch of a 7- or 8-inch Surface mini tablet could well be accompanied by an update to the bigger, 10.6-inch Surface Pro 2. Since the Pro 2 was released, Intel has updated the Core processor that powers the tablet so the chip now uses less power, and this week's launch in New York may well see the release of a Surface Pro 3 featuring the updated Intel processor.
The Australian Financial Review


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By Jessica Kellner
Use herbal remedies with confidence. The three herbs for wellness covered in this video — turmeric, milk thistle and garlic — have stood the test of time and are proven to be reliable healers. With certain caveats, these plant medicines are safe and effective, helping to keep your major body functions running smoothly and efficiently. Turmeric, a jack-of-all-trades, is one of the most versatile herbal healers (and a favorite among many herbalists). Learn how you can use turmeric for inflammation and pain relief. The other wonderful herbal remedies included here are milk thistle and garlic. Supplement with milk thistle for liver health and garlic for heart health. Be sure to talk with your health-care practitioner before incorporating any new herbs to your health regimen.
For more videos from our most popular MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR workshops taught by leading experts on do-it-yourself, sustainable projects, purchase the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Wiser Living Video Series. From learning the basics of pickling vegetables to making your own all-natural household cleaners, the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Video Series features a broad spectrum of information to help guide you on your path to self-sufficiency.
Feel-Good Friday: More Herbal Cures in Your Cupboard
What Herbal Supplement Labels Don't Tell Us
12 Essential Herbs
Home Remedies: Natural and Herbal Dental Care
Medicinal Herbs: Willow, Violet and Elderberry
Herbal Remedies for Common Ailments
The MOTHER EARTH NEWS staff has been featured in videos covering topics from seed starting to skin toner. Check out our full collection of wiser living videos on our video page.


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>Maybe I've mis-read Joshua's intentions, but I got the impression that >this 7.3 maintainer would follow the patches list and backport patches >whenever possible. This way folks coding for 7.4/7.5 can stay focused on >that, but folks who can't upgrade to 7.4 for whatever reason can still >get some features / improvements. > > And bug fixes but yes that is accurate. Sincerely, Joshua Drake -- Command Prompt, Inc., home of Mammoth PostgreSQL - S/ODBC and S/JDBC Postgresql support, programming shared hosting and dedicated hosting. +1-503-222-2783 - jd(at)commandprompt(dot)com - http://www.commandprompt.com The most reliable support for the most reliable Open Source database.
Next: From: Joshua D. Drake Date: 2003-10-01 17:58:51 Subject: Re: Thoughts on maintaining 7.3 Previous: From: Joshua D. Drake Date: 2003-10-01 17:47:57 Subject: Re: Thoughts on maintaining 7.3


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Berry Tree by Alice Starmore
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 14 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
by MuzzerZ Flickr
by lv2knit Flickr
Berry Tree
Pattern has 3 sizes:
5-6 7-8, 9-10 years, chest 24-25 26-27, 28-29 inches
Finished underarm sizes 31.5 34, 38.5 inches, length 4348, 54 cm
This cardigan sweater for children uses textured patterns featuring the berry motif. Although sized for ages 5 to 10 years old, it is meant to be oversized.
This book is out of print.


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Polaris Analytics is dedicated to providing precision spatial insight for the public and private sectors. By utilizing advanced statistical methods and technology we can successfully deliver actionable strategies for ever-changing environments. The Polaris team has expertise in multiple areas of geographical and business analytics including:
From re-evaluating educational boundaries to expanding corporate footprints, Polaris has the expertise to guide your next critical decision. Let us know how we can help!


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Supermarket tech specialist Medion may not be a brand traditionally associated with high performance gaming laptops, but even the most discerning Steam addict will find it hard to be snobbish about the components inside its latest machine.
High spec
The Erazer X6813 has the kind of specs that you'd normally associate with an Alienware or high-end Asus laptop. They start with a high-speed quad core processor and gaming grade Nvidia graphics, but also take in a bright and contrasty Full HD screen. There are many bigger brand notebooks with similar specs that cost at least a third as much as this again. So what's not to like?
Plastic body
The most obvious cost saving effort has gone into the body. Alienware and Asus both favour a rubberised finish, while others go for a metal shell. But Medion's brushed aluminium look turns out to be a thin plastic coat sculpted to appear rather more durable than it is. Not that durability is a huge issue. At over three and a half kilos you won't be carrying this around much.
There's also not a lot of thought gone into what makes a 'gaming laptop' beyond the core components. There are no refinements like macro buttons or keyboard backlighting. The keyboard itself is a generic 'chiclet' affair which is better suited to word processing than hundreds of actions per minute in Starcraft II, for example.
One thing we can't complain about, however, is the performance. Those very well regarded internal components throw out enough frames per second to easily play Shogun 2, Crysis 2 and any other recent title in native resolution at high detail settings.
And thanks to the Sandy Bridge graphics, when you're not gaming it's also got a battery life of around five hours too.
Costly, not Costco
While the Erazer might seem like a bargain, however, it's not notebook the cash conscious gamer should be looking at right now. The best value gaming laptop around is the MSI GX660. That's a faster machine with a better graphics card and killer looks, and Amazon is currently selling it for just £100 more.
The Erazer isn't a bad start for Medion, and we'd like to see it expand its gaming range in the future. But as it stands, it falls just short of being either an unbeatable bargain or the very best looks and performance – and it could have done with being one of either.