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More tablets, less people reading, less eink devices long run: Forbes
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Media Junkie
Posts: 267
Karma: 2039392
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Maine, USA
Device: Kindle PW; Nook HD; HTC Rezound
Originally Posted by
Kali Yuga
Yes, the sky is falling, yet again.
No, wait, the author of the article is clueless about statistics.
It is normal for growth
to slow as a market matures. If you're going from sales of $40 million to $80 million in one year, that's 100% growth. If you go from $80 million to $120 million the next year, that's the same numerical increase but only 50% growth. I.e. it's absurd to imagine that it will continue to "double every year."
According to the AAP, ebooks make up nearly 1/3 of the adult book market in 2011. They generated more revenues than hardcovers, and nearly as much as trade paper.
The survey in question pointed out that 35% still use an e-Ink device. What's happening, according to the survey, is that more people are using the Fire and the iPad than before. This does not account for overall growth in the number of ebook readers, which certainly hasn't remained static over the past year.
But hey, who cares? We have a narrative of decline to push. Let's not bother with the facts.
Plus 1 (I was admonished that +1 was too short a reply
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text: Canada's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2014. (Chris Wattie/Reuters) Jim Flaherty's death: Canadians react Add to ... The Globe and Mail Published Thursday, Apr. 10, 2014 2:49PM EDT Last updated Thursday, Apr. 10, 2014 5:07PM EDT Comments Share via email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on LinkedIn Use the following link if our Jim Flaherty reaction story isn't loading. [View the story "Jim Flaherty's death: Canadians react" on Storify] Report Typo/Error Follow us on Twitter: @GlobePolitics More Related to this Story related Flaherty's death comes as a 'terrible shock,' Harper says Eight leaders on Jim Flaherty's legacy as finance minister Topics Jim Flaherty Comments Share via email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on LinkedIn

subset: commoncrawl


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On Saturday, January 24, Anne Arundel Community College will host our 4th annual FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) qualifier tournament, "Battle by the Bay". The FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) is a world-wide robotics program for students from ages 9 to 14. Each year, FLL teams complete a challenge that includes programming a robot to complete a particular course, and doing a project based on that year's theme. On January 24, AACC will host 16 teams from Anne Arundel and surrounding counties as they present their robots and projects based on this year's theme, "World Class Education". The best teams will advance to the Maryland State FLL tournament.
Our events every year are a huge success thanks to the many volunteers from the college community. Again this year, hosting the qualifier tournament provides an opportunity for AACC to showcase our facilities, faculty, staff, and students, while supporting education in our community. We hope you will consider participating in this wonderful event. Volunteers are needed for planning, set-up, tournament judging and refereeing, and much more. Please complete your volunteer registration as soon as possible to make sure you get a "Battle by the Bay" T-shirt in your size.
Volunteers must be at least 13 years old. Volunteers under 18 who are not AACC students must have a parent or responsible adult volunteering at the same time (not necessarily in the save volunteer position).
For more information about FIRST® LEGO® League, go to http://www.firstlegoleague.org/. For more information about AACC's event, contact Marjorie Rawhouser (email@example.com) or Beth Wyler (email@example.com, 410-777-7097).


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Featured Events Happening Throughout The Week
Oakland First Fridays Festival
Recurring monthly on the 1st Friday
Oakland First Fridays is an immersive art and community experience on the first Friday of each month on Telegraph Avenue from West Grand to 27th Street. Every First Friday from 59:30 pm, Oakland's KONO district springs to life with for this event, with galleries, street artists, local culinary artisans, performers, musicians, dancers, DJs, and poets gathering for Oakland First Friday events. Thousands of people come…
Off the Grid: Temescal
Recurring weekly on Thursday until December 1, 2016
Kasper's Plaza
8 trucks and live music every Thursday 5-9pm beginning August 18, 2016 at Off the Grid: Temescal! Looking for drinks after dinner? Check out Rosamunde down the street (Off the Grid grub welcome inside).
$5 First Fridays at Chabot Space & Science Center
Recurring monthly on the 1st Friday until December 2, 2016
Chabot Space & Science Center
An Exciting and Immersive Experience Every First Friday At $5 First Fridays you can embark on a Mini Mission to Mars, join a Night Hike through the redwoods, and enjoy various laser and planetarium shows. Admission also includes hands-on activities and live demonstrations throughout the center, as well as any special events that are going on that evening. Some activities have limited capacity and are first come, first served, so get here to…
Temescal Street Flicks Every Thursday - "Black Panthers: Vanguard of a Revolution"
Recurring weekly on Thursday until October 13, 2016
Kasper's Plaza at Telegraph Ave & 46th Street
Temescal Street Flicks, is an engaging outdoor film series currently scheduled for Thursdays in September / October in the heart of of the Temescal Business corridor at Telegraph and Shattuck (Cross is 46th) in Oakland, CA. Sponsored by Temescal Business Improvement District and in partnership with Off The Grid: Temescal, Temescal Street Flicks will focus on showcasing local, independent and family-friendly films at the new weekly pop-up…
Friday Nights @ OMCA!
Recurring weekly on Friday until December 16, 2016
Oakland Museum of California
We've expanded! Say hello to a new—and bigger—Friday Nights @ OMCA! Now open till 10 pm, with festivities extending onto Oak Street, and up to 20 food trucks every week, each Friday now has more bars, more music, and more time to explore the Museum's galleries! Enjoy the gardens with family art activities every week and garden games. Enjoy extended hours and food truck service April through October.
Thursday, November 3
Folk Yeah Presents: Christopher Owens & The Tyde
November 3, 2016
Starline Social Club
Folk Yeah! Presents: CHRISTOPHER OWENS + The Tyde
Love Jones, The Musical
November 3-4, 2016
Paramount Theatre
Love Jones, The Musical - Playing Nov. 3 and Nov. 4
Friday, November 4
Yoshi's presents: Sergio Mendes - the most influential Brazilian Artisit of all time!
November 4, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
Producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist, Sergio Mendes' influence on the music industry has spanned five decades and continues to evolve through new collaborations and mediums. One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Mendes has recorded more than 35 albums, many of which went gold or platinum, and he's a three-time Grammy® Award winner.
Piedmont Piano presents: Mike Moreno & Taylor Eigsti
November 4, 2016
Piedmont Piano Company
Jazz guitarist Mike Moreno and jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti present a night of original music and jazz standards from both artists' repertoire in this special and rare duo appearance.
Saturday, November 5
November 5, 2016
Jack London Square
Modern Makers Festival, 150+ Art Craft + Design Vendors + Artisan Food + Diy Crafting + Local Music
Sunday, November 6
Yoshi's presents: Chuchito Valdes - Heir to the Cuban Jazz Throne!
November 6, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
Cuban Pianist, composer and arranger Jesus "Chuchito" Valdés, is the third-generation manifestation of a Cuban jazz piano dynasty that includes his father, Chucho Valdés and grandfather, Bebo Valdés. Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, The oldest of five siblings, Valdés was a child prodigy, attending and graduating from La Escuela de Musica Ignacio Cervantes. He had his first professional gig at the age of 16, working with Cuban singer and…
Yoshi's presents: Rodney Franklin - internationally acclaimed keyboard Virtuoso!
November 6, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
Veteran recording artist and internationally acclaimed keyboard virtuoso, Rodney Franklin, has been one of the stellar cast of contemporary music masters over the past thirty years. Rodney Franklin's many contributions to the evolution of jazz and popular music make him an undeniable part of our cultural experience. His innovative dynamic style of keyboard playing has earned him critical acclaim worldwide. He continues to influence artists…
Monday, November 7
Yoshi's presents: Hiromi - The Trio Project featuring Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips
November 7, 2016 - November 9, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
"I don't want to put a name on my music. Other people can put a name on what I do. It's just the union of what I've been listening to and what I've been learning. It has some elements of classical music, it has some rock, it has some jazz, but I don't want to give it a name." – Hiromi
Tuesday, November 8
Night Beats, Mystery, Molochs with Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show
November 8, 2016
8:00 PM to 1:00 AM
Starline Social Club
Night Beats play pure psychedelic R&B music that spikes the punch and drowns your third eye in sonic waves of colour. Theirs is a bastard blues, contorted and distorted into new shapes for 21st century wastoids — once tasted never forgotten. This is music to melt your sorry little minds. With righteous musical support by The Mystery Lights and The Molochs and visual wizardry by the Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show! 8PM - 1AM $12 Pre-sale…
Thursday, November 10
November 10, 2016
7:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Paramount Theatre
An evening of Story Telling
The 45 Sessions presents: Z-Trip
November 10, 2016
8:00 PM to 2:00 AM
Uptown Nightclub & Bar
The 45 Sessions presents DJ Z-Trip! Come out to your favorite party featuring all 45s, all day/night -- little records, big sound!
Town Social: Rooftop Night Market
November 10, 2016
6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
The Overlook Lounge
Town Social: Rooftop Night Market Returns for it's second to last edition of the season! BIG NEWS: Due to the amazing turnout by the community, we've decided to expand Town Social to include our indoor space. We will be increasing the number of product vendors for your holiday shopping needs. We will also be opening up additional bars to better accommodate attendees. And as always, our local DJs will be providing a soulful soundtrack. Know a…
Yoshi's presents: Vibrant Roots "EBAYC Gala 40th Anniversary
November 10, 2016
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
For 40 years, the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) has supported young people in being safe, smart and socially responsible. Join us as we celebrate our 40th anniversary at our annual fundraising gala! The event will feature a kenyote from Dr. Pedro Noguera, UCLA Distinguished Professor of Education, family-friendly live entertainment, gourmet foods and drinks, and a silent auction. For information, contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Friday, November 11
Yoshi's presents: Jody Watley featuring "Shalamar Reloaded"
November 11, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
In the show & prove style that fans have admired for over three decades, the Grammy-winning hyphenate (singer / songwriter / producer / businesswoman / OG fashionista) Jody Watley, one of music's prominent visionaries and style icons; after acquiring the trademark rights brings a newly reloaded Shalamar with new members Nate Allen Smith and renowned choreographer/dancer and vocalist Rosero McCoy to the modern stage. The trio has already…
Saturday, November 12
Bay Area Bead extravaganza 2016
November 12, 2016 - November 13, 2016
Oakland Marriott City Center
The two-day bazaar features 120+ juried booths of artists' beads and imaginative supplies for making jewelry and more – delightful choices rarely seen at mass-market shows.
Dashe Cellars 20th Anniversary Celebration: 8th Annual Paella Fiesta!!
November 12, 2016
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Dashe Cellars, 55 - 4th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Get your paella on It's the annual festival you don't want to miss! Join Dashe Cellars on November 12th & 13th for our 8th Paella Fiesta. Prepare yourself as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary making wine as Dashe Cellars, with special treats to mark this incredible milestone. Featuring: - Master Chef Gerard Nebesky's giant pans of paella magic - Live flamenco music and dance performances - VIP lounge for Club members (card-carrying…
Folk Yeah Presents: Jenny Hval
November 12, 2016
8:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Starline Social Club
Jenny Hval will be headlining at Starline Social Club, with an all ages show, Novemeber 12th, 2016! 11/12 All Ages Doors: 8:00PM Show: 9:00PM TICKETS HERE (((folkYEAH!))) Presents is a Northern California based boutique music and events curator and presenter. (((folkYEAH!))) shows are highly regarded and carefully planned affairs with an emphasis on presenting each event as a one of a kind experience for both the artist and the attendees.…
Yoshi's presents: John Mayall - the Godfather of British Blues
November 12, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
Watch Links For over 50 years, John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music, rightly earning him the title, "The Godfather of British Blues." In 2013, John signed with producer Eric Corne's label, Forty Below Records, and has since been experiencing a true artistic and career renaissance.
Sunday, November 13
Dashe Cellars 20th Anniversary Celebration: 8th Annual Paella Fiesta
November 13, 2016
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dashe Cellars
Get your paella on It's the annual festival you don't want to miss! Join Dashe Cellars on November 12th & 13th for our 8th Paella Fiesta. Prepare yourself as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary making wine as Dashe Cellars, with special treats to mark this incredible milestone. Featuring: - Master Chef Gerard Nebesky's giant pans of paella magic - Live flamenco music and dance performances - VIP lounge for Club members (card-carrying…
Yoshi's presents: John Mayall - the Godfather of British Blues
November 13, 2016
Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant
For over 50 years, John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music, rightly earning him the title, "The Godfather of British Blues." In 2013, John signed with producer Eric Corne's label, Forty Below Records, and has since been experiencing a true artistic and career renaissance.


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Seven Seas Explorer
4 out of 5 stars
Download the FREE app and meet your ship mates!
Read the best port reviews and tips for this cruise itinerary.
|Day 1
|Stockholm, Sweden
|Day 2
|Helsinki, Finland
|Day 3
|St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
|Day 4
|St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
|Day 5
|St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
|Day 6
|Tallinn, Estonia
|Day 7
|Riga, Latvia
|Day 8
|Visby, Sweden
|Day 9
|Copenhagen, Denmark
|Day 10
|Cruise Skagerrak
|Day 11
|Amsterdam, Netherlands
|Day 12
|Brugge (Bruges), Belgium
|Day 13
|Southampton (London), England
A roll call is a space for members who are signed up for the same cruise (same ship & departure date) to connect.
Make friends BEFORE you sail, exchange tips on what to do onboard and in the ports and maybe even organize a shore excursion with your ship mates.


text: 50 photos $849,000 54 acres Memphis, MO 63555 - Scotland County 54 acres Memphis, MO This beautiful lodge inspired home with tongue and groove log siding, cedar front porch and spacious 3 car garage with loft, welcomes you as you pull down the driveway. Set back from the road, this home is tucked in the middle of 54 +/- acres of timber and open ground,15.5 +/- acres of CRP and 5 +/- acres of row crop, provides an annual income of $2,749.32. The remaining acreage is timber. Custom built and completed in 2010, this beautifully crafted home has a rustic feel with high end, quality finishes. Some of the features this home offers are a custom built kitchen with locally made and crafted Hickory Cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and high end granite counters. Open to the kitchen is a gorgeous main living area with breathta Kevin Small United Country - Land Pros, L.L.C.


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DETROIT - Estately released a map and article that outlines what people in each state look for online.
The information was based on data from Google trends.
Some states are trolling the Internet for serious subjects in life such as religion, mail-order brides (Alaska) and tattoo removal (Nevada).
Others are searching the vast expanse of web space for Elvis Presley, nudist colonies, thumb-wrestling and log rolling.
In the past 10 years Michiganders have looked for these terms more than anyone else:
1. Knock-knock jokes
2. Little Caesars
3. Omelette
4. Taco Bell
5. Topless Bar
6. Where do babies come from?
While it is not entirely certain what all of that adds up to, it might make you laugh a little more than the jokes that come up with the Google search.
For a look at their whole article check out Estately's blog.
Copyright 2014 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The highlight of the concert was the exclusive reveal of the new music video and performances from their latest album release, 'Crush', to a packed stadium of over 6,000 excited fans on the second day.
2NE1 also performed through their impressive roster of both group and solo works, singing classic hits such as 'FIRE' and 'I Don't Care' as well as newer releases. The concerts also featured an appearance by YG Entertainment's newest idols, WINNER, who performed their own special stage!
SEE ALSO: Producing duo GroovyRoom discuss their origin story and collabs with other artists


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[This post linked to Montessori Monday 1/7/13.]
Vicki Jo has a few funny obsessions that have stuck with her for awhile now. She loves toothbrushes, and will frequently carry one around with her like a security blanket. She talks constantly about her "bucket," which is a small galvanized washtub we have in the backyard. She will play with the bucket for half an hour at a time, placing items in and taking them out. And clothespins. During the warm months, we hang laundry out a lot, so we have pins on the line in the yard. When we take out the trash or recycling or compost, she has to stop and gather several clothespins from the line.
When I saw this simple activity on a Montessori Album website, I knew it was the one for Vicki Jo! I've been continuing my rollout of new activities on her shelves, and wanted one that would draw her in and work her hands. It says ages 3-4, but she is able to do it pretty easily, although it takes her two hands to manipulate the springs on the pins. She is really developing her pincer, and her three-fingered grasp! Great practice for later writing and other fine motor.
I bought the smaller galvanized paint bucket from our local hardware store and pulled the clothespins off the line.


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St. Petersburg
Messineo's Gourmet Market closes abruptly
Messineo's Gourmet Market, which opened downtown less than a year ago, has abruptly closed. Confirmation took a circuitous route — in an announcement e-mailed Wednesday to Groupon customers. "We are writing to inform you that Messineo's Gourmet Market has closed,'' the announcement stated. "While most of you have already redeemed this Groupon, we know that some have not, and we want to get you your money back as soon as possible.'' The store, at 179 First Ave. N, took over the space formerly occupied by Atlanta Bread Co. Owner James Mason spent three years planning the store before it opened June 23. On Wednesday, the store was dark and the door was locked.
Tom Scherberger, Times staff writer
St. Petersburg
Pipo's Cuban Cafe opens on Central
Pipo's Cuban Cafe has opened at 437 Central Ave. It features the same cafeteria-style food as the Pipo's that owner Ramon Hernandez has at 9939 Fourth St. N. But it will also serve tapas starting at 4 p.m. each day, and there will be live Latin music on weekends, he said. Hernandez has spent several weeks redesigning the interior, most recently home to Emilio's Bistro, Bakery and Bar. The space also has been home to Tedesco, Grillside and Diner 437. Hernandez said the Fourth Street location has done well since it opened in 2009, the latest branch of a small group of family-run Pipo's that his parents began in Town 'N Country.
Tom Scherberger, Times staff writer


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Lahore: Sri Lanka have agreed to play a five-match one-day series in Pakistan to help fill the gap created by the postponement of Australia's tour over security fears, officials said.
"We are thankful to the Sri Lankan board, who have agreed to tour for a series of five one-day internationals on our invitation," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf told reporters Thursday.
The series is likely to take place after Mahela Jayawardene's Sri Lankan team ends a tour of the West Indies on April 15. The only hitch could be the Indian Premier League (IPL) for which top Sri Lankan players have signed up.
The inaugural IPL is due to be held from April 18 until June 1.
Pakistan have already convinced Bangladesh to take part in a tour that includes a five-match one-day series and a Twenty20 international from April 7 to 22.
The two unscheduled tours will fill the gap created by Australia, who were due to be in the country between March 27 and April 29.
Cricket Sri Lanka chairman Arjuna Ranatunga praised Pakistan's support for his country and said he was ready to send his team.
"India and Pakistan have always supported us in our needs like big brothers so I am ready to send my team whenever Pakistan want," Ranatunga said.
The PCB said dates of the series will be finalised shortly.


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ORRVILLE -- Mary Tryon Gortner, 96, of Orrville, passed peacefully on Friday, July 25, 2014, at Altercare of Nobles Pond in Canton.
Mary was born March 17, 1918, near North Lawrence, to C. Clyde and Effie (Singer) Hollinger. Except for three years spent in Delaware and New Jersey (1940-1942), she lived her entire life in the North Lawrence area, until moving to Orrville in 1982.
She graduated from Massillon Washington High School in 1936, and was a correspondent for the Massillon Evening Independent, Dalton Gazette and The Daily Record for 25 years. She then joined the staff of the Evening Independent as a suburban news writer, working part-time for over 13 years.
She was married to Calvin C. Tryon for 45 years before his death on December 28, 1982. She married the Rev. Clayton C. Gortner on February 24, 1990, in Orrville. He died on December 26, 2004.
Mary was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Orrville, where she was active in the Priscilla Circle and the former Christian Culture Sunday School Class. She was also a member of the former Orrville Research Club and the Orrville Music Club. Mary was a 50-year member of the Legacy Chapter #596 of the Order of the Eastern Star, formerly Canal Fulton Chapter, and an honorary member of the former Orrville Chapter (now Shreve Chapter), both of which she served as organist for many years. While residing in North Lawrence, she taught piano for 10 years and was a 50-year member of the Chapel of the Cross, through its transitions from the United Brethren Newman Creek Chapel, Evangelical United Brethren, to the present United Methodist Chapel of the Cross.
Surviving are two sons, Calvin C. (Anita) Tryon of Brookfield and Phillip G. (Robin) Tryon of Massillon; daughters, Karen (Gary) Gettel-Bell of Jericho, Vermont, and Port Charlotte, Florida, and Rebecca (Michael) Andres of Cincinnati; eight grandchildren, Timothy (Debbie) Tryon of Richville, Mark (Colleen) Tryon of North Canton, Kathleen (Michael) Burnett of Magnolia, Ken Tryon and Curt Tryon, both of Richville, Greg (Becky) Gettel of Arlington, Massachusetts, Dr. Gretchen Gettel of Delft, Netherlands, and Alex (Liz) Magg of Cincinnati; nine great-grandchildren; stepson, James (Susan) Gortner of Monticello, Illinois; two step-grandsons, James and Mark Gortner of Monticello, Illinois; and five step-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by two sisters in infancy and a stillborn brother.
Services will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church in Orrville on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Paula Marbury officiating. Special music will be provided by the family beginning at 10:30 a.m. Burial will take place in Pleasant View Mennonite Church Cemetery.
Friends may call at Auble Funeral Home in Orrville on Tuesday, July 29, 2014, from 5-8 p.m. Online registry and expressions of condolence may be made at the funeral home web site at www.aublefuneralhome.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, 1556 Rex Drive, Orrville, OH 44667.


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THE year was 1999 when dance sensation Burn the Floor sexed up ballroom dancing. Fans worldwide have Elton John to thank for inspiring the phenomenon — during his 50th birthday party in 1997, 16 electrifying dancers in more sparkles than his own carved up the dance floor. Mesmerised by every move was John's promoter in Australia, Harley Medcalf, who thought ballroom dancing was passe, but his goosebumps indicated otherwise.
Burn the Floor was born and now there are 300 shows a year in nine countries, with an international team of 26 dancers from the US, England, Peru, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Venezuela, Germany and Malaysia. "These kids are really, really tough," said Medcalf, who is the producer. "They are like elite athletes." Mentally and physically.
At the start of each tour, director Jason Gilkison gives them a "good flogging" in the nicest possible way. The dancers train for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, and before each show there is a two-hour warm-up. Spending so much time together means camaraderie is as high as the kicks and there is a competitive streak that inspires them to jump out of bed and put on a top performance.
Even the best chassis can break down and the most common injury is a broken toe, an inevitable hazard when you are jiving, cha-cha-ing and salsa-ing. Broken noses are another occupational hazard from an overenthusiastic elbow or knee, but there's no open-ended sick leave. "They take a few days off and push through it," Metcalf said.
With costumes as vital as the choreography for the wow factor, the back-of-house bustles with 367 costumes and accessories, and more than 94 pairs of shoes. With genius being equal parts inspiration and perspiration, the dancers replenish their bodies with 90 litres of water during every performance.
The show is booked well into 2014, keeping everyone on their toes.
Burn the Floor is at the Palms at Crown until June 30.


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Leukapheresis to Obtain Plasma or Lymphocytes for Studies of HIV-infected Patients, Including Long-term Non-progressors
|Tracking Information
|First Received Date ICMJE
|January 11, 2002
|Last Updated Date
|July 12, 2017
|Start Date ICMJE
|January 2, 2002
|Primary Completion Date
|Not Provided
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Studies of HIV-specific immunity [ Time Frame: Ongoing ]
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00029445 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Cohort Natural History Study [ Time Frame: Ongoing ]
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Leukapheresis to Obtain Plasma or Lymphocytes for Studies of HIV-infected Patients, Including Long-term Non-progressors
|Official Title ICMJE
|Evaluation of Viral Factors and Immune Parameters to Study HIV-Specific Immunity
|Brief Summary
This study will collect white blood cells and plasma for research on how the immune system controls HIV infection. The immune system of a very small group of HIV-infected patients, called non-progressors, has been able to control HIV for long periods without antiretroviral therapy. Some immune system-related genes important for this control have been identified in these patients. This study will examine the contribution of HLA genes B*57+, B*27+ and A*01+ to HIV disease in progressors and long-term non-progressors. (HLA type is a genetic marker of the immune system.)
HIV-infected patients 18 years of age and older with HLA types B*57+, B*27+ and/or A*01+ may be eligible for this study.
Participants will undergo apheresis-a method for collecting larger quantities of certain blood components than can safely be collected through a simple blood draw-by one of the following two methods:
Some of the blood collected through apheresis may be stored for future studies of HIV disease and immune function and for HLA testing, a genetic test of markers of the immune system. Some of the blood may be used to screen for different types of viral liver infections, such as hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F, or G.
|Detailed Description
|In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism(s) of immune-mediated restriction of HIV viral replication, we aim to study four groups of individuals: 1) HIV-infected long-term nonprogressors (LTNP), who appear to control HIV primarily through virus-specific cellular immunity; 2) HIV-infected patients who have broadly cross neutralizing antibody activity against HIV; 3) HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy who will undergo a treatment interruption; and 4) the family members of patients exhibiting immunologic control of HIV infection. Although most of our previous efforts have focused on investigating the virus-specific immune responses in a unique group of patients termed LTNP who control HIV by cellular immune-mediated mechanisms, more recently, another group of rare individuals who naturally develop broadly cross neutralizing antibody activity against HIV isolates have also been identified in our laboratory. Passive transfer studies in nonhuman primates have demonstrated that neutralizing antibodies detectable in a subject at the time of challenge can protect from infection. We aim to recruit more of these patients in an effort to further characterize and compare their virus-specific cellular and humoral immune responses with those in individuals experiencing progressive infection. In addition, it is necessary to define whether putative correlates of immune mediated restriction of viral replication are a cause or an effect of HIV viremia. To this end, we are enrolling patients who will be discontinuing their antiretroviral regimen and examine virologic and immunologic parameters during the treatment interruption. Through this arm of the study, we will attempt to further characterize the mechanisms by which HIV evades and/or suppresses an effective anti-viral immune response and to identify features of the virus or the patients immune responses that are associated with virologic control following treatment interruption. As we attain greater insight into differences between these patient groups, we hope to perform genetic studies that would enable us to more precisely identify susceptibility or protective genes, which could be potentially used to construct a familial pedigree. We anticipate that all of these findings will contribute to an enhanced understanding of the nature of effective HIV-specific humoral and cellular immunity, which will help focus future vaccine design efforts. For our studies, it will be necessary to obtain larger quantities of plasma or mononuclear cells than can be safely obtained by simple phlebotomy. These components can be easily and safely obtained using apheresis procedures in the Clinical Center Apheresis Unit. This protocol is designed to conform to the requirements of the Apheresis Unit for donors to have leukapheresis or plasmapheresis procedures.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Design ICMJE
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Target Follow-Up Duration
|Not Provided
|Not Provided
|Sampling Method
|Not Provided
|Study Population
|Not Provided
|Condition ICMJE
|Human Immunodeficiency Virus
|Intervention ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Study Groups/Cohorts
|Not Provided
|Publications *
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Completion Date
|Not Provided
|Primary Completion Date
|Not Provided
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
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Average Volume: 334,140
Volume % Change: 495% Shares of ABMD are ripping higher today after the company reported record revenue of $33.2 million and earnings of $2.9 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2012. From a technical standpoint, ABMD is starting to flirt with a major breakout since the stock has moved above some near-term overhead resistance at $21.50 just briefly intraday on monster volume. At last check, ABMD has cooled off to its current price of $20.60, so traders should now watch for a close above $21.50 and its daily high of $21.92 on high-volume. Look for volume on a move in the near future over those levels that are near or above 334,140 shares. If we get that action, soon, then I would look for long biased trades to play the breakout.


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|Home > National News > Article
The coalition is preparing a series of fact sheets, which it will disseminate via member church and community groups, to provide voters with "a truer story" on crime rates, imprisonment statistics and the efficacy of mandatory sentencing in other jurisdictions.
New fact sheets on policing, victims of crime, mental illness and crime, youth crime and Aboriginal imprisonment are also in train.
Mr Kirkland said the campaign launch, scheduled for February 14, would also aim to provide cost analyses of alternatives to prison, as well as providing a "bigger picture" economic review of the corrective services budget in comparison to portfolios like education, health and community services.
Academic members of the group include Dr Eileen Baldry, of the University of NSW's school of social work and Chris Cuneen, the director of Sydney University's institute of criminology.
Mr Kirkland said the coalition would also provide a critique of the major parties' law and order policies to help voters distinguish between pre-poll promises.
"Most people don't realise, for example, that the rate of imprisonment in NSW is double that of Victoria. We can break out of this cycle ... Surely people do not see Victoria as far more dangerous than NSW just because it locks up fewer people," he said.
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|Six weeks, six months, six years: inmates have little chance of making fresh start
|Take crime talk beyond the bars: lobby group
|It's tough on the straight and narrow with a crooked past
|Greens seek drugs shift
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Quite empty help page
Our client is made to be as self-explanatory as possible. But if you encounter any problems or things that aren't clear, we'll be happy to either fix them or add an explanation to this page. Just write an email to JPlag @ ipd.kit.edu and tell us about it!
Thank you for your support!
General Information
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JPlag Requires Java 1.7
Make sure, you have Java 1.7 or higher.
Linux users should check update-alternatives. Ubuntu/Debian users can install openjdk:
> sudo apt-get install openjdk-7-jdk > sudo update-java-alternatives -l > sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-1.7.0-openjdk-i386 > sudo update-alternatives --config javaws
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- Shareholders elected four directors to the Board of Directors: Mark D. Klein, Frederick G. Kraegel, Leonard A. Potter and Andrew J. Moger. Each will serve a one-year term.
- Shareholders approved an amended and restated certificate of incorporation, pursuant to which the Company changed its name to "Crumbs Bake Shop, Inc." from "57th Street General Acquisition Corp."
- Shareholders approved an amendment to the certificate of designation of the Series A Voting Preferred Stock to, among other things, specifically eliminate the ability of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, as a class, to elect a majority of the Board of Directors if such right exceeds the Series A Holders' aggregate commensurate ownership of the Company.
- Shareholders approved the Company's Equity Incentive Plan.
- Finally, shareholders ratified the appointment of Rothstein Kass & Company, P.C. as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011.
Crumbs Bake Shop, Inc. (formerly "57th Street General Acquisition Corp.") (the "Company") (NASDAQ: CRMB), owner of Crumbs Holdings LLC ("Crumbs"), a national neighborhood bakery and the largest U.S.-based retailer of cupcakes, held its 2011 annual meeting of stockholders on October 25, 2011 at the offices of Provident State Bank, located at 312 Main Street in Preston, Maryland. At yesterday's meeting, the following items were approved:


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Midsomer Murders: Tom Barnaby's Last Cases DVD
Our Price: $149.99
20% Off Drama, Mystery & Arts Details >
Item No.: MMLC400
DVD Set
The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, a modern master of the English village mystery, this collection features John Nettles (Bergerac) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating his final cases in the murderous county.More >
AVAILABILITY: In Stock, leaves warehouse in 1 - 2 full bus. days Details >
Reviewed by 2 customers
Comments about PBS Midsomer Murders: Tom Barnaby's Last Cases DVD:
Just bot more of these Midsomer Murders mysteries because I get so caught up into them. You'll enjoy them, too!
Comments about PBS Midsomer Murders: Tom Barnaby's Last Cases DVD:
I just can't get enough of these stories. Great series. I have ordered other Midsomer Murders series...hope to have all of them ordered within the next 2 months. Also recommend Doc Martin and Inspector Lewis series as well. Good way to spend the evenings watching 1-2 episodes. Love PBS website as well..never had any issues with packages being received.


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Month: July 2011
Wedding Wednesday
There are many epic moments in a girl's life….I am happy to say that I experienced one of them this past weekend when… I tried on a wedding dress for the very first time! I did have one fear though…and that was the fear of getting a pushy, aggressive saleswoman. Luckily, that didn't happen and I had a great experience with the woman who was helping me at Saks Fifth Avenue. I had so much fun trying on Monique Lhuillier and Vera Wang masterpieces (I can cross that off my bucket list!). Though I didn't find "the one" and never expected to upon my first visit, I did find the style, cut and shape that I am looking for. Wish me luck on my continued search for that special white dress!
Home Sweet Home
dress: Blu Moon//shoes: Ralph Lauren//belt: J.Crew//sunglasses: Burberry//earrings: Banana Republic
I spent the weekend visiting my parents in Westchester, NY. I grew up in Westchester and I always love going back home and spending time with friends and family. It's so calming and relaxing there. Where my parents live reminds me somewhat of the countryside and I just love the open space and taking advantage of the scenery when I'm there. I can't get enough of this dress! I'm just loving the asymmetrical style.


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Preferred Landscape & Lighting, Landscaping - Contractors, listed under "Landscaping - Contractors" category, is located at 6046 Old Camp Bullis Rd San Antonio TX, 78257 and can be reached by 2106577737 phone number. Preferred Landscape & Lighting has currently 0 reviews.This business profile is not yet claimed, and if you are the owner, claim your business profile for free. If you are not the owner you can invite this business to join by email or by phone.Browse all Landscaping - Contractors in San Antonio TX. Discover census data for San Antonio, TX.
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Carnival Conquest - Western Caribbean: Carnival Conquest Cruise Review by Jesse and Elinor Zedd
Overall Member Rating
Carnival Conquest - Western Caribbean
Destination: Western Caribbean
Embarkation: New Orleans
The cruise was fantastic on Carnivals largest ship, the Carnival Conquest which weighs 110,000 tons, More cost 500 million to build, has 13 decks, a great show each night, excellent food either in the dining room or the grande buffet on the Cezanne/Lido Deck, and a travel log you can watch in your room. We were on the Empress Deck-Deck 7. Even the elevators talk to you. The ship makes a lot of money off bingo, 20 bucks for 3 cards, and the casino is nice, the Promenade Deck has shows, karaoke music, dancing, shops,etc. The pools and the whirlpools are terrific. We had a hairy man chest competition on the pool deck. One man looked like an Ape. The man that posed with the hairiest chest won. This was a riot.
Some of the shows were a little riske, X-rated comedy acts, audience participation etc.. One night they had two teams of 5 people from the audience come on stage and they had to take a 15 -20 feet chain and take it inside their top, down their body, through their pants and pass the chain to the next person. The team that finished first won.
They changed the buffet each night--American, International, etc. The ice carvings and desserts along with chocolate night were terrific. There was always something to do. Pictures were taken each night from the pool deck, the dining areas, and during our Grande Mardi Gras on the Promenade Deck. They also let you take food back to your room. You could eat this excellent food. Some nights we had 4 desserts. The galley tour was excellent. The service and waiters along with our Cruise Director were fabulous.
We took the city tour in Jamaica, Montego Bay/Cayman/Cozumel Mexico. Each place is different and entertaining. We even went to Hell and Margaritaville and had the best vacation of our lives.
Even the waiters danced on the tables and asked everyone to get up and dance around the dining room. This was a riot to see. We even had our own Mardi Gras on board.
The only complaint was that some of the trays in the Cezanne, Lido Deck were dirty. They would not let you take pictures of the nightly shows. Other than that I would give this cruise a 5 out of 5. We have an album of about 175 pictures.
Published 07/07/04
Cabin review:
Read Cruise Critic's Carnival Conquest Review >>
First time Celebrity guests wi...
Liberty of the Seas 7/30/2017
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A very pleasant surprise
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Some will like it; some will loathe it. Some will say it's unfair. Some will wait until next weekend to manufacture a supposedly more worthy scenario.
But LSU-Alabama II should and must happen in the BCS national championship game Jan. 9 in New Orleans.
They are the two best teams in the country, have been since September.
Sorry, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Houston, or anybody else who begs to differ. You've all had nice seasons, but you're irrelevant to the BCS title hunt.
Yeah, Alabama won't win its conference title and didn't even win its division. You know why, of course. It's because the only team in the country as good as the No. 2 Crimson Tide (if not better) - No. 1-ranked LSU - also plays in the SEC West.
Some will say it's unfair that the Tigers - who won the SEC West and moved into the BCS drivers seat by beating Alabama 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5 - have to play in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia on Saturday while the Tide rests and waits for official word that it'll get a second crack at LSU.
They will say it's unfair that if Alabama were to win the rematch, both teams would be 1-1 head-to-head, but the Tide would win the BCS title and the Tigers would have nothing to show for their historic season.
Well, whoever pretended the BCS system was fair? It's not, never has been, never will be. But it's the system that determines the national championship matchup.
LSU-Alabama II has to happen.
No other team can match the résumé of either the Tigers or the Tide. LSU is undefeated and unquestionably No. 1 and deserving of a title berth regardless of what happens against Georgia. Bama didn't lose to Iowa State, or Oregon or Clemson, and it doesn't play in Conference USA.
The Tigers' victory over the Tide was well earned, and it established that LSU was the best team in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5. The Tigers are the best team in the country as of Nov. 27.
But a BCS title game between the two most-deserving teams in the country has to be played Jan. 9, and only LSU-Alabama can be an appropriate finale to this season.
If the Tigers were to win, they'd be arguably the most deserving national champion ever, and that's the type of challenge this team has embraced all season.
So embrace LSU-Alabama II.
Tigers guard Will Blackwell was asked if it mattered to him if LSU had to play Alabama again.
"Probably not," he answered matter-of-factly. "Of course, you never want to play a team that you've already played. It's tough to beat the same team twice and everybody knows that, but it doesn't matter who we play.
"We're going to go out there and play our game and will ourselves to victory."
This game has to happen.


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Having fun with your family should not cost much—both economically and environmentally. And no, this doesn't mean that you should go bird watching or gardening all the time.
There are actually a lot of fun-filled activities that will make you rethink how you spend leisure time with your family.
With all your daily activities that somehow impact the environment in a not-so-friendly way—like using up a surprising amount of electricity to power up your multitude of gadgets, or driving around town in your minivan— wouldn't it feel great to venture into activities that are both cost-effective and environmentally sound?
Play time with kids can be a productive and enjoyable learning experience, especially if you involve them in activities that teach them how to value the environment.
This list, written by Patricia Evans from the Huffington Post, shows a few of the many ways you can make your leisure time fun and planet-friendly.
1. Recycle the rubble.
A lot of times, we just throw away used items without thinking twice if we can use them again for some other purpose. Recycling can actually be a fun and fulfilling activity especially if you are creative.
A quick search on the Internet will give you countless ideas on how to give second lives to items you would just otherwise throw away.
Organise an art session with your kids and agree to use only recycled objects as your materials.
It could turn out to be a really wonderful experience that would develop your eye for recyclable treasures!
2. Cook the good stuff.
So you love to experiment in the kitchen during your free time? How about creating a list of no-cook recipes?
Not only is it economical and convenient, you can also reduce your carbon footprint by not using an electric stove, an oven, or a microwave when preparing mouth-watering dishes for your family.
No-cook recipes are usually very healthy since they involve a lot of greens and fruits, so this can also help you grow a healthy appetite for non-fried dishes. This switch to a wholesome diet is also great for your kids.
3. Make cash out of trash.
Ever wondered how you can make money with almost no capital investment? Well, maybe if you dig hard enough through your "waste", you'll find that there are actually enough rubble to start a money-making venture!
Gather interesting materials such as bottles, bottle caps, soda cans, plastic wraps, foils, old magazines, and other non-biodegradable materials. Create anything, from bags to jewelry—make your imagination run wild!
And again, if you run out of ideas, there are tons of tutorials online on how you can create novel products you can sell to your friends, family, or even online where there are millions of eco-friendly product supporters!
4. Camp out.
Camping gets you back to the many things nature has to offer, and is an economical and eco-friendly alternative to a hotel! Get creative and make a tent out of improvised materials.
If you're not comfortable spending the night in a tent, consider other shelters such as lodges and yurts.
5. Get a dose of playground fun.
Spend time with your kids at the playground! Not only does this promote physical fitness for kids, it also exposes them to the many wonders of playing outdoors.
In the playground, children are most likely to run, jump, and skip around – allowing them to get the daily exercise they need to keep them in shape.
Playground play helps kid get physically strong and fit, time spent in the play area reduces the risk of them being part of the so-called "obese generation."
Fun playground time with kids is also a great way to help them make friends and develop a set of social skills including cooperation and leadership. Count on playground time to boost your kids' physical and mental development.
6. Pimp your place.
Who says that the only way to create a remarkable living space is to fill it with expensive sets of modern furniture and huge flat screen TVs? Wouldn't it be cooler to have friends over and impress them with your DIY couch and solar-powered exercise gear?
Investing in green furniture or equipment not only gives your space character, it saves you money and decreases your carbon footprint! You can also invest in commercial playground equipment for your kids.
Place them in your extra backyard space and you'll never have to worry about your kids spending too much time on the computer or in front of the TV! This is a great way to promote playground fitness even at home.
7. Go on an eco-travel.
A great way to make vacation with your family more meaningful is to volunteer at the many eco-centers emerging in many tourist destinations around the world.
With ecotourism becoming more and more popular in many countries, you can be sure to find a multitude of ways to help. This gives you and your family many chances to immerse in new cultures, and learn new things with the local community.
8. Bring back the boards.
Unearth your old board games or get new ones to enjoy at-home time with your kids! With the increasing popularity of digital apps and games, we often forget how fun it is to go back to basics so whip back out those Monopoly skills and have a blast playing with friends and family.
It's super fun, mentally stimulating, and not to mention: cheap!
9. Unleash your inner athlete.
With the countless types of sports ever invented, you can very easily choose one (or two) that would do great for your family. Challenge your relatives to a family basketball competition, or host a sports fest for your kids and their cousins!
If you already have the sports gear, you need not spend too much anymore. Even your backyard can be a great venue for afternoon Ping-Pong sessions!
10. Take a nap.
This is a no-brainer. Naps are great for you, and do nothing to harm the environment!
These are only a few ideas on how you can spend leisure time with your family in an eco-friendly way. Not only are these activities economically favorable, they also help create a more sustainable future for our kids.


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|The KX3 image on the Elecraft site
22 Aug 2012
KX3 leadtimes shortening
1 comment:
- VE3WDM said...
Well Roger I was tempted and gave in during the first part of August. I have my Elecraft KX3 order in and just waiting. I hope to see it in Oct and it has a spot just beside my iMac.
- Wed Aug 29, 01:31:00 am GMT+1
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FORTUNE -- A new owner now controls America's access to endless shrimp.
Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, has purchased the Red Lobster restaurant business from Darden Restaurants (dri). The sale is for $2.1 billion and is the end of a long process for Darden to sell or spinoff the seafood chain.
"Red Lobster is an exceptionally strong brand with an unparalleled market position in seafood casual dining," said Josh Olshansky, managing director at Golden Gate Capital, in a news release. "Red Lobster is exactly the type of company in which we seek to invest given its great brand profile and strong management team."
This has been a less-than-stellar year for Darden, with its stock price down nearly 7% since the beginning of 2014.


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Turning your paper/book portfolios into a website with Adobe Muse.
Show: Adobe for Academics
Adobe Muse is the perfect tool to create beautiful personal websites and portfolios that can truly elevate a student's work. This tutorial will show you how to create a website that features a student's story and artwork.


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Consider the career of a potroom operator. He's 46, married with three children. Thirty years ago, when he was 16, he was lucky enough to score a job at
In the potroom, pure alumina, in white bricks, is fed into large graphite-lined furnaces, known as pots. The substance is dissolved through a chemical process. Electricity is then run through the liquid solution, which reacts with oxygen and turns into liquid aluminium.
The room is a hot, dangerous place. The temperature in the pots is 960 degrees. The operator, who wears a ventilator and protective clothing, is responsible for monitoring the process, which can take 12 hours and generates a magnetic field strong enough to scramble credit cards.
He's been earning between $90,000 and $110,000 a year. But come August, when the plant shuts, he will be out of a job, with skills no one wants. Not because of his own actions – he was always regarded as a reliable employee. Not really because of the Alcoa board – it was under huge shareholder pressure to shut unprofitable plants. Not because of the carbon tax, which wasn't the difference between a profit or a loss. Not because of
Point Henry is shutting down for the same reason hundreds of other Australian factories and plants have closed in recent years: international markets are relentlessly reshaping the global economy, indifferently moving jobs and capital around the world, devastating some lives and enriching others.
Like the Alcoa worker, Howes is looking for a job. Following a front page report in Monday's AFR, the 32-year-old star of the union movement confirmed this week he plans to resign from the AWU in coming months and is seeking opportunities outside the movement, possibly in the private sector. He would like to improve his education, perhaps by studying economics.
"I want to see the wider world," he says.
Supporters have very high hopes. "He is a potential Labor leader, with strong values on which he won't compromise," former Labor cabinet minister
Labor relations frayed
The resignation was big news among political aficionados. By his own hand, Howes has become one of the best-known unionists in Australia. He famously helped bring down
But Howes, a member of Labor's NSW Right-wing faction, is not popular in parts of the party. Relations are frayed with Labor's leadership, including Shorten.
"I have worked very hard to alienate the Right and Left of the party," he jokes. "I know I have upset a lot of my colleagues."
The route to Parliament has been changed, but not necessarily cut off. As the party goes through the painful process of rebuilding after the defeat at the federal and state levels, Howes is presenting his vision for the movement, which can be boiled down to two words: embrace capitalism.
"Sometimes we romanticise the working class," he says. "The only good thing about being in the working class is leaving it."
Howes left behind the world of his adopted parents at 14. He never slept on the streets, but he did live for a couple of months in a squat. Mostly he stayed on friends' couches, until he was granted Austudy, which gave him some financial independence. His last year of schooling, at Sydney's Glebe High School, was year nine, which he didn't complete.
Outraged at France's decision to conduct nuclear tests on Mururoa Atoll, which he blamed on capitalism, Howes joined Resistance, the socialist youth group. In 1997, he attended an international gathering of similar groups in Cuba. He later said he was repelled by the authoritarian communist state. (Shorten, too, would visit Cuba, on billionaire Richard Pratt's private jet for a holiday with the Pratt family and Shorten's first society wife, Deborah Beale.) Howes identifies the visit as the point at which he rejected socialism. Green Left Weekly, a newspaper partly written by Resistance members, remains one of his bigger critics.
At 16, he lied about his age to get a job as an insurance clerk at a company owned by the Catholic Church and Mercantile Mutual. He processed car-insurance claims, a boring and demoralising job.
Narrow union experience
Michael Costa, head of the NSW union movement and later the state's treasurer, hired him as a researcher a year later. He soon got a job at the AWU, where he worked as a press secretary for Shorten, then the Victorian secretary, and later as a national organiser of the aluminium industry.
Once, Howes got into an argument on the phone with an aggressive young organiser at the Health Services Union, Craig Thomson, who rose to be national secretary, became a federal MP and is now appealing a three-month jail sentence.
Since being hired by Costa, Howes has only ever worked in the union movement, a narrow but not unusual record that has often led him to be criticised – sometimes by envious older men – as a career unionist, would-be politician.
Whatever his ultimate objective, Howes is not a conventional union leader. His seven years as national secretary have been marked by a willingness to engage in debates beyond the immediate industrial concerns of the AWU. He has forced unions to face up to uncomfortable truths about their own problems.
"The Australian labour movement can be incredibly conservative," he says. "We face a crisis in the labour movement. We need to challenge the status quo internally. We have the most highly politicised industrial relations system in the developed world."
One of Howes's oldest friends told the Financial Review: "Paul isn't afraid to have people dislike him."
In articles, speeches and media interviews, he has put forward positions on union corruption, the adversarial nature of the industrial relations system, the decline of manufacturing and petrol refining in Australia, rising gas prices, nuclear power, the carbon tax, age pensions and self-managed super funds. He has spoken at the National Press Club five times, an important forum for access to the parliamentary press gallery. In 2010, he debated Minerology owner and maverick politician Clive Palmer at the Press Club, a public relations stunt carried live on the ABC.
Charlie Donnelly, national secretary of the National Union of Workers, another big right-wing union, has never spoken at the Canberra institution. "It wasn't a priority for me," he says. Neither has Joe de Bruyn, head of the shop assistants union, Australia's biggest union by members. "I have never been invited," de Bruyn says. "Presumably, it [Howes' strategy] is to get in the media as much as possible. I have no difficulty with that. It has obviously worked for him."
'Media tart'
Howes acknowledges his reputation as a "media tart". He has built relationships with prominent journalists, editors and media proprietors – contacts that have increased the AWU's influence in politics and policy debates. He has invited Peter van Onselen, a political commentator and biographer of John Howard (and Shorten critic), to his second wedding. When the left-wing Guardian newspaper set up an Australian website last year, Howes went to dinner with its editor, Katharine Viner, and chief political correspondent Lenore Taylor. For years, he has given exclusive stories to Ewin Hannan, a long-time industrial relations writer at The Australian, which regularly published them on its front page, despite the paper's general antipathy towards organised labour.
"I find it amusing when people say it is all about Paul and his personal ambition," Howes says. "There was a vacuum of voices in the labour movement for a long time. You have to have a personal brand. You need to have a platform. You need to have power that you can use through the media."
The flip side of this high public profile is a simmering media interest in Howes' personal life. The break-up of his marriage in 2012 and subsequent engagement to Qantas Airways' marketing and corporate affairs head, Olivia Wirth, propelled Howes from public figure to minor celebrity.
The couple were outed in the Financial Review's Rear Window column when they turned up at the Moët & Chandon hospitality tent at Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Many people on both sides of politics were surprised a top union leader was dating a former adviser to Liberal MP Joe Hockey.
"Now that Howes has been admitted to the celebrity A-list, perhaps he sees himself visually morphing into a CEO banker or some such big-end-of-towner," wrote a Financial Review reader in December. "Certainly he doesn't resemble a hard-working, rank-and-file member of the AWU (but then, he never was one)."
Within the union, the relationship was awkward. The AWU has hundreds of members at Qantas, where the management has tense relations with many of its workers. Wirth is on the company's executive committee and was its public spokeswoman when the airline locked out its employees in 2011. When they began dating, Howes informed the AWU national executive. It agreed he shouldn't be involved in any decisions about the company, which is now handled by one of his deputies. He won't talk about the airline.
Life in the 'Chatter Zone'
Howes and Wirth live in Surry Hills in central Sydney. The suburb is at the heart of what the conservative columnist and author Nick Cater calls the "Chatter Zone", inner-city federal seats home to many journalists and few blue-collar workers. Cater argued before the last federal election that Labor's reinstated leader, Kevin Rudd, was overly influenced by this "media land". Shaped by where they lived, most journalists were left of mainstream Australia on important social issues, including gay marriage, the role of the Catholic Church and global warming, Cater argued.
Cater's criticism was part of a common critique of the Labor leadership by the Right: that it is an inner-city elite disconnected from working-class Australians. Parts of the Left agree. Former NSW minister and Labor historian Rodney Cavalier famously wrote that postwar prime minister Ben Chifley, a railwayman before entering politics, would not be chosen as a Labor candidate today.
Plenty of modern Labor figures started in the upper middle class. Shorten's mother was a law lecturer, who sent him to one of Melbourne's most expensive schools, Xavier College. Bob Hawke went to Perth's top public school, Perth Modern, and his uncle was the state's premier. In the UK, Tony Blair was a barrister whose Conservative father paid for a top private school in Scotland.
Howes represents blue-collar workers. But he can't, and doesn't, claim to be working class. His Ford Territory is out of place among Surry Hills' BMWs, Audis and Range Rovers. Yet, on weekends he likes to buy a flat white and croissant at the Bourke Street Bakery, a coffee shop and bakery popular with young men with beards, woollen hats and girlfriends in vintage fashion.
"Yes, of course I am part of the national elite," he says. "Just as editors of newspapers are, in the same way Nick Cater is. But I am not a poor little rich kid who is playing in the union movement."
If Howes does enter Parliament, his background could be a powerful source of political momentum. No one on the Labor frontbench comes from such a genuinely disadvantaged childhood, although Anthony Albanese may come close. (Albanese was raised poor by a loving mother in a housing estate.)
Howes was adopted at birth. After a long and frustrating search, he met his biological mother when he was 30. In 2012, he stated in an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly, and in legal documents, that his adopted mother's husband, a policeman, was psychologically abusive and pointed a gun at him when he was eight.
The man, Gary Howes, sued Howes, the author of the article, and the magazine's publisher for defamation. "I did handcuff him," he told The Sunday Telegraph three months after the article was published. "He was going to run, so I handcuffed him to a chair. I didn't trust my own anger. I had a gun in my hand. I was a policeman and I was on duty and I had a gun."
Gary Howes said he wasn't trying to frighten his stepson with the gun and was concerned someone was breaking into the house. Howes settled and agreed not to talk publicly about his stepfather again.
Milestone event
A year ago, Howes and Wirth filed into Parliament's Great Hall in Canberra for a milestone event. There were 800 people present. The prime minister, Julia Gillard, stepped up and gave one of the most moving speeches of her career: an apology to children, and their families, who were forcibly adopted in the 1950s, '60 and '70s.
"Friends, as the time for birth came, these babies would be snatched away before they had even held them in their arms," she said. "The hurt did not simply last for a few days or weeks. This was a wound that would not heal."
Behind the scenes, Howes had advised the government how to manage the apology, which was highly sensitive for those involved. (Then opposition leader Tony Abbott was sharply criticised for using the phrase "birth parents". Some in the audience, incorrectly, assumed he was suggesting they were less legitimate.)
Even though Howes knew what to expect from Gillard's speech, he was so emotionally overwhelmed by her apology, which was echoed by Abbott, that he needed Wirth's help to leave the ceremony. Afterwards, Gillard and Howes didn't have time to catch up. She was facing another challenge to her leadership.
The defining event of Howes' political life so far was his biggest mistake. The night of Kevin Rudd's removal in 2010, the 28-year-old Howes appeared on the ABC's Lateline program and argued for the removal of the man who had returned Labor to power after 11 years in opposition, before he'd had a chance to seek another term.
Howes was an enthusiastic supporter of Gillard, but he wasn't one of the key organisers, who were mostly first-term MPs half a generation older: Shorten, NSW Right leader Mark Arbib and Victorian senator David Feeney.
Other Labor figures, including Emerson, had been invited on Lateline and declined. The Howes interview helped Gillard's momentum. But it backfired on him by fuelling the damaging cliche of a union or faction leader – dubbed the "faceless men" in the 1960s by journalist Alan Reid – overruling a democratically elected leader.
"Every element of that Lateline interview was stupid," he says. "I was just being given lines and I went out there. I was 28 or 29. I always thought the older people in the room were really smart."
End of Gillard
Very few people realised it at the time, but the start of the end of Gillard's leadership was announced on ABC's Insiders program on June 9, 2013. Near the start of the program, without any sense of ceremony or drama, host Barrie Cassidy made a prediction. ''I am now very strongly of the view that Julia Gillard will not lead Labor into the next election,'' he said. ''There will be a change, either by her own hand, or by the actions of others. I am not relying entirely on guesswork here.''
At that time, most political commentators considered it possible, but not certain, Gillard would be removed.
But the view that she was doomed, from a sober political veteran such as Cassidy, sent the Labor leadership into a frenzy of phone calls and speculation about the identity of his source.
Today, Howes believes Shorten told Cassidy that Gillard was doomed. Shorten, who was one of Gillard's most visible supporters, has always maintained he decided to switch to Rudd on the day of the vote, 15 days later, after consulting with a priest.
Gillard and Howes got to know each other when she was deputy leader. Gillard was negotiating the new Fair Work Act with unions and business leaders. She was under pressure from some union secretaries to make the law more friendly to labour. Howes, 20 years younger, impressed Gillard with his understanding of the political constraints she was under. "He had the capacity to see things from another perspective," she says.
When Gillard became prime minister in 2010, she started relying on Howes for political advice and personal support. Howes often had a more immediate awareness of the state of the economy, through his access to the mining and construction industries, than she got from the official economic data, she says.
The AWU's 130,000 members work in 9000 locations, giving Howes an insight into the state of Australian business that even some top chief executives lack.
They talked about their private lives. Sometimes they spoke daily. Howes enjoyed Gillard's sense of humour and found a warmth in her that didn't readily come across on television.
"Increasingly, as prime minister, he was very much someone I relied on for strategic advice," she says. "In the hurly-burly, he was someone who would exhibit human concern for how we were going."
Gillard's low popularity suggests she may have led the Labor Party to a bigger defeat than Rudd. But Howes cites his unwavering support for her as the stance he is most proud of. In his corner office at the AWU there is a photo taken at The Lodge the night Gillard was removed as leader. In it, Howes looks straight at the camera, smiling but sad. His arm is around Gillard, in casual clothes, who is kissing Howes on the cheek.
Pit to port ambition
Eighty per cent of aluminium workers in Australia were members of the AWU in 2008. Demand for the metal, which is used in construction and in household appliances, was growing steadily. Aluminium was trading at $US3000 a tonne on the London Metals Exchange, up from $US1340 six years earlier. Howes thought the industry was recession-proof. Australian producers had access to cheap power and an almost inexhaustible supply of a key input, bauxite. Alcoa was producing 200 tonnes of aluminium a day in Portland, Victoria. Rio Tinto planned to expand a Northern Territory smelter.
Howes decided to shoot for 100 per cent union coverage. "I wanted the AWU to cover the industry from pit to port," he says.
To do this, he had to take on Rio Tinto, one of Australia's most anti-union employers. In 1994, with the AWU weakened by the "slush fund" corruption scandal, almost all the 300 employees at Rio's Bell Bay aluminium smelter near Launceston decided to leave the AWU and sign individual contracts with the company. Only 13 stuck with the union.
Howes was determined to get them back. He assigned five officials full-time to the plant. At shift changeovers, they stood outside the gates, trying to speak to the workers, who were suspicious of the union's intentions and had little interest in strikes or making trouble.
They held forums at a local pub to explain how the union could protect workers from arbitrary decisions by their supervisors. Sometimes five people turned up.
Howes visited from Sydney every two months. "Initially they ignored us," he says. "There was a lot of fear coming from the company."
Then, on September 15, 2008, US investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, triggering a global economic downturn. Within six months, aluminium was back at $US1340. Capital, looking for safety, poured into Australian government bonds. The dollar soared to US90¢. Later, it crossed parity.
Australian aluminium, made by men earning six figures, struggled to compete with cheaply run smelters in China, Russia and India. Eventually, Rio Tinto decided to stop making alumina in the Northern Territory. Alcoa's Point Henry smelter is slated to be shut down in August. An Alcoa recycling plant in Yennora, in Sydney, will close as well. The AWU will lose hundreds of members, including the Geelong potroom operators.
Howes' belief in the industry's future was misplaced. What he got was a painful lesson in economics in the era of globalisation – what Financial Review editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury, who last year made Howes a columnist, has dubbed the iPhone Economy.
"There are massive forces at play here," Howes says. "There is nothing we can do as a nation to change the global factors."
In 2012, Labor industry minister Greg Combet committed $40 million to trying to keep the Point Henry smelter open. Howes was disappointed, but not surprised, to see the subsidy fail.
His aluminium industry experience has helped shape his view of the role of unions. With membership declining, unemployment rising and a hostile government in power federally, he believes unions need to embrace free markets.
How the economy works
The 32-year-old with minimal formal education has, through real-world experience, formed a similar view of how the economy works to that of the experts in the federal Treasury, the Productivity Commission and three centre-left prime ministers: Hawke,
Many Australians are comfortable with variable pay rates in their workplaces. What they want is protection from arbitrary decisions by their managers, he says.
If an industry is struggling to compete with companies in other countries, why push through big wage rises that hurt its ability to grow or even survive, he asks.
Instead of seeking government subsidies through their political influence in the Labor Party, perhaps unions should request funding for training artisan and blue-collar workers.
Why keep businesses in public ownership if they can be sold and the money used for roads that shorten workers' commutes?
"There is no slave workforce out there at Tullamarine," he says, a reference to the privatised Melbourne Airport.
"Over the next 10, 20, 30 years, it is going to be less about the collective and more about the individual. Shouldn't we ask: how do we use our collective power to empower individuals? Are we always going to use our collective power for collective outcomes?
"Our members do better when our employers do well. We want them to make lots of money. We have lots of members in companies that are very marginal."
By stressing the interests of the individual and the importance of profits, Howes is defying an ideological view that persists in the union movement: that employers are by definition exploitative.
Howes' suggestion last month that unions, companies and the government should agree on national goals and how to obtain them – a "grand compact" – was met with more hostility from the left than the business community. Greens MP Adam Bandt called on Howes to join the Liberal Party. Anonymous leaflets were distributed in mining towns in Western Australia attacking him personally.
Not long after Howes became AWU national secretary in 2007, a union veteran paid him a compliment.
Joe de Bruyn, head of the shop assistants union, told Howes he had the potential to rise far in the movement – perhaps to become the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the job which propelled Hawke into the Labor leadership.
In 2008, de Bruyn helped Howes become a vice-president of the ACTU. Now, his admiration for the much younger union leader has faded, perhaps a sign of the bruises caused by Howes' outspokenness.
"In the early days, he had enormous potential," says de Bruyn, who was elected his union's secretary in 1978, three years before Howes was born. "I think he has burned a lot of bridges since I made the comment to him."
Ready to move on
Howes says he likes and respects de Bruyn. Asked about the comments, Gillard says: "Everybody has to make their own choices. He has been a long-serving union official but he is a very young person. This will bring him broader experience."
There was a sign last September Howes was ready to leave the union. His name surfaced as a candidate to replace Senator Bob Carr, who didn't want to stay in politics after Labor's loss. De Bruyn swung his support behind another candidate, Deborah O'Neill, who lost a lower house seat in the election. Howes pulled out, surprising even casual Labor observers that he apparently lacked the party hierarchy's support.
"I allowed my name to be put forward and there was a part of me interested in moving on," he says. "I have never been willing to make compromises for a smooth and easy road into Parliament."
All the reports of his resignation this week said he wasn't going into Parliament, even though it seems that was plan A. For years, Howes has accumulated political influence while publicly protesting that he isn't pursuing a career in politics.
Howes doesn't need to tout his political credentials. Others are doing that for him.
Within minutes of Howes' confirmation on Monday in a Sky News interview that he was leaving the union movement, one of his closest friends in Parliament, Queenslander Jim Chalmers, told the same channel that he should get a lower house seat. (Chalmers says he didn't co-ordinate the interview with Howes.)
Then, Chalmers' previous boss and another Howes ally, former treasurer Wayne Swan, told the Financial Review that he had "an enormous amount to contribute in the years ahead". Emerson was keen to praise him for this article.
Howes' coyness is understandable but not credible. Politics is like dating. Eagerness can kill the attraction. He is waiting for the right opening.
The networking has been aided by his character: he has an ego that attracts rather than repels, at least in person. In conversation he combines intelligence with eloquence, honesty and vulnerability. In the three hours of interviews for this article, Howes quoted a Franklin D. Roosevelt speech from 1941, early 1900s mining union leader William Spence and Michael Costa, who told him when he was 16: "Never trust a rat."
Public figures are usually, and should be, at their most impressive in media interviews. But if self-promoters were banned from Parliament, there would be no one to run the country.
The AWU faces some tough scrutiny this year. A royal commission will pry into its affairs. Howes, who has vowed to take a low profile in his next role, won't be around to defend it. He says the union is in good shape and good hands. Membership is up 12 per cent since he took over and income is up 22 per cent, he says.
The figures have been helped by new members at the Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Tasmania. Last month, six years after Howes vowed to reverse one of the AWU's greatest defeats, the union cut a deal with Rio Tinto on behalf of the newly unionised workforce. Instead of locking in wage rises in advance, they will be negotiated year by year and will depend on the plant's finances.
"We busted all the myths about the AWU – there were fears we would institute workplace conditions that would make the place unsustainable," he says.
The Australian Financial Review


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David Mason
David Mason
Professor of English and creative writing at Colorado College
Bellingham, Washington
In a cabin in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and a house by the ocean in Newport, Oregon
Author of
The Buried Houses, The Country I Remember, Arrivals (poetry), Ludlow (verse novel), News from the Village (memoir), Two Minds of a Western Poet, The Poetry of Life and the Life of Poetry (essays), and other titles
He says
"My sense is that most Americans live only at the level of the economic reality -- the job, the car, the pavement, the shopping, the house, the Internet. It feels to me like a living death. Or barely living. One of poetry's purposes is to try to strip away that veneer of unreality, to get at the truth of things."


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We have a day for giving thanks. We have Black Friday and Cyber Monday two-for-one deals. And now we have Giving Tuesday for giving back to the community! #GivingTuesday is propelled by those who believe that passion and commitment can make a difference.
Talk about adding insult to injury.
The numbers just weren't adding up.
"The League is excited to be teaming up with Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins and Anaïs Mitchell to make sure all voices are heard on Election Day 2016," said Elisabeth MacNamara, president of the League of Women Voters. "
Over the past four years, the League of Women Voters of Kansas (LWVKS) has been pushing back against a harmful proof-of-citizenship voter registration state law. This law, championed by the Secretary of State, requires anyone registering to vote to provide documentation, such as a birth certificate, to prove that they are citizens.
On Tuesday, we brought together supporters, policymakers and members of the media to introduce Dr. Wylecia Wiggs Harris as our newest executive director and to bid a fond farewell to our previous executive director, Nancy Tate who led the League for 15 years.
In 2016, our goals are very simple. We plan to: grow the vote, protect the vote and empower voters with information, through our nonpartisan voters' guides and candidate forums and debates, and through our online tools—espeicallyVOTE411.org. These three priorities stand on their own, but are they are also inextricably intertwined.
If you're anything like me, I'm sure you've been glued to the TV for the presidential debates!
But the real action won't begin until February 1st, when the race for the presidential nomination officially kicks off with the famous Iowa Caucuses.
Test your knowledge about the nominating process by taking our quiz!
Yesterday, millions of voters across the country took control in their communities by casting their votes in thousands of state and local elections. If you voted this year or helped others in your community cast their votes, thank you! Due to your participation, many new leaders are preparing for their positions and taking into account your vote and the issues you and millions of Americans weighed in on.
Tomorrow is it – Election Day! Voting is your opportunity to support your community and have a say in its future. Together with your friends and neighbors, every vote counts and each vote makes a difference.
We hope you plan to participate in the elections in your community and will encourage your friends and family to do the same.
The 2016-2018 edition of the guide to the League's public policy positions.
Other WorkSitemap


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+ shipping and handling
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It's simple. On the day of the event, you click on the link we provide. Enter your name and email address and you're in! If your computer has good audio, the audio will be streamed to your computer along with the PowerPoint presentation. If your computer does not have audio, a phone number is provided so that you can access the audio by speaker phone.
Registration is by site, not by individual, so there is no limit to the number of people who can participate at your site. We do request no more than one phone connection per site.
Yes. You may fax the PO to 815-461-5647 or call us at 207-632-1954. Please include the full name and email address of the registrant.
Both include the synchronized audio and PowerPoint, but the link may only be accessed for 30 days. The CD-ROM provides a permanent record of the webinar.


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In the Lonely Hour is indeed for the lonely hour, when you are rueing heartbreak and pining over other people's lovers. Sam Smith's vocals are the absolute highlight across the whole album, which is a shining tribute to 80's and 90's R&B/Pop vocalists, and the albums through which they poured their heart out.
Of course lead single 'Money On My Mind' has to get a mention; if for nothing else, that it's a vocal obstacle course of sorts with falsetto, an electronic tonal chorus and a soulful ornamentation decorating the verses, but then it's also a surefire mood changer, able to take you from 9-to-5 doldrums, to dancefloor shenanigans.
However the dance hits like 'Money on My Mind,' as well as the collaborations with the likes of Disclosure and Naughty Boy, are the tip of a genre-crossing, urban, pop, soul, blues, gospel and R&B-inspired iceberg. You've already seen evidence of this with the soulful, one-night-stand motivated tune 'Stay With Me,' and maybe you've also heard the heartfelt and goosebump-inducing ballad 'Leave Your Lover.'
If you like goosebumps, and just generally beautiful tracks full of soul and simple instrumentation that allow gorgeous vocals to tell their love stories, 'I've Told You Now,' 'Like I Can' and 'Good Thing' are must plays.
In a music scene that is dominated by electro-anything and abstract themes, this is a remarkable album for it's simple focus on love, loneliness, heartbreak and more than anything, outstanding, beautiful vocals and songwriting.
Rating: ★★★★
In The Lonely Hour is available now through Sam Smith's own webstore.
Facebook.com/SamSmithWorld | SoundCloud.com/SamSmithWorld | Twitter.com/samsmithworld


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Congratulations to our suppliers & customers!
Some of Suma HQ visited Olympia last weekend for the last Natural Products Europe trade show to be held at Olympia, Kensington. The show plays host to hundreds of exhibitor trade stands across Natural Food, Natural Beauty & Spa, Natural Living and Natural Health. 2014 was a record breaking year for the show, with the highest number of visitors recorded over the two days. From 2015, the show will be held at the Excel, London, due to the renovation of Earl's Court.
As a wholesaler, we're lucky to work with some of the best in the business. Natural Products Europe holds an annual awards ceremony to commend and present recognition to manufacturers, retailers and company staff. We are proud to hear that a selection of our suppliers and customers were nominated for the awards, with many winning in their category. A huge well done to you!
See the full list of winners here – http://www.naturalproducts.co.uk/natural-organic-awards/


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This project is not covered by Drupal's security advisory policy.
Translators should start by downloading the tarball and translating the files to their language of choice. You can find more information about the process in the Translator's guide (of which this page is also a subsection of).
The translated files should be stored in contrib-cvs/translations/id where id is an RFC 4646 language code. If you don't know your code, ask on the translations mailing list.
You should only put the individual translated files in this directory. A script will generate a merged id.po file. Make sure to fill out the header section of each file and rename them from .pot to .po. Also make sure to start with the file general.po. This file contains strings that appear in more than one place and therefore will give you best results for least effort. It also is required to create the downloadable files. There is also an installer.pot file which will not get merged into the id.po file. This is used by the installer, and should not be imported to the Drupal database.
If you do not have a CVS account, and a project already exists for your language, create an issue against that project, attaching your files to it. If there is no existing language project, create an issue for this (the translation templates) project and attach your files to it.
Note that the Drupal team will not check contributed translations for accuracy or errors.
If you have ideas or problems with how the translation template extractor works, this tool has its own project now, so feel free to submit issues there.
Project Information
- Maintenance status: Unsupported
- Development status: Obsolete
- Downloads: 17,254
- Last modified: 28 November 2014
- This project is not covered by the security advisory policy.
Use at your own risk! It may have publicly disclosed vulnerabilities.
Development version: 6.x-1.x-dev updated 6 Nov 2007 at 12:53 UTC


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RENTON, WASH.—Starting was Russell Wilson's objective from the beginning, one he aimed for as soon as the Seahawks drafted him in the third round back in April.
"It definitely started as a goal," Wilson said. "I have high expectations of myself. I always have and I always will. That will never waver."
That he earned that spot is about more than just Wilson's ambition, though. It reflects a change in the league at large, as NFL teams are increasingly willing to start rookies from Day 1.
That was the case last year with Cam Newton in Carolina and Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, who became the sixth and seventh rookie quarterbacks to start Week 1 over the previous four seasons. In the past 10 years, only 10 rookie quarterbacks have started in Week 1.
This year, Wilson is one of five rookies expected to start at quarterback in the season opener, the most of any season in league history. Whether it's Andrew Luck in Indianapolis or Robert Griffin III in Washington, Ryan Tannehill in Miami or Brandon Weeden in Cleveland, rookie quarterbacks are standing front and (under) centre sooner than ever before.
"The kids are learning how to play the position," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "And they're taught so well and so much earlier, that when they get to us, they're just better equipped than they were in years past. Not anything against all the wonderful quarterbacks that came out in years past, but it's just different."
Carroll said he recognized that change when Matt Barkley showed up on USC's campus. Five days into practice, it was evident he was the best quarterback on the team. No redshirt season. No waiting. Plug and play.
The stakes are different in the NFL, the margin for error is smaller, but the principal is the same, even when a team has veterans on hand as Seattle did with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson.
The old NFL playbook for grooming a quarterback would have called for putting Wilson on the back burner. He was a third-round pick, after all. No need to rush him. Let Flynn and Jackson compete to be the starter this season while Wilson simmered on the back burner for a year, maybe even two, before giving him a taste of a real opportunity to earn playing time.
Any chance of that happening went out the window within two weeks of the draft after Wilson took nearly every snap during 11-on-11 drills at a three-day rookie mini-camp. That convinced Carroll that Wilson was worthy of consideration in Seattle's competition for the starting job.
Over the past three weeks, Wilson was more productive in the exhibition games than Flynn, earning the top job. Starting a rookie quarterback isn't just a decision, it's a commitment. It's a willingness to suffer some short-term growing pains for the long-term benefits.
"These guys are apprentices," said Bill Polian, a former NFL general manager who's now an ESPN analyst. "They are learning on the job, and it will be three years before we know whether or not any of them have the capability to take a team to championships."
Polian drafted Peyton Manning in Indianapolis in 1998. In comments distributed by ESPN, he declared this year's quarterback class the most talented to enter the league since 1983.
Old-time football men love nothing more than to talk about the learning curve in the league. It's why former coach Steve Mariucci once said the best place to play a rookie quarterback is "clipboard." It's also the reason that even back in 1999, when five quarterbacks were among the first 12 players drafted, not one started in Week 1 of their debut season.
Times have changed. Quarterbacks are getting their chances earlier or — in Wilson's case — earning that opportunity sooner.
"For my name to be called for this football team is pretty special," Wilson said. "I've tried to do everything possible to prepare myself and prepare our football team to be great."


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Glendalough Distillery
Friday Nov 7th 6pm-8pm, 2014
This event has already occurred
I am very pleased, and fortunate, to have Donal O'Gallachoir hosting a unique Irish Whiskey experience. Donal is one of the principals at the first craft distillery in Ireland. Of course, at one time there were many craft distilleries however, consolidation and large corporate ownership have shaped distilling in Ireland for a long time. Glendalough's traditional Poitin (pronounced potcheen) whiskeys capture the heritage of Irish distilling and are nothing short of amazing. If you thought you knew Irish whiskey, think again. I was thrilled to learn about the history of distilling in Ireland and to taste spirits that are well outside my expectations. I hope you will be too. Join us for an Irish whiskey experience, November 7th at 5pm or 6pm. Donal will be answering questions and sampling his Poitin following his presentations at 5 and 6.
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Colonial Spirits of Acton has the largest selections of brew, wine and spirits in the area. Inside the store you will find over 16,000 bottles of wine, an extensive collection of beers and ales fro...(more)
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Find out about HR-Inform
To access all of HR-Inform you need to:
Policy reports and guides
Downloadable CIPD employer guide on work-related stress.
Work-related stress: what the law says(333 KB)
Last Published: 03 Sep 2010
This guide summarises employers' legal duties to reduce work-related stress and where possible prevent it from impacting on the health of their employees. It provides a starting point in understanding the legal requirements and suggests actions for employers to take so that they not only comply with the law, but also improve the working conditions of all employees.