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Justin Timberlake: When JT decides to tour, he really doesn't stop. He's already played the Rose Bowl with Jay Z and brought his 20/20 Experience Tour to every arena in Southern California. Now, with shows at Staples Center (Aug. 12, $49.50-$175) and the Forum (Nov. 24, $54.50-$180) still ahead, he's added yet another performance.
This time it's at Honda Center in Anaheim on Nov. 26, nearly a year to the date when his latest production first played there. Tickets, $53.50-$179, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 25.
OutKast: The reunited duo's Coachella appearances won't be the only chances to see them in Southern California, now that Big Boi and Andre 3000 have been booked to headline the hip-hop night of the BET Experience at L.A. Live. They will lead a Staples Center lineup on June 28 that also includes A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross and more, $59.50-$149.50, on sale now.
Meanwhile, Maxwell, who heads up the June 27 portion of the BET Experience at that arena alongside Jill Scott, has slated a smaller show at Santa Barbara Bowl on June 26, $44-$74, on sale at noon Friday.
Kings of Leon: The band's third leg of tour behind last year's Mechanical Bull will conclude with local shows this fall, including Oct. 3 at the Hollywood Bowl, $38.50-$98.50, and Oct. 5 at Irvine's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, $23.50-$75.50. Making both gigs better (but especially the O.C. one) will be Young the Giant, which opens along with South African group Kongos. Tickets go on sale May 3.
Arcade Fire: As every fan found out Monday morning – hours after the group's second Coachella set ended and only a few more before they played a surprise show at the Roxy – the best performers at either weekend of the desert festival have already plotted their return. The band plays its first shows at the renovated Forum on Aug. 1-2 – a departure from usual haunts like the Shrine and the Hollywood Bowl, but a rock-historical landmark that such future legends ought to headline at least twice. Tickets, $30.50-$70.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Lana Del Rey: Another Coachella standout, the strangely compelling chanteuse has added a May 30 performance at the Shrine Expo Hall. Bummer that the performance won't be inside the actual auditorium, where her glamorous posing and "Hollywood sadcore" music belongs.
Tickets, $55, are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, while two hours later ducats become available to see a previous festival favorite, M.I.A., in the same space on May 29, $35. (Also see her May 30 at Soma in San Diego, $35.)
More Post-Coachella Gigs: As so often happens once the Indio festivals are over, several of its afternoon attractions already have announced return visits.
That includes Banks at El Rey Theatre on May 29, $17; Anthony Green, appearing with Saosin, June 6 at the Fox Theater in Pomona, $30, and June 7 at Club Nokia, $30-$35; Flume at Club Nokia on Aug. 8, $20-$40; Wye Oak at El Rey on July 10, $20 (also at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach on July 9, $16); and Foxygen, Aug. 14, $20 (and at the Belly Up on Aug. 13, $16). All but the last two acts are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, with Wye Oak and Foxygen becoming available on Saturday at the same time.
Weenie Roast: KROQ has announced the date for their annual fiesta at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – May 31, the same date Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williams start their run at the Hollywood Bowl. Lineup details are still to come.
Steely Dan: Just a reminder that the group's Jamalot Ever After Tour stop at the Forum on July 12 goes on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, $69.50-$275. Already on sale is their appearance at much smaller Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay in San Diego on July 13, $177.
Wiz Khalifa: For the third year in a row, the rap star will top the bill for this touring festival, which wraps up with stops at Chula Vista's Sleep Train Amphitheatre on Aug. 23, $33.50-$68.75, and Irvine's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Aug. 24, $27.50-$72.75. Both go on sale Friday afternoon at 4:20.
Khalifa, who also appears May 17 at the Powerhouse at Honda Center, will be joined by Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign (also playing May 18 at the Observatory, $18), Rich Homie Quan, Sage the Gemini, Iamsu and more.
HARD Summer: The dozens-deep lineup has been revealed for the seventh edition of the annual EDM festival, Aug. 2-3 at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. The top line for the first half includes Jack U (the new project from Skrillex and Diplo), A$AP Mob, Axwell, Flosstradamus, while the second half will feature Tiësto, Disclosure, Nero and Dillon Francis. Tickets, $80 for general admission and $150 for VIP, are on sale now.
Little Mix: The British girl group, last seen elating a packed Honda Center while opening for Demi Lovato, is embarking on their first headlining stateside run, with a Sept. 22 gig set for the Hollywood Palladium. Jackson Guthy opens, $39.50, on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Pairings at the Greek: A few more of the amphitheater's previously announced summer shows are going on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, including Chicago with REO Speedwagon on Aug. 1, $51-$116, and Los Lonely Boys with Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Aug. 2, $25-$60. Also at the Griffith Park venue: Bach, Rock & Shakespeare XI, May 9, $12, on sale now.
New Edition: The veteran R&B act will team with singer Joe for an Aug. 3 show at Nokia Theatre, $55.95-$149.50, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Also at the L.A. Live venue: Video Games Live, June 11, $25.95-$125, on sale now.
Eric Burdon & the Animals: Not that there will be any other originals alongside the Hall of Famer, but he and his group play June 10-11 at the Roxy, $65-$100, on sale now.
Burgers and Rap: New offerings this week from the Observatory come in two forms, either a Burger Records production or a hip-hop bash.
On the latter front, there's a pair of shows featuring recent Krush Groove standouts: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on June 12, $27.50, and DJ Quik's Groove Summer Jam on July 19, $30. (Catch Quik in L.A. with Kurupt, Suga Free and others at House of Blues Sunset Strip on June 26, $29.50, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.)
Plus, the weekend-long Back to Basics festival now has a lineup, with Brother Ali, Murs, Talib Kweli and more appearing June 21, and Immortal Technique, Raekwon, Souls of Mischief and more taking over June 22, $40 either night.
Meanwhile, Fullerton's increasingly successful indie label will host The Burger Revue on July 1, featuring King Khan & the Shrines, '60s pop legend Ronnie Spector, a "surprise mystery guest" and more, $20. Aug. 2, on the other hand, brings Burger-a-Go-Go!, a femme-rock gathering capped by Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, Bleached and Shannon & the Clams, along with the Coathangers, the Muffs, Summer Twins, Sisu and more, $32.50.
That last one goes on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. The rest are available now, as is a new Constellation Room gig: the Maxies, Skapeche Mode, Hooray for Our Side and more, May 3, $5.
Echo & the Bunnymen: British rock icon Ian McCulloch and his mates have readied Meteorites, their first album in five years, for a June 3 release. Two months later, on Aug. 1, they will kickoff a stateside run supporting it with a performance at L.A.'s Orpheum Theatre, $29.50, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Cowboy Junkies: The Timmins siblings and bassist Alan Anton, Canadian practitioners of Americana long before that genre was fashionable, have booked a swing through Southern California venues, including June 12 at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills ($35-$60), June 13 at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano ($35), June 16 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach ($40-$70) and two shows, at 8 and 10:15, on June 17 at L.A.'s Largo at the Coronet ($35-$50).
Also at the Coach House: blues acts Janiva Magness and Guitar Shorty, June 28, $15; Eagles tribute Desperado, Aug. 15, $18; Carbon Leaf, Oct. 5, $15; and is it too soon to plan to see "A John Waters Christmas" on Dec. 3, $45?
Swans: To Be Kind, Michael Gira's third album since reviving his experimental band in 2010, drops early next month, so there will be plenty of time to digest it before the group plays Sept. 11 at the Roxy, $28. Also at the West Hollywood club: Mission of Burma, Aug. 28, $20. Both of those are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Imelda May: Dublin's rockabilly siren has a new album, Tribal, due July 29, and she tours the West Coast soon after that, including stops at the Belly Up in Solana Beach on Aug. 12, $25-$44, and L.A.'s El Rey Theatre on Aug. 14, $25, both on sale now. Also at the latter spot: F*** Buttons, June 26, $20; and Pomplamoose, Oct. 10, $20. Both of those go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The Aquabats: O.C.'s ska-pop superheroes headline House of Blues Anaheim on July 11, $22, while Foreverland, a 14-piece tribute to Michael Jackson, plays the Mouse House on July 25, $12.50. Both are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Passenger: The British singer-songwriter, whose fifth album Whispers drops in June, will perform Sept. 13 at the Wiltern, $25, on sale at 9 a.m. Friday. (He plays the next night at House of Blues San Diego, $25-$40.) Also at the L.A. landmark: Boyce Avenue, Nov. 15, $22.50-$35, on sale an hour later.
Xavier Rudd: The Aussie multi-instrumentalist arrives July 12 to play L.A.'s Bootleg HiFi, with Ash Grunwald opening, $23, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Young & Sick: The L.A.-based art and music project has a performance slated for July 2 at the Echo, $12, on sale at noon Thursday.
File Photo: Getty Images


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Death toll of Baghdad bombings stands at 42, Pentagon fears of further resistance attacks
All five bombings that took place on Monday in Baghdad were suicide attacks seemingly carried out by foreigners, US Brigadier General Mark Hertling said Monday during a press conference. "All five of those bombings today were suicide bombings," he said
Figures obtained by AFP from nine hospitals in the Iraqi capital city showed a total of 42 people were killed and 216 wounded.
In Washington, Pentagon officials discussed ways how to prevent further attacks.
According to the Washington Post, the U.S. strategy is to turn over security missions to Iraqi soldiers and police forces as quickly as possible.
The deliberations are taking on increased urgency because American intelligence and military officials are saying U.S. forces in Iraq have a limited time to break the resistance before the general population joins it.
A senior intelligence official told The Washington Post that the United States has a three-to-six-month window to put down the Iraqi resistance. According to the official, the anti-U.S. groups are trying to form a coordinated campaign across Iraq. If successful, "they would be more effective and harder to prevent," the official told the US daily. "They would send a signal to the populace" that they are an alternative to the occupation.
Another senior intelligence official said the United States has not devoted enough attention to understanding the anti-US groups in Iraq because intelligence resources have been devoted to locating weapons of mass destruction. As a result, the intelligence community and the military have little precise information about the resistance.
Adding to the need for quick action, a top U.S. military official involved in Iraq strategy has said that the Pentagon expects to pare its presence in Iraq significantly when major troop rotations come in February. (Albawaba.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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McGiever wrote:CoalBurner5 wrote:I do run my domestic through the boiler.
That is what the Low Limit is for. It maintains min. boiler temp. during standby so that when enough DHW use/household consumption does draw down the boiler temp. below the LL's differential, it will start the stoker up to hold at the LL min. temp...has nothing to do with any t'stat.
CoalBurner5 wrote:Here are pictures of what I am heating I will further explain everything in the next post
CoalBurner5 wrote:never done a heat calculation, wouldn't even know where to start with that. All I can tell you is that half the windows were replaced recently and I wll be updating the other half shortly. I can tell you that it is insulated very well and seems to hold heat pretty good once it heats up.
SMITTY wrote:The B terminals only energize when the boiler temp is below the high limit minus the differential and, there's a call for heat at the same time. Also energizes when boiler temp hits low limit.
Sounds like the stoker might be wired to the C1, C2 terminals - those should only run the circulators.
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The Birthday Book!
de David S. Rose
Acerca del libro
The Birthday Book is a perfect gift for those that have everything already and you need to find the right personalized book. There is a special dedication page and a sentiment page for you to write your special birthday message. The book artfully showcases letters that spell out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU" two times.
Acerca del creador
Growing up in the wet Pacific Northwest, DaVidRo spent many rainy days indoors where he took crayons to the wall and paint to the floor. He realized that colors, shapes and textures rocked his world. For his junior year of high school he packed his bags and headed off to Japan as an exchange student. He was strongly influenced by the Japanese sense of style. During his college years he studied art and design at Portland State University, Oregon State University, Art Institute of Oregon, School of Visual Arts in New York City and an art & music course in London. In 2011, he once again packed his bags and ventured south to the desert. He acquired the DaVidRo nickname while a designer at Stanford University. In his free time he likes to travel, explore, cook, eat, laugh and create art of all kinds including really cool books!
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text:
- Description
- Tags
- Reviews
Boyer Two Tone Black and Cherry Counter Height Dining Room Set
If you are in search of a small yet elegant dining set for your tiny dining space, then it will be the best for you to go for this stylish but space saving five piece set in double tone colors of black and cherry. The table has variety in its style line, and the cherry colored table top adds to its existing beauty. The table stands on an amazing pedestal base of a most artistic style of black color. The four barstools are also no less unique than the table. They are also made from solid and hard wood with a lustrous polish of two color shades. The frame of the chairs is black, while the back rest is in the combination of cherry and black color. The Wood veneer chair backs, and the black leather padded chair seats along with long black colored legs, makes the set look all the more exclusive. This dining set is very apt for a small family of three to four members. It is a perfect blend of style and glamour which has the capacity of changing your dining space from an ordinary one to a cozy and marvelous place.
5 piece set includes a table and four barstools.
Table: 47 1/4" L x 47 1/4" W x 36" H
Chair: 18" L x 21" W x 41 1/4" H x 16 3/8" D
Server: 58" L x 17 1/2" W x 41" H
Assembly required.


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Emacs Lisp Examples, page 1
This page shows very simple and useful emacs lisp functions. They show you the basic programing in elisp.
Insert Text
This code shows how to insert a string, and also position cursor after the insertion.
(defun insert-p-tag () "Insert

 at cursor point." (interactive) (insert "

") (backward-char 4))
You can use this code to insert your {signature, template, headers, footers, …}.
Put cursor at the last parenthesis, then Alt+x
eval-last-sexp 【Ctrl+x Ctrl+e】.
Then, you can call the command you just defined by name. For example, M-x insert-p-tag.
〔►see How to Evaluate Emacs Lisp Code〕
To see a function's documentation, Alt+x
describe-function 【Ctrl+h f】.
〔►see Elisp: Documentation Lookup〕
Insert Around Region
This code shows how to place a string at the beginning and end of a region.
(defun wrap-markup-region (start end) "Insert a markup  around a region." (interactive "r") (save-excursion (goto-char end) (insert "") (goto-char start) (insert "")))
You can use this code to add HTML begin/end tag on a selected text, or add brackets around a selection.
Select Current Word, Select Current Line
This code shows you how to set a mark (select text) programmatically.
;; turn on highlight selection (transient-mark-mode 1) (defun select-current-word () "Select the word under cursor. "word" here is considered any alphanumeric sequence with "_" or "-"." (interactive) (let (pt) (skip-chars-backward "-_A-Za-z0-9") (setq pt (point)) (skip-chars-forward "-_A-Za-z0-9") (set-mark pt)))
(transient-mark-mode 1) (defun select-current-line () "Select the current line" (interactive) (end-of-line) ; move to end of line (set-mark (line-beginning-position)))
See also: Elisp: Region, Active Region.
For full versions, see: Emacs: Select Line, between Quotes, Extend Selection
Find Replace String in Region
Here's how to do text replacements on a region. Very useful.
(defun replace-greek-region (start end) "Replace "alpha" to "α" and other greek letters in current region." (interactive "r") (save-restriction (narrow-to-region start end) (goto-char (point-min)) (while (search-forward " alpha" nil t) (replace-match " α" nil t)) (goto-char (point-min)) (while (search-forward " beta" nil t) (replace-match " β" nil t)) (goto-char (point-min)) (while (search-forward " gamma" nil t) (replace-match " γ" nil t)) ))
You can modify the code to do other replacements. For example, HTML XML Entities or URL Percent Encoding.
see also:
Delete Enclosed Text
This code illustrates how to delete a text enclosed by any pairs of delimiters.
For example, if you are editing HTML code, suppose you have text

something something long …
 and your cursor is somewhere in between the tags. You want to quickly delete all texts inside the p tags. The following function will do. It will also, delete any text between quotes or parenthesis.
(defun delete-enclosed-text () "Delete texts between any pair of delimiters." (interactive) (save-excursion (let (p1 p2) (skip-chars-backward "^([<>"") (setq p1 (point)) (skip-chars-forward "^)]<>"") (setq p2 (point)) (delete-region p1 p2))))
For many related code, see: Emacs: Select Line, between Quotes, Extend Selection
Delete Linebreaks
This example shows how to temporarily change a pre-defined variable's value, then call a function whose behavior depends on the var.
(defun remove-line-breaks () "Remove line endings in current paragraph." (interactive) (let ((fill-column (point-max))) (fill-paragraph nil)))
For detail, see: Emacs: Hard Wrap Lines, fill-paragraph, unfill-paragraph.
Next/Previous User Buffer
In this example, simple lisp constructions are shown, including
string-match. This is also a very convenient function. It allows you to switch to the next buffer without going thru a bunch of irrelevant buffers that emacs created, for example, {*scratch*, *Messages*, *Shell Command Output*, *Completions*, *calc*, *grep*, …}.
See: Emacs: Next/Previous User Buffer
Inserting a Random Number
(random t) ; seed it randomly (defun insert-random-number () "Insert a random number between 0 to 999999." (interactive) (insert (number-to-string (random 999999))) )
For more, see: Emacs: Insert Random Number/Hex/String
Thanks to Marcin Milewski for correction on "wrap-markup-region".


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Raj T, Shulman JM, Keenan BT, Chibnik LB, Evans DA, Bennett DA, Stranger BE, De Jager PL. Alzheimer disease susceptibility loci: evidence for a protein network under natural selection. Am J Hum Genet. 2012 Apr 6;90(4):720-6. PubMed.
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He may have died "a lonely and isolated man", but Ballarat-born Digger George Ashley Cooper has been fondly remembered by relatives at an Anzac centenary event in Fremantle on Friday.
At the outbreak of World War I, Mr Cooper was a timber worker in the West Australian town of Kirup. The 30-year-old was among the first to enlist.
"My grandfather heard the call of his country. With the 11th battalion, he did his training at Blackboy Hill, where they all lived and slept," granddaughter Gabrielle Egan said.
On October 31, 1914, the young private marched through Fremantle and boarded the Ascanius, part of the first convoy to leave Australian shores.
"Along with a fellow mill worker from Kirup, George was transported to Gallipoli on the Chelmer, arriving in the early hours of April 25," Mrs Egan said.
"The friend from Kirup was the first West Australian recruit to be killed in World War I."
Mr Cooper was badly wounded at Gallipoli and sent home to Australia to recover, where he married his sweetheart, Maggie, and conceived a daughter.
Military records revealed he stood a little under six feet tall, with fair hair and grey eyes. Mr Cooper was later promoted to lieutenant and served on the Western Front.
"Finally in June 1918, a shattered man, George was evacuated from the Somme and returned to Australia with a disorder of the heart and severe vertigo," Mrs Egan said.
Back in WA, Mr Cooper met his two-year-old daughter Marie for the first time, but the reunion was short-lived. The toddler was sent to her maternal grandparents as the young couple prepared to welcome their second child in Perth.
"Four days after the birth of their son James, Maggie succumbed to the Spanish flu. Ten days later, little James also died," Mrs Egan said.
She said Mr Cooper was convinced to leave his daughter in the care of her grandparents and head back to Ballarat to build a new life.
He briefly remarried, had various jobs and lived in New South Wales for a time. The Digger died of pneumonia in June 1945 "with no next of kin and leaving no medical records". Mr Cooper was buried by the RSL in Ballarat.
"Marie believed her father had been killed in the war until she was a young adult. However, he is proudly remembered by his family today," Mrs Egan said.
Gabrielle Egan said she named her son Cooper to honour her late grandfather, and both were present to honour his memory at memorial services over the weekend to mark 100 years since the departure of the first Australian troops bound for World War I.


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Mark Webber looks ahead to the F1 2012 season following today's launch of the Red Bull RB8.
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Mark Webber looks ahead to the F1 2012 season following today's launch of the Red Bull RB8.
Mark, after a period of success, does a car launch come with more or less pressure on the team?
Mark Webber:
Yes the success of the team in the last few years has been exceptional, so every time we launch a new car there is a lot of anticipation and excitement as you touch on some nerves and expectation. The bar has been set high. We have cleaned up in the last few years, our Constructors' Championship last year was very dominant. Both drivers are performing near the front and the team is being very reliable, we know that we have to keep working hard. The continuity has been a key factor in that, all of our Partners have been great for us and there is no reason in 2012 we can't be challenging for top results again.
Are you nervous about giving a car its debut on the test track or is there too much to think about?
Mark Webber:
I'm very excited about driving the car for the first time, it's a huge amount of work that has gone into it as always with a new car. The initial running is really about getting as much information as we can, learning what the car strengths are, where some of its weaknesses might be and then we need to work on those very, very quickly. We don't have much testing before we get to Melbourne and before we know it the winter programme will be over. It is a big responsibility and one that I'm looking forward to.
Last season was tricky for you. What did you take away from 2011?
Mark Webber:
As you say last year wasn't an amazing season, but it wasn't too bad for me. I still managed to finish third in the Drivers' Championship, not far off second with Jenson there, so it was a great way for me to finish the year with the victory in Brazil and many strong results. We're always learning as athletes and I'm looking forward to 2012, it's got some great opportunities for me. You know the old clich? take each race as it comes but that's how it will be initially and we'll go from there.
How much of a boost was the win in Brazil?
Mark Webber:
The win in Brazil was a great feeling, at this level when you win it's always very rewarding with the amount of effort that goes in, but when you have the feeling again having the national anthem, all those things that remind you of how unique it is and how important it is to get the most out of yourself and win those grand's prix, it's very, very special.
What are you hoping for from RB8?
Mark Webber:
The characteristics of the RB8 we're looking for is a car that's very driveable which means not only from an engine side, Renault are doing a good job there, but also aerodynamically we need a car that's functional on all circuits in all temperatures and clearly we need to get the best out of the tyres which was a huge thing last year for everybody. That's pretty much done now. Everyone knows how the tyres behave, that's old news. We need to move on and develop the car as best we can without the exhaust affecting the blown diffuser, which was the very powerful thing that the teams used last year. This year that's changed so that's going to be a key area of trying to understand the losses we've had there.
Will Pirelli's promise to reduce the performance gap between options help you?
Mark Webber:
Yes they changed the tyre a little bit this year, but it is pretty much old news, the tyres have been around for a while now the teams get on top of that stuff reasonably quickly, and the drivers, I'm talking in the space of a few months to half a year, which is pretty quick, so the teams know what we're in for so we'll just get stuck into the racing.
Is 2012 as a chance to lay down a few markers after a tough 2011?
Mark Webber:
I think off the back of last year many sportsmen or women when you don't get the most out of a situation you always want to come back and improve and do a better job. The bar has been lifted very, very high in the last few seasons and it's the challenge I'm looking forward to. I've had a really good winter and prepared for the season as best I can so I'm looking forward to the new season, I just cannot wait to get racing. We can talk a lot about it but we need to get on the track.
And finally, what have you been up to over the winter away from F1?
Mark Webber:
I've had a great break actually. After Brazil I came back here to Europe and did some stuff in Austria for Red Bull which was good, we did the show run in Milton Keynes, then I did the Tasmanian Challenge which was really enjoyable to see how that went and it was a great race down there and then I could really switch off actually, do a bit of surfing, also got the motorbikes out so had a bit of fun with those. It was really good to spend time with quality people I love being with away from the sport for a while, but I must say that come the middle of January I always get itchy feet to get back into the car again, so it was the perfect balance for me to unwind.


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Trainer Ken McPeek was thrilled Saturday morning, the day after his filly Flashy American ran from last to first to win the $100,000 Alada overnight stakes under jockey Joel Rosario.
by Preston Stables, the daughter of Flashy Bull ran 1 1/8 miles in the
slop in 1:50.18, more than two seconds faster than Notacatbutallama ran
in winning the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at the same
distance one race earlier.
"It was a great race; she's as steady as she goes," McPeek said. "Solid filly, getting better."
American has won three of her past four starts, including a 5 ½-length
score in the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows with a second to
Authenticity in the Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap on July 20 at Saratoga. In
seven lifetime two-turn races, she has five wins and a second.
time I run her long, two turns on the dirt, she does everything you
could ask her to do," McPeek said. "Whenever I ran her on the turf or
Poly or sprinting, she didn't do anything. That's my fault."
McPeek said he would work his "war horses" - War Dancer and Java's War - at 9:30 a.m., Sunday on the Oklahoma training track in preparation for the Grade 1 Travers on August 24.
* * *
Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens said Saturday he is targeting the Grade 1 Ballerina for Classic Point, who was second by a neck in her stakes debut, the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap on July 29.
The seven-furlong Ballerina for older female sprinters will be run on August 23.
"She's going to the Ballerina," Jerkens said. "We wouldn't want to find anything easy."
the Honorable Miss, the 4-year-old chestnut daughter of Flatter led the
field through a quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds, a half in 44.98 and five
furlongs in 57.08, but was caught at the wire by Dance to Bristol.
was tickled that she was running that well," Jerkens said. "I didn't
think she would make the lead like she did, because there were some
pretty quick horses in there compared to what she had been running with.
We thought she was good right from the start, but then she ran so badly
we couldn't figure it out. Whatever it is, she's doing better now,
that's for sure."
The Honorable Miss was the 17th career start and 10th this year for Classic Point, who has not had a timed workout since the race.
just work her fast quarters and then she kind of gallops out. She seems
to stay fresher that way," Jerkens said. "We might do a little more
with her being that it's a seven-furlong race. We'll see what happens.
She's doing fine."
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Great Art. Great City.
Guide the evolution of a distinct and vibrant artistic character for the city's public places.
Lead, facilitate and support the acquisition and stewardship of public art for the City of Calgary.
The Public Art Program Strategic Direction - 2011 is a platform that drives a holistic approach to The City's investment in public art for the next five to ten years. It is supported by the Guiding Principles and Value Statements that position the Program as an intrinsic collaborator in the development of The City's public places.
Through the Public Art Policy, The City of Calgary contributes to:
The Public Art Policy provides a foundation for the effective development, management and stewardship of public art throughout Calgary by:
A brief history of The City's Public Art Policy is available for download: History: Creating the Public Art Program.
The Public Art Policy provides a sustainable and responsive funding strategy for the acquisition, creation, implementation, administration and management of public art.
City of Calgary capital projects over $1 million allocate 1% of the first $50 million of eligible project costs and 0.5% of the portion over $50 million to public art, up to a maximum of $4 million per project.
There are three considerations related to the expenditure of funds allocated to public art:
This funding mechanism provides for:
All photos and images on the City of Calgary Public Art Program website are copyright protected. Please see our copyright notice for more information.


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ST. PETERSBURG — Back in October, BayWalk managers said they wouldn't get sorely needed tenants for the flagging shopping and entertainment complex unless the city ceded control of the sidewalk in front of the entrance.
"If the vacation (of the sidewalk) is not approved, we really don't know what the future of BayWalk will be," said Thomas McGeachy of Ciminelli Real Estate Services, BayWalk's property manager.
Yet four months after City Council members complied with BayWalk's request — in one of the most controversial votes in recent city history, complete with fisticuffs — the complex is 80 percent vacant. Only one tenant, a furniture store, has moved in since the Oct. 15 vote.
McGeachy said several prospects are on the verge of closing deals, and that in the next two months some high-profile restaurants will sign lease agreements. The complex will then embark on $1.5 million in renovations, including a paint job, replacing the escalators, installing new signs and lights, and refurbishing the restrooms.
But for some, including Mayor Bill Foster, the lack of new tenants falls short of BayWalk's promise that banishing protesters and lingering teens from the entrance would reverse the complex's decline.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," Foster said. "This is an urgent matter for the city, and I would hope that those making the leasing decisions at BayWalk have the same sense of urgency."
Council Chairman Leslie Curran, who voted against the sidewalk vacation, was even more blunt. She said BayWalk's property managers overstated the effect the sidewalk had on the project.
"We were told that they had a long list of tenants waiting for the sidewalk to be vacated," Curran said. "Well, the sidewalk was vacated. Where are they? I am quite concerned."
The project's leasing agent, Curtis Rorebeck, urged patience. He said while it may appear that the sidewalk hasn't clinched new tenants, he said several ongoing prospect negotiations wouldn't have been possible without it.
"We've probably hit the bottom as far as the vacancies," said Rorebeck, who works at Equity Inc. "It takes time, No. 1. But I feel good about our activity level and the people we are negotiating with. If the sidewalk issue hadn't been resolved, we don't have any prospects."
He and McGeachy insist the project is ready to turn the corner.
Already, security was beefed up at the Mid Core garage at First Avenue N that is used by BayWalk patrons. Since May, the city has spent $284,000 to improve security and lighting at the garage and the promenade connecting it to BayWalk.
Many people cited lack of security as a reason to stay away, McGeachy said.
And, BayWalk's newest resident, furniture store hermanHOME, seems happy.
"For us, it's going incredibly," said Ed Biggs, the store's lead designer. "We've made deliveries to all but one high-rise condo on Beach Drive. There's nothing wrong with business at BayWalk."
Muvico Theaters also is making improvements at its 20-screen complex, including adding two 3-D film projectors in time for the March 5 opening of Alice in Wonderland. It is also opening the Gallery, which will feature art and independent films and host art exhibits and lectures in four theaters. The venue will include a wine and beer bar, so only those 21 and older can attend.
"With all the improvements, we're spending up to $500,000," said Hal Cleveland, Muvico's new chief executive. "We would love to see additional tenants, and I think BayWalk is working diligently to find prospects in a tough economic environment."
The driver of the project will be the restaurants to occupy more than 35,000 square feet of space that is now mostly empty. McGeachy said BayWalk will stay away from chains and try to lure four local restaurants to anchor the complex.
Splitsville, a dinner lounge with bowling, is still in the running, Rorebeck said, but Z Grille dropped out.
Gary Grooms, co-owner of Z Grille, said BayWalk made a generous offer on rent, but getting money to open a restaurant was too difficult.
"We found that nobody would loan money," Grooms said.
Rorebeck said the bad economy isn't the problem in getting BayWalk filled up again.
"It just takes a while to get the right mix of tenants," Rorebeck said. "I wouldn't blame the market."
But for protesters like Chris Ernesto, an organizer for St. Pete for Peace, the persisting problems at BayWalk prove that October's City Council vote was a sideshow and a distraction.
"Most of us live here, so we're like everyone else, we don't want boarded-up stores," Ernesto said. "It's just that the U.S. economy has been in the worst tailspin in years. We were scapegoated. That sidewalk has been a red herring all along."
Michael Van Sickler can be reached at (727) 893-8037 or email@example.com.


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The love for donuts in the Lou continues unabated. The latest purveyor of these sweet treats to make the scene is the Vincent Van Doughnut food truck, which hit the streets this month. The mobile bake shop will be selling a variety of classic favorites, as well as custom creations out of Clyde, a vintage 1960 Ford Grumman Olson step van. Find out where the truck will be next via Twitter @vinvandoughnut.
Big congratulations to the folks at Cielo at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. The restaurant was recently ranked No. 6 on USA Today's Daily Meal.com's list of 20 Best Hotel Breakfasts in America.
The latest location of high-end steakhouse chain 801 Chophouse is set to open next month in Clayton at 137 Carondelet Plaza, the space that used to house Araka. The restaurant also has locations in Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, Mo., and Leawood, Kan.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is welcoming winter with its new Winter Taste the Season, a two-course prix fixe menu for $41 per guest that'll be available through January. Choices include seasonal delicacies such as a cedar-smoked and charred prime New York Strip, and a chocolate whisky tart with cinnamon cream.
Whiskey in The Winter takes place this Saturday, Nov. 23, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. (VIP entry starts at 5:30pm) at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis At The Arch. In addition to the grand tasting, the evening will feature education seminars by industry experts, including Woodford Reserve master distiller CHRIS MORRIS, Beam Global's master mixologist BOBBY GLEASON, and Wild Turkey associate distiller EDDIE RUSSEL. There also will be whiskey-inspired food stations and whiskey cocktails crafted by local and guest mixologists, including BC's Kitchen, Cielo, Gamlin's Whiskey House, Mike Shannon's Grill, Olio, Red and Sanctuaria. For tickets, visit whiskeyinthewinter.com.


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- Dead-eye
- Dead-eye Dead"-eye` (d[e^]d"[imac]`), n. (Naut.) A round, flattish, wooden block, encircled by a rope, or an iron band, and pierced with three holes to receive the lanyard; -- used to extend the shrouds and stays, and for other purposes. Called also {deadman's eye}. --Totten. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.


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Disney is a huge attraction during the spring and summer months – and there's no better way for kids to step out in true Disney style and stay comfortable while walking the theme parks than with character-inspired footwear from Stride Rite®.
When you wish upon a star…the Stride Rite for Disney Wish Lights collection includes Cinderella, Aurora, Rapunzel, Belle, and Ariel styles that feature new Wish Lights technology with a heart-shaped princess gem that lights up with every step.
Magic in every step…Mouseketeers fans will adore Disney Baby Mickey Mouse Soft Motion by Stride Rite and Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Soft Motion by Stride Rite.
Super Shoes….Superhero fans will "marvel" over the Marvel by Stride Rite Captain America and Spiderman collections, which both include SRT, Slip-On, Shandal, and Lighted versions.
We are giving away a $200 online gift card to Stride Rite to 1 lucky reader!
Also exclusive to our readers is 20% discount on Disney Baby, Disney Princess & Marvel. Use coupon code READY4SUN at checkout (offer available 5/12/14 – 5/16/14).
One easy way to enter:
This contest ends Friday, May 16 at 7:00 pm EST. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!
*contest rules*
Congratulations to the winner of our Jenny Present giveaway: Annie!
Congratulations to the winner of our Mountain Buggy giveaway: Momo!


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Lawmakers hear emotional testimony on bills that crack down on drunken driving
State lawmakers spent several hours Tuesday listening mainly to people who demanded tougher drunken driving laws.
The Assembly's Public Safety Committee held a hearing at State Fair Park near Milwaukee on a package of nine OWI reforms.
They include mandatory ignition interlocks for all repeat offenders and many first-timers, and making four-time OWI a felony if the most recent offense is within five years of the last one.
Laurie Wroblewski who lost her daughter to a five-time drunken driver 20 years ago, said the crackdowns should be stronger. Many agreed.
But Democrat Tony Staskunas of West Allis says there are things the Legislature will probably never pass - like making a first-time offense a crime.
Also, he said it would cost an extra $375 million a year in prison costs to make three-time drunken driving a felony, and that's not practical with the state's massive deficit.


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Elizabeth is in charge of a County Dyslexia Resource at Hawarden High School, Flintshire. She is a regular contributor to British Dyslexia Association handbooks.
It uses the Queen Mother's lifetime as its stimulus for the perception of change.
Learning aims
Read out this quotation from Germaine Hassall, aged 14, standing in The Mall for the funeral of the Queen Mother:
"My knowledge of the twentieth century has really improved in the last few days."
Use the quote as the initial stimulus to discuss major events of the last century.
Asking the class:
Written instruction sheets should be 'dyslexia friendly' by using the following:
Encourage students to talk, select, discard and present their findings in a visual manner.
The evidence can be displayed in a collage, mind map etc.
Remind students that they are looking at change between 'then' and 'now' over a hundred year life span.
Extension activity
Using the evidence they have found, each group will report back to the class their findings or lack of them in some incidences!
For example, why are there fewer famous women in 1900 compared to 2002?
Recap on the main teaching points and ask the class if they can spot any patterns between each group's research.
There are major changes in how women look, what they can do, and their general lifestyle. What do they consider to be the major changes?
Teachers' Background
BDA Helpline Tel: 0118 966 8271


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Microsoft's original goal was to sell one million Zunes by June 2007. It's mid-May and they have already sold one million Zunes which shows they're right on track with where they expected they'd be nine months after launch.
As their first entry into the portable media market, I'd say that the Zune has done fairly well. Especially considering that the iPod already had such a massive portion of the media market to begin with.Certainly, the Zune hasn't turned into the "iPod Killer" that it was once dubbed, but it's doing good. Not great, but good.
I am surprised however, that I have yet to see anyone using a Zune. I live in a college town and have seen iPod after iPod in the hands of college students but have yet to see anyone with a Zune. I guess when put into perspective, one million Zunes really isn't THAT much in the grand scheme of things. I've of course seen them on the shelves at various stores, but that's as close as I've gotten to seeing one in public.
So, have any of you seen a Zune making a public appearance?
(Photo above is the latest color: Watermelon Red which joins the pink, white, black, and brown colors, or of course the Halo 3 special edition.)


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The Waterboys band, lead by Mike Scott, is said to defy genre. With influences of Celtic, folk and rock, Scott insists on keeping the band's songwriting fresh with creative new ideas and explosive instrumentation. In this episode, we learn about the realization of a 20 year dream, as the band performs hits like "The Whole of the Moon" and others.
WHYY thanks our sponsors — Become a sponsor »
On Tour is an Emmy Award winning music and performance program recorded live on location at local venues in and around Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. The On Tour series features regional, national and international artists performing a wide range of musical styles including rock n' roll, R&B, country, jazz, blues, alternative rock, indie, folk and classical. The hallmark of On Tour is the seamless weaving of intimate artist interviews with great performances.
On Tour airs on WHYY-TV Thursdays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at noon.
WHYY thanks our sponsors — Become a sponsor »


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Social media is finally getting respect among independent broker-dealers and wirehouses as a legitimate and even necessary part of the marketing and business development landscape.
That already had been the case for many registered investment advisers, who have grown familiar with social media at a faster rate than those in the brokerage industry. This is largely due to the greater freedom afforded RIAs in exploiting the technology medium, thanks to less stringent regulation on the part of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. has been more restrictive from the beginning — or that is the general interpretation that the brokerage industry and its compliance community have shared for years.
Although there now is a sense of slightly more freedom across the brokerage industry in the use of the medium, and in embracing it more for the purposes of marketing, brokerage firms chafe at the additional expenses incurred in meeting their compliance burden. That expense is due to the need for additional technology to help manage the burden and keep an eye on what representatives are up to on social networks.
One school of thought and one category of technology have addressed these needs in the form of archiving solutions.
More than a half dozen firms provide this type of solution, such as Erado, Global Relay, RegEd, Arkovi, Smarsh and SunGard's Protegent.
New school of thought
In the past three years, a second school of thought has emerged, suggesting that what is really needed are tools and platforms that allow a financial firm not only to retain and archive all its social-media content but also to integrate social-media selling, marketing and analytics tools.
These tools can allow a firm to keep watch over creation of social-media messaging, review it and measure the success of the content.
A handful of companies have come to the rescue to meet that need, most notably Actiance Inc., Hearsay Social Inc. and Socialware Inc. Soon to arrive will be a new platform from RegEd Inc.
Fairly big news in this category came weeks ago with Raymond James Financial Inc. saying that it is switching social-media platforms from the Socialite system from Actiance to that of Hearsay Social, largely because of the latter firm's strong Social Signals module.
In a recent interview, Raymond James chief marketing officer Mike White said that the Hearsay platform's ability to work on mobile devices and the non-work computers of its financial advisers was an additional benefit that the firm had sought.
Also, a particular strength of the Social Signals system is that it can assist Raymond James in monitoring the lives of its clients through social-network analysis.
"All our clients have tablets and are using social-media tools on them," Mr. White said.
"The pattern of adoption in years past was far slower," he said. "Now you see grandparents adopting the social networks within a year of their children and grandchildren."
Steve Garrity, chief technology officer of Hearsay Social, declined to comment specifically on his firm's engagement with Raymond James but did say that many of his firm's newest customers are companies trying to get beyond meeting regulatory requirements.
"Compliance is incredibly important, but that is not why these firms are in the business they are in," he said. "They are in the business to make money, and a solution that only solves for the compliance issues is like having a car with brakes but no engine — the car is not going to go anywhere."
Mr. Garrity provided an easy example to visualize.
In Hearsay's "activity view," an adviser can see all the activity summarized among his or her connections on their social networks. Based on rules that a broker-dealer or adviser can customize, "machine-learning" features of the platform are always operating behind the scenes and will note and prioritize the events that are most important for the adviser's clients and prospects.
Perhaps the simplest such event for an adviser to note might be a job change, which can make for a timely contact to the prospect or client in advance of the annual review.
Broad adoption
Of course, Raymond James isn't the only firm hard at work on the social-media front. One of the first big brokerage firms to venture into social media was Morgan Stanley Wealth Management LLC, when it began testing use of LinkedIn and Twitter by a select group of 600 advisers in May 2011 and expanded that policy to cover its entire adviser base of roughly 17,000 in mid-2012.
Many firms' initial experiments into the new medium have been cautious — allowing only pre-written, preapproved posts, for example — but as compliance requirements have evolved, so have strategies at IBDs and wirehouses.
Joe Corriero, head of digital marketing for Bank of America's Global Wealth and Investment Management division (which incorporates Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust), said that his firm has a multipronged approach when it comes to social media.
"We look at social media as both a channel and a valuable tool from the marketing perspective," he said. "We use it to communicate with our clients and prospective clients, but we also interact with influencers and the media using it."
The firm has several important Twitter handles, with @MerrillLynch having the biggest presence with 60,000 followers, Mr. Corriero said.
The firm also has a corporate page on LinkedIn with about 100,000 followers, as well as a YouTube channel and a magazine on Flipboard.
"Listening, too, is very important," Mr. Corriero said.
A big part of the firm's efforts in the social-media realm involve absorbing what clients and followers of the firm share on social-media sites, and using that data to drive its research and publishing efforts, he said.
"We note the fears and desires among our customers, and try to roll that back into what we provide them," Mr. Corriero said.
Although he and Scott Logan, managing director and head of business technology for global wealth and investment management at BofA, declined to discuss the particular vendors that the firm uses for social-media management, they did say it is a mixed implementation.
"Strategically, we think of functionality before rolling out [a platform or features]. We consider data analysis a core competency," Mr. Corriero said.
"When it comes to these platforms, we tune them for the social listening," he said.
"And anytime we are distributing content, we absolutely track everything we can on it — and more than just the click-throughs but sentiment and all the softer behavioral aspects to the data," Mr. Corriero said.
The data also are scrutinized in real time, something the wirehouses have more of than many independent advisers.
"Relevancy has an expiration date," Mr. Corriero said.


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Egypt launched the War of Attrition along the Suez Canal with the idea of inflicting as many Israeli casualties as possible, thereby testing Israel's ability and determination to hold onto its gains from the Six Day War. The war officially began in March 1969, but hostilities had been common along all three fronts (Egypt, Syria and Jordan) ever since the June 1967 cease-fire. For example, terrorists continuously infiltrated into the Jordan Valley, leading to IDF helicopter-borne search operations.
The real War of Attrition, however, was with Egypt, which pounded Israeli positions along the Canal. Lacking sufficient numbers of cannons, Israel utilized its aircraft as flying artillery. For the first time, modern American-made fighters took part in the action. This development was the direct result of a French arms embargo to the Middle East following the Six Day War. In reality, the embargo applied only to Israel, which had previously relied on French aircraft of all types. Now the A-4 Skyhawk and F-4 Phantom become the workhorses.
The Phantom arrived at the height of the battle and immediately took on Egyptian air defenses along the Canal. The Phantom's range enabled it to reach strategic targets deep inside Egypt. Before long, Phantoms also began hammering Migs in dogfights. The air-to-air arena took on the look of a Wild West gunfight. Israeli and Egyptian fighters shot it out high above a barren stretch of desert which became known as "Texas".
The U.S.S.R. took an active role in Egypt's air defense, providing the latest equipment along with thousands of "advisors". In fact, Soviet participation went far beyond a training role. Russians operated the sophisticated radars and surface-to-air missiles and succeeded in downing several Israeli planes. They even flew Egyptian Migs until Israeli Phantoms and Mirages shot down five Russian pilots, without loss, in a massive dogfight.
IAF helicopters, such as the newly arrived Sikorsky CH-53, took part in many daring missions. They stole a brand new Soviet radar and flew it back to Israel. Helicopters inserted troops on many missions in Egypt's heartland. Together with the strategic bombing missions these deep penetrations provided the answer to Egypt's numerical supremacy along the Canal. By revealing Egypt's vulnerability, the IAF forced the enemy to reconsider and put an end to the costly War of Attrition.


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LAMPS PLUS Blog Policies
Vintage window frames have such charm and character... and also the potential to be transformed and repurposed into some pretty practical and functional pieces! I love the rustic and weathered look that an old window brings to a contemporary space and I've found some fabulous DIY ideas for making an old window into something new. (Please note: old window frames may be finished in lead paint, so be cautious when working with them!)
Above: simple and chic, an antique window with glass is set on a pair of bourgeois crates for a utilitarian coffee table with serious style.
Cardboard pieces cut to size replace the glass in this old paneled window to create large scale wall art. Patterned wallpaper pieces (you could use inexpensive scrapbook paper too) are attached with spray adhesive.
Wire mesh stapled to the back of a vintage window creates the perfect place to hang pairs of earrings, while small s-hooks attached to the frame allow necklaces to be hung tangle-free. This jewelry display makes a big impact in a bedroom without breaking the bank.
Perfect for apartment dwellers, this DIY laundry drying rack is a simple window frame attached securely to the wall with hinges.
This salvaged window gets a new life with the addition of a barn board shelf and some chalkboard paint to become a sweet family message center. (Adding decorative hooks to the underside of the shelf would make a great place to store your keys!)
What's your favorite way to transform an old window frame into something new?
Images: Eldrids, CraftyNest, The Borrowed Abode, Melinda Dame Christensen on Pinterest, Post Road Vintage.
I used old window frames for the seating charts at my wedding! :)
Love it - that's such a cute idea!
I love the drying rack idea! Time for me to start looking for old window frames.
Are there instructions on how to make this?
Hi Susan, you can try clicking on the links at the bottom of the post to take you to the image sources - they may have tutorials on how to make some of these items. Good luck!


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Click on the headline (link) for the full text.
Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage
Can the U.S. military move to renewable fuels?
Sohbet Karbuz, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The U.S. military is the world's largest single consumer of oil. Its efforts to fund renewable energy projects are haphazard and do little to address its dependence on oil for vehicles. A full energy-use profile would allow the U.S. military to know how it uses its fuels, which would allow for a truly comprehensive energy policy.
In a 1906 planning document, the U.S. War Department imagined, "In 1950, the U.S. military [will be] a highly effective, mobile, and mutually supporting force, protecting all required American interests through dominant air, land, and sea operations powered by a petroleum energy standard that is reliably and economically produced from domestic sources."
That vision came true except regarding the last two words. Oil production in the United States, the largest producer in the world at the beginning of the 20th century, reached its peak in 1970. Today, the United States is the world's largest oil importer, and the U.S. military is the single largest consumer of oil in the world. (For more detail see War Without Oil: A Catalyst For True Transformation.)
From the end of the Cold War to the first years of the 21st century, the Pentagon's energy consumption dropped by some 40 percent, but with the "Global War on Terror," consumption has risen again. Oil fuels the U.S. military's nearly 11,000 aircraft and helicopters, 200 combat and support ships, 200,000 tracked and wheeled vehicles, and 190,000 non-combat vehicles, such as trucks, passenger cars, and buses (not to mention many unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles).
Although fuel costs represent less than 3 percent of the Defense Department budget, indirect costs such as those for transporting fuel to battlefields and distributing it to the end-user, add to the total. When the cost of the army's entire logistics network is added to the cost of delivered fuel, gas prices are $13-$19 per gallon. In the air force, these costs can be much higher, military grade jet fuel delivered through aerial refueling costs upwards of $42 a gallon.
The military is aware of its dependence on oil, and is working to increase its energy efficiency and to create viable alternative fuels such as biofuels and synthetic liquid fuels from natural gas and coal.
(31 October 2008)
One of the best articles by Sohbet Karbuz, who has been a regular contributor to Energy Bulletin. For more, see his blog or his posts at EB. -BA
Pickens' grassroots energy push may get mowed
Anna Driver, Reuters
The ambitious campaigns by energy billionaires T. Boone Pickens and Chesapeake Energy Corp's Aubrey McClendon to wean the United States off foreign oil and toward natural gas and wind power may fall victim to crashing energy prices and the global credit crisis.
As part of his plan, has Pickens argued for an overhaul of the nation's power grid, while Chesapeake Chief Executive Officer McClendon wants the nation's fleet of vehicles to run on compressed natural gas rather than gasoline and diesel fuel. Both ventures would cost hundreds of billions to implement.
The energy sector has been socked by worries that the financial crisis could cause a worldwide slowdown that would cut into energy demand.
(31 October 2008)
A Last Push To Deregulate
White House to Ease Many Rules
R. Jeffrey Smith, The Washington Post
The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January.
The new rules would be among the most controversial deregulatory steps of the Bush era and could be difficult for his successor to undo. Some would ease or lift constraints on private industry, including power plants, mines and farms.
Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining.
Once such rules take effect, they typically can be undone only through a laborious new regulatory proceeding, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting and mandated reanalysis…
(31 October 2008)
Despite price drop, drivers stick with fuel-saving habits
Helen Jung, The Oregonian
Don't look for monster SUVs to stage a comeback any time soon, but Oregon drivers are gingerly stepping on the gas.
Gas prices in Oregon dropped to $2.86 a gallon on Tuesday, the lowest price in about 13 months and a steep drop-off from the $4-plus levels that motorists paid at the peak in July.
And although they hope prices fall even lower, several said the price drop has helped ease the pain at the pump — and in their checkbooks.
"Instead of spending $65 to fill it, I just spent $43," said Mark Cach, of Portland.
But like several other motorists, Cach said he plans to continue some of the gas-saving measures that he relied on during the $4-plus a gallon days. He said he combines multiple errands into one trip and avoids driving as much as possible.
(28 October 2008)
As Gas Prices Go Down, Driving Goes Up
Clifford Krauss, New York Times
… The sharp decline in gasoline use earlier this year — with volume down nearly 10 percent in some weeks — suggested to many people, including the automobile companies, that a permanent change in American habits might be at hand. But with gasoline prices falling drastically in recent weeks, some American drivers are returning to their old ways.
What is happening in this blue-collar bedroom community of refinery, food processing and casino workers reminds energy analysts of what happened the last time the oil price collapsed. The frugality of the 1970s, when oil was high, eventually gave way to an era when people drove longer distances, lived farther from work and traded in their cars for minivans and then sport utility vehicles.
"Driving habits die hard, and they can reincarnate quickly," said Christopher R. Knittel, an economist at the University of California, Davis, who studies gasoline demand. In the late 1980s, he added: "As soon as gas prices fell, there was no real incentive to drive less anymore. If oil prices continue to fall and the economy recovers, I would expect consumers to return to wanting larger and less fuel-efficient cars."
(29 October 2008)


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I need help deciding if I should accept offer from Banker's to become an agent.
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Mach351Q in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
80 months ago
I'm looking for a new job/career because I'm laid off. I own my own house and I have bills to pay. I have an offer from Banker's Insurance and I want to know if it's the right thing for me. I don't have sales experience. I don't seem to get direct answers from them. Can anybody help?
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Pending Sales of Previously Owned Homes in the U.S. Increased 2.4% in June
USB Is Sued for Mortgage Losses
Homeownership Falls to Lowest Since 1998
Case-Shiller Index Posts Second Straight Increase
84 Percent of U.S. Metros Post Lower Foreclosure Activity in First Half of 2011
Trulia Launches Social Search, Bringin Word-Of-Mouth Refferals Online for the Real Estate Industry
BofA Donates Then Demolishes Houses to Cut Glut of Foreclosures
Ocwen Financial Offers New Loan Modification Program
Today's News Synopsis:
In this week's video, Aaron Norris of The Norris Group gives the news of the week in the world of real estate and other big events. According to Bloomberg, homeownership rates are at their lowest level since 1998. Wells Fargo and National Urban League are teaming up together to help homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments
In The News:
Bloomberg– "U.S. Homeownership Rate Hits Lowest Level in 13 Years on Stricter Lending" (7-29-11)
"The U.S. homeownership rate fell to the lowest level since 1998 in the second quarter as stricter lending standards blocked purchases and foreclosures forced people out of their residences. The ownership rate through June was 65.9 percent, the lowest since the same rate 13 years ago, the U.S. Census Bureau said in a report today."
Housing Wire – "Fixed-rate CMBS defaults near 13%" (7-29-11)
"Defaults on loans in fixed-rate, commercial mortgage-backed securities continue to grow, with the default rate hitting 12.9% at the end of the second quarter, up 228 basis points from Dec. 31, Fitch Ratings said."
DS News – "Wells Fargo Teams with National Urban League to Aid Homeowners" (7-29-11)
"Wells Fargo and the National Urban League have released the second edition of 'The Foreclosure Workbook: The Complete Guide to Understanding Foreclosure and Saving Your Home'."
Realty Times – "30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Follows Treasury Yields Higher" (7-29-11)
"Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which shows mortgage changing little for the week amid mixed macroeconomic data. The 30-year fixed averaged 4.55 percent, while the 15-year remained unchanged from its previous week average of 3.66 percent."
Inman – "Consumers, real estate pros tap shift to rentals" (7-29-11)
"In a sluggish economy, diversification into renting can provide new income streams for both consumers and real estate professionals, according to two speakers at Real Estate Connect Thursday."
The Wall Street Journal – "Mortgages Hold Steady" (7-29-11)
"Mortgage rates in the U.S. were again little changed over the past week, as readings on the U.S. economy continued to show mixed signals, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey of mortgage rates."
San Francisco Chronicle – "BofA turns bulldozer on glut of abandoned homes" (7-29-11)
"Bank of America Corp., faced with a glut of foreclosed and abandoned houses it can't sell, has a new tool to get rid of the most decrepit ones: a bulldozer."
Housing Wire – "Mortgage insurers write $4.8 billion in new business in June" (7-29-11)
"Private mortgage insurers, who are fighting for a place in the future mortgage finance space, wrote $4.8 billion in new insurance on mortgage loans originated in June, up from $3.92 billion in May."
Realtor Magazine – "To Save Home Values, Bill Asks Banks to Rent Foreclosures" (7-29-11)
"As a glut of foreclosures on the market weighs down home values across the country, a bipartisan bill introduced this week in the House proposes a solution to reducing the high inventories: Rent the properties out."
DS News – "Community Land Trusts Have Lower Delinquency and Foreclosure Rates" (7-29-11)
"A recent report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy found that delinquency and foreclosure rates among owner-occupants living in homes in Community Land Trusts (CLT) were consistently lower than rates among owner-occupants in the market overall."
Looking Back:
RealtyTrac reported foreclosure filings increased in 75% of the nation's metro areas during the first 2 quarters of 2010. Statistics from the Department of Labor showed unemployment insurance claims fell by 11,000 the previous week. According to Freddie Mac's weekly survey, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased to 4.54%. Fiserv predicted that single-family home prices would fall 4.9 percent during 2010-2011.
For more information about The Norris Group's California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You'll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.
Tags: Agent Recommendation System, Bank of America, bruce norris, Case-Shiller index, fitch ratings, fixed-rate mortgage, foreclosure workbook, freddie mac, homeownership rate, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, National Urban League, Ocwen Financial, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Real Estate Connect, the norris group, trulia, U.S. Census Bureau, Wells Fargo


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Skies of Arcadia
Review by Jerky64
"Great game to play but annoying at times..."
No doubt its a beautifully made game especially with character model and cinema, but the vastness and smooth world that was laid out before is what really impressed me about this game, its rendered wonderfully and runs smooth, never saw a slow down or glitch in the graphics. The character are smooth, the cinema is wonderful, and the world it self is clean and smooth. 10/10
Story line
Others have said that the story in the game wasn't and good as they had expected, but I myself thought the story was pretty good and I thought it was especially better than GrandiaII as it really made you feel excited just to save the world, stop an Empire, and protect a young girl from devastation all in one game. 10/10
The controls are perfect and easy to handle, nuff said. 10/10
The sound in this game isn't something thats just so good you'll be singing its praises for months on out, but its good and it fits the background of the game. Great classical music and great sound effects with the magic spells and the special skills. 9/10
This game would be the perfect RPG if only there wasn't the annoying random battles in the first cd, dunno if they really wanted you to mass level or what, but it seemed after even touching the analog stick (didn't even have to move sometimes) you hit a random battle. It seemed after a while I began fleeing just because I was tired of the randoms, and that can really hurt your reputation in the game. Speaking of which, in the game you have this rating or reputation score which during the game you'll be known through out the world by how adventurous you are or how ''tough'' you are, if you flee to much you'll be known as the ''Unimpressive'' or if you fight and complete your adventures your reputation will go up to ''Vyse the Impressive'' or whatever. The reputations can vary depending on how many battles you fight or run for, discoverys you make, and how well you do in the dungeons. The second cd has less randoms so its not so bad when you get to the second cd and everything works great, just to many randoms so it gets frustrating. 8/10
Lasting Appeal
There are discoverys and some side quests that might keep you coming back if you like that stuff, but I myself don't plan to go through those randoms again nor did I want to play 66 hours of the game again because its just a type of game that you really want to play but only once or maybe you'll play it later in life depending on how much you liked the game.9/10
SoA is a great game and will probably be known as a classic RPG with the new ideas it presents for RPGs but the randoms I faced in the first cd is the only thing thats keeping this game from a perfect score. Also, I couldn't help but compare some parts of the game to GrandiaII and I tried not to on alot of it because there really different, but also the same on some things. Get both if you have the money, but as for choosing between them, I cant bring myself to do that. If only we could splice the game ideas together, that would be the perfect RPG.
Reviewer's Rating: 4.5 - Outstanding
Originally Posted: 12/27/00, Updated 12/27/00
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text: Nick Moss November 27, 2013 | 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Where Old Skoolz 921 E. 8th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 United States Cost $15 Additional Information Facebook 16-time Blues Music Award nominee Nick Moss will be at Old Skoolz the night before Thanksgiving Category: Concerts Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! Discuss This Event


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THE DOOR TO THE SKY by David Michael (Spec Fic) - $2.99
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Posts: 203
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Device: Kindle
How Blue Got Her Name
How Blue Got Her Name
Blue, in the novel The Door to the Sky, is a woman with goddess-like power over the air and sky. That her name is "Blue" seems almost obvious. What else would her name be?
Funny story...
I plotted The Door to the Sky in September 2006 just after plotting
The Summoning Fire
(though before *writing* The Summoning Fire; I was saving TSF for NaNoWriMo that year). And, as I had done when
I plotted The Summoning Fire
a few weeks before, I started with a structure.
Here is that structure:
The simple description of the structure is: "Three converging storylines".
Just like with The Summoning Fire's spiral, each line is a primary character viewpoint, with a few, related secondary viewpoints.
Can you guess which storyline is Blue's?
As I wrote notes about the "Blue character" and how her story arc would go, I fell in love with the name. I resisted at first, then embraced the name. Once I had done that, the name showed me all sorts of ideas that I had not considered before. I can't imagine the character with any other name now.
"Red" and "Green", on the other hand, never clicked with me as names. So those became "The Traveler" and "The Tyrant/Savir Agrata", respectively. After all, the sturcture was just an outlining tool. Not a naming tool.
Except for Blue.
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Last year, we wrote about a powerful coalition of developers pushing a bill in Olympia for "tax increment financing" (TIF).
Under TIF legislation, a city (or county or other taxing authority) can create a district of almost any size, then take nearly every new property-tax dollar generated in that area, sometimes for decades, to subsidize large redevelopment projects serving special interests.
As growth occurs, property values (and taxes) increase. All the increased tax revenue (above those collected in prior years) in the TIF district can then be raked off to pay for big-ticket projects. As TIF districts proliferate, tens of millions that would have gone into a city's general fund are drained away, leaving less and less to meet city's overall basic needs.
Undaunted by its failure to gain support in the Legislature last year, this coalition regrouped, gave TIF a new name — "value capture financing" (VCF) — and now are back with a revised bill that threatens even more severe effects on our wallets.
Sleight of hand
Under TIF, cities may capture future property-tax revenues otherwise destined for their general fund, but the amount of new revenue that can be raised annually from new taxes is restricted by a state-imposed 1-percent lid. No local jurisdiction may collect more than a 1-percent increase above tax revenue collected the previous year. Only a voter-approved special levy or bond allows cities to layer on new property taxes above that 1-percent lid. It's your vote helping to ensure that, most of the time, an extra tax is used for projects and activity our city really needs.
By contrast, VCF gives a local jurisdiction the right to create a VCF district of any size and, in that area, impose new taxes that double the amount of additional property-tax revenue it can raise from 1 to 2 percent over the previous year. And city leaders could use those extra dollars for whatever purpose — all without a public vote. Given their deep pockets and massive influence at city hall, developers are the most likely beneficiaries of such a system.
If approved, the bill would require an amendment to the state Constitution so voters statewide still would have an opportunity to reject it. But if voters aren't made aware of its implications — it's an intricate mechanism not easily understood — VCF could very well pass.
Also, owners representing half the total assessed value within a proposed VCF district could file a petition and kill the new tax, but bill supporters know it's logistically impossible to get hundreds or even several thousand to sign such a petition.
To get buy-off from a few misguided environmental and social-service groups, proponents of the VCF bill added a so-called social-equity component: 25 percent of funds raised by VCF is supposed to go to housing, open space or "sustainable" projects. Only half of the 25 percent must go to low-income housing, but "low-income" is defined as serving those at or below 50 percent of median, not the very poor.
Pet projects still priority
On its face, VCF doesn't take away existing taxes dedicated to the city's general fund, but in reality, it threatens future revenues for broader essential services.
The bill allows cities to impose added taxes on residents of special districts for 30 years — the time needed to pay off bonds floated, say, for extension of Paul Allen's streetcar, a new sports arena, completion of the west phase of Mercer Corridor, underground wiring in South Lake Union and other things that many in the city may not agree are essential.
Then, when it comes to housing levies and library bonds, bridge repair or sidewalks for our neighborhoods, items that truly serve the public, these tax increases would go to the voters, who are more likely to say no, since they're already maxed out.
And in down economic times, when falling tax revenue impacts the general fund, there's no slack because a large chunk of future taxes is prioritized for these VCF projects.
Here are there any ways to make this VCF bill more palatable:
•A definition of "blight" restricting creation of districts only within areas that truly need infrastructure improvements;
•Some standard to ensure that all funding (not just one-quarter) go to improvements that truly serve existing businesses and low-income residents, not corporate gentrifiers;
•Restrictions on the number of VCF districts and size to no more 10 or 15 contiguous blocks; and
•A mechanism for administrative appeal that allows citizens to go to a state agency to challenge a cities creation of these.
So far, all indications are that the proponents of this bill will vigorously oppose any such amendments. As has been the case with TIF laws we've fought before, they'd rather see the bill go down than make the changes needed to prevent free spending abuses, which is, of course, the whole idea behind the legislation in the first place.
JOHN V. FOX and CAROLEE COLTER are coordinators for the Seattle Displacement Coalition (www.zipcon.net), a low-income housing organization. To comment on this column, write to firstname.lastname@example.com.