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Rain RiddleLanguage brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
Gertie just came from the office of her dear departed aunt's lawyer. She was told that her aunt (who loved language teasers) left her a certain amount of money in US Dollars. The lawyer explained that according to the terms of her aunt's Last Will and Testament, Gertie will get fifty times the original amount bequeathed if she could correctly guess the amount left her by midnight tomorrow. "God, that would be thousands of dollars if you succeed," the lawyer said as he handed her a note from her aunt. It read:
RAIN RIDDLE: OLD ASTRONOMY HOST ALLOWS ABLE LASS ENTRY IN OWN LAND ESTATE. Love Aunt Alley.
Question: How many thousand dollars did her millionaire aunt leave Gertie?
HintRight or wrong, Gertie gets to buy a thousand BIKINIS.
Answer16 Gs. Her aunt left her 16 thousand dollars. A G is a thousand dollars. Each word in the note may be preceded by a G.
Grain Griddle Gold Gastronomy Ghost Gallows Gable Glass Gentry Gin Gown Gland Gestate Glove Gaunt Galley.
HINT. Bikinis or G-strings. A string of Gs may be added to all the words in the note.
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It will officially be Fall next week. It is already getting much cooler in many parts of the country–even here in Georgia! September is also National Skin Care Awareness Month and it's a perfect time considering that it's important to take care of our skin year round–not just in the Summer. Thanks to Eucerin's Skin FIRST Movement, I learned several excellent tips on properly caring for your skin that I'm happy to share with you today.
There are dozens of ways you can make small changes in your life to put the health of your skin first. Here are some tips!
Tip #1 – Cleanse Gently
If you've ever felt like your skin is a little too tight, it may be a sign that you have not cleansed properly. Clean skin is the first step in keeping skin healthy. Whether your skin is dry, oily, or somewhere in between, dermatologists recommend using a mild, non-irritating cleanser rather than a harsh soap. Otherwise, you run the risk of striping your skin's natural oils, which can lead to overly tight-feeling skin.
Tip #2 – Moisturize Properly
Moisturizers bind water to the skin so that it doesn't evaporate as quickly. The right moisturizer can also help bring the right pH balance to your skin and enhance its natural defenses. A product like Eucerin's Daily Skin Balance Skin-Fortifying Body lotion can help accomplish this by providing a pH buffer and all day moisturization while strengthening your skin's protective barrier against external elements like pollution and climate changes.
Tip #3 – Take Time to Relax
If you're under a great deal of stress, chances are your skin is too. Stressed-out skin can eventually become thin and less able to regenerate itself. You can help prevent this by taking take time to focus and center yourself every day. This can aid not just your mental health, but the health of your skin and body as well.
Tip #4 – Feed Your Skin Right
Finally, the old adage "you are what you eat" is never truer than it is with your skin. For instance, foods with high antioxidant levels, like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and plums, can help neutralize free radicals that can damage collagen and elastin, proteins that help maintain skin's elasticity and tone.
If you haven't already, make sure to take the Skin FIRST Pledge with tens of thousands of others at http://facbeook.com/eucerinus!
Eucerin also provided me with a complimentary prize pack to keep. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi guys.
I have a question for you.
3DS file use a single index for verticies, normal and texcoords. So when you change UVW Map (Spherical, Plane, ecc...) 3DS change index to change texcoords.
I have some trouble with this. I have implemented an algorimth that reasearch the object's edges to extrude geometry (stencil shadow). To do this I need that any superficies is closed: any edges is shared by two triangles (or faces). With default plane UVW map I have no trouble, but with any other UVW Map my algorith don't find two triangles for any edges. Why ? How Can I Solve This Problem ?
I didn't think this had anything to do with the previous topic, so I've split it. Forgive me if I'm wrong, or I picked a bad title.
It's a problem with the 3DS MAX texture coordinates system.


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Celtics get: Billups, D. Jones, Darren Collison
Pacers get: Rondo, Jermaine O'Neal
Knicks get: Rush
Knicks want Tyson Chandler so that means they will have to amnesty or trade Billups. If they trade they will at least get something back.
Celtics get a great expiring and will have a lot of cap space next summer and have DC.
Pacers get Rondo and JO can retire as a Pacer.


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Beautiful Creatures a Shot of Pop-Goth Hogwash
Yet another cavalierly abstinent teen hero sulks through the swamps of Beautiful Creatures, a shot of pop-goth hogwash so overheated that during its run theater owners could set aside a couple of aisles and cultivate Louisiana passionflower. Here witch Lena (Alice Englert) is urged by her family to spurn the love of nonmagical local boy Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) to protect him from the usual forces of darkness. The new wrinkle: She is staring down her imminent 16th birthday, which in the daft mythology worked out by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, whose books all this is based on, is the time of "claiming" when a female "caster" like herself discovers whether the forces of the universe have willed her to serve "light" or "dark." (Even in an abstinence fantasy, that's surprisingly conservative — that women possessed of extraordinary gifts have a 50/50 shot of being factory-set for evil.) Primness aside, the movie is terrific fun. Savor the candied gloom. The story is overstuffed with curses, dream visions, spell-driven freakouts, voodoo nonsense, Confederate ghosts, religious crazies, secret societies, extended witch family, and testaments to the power of reading. A Southern sheriff runs his cruiser off the road, as all in movies must; the third act turns on a library research project spanning months, which is unusual in movies with police car crashes. Director Richard LaGravenese, who also adapted the novel, lavishes the material with greater wit than its demographic demands, and the central love story feels warm-blooded — the air prickles between the leads.
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MrTasses wrote:Have you finished the design on your 2 drink holder medium bag? How much will that bag cost? I'm itching to get my hands on one.
Also, what colors do you have? Still the yellow, black, red, blue and camo?
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To continue this thought experiment, if this inflation- and population-adjusted spending path from 2001 continued to 2022, spending in 2022 would be only $3.61 trillion, compared with the $5.51 trillion the current baseline predicts. This spending path would have seen budget deficits top out at a little less than $400 billion in 2009 and then return to surplus by 2014.
In fact, even starting from today's spending levels, if future spending grew at inflation plus population, it would be only $4.8 trillion in 2022. The budget deficit in that year would be $199 billion, with deficits decreasing each year.
Compare this to President Obama's proposed fiscal-cliff deal, which would increase spending to $5.5 trillion in 2022, the same as the current baseline. That's right: The president's proposal does not reduce spending at all. There are no net cuts, not even in the Washington sense of reductions from the baseline. The few programmatic cuts he recommends, most of which lack specifics, are offset by other spending increases. All that spending means that, if the president gets every bit of the $1.6 trillion in new taxes he has asked for, we would still add $6 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years, and run a $661 billion deficit in 2022. Moreover, since there are so few specifics in the president's proposal, these estimates likely underestimate the amount of spending, debt, and deficits it would incur.


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Harbor Bar in Safety Harbor will open deck on own land
Harbor Bar will have its Margaritaville-themed deck after all.
But it won't be on city land. It will be on the bar's private property.
The 1,600-square-foot deck is under construction in front of Harbor Bar at 844 Main St.
Read more here.Full Story


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Charity Basketball Game to Benefit St. Joseph's Center
Published on Mon, March 18, 2013
On Saturday, March 23, Marywood will host its 5th Annual Charity Wheelchair Basketball Game for St. Joseph's Center. The event will be held at the Mellow Center for Athletics and Wellness. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the game starts at 6:30 p.m. General admission is $5, while children and students with an ID will be admitted for $3.
The Marywood men's and women's basketball teams will be playing in wheelchairs against the Allied Forces of Allied Services, and all proceeds will benefit St. Joseph's Center in Scranton, PA.
Kevin Kuna, assistant director of student support services, says the charity basketball game has been growing yearly and that hosting the event is a good way to promote awareness of those who have spinal cord injuries.
"Both teams will be playing the game in wheelchairs," Kuna said. "I think it gives the players—as well as the audience—a better appreciation for those with spinal cord injuries."


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Good morning Masters! Yesterday I ran the Granville Firecracker Five Miler in the town that I went to Junior High and High School. I surprised myself by averaging 7:48 per mile, and closing with a 7:07 mile. I was 114th out of 390.My legs are feeling the race this morning.
I am headed out shortly for XC conditioning.I think I will stick with the Freshman today.
Elizabeth: What are you up to today?
Have a great day Masters!
Good morning, masters! Another beautiful day on tap here in Louisiana; although, it's getting hotter. We have had a week of unusually cool temps that have been awesome.
Y'day, I did a technique run. It was 1 mi. wu, then drills, then 2 mi. in my VFF's. They sure have been hurting my feet. Don't know if my feet have grown or they have gotten smaller in the wash, but they are cutting into my toes. I normally run barefoot, but since I wasn't in Alex. the VFF's it was. I also ran at 4:30 pm which was very, very hot!
As for as the 4th, it was quiet at our house. We had the g'kids last weekend & I'm headed to Dallas this wkend to keep the other g'son for 3 wks. So I enjoyed the quiet day.
Getting ready to head out for a run with 10 hill repeats. Trying to beat the heat since it will be sunny this morning & I'm doing them on the levy....full sun. It's 69* with 81% humidity & 63 dewpoint (for DAW). Not bad for the south.
Then I have the asylum on the schedule. It's going to be difficult to do with someone else's cabinets all in my living room. My dh is a cabinet builder & it's not unusual for him to use our living room to store cabinets until delivery.
Eliz- sleep on the couch again. I do that often & then wide awake for most of the night. In fact, did it last night while watching T&F. Couldn't go to sleep until after 1:30. Will make for a long day.
Tony- You still working out a lot this summer? Great job on the 5K. Helga sent me an email wanting me to run a 5K. I ignored it. You don't run a 5K in the summer in the south unless you are doing a tri. lol
NB4- hello! Don't make me pull out my voodoo doll! lol
hello to all coming up.....have a great day!
Hot and humid in PA. Ick...
Family reunion officially starts today. Picture a room full of loud Italians, then multiply the volume a few times.
I didn't get a chance to run yesterday - spent my entire day cooking or shopping for food to cook.
I will 100% run today. Might be able to fit it in this afternoon, otherwise will run later tonight. Just a 3-miler.
Ciao for now,
Teresa, your training amazes me. Do you have a goal race in mind this fall, or looking further out?
Paid the piper today after a day of overindulging yesterday. Actually it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. 6.5 miles at 8:29 avg pace.
Today is load the camper day as we depart Sat AM for the beach. Might get some pool time in with the family as well.
Tony - well done! Enjoy your time with the kids today.
Elizabeth - I had to laugh about the Italian comment. While my wife's family is not Italian, they can make the walls shake with their loud and continuous talking. I literally have to leave the room sometimes to give my eardrums a rest! In fact, that is why I am posting right now. The kitchen was so chaotic I had to escape!
Have a great day Masters!
Good morning! 16 mile long run in a little rain, 9:13 pace.
Much better than last Friday. Have a good day!
Good morning Masters! Thursday: USRD. Neck is slightly better but not enough to run. Hoping to get in for a treatment today. Make it a great day. Tony, congrats on the race! I was checking results and noted not only how competitive it was but one of the local hot shots from Columbus 30 years ago won our A/G.
Hey y'all, I had a fairly long post yesterday evening that was eaten by my laptop. Sometimes it gets squirrely and ultimately I have to do a hard re-boot. Probably won't get that brand ever again. As many of y'all have read in the past from me, the Independence Day 5k in Loretto, TN is my "anniversary" race since moving to Alabama. Yesterday I ran it for the 5th time. Quite the change from running the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta! This is a point-to-point race that has a net downhill. I'd love to race it sometime in the fall or winter. Yesterday's weather was marvelous, overcast, no real wind, intermittent showers and temps that stayed around 70 deg F. This race starts after 8 AM and it warms up quickly in the sun. I ran it on dead legs; Monday had a total of 10 miles run, 500m swum (had to wait on a lane), and a 45 minute spin class; Tuesday included the intervals in the 'hood, mowing, biking to/from work; Wednesday included 10 miles running and a 45 minute spin class that was a homage to the TdF's team time trial. Hard time sleeping as well. Anyway, my splits weren't too bad altough I faded some at the end. 6:17, 6:26, 6:3x, :4x seconds. Time was 19:58, 10th OA, 1st master (technically 2nd, 3rd OA ran just over 18 minutes and he's about 50. Great runner and really good guy who I don't get to see very often. Helped with grilling for the folks working at the plant, napped, then set off some fireworks last night. Missed 5 at 5 this morning, but did manage 6 miles at an easy pace in my neighborhood. Heading to morning meeting. Back in a bit for personals.
I ended up only working 1/2 day yesterday instead of a whole day. I was able to get ahead of schedule so it was nice to have a 1/2 day off. I also got lazy and took a USRD from running.
I got out on the road and did six in 53:22 (8:54 pace) and felt pretty good. It is 75 degrees, 62% humidity, SSE 5-10 mph winds, and a little overcast.
I'll try for a TM run at lunch. I'm struggling lately with my weight going up and trying to maintaiin base mileage so I'll be doing more doubles during the summer.
I figured out that my shoulder problem is going all the way up the back of my neck but a little rest has helped. I shot a bow for the first time in nearly a week yesterday and did OK. I have to shoot a qualifier next Saturday, and it's my last chance before a draw hunt deadline, so I can't afford to have problems. It took me five years to get drawn and this and $50 are the only things standing in the way.
elizabeth- have a good visit and a good three later!
Tony- good pace on the five mile race!
tcoplen- are you going to be online while you are at LE the next few weeks? I never plan too far ahead so maybe I can touch base when you get up here. Good workout. I noticed that the last few years I have had to get larger size shoes because my toes are getting pinched. I don't know if my feet are flattening out or what.
Opus- good pace on the 6.5 miler!
Upsman- good sixteen!
MothAudio- hope the neck is better.
Shout outs to mysol, BOSNPM, George21, Falconfixer, JohnH, LCruns, Linney, dfbourg, gship, goomba, illinidave, fittestover40, n8simmons, DAW, jbyram, tww, and my other Master friends today!
Have good runs and good rests today!
Good morning masters
Waited until the afternoon yesterday to run. It wasn't nearly as hot as could be here. Ran 6 1/2 @6:58. I was wearing a new pair of NB 880's. I broke them in about a month ago and now that the rain is gone hopefully, I'll be wearing them regularly. Hope everybody had a nice 4th. I'm alone this weekend as my wife went up to Md. to pick up our son who's been up there for 2 weeks. My wifes last words to me after I love you were BEHAVE. I really miss him, but he's having a lot of fun.
ELiz - enjoy the family get together, sounds fun
TC- nice workout, those drill are important
Tony- congrats on the race. When you finish a short race like that are you thinking it's over all ready? I know my last race running an 800M that's what I was thinking.
Opus- nice number with the 6 1/2
Upsman- 16, very nice
EIB- you deserve it
FF- nice job, yea you worked to hard earlier this week. The 50 year old might have beaten you but you might have received a nicer award.
Nice day yesterday with the family another today so we are headed over to the beach! I did a 1 mile open swim about 18 mins then 5 miles @ MP that felt pretty good!
Jeep and Drake: Hello and hope all is well!
Pudove: Hope you get a run in today, safe travels
Upsman: Nice 7 and a big 16!
Illinidave: Nice 10.2 and 11 welcome home
Ray: Nice 10
Mysol: Great job on your race! That was a great workout for you.
E: Morning, enjoy!
Tony M: Great job on your race!
TC: Nice work.
Opus: Nice 6.5
Moth a: Good luck
FF: Nice work, great tome on tired legs!
EIB: Nice 6
Fittnes: Nice 6.5
Hello Masters,
Thanks for the belated Canada Day wishes and of course, to back up my comment from yesterday, hope all my American friends have a great 4th of July weekend!
I finally got back to running and working out as I got the recycling taken out at 5:40AM then off to KS for a run and short weight workout. Got in 4.12 miles in 47:55 (9:10/mile) - sweatfest and then 15 minutes of weights. Will run again there tomorrow and outside on Sunday. Monday, off on biz to Morocco and since I've never been there before (and it is NOT Bangladesh!), I plan to run there and leave a few Pudov footprints on Moroccan soil!
I'm at the office and just returned from a Sashimi /raw fish dinner (wow, what a smogasboard of food we ate!) with my Department Manager where there was a lot of soju as well as soju and mixed bombs consumed. Apologies in advance about any grammar and spelling mistakes.
Time to go home for the weekend. Have a nice Friday Masters and catch you on the weekend before I depart on Monday.
I intended a nice 8 mile recovery run today, but after 3 miles I hooked up with a portion of our XC team out for an easy 5 mile run. I'm embarrassed to say that their easy pace is a whole lot faster than my recovery pace, or even my normal pace. I did manage to hang with them for 5 and had the satisfaction of having all of them decline to run another 3 or 4 with me. I ended the morning with 10.2.
I try to run with the team a couple of times a week through the summer. The team this year is around 170 boys and girls and it's tough finding enough regular supervision to run with them. Generally they are good kids, but they are kids. Our 4 year runners are usually pretty responsible, but it doesn't hurt to have adults around.
Fittest, the NB880 was my go to shoe before NB modified it to the 890 which I didn't like at all. In fact, the 890 was directly responsible for me switching to the Nike Vomero's of which I'm on my 16th or 17th copy. Please let me know how you like the new 880 once you get some miles on it.
Moth, all my best for a speedy recovery from your neck issue.
Tony, wish I had stuck with the Freshmen today.
I ran 6.3 chasing the XC kids.
TC: When did you start running bf? I have been working out pretty good.
Elizabeth: Have a great time with the family! A bunch of Italians together sounds good to me. Thanks for the kind words!
Opus: Nice running!
Upsman: Nice pace on your 16!
Moth: Good luck with the neck! Are you in my AG?
FF: Nice racing! Those splits look pretty consistent to me.
ElB: Nice 6! Good luck with the bow!
fittest: Nice 6.5! I was a little past the 4 mile mark when I realized the race was almost over and I'd better get moving. It's been a couple of years since I've raced five miles. I had a 7:07 last mile, which is fast for me.
BOSNPM: Nice double yesterday!
Gregory: Have a great time in Morocco! I only had to take out the trash today. The recycling is delayed a day due to the holiday.
tww: Have a great run!
Dave: LOL on the XC run. Most of them can run faster than me, but none of them can run farther. I always get a kick out of asking if anyone wants to run some more.
Busy day yesterday.
Started with a 4.6 mile July 4th trail run with HATRs.
Led the pack for the first mile, until death hill and the heat caught up to me and was DFL as usual from then on out. 75*F and 95% humid. On the plus side, there was cold beer waiting in the parking lot.
10.19, 12.43, 12.59, 13.38 (Last .6 at 15 min pace).
After a nice breakfast with DW, spent the next 11 hours (until dusk) replacing the back door, including the threshold and frame, which had gotten wet and rotten. Lots of XT climbing up and down the six back steps about once every few minutes.
This morning, went on a 5.33 progressive run @ 8:00AM, 80 *F. 2 miles was enough for Weston, and with the excitement of meeting an off-leash dog in the woods, he was ready for home.
11.29, 10.28, 10.18, 10.08, 8.43, (last .3 @ 8.55 pace)
Moth: Good luck with the neck! Are you in my AG?
Canceled the chiro appointment and just got back from massage therapy. He found a lot of muscle tension and knots. While I believe it did some good I don't feel much better, so I'm in a holding pattern. Scheduled with a ortho-neuro for an evaluation. Yep, I'm 56 YO.
Snuck out at lunch and swam at the Y. Did a mile 2 laps at a time (32 laps = 1 mile in that pool). I was trying to keep my form, it tends to fall apart after a lap or so. My actual swimming time was 30:27, easily the fastest I've ever swum that far (with or without any recoveries). Form and times were pretty consistent throughout as well.
Liz, have a great time. You reminded me of the get togethers when I was kid. In the summer, everyone would end up on the porch; in the winter, the woman tended to congregate in the kitchen and the men wherever the TV was. And everyone brought something.
Tony, congratulations on the 5 mile race results. I'm guessing you asked everyone at the finish if they enjoyed the warm up--now let's do the rest of the 50k! I'm hoping to sneak in a couple of runs at the camp the local running club does every summer for the XC kids. I usually get the "next-to-fastest" group to hang with. Definitely a lot of fun.
TC, my rule is to try and not do any races over a 5k in the summer--and be careful with those! Granted, I'm in north Alabama.... I was going to suggest a lacing pattern to open up the toe box of your shoes....then realized you said VFF's. That would have been difficult. Safe travels!
Opus, safe travels to you! Nice run for having overindulged!
Upsman, nice long run!
Moth, hope the neck continues to improve!
EIB, Nice run this morning. Hope you got your TM run in at lunch. And best of luck with the qualifier!
fittest, too funny about DW's comment. I usually get reminded to feed the dogs....continuously. That's a great pace for an afternoon run in July. Nicely done. The awards were about the same. This race is for the local Catholic parish's school, so the kids make the awards. One year it was bird houses. This year the top 3 OA (male and female) and top male and female masters got small pallets painted to look like the US flag. I'll try and post a picture of it. I didn't even try to taper, my only allowance to the race was only doing 3 of the neighborhood mile intervals on Tuesday. The absolute killer was the spin on Wednesday night. I'm ok with it, I enjoy the race but it wasn't a goal race.
BOSNPM, you swam one mile in 18 minutes?! That's awesome. If I could swim one half mile in that time (in a race) I'd be thrilled! Then following with a nicely paced 5. Well done sir! I'm going to see if not having any sort of chest compression (tri suit or heart rate strap) helps with my anxiety.
Pudov, safe travels and be careful over there. Nice run then weight session.
illinidave, nice extension on the run and good reason to do it. I'm shocked they didn't want to keep going with you!
jbyram2, is the trail run on the 4th an annual thing for y'all? That would be very cool. Nice follow up run to yesterday's trail run and door work.
Here in south central Pennsylvania with in laws on vacation.
Love it here, but a little bit humid compared to Oregon.
Have done some hiking, running and drinking to my hearts content.
They had a big 4th of July party at the house with a long slip and slide going down the hill in the back yard, and then we watched the fireworks in the backyard. Seven of us ran the local 5k race in the morning. I joined the 4H club during the race..... Heat, Humidity, Hills, Hamstring. I didn't strain my hamstring, but it has been bothersome the last few weeks, and I had to go very slow up all the hills on the course because I was feeling some pretty good hamstring pain. I felt like passing out the last mile, I am definitely not use to this humidity. I placed 49th and was 3rd in my age group with a 21:52 time.
Here are some photos:
New barn quilts they put up on the shed in the backyard.
The final stretch to the finish... I wanted to die in the humidity.
Me, my wife and kids taking our turn on the slip and slide.... It was a blast.
And finally fireworks to finish the great day.
jb: DFL is always better than DNS!
Moth: good luck!
Falcon: I was being teased by someone who said he remembered me being near the front of the pack back in the day. I said that if they made everyone who raced today run the course ten times each I'd still be near the front of the pack.
ORR: LOL on the humidity! Way to run smart!
nightbefore: I hope you had a great Holiday!
Tony, Love it!
ORR, are you anywhere near Lap'd? South central PA should be in her neighborhood. Way to persevere on the race. Even if you are used to the humidity it's brutal.
I lifted weights and did some core work.
ORR: Laurie lives in Chambersburg, Penn.
Moth: Good luck with the neck! Are you in my AG?
Canceled the chiro appointment and just got back from massage therapy. He found a lot of muscle tension and knots. While I believe it did some good I don't feel much better, so I'm in a holding pattern. Scheduled with a ortho-neuro for an evaluation. Yep, I'm 56 YO.
7 miles 1:07:19 - 9:37 avg. pace - easy


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A proposed change to the Wyoming Food Safety Rules may loosen the state's grip on raw milk consumption limitations in the Cowboy state, but the changes fall short of allowing commercial sales of the product, disappointing raw milk supporters according to Food Safety News.
Wyoming is one of 20 states banning the retail sales of unpasteurized milk. The proposed rule wouldn't change the state's position on commercial raw milk sales, but it would clarify current laws prohibiting farm families from drinking raw milk from their own cows. Under the new rule, producers who are the sole owners of livestock would be allowed to serve raw milk in their home to family members, non-paying guests and farm employees.
The clarification was included in revisions to the Wyoming Food Safety Rules proposed by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) in May, which is now subject to a public comment period and hearing. A forum was held in Casper, Wyo., last week to discuss the proposed change.
Raw milk supporters advocating for retail sales of raw milk were in attendance at the forum, including state Representative Sue Wallis, (R-Recluse). Wallis is currently seeking election to her fourth term in the Wyoming House and is staunch advocate for raw milk sales and consumption.
Under the current proposed rule change, Wallis suggests simplifying the language used. In particular, Wallis has suggested that officials remove the term "sole" as an ownership requirement.
"Because people want fresh milk today, the only way they can get it is to make a deal with somebody who has the capacity to keep a cow," Wallis told the Casper Star Tribune.
WDA officials have promised to forward her suggestions to the state attorney general for review.
Wallis has also collected more than 1,200 signatures on a petition objecting to the proposed rule on grounds that it would take away the right to own a share of livestock in Wyoming. Wallis and her family participate in a cow share agreement with a nearby farmer who delivers milk to her family ranch in northern Wyoming.
"If adopted, this rule would be a wholesale taking of private property and would eliminate the right of a Wyoming citizen who does not live where cows or goats can be kept to choose the fresh food that they seek for themselves and their family," she says in the petition.
Despite Wallis' support of cow shares, the Wyoming House Agriculture Committee voted it down last January as a legal method of obtaining raw milk.


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Right on the money regarding Kearns...
Abreu to replace Matsui?
posted: Friday, May 12, 2006 | Feedback
Hideki Matsui may not play until September and perhaps not again until 2007, and so within the Yankees' front office, there will be discussion and consideration today about possible replacements. This is not a small matter for New York: With Randy Johnson showing such a distinct lack of faith in his fastball and the middle relief in a muddle, the offense has to create the margin of error for these other flaws, and Matsui was a key component of the offense.
Bernie Williams will play some games as a replacement, but the Yankees never wanted him to be more than a role player this summer, a guy who might get a couple of starts a week. There was some discomfort with him even getting regular at-bats as a designated hitter, which is why the team initially signed Carlos Pena, in the hope that Pena would become the regular first baseman, Jason Giambi would become the regular designated hitter and Williams would play less. Williams will not be the permanent solution.
Melky Cabrera and Bubba Crosby will get some time to prove themselves as possible fill-ins, but there is an American Idol ruthlessness in the way the Yankees evaluate young players at the big-league level. Think of the club as Simon Cowell, and the young players as the hapless wannabes on stage for the first time: They've got to show extraordinary skill from the outset. On the Baseball Tonight set Thursday, I asked Tino Martinez -- who witnessed first-hand the impatience with young players in New York -- how long Cabrera had to prove himself. "About a day," Tino said, before chuckling only a little. Somewhere, Shane Spencer and Ricky Ledee and others aren't laughing at all; those guys always felt incredible pressure to produce.
So unless Cabrera dominates the next week of games, the Yankees will probably start looking at players who may be available for trade. There is an X-factor in their decision-making: Gary Sheffield is on the disabled list with a bad wrist, and club officials need to determine how much help he will be this year, with the looming distraction of his unsettled contract status. If they think Sheffield is devoted to coming back and helping the team, then that will decrease the sense of urgency to identify a big-time replacement for Matsui. On the other hand, if they believe Sheffield will become Shut-Down Sheff and has decided he isn't going to be invested in the 2006 Yankees because he doesn't have a contract for 2007, then they definitely need a proven bat.
The possible options:
1. Bobby Abreu, Phillies. General managers from other teams say Phillies GM Pat Gillick was extremely motivated in his effort to trade Abreu all winter -- mostly because of the $30 million still owed to Abreu for this year and for next year. There is a dramatic split among evaluators on how good of a player Abreu is: The New School Number Crunchers love Abreu for his incredible on-base percentage, prolonged at-bats, and his offensive production, while a lot of the Old School Scouts say he's worth much less than his numbers suggest, believing he doesn't play hard all the time and that his physical condition is regressing. An Old School scout asked of him recently, "Can't he just dive for a ball one time?"
Gillick acquired David Dellucci on the eve of the season, so he has options if he really wants to move Abreu, who is batting .264 with four homers and a .438 on-base percentage so far. If the Phillies are ready to deal the All-Star, the Yankees probably wouldn't have to give up much talent -- maybe a couple of Grade B prospects -- in order to get him, because of the size of his contract. The real value of the deal to Gillick may be the financial flexibility gained, as he considers ways of helping the team before the trade deadline.
Interestingly, a deciding vote on Abreu may come from someone who knows Abreu well, someone who is regarded with great respect within the Yankees' organization: Third base coach and former Philly manager Larry Bowa.
2 and 3. Shannon Stewart or Torii Hunter. Each would be a good fit for the Yankees -- Stewart because of his offensive prowess and Hunter because of his power and remarkable defense. The question is when or if the Twins will decide to blow up their season. They haven't looked good, but it's still very early in the season, and Minnesota GM Terry Ryan may not be ready to deal until sometime in July. The Yankees will want to move before then.
4. Aubrey Huff, Devil Rays. He can play multiple positions, he looked good in spring training, and he knows AL East pitching. But he's also hitting .156, he's not a good outfielder, and Tampa Bay has been aggressive in asking for good young pitching, something the Yankees won't part with for Huff, as they rebuild their farm system.
5. Alfonso Soriano, Nationals. They know him, they know he can play in and enjoy New York, and he's getting better in the outfield. The key questions would be: When would the Nationals be ready to trade, and do the Yankees have what Washington GM Jim Bowden would want in a deal?
6. Mike Cameron, Padres. Right now, The Padres would have no reason to want to make a trade, because they're contending in the NL West.
7. Austin Kearns, Reds. Sure, the Yankees could use him, but it's hard to see a fit for trade partners here. Cincinnati wants pitching, and the Yankees really don't have much pitching to offer.
Abreu makes a whole lot of sense if the Phillies are still motivated to move him.


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The Federal funds rate, from which the prime rate is derived, is the target rate set by the Federal Open Market Committee. Since December 2008, the rate has been at a range of 0 percent to 0.25 percent.If the Fed funds rate isn't moving but interest rates on various products are, what's driving rate changes? Below, Bankrate shows you what is causing rate changes in mortgages, home equity loans, auto loans, CDs and money market accounts and credit cards.MortgagesHome EquityCDsAuto LoansCredit CardsAuto Loans
Financial institutions set interest rates for auto loans for new and used cars based on several factors. First is their cost of funds: How much it costs them to do business, how much it costs them to get the money and, in the case of banks, how much they pay to depositors.
Ultimately, the actions of the Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC, affect the cost of funds. Changes to short-term interest rates affect how much banks pay to borrow from each other overnight and also the interest rate they pay their customers.
The treasury department within the bank will determine and assign the cost of funds in the form of a percentage or basis points. From there, the cost of funds is assigned to other departments.
"For example, let's say there is a cost of funds of 2 percent. Then (the) treasury assigns a cost of funds of 3.5 percent to the indirect lending department. Then the indirect lending department within that bank has to assign their own; they have to build in the cost to run their unit," says Lee Domingue, chief executive officer for Indirect Lending at Wolters Kluwer Financial Services.
"If there is 3 percent, or 300 basis points, that it costs that indirect lending unit to operate, they in turn will assign a dealer buy rate of 6.5 percent," he says.
Then and nowProductRate on
Dec. 18, 2008Rate on
June 17, 200948-month new-car loan7.03%7.01%36-month used-car loan7.75%7.88%
All the variables of what it costs the bank to operate goes into the cost of funds, and then what's called a rate card is built. "What that does is assign dealer buy rates based upon credit tranches, or credit scores," says Domingue.
Borrowers with the highest credit scores get the best rates. As credit scores go down, risk increases for the lender and loans are priced accordingly.
To find updated auto rates in your area, visit Bankrate's auto rate table.
What's happening nowLenders constantly update their rates to reflect their cost of funds, but they're also pressured by market forces and the need to stay competitive.
According to Domingue, in a rising interest rate environment, lenders can sometimes leave interest rates on car loans untouched. "But they can only do that for a season," he says.
In the current environment, with rates as low as they can go and the FOMC not expected to make any moves in the immediate future, lenders have been responding more to credit risk, which has increased as the market has declined.
"In order to be competitive in today's climate, you have to have the ability to manage that process through technology, but you have also have to be able to accurately price your credit risk on an ongoing basis in real time because -- this is something really important -- a credit score of 700 five years ago performed one way. That same credit score now may perform like a 660 score," Domingue says.
"Unless they have the technology and the ability to manage that process, they can still be pricing believing they have a 700 credit score, but the delinquency and the loan loss really mirrors a 660 credit score," he says.
What should you do?Consumers can't control the economy or the Federal Reserve, but they can control their credit score, and that is often much more important when it comes to getting a good price on a loan.
To save the most money on a car loan, work on raising your credit score as much as possible.
It's not something that can be done overnight, but most people don't make major purchases on a whim either. Pay down debt and pay your bills on time, and that will have a greater impact on the price you pay for an auto loan.
"The moral of the story is to pay your bills on time," Domingue says.
If you're dealing with other money problems, Bankrate can help. Read "How to solve 5 money problems."
Auto loan interest rates since December 2008Back to the Federal Reserve coverage main page. advertisementRelated Links:Help elderly mom avoid a car accident?10 vehicles most often stolen by car thieves6 tips to save money as a frugal car buyerRelated Articles:What moves mortgage rates?What moves home equity rates?What moves credit card rates?
The Federal funds rate, from which the prime rate is derived, is the target rate set by the Federal Open Market Committee. Since December 2008, the rate has been at a range of 0 percent to 0.25 percent.
If the Fed funds rate isn't moving but interest rates on various products are, what's driving rate changes? Below, Bankrate shows you what is causing rate changes in mortgages, home equity loans, auto loans, CDs and money market accounts and credit cards.
Back to the Federal Reserve coverage main page.
Bankrate wants to hear from you and encourages thoughtful and constructive comments. We ask that you stay focused on the story topic, respect other people's opinions, and avoid profanity, offensive statements, illegal contents and advertisement posts. Comments are not reviewed before they are posted. Bankrate reserves the right (but is not obligated) to edit or delete your comments. Please avoid posting private or confidential information, and also keep in mind that anything you post may be disclosed, published, transmitted or reused. We do not permit the inclusion of hyperlinks in comments and may remove any comment that includes a hyperlink.
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text: Plainfield Woman Wins New Toyota Prius at Chicago Auto Show February 24, 2010 05:43 PM CHICAGO, Ill., February 23, 2010 - Maxine Sienko, a 67-year-old resident of Plainfield, has won a 2010 Toyota Prius, courtesy of the Chicagoland Toyota Dealers. "The 2010 Chicago Auto Show Prius Giveaway" was conducted on a newly-launched Facebook page - www.facebook.com/chicagolandtoyotadealers, a site that informs visitors of Chicagoland Toyota Dealer promotions, contests and events throughout the area. The 30 dealers who comprise the Chicagoland Toyota Dealers sponsored the online contest in February, with 10 selected semi-finalists invited to attend the final day of the Chicago Auto Show, on February 21. That day, the semi-finalists met at the Toyota exhibit and were provided identical envelopes. Sienko's envelope contained the picture of a Prius, making her the grand prize winner. More than 17,000 contest entries were posted on the web page, including 5,328 unique entries. The contest was limited to Chicagoland residents, many of whom took the opportunity to re-enter on multiple occasions. About Toyota - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs nearly 34,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 1.77 million vehicles in 2009. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com. Contact: Curt McAllister Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. - Detroit Tel: (313) 259-4598 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Back to News


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Asgardians, demons, Runaways and more take over top collectible game...
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Its been more than a year since the last HeroClix set was released by Wizkids, DCs Arkham Asylum in October of 2008. At the time, rumors and hints were beginning to circulate for the next Marvel set, believed to be called Hammer of Thor. But, a month later came the update heard round the world: Topps was stopping production on all Wizkids lines. HeroClix fans (and supporters of the companys other miniature games) were devastated, and ultimately floundered in limbo for nearly a year while various companies attempted to take over the game. And then it happened; just a few months ago at San Diego Comic-Con NECA revealed its partnership with Wizkids with the highly visible sale of the Marvel HeroClix Hammer of Thor exclusive Thors Mighty Chariot game piece! Soon after came the official announcement that the Hammer of Thor set was on its way very soon. Im glad to relay that the time is now. Hammer of Thor boosters hit the shelves at your local comic book store today!
For those of you who may not be familiar with the HeroClix game, think of it as a cross between a board game and your favorite superhero comic book characters made into cool, collectible miniature figures. Wizkids created a game that truly recreates the fast-paced battles and awesome super powers that you know and love with its easy to learn and easy to play Clix system. Each character is mounted on a rotating dial that shows its current stats through a window. As the character is damaged (or healed), the dial is moved a certain number of clicks and new numbers are revealed. Most characters decline in stats as damage is taken, though some are notable for their increasing fury or abilities as they are hurt (the Hulk, Bizarro, etc.). Numbers are limited to speed, attack, defense, damage, and range values, making the game streamlined and preventing the headaches often associated with bookkeeping in miniature and role playing games. Best of all are the powers...
While the numbers on a HeroClix dial tell you a lot, theyre only half the story. Surrounding many of those numbers are colored boxes that correspond to super powers. These can appear on any of the four main stats (speed, attack, defense, and damage), and allow you to recreate all of the cool things the heroes and villains do. Leap/Climb and Stealth help get your Batman Allies into position and protect them from enemy fire. Super Strength and Charge let the Hulk pick up a heavy object on his way to smashing everything in sight. With Outwit and Perplex Doctor Doom and Mr. Fantastic can turn off their opponents powers or bolster their own. And its exactly these combinations of powers that make HeroClix so fun and exciting!
The new Hammer of Thor set brings fans a lot of long-requested and desired figures. Other than the obvious bunch of Asgardians (heroic, villainous, and Warriors Three!), the new set includes members of the Runaways, Agents of Atlas, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. There are quite a few very powerful figures here, with 27 units over the century mark, 5 of those in the 200s, and a duo thats way beyond 300! On the other hand, there are also excellent new low-cost generics (including Asgardians, ninjas, demons, and more) sure to make army builders and theme fans happy, not least of which because of the new Minion rules.
Okay, enough intro. Lets take a look at ten of the coolest figures in the new Hammer of Thor set:
#010 M-11 Unique (Common)
A robot and member of the Agents of Atlas (strongly represented in Hammer of Thor), M-11 was created by a scientist who had a crisis of conscience regarding turning over such a powerful weapon. Ordering the robot to kill him, the scientist became a part of M-11, giving it sentience. Though out of commission for a long time M-11 now serves alongside James Woo, Namora, and the other Agents. A robot designed in the 1950s, M-11 has an awesome retro look complete with banded arms and bunny-eared helmet!
M-11, or the unstoppable robot, is a very tough nut to crack for only 59 points. His dial is fully eight clicks long, with defense descending only from 18 to 16 with five clicks of Willpower and three of Regeneration to get back into the fight if damaged. Speed is a decent 7 across the board, though there are no powers in that slot. Attack is fantastic with seven clicks of 10 and one of 9. Even better, the first three clicks have Super Strength and the next four have Psychic Blast (6 range). Solid and sturdy, M-11 is sure to appear on many Agents of Atlas teams.
#015 Fire Demon Rookie (Common)
No Thor-related set would be complete without a collection of traditional Asgardian foes, and thankfully Hammer of Thor does not disappoint. Coming in at 33 points is the Fire Demon, a very cool-looking monster that heralds a new mechanic in the HeroClix game: Minions. Minions are low level enemies who share a common power activated by a commander; in this case, Fire Demons get Charge and a +1 to attack whenever theres a friendly Surtur within 8 squares! Swarm teams and multiple generics have long been standard practice in HeroClix, and with the new rules Minion teams take that thematic element even further. Did I mention just how wickedly evil the Fire Demon looks? Youll definitely want an army of them, and theyre going to be perfect for customizing (need a Frost Demon, paint it blue!).
At 33 points and affordable in swarms, the Fire Demon is a lightweight attacker with some bite. Hes got a dial only four clicks deep, with pretty slow flight at 6s and 5s. Attack values are very strong, starting at 10 and dropping to a final 8, with Blades/Claws/Fangs on the final two clicks to make sure he goes down fighting. Defense is decent with a starting 16, and three clicks of Willpower will help you get him in position to unleash that attack. Damage starts at 3, and all four clicks have the Minion power so make sure to field your Fire Demon army with a Surtur in range!
#016 Thor Experienced (Common)
Thor is the man. If you werent aware of that from reading his exploits in the Marvel Universe already, the fact that hes headlining his own HeroClix set should have given you a clue. No? Well, then check out #016 Thor. Other than high numbers and great powers which Ill get to in a minute, Thor has a great sculpt representing the characters current incarnation, posed ready to do battle against the forces of Surtur! Standing atop a rocky outcropping, the god of thunder is fully decked out in his armor with a great red cape billowing out behind him. Leading the forces of Asgard, Thor lifts the mighty hammer Mjolnir high above his head.
At 226 points hes going to be a huge part of your force. Is he worth it? Hes got eight clicks of life, which isnt too shabby, and a Trait that gives him permanent Super Strength! Hes got a big 10 range with two targets, which is nice for laying down some ranged Mjolnir hurt. In movement hes a flyer and starts with three clicks of 10 with Running Shot, meaning he can hit enemies fully 15 squares distant. Then hes got three clicks of 8 with Charge before dropping down to two plain 7s. Attack numbers are epic starting with 12 and working down to a 9 before bouncing back up at the end, with some mid-dial Quake. Enemies are going to have a hard time hitting Thor with an 18 defense that slowly drops to a 15 covered by almost an entire dial of Invulnerable, with two clicks of Toughness mixed in. Thor also posts big damage numbers starting with twin 5s and Leadership, trailing to 3s with Close Combat Expert before bouncing up to a 4 and 5 at the end with Exploit Weakness. The Thunder God is also Indomitable, which means hell be very mobile and able to dish out a lot of punishment. Grab some Asgardian Warriors and Valkyries to back him up and watch Thor go to work!
#028 Rocket Raccoon Veteran (Uncommon)
Fans have been clamoring for the inclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy in HeroClix, and theyve finally got their wish in Hammer of Thor. Headlining the team is Rocket Raccoon, who above all else makes for a very unique miniature. Hes a humanoid raccoon in a military uniform wielding a futuristic handgun. Whats not to love?
How does Rocket Raccoon do on the battlefield? Lets check out his stats. 65 points gives Rocket five clicks of life with range. His speed is decent with three starting 8s, and hes able to get into position with Leap/Climb before switching to a run and gun offense with Running Shot. That gun is no pea-shooter, as end-dial Energy Explosion proves. Attack is pretty consistent with two 9s, two 8s, and a 7. The wily Rocket has a full dial of Super Senses with a starting 17 defense for getting out of a jam, while in the damage slot hes got battlefield-controlling Probability Control and Outwit on a full dial of 2s.
#031 Ronan the Accuser Unique (Uncommon)
Ronan the Accuser is one of the better known members of the alien Kree race, and has at times been a force for evil and a defender of the good in the Marvel Universe, most recently fighting the Phalanx. He has also appeared in the HeroClix game before, as a rare figure in the Critical Mass set. In sculpt and pose, the new Ronan is a huge improvement. Lunging forward with fierce determination, the Kree warrior swings his Universal Weapon behind him to unleash a mighty blow upon the enemies of the Kree Empire!
This new version is 17 points cheaper at 130, though retaining 9 clicks of life and an 8 range with two targets. Hes a flyer with middling speed values and has four clicks of Force Blast. Ronans attack trades in Energy Explosion for front and end-dial Incapacitate, starting with a huge 12 and working down to a lowly 7. In defense the new Ronan has the edge with a starting 17 Impervious followed by some Invulnerable and lots of Toughness, finally bottoming out at 14. Damage is a mixture of 4s, 3, and 2s with the added benefit of the special power Ruler of the Empire that gives adjacent friendly Kree +1 to attack, so summon the troops!
#036 Heimdall Unique (Rare)
In Norse mythology, the Rainbow Bridge Bifrost connects the mortal plane with the home of the gods in Asgard. Forever guarding that bridge is the Asgardian Heimdall the Watcher. With senses far beyond those of mortals or even other gods, he stands ever vigilant, ready for anything. The mighty deity appears here for the first time in HeroClix, though hes been involved in some of the most Earth-shattering events surrounding Thor and Asgard in Marvel comics. Heimdall appears in Clix form just as youd expect: a powerful armored warrior at the ready. He stands tall wearing Asgardian armor complete with huge horned helmet, resting his hand on his enormous sword. The detail on this figure is outstanding.
How does Heimdall stack up against the enemies of Asgard? Hes mid-cost for a deity at 149, which brings a nice long 9 clicks of life plus Indomitable for endless defense. His movement values are better than you might expect, with six clicks of 8 before dropping down to 7 for the remainder; hes also got Charge on the first five, then his special power Gjallerhorn that lets him teleport an Asgardian ally to his side. Heimdalls attack numbers are awesome, with a starting 11 that works down to a 9 before rising to 11 again on his final click! The first four boxes are decorated with the usual green of Super Strength. What defense power do you think an Asgardian with super senses has? Youve got it, a full dial of Super Senses starting at 18 and finishing at 15. But wait, theres still more. In the defense slot Heimdall has all 3s until two final 4s, but its the power on the first four clicks that really makes him godly. Sight to the Nine Worlds means characters using Charge, Running Shot, or Hypersonic Speed do NO DAMAGE to Heimdall, and he ignores Shape Change and Stealth! No one gets past Heimdall.
#038 Venom Veteran (Rare)
When most people hear the name Venom, they probably think of Eddie Brock. However, current Marvel Comics readers also will be familiar with Mac Gargan, the third Venom and new HeroClix figure! The Venom atop this dial (and a cool bit of broken terrain) has the updated design seen on Gargans costume with the extended white spider logo. Hes a bit slimmer than Brocks incarnation, but he looks just as deadly in a taunting pose with the outstretched claws and open jaw waiting for his next meal, er... victim.
This new version of Venom comes in at a point cost of 73, in between the Experienced and Veteran Venoms of Critical Mass. Hes got a nice long dial with 8 clicks of life, and every single square on his oddly consistent dial is colored, with all powers changing halfway through as the symbiote takes over! Movement has four clicks of 9 with Plasticity followed by four 8s with Flurry, ensuring Venom can choose where he wants to be before unleashing his fury. Dont forget that Venoms special Trait also gives him permanent Leap/Climb! The attack slot shows four clicks of 9 with Blades/Claws/Fangs followed by two 10s and two 9s with Steal Energy to represent Gargans ferocity and gluttony. Defense starts with Super Senses at 17, which drops to the final four clicks of 15 with Combat Reflexes. Venoms damage mixes 2s and 3s, with opening Shape Change and closing Battle Fury. Itll take some finesse to play Venom seeing as how he basically switches from one character to another halfway through his dial.
#040 Captain America Rookie (Rare)
One of the most famous legends of the HeroClix universe is that of Smokey Feet Captain America. Leaked years ago in some blurry pics, the figure sat on a Wizkids brand managers desk, seemingly forever out of the reach of fans. The patriotic World War II hero stood on the field of battle with a cloud of smoke billowing around his feet, hence Smokey Feet. Fast forward to earlier this year and fans were shocked to see Smokey Feet on the Hammer of Thor advertising poster! The sculpt on this long-awaited figure is amazing, highlighting Caps classic heroism in WWII.
There have been several Captain America figures in HeroClix, and its no coincidence that Smokey here comes in at the exact same point cost as Armor Wars Rookie Cap: 72. Thats pretty much where the similarities end. They both have 6 clicks of life, but the new version doubles the range to 8 and the targets to 2. Movement starts at a huge 10 with two clicks of Running Shot, dropping steadily to a final 7. Attach is very strong with two 10s, three 9s, and a final 8; the first three clicks have the long-awaited special power Deflection Trajectory that allows Caps shield to ignore anything but walls and indoor blocking terrain. Captain America is tough on defense as well, with a starting 18 with Energy Shield/Deflection transitioning halfway through the dial to Willpower and ending at a respectable 16. Damage output with Caps shield is pretty cool too, splitting the dial with front-loaded 3s and end-dial 2s. The first two clicks have Leadership, while the final three have Close Combat Expert.
#046 Fenris Wolf Rookie (Rare)
The Fenris Wolf appears in Marvel comics just as he does in Norse mythology, a fearsome giant wolf bent on the destruction of the Asgard. Plaguing them from time to time, Fenris is most notable for his role in Ragnarok: swallowing the very sun and moon of Asgard! How would such a monster translate into HeroClix? As a huge (Giant) snarling black wolf perched on a rocky base. He looks vicious enough to take off a finger or two, and the detail on his furry sculpt is quite impressive. Best of all, hes massive like a Giant should be!
For 140 points, Fenris Wolf brings a lot to the table starting with nine clicks of life. His movement rate bounces around a bit from starting 10s down to 6s and back up to 8s, with a full dial of Charge to get him right into the faces of the hated Asgard. Attack starts at a mighty 11 that works down to 9 and back up to final 10s; all but those last two clicks have Blades/Claws/Fangs for terrific damage. Defense starts at 17 with Super Senses which gives way to Toughness, then back to Super Senses, and ends with two clicks of Impervious! Fenris goes down fighting. Fenris damage slot has the Giant symbol and shows steady 2s before ratcheting up to 4s at the end of his dial. In the middle its decorated with Exploit Weakness which gives way to the final four clicks with the power Devourer of All That Remains which makes all of Fenris damage penetrating against Asgardians! Finally, the mighty beast has the great keywords (that match a lot of other Hammer of Thor figures) Animal, Asgardian, and Monster.
#058 Gertrude Yorkes and Old Lace Unique (Super Rare)
One of the most famous members of the Runaways, Gertrude is in the enviable position of owning her own pet dinosaur, a Deinonychus named Old Lace. Together they are Arsenic and Old Lace, and fight alongside the other children of the villainous Pride. The pair are one of only two duo figures in Hammer of Thor (both Super Rares), and capture the girl and dinosaur duo ready to attack. The fearsome Old Lace looks forward with baleful red eyes and wicked claws outstretched, while Gertrude kneels beside it, about to give the order for battle!
Gertrude Yorkes and Old Lace are relatively inexpensive at 54 points, which goes a long way to being able to field a whole team of Runaways. Together they share 6 clicks of life, some unique powers, and a very consistent dial of only two numbers per stat. Speed goes from 8 to 7, with two mid-dial clicks of Charge for when the action gets going. Their duo attacks are 9s and 8s, with the starting special power Arsenic (auto damage to someone who bases the duo) and two final clicks of Blades/Claws/Fangs. Defense goes from 15s to 14s with Toughness and then Super Senses to keep the two healthy. In the damage category they post solid 3s and 2s, with four closing clicks of the very cool special power Lend a Dino that gives Arsenic and Old Lace a free attack on an adjacent target when an adjacent ally attacks.
Honorable mentions: #012 Valkyrie Rookie/#014 Asgardian Warrior Rookie (Commons)
These two Minions are good poster children for the Hammer of Thor set. They look like epic warriors right out of Norse mythology or any sword and sandal film with great sculpts, detailed armor, and wicked weapons. Theyre inexpensive as generics should be at 38 and 37 points respectively, with short life but decent stats. Both have good applicable powers (Running Shot and Toughness for Valkyrie and Blades/Claws/Fangs and Toughness for the Warrior). In addition, they both have Minion powers activated by a nearby Asgardian Deity that really boost their playability. Valkyrie turns into a healing taxi with Support and Carry (for Asgardians only) while the Warrior gets a surge of morale with Charge and +1 attack! Whether its for your HeroClix armies or collection of warrior figures, youre going to want a whole army of these guys.
Special mentions: Frankly, there are too many cool figures in Hammer of Thor to list, and its nearly impossible to cut it down to a best 10. Some other really great figures youre going to want to check out: #023 Beta Ray Bill Veteran Uncommon (one of my favorite comic book characters and a great update), #042 Phyla-Vell Rookie Rare (awesome warrior woman floating on an explosion of energy), #045 Karolina Dean Experienced Rare (Lucy in the Sky Runaway in blazing colors), #048 Spider-Man Rookie Rare (also known as Spider-Thor, nuff said), #057 Thor and Loki Experienced Super Rare (the baddest duo ever), and of course the previously released Thors Mighty Chariot.
Hammer of Thor is on sale now. Head to your local comic book shop and pick up some boosters before theyre all gone. With awesome figures like these, they wont last!
- Scott Rubin


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Though selenium deficiency is thought to be uncommon in the US, it is important to correct any deficiencies if they do exist. Selenium affects immune system and thyroid function and also works as an antioxidant, helping prevent conditions associated with oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer.
In this study, 37 women who were deficient in selenium ate one Brazil nut a day (which provided 290 mcg of selenium) for eight weeks. At the end of the intervention, selenium deficiency had been corrected in all of the women.
"The essential micronutrient selenium functions as a component of many selenoproteins in antioxidant and redox reactions, thyroid hormone metabolism, immune function, and reproduction," said Cristiane Cominetti, PhD and her colleagues from the Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. "Disruptions in selenium status may result in suboptimal amounts of selenoproteins, which are associated with increased levels of oxidative stress and its related diseases."
(Nutrition 2011 Jan 4 [E-pub ahead of print])
Jane Hart, MD, board-certified in internal medicine, serves in a variety of professional roles including consultant, journalist, and educator. Dr. Hart, a Clinical Instructor at Case Medical School in Cleveland, Ohio, writes extensively about health and wellness and a variety of other topics for nationally recognized organizations, websites, and print publications. Sought out for her expertise in the areas of integrative and preventive medicine, she is frequently quoted by national and local media. Dr. Hart is a professional lecturer for healthcare professionals, consumers, and youth and is a regular corporate speaker.
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Hello there, I'm going to be staying at a Thai Monastery for a short period of time soon. The teacher there states he practices in the tradition of Panyanandha and Buddhadasa. I could find a little information on Buddhadasa's techniques and they don't seem too different from most Thai teachers. I can't, however, find any English information on Panyanandha at all. Does anyone know what tradition Panyanandha would be closest to, or if there is any idiosyncrasy I should prepare for?
Thank you!


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet -- Editor's note: As part of our partnership with Nightly Business Report, TheStreet's Debra Borchardt will join NBR Monday (check local listings) to talk about the newest names to the homebuilding sectorSavvy investors began buying homebuilder stocks when everything about their earnings smelled. No one was buying new homes, banks weren't lending and there was concern that some of these companies might go under. Contrarians, though, gave it a shot and have been handsomely rewarded. In the last year, Toll Brothers ( TOL) is up 47%, Ryland Homes ( RYL) has gained 87% and KB Homes ( KBH) has advanced 51%, to name just a few homebuilders enjoying improved numbers. The latest U.S. economic data showed that existing home sales rose in the second half of 2012 lifting the year to its best total since 2009. The only region that registered a sales decline was the West and that was due to inventory constraints, said RDQ Economist John Ryding. The supply of existing home sales in January hit its lowest level since March 2005, he added. The big picture, therefore, is encouraging: home prices have increased 12% over the past year. So, if investors are now finally comfortable that the upturn in housing prices portends a genuine recovery rather than just a head fake, have they lost the chance by waiting too long? The established homebuilder names may already have made their big moves, so investors need to look for names that institutional fund managers have overlooked. TRI Pointe Homes ( TPH) is a good example. The Irvine, California-based homebuilder went public Jan. 31 and has gained 5.8%. TRI Pointe mostly builds in California, which was ground zero for toxic mortgage companies like Countrywide Financial and IndyMac. It may seem difficult to believe that Californians are back to buying newly-built homes, but TRI Pointe successfully sold its Sagebluff housing development in Riverside CA and built 100 homes in its first year of business. TRI Pointe has said it plans to start its first development in Colorado in the spring. At present, the company owns 13 communities, 8 of which are actively selling. TRI Pointe wrote in its prospectus, "Growth in sales of new homes have outpaced growth in sales of existing homes over the same period, increasing 23% versus 8% for existing homes."
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Note: This item is more than eight years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
June 3, 2009
Shark ID and Regulation Workshops Slated for Coastal Cities
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department coastal fisheries biologists will host five workshops in late June and early July to help anglers navigate new shark regulations that go into effect Sept. 1, 2009.
The new regulations increase the minimum total length for most shark species from 24 inches total length to 64 inches total length, except for Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip and bonnethead sharks, which will remain at 24 inches total length.
For the allowable shark species, the bag limit will remain one shark per person per day, with a two shark possession limit. In addition, a prohibited list (zero bag limit) will be established for the following 21 species: Atlantic angel, Basking, Bigeye sand tiger, Bigeye sixgill, Bigeye thresher, Bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, Dusky, Galapagos, Longfin mako, Narrowtooth, Night, Sandbar, Sand tiger, Sevengill, Silky, Sixgill, Smalltail, Whale, and White.
The workshops will focus on shark identification and changes in the regulations. Similar shark species and distinguishing characteristics will be presented to allow anglers to identify the prohibited species, and differentiate between the 24-inch and 64-inch minimum size species.
The workshops will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the following locations:
- Tuesday, June 23 Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute Conference Room # 127, 6300 Ocean Drive
- Wednesday, June 24 Port Isabel, Port Isabel Community Center, 213 N. Yturria Street
- Tuesday, June 30 Port Arthur, Port Arthur Public Library, 4615 9th Avenue
- Wednesday, July 1 Dickinson, TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab, 1502 FM 517E
- Thursday, July 2 Port Lavaca, Calhoun County Fairgrounds Auditorium, 186 County Road 101
For more information contact your TPWD regional outreach specialist: Upper Coast: Tonya Wiley, 281-534-0131, firstname.lastname@example.com; Lower Coast: Art Morris, 361-825-3356, firstname.lastname@example.com
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(5.4.16 i)


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A CAFE has succeeded in raising £1,000 to replace donations stolen from the shop last month.
Staff at La Stazione coffee shop in Station Plaza were saddened when the collection box was stolen from the counter of the shop,
The donations were being collected for a local mum who is battling Multiple Sclerosis.
But customers and passers-by have rallied in an effort to replace the stolen money.
Cafe regular, Stuart Tolch, offered a reward to anyone who can provide information which will lead to the conviction of the person who carried out the crime. His seven-year-old daughter made and sold loom bands, raising £40 for the appeal.
And young trumpeter, Ella Hammond, busked outside of the cafe, with a sign telling the many visitors passing through the station building what she was raising money for.
Cafe manager, Max Crane, says the generosity of customers and passers-by has now meant the total raised before the theft has now been matched.
He said: "It's a fantastic community response, it's been a really wonderful thing to come out of something so negative."
Stuart Tolch, whose seven-year-old daughter Eleanor came up with the idea of selling loom bands for the charity fund, added: "It restores your faith in human nature.
"I am absolutely thrilled, I really am, it shows the generosity of the local community and all of the regulars that come into the cafe. Not only that, people that have read the notices we have put up and wanted to give generously. Ilkley Brewery gave £200 and didn't ask for anything in return. That is amazing that they have given back into the local community.
"My daughter wanted to help - she came up with the idea of making and selling loom bands and she sold 50. There was another little girl who played a trumpet outside the cafe for two hours and that made your heart melt - it was lovely.
A lady who goes in to the shop, Margaret and her husband, donated loom bands so Eleanor could make more - so everyone has done their bit in different ways."
"It restores your faith in humanity."
Mr Tolch, who offered a reward for information which might lead to the conviction of the thief said unfortunately no one had come forward.
"We haven't had word from anyone or the police, but you never know.
"Hopefully justice will prevail, but as time passes it is probably becoming more unlikely."


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As the second week of 2013 gets underway, I find myself possessed of a few odds and ends from Seattle that are not quite big enough to make into a whole post but too good to just forget. So as a way of capping my on-going series from the Pacific Northwest, I present to you this round-up of all the little things worth knowing:
Best Coffee Shop: How do you pick a favorite coffee shop in a part of the world known for them? Take two tired people, add in a lot of walking in the cold, and stir with the fortuitous find of Zeitgeist Coffee. This Pioneer Square coffee shop was spacious, wonderfully noisy, and served up huge cups of strong, creamy coffee that warmed us and got us back up and going when we needed it most.
Best Street Food: We ate a lot of good street food, but our hands-down favorite was the gyros wrap from Mr. D's Greek Delicacies in the Pike Place Market. Tender shaved lamb, tangy tzatziki, and soft pita made this one heck of a sandwich. I'm a little nuts for gyros anyway, so it was a great pleasure for me to eat this messy mass of Mediterranean deliciousness.
Best Food we Bought for Other People but Wound up Eating Ourselves: Chukar Cherries. Not only that but we ate more free samples than was probably polite. Don't worry, we brought some replacements home for everyone else.
Biggest Discrepancy: The waterfront was home to both our most expensive meal and our least, with the least being a paper tray of crispy battered cod and a pile of potato wedges served alongside a bowl of clam chowder. While nothing about this little meal was mind-blowing, the fish was hot and tasty, the potatoes nice and mealy, and the chowder was creamy and good. As a quick meal, we certainly could have done worse (and, in fact, probably did).
There were, of course, a few places that just barely rate a mention, including the strange little Mexican place we had nachos and Coronas at on our second night, the odd-ball coffee shop/art gallery where we shook off our celebratory post-election hangovers, and the many pastries and snacks we grabbed on the go. Seattle is a great town for food, and while Jess and I didn't even begin to scratch the surface, we just take that as a reason to go back. Cheers!


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MCT opens this weekend with the musical production of Peter Pan. The MCT which is known for using local children and adults to produce high quality musicals and this current production just adds to that list. The production runs April 30-May 2, 5-9, 12-16,2010 with matinee's on Saturday and Sunday's.
The MCT threatre is located in the Historic Downtown Missoula and only 2 miles from our Missoula B & B. Enjoy a full evening by dining out at one of the many wonderful restaurants in our downtown, take in the play, and relax with a nightcap cocktail in the parlor of the Mansion or by the fire in your private quarters of the Master suite. Make it a weekend get-away and we can assist with dinner reservations, tickets, and other events happening in Missoula that weekend.


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Kansas State Board of Education Decision
(Adopted by Council on November 14, 1999)
The American Physical Society views with grave concern the recent Kansas State Board of Education decision to remove references to evolution and the Big Bang from its State Education Standards and Assessments. The decision to modify its previous draft of these standards is a giant step backward and should sound an alarm for every parent, teacher and student in the United States. On the eve of the new millennium, at a time when our nation's welfare increasingly depends on science and technology, it has never been more important for all Americans to understand the basic ideas of modern science.
Biological and physical evolution are central to the modern scientific conception of the Universe. There is overwhelming geological and physical evidence that the Earth and Universe are billions of years old and have developed substantially since their origins. Evolution is also a foundation upon which virtually all modern biology rests.
This unfortunate decision will deprive many Kansas students of the opportunity to learn some of the central concepts of modern science.


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Baylor alums behind live national Christian concert on New Year's Eve
Lecrae, Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Shane & Shane and Natalie Grant are just a few of the artists coming together in Nashville on New Year's Eve for a major holiday concert. New Year's Impact will be streamed free to churches and individual viewers around the world on New Year's Eve from 7 p.m. to midnight (Central time), ushering in 2014.
Behind the headliners is a team of Baylor alums bringing the music to the masses. Blue Scout Media, a production company based in Waco that specializes in live online events, created New Year's Impact as an alternative to secular celebrations and will also produce the live event.
The Blue Scout Media team includes among its owners Baylor alumni Neil Luft, BBA '01, MBA '03; Jay Powers and his wife, Donna, BA '98; Kim Wilson Stevens, BSEd '93; Trey Weir, BBA '93; and Colin Witt, BA '95; as well as former BaylorVision director Bryan Bray.
"Impact will be one of the largest faith-based gatherings of any kind," says Powers, "and we're excited about the work we know God will do through this event."
Sic 'em, Blue Scout Media!


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With Rosales back, Lowrie gets first start at second
OAKLAND -- Upon Jed Lowrie's arrival in Oakland, the organization's thinking was that he would get a chunk of playing time at nearly every infield position this season.
Yet the versatile Lowrie has only appeared at shortstop through the club's first 23 games, in large part because of Hiro Nakajima's absence. So that's why there was an element of surprise to Lowrie's name attached to second base for game No. 24.
Adam Rosales, fresh off the disabled list, drew the start at shortstop on Friday against the Orioles, and that's where he'll likely be whenever he's in the same lineup as Lowrie, whose last start at second base came on Sept. 6, 2010, while with the Red Sox.
"It's more about Rosie," manager Bob Melvin said. "Jed's versatility probably works against him at times. Without Rosales here, he got to play shortstop every day. He'll still play some shortstop, but his versatility would suggest he can probably play anywhere up the middle. And Rosales' best position is probably short.
"We'll see where it goes, but Jed's good anywhere up the middle, and obviously his bat speaks for itself, too."
Lowrie entered the day with 31 hits on the season, good for a second-place tie in the American League. The 31 hits are also the most by an Athletic over the first 23 games of the season since Carney Lansford posted 32 in 1992. The record is 33, achieved by both Stan Javier (1994) and Ben Grieve (1998).
Jane Lee is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Major Lee-ague, and follow her on Twitter @JaneMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Bulls Get the Upper Hand
We have dueling data this morning, but hope to resolve the fiscal cliff continues to give the bulls the upper hand. The good jobs report is being picked apart by the bulls and the Michigan consumer sentiment numbers were a big miss, but breadth is positive and there continues to be underlying bids.
Big banks Citigroup (C) and Bank of America (BAC) are helping the tone, and bounces in precious metals and homebuilders are aiding the cause. The drama surrounding Apple (AAPL) has cooled off and it isn't much of a factor today, but some big-caps like Chipotle (CMG), Google (GOOG), Priceline (PCLN), Netflix (NFLX) and IBM (IBM) are acting well....170 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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source GAIA package: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201310305080008_5675.zip Origin key: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201310305080008 imported at Fri Jan 8 18:18:09 2016
Brothers, weapons officers go through training together
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The rivalry between the Edwards brothers began as they grew up in their Slater, Mo., hometown, through college in Iowa, multiple postings as F-16 pilots in the Air Force and now as some of the first F-35 pilots in the pipeline. The brothers, Majs. Nick Edwards, a weapons officer from the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Colby Edwards, the weapons officer at the 58th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin, have been assigned together in the F-35 pilot schoolhouse. "It's been great, being able to bounce ideas off him for stuff we have going on in weapons shop here, being able to have someone with a personal connection to talk about things going on with the aircraft," said Nick Edwards, 33. The brothers have been able to help each other through training and their assignments at Eglin, but the rivalry always simmered underneath, they said. "He knows who's smarter," Colby Edwards, 35, said of his younger brother. "Who's better looking, better flying, the guy who has more hair." While Colby Edwards was selected for the program a year before Nick Edwards, the younger brother was able to go through a selection board for operational test pilots and began training just a month after his older bro started. As Nick Edwards took his first flight April 18, Colby Edwards was there to schedule the flights and watch the weather. Nick Edwards only has a few weeks left in training before heading back for operational test flights in California. In the meantime, the brothers get to spend time together, both with their families and with the Air Force's fighter of the future. "It's good to be hanging out with him and having dinner, talking about the aircraft," Nick Edwards said. "It probably drives our wives crazy because we talk about work a lot more now," Colby Edwards said. — Brian Everstine
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – It may be years before it's fully operational, but to the pilots and maintainers in training here, the F-35 has gone from a PowerPoint presentation to a reality in the skies over northwest Florida.
The Air Force variant is flying six times a day and about 30 times per week. The Air Force, Marine Corps and U.K. models here have clocked more than 1,000 hours over the past year.
"This is a real building with real pilots, maintainers and support," said Col. Andrew Toth, commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing, which oversees all F-35 training. "I think some of the mystery goes away when people come down and visit us. It's a lot of hard work, and it's a good training system."
This year is one of change for the F-35; the officers in charge of training the pilots and maintainers expect it will be a big year for production and the output of fliers and ground crews.
Currently, nine F-35As sit on the flight line at Eglin, along with 11 F-35Bs for the Marine Corps and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. Within weeks, two more Air Force variants are expected to arrive. After that, the next two F-35As will come with the newest software capability, called block 2B, with training beginning in the late fall.
The Air Force has 12 qualified instructors and is moving on with the second and third class of pilots.
"We get a lot of visitors here, and the general impression is the F-35 is still just this PowerPoint airplane that exists in some fashion in the electronic world, and people don't realize the amount of work and effort that has gone on down here to set up this training system," said Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin that trains all Air Force pilots.
There's a reason for that impression. The F-35 is years behind its original schedule and costs are growing. Dozens of canopies on Eglin's flight line sit empty, waiting for more jets that were originally supposed to reach full rate production last year, according to the 2001 system development schedule.
Initial operating capability — not officially announced by the Air Force — is expected to be around 2016, Toth said, about one year after the Marine Corps' variant.
The Air Force's F-35A was originally scheduled for initial operating capability by 2012-13, according to the baseline schedule established in 2003.
New software, behind schedule
The Joint Strike Fighter's greatest asset to the force, many say, is the technology it provides to the pilot. The jet's software, featuring more than 24 million lines of code, communicates to the pilot through large touch screens that are like "two iPads next to each other," Kloos said. A display mounted to a custom-made helmet feeds even more information right before the pilot's eyes.
Toth said once fully operational, the aircraft will "bring a capability to our services and our partner nations that we haven't seen before with the fourth-generation fleet. It really is a system of systems, and all of the systems onboard are fused."
But this unprecedented capability is bringing unprecedented problems and delays. The Defense Department grounded the entire fleet earlier this year after crews found a crack in the turbine blade of an F-35B. On April 18, the Air Force variant was cleared to resume in-air refueling that had been suspended for months.
The program's executive officer, Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, recently told the Senate Armed Services committee he is "less confident" the plane will make its final capability date of 2017.
"What I see today for 2013, '14 and then '15 for the 2B capability, the initial capability, is a software process that is improving," Bogdan said. "We have lots of metrics that we can show you and that, in part, is what causes me to say I'm moderately confident up to 2015.
"I can honestly tell you, beyond 2015, I don't have a great answer right now because there's a lot of things that have to happen between now and 2015 to give you more confidence in 2017."
Block 2B includes limited combat support for internal weapons such as the AIM-120C missile and the GBU-32/31 and GBU-12 bombs, according to the Defense Department. This is the software that will be in the jet when it reaches initial operating capability, Air Force officials have said.
The Air Force's budget proposal is calling for a total of 24 F-35s, increasing the amount for training at Eglin and helping stand up a training center at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
But the budget proposal does not take into account the effect of sequestration, which has already wreaked havoc on the Air Force by forcing the grounding combat squadrons and cancellation of large-scale exercises such as Red Flag.
If these budget cuts are not reversed, the Air Force will be forced to cancel more purchases this year, said Maj. Gen. Edward Bolton, the deputy assistant secretary for budget.
"We're still working out the details on exactly what the reductions will be, but it could be in the order of three to five aircraft," Bolton said.
The Air Force is already using service life extension programs to keep F-16s flying while the F-35s are delayed. These jets have seen extensive use in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will continue to fly until at least 2030while the F-35As stand up.
"We had anticipated many years ago to actually have F-35s on the ramp right now, along with a much larger fleet of F-22s," said Lt. Gen. Burton Field, the deputy chief of staff for operations, at a recent House Armed Services committee hearing. "Well, that did not come to pass for any number of reasons."
Limited capabilities for students
Currently every F-35 pilot in training comes through the northwest Florida base, taking their first taxi rides and flights in the Joint Strike Fighter at Eglin. The first class of six Air Force pilots finished early this year, with the second class taking their first flights in mid-April; the third class is in the middle of academic training.
Following academics, the pilots-in-training spend time in full mission simulators that are "better than anything I had in my whole career in [F-]16s," Kloos said. Each pilot flies about 14 or 15 missions in the simulator, with each flight lasting about an hour and a half.
Eglin pilots are facing "superficial" limits placed on the jet until it is further proven in testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Pilots cannot push the plane to more than five and a half G forces and 550 knots.
"Locally, we don't have that authority to go to all the same limits that the aircraft will eventually be cleared to do ... as it matures more, tests start to gather more data and they feel more comfortable in the entire envelope, they'll continue to open that up to us," Kloos said.
As more aircraft are delivered to Eglin, officials expect the schoolhouse to train about 100 Air Force pilots per year, Toth said.
For the Air Force, the pilots have come from almost all fighter platforms, except the F-22. Each pilot has experience as a fighter pilot, but also hundreds of hours as an instructor. This means they can adapt to the F-35 relatively quickly, said Maj. Jay Spohn, an instructor and the first pilot from the Air National Guard to train at Eglin.
"They don't really require a lot of instructor-pilot intervention or assistance," Spohn said. "They are pretty competent and very capable students."
Ease of maintenance
On the maintenance side, the base is expecting to churn out a total of 2,100 maintainers per year, across all services and partner countries.
To reach this number, the base has created a schoolhouse that more closely resembles a college campus than a military base. The dorms, classrooms and a dining facility are surrounded by walking paths and wooded areas.
It's a different style of training for a jet that is unlike any others on the maintenance side, said Staff Sgt. Matthew Lohman, an F-35A crew chief instructor.
"The ease of maintenance on this is tremendous," Lohman said. "When we start to get these younger guys coming in, it's going to be simple for them."
Maintenance students have a three-month long curriculum that, like pilots, begins in the classroom. But the maintainers are quickly thrown into a digital world, using computer-simulated training that includes a visual mockup of an F-35 on a digital flight line, allowing the students to practice maintenance on screen before heading to two full-size mock-ups, one for weapons loading and another for cockpit work, in a large hangar on the campus.
"They can go out and visually see it, and when they go out to the flight line it's exactly like the virtual computer," Lohman said. "So they're like 'Oh yeah, I know how to do this task. I know where the switch is.' "
In the hangar, instructors pipe in simulated engine noise as students practice working on the cockpit's ejection system or loading inert 500-pound bombs.
The F-35's ease of maintenance has allowed the crews to change the way they operate, Lohman said. It is designed to have more computer-based troubleshooting and with features like a component-based engine that lets crews do a lot of work in the "shadow of the airplane," as opposed to pulling it in to a hangar. This has also allowed for a different workflow, he said.
"Now we're integrating crew chiefs and engines," he said. "Engines is coming to crew chiefs, we're all integrating together because unlike legacy, we don't have engine troops. The crew chiefs are the engine troops, so we have to perform those tasks."
'Very young weapons system'
At the beginning of this year, Toth told his base it would be a year of "safe and effective flying operations," and to continue to produce F-35 pilots and maintainers, at a rate of six pilots coming in per month and about 700 maintainers expected to finish training by the end of the year.
But at the same time, more challenges are expected. Crews are going to adjust to the new block upgrade, extending the course.
"We have a lot of challenges. Occasionally the aircraft will be stood down for different things that go on, but that is all a part of the challenge of a brand-new weapons system. It is a very young weapons system from an execution perspective, and we still have a lot to learn," Toth said.
"What I see is the entire team ... moving this program forward, and they understand the importance of getting through these challenges."


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Good Day For Every One.. I Want to ask you(in my first Qeustion \\^.\\^) in C++.. How Can I Change The Title of Window ? I Tried in WNDCLASS API But I Cann't.. Thank you.. Eias
You can pass the title in the CreateWindow func.
Use SetWindowText to change it after the window has been created.
Thank You (anubis) & (Mihail121 ) .. The SetWindowText is what I Want \\^.\\^


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The New York Jets' quarterback will not be decided by Rex Ryan alone, according to Dan Hanzus of NFL.com.
John Idzik, the team's general manager, said Saturday he would have a substantial role in choosing the team's quarterback this season. Then Ryan himself was asked about Idzik's comments, to which he downplayed heavily.
"I think the big thing is, you guys are making a mountain out of a molehill, to be honest with you," Ryan said. "Because ever since I've been here—this is my fifth year here—not one decision has been made by one man. Not one decision. It's always a group effort on what is best for this team. If I misspoke or whatever or misled in any shape or form, that's it."
Contrary to what he said now, when Ryan benched Sanchez for Greg McElroy last December, he said the decision was his alone. Ryan backtracked on that Sunday.
MORE: Maclin done for the year | Parcells going to Hall of Fame
"No, I just thought why put it on somebody else," Ryan explained. "That way you can ask one person. But at no time was that ever just my decision. It was always a Jet decision. I just figured instead of everybody harping on whoever and somebody wanted to throw arrows they would be launched at me."
Through the years, Ryan's role has diminished and it's clear decisions are not totally up to him anymore, showing even more that it's a make-or-break year for the coach in New York.


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Prize Recipient
Ben Williams
Wheaton College
My name is Ben Williams and I was born in Boulder, CO and now live in Erie, CO. I have lived in Colorado my entire life and love it. I enjoy playing golf, basketball, and Frisbee with friends and I like all sports. My interest for physics started with my family, as my grandpa was a high school physics teacher, and my dad is a physicist. I loved hearing stories about the classroom and taking visits to the lab. I chose to study physics because it allows me to discover the world around us, I love the hands on nature of it and performing experiments. I also decided to study physics because it is a versatile subject that can open many doors. My goal is to go to medical school after I finish college and I know physics will help me immensely in any profession I choose. I am planning on attending Wheaton College in Illinois in the fall.


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DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- A man has pleaded guilty to murder for fatally shooting a Central State University football player at a southwest Ohio nightclub last year.
A Montgomery County prosecutor's spokesman said Monday that 31-year-old Jason Shern of Dayton pleaded guilty to the murder of CSU player Kordero Hunter and to three counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two weapons counts. The spokesman says Shern could be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Authorities said a fight broke out Sept. 23, 2011, inside the Dayton nightclub and several people were escorted outside. Police said Shern began shooting while outside, killing Hunter. Three others were injured.
Hunter, of suburban Chicago, was a defensive back at the university in Wilberforce near Dayton.
Shern's attorney did not immediately return calls Monday.