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Mars trip likely to space out voyagers
A MANNED mission to Mars could be put at risk by astronauts too tired to perform duties by the time they arrive on the planet, a study suggests.
In a 17-month simulation of a mission to Mars, four out of six astronauts became increasingly sedentary and experienced problems in performance associated with sleep deprivation, according to research released on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Locked in a spaceship-like habitat in Moscow for 17 months, the six men performed experiments and simulated emergency activities. The most sleep-deprived of the six was responsible for about 80 per cent of errors on assigned tasks, suggesting maintaining natural sleep cycles is crucial on interplanetary missions.
''We're not saying this isn't feasible, but we've identified these areas where we may have to do something,'' said Mathias Basner, a study author and an assistant professor of sleep and chronobiology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
The scientists monitored the participants' sleep using a wrist device. The simulation was conducted by the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Biomedical Problems and the Russian Federal Space Agency. The participants were locked in a container on July 3, 2010, and emerged on November 4, 2011.
Of the six crew members, only two didn't experience some kind of sleep trouble. One developed mild depression towards the end of the mission, despite having been screened before the simulation began.
''There were two crew members who did outstanding and adapted perfectly, and we would feel good about sending those to Mars,'' Dr Basner said. ''The other four had major problems.''
Many of the health issues developed early and persisted throughout the mission. He suggested lights that better simulate sunlight as received on Earth might help.
''Probably we don't need a 17-month mission to see them, just two to three months, which gives us more opportunities to do more of these studies,'' Dr Basner said.
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FLEAS STILL HOP at the entrance to the den, dug into the side of a small hill on the rolling surface of Blacktail Deer Plateau in Yellowstone National Park. The Leopold Pack, with eight adolescent pups, left this safe haven within the last couple of weeks. Standing amid the litter of a recently active wolf den—dozens of scats, a scattering of sticks and elk bones marked with the fine scratches of sharp puppy teeth—one is struck by the way the site seems to disappear into the landscape. Walk a few yards away, look back, and if you didn't know better, you'd never guess the wolves had been there.
Like its den, the gray wolf's impact on Yellowstone, though profound, can be difficult to see with the untrained eye. Exterminated from the park in the 1920s, the species was reintroduced seven years ago. Since then, scientists have uncovered evidence that when the wolf vanished from the park, several other species were affected as well. Wolves, it turns out, may shape the destinies not just of their prey and other predators but also of plants and songbirds—a timely finding as officials consider decreasing protection for this imperiled species. "With the wolf back in place as the top carnivore, biodiversity is greater," says biologist Doug Smith, leader of the National Park Service's Yellowstone Wolf Project. "The return of the wolf is the best thing to happen to Yellowstone in the past century."
Photo: © R. DALE VONRIESEN
POWERFUL PREDATORS: When wolves were eradicated from the park 80 years ago, Yellowstone's elk numbers increased, and groves of aspen—browsed heavily by these ungulates—began to decline. With wolves back preying on elk, young aspen trees are once again thriving. Wolves also affect predators such as coyotes, whose populations have fallen by half since the top dog's return. In the park's northern range, a male wolf chases a coyote (above) that had tried to prevent it from excavating a den to reach a litter of coyote pups
Since the arrival of Euro-American settlers, the park has experienced a series of sometimes drastic changes. Wildlife was hunted intensively at first, then protected piecemeal according to the prevailing attitudes of the times. Elk, targeted by commercial hunters in the 1800s, were later protected, while park managers mandated destruction of predators such as wolves. Today elk are plentiful, and populations of wolves—as well as mountain lions and black and grizzly bears—are recovering.
One major change took place after the last of Yellowstone's wolves were trapped and shot 80 years ago, when growth of new aspen trees came to a halt. Photographs taken in the 1890s show aspen groves standing tall on Blacktail Deer Plateau and elsewhere in the park, many of them gone today. Since Yellowstone's establishment in 1872, 95 percent of its aspen forests have been lost. Though they never covered more than 4 percent of the park's area (in its northern range), aspen groves support a greater variety and abundance of birds and understory plants than do surrounding Douglas fir and lodgepole pine forests.
The culprits behind the decline of Yellowstone's aspen were elk, whose populations began to boom after the wolf disappeared. The hungry animals devoured new growth of willow as well as aspen. For many years, the park service controlled elk numbers by culling herds, but in 1968—in response to a public outcry to Congress—it made a controversial decision to minimize human meddling with the park's wildlife, including elk. Without culling or natural predation, there was then nothing to limit the grazers but the carrying capacity of the land.
In a study of the trees' growth rings, ecologists William Ripple of Oregon State University and Eric Larsen of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point found that aspen that have managed to grow to tree height—rather than being eaten by elk as sprouts—began their lives between 1700 and the 1920s. After that, aspen continued to germinate, but they were heavily browsed by elk and seldom managed to grow taller than six or seven feet. Ripple says their study supports the hypothesis that wolves, through their effects on elk, help aspen flourish. A recent National Academy of Sciences report agrees that heavy browsing by elk has been the driving force behind the park's aspen decline, though it notes that climate change and fire suppression also have affected the trees' growth.
Ripple and Larsen, who launched a long-term study of aspen, elk and wolves three years ago, are finding that even if wolves don't change the number of elk, they may still protect aspen by changing the way the grazers behave. Aspen stands make good cover for wolves, and elk soon learn to steer clear of places where wolves spend time. They may browse around the edges of aspen forests in wolf territory, but they won't go into the woods where they would be most vulnerable to attack. As a result, aspen in areas frequented by wolves are growing tall for the first time in decades.
Photo: © MICHAEL H. FRANCIS
DAMMING EVIDENCE: The loss of Yellowstone's aspen (above) and willow particularly hurt the park's resident beavers. Booming in the 1920s, when trees of all ages provided stem sizes the animals need, beaver populations began dropping by the 1950s. Though too many beavers may themselves damage aspen groves, the industrious rodents also help the trees by flooding the land and creating better aspen habitat.
Heavy browsing by elk during the wolf's absence may have affected other species too. Before the predator's reintroduction, beavers had vanished from the park's northern range, although they flourished in the 1920s when aspen groves harbored trees of all ages, including the stem sizes preferred for dam-building. The animals themselves contributed to aspen decline—to some degree eating themselves out of house and home—but some ecologists believe the tree would have continued to regenerate had they not suffered from browsing by elk. Today, following their reintroduction on U.S. Forest Service land adjacent to Yellowstone, beavers are returning to the parts of the park frequented by wolves. In these areas, not only aspen but also willows are sending up tall shoots again.
Ripple believes that the wolf, the beaver and the aspen all have powerful effects on one another. "If any of these three are missing from the system," he says, "problems could occur, especially if large numbers of ungulates are present." He enumerates the links between the species: Wolves travel along streams and often prey on beaver; beaver need aspen for food and dam construction; wolves control elk browsing patterns, allowing aspen to grow; and beaver dams flood the land, creating more good habitat for aspen.
In Banff National Park, Canada, research underway by University of Alberta biologist Mark Hebblewhite bolsters recent findings from Yellowstone. Before wolves recolonized the park's Bow Valley in 1986, he says, "elk and beaver were obviously competing for willow." Another Banff researcher, biologist Cliff Nietvelt, found that beavers select willow stems of a size that vanishes when elk populations are dense. In Banff, which is a much harsher habitat for elk than Yellowstone, the wolf's return has reduced the elk population by 50 to 60 percent, allowing a dramatic rebirth of willow and aspen in wolf territories. Beaver dams built from these trees create ponds that are biodiversity hot spots. "The only time I've ever seen large numbers of boreal toads breeding in the park," says Hebblewhite, "was at a beaver pond about a mile from an active wolf den."
In Yellowstone, the wolf's reintroduction promises a cascade of effects on other creatures as well. During the top dog's long absence, the park's coyote population boomed, for example, reaching some of the highest densities ever recorded in North America. Wolves often kill coyotes or usurp their territories, and since the wolf's return, biologist Robert Crabtree of the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center estimates that coyote numbers have dropped by 50 percent. This is good news for coyote competitors such as red fox; sightings of these animals are already up in areas frequented by wolves. Crabtree and Smith expect that numbers of some other mid-sized predators, including wolverines and fishers (a rare species of weasel), will also increase.
Just south of Yellowstone, in Grand Teton National Park and nearby national forest lands surrounding Jackson Hole, Wyoming, moose—which devour willow—are the problem browsers. Once rare, moose numbers began expanding in the 1880s when humans wiped out both the wolf and grizzly bear. Today the animal's population density is about five times higher inside the park than it is outside, where people are allowed to hunt moose. Though the grizzly population is now expanding and Grand Teton is home to two wolf packs that moved south from Yellowstone, these predators are not yet numerous enough to have a significant impact on moose.
In 1998, biologists Joel Berger of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Peter Stacey of the University of New Mexico studied moose effects on willow habitat and on the birds that live there. "The willows inside the park are heavily browsed, so they're smaller and have many more dead stems than those outside the park," says Stacey. When he censused songbirds in willow inside and outside Grand Teton, he discovered a greater variety of species and higher abundance outside the park, where the willow habitat was healthier and less affected by moose. MacGillivray's warbler and the gray catbird, two species that depend on dense willow thickets for nesting, are absent from the park, but found outside it.
"Nobody suspected that there would be a higher diversity of birds outside the park," says Stacey. "We think of parks as being places that are set up to preserve biodiversity. What we found is just the opposite, because the park has been missing some key ecosystem components."
Photo: © ERWIN AND PEGGY BAUER
HIDDEN CONNECTIONS: Wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone (above) and elsewhere may even benefit songbirds. In Canada's Banff National Park, scientists discovered that the American redstart, a bird that requires mature willow to nest, thrives in areas where wolves have decreased elk density. Outside Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, the predators have provided a boost to willow-nesting gray catbirds and MacGillivray's warblers. Despite such growing evidence of the wolf's beneficial impact on ecosystems, federal officials have proposed decreasing protection for this carnivore.
Similar discoveries come out of Banff. Hebblewhite and Nietvelt found that in areas where wolves have reduced elk density, thriving willow habitats host a diverse array of songbirds—including the American redstart, a species that needs mature willow to nest successfully. Near the town of Banff, where numerous elk have taken up residence on lawns and golf courses (safe from wolf predation), willows don't grow above ankle height. The birds there are grassland species, and there is less diversity than in wolf territory. Redstarts do not nest there at all.
Hebblewhite believes that over time, the wolf will prove to have as powerful an influence on Yellowstone's ecology as it has on Banff's—and that the wolf will have the last word in a long-standing argument among ranchers, hunters, and wildlife scientists over the best way to manage grazing animals like elk and moose. "Restoring predators in the areas that you can is the easiest solution," he says. "It's the best way of achieving some measure of ecological integrity."
Some argue that human hunters should control elk populations. But hunting cannot mimic the impact of large carnivores. "Predators select different prey than do human hunters," says NWF Senior Scientist Steve Torbit. People target healthy males, while top carnivores take old, young and weakened animals as well as females. "It's the females that control population growth," says Torbit. "Even where elk are hunted, populations can continue to grow, and we are beginning to see a loss of healthy aspen groves outside of national parks in the West. Wolves are the missing component."
Research results emerging from both Yellowstone and Banff are particularly timely today. In April, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, declaring its gray wolf recovery program a success, changed the predator's status from endangered to threatened everywhere but in the Southwest. The agency also said it would soon begin the process of removing the wolf from the Endangered Species List altogether as well as abandon efforts to restore the animals in geographic areas such as New England. Once found throughout the United States, gray wolves today are thriving only in Alaska and the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes regions. The plan has drawn criticism from conservation organizations, including NWF.
Even fully protected by law, wolves remain vulnerable. In Yellowstone and central Idaho, young adults raised in reintroduced packs have begun to travel, looking for new places to live. Many of these pioneers will end up being killed or relocated when they wander into areas where people live. Despite growing evidence that wolves play a vital role in healthy ecosystems, resistance to the predators' presence on many ranch lands and urban fringes remains intense. "It's tough to find places that are wild enough to hold wolves," says Smith.
California writer Sharon Levy saw and heard wild wolves for the first time when she visited Yellowstone National Park to report this story.
Restoring Wolves
For more than two decades, NWF has worked to restore wolves, both in the public mind and on lands where the predators once lived. Education efforts include producing feature-length films, a wolf newsletter and materials for schoolchildren. NWF also works with other groups trying to protect and reintroduce wolves, including the U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nez Perce Tribe and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. In Maine, NWF's Northeastern Natural Resource Center is helping state wildlife biologists investigate reports that wolves may have returned to that state from Canada. On the policy front, NWF is working to ensure that a proposal to take wolves off the federal list of endangered species in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes does not lead to an abandonment of wolf recovery efforts in other parts of the country such as the Northeast and the Southern Rockies.

subset: commoncrawl


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New photos of Hawkeye and Hulk...
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, RedfordFilms.com, PastGenerationToys.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, MonkeyDepot.com, and Urban-Collector.com.
You saw them with our Toy Fair coverage (see our photo gallery HERE), but here are two brand-new photos of DST's Hawkeye and Hulk from the ir Marvel Select action figure line.
Based on Marvel's The Avengers movie, the figures were designed by Gentle Giant Studios from the likenesses of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Both are in Marvel Select's standard 7-inch scale, which places Hawkeye around 7 inches tall and Hulk around 9 inches tall. Each figure has 16 points of articulation for a full range of movement, and Hawkeye comes with a New York City battlefield display base, which connects with the base of the Avengers' mystery foe to form a diorama.
Hulk and Hawkeye (and the mystery foe) should reach comic shops and specialty stores in May, just after the movie hits U.S. theaters.


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Sjögren syndrome comorbidities diminish quality of life
Sjögren syndrome comorbidities diminish quality of life
The prevalence of several medical conditions, including cardiovascular, neurological, pulmonary, endocrine, GI, and psychological disorders, is higher in persons with primary Sjgren syndrome (pSS) than in the general population. The consequences of comorbid medical conditions in patients with pSS remain unclear and mortality is not increased, but patients experience a significantly decreased quality of life, with a high degree of fatigue, pain, and depression.
Kang and Lin selected 1974 patients who had a diagnosis of pSS and matched them with 9870 controls who did not. All patients came from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset (2006-2007). The investigators selected 19 medical comorbidities for analysis, based on the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index.
Compared with controls, persons with pSS had significantly higher rates of hyperlipidemia, cardiac arrhythmias, headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia, asthma, pulmonary circulation disorders, hypothyroidism, liver disease, peptic ulcers, hepatitis B, deficiency anemia, depression, and psychoses. The incidence of other disorders, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, and cancer, was similar in both groups. The findings of this study mirror what is observed in Western-based populations.
The authors noted that of all the comorbidities studied, depression was the most risky for persons with pSS; they advised specialized for these patients.


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NEW ORLEANS - One of the men critically injured in last week's Gulf oil platform fire died in a Baton Route hospital.
Avelino Tajonera, 49, was badly burned in the explosion and fire on the Black Elk Energy platform on Nov. 16. His remains will be returned to the Philippines for burial.
The fire was sparked while workers used a torch to cut an oil line.
Three others remain hospitalized.
The body of one missing worker was found two days after the blast. The search for the second missing worker was called off.
Black Elk Energy is headquartered in Houston.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Although I am 18 years of age, I am still a real sucker for all things cuddly, including stuffed toys. So when my boyfriend had these delivered to my door as a surprise, I was over the moon. I have two toy dogs (one called Mitzy, and the other Tewt?) which he had already named before I got them. You get little birth certificates with your toys, which is very cute, or at least it would be if you were a little child. One of the dogs was a miniature, which I believe are not only smaller but cheaper. However, the downside to this is that you cannot by the outfits for them (Or that could be an upside if you aren't wanting to spend a lot!). My 11 year old sister already had some bear factory bear clothes which she had picked up at a car boot sale, so she let me have them (As she didn't have the original bear factory bear anymore). The clothes are very sweet, but after looking at prices on the internet, I would say they are ridiculously overpriced! For a t-shirt you are looking around the £5 mark, and to say there are budget stores in which you can purchase adult t-shirts for that price, it's ridiculous. To say it's also a store aimed at children, there is no way that you could buy anything at 'pocket-money' prices. I still have the two dogs (they are about a year old), and one of them has lost it's fur in patches, however, it has been thrown about quite a lot. I actually discovered that normal baby clothes fit on the bears (sometimes they are a little bit too big so you have to roll them up), and you can pick them up in charity shops and markets much cheaper. Do I like the bear factory? Of course I do. It's a novelty, and it's great if you are looking to buy your son/daughter a special teddy bear for their birthday/christmas. However, from an adults point of view, it is very overpriced, and not the kind of place you could pop in and buy something, without crying whilst handing over your cash. What I will say however, is on the website (Type bear factory into google), is that they do have a 'sale' section, where you can sometimes pick up bits and bobs a lot cheaper. Overall, I would recommend, for a special purchase. Other than that, a little overrated.
When I first heard about The Bear Factory I will be honest, I thought it was too much hype and not enough action. How wrong I was.
My boys were invited to a birthday party at our local store recently. They are nearly 2 and 4 so the right kind of age for teddy bears.
I was a bit dubious how my older son would take to it as he isn't the kind of child to indulge in teddy's, but he seemed excited so I thought why not.
Well it was the most fantastic hour of our lives!!! My older son was absolutely enthralled and loved the idea of making his own teddy.
When you enter the shop it is bright and colourful, with rows of teddy's lining the walls. At the party you get to choose a bear up to a certain price to "make". Once selected, you choose a heart for your bear and give it love and kisses before inserting it into the bear carcas.
The next step involves attaching your bear to a machine which stuffs it with white stuffing. The children get to press the buttons which change the colour lights in the machine which they think is wonderful!
Once stuffed the bear is sewn up by the staff member, and then "washed and brushed" by the child.
The bears can have a birth certificate created with their name, weight, date of birth etc although my boys didn't really understand this. The next step of course is to dress the bear and oh my the choice. There is everything from babygros, ballerina outfits, football kits, army gear - you name it they have it.
My 2 year old didn't really enjoy or take part in the making of the bear, but he has not put the thing down since we got home! It is now his bed time buddy, it goes everywhere with us - pre-school, outings....
I would say honestly the bears are a bit pricey for just the bear, and the clothes are an added extra that some parents may not want to indulge especially if the child then wants new outfits every time they're out, but it is worth it as a special treat or a birthday party.
The Bear Factory
(Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen)
This review is primarily going to be about my experiences in the Aberdeen shop, but there are over thirty stores in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland.
I decided to write this review after visiting The Bear Factory today for about the one hundredth time!! This has got to be one of daughter favorite shops, and mine too if I am honest!!
What is the Bear Factory?
The Bear Factory is a shop where you can stuff your own animal. It then gets sewn up, then you can dress it and even choose accesories for it.
Is there a good choice of teddies?
The simple answer to this is yes!! Each shop usually stocks around twenty to thirty different choices at once. You can choose from ready stuffed animals or the option most children prefer is to stuff your own.
If you shop on the internet however there are over fifty to choose from.
Teddies - These come in different shades of brown and various sizes. You can also choose to take home your very own "Bearemy", The Bear Factory mascot. However if you want something which is a-typical you can have a pink one with white hearts all over it, a cuddly blue or pink one, a blue teddy with multi-cuddly peace signs all over it and a matching peace necklace or even your very own "Pudsey Bear". These are just a few of the different kinds available, there is just too much to mention!!
Dogs - There is also a wide choice of dogs available. There are various breeds such as the dalmation, the black labrador or the jack russel or even the new Jonas Brothers dog, which can all be pulled on all fours with the attachment of special "Bear Factory" shoes and roller skates. There are other dogs available which like the teddies sit up such as the cuddly scruffy puppy or the adorable brown sugar puppy with it's little floppy ears! Again these are just a few of the many available.
Other Animals - There are many other animals available but the selection is increasing in variety every month. At the moment you can choose from several bunnies, a horse which you can purchase with a saddle and a cute bear which can ride on it's back, an owl which can move it's head, several choices of monkey and you can even take Alvin the Chipmunk home! Again these are only a few of the many animal varieties available.
Asthma Friendly Animals - You can also buy animals which are made of a velvet fur for children with asthma. These are still relatively new and at present are only available in the bear or dog variety.
Hom much do the animals cost?
You can buy a mini animal from as little as £4, but the choice of clothes for these are limited. The larger animals start at £8 and increase to £20. However most are around £12 to £15, such as the "Be Mine Dalmation" for £12.50 or the "Sparkly Snow Leopard" for £15.
What is The Bear Factory experience like?
The Bear Factory experience cannot be experienced in any other shop. As soon as you walk in store there is no mistaking where you are. The staff go out of their way to make your childs purchase extra-special.
First of all you child has to choose which animal they want. The animal looks like the carcus of a teddy with no stuffing in it and some loose threads.
Your child then takes her choice to the stuffing machine where there is always a happy and talkative assistant waiting. What I like is the fact that the assistant doesn't talk to you but engages with your child in a way that makes the experience special to them.
The child then gets to help stuff their own teddy by pressing the special foot pedal while the assistant holds the bear.
Then comes the best bit! Your child gets to choose a free heart for their teddy. The assistant we had today was excellent, he had my daughter kiss the heart, spin around three times and even had her hopping around the shop!! Then you child pushes the heart into their animal. At this time they can also add a beating heart ( which cost £4) or an animal sound (which vary in price starting from £3), or both!
The assistant then sews the animal up. This is done extremely quickly and usually takes less than a minute.
The process does not finish there though as next you can take your teddy over to the fluffer machine which is shaped as a bath! Here you can blow air on your teddy using a special nozzle and foot pedal. Then you can brush it's fur with the brushes provided.
Next you can choose clothes for your teddy and even try them on!
Then it's onto the computer to fill out your bears birth certificate. This is easily done by sliding your animals tag through the machine provide which generates a unique code with your teddy details. You then have to fill in some simple details and parents need to give peermission if their child is under thirteen. My daughter is able to fill in all the details herself but children under seven would probably require help.
Once this is done you proceed to the till where you collect your gift certifcate and your child gets to choose which special bow(free) they want it wraped in. Unfortunately then it's time to pay!!
Is there a good choice of clothes and accessories?
Again the simple answer is yes!! There are a huge choice of girl and boy clothes plus special clothes and leads for the animals on all fours!
The Clothes - You can choose to purchase your clothes as indivual pieces or you can by a set. It is usually better value to buy the set. In all the cattegories that follow I have only included a few examples and there are much more available.
Outfit Sets - Outfits start from £8 up to around £14. Outfits come in a variety of styles for example, for the girls a 2-piece red and white tiered heart set which costs £8, or for the boy a 4-piece Prince set which costs £10. You can even buy football strips, a scottish kilt and shirt with matching accessories or even a fishing outfit complete with hat and fishing rod!!
T-shirts - These start from as little as £2, for a high school musical t-shirt and go up to £4.50 for a navy extreme sports t-shirt.
Skirts and Trouseres - The variety is huge but must items cost around £5. However the range does at strat at £3.50 and goes up to £8. For £3.50 you can have a delightful denim skirt, for £5 you can have a grey school skirt or for the boys, grey school trousers. There is only one item priced at £8 and that is the faded dungarees!
Shoes - You can also buy shoes for your bear. The prices range from £4.50 to £7. You can even buy your teddy a pair of Sketchers, priced at £6! You can also purchase roller skates for £4 a pair. This is where it can become expensive as to wear the roller skates you need to have on shoes, and if your bear is on all fours that means two pears of shoea and two pears of rollerskates!! I usually keep this type of purchase for special occasions only.
Nightwear and Underwear - Yes you can even buy little frilly pants or boxershorts for your little friend!! All underwear is priced at £3. The nightwear start at £6 and increases to £10. You can even buy your teddy a bathrobe for £6!!
Accessories - These come in all forms and range vastly in price. For as little as £1 you can treat your teddy to some hair bobbles in various colours, or you can splash out and by a rolling pet carrier for £12.50.
A new item which I found today and thought was excellent was a wheelchair for your animal. This would be delightful for a child in a wheelchair, so their bear could be just like them.
My Bear Factory Experience
I have been shopping at The Bear Factory since it opened and have actually gotten to know certain members of the staff. They are extremely helpful and kind and will try to meet any request you may have.
I had not had any problems until December. I had gone in to buy a fully dressed Holly Moose for my daughter's christmas priced at £28. When it came to put it through the till there was such a carry on. The assistant insisted on putting every item through individually even though his co-worker told him it was a package. He then insisted that the shoes were not included but instead a mini Holly was included. I replied that it was no problem and just to charge me, but he said they were the last pair and he would now have to go find a price. I ended up walking out with nothing, for the first time ever and being entirely dis-satisfied.
During our visit today I seen a regular member of staff who had not been there that day and explained what had happened. He appologised profusely and told me that this man had been sacked. He had been taken on as temporary christmas staff and it had not worked out, which is fair enough! However he then handed me a £5 gift voucher and again appologised.
I think this just goes to show how excellent their customer service really is and I would highly recommend this store to anyone, especially for families.
This is a bit of magic for the kids (and the big soft adults like me). Children these days I find grow up too quickly and this place does keep the child in them and is well worth it for all sexes under the age of 5, over the age of 5 the boys don't want to believe in this magic and teddy nonsence.
When you walk into this shop you are greated by a selection of skins in all different colours and textures for your child to choose from. Then you get to pick a heart that is to be placed in your bear and kiss it (this does really make it special in my opinion) Your bear is then to be stuffed and an outfit to be picked to make it that little bit more special. It is the presented with its own birth certificate that makes it that very special bear for yourself.
My son was taken here when he was 2 with his nursery and he came back with a lovely bear dressed in an England shirt with a flag this one even whisled, my sister bought my daughter one of these it was a bunny that had glitter on it and dressed in a tutu which was wonderful.
They are not cheap bears by all means but they are worth it just to see the amazement on a childs face and how happy they are when they have made this bear in their eyes, they seem to cherish this toy for a long time. People buy teddies so often for your children but these ones are the special ones too keep.
I think that they are wonderful and the staff in this store are brilliant too they are helpful and explain things very well to the children which helps them feel that they are playing a major part in the making of it.
To be perfectly frank with you the Bear Factory is not a shop I ever thought I'd be stepping inside. I'm not a huge bear fan, and I don't have kids so really why would I want to go there?! Well it all came about when my niece and nephew decided they'd like to come and stay with us at Easter without mum or dad, this was a new thing for them, and at 9 and 11 we thought we could probably handle it.
Having been given a whopping £25 each by their mum to spend while they were staying with us, like most kids the money started burning a hole in their pockets the moment they got in the car to come visit with us. My nephew decided he'd like a new computer game for whichever console it is he's got (I'm really not good at console stuff!), and my niece was itching to get to the Bear Factory so she could make a bear to take to bed with her while she visited with us. Knowing I was happy to spend a bit of money on them during their visit if we did anything else, I was quite happy to oblige them and let them spend their cash.
The particular store we visited is in the Centre MK but from what I've been told of other stores they're all laid out in very much the same way. You enter the store and are immediately started on your journey to make a bear. At one side of you are trays with bear skins in them - empty cuddly toys looking all sad and lonely as my niece put it. She took her time and chose carefully and picked a pink monkey. The next step on the journey is to have your bear stuffed. I was being led round quite confidently by my niece who I hate to say it has visited this store on as many occasions as she could con someone to take her there I think! A staff member stands and fills the bear with stuffing - there's this sort of pipe that they pop the bear on to which is controlled by a foot pedal so that the bear can be stuffed. Ahh before I forget, this is also the point where you pick a heart for your bear, and before it's put into the bear you have to kiss it and make a wish (yes of course I had to kiss the heart too ;-) you wouldn't think I'd get away without that bit would you?!). The heart is placed in the partly filled bear, and the rest of the stuffing added. There's a choice of how firm you want the bear to be, so you can have it really soft and floppy or really firm and unmoveable or somewhere in between, you can also choose a voice for your bear and even record a message for him/her/it to say if you want to, but we didn't do this bit. Once the bear is filled and the whip stitching which is ready to be done is pulled tight and finished off, the bear needs a bath. No water - well you wouldn't want a soggy bear would you! - this is an air bath to get rid of any loose bits of stuffing that may have adhered to his skin.
So now you have a complete bear and all is finished - except of course it's not! Now the monkey needs clothes aunty you don't want him to be naked do you? (well of course he does silly me! How could I possibly think otherwise!). So off we go round the back of the store where all the clothes and accessories are. There is SO much to choose from here it's ridiculous, from simple t-shirts for your bear (or monkey), to stuff emblazoned with the latest fashionable film logos. There are bags and sunglasses, hair bands, tops, dresses, trousers, shoes, skateboards, and well imagine a posh kids clothes shop, and then reduce it in size to fit a bear and you're pretty much going to have the right image in your mind. We (my niece) chose some clothes and accessories - a bag, top, and hair band all nicely clashing with the pink of his fur as she chose high school reunion stuff which is mostly red and sparkly and then I moved forward ready to pay.
Aunty we've got to do this bit first! (Whaaaa???)... Before you pay, you have to make your bear (monkey) a birth certificate. There are these little computer stations - they're nice and brightly coloured to appeal to kids again and fairly sturdily built. I thought here we go this is where I need to help, but noooo my niece was in like Flynn. Sat down and filled everything in carefully - her name, the monkey's name, her address, etc. and all I had to do was read her the number from his bar coded tag. The reason you put this in is twofold I think. Firstly when you do (finally) get to the till, they scan the code and it prints off the certificate for them to give you. Secondly if your bear gets lost ever then if he's returned to any Bear Factory store, they will scan him and get him safely home to you. I have to say I rather liked this idea of a well loved bear making his way safely home after having been lost by his loving little girl (or boy), how often it happens though I don't know.
We did finally reach the till after this. The process had taken maybe half an hour, and by this time my husband and nephew were sat outside the shop waiting for us (men do definitely shop faster don't they!). Unfortunately for them, my niece was given a £5 gift voucher at the till for spending over a certain amount and she just had to go and spend it there and then of course! (Well if you were 9 wouldn't you!). So back we went to look for something else. She chose some sunshades for monkey, and something else which to be honest I'm afraid I've forgotten now. That was an extra £1 on top of the £5 voucher though, so in total with the Monkey and all his accessories, she spent £28 on the thing.
I have to say, Although my niece did have a lot of fun (and if I'm honest so did I - very secretly of course), I do think it's a rip off - not so much the bear, as all the accessories that they sell you to go with it. The bear isn't too much more than a decent bear would be that you haven't had the fun of stuffing yourself (around £9-15 depending on which you pick), It really is adding all those extra bits that brings the cost up so high and of course when you make your bear you really are drawn round the shop in a fairly precise way so that you can't bypass that bit.
My daughter is 7 years old and has become obsessed with this place. I took her there last week to see what all the fuss was about and it was quite an eye opener. There is a routine you go through in there which for a 7 year old girl is magical but for a 39 year old is torturous and embarassing. First you choose your teddy from a host of pelts which would make Davey Crockett proud. Once chosen, the Americanised assistant who is actually an overweight teenager from Hounslow asked which heart you want to put in it. This heart has to be kissed before being placed into the hollow skin. They also ask if you would like your toy to have a voice. You then choose from a series of irritating screeches and, in my daughter's case, end up with an animal that sings like Hannah Montanna. The toy is then stretched over something resembling a sex toy and is stuffed. Just like a sex toy you can choose whether you want it hard, squeezable or limp. Once complete, the animal is stitched up and then the process of accessorising takes place. Here you can buy clothes, superhero outfits, shoes, sportswear and anything else you can imagine. Interestingly, these items, measuring no more than 6 inches square, cost more than my own clothes which are designed to fit a 6'3", 15 stone frame. Finally, you sit at a computer and complete a birth certificate. This entire process lasts about 8 minutes and will set you back more than the entire GDP of Zimbabwe.
My little sister is mad about stuffed toys so for her birthday I went to the bear factory after reading about it on here to get her a bear that was especially for her.
There are hundreds of stuffed toys, bears animals etc on display for you to choose from and are available in a few different sizes, once you have chosen which one you want and in which size you get given a bear skin, the material of the out side with no stuffing, you then go to get him a heart if you wish, this can be a light up heart that you will be able to see in his chest, one with a recorded message or you can have one and take it to a booth to record your own message, I opted for two of these, one that sang happy birthday and one I could record my birthday message on myself.
These are added to your bears chest then he is stuffed and they sew him up, then you can choose clothes for your bear and there are lots of outfits to choose from, I chose a ballett dress and shoes for this bear as my little sister is ballett mad.
They then put your bear in a beautiful box with a carry handle on the top to take him home.
All in all this bear cost me £40, I know it is a little more than you would pay for a teddy from a shop but it has such a personal feel about it and is something my sister will have for years, she loved it so it was money well spend for me.
I have a younger sister and a nephew so The Bear Factory is an ideal place for me to find a nice gift for them. The Bear Factory sells cuddly toys (that's probably obvious from the store name), the cuddly toys are different animals, for example, bear, rabbit, monkey, cat, dog, plus many, many more. The prices are variable depending on which cuddly toy you select.
Whilst going to the store (my local one is the Birmingham store located in the Bullring) the members of staff are very friendly and ask if you need help with anything, last year for Christmas gifts I bought my little sister a pink bear (this was £17) and my nephew a monkey (which was £15).
The toys come unstuffed so you actually get to see the bear being made right in front of you in store. If you're taking any children along with you then they can very much be a part of this process, putting their foot on the pedal whilst it's being stuffed, selecting a heart to put inside the cuddly toy (you can get various, normal red shaped heart, light up, talking etc). The staff of the Bear Factory then sews the toy and presents it with a birth certificate describing the bear's name (you choose), birthday, height, weight etc, can be a fun and very much enjoyable experience for the little ones. Your toy then goes into a well presented gift box ready for you to take home. I also bought a pink fairy outfit (£10) for my sister's bear and a pair of Christmas shorts (£4) for my nephew's monkey.
This year I ordered my sister a fluffy rabbit (£18) and a school uniform dress and hair bands (£8) but I ordered it from their website: http://www.buildabear.co.uk/ as I had a discount voucher that I could use to get a certain percentage off. Their customer service was brilliant and I had my item delivered just a few days afterwards. Before ordering always search into Google for discount codes as these can often be found.
The store sells plenty of clothes to fit your bear, underwear, socks, trousers, jeans, skirts, dresses, tops, uniforms, fancy dress outfits, shoes, pj's, dressing gowns, hats, bags, plus many, many more accessories; their sizing is one size so whichever bear you select you'll find that they fit. It's just like having your own little person to look after!!!
These toys may seem a little expensive but they are fantastic value for money. They look more special than normal cuddly toys, the feel and touch is luxurious and the quality is fantastic, the ones I bought last Christmas still look brand new.
Shall definitely be shopping here time and time again.
Me and my dad went to the bear factory to have a look for something special for my daughters first birthday.
We didnt realise untill we got there that you can have a bear made how ever you want.
Firstly we had to pick what teddy we wanted and seen as my dauhter was cat mad we chose a cat.
Then we got to choose from about 10 different colours for the cat, we chose a ginger and white striped cat.
You then get to choose an out fit for your teddy, there are quite literaly thousands to choose from, we chose a pink balarina outfit fot our cat.
You can then choose to leave your teddy like this or you can have a recorded message put into the cats tummy.
We chose to have the cat meaw the happy birthday song and at the end of this they got my dad to say happy birthday
We then went shopping wholst they stisched our cat all together and collected him a couple of hours later.
my daughter loves him, these are not cheep it cost £50 but it is a lovely keep sake for my daughter.
Since then we have had a rotty puppy made for my other daughters first birthday.
The funniest part about all this was as my daughter reached about 18 months old she realised it was grandad talking at the end and tried to talk back to him, she realy thought grandad was in her cats tummy, it was so funny.
I recently purchased a biker outfit from Bear Stores www.bearstores.co.uk an internet only web site specialising in Bear Factory and Build a Bear compatible clothes.
The item arrived the very next day. Much cheaper than build a bear and Bear Factory. Top quality product and service, I was very impressed.
The site stocks hundreds of items and my daughter is now a big fan she and I will be buying from Bear Stores again, top value and quality from a UK supplier.
Bear Stores is a UK based Internet retailer of high quality Bear Factory and Build a Bear Compatible Teddy Bear Clothing. The Site can be found at www.bearstores.co.uk
The Site Stocks over 160 product lines with one of the largest choices in the UK. Prices are cheaper than Bear Factory and Build a Bear Workshop but quality is not compromised.
All products on the the site are stocked in the UK with most items arriving next day. The Site is designed for ease of use. Highly recommend checking out the store. www.bearstores.co.uk
I have seen the Charlie Bear web site and it's brill. Great selection and cheaper than Build-a-Bear. I bought some party packs for my youngest daughter's party and the kids loved them. I also bought several outfits for Xmas.Highly recommended site and very fast delivery.
Why not visit www.charliebear.co.uk which is an on-line teddy bear clothing store.
We have over 100 outfits, shoes and accessories that will fit the 15" bears from Bear Factory and Build-a-Bear.
We also have bears and other animals for sale.
New stock arriving soon which will include new lines exclusive to us.
8" teddy bear party packs available and 8" bear clothing. A great alternative to the usual party pack and a lovely keepsake to take home at the end of the party.
Our very own Charlie Bear will also be arriving soon!
My son went to the Bear Factory for his sixth birthday. It was excellent. He chose a bear, stuffed it, made a wish on a heart before it was finally put inside his bear. He even got to dress the bear as batman and give it a name. I cannot recommend the bear factory highly enough. Supurb value for money and memories that will last a lifetime. My older son now wants to go for his birthday.
The Reason i am writing this review is because this shop (Build a bear) Has taken over all stores from the Bear Factory and i felt i should point this out in case anyone was wondering where the Bear factory had gone or not gone if you know what i mean.
Build a bear is similar to The bear factory which sold Bears that you could buy in the shop, stuff and dress. Bear a bear shops now have a wider selection of bears/Animals to buy these include Teddy's, Pooh Bear, Hello Kitty, puppies, cats, koala, bunny's, monkeys, cow giraffe (These are all the ones i remember seeing on my visit last week). Build a bear is always bringing out new ones so keep an eye out. You can also get some limited editions. Our collection includes limited edition pudsey bear, Giraffe, Dog and Teddy. I am waiting to see if they will get a piggy one, going to make an e-mail request on this.
You can get the Bears already made up or you can get the outside of the bear and with the help of assistants stuff it yourself. You can choice if you want the bear hard or soft. You then take it over to another person who will ask you to pick out a heart which you kiss and place inside. The person will then sew up the bear. If you want a voice box (See below), you must get this before the stitching process.
Build a bear shops also include clothes for your bear, accessories, birth certificates, beds, wardrobes and so on. You can really make your bear the coolest in town. The good thing about the clothes is you can personally customise these bears as gifts for family and friends. My sons one came in a martial arts outfit as this is what he does. You could get a doctors outfit for a doctor pal, Football out fit for a footballer and so on.
How much does it cost? Well to be honest they are not cheap. A bear on its own can cost between £7.99 to £14.99, most are around the £12.99 mark but they do have sales on which is the best time to buy. Now when you start buying the extras it soon adds up. A full outfit can cost about £9.99 or more. Single items cost around £3.99 to £7 approx. My daughter brought a pair of shoes for her teddy which cost £4.99 and a bag £3 (She just loves her teddy). Bears already made up including clothes can just be brought off the shelf for £14.99 upwards depending on the teddy and clothes.
Now onto a special touch for £2.99 you can add a voice box to your build a bear, this could be A birthday song, snoring, Lullaby, happy Christmas and so on. OR the other option is to record your own message on one of the voice box's, this isn't easy to do and is best to ask an assistant for help like we did on my mother-in-laws birthday bear which now has my children saying happy birthday Nanny.(She just loved it).
You will find Build a bear shops in the following locations:
Norwich (My local), Aberdeen, London, Birmingham, Bristol, bromley, Chester, Cardiff, Colchester, Glasgow, Manchester, Reading, Sheffield, West thurrock. PLUS SOME IN OTHER LOCATION. Also 3 stores in the UK a still called the BEAR FACTORY. New locations are appearing on a regular basis, look out for these on the shops website or on your travels.
Have a build a bear birthday party - Yes this is true for £8 per person + You can have a party at build a bear, see website for more details or in store. I am thinking about this for my daughter for next year depending on finances.
On a whole we love Build a bear and visit often, it can get very addictive so be warned.


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Sarah Agnew, Bill McCallum Lead Guthrie's TIME STANDS STILL, Opens 4/7
The Guthrie Theater today announced complete casting for Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Donald Margulies' celebrated drama Time Stands Still. Artistic Director Joe Dowling will direct the 2010 Tony Award-nominated, deeply human and witty play about the lives of two couples coping with changes in life and the aftermath of trauma. The production will play from April 7 – May 20, 2012 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage.
Dowling has assembled an ensemble to take on the roles of two couples at a critical juncture in their lives. Twin Cities actress Sarah Agnew (The 39 Steps, Dollhouse, Major Barbara) leads the cast as photojournalist Sarah Goodwin, who wrestles with the consequences of a career spent documenting carnage. Guthrie favorite Bill McCallum (God of Carnage, Much Ado About Nothing, Circle Mirror Transformation) stars as Sarah's partner James Dodd, a war journalist whose desire for a more conventional life puts a strain on the couple's relationship.
The production will also feature the talents of Mark Benninghofen (The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide…) and Valeri Mudek (Charley's Aunt, Tiny Kushner) as Sarah's editor and mentor Richard Ehrlich and his much younger girlfriend Mandy Bloom, respectively.
James is a journalist who left Iraq before photographer Sarah was injured by a roadside bomb. As Sarah deals with her injuries and her lingering feelings of loss for the translator killed by the bomb, James is swamped by guilt for having left her alone. Something is amiss in their relationship, but their differences are lessened when they're in the company of Richard, a magazine photo editor and supporter of their work, and his much younger girlfriend Mandy, a bubbly event planner who looks on the bright side of life.
"What I tried to do with this play is capture a sense of the way we live now," says Margulies. "To dramatize the things that thinking, feeling, moral people are thinking about and struggle with - the issues of how to be a citizen of the world, how to show compassion, how to be involved, how to be true to yourself and your immediate loved ones."
The artistic team includes Walt Spangler (Set Designer), Christine A. Richardson (Costume Designer), Tom Mays (Lighting Designer), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), Jo Holcomb (Dramaturg), Marcela Lorca (Movement), Martha Kulig (Stage Manager), Meaghan Rosenberger (Assistant Stage Manager) and Jon Ferguson (Assistant Director).
Time Stands Still begins preview performances on April 7, opens April 13 and continues through May 20, 2012, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage at the Guthrie Theater. Single tickets start at $24 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.


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These squares have been made from Cuisenaire rods. Can you describe
the pattern? What would the next square look like?
Cut differently-sized square corners from a square piece of paper
to make boxes without lids. Do they all have the same volume?
Can you use this information to work out Charlie's house number?
One block is needed to make an up-and-down staircase, with one step up and one step down.
$4$ blocks make an up-and-down staircase with $2$ steps up and $2$ steps down.
How many blocks would be needed to build an up-and-down staircase with $5$ steps up and $5$ steps down?
Explain how you would work out the number of blocks needed to build a staircase with any number of steps.


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Evolution Hoax
Mahlmann Reinhold (47) and his wife Dallmeier Ged. Dathel (55) came from Hamburg to visit a friend in Unye Turkey.
Their Turkish friend Ms. Nuray Kaya explained how they decided to embrace Islam: "I have been introducing Islam to them for a long time and the more they heard about Islam the more they admired pretty much."
Thus the couple decided to convert to Islam and applied to Unye Office of the Mufti. Aydin Yigman, the Mufti, explained five pillars of Islam to the couple and told them that Islam is a religion of love and compassion and Muslims believe in all of the prophets. Mr Yigman also presented an English copy of the Qur'an and a book covering five pillars of Islam to the couple.


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Changqing Gao
Title: Vice President of PLA General Hospital, Chairman and Professor of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery PLA General Hospital, Director of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Cardiac Surgery Center, Director of International Cooperation & Research Center of Robotic Cardiac Surgery, and Director of Institute of Cardiac Surgery
Address: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the PLA General Hospital 28 Fuxing Rd, Beijing 100853, China
Phone: +86-10-88211280
Fax: +86-10-88211280
Email: email@example.com
Dr. Changqing Gao is currently the Chairman and Professor of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the PLA General Hospital. Directors of the Institute of Cardiac Surgery, the National Training Center for Robotic Surgery, the International Cooperation and Research Center for Robotic Cardiac Surgery, and the pioneering surgeon in robotic surgery in Asia. He has completed over 600 cases of robotic cardiac surgery and published a lot of papers since 2007.
Dr. Gao holds important positions in many academic organizations home and abroad. He is the President of the Asian Society of Robotic Surgery (ASRS), Executive Councilor of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), Councilor of the Chinese Medical Association, Vice President and Secretary General of the Chinese Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Cardiovascular Surgeons, President of the Beijing Society of Cardiac Surgery, Executive Councilor of the Beijing Medical Association, Board Director of the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS), and Member of AATS, STS, EACTS and ISMICS.
Dr. Gao plays an active role in clinical and academic activities. He is a Professor of Tsinghua University and Nankai University. Furthermore, he is the Co-editor of the Journal of Robotic Surgery of USA, Member of Editorial Board of the Heart Surgery Forum, Member of Editorial Board of Innovations of USA, Associate Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Executive Editor-in-chief of the Chinese Journal of Extracorporeal Circulation, and Associate Editor-in-chief of the Chinese Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Tags: Cardiology, Changqing Gao


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For those who think the Louisiana Legislature resembles a separate branch of government, think some more.
Three ex-governors, two Democrats and a Republican, all but put that notion to rest earlier this month when they were part of a rare joint appearance.
And what they said reinforces the long-held view that, in Louisiana, 144 House and Senate members mostly say "yes" or "no" to what the governor wants but rarely craft their own plans that shape the state.
Officials and residents of most states would find it unthinkable, even laughable, that lawmakers cannot even pick their own leaders.
Yet former Gov. Buddy Roemer pulled no punches when describing how legislative leaders landed their jobs during his term.
"I appointed the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate," he said.
The same practice goes on today.
Most states rely on legislative leaders to craft their own plans on issues like public schools, higher education and health care.
Those plans then take their place along with what the governor proposes, and any final product is often a blend of ideas.
Not only does that not happen in Louisiana, even the idea of House and Senate leaders initiating their own agendas is far-fetched.
"If the governor doesn't get behind it, it is not going to happen," said former Gov. Edwin Edwards, who held the job for 16 years.
Most voters do not even think of state lawmakers when it comes to solving problems.
"We do know that the people look to the governor for leadership on big issues," former Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.
All of this is relevant as Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is about to begin his sixth year in office, duels with what passes for legislative "independence" and "rebellions."
Earlier this year, anger among some Republican House members about the use of one-time funds to finalize the state's $25 billion operating budget got some attention.
However, in the end, the governor got the budget pretty much the way he wanted, which he and his predecessors almost invariably have done.
Rumblings of a special session — this one called by state lawmakers — also made the rounds briefly.
Legislators tried to sell the idea as a way to make the governor consult them on key budget issues — think of that — like governors do in most other states.
Yet that push died too, and most taxpayers do not even know that it happened.
Other examples abound, and it has gone on for years.
Issue after issue, including health care, aid for higher education and public school overhauls, repeatedly features the governor proposing and lawmakers reacting rather than initiating much on their own.
Kirby Goidel, a professor of mass communications at LSU, notes that it is natural for legislatures to defer to executives.
"What is striking about Louisiana is that gubernatorial power is rooted mostly in informal norms as opposed to formal authority," Goidel said in an email.
Robert Hogan, an associate professor of political science at LSU, stated in an email that it is "pretty amazing" to observe state lawmakers.
Hogan said "there is great deference given to the Louisiana governor in setting the agenda, and there exists a great unwillingness to vote against the governor."
He said one key factor for today's practice in the State Capitol is the way former Gov. Huey Long wielded power, which he said "has become part of the state's tradition and now represents the status quo."
Picking House and Senate leaders is one such example.
However, it is so unusual, at least in the United States, that it speaks volumes about who holds power in Baton Rouge.
Jindal never talks publicly about having the Legislature under his thumb.
Neither did his predecessors, nor did they call for moving more power away from them and to the Legislature when they held office.
Yet all three clearly enjoyed having the upper hand.
"Governors love to control the Legislature," Blanco said.
Will Sentell covers the Louisiana Legislature for The Advocate Capitol news bureau. His email address is email@example.com.


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Topic: need help for my dad
Hi... I am a young daughter of my dad is 84. My life was full of joy not too long ago. I have a 3 yr old boy and a 3 months old little girl. Haven't enjoyed enough the family time, my dad has jaundice about a months ago. After all the blood test, ultrasound, ct, ercp, biopsy, came back said he has cc. doctor said he has cc. Dad has been always healthy in general. He has high blood pressure, but medicine controls well.
My dad is a very sensitive person so I haven't told him yet. This afternoon, we'll go to see the gastro doctor for results and next step. I will have to try really hard not to cry in front of them to make my dad nervous. He doesn't speak English, need my translation. I have been suffering the past 2 weeks, praying for better results. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat well, and my life turned upside down when I heard this yesterday on phone with doctor. Everyday, my 2 kids, and doing more research of treatments, options been my main support.
I have a lot of questions, and need supports. I have checked out this forum last week and see people here are very warm and nice. Please give me some support. I love my dad very much. If there is anything in this world can help him, I'll go for it. Thanks everyone!
Right now, I am not sure because of his old age, 84 early next year will be 85, can he still afford to be operated even if he maybe qualify... ? The tumor is at the middle part of the bile duct, leaving the liver, where the Y joins. Other organs, doctor hasn't seen anything yet. The gallbladder also has something but the ERCP couldn't take biopsy. Doctor said too hard to go in and get sample.
If it'll be better off or worse off to go with Radiation and Chemo? I heard a lot of side effect for radiation or chemo, and very painful? He has lost 10 LB and seeing him so skinny and weak, I am so upset. He's very skinny to begin with, 133LB.
The worst part of cc is if we do nothing, he's going leave us so soon... I feel so helpless....
I am in NJ. Yesterday, I've called Sloan kettering in nyc requested to see surgeon: Dr Fong. I saw this name in this forum before. The nurse told me will review the record and let me know if will see Fong or not.
While my life seems in a big mess now... I wonder what is the next step for cc? How to start looking for treatments? Maybe just follow the gastro doctor's suggestion this afternoon? Anything suggestion for what I can start to prepare early will be really appreciated. I am trying all my best so that in the future, I won't regret I haven't tried hard enough.
Thanks you everyone!!


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Rib injury forces Giambi to DL to begin season
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Indians manager Terry Francona has never been shy about his affinity for veteran Jason Giambi. The way things are shaping up, it appears as though Giambi will once again play a role on Cleveland's bench this season.
On Tuesday, the Indians announced that the 43-year-old will begin the regular season on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Friday). The designated hitter is currently working through a rehab program after suffering a fractured rib in his right side earlier this spring.
"It's great. It feels really good," Giambi said. "I'm excited about where I'm at, to be honest with you. I thought it was going to be a little sore, because the doctors I talked to said it was going to be like a deep bruise after a while once you get the trauma out. But I feel really good."
Giambi, who will miss at least the first four games of the regular season, was struck on the right side by a pitch from Cubs right-hander Edwin Jackson on March 7. On Monday, Giambi resumed hitting off a tee and doing soft-toss drills to test his side. He will travel with the Indians when they break camp in preparation for the March 31 opener in Oakland.
Considering how he has felt in recent days, Giambi does not feel he will need to miss too much time in April.
"They said now the timetable is really good," said Giambi, who is entering his 20th season in the Majors. "It's just how you get it going now. The next big test will be batting practice and then, of course, the hardest thing will be catching up to velocity, timing and how that feels."
Giambi hit .183 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 71 games as a part-time pinch-hitter and DH last season for the Indians. Within that overall showing, Giambi launched three pinch-hit homers and posted a .271 average with runners in scoring position and a 1.181 OPS in ninth-inning at-bats.
Indians center fielder Michael Bourn (left hamstring) will join Giambi on the 15-day DL to start the season. With them out of the immediate picture, Cleveland plans on carrying a reserve group consisting of third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, outfielder Nyjer Morgan and utility men Mike Aviles, Ryan Raburn and Elliot Johnson.
Cleveland has yet to make a decision on its final rotation spot (down to Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco) or its last two bullpen jobs (Scott Atchison, Blake Wood, Tomlin and Carrasco are candidates). Francona indicated that those decisions were likely to be announced Wednesday at the earliest.
"I think there's a way to do it," Francona said. "I think we do want to meet and talk and then, when we come to the last couple [decisions], we want to definitely talk to the players. That's the most important thing. There's probably a proper time to do that."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Coming off its first ever draft, the Ohio Machine looks carry the momentum it has built up so far into the MLL Supplemental Draft. The Machine is looking to bolster its veteran-laden line-up through the Supplemental Draft to fill in the few gaps it has left on the team.
"There are a lot of talented guys who didn't get picked up that we have had on our radar so we're going to go back and see who will fit within our plan," said Head Coach Ted Garber. "We only have two attackmen on our roster so that would be a good place to start."
The Machine will look to use its 19 picks in the Supplemental Draft to continue to build towards its end goal of building a championship-caliber team. "I think we can probably look for more of the same type of players that are versatile and willing to do what it takes to win," said President and GM John Algie. "We know we've got a core group of players that bring a fantastic mix of youth and veteran experience that our fans are going to love to cheer for and see win come 2012."
Fans will be able to see the team the Machine has assembled in person come May. After playing its first two weeks on the road, the Machine will come home for its 2012 inaugural season home opener at historic Selby Stadium on Saturday, May 19, at 8 p.m. against the Rochester Rattlers, from whom the Machine received its first four players (Anthony Kelly, Greg Bice, Brett Garber and Stefan Schroder) via trade in September.
After the Supplemental Draft, the Machine has one more draft before training camp in April – the 2012 MLL Collegiate Draft on January 13 in Philadelphia, where the Machine holds the 2nd and 8th overall picks.
Season tickets are now on sale, starting at only $100! Sections are filling up fast so make sure to call us at (614) 754-1973 or visit www.theohiomachine.com/tickets today to purchase your 2012 inaugural season tickets.


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Encouraging your customers to tip is easier than you think. Whether you're running a busy restaurant or other service-based business, our special Tipping feature for EFTPOS terminals lets your customers add a tip amount to their credit card purchase. This function also allows you to allocate tips to individual staff members, making tipping distribution simpler for you.
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ANZ recommends you read the Terms and Conditions and the Financial Services Guide (PDF 76kB) before acquiring the product.
You need Adobe Reader to view PDF files. You can download Adobe Reader free of charge.


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It looks like 15 of our 18 team owners have read the rules. 2 of the 3 that are missing have been on the Digest since I sent out PM's asking them to check out the rules thread.
Not checking your PM's is not a good sign.
I would like to bring in some solid vets to round out the league. If there's anyone that is currently in KL 1 or the ABA that would like to join the new IKL please let me know.
The scoring will be the same in all 3 leagues & the rules are exactly the same as KL1, except I've added a daily participation rule:
Team owners are required to log onto the site on a daily basis. There are times when life will call us away from being able to check in. If an owner knows in advance that he will not be able to check in, he should post a notice, either on the Sports.ws site or on the Pacers Digest Trash Talk board. Team owners that repeatedly fail to log onto the site daily or post a notice of their absence will be in risk of being replaced.


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The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Where and When
Time: 2:00 pm & 5:00 pm
Location: Gateway Auditorium, Newtown campus
Contact: email@example.com
Event Information
This colorful, exciting family favorite returns to Bucks County Community College. Two performances: 2pm and 5pm. Perfect for all ages. Tickets available online at www.bucks.edu/tickets
Tickets available online only.


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Gary Kirsten - Determined batsman, astute coach
Former South Africa opening batsman Gary Kirsten was born on
23 November 1967 in Cape Town. Though not the most attacking batsman, Kirsten
had strong powers of concentration and skill as well determination, that made
him one his country's best opening batsmen.
Kirsten scored 7289 runs, including
21 centuries at an average of 45.27 in 101 Tests; and in 185 one-day
internationals, Kirsten scored 6798 runs, including 13 centuries at an average
of 40.95.
After his retirement in March 2004, Kirsten set up his own academy in
Cape Town, in 2006.
Kirsten signed a deal in December 2007 to coach India and
during his reign the team moved up to No. 1 in the Test rankings for the first
time and also won the 2011 World Cup, after which he quit the side and took
charge of South Africa.
Having not renewed his contract with Cricket South Africa, Kirsten stepped down in August 2013 citing family commitments and has been signed as head coach of IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils.


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This star rating is the opinion of the property owner only. A Self-Rated hotel has not been assessed by the AA or Visit Britain, whose official star ratings we use across LateRooms.com.
Poenamo Hotel4 Self rated
31 Northcote Road Takapuna, Auckland, 0629
Price FromView Rooms
This hotel doesn't have any reviews yet.
About the hotel
The Iconic Poenamo Hotel known for the history with the All Blacks is situated just eight minutes from the city centre. The Hotel has been recently refurbished to a 4 star standard with kitchenettes added to all the Poolside Studios. We are minutes away from the Takapuna Golf Course, North Shore Hospital, North Shore Hospice, The Fairway Lodge, North Shore Events Centre, North Harbour Stadium and the Bruce Mason Centre, where all major concerts, sports games and conventions on the North Shore of Auckland take place.
Within the complex there are a number Food and Beverage choices including The Backyard Bar and Restaurant, Pat's Garage Sports Bar, Gengys Mongolian BBQ Buffet, Hell Pizza, Kebab Fuel, Bushman's Grill. *Free of charge* with every Poolside Studio is unlimited high speed internet, use of the YMCA gym, squash and yoga classes. Getting There: Coming from South of Auckland – from the airport take the Northern Motorway 1, continue on this road until you're over the Harbour Bridge, then take the 419, Northcote Road exit, turn left and the hotel is the first building on your right hand side, approx 400m down the road. Coming from North of Auckland – from the Southern Motorway 1, take the 419, 'Northcote Road' exit, turn right, drive over the motorway, and you will find the hotel on your right hand side, approx 400m down the road. Parking: All rooms have an allocated free of charge car park. We also have another complimentary car parking area at the rear of the complex. Free Truck and Coach parking available. Reception hours - Sunday to Wednesday 7. 30am to 8. 00pm -Thursday to Saturday 7. 30am to 9. 00pm Things To Do: We are centrally located to a host of beaches, all within five minutes' drive of the hotel, three major shopping centres are within 10 minutes' drive. Next door is Takapuna Golf Course & Driving Range and across the road is Onewa Domain. We are also within minutes of theatres, leisure centres and sporting facilities.
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- Disabled Facilities, Cots available, Tea/Coffee making facilities in each room, Telephone In Each Room, Wake Up Call Available, Interconnecting rooms available, Childrens Facilities - Outdoor, Porter, Ground floor bedrooms
- Parking
- Car parking available onsite
- Business
- Wi-Fi Available, Meeting Facilities, Wi-Fi Available In Rooms, Business Centre
- Dining
- Restaurant, Bar
- Leisure
- Outdoor Pool, Jacuzzi, Video/DVD Library, [Channels] News, [Channels] Sky Sports, [Channels] Movies (Free)
- In Room Entertainment
- Video/DVD Player, TV, Satellite TV, Radio
- Accessibility
- Disabled Access Public Areas, Disabled Access Bedrooms, Disabled toilets on ground floor, Wheelchair Access, Wheelchair Access To Reception, Wheelchair Access To Restaurant, Wheelchair Access To Bar, Wheelchair Access To Conference Rooms, Wheelchair Access To Disabled Car Parking Spaces
Useful Info Show/hide
- From 14:00 hours
- By 10:00 hours
- Up to 10 years old
- 18/10/2011 to 31/12/2020 - Free of charge with every Studio is unlimited high speed internet, use of the YMCA gym, squash and yoga classes. Please contact the hotel if you are arriving outside our office hours. Thank you The price shown is based on the occupancy and dates you have searched for. Prices and availability are subject to change based on the arrival date, number of nights and occupancy searched for. All prices are inclusive of all local taxes.
- Pets are not allowed
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Struggling Puig sits as Pederson gets first start, hit
LOS ANGELES -- It's a sink-or-swim situation for Yasiel Puig, and manager Don Mattingly said Tuesday that it's time to get Puig swimming again. Meanwhile, Puig's replacement, Joc Pederson, excelled in his first audition.
Mattingly benched the slumping Puig on Tuesday, giving Pederson, the team's No. 3 prospect, his first Major League start against Doug Fister and the Nationals. Pederson batted seventh and played in center field. He collected his first career hit in the second with a bloop single to center off Fister and also drew a walk in the sixth inning in the Dodgers' 4-1 win.
After the game, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez handed Pederson a ball with his name misspelled on it. Gonzalez said it was the "authenticated" version of the ball. Pederson received the real ball a few minutes later.
"Any hit's a hit," Pederson said of his blooper. "It's just nice to get the first one off your chest."
As for Puig, Mattingly said he hopes the time off gives the outfielder a chance to fine-tune. He wouldn't say whether Puig would return to the lineup Wednesday.
"It gives you a chance to work," Mattingly said. "There's a saying, 'You can't see the forest from the trees.' Sometimes you get so close to it and you're trying and trying and you're almost fighting yourself."
Puig is 6-for-47 in his last 13 games. Mattingly said he thinks the length of the season might be impacting him, noting he had similar struggles near the end of last season.
The decision to start Pederson over Scott Van Slyke or Andre Ethier in center was influenced in part by the man on the mound Tuesday -- Clayton Kershaw.
"I think with Clayton, you really try for the most part to play the best defense that you can," Mattingly said. "The one thing about Joc that I think everyone in the organization is pretty much in concert with is that this guy's our best defensive center fielder. So I feel like today, if we're going to play someone in center ... he's a true center fielder. He's probably the only true center fielder we have at this point."
Pederson didn't have a ball hit to him the entire night.
"When you have someone like [Clayton] Kershaw throwing, there's not many balls put in play," Pederson said. "So it is what is. It's good when I'm not getting balls."
Pederson had a pinch-hit appearance Monday, striking out with the tying runs on base to end a 6-4 loss against the Nationals. But Mattingly said the Dodgers are impressed with the way Pederson carries himself and with the "swagger" he has. After Tuesday's game, Mattingly said the 22-year-old reminds him of the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez.
"He looked good," Mattingly said. "For me, I watch his at-bats, and he just reminds me of CarGo. The same swing. It's got that [George] Brett look. I think he looks good all the time."
However, Mattingly said Pederson's start in center field doesn't put Puig's job in jeopardy.
"Honestly, this time of year, I don't think Yas has to prove anything here," Mattingly said. "I think we all know that he can do it. It's the simple thought of, 'What are we doing to help get him right?'"
Michael Lananna is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
How to Make It in America
TV14 Duration 4:30 :
Season 1
While Ben and Cam track down a tailor, Rachel rethinks her future.
Subscribe now to watch blockbuster movies and acclaimed HBO series as they air or anytime you like on HBO GO.
Sign up now to get breaking news, fresh content and exclusive deals delivered to your inbox.
Follow the stars of How To Make It In America on Twitter.


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Transportation Plan Meetings
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Oct. 12, 2005
Transportation Plan Update Public Meetings
Scheduled for November
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will hold seven public meetings in early November about the Transportation Plan Update to discuss proposed revisions to the transportation objectives, policies and appendices, as well as the most recent travel forecasting results.
The Transportation Plan is an element in the Policy Plan of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. In 2004, the county started a review of the Transportation Plan to update policies guiding long-term system improvements. The initial round of public meetings was held in March 2005 and travel demand workshops were held in July 2005. Public hearings before the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors are anticipated early next year.
The November public meetings are as follows:
• Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.
Annandale High School, 4700 Medford Drive, Annandale
• Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m.
South County Government Center, 8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria
• Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
Tysons Pimmit Regional Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church
• Saturday, Nov. 5, at 9:30 a.m.
Rocky Run Middle School, 4400 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly
• Monday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.
Robinson Secondary School, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax
• Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m.
County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
• Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.
Reston Community Center at Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston
The public suggestion period is open until the end of November 2005 for the public to provide additional feedback on the proposed revisions to the countywide transportation objectives, policy and appendices, as well as suggestions on transportation system improvements. Suggestions and comments regarding the Transportation Plan can be submitted online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/transplanupdate.htm or sent to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, Suite 1034, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035.
For information on the current county Transportation Plan, an overview of the update process and other related information, visit the Transportation Plan Update Web page at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot. For more information on the Transportation Plan Update, contact the Fairfax County Department of Transportation at 703-324-1100, TTY


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Photography by–Bowtie Events & Photography
Beautiful Linen Rentals
At Beautiful Linen Rentals, we provide a one stop approach to your wedding and event decor needs. We offer rentals of wedding and event linen and decor to ensure a memorable occasion. With a certified event and wedding planner on staff (IEWP) we offer consultations for the planning and execution of your special day..
Site Links
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Burton Moxie Boardshort
Some lefts? Some rights? Green rooms? A-frames? No need to know the lingo with these shorts.
Just because you're running boardshorts doesn't mean you have to get tubular in the green room. While the Burton Moxie Boardshort is no hodad, the quick-drying and lightweight cotton/nylon stretch fabric is equally at home in the waves as in a river or lake. A lace-up waistband closure, side zip pocket, and zip fly make these versatile boardies equally comfortable on dry land, too.
- Cotton/Nylon Blend Stretch Shell Fabric
- Two Front Pockets
- One Side Zip Pocket
- One Back Pocket with Flap Closure
- Zip Fly
- Lace Closure at Waistband
- Regular Fit
- Outseam: 20in/51cm
- Model is 5'10" / 165 lbs and is wearing a size 34
- 1-Year Warranty


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Topic: Has any Dr. mention Genetics to anyone?
Hi everyone,
I ask this question for a reason. As you all know my husband died from cc at age 52, April 8, 2007. (easter sunday) What I didn't tell everyone is that his mother died at the exact same age of the exact same cancer. All of my husband Dr.s came in to speak with us privately one day, they felt very strongly about my three kids going for genetic testing. My kids went and they had every test imaginable and didn't see anything, but they want them to get tested every year.
What is extremely scary is that his brother went to get checked and they found two tumors. Also his sisters and their children went, and one of his nieces had agrowth and a film covering her gallbladder. Needles to say the Dr. operated on both of them and removed their gallbladder. Now I'm really scared. Had anyone's DRs. mentioned this to them. I would appreciated any information any has.
Thank you to all of you, and my hearts are with you and your families.


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March Meeting 2010
Multimedia Presentations
March 15 - 19, 2010
Portland, Oregon
Session B5: Five Legacies from the Laser
Session U45: "Trends" in the APS Publication Physics
Three authors of Trends articles were invited to present topic reviews and updates. These presentations include videos and slides.
Optomechanical Devices by Florian Marquardt
Spintronics by David Awschalom
Iron-Age Superconductors by Michael Norman
Session X8: The 50th Anniversary of the Prediction of Superfluidity of He3


text:
Wordsmiths - Ben Marcus
Friday, April 05, 2013
Where and When
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Tyler Hall Room 128 - Newtown Campus
Contact: email@example.com
Event Information
This event was rescheduled from January 25 due to inclement weather.
Ben Marcus is the author of four books of fiction, including The Age of Wire and String and his newest novel, The Flame Alphabet. His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, Salon, McSweeney's, and Time. In 2009, he received a grant for Innovative Literature from the Creative Capital Foundation, and his awards include the Morton Dauwen Zabel Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Whiting Writers Award, a NEA Fellowship in fiction, and three Pushcart Prizes. He is currently an associate professor at Columbia University.
Free and open to the public.


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Fairfax County Sells AAA-Rated Bonds
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
Jan. 22, 2008
Fairfax County Sells AAA-Rated Bonds
On Jan. 15, Fairfax County sold $234.5 million in Aaa/AAA/AAA-rated tax-free general obligation 1-to-20-year bonds for public improvements. The bonds were sold at the fourth lowest interest rate achieved by the county in the 30 years since the AAA rating was awarded.
The bonds were sold to Bank of America at a true interest rate of 3.7699 percent. This interest rate represents a differential of 44 basis points under the Bond Buyer Index, which stood at 4.21 percent on Jan. 11. The lowest rate the county has ever received for 20-year bonds was 3.54 percent in March 2004.
The county received eight bids for the bonds with a high bid of 3.797 percent. The closeness of the bids is an indication of the highly competitive nature of the sale. The sale of new public improvement bonds will provide proceeds for schools ($144.28 million); public safety facilities ($7.65 million); parks and park facilities ($53.6 million); public library facilities ($3 million); and transportation improvements and facilities ($41.7 million). Voter authorization for the sale of these bonds was given by referenda in elections held from 1988 to 2006.
With this bond issue, Fairfax County maintains its status as a top-rated issuer of tax-free securities from Moody's Investors Service, Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings. Fairfax County has the highest credit rating possible for a local government – Aaa from Moody's Investors Service, AAA from Standard and Poor's and AAA from Fitch Ratings. As of Oct. 25, 2007, only seven states, 22 counties and 23 cities have Triple-A ratings from all three investor services. The credit ratings enable Fairfax County to sell bonds at favorable interest rates compared to those of municipalities not so rated, resulting in substantial savings for county taxpayers during the life of the bonds.
Since 1978, the county has saved approximately $251.21 million on bond sales due to its Triple-A rating on new public improvement bonds. Including refunding sales, the county has saved more than $351.67 million as a result of the AAA rating.
According to Fitch Ratings, "the county's finances are well managed, adhering to long-standing policies guidelines, and include detailed planning for capital and operating needs."
For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.