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A NEW mobile phone is set to make life easier for older people in Winchester.
Age UK has launched a phone designed to make calls at the touch of one button and are handing them out at the charity's High Street shop.
Philip Voce, chairman of Age UK Winchester, said the phones would be a boost for Winchester residents.
He said: "Older people in Winchester often tell us that mobile phones are just too complex. At the same time, families and friends worry that they are reluctant to use mobiles, even in emergencies.
"I believe older people will feel more confident using this new mobile and it will make life so much easier for them. It will also provide reassurance for families and carers."
The phones, which cost £55, have a maximum of eight buttons, which can be pre-set to make instant calls without having to dial. The phone's number is also written clearly on the back.
They are also available from Age UK Winchester's office in the Colebrook Centre, Colebrook Street.

subset: commoncrawl


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Anapanasati Meditation (Mindfulness of Breathing)
This is the most important meditation practice in Theravada Buddhism.
Contemplation and re- contemplation of 'Ana' / inhalation (the intake of breath through the nostrils into the body) and 'Pana'/exhalation (the outgoing of breath through the nostrils from the body) advances the concentration of the mind. All the Buddhas become enlightened based on this meditation. The number of "Paseka Buddhas" and "Arahanths" who have attained so, using this meditation is countless.
Our great Buddha applauded Anapanasati Meditation as thus:
"Dear Bhikkus,
The contemplation of 'Anapanasati' developed and practiced again and again is peaceful; delightful; naturally pleasant; Brings physical & mental happiness. Has the power to disappear and pacify the low demerits."
Read More >> http://www.thebuddhism.net/2012/11/25/a ... eathing-2/


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On Sept 15, SupplyChainDigest and IBM will be hosting a videocast on building smarter consumer products supply chains. Click here to sign up for this event.
The following is the text from the registration site with more information:
Videocast Series: Building Smarter Consumer Product Company Supply Chains
Part II: Capitalizing on Supply Chain Complexity and Your ERP Investment in the Consumer Products industry
In the first part of this series, we covered the importance of mastering operational dexterity in the Consumer Products (CP) industry to enable fast and flexible operations that help businesses find advantages in complexity.
Next in this IBM series on Building Smarter Consumer Products Supply Chains, we will explore the ways in which companies are capitalizing on supply chain complexity and ERP investments. We will discuss top executive and supply chain challenges in the consumer products industry, including customer case studies focusing on the following issues:
- High speed of M&A activity
- Globalization of the food supply
- Focused consumer markets requesting niche products, pressuring the complexity of the supply chain
- Increased retailer collaboration and price pressures
We explore all this and more in this outstanding broadcast. Featured speakers include:
Remzi Ural, Global Supply Chain Solutions Manager, Consumer Products Industry, IBM
Michael Watson, IBM Optimization & Supply Chain Solutions, Technical Sales Lead
As usual - excellent material from IBM ILOG.


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Center Theatre Group Announces ENTER LAUGHING, THE MUSICAL Reading to Honor Carl Reiner, 1/28
In honor of comedy legend Carl Reiner's 75 years in the business, Center Theatre Group is presenting a staged reading of "Enter Laughing, The Musical," which is inspired by Reiner's experiences as a young man struggling to break into theatre in New York. The one night only event directed by Stuart Ross ("Forever Plaid"), Mark Taper Forum on Monday, January 28, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. is already sold out.
Box office receipts are approximately $250,000 and proceeds from this special event benefit CTG programs that support emerging artists.
There is a pre-show cocktail tribute hosted by Mel Brooks, Billy Crystal, Richard Lewis, Rob Reiner and Dick Van Dyke, and an exclusive cast party following the performance.
Adapted from Carl Reiner's first book, a semi-autobiographical work of the same name, "Enter Laughing" features book by Joseph Stein ("Fiddler on the Roof" and "Zorba the Greek"), music and lyrics by Stan Daniels ("Taxi," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show") and orchestrations by Matt Castle. It is presented by special arrangement with Dan Whitten and Tiger Theatricals in association with Carl Reiner. The cast has not been announced.
CTG board member Dante di Loreto, president of Ryan Murphy Television, is the chair of the event. The event's committee includes (in alphabetical order) Rich Appel, Billy Crystal, Robert Greenblatt, Brad Hall, Larry Karaszewski, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Lynch, Aimee Mann, Steve Martin, Michael Penn, Lily Tomlin and Betty White, along with CTG board members - Debra and Norris Bishton, Frances and Terry Flanagan, Barbara and Peter Fodor, Brindell Roberts Gottlieb, and Eva and Marc Stern.
"Enter Laughing, The Musical," set in the 1930s, follows a young, hapless shop boy from the Bronx as he pursues his dream of becoming a leading man on stage while facing mounting pressures from his despondent girlfriend, dismissive boss, distracted best friend, disgusted acting coach and disapproving though loving parents. "Enter Laughing," the stage play, written by Joseph Stein the same year he wrote "Fiddler on the Roof," won a Tony Award for Alan Arkin in 1964. Under Stuart Ross's direction, "Enter Laughing, The Musical" broke box office records at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and New York City's York Theatre Company.
Carl Reiner's long career in show business includes co-starring in the legendary television show "Your Show of Shows," creating and co-starring in "The Dick Van Dyke Show," winning a Grammy Award with Mel Brooks for the comedy album "The Two Thousand Year Old Man In The Year Two Thousand," directing more than a dozen feature films including "The Jerk," "All of Me," "Oh, God!" and "Where's Poppa?" and appearing in many films and television shows. He has a total of 12 Emmy Awards, and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1999, and received the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2001. Reiner is also the author of more than 10 books; the latest, "I Remember Me," will be published in mid-January.
The Mark Taper Forum is located at the Music Center at 135 North Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles.


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Every animal has a story and many of those stories are heart-breaking, but in every case there is a common theme: an animal that deserves a second chance at life.
When you adopt, not only do you save the life of one animal, but it frees up critical space so that we can rescue a second pet. And of course, the life that is enriched...is yours.
Our hours of operation are: Wed - Fri 12-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 12-5pm. We are closed Mon & Tues.
Phone: (405) 321-1915
Thank You!
Your message has been sent to Second Chance Animal Sanctuary.
You'll receive a copy, too, at to help you keep track of which pets you've inquired about, and which shelters and rescues you've emailed.
NOTE: Some shelters have physical locations you can visit; some of these shelters may only have pets for a limited time, so please do not wait for a reply—just go visit the shelter! Other organizations are rescue groups run by busy volunteers who may take a while to reply. You can find information about the shelter or rescue group caring for this pet, and their adoption procedures, on the pet's details page on Adopt-a-Pet.com.


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Jeffrey Hage
Times Editor
Shortly before 11 p.m. Jan. 15, 2014, a fiery explosion ripped through the Coin-Tainer Co.'s block-long manufacturing facility in Milaca.
As fire lit the January night sky, firefighters from four departments as close as Milaca and as far away as Onamia (22 miles north of Milaca) left the warm confines of their homes to fight the fire in 19-degree temperatures.
All were volunteers.
As of 2012, there were 1.1 million firefighters in the United States and 70 percent were volunteers, according to data provided by the Mound Fire Department.
"They don't do it for the money," said Greg Lerud, co-chief of the Milaca Fire Department. "They do it to give back to the community."
But the demands of training, an increasing number of emergency calls, a desire to be involved in the busy world of family activities and a firefighter candidate pool that is increasingly more transient is making fire service less attractive to volunteers throughout Minnesota.
"We sit down with those interested in becoming firefighters and explain everything they are getting potentially getting into, from the initial training, to weekly training, to time away from their families," said Michael Rademacher, chief of the Northeast Sherburne Fire Department. Rademacher oversees one of the newest fire departments in one of the three fastest growing townships in the state, Baldwin Township, located between Zimmerman and Princeton.
All firefighter candidates in Minnesota must complete state-mandated Firefighter I and Firefighter II courses, which take up more than 200 hours of a candidate's time in the first two years, Rademacher said.
In Dayton, training goes one extra step: Firefighters must become emergency medical responder certified, Dayton Fire Chief Jason Mickelson said.
Firefighters have always needed to pass physical agility tests, but criminal background checks have become mandatory under state law. All firefighters must receive medical and hazmat training.
The Anoka County Fire Training Academy was founded in 2012 to give all departments a place to train.
"The public has an expectation when they call 911 that they're getting the best possible people, so that's why we have that process to make it tough to get on – because we want quality people," said Doug Nelson, assistant fire chief with the Burnsville Fire Department and former 23-year firefighter with the Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department.
These time-consuming requirements can turn away potential firefighters, Mickelson said.
That time commitment concerns Loretto Fire Chief Jeff Leuer, who foresees an impending decline in volunteer firefighters.
"The mandated training that a firefighter needs to take and sustain is a lot of hours," Leuer said. "I tell someone you need to commit at least eight hours a week for meeting, training and public events, and they say they just don't have that."
Leuer, like many of his colleagues, attributes those challenges to people's time commitments.
"One area I see different today, as opposed to when I was a kid, is that you played most of your sporting events within 5 or so miles. Today parents are having to take the children to areas miles away and sometimes out of state to participate in sporting events and school events. This takes firefighters out of the area to respond to calls," Leuer said.
Scott Anderson, fire chief in Maple Grove, has noticed that most new firefighters leave before five years of service. They encounter more family responsibilities, job changes and the desire to go back to school for advanced training and degrees.
Norwood-Young America Fire Chief Steve Zumberge said recruiting firefighters is not as easy as it used to be.
"We used to have a waiting list. … Now we're about to advertise," Zumberge said.
An aging department also creates challenges, Zumberge said.
"It's always in the back of your mind about losing people. We have seven or eight that could retire with 20 years in."
John Wolff, fire chief in Chanhassen, noted about 50 percent of his community is transient, pulling people who could be valuable volunteer firefighters out of the community for most of the day.
With the exception of small, rural fire departments where many firefighters work in small towns, many other fire departments are struggling to recruit crews with members who are on board for fires in the daytime.
In Rockford, Fire Chief Ben Sanderson told the Rockford City Council recently that, due to schedules and conflicts, about half the current members show up on calls.
"We're burning out the 15 people who can show up to calls as it is," he said.
Rockford is considering adding a reserve team of 10 that would presumably result in an additional five members at a call. Albertville, St. Michael and Monticello have added similar programs.
Maple Grove's Anderson grew up in a small town where the fire department responded to around three calls per week. The owner of a hardware store could post a sign on his door saying something like, "Gone to fire call. Be back soon."
Those days are gone, Anderson noted.
Anderson has used creative efforts to recruit daytime firefighters. He has stopped at garage sales and asked about who is home during the day. He then knocks on doors and asks whether anyone there is interested in being a firefighter. Maple Grove firefighters also use classroom visits as a recruitment tool. They ask kids to talk with parents about becoming firefighters.
Rademacher, during the recruitment process with Northeast Sherburne, lets his firefighters know that family comes first and the department is comfortable giving its firefighters some leeway when it comes to family dynamics. Northeast Sherburne also organizes activities for the spouses of firefighters that bring the department closer as a "family," Rademacher said.
In Milaca, the retention of firefighters is strong, officials said. There are three firefighters who have been on the department for about 20 years. Most have at least five years under their belts, said Lerud.
Excelsior Fire Chief Scott Gerber said the retention level is good within his department, as well.
"The great part is, it's a trend you'll see in many departments," Gerber said.
Wolff said the majority of firefighters who join his Chanhassen department will make it about 10 years. "Some will make it 20," he said.
Dayton's Mickelson said once a new firefighter has signed on to serve the community, it is easier to retain them.
"Newer firefighters tend to be tech savvy, where older firefighters sometimes struggle to use items like laptops and iPads," he said.
Some have joined fire departments and stayed on for years, even decades.
"I think most firefighters join to help others in their time of need, whether it be a fire or a health problem," Mickelson said. "Most are joining to give something back to their communities."
Editors Adam Gruenewald, Jessica Harper, Sue Van Cleaf, Jeff Hage, Theresa Malloy and Eric Hagen researched and wrote a three-part series on fire department issues. Jeff Hage can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Thirteen percent of US airline passengers who have used onboard Wi-Fi say they'd give up access to the bathroom for a stronger Wi-Fi signal.
That odd number is just one to come out of a new survey about in-flight Internet conducted by contractor Honeywell. Among the other conclusions? Eighty-six percent of Americans want ubiquitous onboard Wi-Fi; 9 out of 10 would happily ditch one of their favored amenities if Internet was available throughout all their domestic and international flights; and 73 percent said they use onboard Wi-Fi just because they want to, not because of an obligation, work or otherwise, to stay connected.
The survey polled just over 3,000 airline passengers, 18 and older, who had used onboard Wi-Fi at least once in the last year. Two-thirds were Americans, while the remainder were split evenly between Brits and Singaporeans.
What's clear from the survey is that those who participated in it -- and they are, of course, inclined to want good in-flight Wi-Fi, given that they've used it before -- are generally unhappy with what's currently offered by airlines. For example, 52 percent of Americans surveyed said they thought today's onboard Internet tended to be inconsistent.
The survey's results play right into Honeywell's business plans. The company is in the midst of developing technology that it said should enable airlines flying Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, 747-8 Intercontinental, 777, 737NG, and 737 MAX to provide Wi-Fi at speeds of up to 49Mbps, no matter where in the world a plane is. The system utilizes Inmarsat's Ka-band in-flight Wi-Fi system. Honeywell is planning to sell hardware to airlines that will enable them to access Inmarsat's systems.
The company is also in discussions to provide the technology to airlines and other manufacturers.
According to a recent study by flight search site Routehappy, in-flight Wi-Fi is now available on 38 percent of US domestic flights, with Delta as the leading Wi-Fi provider. Thanks to current FAA initiatives and ongoing Wi-Fi installations, that number is only expected to grow.


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Our Thoughts
Re-defining the term entry level, the Qualifier shows off a whole new standard of fit and quality in this very competitive price point. Bell proves with the Qualifier that cheap and cheaply made do not have to mean the same thing. Entry level helmets are nothing new, but the Bell Qualifier has the very impressive combination of good looks, fit and safety. The Bell Qualifier Helmet shell mimics the shape of Bell's top of the line Star. It does a great job at qualifying in every category.


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Laptop Cooling Fan, CPU Cooling Fan and Computer Case Fan
Laptop Cooling Fan, CPU Cooling Fan and Computer Case Fan Overview
An essential component of any home built computer, laptop or rack server these cooling fans keep your computer components working in the optimal temperature range. These fans blow cool air over your most sensitive components like the processor to keep it running without overheating. We have fans and water cooling devices for all applications whether they are chassis based, notebook based, for servers of workstations we have the device for you. Check out our great brands: Acer, Allied Telesis, Antec, Cooler Master, Corsair, HP, Intel, Kingston, StarTech, Supermicro, Thermaltake, Vantec, Watch Guard and Zalman.
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1st two confirmed playoff matchups as of 4/18.....
Western Conference:
#3 Denver Nuggets vs #6 LA Clippers (Clippers with home court)
#4 Dallas Mavericks vs #5 Memphis Grizzlies
At first glance, Dallas is a massive favorite over Memphis, but Memphis has historically played Dallas extremely well.
Also, don't discount Mike Fratello vs a much younger Avery Johnson. Fratello's style is very condusive for the playoffs.
Pau vs Dirk might be the best 1 on 1 matchup of the 1st round. Two big men having career seasons, and both play very different styles.
As for Denver/LA.....
Denver has a better team on paper. They have better chemistry, the better go-to guy, and the better defense.
However, home-court and the fact they really have nobody to guard Brand inside will really hurt them. LA also has the veteran leadership in Golem, while Denver is a bit younger.
In the end, whoever wins the frontcourt battle will probably win the series. Neither team gets a lot of production out of their guards on a regular basis.


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Jazz pianist Jordan Klapman and singer Sharon Smith are the feature performers at A Freylekhn Purim With Jewish Jazz, hosted by the Friends of Yiddish. Besides music, the afternoon program features refreshments and door prizes. Beth Tikvah Synagogue, 3080 Bayview Ave. (between Sheppard and Finch). Sunday, Feb. 17, 2 p.m. Guests $10, members free. Please RSVP to Sandy, 416-458-1440 or firstname.lastname@example.com by Feb. 14.
* * *
Jewish Film Society: The Toronto Jewish Film Society presents two British film gems – The Barber of Stamford Hill and The 10th Man. The Barber of Stamford Hill by playwright Ronald Harwood was adapted for British TV in 1962. It is a precisely observed character study that is also a snapshot of cultural isolation. With guest speaker Gerry Arbeid, the film's producer and screenwriter. Tickets $15, $10, on sale 15 minutes before each screening. Miles Nadal JCC, Al Green Theatre, Sunday, Feb. 17, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
* * *
Names in the News: Guitarist Liona Boyd was an honoured guest at the lieutenant governor's Closing Diamond Jubilee Gala at Roy Thomson Hall on Feb.6, where she performed and presented Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medals.
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Names in the News II: Winnipeg playwright Cairn Moore is the winner of the 2012 Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition for her play Shiksa. Moore receives $1,000, and a professionally directed and acted workshop reading of her play takes place in Vancouver on Feb. 28.
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Arts In Brief
• The genre-bending Argentine musician Simja Dujov explores the fusion of Latin rhythms and mixes them with electro-klezmer, Balkan, Gypsy-punk and more. Dujov performs with The Lemon Bucket Orkestra's Chris Weatherstone, fiddler Jessica Hana Deutsch and others. Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. Feb. 27, 8 p.m. $10, $12, $15. A Koffler Gallery and Ashkenaz Festival co-presentation. www.kofflerarts.org
• Register now for "The Coen Brothers in Nayman's Terms," a series of talks by film critic Adam Nayman about the acclaimed filmmakers and their films Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men and A Serious Man. $90 for the series, $12 per session. Miles Nadal JCC, Monday evenings, Feb. 25 to April 29. 416-924-6211, ext. 606.
• Tarragon Theatre presents A Hannah Moscovitch Double Bill celebrating the work of the acclaimed playwright-in-residence with premieres of her plays Little One and Other People's Children. A co-production with Theatre Crisis and Theatre PANIK. 30 Bridgman Ave., Feb. 20 to March 24 (previews from Feb. 14). $27 to $53. www.tarragontheatre.com, 416-531-1827.
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At the Galleries: Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery presents Organic Alterations, a solo exhibit of more than 100 paintings by Ian Alter. Carrier Villa Gallery, Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Ave. W. Feb. 6 to March 4.
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Passages: Varda Hall Berenstein, a professionally trained singer and choir conductor who died recently in Toronto at age 91, was born in Basel, Switzerland, in 1921. During World War II, she travelled to refugee camps and sang for the relatively few Jews who, in fleeing the Nazis, had been allowed into Switzerland.
Berenstein was the first person to sing Israeli songs on Swiss national radio and, after arriving in Toronto in 1949, sang on CBC radio and TV in the 1950s and 1960s. She performed Yiddish and Israeli songs on many occasions for Jewish communities across Canada. One of her fondest memories was singing for then-prime minister Lester Pearson at a Negev Dinner in Montreal.
Berenstein was the first music teacher for the Associated Hebrew Schools and had extensive musical credits within Toronto's Jewish community. She conducted the Hadassah-WIZO choir for many years, as well as choirs at Adath Israel and Beth Sholom synagogues. More recently, she conducted the Chai Singers, a small vocal chorale of senior citizens.
Until her last weeks, she was an engaging and dynamic educator, an advocate for Israeli and Yiddish music, and an oral historian about Jews in Switzerland. Until recently she taught an informal course in her home on "Learning Yiddish Through Songs" and gave talks on "Yiddish Folksongs and the Legacy of Mordechai Gebirtig." Just two months ago she spoke to the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto on "Growing Up as a Jew in Switzerland, 1921 to 1949." She was also a regular in the Yiddish Vinkl, a circle of Yiddishists who meet downtown monthly.
She was predeceased by her husband, Isidore Berenstein, with whom she worked as the Canadian representative of Rodenstock, a German optical company. She leaves behind daughter Rhona Berens and stepson Ilan Levy, their partners and two grandchildren.


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Economic First Look: An Influx of Divergent Views
MondayDurable Goods Orders, 8:30 a.m. Pending Home Sales Index, 10 a.m. Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey, 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday...1192 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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An engineer at Georgia Institute of Technology will demonstrate how nanogenerators can be used to power an iPod or charge a cell phone cell phone at this week's meeting of the American Chemical Society .
Zhong Lin Wang, a Regent's professor at Georgia Tech, will show how the nanogenerators scavenge energy from subtle body motions and then provide small amounts of usable electrical current. As explained in Design News in 2009 , Wang's nanogenerators are made from millions of tiny zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible polymer substrate that forms a sheet. When the sheet bends, it uses a piezoelectric effect to produce miniscule amounts of current.
In 2009, Wang grabbed headlines when he fitted a hamster with the nanogenerator sheets, scavenging about 0.5 nA of current from the hamster's motions.
At the time, Wang told Design News that some electronic products might one day "be run exclusively by his nanogenerators, although it could take thousands or even millions of the nano-devices" to run a cell phone.
This week, he will reportedly prove that. Time's Techland website quotes Wang as saying, "Additional nanowires and more nanogenerators, stacked together, could produce enough energy for powering larger electronics, such as an iPod or charging a cell phone."
Wang and his team from Georgia Tech will present their findings at the American Chemical Society meeting, where they will demonstrate real-world applications, such as powering LCD displays and transmitting radio signals.


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Backscatter scanners, aggressive pat-downs give us a false sense of security when the terrorists have already won by making us afraid
Hardy Haberman Flagging Left
As a gay man, I have been groped before. In fact, it used to be hard to get a drink in a gay bar without getting a few "friendly contacts."
Was it welcome? Not always. Did I feel violated? Not really; it came with the territory.
So that said, how would I feel about being groped by a blue-gloved Transportation Security agent? Violated!
First and foremost, the new security procedures being added to current screenings are ineffective. Recently, a German TV show demonstrated clearly how the exact chemicals used in the infamous "underwear bomb" could be walked through the full-body scanners without detection.
Additionally, the whole "three bottles with no more than three ounces in a plastic bag" ruse does nothing to prevent high-powered explosive components from being brought through screening. That same TV segment showed how these passed right through the scanner and X-ray with no notice.
Three bottles of three ounces of chemicals were plenty to create a roaring incendiary bomb with sufficient heat to burn through the metal fry pan holding it.
The whole security screening is more for us than for security. It makes us feel like the TSA and the government are doing something to protect us. It is more theater than security — and now it's getting really personal.
The companies that make the scanners have sold the TSA and the government the bill of goods that these invasive X-ray machines are foolproof. They aren't.
They also have tried to convince us that they are not an invasion of privacy. Well, they are, Blanche; they are.
We have been told the image of your naked body is being viewed by some anonymous person upstairs at the airport who supposedly will not share the image with anyone. Gizmodo, a high-tech online site, already obtained more than 100 images stored improperly by U.S. marshals in Orlando. Perhaps they would make nice greeting cards?
We have been told the scanners pose no health threat. However, if you travel frequently or are part of an airline crew, you get exposed to the radiation from these scanners over and over — and the jury is out on that.
Back in April, faculty members at the University of California, San Francisco, sent a letter expressing their concerns about possible health risks related to the backscatter X-ray scanners to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
So if you opt for a "pat down" from a TSA agent, which is your right if you decide you don't want to go through the scanner, you get a not-so-delicate, full-body grope, sans happy ending. That's where I get back to the whole violated thing.
Standard procedure is male agents pat down men and female agents pat down women. What about gay men and lesbians? Do we get a choice?
And even more to the point, what about someone who is transgender? It really gets difficult and becomes a clear invasion of privacy when you have to explain that the agent might not find the same anatomy they are expecting to find.
Again it's an indignity, and just plain unnecessary.
I know we all want to be safe when flying, but if our line of defense is a group of poorly trained and underpaid folks wearing plastic gloves, we are already on shaky ground. According to many security experts, if the terrorists get to the airport, it's too late anyway.
So speaking of terrorists, I feel pretty sure I will get a lot of flack from people asking me if I "want the terrorists to win?" Well, here is the stark truth: They already have won.
Their intent is not so much killing and destruction but terror. Look at our laws and how a small group of radicals managed to scare us into passing the Patriot Act and dozens of other measures that supposedly provide security at the expense of freedom.
Even the dastardly crime of 9/11, though it was spectacular, was far less deadly than the yearly total of deaths of innocent Americans through automobile accidents. Yet we have no "war on driving," or even common sense safety reform for cars and roadways.
Why? Because that doesn't terrify us. We falsely believe that we are safe in our cars and on our roadways, but get cold sweats every time we board a plane.
If that isn't a triumph for the terrorists I don't know what is.
Do I believe we should have no security at all? No, absolutely we should. But it should be balanced with our fundamental right to not be photographed in the nude or groped in the airport.
It's time we stopped letting equipment manufacturers guide our security precautions and start actually weighing the risks and evaluating the practical measures that can reduce them.
If you actually believe these invasive searches are needed, why not just go the "full monty" and issue bathrobes to all passengers? Then we and we can all fly naked.
Oh yes, and then there is that whole cavity search thing. Now that might actually make flying fun again!
Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and a member of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. His blog is at http://dungeondiary.blogspot.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition November 26, 2010.


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Get an overview of this hotelBreakfast buffet, 4 miles from Old Town Albuquerque
Popular property highlights
Old Town: 4 miles
The midtown MCM Elegante is about 1 mile from University of New Mexico and 4 miles from Old Town Albuquerque's museums, galleries, and shops. Albuquerque airport is only 8 miles away.
Indoor pool
Complimentary shuttle service is offered to and from the airport and nearby attractions. Other amenities include an indoor pool and complimentary breakfast buffet with made-to-order omelets.
Fast Web access
The MCM Elegante offers 342 guestrooms and suites, all with complimentary high-speed Internet access. Beds feature 12-inch pillowtop mattresses. TVs include pay movies; phones have voice mail.
Guest Highlights
- Breakfast
- Overall value of stay
- Helpful staff
- Comfy beds and overall room comfort
MCM Elegante
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The MCM Elegante is one mile from University of New Mexico, four miles from Old Town Albuquerque, and five miles from Albuquerque Convention Center.
The hotel's atrium-style Mesa Grill Restaurant includes a weekday lunch buffet. The Sandia Springs Lounge features 12 TVs and weekly DJ entertainment. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in the restaurant and lobby. 7,400 square feet meeting facilities include a 24-hour business center with two computers, multiple meeting and conference rooms and complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. The hotel also features a fitness facility, a swimming pool with pool sun loungers and a spa tub (children must be accompanied by an adult).
This is a smoke-free property; fines apply for violations.
- Indoor pool
- Free airport transportation
- Concierge services
- Free breakfast
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Bar/lounge
- Restaurant
- Conference space
- Meeting rooms 13
- Total number of rooms - 342
- 24-hour front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- ATM/banking
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Laundry facilities
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Television in common areas
- Elevator/lift
- Number of floors - 5
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Free casino shuttle
- Hair salon
- Free WiFi
- Luggage storage
- Pool sun loungers
- Free self parking
- Conference center
- Conference space size (meters) - 1
- Number of meeting rooms - 9
- Free area shuttle
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 7,400
- Smoke-free property
- Spa tub
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Pay movies
- Premium bedding
- Room service (limited hours)
- Air conditioning
- Free weekday newspaper
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Phone
- Microwave (on request)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Refrigerator (on request)
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- Cable TV service
- Pillowtop mattress
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Daily housekeeping
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
The hotel serves a daily complimentary hot breakfast buffet with cooked-to-order omelets.
Mesa Grill Restaurant Large atrium restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eclectic menu including lunch buffets featuring international cuisines. Open daily.
Sandia Springs Lounge Sports bar with light menu. 12 TVs, including 60-inch flat-screen TV. DJ with dance music once a week. Open daily from late afternoon to late night.
Nearby Things to Do
The hotel's indoor pool measures approximately 16 x 32 feet. A fitness facility faces the pool and contains two treadmills, two elliptical trainers, two exercise bikes, and a stair stepper, together with a spa tub.
The University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course is three miles away.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at 3 AM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 10.00 per night.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available for USD 10.00 per night.
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 25 per pet, per stay
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Optional extras
- Pet fee: USD 25 per pet, per stay
- Crib (infant bed) fee: USD 10.00 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.00 per night
Hotel Name
- Elegante
- MCM Elegante Albuquerque
- MCM Elegante Hotel Albuquerque
- Hotel Mcm Elegante
- MCM Elegante Hotel
- MCM Elegante
We should mention
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
2 Free Drink Coupons
Book a stay in any room or rate category for travel anytime and receive 2 free drink coupons per room, per stay, for use during happy hour in Sandia Springs Lounge.
Full details at check-in. Offer subject to availability. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply. This property reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. Other restrictions may apply.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Exercise and Fitness
Most Beneficial Temperature of a Wellness Cen
I am 65 years old and workout at a wellness center where the temperature is maintained at 60 to 65 degrees. I have argued that those temps are way too cold for my body. Can you help me with any supportive information? Thank you for your time.
The temperature of your wellness center can make a big impact on your workout. However, the temperature may simply depend on which area of the wellness center you occupy the most.
For example, the International Fitness Association recommends that for the aerobics studio, cardio area, weights area and Pilates studio should all be maintained at approximately 65 to 68 degrees during occupied times. These recommendations are based on OSHA regulations and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Occasionally, this becomes a challenge to facility managers because the more people that occupy that space, the cooler the thermostat needs to be in order to maintain the appropriate temperature during peak utilization. So, if you find yourself working out in one of those areas during a slower, less occupied time of day, then the area may feel a bit cooler at that specific time.
However, if you are in a Yoga area or the aquatics area, then the temperature should be maintained at around 70 to 80 degrees that may feel a bit more comfortable to you. The cooler facility temperature is needed to help regulate our body's temperature while it increases as it responds to exercise. Chances are the wellness center temperature is suitable for its general population.
I would suggest wearing a few lightweight layers, such as a sleeveless shirt under a short-sleeve shirt or layering a long-sleeve shirt over your usual attire. Your body will be more likely to heat up to a comfortable temperature during exercise and you can always peel off layers as you begin to feel warm.
Brandi Hester Janowiecki, BSc
Coordinator Fitness and Wellness
Fitness Center at CARE\Crawley
University of Cincinnati


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Everybody Wants Some
What happens if there is a debt deal and earnings are good? Well, we are pretty much looking at what happens. With General Electric (GE) and Schlumberger (SLB) reporting numbers that pleased the Street and with the possibility that Washington won't go all Defcon, you get that same benign lift off that we have come to expect from this market in 2013.
Look, there are plenty of flaws in the market today. Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) can't get out of their own way, which market players are telling me means the shorts are circling ahead of next week's earnings....261 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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Before taking any other action, check yourself and other individuals involved in the accident for injuries. If there are any injuries or at least $1,000 in property damage, call the police.
Cooperate with law enforcement officers, and ask the investigating officer how to obtain a copy of the police report.
Take notes. Be sure to provide and obtain the following information:
Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible. Ask them to file a Certificate of Compliance (COC) covering the date of the accident in the vehicles involved. Failure to submit proof of insurance after an accident may result in the suspension of your driving privileges regardless of who is at fault.


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Without question, the extremely wet weather pattern we experienced last week is one to remember. In fact, this looks like the wettest April EVER in much of Kentucky. The record for Louisville is 11.10 inches back in 1970.
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Solar Impulse's first prototype made its first flight on April 7 in Payerne, Switzerland, paving the way for the first night flight with a solar-powered, manned aircraft this summer. Company CEO André Borschberg and founder Bertrand Piccard are then planning a round-the-world flight, with probably five stopovers, to demonstrate the potential of investing in renewable energies. After the flight, test pilot Markus Scherdel said HB-SIA felt "stable and controllable from the very beginning."
During the one hour, 27 minute flight, the aircraft reached an altitude of 3,900 feet. Scherdel claimed that the landing–considered the most critical phase–was not difficult. "At that time, I had already learned a lot about the airplane and knew everything I needed about its behavior," he said.
Photovoltaic cells cover the 208-foot wing and horizontal stabilizer, providing power for the airplane's four 10-hp electric motors.
Solar Impulse is now focusing on the next two test flights, before the night flight. Construction of a larger aircraft, HB-SIB, will begin next year, allowing for tests in 2012 and flying around the world in 2013. The company has raised about 80 percent of the E70 million ($93 million) needed for the entire project, according to Borschberg.
The French association of aerospace journalists in January chose Solar Impulse for its Icarus 2010 award.


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Visit the News and Events page
Do you want to check out what it means to have a relationship with God in an accepting, non-judgmental environment? read more
Are you interested in a community where people like you are discovering the relevant, life-changing truths of the bible? read more
Are you looking for a place where you can grow in an intimate relationship with the God who created you and loves you dearly? read more


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|48" Strand Carbonized Bamboo Stair Riser to match your new Bamboo floor.
Do you have questions about this product?
AnswerBox - Get answers from Staff Experts and real customers by clicking "Ask a question" or click here to ask our Customer Service Team
Q:Can I attach this riser to the existing rough lumber stair riser that is already in place? (there was carpet formerly on this riser) Or would I have to remove the existing riser to use this bamboo riser?
1 answer
A:Please call our Tech and Installation Dept. @ (800) 366-4204 for a detailed answer to your question. Thank you for your inquiry.
Q:I just wanted to know what all of the measurements were for this piece. I also wanted to know if there would be any issues with strength if this was used in a horizontal application as I am looking to use it as a threshold.
1 answer
A:3/4" x 7 1/4" x48".


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We are Reno's first no-kill animal shelter, founded in 1998. Each year our shelter develops more progressive programs such as our Rural Rescue Program where we aggressively rescue animals from rural animal control agencies and support their joint efforts to move animals out of their facilities and into ours to avoid euthanasia. We also have expanded our reach into schools with our Humane Initiative Program where we teach and show compassion to animals. We have more programs and many projects on the horizon - visit our website to see more!!!
We post our events on our website and Facebook and through other various media outlets.
Thank You!
Your message has been sent to SPCA of Northern Nevada.
You'll receive a copy, too, at to help you keep track of which pets you've inquired about, and which shelters and rescues you've emailed.
NOTE: Some shelters have physical locations you can visit; some of these shelters may only have pets for a limited time, so please do not wait for a reply—just go visit the shelter! Other organizations are rescue groups run by busy volunteers who may take a while to reply. You can find information about the shelter or rescue group caring for this pet, and their adoption procedures, on the pet's details page on Adopt-a-Pet.com.


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Gotta agree with KStat. Let's put Vogel in the bottom-10, for argument's sake.
With Danny out, our wings can't be better than 29th. Name 2 sets worse than George-Green/Stephenson/Sam? Don't think you can.
So that's a bigger concern than coaching, and won't get fixed until Danny returns.
Our bench might be 30th. Six games in, and we haven't had a single good performance from any of them yet. That's bad.
I think they're making Frank look bad more than Frank's making the Pacers look bad. But we're not losing because our bench sucks. They aren't that big of a factor either way. Our wings are wretched.
It's funny how in the offseason everyone thought we overplayed for Hill and did what we had to for Roy.
Lots of truth here. Danny and David are the only two real scorers on the team. Other guys can score, but asking them to be a primary scorer is asking too much game in and game out. Losing DC only aggravated the problem. He was the other guys that could score.
Pacers philosophy is getting players that can 'score and defend their position'. But there is a difference between being able to score and being a primary scorer. Right now David West is the only guy that can get the ball on a regular basis and get points out of it. George Hill is getting better, but he is not a guy you can say 'I need 25 pts from you tonight. No one else on the team can score 30 unless you leave them alone in the gym. edit: this is wrong. tyler can score, but at the NBA level, he is a complementary player. Complementary scorer is a better way to describe the rest of the guys.
Now Hill may become the other scorer the Pacers need. Frank seems to be doing some nice two man game things with him and David. Here's hoping they get it figured out quickly.
BTW, that $40M over 8 yrs is looking more and more like money well spent.
Last edited by xIndyFan; 11-10-2012 at 02:03 AM.
We should sign Baron Davis to play backup PG.
"We've got to be very clear about this. We don't want our players hanging around with murderers," said Larry Bird, Pacers president.
I would have suggested starting Augustin at PG while shifting Hill to SG if Augustin didn't suck so much. As it is, I think we should cut Ben Hans and sign a vet PG who can play (Shaun Livingston is available) to start alongside Hill. It's not as if we have a ton of complicated plays that a new PG would need to pick up on either.
Sad fact as bad as you are knocking Gerald Green for everything he did outrebound Hibbert 6 to 4. He was also fouled 2 or 3 times on shots which were obvious ref missed called even Buckner pointed that out.
@ArturoGalletti: .@HPbasketball Jeff Green bad offseason signing or the worst offseason signing?
I just finished watching the game, and I have to say that the offense looked better tonight. It definitely looked like they trimmed the playbook and focused more on inside-out play. The bad thing is that it looked like they were running the plays in a practice walk-through style. There were actually cutters, but normally the play didn't develop fast enough for the guy to turn and hit hit the cutter before his man caught up.
Hill and West were bosses out there, that's for sure. And he didn't play well again, but I don't think Hibbert looks like he doesn't care. I think the man looks tired. He just looked gassed. Lance played well and PG had a meh game. And I am soooo tired of watching Green miss those stupid twisting fallaway jumpers. I mean, he shoots them on fast breaks when we have an advantage.
yeah, Augustin has really been a disappointment. Which is really sad as I only expected him to be a decent backup for a year. At this rate, he's going to be working for the vet's min next year. But he is the only guy that can play the point right now. He has to stay with the reserves.
Another way to go instead of picking up a bad PG would be looking for a combo guard instead. There have to be some undersized SG that handle the ball well enough to play the point for the Pacers. I think that would give the B&G another shooter at least.
I think Gerald will be OK eventually. He has some strange holes in his game and it evidently is taking some time to fit this particular square peg into the Pacers rotation.
Starting DJ might help him, actually. I mean, he's not good defensively, but he'll be playing with scorers so there won't be so much pressure on him to score.
Wow. What a disappointing finish. Didn't get to see the game live, had to catch it on DVR.
I was so proud of David and George, they really just took the team on their backs and willed us to win it.
Too bad Gerald Green wouldn't let them. Pretty sure my not-quite-2 year old daughter could have defended Buddinger on that last shot
My 'out of state fan' game reports over the years
Pacers.com Guest Blog Post: Area 55 Conquers Staples Center -- (Honorary) Area 55 Family Invades Target Center 2014! -- Target Center Invasion 2015
at this point George Hill has a better shot of becoming our "star" than PG. Paul is going to be a good player, but I just don't think he can be a consistent scorer. Definitely not a #1 option.
I like what I have seen the past few games from Hill, he has shown a lot of improvement from last year. The past two games he has been as good as Danny was at his peak.
Did anyone wake Gerald Green up at the top of the key before the bus left for the airport? I'm concerned he might still be there. Or maybe i'm not.
@indystar_pacers: BLOG: Pacers: Green cost them the game, but Vogel deserves blame, too http://t.co/7FuaLILX
Sam "The Budinger Stopper" Young was a better option for that final stop ! He should've been in for Tyler or better yet for Gerald "Where's my man" Green.
He needs to play a different offense style. He's not great, but to get good out of him, he has to do the thing he does. Otherwise you get all the negatives without the only thing he can do, run a team.
Make him the starter, move Hill to SG, and ask Augustine what he wants to run, and make it happen.
Removed link to my website after a PM from Able.
NBA.com starting their highlights with Rubio and Love in the back and Amundson in the middle is gold. I really thought they were going to say something about Lou
Last edited by MvPlumlee; 11-10-2012 at 04:34 AM.
Actually, I assume that it would be better to give Lance and Miles FAR MORE minutes. Lance, only because it looks like he's starting to get it and he needs the minutes to get there....whereas for Miles...I am seeing more lineups with West and Hansbrough on the floor at the same time....I saw enough of that last season to know that the rebounding and defense sucks when both are in the frontcourt. If Mahinmi isn't going to get minutes....then put Miles in there.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
I would give the ball to Lance as starting PG. Move Hill to SG and George to SF. Let's see what Lance can do when he's really given a chance. He's earned that much in my eyes and i was one of the people that thought we should have gotten rid of him. His game has matured a lot.


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Isaac Clarke faces off against the evil Necromorph Slasher...
For a great selection of video game action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, ToyDorks.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.
On January 25th, space engineer Isaac Clarke returns to fight the mutated Necromorphs in Dead Space 2. Taking place on a densely populated metropolis called the Sprawl, this video game sequel promises more chills, spills and gore than the hit original and I, for one, can not wait. Your mom may not approve, but Dead Space 2 wasn't made for her. This is a game lovingly tailored for hardcore gamers, horror hounds and sci-fi aficionados alike.
To help psyche out fans for this intense thrill ride, NECA has released two new 7-inch scale action figures. Hitting retail NOW at an SRP of $15.99 each, these include our protagonist Isaac Clarke with new and improved armor and weapons, as well as one of the many horrors he battles against, a Necromorph Slasher.
PACKAGING: As they say, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. NECA once again uses their tried-and-true clamshell design; ideal packaging for their 7-inch scale action figures. Black, like the deep space of the game, is the prominent color with the Dead Space 2 logo proudly placed at top. Wraparound character models add a splash of color and do an excellent job of identifying the figure inside.
The back of the pack further adds personality to each figure with an informative bio. Those new to the game (shame on you!) will find all they need to know here. What I found particularly cool were the images located at the bottom of each pack back. Notice how the character perspective is reversed, depending on the figure in hand.
ISSAC CLARKE: If you thought NECA's first Isaac Clarke action figure was amazing, you're in for a pleasant surprise with the new Isaac. First is his awesome new armor. While I love the coppery gothic look of the original, Isaac's new suit screams space superhero. Gone are the drab colors, replaced with a more vibrant palette of yellows, blues and whites. It reminds me alot of a Gundam robot, something I am sure is no coincidence. Part of Dead Space's appeal is the many sci-fi homages made in the game - from Aliens to Event Horizon. Tying the slick color scheme together is the use of copper highlights and random splashes of crimson "blood".
Also exciting and new is the overall look of the armor. Where the former was clunky and asymmetrical, Isaac's new duds are sleek and uniform in design. While I'm still growing accustomed to his new "elf shoes" (they are actually tipped with small thrusters), Isaac's new helmet is an instant knockout.
Even Isaac Clarke's weapons have undergone an upgrade. The figure comes packed with the new Plasma Cutter; similar to the original, but much more detailed in design. A huge improvement NECA made on this Isaac over the older figure is the addition of a swivel joint on the weapon. This allows fans to actually rotate the barrel of the gun horizontally or vertically, just like in the game. Anyone who has played Dead Space knows flipping the Plasma Cutter horizontally provides for better Necromorph limb displacement, so seeing it implemented on the toy is uber exciting. Kudos to NECA.
Lastly we come to Isaac Clarke's articulation and light-up feature. The figure comes loaded with useful joints, from the DCU-like flip-out hips introduced on the original Isaac, to ball-socket shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, and feet. A cut waist and thighs allow for even more extreme poses. My only real disappointment is that Isaac's head is not ball-jointed, something I am sure was resticted due to the wiring of his light-up mask. And light up it does! Like the original Isaac action figure, simply press the armor plate on the top of his back and watch as his "spine" and visor light up a brilliant bluish white. The cool thing is that you don't have to keeping holding down the button to keep him lit; just push it in until it "clicks" and wahlah - instant Isaac lamp! It's a really neat feature.
NECRO SLASHER: As exciting as the new Isaac Clarke is, the Necromorph Slasher is even more so. NECA has been very good about providing collectors with action figures of their favorite video game heroes, but getting toys of the bad guys is a bit of a rarity. Here we have one of the more commonly seen Necros of the game, horribly disfigured humans with long bone-like blades jutting out of their hands.
Horror collectors are going to absolutely LOVE all the gory detail NECA put on this creature, from its jaw-less head sculpt, mutated "hands" thrusting out of its open gut, to its violently exposed spinal column. Seeing all these twisted attributes on an action figure is pretty cool. You really don't get that good (or that long) of a look at these creatures in the game due to the dark shadows and quick impulse to obliterate them into a million bloody pieces.
Speaking of a million pieces... the Necro Slasher ups the gore ante by featuring removable limbs! Each limb - arms and legs - as well as its head, all pop off to replicate the dismembering carnage of Dead Space. It's a simple peg and socket system, but it works quite easily and effectively. I would have liked to have seen the pegs painted red (or bone white) to more closely mimic severed limbs, but I give credit to NECA for sculpting and painting the sockets on the torso. The overall effect is pretty darn cool and allows for countless display options, be it Isaac just beginning to slice and dice or a full-blown dismemberment, ala the last pic in my review. Fun, fun, fun. Best yet is that the Necromorph does not sacrifice any articulation because of this feature, starring ball-joints out the wazoo. Because of the Necro's spindly design, a nondescript black display base is included to help it stand. It's actually a necessity, unless you prefer your Necro crawling towards Isaac in brutal anticipation.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: NECA's new Dead Space 2 action figures are a must-have for any fan of the games. Those not familiar with the franchise owe it to themselves to play the games... and then get these figures. Extremely well-designed and cool looking, NECA's Isaac Clarke and Necromorph Slasher are a fitting tribute to one of the best video games on the market. Two bloody severed thumbs way up.
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Samples Courtesy of NECA


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Casper's Story
I know Casper is not a girl's name!
A few years ago I wandered into the garden of an elderly lady who fell in love with me! She named me "Casper" after the friendly ghost, even though I'm a girl! I played hard to get, but her friends finally nabbed me and had me "fixed", although I don't remember being broken in any way. Gradually I grew more confident and came into her house. I liked to sit by her computer while she worked and sleep in her bedroom at night.
Sadly my adopted mom passed away recently. I was stuck outside for a little while because I was too afraid to go back into the house when she wasn't there, but her friends were kind to me. They fed me and eventually took me to stay with some other cats for a while. I'm not sure I really like being in close quarters with other cats, but I'm keeping my chin up.
You might not think I'm a Calico because I'm mostly white, but look closely at my "patches"!


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Inside the Lakers blog: Keeping and eye on who might be next in leading Kobe & Co.
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter, @MarkG_Medina
For all the team news, visit the Los Angeles Lakers page
Now that Mike D'Antoni has resigned as the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, what's happening in the search for a new head coach -- and who do you think should get the job? Ask Los Angeles News Group writer Fred Robledo about the latest in what is becoming a turbulent Laker off-season.
If you can't see the live chat above, find it here: bit.ly/R7q3F8


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Shaquille O'Neal spent three years as a basketball player at LSU before moving onto an NBA career that saw him visit the NBA Finals six times and win four championships. That's almost unfathomable now, given that he averaged 13.9 points and 12 rebounds as a freshman.
Perhaps based on his own experience, he believes three years in college is a good idea for all players before they enter the NBA draft.
Speaking to the NCAA convention Tuesday in Grapevine, Texas, O'Neal said if he were in charge of draft eligibility rules, it would "probably say three-and-done."
The NBA has had an age limit of 19 and one year out of high school for all draft entrants since the 2007 draft. Previously, players had to be 18 and could attempt to make the league directly out of high school.
When O'Neal was in college it never happened. That changed three years after he finished his college career, when Kevin Garnett entered the draft directly out of Chicago's Farragut Academy in 1995. For a decade, it became common for high school players to enter the draft, and now it is common for players to leave college after a single season.
It's derisively called "one-and-done," and NCAA president Mark Emmert has repeatedly denounced the practice. In negotiating its most recent collective bargaining agreement, the NBA attempted to bump up the limit to age 20 and two years removed from high school. But the idea was tabled at the close of a long lockout and the 19 limit remains in place.
"A lot of guys do it because of their financial situation, and they need to do it. That's the only way to provide a better means for their family," O'Neal said, according to the Associated Press. "So when you look at it from that aspect, I understand it."
Kentucky's John Calipari, who has coached a number of one-and-done players, has been most outspoken about his desire for the age limit to be increased to 20, an idea that has gained broader support among college coaches in recent years.


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Question for the Money Doctors
Question submitted on Sep 17, 2012.
QuestionIs it better to pay down my credit cards and reduce the debt to available credit ratio or build up savings? I am considering borrowing against or cashing out a small 401(k) plan (if that is even possible) to pay down some debt. We just sold our home and will want to buy in the next 1-2 years. Thank you!
You have a couple of things going on here. The first thing I recommend is to avoid using your 401k to pay off credit credits. Your 401k is legally protected from the credit card company - even in bankruptcy. That said, recommend you do the following in this order:
1) Stop using your credit cards right away. If you need something, pay for it in cash. If you don't have the cash to pay for it, wait until you do.
2) Build an emergency fund that would cover 3 months of critical living expenses should you lose your job.
3) After building an emergency fund, pay off your credit cards aggressively. To do this, review your do a budget and try and live on just the essentials (i.e. food, rent, health insurance, utilities- think "needs" not "wants"). This means, for a short season in your life, you may need to forgo things like, going out to eat, movies, smart phone packages, etc. Use these savings to pay off your credit cards.
4) Once you have your credit cards paid off, then you can start saving for a down payment on a house. Even though FHA offers 3% down on home mortgages, you should aim for 20%.
These financial principles are not easy and definitely are not sexy. But if you follow them and sacrifice a little now, you will build actual wealth and experience peace and financial freedom later.
For more information on these and other topics, visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/
Good luck!
For additional information visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/


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Shooting survivor: 'I bit his hand at a point during the fight'
ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Chris Langford lost his wife and father-in-law this week.
Brittney Langford and her father, Michael Tellone, were gunned down in a home north of Roseburg on Tuesday.
Chris was wounded but managed to survive the ordeal.
Now, a few days later, Langford is asking people to help find the man who took the lives of his family.
Langford also said he doesn't think this is a random act of violence.
"This man was on a mission and it is as simple as that," Langford said in a Facebook post.
He went on to give a little detail about what transpired that night. "I believe I bit his hand at a point during the fight."
Langford goes on to describe what he remembers about the man who killed his wife. "Maybe a little under 6 foot tall and about 185-200 lbs, he looked like he was about 40 and had short buzzed hair and stubble facial hair, he had kind of a round face and possibly a wound on his finger."
That wound came when Langford bit the man, he wrote.
The Douglas County Sheriff's office says they can not comment on the ongoing investigation.
Langford said there will be a celebration of life for Brittney and her father Michael this weekend in Roseburg.


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Choice of gene expression analysis technologies are dependent on specific study needs and, with the many genome-wide and targeted options available, deciding on the best approach can be challenging. This is especially so when trying to find the right balance between multiplex analysis (number of genes) and project depth (number of samples). In the last ten years new technologies have emerged such as Plexpress' TRAC (Transcript Analysis with aid of Affinity Capture) which successfully combines high sample throughput with efficient gene multiplexing. Integration of the TRAC platform with other services such as microarrays or pre-validated gene panels for ADME-Tox applications also provides time-and-cost effective flexibility for a range of studies.
The whitepaper aims to simplify the reader's choice of gene expression analysis by providing detailed information on each method's applications, strengths and weaknesses. Clear comparisons are offered, reflecting upon important cost and efficiency considerations, providing researchers with the insight to identify the best method for the task at hand.
To see these comparisons and to learn more about gene expression analysis methods download the whitepaper. For more information about TRAC and Plexpress, please visit www.plexpress.com
Editors' notes
About Plexpress
Plexpress was established as a spinoff from the Finnish Technology Research Center VTT in 2007. Including R&D at VTT, the company's TRAC technology has been developed continuously for nearly 10 years and it has been documented in over 15 publications. The technology was originally developed for demanding bioprocess applications, which required a very robust solution for gene expression analysis. Since starting operations in 2008, the company has carried out over 50 projects using the TRAC technology in the fields of pharmaceutical development and academic research.
For further information see: www.plexpress.com


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Almost all of us are affected by state and federal issues with gaining access to medical care. To help people understand how we can work together to overcome obstacles to medical care for people with lupus, the Lupus Research Institute presented a two-part webinar series on advocacy.
Part 1: A Basic Guide for Advocates, December 04, 2013
Part 2: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - What Advocates Should Know January 14, 2014
Part 1: A Basic Guide for Advocates
December 04, 2013
This free webinar covered advocacy basics such as how Congress works, how a bill becomes a law, the budget and appropriations process, and how to work with members of Congress. Click here to listen to the entire presentation and follow along with slides.
Don't Get Mad – Get Going!
Have you shown up for a procedure only to find out it was not pre-approved by your insurance?
Or been told your insurance company won't cover a new medication until you "fail" on the old one first?
Don't get mad – get going!
You might be thinking, "I am just one person so what can I really do." But as part of the lupus community, you are not alone. You are among 1.5 million Americans who have lupus. And we are getting heard.
Together with our National Coalition of patient advocates throughout the country, we are making a real difference on important issues like these that affect people with lupus. But the more people voicing their opinion, the more our legislators are likely to listen. So we need you to get involved.
Watch this webinar from professional advocates in DC to learn how advocacy works and how to add your voice to ours to make the greatest impact for people with lupus.
Why Advocate
Advocacy is the process the First Amendment of the Constitution put into place to voice our opinion to our government leaders. We use advocacy to influence government to pay attention to lupus. We are more effective when we work together to bring the patient's voice to Congress.
Government leaders WANT and EXPECT to hear from their constituents about what is important to them. If we don't show them that research and better healthcare are important to their voters, why should they care? Other people are also trying to get lawmakers' support for issues important to them.
You Can Do It!
Maybe you don't know much about how the government works. Or you're shy. Or you're busy. Or a million other reasons why you don't feel you can make a difference. But your vote is just as important as anyone else's and there are many ways to be heard. Our webinar will help build your confidence and give you the skills you need to be an effective advocate.
What to Advocate About?
Keep up on the key issues for people with lupus by visiting the advocacy section of the Lupus Research Institute website.
Be on the watch for emails from the LRI requesting action on particular issues. And let us know if something is happening in your state; we may be able to help get others involved.
View the latest presentation from Part 2 in our advocacy series to understand more about the ACA and how advocacy can improve how it is implemented to best help people with chronic diseases like lupus.
Part 2: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - What Advocates Should Know
January 14, 2014
In 2014, one of the most pressing access-to-care issues is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Although the ACA is a federal law, states have a major role in how many parts of the ACA are enacted.
The Affordable Care Act is a law enacted by Congress in 2010 to increase the number of Americans covered by health insurance and decrease the cost of health care. It requires most Americans to maintain minimum essential health insurance coverage. For people who are not exempt from this requirement and do not get insurance through an employer or government program, they can purchase insurance from a private company through the Health Insurance Marketplace or pay a penalty.
How to Use the Health Insurance Marketplace
The Health Insurance Marketplace is "where" individuals can compare and purchase private health insurance options online, in-person or by phone. People staffing the Marketplace are trained to help consumers understand and select a plan to meet their needs.
The Benefits
The webinar reviewed the Essential Health Benefits required under the ACA. The speakers also noted some other improvements including coverage of preventive care and routine costs for qualified individuals participating in approved clinical trials; annual and lifetime dollar limits for out of pocket expenses; and coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Challenges to be Addressed
Some of the confusion around the ACA stems from the variation in how it is being implemented across the country. In some states, the federal government is operating the Marketplace while in others it is being run by the state government. Watch this presentation to learn about the situation in your state.
Our presenters also pointed out some things people should watch for when selecting a plan such as making sure the plan you select covers the medications you take. While there will be an appeals process, it is unclear how easy or fast the process will be. Also, it is important to understand that the limits on out-of-pocket expenses only applies to in-network services so be sure you understand how the out-of-pocket caps work in your plan.
What Can You Do?
In watching this webinar, you have already taken the first step in making a difference in how the ACA will impact people with lupus and others. As you use your plan, note what is working and what isn't – then email or phone your state and federal representatives to let them know how it is going. They need, and want, to hear from real people who are encountering real situations, both good and bad.
Join with others. Visit the advocacy section of the Lupus Research Institute website to keep up on the news around the ACA. Be on the watch for emails from the LRI requesting action on this and other issues. And visit our Facebook page to share issues you are finding that impact access to care for people with lupus. It's a great forum to exchange ideas and experiences.


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Resellers are constantly trying to find the right balance of driving higher quality delivery of services and increasing sales. It's a slippery slope and it's hard to justify investing more time in the selling effort perhaps at the expense of customer service. It's not that Solution Providers don't value the role of sales in the overall business process, it's just not the average resellers sweet spot. Rather, resellers are more typically aligned with the product and technology function and see it being way more constructive to invest their time in development and integration – plus, its just more fun. So, in effect, key partners are looking to reduce the amount to time spent selling and need more time in the day for service delivery.
In the area of Security Services, the challenge facing solution providers is knowing which type of security services to provide and the level of expertise required for them, according to an assessment written by the 2112 Group for AVG. They added, on the high end, security services entail security information management, firewall monitoring and management, incident response, intrusion detection and prevention, vulnerability scanning and remediation, and malware protection. Each has a high level of investment to develop the service delivery capabilities, inclusive of software, training, certifications and staffing.


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You know, I think I almost threw up after sifting through the 20+ new pages (from today only btw) of the JO rumours thread. My brain hurts. Is there any possibilty that when there is breaking news on the subject, we could have a new thread. After all, it was actual news, not just speculation. Lets face it, its really the only thing going on this offseason right now, its not like its really distracting from any of the other discussions currently going on.
I realize people posted about 6 threads on the subject today alone, but maybe they could have been confined to this NEW thread pertaining to current news.
just a suggestion of course.
Of course I just stared intently at a computer screen for about 2 hours straight.. maybe its just the sheer level of activity.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Kidney Diseases
Serum Creatinine
When was serum creatinine introduced as a measure of kidney function?
Good question. A Google search reveals:
"The juice of flesh contains a crystallizable substance, which was in 1835 discovered by Chevreul in beef-tea of the Dutch Company, and by him termed creatine. Creatine and creatinine (in the form of chloride of zinc salt) were subsequently, in 1814, found in the urine contemporaneously by Ileintz and Pettenkofer, but their identity with the crystallizable substance of the juice of flesh was not then recognized. In 1847 creatine and creatinine were demonstrated by Liebig to be constant ingredients of the juices of the flesh of almost all the classes of vertebrate animals and of the urine of man. Verdcil and Marcet found creatine in the blood of the ox."
Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine. In the 1920's it was observed that it is excreted in constant amounts daily by normal people. Sometime in the early 30's it started being used as a measure of kidney function (by means of both measurement of blood creatinine levels, and urine creatinine excretion).
Hope this answers your question!
Mildred Lam, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University


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1. Introduction
Taronga Conservation Society Australia (collectively referred to as "we", "us" and TCSA) is subject to the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (1988). TCSA takes your privacy seriously, and we safeguard your personal information. This Privacy Statement explains in general terms how we protect the privacy of your personal information under the Australian Privacy Principles. It will apply to any personal information you provide to us:
- when purchasing a ticket or membership:
- when making a booking;
- when making a donation or sponsoring an animal;
- when registering your details for a survey, competition, petition or any other purpose;
- when accepting or declining an event invitation;
- when making a shop purchase;
Via taronga.org.au, twilightattaronga.org.au, tarongafoundation.com.au, roarandsnore.com.au, zoofari.com.au or other online sites operated by TCSA and its contractors; and under any other agreement or arrangement. This Privacy Statement will also apply to any information about you that is provided to us by a third party. This Privacy Statement does not apply to employee records.
2. Collection of personal information
The types of personal information that we collect from you will depend on the circumstances of collection and on the type of service you request from us.
TCSA may collect personal information from you when you deal with us over the telephone, send us correspondence (whether by letter, fax or email), visit our websites or when you have contact with us in person. As well as collecting personal information directly from you, there may be occasions when we collect information about you from a third party. For example, from a person or organisation who are making a donation, purchase or booking on your behalf.
Personal information collected may include where appropriate your name, birth date, home address, other address, telephone numbers, fax numbers, email address, credit/debit card number and expiry date, membership details and dietary requirements (if any). In addition, when you visit any of our websites, the following information is recorded by us for statistical purposes:
- a record of your IP address;
- the date, time and length of your visit to the site;
- any purchases, donations, bookings or registrations completed during your visit;
- the pages accessed and documents downloaded;
- the version of your operating system and web browser; and
- the referring site if you followed a link to get here.
No attempts are made to identify anyone browsing our site. The data is captured so that we can accurately evaluate the quality of the content on the website and make continuous improvements. The only time our website is able to identify you is if you have signed in as a registered user and agreed to provide your details. In this case, our website maintains a register of your user details in order to make your return visits to the site (and access to information relevant to your association with us) easier for you.
3. Website and cookies
The TCSA website and twilightattaronga.org.au use "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to improve the user experience in the future. The typical purpose of Cookies is to help websites remember particular actions you may have done in the past – for example, cookies may track when you have logged into a site, visited certain pages or clicked certain buttons.
The TCSA and twilightattaronga.org.au websites use cookies to:
- Remember when you have logged into our website
- Remember your user preferences, searches and favourites
- Track the success of our marketing campaigns.
Additionally, the TCSA and twilightattaronga.org.au websites have a small set of carefully selected third-party providers (refer to table below). These third-parties use cookies to:
- Track your usage of a site, via Google Analytics©
- Target more relevant advertisements to you
- Enable social media sharing (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)
- Ensure better service delivery
Cookies cannot harm you or your computer. They cannot contain viruses, cannot install harmful software and cannot damage your computer in any way. Although we use cookies to gather encrypted information to improve your user experience, this information is never personally identifiable. We do not use cookies to store any sensitive information, such as name, address or contact details.
Despite this, if you do wish to disable or remove cookies, please see the "Help" section of your browser or mobile device. Each browser or device handles the management of cookies differently, so you will need to refer to your appropriate "Help" documentation. However, as mentioned, cookies are essential for certain features of our website to work properly.
You can view a full list of all cookies used by the TCSA websites below:
|Google analytics
|2 years
|Website usage and e-commerce
|2 years
|3 months
4. Use of personal information
TCSA may use your personal information for the following purposes:
- to process your purchase, booking, donation and other transactions;
- to send tax receipts;
- to facilitate your participation in TCSA sponsorship and membership programs;
- to conduct marketing activities and to conduct market research;
- to respond to customer enquries or complaints;
- to raise funds for conservation programs undertaken and supported by the TCSA.
Some of the personal information we collect is essential for us to be able to accurately identify who is using the products and services. Other types of personal information is collected to help us to profile who is using our products and services and what their interest are in order to improve customer service through research, marketing, product development and planning.
5. Zoo Friends membership program
Additional information is collected by us when you join the Zoo Friends membership program. This includes information such as your name and date of birth and the name and date of birth of any additional members, home address, other addresses, email address, telephone numbers, fax number, credit card details as well as any special interests and preferences.
TCSA also keep a record of Zoo Friends use of membership services and benefits. This information includes date and time of visit, purchases, events attended and benefits redeemed. The collection of this information assists TCSA to monitor the use of, and improve, the Zoo Friends membership program and benefits.
Information on our Zoo Friends databases is used for additional purposes which members consent to as part of the terms and conditions of membership. This includes TCSA marketing its products and services or the products and services of its partners. Other purposes include improving its customer service by means of research, product development and planning.
Some of the information is deemed mandatory for participation in the ZooFriends membership program. Members are advised that if all or any of the non-mandatory information is not provided, the services provided by TCSA may be affected.
Zoo Friends members can update their profile information at any time by contacting the Zoo Friends membership office on 9968 2822.
6. Disclosure and sharing of personal information
TCSA may at times disclose your personal information to a third party, to whom we contract out certain services. For example, we engaged third party suppliers to:
- provide email and mail handling services;
- provide electronic funds transfer services, credit card account processing and related services;
- conduct market research;
- provide catering services;
- provide information technology services such as data storage and processing, software, system development and maintenance.
In these situations TCSA prohibits the third party contractor from using your personal information except for the specific purpose for which we supply it.
Under no circumstances will TCSA sell or receive payment for licensing or disclosing your personal information. Notwithstanding the above, TCSA will share information with third parties if:
- we need to share personal information in order to provide the product or service requested;
- we are legally obliged to do so; or,
- we are otherwise required or committed by the Privacy Act 1988.
7. Access and alteration to personal information
TCSA facilitates individuals to access their personal information in the following manner:
- the request must be in writing;
- we will endeavour to respond in writing to requests for access within twenty eight (28) days of the receipt of the request at the offices of TCSA; and
- TCSA may impose a charge on providing access to the personal information depending on the nature of the request.
If a person wishes to alter personal information held by TCSA, they should advise us in writing of the required changes. TCSA will endeavour to make the changes requested within twenty eight (28) days of the receipt of the changes at the offices of TCSA, provided that we are satisfied that the changes are accurate, complete and up to date. TCSA will not confirm the changes are made unless specifically requested to do so.
8. Opting out of marketing, promotions or related activities
You can change the type and frequency of information you receive from us by calling 1300 369 116. However if you do not wish to receive any more emails from Taronga, you can opt-out by clicking the unsubscribe button in our emails or by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com
9. Changes to this Privacy Statement
The TCSA Privacy Statement may change from time to time due to legal or business requirements. Any changes to this Privacy Statement will be updated on taronga.org.au.
This statement was last updated in March 2014.
10. Complaints
In the event that a person considers that TCSA has breached the policy on privacy, they should provide details of the circumstances in writing to TCSA. TCSA will endeavour to respond to such a complaint within twenty eight (28) days of its receipt at the offices of TCSA.
11. Contact Details
If you require further information about TCSA's Privacy Internet Policy or wish to comment on the policy, the contact details for TCSA are as follows:
Administrative Assistant, Corporate Services
Taronga Conservation Society Australia, PO Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088
+61 (0)2 9969 2777


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They were both terrible years — 2009 and 2012. Is there any way to say one was worse than the other?
It depends on who you talk to. For Jim Ahlem, dairy producer from Hilmar, Calif., 2012 was worse. It's difficult to compare, he says, because 2009 brought low milk prices and 2012 brought high feed costs. "They both were horrible years," he acknowledges, but 2012 was "probably a little worse because of the financial weakness people are in." Certainly, a lot of producers who used up equity in 2009 didn't have enough time to recover when 2012 came around. "The feed cost is so much higher than it was in 2009," he adds.
For Ahlem, that is huge. He is able to grow two-thirds of his own corn silage, but everything else (concentrates and hay) must be purchased.
Weather played a role
The success one had in growing feed — influenced by the weather — made a critical difference.
Ken Nobis, who runs a 1,050-cow operation in St. Johns, Mich., was one of the fortunate ones.
"We had very few dairy producers in my organization (Michigan Milk Producers Association) who suffered severely in the drought," Nobis says. "Most of our producers raise their feed."
And, timely rains in late July and early August allowed those producers to get the crops they needed. Between July 26 and Aug. 10, many dairy regions in Michigan got 5 to 6 inches of rain, he says. Basically, the areas north of Lansing got enough rain to get adequate, good or even excellent crops.
"I didn't hear many complaints from our producers that they didn't produce" the feed they needed, Nobis adds.
Therefore, 2009 was much worse, Nobis says. "The squeeze was a lot tighter."
It could have gone either way
For Joe Wright, dairy producer from Avon Park, Fla., the squeeze could have been tighter this year than in 2009 if he had not switched from a confinement free-stall operation to a 1,200-cow low-input modified grazing operation.
"If I had continued the way it was before, I don't know if we'd still be in business," he said somewhat jokingly, but perhaps with an element of truth to it.
2012 was so much easier than 2009, he adds, because he didn't have the same feed-cost exposure.
But for other farmers in Florida, 2012 may have proven worse. Many must purchase their concentrates and, as Wright points out, "when you are dealing with soybeans and corn, you probably can't find a more expensive place." For one reason, there are many competing uses for the land in Florida, favoring alternatives such as winter vegetables and citrus over corn.
"We definitely have high-priced feed," says Wright, who serves as president of the Southeast Milk dairy cooperative.
Still some optimism
For Ahlem, the producer from California who believes this year was worse than 2009, there is still an element of optimism.
"For the future, I still feel pretty positive," he says. He bases that optimism on the progress the dairy industry has made in exporting more of its product overseas, as well as industry recognition of animal-welfare issues and its proactive stance on some of those issues, such as tail-docking. (For more information on exports, see the sidebar above.)
In a bad year, there was one bright spot
Dairy exports are on a record-setting pace.
During the first nine months of this year, dairy exports accounted for 13.6 percent of U.S. milk production (on a milk-solids basis). And the final year-end tally should be close to that figure, says Alan Levitt, vice president of communications at the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
The previous record was 13.3 percent in 2011.
This year's growth was spurred, in part, by healthy increases in the export of whey protein concentrate and cheese.
Levitt says he is hopeful that the growth will be maintained in 2013. Certainly, the companies that export U.S. dairy products abroad have seen the value of positive growth and have become more sophisticated in meeting the needs of foreign buyers.


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Although several fertilizer producers saw lower first-quarter profits due to lower than expected demand, the producers expect fertilizer demand to strengthen throughout 2012.
"Fertilizer buyers continued to move cautiously at the beginning of the year, especially with potash purchases, which impacted our performance during the quarter," said PotashCorp President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Doyle in a statement. "Although we anticipated that an increase in global fertilizer purchasing would not take hold until the latter half of the first quarter, it took longer than we expected for demand to emerge. While the timing of that change was difficult to predict, the direction was not. We expect the acceleration in potash demand that began at the very end of the quarter will continue, supporting increased volumes through the remainder of the year."
PotashCorp explained that buyers in all major potash markets were slow to commit to new purchases through most of the first quarter. Shipments from North American producers reflected this pause, declining 48 percent from the record level of last year's first quarter. While underlying consumption at the farm level was expected to be strong globally, most dealers chose to defer major purchasing decisions rather than build inventory.
In North America, distributors felt little pressure to act quickly in light of elevated producer inventories and greater availability of offshore product. Offshore buyers slowed purchasing in the absence of new Chinese potash supply contracts and the deferral of shipments to India for previously contracted volumes with global suppliers. Although potash prices avoided the pricing volatility of solid phosphate fertilizer and nitrogen products in previous months, they pulled back slightly on limited demand and increased competitive pressures. In this environment, many buyers focused on consuming inventory and awaited greater certainty before committing to new purchases.
The North American solid phosphate market was impacted by similar caution among dealers, as domestic shipments of solid fertilizers declined from first-quarter 2011 levels. Shipments to offshore markets more than offset weak North American demand, largely as a result of strong movement to India, which had been limited in the first quarter of last year due to the early completion of contract deliveries. The slower demand environment that carried over from late 2011 resulted in solid phosphate fertilizer prices lower than in the first quarter of last year.
In nitrogen, purchasing patterns were markedly better than those of the other nutrients. After the general slowdown in fertilizer markets late in 2011, nitrogen buyers moved quickly to place new orders—buoyed by the prospect of large US corn plantings and concerned about product availability given a reduction in North American import volumes and certain unplanned domestic plant outages. These tight supply/demand fundamentals were most pronounced in urea, which pushed prices higher during the quarter.
Although demand early in the season was lackluster, officials at Mosaic Co. said demand was rapidly accelerating. Mosaic explained the force driving the demand for fertilizer is the relatively high corn crop prices.
"We anticipate another year of high farm income in North America—the second highest on record—and strong farm economics around the world," Mosaic CEO Jim Prokopanko said in a statement.
Part of the reason for the expected high demand is that fertilizer dealers are now beginning to secure product to meet strong demand at the farm level, according to PotashCorp. While the initial focus for many was on acquiring nitrogen to meet their immediate requirements, purchasing of potash and phosphate products accelerated going into the second quarter.
Dealers have largely worked through existing potash inventories and are purchasing additional volumes for immediate needs—an important transition with key growing regions in the midst of their primary planting seasons and farmers motivated to capture the economic incentives of proper fertilization.
PotashCorp explained why it believes fertilizer demand will increase throughout 2012.
"In North America, we anticipate improved demand through the remainder of 2012. This should be evident in the second quarter, although it may not match the level of demand experienced in the same period last year when dealers moved earlier to begin restocking for fall. We believe that dealers will attempt to finish the spring planting season with limited inventory and begin the process of restocking in the third quarter. With the prospect of an early harvest and the expectation of limited dealer inventory, we anticipate a strong second half and total 2012 demand in the range of 8.5-9.0 million tonnes," the company announced in a statement.


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text: I am a huge Bloc Party fan. I can't wait to see the at Lolla this year. Speaking of Lolla, I can't get a damn bit of work done because my excitement level is hitting fever pitch. It's going to be an epic weekend.This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote