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The U.S. Navy and prime contractor Northrop Grumman completed the first at-sea deck handling tests of the X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator last month. The demonstrator aircraft, one of two built for the program, performed numerous activities aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman both in port at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., and during the 15-day test phase at sea.
Northrop Grumman said the exercises demonstrated the ability to maneuver the tailless, fighter-sized UCAS quickly and precisely on the carrier's flight deck using a wireless handheld controller. The first carrier landings of the X-47B are planned for this summer.
The AV-2 demonstrator began the deck handling tests on November 28, one day after being hoisted onto the Truman. The aircraft performed the first powered flight deck taxi test on December 1 while the carrier was in port and the first taxi at sea on December 9 off the coast of Virginia. During the seagoing phase, the X-47B was maneuvered to the ship's catapults, taxied over arresting cables and moved up and down elevators between the flight deck and the hangar bay. The testing included communication and telemetry checks, fueling operations and use of the aircraft's digital engine controls in the presence of electromagnetic fields. "We've learned a lot about the environment that we're in and how compatible the aircraft is with a carrier's flight deck, hangar bays and communication systems," said Don Blottenberger, the Navy's UCAS program manager.
The X-47B returned to Norfolk on the carrier on December 18. It was transported by barge to the naval air station at Patuxent River, Md., where shore-based carrier suitability testing continues. "With tremendous enthusiasm, the entire crew was extremely excited to be a part of this testing," said Capt. S. Robert Roth, the Truman's commanding officer. "There was obvious curiosity about the aircraft and pride to be part of naval aviation history."
Marlowe Camello (not verified)
January 5, 2013 - 2:30am
Is it possible to manufacture an X-47B with a VTOL capability? This system would make it easy to fly from and land into an aircraft carrier.
Stephen Real (not verified)
January 6, 2013 - 1:07pm
I am highly confident that the X-47B UAV program can take the next step in assigning several test beds across the US Pacific fleet in the upcoming summer of 2014.
Richard Weiksner (not verified)
January 10, 2013 - 7:21pm
Great way to pick-up on the latest aviation news.


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A Brief History of the Lightbulb
Price: $79.99
This heart-rate monitor looks like every other model you've seen, with one big difference. Because it is one of the first Bluetooth 4.0 gadgets ever, you can strap it across your chest and sync it to your iPhone 4S or 5 without an adapter. That might seem trivial, but you'll probably use a gadget like this more without having to keep track of the tiny extra pieces of a kit. The Wahoo Fitness app shows your current heart rate. You can also use the app to track your run or bicycle ride using the phone's built-in GPS.
Price: TBD
Designed for first responders, safety teams, or the construction crew building your new addition, the Motorola HC1 is a virtual-reality headset that won't make you seasick. A small LCD screen (projecting a 15-inch image) hovers just below eye level; you can glance down to check an instruction manual or see a video-chat window. Rugged enough to withstand a drop, the headset fits under a safety helmet and can be made left- or right-eye-dominant. The HC1 is a full 800-MHz Windows computer with 512 MB of RAM and a 512 MB of flash memory. Using speech tech, you can say "freeze frame" to snap a photo and send it over Wi-Fi. The HC1 also tracks your head movement, so the repair manual can overlay your view of the repair at hand.
Surveillance State: Who's Spying on You?

subset: commoncrawl


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'Helping him become acclimated with his new club are two familiar faces from his current team in the QMJHL: defenesman TJ Brennan and centerman Jean-Simon Allard. "Coming in with two teammates, it definitely makes it easier," Adam said. "They know a couple people in camp from last year so I get to fit in a little easier. It's great having them here and not having to start from scratch."'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Familiar faces help Adam


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I swear if I see anyone celebrate a first down after being down 17pts with a record of 0-3 that I will freak out.
AB - you caught a ball, good for you. You're losing. Get in the huddle and stfu!
agreed. what the heck is wrong with people. your team is no good, you are getting stomped and you are celebrating? give me a break.
go to http://www.thebreastcancersite.com to donate a free mammogram a day to women without health insurance.
but he has a nice smile and is a hard worker guys
And I agree with that. Quit the stupid self-absorbed antics and get motivated for Team success.
Been saying the same thing for awhile now. I don't get it. Does it even seem that the players are taking responsibility for this turd of a 4 game stretch? They don't seem like they care that much. Where's the fire?
Seems to me like the players care more about individual accomplishments than about having heart. I dunno. A lot of the guys just look like they need the Arby's sign over their head when they should be fighting tooth and nail for a win.
As far as I'm concerned, Adams can do a dance after making any block.
Jack Ham routinely made great plays, with great consistency. No showy celebrations. None necessary. His play spoke loudly and clearly for itself.
Sorry i blame this on Tomlin 100%! For god's sake, he should have stoppend Brown doing that a long time ago. Any serious head coach would. Unfourtantely we have a clown that got his job on affirmative action. And if you want to play the race card now, so say whatever you wanna say.


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That's one of the things I've been trying to urge caution on about Luck. Even if he's very good, the odds that he's going to be as good as Peyton are not high. The odds that one team drafts two all time greats at QB consecutively, ending up with 25+ years of star level QB play? Astronomical.
Then, the other side of that coin is to remember that you don't have to have an all time great QB to win a title. You have to have an all time great TEAM.
What the Colts are doing is like walking up to the roulette table and betting it all on double zero.


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Inflation has fallen to its lowest level for nearly three years last month, but energy price hikes are expected to put household finances under pressure once more. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell to 2.2% in September, down from 2.5% in August and the lowest level since November 2009. While CPI is now less than half the 5.2% seen a year earlier, gas and electricity rises are expected to push it higher after four of the "big six" energy firms announced price rises. The ONS said CPI fell last month when hefty energy bill hikes seen in 2011 dropped out of the index. But with SSE, npower, British Gas and Scottish Power having announced moves to increase tariffs, CPI is expected to start rising once more after a year of falls. Rising fuel prices also put upward pressure on CPI last month, when petrol rose by 3.9p a litre between August and September compared with a fall of 0.3p a year ago, according to the ONS. Experts fear rising food prices will also push inflation back up. The latest figures showed the Retail Prices Index (RPI), which includes housing costs, also eased back last month, to 2.6% from 2.9% in August. Last month's inflation fall will come as bad news for basic state pensioners and those on benefits, as the Government uses September's CPI figure to calculate their payment increases the following April. The Treasury said September's fall would bring "welcome relief to the budgets of families and businesses". It added it would announce its final decision on pension and benefit increases in December. Economist Vicky Redwood at Capital Economics said while inflation had fallen close to the Government's 2% target, the decrease was likely to be "the last for a while". However, she still expects CPI to fall below 2% in the coming months as wider economic pressures drag inflation lower. Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, said the September fall in inflation has given the Bank of England room to take further economy-boosting measures through quantitative easing (QE). He expects the Bank to increase QE by �50 billion to �425 billion as it seeks to support recovery.
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GLENDALE - The driver of a black Cadillac lost control of his car as he began pulling out of his Glendale driveway and careened onto the roof of his neighbor's home below, a police sergeant said today.
The incident was reported at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of Audraine Drive, said Glendale police Sgt. Sean Riley.
The driver, a man in his late 60s, was driving his Cadillac out of his driveway, with his wife beside him, when he "says he had a mechanical failure," said Riley.
The homes in the area are arranged on a steep, curvy hillside, he said.
The Cadillac driver lost control before leaving his driveway, plunging off a hill "onto the roof of his neighbor's house directly below his driveway," Riley said.
"We had to get a crane service to lift the car off the house," he said. The "very elderly" man inside the house was not injured and neither were the driver and his wife. The roof sustained minor damage.
The car was towed away with superficial damage, and to be checked for mechanical failure, Riley said.
Neighbors used ladders to help the couple get out of the car, according to news reports.


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|Trad, Sport, 4 pitches, 400'
|YDS: 5.11a French: 6c Ewbanks: 22 UIAA: VII+ ZA: 22 British: E3 5c [details]
|Joe Desimone, 1995
|Page Views:
|Submitted By:
|tobias Nitschke on Jun 1, 2002
|Comments on Empire of the Air
|Add Comment
|Show which comments —
Comments displayed oldest to newest — Skip Ahead to the Most Recent Dated Jul 9, 2016
By Richard M. Wright
From: Lakewood, CO
Jul 11, 2002
|Are you sure you got this right? Joe Desimone put up this route and called it 5.12, and it is highly unlikely that Joe would miss anything by a full number grade. As I recall, the final dihedral pitch was the crux and certainly not a 5.10 pitch.
By tobias Nitschke
From: CO
Aug 11, 2002
|Correction: the climb described above is most likely not "Empire of Air," but instead mmay be the other climb described on the rock--"Miner's Delight." Anyway, it's the first bolted climb you come to as you walk up the talus slope, and can be climbed in either three or four pitches to the top. (Bolted and trad pitches, as described above.) All the other beta is on, I think, although we're just unclear about the name... We heard it was 5.11a, though the b/c rating given is certainly possible, with the second pitch (if you tie the first two together as one long first one) containing the crux. Sorry for the confusion!
By Anonymous Coward
Oct 24, 2002
|Good route! Certainly not 5.12 by any stretch, so Mr. Wright and company have a different route in mind. The last pitch of this is not a dihedral at any rate, and I believe Tobias' grading assessment is reasonable. One could quibble (over the last pitch grade) whether it is easy 5.10 (i.e. 5.10a) versus 10 b, for example, but not a major point. The route, on the whole, is actually very well-protected. In my humble opinion, a bit too well protected. It would really be nice to see the routes up in this region not so heavily bolted; there were certainly viable gear options that were neglected on this route. Also, the bolt placements are good, but could be better in terms of where the clips are, and how one would fall onto these bolts. That is not meant to be too critical, however. The climbing on the route was excellent, tremendous fun, and the line was superb - overall, it's a great route, and I want to thank the original authors for their work!! Well done! A local climber from Winter Park...yes, there are a few of us...and we are a little territorial about that piece of rock in Empire, by the way, so please don't bolt the hell out of it. Thank you!
By Richard M. Wright
From: Lakewood, CO
Oct 24, 2002
|This should not be so difficult. There are only two routes in this sector - unless something has been added. Miner's Delight (5.11) apparently can be continued beyond the first two pitches. Empire of the Air, which I did not yet do, follows up the huge dihedral in four pitches on a mix of bolts and trad gear. If you don't end up in the dihedral, you are not on Empire of the Air. If you are just clipping bolts, you are not on Empire of the Air. At least this is my understanding from climbing Miner's with Joe Desimone who put in both of these routes. I have not humped up the hill recently and as soon as weather permits I'll run up and try to sort out the confusion.
By Richard M. Wright
From: Lakewood, CO
Oct 27, 2002
|Okay, I think I have this sorted out, and I'll get the site description fixed accordingly. The bottom line is that only Empire of the Air has been completed to the ground, while only the second pitch Miner's Delight has been completed. I usually try to keep my climbing notes as complete as I can, and my notes about the climbing on Miner's were accurate, however, we were evidently climbing P1 as a top rope (which I did not record) while we worked out the bolt placements - bolts that in the end were never placed. We did climb the first two pitches of EOA, but I never returned to finish the whole thing (Joe did), and at that time neither route had a name. EOA is four pitches long and catches double bolt cold shut anchors at the top of each pitch. The general line runs through a redish corner system in P1 and follows up through the huge dihedral at 200 ft, the most obvious feature on the wall. Joe gave it a rating of 12a, but certainly current opinion will have to overrule that rating. Miner's is 100 ft up hill, has not been completed to the ground, but it's second pitch that runs through the corner system is complete. Things got a little sketchy in my notes since the routes were still going in, but I hope this sets the current state of things correct by everyone's account.
By Richard M. Wright
From: Lakewood, CO
Oct 28, 2002
|Well, this is getting more screwy. Joe indicated today (Monday) that MD was in fact bolted (so perhaps I'm not totally senile). My hike up on Sunday revealed no bolts on P1, while EOA was bolted exactly as was described. The best answer, unfortunately, is going to be to hump around, rap the line from the top of P2, and re-install any gear that may now be missing. Sounds very unpleasant at this point but since P1 of MD contains excellent climbing, it looks like it is the only thing to do. The snow could shut this project down immediately since the approach ramp would be deadly if it was iced up. If the opportunity arises before too long, I'll get the rope on it and find out just what did happen. In the mean time, beta for EOA seems to correct, and all that we really need to do is agree upon the grades for each pitch. Ugh.. this was not supposed to be so much like work.
By Anonymous Coward
Nov 5, 2002
|With so much discussion about these routes I thought I would throw in my two cents. I've climbed "Empire Of The Air", and found it very enjoyable. The beta in the description seems accurate with the hardest move warranting perhaps an 11b or c. The final trad pitch is well worth lugging a rack up, and I would guess is in the easy ten range. If Joe Desimone is responsible to putting this route in, I would like to thank him for an excellent job! As for the climber from Winter Park, I respect his opinion about only bolting what is necessary, but I honestly think that this route along with much of what is in this area needs climber traffic to attain a clean and relatively safe condition. I've done several trad lines in the vicinity and they are dirty choss-filled affairs which the Ra routes have already rose above with there limited traffic and cleaning. If bolting is necessary to attain a safe, and user friendly enough environment for these routes to see traffic, then bolting is a necessity. I would never suggest bolting a purely trad line, but clearly some bolts are necessary on this route. Very few people would climb E.O.A. if there were no bolted pitches, and in turn it would be loose and extremely dirty. If you are from Grand County you must recognize that your local climbing area, Hurd Creek, is very much the same way. No bolts would essentially equate to no climbing.
By tobias Nitschke
From: CO
Feb 27, 2004
|regarding the first anonymous comment--I'd agree after a couple more years' experience that the last pitch is not necessarily 10b... I've been climbing more in the Platte lately, which influences me towards downgrading the pitch--9 or 9+, maybe. Part of the head challenge at the time was certainly the exposure, little (no) evidence as to prior passage of other climbers, and the resulting fleeting thoughts as to the quality of the rock as I moved up under the roof. Finally, all the number rating stuff is somewhat relative and whimsical at times and certainly doesn't always deserve the attention it gets! Richard, I look forward to sampling MD this spring/summer, since it appears that goes well from the ground...
By Joe Desimone
From: Ward, Colorado
Mar 26, 2004
I'm glad to hear many of you have enjoyed E.O.A. It sure was an adventure putting this line in and opening up the RA crag to others. Rapping off the main wall into the void doing exploratory investigations for route potential made for some butt puckering experiences. Brought back vivid memories of my Yosemite days. Yes, my initial assessment was this route was around 5.12, and a _soft_ 5.12 at that. This thinking came from the interesting stemming and thin fingers on pitch 3. On subsequent visits to this route, I began to feel that 5.11c to 5.12a would be a better rating range. If you're flexible as I am, then this pitch is a bit easier, if not well... Pitch 4 was never rated 5.12. I tagged it in at 5.10b As to the comments about bolting practices on this crag, my feeling and intent was to make this a more predominantly bolted crag than sticking with the mixed trad conventions. This came from my first adventures in climbing E.O.A from the ground up. Pitch 1 was a filthy choss strewn butt crack that made for some adventuresome leads, falls, and bruised body parts. Pitch 2 was even more so with all the loose rock and dirt. Hence bolts were decided to be the norm. For you purists pitch 1 and 2 were bolted on the lead, no meager feat with a 12lb gas powered drill. After that, rap, clean, and clean, and clean some more, and then plug in a bolt became the practice. Your best friend becomes the crowbar (the _Boss_ as I affectionally call mine). This crag will yield some pretty spectacular routes once you mine through the layers and layers of dirt and choss. Richard Wright should have named this crag Glass Onion instead of Ra. Bolts in my opinion are necessary for this to become a safe, and fun place to climb.But, there may be exceptions to leave things in a more traditional way, like pitch 4 of E.O.A. In all reality, the majority of the lines will need to be bolted. I have wrestled over the years on what to do about pitch 4, leave it trad, or plug in some bolts to make the whole route consistent. Climbing with a rope, draws, shoes, water bottle and a lunch are pretty appealing instead of lugging a rack for 3 pitches to do a single, but beautiful traditional pitch. I don't know, perhaps the climbing community will help me decide.On a different note, now that this crag is becoming more popular, bringing a helmet is a wise and safe thing to do. There are plenty of rock missiles waiting to fall off and brain someone below with more people on the wall and ledges. Be smart and don't leave home without one. Remember, this is a truly alpine crag, not benign Shelf Road.
Safe climbing to you allJoe Desimone - Spring 2004
By Matt Chan
From: Boulder
Jul 5, 2004
|Empire of the Air is probably the most prominant line on Ra, (I like Joe's suggestion to rename the rock "Glass Onion"). The climbing was really a lot of fun and with very few chossy areas. P1 can be distinguished by a short slab to a RF dihedral with a large detached block and weighs in at a solid 10. P2 continues up the dihedral with some fun stemming moves to a flake lieback. Move slightly left and back right to a hanging belay (10-). The difficulties on P3 begin right after clipping the 1st bolt. Thin moves up an awkward corner mark the crux (well protected 11-) then move through a bit of choss to a nice hand crack to a belay. P4 is pretty unique for this area (read: a continuous crack) and certainly worth hauling a rack in order to complete - great moves on insecure feet under the roof (10-).
By Ross Keller
From: Parker, CO
Sep 13, 2004
rating: 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
|A ggod route with only a couple of loose sections. Pitches 1 & 2 and then 3 & 4 can be linked to produce a two-pitch climb with satisfying pitch lengths. I think 11a is a pretty good rating, with a 10d spot anf an 11a spot. The last section is 9+/10- and requires a selection of cams from 1" to 3"
By Anonymous Coward
May 18, 2005
Spectacular route, steep, and chossy enough to keep you on your toes. weird rock up there, it really is like a glass onion. 5.9 crack pitch up high was very cool. Interesting, windy, scenic, out of the way climb.
By Tod Anderson
Sep 28, 2005
|Since I only did the first 2 pitches I can't comment on the quality or rating overall. The first 2 pitches seemed OK in the 5.10 range through. The sideways TV between bolts #1 & #2 needs to take a trip to the talus though.
By Tony B
From: Around Boulder, CO
Jun 17, 2007
rating: 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
|I only did the first two pitches (as a single 180' pitch) and then split off to 'Nearer To Thee'. But from what I did, I got a positive impression and really enjoyed the pitch. Longer slings are needed though- probably a product of going bottom up instead of top down.
By James R. Arnold
Jun 25, 2007
|Climbed this yesterday with Joe Chorny. Thought is was a very nice route perhaps worthy of a little more than 2 stars. Did the first two pitches as one and did haul up the rack for the 4th pitch which Joe led. The 4th pitch is still a little loose and dirty in spots - must not get that much traffic. We'd tend to agree with the consensus on grades - first two pitches somewhere in low to mid 10, 3rd pitch crux somewhere in hard 10 to easy 11 range and the trad pitch at 9-9+. The extra rack weight made the steep first pitch a little pumpy. It was great weather about 70 with shade early and clouds later while it was close to 100 in Denver. Only 1 other party all day. Very nice crag - thanks to everyone who put in the work to develop it. The trail is pretty good though the the talus and scree is a bit of a pain but probably can't be helped.
By Garrett Bales
From: Lake City, CO
Jul 24, 2010
rating: 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
P1 - 10b/c great dihedral
P3 - 11b-stemmy feet on the slab
P4 - (bolted arete out right)-11a-great exposure.
By Rich Farnham
Aug 27, 2011
rating: 5.11- 6c 22 VIII+ 22 E3 5c
What's up with the homemade hangers on this route? The first pitch (and the rest of the crag) is shiny Fixe gear. But pitch 2 and 3 of this route is steel angle-stock that has been chopped into hangers. Also, all of the anchors are open cold-shuts. WTF? They are the biggest cold-shuts I've ever seen (1/2"), so I'm sure they're strong enough, but they don't work well for anchors. Luckily, the bolts for the shuts and the homemade hangers are wedge bolts, so we can upgrade these to better hardware.
I'll add another vote for doing the 11- bolted arete right of the last pitch. We were in bolt-clipping mode and didn't feel like dragging a rack up there. The crack looks OK, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort of bringing a rack up there just for that pitch when the arete is as good as it is. From the last belay, traverse right ~10' and join the last pitch of W.O.W. above the crux. 11- felt right for this pitch. It has a few thin spots, a pumpy finish, and incredible position!
Pitch 3 (the 11- stem corner) is fantastic!
By Jonathan Stickel
From: Golden, CO
Jul 9, 2016
I'm not sure what others considered to be necessary for the "full rack", but here is what I found. Doubles #1 & 2, singles other cams through #3. A few nuts. The #3 fit nicely at the apex of the roof.
For budding 5.10 climbers, you can make the lead safer on the first two pitches by placing small cams and nuts between the bolts. Might as well if you are hauling a rack up anyway. The 5.11 pitch was mostly careful footwork and stemming. Not too pumpy. Fun route!


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A LANDFILL which is the source of a smell making residents' lives a misery in North Swindon has re-opened, despite the odour still lingering.
The Environment Agency has received 200 complaints about the Chapel Farm Site. As a result, earlier this month the landfill closed so work could be done to try and solve the problem.
Heavy machinery was brought in to install 14 new wells so Hills Waste, which runs the site, can capture the gas.
However, although some residents in the Redhouse and Oakhurst areas have complained, the site re-opened.
Hills has acknowledged there may still be a problem but the work they have done so far will be improved when the site is fuller.
Group director Mike Webster said: "The best case scenario is to place a permanent clay cap on the landfill site. "To achieve this, the site has to be filled to a certain level so we have taken the decision to reopen the site now that the work to install the additional gas infrastructure is completed. "In addition, the number of complaints has dropped significantly which indicatesthe work undertaken is proving effective."
Since the site closed, 14 new gas wells have been connected, temporary clay capping on identified areas of gas emission has been put in place and the size of the tipping area has been reduced.
Mr Webster said: "This is a very difficult situation as we have complied with the requirements specified by the Environment Agency to minimise odours.
"It is important to understand that some odours will occur while the site remains uncapped and our decision to open the site again will expedite its permanent closure later this year. "We appreciate residents are frustrated and we would like to assure them we are doing all we can to reduce odours."
The landfill is due to close later this year and the Environment Agency will monitor the site until it is no longer a potential problem, which is expected to be for the next 60 years. During this time it will be Hills' responsibility to deal with any issues.
The EA has been monitoring the recent work and will continue to conduct regular inspections.
A spokesman said: "Following the completion of work drilling and connecting wells to minimise gas release from the site, Hills Waste have advised us Chapel Farm Landfill has re-opened.
"We do not believe the odours experienced have been related to the daily tipping of waste on site. "Therefore, re-opening of the site should not impact upon the actions that have been taken to reduce odour, but we will be monitoring the situation closely. "The Environment Agency will ensureHills take the necessary steps to comply with their permit to control odour."
Coun Emma Faramarzi (Con, Priory Vale) said: "The problem we have is that while the site is closing in six months, we could have a problem for up to 35 years.
"If the smell persists the next course of action will be to ask for cross party support to contact the Environment Minister and ask him to take action."


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Honda Motor Co., Ltd. president and CEO Takeo Fukui, speaking at the North American International Auto Show today, announced several new safety and environmental initiatives for Honda and Acura vehicles as he reinforced the company's commitment to leadership in these critical areas of social responsibility. The new initiatives include an advanced collision avoidance system for the Acura RL, new safety and advanced powertrain features for the next generation Honda Civic, expansion of Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) to the Honda Pilot and introduction of a fuel cell vehicle to an individual customer.
This fall, the 2006 Acura RL will be equipped with Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) + E-Pretensioners, the world's most advanced system for accident avoidance. CMBS uses millimeter wave radar to detect a collision before it happens and alerts the driver with audible and visual signals and by pre-tensioning of the seatbelt. If an accident appears unavoidable, the system applies braking force to reduce the severity of the collision.
Based on Honda's industry leading "Safety for Everyone" initiative, the next generation 2006 Civic will set new standards for safety performance in the compact class. The new Civic, being introduced this fall, will feature anti-lock brakes, side curtain airbags, driver and passenger side airbags with Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) technology and pedestrian safety features as standard equipment on all U.S. Civic models. In addition, the new Civic will utilize Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure for improved occupant protection and compatibility with larger vehicles in a collision, the first application of this technology in a compact-class vehicle.
In the area of environmental leadership, Mr. Fukui announced plans to further advance and expand the use of Honda fuel-efficient technologies including its hybrid technology and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system. VCM will be applied to the 2006 Honda Pilot sport-utility vehicle scheduled to debut this fall. VCM deactivates three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising, deceleration and other low engine load conditions to reduce fuel consumption. This technology was first introduced in the U.S. in 2004 on the all-new 2005 Odyssey minivan and 2005 Accord Hybrid.
Further, the 2006 Civic will be powered by the newest and most advanced generation of Honda's i-VTEC engine technology to achieve even higher fuel economy and lower emissions. And a new Civic Hybrid will feature enhancements to Honda's IMA hybrid technology to achieve significantly higher fuel economy and performance. The natural gas Civic GX, powered by the cleanest internal combustion engine in the world, will continue to be made in Ohio.
Honda also announced its plans to place a fuel cell vehicle with an individual customer. The company will seek out interested parties to become the first private individual to lease its FCX fuel cell vehicle for regular everyday use. The 2005 FCX is the world's most advanced fuel cell vehicle and the only FCV to earn certification from the U.S. EPA and California's Air Resources Board (CARB). It is powered by Honda's originally developed fuel cell stack (Honda FC Stack) with the breakthrough ability to start and operate in below freezing temperatures, along with significantly improved performance, efficiency and range.
Honda is one of the world's leading producers of mobility products including its diverse line-up of automobiles, motorcycles and ATVs, power products, marine engines and personal watercraft. This diverse product line-up has also made Honda the world's preeminent engine-maker, with production of more than 19 million engines globally in 2004. On a global basis, Honda has more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 31 nations.
Honda began operations in North America in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first overseas subsidiary. Honda began assembling motorcycles in America in 1979, with U.S. automobile manufacturing starting in 1982. Honda now employs more than 26,000 Americans in the design, manufacture and marketing of its products in America. Honda currently builds products in 12 manufacturing plants in North America, with three major R&D centers in the U.S.


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SAN ANTONIO — While traditional potato types, such as whites and russets, are struggling to maintain consumer sales, specialty potatoes are enjoying double-digit growth at retail.
With an inventory of more than 200 seed potato varieties and more in the pipeline, Preston Stanley, manager of the Colorado Certified Potato Growers Association, said he's optimistic about the future.
"We can put color on your plate," he said. "We can put excitement on your plate like you've never had."
Stanley showed off some of the Monte Vista-based group's offerings including the Purple Majesty, Red Luna, Midnight Moon, Russian Banana and Masquerade — at the Potato Expo, Jan. 8-10.
The association partners with Colorado State University on variety development, he said.
The university's breeders do the actual crosses, selections and early field trials before bringing in the association.
The 36 growers in the association then get to test out the varietal candidates for two to three years.
"If they like them, then CSU turns them over to the Colorado Certified Potato Association. Then we become the owners of them," Stanley said.
The association typically renames the variety, replacing a numbered moniker with one that's more commercially acceptable, such as Purple Majesty or Red Luna.
The association also collects a royalty of 50 cents for every 100 pounds of seed potatoes sold, returning it to the university to support the potato breeding program.
Roger Mix of Mix Farms, Center, Colo., produces for both the seed and fresh markets, and said he believed many of the new varieties mesh well with changing consumer tastes.
"I think consumers are wanting something new," Mix said. "I think they're also looking for flavor and nutrition.
"One of the biggest things is preparation time. They want something that they can make that has different tastes but doesn't take a long time. I think the consumers are always looking for new ideas and flavors."
In 2010, Mix was president of the National Potato Council and hosted a tour of Environmental Protection Agency representatives on his farm.
As part of the event, Mix said he served barbecue and the Purple Majesty variety made into simple potato salads.
The deep purple tuber created a stir among the guests, who were surprised to learn about the wide variety of potatoes produced.
As a certified seed potato producer, Mix gets a look at new varieties before they hit the commercial market. In his role, he takes a small number of seed potatoes from CSU's breeding program and plants and harvests them under a specific protocol, thereby increasing the amount of seed that's available to commercial growers the following year.
Mix said he wants potato varieties that are less susceptible to pests and easy to grow. But he was quick to point out that they also must have consumer traits, such as better flavor or nutritional characteristics, to be viable.
"It has to be something that the grower can produce and the end product something that the consumer is wanting to buy," Mix said. "They go hand in hand."


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SOUTH JAMAICA, NY - For 28 years the iS8/Nike Spring HS Classic has delivered nothing short of exceptional basketball games for high school basketball fans to indulge in opening night on Friday proved to be no different.
Four teams-the Brooklyn Badgers, Team Bedford, LP Fam, and the Kendal Madison Playas-played their hearts out and as usual, great basketball games were played.
Team Bedford Get Brooklyn Badgered
The first match-up of the night turned out to be a thriller between the star-studded 5 manned Brooklyn Badgers and Team Bedford. Although Team Bedford made a valiant attempt at pulling off the mega upset versus the D-1 loaded team, they were unable to secure a win in the closing minutes and squandered what appeared to be a comfortable fourth quarter 13 point lead; losing 55-52 in dramatic fashion.
Early in the first quarter, both teams turned the ball over a lot and missed easy shots at the basket; more or less this was due to hard play a good defense at the rim by both teams. Team Bedford opened up the game in a hard full court man-to-man press which gave the Badgers problems scoring early on. After a couple of baskets by Team Bedford's, Emmanuel Joseph, and some tough defense by his squad, it appeared that the Badgers met their match, down 4-0 early until a vicious two handed alley-oop slam by Cincinnati bound, Jermaine Lawrence, off a pass from his fellow teammate, UConn signee, Terrence Samuel.
Throughout the rest of the quarter, both teams played sloppy, particularly Team Bedford who kept getting the ball stolen. The teams were knotted 10-10 at the end of the first.
"Phase two of action" as the Is8 announcer notoriously put it, AKA the second quarter, started off with a 4-0 run by Team Bedford off of 4 consecutive points by Joseph, giving his squad a 14-10 lead. The Badgers continued to struggle with the pressure from Team Bedford's press and appeared to be heading to the locker room down 20-19 at the half. That is until shockingly, Team Bedford fouled Towson-commit, Shamiek Sheppard on a half court shot as time expired; he would go on to make 2 of 3 free throws making the score 21-20 Dodgers at half.
To open the third, an irate Bedford head coach called time out and his team responded with a 3-point shot out of it and a 6-0 run. That led to a 33-27 lead which conversely forced the Dodgers to call timeout. To open the final quarter, the Brooklyn Badgers found themselves in a 13 point hole and with 4 minutes left, Team Bedford appeared to be cruising towards a win but a slam dunk by Antoine Didier changed all that. The Badgers continued a ferocious run behind several Lawrence buckets in the paint and took the lead 50-49 with one minute remaining in action.
After being up 53-50 with 30 seconds remaining, it appeared the Brooklyn Badgers had the game won until Kwanique Martin committed a foul on a Bedford 3-point shot attempt which resulted in 2 made free throw makes. The Badgers dodged a bullet luckily and never looked back.
The Brooklyn Badgers were led by Samuel and Lawrence with 13 points a piece. Team Bedford was led by Joseph with 13 points.
Kendal Madison Breaks Up LP Fam
In other action LP Fam took on the Kendal Madison Playaz in a competitive game. After some non-stop action the Playaz edged out the LP Fam 55-45.
At the start, both teams played very sloppy basketball and at the end of the first quarter the score was knotted at 7-7. The second quarter however, started completely different. Both teams came out firing and opened up with three point conversions from the arc. Madison knocked down three 3 pointers in the quarter while the Playas nailed a pair resulting in a 21-15 score at the half, Madison.
To open the third quarter the LP Playas came out in a 2-3 zone and the Madison Playas countered with a full court press. This quarter consisted of a much faster tempo and lots of fast breaking basketball at the hands of Madison point guard Aaren Edmead. Off of a few free throw makes by LP Fam forward, Ryan Yearwood, the quarter ended 30-27 in favor of Madison.
The fourth quarter was much of the same, and the LP Fam never got to within striking distance. With 2 minutes remaining Madison led 49-42 and never looked back.
Shandell Forman led with Madison with 22 points followed by Edmead with 12. Ryan Yearwood led LP Fam with 21 points.
Click Here to view this Link.


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- I like companies that carve out niches that just so happen to be the size of empires.Amazon.com ( AMZN) -- now there's the perfect example. Overwhelming evidence continues to show that, after all these years, nobody has been able to come close to eroding, let alone ending, Amazon's e-commerce dominance. I like the stock in 2013 -- just like I did in 2012 -- but I can't go on record with prediction of a double. Even if the world cooperates, AMZN likely does not double. However, if the two names highlighted in this article do not double, something unexpected went very wrong and/or the world just decided to be a male private part. With that in mind, I anticipate both stocks will battle macro uncertainty and outperform the stock market big time, heavy duty in 2013. News Corp ( NWSA). I've been writing about NWSA all year long. If I could own only one stock (for the record, with the exception of TheStreet ( TST), I cannot own any), NWSA would be it. There might not be a better developing situation in the market. Put the puzzle pieces together. As I explained when News Corp purchased a stake in YES (Yankees Entertainment and Sports), Rupert Murdoch continues to extend his company's news, sports and entertainment empire. It went under the radar the other day, but NWSA snagged another regional sports network (thanks, Bloomberg) -- SportsTime Ohio, which airs Cleveland Indians baseball. Fox Sports locks up the rights for more than a decade at a cost of $40 million per year. Of course, Fox has, for a while, had a stable of regional sports networks. And the YES deal allows it to eventually take complete control of that network. These little bits and pieces-type deals will not raise regulatory antennas. Expect Murdoch to keep closing them. Say what you want about Rupert, but don't tell him to put that coffee down. And then, bang, he'll up the ante. I expect Murdoch to get his claws on, at the very least, interests in as many professional sports teams as he can in as many leagues as he can. Even if it's only 49% of the Yankees and a flat takedown of Madison Square Garden ( MSG), he will not stand still. In this, like it or not, new media space, you can't, like it or not, stand still. Heed the commas, dear reader, heed the commas!
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When Emma Torres came into this world, her first breaths were only possible because of CPR and a breathing tube. The newborn had a heart condition known as total anomalous pulmonary venous return that called for immediate surgery.
Emma remained on life support and in an incubator for nearly a month. After the umbilical cord was cut, Emma's mother, Kacie Torres, did not get to hold her daughter for nearly a month after giving birth.
Earlier this month, Kacie and Emma participated in the Orange County Heart Walk at Disneyland, which raised more than $1.6 million for heart and stroke research. The Tustin News caught up with Kacie Torres, a longtime Tustin resident, to ask her about the ordeal and to see how her daughter is faring.
Q. What was it like to give birth and then have your baby immediately taken to another hospital for surgery?
A. It was really hard because you want that connection with your baby when they're first born, but they took her away. You spend so much time with the baby inside you and you just want to cuddle up with them and see their face, but you can't. It was a weird feeling to leave the hospital without my baby.
Q. How long did you stay in the hospital?
A. I was begging the OB-GYN, 'Look, I'm fine. I can walk around.'" I wanted to be with my daughter so badly, and they understood that. So they let me go 12 hours after giving birth. There was so much stuff going on in my mind that if I was in pain, I didn't think about it because I was so focused on my daughter's situation.
Q. What were you thinking about while driving from Irvine to Children's Hospital Los Angeles?
A. I just wished that the traffic would be all gone. It was 6 o'clock rush hour, and I was just hoping I wouldn't get a bad phone call from my husband (who was already at the other hospital) on the way there. I had no clue what they were going to do to her. I was just hoping she would be able to make it through.
Q. How would you characterize those first few weeks that Emma was in an incubator?
A. I was nervous because there was a chance that she wouldn't make it. It was hard to explain to people without crying. I was nervous when we finally got to take her home because we were so used to having the nurses around. It was a huge responsibility that was now on us.
Q. How is Emma doing these days?
A. She has routine doctor appointments and may need another surgery if her body doesn't heal correctly after the first one. But otherwise, she's just like a normal baby. She's funny, smiling all the time and just wanting to play. Emma and her older sister, Gabriela, are so fun playing with each other.


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Roy wrote:Mixed Bag Madness wrote:Roy wrote:Wouldn't this "false flag" be a year early?
Are you actually retarded or just ignorant? You obviously have no grasp on politics. Of course the candidates start early you dumb fock. My last post to you. You can't fix stupid obviously.
Both, obviously.
Obama created a false flag(?) operation using our own troops to kill an already dead guy? To effect an election that is over a year and a half away? Do us all a favor and elaborate as to how this could make sense to anyone with a fully functioning brain.
Who says there even was an operation? You obviously believe everything that's force fed to you on the national news word for word. The fact that you don't understand that the candidates are looking towards election or re-election at this time speaks volumes to your political understanding (or in this case extreme lack thereof.) I shouldn't have even got into this discussion last night but I was in the middle of doing some research when I saw this thread. I already know that the average American has no idea what's going on politically. That's why this country is in the shape it's in.Anything else I say in this thread will be a waste of my time. Keep on being a good little sheep in the herd just like they tell you to and I'll keep thinking for myself.


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Greetings all,
The following is Bhikkhu Khantipalo's introduction to "Buddhist Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary - Volume 1" (trans.E.W. Burlingame & Bhikkhu Khantipalo) as published by the Buddhist Publication Socety. Unfortunately, unlike Volume 2 which is available on Accesstoinsight, it doesn't appear as if Volume 1 has been published online as yet, even though ATI had planned to have it done in 2006.
I feel it is a useful introduction because it gives some useful background context to the Dhammapada and its Commentary, and gives us recommendations on how best to approach these classic works. Please note, aspects of the Introduction not specifically relevant to this intended purpose may be omitted to save me typing them out and to avoid 'overquoting'.
...The Dhammapada (Dhp) itself is the best-known of all the collections of the Buddha's sayings for it has been translated so many times into English and into many other languages of the East and the West. It consists of 423 verses arranges into twenty-six chapters. A few of these verses were spoken as pairs and more rarely three or more of them were uttered by the Buddha together. Most are single stanzas which sum up the Dhamma that was necessary at that particular time.
No one knows how the Dhammapada was compiled. A great many of its verses are found elsewhere in the Pali Suttas (Discourses) or Vinaya (the monks' and nun's Discipline), but a few are peculiar to this collection. Why these particular verses were formed into what we now call the Dhammapada is not clear, but we do know that other Buddhist groups had the Dhammapadas which varied a good deal from that in the Pali Canon.
If all the stories go back to the Buddha's days (which is unlikely, though the traditional view), then the collection could have been made for teachings purposes since many of the tales are both absorbing and instructive. But the random arrangement of the Dhp. itself points to a time when the Buddha's words were orally transmitted and when a more logical rearrangement would have been difficult. Yet there is some order indeed...
... It is likely that many of the Dhammapada stories do record events that happened in the Buddha's time for they often quote from the Suttas or are based on them. In the latter case they always amplify the rather sparse accounts found in the Suttas. Sometimes the process of embroidery can be clearly seen as when teachings or classifications not found during the Buddha's lifetime are attributed to him or to that period. Examples of this are the mention of the Three Pitakas (the "baskets" into which the Buddha's words were arranged) which probably began to be collected from the time of the First Council onwards; and mention of the two duties (dhura) for monks and nuns, that is, either scholarship which meant oral repetition of the Buddha's words to pass them on to the next generation of students, or meditation, a dichotomy not so clearly found in the Buddha's time. Many other examples could be given.
Some of the stories have no counterpart in the suttas and we do not know where they came from. But as some of them are good stories, well told, conveying the taste of Dhamma, they have been included here...
...The Dhammapada Commentary as we have it now was written down by the great Buddhaghosa and his pupils, nearly one thoughand five hundred years ago. They converted the collections of stories as found in old Sinhalese, together with the word-commentary explaining the verses into Pali which even a thousand years after the Buddha was still a lingua franca...
...After this brief sketch of the history of the Dhp. stories it might be a good idea to give some hints on how to read them and how not to. They come from a culture far separated from us in time, though if we live in a Buddhist country the "distance" is not so great. However, modern Western-type education is based on very different assumptions compared with the world of the Dhp. stories, a fact which may make some of them difficult to understand.... Even so, the ancient commentators did not hesitate to embroider them with the strange and the marvellous, sometimes in the middle of an otherwise straightforward account. In this case I had included the tale thinking that its teaching will be remembered while the embroidery can be forgotten. The purpose of the stories, after all, is to illustrate the Dhamma and to provide memorable incidents which will serve as a pattern for one's own Dhamma-practice. If this is forgotten (as seems to have been the case in later collections of Buddhist legends), then the marvellous takes over and the Dhamma-teaching disappears. So when reading these stories it is the Dhamma which is important, not whether the incident concerned really happened. The old commentators were not concerned with history or whether preceisely these words were spoken or those things done, but they preserved and passed on these stories as examples: either as warnings of what should not be done, or as encouragements for Dhamma-practice. This emphasis needs to be remembered otherwise a critical mind, thinking, "That's impossible", will miss the real point of the story....
...These stories, as the reader will find out, range from the comic to the tragic. Some of the longest, indeed, though not included here, have all the material for extended drama and have been used as dramatic presentations of the Dhamma. But however amusing or distrurbing, the message is always that kamma has its appropriate results. Actually there is no real tragedy in the western sense of this word becuase, of course, what is painful is also impermanent. Though one may be afflicted in this life, yet it cannot continue for ever. Past life stories are quite common in the Dhammapada and are often related by the Buddha to account for some attainment, happiness or misery in the lives of those people then.
Further references:
Buddhist Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary - Part II (have a read of some of them for yourself!)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el324.html
Dhammapada (Translation Buddharakkhita, Introduction: Bhikkhu Bodhi)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .budd.html
Buddhist Publication Society (where you can order this and other volumes of the Dhp. Stories)
Any other thoughts, comments, questions etc. all welcome.


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Chop2Pot is an ingenious folding cutting board from the famous Joseph Joseph brothers who might make it a little more fun to be in the kitchen. Finely chop your food on board, fold the board and it is now a "funnel" that makes it far easier to access all the food in the pan or on the forehead without waste on all sides.
Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003, combining their respective experience in product design and business – Antony studied design at Central St Martins whilst Richard studied business at Cambridge University. Specialising in contemporary kitchenware, Joseph Joseph is now internationally recognised for producing some of the most stylish and technically innovative products available, and has become one of the fastest growing companies in the worldwide homewares market. Their unique ability to match form and function has earned them global recognition for their multi-award-winning designs.


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This week at the Detroit Auto Show, Nissan announced that the new Leaf S series will start with an MSRP of $28,800, which undercuts the previous least expensive Leaf by $6,400, representing a drop of 18%. Add up the incentives for buyers—$7,500 in federal tax credits, plus a $2,500 rebate in certain states, including California—and drivers can essentially pay "full price" for a Leaf for as little as $18,800.
A drop of more than $6,000 in a vehicle's sticker price is undeniably a big deal. Normally, an automobile model's MSRP only goes in one direction: up. Any official dip in price can make news, and when the decline is substantial, like whenVolkswagen dropped the starting price of the Jetta by $2,400, it can provide a major boost to sales.
Is that what we can expect from the new Leaf? Surely, the lower price will push some buyers into getting off the fence in the consideration of an electric vehicle. But Leaf sales have underwhelmed before, falling well short of sales goals in each of its first two years on the market, and they may do so again.


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GSA Makes the Grade on Sustainability and Energy
Agency receives top marks on all measured sustainability goals
May 31, 2013
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) continues to save taxpayer dollars by increasing energy efficiency and reducing pollution according to the recently released sustainability and energy performance scorecard for Fiscal Year 2012. GSA uses the Office of Management and Budget scorecard as a benchmark to identify and track progress toward meeting sustainability and energy performance goals. Under Executive Order 13514, President Barack Obama directed federal agencies to lead by example in clean energy and to meet a range of energy, water, pollution, and waste reduction targets.
"Going green saves green, and at a time of shrinking budgets GSA remains committed to helping government cut costs by increasing sustainability," said Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini. "GSA continues to demonstrate ongoing progress towards implementing the President's Executive Order targets, and is uniquely positioned to help other federal agencies meet their goals."
GSA has worked to green federal buildings through the use of innovative technologies such as solar panels, advanced lighting systems, geothermal technology, wind power, and low-flow plumbing systems. Last year, GSA reduced water usage in buildings by nearly 20 percent from FY 2007, ahead of its goal of 10 percent, leading to a cost avoidance of approximately $6.5 million. GSA avoided spending $65.5 million on energy in FY 2012 by reducing energy use intensity levels in its buildings by nearly 25 percent from FY 2003, ahead of its goal of 21 percent. The agency also exceeded its FY 2020 greenhouse gas reduction target in FY 2012, reducing emissions by more than 35 percent from FY 2008 levels -- that's equivalent to taking 162,000 vehicles off the road for a year.
In addition to being on track to meet its own sustainability goals, GSA procures sustainable products and services to help make a more sustainable government. View the sustainability scorecard here: http://gsa.gov/sustainabilityscorecard2013.


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Posted 5 years ago
(1 item)
I found this at a thrift shop in So Calif. It is approximately 12 inches tall and made out of a bronze-like metal. There are no other markings. I can't find any information about this on the web. Will someone please help me determine it's origins? Thanks!


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Get your ducts in a row
Readers of CONTROL respond with comments, suggestions and a solution to the problem: What can we do to get six identical air flows from our air plennum splitting system?
-- from August 2004 CONTROL
Match the Master
This is a relatively simple problem. Even if all the ducts are not the same, the motor/inverter drive/fan equipment would be the same, except that each duct would have a flowmeter sensor on the pipe output for feedback to the drive of that pipe. An external master controller would set the required flow for the first pipe. Each drive would be connected to use the flowmeter sensor on the master pipe output as a setpoint to all the drives. The flow level of the master pipe would then be matched by the other five pipe systems.
John Malinowski, Baldor Electric Co.
Overcontrol Syndrome
Sounds like the ever-present overcontrol syndrome. Assuming these valves are control valves, I can understand why the flows are not equal and the valves are probably constantly oscillating. A different view might be to simplify the system by putting a variable speed control on the blower and installing dampers instead of the control valves.
Paul Sparks, Dow Reichhold
A Trick Question
This is a trick question. If it is constant volume, get a balance contractor! If variable, they could get fancy and place flow measuring stations in each duct, go to a controller, and modulate the dampers.
Jeff Miller, ABB Drives
Bill Brown, Control Engineer
Algorithm Required
This sounds like a good application for a most-open-valve flow splitting algorithm. This approach requires a master valve position controller and an airflow controller for each of the valves.
Will Lloyd, Lloyd Engineering, PLC
Verify Capacity First
First you must verify that there is enough capacity for the plenum, both in pressure and volume. Control will require some pressure drop. If there is extra pressure available, simple orifices could balance the flow. If more sophisticated control is required, flowmeters can be installed. For simple, even distribution with only minor downstream pressure changes, orifices with significant pressure drop could provide good distribution. If this is not available, increasing the source (for instance, faster fan speed) is often more practical than adding flow controls.
Bob Hershey, NGK Ceramics USA
In addition, a very well though-out solution to this problem appears as a WEB ONLY BONUS!
Submitted by Rick Rys of r2controls: www.r2controls.com
1) Process Understanding:
The process is not described in detail so let's make some assumptions:
Q: Is the source of the air provided from a blower?
A: Assume yes.
Q: The Flow into the plenum is variable?
A: Assume the flow varies with a typical centrifugal blower performance curve.
(i.e. max pressure at zero flow and the blower is fairly close to the plenum).
Q: The plenum is pressure controlled?
A: Assume not, plenum pressure floats on the blower output pressure.
Q: The ducts are independent?
A: Let's assume each duct is essentially a pipe resistance to atmosphere.
Q: What are the fluid dynamics?
A: Lets' assume that the clean dry air is near atmospheric pressure (and temperature), say 1 PSIG in the plenum if all 6 valves are shut, dropping to 0.2 PSIG if all 6 valves are wide open. With the valves full open the pressure loss in the valves is nil and the 0.2 PSIG is due to duct pressure drop.
Q: Are there any upsets? Let's assume that we can get some upsets in the downstream pressure on each of the 6 ducts…
A: maybe a spike of 0.1 PSIG from time to time.
Q: What is the process control objective?
A: The process objective is to allow equal flow in all 6 ducts up to the blower capacity, with the possibility to regulate the flow in a roughly 5:1 turndown.
Q: What kind of valves?
A: Simple low cost butterfly valves, with pneumatic actuator, but no positioner.
Summary: This is a process with interaction, in that increasing the flow in 1 duct will reduce the plenum pressure and steal flow from the remaining ducts. If the existing control system is 6 single loop flow controllers, the interaction could easily result in all 6 controllers oscillating. All 6 loops have the same dynamics and will have the same natural period so an oscillation in one loop will tend to excite the remaining 5 loops. So let's focus on solving the interaction problem.
2) Determining Interaction:
In 1966 Edgar Bristol wrote a key paper on the measurement of interaction where he introduced "Relative Gain". Shinskey and others utilized this extensively to determine interaction and develop control approaches that deal with interaction. Multivariable controllers like: DMC+, DOT Products, PCL Connoisseur, and related technologies are particularly good at dealing with such interactions and use some related mathematics to achieve multivariable control of interacting processes.
We can compute the relative gain to understand and to quantify the interaction:
λi,j Is the relative gain (dimensionless). Where c is the "Controlled Variable" (Flow in a duct), m is the "Manipulated Variable" (Flow Valve) and λ is the relative gain. i is the instance of the controlled variable and j is the instance of the manipulated variable. mother=constant means that all other manipulated variables are held constant during the evaluation of the derivative (numerator). cother=constant means that all other controlled variables are perfectly regulated at their setpoint (when evaluating the denominator). Here we consider regulating the Flow in Duct 1 with the valve in duct 1 and thus would compute the gain λ1,1.
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As part of the countdown to the 2012-13 college basketball season, Sporting News takes an analytical look at 14th-ranked Creighton:
Doug McDermott. Let's get this one out of the way first. He's a first-team Sporting News All-American and is coming off a staggeringly good season in which he averaged 22.9 points, shot 48.6 percent from 3-point range and 60.1 percent overall. He scored 20 or more points in 24 games, including a 44-point effort against Bradley when he hit 18-of-23 shots.
More of the same. Point guard Antoine Young is the only player gone from the rotation on a team that went 29-6 last season before losing to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament's round of 32. Nine of the team's top-10 scorers return as well as its top rebounder (McDermott), assists leader (Grant Gibbs) and shot blocker (Gregory Echenique).
The schedule. The Missouri Valley Conference is no pushover—it was eighth in the conference RPI standings last season. Four teams won at least 20 games, and four more finished at least .500. Creighton will be tested in and out of conference, making the Bluejays that much more prepared for the level of play in the NCAA Tournament.
Who's on point? Young averaged 30.6 minutes, 12.1 points and 4.5 assists while running the show last season. Sophomore Austin Chatman has coach Greg McDermott's confidence. He played limited minutes in all 35 games as Young's backup a year ago. If he can't get the ball to Doug McDermott and the Creighton shooters, the Bluejays must find someone who can.
The respect factor. Creighton won the conference tournament and received the MVC's automatic bid. But the Bluejays, who had a No. 24 RPI, were given only a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tourney. And, despite the league's competitiveness, Wichita State was the only other MVC school to be invited. To be in position for a better seed this time, there is little room to slip during the regular season.
McDermott overload. The Bluejays must figure out ways to take some of the burden off McDermott down the stretch. During a three-game losing skid last February, he logged more than 33 minutes per game and averaged 17.3 points—but on 46.3-percent shooting, way below his average.
College Basketball 2012-13
PG — Austin Chatman, Soph., 6-0/180
G —Jahenns Manigat, Jr., 6-1/175
G — Grant Gibbs, Sr., 6-4/210
F — Doug McDermott, Jr., 6-8/220
C — Gregory Echenique, Sr., 6-9/270
Key reserves
F — Ethan Wragge, Jr., 6-7/225
G— Josh Jones, Sr., 6-2/195
C— Will Artino, Soph., 6-11/220
G— Avery Dingman, Soph., 6-6/205
G— Isaiah Zierden, Fr., 6-2/175
Nov. 23 — vs. Wisconsin (Las Vegas Invitational)
Dec. 1 — vs. Saint Joseph's
Dec. 6 — at Nebraska
Dec. 15 — at Cal
Feb. 9 — vs. Illinois State
— Creighton's 2012-13 season schedule
G Isaiah Zierden, freshman. The Bluejays had the third-best 3-point-shooting percentage in the nation last season at 42.4, and Zierden has the potential to help them improve the number. The son of Washington Wizards assistant Don Zierden, he has drawn rave reviews for his long-range precision.
There's not much the Bluejays lack entering the season. McDermott is one of the nation's best, and he's surrounded by a more-than-serviceable supporting cast led by big man Echenique and Gibbs. If there is a mid-major capable of recreating the Butler magic, on paper, this looks like the one to do it.


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…JASON SPEZZA, PATRICK LALIME… Yes! Not a former Buffalo Sabre in that bunch of current Ottawa Senators. After Richard Smehlik was a plus-6, Steve Shields made 34 saves and Alexander Mogilny scored twice in the three most recent defeats at home, that's perhaps the best news the Sabres could get as they prepare for their meeting with the Senators tonight in Canada's capital. Of course, Ed Belfour, not Mogilny, was the one who really extended the Sabres' winless streak to 10 games, second-longest in franchise history, on Friday night at HSBC Arena.
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Mogilny sticks it to Sabres, but Belfour's the star


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Carpenter faces live batters for first time in recovery
ST. LOUIS -- For the first time during his shoulder rehab, Chris Carpenter faced live batters Monday.
Carpenter threw about 40 total pitches from the mound, and about half were to Shane Robinson and Matt Adams. Carpenter hadn't yet met with trainers to discuss the next step in his rehab, but he said afterward that he felt good during the session.
"This is 3 o'clock in the afternoon to a bunch of guys that aren't even warmed up yet, so this isn't by any means at game speed and game ready," Carpenter said. "But you still get that reaction to see if they're a little late on your fastball, or if you're getting the ball by them or the sharpness of your stuff. I got some swings and misses on my breaking ball today, but you know, we still got a long ways to go."
Carpenter was initially supposed to face batters last Tuesday, but he slowed down his throwing program after experiencing fatigue when throwing an earlier bullpen. He said Monday that this was the first time he's felt good after three consecutive sessions -- the last two bullpens, and today against batters.
"Before we were throwing a couple good ones and having a couple bad ones, so this is the first time where I've had three in a row go well and I've been able to get up there consistently three times in a row," Carpenter said. "My stuff was OK today, but it certainly needs to get better."
Robinson, who faced pitches from Carpenter around this time last year when he was working his way back from nerve-related shoulder issues, said Carpenter's performance today was "night and day" better than at this point last season.
"It wasn't pinpoint accuracy with everything, but he had an idea with what he was doing with every pitch," Robinson said. "He was just off on a couple pitches, fine-tuning it. But he looked good. He looked like had a lot of good movement."
Though at one point, it appeared this injury might signal an end to Carpenter's career, he has defied expectations, and Monday's session was another positive step for the 38-year-old right-hander.
"I wasn't ever going to give up. I never said that I was not going to try," Carpenter said. "Fortunately, my body has recovered and my arm has recovered, so we're going to go out and continue to do it and see what happens."
Chad Thornburg is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Marvel's 'sleeping giant' toy line returns...
San Diego Comic-Con coverage brought to you by Collectibles Insurance, Big Bad Toy Store, Sekaido, and Monkey Depot.
During their Marvel Toys panel at Comic-Con, Hasbro announced that Marvel Legends will be coming back in full force in 2012 to coincide with the release of the new Spiderman and Avengers films. This is very exciting news for die-hard 6" Marvel fans as it has been long thought that Legends would never return due to a stronger focus by Hasbro on their 3 3/4 scaled Marvel Universe line.
The new Marvel Legends 2-packs will be released later this year exclusively at Toys"R"Us and Hasbro plans to release additional 6" figures based on Thor and Captain America next year.
CLICK HERE to view our Marvel Legends image gallery from Comic-Con 2010.


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New Book
Just came out a few weeks back.. I'm waiting for my copy any day now. A very good addition I'm sure for anyone interested in anything remotely strength related lol.. Even if you're not interested in conjugate training at all, it'll have a ton of stuff that you can easily use to augment your training.
I'll follow this up with a full review.. I'm going to take into account that many members may not know too much about this method, and will see how well this book can put even the recreational lifter on the right path.
Way to make me feel bad for not buying the book after you mentioned it. :D
It will be in my next order. Looks like there is a ton of information. I looked into it, but didn't feel like dropping the extra dough. Thanks for posting this. I'm looking forward to hearing the review.
Yeah, it is rather expensive, but the author's credentials alone warrent the duckets. :D Either way, I do understand that a lot of books in circulation are indeed "let downs".. So at this price, I'd like to give an honest review and what people should expect out of it. At least that way people will have an informed opinion on whether or not it's worth the money. :)
I'm looking to buy it as well. So I hope the review is two thumbs up :D
Got my book yesterday! I've skimmed through some of it quickly. TONS of information in which IMO it's like he's talking to you vs. being extremely general like in all his articles. Says a lot of things like, "So which is better? For me, I prefer.." There's also a ton of workouts listed and WHY each one is placed the way it is. For example, when he talks about 'workout 5' being a band press, he ellaborates on how to set them up, and which one you should use depending on what you bench.. Plus it tells you exactly how much weight is on the bottom, midway, and top in pounds.
One thing kinda worth noting is that he's NOT a fan of board pressing if you start the bench with your pecs. He says it's a test of strength, not a strength builder. That said, Westside he says does use 1-3 boards as well as occasionally 4-5 for the triceps. After reading all that, it was kinda weird because he backs up his viewpoint with a few analogies, then says that one of his lifters lost 60 lbs at lockout after all his board pressing, and his top ten benchers don't bother with them.. But, I think it's just HIS viewpoint on them, and he says that all the Culver City Westside guys love incorperating them. <- That's why I'm liking this book because he's not afraid to say his opinion on something, but admits that many others like doing "x" and "y".
Probably will take me a while to comb through the entire thing, so I'll update this later. :D
Sounds great.
The board press thing kinda reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend who is an accomplished lifter. Especially with olympic lifting as opposed to me.
I told him how I really liked Anderson squats and feel that they really develop exposivity under the bar...rather back or front squats. You can 'feel' the need for the fast and total core reaction.
He asked what Anderson squats were and once I explained it he asked, in my opinion what was the difference between that and box squats. I gave him a short explanation of what the difference was as I percieved it but I wasn't going to go into a long detailed thing. From my viewpoint...they work becasue they work. And I find them fun.
I could tell that he was unconvinced about the benefits of an Anderson squat versus a box squat but I wasn't going to take on a mission of convincing him. I had done both extensively and he had only tried box squats from among to two. In his mind there was all ready a preconcieved expectation about them. I.E. that they are too similar to box squats to be of further benefit. Until he tries them for himself and discovers their value or lack of it for himself there is no use of me trying to sell them to him. He can trust my experience of knowing a good thing when I see it and try it out...or not. But you also have to learn how much of a good thing is good and when too much is counter productive.
When it comes to books and trainers, I like someone who recognises that one of the worse things you can do to trainees is create limiting assumptions and expectations about things. Unless you consider something dangerous or downright stupid and you can explain exactly why, it is damaging to the training mindset to create that sort of environment.
The more preconceptions you foster about this or that the more you will adopt that mode of thinking. Instead of looking for possibilities you look for impossibilities. Nothing more negative or profoundly limiting than that.
I agree.. That's a big reason why I'd like to workout in my garage vs. a commercial gym. Especially when there's bands or zerchers involved LMAO!
I've just now put the book down since I opened it up at 0800 (now it's 1417 :D).. Pure enjoyment. I've found I was on the right path with a lot of things, and misinformed on others.. But, you cannot expect much from a few free articles posted how many years ago now?! :D
I cannot recommend a book like this enough. Not only does he have a few reasons for recommending something, but he's got research and a rediculous amount of "here's the proof in the pudding" literally wall to wall in his gym. And it's not like he's saying all his top benchers do this or that.. He talks more about how he had "x" amount of 350-400 benchers come to his gym and he's got him up past 500 doing "this" and "that".
There are a lot of training templates in there for months and months from him as well as what's worked well for others.. Although it's meant for that person, not everyone reading it, they are crutial for illustrating his points (IMO) to show that you don't need tons of exercises or anything set in stone. Just look at his outlines, and figure out what will increase your lifts. Period. If after a maximal effort squat your back is your weak link, don't sit there and try to blast the hammies like most others do.. It's THEIR weakpoint, not yours. After reading many articles I thought hammies HAD to be next, but after reading the book, I thought it was funny that it seemed that way, because in actuality hammies were just EVERYONE'S weakpoint lol, so it did seem to read that way. Lots and lots of things got cleared up for me hands down!
I'd recommend the book to beginners as well. It's not like you have to jump on the conjugate express if you buy it. It'll teach you many different exercises (I learned quite a few new ones myself lol) as well as giving you more than a working knowledge of how to develop strength. The main point driven home time and again is to raise your work capacity! GPP through sled dragging, wheel barrow, ect. The more your work capacity increases, the more you can handle.
Finally, nowhere in that book does it talk about "cholesterol equals testosterone" or beating their chests about eating ten big mac's, fuck cardio, and smash PR's.. The complete opposite to be exact. Get in shape, get all your calories in with healthy foods, and work your ass off. That simple. He doesn't go into nutrition at all beyond telling you to eat right and buy a nutrition book if you want to know how LMAO! Matter of fact, I just saw a new elitefts article that recently came out about healthy eating and the powerlifter.. A round robin with the big'guns. So I think the "fat powerlifter" is an 80's and 90's thing personally lol.
Just so much to the book than how to bring up your big three. Restoration workouts, sports-specific training, pylometrics, kettle ball work, how to use equipment, ect.. It's all there. Being a strength coach for many NFL teams, he's got a lot of good feedback from players and viewpoints on strength vs. speed.
Good stuff, 0311. I'll buy the book once I get back to the states. Thanks for the review!
NP.. One thing I want to point out is that there are a few chapters that are also free on the internet like the one on accomidating resistance (bands, chains) and the HIT or miss one. But, I have to admit that those articles are written spot on, so I don't see any point to "rewrite" the same thing for the book lol vs. just adding it in. The rest is brand new and CURRENT most importantly IMHO.
So far I've highlighted half the book, wrote a bunch of notes on the sides, and started my hunt for a 5/8 inch link chain. :D What I like best about it is the RE week's for chest and "extra workouts" I'll be doing on my off days. Looking forward to being extremely proactive with my prehab!
Follow up review:
If you're interested in powerlifting, get the book.
If you're interested in conjugate training, get the book.
There's a lot of old articles in there that you can get on the web. I will say that. So far I've seen a lot of new things as well, including a lot of templates. So I really cannot blame Louie for writing a lot of new things, then augmenting the book with all his old articles as well. Icing on the cake right there, especially considering that his old stuff infused in the right sections of the new stuff illustrates what you're supposed to be doing.
Some of it gets slightly repetitive, but I view that more as hammering down the main ideas. For instance, after every maximal effort lift for benching, it's a broken record: Always follow with triceps, lats, upper back, and rear and side delts. Obviously, he probably does that because most trainees are OCD. There's a lot of repeats with percentages for dynamic work. Again, if he keeps talking in different sections about the importance of speed work, why wouldn't you rehash the percentages?
He does have a lot of examples from elite level lifters at his gym on what they do. Does that mean it applies to you? Of course not. He's just showing the broadest range of different workouts for the reader. I'll use Shawn Nutter as an example. Louie writes his training cycle for the IPA Nationals. It's a 15 week cycle in which he states as clear as day, "yours can vary". Translation: Here's a bunch of ideas you could take away from his training and apply it to yours. An example is that he starts his Maximal Effort work with sled pulls for increased GPP. If your GPP sucks, guess what? Follow his lead and fix your weakness. Does that mean the lifter will use 180 lbs for six trips of 200 ft as a warmup? Obviously not. Would it be hue of said lifter to use 70 lbs or so? Yep.
Finally, I admit that I broke out my highlighter and combed through the book at least ten times lol. There's a TON of information I took away that I never thought about. Something as simple as choking your bands only 5'9" high on the rack as opposed to the very top for reverse band deadlifts is something noone really thinks about. Or how to gain muscle to move up in weight class by incorperating a few simple things in your workout.
Definately recommend the book. Anyone interested in conjugate training would be seriously missing out if they didn't. I know I've constantly gone back and reread a lot of it time and again while getting ready for the gym. It's really changed a lot of methods I've used in training. Tomorrow, for example, my ME work will be done w/ the reverse hyper machine.. Quite a worthy replacement.
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The Day Ahead: Free Advice, Up for Grabs
Two weeks ago a friend remarked to me, "You are a very mysterious person." This casual remark has inspired me to open up slightly more to the world at large, and I've chosen to focus my efforts on greater personal interaction with investors. On Tuesday evening, for example, I went so far as to put my email address on Twitter, because I truly felt people needed behind-the-scenes guidance on the erratic after-hours action in Chipotle (CMG).
To say that I have received very interesting emails would be an understatement. Overall everyone has rocked and been completely encouraging, while definitely serving up a dose of sharp insights -- such as stocks I have never heard of! However, there was almost an equal number of mildly disturbing inquires, including:...323 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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There are some diet experts that will tell you that bananas are bad for weight loss. But then other experts tell you to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. So are bananas bad for weight loss or are you supposed to eat them? And why are banana calories different than other fruit calories? The answers will bring you some relief if you're a banana lover.

Banana Calories and Nutrition

Banana Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) (118 g)

Per Serving	% Daily Value*

Calories 105

Calories from Fat 4

Total Fat 0.4g	1%

Saturated Fat 0.1g	1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg	0%

Sodium 1mg	0%

Potassium 422.44mg	12%

Carbohydrates 27g	9%

Dietary Fiber 3.1g	12%

Sugars 14.4g

Protein 1.3g

Vitamin A 2% · Vitamin C 17%

Calcium 1% · Iron 2%

*Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

There are 105 calories in a medium sized banana. A medium banana is about 7-8 inches long. But many of the bananas that you find in the local grocery store are larger than that. And you probably don't get out a tape measure and measure your fruit, so a safe estimate is that your banana contains 90-120 calories depending on its size.

So how do banana calories compare to the calories in other fruit? A medium apple provides about 115 calories. A medium-sized orange provides about 62 calories. Berries are generally lowest in calories. A half cup of raspberries provide just 32 calories and a half cup of blueberries provides about 41 calories.

Many dieters eat half a banana to stay on the safe side and keep their calorie count in control. Half a banana would only provide 45-60 calories. Eating half of the fruit is a reasonable way to keep your banana calories in control, but since bananas don't keep very well after they are peeled, the other half of the banana often goes to waste.

Another handy fact for dieters is that there is almost no fat in a banana. They do, however, have a creamy consistency so they add a fatty, creamy taste to smoothies and other healthy foods. They also do a great job of satisfying cravings for a fatty food.

Health Benefits of Bananas

Sure, bananas are slightly higher in calories than some other types of fruit. But when you eat a banana, you not only get energy, but you also get other healthy nutrients as well. Bananas provide a nutritious dose of heart-healthy potassium, vitamin C and fiber. Fiber is important for dieters because it helps you to feel fuller longer so you eat less during the day.

When you compare banana nutrition to the nutrition of other diet-friendly 100-calorie snacks, bananas look pretty good. The easy-to carry snack can help to curb cravings for a sweet treat much better than a snack bar or dried fruit. Even though a banana provides about 14 grams of sugar, it's a low-glycemic food (its estimated glycemic load is 10) and it is low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

Are Bananas Bad for Weight Loss?

Some experts will tell you to avoid bananas because they are higher in sugar than some other types of fruit. And if you eat a large banana or if you eat a lot of bananas, the calories can be very high as well. But portion control is important for dieters no matter what kind of food you're eating. Bananas are no different.

If you love bananas, don't worry. You probably don't need to ditch them from your diet. But if you're trying to lose weight you need to count the banana calories just like you count the calories in a cookie or in a pasta dish. Eat half a banana as a snack to keep your calorie count in control or eat a banana as part of a healthy low-calorie breakfast to lose weight. Just remember to include your banana calories into your total count for the day for successful weight loss.

Picking and Storing Bananas

When purchasing bananas choose the fruit based on your taste preferences. If you like a creamier sweeter banana, buy bananas that are slightly riper. Bananas convert starch to sugar as they ripen.

The way you store bananas depends on your preference as well. If you like a sweeter softer banana then keep them on the counter and allow them to ripen. You can speed the ripening process by putting them in a paper bag with an apple overnight.

To slow down the ripening process, keep your bananas in the refrigerator.

Bananas can also be frozen. If you plan to use them in smoothies, you can peel bananas, cut them in half, flash freeze them and then keep them in a resealable container. If you freeze them with the peels on, thaw them at room temperature. You can put them in the microwave for 5 seconds, but it will change the texture of the banana.

Healthy Ways to Prepare Bananas and Recipes

There are many different ways to enjoy bananas when you're trying to lose weight. Add sliced banana to your plain oatmeal or yogurt to get a healthy dose of sweetness. Or spread mashed banana (instead of jam) over peanut butter on a piece of whole wheat bread.

Frozen bananas are a yummy substitute for ice cream. Drizzle a frozen mashed banana with a small amount of dark chocolate, and few crushed almonds and you'll have a delicious, low-calorie sundae. Or invest in Yonanas, a cool kitchen gadget that makes soft serve "ice cream" out of frozen bananas.

Banana Recipes

If you like to cook, try any of these healthy banana recipes:

Diet-Friendly Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding

Diabetic-Friendly Smoothie Recipes

Low-Carb Banana Bread

Banana Baby Food

Frozen Banana Pops

Lastly, bananas add a unique creamy consistency to recipes and blended foods. If you're trying to lose weight, you can add half a banana to your smoothie instead of ice cream or yogurt to get a smooth, creamy texture without the added fat or extra calories.


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Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppession
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Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
More Ag News
North Platte High School volleyball coach Laura Miller probably never found a three-set sweep so frustrating as she did on Thursday night.
"We were playing catch-up all night," said Miller. "It's a win but it wasn't pretty. We'll take it, though."
McCook (11-15) score the first four points of the match with Danica Liess serving. But North Platte (12-10) came back to go up 8-7 after a McCook hitting error.
The Lady Bulldogs then went on a four-point run shortly thereafter to go up 13-9, which was enough breathing room to hold off the Bison in the first set.
In the second set, NPHS scored the first three points only to allow McCook to take the next three right back. From there, both teams battled to have the momentum down the stretch.
The Lady Bison had leads of 13-11 and 15-13. But on both occasions the Lady Dawgs scored the next two to tie.
With a kill by Kylie Wroot, North Platte went up 19-18 and Alex Neff got the serve. The freshman setter scored the next two, with the second point coming on an ace, to put the Bulldogs in position to win the second. NPHS closed out the set with a kill by Olivia Nicholson and a block by Jessy Hunt on the last two plays.
The third set was more of the same. The Dawgs went up 4-1 after Hunt and Wroot made kills on consecutive plays.
With the two kills early in the third, it appeared that North Platte would start to get going. The Lady Bulldogs had trouble getting into rhythm because its attack was short-circuited by its spotty passing.
"I just don't think the passing was what it should have been," Miller said. "We spent a lot of time practicing our passing but it was never as whippy as it was tonight."
But McCook went on to score the next four and take a 5-4 lead after Kassidy Gillen served for an ace.
Both teams traded points until just past the 15-point mark when NPHS took a 17-14 lead after an ace by Allison Kuenle.
The Bison came within two points on three occasions. But a kill by Jackie Paloucek kill gave the Lady Dawgs the serve for good at 20-17.
Anna Allberry served the rest of the match out scoring the last five in what was North Platte's longest run of the night.
"(McCook) did a nice job," said Miller. "They wouldn't go away. We'd get a lead on them and they kept fighting. They're really coming around. If we play them in the GNAC again, we're going to have to get after it."
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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SEATTLE Amazon.ca shoppers now can qualify for free shipping when they spend $25, from the original $39 threshold.
This new significantly reduced minimum purchase amount gives way to delivery to anywhere in Canada and access to thousands of products, Amazon said. Free super saver shipping excludes products sold by third party sellers.
"With the holidays fast approaching, we felt this was the perfect time to give an early gift to our customers," said John Nemeth, director of Amazon.ca. "Price, selection and convenience are our top priorities, so in addition to our continued dedication to increasing selection, we are offering our customers a more cost-effective shipping option."


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Batman and Bane knock heads...
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NECA reveals a new pair of licensed Extreme Head Knockers: Batman and Bane. Based on the characters from this summer's The Dark Knight Rises, these detailed resin bobble heads are due out this June.


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This silk is made of ultra fine material, especially for magic productions apparatus. It has a picture of a butterfly printed on it in vivid colors and is easily seen from anywhere. An excellent addition to any magician's bag of tricks.
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Speakers at the event, titled "Responding to Global Crises: New Development Paths", said investment in agriculture, especially to help Africa's smallholder farmers, takes the highest priority, and that governments must play a major role in supplying food at reasonable prices to their populations.
"We must support agriculture and create jobs in agriculture for young people," said Mouhamady Cissokho, President of the Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA) (Network of West African Peasants and Producers Organizations), at a morning session on the topic of "Alternative Development Strategies."
Mr. Cissokho, of Senegal, said repeatedly that Africa has the land and the labour to feed itself, but that "farmers are poor, and governments don't pay attention to poor people."
"Today the African continent is spending US$ 20 billion to import food," he went on. "This is an insult to the African farmer. This is a problem of political choice and recklessness on the part of leaders."
Similarly, Biraj Patnaik, Principal Adviser of the Office of Commissioners to the Supreme Court (right-to-food cases) of India, said India has several of the world's 10 richest people, has "the second fastest-growing economy in the world, and also has the world's largest number of hungry people. It is unacceptable." He went on to outline steps taken by the Indian government to implement a legally recognized right to food. "More than 2,000 organizations are now part of a right-to-food campaign in the country," he said.
Others addressing the meeting said that "alternative development" perhaps doesn't describe what is needed to ease food concerns. They said what is needed is effective democracy, in which the vital concerns of the public result in government action.
The Monday afternoon session of the symposium, on "Rethinking Global Economic Governance", heard several speakers call for national and international steps to prevent financial speculators from distorting food prices. Because food and commodity prices have turned into vehicles for financial speculation, these participants said, prices no longer reflect real conditions of supply and demand.
And a speaker at the Tuesday morning session cautioned that calls for government action on food security "can mean there is a gap between intent and reality. Having a right to food doesn't mean there's food on the table." He and others stressed that democracies, if in place, still have to represent the primary concerns of their populations, and that often the funding for political parties -- and such problems as inefficiency and corruption -- play a dominant role and do not reflect people's actual needs.
"If it is necessary to depend on the courts to have access to food," said a representative of the Consortium for Trade and Development (India), "that indicates changes must be made and governments, if necessary, must be more involved in providing food security."
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
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