text:
Corn planting progress slowed last week, but farmers were still able to get another 15 percent of the crop planted. That brings the share planted as of May 26 to 86 percent. This is not too far below the 5-year average of 90 percent for this point of the season. Considering that progress was 38 points behind the average pace just two weeks ago, the progress from May 12 to May 26 is pretty amazing.
Corn planting is close to the five-year average, but a lot of acres remain to be planted. If total corn acreage reaches the 97.3 million acres reported in the March Prospective Plantings report, there was still nearly 14 million acres to be seeded as of last Sunday. Weather for this week probably limited planting progress with multiple systems hitting the Midwest especially in the second half of the week.
At least based on planting intentions, farmers still have more than 2 million acres to plant in Iowa and more than 1 million acres in Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. At least some of these areas were hit with heavy rain over the holiday weekend and with moderate rain this week. As a result planting progress will probably still be 93 percent complete or less when the next Crop Progress report is issued next Monday. That would leave us with about 7 million acres or more still to be planted as we head into June. In addition, some of the corn that has been planted has been flooded out and will need to be replanted.
With a lot of corn still to be planted, some farmers may want to consider other options. Since most land is covered by crop insurance, farmers may want to file for a prevented planting payment. Others may want to shift the land from corn to some other crop, such as soybeans, or farmers may just keep planting corn for another couple of weeks. In 2011, corn planting progress stood at 97 percent on June 9th and the June Acreage report showed corn acreage a little higher than the March intentions.
Corn farmers can continue to plant corn in June, even though it may be after the final planting date indicated in the crop insurance policy. For most states and crops there is a late planting period that runs for 25 days after the final planting date. During that late planting period, farmers can still plant corn, but the insurance coverage gets reduced by 1 percent per day. The crop insurance coverage is based on the spring price, which is $5.65 per bushel for corn for 2013. Corn can even be planted after the late planting period ends and the crop will be insured at 60 percent of the original guarantee.
Farmers can opt to get a prevented planting payment. As an example, assume a farmer has purchased an 80 percent coverage policy and has a actual production history (APH) of 170 bushels per acre. The prevented planting guarantee is 60 percent of the production coverage. So in this example the production coverage is $768 per acre ($5.65 * 170 * 0.8). The prevent plant payment would be 60 percent of this – or $461 per acre. In this case the producer needs to leave the land idle or plant a cover crop. He can't plant an alternate crop for harvest and receive the full prevent planting payment. The prevented planting acres will not affect the APH.
Farmers can shift the land to another crop, and insure the second crop. If this is the choice the producer is not eligible for a prevented planting payment. The second crop must be planted during the late planting period for corn, i.e. within 25 days after the final planting date. If the second crop is planted after the late planting period, the farmer can get a 35 percent prevented planting payment for the corn, but the planted acres receive a yield equal to 60 percent of the approved yield, which will tend to lower the APH in future years.
If the corn crop was planted, but washed out by flooding or some other problem and it is not practical to replant, the farmer can receive a full indemnity crop insurance payment and the land can be left idle or planted to a second crop that is not insured. Or the producer can plant and insure a second crop and receive a 65 percent reduction in the indemnity for the first crop. If the first crop can be replanted, but is not replanted, no insurance payment is available.
USDA will survey producers in early June about actual acreage, but the survey results will probably still need to be adjusted in later reports. The planting data and current weather suggest that actual corn acreage will fall short of the 97.3 million acres reported in March, but the deviation will probably be relatively small. Our current state-by-state analysis puts corn acreage at 95.7 million acres.
Farmers still have time to plant soybeans with planting often continuing through most of June. The five-year average shows about 10 percent of the crop still to be planted in mid-June, three weeks from the 44 percent reported on Tuesday. However, weather conditions will need to improve in early June for acreage to reach the 77.1 million acres reported in the March Prospective Plantings report. If corn acreage does drop below intentions, soybean acreage could turn out to be even higher than intentions.
There is a real chance that spring wheat acreage will fall short of intentions. As of Sunday, a total of more than 3 million acres remained to be planted. Most of that 3 million acres is in North Dakota where only 62 percent of the crop was in the ground as of last Sunday. The final planting date for spring wheat in North Dakota ranges from May 31 in the South to June 6th in the North. The planting window for sunflowers makes this a viable alternative if farmers can't get the wheat planted.


text:
While people in every corner of America are heartbroken over the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the problem is not firearms. I have been associated with firearms for more than 60 years and I have never seen one take an independent action.
The problem is people with access to firearms. To attempt to take away the Second Amendment rights of all Americans to solve what is unquestionably a people problem is the wrong approach that would lead to a false sense of security and ultimately prove to be a complete failure. But I understand that it plays politically to the anti-gun crowd.
There is no such thing as an assault weapon available to the American public through legitimate channels. The military look-alike rifles that have been the subject of much derision in recent months are emphatically not assault rifles. They are no more powerful than — and, in fact, operate exactly like — innocuous semi-automatic hunting rifles that are chambered for the .223 round.
The term "assault weapon" is an English language translation of "Sturmgewehr" (storm rifle), the name of a German World War II vintage military rifle that was issued to Nazi paratroopers. It was fully automatic in its operation — meaning that it would fire continuous bursts as long as the trigger was held back.
By contrast, the American military look-alikes fire a single round each time the trigger is pulled. The round fired by the Sturmgewehr was a 7.92-by-33 mm, the bullet of which was as much as five times heavier and many times more powerful than the .223.
In fact, the bullet of the .223 is only a few grains heavier than that of the ubiquitous .22 with which countless thousands of Americans learn marksmanship.
Quite simply, the political attack on the semi-automatic .223 military look-alike is a wrongheaded way of solving a problem that is clearly not the fault of a firearm.
I will acknowledge the difficulty of keeping firearms out of the hands of those who are mentally or emotionally disturbed, but this is the path that must be followed in order to help prevent future repetitions of Newtown.
These are the steps:
1. Medical professionals must share mental and emotional health data with law enforcement and the National Instant Criminal Background Check system so that their patients will be prevented from gaining access to firearms.
2. NICS must be expanded to cover the private sales of firearms.
3. Ammunition magazines of greater than 10 rounds must be restricted to police and military users.
4. Violent video games and other forms of violent entertainment must be restricted to adults only — and especially kept away from those who exhibit mental and emotional instability.
Firearms enthusiasts — and everyone with a beating heart — grieves for the victims and families of those affected by mass shootings. But we simply cannot abide another foolhardy attempt to solve a people problem by concentrating our attention on firearms. It didn't work in 1994, as a continuing series of tragedies have amply demonstrated, and it won't work now.
Chuck Hoffman is a Newark resident.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Formerly, the last of the three meals of the day (breakfast, dinner, and supper); now applied to the last substantial meal of the day when dinner is taken in the middle of the day, or to a late meal following an early evening dinner. Supper is usually a less formal meal than late dinner. [OED]
Applied since c. 1300 to the last meal of Christ.


text: I'm looking for a particular run of elements. These elements were made this year, and are a bright hunter orange E. They're an E blend with more urethane than usual in an Element. The ones I have are Lonestar Classic tourney stamps. If you've got any 175+, I'd be quite interested.


text:
DUBLIN — Sophomore Erin Greening scored in the 77th minute and the visiting Piedmont High girls soccer team upended Dublin 1-0 on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the North Coast Section Division II playoffs.
No. 6 seeded Piedmont (16-5-2), which didn't advance past the first round last season, will face either No. 2 Campolindo or No. 10 Acalanes in the semifinals on Wednesday.
No. 3 Dublin (8-9-7), which finished second in the tough Diablo Foothill Athletic League, controlled much of the first half, but the Highlanders turned it up a notch in the second.
The Gaels nearly equalized in the 79th minute, but hustling freshman Xenia Perea's shot from point-blank range went about a foot wide.
On her winning goal, Greening found some space on the right and ripped a low 20-yard shot past goalkeeper Alexandra Brown into the near corner.
"I wasn't expecting it," Greening said. "I saw an opening, and I just took it and it went in."
Piedmont's dangerous attacker Lindsay Vaughn shot off the post in the 57th minute.
"Fantastic," Piedmont coach Dan Chubbok said of his team's effort. "The first half was a bit of a struggle. We knew they were going to be physical. We knew they were going to be direct. Like I said to the girls, 'We need to make sure we play our game because that's how we're going to beat them.'"
Dublin started aggressively and stymied the Highlanders in the first 40 minutes, but Piedmont stayed calm and began to find seams with better passing.
Second-year Dublin coach Scott Schoenthal, whose team advanced to the finals last year, said his young team fought hard as it's done throughout the second half of the season.
"I'm very proud of this team, very proud of the effort they put in," he said.
Dublin captains Hailey and Megan Zummo and Brown gave strong efforts.
In the 12th minute Dublin nearly scored on Hailey Zummo's header from the far post off a free kick by Emma Schoenthal, but the shot just missed wide. Five minutes later, Dublin's Adrianna Nugen shot hard toward the opposite corner of the goal, but a defender, stationed inside the post, cleared the ball away.


text:
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. - Prices at the pump are hitting motorists hard, and in some cases the price on the gas station sign isn't the actual price you pay.
At one Pembroke Pines BP station the price was posted at $3.55 a gallon, but when Local 10 paid with a credit card, the price jumped to $3.62.
"Why is it not posted correctly?" Local 10's Ross Palombo asked the attendant.
"I don't know," Jean Fiotte said.
"Has anyone said anything to you?" Palombo asked.
"Yes, people complain," Fiotte said.
"Do you think it's fair?" asked Palombo.
"No," Fiotte said.
Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca says it's not only unfair, it's illegal.
"Completely. Deceptive and unfair," LaMarca said.
Two months ago, the county created a law requiring stations to post the highest price, whether a customer paid cash or credit.
"It should state the highest price by any means of payment," LaMarca said. "We want people to have all the info before they make a purchase."
Many people at the Pembroke Pines BP station, though, were simply paying and not paying attention.
"I didn't know," one woman said.
"False advertisement," another said.
Some said they'll use the gas they paid for and drive down the road for a better deal.
The owners of the BP station could not be reached for comment. The county will now have to decide whether to issue a fine ranging from $250 to $500.
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
- Screening
- Lung Cancer Basics
- Treatment
- Support
- Events
- Policy
- Research
Cancer treatments can cause negative side effects. These side effects can occur when normal cells are damaged by cancer treatment. Not everyone will have the same side effects.
It is important to know that, in many cases, side effects can be managed by your healthcare team with the use of what are called supportive care therapies. Discuss any side effects you have with your team to see how they can help.
Common side effects of chemotherapy may include:
Common side effects of radiation may include:
Common side effects from targeted therapies may include:


text:
Early homer snaps deGrom's impressive streak
WASHINGTON -- It had been exactly nine weeks since Jacob deGrom last allowed a homer. But as Ian Desmond's two-run shot in the second inning Thursday sailed out of Nationals Park, one of the most impressive statistical oddities of deGrom's breakout season came to an end.
Desmond's homer snapped deGrom's franchise rookie record at 67 1/3 innings -- or the equivalent of more than seven full games -- without a home run.
"It's over with there," deGrom said. "There's nothing you can do about it. You've got to go back out and try to get the next guy out. That was kind of my thought process."
Doing precisely that, deGrom rebounded to allow just one other run over six innings of a no-decision, shaving his ERA back down to 2.87. He remains one of the National League's two top Rookie of the Year Award candidates, alongside Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton.
But the home run ball to Desmond still irked him.
"I was trying to go two-seamer in, but I left it up a little bit," deGrom said. "He just got to it."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Our friends at Nieuwsmotor have scooped the first images of Kawasaki's big Versys. The Kawasaki Versys 1000 takes a very similar approach to the road-biased ADV bike theme to the Honda Crosstourer and ends with a very similar result. Instead of pressing a huge, heavy expensive sports tourer into faux dirt duty with tall suspension and a big screen, Kawasaki has adapted its naked muscle bike. Which approach is better? Well, the Kawasaki weighs about 100lbs less than the Honda and should be much smoother. It'll be quite a bit cheaper too.
Update: It's official. 54 hi-res photos, video and more info.
What the Kawasaki gives up to the Honda is outright power and torque. Where Shamu's hillbilly cousin puts out 127bhp and 95lb/ft, the Z1000's 1,043cc inline-four has been detuned all the way dow to just 118bhp at 9,000rpm and a positively meager 75lb/ft at 7,700rpm. For the Versys 1000, tuned for torque means a drop in compression from 11.8:1 to 10.3:1, less aggressive cams (with shorter duration and lower lift) and matching Versys specific valve springs, and extra-long down-draft intake runners mated to 38mm throttle bodies. The best feature about the revised motor? "An intoxicating intake howl contributes to the engine feel and tempts riders to twist the throttle just to enjoy the aural sensation when accelerating."
Like the Honda, the Versys 1000 is equipped with ABS and traction control as standard. In this application, KTRC is reduced to three modes and is likely much more conservative than on the ZX-10R.
Even without that weight savings, we have to say that the Versys just looks like a nice, simple, practical motorcycle. That exposed subframe and low exhaust are going to be great for strapping on any kind of luggage and or baby cows you can imagine. The seat looks huge and all-day comfy. The fairing is enormous. That Z1000 motor is an absolute peach — smooth and characterful. The Versys may not be a headline grabber, but it will be an excellent ownership proposition.


text:
No. 11 Ducks win series in Pullman
PULLMAN, Wash. - Ryon Healy hit his 10th home run of the season and pitcher Cole Irvin battled through some early troubles to lead No. 11 Oregon to a 6-3 Pac-12 Conference victory at Washington State on Saturday.
Healy went 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored to lead Oregon (36-11, 18-5 Pac-12) to a series-clinching win. J.J. Altobelli was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.
Irvin (9-2) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in seven innings. Jimmie Sherfy retired the side in order to get his 16th save of the season.
Healy put the Ducks on top in the top of the first when he blasted a solo home run over the left field wall.
Washington State answered in the bottom of the first scoring a run on a sacrifice fly by Brett Jacobs. The Cougars had a chance for more but pinch hitter Nick Tanielu lined out to third baseman Ryan Hambright with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Oregon put together four straight one-out singles in the top of the second to score two runs. Connor Hofmann singled to center scoring Hambright who started the rally with a hit. Altobelli followed with a RBI single through the left field that Josh Graham scored from second on.
Both teams scored a run in the third to make it 4-3. Oregon run came when Aaron Payne scored on a throwing error on a bunt single by Mitchell Tolman. WSU got its run on a sacrifice fly.
Oregon added to the lead with a run in both the eighth and ninth innings. Scott Heineman doubled to left center in the eighth scoring Healy who reached on a throwing error to lead off the inning.
Mitchell Tolman picked up his 13th RBI of the road trip with a sacrifice fly in the ninth that scored Altobelli from third.
Oregon will look for the series sweep Sunday against Washington State (20-22, 7-13 Pac-12) Sunday at 12 p.m.


text:
Thursday is a federal holiday observing Thanksgiving Day. The following will be affected:
United States Post Office, city, county and state government offices, schools and banks will be closed.
The only Metrolink train service offered are the San Bernardino and Antelope Valley trains, which will be on a Sunday schedule. (800-371-5465)
Omnitrans buses are not in service on Thanksgiving Day. (800-966-6428 or 909-379-7100)
Only a few Foothill Transit buses will operate Thanksgiving Day: Routes 178, 185, 187, 195, 197, 269, 272, 274, 280, 281, 282, 284, 285, 286, 289, 291, 480, 482, 486, 488, 492 and the Silver Streak.
There will be no trash collection on Thanksgiving Day. It will be delayed by one day the rest of the week.


text:
Modern Vice cares about pleasing its fashion-conscious customers with high-quality street footwear designed for individuals with inspired minds and an artistic point of view. Nothing about Modern Vice's distinctive shoes says cheap or mass produced. Even so, somehow the dynamic Modern Vice design team is able to produce eclectic, finely-crafted footwear for high style customers who don't want to break the bank. These stunning shoes have been carefully handmade and designed in New York City with the most luxurious comfort features, high-quality materials, and a focus on unique design so that our vices can remain what makes us beautiful and interesting in an increasingly fast-paced world.
No products match your selections. Try clearing your filters.


text:
Enlarge / Alternate Images
Universal Wheeled Carry Case
This luggage-style case has ergonomically placed reinforced handles that enable balance and easy maneuvering. High-impact nylon wheels with ball bearing glides making them smooth and indestructible. All case hardware is made of a heavy metal instead of plastic, increasing its durability and ease of use. This case is designed to carry any 25"-30" wide table and comes with an unlimited 3-Year Guarantee against manufacturer's defects in materials and workmanship.


text:
Palestinians Blamed for Lockerbie Bombing
Lawyers for two Libyans charged with murdering 270 people in the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing pointed the finger at 'Palestinian terrorists' as the long-awaited trial finally began on Wednesday.
Counsel for Abdel Basset al-Megrahi and Al-Amin Khalifa Fahima said they would blame the Syrian-backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) and the obscure Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF).
PPSF founder Samir Ghosheh in a phone conversation with Reuters in Jerusalem from his office in the West Bank town of Ramallah denied any involvement in the Lockerbie bombing.
There was no immediate comment from the PFLP-GC.
First witnesses at the trial were air traffic controllers who traced the aircraft's path from its departure from London's Heathrow airport to its disappearance from radar screens. One recounted how he and the pilot exchanged a final "goodnight".
Relatives bereaved by the blast that cratered the Scottish town of Lockerbie after falling from the sky gasped and wiped their eyes as a video depicted the moment when New York-bound Pan Am flight 103 vanished from radar on December 21, 1988.
Visibly moved, soft-spoken Scottish traffic controller Alan Topp recalled his anxiety when his boss told him of a fire on the ground in the area in which the jumbo jet had disappeared.
"It was at that point that the penny dropped," Topp told chief prosecutor Colin Boyd. "I said then, 'It's (flight) 103'."
Jim Swire, who has campaigned tirelessly for justice since losing his daughter Flora in the Lockerbie bombing, said he was relieved the trial had begun but had found it draining.
"It was quite trying emotionally because what was being discussed was the last few minutes of the lives of our loved ones," Swire told Reuters.
Earlier, lawyers for the Libyans incriminated nine alleged members of the PPSF including Mohammed Abu Talb, a Lebanese PFLP-GC member jailed in Sweden for terrorism. Talb was one of the first suspects identified in the Lockerbie case. He was never arrested and is now named as a prosecution witness.
Also named was Parviz Taheri, another prosecution witness. A prosecution spokesman declined to give details about him.
The two alleged Libyan intelligence agents accused of bombing pleaded innocent.
The plea, read by the clerk of the Scottish court, came just minutes after Scottish High Court judge, Lord Ranald Sutherland, opened the proceedings against the defendants.
Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in the sky above the Scottish village of Lockerbie at 6:25 p.m. on Dec. 21, 1988, about 38 minutes after the jumbo-jet took off from London's Heathrow airport. All 259 passengers and crew members - including 189 Americans heading home - were killed along with 11 residents of Lockerbie.
Wednesday's proceedings, expected to last about a year, cap an 11-year international manhunt that spanned 20 countries across Europe and the Mediterranean. The search for the bombers was the largest international murder investigation on record, with officials interviewing 15,000 witnesses and sifting through 180,000 pieces of evidence since the blast.
If convicted for murder or violation of aviation security, they face life imprisonment in Scotland's Barlinnie jail. The prison term for conspiracy is at the discretion of the court.
The case is being heard at a disused military base in the central Netherlands under Scottish law, with four judges taking the place of the customary 15-member jury – (Agencies)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


text:
Attorneys from both sides in class action lawsuits against General Motors are turning to the courts to get help in advocating for their clients.
On the one hand, attorneys representing plaintiffs who had defective ignition systems want the court to rule that GM cannot use bankruptcy as a way to protect itself from any liabilities, according to a news report.
But GM has filed a motion in federal bankruptcy court to "enforce a bar on lawsuits" related to cars sold before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2009, Reuters said. The company is apparently arguing such claims need to be filed against the "old" GM entity, not the "new" GM, which came after reorganization. It is seeking a declaratory judgment in the motion.
"New GM's recall covenant does not create a basis for the plaintiffs to sue new GM for economic damages relating to a vehicle or part sold by old GM," GM said in a filing made in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Reuters reported.
The plaintiffs are blaming at least 13 deaths and 31 crashes on the allegedly defective ignition system. It also has led to the recall of 2.6 million GM cars.
The fact that GM is looking for protection from the bankruptcy court is not a surprise, according to Alberto Bernabe, a professor at John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He explained in a blog post, GM wants to be "shielded from products liability suits concerning defects and crashes prior to July 2009, when GM exited bankruptcy."
"Originally, GM wanted to be protected from all possible litigation, but after much debate, it agreed to assume responsibility for all future liability claims filed after the automaker emerges from bankruptcy," Bernabe added in the blog post. "However, it continued to claim it should be protected from claims for injuries that happened before 2009. That's the protection it is now claiming."
However, because of alleged fraud, GM should not be given liability protection, the plaintiffs in the ignition system case argue.
"GM's argument suggests that the U.S. Government would have agreed to extend $40 billion of taxpayer money for GM's restructuring, and supported shielding it from liability through the sale order, had it known of GM's intentional misconduct," the lawsuit against GM said.
GM also wants to stop litigation on the ignition system issues until a judicial panel decides on consolidating lawsuits and the bankruptcy court issues a ruling, Reuters reported.
In his analysis of the case, George Washington Law School Professor Jonathan Turley said that when GM went into bankruptcy in 2009, "it was facing about 2,500 lawsuits of various kinds and was able to just pay pennies on the dollar. There are already about three dozen lawsuits over the ignition defect."
"What I find most disturbing is the possibility that GM knew about the defect in 2009 when it filed for bankruptcy. Documents suggest that the company may have known before the company sought the status — and sought the bailout. Yet, it did not mention this looming liability issue. If there was an effort to conceal that knowledge, both the bankruptcy and bailout could be viewed as a rather dishonest anticipatory move before the onset of lawsuits. As it stands, the government has effectively subsidized a company in the allegedly knowing release of a lethal product. The billions simply given to the company without repayment will likely cover much of the damages for GM. That will add to the criticism of the government bailing out this company rather than leaving such matters to the market," Turley added in a blog post.
GM could not be reached for immediate comment on the allegations. The company said in the past it does not comment on pending litigation.
In a related matter, there now appears to be two recalls at GM. The first was related to defective ignition switches, CNN reported. That problem was known since 2004, but was announced to the public in February. It relates to the 2.6 million cars.
"A second recall, announced in late March, involved problems with power steering and affected 1.3 million U.S. vehicles, including Saturn Ions from model years 2004 to 2007," CNN reported. "Twelve accidents have been tied to the defect, though no deaths."
Earlier this year, GM CEO Mary Barra was grilled by a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives about the company's defective ignition switch and its corporate response.
While her company's strategy was to delay most comments until an internal company investigation is complete, a plaintiffs' class action lawsuit is moving forward. At this point there are several cases filed across the United States against GM, InsideCounsel reported.
GM is hiring Kenneth Feinberg, an attorney who was special master to the victims in the Sept. 11 attacks, as well as working on the BP oil spill and the Boston Marathon bombings, to help it in the case. It also retained a former U.S. Attorney, Anton Valukas, for an internal investigation.
"General Motors has taken responsibility for its actions and will keep doing so," a spokesman for the company said in a statement sent to InsideCounsel on Tuesday. "GM has also acknowledged that it has civic and legal obligations relating to injuries that may relate to recalled vehicles, and it has retained Kenneth Feinberg to advise the company what options may be available to deal with those obligations."
When it comes to the motion, GM has asked the Bankruptcy Court to rule on whether the growing number of lawsuits alleging purely economic damages resulting from the ignition switch recall may proceed. The newly filed motion does not concern accidents or injuries. In fact, the motion says it "does not address any litigation involving an accident or incident causing personal injury, loss of life or property damage." And it adds it "does not involve whether New GM should repair the ignition switch defect. New GM has committed to replacing the defective ignition switch as a result of the recall."
And many of these class actions were actually brought by or on behalf of individuals who were not injured as the result of any failure of the ignition switch, sources said.
On April 22, James Cain, a company spokesman said in response to the reported delay in the recall, "We have acknowledged that the recall should have happened much sooner. We have an ongoing investigation led by a former U.S. Attorney, and he is exploring all of the issues that led up to the recall." Meanwhile, GM said it is not commenting on pending litigation.
Further reading:
General Motors reveals it knew about ignition switch issues in 2001
GM CEO faces tough questions on recall issue
New motions filed in GM class action over ignition system


text:
Leo Fakeout Advisory: Change in Effect
Posted by Lizzie on 02/28/07
We know, usually when we don't post for awhile, we go with the classic
BUT TODAY, to make up for what we're pretty sure will become a really egregious period of not posting, we thought we go with
Hope this helps.
Filed under: the hottness | Tags: leo, may the best protection etc. |


text:
Watermelon growers and their cohorts are under a tight deadline to build a new "splatform" in Vincennes, Ind., in preparation for national news coverage of the sixth annual New Year's Eve watermelon drop.
"We sort of demolished the splatform last year by accident," said Rick Linenburg, the local John Deere dealer and one of the founders of the watermelon drop. "The watermelons were frozen from being in storage and, well, there went the splatform."
The event has attracted the attention of the CNN news staff. Reporter Gary Tuchman is scheduled to cover the watermelon drop at George Rogers Clark National Historic Park on the banks of the Wabash River. Tuchman's live reports will be part of Anderson Cooper's coverage of New Year's Eve events around the world.
The National Watermelon Promotion Board is supporting the event by sending chef Joe Poon, known for his high-speed watermelon carving. Also scheduled is comedian Gallagher, who will kick off his "Last Smash Tour" in the hours leading up to the watermelon drop with a show at Vincennes Lincoln High School.
Linenburg said the event has been consistently growing since he and a handful of friends, including local restaurateur John Frenz, dreamed up the idea one cold, boring night.
"We wanted to do something to represent Knox County and what goes on here, what's important to this region," Linenburg said Dec. 19. "There's a lot of corn grown around here, but it's kind of hard to drop a bushel of corn and make much of an impact."
So the ad hoc group decided to drop watermelons.
This year 14 prime watermelons from the region's growers will be placed in an 18-foot, 500-pound watermelon and hoisted 100 feet into the air above the new splatform. At the stroke of midnight a trapdoor in the bottom of the giant watermelon will be tripped and the watermelons will plummet toward their celebratory splat.
Mark Arney, executive director of the National Watermelon Promotion Board, said the Knox County area in Southern Indiana is a prime watermelon growing region, making the annual event an excellent reminder for consumers who are fans of the sweet summertime fruit.
The Illiana Watermelon Association has also embraced the event, and its organizers, inviting Linenburg and Frenz to sit on its board of directors. This year the association is paying for high-definition video coverage of the watermelon drop.


text:
An Interview with Dr. Jacqueline C. Neilson
Jacqueline C. Neilson, DVM, DACVB, is the owner of Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Ore., and a Veterinary Medicine Editorial Advisory Board member. She is the president of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and is the coauthor of Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Canine and Feline Behavior.
What is the most exciting change you've seen in veterinary medicine?
Two pieces of professional advice have served me well: "Never pass a dirty cage without cleaning it" and "Ask for forgiveness not permission." The first piece of advice reminds me that nothing is more important than providing for the basic welfare of the animals under my care and that everyone on the veterinary team is responsible for that care.
The second serves me well in situations in which I have to break outside the confines of the system to effect change. For example, once when I was caring for a dog with terrible separation anxiety, I had to attend some meetings in a building that didn't permit pets. I discreetly took him with me into the meeting hall in a carrier, and he spent the entire meeting quietly content at my feet inside the carrier—no one knew he was there, and he didn't experience a terrible treatment setback.
Who was your most memorable patient?
I tend to recall my most extreme patients, for example the dog with severe aggression, the dog with separation anxiety that actually ate through a wall, or the cat that saturated the home with urine. I also have special memories of patients I fostered and then rehomed, such as Archer, a 2-year-old neutered male miniature poodle with a housesoiling problem. He failed to respond to treatment, primarily because of a lack of owner compliance, and instead of opting for euthanasia, the owners relinquished him to me. After a month of successful remedial housetraining, I was able to place Archer with a lovely retired couple who adored him.
Who inspired you most in your career?
Dr. Ray Calkins of Wilsonville, Ore. He was my first boss, and he embodies what it means to be a veterinarian. He is skilled, enthusiastic, and dedicated, and he truly loves practicing veterinary medicine—both the animal and human components of the profession.
What would you advise a new graduate?
Always perform a thorough physical examination, regardless of the presenting complaint. There is no substitute for listening to, looking over, smelling, and palpating the entire animal carefully.
Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Because of allergies to cats, I grew up only having dogs, which I adored. I managed to avoid most cat cases in veterinary school, and it was only in my first job that I started handling cats and adopting them. I fell in love. So now my home is full of cats, Kleenex, and a dog. Professionally, I am most intrigued by cats and their behaviors.
What book would you recommend?
Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin because it is an insightful journey into the minds of animals.
What book are you reading now?
I just finished Amy Tan's Saving Fish from Drowning, and I'm about to start A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi. Novels are a great way to unwind after a hectic day.
What is you favorite film?
Lost in Translation because it is a delightful and beautiful story about the power of human relationships. Bill Murray has great comic sequences in it as well.


text:
Colorado's unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point from December to January to 7.8 percent, according to a Colorado Department of Labor and Unemployment report released today.
In December 2011, it stood at 7.9 percent.
The report said that the number of people actively participating in the labor force decreased 3,900 to 2,730,000 and total employment decreased 1,900 to 2,517,000, causing the number of unemployed to decline 2,000.
The national unemployment rate declined two-tenths of one percentage point over the same period to 8.3 percent.
The department said employers in Colorado added 19,500 nonfarm jobs from December to January for a total of 2,284,800 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 22,500 and government decreased 3,000.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 34.3 to 35.0 hours and the average hourly earnings increased from $24.11 to $24.52.
The largest over-the-month private sector job gains were in construction, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality. There were no significant over-the-month declines in the private sector.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is down one percentage point from 8.8 percent in January 2011.
The national unemployment rate declined from 9.1 to 8.3 percent from January 2011 to January 2012.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or firstname.lastname@example.com; twitter@Howard Pankratz


text:
BYU. We hate them.
This is the best possible Poinsettia Bowl matchup.
For San Diego State. For the bowl itself.
The Aztecs will play Brigham Young University on Dec. 20 at Qualcomm Stadium in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
Bruce Binkowski, the Poinsettia's fantastic executive director, is a salesman but also a man of frankness. He alluded to last year's matchup between 15th-ranked TCU and Lousiana Tech and said, "No one cared locally."
But BYU-San Diego State …
"This one has a little pizzazz to it," Binkowski said.
Every San Diego sports fan who has been around for any period of time can feel that.
Around here, the Cougars are like the Raiders – sans the booze.
"I'm hoping this gets San Diego State fans revved up," said Binkowski, who offered that he'll be disappointed if the game doesn't draw a record crowd.
The Aztecs beat Navy in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl in front 48,049, most to ever watch any of the eight installments of the Poinsettia. Last year's game drew slightly more than half that.
There is no way this year's game shouldn't draw 50,000. Heck, it should fill the place, at least outdraw Chargers-Ravens.
"I'm hoping every casual Aztecs fan out there gets fired up and comes to the game," Binkowski said.
If this matchup won't do it, I don't know what will.
My friend Kevin O'Connell, the Aztecs quarterback a few years back before he served as Tom Brady's understudy in New England and backed up Mark Sanchez for a time, took exception to my contention Monday that the Aztecs need to beat BYU to show San Diego they're for real.
The younger, taller, not-quite-as-wise Kevin wondered why seven victories in a row, including those at Nevada and Boise State, and a conference championship were not enough to be considered real.
Absolutely, less-sexy Kev. I'm in.
But I'm talking about a broader audience, the kind that must be won over to make your program relevant in a tough-sell town.
The casual consumer doesn't appreciate how big the overtime victory at Nevada was. Those that were at least impressed by the win at then-No.19 Boise State earlier this month are still be shrugging, waiting for the fall.
Look, we've been teased before by this program. Too many times.
The Aztecs score a big conference win, come close against a Big Ten team, then can't sustain it.
The reason it's a big deal the Aztecs are going to a bowl game for the third straight year is that they had never done so. Before going to the Poinsettia in '10, they hadn't been to a bowl since 1998.
The reason going for a 10th victory is so monumental is SDSU hasn't had that many in a season since 1977.
The reason the 2012 Mountain West Conference championship trophy will be displayed so prominently is that it was the first MWC title in 14 years in the conference and just the third title the Aztecs have won in 43 seasons in Division I.
The average fan doesn't know all those statistics, but they know you haven't been very good historically.
And the average fan probably doesn't know the exact record (7-27-1) against BYU, but they know the Cougars have owned SDSU.
And if they've been around a long time, the average fan remembers that one tie was 52-52 in 1991 when Ty Detmer led the Cougars back from a 28-point second-half deficit to keep State from the conference title and a Holiday Bowl berth.
And if they've only been paying attention to San Diego sports for a few years, they know that before BYU decided it was too good for Mountain West football the Cougars stole a 24-21 victory in the programs' last meetings when a BYU athletic department employee was among those who botched the replay review of a BYU fumble.
San Diego State seniors Leon McFadden and Dominique Standifer smiled quickly on Monday when reminded of that game. But they denied any extra incentive going against BYU.
That's fine.
They have other things with which to concern themselves. Going to a bowl season is a reward for players who have done the work to get there. The extra practice time affords coaches a jump start to the next season.
But for the rest of us, SDSU has a lot to prove in this game. Doesn't matter that BYU is just 7-5 this season. This is the perfect opponent, at this point, for the Aztecs to show us how far they have come.
BYU. We hate them.


text:
Topic: FOLFOX chemo has stopped tumors from growing
I haven't written in a while, but wanted to let you know that I have been on FOLFOX since 10/08 and I have Stage IV- mets to my lungs and lymph nodes. I was diagnosed 1/08- intrahepatic and had a resection, followed by 5 months oif GEMZAR. Then, the scan showed it had spread.
But, my last scan at the end of May 09 showed no increase in size to the tumors in my liver and lungs, and even some shrinkage in the lymph nodes! That was great news.
Except for being tired and a few digestive problems, the FOLFOX is doing it's job. I did have a reaction to the Oxilaplatin a few weeks ago, so now they infuse it over a 4 hour period- that seems to have stopped the problem. I
do have the neuoropathy issues in my hands and feet that go with the Oxila-but am taking meds to try and help that.
I am remainng very positive, trying to eat healthy and get enough rest. I am still working full time, so I do have my real tired days. But, I was told
last Oct that I could have only months, but I am still here-I figure that may be 1,000 months- I plan fighting every day.
Thanks so much for this website- it has a lot of great information. On this site I learned about Dr. Lenz at USC and went to see him in April. He is the nicest Dr., full of hope and positive thinking- he confirmed what my local Dr. is doing is what he would do also, and if this regimen fails, he has a whole list of other things to try. I am on my 17th treatmetn of Oxila, and have been told a lot of people max out at 12- I am remaining tough!
Take care, and you are all in my prayers- Celeste


text:
Location: Saint Louis, United States
Member Since: July 2012
Open for read requests: Yes
Featured by author
Profile Information
Oh hello there!! I am 14 years old, and I love reading books and now writing them!(: I love all things supernatural, but who doesn't these days? (Vampires, werewolves, witches, etc...) I am a huge fan of a band called The Script. If you've never heard of them, then check them out! They are amazing, and you won't be dissapointed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4VdI1Cs5o4 <-- a link to one of my favorite songs by The Script. I had another booksie account, but I didn't like how it was going and decided to start fresh! I joined Booksie because I have always loved to write, but I wanted to know if I was good or not. That's where you guys come in! PLEASE read my novel(s) and comment! I will definatley update my profile and upload a story or two soon enough. I hope you like my stuff!
<--- I love them SOO MUCH! The Script!!! <3
Favorite Bands:
#1 The Script
#2 The Foo Fighters
#3 Maroon 5
#4 The Beatles
#5 The Fray
#6 Panic! At The Disco
#7 Hot Chelle Rae
#8 Queen
#9 Secondhand Serenade
#10 Green Day
#11 Plain White Tees
Favorite Rappers: Eminem!!!, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Drake, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, Pitbull
Favorite Singers: Kelly Clarkson all the way!!!!!!!!!!, P!nk, Adele, Katy Perry, Christina Perri
And more, but my little brain can't remember them all right now:))
Status: Online [ ] Offline[X] <---- I will make sure that this is ALWAYS accurate.
My current Booksie reading list:
Lost In My Facade- b l i s s
You Just Never Know- CHARMs4
Silver Soul- coolkitty113
Anything Wrong?- animefreak77L
The Unknown Vampiress- QuietWhispers
Flawed Design- autumnenergy
The Path to the Forgotten Valley- Merenwen ^^I will happily add more to this list! Just ask me(:
Things I HATE!
#1 One Direction
#2 Justin Beiber
#2 The statement "IKR?!" It makes me mad. I don't know why. Don't say it on my page. Please.
#4 Hangnails. Need I say more?
#5 Ass kissers.
#6 Attention whores.
#7 Fake girls.
#8 Racists. Hate them SO MUCH.
#9 Prejudice people.
There's more, but I just don't want to sound too negative(:
Favorite TV Shows:
Supernatural :)
The Vampire Diaries
Teen Wolf
The Walking Dead
I don't live in Britian and I have never been there, but I want to go there SO FREAKING BAD!!! I love it so much, everything about it! Especially the accents ;)
Same goes for Australia <3 <3 <3
The Script = Best. Band. Ever!
^^ Best person ever. Just saying. I LOVE YOU DANNY O'DONOGHUE! :DD
This is where you can leave a short message for the writer. All Quickees are public. To leave a private message, use the private.
If you want to write a quickee (a remark or a hint for example) on this writer's profile, please sign in.


text:
Download the AWS SDK for iOS 1.4.3
New Features
|Amazon S3 Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)
Amazon S3 now supports Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS). CORS defines a way in which client web applications that are loaded in one domain can interact with or access resources in a different domain. With CORS support in Amazon S3, you can build rich client-side web applications on top of Amazon S3 and selectively allow cross-domain access to your Amazon S3 resources.
For information about using CORS, see Enabling Cross-Origin Resource Sharing in the Amazon Simple Storage Service Developer Guide.
|Amazon EC2 Reserved Instance Marketplace
The Reserved Instance Marketplace now provides AWS customers the flexibility to sell their Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Reserved Instances to other businesses and organizations. Customers can browse the Reserved Instance Marketplace to find an even wider selection of Reserved Instance term lengths and pricing options sold by other AWS customers.
As your needs change, the Reserved Instance Marketplace gives you the flexibility to sell the remainder of your existing Reserved Instances at the price you select. After a buyer purchases your Reserved Instance and AWS receives payment, funds will be deposited via ACH wire transfer into your bank account and you will receive an email notification.
You can also now shop the Reserved Instance Marketplace to purchase Reserved Instances outside the standard one-year and three-year term lengths. Amazon EC2 Instances purchased on the Reserved Instance Marketplace offer the same capacity reservations as Reserved Instances purchased directly from AWS.
For more information, see the Reserved Instance Marketplace.
|Configuring an instance termination policy for your Auto Scaling Group
You can now configure a termination policy that Auto Scaling will use when selecting an instance to terminate. This policy is used when reducing the size of your Auto Scaling group or rebalancing it across Availability Zones. By default, Auto Scaling uses a default termination policy when selecting instances to terminate. With this release, you can opt to specify a termination policy of your own. For more information, see Instance Termination Policy for Your Auto Scaling Group.
|Updates to sample apps
All sample apps have been updated to show how to use the SDK in an asynchronous manner. The S3_Uploader sample shows multiple methods for calling the SDK asynchronously.
Resolved Issues
|Fixed Signing Issues
Fixed an issue with the signature version 4 signer.
|S3 Region Handling
Fixed a problem in the S3 client that would report an incorrect region for buckets created in eu-west-1 via the AWS conole.
|AWS Persistence Configuration
Added ability to set endpoint for AWS Persistance Framework for Core Data to use different AWS regions.
Supported API Versions
This release of the SDK supports the following API versions:
|API Version
|Amazon CloudWatch
|Amazon DynamoDB
|Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
|Amazon Simple Email Service (SES)
|Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS)
|Amazon Simple Queue Service
|Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
|Amazon SimpleDB
|Auto Scaling
|AWS Security Token Service
|Elastic Load Balancing
Known Issues
|AWS Persistence Framework for Core Data with iOS 5.0
While the rest of the AWS SDK for iOS still support iOS versions 4.1 and later, the AWS Persistence Framework for Core Data only supports iOS versions 5.0 and later.
|Amazon S3 over 3G
Uploading large objects to Amazon S3 using 3G can fail frequently. The release of iOS v6 resolves this issue.
|Amazon S3 client does not work around known Amazon S3 issues.
|The Amazon S3 library does not currently work around two known issues with the Amazon S3 API:


text:
Send an Instant Message to DavidCharlie Using...
Hey guys! Been an awful long time since the last post. Personally, not a lot happened to comment on as everyone was doing it so expertly, but recent major happenings inside the WWE world were just too tantalizing to not comment on.
I wanted to share just my overall summation and where WWE can (and/or have) benefit from the most recent plot lines and some context as to how it can succeed
Hey there guys and gals! Sorry, it's been a whole while since I've posted here. I'm currently in the middle of hardcore studies in England, training to be a primary school teacher, so the workload has picked up tremendously since I visited the States.
I've been avidly following (albeit offline) the events of the passing months and, whilst The Shield have made an explosive impact, Cena's
Hi there everyone.
As you are no doubt aware, one of the true wrestling greats is facing a new battle. Watching RAW when it happened, I couldn't help but feel physically ill at what was unfolding. I was scared that, in some way, as a viewer, I'd be witnessing the possible demise of a charismatic superstar and a great colour commentator, Jerry Lawler. The news seems to be more positive
Hey guys and gals!
Cast your minds back to a few weeks ago, where I gave my opinion on the 'underated and underused' talents within WWE. I think it's only fair that I do a mirror to it, onlt this time, maybe distorting it slightly. Think of those freaky mirrors that make your head all big and your body the size of Hornswoggle.
From crap finishers to entrances
Hey there!
Apologies for the lack of blog or general activity, I was making my way back from Tulsa, Oklahoma on a long holiday back to sunny old England and then back off to Devon! Been busy but I'm here. And rather angry it might be said.
WWE released the kinda-anticipated 'WWE 50 Greatest Finishing Moves' DVD: a collection of the best finishers, as voted for


text:
With kids underfoot, finding recipes that are easy and delicious can seem like a daunting task. Throw in making it gluten and dairy free: mission impossible. Especially for breakfast. Right?
Enter the muffin. Oh a glorious warm muffin filled with fresh berries. It's like having dessert first thing in the morning. The great thing is you don't have to feel guilty for serving these mini bites of heaven to your kids. They'll love them and you'll love how easy and good for them they are.
Hungry for more? Visit me at Lifestyles of the Rich & Christen and search for other gluten-free recipes!
Blackberry Cornmeal Muffins
- 1/2 cup Vegan Butter, softened
- 1 cup Agave Nectar
- 2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
- 6 Tbsp warm Water
- 1/4 cup Orange or Berry Juice
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup Bob's Gluten-free All purpose Baking Flour
- 2/3 cup Cornmeal
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Blackberries (or berry of choice)
- Cinnamon for dusting
Pre-heat oven to 375. Beat the butter with the agave in a large bowl until light and fluffy. In a small bowl mix flax meal and warm water and allow to sit for a minute. Beat flax mix, juice and vanilla with butter mix. In a separate bowl mix the flour, corn meal and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just blended. Fold in berries. Lightly grease muffin cups or use liners. Fill about two-thirds full. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!


text:
Improve job satisfaction with mindfulness
Laurie Tarkan, Fox News: If you find yourself emotionally spent at the end of your work week, you may want to consider practicing an old Buddhist tradition called mindfulness.
A new study shows that being mindful at work can reduce your level of emotional exhaustion, help keep your emotions on an even keel, and increase your job satisfaction. The good news: You can reap the benefits in just a week or two of practice.
What exactly is mindfulness? According to Dr. Ute Hülsheger and co-authors of the study from the Netherlands, it is "a state of nonjudgmental attentiveness to and awareness of moment …


text:
US Air Conditioning Distributors is the world's largest privately owned HVAC distributor, with 46 locations in California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, & Arizona. We are a One Stop Shop for all your HVAC needs from residential to commercial to industrial including equipment, controls, parts, supplies, and sheet metal.
US Air Conditioning Distributors is your high efficiency expert, with the highest efficiency equipment available in the industry. Condensing units up to 22 SEER, furnaces up to 97.0% efficiency and rooftops with EER's of over 11.
In addition to encouraging the sales of environmentally friendly products, we also do everything we can to save the environment in our day-to-day operations. We produce almost all of our own electricity for our main 250,000 sq ft location in the City of Industry, California with one of the largest solar cell arrays in the U.S. At 850 KW it produces enough electricity to power over 400 homes.
USACD also has natural gas fueling station and 24 clean-burning natural gas trucks, which produce only 5% of the emissions of a diesel truck of the same size. Read Case Study. US Air Conditioning also provides free fuel to its employees that drive alternate fuel cars including compressed natural gas and electric cars for employees that work in the City of Industry Location.
More about US Air Conditioning Distributors
Not all brands are available in all locations.


text: This news item expired on 12/30/2012, so the information below could be outdated or incorrect. Homicide Investigation The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office is investigating the homicide of Thomas Curtis Reese. Reese is a white male 29 years of age. Reese was originally from Florida and was visiting the Asheville area recently. Sheriff investigators have talked with witnesses who saw Reese and companions in the West Asheville and Candler area prior to his death. The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who had any contact with Thomas Reese or may have seen him in the Asheville area to please call investigators. You can contact a detective directly by calling Detective Walt Thrower at 250-4449. If you would like to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 255-5050. If your tip leads to an arrest you may be eligible for a reward.


text:
News of Rio Tinto's (RIO) unexpected $14 billion write-down tells two stories, and both are important to traders of commodity stocks.
Let's start with the bad -- no, awful -- decisions by outgoing CEO Tom Albanese for the Anglo-Australian mining giant, specifically, the horrible overpayment for Alcan in 2007 -- a $38 billion acquisition left unrewarded by declining aluminum prices and an awful return on capital. I can see getting stuck in a very bad aluminum trade. I have often wondered over the past five years about prices of tin and aluminum -- the one metal that refused to give a spike in prices to trade off of. I asked myself if it could continue to fall, and I once got stuck in a buy of Alcoa (AA) in the hopes that I had found a bottom, only to see that, yes, aluminum could in fact go lower still. In thinking that aluminum would have its day, Albanese wasn't alone -- one could almost forgive him for that.
But the Mozambique screw-up is unfathomable: How can you spend $4 billion for a company, Riverside Mining, with assets for coal deep in the interior of a third-world nation run by thugs without first securing the rights to transport the mined coal you're hoping to produce? This is what apparently happened to Rio in Mozambique, as it has been unable to secure government approval to send barges up and down the Zambezi River from the coal mines to the coast. No barges? C'mon, what's the problem? Too much barge traffic on the Zambezi? Nah. Someone didn't do their homework on who to pay and how much. Right now, Riverside is a dead asset, and so is Albanese.
There are two things we can learn from Rio Tinto.
First, in commodity stocks, it's always about volume growth. Whether it's oil, coal or copper, we need growth and that leads us to very unsavory places with very interesting sovereign obstacles to overcome. Knowing where your investments are finding this volume growth is critical for choosing the right company in a sector, whether it's oil, coal or copper. This is why, for example, Noble Energy (NBL) is outpacing Anadarko (APC), and why EOG Resources (EOG) is a better performer than Southwestern Energy (SWN), and why VALE (VALE) can be so bad for so long. Understanding the chase for volume growth is the key to finding the right company in a sector. Know where they're investing so you know where to invest.
Second, commodity prices will trump even volume growth, and where commodity companies are looking to build it. Rio Tinto had a tremendous run before this disastrous write-down, moving above $60 a share on the back of an equally tremendous run in iron ore prices in the final quarter of 2012. Even with the incredible embarrassment at Rio Tinto, shares are still trading just north of $54. With the Chinese comeback and other Asian stimulus plans being put in place, you want a miner like Rio Tinto, still second to BHP Billiton (BHP), but much cheaper. The market tells me that if I can get shares just a little closer to $50, even with the firing of the CEO, I'm going to want to own it. You should too.


text:
Fernando Vazquez will take charge of the Galician outfit for the rest of the season after the Portuguese decided to leave his post following the 3-0 loss to Granada on Saturday
The Riazor club currently sit at the bottom of La Liga, six points from safety, and Fernando Vazquez will oversee their bid to stay in the top flight.
"Something has to change, and if that means me leaving, I will do what the club want," he told reporters after Saturday's 3-0 home loss to Granada.
"The situation is not easy, and I am worries about Depor."
Deportivo have lost their last four Liga mathces, and have won just once since the beginning of November.
Vazquez had previously taken their local rivals Ceta Vigo to the Uefa Cup.


text:
M-Th 8am-7pm CSTFri 8am-5pm CSTSat 10am-3pm CST
Live Help
Call Me
Traditional Wood Mantel Shelves
Rustic Mantel Shelves
Timber & Log Mantel Shelves
Cast Stone Mantel Shelves
Traditional Wood Mantels
Valueline Mantels
Cast Stone Mantels
Marble Mantels
Granite Facing Kits
Marble Facing Kits
Limestone & Travertine Facing Kits
Cleft Slate Facing Kits
Installation of Facing Kits
Mantel Packages
TV & Media Consoles
Log Sets
Built-In Fireboxes
Electric Stoves
Plug-In Fireboxes
Wall Mounts
Gel Mantel Packages
Gel Fireplace Logs
Outdoor Gel Fireplaces
Gel Fuel
Vent Free Gas Fireplaces
Gas Logs
Electric Fireplace Logs
Fireplace Screens
Fireplace Grates
Fireplace Tools
Firebacks & Andirons
Log Carriers
TV Mounts
All Outdoor Fireplaces
Outdoor Fireplace Kits
DIY Fireplaces
Patio Heaters
Outdoor Fireplace Inserts
Fire Pits & Fire Bowls
Fire Pit Tables
Tabletop Fire Features
Fire Columns
Outdoor Pizza Ovens
Outdoor Cooking
MantelsDirect.com offers the most extensive selection of high quality fireplace mantels, fireplaces and fireplace accessories you will find. Our team of experienced mantel specialists is available to assist you with selecting, measuring and ordering your fireplace mantel. You will quickly discover that our commitment to customer service is genuine.
Fireplace Mantel Shelves »
Over 50 Styles in Standard & Custom Sizes
Starting at $99 | Save 35% | FREE SHIPPING*
Cast Stone Mantels »
Over 60 Styles in Standard & Custom Sizes
Starting at $1,249 | FREE SHIPPING*
Wood Fireplace Mantels »
Starting at $290 | Save 40% | FREE SHIPPING*
Outdoor Fireplaces »
Wood or Gas Burning
Starting at $69 | FREE SHIPPING*
Surround Facing Kits »
8 Natural Stone Sizes & 29 Stones.
Starting at $420 | FREE SHIPPING*
Quick Ship Mantels/Shelves »
Over 70 Styles. Most Styles Ship in 2-4 Days
Starting at $160 | FREE SHIPPING*
Marble Mantels »
23 Styles of Hand-Carved Marble Fireplaces
Starting at $2499 | FREE SHIPPING*
Electric Fireplaces »
Over 150 Electric Fireplaces
Starting at $180 | FREE SHIPPING*
Outdoor Fire Pits & Fire Bowls »
Over 120 Portable Fire Pits, Bowls
Starting at $99 | FREE SHIPPING*
Vent Free Gas Fireplaces »
Inexpensive, safe alternative heating for your home
Starting at $1,283 | FREE SHIPPING*
Screens, Tools & Accessories »
Fireplace Screens, Fireplace Tools & More!
Fireplace Logs »
Gas, Electric & Ethanol Log Sets
Starting at $399 | FREE SHIPPING*
© 2017 Mantels Direct and Net Direct Merchants, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Ausmus faces former team as Tigers manager
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Former Astros catcher Brad Ausmus, in his first year as manager of the Tigers, faced his old team for the first time on Saturday during Grapefruit League action. The team name is still the same, but with a new roster, coaching staff, uniforms and even a new league in recent years, Ausmus doesn't recognize much about his former club.
"It's a little odd they're in the American League," Ausmus said. "Even in the past year, when I think of American and National League teams, it never crosses my mind that the Astros are in the American League. It's a reality now. I just need to get used to it."
Ausmus has caught more games than any other player in Astros history. He played 10 of his 18 seasons in Houston during two different stints with the club (1997-98, 2001-08) and was part of the core of the team that reached the playoffs five times with him behind the plate.
So far, his first Spring Training as manager has gone pretty smoothly.
"It's gone well," Ausmus said. "We've got some things to iron out, and I think every team does. That's why we have Spring Training."
One of the faces on the other side of the field Saturday that Ausmus knew was third-base coach Pat Listach, who played with the Astros in 1997.
"He knows the game," Listach said. "As a catcher, he called the game and he was back there and in on every pitch. It doesn't surprise me [he's a manager]."
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy statement isn't having too much impact on the market. So far, there has been a slightly negative reaction due to the comment about economic activity pausing. The Fed chalks it up to weather and "other transitory factors" but the important thing is that they will continue to run the printing press and buy more bonds. There is no indication yet that the Fed is even thinking about unraveling any of its quantitative easing efforts and it is still unconcerned about inflation.
Despite the benign Fed, the market has been losing energy today; the small-cap indices are actually seeing the weakest day of the year. Since we have barely seen a downtick, that isn't a very high bar -- but it is a slight change in market character. The action on my screens isn't bad but it isn't very energetic either.
The real test will be the close. As I have pointed out a number of times, this market has not had a weak close all year. If and when that starts to change, my caution level will increase quite a bit.
I have a few small things of interest that I'm looking to buy, but I keep cutting things that are moving and my cash levels are growing.


text:
Baseball's off-season officially begins Monday with the opening of the three-day General Managers' Meetings in Orlando, Fla.
Coming a week before baseball's annual Winter Meetings – which will also be held in Orlando – the general managers meetings divide their time between issues facing the game and trade talks.
Among the non-trade topics scheduled to be discussed this week are the possible expansion of the designated hitter to the National League, adopting rules to protect catchers from being run over at homeplate, the length of games (which could be lengthened again due to replay challenges of umpire calls) and limiting the rosters following September roster expansions.
"This is the time of the year that general managers and executives discuss things that are best for the game," Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said before departing for Florida.
Most likely changes will be limiting the use of players on expanded September rosters and finding a rule to protect catchers in collisions.
Under the current rules, a major league team can use all 40 of its eligible players in a September game after being limited to their 25-man roster during the season's first five months. Some teams have employed more than 30 players in September games, including as many as 11 pitchers. There is a move to limit teams to 27-28 players drawn from a 30-player active list in September.
Baseball could also adopt new rules to protect catchers from being rammed at home while they are trying to catch a throw.
But the discussion that could draw the most attention will be among National League general managers seeking to bring the designated hitter rule to the league.
"I think there were nine general managers last year who at least wanted to discuss the question," said Byrnes. "There are good reasons on both sides of the argument.
"I like the National League game. But there are disadvantages in not having the DH. Not having the DH makes it harder for the National League to sign some players who see the DH being part of their future," Byrnes said, using veteran Atlanta catcher Brian McCann as an example."
It's also harder for National League teams contoured to versatility needed for double switches to come up with pure bats for interleague games in American League parks. The expansion of interleague play has added another layer of those games.
Meanwhile, this is already a busy off-season for the Padres. Moves and things to watch:
--The four leading minor league prospects needing protection from the Rule 5 draft by being added to the 40-man roster are right-handed starters Keyvius Sampson and Donn Roach, left-handed starter Juan Pablo Oramas and outfielder Rico Noel. Notables unlikely to be added are outfielders Donavan Tate (the third overall pick in 2009) and Everett Williams, first baseman Cody Decker and infielder Dean Anna.
--Although Padres executive director Ron Fowler says the Padres budget will expand 20 percent in 2014 to the neighborhood of $82-85 million, there isn't as much wiggle room for new players as might be expected. Byrnes said given the costs of 2014 contracts for existing players through long-term contracts in place and arbitration-induced gains, the Padres are already at $70 million committed to 2014 contracts. It is more likely the Padres will make changes through trades than free agency.
--New Padres President and CEO Mike Dee added two top executives to his staff. Wayne Partello, who served under Dee with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL, will run the club's marketing, creative services, communications, integrated social media, broadcasting, and entertainment and production departments as the Padres Senior Vice President-Chief Marketing Officer. Steven Ziff will run the club's ticket sales, service operations and special events at Petco Park as Senior Vice President of Sales.
--Top candidates to replace new Cubs manager Rick Renteria as bench coach with the Padres are current base coaches Glenn Hoffman (third) and Dave Roberts (first). Single-A Fort Wayne manager Jose Valentin would likely be promoted to the major league team as a base coach.
--New Tigers manager (and former Padres special assistant) Brad Ausmus might be interested in Padres second batting coach Alonzo Powell as the Tigers batting coach. For a current Padres coach to take a job with either of the managers (Ausmus and Renteria) signed out of the Padres organization, their new job would have to represent a promotion from their current job with the Padres.
--Good news on the injury front. Outfield prospect Rymer Liriano, who missed the 2013 season after having elbow reconstruction surgery last spring, will play in the Dominican Republic Winter League. Joe Wieland pitched an inning Saturday night in the Arizona Fall League after having "Tommy John" surgery in 2012. And left-handed starter Cory Luebke also reports gains in his thrice-interrupted rehab from "Tommy John" surgery.


text:
Crossbuy is something that Sony has been pushing lately and it's next crossbuy game is one of Sony's biggest, Playstation Allstars Battle Royale. Sony executive Fergal Gara said that pairing the Playstation 3 and the Playstation Vita together made perfect sense in an interview with CVG today. But we really know he got the idea from IGN's Colin Moriarty when he suggested the idea on Podcast Beyond a few months back (Am I right? Huh? Huh?).
"We put together packages for retail, and there's no reason why we shouldn't create a 'Vita plus PS3' bundle, which could feature games that use cross-play, as well as include a PlayStation Plus subscription that both devices could use." The direction Sony is heading in to make its products have a closer relation would certainly be complemented by this for sure. We already know that the Vita can function in a similar fashion to the Wii U's gamepad so this bundle would be a great to support that. Building a closer relationship with the two consoles may be a smart move but for now it's simply speculation as to whether Sony'll do it.
What do you think of this news? Would you buy it? Perhaps pricing it at $499 would tempt you maybe? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: IGN.
George Sinclair is an editor for Analog Addiction where you can find all the latest reviews, previews and news. George is a Vita owner himself and loves it as if it were his own child. Y'know, if he had a child with a touchscreen for a face. Be sure to follow George on his Twitter and his blog on IGN.
Categories: News


text:
"We remain confident in the robustness and results of the ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 51 trial, evidenced by a significant reduction in cardiovascular events, including a clinically important decrease in cardiovascular death, as published in the New England Journal of Medicine. While we saw an increase in major bleeding, there was no increase in fatal bleeding," said Dr. Christopher Nessel, Vice President at Janssen. "We will continue to work with the FDA to address their questions."
On February 27, 2012, Janssen received a priority review designation from the FDA regarding the sNDA for XARELTO® for the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with ACS, and on June 21, 2012, Janssen received a complete response letter for this sNDA. On September 6, 2012, Janssen submitted to the FDA important data related to patients who had withdrawn from the ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 51 trial (Anti-Xa Therapy to Lower cardiovascular events in Addition to aspirin with/without thienopyridine therapy in Subjects with Acute Coronary Syndrome) as part of its complete response.
To compile these data, the company undertook a global effort and was able to confirm the vital status information for 843, or 63%, of the 1,338 trial participants who previously had unknown vital status. The mortality benefit observed during the treatment phase of the study was maintained. These new events were distributed equally between the three treatment groups (2.5 mg, 5 mg and placebo) of patients who were alive (806) and those who had died (37). After these efforts, follow up data was not available on only 2.4% of patients.
The sNDA includes results from the 15,526-patient pivotal Phase 3 ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 51 clinical trial of XARELTO® which were presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in November 2011 and simultaneously published by New England Journal of Medicine. It also contains data from the 3,491-patient Phase 2 ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 46 clinical trial, which were presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in November 2008 and published in The Lancet.
ACS is a complication of coronary heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases in the world. ACS occurs when a blood clot blocks a coronary artery, reducing blood supply to the heart.[1] This disruption of blood flow can cause a heart attack, or unstable angina, a condition signifying that a heart attack may soon occur. Each year, an estimated 1.2 million patients in the U.S. are discharged from the hospital with a diagnosis of ACS.[2]
XARELTO® has the broadest indication profile of any of the newer oral anticoagulants in the U.S. market today and is approved for six clinical uses in the U.S.
About XARELTO® (rivaroxaban) XARELTO® works by blocking the blood clotting Factor Xa. XARELTO® does not require routine blood monitoring. XARELTO® is the only Factor Xa inhibitor approved for six distinct uses:
The extensive program of clinical trials evaluating rivaroxaban makes the compound the most studied oral, Factor Xa inhibitor in the world today. By the time of its completion, more than 100,000 patients will have participated in the rivaroxaban clinical development program.
Janssen Research & Development, LLC, and Bayer HealthCare together are developing rivaroxaban.
For more information about XARELTO®,visit www.xarelto-us.com. The XARELTO® CarePath Support Program is a resource designed for health care providers, patients and caregivers. Visit www.xareltocarepath.com or call 1-888-XARELTO to learn more about the XARELTO® CarePath resources focused on access, education and adherence.
Important Safety Information
You may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take XARELTO® and take other medicines that increase your risk of bleeding, including:
Tell your doctor if you take any of these medicines. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if your medicine is one listed above.
Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you develop any of these signs or symptoms of bleeding:
Spinal or epidural blood clots (hematoma): People who take a blood thinner medicine (anticoagulant) like XARELTO®, and have medicine injected into their spinal and epidural area, or have a spinal puncture have a risk of forming a blood clot than can cause long-term or permanent loss of the ability to move (paralysis). Your risk of developing a spinal or epidural blood clot is higher if:
If you take XARELTO® and receive spinal anesthesia or have a spinal puncture, your doctor should watch you closely for symptoms of spinal or epidural blood clots. Tell your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscles weakness, especially in your legs and feet.
Do not take XARELTO® if you:
Before taking XARELTO®, tell your doctor if you:
Tell all of your doctors and dentists that you are taking XARELTO®. They should talk to the doctor who prescribed XARELTO® for you before you have any surgery, medical or dental procedure.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some of your other medicines may affect the way XARELTO® works. Certain medicines may increase your risk of bleeding.
Especially tell your doctor if you take:
Ask your doctor if you are not sure if your medicine is one listed above. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
Take XARELTO® exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Do not change your dose or stop taking XARELTO® unless your doctor tells you to.
If you take XARELTO for:
XARELTO® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. Please see "What is the most important information I should know about XARELTO®?"
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are also encouraged to report side effects to the FDA: visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatchor call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., at 1-800-JANSSEN (1-800-526-7736).
Please click here for full prescribing information, including Boxed Warnings and the Medication Guide.
Trademarks are those of their respective owners.
About Janssen Research & Development, LLC
At Janssen, we are dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs of our time in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and vaccines, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Driven by our commitment to patients, we develop innovative products, services and healthcare solutions to help people throughout the world. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Please visit http://www.janssenrnd.com for more information.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, any of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; economic factors, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approvals; challenges to patents; changes in behavior and spending patterns or financial distress of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to governmental laws and regulations and domestic and foreign health care reforms; trends toward health care cost containment; and increased scrutiny of the health care industry by government agencies. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Exhibit 99 of Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2012. Copies of this Form 10-K, as well as subsequent filings, are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither Janssen Research & Development nor Johnson & Johnson undertake to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.
[1] Merck Manual. Acute coronary syndromes (ACS). http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/cardiovascular_disorders/coronary_artery_disease/acute_coronary_syndromes_acs.html. October 5, 2011.
[2] Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics 2011 update. Circulation. 2011;123:e18-e209.
Media contacts: Ernie KnewitzTel: (908) 927-2953 Mobile: (917) 697-2318 email@example.com
Bill FosterPhone: 908.704.4404 Mobile: 908.392.6057 firstname.lastname@example.com
Investor contacts:
Stan PanasewiczPhone: 732.524.2524
Louise MehrotraPhone: 732.524.6491
SOURCE Janssen Research & Development, LLC


text:
The origins of Lumley Castle date back to the ninth century, although the castle was constructed in the 14th Century.
In the past it has played host to Kings and Princes, now with a reputation as an international hotel we welcome guests from around the globe to experience a unique blend of ancient history and modern luxury.
© 2017 Lumley Castle Ltd - No Ordinary Hotels All rights reserved | W3C Compliant XHTML


text:
This story has been told to me in a couple of different ways the first time was in a book where the monks were Desert Fathers of Early Christianity, and the second time they were Japanese Zen Monks! but that has been the only difference in the two renditions I noticed!
3 monks who were close friends were sent out into the world too live with the Laity.
As they were walking on the path away from the Monastery they came to the top of a hill where they could see the town and surrounding lands including a Forest!
They decided to rest for a while and got chatting about what they were going to do next!
One decided to go to the town and help the sick in the hospital, the second decided to go to the town and help the homeless, and outcasts, the third decided to live in the forest!
The first two were shocked at this thinking to themselves how selfish the third monk was, and they all went their separate ways, after agreeing to meet up in one year!
After the year had past, the monks met!
The first monk complained about being tired, his feet hurting from standing all day every day, and feeling depressed hearing how much pain the patients are in every day!
The second monk complained about being depressed due to hearing all the terrible life stories of the homeless folk, and is in pain due to contracting a nasty disease from working in the Slums of the town!
The Third monk smiled and said he has has a great time, very peaceful, helping the occasional weary traveller, and hurt animal, or those who sought him out for help! has many friends whom has helped him with shelter, and food, and he helps when they need him! his life was perfect!
the other two monks realised that they took on too much and lost sight of what life was about! not going to solve the worlds problems, but to be ready to help people when they need it
This is from memory so a bit shorter or longer than the original?


text:
Posted 6 years ago
(1 item)
Original, USPTO issued design patent number 20,456 by Ernest F. Pflueger dated Jan 6, 1891. The named invention is for a "Roll Spring for Collar Pad Fasteners"... This illustration is by no means a reproduction or a copy. The illustration has several notations, USPTO issued stamps and seals within the margins an on the back. Mr Pflueger's signature is in the lower right corner... in ink.


text:
Now Viewing:
All Tele Vue filters are individually inspected for cosmetic and optical properties, as well as being serialized.
The Bandmate OIII Filter is a narrowband effect for high transmissivity with blockage of unwanted longer wavelengths that yields high contrast images. A hard, stable coating produces low light scattering and great resistance to fluctuations of temperature and humidity.


text:
The Girls of Fox News-Do I Really Have to Explain This?
Texas country artist Austin Cunningham has produced some pretty cool music over the last decade or so. I thought "15 Songs" and "Six Foot Tall Woman" were good, until I discovered "The Girls on Fox News". Austin, you've hit a grand slam here. Not just because it's a good tune, but because you are absolutely right! The girls on Fox News are pretty AND smart. And what does MSNBC have? Rachel Maddow. Enough said. Watch the video. As Phil Robertson would say, you'll be happy, happy, happy!
Subscribe to Newstalk 1290 on


text: NBC 5 Chicago Receives Emmy For 2012 Chicago Auto Show TV Special December 10, 2012 10:00 AM For the second consecutive year, NBC 5 Chicago received an Emmy for its coverage of the 2012 Chicago Auto Show in the "Outstanding Achievement for Special Event Coverage" category. The NBC 5 Chicago team worked closely with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), producer of the Chicago Auto Show, the board of directors and the 2012 Chicago Auto Show Chairman Steve Foley to produce the special. WGN News Chicago competed in a related category for its edited special event coverage of the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. "NBC 5's win and WGN's nomination confirm the commitment of the city's media to promote the nation's premier auto show," said Michael Ettleson, 2013 Chicago Auto Show chairman. "We do our part to present an auto show worthy of the coverage, and my hat is off to the stations for their work to broadcast the event in a manner worthy of an Emmy." NBC 5 Chicago and its sister station Telemundo Chicago are once again media partners of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. This year, the "NBC5 Presents the 2013 Chicago Auto Show" TV special is scheduled to air on Saturday, February 9 - the opening day of the public show. "We're thrilled to have received this prestigious honor again this year," said NBC 5 Chicago's President and General Manager Larry Wert. "We look forward to our continued association with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association and the Chicago Auto Show." The 2012 Chicago Auto Show telecast team included: Matt Piacente, Executive Producer; Geoff Glick, Carol Cooling, Producers; Ed Mann, Patrick Lake, Tony Vitale, Jan Golden, Trisha Hockings, Alison Ebert, Charles Bennette, Co-Producers; Brant Miller, Host/Reporter; Charlie Wojciechowski, Art Norman, LeeAnn Trotter, Cheryl Scott, Alicia Roman, Reporters; Jessica Kelly, Lici Lytle, Field Producers. For more information, please visit www.chicagoautoshow.com. Back to News


text:
Every generation faces challenges and tackles them, some leaving more of an impact than others.
Generations X and Y are now young adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s influencing our political landscape, and things are changing.
Not that it's easy or simple, but because these generations grew up with access to the speed and scope of the Internet and networking via social media as a means of getting information and sharing it immediately, they have been exposed to more than any generation before them.
They grew up with the horrors and realities of AIDS — the victims being their relatives and friends. As much as previous generations shunned being gay, X and Y became familiar with it and then open to it. Everyone had a gay friend or family member. Being gay was no longer about "someone else."
And so the substance of politics changes.
Now the Supreme Court has struck down Proposition 8, which forbids same-sex marriage. The decision sends the message to citizens that it's time for equality and liberty for all individuals, and we are headed in a clear direction beyond tolerance to acceptance.
For example, there's a growing awareness of gender identity and gender variance, topics we hear about almost daily but knew nothing or little about a short time ago. History is being made as I type.
Within a week, I came across three stories of people's transgender journeys, which means they transitioned socially — and for one medically — to become or present themselves as the opposite sex they were born as biologically.
The first was a story on NPR of a retired U.S. Navy Seal who became a woman after years of burying her desire to be female. Another story from Colorado that's made national news describes a 6-year-old transgirl (a boy who expresses himself socially as a girl) who, as a toddler, told her parents that she was a girl. They are supporting her desires to live as a girl. People Magazine's recent edition has a piece about a 12-year-old transgirl coming out socially with the support of her family.
These stories reveal happy endings, but I can imagine the difficulty and pain in understanding how someone's biological sex doesn't match the sex in which his/her brain identifies.
The subject of gender identity comes with a plethora of questions, but as we've learned with same-sex marriage, transgender or gender-expansive people — those not following the social gender norms of society — deserve their voices to be heard and supported.
Talking with Aydin Kennedy, a local social worker associated with Stonewall Alliance in Chico, about the growing support for transgender or gender-expansive people in our area, he explained how he launched a support group for gender-expansive people in 2010.
Starting with a handful of attendees, there are now 35 to 40 coming weekly, mostly young people.
"It's not that there are more transgender or gender-expansive people, it's that there's more support," Kennedy explained. "Parents of young people lead the way, and if their kids are getting bullied because of expressing themselves as the sex they identify with, parents are saying, 'No more.'"
I've scratched the surface of a topic worthy of paying attention to and keeping an open mind about. As this generation of decision makers discusses and deliberates the social liberties and rights of all Americans, my hope is to bear witness to a generation that continues to honor the voices of those that don't quite fit into a category or definition.
Julie Anderson-Nilsson is a Chico resident and columnist for North State Voices, a rotating panel of columnists that appears each Thursday. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. - Duval County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Nikolai Vitti, wants to expand the programs available for Jacksonville's overage high school students.
Vitti told Channel 4 Monday night that an expansion of services like those available at The Bridge of Northeast Florida would serve more overage students in Duval County.
The move to expand services would cost The Bridge of Northeast Florida to confront many issues with at-risk teens.
"Pregnancy, drug abuse and a whole host of issues that challenge our students," said Shariffa Spicer, VP External Affairs at The Bridge of Northeast Florida.
Spicer told Channel 4 that one of the challenges The Bridge faces is educating students who are not at grade level. Spicer said students at The Bridge get a second chance through one-on-one instruction, community mentors, job training, health and social enrichment offered at the facility.
Vitti said 15 percent of the district's students are currently two or more years overage. He said expanding the services will allow more overage students to stay at their current school and get the help they need.
Vitti hopes expanding resources will improve the county's almost 4 percent drop out rate.
"We're recognizing that 'one size fits all' does not work for all kids, so you have to think a little bit out of the box, and in a sense, remove students from a regular learning environment, but not disenfranchise them from what they would normally experience in a high school environment," said Vitti.
Vitti's recommendations to expand services that are offered at The Bridge of Northeast Florida passed seven to zero Monday night.
"I believe we are going to see all the indicators move in the right direction," said Vitti. "We should see attendance improve, we should see students catch up on credits, we should see less referrals and suspensions, but most importantly, we should see more kids graduating. Anytime we talk about expanding and reaching out to a broader base of children, that is a wonderful effort."
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
How to raise happy toddlers
Welcome to the happy toddler zone that has everything parents need to know about this oh-so special age group. more
Make your child's birthday party a simple success with these clever ideas and tips from the Kidspot community.
"I'm planning my daughter's 4th birthday party, we're having it in a park. It's going to be a teddy bear picnic party. All kids will be asked to bring their favourite teddy bear or soft toy. So many ideas stem from this, like teddy bear's having their own picnic, a goodie hunt in the park, a piñata on a tree, etc. For four year olds, the park is the best place for them to run around, get fresh air and party all in one. "
"My mum "invented" jelly oranges 25 years ago. The kids would love coming to our parties in particular and eating the jelly oranges. Made by cutting the oranges in half, scooping out the flesh and pouring in jelly, letting them set in the fridge then cutting into wedges. My daughter's first birthday is coming up and she will be having "Nanna's Jelly Oranges" at her party too!! It isn't a real birthday party unless there are jelly oranges!"
"Hire toys for your party! It's cheap and for the first couple of birthdays, even though we might want to organise lots of games, they just want to play. It's less stressful and everyone has a good time!"
"My best birthday party tip is to make good use of local hire places and toy libraries. Use your local toy library to hire a party pack, complete with play equipment to amuse the older kids. For the younger kids we hired an enormous play pen for the day from a local baby shop - the best $15 we ever spent!"
"I have always rigged my pass the parcel games so that I can customise the presents for each child and it helps the adults playing to know who is coming up next and make sure that child is actively involved in the game at that stage for their turn. This works really well if you have a mix of kids, and the same toy or present can make the game a bit boring."
"My best party tip would have to be not to have it running over sleep time!"
"Make birthday bon bons, with things like matchbox cars for boys and hair ribbons for girls. You can also get the kids to help make them in the colours to match the party. Everyone leaves with a little gift."
"Every year we make birthdays a big deal because of the milestones that have been reached. I have now had 14 birthday parties with my kids and after attending many others (too many to count) this is the best advice I can give.
"My tip is to keep kids parties short and simple! Go back to basics with the party food, and sneak in some healthy choices disguised with fun! For example, balls of different melons, funny fruit and vege biscuit faces, oven baked sweet potato chips, and sugar free lollies and softdrinks. Party bags can have a craft item and a box of sultanas, and a few sugarfree lollies of course!"
"The most successful kid's party I have hosted so far is a combined football party for two age groups. It does not matter how many kids are invited, we have had over forty kids attend. Equally divide the different age groups and at the end of every quarter, have them come and grab something to eat, ie; sausages in bread and a drink, then sweets and lollies and last of all THE BIRTHDAY CAKE. It's a great day and we have done this for two years now and kids look forward to the party.
This article was created for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for birthday parties.


text:
The Green Bay Packers saw wide receiver Greg Jennings sign with the rival Minnesota Vikings, but have no plans to part ways with tight end Jermichael Finley.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Packers are fine with keeping Finley, even at his current salary of $4.45 million for the year.
Finley would earn that plus a $3 million roster bonus that is due to him on March 27. The team was to consider making him a take a pay cut to stay, but he now has more value to Green Bay. The Packers need Finley to deliver as a bigger part of their passing game now that Jennings and tight end Tom Crabtree (Buccaneers) have left.
The athletic receiver will be 26 on March 26 and coming off his two strongest seasons. If Finley can show that he can shake off his problems with drops and be more efficient with his production, he would be in line to cash in even more when becomes a free agent again next offseason.


text:
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Drawstring Bags, Stamps & Jute
4 comments:
- Online Catalogs said...
Here, I would like to add more information on Jute, Types of Jute Products such as Jute Rope, Jute Bags, Jute Fibre along with their producing companies. jute companies
- May 28, 2013 at 2:07 AM
- eco friendly carrier bags said...
This set contains 3 Jute textures with size of 6x4in, resolution 300 and color profile assigned is Adobe RGB (1998). Use textures freely for personal and commercial use as and everything else posted on this blog in freebies section.
- June 24, 2013 at 12:19 AM
- William Winston said...
Your blog post is quite unique, grasping, and innovative with its content & readable quality. It has motivated me a lot in using environmentally friendly Jute Bags instead of plastic and paper bags.
- August 5, 2013 at 3:51 AM
- albina N muro said...
Discover the best Gym Drawstring Bags in Best Sellers. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Sports & Outdoors Best Sellers. carrier bags
- September 8, 2013 at 12:19 AM