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IEC 61508 Product Approvals Veering Off Course
Upon Close Examination It Appears That the Product Approval Process of IEC 61508 (1) Has Veered Seriously Off Course, Possibly Rendering Many Safety Instrumented System (SIS) Applications Less Reliable Than Expected or Required
By Angela Summers, SIS-TECH
Following a careful review of a significant variety of product safety manuals, it appears that many field devices are achieving higher safety integrity level (SIL) claims than can be supported by process industry data. Appendix F.1.3 of CCPS Guidelines for Safe and Reliable Instrumented Protective Systems (2) states that a sampling of data for pressure transmitters from various manufacturers report theoretical mean time to failure dangerous (MTTFD) values that are three to ten times better than owner/operator prior use data. ―a claim that some manufacturers (3) have openly validated.
Unfortunately, changes now being considered by the IEC 61508 committee will not likely improve the situation. It appears that the committee is intent on piling on additional requirements instead of addressing serious structural weaknesses. The only sensible option is for users to take control of this situation by refusing to install any field device in a safety application that has not demonstrated its required integrity and reliability in a similar non-safety operating environment. Users should demand that manufacturers stop making exaggerated performance claims, manipulating the safe failure fraction (SFF), and shifting responsibility for safe operation to the production operator when products behave unreliably. Users must also demand that safety manuals provide complete proof test procedures that achieve compliance with IEC 61511 (5) and OSHA process safety management (PSM, 6) requirements.
The following sections highlight a few of the issues associated with safety manuals and their performance claims.
1. Exaggerated performance claims
Prior to the release of IEC 61508, many manufacturers provided in-service and accelerated test failure data. Following the approval of IEC 61508, manufacturers increasingly began claiming compliance based on a shelf-state analysis with seemingly perfect operating environment conditions. IEC 61508 allows manufacturers to make SIL claims based on predictive analysis without any burden of later substantiating the claims using actual field data, so technically manufacturers are not doing anything wrong. However, the theoretical dangerous failure rate, safe failure rate and probability of failure on demand (PFD) values declared in analysis reports are much better than can be achieved in actual field applications. The gap between the theoretical analysis and real world performance is egregious and pervasive.
With rare exception, these analysis reports do not provide enough information to fully illuminate the disparity between manufacturers claims and user experience―exactly the point being made by Thomas et al.(4) in stating quality and consistency in safety manuals is lacking. The analysis reports do not provide a boundary description, installation and configuration assumptions, or a failure modes and distribution listing. Instead, the reports provide a summary table of the failure class distribution. The issue this raises is that while failure modes and effects are product-related and can be independently evaluated by the manufacturer, the failure classification is application-dependent.
There are many ways that a field device can be installed and configured, making the failure classification difficult for manufacturers, especially for commodity products. A manufacturer cannot properly assess whether a failure should be classified as safe or dangerous without first acquiring knowledge of the intended application.
For example, in a typical demand mode operation where a solenoid-operated valve controls the pneumatic supply to a valve actuator, solenoid coil burn-out is safe in a de-energize-to-trip application and is dangerous in an energize-to-trip application. All failures of the solenoid operated valve are likely dangerous in a continuous-mode application.
Users should be provided with the failure modes and effects results, not just a failure classification summary. Armed with this information, the user can then classify the failures according to their intended application and calculate an application-specific PFD and spurious trip rate.
Most reports do not clearly define the analysis boundary or describe what is included or excluded from the analysis. For a variety of reasons, many in-service failures are excluded from the product analysis reports. Some failures are deemed to occur due to product wear out and excluded from the useful life analysis. Operating environment impacts, such as plugging, corrosion and electrical interference, are considered application issues that are the users responsibility to analyze and estimate. The restricted view of the product and its environment is a significant source of disparity between the theoretical analysis and real-world performance, but it is not the only problem.
Excessive diagnostic coverage claims are routinely made on programmable electronic field devices. Claims in excess of 90% are very common even with the restricted boundary and operating environment assumptions. A high diagnostic coverage translates directly into a high SIL Claim Limit and low reported PFD. That makes sense when the credited diagnostic actually yields safer operation and is periodically proven to work―the same rule applied to any safety device. Diagnostics must be verifiable and auditable.
Unfortunately, many manufacturer-supplied diagnostics are not capable of being tested in compliance with IEC 61511 Clauses 11.3―Requirements for system behavior on detection of a fault ―and 184.108.40.206―periodic proof tests shall be conducted using a written procedure to reveal undetected faults that prevent the SIS from operating in accordance with the safety requirements specification. Additionally, analysis reports do not include information on the products integrity, if the diagnostics are not configured per the safety manual or fail during operation.
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Better Barns Hardware & Plans, LLC
Better Barns Hardware & Plans is a small family business located in Collinsville, Connecticut. Our company offers a wide range of unique, high quality products for personal and professional construction projects. We specialize in sliding door hardware, plans to build your own barn or shed, and accessories for your building, including window sash.
The distinctive aesthetic of our reproduction hardware is inspired by authentic, 19th century North American design styles. We utilize local manufacturers to provide eye-catching hardware and architectural designs to our customers. All of the products in our sliding door line are produced and finished here in New England.
People who purchase our hardware range from do-it-yourself handymen and aspiring home renovators to professional carpenters, architecture firms, and film production studios. Whatever the scope of your project might be interior or exterior, we're confident that you'll find the tools to make it a reality somewhere in our catalog.
Our storehouse is open to visitors, but since the majority of our customers are placing orders from afar, we do not operate a traditional "shop", and visits to our Collinsville location are through appointment only-- Please call or e-mail us to schedule a day and time for your visit.
Above are photos customers have sent to us of the barns they have built using our plans.
Better Barns plans aren't limited to traditional barns. Our designs could be used to build a writer's studio, woodworking or hobby shop, potting shed, music practice room, or pool cabana. Our buildings are tastefully proportioned and architecturally pleasing. They lend themselves to a diverse range of uses, limited only by your imagination.
Better Barns Hardware and Plans products have been featured in: Better Homes and Gardens magazine, Better Homes and Gardens book Sheds and Gazebos, Popular Mechanics, Today's Homeowner, Mother Earth News and the book Building a Shed.
|Home | Distinctive Designs | Barn Plans | Barn Accessories | Plan FAQs | About Us | Map | E-Mail Us| Privacy Policy
Better Barns Hardware and Plans LLC

subset: commoncrawl


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Surge in Biomarker Research Signals New Hope for Diagnosing and Managing Lupus
In the year 2007, a life with the chronic and unpredictable multi-system disease that is lupus remains rife with uncertainty. "Will I get sicker?" the person with lupus asks. "Will my kidneys start to fail? My heart? Will my siblings or children get lupus? Will a new drug work for me? Will I ever feel better?"
Doctors asked these questions today can only give the vaguest of answers—estimations and educated guesses based on signs and symptoms that reflect damage already underway, the behavior of the disease to date, and what might happen to people in similar situations. Years of costly tests provide only a vague picture of what is going on inside the body of a person with lupus.
Biomarkers, in many cases simple blood or urine tests, could change all this, drastically minimizing the guesswork in diagnosing and treating the disease. Biomarkers provide tools with which to peer into the immune system and witness the earliest indications of problems.
"Because lupus is so unpredictable, managing the disease is a great challenge," explains LRI Scientific Board Chairman William E. Paul, MD, chief of the laboratory of Immunology at the NIH's National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. "Biomarkers can take the guesswork out of treating lupus and help in creating a meaningful plan of action tailored to each person. They can also speed the development and approval of more effective and less toxic drugs, which are desperately needed."
From its beginnings in the year 2000, the LRI recognized that biomarkers have the potential to illuminate the body's "control panel" and even guide treatment to change the outcome of disease.
As yet, no single biomarker has been accepted widely or used routinely for any aspect of lupus—in fact, because lupus develops and affects people so differently, it is highly unlikely that any single biomarker will provide all the answers for everyone, experts say.
"In the simplest terms, biomarkers are lab tests. You want to know what is going on with the person's illness—whether they're doing well, whether they're going to flare, whether they are responding to treatment. We need biomarkers so that we can better predict and manage the disease, as well as speed development of new therapies. Biomarkers are crucial." – LRI Grant Recipient Elahna Paul, MD, PhD. Massachusetts General Hospital.
"Am I likely to get lupus? Will I probably have mild or severe disease?"
LRI-Funded Researchers Discover Potential Biomarkers of Risk and Flare
Although still a subject of scrutiny and debate, most scientists point to a likely mix of genes and triggers in the environment as the cause for lupus. LRI-funded research has generated compelling findings in this arena.
For example, after discovering that the SLAM family Ly108 gene causes susceptibility to lupus in mice, Edward K.Wakeland, PhD, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas is now launching a search for the human equivalent of this gene to see if it could be used to identify people susceptible to the disease.
In New York at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Mary K. Crow, MD, and colleagues are working to validate two promising novel markers of lupus flare that they have identified— interleukin-8 (IL-8) and an unnamed gene product that emerged repeatedly in their preliminary data.
"By identifying good markers that measure the early phase of disease activity and, in particular, flares, we can one day intervene earlier with new or existing drugs and treat a patient before disease becomes clinically active," Dr. Crow explained.
Work begun by Timothy W. Behrens, MD, researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis similarly aims to uncover very early indicators of an impending flare or remission. They are testing approximately 1,500 blood samples from 300 people with lupus with sophisticated technology tools. The goal: to identify shifts in certain protein levels that signal lupus activity.
And in an intriguing reversal sparked by LRI-funded researchers in New York and Chicago, auto-antibodies such as those that attack genes inside cells (anti-dsDNA) have reemerged as potential biomarkers after being largely dismissed because of their inconsistency in predicting or portraying lupus activity.
Interest has been revived by two LRI-funded scientists who have discovered, in mice with lupus, two potential new autoantibody biomarkers: Chaim Putterman, MD, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx identified x-actinin reactive autoantibodies which appear to be an alarm bell for kidney involvement, and Martin Weigert, PhD at the University of Chicago identified "editor" auto-antibodies in lupus, which could be a biomarker for very earliest stages of the disease.
"Are my kidneys all right?"
LRI-Funded Researchers Discover Possible Kidney Biomarkers
The kidneys are crucial to overall health, filtering out wastes, balancing body fluids, and regulating hormones that control blood pressure. But in as many as 1 in 3 people with lupus, inflammation in the kidneys' filtering units prevents blood toxins and waste from getting processed as they should.
Because no one blood or urine test can check for this serious complication, people with lupus often undergo frequent biopsies. Now researchers are making headway in finding biomarkers for rendering these uncomfortable, costly, and sometimes risky biopsies obsolete.
For example, Anne Davidson, MD, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, has found that proteins made in the kidneys of mice during the earliest stages of the disease can also be detected in their urine and blood. She now plans to investigate these proteins in a people to determine their potential as biomarkers.
By identifying which pathways of kidney cell activation contribute to kidney damage in lupus, Elahna Paul, MD, PhD's research at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston could lead to new treatments that block kidney failure in lupus.
At Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, Robert Winchester, MD, is making headway in confirming the presence of certain genes expressed in white blood cells in cases of early kidney injury.
"A simple urine test that could tell us what's going on with my kidneys?" asks the patient. "That makes a difference in the way I live."
"How Is My Heart?"
LRI-Funded Researchers Discovery Possible Cardiovascular Biomarkers
One of the most exciting and productive areas of LRI-funded biomarker research is in detecting and preventing heart disease—a serious and potentially fatal complication that along with stroke develops in as many as a third of all women with lupus.
Having biomarkers to signal which people are developing the first signs of arthrosclerosis might enable doctors to be aggressive about trying to stop the process and prevent long-lasting damage.
One of the most promising of these biomarkers is an abnormal plaque-promoting molecule in the blood called piHDL (pro-inflammatory high density lipoprotein). Bevra Hahn, MD, Maureen McMahon, MD, and colleagues at the University of California in Los Angeles are testing whether this biomarker—which they identified with LRI funding—could help predict the risk for atherosclerosis in people with lupus.
In a novel conceptual advance that involves measuring level and type of cells that line the body's blood vessels (endothelial cells), Mariana Kaplan, MD, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is examining whether a blood-based test that measures the number of these cells that are dying could be used to identify people with lupus at particular risk for cardiovascular disease.
In related work, Robert M. Clancy, PhD, at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York has found that concentrations of endothelial protein C receptor are increased in people with lupus who are developing atherosclerosis but yet haven't shown any signs or symptoms—yet another possible tool for identifying problems before damage occurs.
In the course of her research on imaging techniques for detecting heart disease in people with lupus at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Joan Von Feldt, MD, found that high blood levels of homocysteine (a marker of inflammation) were often present in those with early signs of atherosclerosis. It is a pattern she is investigating further to determine homocysteine's value as a biomarker.
Those with lupus who have APS (anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome) and have suffered a blood clot are left wondering if another clot will strike. Robert Roubey, MD, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is examining various blood clotting proteins as indicators of risk for future blood clots.
The Power of Biomarkers
The biomarker hunt is hardly exclusive to lupus, with federal agencies, cancer centers, biotech companies and others investing millions in these "early predictors" for multiple diseases.
For a disease such as lupus—so difficult to diagnose, manage, and treat—the stakes and the hopes are high indeed. In recognition of the stakes at play, the LRI has joined with several other organizations to campaign for the creation of a collaborative public-private S.L.E. Biomarker Initiative that would pool findings and resources for lupus biomarkers.
One of the primary goals of the Initiative is to lead researchers to new drugs for lupus, of which there have been none approved in nearly 50 years.
"To know if a drug works," explains Mary Crow, MD, "we have to assess how active the disease is and how that activity changes in response to the drug, If proven valid, the potential new biomarkers will stimulate drug companies to get in the game. "
"Eliminating the uncertainties of lupus—that's the power and hope of biomarkers," explained LRI Executive Director Margaret Dowd. "We can make this happen."


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Legal Case Support
Case Support Program
The Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF) provides financial and organizational support for a select number of cases in the workplace and in academia that have the potential to provide significant protection for all women.
Case Eligibility
Case support decisions are made by the LAF Committee. The LAF Committee requires cases to meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for case support:
- Be filed in state or federal court, preferably at the appellate level — we rarely take up cases that have just been filed.
- Address sex discrimination in the workplace or academia, including topics like unfair pay, tenure or promotion denial, pregnancy discrimination, Title IX violations, and sexual harassment or sexual assault
- Have the potential to set or reinforce precedent for future cases on gender discrimination
- Request support to advance the legal case. We do not reimburse personal expenditures.
- Have litigants who are willing to engage in branch visits and make appropriate public appearances with AAUW
- Allow AAUW to publicize support for the case internally and externally, including in the media, on the website, and in electronic and print communications
We offer funding for
- Court filing fees
- Preparation of briefs, filings, and other case-based costs
- Plaintiff court travel
We can also offer nonfinancial support, including
- Signatory of an amicus brief
- An official statement of support
- AAUW members present at the court or a rally
Applying for Case Support
We welcome case recommendations and requests for case support from many sources, including collaborating organizations, lawyers, and AAUW members and affiliates. Please send case recommendations and support requests to firstname.lastname@example.com. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If a case meets the initial case support criteria, applicants will receive a more thorough application. The LAF committee will decide on the applicant's suitability for support.
PLEASE NOTE: AAUW does not provide legal advice or legal representation. Because we do not provide legal advice or representation, communications with us and materials sent to us are not protected by attorney-client privilege. We cannot promise that the information you share with us will remain confidential. We will not return calls or e-mails requesting legal advice.
Have questions about legal support? Ask AAUW's legal advocacy fund program manager at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Lab Corp.: Quality at a Discount
Diagnostic lab tests appear to be a non-deferrable expense. When your doctor needs test results to make a good treatment plan, you'd think most people wouldn't skimp. Surprisingly, the two major players, Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and Lab Corp. of America (LH), each found that patients have been holding back somewhat due to increased co-pays.
Flattish top line numbers have not seriously dented Lab Corp.'s earnings growth. Fourth-quarter results are due Feb. 8. LH's fairly predictable earnings per share numbers are expected to come in at an all-time high of $6.90. That would represent an 8.3% rise from 2011 and a 65% cumulative increase over the past five years. Despite the solid results, LH now trades for near its lowest valuation since the overall market touched its March 2009 low....184 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Bentonville, Ark. -- For the first time in the retailer's history, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said that, through Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, it has given more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions.
The Monday announcement makes Walmart the first U.S. retailer to achieve the $1 billion in giving mark, up from $872.7 million last year. The growth in global giving was largely due to increased in-kind donations in the U.S. to local food banks and families impacted by disasters.
"At Walmart we believe in taking care of our neighbors and our communities," said Leslie Dach, EVP corporate affairs, Walmart. "One way we can do that is through our giving, and we've tried to step up in a big way."
The company's focus has been on hunger relief, job training and support of local schools.
In addition to the more than $1 billion from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, Walmart and Sam's Club customers and associates around the world raised $156.3 million for local organizations such as the Salvation Army and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.


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I don't know if there is already one (anyway, I didn't find it), but I think it would be great if there was a topic that would gather all the interesting dhammawheel links towards the most usual subjects (with a little comment to describe the link). I don't know if I'm clear, but it would look like something like that :
Don't click on the links, they all go to the same place (I had to choose an actual website, otherwise it just appears like that : [url]link 1[/url]).
link 1 : a discussion about this or that aspect of kamma
link 2 : kamma and rebirth
link 3 : general kamma discussion
link 1 -> 17 pages, here are some interesting posts : post 1 post 2 post 3
link 2 : about rebirth and anatta
Dependant Origination
link 1 : long discussion, a good summary in this post
link 2 : good books about D.O.
link 3 : about the three life scheme and the one life scheme
link 4 : how to use D.O. in practice
link 1 : what is anatta ?
link 2 :
And so on...
And there also could be more specifically subjects, like
Discussions about relevance of commentaries
Discussions about bhikkhuni ordination
Different kins of jhanas
... (any kind of subject that comes a lot on the forum).
For exemple, a moderator (who wish to spend time for this project) could open such a topic, and everyone could make suggestions in this same topic. Then, he would just have to edit his first post to add some links, or even a new section.
Sometimes, people create a new subject, and they are told that it already exist (and the link is given). This way, it should be more easy for everyone, and maybe if I type something in the search box, I will only get real topics (because there would be no more "redirected topics"). Maybe I won't even use the search box anymore...
I'm not asking, I'm just suggesting. What do you think ?


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We are in Charlottesville VA
The most deceptive, the most well-made and the easiest to handle Color Changing Knives on the market!
Make a white knife change into a black knife with the wave of your hand! Make the black knife turn white again- this time slowly and in full view, even pausing midway through the change to show the knife half white and half black!
If you perform the Color Changing Knives routine, you should own the best! The high quality Perfect Knives set works like a regular set of Color Changing Knives- but with an added advantage. The colors are silkscreened on the handle and then covered with a sturdy protective coating, giving the sides of the knives a much more deceptive edge. Your routines will be smoother and easier to master, and your technique will look much more professional!
Perfect for closeup work, perfect for restaurant table-hopping! The Perfect Knives are- perfect!
And that's all you need!Knives are about 3" long.
Walter Ceretta Jeans invented the Color Changing Knife trick.
Interested in magic history? Visit our free online Magic Library, full of biographies of famous magicians plus lots of magic history and trivia!


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CVC 2008 Highlights: Avoid common bandaging mistakes in dogs and cats
You can apply Halstead's principles of surgical technique to veterinary wound care as well: Use gentle tissue handling, don't compromise the blood supply, control bleeding, and be as aseptic as possible—use sterile technique when cleaning the wound and when changing bandages.And don't be in a rush to get the wound to heal—the time it takes depends on the wound. It's important not to leave something (e.g. excess suture material, necrotic tissue, bandage material from a previous bandage, medications known to impede wound healing) behind that will impede wound healing. Keep the wound as healthy as possible so the body can heal the wound efficiently.
When you are choosing a bandage to protect the wound and help it heal, keep the condition, the patient, and the client in mind:
The condition
The bandage you select will depend on the condition you are treating. Are you treating an open wound that needs to be kept covered as it heals? It is common to apply a wet-to-dry bandage that is converted to a nonadherent bandage once a granulation bed develops and the wound is properly débrided. With the advent of some of the newer products available, we have a better selection of materials. This gives us the chance to apply the appropriate material to the particular wound.
Are you treating a patient with a fractured limb that only needs immobilization until surgery can be performed or until the wound can heal properly? Your best option may be a soft-padded bandage that incorporates a lateral splint. Or in a patient that has a closed fracture distal to the elbow or stifle that risks becoming an open fracture without stabilization, a Robert-Jones bandage will work well.
Is the injury a luxation that can be managed with an appropriate bandage? For example, a simple elbow luxation once reduced can be managed with a spica splint, or a craniodorsal hip luxation that is stable after closed reduction can possibly be managed with an Ehmer sling.
The patient
One bandage doesn't fit all. The bandage you select for an energetic 10-month-old Labrador retriever must be considerably stronger than the bandage you select for a 10-year-old Labrador retriever. For example, a midshaft nondisplaced greenstick tibial fracture may respond well to a lateral splint in an older patient that is sedentary, but you may want to consider a full-cylinder cast in a younger pup. Choose a bandage that is appropriate for the patient. Important factors to consider are age, activity level, species, size, body weight or conformation, and current health status.
The client
Find out how well the owner can maintain the bandage. A bandage can become more of a detriment than a benefit if it isn't cared for properly. In some cases, you may even elect not to place a bandage if an owner can't provide appropriate home care. For example, certain fractures (e.g. a nondisplaced greenstick fracture involving a distal extremity) or luxations and subluxations may be amenable to external coaptation, but if the owner will be unable to manage the patient or the bandage, then surgical stabilization may be a better option.
You'll also need to know whether the owner can present the patient for routine bandage changes. The timing of bandage changes is crucial. If the bandage is placed perfectly but the patient isn't presented for a bandage change at the right time, the bandage can worsen the condition. For example, a wet-to-dry bandage placed over a severe open wound that is left on the limb for a week when it was supposed to be changed daily can be disastrous. Maceration of previously healthy tissue may ensue, making the wound more susceptible to infection, or the bandage may harbor bacteria, resulting in or exacerbating an infection.


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One of the great tragedies of failing to act boldly to restrict greenhouse gases is that it will turn the great abundance humanity has known into scarcity. As part of our series on climate change and food insecurity, our Climate Progress Intern, Tyce Herrman, takes a look at some predictions on the rising price of food.
The international aid and development organization Oxfam has released some startling figures: Food prices may jump by as much as 180% by 2030, driven by poor policies and a changing climate. Already, the FAO estimates 1 billion people are starving and another 2.5 billion are malnourished. With food prices climbing, yield productivity flat lining, and the global population on track to hit 9 billion by 2050, it appears we are on the brink of major catastrophe.
Ironically, current agriculture and food delivery practices – which are touted as the only way to feed a rapidly-expanding population – are actually preventing people from accessing food, while also exacerbating climate change.
As renowned author Frances Moore Lappé declared at an event yesterday to unveil Oxfam's latest report, current policies "are turning abundance into scarcity."
Oxfam was founded in 1942 to bring food relief to communities victimized by World War II. The organization calls the current crisis a "product of a grotesque global injustice" caused by bad energy and agriculture practices, inefficient food aid and poor government oversight. Here are some specific problems highlighted in Oxfam's report:
India: Despite doubling the size of its economy between 1990 and 2005 the number of hungry people in India increased by 65 million – more than the population of France – because economic development excluded the rural poor and social protection schemes failed to reach them. Today one in four of the world's hungry people live in India.
United States: US policy ensures 15 percent of the world's maize is diverted to engines, even at times of severe food crisis. The grain required to fill the petrol tank of an SUV with biofuels is sufficient to feed one person for a year.
Traders: Four global companies control the movement of most of the world's food. Three companies – Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge and Cargill – control an estimated 90 per cent of the world's grain trade. Their activities help drive volatile food prices and they profit from them. In the first quarter of 2008, at the height of a global food price crisis, Cargill's profits were up 86 percent and the company is now heading for its most profitable year yet on the back of further disruptions to global food supplies.
Further compounding the crisis is climate change: a problem created by bad agriculture practices, and one that will also hurt agriculture. As Oxfam put it: "Climate change not only threatens agriculture, the way we now farm also threatens the climate."
The agricultural sector contributes between 17 and 32 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Most of those emissions come from "too big to fail" industrial farming, which encourages homogeneous, fossil-energy laden crops that often don't make it to the people who need them most.
So how do we feed 2 billion extra people within our ecological limits by 2050 when we're not feeding the 7 billion we have today? And how do we do this while reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
The answers are not in current inefficient practices, but in a comprehensive suite of solutions, according to Oxfam.
The vast imbalance in public investment in agriculture must be righted, redirecting the billions now being ploughed into unsustainable industrial farming in rich countries towards meeting the needs of small-scale food producers in developing countries. For that is where the major gains in productivity, sustainable intensification, poverty reduction, and resilience can be achieved.
Yesterday, Oxfam announced a campaign to tackle food insecurity and climate change to avert the potentially dramatic price increases on the horizon. The Grow Campaign, Oxfam's largest to date, is an international collaboration in 37 countries to address inequalities and failures in food systems. The campaign includes five action points to begin to shift agriculture:
Invest in small scale farmers
A few hundred companies – traders, processors, manufacturers, and retailers – control 70 per cent of the choices and decisions in the food system globally, including those concerning key resources such as land, water, seeds and technologies, and infrastructure. By setting the rules along the food chains they govern – for prices, costs, and standards – they determine where most costs fall and where most risks are borne. They extract much of the value along the chain, while costs and risks cascade down onto the weakest participants – generally the farmers and laborers at the bottom.
End excessive speculation in agricultural commodities
Excessive speculation … distorts the function of futures markets by disconnecting prices from market fundamentals like supply and demand and by amplifying food price volatility. Excessive speculation also undermines the livelihoods of small-scale farmers by reducing their ability to effectively manage risk and participate in the marketplace.
Modernize food aid
Such aid takes longer to reach those in need. During 2004–08, US food aid to Africa required an average of 147 days for delivery, compared with 35–41 days for food from the African continent.113 And in situations where shipping food aid from the USA would be an appropriate response, Oxfam estimates that procuring transport on the open market would allow the American taxpayer to provide 15 per cent more food,enough to feed an additional 3.2 million people in emergency situations
Stop giveaways to the corn-ethanol industry
The US federal biofuels mandate and industry tax breaks, which cost taxpayers $6 billion a year, are driving up food prices, contributing to increased price volatility, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions all while having little to no impact on US oil dependence.
Regulate land and water grabs
The increased drive by investors, companies, and governments for valuable farmland in developing countries is posing a serious threat to the rights and livelihoods of small-scale food producers, especially women, who often lack legal rights and can be forced off the land without any means to support their families.
And, of course, we must quickly start down the path of greenhouse gas reductions, or risk an unimaginably worse situation post-2030.
The top-down system enabled by abundant fossil fuels and a relatively stable climate is ending. In order to create meaningful change in our agriculture system we'll need to radically re-think how we incentivize and distribute food. As this new report points out, a reliance on the status quo will only result in more price volatility, more inequity and a crippled environment.
— Tyce Herrman with Stephen Lacey


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Bavaria 49, 2004, $290,000 Performance tall rig with fully battened main with lazy jacks and deep version lead keel. Volvo 110 hp on shaft with approx 500 hours which cruises under motor 7knots approx., max 8+. Computer controlled charging. Furling Genoa & MPS. Electric halyard winch. Accommodation for six in three large double cabins with the forward one being the owners suite with separate head and shower. This whole forward area is very spacious. Two double quarter cabins are aft each with their own head and shower. Fully integrated Raymarine instruments including wind, speed depth, GPS Plotter and auto pilot. A very tidy boat with huge cruising potential. Has never been a Charter Boat. A huge amount of boat for your buck!
For more information on this fine yacht www.busfieldmarine.co.nz/shop/Used+Yachts/Over+15m/Bavaria+49.html!click_here
Bavaria 46
Bavaria 46, 2005, $290,000
This Bavaria 46 is arguably the best equipped example of this popular model in the South Pacific. She has been set up for short handed sailing and is equipped with in-mast furling mainsail with vertical battens. Additional sail inventory includes storm trysail, storm jib and gennaker. Her owners optimised her for Blue Water cruising but also took her one step further by racing her in the two handed Trans Tasman race with excellent results. As a bonus to her great sailing ability, she boasts 4 double cabins, including a large master stateroom forward. There are two heads, well equipped galley with two fridges and freezer and a chart table with all the electronics for offshore sailing. The Volvo 55 hp diesel with Kiwi Prop drives twin alternators for charging the large battery banks. If you are planning a trip offshore at some stage, you will not want to pass up this stunning Bavaria 46, as she will also make an exceptional coastal cruiser. Inspection is encouraged and you will not be disappointed.
For more information on this fine yacht www.busfieldmarine.co.nz/shop/Used+Yachts/From+12m+to+15m/Bavaria+46.html!click_here
Bavaria 44
Bavaria 44, 2002, $265,000
A well outfitted boat that has never been chartered nor done the big offshore cruise, although she would make an ideal offshore cruiser. She offers a moderate-displacement hull, the deep lead keel and stack pack system. There are lots of extras, including radar, freezer, autopilot twin alternators, electric halyard winch and much more. These models have proved themselves offshore both cruising and racing in New Zealand. Being a three cabin, two head version, she is very spacious below and can be best described as a no nonsense cruiser and those that have done any ocean voyage speak highly of the design.
The master cabin forward has the en suite and a lot of stowage, including a row of chest-height timber cupboards with positive-lock doors, mounted each side of the hull. The galley is arranged in linear fashion down the portside. The work surface extends full-length, including a cover over the stove, which hides the cook top when not in use. The dinette is to starboard. The double seat unit mounted near the boat's centreline has a freezer below. Aft of the saloon you will find the second head on the portside and the decent-sized navigation area to starboard. There are two mirror-image double cabs aft again with plenty of storage. For added comfort, all cabins are fitted with innerspring mattresses. Good value and viewing is recommended.
For more information on this fine yacht www.busfieldmarine.co.nz/shop/Used+Yachts/From+12m+to+15m/Bavaria+44.html!click_here
Bavaria 39, 2007, $275,000
A stunning example of this popular model in near new condition. This one is very well spec'd with loads of goodies including high tech sails with a vertical battened in-mast furling main, chart plotter/radar, diesel heater, 500L water capacity, near new tender, Honda 2hp etc. Again Bavaria amazes with just how much they can fit into a boat of this size – a spacious saloon with linear galley, a master cabin forward with ensuite, two double cabins aft and a second head with separate shower stall and electric toilet. In superb condition this is a much loved boat that has been very well cared for. Undoubtedly worth taking a look at.
For more information on this fine yacht www.busfieldmarine.co.nz/shop/Used+Yachts/Up+to+12m/Bavaria+39.html!click_here
Bavaria 38
Bavaria 38, 2004, $198,000
The Bavaria 38 is a very popular model and just listed this one is well equipped and in very good condition. She has a great electrical system with high output alternator, Smart charger and gel hybrid batteries. Her 29HP Volvo, which has done approximately 1000 hours, gives an easy cruising speed of 6 knots. Her electronics are all networked and include a chart plotter and autopilot. A lovely interior with a spacious saloon and galley, 2 double cabins, a large head and loads of storage. Comes with almost new dinghy & outboard. Definitely worth viewing.
For more information on this fine yacht www.busfieldmarine.co.nz/shop/Used+Yachts/Up+to+12m/Bavaria+38-2.html!click_here
Bavaria 32
Bavaria 32, 2010, $179,000
A very rare opportunity has emerged to purchase this near new Bavaria 32 with only 50 hours on the engine. She is sadly for sale due to her owner being transferred overseas. Superbly equipped for New Zealand conditions, she comes with many options. The Cruiser 32 leads its class for interior space. The raised coach roof, achieves two goals. It gives six feet of headroom in the salon, and it gives protection to the aft cockpit which has a relatively raised cockpit floor. This in turn gives more space and headroom in the aft cabin, below the cockpit. Two large central hatches and six opening port-lights provide an abundance of natural light.
The two cabins, fore and aft, have accommodation more usually associated with a 36 footer. The modern saloon and galley area, stylishly equipped, combine to create an atmosphere of sophisticated simplicity. One of the great new features of the new Cruiser range includes the boarding platform which spans the width of the stern. It is manually lowered and raised on the Cruiser 32 model, but with ingenious counter balancing, and sturdy hinges, it is an effortless exercise. The instruments and leather bound wheel are mounted on a central binnacle. This model is equipped with the in-mast furling and the high tech sails. There are now four of this popular model in New Zealand. Located in Auckland and ready to go, a must view for all new boat buyers.
For more information on this fine yacht http://www.busfieldmarine.co.nz/shop/Used+Yachts/Up+to+12m/Bavaria+32+2010.html!click_here
For further details on any of these yachts, or the many others available, please contact the team at Busfield Marine Brokers on 09 302 1220 or at email@example.com


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Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Women T-Shirt for a special occasion, give a Printed Women T-Shirt as a present or need to represent with a funny Tee during Christmas or St. Patrick's Day, Idakoos is sure to have the right Women T-Shirt for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right TShirt with the perfect design for your mother, father or children; Idakoos offers all of its men's women's and children's Women T-Shirts as Custom Women T-Shirts. Personalize any Women T-Shirt the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
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In the City of Pasadena, the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget process is managed by the Department of Public Works. This budget consists of projects aimed at improving the city's public infrastructure such as streets, transportation issues, street lights, traffic signals, parks, public buildings, sewer and storm drains, the Rose Bowl, the Pasadena Center, technology and water and power projects.
Recommended Fiscal Year 2018 - 2022
Fiscal Year 2017 - 2021Fiscal Year 2016 - 2020Fiscal Year 2015 - 2019Fiscal Year 2014 - 2018Fiscal Year 2013 - 2017Fiscal Year 2012 - 2016Fiscal Year 2011 - 2015Fiscal Year 2010 - 2014
The development of the CIP budget is a collaborative process. Every year the Department of Public Works sends out a "Call for New Projects" which provides the City Council, Commission members and City employees with a formal means for submitting new project ideas. The projects ideas are then reviewed and prioritized for possible inclusion in the CIP. To qualify for the CIP, a project must have a total estimated cost of at least $75,000 and meet one or more of the following criteria:
Once a project idea is submitted, it is reviewed by the Finance and Management Services Division staff for completeness and to insure it qualifies as a CIP project. It is then put into one of the 14 CIP categories:
Projects are then sent to the appropriate Department for review and comment. Department staff reviews each project and prioritize them as high, medium or low. Next, each Department prepares a preliminary cost estimate for the construction or implementation of the high priority projects. After the project costs have been developed, the appropriate department recommends how the new project will be integrated with the projects that are already planned. A high priority new project may require the postponement of an existing project. The department then recommends a funding plan for each project based upon the priorities. This list is reviewed and approved by the City Manager. A City Manager's Recommended CIP budget is prepared and sent to the appropriate citizens' commissions/committees for review and support. The citizen groups and the categories they review are listed below:
At each commission meeting, as well as the Finance Committee and City Council meetings, citizens are invited and encouraged to participate in the CIP process. Before any votes of support are taken, public comment is heard and considered. The City Manager's Recommended CIP Budget, along with the comments and suggested changes of the citizen groups, is then presented to the City Council's Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reviews the City Manager's Recommended CIP in detail, considers comments and recommendations from citizens' commissions, and makes a final budget recommendation to the full City Council. The City Council holds a public hearing to review and discuss the City Manager's Recommended CIP. At the conclusion of the public hearing the City Council votes to adopt a Capital Improvement Program.


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Python Prints Under $100
If our grandfather was the founder of a global beauty and spa dynasty, we'd spend endless days lazing around the sauna. There might even be palm fronds involved. So it seemed perfectly fitting to find Claire Courtin-Clarins, 24, at — where else? — a spa.
"I was expecting to see a barren desert," she says of first setting eyes upon Miraval in Tucson, Arizona. "Instead, it was this lush landscape filled with life and character." The resort and spa, nestled in the Sonoran Desert, has long been a favored destination for well-scrubbed heels, but thanks to a new partnership with the French cosmetics company and much-hyped renovations, Miraval's newly opened Life in Balance Spa with Clarins is abuzz.
Claire's uncle Dr. Olivier Courtin-Clarins, managing director of the beauty brand, helped develop the new spa menu. But that's not to say Claire and her famous relatives — her sister, Virginie, and cousins Jenna and Prisca (Olivier's daughters), all glamorous fixtures on the transatlantic social scene and genetic proof that beauty products are only part of the equation — didn't provide a sounding board. "As a family, Clarins' business is always a discussion," she explains.
"I love the Grounding Facial," she says of her favorite treatment. "The heat [of warm stones], combined with the Clarins massage techniques, allows the products to be absorbed more effectively. I felt like my face looked younger and more refreshed afterward." She's also a fan of the Naga body treatment, which draws from Thai massage traditions and is attracting rave reviews all around: "The therapist stands on these beautiful silks suspended from the ceiling that he wraps around parts of your body to pull you into these deep, graceful stretches. It feels like dancing together!"
Covetable treatments aside, patrons old and new will likely appreciate the aesthetic upgrades, too: The Mithun architects and Clodagh Design team incorporated glass, stone, water, and native plants like sage and wild lavender to create a space that blends seamlessly into the natural setting, complemented by the stunning backdrop of the Santa Catalina mountains. "As an artist, the landscape and architecture totally inspire me," says Claire, who is also a photographer but had the chance to get in front of the lens for this story. Personally, we couldn't be more inspired to book a facial.
"I love the idea of having a spa in the middle of the desert."
Dress, $1,954, shoes, $1,095, Michael Kors; earrings, $860, braided leather bracelet, $1,150, thin leather bracelet, $435, Hemès; silver bracelets, $195 each, Alexis Bittar; glove bracelet, $1,355, Erickson Beamon.
Designer Dossier: Rodarte


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'The first case of the year will feature co-captain Daniel Briere, who averaged more than a point per game last year while making $1.9 million. Similar players have been getting substantially bigger contracts this summer, and the center has a successful record at the hearings. He earned a $950,000 raise in 2004. Left wing Ales Kotalik, with a hearing set for Tuesday, is the next Sabres player scheduled. He will be followed by defenseman Henrik Tallinder next Wednesday, and the first full week concludes with defenseman Toni Lydman on July 27 and forward Jason Pominville on July 28.'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Briere to lead off hearings


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The Regnum Christi Movement offers its members some guidelines of a gospel-based spirituality as an ideal of Christian life. The spiritual path that Regnum Christi members walk mainly consists in knowing, loving, imitating, and proclaiming Christ. This is the path and these are the goals.
Below, we offer some resources that can help nurture the spiritual life of Movement members and of any Christian.
Daily Prayer 2016-07-16
Listen to podcast version here.
Father Shawn Aaron, LCMatthew 12: 14-21The Pharisees went out and
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When
Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people
followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned
them not to make him known. This was to fulfill
what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my
servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I
delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he
will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend
or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in
the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a
smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice
to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."Introductory
Prayer: God our Father, you gave us your Son to
make us your children. I believe, and I am hoping
to be raised to full maturity in him through the
school of the Gospel. Thank you for your unconditional love.
I offer you my love in return, knowing you welcome
it as a parent does a small child.Petition: Jesus, like
you, make my heart attentive to the needs of others.
When Jesus Realized This, He Withdrew from That Place:There is
a great lesson for us here: It is not yet
his "hour," so Jesus does not force the issue. Jesus
does not taunt the Pharisees or provoke an unnecessary clash.
Whenever Jesus challenges a person it is in order to
lead that person to a deeper self-reflection and ultimately to
a conversion of heart and of life. He did this
on several occasions with the same Scribes and Pharisees. Yet
this is not the time to engage them intellectually; their
hearts are closed and they are unwilling to listen. When
at times we find ourselves in a disagreement (perhaps even
with a loved one), once the emotions are roused and
it becomes clear that one or both parties are not
ready for the truth, the prudent, loving and humble thing
to do is withdraw from the situation until the moment
our hearts are more open to listening. The Master
Physician:Matthew´s comment in this section of the Gospel is quite
revealing: "Many people followed him, and he cured them all."
We must not imagine that all of the healings were
physical. So "meek and humble" is Jesus that every person
felt he could approach him. If a bruised reed comes
to Jesus – a person battered by life, trials and
his own sin – his first and only inclination is
to heal that soul. Even to this very day Jesus
continually takes what is broken and makes it whole. He
is the master physician who binds up wounds so that
the person may be healed. In light of this attitude
we recognize the contrast between the Pharisees, who seek to
kill, and Jesus, who continues to give life to all
who come to him. A Ember of Faith:All Jesus
needs is the slightest ember of faith and hope to
change a person´s life. For instance, we cannot force a
person to love us or to trust us. Likewise, God
himself respects the very freedom he entrusted to us. Nonetheless,
our Lord does give the human person a searching mind
and heart. That is why we can say that the
human person is religious by nature from the beginning. Atheists
are not born; they are made by their choices. Within
the human soul God already provides us with the ember of faith,
hope and love. Once we are baptized, that kindling can
become an unquenchable fire. Yet it can also be extinguished
if we carelessly expose it to the winds and waves
of unbridled selfishness, secularism, skepticism and systematic doubt . No
matter how far we think we may have drifted, if
we will simply turn to Jesus, we will find that
he is already looking at us.Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus,
you see and know what I am to become if
I will keep close to you in faith, hope and
love. Deepen within me the desire to remain united to
you in prayer so as to imitate you in love.
Help me become with you what I can never become
without you. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for
Jesus.Resolution: Today I will contact someone who needs to be
encouraged and listened to.
The daily meditation is a service of Regnum Christi that offers people a Gospel reflection through e-mail. You can view the weekly meditation on this link or listen the podcast version here.
If you would like to subscribe or send a gift subscription, please fill out this form.


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=2/3, Sex=3/3, Mature Content=3/3. Penny Arcade and Zeboyd Games present: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3! An RPG in the classic style! The Startling Developments Detective Agency springs into action as "On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3" begins, set in motion by a call from a mysterious source! Interrupt enemy attacks! Gain power with a unique multi-class job system! No experience with Rain-Slick 1 & 2 necessary!
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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Mid-Week Matinee
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 - 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Kimberly Public Library
Spend a fun afternoon at the movies! This month's film tells the story of Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky. On a seemingly routine spacewalk, the shuttle is destroyed, leaving them spiraling out into the blackness. Rated PG-13. Refreshments will be provided. Brought to you in partnership with the Kimberly Senior Citizens.
Check out the trailer:


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(UPDATED COVERAGE, Jan. 10) Health officials in Hamilton County, Ohio, say a small, localized outbreak of E. coli linked to leafy greens in mid-December is over and they have closed the investigation.
Mike Samet, public information officer with the county health department, said the common denominator for the people who got sick was consumption of leafy greens at a local Longhorn Steakhouse.
There were five lab-confirmed cases and one "probable case" of E. coli Dec. 10-15. Samet said all six people have recovered.
"We expect no more cases and the investigation is closed," Samet said Jan. 9.
He said the county health department did not pursue further traceback on the leafy greens.
Officials with Darden Restaurants, Orlando, Fla., which is the parent company of Longhorn Steakhouse, said they conducted their own investigation and there was "no definitive link to leafy greens in this case."
Erica Jaeger, company spokeswoman, said the county health department did not test any product from the restaurant.
"There is absolutely no health risk to the public and it is perfectly safe to eat in this restaurant," Jaeger said. "The health and safety of our guests and employees is our No. 1 priority."


text: This news item expired on Monday, March 31, 2014 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect. The 2013 Appropriations Act passed by the General Assembly approved a $4 fee for soil samples analyzed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for the period from December through March. The fee is an attempt to lessen the backlog associated with the busy season when the lab is routinely inundated with tens of thousands of samples. The rest of the year from April through November, NCDA&CS will analyze soil samples without a fee. Questions? Call Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.


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Stereogranimator from NYPL Labs
ANAGLYPH made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator
by Max Clarke
[Horticultural Hall interiror, 1876 is most likely from the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. ]
Stereogranimator is a new interface for exploring the Robert N. Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views at the New York Public Library.
Project Director Ben Vershbow welcomes new ideas for ways to use the collection and improve the interface.


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The Arnold Family 2013
de ErinBurroughPhotography.com
Acerca del libro
Arnold Family photography by Erin Burrough Photography of Dallas, Tx.
Características y detalles
- Categoría Familias y paternidad
Cuadrado grande, 30×30 cm
52 Páginas
- Fecha de publicación nov. 12, 2013
- Idioma English
- Etiquetas family photography, family, dallas, texas
Acerca del creador
I am a photographer that has become a book making mad scientist. Since I was very young I have always known I would be a photographer. And with that I took photos ALL the time. Back in the day, the prints were inserted into an "Album", which I have 40 of just my teenage years. I was always obsessed with how each photo was placed in the album, time line and photo flow. Hence, now as a photographer, have used that obsession to design, create and tell a story with photography and text. Whether it be my photography or your words and photos, I can help you tell your story. If you only have prints, I can help. If you only have files, I can help. If you only have a vision, I can help. Cheers to you and to books that will always be there to tell a story.
Inicia sesión o crea una cuenta para publicar un comentario.


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Tiara Curve
Yellow Gold & Ruby
- Need help? Ask us a question
Tiara Curve
Yellow Gold & Ruby
0.25ctw rubies set in 14k yellow gold.
This ring is made to order in 4-6 Weeks. Requested modifications are subject to revised production timelines and pricing.
The Tiara Curve band consists of eleven, graduating prong set stones and fits the contour of almost any engagement ring. It's graceful curve makes it a versatile Commitment band that perfectly matches the Bea series many silhouettes. The Tiara Curve can be worn singly or stacked with multiple rings of is shape and can be made in all gold and diamond colors.


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Fall for floor-sweeping layers of lace, plunging necklines and bodycon dresses to steal the limelight for spring/summer. Love Triangle's latest collection will switch up your look, from chic ultra-feminine day dresses to polished after party looks.
Design Feature
Are you sure you want to navigate away from this site?
If you navigate away from this siteyou will lose your shopping bag and its contents.


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League remains closer after Friday's blown save
DENVER -- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he hasn't changed closers despite the game-tying two-run blast Brandon League allowed to Todd Helton in the bottom of the ninth Friday night.
"Not in my mind," said Mattingly, asked if he would make a change. "I don't want to be in between. We can talk about the game that gets blown, but the guy [Helton] is a pretty good player. It's not like he's walking guys and hitting a guy and there are bullets all over the yard.
"He made good pitches. He came in and attacked, and the guy had a good at-bat. Every time something happens you want to change, but I want to create some continuity and keep roles established."
Helton fouled off five two-strike pitches before unloading on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. Every pitch was a sinker, but Mattingly didn't second guess League for not throwing a splitter.
"He didn't try to go in, but that's what a good hitter does," Mattingly said. "You keep fighting as a hitter until the pitcher makes a mistake, and he did with the 11th pitch. I give my guy credit for throwing a bunch of good pitches that got fouled back in the stands instead of saying he didn't do his job."
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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CSS Button No Image Css3Menu.com
Maury Brown author archives.
September 17, 2012
by Maury Brown
A look at baseball most efficient and inefficient teams and how much money helps a team's chances of making the postseason.
September 10, 2012
A look at the Stephen Strasburg situation in Washington and what the Nats could have done to avoid this media nightmare.
August 27, 2012
A look at the Boston/LA deal that set a record for the most money ever involved in a Major League Baseball trade.
August 20, 2012
A look at Houston's rebuilding plan following their sale this past winter.
August 13, 2012
The Padres sale, the potential A's move, ESPN and FOX broadcasts, and umpire ejections are all examined in this week's Bizball.
August 6, 2012
A look at why contraction is not a legitimate option for Major League Baseball.
July 31, 2012
A look at the growing trend of huge free agent contracts.
July 23, 2012
A view of how Major League Baseball can make the game more appealing to fans and bring the game to them more efficiently.
July 16, 2012
Ratings for the MLB All-Star Game were up this year, but does that really tell the whole story?
July 9, 2012
A look at the changing landscape of media rights deals in sports and how MLB will be affected.
July 2, 2012
A look at how teams structure their payroll and the merits of the different strategies.
June 25, 2012
A look at how the Nationals are trying to get more out of their television deal
June 18, 2012
A look at the Padres' impending sale and how television rights deals are changing the way clubs are valued.
June 11, 2012
A look at the league's new drug policy.
June 4, 2012
Digging deeper into the new CBA.
May 29, 2012
Our first look inside the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
May 14, 2012
Musings on the new CBA, attendance, and blackouts, among other things
May 7, 2012
A look at ever-increasing player salaries and the player best-positioned to eclipse the $300 million mark
May 1, 2012
A look at the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers
April 23, 2012
Examining attendance trends throughout Major League Baseball in the early going of 2012
Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.Copyright © 1996-2017 Baseball Prospectus, LLC.


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Home prices will continue to rise next year despite higher mortgage rates, says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.
The average price for previously owned homes is expected to climb 6 percent next year, to about $207,800, Yun said Friday while speaking at the NAR's annual convention in San Francisco. That's somewhat of a slowdown compared to the price increases seen this year. The NAR predicts that home prices will end 2013 about 11 percent higher than last year.
Rates and jobs affect affordability
Rising mortgage rates will have a negative effect on the market next year, but Yun expects job growth will compensate for that. The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage should reach about 5.3 percent by the end of 2014, the NAR predicts.
"Jobs will be very important in a rising interest rate environment next year," he says.
A shortage of inventory of homes available for sale also will help push prices up, but it will slow the pace of home sales. The volume of existing home sales will be essentially unchanged in 2014, Yun says.
"The decline in inventory this year was a surprise to everyone," he says.
Nationally, median home values rose 12.5 percent in the third quarter of 2013, compared to the same period a year before. See which five metro areas fared best.


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Squall forming over beach tags at N.J. Shore
The days of the beach badge might be numbered at some Jersey Shore towns.
State Senate President Steve Sweeney is one of the sponsors of a bill that would require towns to provide free beach access if they accept state or federal aid to rebuild their beaches.
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty says he understands the logic but has concerns about the legislation.
"It doesn't seem to make sense to tie that into the expense of maintaining the beach on a regular basis.," Doherty said Tuesday. "I guess my question would be, who would pay for the lifeguards?"
Doherty says the $3 million a year in revenue Belmar gets from selling beach badges works out to the expense of beach maintenance and lifeguard costs.
He says the town has already started selling badges for next summer.
Support provided by


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Sanchez rattled by foul tip in rehab game
KANSAS CITY -- Hector Sanchez left after three innings of his Triple-A Fresno rehab stint Friday after taking a foul tip off his catcher's mask.
"He's getting some tests done now," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I don't have any results or anything for you or anything like that, but I think [it was] another foul tip.
"There's concern there," Bochy said.
On July 26, San Francisco placed Sanchez on the seven-day concussion disabled list.
"I wish I had a reason why he takes a lot of shots there, but for some reason he takes more than everybody else," Bochy said. "We're at a point where it's frustrating for all of us, including him. We've got to do something different."
Jackson Alexander is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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SAN ANTONIO -- For the first time in these playoffs, the Warriors find themselves on the brink of elimination.
With the best-of-seven series knotted entering Game 5, with a chance to take control of the series and put San Antonio on the ropes, the Warriors blinked. Tuesday's 109-91 loss was far from the nail-biters that defined this series.
The Warriors' defense was scrambled and unfocused. Their star guard, Stephen Curry, was wholly unproductive. Their immovable force in the middle, center Andrew Bogut, looked like the guy who's been battling injury all season.
Thursday, the series shifts back to Oracle Arena, where Golden State hasn't played well this series. The Warriors need a win to force a Game 7 and keep their postseason run alive.
"We'll be fine," coach Mark Jackson said. "We're excited about Game 6. We talked about it being a great series. ... My guys will bounce back."
The first two games in San Antonio, the Warriors dominated all but the fourth quarter and two overtime periods of Game 1. They blew the doors of the Spurs in Game 2, winning their first game in The Alamo since 1997.
But Tuesday, Golden State's defense was hardly the enigma it had been for the Spurs all series.
A big part was the struggles of Bogut. He played just 18 minutes, finishing with six rebounds as the Warriors were outboarded for the first time this series. He tweaked his ankle in the second quarter and sat out most of the first half. He started the third quarter. But he clearly wasn't the same presence inside.
Guard Tony Parker, the engine of the San Antonio machine, looked like the dominant All-Star he did in Game 1. He finished with 25 points and 10 assists in 34 minutes, knocking down his midrange jumper and getting in the lane.
The Warriors blew countless defensive assignments, leading to open looks for the likes of Kawhi Leonard (17) and Danny Green (16). San Antonio shot 51.9 percent from the field and made 10 of 21 3-pointers.
"We just let them get comfortable," said rookie forward Harrison Barnes, who had 25 points and seven rebounds. "We started off the game turning the ball over, which turned into fast breaks, giving them easy looks. Before, every shot they took, even if they got 3s, was contested. (Tuesday) night, it was just break down after break down. ... We were just off."
And Golden State didn't have the fire power to match the Spurs. Curry, who moved much better on his sprained ankle, had his worst game of the postseason.
He finished with nine points on 4 of 14 shooting, missing six of his seven 3-point attempts. He had eight assists but committed four of the Warriors' 14 turnovers. He was exploited on defense as the Spurs went at him repeatedly.
Guard Klay Thompson managed just four points on 2 of 8 shooting, failing to even attempt a 3-pointer for the first time all season. The Warriors only stayed within striking distance because of the play of Barnes and backup guard Jarrett Jack, who finished with 20 points off the bench.
"Me and Klay have to be better for us to get to where we're trying to go," Curry said. "There's no cutting around it."
Barnes scored on three straight trips to turn a 14-point deficit into a 90-82 Spurs lead with 6:12 left.
But San Antonio responded with 10 straight, capped by a 3-pointer from Manu Ginobili. A miss and two turnovers fueled the run, which promoted Jackson to waive the white flag at the 4:04 mark, sitting Curry, Bogut, Thompson and Barnes for good.
"I had to look towards Game 6," Jackson said. "It was just being smart, that's all. ... It was a long night for us. Give them credit."
The Warriors pride itself on bouncing back. It was pointed out a few times they haven't lost twice in a row in either of the two first-round series.
Golden State has faced down-and-out on multiple times. They've dealt with injuries, gone through losing streaks and overcome doubts all season.
Now, they face their toughest task all season: a closeout game against a team experienced at closing out.
"It's not the end of the world for us," Bogut said. It is a tough loss just the way we lost. We ran out of steam and those things happened. A similar situation happened to us in Denver for Game 5 and we bounced back. I anticipate going back to Oakland and bouncing back."


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It seems that there's a whole lot of lazy (clueless?) PC gamers out there who are too inept to tweak their gaming graphics settings in order to obtain the best performance/visual quality combination possible. This results in them running every game at default game and driver quality settings, therefore experiencing a sub-optimal gaming experience.
Into the breach steps NVIDIA! They have created a new cloud service called GeForce Experience, that analyzes your hardware, then shows you a comparison of settings when you first run a game: your defaults and what NVIDIA think is best for your hardware. You can then just accept NVIDIA's suggestions and start playing, or accept their settings and then tweak them. Seriously though, this takes the "enthusiast" out of "PC enthusiast". If you're going to do this, then just get a console and be done with it.
To support the service, NVIDIA are going to invest in a team of personnel and test hardware to build and maintain a large database of hardware/software/game combinations, which sounds expensive for them to do. The beta is expected to launch in June and it's not clear whether this will be a free service or not. The service will cover mobile devices, too.
With the beta supposedly starting in June, this is going to demand a long-term vision and constant and vigilant updates as new games, new driver revisions and user upgrades will constantly change what the "optimal" settings will be.
Comments are closed.


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Browse Wall Plaques
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Wall plaque art will fill your home with bright flowers, breathtaking scenery and intricate designs. Wall plaque sets make for attractive displays, while solitary pieces provide an elegance all their own.
Openwork Fleur Wall Plaque
Bon Appetit Wall Plaque
Wall Plaques for a Striking Display
Surround yourself with uplifting sights or simply tie your walls into your color scheme; there's no wrong way to decorate with wall plaques. Transform your bathroom into a spa retreat with a few dreamy scenes; hang plaques depicting clawfoot tubs and thriving plants, plush towels and fragrant bath oils. Or, adorn your walls with vibrant bouquets to highlight the soft pinks and buttery yellows in your prized curtains. Decorative wall plaques will foster whatever artistic vision you have in mind.
When you need a touch of interest or color on your walls, decorative plaques provide the visual appeal you desire. an attractive, fragmentary wall display with a triptych set. For an intriguing optical effect, feature convex and concave wall art panels side by side. Their rippling look will carry your eyes. Otherwise, let regal gravitas sweep the room with medallion wall plaque sets. Even a standalone piece of wall plaque art will hold its own with elaborate details and captivating beauty. Scope our art wall decor selection for fetching plaques.
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What sort of mood or ambience will your wall plaques evoke? Floral and leaf artwork will bring a nature-inspired flourish to your wall. Watch handcrafted, porcelain petals project from a vintage-look frame or let clusters of blossoms unfurl on wooden plaques. Contemporary wall artwork boasts bold, abstract designs, while depictions of wine bottles and other Italian wall plaques perfect your Tuscan style theme.
You can also train your decorating focus on distinct areas in the home. Depictions of fruit bowls and haughty roosters make for ideal kitchen wall plaques. Portrayals of lighthouses, beaches and bays provide refreshing views of calm waters, perfect for over the bathtub or above the sink. Wall plaques, however you use them, will lift your spirits and even emphasize a beloved pattern or color. Embellish your walls with striking scenes or modern graphics for an instant enhancement to any room. Finally, you can even find outdoor plaques for your patio or porch.


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Full Committee
Made in the USA: Stories of American Manufacturers
On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at 1:00 P.M., the Committee on Small Business held a hearing titled, Made in the USA: Stories of American Manufacturers. The hearing was held in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
The purpose of the hearing was to highlight the reemergence and accomplishments of small American manufacturers.
Opening Statement:
Witnesses and Testimony:
Panel 1
Panel 2
Panel 3
Panel 4
Additional Items:


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The Client Services VP/Senior Director reports directly to the Senior Vice President of Client Services and Relationship Management. The position requires a very dynamic and experienced person who can manage high performance client relationship professionals and ensure a high level of quality of service to our clients. Exposure to managing cross cultural teams will be an added advantage because Cvent has international operations of its Client Services department which includes 24x5 customer support by over 180 product consultants. This position involves international travel to our service delivery center during the year.
Client Services Team
Our team of over 180 Product Consultants and Relationship Managers is a close-knit group of dynamic and high-energy professionals, all of whom are college educated. Cvent hires bright people who are willing to learn and are extremely motivated to succeed. Most of our team has received their Bachelor degrees within the last few years. We have people from various educational backgrounds including, but not limited to business, psychology, communications and computer information systems.
This position has opportunity to travel to Cvent's international offices to provide training and mentoring to our global Client Services team.
Position Duties
Candidate Requirements
|McLean, VA
United States
|Web Site:
|8180 Greensboro Drive
Suite 900
McLean, 221021
United States
|Business Products and Services
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There's no doubt that Hanna Skandera, secretary-designate for the New Mexico Public Education Department, has been in Santa Fe lately.
Specifically, she's been in the hot seat at the Senate Rules Committee for her confirmation hearing—two years after her appointment by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. The committee, comprising six Democrats and four Republicans, can give Skandera's appointment an up or down vote, thereby either denying her confirmation—effectively booting her from her post—or sending the decision to the Senate floor. A tie vote would keep her in confirmation purgatory indefinitely.
Skandera has been a contentious figure for her educational reform ideas. But this week, a different issue came up: Skandera's frequent out-of-state trips, many of which are funded by nonprofits that contract with PED.
Travel vouchers—obtained from the state Department of Finance and Administration via a public-records request by the union-funded Independent Source PAC—show that Skandera has traveled to various locations around the country and internationally during her two years in office.
Often, her travel is paid for by groups like the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, which advocates for the same education reforms—charter schools, third-grade retention and A-F school grading—that Skandera is pushing through in New Mexico.
Although many of the trips aren't costing New Mexico taxpayers a dime, and travel isn't uncommon for high-ranking officials, critics say the fact that state contractors are paying for them may compromise Skandera's integrity. Those concerns emerged during Saturday's confirmation hearing, when Michael Corwin—the head of ISPAC, which has been highly critical of Martinez—presented his investigation of Skandera.
Corwin raised the issue of whether a state contractor paying for Skandera's travel would violate the state's Gift Act, which holds that a "government contractor shall not donate gifts of an aggregate market value greater than one thousand ($1,000) in a calendar year to any one state officer or employee."
The act, however, offers various exceptions—including travel connected with a state employee's "official duties." Indeed, each of Skandera's travel vouchers states that the trip is "required." PED spokesman Larry Behrens did not directly respond to SFR's questions about whether some trips may have violated the Gift Act.
Corwin's research shows that, over the past two years, various PED contractors have paid for Skandera's flights and hotel rooms. For instance, in 2011, PED paid the Minnesota-based Summit Education Associates, LLC, more than $96,000 for "professional services," according to the state's Sunshine Portal.
The company lists as its manager FEE Senior Policy Fellow Christy Hovanetz, who helped advise Skandera on legislation [news, Feb. 19: "Business School"]. Then, in June 2012, FEE paid nearly $3,000 to fly Skandera—who is a member of Chiefs for Change, a FEE-operated group of public officials who support the nonprofit's reform agenda—to a Chiefs meeting in Washington, DC, followed by FEE's "Festival of Education" in London.
Skandera also serves on the board of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a consortium of 22 states "working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math"—online evaluations Skandera plans to implement in New Mexico in 2015. Travel vouchers show PARCC paid a total of more than $2,000 for Skandera to attend board meetings in Washington, DC, and Alexandria, Va.
PARCC, too, has ties to state money: It's run by Washington, DC-based nonprofit Achieve, Inc., which last year landed a $39,660 contract with PED, according to the Sunshine Portal.
Skandera is also a member of the nonprofit National Association of Charter School Authorizers, which paid at least $1,800 to send her to a four-day leadership conference in Memphis, Tenn., in October 2012. NACSA, a nonprofit, has had a relationship with New Mexico since "years before" Skandera took office, Behrens tells SFR in an email, explaining that "the extent of this relationship is no more than $3,000 paid annually in membership fees."
When asked for a response to Corwin's allegations, Behrens responded: "Over two days of the hearing, supporters for Secretary Skandera and reform for our students outnumbered those who stand for the status quo. As far as responding to the presentation, it is beyond disappointing that a political operative funded by special interests is given more time before this committee than the citizens of New Mexico who traveled hundreds of miles to testify."
The committee is scheduled to continue Skandera's confirmation hearing this week.


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The Office of the Attorney General administers a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program to provide professional development and training opportunities for its staff and other state government attorneys. Some CLE Programs are offered to non-government attorneys and other professionals to help educate targeted audiences about important civil and criminal matters relevant to the State of Indiana and the constituents we serve.
Summit topics addressed:
Over 200 lawmakers, law enforcement, prosecutors, educators, school administrators and social service personnel from around the state were in attendance. The summit provided a valuable venue for information sharing and collaboration across all levels of government.
Links to the presenter's Power Point presentations are avaliable below:
Reducing Crime and Providing Safer School Enviornments
Mo Canady: Executive Director, National School Resource Officer Association
Prevalence of School Resource Officer Programs in Indiana
Donald 'D.J.' Schoeff: Carmel Police Department, School Resource Officer Association
Chris Crapser: Fort Wayne Police Department, School Resource Officer
Strategies and Improvement in the Juvenile Justice System
The Honerable Judge Marilyn Moores: Marion County Superior Court Juvenile Division
Child Victims of Human Trafficking
Abigail Kuzma: Cheif Counsel and Director of the Consuemr Protection Division, Office of the Indiana Attorney General and Mary Hutchinson: Deputy Prosecutor, Marion County
Nearly 500 professionals participated in the Attorney General's 3rd Annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium on December 19, 2012 to target strategies to more aggressively combat this issue in Indiana. Those attendees were composed of Indiana's health professionals, law enforcement officials, state legislators and other key stakeholders.
Links to the presenters' PowerPoint presentations are available below:
· Status Report of the Prescription Drug Abuse Problem in Indiana: Dr. Eric Wright
· Neonatal Abstinence Epidemic in Indiana: Paul Winchester, MD
· The Prescription Drug Overdose Epidemic: Christopher M. Jones, PharmD.
Safe and Effective Management of Noncancer Pain in Primary Care:
· Amy LaHood, MD, St. Vincent Family Medicine Residency Program
· Kalyan N. Rao, MD, Addiction Psychiatry fellow, IU Dept. of Psychiatry
· Tracy Brooks, Pharm.D., Assistant Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Manchester University College of Pharmacy
Access to Treatment for Addiction to Prescription Medications:
· Andrew Chambers, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine
Driving Increased Use of INSPECT Through INPC Integration:
· Jeffrey Hammer, The MITRE Corporation
· Charles Shufflebarger, MD, Director of IU Health Emergency Medicine Physicians, Clinical Director of Methodist
· Chris Weaver, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Wishard Hospital
A Platform for Medical Waste Disposal:
· John G. Waffenschmidt, Vice President, Environmental Science and Community Affairs, Certified Ecologist, Covanta
· Richard McLaughlin, Monroe County Sheriff
· Scott Morgan, Operations Director, Monroe County Solid Waste Management
A Physician's Perspective on the Investigation of Pill Mill Doctors:
· Timothy King, MD, President & CMO, APAC Group, (Advanced Pain and Anesthesia Consultants)
Video of the 2012 Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium
Below you will find a link to view the recorded sessions from the Attorney General's 3rd Annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium that was held on December 19, 2012 at the IUPUI Campus Center. The videos were provided courtesy of the Fairbanks Public School of Health.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller strives for an accountable, transparent and candid goverment. Over the past two years he has worked with the Public Access Counselor's Office, the Hoosier State Press Association and local media to provide training seminars with current public access laws for public officials, educators, law enforcement and most importantly - members of the public.
The training is presented by a panel of subject matter experts who discuss practical tips to assist with access to public records, ways to ensure compliance, pitfalls to avoid, non-compliance, and legislation on Indiana's Access to Public Records Act and Open Door Law. The goal of the program is to support those responsible for upholding our state's transparency laws and to educate citizens of their rights under these laws.
The live seminar that was conducted across the state in 18 different locations is now available online. The video was shot at the session held June 19, 2012, at the Indianapolis Star. It has been edited into two separate clips;
Indiana's Access to Public Records
Panel Presenters:
Joe Hoage, Indiana Public Access Counselor;
Anne Mullin O'Connor, Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Indiana Attorney General Stephen Key, Executive Director and General Counsel, Hoosier State Press Association


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TORONTO — The annual Terry Fox Thornhill Community Run is coming up quickly. On Sept. 16, people from all around Thornhill will come together on the track at Thornlea Secondary School to raise money to be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Last year, millions of people in Ontario ran, walked, rode and wheeled together, raising $12 million for cancer research.
This year, organizers are hoping to bring 500 people to the Thornhill run.
"Everybody has been touched by cancer, either in their own families or through someone they know," said Michelle Kofman, a volunteer in charge of media relations for the Thornhill run's organizing committee.
Registration forms are available for pickup all over Thornhill, Kofman said. They're in libraries, grocery stores, schools, community centres – just watch for them, she said.
People can even join in on the day of the run by registering at the start of the route in the back of the school. Additionally, forms will be handed out on Sept. 15 at the Thornhill Village Festival parade, Kofman said.
With no entry free and no minimum donation, anybody can join in. There are three routes: two, five and 10 kilometres.
Kofman said the event is particularly special, not only because of the money it raises for cancer research but also because it is community-driven.
"We take a very grassroots approached to putting the run together," she said. "It's a real community event."
There will be activities for children, as well as a free barbecue with refreshments.
The run begins at 8 a.m., and continues until around 2 p.m. The first run begins at 8:30 a.m. sharp.


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A San Rafael man pleaded guilty to marijuana cultivation Thursday in exchange for probation, agreeing to reimburse the city of Novato for the cost of fighting a fire at his grow house and to pay Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for power he illegally used, a deputy district attorney said.
Rory Mark Ward, 59, will reimburse the city and PG&E in amounts to be set at the sentencing hearing, said Deputy District Attorney Sean Kensinger. The terms of Ward's probation also will be set at the hearing, which has not been scheduled.
Ward was arrested in March after a fire broke out at 1813 Marion Ave. in Novato. Investigators said the home, owned by Ward, contained an indoor marijuana growing operation with an illegal bypass of a PG&E line.
The fire "resulted from improper use of electrical wiring and equipment," Battalion Chief Bill Tyler, the Novato fire marshal, said at the time.
Subsequent investigation of two San Rafael properties owned by Ward revealed evidence of bypassed power lines and dismantled marijuana operations, sheriff's Sgt. Pierre Ahuncain of the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force said at the time. Investigators found police garb, Department of Justice radios and thousands of rounds of ammunition — but no guns — in Ward's car, Ahuncain said.
Ward, a licensed electrician, was arrested and booked into Marin County Jail in March on allegations of marijuana cultivation and theft of utility services, and posted bail.
Contact Janis Mara via email at email@example.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/jmara.


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|Buy RSVP Terry's Tamper At Amazon!
Compare & Purchase RSVP Terry's Tamper at Amazon by clicking here!
List Price: $7.99
Amazon Price: $6.90
RSVP Terry's Tamper Description:
Designed by a professional barista, this tamper is made of heavy cast metal and compresses espresso like nobody's business.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #110 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Brand: RSVP
- Model: TAM
- Dimensions: 3.00″ h x 3.00″ w x 3.00″ l, .25 pounds
- Heavy cast metal
- 2″ Diameter (top), 2 1/4″ Diameter (bottom) x 2 7/8″ H
- Dishwasher safe
Customer Reviews:
Tamps well
I have a DeLonghi EC155 and the smaller size fits very nicely for tamping. It is able to hold over 50 lbs of pressure with no problem. I used the tamping method from Good Eats, where you put 50lbs of pressure, then twist.
Don't put this in the dishwasher
This product is not a heavy item, but it works very well. The flat design makes it easy to tamp down coffee. It is not dishwasher safe. If you put it in the dishwasher it will come out looking like tarnished and dull aluminum. I speak from experience here. It still works great, but I don't like things I have to hand wash when I have a machine that will do it for me!
Does what it's supposed to do
I have looked everywhere for a tamper that would fit Saeco Aroma for a sensible price, but 53mm tampers were either too expensive or just unavailable. Although this one doesn't fit properly, the small end of it covers about 90% of the basket. Overall, I'm happy with it. It's a temporary solution. Tamper brand or construction is not a huge variable in the resulting quality of an espresso shot. You might at well use something out of the hardware store as long as it tamps the loose grounds well enough. This is why I am skeptical of tampers that cost 50-100 dollars. If RSVP Terry tamper fits your basket's proportions you should consider it.


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A Look Inside the Nike Sports Research Lab
Where: Drummond, Wis.
Many have barked brazen words from atop a bar stool. But only the truly intrepid add skis and take the souped-up seat for a ride down a snowy slope. The stools must be at least 27 inches tall, and contestants have to stay seated for the one-fifth-of-a-mile sprint. The sitting rule began in 2000 primarily for rider protection, though staying seated also lowers the center of gravity, which increases stability and speed.
Where: Regionals nationwide
To create the concrete boats for the championship "America's Cup of Civil Engineering," competitors use concrete made of expanded glass spheres, multiple cementitious materials, and specialized admixtures. Teams spend upward of 4600 hours researching, constructing, and training. "You're out there on the lake with 20 other teams, and everyone's waiting to see which canoes turn into submarines and which will take it away, usually determined by tenths of a second," says Cal Poly alumnus Kyle Marshall, who competed for four years.
Anatomy of Big Air: How a Champion Snowboarder Uncorks a Huge Trick


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Who has the most career pitching appearances for the Reds?
Who has the most career pitching appearances for the Reds?
80% of the earth is covered by water. The other 20% is covered by Eric Davis.
Danny Graves?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
Pedro Borbon?
When all is said and done more is said than done.
my guess is Clay Carroll
"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."
The lowest acceptable payroll amount for ownership to show they are not greedy pigs is 15 million more than they are currently paying. No matter what that currently is.
Scott Sullivan
Scott Sullivan was my guess as well. Seems like it, at least.
'When I'm not longer rapping, I want to open up an ice cream parlor and call myself Scoop Dogg.'
-Snoop on his retirement
Your Mom is happy.
Both one and two are right handed, setup men.
"I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all out of bubble gum."
- - Rowdy Roddy Piper
"It takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. I am not a big man"
- - Fletch
Sure why not?
It was me.
Go Gators!
I'd go with Borbon as well
More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
Tom Hume?
Wait until the year after next year.
Borbon is my pick as well.
"I don't want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him to Johnny Bench."
Sparky Anderson
The answer is Borbon with 531.
80% of the earth is covered by water. The other 20% is covered by Eric Davis.
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