text:
ST. LOUIS-- After yet another loss on typically glorious San Diego night in late June, the team that will win the 2013 World Series was miserable.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, the lightning-rod franchise dealing with a massive payroll, crushing expectations and lengthy laundry list of injuries, went to sleep that night 12 games under .500 and 9½ games out of first place in the National League West.
SI: What the Dodgers' road success tells us about their postseason hopes
Hope remained, but it seemed almost foolish to think great things were on the near horizon.
"We had a lot of ground to make up," outfielder Andre Ethier says with a wry smile.
But neither Ethier nor any of his Dodgers teammates—the healthy ones or the ones tied to the disabled list—had any idea how quickly this team would jump from last place to first place. And the Dodgers aren't just in first place, they're pretty much in complete command of the division, five full games ahead of the second-place Diamondbacks.
"They are definitely one of the best teams in all of baseball right now," one rival scout told Sporting News.
In the 41 games since June 21, Los Angeles has won 33 times. That's a ridiculous .805 winning percentage through about a quarter of the 162-game schedule.
"I think this is kind of what everybody expected us to be like," ace lefty Clayton Kershaw says, before reconsidering a bit. "Well, maybe not quite (like this), but we were expected to compete and we're getting in there."
That's putting it mildly.
The team that will win the World Series has ditched rookie hazing in favor of rookie praising. Stroll into the Dodgers' clubhouse and you'll see players wearing a variety of t-shirts that extoll the virtues of 22-year-old sensation Yasiel Puig.
It's not a coincidence that L.A.'s rise started a mere few weeks after the arrival of Puig, the much-hyped amateur free agent from Cuba who singled in his first MLB at-bat and hit two homers in his second game.
"He's just brought so much energy to our team," says veteran infielder Nick Punto, while sporting a shirt that says 'Puig 66' (think Route 66 sign) on the front and 'No Speed Limit' on the back. "And it's a really comfortable shirt."
With his skill set, Puig plays by different rules, for better or worse (hint: it's almost all been for the better thus far). In Monday's game against the Cardinals, for example, David Freese hit a two-out double to the wall in right-center. As Allen Craig raced around the bases, Puig picked up the ball and second baseman Mark Ellis went out to his proper relay position in the short outfield.
Punto went about 75 yards closer to home, because he knew better. Puig's incredibly strong throw sailed over Ellis and right to Punto, who turned and fired to nail Craig at the plate in a game the Dodgers wound up winning by one run.
The play of Yasiel Puig has been key to the Dodgers' resurgence. (AP Photo)
"As Nick says, you have to know who's throwing it in," manager Don Mattingly said with a chuckle after the game.
Puig is hitting .372 on the season, with 11 homers, 25 RBI, seven stolen bases and a 1.024 OPS. The advanced statistics love him; since his arrival, he's near the top in the NL in wOBA (.440), wRC+ (190) and ISO (.219). One scout told SN that he believes Puig has the talent to be an All-Star outfielder for years to come.
"Having a young kid like Yasiel Puig coming in and bringing excitement, yeah, it definitely woke up the team, I feel like," closer Kenley Jansen says. "Everything started clicking. Hanley (Ramirez) came back. (Zack) Greinke came back."
The team that will win the World Series still isn't exactly sure what it's like to field a complete lineup. The Dodgers have dealt with an injury epidemic this season.
Let's put it this way: The Dodgers have played 113 games, and only two players (Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez) have appeared in more than 91. Skip Schumaker was supposed to be a bench guy who played three or four times a week, but he's third on the team with 91 games.
Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, Chris Capuano, Zack Greinke, Mark Ellis, Jerry Hairston, Stephen Fife and Scott Van Slyke have all landed on the DL at least once. Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett are done for the season after just 10 combined starts.
The Dodgers are healthier right now, but not "healthy."
Kemp, the superstar who should have won the NL MVP in 2011, is on the disabled list. He's played only nine times during this 41-game stretch. Ramirez, whose return from the DL in early June coincided with Puig's arrival to help spark this extended stretch of greatness, has missed a couple days and likely will be out a few more, though he'll avoid a stint on the DL. He's hitting .361 with 11 home runs in 54 games this year.
Matt Kemp's playing time has been limited by injuries. (AP Photo)
LA TIMES: Kemp takes batting practice, not ready to run
It says a lot about what this team's gone through that two superstars are sidelined and most people associated with the team consider this a relatively healthy group.
"It's just kind of taken off. At this point, we're just a pretty confident bunch," Mattingly said. "I think these guys feel like we can win everywhere, and we feel like we're going to win every night, pretty much. And we pretty much have, so there's no reason not to think that."
The Dodgers had their 15-game road winning streak snapped on Tuesday in St. Louis, but rebounded with a win Wednesday. They haven't lost back-to-back games since that night in San Diego. They're 16-3 since the All-Star break.
As the manager of baseball's hottest team, it's hard to believe that Mattingly came this close to being fired when the club was struggling in late May. That's when he had a blunt conversation with Dodgers CEO/President Stan Kasten, Mattingly admitted before Tuesday's game.
"Stan was really honest," he said. "He, I think, didn't want to do anything, but he said, 'Donny, at some point, I'm going to have to do something.' I understood, and I was fine with that. I understood that you can't just let your team … at some point you need a different change, a different voice. If they're not listening and it's not going good, you've got to make a change just to make a change. You could be doing the best job you could possibly do, and it still wouldn't make a difference. At some point, I get that. I get it."
It's safe to say Mattingly is no longer on the hot seat.
The team that will win the World Series has the best left-handed starting pitcher in baseball at the top of the rotation and a impressive group of arms behind him.
Clayton Kershaw has been one of the few constant bright spots for the Dodgers this season. He leads the NL with his 1.91 ERA—he led the league in that category in 2011 and 2012, too—and has thrown at least seven full innings in 19 of his 24 starts.
During this 41-game stretch, the Dodgers have won eight of Greinke's nine starts, and he has a 2.74 ERA in those games. Lefty Hyun-jin Ryu, the No. 3 starter, has a 3.15 ERA in 21 starts this season. Ricky Nolasco has a 3.00 ERA in six starts since the Dodgers traded for him in early July. Veteran lefty Chris Capuano, the No. 5 starter and possible playoff option should an opportunity arise, has thrown 13 shutout innings over his past two starts.
"You can talk about lots of things, but that pitching … starters have kept us in the game, and the games they haven't, the bullpen's come in and done a great job," Mattingly said. "This has been sustained. This has been a long time."
Don Mattingly's job was in real jeopardy in June. (AP Photo)
Kenley Jansen has locked down 10 consecutive save opportunities and has a 1.42 ERA since taking over the closer's role full time. Lefties J.P. Howell (47 games, 2.11 ERA) and Paco Rodriguez (54 games, 2.25 ERA) have been excellent. And the bullpen might get a veteran addition if former Giants closer Brian Wilson, who saved the clinching game of the 2010 World Series for San Francisco and hasn't been scored on in 11 2/3 career postseason innings, makes it back from Tommy John surgery. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning in a rehab appearance for the Dodgers' Class A-advanced affiliate Wednesday.
"He's going to give them some guts in the back end of their bullpen," says an NL scout who was there for one of Wilson's free-agent tryout sessions earlier this summer. "He has the makeup, and he's in great physical shape. Assuming he progresses with his health and rehab, he should be fine. He's like adding another piece that will help them in September."
The team that will win the World Series was completely miserable less than two months ago. Things have changed, to say the least.
"That was pretty frustrating," Ethier says. "To right it the way we did was a little crazy itself, but at the same time, we knew what we were capable of doing, and our focus, it's a good thing we never lost that."
They never lost focus then, and they rarely lose games now.
And, as long as the injury epidemic stays away, they won't drop many in October, either.


text:
To access members-only content on cta.org, please sign in below.
Register Now
Doesn't our education matter?
Vista Verde students mourn loss of programs
Crowded classrooms make learning a challenge
Oakland culinary program lacks kitchen after four years
Students will pay more but get less at CSU Fresno
Middle school students in Lodi don't want the music to end
Counseling cutbacks raise Saddleback students' concern
ESP pink slips growing along with worry there's more to come
A shorn thing for some San Lorenzo teachers
Members, community fight to prevent school closure
2009 César E. Chávez Awards recipients
2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship recipients
2009 CTA Scholarships
President Obama visits Pomona Village Academy
Adult schools, ROP programs vulnerable
San Diego leaders ask for budget reform now
Single-payer health care bill clears first hurdle
2nd-grade testing ban reconsideration
Successful LAUSD dropout prevention program cut
Summertime and the learning is easy
Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
© 1999-

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Catch up on the latest IET and engineering developments with our regular news videos.
This page includes our most recent IET News videos. Produced by our Communications and IET.tv teams, the videos come out every two months. Please contact the Communications team if you have any suggestions or story ideas for future editions.
We also have a regular Savoy Place upgrade news video, which provides updates on the refurbishment of the IET's London home.


text:
Japanese contemporary brand nonnative release this new Mountaineer Hooded Down Vest, part of the label's latest batch of releases for Fall/Winter 2010. The jacket features a vibrant orange colorway, with silver zipper/button detailing and a contrasting dark orange interior. Look for a release now through select nonnative retailers, including Vendor.
Featured Articles
nonnative Mountaineer Hooded Down Vest
Featured Articles


text:
Collection Focus: Sergei Isupov
441 Main St., Racine, WI, 53403
Open February 23
through June 8, 2014, Collection Focus: Sergei
Isupov is a mid-career retrospective for an innovative artist who has pushed
the theoretical and narrative possibilities of clay. Featuring over 20 works in
both two and three dimensions, this exhibition offers a rich visual catalogue of
what Isupov has produced to date. In addition, the show reflects the passion and
generosity of individual donors who have supported the artist and helped to
build RAM's groundbreaking collection of provocative works in clay.
Tuesday -
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 - 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays, Federal Holidays and Easter
The Museum Store closes at 4:45 pm each day.


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Bleeding and Clotting Disorders
Blood test report
My father is a 82-year old person. His recent blood test(TC,DC,ESR)report shows "Anisopoikilocytosis(+),microcytes, tear drop cells, elliptocytes,targrt cells, hypochromia".We don`t understand what these indicate.Is it something to worry about or normal? Should we go for further investigation? If so,what tests? We need some guidance.It was just a regular health check up kind of test. Apparently he does not have severe health problem(he is on blood pressure and blood sugar medications,not in unusually high dose).Some advice needed, Thanks.
The report that you are referring to: "anisopoikilocytosis, target cells…" are all descriptions of the red blood cells. All of the descriptions that you list can be caused by many different things, including bone marrow diseases, iron deficiency, and even liver disease, to name just a few. With such a long list of possibilities, I cannot say much more without being able to speak to and examine your father. I would suggest that you talk to his physician to see if he can explain to you the meaning of these findings in your father.
Spero R Cataland, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University


text:
Bug bodies are particularly well adapted to the environments in which they live,
and they have evolved many clever methods for getting themselves about. Bug
appendages may be specially adapted for running, jumping, flying or swimming.
The thorax of an insect, immediately behind the head, is packed with muscles
that assist legs and wings in their work. Insect muscles tire less quickly than
human muscles. This is not because they are stronger, but because insects are
small and their muscles are strong in relation to their body weight.
Having six legs is a very big advantage for insects. They walk by moving three
legs at time, making alternate tripods of two legs on one side with the middle
leg on the opposite side. This gives insects great stability. Many smaller
insects are able to distribute their body weight evenly across their six legs
and can literally walk on the top of water.
Insects evolved on land, so those that adopted an aquatic lifestyle had to
develop new ways of moving through their environment. Many aquatic insects have
evolved middle and back legs that are flattened and look like paddles to meet
this specific need. Other insects have developed their own unique swimming
styles. Dragonfly nymphs move by sucking in water through their rectum and then
pushing it out with great force. This jet propels them rapidly over short
Insects were the first animals to fly. Monster-sized dragonflies 70cm across
flew 300 million years agobefore even dinosaurs existed. Insects were
also the only animals to develop wings from scratch. Flying birds and mammals
all modified their front limbs into wings.
Insects can hover, fly backwards, accelerate suddenly to over 150 kilometres per
hour, and perform amazing acrobatics. Their flying skills enable them to escape
predators, to take advantage of seasonal food sources in distant locations, and
to migrate to new areas.
The best fliers are house flies, which have only one pair of wings. Their back
wings have reduced to tiny knobs and are used as stabilisers. House flies have
special muscles that allow them to beat their wings 200 times a second, which
is why they make a buzzing noise during flight.


text:
Last weekend I performed in Bologna and Naples, Italy. You can find my Bologna photos and report on a post right before this one. Needless to say I arrived in Naples with very little sleep. I've performed often in Northern Italy around Milan and on the coast in Rimini. I also performed in Malta but never southern Italy so I was really looking forward to see what "Napoli" was like. Naples is near Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea. On the drive from the airport I quickly realized this was an amazing place. It has that Mediterranean look with crowded one or two story white or pink brick buildings. It's surrounded by mountains and volcanos. It is a very very crowded city. Car roundabouts are an amazing thing to see here. This is a place like NYC where you have to have driven there years to know how to force your way through traffic. Packs of school kids run all over the place. Stray dogs run around. I got to my hotel room and crashed for five hours. There was a DJ named Milo from Florence and he had his crew with him. They were also staying in my hotel and took me to get some pizza. Naples is famous for pizza and it stood up to it's reputation. Rested and fed I did a soundcheck at the Barcode nightclub. After performing at the pool the night before I was happy to see a proper stage and a killer sound system. The event was called Hardfactory. This isn't normally a "goth" event but that night the dress code was all black (yeah!!). I performed a few new songs that no one has heard yet. I was very pleased to hear them loudly and the reaction lets me know your going to like these too. After the show there was an official afterparty. I dropped my equipment at the hotel, changed out of my now two show smelling outfit and off I went. As the sun came up we drove along the coast heading to the event. My work was done and it felt great just to be there. When I arrived I got that "never going to happen in the USA" feeling. Everyone was dancing and well here's where the credits roll because if you weren't there you just not going to know what happened. I can't wait to return.
"HARDFACTORY is proud to announce From NY (USA) – Unica data del Tour Europeo! First Time in Naples THE HORRORIST (Live!)." – Hardfactoty
For more info: facebook.com/pages/HARDFACTORY


text:
BELLAIRE, Texas - A surveillance camera was rolling while a person stole luggage that belonged to a cancer victim in the hospital, according to authorities.
It happened on Feb. 18 in the 4900 block of Palmetto Street in Belllaire.
According to police, a woman was unloading some luggage into her parked vehicle and walked inside when the thief drove up.
"The suspect happened to be driving around in the area," said Det. Doug Clawson. "They saw an opportunity where nobody was around. The vehicle was unattended and the trunk was open. Both suitcases were accessible and were stolen."
Surveillance footage from a neighbor's house shows a blue PT Cruiser with wood grain panels driving up to the house.
Doug Christians, a neighbor, said he witnessed the crime through the window of his upstairs home office across the street.
"I noticed that they had jumped out and they were gonna steal some luggage out of the back of a Mercedes," Christians said. "It was one of those situations where the (woman) had gone in to get some more luggage and (was) just gone for a few minutes."
Christians said that he ran down and tried chasing the suspects but they were already gone.
Police said the luggage actually belonged to a woman from Kerrville who was at MD Anderson getting cancer treatment. Her relative was loading her suitcases for the trip home.
"Which makes the whole situation a lot sadder," Christians said. "The thieves stole luggage from a person that wasn't even there. She was here in town for treatment."
Clawson said this case serves a great reminder to always be cautious. Neighbors said they are taking heed.
"Anyone's vulnerable if you just leave your trunk open to put groceries in it or whatever it is you're trying to do, you're potentially a target," Christians said. "People don't realize how fast someone can strike and get your stuff if you're not paying attention."
Anyone with information on the theft is urged to contact the Bellaire Police Department.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text: >>The only confusion, >>perhaps, is that the array function *is not* a __new__ method. The >>ndarray.__new__ method has arguments that are slightly different. There >>are basically two ways to create an array (as an empty array or from a >>buffer). The docstring of ndarray has more information in newer >>versions: help(ndarray). Also, look at matrix.py, chararray.py, >>records.py, and memmap.py for examples of how to subclass. >> >>Basically, you need to define the __new__ method (the only thing that's >>necessary, no __init__ is needed). Then define __mul__ and __add__ the >>way you want. >> >>from scipy import ndarray >> >>class mysub(ndarray): >> def __new__(self, *args): >> pass >> #you need to call ndarray.__new__ in here with one of two sets >>of arguments >> >> > >I guess what you are saying is that it's not generally useful to >create an array directly with > > arr = ndarray(...params...) > >and so if I subclass without overriding the __new__ method, I won't >be able to conveniently create objects of my new class with > > myob = mysub(...param...) > >I'm a bit confused by why ndarray is designed in a way that makes this >necessary, but I should be able to imitate what is done in matrix.py, >etc, to do what I want. I haven't yet installed scipy core but will >hopefully find time to play with it soon. > > > Well, no, you could actually not override the new method and just use the same creation function for your subclass. It's just that the most common array creation function "array"0 is *not* the new method. I suppose this is historical more than anything. Perhaps we should rethink the new method of the ndarray so that in fact ndarray(someobject) has the same behavior as array(someobject) I'm certainly not opposed to that and have been considering it. Sooner is better than latter, of course. Ideas welcome. -Travis


text:
Putt: Any throw from 10 meters or less as measured from the rear of the marker disc to the base of the hole is considered a putt.
Does this mean to the pole of the hole? If there was a large concrete base to the basket would it be the concrete or the pole? I guess I would have the same question about temp baskets with wooden bases.


text:
Latest Photo
'NaiRan' from Ek Shringaar Swabhimaan share an amazing off-screen bond! Click for pictures!
You will totally love these pictures of 'Ishq Mein Marjawan' cast!
Which of these looks of Harman is your favorite?
Khatron Ke Khiladi 8: Our khiladis look too stylish in these pictures!
Latest News
This weekend: Semi Finale, surprise by family members and much more on Khatron Ke Khiladi 8!
Dev: Is Mahek alive?
Shocking: Dying Shorvari asks for a promise from Teni.
Bollywood shayariz that depict the story of 'Ishq Mein Marjawan'.
December 5th, 2012
Here's how Bigg Boss winners from the last five seasons look like now.
Ishq Mein Marjawan: Catch a glimpse of an upcoming magical love story that turns into a nightmare!
September 21st, 2017
September 19th, 2017
September 18th, 2017
You Might Also Like
Aunty Boli Lagao Boli
Tu Aashiqui
Ishq Mein Marjawan
Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 8
Connect with


text:
Genesis of Scleroderma: Role of Environmental Factors in 100 Patients With Scleroderma and 300 Controls
This study has been completed.
University Hospital, Rouen
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
University Hospital, Rouen
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: September 13, 2005
Last updated: February 4, 2015
Last verified: February 2015
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease of unknown origin. Recently, the role of environmental factors, and particularly toxic drug exposure, in the genesis of scleroderma has been suggested.
This prompted us to conduct this prospective, case-control, multicentric study, including 2 groups of subjects:
- 100 patients with scleroderma
- 300 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The aim of our study is to determine whether exposure to toxics is higher in patients with scleroderma compared with healthy controls.
|Other: Questionnary for environmental factors research
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case Control
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Genesis of Scleroderma: Role of Environmental Factors in 100 Patients With Scleroderma and 300 Healthy Controls
Resource links provided by NLM:
Genetics Home Reference related topics: systemic scleroderma
MedlinePlus related topics: SclerodermaU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by University Hospital, Rouen:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Identification of environmental factor [ Time Frame: Day 1 ]
|Study Start Date:
|October 2004
|Study Completion Date:
|October 2008
|Primary Completion Date:
|October 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Patients With Scleroderma
Assessments of questionnary for environmental factors research
Other: Questionnary for environmental factors research
Questionnary for environmental factors research
Healthy Controls
Assessments of questionnary for environmental factors research
Other: Questionnary for environmental factors research
Questionnary for environmental factors research
Detailed Description:
The data of patients with scleroderma and healthy controls will be compared regarding:
- a standardized questionnaire about "cursus laboris" at initial inclusion
- a search for toxics in blood, urine and hair: at initial exvaluation, 6 month and 2 year-follow-up
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 76 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Study Population
100 Patients With Scleroderma and 300 Healthy Controls
Inclusion Criteria:
patients with scleroderma with:
- age range : 18 to 76 years
- written consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- patients with other connective-tissue disorders
- pregnant women
- patients with psychiatric conditions
- unwritten consent
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00213525
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00213525
|Rouen University Hospital
|Rouen, Rouen Cedex, France, 76031
Sponsors and Collaborators
University Hospital, Rouen
|Principal Investigator:
|Isabelle MARIE, MD, PhD
|Rouen University Hospital
More Information
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|University Hospital, Rouen
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00213525 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 13, 2005
|Last Updated:
|February 4, 2015
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Scleroderma, Systemic
Scleroderma, Diffuse
Scleroderma, Localized
Connective Tissue Diseases
Skin Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Note: This item is more than four years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
Feb. 13, 2013
Gentilz Exhibit to Debut at Texas Independence Celebration
WASHINGTON, Texas – An exhibit showcasing the works of a 19th century Paris-born painter and draftsman who chronicled early Texas life and its indigenous cultures will open on March 2 as part of the kickoff of the annual Texas Independence Day celebration.
The 16-piece Theodore Gentilz exhibit, "The Substance of Life: Texas Through the Eyes of Theodore Gentilz," will open Saturday, March, 2, during the first day of the weekend celebration at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. The Star of the Republic Museum will host the exhibit through May 31.
The two-day festival marking the 177th anniversary of Texas' Declaration of Independence from Mexico also will feature a commemorative ceremony to honor the delegates who met at Independence Hall on March 2, 1836, to decide the republic's fate, live music, historic demonstrations and re-enactments. All admission fees will be waived during the celebration weekend. Food vendors selling a variety of festival foods will be on site.
Gentilz, a Frenchman, came to Texas in 1844 as a surveyor for empresario Henri Castro and helped plat the town of Castroville. He later moved to San Antonio, where his art focused on the everyday life of the indigenous cultures, including Indians, Mexican ranchers and villagers. The exhibit includes 16 oil paintings dating from the mid-19th century.
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site features three attractions that are open year round: Independence Hall, the Star of the Republic Museum and Barrington Living History Farm.
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is located between Brenham and Navasota off State Hwy. 105 and FM 1155, approximately one hour northwest of Houston.
Directions and a complete schedule of events will be available prior to the event at http://www.starmuseum.org and http://www.birthplaceoftexas.com. Additional information is available at (936) 878-2214.
Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page.
Print — A print-friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default.
Plain Text — Plain text versions of TPWD news releases are provided for copying and pasting into editing software.
To copy text into an editing software:
- Click a Plain Text link to display the plain text page in your browser.
- Select all.
- Copy.
- Paste in a document in your editing program.
Permalink — This is a direct link to the news release, omitting the navigation context from the URI.
English/Spanish — News releases posted in both English and Spanish have one of these links.
If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send an e-mail to email@example.com and mention Plain Text Pages.
(5.4.16 i)


text:
If the Super Bowl were about travel instead of football, then San Francisco would be a prohibitive favorite against Baltimore. I doubt there is a bookie between Las Vegas and Atlantic City who would take even-money action on a "best weekend away" showdown between the Bay Area and the Old Bay Seasoning State.
Though I have spent most of my life in Southern California, I spent five years living in the Bay Area and three years in southern Pennsylvania, where Baltimore was the place to go on the weekend. I know both cities well enough to make the kind of superficial, off-the-cuff comparisons that are common among Super Bowl prognosticators. I just keep it to sourdough vs. blue crabs instead of which Harbaugh brother is coaching the better team.
So let's go to the depth charts. On the surface, a blowout for San Francisco. I am not going to claim a false parity between the two.
San Francisco is a world-class vacation city, the kind of place that people from around the globe pay thousands of dollars to visit. It's beautiful, urbane and cosmopolitan with a vibrant music scene and one championship already under its belt in the past year, by the World Series champion Giants. It has the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, cable cars, Ghirardelli Square, Nob Hill, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf. It's a city of tourism all-stars.
Baltimore is often seen as that "other city" between Philadelphia and Washington. The one long past its heyday, which is somewhere more than 50 years ago. People on the West Coast get a lot of their ideas about the city from movies or TV, ranging from the loving ("Diner," "Tin Men") to the odd ("Pink Flamingos" and "Hairspray") to the hardscrabble and bleak ("The Wire"). A recurrent line in one of this year's best-picture nominees, "Silver Linings Playbook," is that if the lead character doesn't get it together he'll have to "go back to Baltimore," to the mental hospital where he spent time. If visitors know much of anything about Baltimore as a tourist destination, it's limited to a few hundred yards around the shops, eateries and sports venues of the Inner Harbor redevelopment that began more than three decades ago.
So San Francisco is the clear winner. Except the travel scoreboard would show the contest was closer than San Francisco boosters might like to think.
San Francisco's main weakness for me comes from its strength – it has been loved to death. Crammed onto a narrow peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, it doesn't have enough real estate for all the people who dream of living there. So the people with a lot of money are forcing everyone else out of town.
In recent decades San Francisco sometimes feels more like an adult Disneyland than a real, working city. With the exception of some stubborn parts of the Tenderloin and areas in the southern part of the city, San Francisco has outsourced big hunks of its poverty to the East Bay. Along with Manhattan, it's the quintessential "nice place to visit but you'll never be rich enough to live here."
Baltimore, on the other hand, has no shortage of iffy neighborhoods. Knowing where you are going, especially at night, is a must. The city has lost a third of its population since World War II, with the suburbs sprawling ever outward. But around the Inner Harbor and over in Fell's Point, Baltimore is charming. Its Camden Yards baseball park is the original retro stadium, the template from which nearly every recent stadium – including San Francisco's AT&T Park – was designed.
San Francisco had the 1906 earthquake and fire, but Baltimore's civic martyrdom stretches from bombardment by the British in 1814 (Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" while viewing the attack), anti-Union riots during the Civil War, workers riots in the 1870s and its own great fire two years before San Francisco's – in 1904. Prosperity came in fits and starts, but a long decline was signaled by the 1968 riots after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis.
The starter kit of any Baltimore vacation is the Inner Harbor: The Marketplace stores and restaurants, the brilliant glassy wedge of the National Aquarium, Camden Yards and the Ravens football stadium. But those who are more adventurous can check out some of the 72 historic districts, many with the fantastic row houses that are Baltimore's main architectural signature. There's the oldest Catholic cathedral in the U.S., the Baltimore Basilica. The "other" Washington Monument rises above the fun Mount Vernon neighborhood. Little Italy is where House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the daughter of the mayor of Baltimore, grew up, and the neighborhood still has some great Italian restaurants. The San Francisco congresswoman is backing the 49ers. Fell's Point retains its nautical past and can be reached by a water taxi from the Inner Harbor.
Yes, there are a lot of areas in the east part of the city and portions of the west where you don't want to wander off. But there is a neighborhood texture that Baltimore holds onto, perhaps in hopes that one day its urban charms will bring the waves of gentrification that have turned around the likes of Williamsburg in Brooklyn or Pleasant Plains in Washington, D.C. Or even SOMA in San Francisco.
But that patchwork nature of the city means that prices are relatively modest when it comes to hotels and restaurants. Even excess luxury comes at a discount. A room tonight at the Four Seasons Baltimore starts at $299. A room tonight at the Four Seasons San Francisco is $535.
Bottom line – bet on San Francisco. But if you can get long odds on Baltimore as a travel destination, it would be a smart bet.
Contact the writer: email@example.com


text:
BioImage Study: A Clinical Study of Burden of Atherosclerotic Disease in an At-Risk Population
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The BioImage Study is a study of the characteristics of subclinical cardiovascular disease, as measured by imaging modalities, unsupervised circulating biomarker measurements, and risk factors that predict progression to overt clinical cardiovascular disease, in a diverse, population-based sample of 7,300 men (aged 55-80) and women (aged 60-80). The socio-demographics of the study population aims to mirror the US population as a whole with approximately 69% of the cohort will be white, 12% African-American, 13% Hispanic, 4% Asian, predominantly of Chinese descent and 2% other (U.S. Census Bureau: 2000).
The cohort will be recruited from the Humana Health Plan membership represented in three major US markets; Chicago, Illinois, Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Florida. Of the 7,300 participants, 6,000 will be characterized with respect to their Framingham risk score and various imaging features including coronary calcification, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), presence of atherosclerotic plaques, and lower extremity vascular insufficiency as determined by the ankle brachial index (ABI). Blood samples will be assayed for putative biomarkers using a variety of methodologies including unsupervised proteomic and metabolomic profiling of plasma, RNA expression profiling and candidate gene analysis or genome wide scanning. These approaches will also be combined with targeted assays for particular analytes. Biological samples will be banked at the time of collection for these analyses and for additional follow on case-control and validation studies. Participants will be followed for identification and characterization of cardiovascular disease events, including acute myocardial infarction and other forms of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and stroke; mortality; and for cardiovascular disease interventions. The remaining 1,300 subjects will be evaluated and followed in a similar manner except no imaging studies will be conducted.
The study will be conducted using an innovative infrastructure and method of participant recruitment and enrollment. Mobile clinics containing the imaging equipment will travel to the three markets included in the study. The mobile clinic configuration allows for a high level of consistency in the data measurements which will be collected from diverse geographic areas and populations. Participants will be recruited based on claims monitoring to pre-determine eligibility. The baseline examinations of the 7,300 participants will occur over a 12-month period. Based on particular findings (Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) score, Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (IMT), atherosclerotic plaque, Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), and presence of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), approximately 3,000 participants of the 6,000 imaging cohort will be referred for higher resolution imaging modalities to better characterize their arterial disease. This additional imaging will also be conducted at the mobile clinics and occur during the same 12-month period. Participants will be contacted every 6-months throughout the 3-year study to assess cardiovascular events, clinical morbidity and mortality, and to obtain additional blood samples.
|Plaque Atherosclerotic Disease Heart Disease Stroke
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|A Clinical Study of Burden of Atherosclerotic Disease in an At-Risk Population Combining Targeted and Unsupervised Biological Measurements With Non-Invasive Imaging Modalities to Identify Biomarkers That Predict Near Term (1-3-years) Outcomes
- Identify imaging and/or circulating biomarkers that predict 3-year cardiovascular events with incremental improvement over traditional risk assessment and to determine predictive value of biological and/or imaging markers for near-term (1-3year) outcomes [ Time Frame: 3-years or when 600 events have been observed ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
|Study Start Date:
|January 2008
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2014
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Survey only
Imaging group
Non-imaging group
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|55 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Recruitment will be limited to the Humana membership base using health insurance claims information to identify potential study candidates. Candidate selection algorithms have been developed to identify members who have no prior history of cardiovascular disease, but most likely would be at intermediate to high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. The target is to recruit a population that has similar demographics to the US population in terms of race and ethnicity.
The participant selection criteria for the Humana database extraction to represent a medium to high risk population*: current Humana member with at least 3 months continuous enrollment; resides in one of the three study markets; pharmacy or medical claim for diabetes, hypertension, obesity or abnormal lipid.
*Note: A separate selection will be for patients without any pharmacy claims to represent 20% of the study population.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Males Age: 55-80 years old;
- Females Age: 60-80 years old;
- Current Humana plan member;
- Resident in Chicago, Louisville, or South Florida
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), including heart attack or angina;
- History of cerebrovascular disease (CVD), including stroke;
- History of peripheral arterial disease (PAD);
- History of or surgery for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA);
- Having undergone procedures related to cardiovascular disease (CABG, angioplasty, valve replacement, pacemaker or defibrillator implantation, any surgery on the heart or arteries);
- Heart failure;
- Atrial fibrillation;
- Active treatment of cancer according to telephone survey response;
- Any serious medical condition which would prevent long-term participation or inability to complete the 3-year follow-up (e.g. Dementia, cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's Disease, advanced COPD);
- Weight > 350 lbs;
- Chest CT scan in the past year;
- Cognitive inability as judged by the telephone interviewer;
- Language barrier (speaks other than English);
- Inability to comply with visit to mobile clinic and other study requirements;
- Pregnancy (women > 60 years old are included only)
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00738725
|United States, Florida
|North Ridge Medical Center
|Oakland Park, Florida, United States, 33334
|United States, Illinois
|Forest Med-Surg Center
|Justice, Illinois, United States, 60458
|Principal Investigator:
|Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD
|Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
|Principal Investigator:
|Erling Falk, MD, PhD
|Aarhus University Hospital
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|BG Medicine, Inc
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00738725 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|August 19, 2008
|Last Updated:
|January 26, 2015
Keywords provided by BG Medicine, Inc:
High risk plaque
High-risk plaque
Vulnerable plaque
Atherosclerotic Disease
Heart Disease
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Heart Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


text:
By Varietal
Not just apples and pears are grown in abundance but there are lots of orchards of apricots right in my area of the Hood River Valley.
I have come here from Russia 13 years ago. Before then I had never tasted Chinese food. I found that America and Chinese food have deep roots together.
Since coming to America, for over four generations my family has called Virginia its home.


text:
By age 9, Mitchel Gusman was playing Pop Warner football, had just stopped playing soccer year-round and was in search of a third sport.
"I needed another sport to play in the off-season," said Gusman, now 17. "My dad found a flier for Fullerton Youth Rugby, I went out and I loved it."
The La Habra resident continued playing multiple sports up until high school. He played freshman football at Servite before transferring to Bishop Amat of La Puente. He put on the pads his sophomore and junior years, but decided his senior year would be solely dedicated to one sport: rugby.
La Puente doesn't offer the sport; the senior plays club.
As a member of the Southern California Griffins – an All-Star rugby club – Gusman traveled to Colorado for a national tournament this past summer.
Scouts and coaches from USA Rugby were on hand looking to fill slots for their High School All-American team. After an impressive weekend on the field, Gusman was one of more than 120 athletes invited to USA Rugby's winter tryout on the campus of Arizona State in December.
He arrived in Tempe the day after Christmas and practiced for five days with high school rugby players from across the country. Two weeks after returning home from the tryouts, Guzman was notified he was one of 24 players named to USA's High School All-American team.
"I was super excited," Gusman said. "I had been working so hard: going to the gym, running probably six times a week after practice. It just felt good to show that all my hard work paid off."
Just weeks after finding out he had made the team, Gusman and his teammates traveled to Las Vegas for the USA Sevens Tournament earlier this month.
Despite having only practiced together for five days in Tempe a month and a half before, Gusman and team USA played as if they had been teammates for years. The team capped off an undefeated weekend by defeating British Colombia, 17-5, in the High School Division final at Sam Boyd Stadium in front of 30,000 fans.
"It was crazy," Gusman said. "You're very nervous before the game, but once you get into the stadium, it was cool to see everyone who was going to be watching you. And when the game started, you don't even realize that all those people were watching.
"I was amazed at how well we all clicked. I really think it was the coaching and the skill level of all the players. It was very easy for us to just click."
Next up for USA Rugby is a trip across the pond to play in the Rosslyn Park Sevens Tournament in London. Gusman was one of the 15 team members selected to make the trip to play in the highly-competitive tournament.
"I've never been to Europe, so I'm excited," Gusman said. "There's going to be a lot of good competition. I know rugby is a sport kids start playing at a young age in England. So it'll be a good challenge for us."
Contact the writer: 714-704-3782 or email@example.com


text:
With a poor crop of Georgia's famous Vidalia onions expected this spring, other domestic onion growers are eager to show off their sweet side.
"Based on sales, we think more and more consumers are taking a shine to sweet onions," said Teri Gibson, director of marketing & customer relations for Yerington, Nev.-based Peri & Sons Farms, home of the round certified Sweetie Sweet, available from July to December.
"There's more information available about sweet onions and more culinary exposure on TV and the Internet," Gibson said.
"Consumers are learning that U.S. sweet onions are more widely available and they come in globe as well as flat shapes," she said.
"In the end it's all about the flavor, not the shape or the growing region."
James Johnson, vice president of Carzalia Valley Produce in Columbus, N.M, said he's expanding his flagship Sweet Carzalia seed every year.
"Demand for sweet is growing among certain retailers," Johnson said, "and we're able to take care of them from May 20 to Aug. 15."
Jay Hill, president of transportation and growers at Hatch, N.M..-based Hill Farms and Shiloh Produce Inc., said sales have been steady, and his vibrant purple box of sweet onions under the Sweet Heart label has been well received.
What New Mexican growers really need, said Hill, is a Willard Scott, the Vidalia-loving Today Show weatherman from the 1980s who often promoted his favorite onion and even munched them raw on air.
Chris Franzoy, president of Young Guns Produce Inc., in Deming, N.M., said his round, jumbo-sized Young Guns sweet onions, which make up 15% of his total volume, are gaining ground with retailers.
"Our sweet onion program increases slightly every year," said Franzoy, who markets them in a high-graphic carton.
In Edinburg, Texas, salesman Jeff Brechler of J&D Produce Inc. said he'll gladly compare the company's proprietary Honey Sweet variety to any other sweet onion.
The big, light-skinned onions have become so popular, Brechler said consumers across North America call and e-mail when they can't find them.
Quality and supplies look good and markets are stable for Honey Sweets coming out of Texas, he said May 2, and New Mexican plants look healthy for an early to mid-June start.
Bob Hale, president of River Point Farms, Hermiston, Ore., said he's seeing more emphasis on new domestic sweet onion varieties he hopes to store longer to compete with imports.
"Freight inbound from South America is expensive," Hale said, "so producing a domestic sweet that's truly a sweet onion and working out of storage here in the Pacific Northwest is an economic advantage."


text:
Transportation Matters Seminar May 22
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
May 14, 2007
"Transportation Matters" Is the Second in the Providence District Seminar Series
"Transportation Matters" seminar will be presented on Tuesday, May 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. at George C. Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. This is the second in the 2007 Providence District seminar series hosted by Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth.
The main presentation will cover the recently enacted Virginia General Assembly Transportation Plan and move to a discussion of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes along the Capital Beltway. Staff from Transurban, the firm designing and constructing the project, will outline the HOT lanes project and answer questions. HOT lane topics include the current design, the toll mechanism and pricing and the construction phase. The project will significantly impact travel around Northern Virginia. This is an opportunity for residents to ask questions.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will have tables where information will be provided on county programs developed to improve transportation. The information available will include the Residential Traffic Administration Program, which includes traffic calming; bicycling; bus service; and pedestrian walkways. Staff will be available to answer questions.
The last seminar in this series will focus on the planning and development of Tysons. This is the third year for the seminars. More information on these seminars is available on the Providence District Seminar Series Web page at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/providence/projects.htm or by calling the Providence District Office at 703-560-6946, TTY 711. Reasonable ADA accommodations will be provided upon request.
For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.


text:
This may be a strange question. I'm looking to hire someone who can examine some load time issues I'm having on our VPS. It's not a server issue, but rather it seems to be a problem specific to some of our WP sites which use the same theme+customizations (they all tend to load in 10-15 seconds , but only on the first load after I haven't visited them for a while. Other sites on the same server always load lightning fast, and their total file size is larger)
I'm aware of tools such as wp cache + minify. I will apply these, but I think there is an underlying problem which needs to be solved first.
Now, my question is - what qualifications would someone who is also an expert in troubleshooting/possibly fixing load time issues have - who exactly am I looking for?
Have you tried using the Pingdom Tool: http://tools.pingdom.com/? I've used this before to find time-sucking culprits. I would start here and then once you determine the root cause, if you still need help, then you know what kind of expert you need - someone that has experience with a particular plug-in, library, or what have you. Good luck.
Yes, thanks I have used that - I'm not technical at all and I can't seem to conclude anything from the Pingdom report though.
It seems many of the files it suggests improvements for are css files though, although there are mentions of many other things which I'm not exactly sure about.
The Pingdom report at tools.pingdom.com will give you the time required to do the DNS lookup, the wait time for the server to respond with the HTML content, and the time it takes to download all the files on the page.
If you want your site to remain secret, you could take a screenshot of the test results, hovering your mouse over the bar chart on the first line of the output so we can see the times (which is your page HTML, DNS lookup time, etc.), edit out the URL then upload it so we can take a look at it. Then we can get an idea how long the server wait time is, which is when the server should be loading all the files to generate the HTML output before sending to the browser.
Do a test on Pingdom then a couple minutes later run another test. It loads much faster the second time, right?
I wanted to mention that I, too, have noticed that when Wordpress has not been accessed for a while it takes considerably longer to load. It doesn't take as long for me as it does for you (mine is 1 - 2 seconds when it hasn't been accessed for a while, 600 - 700 ms when it has been recently accessed and I'm on shared hosting). One possible reason may be that when the site is accessed regularly, the code is cached in memory and is loaded from there instead of being read from disk. A few years back I did a test where I created a PHP file that included another PHP file and set a timer to see how long it took to load the include file. The first access always took magnitudes longer than subsequent accesses, leading me to believe the code was cached in RAM. But I am no expert in the workings of web servers.
As a matter of fact, I was running a Pingdom test on a Wordpress site I have under development prior to coming to Sitepoint and reading your post. As the site is currently being developed, I have almost no traffic from humans or bots. For the first Pingdom test, it took 1.65 seconds to load the page (using the default Twenty Twelve theme) with a wait time of 1.09 seconds which is not something I find impressive. The server load at the time was 1.64 on a shared server with 12 physical cores (two hex core CPUs) so there is no issue with server load being too high. 27 minutes later I ran another Pingdom test and it showed a load time of 604 milliseconds with a wait time of 208 milliseconds. Much faster the second time.
You didn't mention if you were using any type of PHP accelerator. The most time consuming part of generating a web page is reading data from the hard drive. With as many file includes as there are in Wordpress, not to mention any plugins you may be using, it can take some time to generate a page. But not 10 - 15 seconds. Something isn't right.
The pingdom results seems dominated by yellow, but it varies a lot for each test - and yes, subsequent tests seem to perform better. Any conclusions you could draw from the results would be greatly appreciated.
I'd be very happy with a consistent 2 second load time, although I know it could easily be better.
I'm quite sure we are using a php accelerator. A developer suggested it some time back and I had our host install it on our server if I remember correctly.
You certainly have some issues. The Pingdom test results you saved are showing that the wait time for the server to respond with content is 5.35 seconds, which is a very long time. That should be the time the server is executing all the PHP code, doing the database queries, and constructing the HTML output. The receive time for the server to transmit the data to Pingdom was 3.15 seconds, which again is a very long time when you consider the HTML is only 20.7 kb. All of the other (static) files are being downloaded fast.
On a shared server, this would be a sign that the server is overloaded. But since you are on VPS, that is unlikely. Can you find out what your server load is? There has to be a reason for that poor performance. It could be a lot of things. A bottleneck in the datacenter, with the MySQL server, with the hard drives. Is your database on localhost or on another server? I wonder if any type of internal maintenance by the Wordpress code was being performed at that time. Still, it shouldn't take that long. I have a phpBB forum that loads lightning fast but when the script does maintenance every so many views it takes a little longer at that time.
I know there can be problems with certain accelerators when used with cPanel. I don't know what your setup is.
Another thing you might want to look at is two files that were not found. A triangle with an exclamation sign in it indicates the file wasn't found. Might be a good idea to clean those up.
I just ran a Pingdom test (I did not save it or allow it to be public). Your site loaded in 2.81 seconds with a wait time of 1.12 seconds (which is not that bad). A test a few minutes later showed a load time of 1.97 seconds with a wait time of 531 milliseconds. The decrease in wait time may be the result of code being cached in memory by the server. Faster load times on subsequent accesses as you have experienced.
I haven't the time tonight, but I will look at this again tomorrow and see if I can find anything else.
Thank you, I would really appreciate that.
I'll get the answers to your questions and post here as soon as I have them.


text:
The 11 Most Important Guns in History
It's always tempting to play armchair general after a military crisis, especially with an election coming up. But there is something unsettling about the Pentagon's reaction to the fatal attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The fight dragged on for hours, seemingly long enough for some sort of intervention. In the end the consulate was burned, and later a CIA safe house was attacked and two defenders died. The failure to act during the Libyan attack clashes with the U.S. military's ingrained culture of "no man left behind."
The timeline is no longer in dispute: At 9:30 pm, the first alarm was raised. Ambassador Chris Stevens and information officer Sean Smith died shortly thereafter, and it does not appear that any response could have saved them. But the nearby CIA safe house was attacked at 2 am, and the fight that claimed the lives of two former SEALs took until 4 am. In the aftermath, a dozen CIA operatives retreated from Benghazi, giving the militants in the nation a clear win.
Somewhere between the sound bites and the political posturing are four dead Americans, some of whom died fighting hours after the initial attack. What could have been done to help them, and what risks did those options pose? We consider the possible options:
A few years ago, while visiting Forward Operating Base Salerno in eastern Afghanistan, I watched as Apache combat helicopters raced to the site of a Kiowa scout helicopter crash. Later I asked the pilots what they did when they got there. Apaches have no hoist to rescue people and no room for passengers; they are built to kill, not rescue. "Show of force," was the response. "We want to make sure our guys and the bad guys know we're overhead."
The point is that some very loud, well-armed aircraft can deter attackers on the ground. In the case of Benghazi, the fastest and safest response would have been to send in fixed-wing warplanes from airbases in Italy. Airplanes from these bases staged the attacks that liberated Libya from the Gaddafi regime. One major facility, Naval Air Station Sigonella, is only about an hour away from Libya.
These planes can operate safely in Libyan airspace. The previous regime's air-defense network is destroyed and any available shoulder-fired missiles pose little threat. So even if the new government objected to warplanes in its airspace, there was nothing they could do about it. And the administration steadfastly defends its violation of Pakistani airspace to get Osama bin Laden; the backlash against airspace violation would be minimal.
There seems to be little downside to sending warplanes to Benghazi. Perhaps such a demonstration could have prevented the attack on the CIA safe house, saving two lives and halting the loss of a critical intelligence operation.
The Evolution of Camouflage


text:
Bethany Doty '10 Steps into the PR World in St. Louis
March 4, 2011
By Bethany Doty '10
After 16 years of school, countless hours spent in class, and numerous life changes, I have recently made my biggest transition. My educational experience in the classroom has come to an end, but I have entered a new period of growth and learning. I no longer sit in a classroom frantically taking notes as the professor lectures. This has been replaced by hours in an office spent preparing work for clients. Late nights in the library cramming for exams with the help of coffee are now replaced by early bedtimes and a morning cup of coffee.
Change can often make an individual feel uncertain about what is next. Fortunately, I have never felt so prepared for my "next step." The transition to the real world has been a smooth process and I credit this to my experience at Bradley University.
My life after Bradley finds me in downtown St. Louis as a post-grad intern at Fleishman-Hillard. In an uncertain economy, a job offer is not taken for granted. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside some of the best public relations professionals in the world at a globally renowned firm.
In the middle of January I left sweet home Chicago for life in St. Louis. I have a strong tie to Chicago, but life in St. Louis is showing me there are opportunities out there if you put forth the effort to look.
I am an intern in the Public Affairs group at Fleishman-Hillard where I have been able to jump into a variety of projects for many different clients. My first month as an intern has been busy. The days fly by as I move from project to project. By the time 5:00 p.m. rolls around, it feels like I have only been in the office for an hour. I feel well prepared to complete the project work, which is a direct reflection on my educational experience at Bradley. My communications classes and the many projects associated with PR allowed me to gain valuable real-world experience before entering the working environment. I am so thankful to have been taught at a university that challenged me and pushed me to produce my best work all the time.
I know this is just the beginning and I have so much more to learn. I am excited to see the growth I will experience in the next few months at Fleishman. It is a privilege to work with individuals who are extremely talented and are excellent role models for the next generation of communicators. There is not a doubt in my mind that Bradley was the right school for me. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity in my life. Each day presents a chance to learn and grow.


text:
Harrell focused on adding curve to arsenal
VIERA, Fla. -- Astros pitcher Lucas Harrell is focusing this year on perfecting his curveball, a pitch he believes will help him work deeper into games and get more outs. He threw a handful of curves in his four innings of work Tuesday against the Nats and is pleased with the results so far.
"I felt like it was pretty good early, and we threw it a few times to lefties, a few times to righties," Harrell said. "It was my first time throwing it in a game. I really worked on it the last couple of days, really worked on it a lot this offseason trying to get it better. [Catcher Carlos] Corporan and I were on the same page the whole time, and then the defense made some good plays."
Harrell, who allowed three hits and one run and struck out four batters in four innings, is predominantly a fastball/sinker pitcher, though he has an effective cutter and changeup. He said there were some games last year he didn't throw a curveball at all.
"It's usually my fourth-best pitch," he said. "But I want to make it one of my strengths. I threw a lot down in the bullpen, and today I wanted to throw it in situations I wouldn't get hurt. I threw it a couple of times today for a first-pitch strike."
Harrell threw one to Ryan Zimmerman after throwing a couple of good fastballs and got a strikeout looking.
"I knew my curveball wasn't very good, and I knew to be successful, too, you have to pitch longer in the game," he said. "Any time you can help your team and get deeper in the game, that's the key."
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Delving into her own past, documentary filmmaker Deann Liem highlights the impact of the Korean adoption model worldwide.
©2017 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | About AsiaSociety.org | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact
Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government. All views expressed in its publications and on its website are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.


text: Serial Boxes! Collects Wildcats (1999-2001 1st Series Wildstorm) #14-19. Written by Joe Casey. Art and cover by Sean Phillips. The controversial storyline that changed the WildCats forever is collected in SERIAL BOXES. A young serial killer named Slaughterhouse Smith sets out on a vendetta against Jacob Marlowe...and anyone who shares his name! The entire WILDCATS cast is drawn into this modern horror story - a relentless tale of violence and retribution - where no one gets out unscathed. Softcover, 144 pages, full color. Cover price $14.95.


text:
Any flower is a living sculpture: Roses - Wallpaper size 1334x750 free download
1334 x 750 1334*750.
Background? Backgroud? Bacground? Backgound? Walpaper? Walpapers?
Original wallpaper download: photo, image; Background, wallpaper gallery
More photos:
Pure Antarctic ice
Wallpaper pictures free: Travel
All inclusive vacations deals
Dominican republic vacations
Tags: Flowers wallpaper · Flower · Arboretum · Subtropical · Tour · Plant collections ·
· Rose flower wallpaper · Conservation ·
· Excursions · Learning · Garden · Botanical garden · Weekend · Park · Education · Roses wallpaper · Exhibits · Rose desktop wallpaper · Rosa · Research · Display · Nature wallpapers · Enjoyment · Dendrarium · Trip · Gardening · Image · 1334 x 750 · 1334*750 · 1334x750 · Wallpapers · 1334-750 · 1334 * 750 · 1334 - 750 · 1334/750
Home page:
Beautiful wallpaper images free download: You could download and use these pictures absolutely freely as wallpapers for your computer, tablet or smartphone. Fine art photography - Extending the limits of the soul. Copyright © 2015 Dina Shvayakova & Andrew Karpov. All rights reserved.
Free wallpapers and photos are made available for your personal, non-commercial use only. You may not distribute, modify, transmit or use the content of this site for public or commercial purposes without site owner's expressed written permission.
Images on the website have been digitally watermarked with ownership and usage information. Digimarc and the Digimarc logo are registered trademarks of Digimarc Corporation. The "Digimarc-Enabled" Web Button is a trademark of Digimarc Corporation, used with permission.
Privacy Policy
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this site is as accurate as possible, the authors cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or consequences arising out of the use of this site.


text:
I was born and raised in captivity, but recently the National Geographic Society tagged me and set me free. My movements and activities are being tracked for the upcoming documentary, "Armageddon: Seriously--Would It Be That Big Of A Loss?"
Walks in the rain, mulled wine, quiet conversations by candlelight, John Tesh instrumentals--oh, wait--am I on the right website?


text:
ABOUT 2,000 competitors took part in the Castle Howard Triathlon over the weekend, including about 400 children racing on Saturday afternoon.
The event was staged in glorious weather within the beautiful 10,000 acres of castle grounds and surrounding area of stunning rural Yorkshire.
More than 160 competitors signed up for a new half iron distance race, called The Gauntlet, which was hosted at the triathlon and consisted of a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and a 21km run - perfect for those who wanted to upgrade from the Olympic distance or simply take on a new challenge.
Former Royal Marines Commando Brian Adcock, race director of the Castle Triathlon Series and the brainchild behind The Gauntlet, said beforehand that he had been inundated with inquiries and interest since word about the Gauntlet race began to spread.
The Castle Howard Triathlon was part of the Castle Triathlon Series, festival events for all levels from seven-year- olds to 70-year-olds at five beautiful castles around Europe. The event partnered with local charity, York Against Cancer.


text:
alwayson wrote:ajax wrote:I would have said that the Four Nobel Truths, which I believe are rational and include the things you mention, are the backbone of Buddhism.
You are extremely ignorant.
Dependent Origination is THE cardinal doctrine of Buddhism from Theravada to Dzogchen to the extinct schools.
P.S. Until you study Madhyamaka, you have no credibility whatsoever.
What a bizarre post.


text:
Model shown is Yaris Hybrid Design 5 door 1.5 VVT-i Auto at £18,145. Price excludes metallic paint at £515. Prices correct at time of going to print. *0% APR Representative and £1,000 Finance Deposit Allowance only available on new retail orders of Yaris Hybrid (excluding Active grade) between 3rd July 2017 and 1st October 2017 and registered and financed through Toyota Financial Services by 31st December 2017 on a 42 month AccessToyota (PCP) plan with 0%-35% deposit.
Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC; registered office Great Burgh, Burgh Heath, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5UZ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Indemnities may be required. Finance subject to status to over 18s. Other finance offers are available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time. 8,000 miles per annum, excess miles over contracted charged at 8p per mile. Toyota Centres are independent of Toyota Financial Services. Participating Toyota Centres. Affordable finance through AccessToyota. 5 year/100,000 mile manufacturer warranty. Terms and conditions apply.
~2 years free servicing on Toyota Hybrid models ordered between 1st June 2017 and 30th September 2017 and registered by 30th September 2017. Offers apply to qualifying retail customers only. Free servicing includes first 2 services in accordance with manufacturer's servicing schedule (each 12 months/10,000 miles, whichever the sooner) and must be redeemed at an Official Toyota Service Outlet. Wear parts are excluded. Service plan administered by EMAC Ltd on behalf of Toyota (GB) Plc. Valid at participating Toyota Centres only. T&Cs apply.
Dont miss out on this offer. Ends 1st October 2017. Call today for further details and to book your test drive.


text:
You want to create the trend that other people eventually follow. – Advice given to Brian Sozzi, circa 2005
By chance, did you hear that thunderous roar from the rooftop of the New York Stock Exchange yesterday? That was me. After spending weeks concocting forward-looking outlooks based on analytical rigor, I finally heard opinions in the marketplace coming around to reflect the obvious. For example:
- All cash calls are intensifying. (People must be re-reading lessons from the debt-ceiling travesty.)
- Calls to build protective positions are percolating despite the appearance of uber-bullishness. (Wall Street wants it both ways, by maintaining long equity exposure and also profiting immensely on the downside through options strategies.)
- A growing number of people appreciate that a plunge off the fiscal cliff will bring economic pain, including the likely credit rating downgrade I laid on the table a week ago.
Let me clear about this: If you ingest new portfolio risk into some ridiculous Sunday House theater session that is sure to disappoint, you do so at your own peril. I prefer to chase the rally in case news about the fiscal cliff brings some short-term clarification.
In the meanwhile, study the items listed below like a hawk; they are fresh causes for concern. If you want to entertain a more bullish posture, these occurrences (and others I've highlighted recently) should unwind either with a less-than-dreadful response from the market or with actual buying into the headline doom.
The Sad-Face List
- Stocks that log a material down day are not snapping back in the following session. I interpret this to mean that these stocks have not been sold unduly; they technically deserve a bloodletting given changing earnings outlooks. (The market seems to be the only entity recognizing the changing outlook at the moment. People are still looking for 3% S&P 500 earnings growth in the fourth quarter of 2012.)
- Have you been lulled into believing that in 2013, that the economy will create 160,000 new jobs per month, no matter the lingering fear of the fiscal cliff? If so, the price action in Paychex (PAYX) suggests that you better wake up, and quickly.
- Approximately 61% of NYSE stocks are trading above their 200-day moving average. It sounds simplistic, but the outlook for 2013 is vastly different than in 2012. This percentage has to narrow.
- Financial stocks have generally held at key technical levels on the charts. That's a good sign, right? Wrong. If the market goes south, as I imagine it could, a sell-off in financials will only feed the negativity. What stands to feed a sell-off in financials? How about: housing news that fails to support the recovery thesis. The unfortunate revision to October new-home sales fits snugly with two poor consumer confidence reports, no?
- Stocks are reacting harshly to new information instead of being viewed as an oversold buying opportunity. Two sector call-outs: retail and homebuilders.
The maximum level of pessimism has not yet shown its ugly face. Maybe it won't, if the D.C. superheroes iron something out in the next seven days. For the time being, watch the lunacy from afar as investors begin to show more respect for reality by dumping their stocks -- knowing that you safely liquidated weeks earlier (provided you read this column). I will be in touch shortly.


text:
SEATTLE -- Disney Consumer Products has partnered with Nordstrom to launch a new line of children's apparel, accessories and footwear in honor of the 45th anniversary of the "it's a small world" attraction at Disneyland.
According to the companies, the line will feature four seasonal collections that will hit Nordstrom stores nationwide and nordstrom.com/smallworld throughout 2011. Each delivery representing an individual country: 'Japanese Spring' launches the line on Feb. 28, followed by 'Indian Summer' in June, 'Scottish Fall' for September, and 'Russian Holiday' in November. Each collection includes items priced from $18 to $169 from collaborators such as Petunia Pickle Bottom, TOMS Shoes, FEED, Trumpette, Baby Nay and Mighty Fine.
"When Disney shared [artist Mary] Blair's original artwork with us from its archives, we were excited about how well it would translate into quality merchandise," said John Hunt, Nordstrom merchandise manager for infants and toddlers. "We hope our customers will love this art-driven collection as much as we do."


text:
Comparison of Three Anti-HIV Drug Combinations in HIV-Infected Patients With No Symptoms of the Disease
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
To validate that the alteration of codon 215 of reverse transcriptase in plasma virus precedes the increase in viral burden as measured in the peripheral blood and the decline in CD4 count that have been observed in association with clinical failure on zidovudine (AZT). To determine whether alternative regimens of antiretroviral agents alter the course of viral burden as measured in the peripheral blood and CD4 changes in patients with HIV infection. To obtain further data on the safety and immunologic and virologic response to AZT/didanosine/nevirapine.
Of the HIV-1 mutations reported to be associated with zidovudine resistance, the mutation at codon 215 of the reverse transcriptase gene is the most commonly occurring and has the greatest impact on susceptibility. When this mutation appears, a change in drugs may prevent further immunologic and virologic deterioration.
|HIV Infections
|Drug: Nevirapine Drug: Zidovudine Drug: Didanosine
|Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|A Double-Blinded, Randomized Trial Comparing Zidovudine (AZT) Versus AZT Plus Didanosine (ddI) Versus AZT Plus ddI Plus Nevirapine in Asymptomatic Patients on AZT Monotherapy Who Develop a Mutation at Codon 215 of HIV Reverse Transcriptase in Serum/Plasma Viral RNA
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Completion Date:
|October 1998
Of the HIV-1 mutations reported to be associated with zidovudine resistance, the mutation at codon 215 of the reverse transcriptase gene is the most commonly occurring and has the greatest impact on susceptibility. When this mutation appears, a change in drugs may prevent further immunologic and virologic deterioration.
Initially, all patients receive AZT alone. After detection of a 215 mutation in plasma RNA, patients are randomized to one of three treatment arms: AZT alone, AZT plus ddI, or AZT/ddI plus nevirapine. Patients are followed every 8 weeks and receive treatment for up to 4 years.
AS PER AMENDMENT 5/9/96: All AZT monotherapy options have been eliminated. Patients will be randomized to either Arm II or Arm III, regardless of their codon 215 status. All patients who were randomized to Arm I following a mutation at codon 215 will be rerandomized to Arm II or Arm III. All patients who were randomized to either Arm II or Arm III following a mutation at codon 215 will remain on their initial randomized assignment.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|13 Years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
Concurrent Medication:
- Chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
- Antibiotics, antifungals, and antiviral medications, as clinically indicated.
- Regularly prescribed medication such as antipyretics, analgesics, allergy medications, antidepressants, sleep medications, oral contraceptives, or any other medications deemed appropriate by the primary care provider.
Concurrent Treatment:
- Limited localized radiation therapy to the skin.
Prior Medication: Required:
- AZT (minimum 300 mg/day) for at least 1 month (uninterrupted) but no more than 2 years immediately prior to study entry.
Patients must have:
- Asymptomatic HIV infection.
- CD4 count 300-600 cells/mm3.
- No plasma/serum PCR for codon 215 mutation at screening.
- Prior AZT monotherapy.
- All Department of Defense (DOD)-eligible patients must be at least 18 years of age. Enrollment of women is encouraged.
- DOD female patients must have a negative pregnancy test within 48 hours prior to study entry.
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:
- Symptomatic grade 2 or worse peripheral neuropathy.
- Unable to swallow capsules and tablets.
- Other medical condition that contraindicates study participation.
Concurrent Medication:
- Systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy.
- Biologic response modifiers (such as interferon, ampligen, or PEG-IL2).
- Anti-HIV agents other than study drugs.
- Other investigational agents.
- Foscarnet unless clinically indicated for unresponsive herpes virus infection.
- Chronic antacid or H-2 blocker use.
- Rifampin or rifamycin class agents.
- Antibiotics containing clavulanic acid.
Concurrent Treatment:
- Radiation therapy other than limited localized therapy to skin.
Patients with the following prior condition are excluded:
- History of pancreatitis.
Prior Medication:
- Prior therapy with nucleoside or non-nucleoside antiretroviral agents other than AZT.
- Immune modulating therapies (e.g., IFN-alpha, gp160) within 60 days prior to screening.
Prior Treatment:
- Blood transfusion within the preceding 2 weeks.
Illicit drug or alcohol abuse.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00001045
Show 59 Study Locations
|Study Chair:
|Merigan TC
|Study Chair:
|Mayers DL
|Responsible Party:
|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00001045 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
11221 ( Registry Identifier: DAIDS ES Registry Number )
|Study First Received:
|November 2, 1999
|Last Updated:
|March 30, 2012
Keywords provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
Drug Therapy, Combination
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Anti-HIV Agents
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inducers
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
James Harden Sued
Allegedly Punched Fan for Saying
'Kobe Owns Your ***'
Houston Rockets star James Harden doesn't take lightly to being told he's Kobe Bryant's ***** -- so says a Lakers fan in L.A., who just sued the NBA player after Harden allegedly punched him for the diss.
According to the lawsuit, Harden was on his way out of Greystone Manor nightclub in West Hollywood November 3rd -- riding in the back seat of some SUV -- when he rolled the window down to greet fans.
That's when a man named Barak Golan says he shouted at Harden, "Kobe owns your ***!" and Harden allegedly socked him in the face.
But Harden wasn't done ... Barak says the Rockets guard flipped him off as his SUV sped away.
Barak is now suing for assault and battery, demanding unspecified damages. Harden's reps had no comment.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2013/11/20/james-...#ixzz2lIyjRWYe


text:
5 Ways to Spot Fake Drugs
Weight: 35 grams
Where: Australia
In the world of roaches, the giant burrowing cockroach is the big kid on the block. The 3-inch length is no record-setter, but the girth sets this bug apart–it's the world's heaviest cockroach.
These wingless roaches burrow into the soil of Australia and can live up to 10 years. They're not nearly as detested as their house-infesting North American relatives, though: They play a vital role in the ecosystems of the tropical parts of Queensland by recycling leaves.
Wingspan: 2.5 inches
Where: Indonesia
The largest bee in the world is also one of the most elusive. British naturalist and explorer Alfred Russell Wallace first noted giant female megachile pluto (or "Wallace's Giant Bee") in 1859, but there are no records of it being seen again until 1981. Even the natives of Indonesia, the only known habitat of the megachile, didn't know about it when Wallace discovered it.
The insect stayed hidden for so long because the female megachile uses her enormous jaws to build nests from the resin of active termite nests, making it a difficult, and perhaps disgusting, insect to track. (The nest is impervious to termites once the building material hardens.) While the female builds the nest, the puny male–only 0.9 inches long–simply hangs on a nearby vine, occasionally fending off other males.
Like Clockwork: 5 of Nature's Best Timepieces


text:
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is reportedly in talks with federal prosecutors to settle an investigation into whether the casino company violated money-laundering laws.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is alleging that the Las Vegas Sands failed to report suspicious financial transactions that two of its biggest customers made. The customers were later charged with crimes for moving millions of allegedly ill-gotten dollars through the Las Vegas Sands' accounts, according to court filings. Casinos have been required to report suspicious transactions to the government since 2003.
In July, lawyers for the Las Vegas Sands tried to persuade the government to drop the case, but prosecutors said they could indict the casino company on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors also said a Las Vegas Sands executive could be charged in the case.
The DOJ and lawyers for the Las Vegas Sands met as recently as last Thursday, according to the Journal. People familiar with the matter said the recent talk involved a settlement that could require the Las Vegas Sands to pay a fine and change the way in which it handles customer money.
Experts told the Journal that the government has recently become increasingly concerned about financial transactions involving casinos and their customers. In the past, federal or state regulators would bring civil fines against casinos for violating money-laundering laws. And though low-level employees have faced criminal charges in the past, experts say they aren't aware of any criminal charges against casino companies or high-level employees for failing to report suspicious transactions.
For more casino-related legal news, read:
"Girls Gone Wild" creator must pay $20 million to Steve Wynn
Las Vegas Sands sued over Macau gambling license
Okada amends counterclaim against Wynn, accuses GC of racketeering
Okada sues Wynn for $800 million


text:
Tuesday February 5, 2013 6:39 pm
Mophie Juice Pack Helium arrives to keep iPhone 5 charged
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Accessories, Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds
The iPhone 5 launched four months ago, and power users everywhere have been waiting for a compatible Mophie Juice Pack--the wait is over, as the Juice Pack Helium for iPhone 5 has arrived, supporting the new Lightning Connector. Packing a 1,500mAh batter, the Juice Pack Helium more than doubles the battery life of the iPhone 5. This means you get 6 more hours of talk time, or 6 more hours of web browsing. Like the older models, you can charge and sync the iPhone with the Juice Pack Helium on it through micro USB. Mophie is taking orders now, and the $79.95 Juice Pack Helium should ship later this week.
Read More | Mophie
- Related Tags:
- accessories, apple, battery case, battery pack, cellphones, iphone 5, iphone 5 charger case, juice pack, juice pack helium, lightning, lightning connector, mophie, mophie juice pack, mophie juice pack helium, smartphones
Latest Gear Live Videos
- Subscribe:
- YouTube
- iTunes High Definition
- iTunes Standard Version
© Gear Live Inc. – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.


text:
Some of the things I've had my eye on lately.
Aesop hand balm | marble iphone case (I have this one in black but like the white better!)| &tradition Bellevue lamp | Design House Stockholm night light | 3 piece bowl set | Hay's about a chair | Knotty floor cushion
Other Stories
5 comments:
thank you for your comments!
if you have any questions please email me via the 'contact' link.


text:
jsun3thousand wrote:are you in the right thread, jr?
That was not funny at all Parks had a semblance of humor in his post Parks 1 jsun 0.
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
jsun3thousand wrote:are you in the right thread, jr?
Scooot_er wrote:And disc golfers aren't always the smartest bunch.
Yeah, I'm sure that no guitarist had ever played with the guitar lying on his lap before...The present invention relates in general to a stabiliz ing support for a musical instrument of the type having a body and fretted neck eg guitars banjos mandolins and the like and more particularly to a musical instrument mounted device which positions the instrument in a substantially perpendicular orientation to a musician's body to provide total freedom for the musician's hands to play the instrument in a completely new way thus allowing the musician to create new techniques and sounds previously unknown to any musician
Anode|ION|JOKERi|MD2|FD|TD|PD|LEGENDaParks wrote:If the posts on this forum are any indication, the PD is like a Teebird with sunshine coming out of its butthole so hard that it flies faster.
BLURR wrote:
Scooot_er wrote:And disc golfers aren't always the smartest bunch.
Return to Off-Topic, Miscellaneous, etc.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Email email@example.com: 1-856-461-8883
Free Shippingon all orders $60 or more!*
You have 0 item(s) in your cart worth $0.00
Spiel Spass puzzles are high quality German-made jigsaw puzzles with a wide variety of themes and beautiful imagery - from fantasy to nature - available in 500 and 1,000 piece sizes. Whether you seek a challenge or enjoy the relaxation of piecing together stunning pictures, Spiel Spass has got a puzzle for you!


text:
LORAIN -- For an eighth grader, Julian Castro has done quite a bit of traveling over the past year.
The Lorain resident and General Johnny Wilson Middle School student has been globe-trotting with the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. He has been on an International European Tour and attended camps in Kansas, Missouri Boston and Florida over the past year.
Needless to say he's enjoyed the traveling from a culture perspective and a competitive one.
"It's a lot of fun. There are a lot of sights you can see," Julian Castro said. "Not a lot of people get that chance. You get to play with a lot of players who have different skills. It makes you better."
This week, Julian is on the most ambitious trip yet, to Guadalajara, Mexico for the USA National Soccer Federation's U14 camp.
It's a great opportunity for Castro, who had been competing on Regional teams over the past 10 months and is eager to take the next step.
"It's a big achievement," said Julian's father, Nelson Castro. "He got to go to Boston and train with the USA team there and before that did a tour of Europe with the (Olympic Development Program). That's basically how it really got started, through the ODP program.
"It's like a pyramid that goes up and once you reach the USA you reach the top and he's got a good future if he keeps it up."
For Julian, who works hard at his craft, it's a nice reward to say the least.
"It's a good achievement for me to make the national team that's what every kid playing soccer wants to do," Julian said. "I have to work hard and have determination."
Julian said a lot of his opportunities are thanks to the ODP, which has helped him develop a great deal as a player, as well as exposed him to national scouts.
"It can really get you somewhere if you join the program," he said.
Julian began playing soccer as early as three years old. It was a pretty natural fit.
"We saw it even when he was little," Nelson said. "There always seemed to be someone that saw something in him."
And as he got better, Julian began to like the game more and saw it as an opportunity as much as a hobby.
"I was good at it," Julian said. "I thought if I was good then maybe I could get somewhere with it."
He's even made a fan out of his dad, who didn't know much about soccer growing up, but has gained quite an interest.
"When I was growing up soccer really wasn't that big," Nelson said. "I think with the World Cup I think a lot more people got exposed to it.
"I've grown to really like the game especially watching him."
And it's also brought quite a bit of pride to the whole Castro family.
"My wife and I are both proud of him," Nelson said. "Our whole family. He's done a lot in the years he's been playing and moved up pretty quickly. It's nice for us to see when he gets noticed by other people. We hope he takes it to another level."
Julian returns next weekend from Mexico and then it's back to normal life until his next big camp invite. In the meantime he'll rejoin his General Johnny Wilson basketball teammates as they continue their undefeated season.


text:
Volunteers at Melksham's charity-run Art House Cafe served up something special this year, raising thousands of pounds for local and international causes.
The Market Place eatery, which has been run by the Melksham Rotary Club for three years, hosted the club's annual presentation evening on Wednesday, when more than £16,000 was given out.
Beneficiaries included the Melksham Food Bank, the 1st Broughton Gifford Scouts and the Melksham-based Wiltshire Mind.
The group also raised £1,500 for the DEC Philippines appeal, following last year's devastating typhoon.
Vice president Sarah Hiscocks said: "It was a really good evening, we had people from the charities we were presenting to, and it was great to have a bit of a catch up."
Picture caption: Melksham Rotary Club president Terry Bazeley presenting cheques to, from left, Anne Hunt and Emma Booth of Devizes Opportunity Centre, Elaine Tozer of Dream Holidays, Sylvia Gilmore of Relate, Rose Nash of Sixty Plus and Simone Matthews of Splash, at the Art House Cafe in Melksham


text:
In your marketing activities, you probably follow some rules.
Many of these "rules" are of the unwritten kind. There are certain established ways of doing things that everyone in your industry understands, and that's just the way it is. Always has been, always will be. Those are the rules.
You may market your products or services the same way everyone else in your industry markets their products and services. Why? Because "that's how everyone does it."
Everyone else sends out catalogs. You send out catalogs. Everyone else uses an in-house sales force; so do you. Everyone else has a telemarketing team, and you do as well. Brochures? Got 'em! Website? Check!
I'm here today to tweak your mind a bit, and to set you free.
How? By giving you the only two profit-boosting marketing rules you'll ever need to know. You may like these new rules better than the old ones.
Ready? Here is your first and greatest marketing rule to live by in your business, and in your life as well: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Or the way we would say it today—treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Simple, isn't it?
In some research I did for an article on workplace harmony, I discovered that the "Golden Rule" is not only found in the Bible (Matthew 7:12) but in many other religions as well. Texts in the Hindu, Muslim, Judaic, and Buddhist faiths all reference the Golden Rule.
Now for the second great rule
Now that you have the First Great Marketing Rule down pat, which you probably do your best to emulate already, here is the Second Great Rule: There Are No Rules.
Just what does that mean? Let me explain how this applies to you, your business, and your future profits.
As long as The Golden Rule is the foundation and bedrock of your business, you're going what is right as to your social responsibility. After that, how you go about developing your business and its streams of income or profit centers is an open matter. The sky's the limit. You don't have to do things the same way everyone else does. Where did you ever read that, anyway? You're free! Free to imagine and concoct and dream up new ways to look at your business, and the ways you market your products and services. For example….
Could you take your business, or part of it, and develop a continuity program? Many products and services lend themselves to having customers or clients placed on an automatic shipping and billing program. You may offer a discount, or a package price, to send products or deliver services every week or month or quarter until the client chooses to stop. You may save significant accounting and sales costs while your customer enjoys a hassle-free buying experience.
Could you work with your fiercest competitor to each other's benefit? "What? Are you crazy?" you may be thinking…. Well, why not? Both you and your competitor burn through 80 or 90 percent of your sales leads without any sales. Could you strike a deal with your competitor to work his burnt leads and give him a cut of your profits from them? Or vice-versa? Yes, these joint ventures work. And quite profitably.
Could you be more open with your clients about a recent goof-up and turn that into a reason for a fun and exciting sales event? Everyone makes mistakes. Rather than hide it, have some fun with it. Maybe you produced 50,000 widgets in the wrong color and a buyer rejected them. Just send all your customers an "I goofed" letter announcing this great buying opportunity for them. Someone will like that slightly odd color!
Could you mail a sales letter that genuinely spoke from the heart as opposed to the usual hard-sell message? You may be surprised at the results. It's disarming when sales executives or VPs just talk to clients openly and humbly as human beings, rather than delivering the usual sales pitch.
There are scores of marketing methods and avenues available. Look outside your industry and learn what others are doing. You're free to experiment and have fun with your marketing. Try new things. Try new combinations in offers. The whole wide world is open to you, and there is no rule that forces you to do anything just because "that's the way it's always been done."
Michael Cooney, Co-founder. Global Brand Development, a Marketing and Advertising Consulting group.
818 522-1970 — www.globalbrand.com


text:
Posted 6 years ago
(51 items)
Picked this 1088-95 (IForget) model up last year while looking at some bicycles for sale. It was jammed up and the drawer wouldn't close & I took a chance on it. (HEAVY...VERY) I got it home and removed the drawer and reset the machine & it works like a charm. On the Bottom of the drawer it reads...
Jan. 11th 1946 'in service date" at I.H. Crews Dept. store in Winston Salem NC.
I didn't know until recently that the white porcelin stone was to "Tap" the coins against to check to see if they were real......"No wooden Nickles" !!!