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Efficacy and fairness of the federal CSA program questioned given broad geographical differences in approaches to enforcement. More from this candid talk at TCA's Safety/Security Division meet.Read More
Ten trucking groups sent a letter to the DOT pleading for the public scores in the CSA program to be removed from public view, pointing to research that says the scores are not a reliable predictor of safety.Read More
The draft report issued April 30 from the CSA Subcommittee of FMCSA's MCSAC advisors included a large section on potential methods of improving the scoring system.Read More
"Overhaul and simplify the law to release the energy and passion of Americans so that we can begin to address the challenges of our society." --Philip K. Howard, from a 2010 talk that rings with messages directly applicable to truckingRead More
Some watchers feel that "reprioritizing" inspection criteria to grab and tie up more and more of the "little guys" among carriers on the road might be the onerous result of the GAO's focus on lack of data.Read More
Debate continues over loading/unloading situations and what exactly consitutes "off-duty" time under the new hours rule.Read More


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For much of last year, the hottest act on the pop music circuit wasn't U2 or Bruce but Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old actress-singer who plays Hannah Montana on the eponymous Disney Channel series. Tickets to her 55-city "Best of Both Worlds" tour sold out as fast as they were printed. Parents of teens and tweens heard everything from prayers to tantrums when they tried to score seats. Enough of them succeeded to push the tour gross north of $36 million.
Now, and quickly, comes a 3-D movie version of the stage show. Playing in theaters for one week only (and not previewed for film critics), it opened nationwide yesterday. One's opinion of it may depend more on age and parental status than exposure to other rock-concert films. But there's no denying the film delivers on its promise: 74 minutes of Hannah/Miley doing her/their full-throated, pop-superstar thing.
"Best of Both Worlds" is not just the title to one of Cyrus's biggest hits, of course, but the conceit underlying the
Both worlds are served in the movie, the first half of which features Montana - she's the one with the long blond tresses and NutraSweet persona - and the second half given over to Cyrus, whose hair and music are both a couple of shades darker than Montana's (but barely). Each is allotted 10 songs or so, with another two handled by the Jonas Brothers, a tween-sensation band that toured with Cyrus.
The stage setting is tricked-out arena rock at its glammiest: multilevel platforms, multiple video screens, pyrotechnics, enough dancers and backup singers to float a Broadway musical, and a walkway that projects performers right off the screen and into moviegoers' laps. The camera also ducks backstage and behind the scenes to capture Cyrus as she rehearses for the tour or prepares for her next stage number. Her mother and father (country star Billy Ray Cyrus), make brief appearances, too, as do many young fans serving to put a face, and a really cute one at that, on the Hannah/Miley phenomenon.
To point out Cyrus's vocal limitations seems, well, pointless. She sings and dances ably enough, and her tunes (she writes, too, including one song poignantly dedicated to her late grandfather) surpass much of what's heard on Radio Disney. She has boundless energy, a wardrobe that won't quit, and enough real teenager in her to come across as more than a mere Disney creation. Where she'll be in five years is anyone's guess, but one hopes it's not in rehab. That would be the worst of both worlds, and a depressing movie to watch.
Joseph P. Kahn can be reached at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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I never predicted things would move this quickly and decisively against Romney, but polls seem to be taking another dump on him. That means his VP pick is more important than ever, in the meantime Mittens issued a statement that damn near sounds like a plea for mercy:
TPM— "Our campaign would be — helped immensely if we had an agreement between both campaigns that we were only going to talk about issues and that attacks based upon — business or family or taxes or things of that nature," Romney said, according to excerpts of an upcoming interview with NBC's Chuck Todd released Friday.
Romney said he would prefer the campaigns "only talk about issues," and claimed that "our ads haven't gone after the president personally. … We haven't dredged up the old stuff that people talked about last time around. We haven't gone after the personal things."
Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul offered up a broader take on whether Romney was really suggesting that his career at Bain Capital — the crux of his argument that he is better equipped to handle the economy — should be considered off-limits.
Translation, despite the whining from traditional media and millionaire pundits on both sides, about hitting below the belt with questions about taxes paid at Bain, and ads about people getting laid off because of Bain, and on and on, those tactics appear to working really well. Who could have possibly predicted that, eh?
Romney would now very much like the WH and associated pacs to please, please stop doing any of the things that are working, at least until such time as Mitt is ready to respond or change the subject. Aside from the fact that that's not going to happen — Team Romney is inviting more simply by saying this — it's not going to play well with the he-man gun-toting keyboard kommandos that make up a big chunk of the GOP base


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Davey plans to maintain eight-man 'pen
Davey plans to maintain eight-man 'pen
Ian Desmond, Bryce Harper and Jesus Flores are all dealing with various ailments, but the Nats' eight-man bullpen has limited the bench to just four players. But given the recent strain placed on some of his relievers -- most notably, Craig Stammen had an unusually long 3 1/3-inning outing on Thursday and Sean Burnett began the day with 44 appearances -- Johnson doesn't want to shorten his bullpen in favor of adding a bat on the bench. The Nationals also just completed a stretch of three games in two days against the Braves, who now only trail by 3 1/2 games in the National League East.
"The need, still, is having the arms," Johnson said. "Even with eight of them out there, we really only had seven because I used Stammen for [3 1/3 innings on Thursday] and [65] pitches. ... Thirty-six hours, guys have been out there a lot."
Johnson also pointed out the need to get two of his most valuable relievers, hard-throwing right-hander Henry Rodriguez and the recently activated Drew Storen, on track. Since being reinstated from the disabled list on July 3, Rodriguez has made seven appearances, allowing two runs on three hits in five innings. In the first game of Saturday's day-night doubleheader with the Braves, Rodriguez entered in the eighth inning and allowed a single, a walk, a run-scoring wild pitch and three stolen bases without recording an out. Johnson eventually pulled him with a 2-1 count to Jason Heyward.
Storen, meanwhile, has appeared in only two games since being activated from the DL on Thursday. In those two games, the 24-year-old right-hander threw only a combined 17 pitches. Storen also hasn't pitched since Friday.
"I don't know where he's at, when he'll be able to pick up where he left off last year," Johnson said. "He threw nine pitches one day, eight pitchers the next. He's a closer, but maybe the work he's doing beforehand, he's still a little weak."
Though the concerns with Rodriguez and Storen need to be addressed, the most pressing situation might be reducing Burnett's workload. As the Nats' primary eighth-inning pitcher, Burnett has thrown 36 2/3 innings with a 2.21 ERA, 40 strikeouts and nine walks. After throwing 31 pitches in the eighth inning on Friday, Burnett threw another 20 in the second game on Saturday.
"I need to get it squared away where I'm not going to him all the time," Johnson said. "He wants to, he's going to say, 'I'm fine.' I like that sinker ... but I've got to get some other guys healthy and throwing the ball."


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Are British band Coldplay haunting their fans? Chris Martin and fellow group members have been forced to issue a statement making clear that two million light-up wristbands, given out to audiences on their recent tour, are not 'mind control' devices.
The pink-and-purple 'Xylobands' were designed to emit flashes of light in response to live performances of the band's hits. They were never supposed to be more than souvenirs once they left the auditorium. Yet gig-goers reported being woken up at night by strange sightings. One alarmed fan wrote on the band's website: 'My Xyloband woke me in the night and it's still glowing.' A fan from Belgium fretted: 'Mine is alive! It started flickering an hour ago.'
Clive Banks, of RB Concepts, which makes the bands, explained the 'afterglow' could have been caused by a nearby concert or a radio station frequency. Mr Banks reassured fans that the batteries will eventually run out. In the words of a popular Coldplay song, he simply advised 'Don't Panic'. - Daily Mail


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(WSCR) Apparently, there is some bad blood between former teammates Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki.
During a spring training game Sunday, the former Rockies ace beamed Tulowtizki with a fastball in his elbow.
Both benches cleared, but no punches were thrown.
After the game, Rockies manager Jim Tracy had some choice words for his former player.
"It's the most gutless act I have seen in 35 years of professional baseball" Tracy told the Denver Post. "I have lost all respect for him. He should be suspended. I am going to be very disappointed if he doesn't get suspended. Are you kidding me? Five days before Opening Day and you are going to take a potshot like that? I have lost all respect for him."


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Therapy doesn't include sex: This isn't sex therapy ("Sexual Healing," Niki D'Andrea, February 17). Sex therapy is practiced by licensed practitioners of clinical mental health, each of whom must — by law — have a copy of HIPAA guidelines, as well as a pamphlet titled "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex."
The Phoenix Goddess Temple may address the same concerns addressed in sex therapy, just as I may have seen a few photos of brains and report to have studied the same material as brain surgeons. But the criteria for becoming a certified sex therapist include licensure by your state as a mental-health practitioner and don't include the touching of clients inappropriately.
New Times feedback
If anyone paid for services from a person who claims to be a "sex therapist" and is invited or engages in any sexual activity with this person, I would urge you to call your local sexual assault recovery (rape crisis) center or otherwise report this person.
Therapy doesn't include sex. There are many good reasons for this.
Ly-Lan Lofgren, city unavailable
No sex in O.C.: Niki D'Andrea included the Goddess Temple of Orange County as "one of" the types of temples mentioned in her article on the "Phoenix Goddess Temple." We put this in quotes because we don't consider the "Phoenix Goddess Temple" to be a legitimate temple of spirituality in the form ours is.
It is just as the article described — it offers sexual services in exchange for money, with some goddess information and ceremony offered in an attempt to bring it some form of legitimacy.
Those who run it, and other so-called "temples" like it, are using our religion — a very old form of spirituality for thousands of women — as a sly cover to avoid the legal implications of prostitution. If your reporter had actually looked on our Web site, (goddesstempleoforangecounty.com), she would have clearly seen that we are a spiritual temple for women honoring the Ancient Goddess. We have no sex or sexual services available at any time to anyone.
Our temple, one of very few real goddess temples in the modern world, is now inundated with men looking for sexual services. This is highly offensive to us and to the form of spirituality we have been practicing for many years. [There is a] vast world of difference between so-called "temples" and our church, which is registered as a church with the federal government.
There is no sex offered at our temple at any time under any circumstances. Our Sunday Services are for women only, as are our nine Holy Day Ceremonies each year.
We now have to have a conversation with the police of Irvine, proving once again what our organization is and does. Your reporter's careless mistake has caused this.
Reverend Ava Park, Irvine, California
Well, it's not below us: I found the photo by Jamie Peachey [on the cover of the "Sexual Healing" edition] to be offensive, and not because I'm some kind of Christian conservative, but more because I think it's a case of using an image of a woman's body to get more readers. Why not take a picture of one of the priestesses of the temple instead of some ridiculously large-breasted picture of an unknown woman?
I also found the title of the article leading, in that you obviously want readers to think of this temple as a place of prostitution. Why try to cause an uproar over something like this? Why not try to get readers through more cerebral means?
It should be below you to use blatant sexuality to sell your product. Pathetic.
Iris Dove, Mesa
Despicable practices: This is so sick. I am a licensed massage therapist [and had] to learn and practice so many draping rules and personal boundaries. To think that these people can get away with this is just despicable.
Rabina Kahn, city unavailable
Good luck to the temple: I wish [the Phoenix Goddess Temple] luck. Our society is so deeply troubled and confused about sexuality that [it] will sorely need it.
The wounded people who can't tolerate consensual activities between adults that they don't personally approve of will demand [the temple's] persecution.
William Roentgen, city unavailable
Honoring viewpoints: Thank you for writing this article. I honor your [writer's] role as a person of this world, in sharing [her] perspective.
There are many points in the article I disagree with. [But] in the realm of my own personal beliefs about inclusion and honoring everyone as a part of this spiritual world, I honor each viewpoint as part of God.
Kris Ellen, city unavailable
John defends his buddies: I would like to call you out on the puerile pap foisted on your readers as investigative journalism. It rather reminded me of the kind of bullshit papers that I used to crank out at the last second in college.
It is clear that Niki D'Andrea already had made her judgment about the Goddess Temple before she ever put pen to paper; simply put, this was a hatchet job by a second-rate hack from the word "go."
I am familiar with the temple, both in Phoenix and Sedona, and count many of the practitioners as friends. These people are, by and large, kind, giving, compassionate people driven not by the almighty dollar but by a deeply held system of beliefs and a desire to contribute something good to the community and the world.
It is regrettable that Ms. D'Andrea didn't avail herself of a session at the Temple, as it could have been enlightening to her, and possibly, hopefully, they could have removed the large puritanical stick wedged in her anus.
John Kevin Felsch, Scottsdale
Do you get to pick?: Do you get to pick which goddess you want to rub your Root Chakra?
Bob Fairlane, city unavailable
A "goddess" speaks: I am one of the goddesses at the Phoenix Goddess Temple mentioned in the article by Niki D'Andrea. While I can understand her skepticism as an onlooker, I certainly don't agree with her views.
I offered a couple's healing session to Niki and her girlfriend, but she didn't receive a session from me or anyone else while she was at the temple.
I have studied sexology at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, where I was accepted into the master's program without preliminary college because of my experience in the adult industry and training in tantra. I dropped out because reading about sex and analyzing it isn't my path.
If there are people emotionally damaged by our tantra sessions, I would sincerely like to hear from them. I have heard of way more positive testimonials than negative experiences.
I myself have had miraculous healings through my hands since I came to practice at the Phoenix Goddess Temple. I had someone come to me after a car accident. I prayed to Jesus and Mother Mary to help me, and after he got off the table, his pain and numbness were gone. He let me know by e-mail weeks later that he was truckin' around the country pain-free and still off his pain meds!
Leila Swan, Phoenix
Alex, you don't know Niki: Who cares? The person who wrote this article seems to be pushing an agenda rather than writing a balanced piece.
Might want to check and make sure you're a journalist rather than a sexually obsessed, religious nut-job pushing your version of truth. You're as bad as the Muslims who snip little girls' privates to make them chaste. Grow up!
Alex Kasper, city unavailable
A fractured life: I have visited this temple, and I respect what they are doing. Their principles address the whole person. If we separate sexuality and make it a crime or sinful to touch, we end up with a fragmented experience of life.
Mare Simone, city unavailable
Heal the planet with sex: Time to legalize prostitution. Whatever two (or more) consenting adults agree to do sexually is none of anyone else's business. Look how many marry for money. Is that any different than having sex for money?
Save the jail space and the time and money wasted in courts for real criminals. Cheaters will cheat whether it's with a prostitute or their neighbor's partner. So that's really got nothing to do with it.Prostitution alleviates sexual tension and the likelihood that sexual predators will prey on your son or daughter. Sexually free societies are less likely to be violent.
Maybe that's how we heal the planet. More sex for everyone!
Janet Lessin, city unavailable
Mainstreamers ruin everything: It is unfortunate that the Phoenix Temple chose to allow the press to enter. Such places should avoid the press like the plague.
Much as such practitioners wish to spread their message, and to expose more people to alternative forms of healing, the reaction of the press and mainstream medicine are typical and well displayed in this abysmally biased article.
Evan Sarver, city unavailable
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Tantra is the way: As someone who researched and practiced a variety of tantric traditions solo and with a partner, I believe that the temple constitutes a gateway to many teachings.
On Friday nights, we teach aspects of tantra that open doors for those who might be willing to do the work. Sadly, most people are unwilling to do the work it takes to attain mastery. The people in their lives would be better off if they did.
[Because] 70 percent of women report they aren't orgasmic during intercourse [and] 60 percent of men say they are unable to satisfy their partner. This condition is correctible, but it requires study and practice.
Daka Rose, city unavailable
You gotta feel it to believe it: While your article may attempt the illusion of balanced reporting, I must say that I find it biased, ignorant, and inflammatory.
Shama Helena, city unavailable


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***DID YOU KNOW: The Black Eyed Peas will be performing live at the American Music Awards and AMP is giving away tickets to the show! Click here to find out how you can win them!
The Black Eyed Peas were the musical guests on Saturday Night Live and they did not disappoint. The foursome performed three of the biggest hits this year off their The E.N.D. album. It's customary for the SNL musical guest to perform only two songs, but these hit makers got the ok to perform their latest hit "Meet Me Halfway," as well as "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow."
The BEPs are fantastic performers and they really put on a great show, and it was certainly the highlight of this week's SNL. Check out the videos and tell us which one's your favorite. Don't forget, the Black Eyed Peas will be performing at the American Music Awards and you can get a chance to see them perform live by listening all week to win your tickets from AMP! Click here to get the details.
- Watch the Black Eyed Peas perform "Meet Me Half Way:"
- Watch the Black Eyed Peas perform "I Gotta Feeling:"
- Watch the Black Eyed Peas perform "Boom Boom Pow:"


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Ahtanum ORV Trails Clean-up (July 30, 2011)
Ahtanum ORV Trails Clean-up
Hosted by Yakima/Kittitas Forest Watch &
All Wheelers Off Road Club
with cooperation from the DNR.
July 30, 2011
The clean up area trails are on Sedge Ridge, Whites Ridge, and Foundation Ridge. This may include Trail 613, Strobach trail, Blue Lake and the Darland loop. The hours including your travel time are counted and help get funding for that DNR area. We plan to camp at the Sno-park again this year.
We are meeting at the Ahtanum Sno-park for the clean-up at 10 am.
Look for the Yakima/Kittitas Forest Watch banner and rigs.
After the clean-up we will have a bring a dish potluck around 5:30 for all the people come out to help.
Free camping at the Ahtanum Sno-park with Friday & Saturday night meet & greets.
For more info e-mail Clay Graham at firstname.lastname@example.com
Please post below if you would volunteer to drive the trails and pick up trash. I need a count for the DNR.
For more info on what we do, please see the past Ahtanum Trails Clean-ups:
Flyer in pdf: http://orvtw.org/flyers/2011-Ahtanum...t-Clean-up.pdf
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[+] Click Image for Larger Version
Some may have wondered where the bird was in May's quiz photo, though most respondents not only found the bird, but identified it correctly. In the right half of the picture, there is a blob protruding from the water that sports a combination of colors: blackish, gray-brown, perhaps bluish-gray, and whitish. That is the bird. Or, at least, the part of the bird visible in the picture. This bird might have been almost any waterbird that can submerge in water – on its way up or down, but perhaps there's another reason that we can see only a small fraction of the beast. But, let's see what we can do with what we have.
We'll start with the setting – apparently a pond with edge emergent and edge vegetation. This habitat certainly suggests against any of the true seabirds. Moving to the bird, itself, we can see a large dark circular bit that seems to be an eye. The darkness of it actually enables us to eliminate all sorts of diving birds from consideration, such as most cormorants, many ducks, the loons, and most grebes – there are a lot of red, yellow, and blue eyes amongst diving birds for some reason. Granted, many immatures of some of these groups sport dark eyes, but eye color can still help us out quite a bit. Additionally, our quiz bird seems to have at least a partial eye ring of some near-white color.
The shape of the head and the position of the two eyes suggest that the bird is facing us, thus the varicolored protuberance between and in front of the eyes must be the bill. Interestingly, the bill seems to be tri-colored with a pale base, a blackish vertical bar, and a pale tip that is a bit darker than the base. Well, vertical black bars on bills are quite rare on ABA-area birds and I think that everyone would be comfortable at ruling out Ring-billed Gull – particularly as when that species has a ring on the bill, it also has yellow eyes. Having ruled out various coots previously by eye color and by our bird's seemingly partial eye ring, we're left with only one real possibility: Pied-billed Grebe.
Ah, now we can understand my comment in the first paragraph. While most diving birds control their depth in the water quite actively – using wings and/or feet – the Pied-billed Grebes are masters of buoyancy, being able to alter their relative density almost passively. By pressing air out of their feathers and by moving air in or out of internal air sacs, they have very fine control of their buoyancy and can hold as much or as little of their body (up to a point at the upper end) above the surface as they wish. For a species that often finds itself on small bodies of water – such as the one in the picture – being able to essentially hide while still keeping an eye out for danger enables the specie to utilize water bodies that many other diving birds cannot.
I took this picture of an alternate-plumaged Pied-billed Grebe at Villas W.M.A., Cape May Co., NJ, on 5 April 2009.
The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the May Bird Photo Quiz—Pied-billed Grebe:
As stated in the quiz rules, answers must consist simply of the Common or English name exactly as it appears in the ABA Checklist.
The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed.
The photo and answer for this quiz were supplied by Tony Leukering.


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Mother's Day is around the corner and in case are you still looking for cute and inexpensive ideas for mom, I got you covered!!
This next craft is perfect for any mom, especially for Grandma!
It's a Grandma Magnet board that is perfect to hang pics of all the grandkids on.
What's even better about this craft is that it costs only about $5 to make. Sa-weeeet!
Here is what you'll need to make it too:
-Spray Paint
-Sheet Metal (found in roofing section of Home Depot for 99 cents)
-Scrapbook Paper
-Mod Podge
-Hot Glue
-Embellishments (I used lace to make a rolled flower)
1. Begin by cutting your piece of beadboard to your desired size. I cut mine to be about 14.5 inches by 11 inches. I also drilled two holes at top for where I would add my ribbon. Spray paint and let dry.
2. Cut your scrapbook paper to the size of sheet metal. My sheet metal was 8 inches by 12 inches. Mod podge scrapbook paper onto sheet metal by applying a thin layer of mod podge and press on as you go.
3. Hot glue sheet metal to your piece of beadboard in the middle.
4. Add your ribbon. To do this I strung a piece of ribbon through the back into each hole and tied it at the top.
5. Make magnets for your board. I made mine by adding a magnet to the back of a button.
6. Embellish with a quote and flower. I found the quote that said:
"Grandma's House – The place cousins go to become best friends."
I thought this was pretty fitting since the kiddos LOVE going to grandma's to play with the cousins. I did the same thing growing up and still consider my cousins to be some of my best friends!
I just typed this up in Word to the size I wanted, cut it out and hot glued it to the front.
You can make it any quote to customize who it is for.
I made my lace flower just by rolling it and hot gluing as I went. 🙂
Grandmas are all about the grand kids so this is a cute and inexpensive gift that would be perfect for Mother's Day (or even Grandparent's Day!)
And what's great is these get cheaper the more you make so grab a friend or two (or ten!) and get crackin' and you will have super cute gifts for under 5 bucks – score!!
For more Mother's Day gift ideas be sure to check out:
For all Mother's Day ideas go HERE.
For all Gift ideas go HERE.
And get weekly emails with monthly freebies by signing up for the Lil' Luna newsletter. 🙂
For even more great ideas follow me on Facebook – Pinterest – Instagram – Twitter – Periscope – Snapchat & YouTube.
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Early 2014 traffic up at Fort Smith, Northwest Arkansas airports
Enplanements in Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith are off to a good start in 2014, while traffic out of the Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport (Little Rock) continues a decline that saw traffic dip 5.45% in all of 2013.
Traffic increases at XNA and Fort Smith during the first two months of 2014 came against thousands of U.S. flight cancellations during the period because of winter storms.
Travelers flying out of XNA during February totaled 40,873, up 5.05% compared to the 38,908 during February 2013. For the first two months of 2014, enplanements at XNA total 82,456, up 6.16% compared to the same period in 2013. The early 2014 traffic is up 4.1% compared to the same period in 2007, the year that XNA reached its record enplanement of 598,886.
For all of 2013, XNA enplanements totaled 579,679, up 2.58% compared to the same period in 2012. The enplanement growth remained stable through the year, with enplanements up 2.42% at the end of the first quarter of 2013.
Enplanements at XNA totaled 565,045 during 2012, up just 0.4% compared to 2011. Although slight, the gain prevented XNA from posting two-consecutive years of enplanement declines. XNA's first full year of traffic was 1999, and the airport posted eight consecutive years of enplanement gains before seeing a decline in 2008.
American Airlines remains the dominant carrier at XNA with around 43% of all enplanements during 2013. Delta is second with around 27% of enplanements followed by United Airline at around 15%. The airport has more than 10 service connections with five carriers.
XNA officials recently approved upgrades and renovations to better manage the continued growth of traffic at the airport. Fort Smith-based SSI Inc. was hired in December for 2014 work that will focus on terminal lobby renovations. The work will include new counter tops at airline and rental car spaces, new carpeting and a new public address system.
Later in 2014, bathrooms and other spaces on the second floor are scheduled for renovations.
"Lots of remodeling is scheduled for this year, but it will be beautiful once completed. Thanks for your patience during these projects," noted an XNA statement.
The Fort Smith Regional Airport, served by flights from Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth, posted February enplanements of 6,212, up 3.8% compared to February 2013.
Enplanements for the first two months of 2014 total 13,034, up 9.16% compared to the same period in 2013.
For all of 2013, enplanements at the airport totaled 84,520, down 2.46% compared to the same period in 2012. The decline ended three consecutive years of enplanement gains at the airport.
With 7,836 enplanements for the first two months of 2014, American Airlines accounts for 60.1% of commercial traffic out of Fort Smith. Delta Air Lines had the remaining market share for the first two months of 2014.
Enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport totaled 86,653 during 2012, just ahead of the 86,234 in 2011, and marked three consecutive years of enplanement gains.
Enplanements at the Bill & Hillary Clinton Airport (Little Rock National Airport) were 69,459 in February, down 6.87% compared to February 2013. Enplanements for the first two months of 2014 were 143,098, down 6.67% compared to the same period of 2013.
With 48,433 enplanements during January and February, Southwest posted the most enplanements of the eight carriers operating out of Little Rock.
Enplanements in 2013 totaled 1.085 million, down 5.45% compared to 2012. Enplanements in 2012 totaled 1.147 million, up 4.07% compared to 2011. The 2012 numbers ended five consecutive years of enplanement declines at Arkansas' largest commercial field.
Early 2014 gains at Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas follow a national trend of travel and tourism increases during the fourth quarter of 2013.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday (March 20) that "real spending" on travel and tourism grew at an annual rate of 4.2% in the fourth quarter, up from a revised 3.1% in the third quarter. The fourth quarter growth was better than the overall U.S. GDP increase of 2.4% during the fourth quarter.
"For the year, real spending on travel and tourism increased 3.6 percent in 2013 after increasing 2.8 percent in 2012. By comparison, real GDP increased 1.9 percent in 2013 after increasing 2.8 percent in 2012," noted the BEA report.
Employment in the travel and tourism industries was up 2.8% in the fourth quarter of 2013 after rising a revised 1.8% in the third quarter. By comparison, overall U.S. employment increased 1.8% in the fourth quarter. For the year, employment in the travel and tourism industries increased 2.2% in 2013 after increasing 2.7% in 2012. Overall U.S. employment increased 1.7% in 2013 and in 2012.
Notes from the BEA report also included:
• In the fourth quarter of 2013, total current-dollar tourism-related spending was $1.5 trillion and consisted of $915 billion (59%) of direct tourism spending — goods and services sold directly to visitors — and $625 billion (41%) of indirect tourism-related spending — goods and services used to produce what visitors purchase.
• Total tourism-related employment was 8.1 million jobs in the fourth quarter of 2013 and consisted of 5.8 million (71%) direct tourism jobs — jobs where workers produce goods and services sold directly to visitors — and 2.3 million (29%) indirect tourism-related jobs — jobs where workers produce goods and services used to produce what visitors purchase.
• The leading contributors to the acceleration in the fourth quarter were "traveler accommodations," and "food services and drinking places." "Traveler accommodations" accelerated, increasing 14.5% in the fourth quarter after increasing 3.3% in the third quarter. "Food services and drinking places" also accelerated in the fourth quarter, increasing 7.7% after no change in the third quarter.


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Rings are potent symbols of power, the circle of life, and promises to keep. At Gemvara, we believe that the rings you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why all our rings are made from scratch in your choice of gems and precious metals. Choose alexandrite and white gold or black onyx and palladium: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from an engagement or graduation to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Celebrate Mother's Day with a brilliant gift of jewelry that will always remind her of you. Our impressive selection of rose gold green gemstone stackable rings by Ji Hwang, Tony Rodrigues, Gemvara Essentials, and many other jewelry designers means you can find a style that's perfect for you. Stylish and versatile, Gemvara's stackable ring styles can be mixed and matched with all the other rings in your jewelry box to express your unique style. Because all Gemvara rose gold green gemstone stackable rings are made to order, we can hand-select the finest quality materials to perfectly suit your design. Warm 14 karat rose gold glows with an inner pink hue which flatters skin tones. Gemvara also offers many styles in luxurious 18k rose gold, which has higher gold content. Be careful when washing your hands: rings can easily slip down the drain! Clean rose gold green gemstone stackable rings in a bowl of water with a little mild dish soap. You can use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality rose gold green gemstone stackable rings are designed to be passed down for generations, hand-crafted by skilled craftspeople in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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MISERY INDEX, DEW-SCENTED and COLDWORKER will team up for a European tour between June 14 and June 30. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.MISERY INDEX's video for "Conquistadores" premiered last month on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball". The "Conquistadores" clip was filmed on location in Brooklyn, NY with director Rick Carmona (SUFFOCATION) and producers Dale Resteghini and Melissa Manousos of Raging Nations Films.
MISERY INDEX, DEW-SCENTED, COLDWORKER To Team Up For European Tour
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When looking for a specific software solution, it can indeed happen that no single solution available on the market sufficiently responds to your needs in terms of functionality or in terms of integration possibilities. A tailor made application might be the only way to respond to the specific legal or operational requirements of your given sector, or to support particular activities.
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text:
One of the great stories coming out at the end of last week was the inclusion of Microsoft onto the OpenID Foundation board of directors. This news is that a whole bunch of players have joined: Google, IBM, Microsoft, Verisign and Yahoo joined together.
There are some interesting projects going on, with Microsoft shipping some support through an experimental OpenID provider and there is clearly work by other companies to support the same.
The biggest issue with OpenID is it is very susceptible to "Man in the middle" attacks, and my hope is that there will be work with the OpenID folks and the industry to support this with technologies such as CardSpace, which would solve the problem.


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Integrated Web Solutions began working with Nicki Schuh, president of Heartfelt Charity Cards, in March of 2004, with the goal of producing a completely redesigned and revamped customer-focused e-commerce site wherein users could browse though a wide selection of greeting cards. Upon ordering, Heartfelt wanted to streamline the order process so that customers could designate their own imprinting on both the greeting cards and the envelopes and then view a mock-up of the card as it was to be printed. "The site needed to be far more robust in terms of the functionality it needed to deliver to our customers. We fully intended to add a dramatic amount of functionality to the order process yet, we wanted the process itself to be very streamlined and easy to follow," said Schuh. "On the back-end of the system we needed even more new functionality as we expanded our business into the wholesale markets and we desired greater reporting functionality and administrative control."
IWS completely redesigned the existing web site and then got to work retooling the ordering process. Heartfelt's entire product line was then migrated into a completely new online product database and meshed with a database of charitable partners. The Heartfelt Customer database was then web-enabled as well allowing Heartfelt to send special offers and promotions to it's recurring customer base.
"Heartfelt's ordering and fulfillment processes along with their entire business system is very proprietary to Heartfelt," said IWS Senior Systems Architect, Rick Keith. "On the other hand, I've yet to see any business that runs their operations like any other. In Heartfelt's case, there was a great deal of conditional situations. For example, as a customer goes through the order process, if they elect to have only their cards and envelopes imprinted, they will see a very different order process than a customer who chooses to have neither imprinted. They have to in order to see an effective card mock-up. Almost every aspect of the system needed to be highly contained and flexible since some pieces were used over and over in different ways. The architecture we implemented allowed that sort of flexibility as we built the system and it will allow the online business system to change in the event that Heartfelt's business needs change as well."
The new site was launched in September of 2004 in advance of Heartfelt's busy holiday season. "That was really just the beginning of the project," said IWS President, John Schwarberg. "Once we launch a new site, all we've really done is open the doors of a new business, there's really no guarantee of success, what you need to do next is market and test the response to the marketing so you can meet your business goals."
Integrated Web Solutions created a number of tracking mechanisms throughout the web site combining the use of subdomains and parallel sites in order to ascertain where orders came from. "By understanding where your ordering customers are coming from, you can begin to understand where your marketing dollars should be spent. For example, if Heartfelt sees that the majority of it's purchases were made from customers finding the site through search engine pay-per-click campaigns, as opposed to say a purchased listing on an association web site, then as they begin to plan for 2005, it's imperative to understand where success was had and not had. Optimize on the success and repurpose the dollars that are spent poorly. Over time and with some patience, your web site begins to turn into a tremendous profit machine," said Schwarberg.
Launched in September of 2004, the new Heartfelt Charity Cards web site nearly 30,000 visitors during their three and a half month peak season in 2004 and in 2005. "We also learned that most of our visitors come back usually two maybe three times," said Schuh.
Heartfelt Charity Cards is now able to ascertain which marketing channels created the most traffic, which marketing channels created the highest number of orders and which channels created the highest average order size. "My business is growing significantly each year and a lot of that is due to the fact that Integrated Web Solutions took a lot of ownership and showed a tremendous amount of initiative in helping this business grow. IWS comes into projects as if they were your business partners. And, in fact, that's really what I consider them to be," said Schuh.


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Pos: here
Loc: Tumaco
Acc: Navy room
Dist: 51,2 km
Start: 6:45 End: 17:45
No paddling tomorrow
My plans for the night was to cuddle next to my kayak on top of the deck. It didn't really look like rain tonight and it was warm anyway, so just my sleeping pad and blanket would be good enough. On the open boat was one small covered spot in the bow with one mattress lying diagonal in there, where I didn't really wanted to take the one and only real sleeping place away from the boys. I was anyway wondering who will stay the night where and how…
I was cooking my dinner – cheap square package Chinese style noodle soup tonight – on my small camp stove out of the wind on the bottom of the boat. The boys had to go with cold Colombian soldier ration packs…similar to those we had been presented in Peru made in the USA, minus the heating pack. A lot of wrapping for little food!
If I'd had known my kayak and my sleeping place were on top of maybe twelve big petrol barrels, I may have been more careful with lightening a stove…I was actually wondering about the constant petrol smell all night, in any direction the wind was blowing from the engines or not. It was one thing which kept me from having a great rest.
The next was the rolling of the boat tonight in not totally calm water with winds blowing still around 15 knots. It was so much I was constantly sliding on my sleeping pad from one side to the other. Or like someone is slowly shaking you awake, rolling you back and forth. I eventually wedged myself under my kayak's side, until on a big wave it got lose and started to roll itself. Not really great, but I was sure the wind would go down and the sea would be calmer soon.
The boys did better, being surely not tired from 50 km paddling. They stayed awake chatting in the stern area at the cockpit as long as the boat was rolling so heavily. Eventually, when it got calmer, Felipe took the small covered sleeping place in the bow on the one mattress, and the other three guys? I couldn't really figure out how and where they made themselves comfortable at the stern, no one really (dared to ?) took the free double space beside me, and at least one of them was still occasionally driving, keeping the boat off the coast. This was no calm anchorage! This was a relatively bumpy and windy headland area!
In between short sessions of something like sleep, I watched the few stars, the different lights on the shore, and eventually also the magnificent bio luminescence, thrown up by the waves. I barely heard the one guy heavily snoring through my earplugs…
At about 3 am, it started to rain! I woke from the noise of one guy digging for rain gear in their waterproof barrels, and as I had none and really needed more sleep, I knocked on the sheltered bow compartment if there was some space for me left.
Felipe came out, and left the space for me alone, though there was just about room for two mattresses! Thanks, but no need to be so polite…the guys put up a multi functional sun – rain cover in the stern, and seemed to be ok with that for the rest of the night. The sleep in the small bow compartment was surely much better, not only dry, but also being low on the ground the boat was way less rolling. I knew that!
All day's paddling I surely was quite tired, and I thought I really shouldn't have been so polite not to ask from the beginning on for the best sleeping spot – I had to *paddle* all next day, and the guys could sleep deeply in shifts during the day while driving slowly behind me…which they obviously did, as I didn't see four heads at the same time.
I was fighting sleep, boredom, river currents and later a light headwind from the north again, and my pace today was really slow. But as long as I'd arrive in Tumaco before sunset I was all right. The scenery was first just green lush forest with a small stripe of beach, but which is covered on high tide almost full. No great campsites on the sand, and who would know who would be coming out of the bush behind you? The southern area of beautiful Colombia's Pacific coast is well known for it's drug plantations and criminal problems. I was really happy to have the coastguard guys besides me!
Around the cape at the beginning there were quite a few boats, later none again until a small village came up. From the many boats passing us one was touched me deeply, passing at high speed, waving at me friendly. It said in big letters: "Medicos without Frontiers". Good great guys, driving to the remote bush spots to help…
A bunch of shallow river entrances where the waves were piling up were forcing me to paddle more off shore, and turning eventually right around the corner to the islands of Tumaco there was a big area of tidal waves again. It was a zig zag race to find the right line, but eventually *out* was the only option.
There was some happy beach life on Tumaco's small rocky headland beach, and I had to paddle around a beautiful, covered with a lot of steep lush rain forest, island to find the Navy harbour. This was the beginning of "real" rain forest! Ecuador's green forest was already nice to see, but this was better! But the beach below was littered with a LOT of trash flooded from the city…
The Navy village covers besides the airport most of Tumaco's outer beautiful island, and is a city on it's own, like I saw in Esmeraldas and Puerto Bolivar. This area had to be safe and had almost European standards, the rest of the city with the mostly locals looks a bit different… I am glad to be hosted by the Navy!
There were two yachts anchored in the bay, after Bahia Caraquez in Ecuador the second yacht spot. And truly, I got greeted by the same friendly Colombian guy in his small rubber dinghy coming from his fancy catamaran who already wished me well paddling out of Bahia Caraquez! Just that I took a bit longer to get here…
A bunch of Navy guys also greeted me at the jetty, and Teniente Dario guided me to an officer's room just between his own and Felipe's. Thanks for looking after me so nicely! I also got connected on the phone to Capitán de Fregata Carlos Delgado in Buenaventura, who is responsible for all this nice treatment in Colombia. Thanks!
Just sorry I obviously had to kick the two other officers out, whose room it was…but thanks anyway! I will sleep great tonight! The accommodations here looks all quite new and modern, with good quality furniture and beds, air condition, TV, fridge and a nice bathroom. I have seen now eventually different Navy officer's quarter standards in South America! 🙂 This was truly one of the best! Just the wifi was missing…I will have to get a Colombian sim card tomorrow for my phone. No problem. Compared to beach camping or my boat stay last night this is luxury! I really like the contrasts on this trip, as I appreciate as much an adventurous place to sleep as sleeping in luxury!
I will stay for two days, as after five days of paddling, my body needs a rest again. I will look for a Colombian entry stamp into my passport, have to change money and will get that sim card and some fresh fruit tomorrow!


text:
NWCFL Premier Division: Glossop North End 4, Squires Gate 0
GLOSSOP North End richly deserved this 4-0 victory over Squires Gate after an excellent performance at Surrey Street on Saturday.
The Hillmen started well and took the lead after only seven minutes as winger Sam Marshall headed in from a poorly-defended corner.
Squires Gate goalkeeper Neil Beesley made some excellent saves from Connolly and McGregor, as Glossop pushed forward at every opportunity.
Glossop doubled their lead on 43 minutes as Mark Battersby broke clear of the defence and found time to control the ball inside the box before accurately placing his shot wide of the advancing Beesley and into the corner of the net.
The hosts started the second half quickly with Marshall continuing to torment his marker.
After just three minutes he was fouled by Squires Gate defender and captain Thomas Benfield inside the area. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot and Adam Oakes converted from 12 yards.
The Hillmen continued to dominate the match, showing excellent passing movement and sharpness to the ball.
Marshall and Ben Connolly swapped wings a couple of times looking to stretch the Squires Gate defence yet further.
Beesley was kept busy as his opposite number Ben Proctor had little to do.
Several opportunities to increase the lead came and went until on 73 minutes Battersby latched onto a through ball and beat his defender both inside and out before firing his shot precisely past Beesley for one of the best goals seen at Surrey Street for some time.
Squires Gate tried to repair at least some of the damage in the last 15 minutes but it was not to be as the referee's whistle brought a most satisfactory end to the match for the Glossop faithful.
Glossop: Proctor, Jones, Allen, Browne, Lugsden, Bond, Marshall, Oakes, McGregor (D) (Rothwell), Battersby, Connolly.


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Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument © InSapphoWeTrust
One of the best places to see prehistoric dinosaur fossils in the US, Dinosaur National Monument is home to the Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry, a famous archaeological site that still displays thousands of fossils for the public to see, along with exhibits on life during the late Jurassic period. The park was also home to outlaws and homesteaders in the 1800s, and there are a few historic sites relating to their presence, including the Rial Chew Ranch Complex and Denis Julien Inscription to explore. The area is scenically splendid and offers many fun outdoor activities: there are great hiking trails and the extra adventurous can go river rafting down the rapids of the canyons.
Website: www.nps.gov/dino


text:
History Home
| About Us
| Visit Us
| Contact Us
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| FAQs
| Copyright
| HMD Site Map
Archives and Modern Manuscripts Program
> Alpha List of Finding aids
Title: Fundamental contributions to the X-ray : the three original communications on a new kind of ray / Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen, 1972 Creator: Röentgen, Wilhelm Conrad, 1845-1923
Dates: 1972
Extent: 0.21 linear feet (1 box)Abstract:Originals and preservation copies. Translated from reprints of the original papers (1895-1897) by Ernest Kraft.Call number: MS C 71Language: Collection materials primarily in
Materials stored onsite. History of Medicine Division. National Library of Medicine
Originals and preservation copies. Translated from reprints of the original papers (1895-1897) by Ernest Kraft.
Copyright, Privacy, Accessibility, Site Map, Viewers and Players
U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 National Institutes of Health, Health & Human ServicesFreedom of Information Act, Contact NLM
Last reviewed: 2 December 2016Last updated: 2 December 2016First published: 21 April 2004


text:
Tower Luxury Suites
Tower Luxury Suites are located in the magnificent, modern, 29-story Glass Tower. Along with amenities like plush bedding, luxurious furnishings, high-tech lighting and more, each room also offers a sweeping 270º view of both the Grand River and downtown Grand Rapids.
- One king-size bed with sitting area
- Parlor area with sofa, chair, coffee table and television
- Large writing desk with armchair
- Luxurious bedding, which includes a blissful pillow top mattress and 250 thread count sheets
- Plush his and her bathrobes
- Location
- Glass Tower
- View
- Grand River or City
- Beds
- One king
- Bath
- One full bath with marble shower and soaking tub
- Size
- 614 square feet


text:
Danny Webb is one of of Britain's brightest hopes for World Championship glory this year, riding the all new Mahindra Moto 3 bike. Danny is competing in the ultra competitive Moto 3 World Championship for the Indian team and is tipped for a top placing in the 2012 season.
Danny was one of the stars at the 2011 Thundersprint and is looking forward to returning to Europe's biggest biking street party.
He said: "I just love the atmosphere at the Thundersprint. The crowds are great and always very welcoming. It's just like one of the bigger Grands Prix with thousands of spectators everywhere you look. The atmosphere is very friendly and yet really exciting too.
"I really enjoy entertaining the Thundersprint crowds every year and you can be certain it will be showtime when I get on the track in Northwich again next year."
Thundersprint organiser, Frank Melling, is delighted that Danny will be returning to Northwich's very own "Grand Prix in a Car Park". Frank said: "We love having Danny at the Thundersprint. He combines brilliant riding ability with a great sense of humour and I'm certain that he will be an outstanding addition to the galaxy of stars we have riding with us next year."
Danny will be at the Thundersprint Bike Show on the afternoon of Saturday 12 May and then will be starring in the Thundersprint's "Grand Prix Evening" which will be held at Cranage Hall Hotel on the evening on May 12.
The following day, Sunday 13 May, Danny will be at the Thundersprint – meeting fans and having fun on the track –
throughout the whole day.


text:
Just one week after the first beta of Kodi 16 "Jarvis", the second beta is now available.
Developers behind Kodi (formerly XBMC) announced the release this morning of Jarvis Beta 1.
The fourth alpha release for Kodi 16 "Jarvis" is available this Sunday for testing.
The Libav FFmpeg fork has added the Kvazaar HEVC encoder as its latest work in the H.265 realm.
It's been three years since the release of MPlayer 1.1 while surprisingly this weekend MPlayer 1.2 was released.
The third alpha release of the Kodi 16 HTPC open-source software is now available for testing with long-press support.
SMPlayer, a popular Qt front-end to MPlayer, is out with a new version that adds a variety of new features.
It's been quite a while since last having anything to report on the OpenShot 2.0 non-linear, open-source video editor, but an update on it was issued yesterday.
FFmpeg's ffplay media player has interactive volume controls now that are inspired by the MPlayer-fork MPV.
It's been a while since last talking about MPV, the MPlayer/MPlayer2 forked open-source video player, but a new version is now available.
The team working on the open-source, cross-platform Kodi HTPC software today announced the 15.2 Isengard Release Candidate 2.
FFmpeg 2.8 is now available as the latest major update to this important open-source multimedia project. This is also the first major release since the longtime FFmpeg leader resigned this summer.
For those users of the Kodi multimedia software formerly known as XBMC, the upcoming version 16 release will bring some significant changes.
Realizing that H.265 licensing is expensive, software patents make things a mess, and all the other negatives about proprietary video codecs, a number of large organizations today announced an Alliance For Open Media.
For users of Kodi 15 "Isengard", it's now time to upgrade to the 15.1 maintenance release.
With Cisco not liking the patent situation around H.265 nor Google's VP9 video codec, they are spinning their own royalty-free video codec.
The release candidate for Kodi 15.1 "Isengard" is now available.
While the Daala video coding format backed primarily by Xiph.Org and Mozilla isn't ready for mainstream use yet, looking at its Git repository does at least reveal some environmental data to discuss.
Michael Niedermayer, the leader of the FFmpeg project for the past eleven years, has made a surprise announcement today: he's resigning as its leader.
Kodi 15 was released today as the second major version since its renaming from XBMC.
Version 0.6 of the GStreamer VA-API plug-ins is now available. These GStreamer plug-ins expose video encode/decode for GStreamer that's backed by VA-API on supported graphics hardware/drivers.
The second release candidate to Kodi 15.0 "Isengard" is now available. Since Kodi 14.2 there have now been about 1,080 code changes so far towards this next major release.
A Kodi developer has started working on integrating Google's Chrome Embedded Framework (CEF) browser layout/rendering engine into Kodi. If successful in embedding this Chromium code into the Kodi HTPC software, new doors could be opened up and it would open up a lot of new possibilities.
The first release candidate for Kodi 15 has arrived.
Building off this weekend's release of Kodi 15.0 Beta 2, the OpenELEC multimedia-focused Linux distribution is out with their second beta of the upcoming OpenELEC 6.0 release.
More than one month after the Kodi 15.0 Beta 1 release, the second beta is out for Kodi 15.0 "Isengard" as the successor to XBMC. Kodi 15.0 Beta 2 brings with it new features.
Version 2.7 of the FFmpeg open-source multimedia project was tagged today.
With Kodi 15 coming along, the OpenELEC team has released their first beta of the next version of their multimedia focused Linux distribution.
The first beta of "Isengard", a.k.a. Kodi 15.0, is now available for testing.
With Kodi 14.2 now having been released, Kodi 15 Alpha 2 is now available for those wishing to live on the bleeding-edge Kodi/XBMC multimedia experience.
263 Multimedia news articles published on Phoronix.


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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck off Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of damage.
The quake was centered about 18 miles southwest of Suchiate in the southern state of Chiapas, close to the border with Guatemala. It had a depth of 22 miles, the USGS said.
Emergency services in Chiapas state were checking the area but a spokesman said there were no reports of damage.


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LOL, that may have just sealed Judd's fate. He gave it to Rafe and Steph was so close again. I'm sure we'll see a whiny confessional next.
LOL, that may have just sealed Judd's fate. He gave it to Rafe and Steph was so close again. I'm sure we'll see a whiny confessional next.
Judd did it so Margaret could not win immunity, call it saving himself (maybe)
There's no place like home!
I think Judd gave it to Rafe so Margaret wouldn't get it.
Amy is TOUGH. And someone please feed Danni.
It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever. -- David St. Hubbins
I think Judd handed it to Rafe on purpose. Let one of his "alliance" win it and not give Cindy or margaret a chance to get it first. If Margaret goes tonight, I so pray that Judd followers her the next week.
I didn't notice that. I take it back then. Very smart. Margaret's pretty much the only target.Originally Posted by Lucy van Pelt
Yeah maybe, but that will tick off "competitor" Steph. She will whine about cheating I'm sure.Originally Posted by captain
I don't think he's that smart! I think he just opened his mouth w/out thinking!Originally Posted by captain
Getting lost will help you find yourself.
Barbeque in the jungle...time to pig out!
It was me. I let the dogs out.
Okay who gets obnoxious after drinking? You know it always happens.
Jamie guy screamed back because Bobby Jon screamed at him. Why be smarter when you can be equally stupid?
"Feel the sky blanket you/ With gems and rhinestones/ See the path cut by the moon/ For you to walk on" - EV


text:
Senators introduce new veterans' health care bill
HONOLULU — A new bill was introduced in Congress that aims to offer relief to veterans who had to pay for emergency health services.
Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, and Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, of Kansas, co-introduced the bill Thursday.
The proposal would eliminate a rule that prevents veterans from being reimbursed for emergency care if they haven't been seen in a VA center for 24 months.
"This bill eliminates red tape that prevents veterans from being reimbursed for emergency care," Hirono said in a statement. "Veterans needing care shouldn't be penalized because they live in rural communities or face outrageous wait times for appointments at VA medical facilities."
The bill, called the Veterans Emergency Health Safety Net Expansion Act, would impact an estimated 144,000 veterans. It also would prevent insurance companies from denying or limiting reimbursements based on the fact the VA is not an in-network provider.
"Veterans should not be forced to bear the burden of emergency health care costs because of the dysfunctional, bureaucratic VA system," Moran said in a statement.
Under current law, veterans who have not been seen at a VA hospital in 24 months have to pay out of pocket if they receive emergency health care, and they are not reimbursed by the VA. This bill would shift that cost burden to the VA. The VA, in turn, would collect an estimated $98 million in 2015, or $1.1 billion through 10 years, from insurers who would no longer be able to list VA hospitals as out-of-network.
Hirono and Moran are members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. That committee passed a similar measure last year, but it was part of a larger bill that ultimately failed, said Katie Niederee, spokeswoman for Moran.
The Veterans Affairs Department released an audit this week showing that more than 57,000 veterans have had to wait at least three months for initial appointments. An additional 64,000 veterans who asked for appointments during the past decade never got them. Hawaii had the longest wait for new patients in the nation, with a reported 145-day delay to see a primary care physician.
"The horror stories that our veterans are dealing with are inexcusable," said Robert DeVinck, commander of the American Legion Post 8 on Maui. DeVinck does not seek care at the VA hospital because he can afford to go elsewhere, he said.
Dennis Zatecka, an Army veteran and a commander at the American Legion on Oahu, used to volunteer for the VA hospital driving patients to and from appointments.
"The guys that I've talked with, one from American Samoa and others from the outer islands, I never heard them say to me that they had to wait a long time," Zatecka said.
The bill on emergency care was introduced after a different Senate bill was approved Wednesday that would make it easier for veterans who faced long delays to receive VA-paid treatment from local doctors. Moran did not vote for that bill because he was traveling to attend his father's funeral in Kansas and was unable to return to Washington in time for the vote, Niederee said.
"Had I been in Washington, I would have joined my colleagues in voting in favor of this bipartisan plan to help make certain veterans receive the access to quality, timely care they deserve," said Moran, who co-sponsored that legislation, in a statement.
Hirono and Moran's bill addressing emergency care for veterans was introduced separately from the measure passed Wednesday because Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who co-introduced Wednesday's legislation, would not allow amendments to the proposal, said Sabrina Siddiqui, spokeswoman for Hirono. They did that to ensure it would pass as quickly as possible, Siddiqui said.
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text:
Evans hails 'greatest day'
Ian Evans described his return to Wales colours against Australia as 'the greatest day of my life' after three years of injury hell.
Last Updated: 04/12/11 2:26pm
Ian Evans described his return to Wales colours against Australia as 'the greatest day of my life' after three years of injury hell.
The Ospreys lock started Saturday's 24-18 Millennium Stadium defeat having last played for Wales in November 2008.
He was then struck down by a debilitating list of injuries - notably knee, chest and ankle problems - and the 27-year-old endured many physically-gruelling and mentally-punishing days on a long road back to Test status.
Evans, though, refused to throw in the towel, and that persistence has paid off, gaining a Wales recall just two months before this season's RBS 6 Nations campaign swings into action.
The Johannesburg-born forward said: "I was happy with my performance. It was emotional for me, but I tried to keep focused on the game.
Greatest day
"It was probably the greatest day of my life coming back after three long years and proving to myself I could do it and to other people who doubted me.
"They were not pretty times, but people stuck by me and I can't thank them enough, really.
"I have had tremendous support from the Ospreys - the physiotherapy department and the coaching department - and from my family.
"This was a big mountain for me to climb. You only get one chance and you have got to take it. Hopefully, I have done that and put my hand up a little bit."
Wales played 41 Tests between Evans' 16th and 17th international appearances, and he admitted: "The pace of the game has moved on, and with how clinical it now is.
"If you make a mistake and the opposition get the ball, they are more or less getting points from it. It drains your energy.
Very exciting
"I am only 27, and yet I felt I quite old in that (Wales) team. It is very exciting when you see these young players coming in.
"They are so physically big, so powerful and fast, it's unbelievable. I think the future is bright and exciting."
Evans' comeback inevitably paled in comparison with Shane Williams' emotional Wales farewell and he joined a long list of players and coaches in saluting a memorable Test match career.
"Shane is one of the few people that can change a game by creating things out of nothing. He is special," Evans added.
"What he has done for Welsh rugby is fantastic. How many youngsters have probably got into rugby because they have seen him side-stepping? He deserves every accolade he gets and hats off to him."


text: I read some news items on the web on the Colossal Squid, all saying that the species was first discovered in 1925 and that the new find is only the second capture of this squid at all (no article provides information on the first encounter). I am wondering whether this could be the type of squid that is depicted by Herman Melville in chapter 59 of Moby-Dick, simply called "Squid." You can easily find the chapter online by using "Melville" and "Squid" as keywords. Going by the size of the squid being described in the chapter, I would guess that it must either be the Colossal or the Giant Squid. This should be of some interest to Melville scholarship, since it appears to me that not much scientific knowledge was available to Melville when he wrote the book, so if his description is accurate, he may have seen a Squid himself when he was whaling. In chapter 59, the crew almost forgets Moby Dick, as they now gazed "at the most wondrous phenomenon which the secret seas have hitherto revealed to mankind. A vast pulpy mass, furlongs in length and breadth, of a glancing cream-color, lay floating on the water, innumerable long arms radiating from its centre, and curling and twisting like a nest of anacondas, as if blindly to clutch at any hapless object within reach."


text:
The Yamaha MSR250 Powered Speaker employs a unique configuration that enhances sound quality while maintaining a rugged enclosure.
The design of the MSR250 eliminates parallel interior surfaces and therefore the root cause of standing waves. Acoustic insulation is also applied to effectively deaden the space inside the enclosure. Elimination of unwanted sound inside the cabinet means that optimum sound can be delivered to where it counts the most: your audience.
Portable, Compact Solutions for Superior Sound and Convenience
Powered speakers offer many advantages over their passive counterparts, whether used on the road or in permanent installations. You don't need separate amplifiers or the extra cables and connections required, so setup is fast and easy while reliability is significantly improved. The ability to plug directly into the speaker inputs can eliminate an entire rack of amplifiers in a modest-size system. But the benefits go beyond mere convenience. Optimum matching of amplifiers and speakers involves much more than simple impedance figures, and can be a formidable engineering task given the vast number of choices available.
The Yamaha MSR-series power amplifiers have been ideally mated to their respective speakers in every way possible, delivering reproduction quality that only the most stringent matching can achieve. There are also a significant number of Yamaha refinements that put these extraordinary powered speakers in a class of their own, including an original cabinet design that eliminates internal standing waves and ferrofluidcooled voice coils for superior stability and linearity. The MSR250 powered speaker can be used alone or in combination with the MSR800W powered subwoofer to create sound reinforcement systems from modest to massive that will sound superb while delivering the power and coverage you need for success in just about any venue or at any event. They look great too, and can be used as-is in many permanent installations without requiring any cosmetic cover-up. They're more than rugged enough for demanding tour applications as well.
High-quality Portable Power
The MSR250 delivers the ideal blend of power, performance, features, and portability for an exceptionally wide range of applications. A newly designed class D amplifier delivers 250 watts of clean, dynamic power via a high-performance 10-inch cone woofer and 1-inch titanium-dome compression driver that match up perfectly for smooth, uncolored response from 55 Hz to 20 kHz. The woofer has an oversized 2.5-inch aluminum voice coila size you'd normally see on a 15-inch wooferthat contributes to outstanding sound and durability. With all this power and performance the big surprise is how light and manageable this advanced powered speaker is.
Versatile Dual-channel Input Configuration
For extra input flexibility the MSR250 features dual input channels, each with it's own low and high equalizer controls and level control. The signals from the two inputs are mixed and delivered via the MSR250 speakers as well as the rear-panel line out connector, allowing convenient linking to other speakers or audio devices for easy system expansion. Input 1 has balanced XLR and phone jack connectors that accept microphone or line input, and input 2/3 is actually a mixing input in its own right with phone jack and two pin jack connectors.
Built for Heavy Duty Use
Although it's lightweight and easy to handle, the MSR250 is exceptionally durable and will take the most demanding tours in stride. It's also designed to be used in a variety of situations, including normal upright and wedge-style floor monitor operation. There's also a built-in pole-mount receptacle for convenient stand mounting.
Speaker Section
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What started as a simple string and pedal sales catalog has grown exponentially over the past thirty years. The early days were a time where catalogs didn't have much of a presence in the industry, but what began as a college dorm room operation grew rapidly. In 1986 we moved to a full product offering and 64-page catalog, which over the years has grown to 162 pages. Join the AMS family and get your free catalog now!
Copyright © 1996-2017 American Musical Supply, Inc. All rights reserved. American Musical Supply reserves the right to correct pricing and/or product specifications in the event of typographical errors found in our print catalog or on our website. If a product is listed at an incorrect price due to such errors or because of inaccurate information received from a supplier, American Musical Supply shall have the right to refuse or cancel any orders placed, whether or not the order has been confirmed and your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, American Musical Supply will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.


text:
I love a good smoothie, one of my favorites is a Blueberry Banana Smoothie. It tastes delish and it's pretty to look at:
While it's pretty healthy alone, I like to add "extras" to it so it can be even healthier. That's where Linwoods Superfoods comes in.
Linwoods Superfoods are perfect to add to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeals and whatever other healthy treat you can add "add-ins" too. According to their labels there are no additives or preservatives, only containing the ingredients listed in the name of the product. I received 4 different kinds of the Linwoods Superfoods to try: Shelled Organic Hemp, Ground Flaxseet & Goji Berries, Ground Organic Flaxseed, and Ground Flaxseed with Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts, and Q10.
I loved adding them to my smoothies in the morning and can rarely enjoy a smoothie without an add-in now. I enjoy the texture it makes my smoothie and the fact that it is giving me good for you superfoods is a plus. As 2014 starts, I have made a goal for myself to get in better shape and Linwoods Superfoods are going to play a big part in that. They are GMO free, Gluten free, and safe for a vegan diet. While I am not someone who eats gluten free or vegan I love that this is available for those who do.
I am actually going to be trying to add these into some desserts, my picky kids are too keen on trying things so this will be a great way to add a little superfood into their diets!
Linwoods Superfoods come in the following 6 varieties valued at a SRP of $8.99-$14.99 and are available through selected stores such as: Whole Foods Market; Bed, Bath and Beyond; Shaws; HyVee; Fresh Market; Bristol Farms; and other natural food retailers.
- Ground Organic Flaxseed
- Ground Flaxseed, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts, & CoQ10
- Ground Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin, & Sesame Seeds & Goji Berries
- Ground Flaxseed, Cocoa, Strawberries, & Blueberries
- Ground Flaxseed & Goji Berries
- Shelled Organic Hemp
So, if one of your goals is getting healthier this new year, be sure to see where Linwoods Superfoods fits into your life. Do you ever use add-ins in your dishes??
Toni Patton
Latest posts by Toni Patton (see all)
- Get Your Kids In The Kitchen This Holiday Season - November 16, 2017
- The Sonos One Speaker Is The Perfect Gift For Music Lovers - November 8, 2017
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text: Badplaas - A 66-year-old Mpumalanga farmer was released on R4 000 bail after he appeared in court on a charge of murder.Pieter Botha, of Engelse Draai farm near Badplaas, appeared in the Carolina Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on charges of murdering 34-year-old Steven van Rooyen and being in possession of an unlicensed firearm.Botha was arrested on January 26 after midnight at the farmhouse the two men shared with their respective families. That afternoon, Botha had allegedly showed Van Rooyen how to use a shotgun because the latter wanted to shoot guinea fowl.Van Rooyen left the house at about 18:00 for the hunt and was found two hours later in the farmyard with a gunshot wound in his cheek. The firearm was lying next to his body. The Badplaas police learned about the incident from a policeman in Pretoria who had heard about it just before midnight.


text:
Artist description:
Uhm. IDK how its gonna come out...
Java Draw Created Nov 03, 2011 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2011 Sunred1221.
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AuroraSkye Dec 10, 2011
Oooooooooooooooo Very nice so far!!! 5/5!
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text:
Sequential Banking
The authors study environments in which agents may borrow sequentially from more than one leader. Although debt is prioritized, additional lending imposes an externality on prior debt because, with moral hazard, the probability of repayment of prior loans decreases. Equilibrium interest rates are higher than they would be if borrowers could commit to borrow from at most one bank. Even though the loan terms are less favorable than they would be under commitment, the indebtedness of borrowers is greater. Further, additional lending causes the probability of default to increase. The results apply to markets for consumer, corporate, and international debt. Copyright 1992 by University of Chicago Press.
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Volume (Year): 100 (1992)
Issue (Month): 1 (February)
Pages: 41-61
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text:
To make reservations by phone, call 1-800-257-3000 in the USA and Canada (or any of our worldwide reservation telephone numbers).
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The what, when and where on local happenings, special events and more
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text:
The U.S. News and World Report's 2013 Best Colleges guidebook is out today, with some local universities receiving high rankings on various lists.
UC San Diego was ranked 8th best public university — identical to its ranking in that category a year ago — and 38th best in the nation.
"This is a reflection of the quality of our academic enterprise and our diverse strengths across disciplines — from the arts and humanities to the social and physical sciences," Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a statement.
San Diego State University was ranked No. 8 for universities whose students graduate with the least amount of debt — with 44 percent of SDSU students graduating without any debt. SDSU's average student debt amounted to $16.400.
SDSU was ranked No. 90 in the top public university category and ranked among the top 20 universities nationally for ethnic diversity.
"Just as important as the number of racially diverse students is their continued academic success. SDSU students from historically underrepresented ethnic groups graduate at nearly the same rate as white students, essentially closing the achievement gap at SDSU," Aaron Bruce, SDSU's Chief Diversity Officer, said in a statement.
Point Loma Nazarene University was ranked No. 17 in the regional universities west category and the University of San Diego was ranked No. 92 in the national universities category.
The guidebook ranked 281 public, private and for-profit national universities based on such things as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.
Harvard University and Princeton University remained tied for the top of this year's list of best national universities while Williams College was No. 1 in the liberal arts colleges category.


text: Donkey Online Jigsaw Puzzle Spanish > El asno | El burro Visit the links for related printable activities and/or crafts. Activities in English - Spanish Coloring pages English - Spanish Donkey @ Wikipedia.org Related puzzle > Alphabet Letter D Donkey Click on change cut to change number of pieces and shape. El asno | El burro - The donkey Jigsaw Puzzle Related activities > Easter | Christmas > The Nativity < back to the online jigsaw puzzles index


text:
On Monday, Citigroup, Inc. (C - Free Report) has entered into an agreement with MetLife, Inc. (MET - Free Report) for distribution of the N.Y.- based insurer's credit insurance products through Citigroup's network across 15 markets for a 10-year period. However, financial terms of the deal were undisclosed.
The partnership arrangement will operate in 15 markets covering Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. These markets include Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Bahrain, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, Thailand and the UAE.
Notably, this reflects greater exposure in Asian countries that are the fastest growing life insurance markets in the world. This is expected to help both the companies to gain from rising premiums.
Through this deal, MetLife and its affiliates will stand as the underwriter or reinsurer of credit insurance products catering to Citigroup's huge client base in the above mentioned markets. Notably, these comprise Citigroup's retail bank and credit card clients.
This, however, is not the first partnership between Citigroup and Metlife. Back in Jan 2005, the companies entered into a distribution agreement for a period of 10 years. As per the agreement, the insurer's products were sold through certain channels of Citigroup. Hence the latest agreement that is set to expire in 2025, further strengthens the business relationship.
With this initiative, not only will Citigroup's client base benefit from diversified products and services with enhanced value but the company's global network will get a boost as well.
Citigroup has been lately exercising distribution deals to strengthen its operations and tap more global opportunities. In Dec 2013, its division - Citibank, entered into an exclusive deal with AIA Group Limited for distribution of the Asian life insurer's products through Citibank's retail branch network across the Asia-Pacific region. The company expanded its footprint in this bancassurance deal that will operate for a 15-year period.
Citigroup currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked major banks worth considering include BB&T Corp. (BBT - Free Report) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB - Free Report) , both carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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text:
NYC's Radiator Labs Nabs MIT Clean Tech Prize, Vies for New US Crown
Marshall Cox moved into graduate housing at Columbia University a couple years back and immediately ran into a problem that plagues many New York City residents. His apartment was too hot. Cox couldn't adjust his radiator because all of the heat for the building came from a single steam generator. So the only way he could get some relief was to open a window. Sometimes he got so desperate he turned off the radiator, but then he'd wake up freezing and have to crank it back up again. "The temperature could not be regulated without wasting a huge amount of energy, and even then, it wasn't working," says Cox, who expects to complete his Ph.D. in electrical engineering this year. "It was a horrible way to live."
Cox's quest to find comfort in his own home became a business plan for Radiator Labs, which invented a temperature-regulating slipcover for steam radiators. On May 1, Radiator Labs won the MIT Clean Energy Prize and took home $200,000 to help get the business off the ground. Now the company is one of six startups vying for the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition, a new prize sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Cox will pitch his plan to venture capitalists and energy-industry executives at an event in Washington, DC on June 13.
Cox developed his idea with the help of a research group called the Columbia Lab for Unconventional Electronics, run by assistant professor John Kymissis, who is now serving as the Radiator Labs' chief technology officer. They first tested the technology in the place that inspired the company—Cox's apartment. It went so well, Cox says, the company is now planning a large pilot for the upcoming winter, which will be run in a New York apartment building that has yet to be selected.
Radiator Labs' device was designed to address the core problem with steam heat, Cox says, which is that it's impossible to distribute it evenly. That's because unlike most homes, where the temperature on different floors can be controlled independently, most old apartment buildings only have one "zone," meaning their steam units are programmed to send the same amount of heat to everyone. "Apartments that lose heat faster are heated to compensate for that," he says. "As a result, apartments that lose heat more slowly become vastly overheated."
Radiator Labs designed a cover that intelligently controls how much hot air flows into a room. Using electronic sensors that are attached the cover, the device releases heat into the room, via a small fan, based on how much is needed to keep the room at a steady, comfortable temperature. (See video demonstration below.) The system does need to be plugged into a power source, Cox says, but it only uses about six watts of electricity. "The increase in the energy efficiency of the steam system is vastly more than the electricity you're using," Cox says.
Most energy experts agree that steam heat is horribly inefficient. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority estimates that steam-based buildings use between 15 and 30 percent more heat than they need. There are 14 million steam-heated apartments in the U.S. that waste $4.5 billion a year in heating oil, according to figures collected by Radiator Labs.
The first version of Radiator Labs' device uses a standard wall-mounted thermostat, but the company has big plans for future iterations. Cox is developing a building-wide system that would connect to the Internet and allow apartment residents to control their heat via the Web or their smart phones. The founders plan to market their technology both to building owners and to individual consumers, though they are still working out the specifics of the marketing strategy, Cox says. "Some people care about it because they want to be more comfortable," Cox says. "Different people care about it because they want to save energy and money."
At the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition, Radiator Labs will spend three days fine-tuning its business plan and meeting with potential financing sources. The company will compete against five other University teams from across the country, all of which won regional competitions that feed into the national program. The grand prize is $100,000, but Cox says the connections he expects to make through the program will be much more valuable than the money. "The major compensation is going to be exposure, and meeting those institutions that can help us."
The DOE established the national competition this year with the goal of fostering student-run businesses focused on clean tech. The six regional business plan competitions leading up to the national prize were held in the spring. MIT, which has sponsored a clean tech business plan competition for the past four years, was chosen to be the northeast regional lead.
After the national competition, Radiator Labs plans to raise about $750,000 in seed financing to fund several pilots, Cox says. "I've gotten e-mails from Greece, Australia, England, Canada. They're all asking us to do a pilot," he says. But first the company must complete its initial pilot in New York—a test that will be essential for demonstrating that its little device can provide big value to building owners, Cox says. "The data from my apartment shows we can increase comfort. That's proven," he says. "But we need to be able to certify an energy-efficiency case."
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text:
TORONTO -- Beth Vanstone fears Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals are playing politics with a pledge to fund life-saving medications for her daughter, Madi.
She says reports that the provinces had reached a deal with the drug manufacturer, Vertex, on price were grossly overplayed and she believes patients are being given false hopes on the eve of an election.
"I have a strong feeling that they're playing politics," Vanstone told me Sunday.
Since the first story appeared, she's heard from a Vertex representative who has told her the deal is far from final. "Vertex hasn't even received a letter of intent from this province," Vanstone said.
She questions why the deal was suddenly announced and wonders if it's a response to a letter Tories sent to Cystic Fibrosis Canada pledging that a Tory government would fund the drug Kalydeco for Madi and other CF patients like her.
"It was funny to see this progress so quickly," Vanstone said.
Her local Tory candidate in Simcoe Grey, Jim Wilson, as well as PC deputy leader Christine Elliott, both of whom have fought tirelessly for the little girl, signed the letter.
Vanstone spoke as she was heading to a fundraiser for Madi in Alliston. An autistic boy held a ball hockey tournament at the arena and donated the proceeds and all his gifts to buy Madi her meds.
"How come they can blow $317 million on the MaRS building when kids are donating their birthday gifts so Madi can get her medication?" she asked.
Wilson said he has no faith in the Liberals delivering on their promise.
"I would not believe anything the Liberal government says," he said. "I think we should wait and see if Madi has her drugs covered."