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Hello to all: I purchased 2 of the 5 kits (plus bonus pattern/kit) for the McKenna Ryan quilt "When Friends Gather" and would like to purchase the other 3 block kits. Having said that I DO NOT want the lazer cut ones as they are way too expensive. I have the 'Dashing Through the Snow' ,'Sharing the Light' and the bonus kit which is a table runner called 'The Gathering".
Can someone direct me to where I can get the other 3 kits (again NO LAZER cut kits) reasonable priced. I could go with just the patterns but would be nice to have the kits.
Thanks to anyone who can help. SewinSue


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Photo Credit:
What will the worlds economy be like in 10 years time? On this weeks Goldstein on Gelt podcast, Doug interviews Nobel Prize winner Professor Christopher A. Sims. Professor Sims explains his award-winning theories, for which he received the Nobel Prize for economics in 2011 with Thomas Sargent, and shares his predictions for the worlds economic future. Find out more about Professor Sims' fascinating economic theories by listening to his interview in Part 1 of the Goldstein on Geltshow.

subset: commoncrawl


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Got some bits to sell. If prices are too far out, let me know. More pics available at:
SRAM XO Rear Mech - 9 speed - Orange with Carbon bits. VGC. Long cage. £50 posted.
SRAM X9 Shifters (Pair) - 9 Speed. VGC. With newish cable inners. £30 posted
SRAM PG990 9 speed cassette - Good Condition. 11-34T. £19 posted.
Shimano Saint 9 speed cassette HG80 11-27T. One ride old. £23 posted
Carradice SQR Slim Bag. This is a great bag for commuting if your bike doesn't have pannier mounts, or if you don't want to spoil your bikes good looks with them. There is a little gadget that attaches onto your seatpost, onto which the bag clips. When removed, the holder is barely noticeable. This is the one: HERE Used, but in good condition. £45 posted.
Race Face Atlas Bar in royal blue. Only 3 rides old, so as good as new, aside from tiny marks. £26 posted.
DH Wheels, comprising of a Hope Pro II front hub laced to a Mavic D325 rim. 20mm hub adapter. In Good-to-Fair condition. When the wheelm is fitted to a fork, it spins freely (don't be put off by the noise when you spin the wheel in your hands - it's just the adapters). The rear wheel is a Bontrager Big Earl wheel in 150mm x 12mm guise. Bearings are great when on the bike - a very slight dryness can be felt when spinning in your hands. Rear has a very minor dent in the rim - doesn't affect performance at all (see detailed pics in URL at top of this post). Looking for £90 posted for the pair.


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Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson led a delegation including officials of Google Inc. to North Korea today, a trip the U.S. had opposed amid global efforts to punish the regime for its missile launch last month.
The "Google delegation" from the U.S. flew in to the capital Pyongyang today, the official Korean Central News Agency said without mentioning the Mountain View, California-based Internet company's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. Richardson had earlier told the Associated Press that while Schmidt is making the visit, it is "not a Google trip."
The group including Schmidt and Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen will take part in a "private humanitarian mission" to North Korea, Richardson said Jan. 5. The State Department criticized the plan citing the United Nations Security Council condemnation of the Dec. 12 long-range rocket launch as a violation of its prohibition on North Korean ballistic missile tests.
"We're not representing the State Department, so they shouldn't be that nervous," Richardson said Jan. 4 on "CBS This Morning," responding to criticism by State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
Schmidt is traveling as a U.S. citizen interested in foreign affairs and wants to understand some of North Korea's economic issues and "the social media aspect," Richardson told the AP today without elaborating further. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week in a New Year address said improving the economy is the totalitarian state's top priority.
Detained American
North Korea confirmed last month it had detained a U.S. citizen it identified as Pae Jun Ho after he entered the country in November to lead a tour. The man confessed to committing a crime after entering Nov. 3, KCNA reported, without specifying the crime.
Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the UN who has led unofficial diplomatic missions in the past, said he and Schmidt were going there in part to seek the man's release. While he has been dealing with North Korea for 15 years, Richardson told the AP that he doubted the delegation will be able to bring the Korean-American home "on this trip."
The U.S. delegation will meet with North Korean political, economic and military leaders and tour some universities, Richardson said, according to the AP report today.
Google doesn't comment on personal trips by company executives, Google Korea spokeswoman Lois Kim said on Jan. 3.
Presidential Pardons
In 2010, former President Jimmy Carter traveled to North Korea to win the release of an imprisoned American who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor for illegal entry. Former President Bill Clinton in August 2009 flew to Pyongyang and secured the release of two American journalists detained for illegally crossing the border between China and North Korea. Unlike Carter, Clinton met with then-leader Kim Jong Il.
North Korea has long sealed itself off from the world, with an official state ideology of juche, or self-reliance, and a narrative that pits a resilient regime against a hostile world.
While the authoritarian regime has increasingly called for greater openness over the years toward using modern technologies such as the Internet, few elites among the country's 24 million have access to the World Wide Web. The regime offers nationwide an intranet service only, and heavily censors any flow of information to and from the outside world.
Richardson will give a press conference at Beijing airport on Jan. 10, his office said Jan. 5.
Schmidt's daughter Sophie is also traveling with the nine- person delegation on the four-day trip, South Korean broadcaster MBC reported yesterday.


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Steamboat cheerleading performance a fundraiser for uniforms
May 15, 2010
Steamboat Springs — A fundraising cheerleading performance by the young athletes in Rocky Mountain Cheer is at 11 a.m. today inside the old gymnasium at Steamboat Springs High School.
The fundraiser will feature two performances, one by the mini program featuring athletes ages 5 to 8 and another by the junior program featuring athletes ages 8 to 12.
Rocky Mountain Cheer Director Summer McParland said the money raised from the $2 admission fee will be used to purchase uniforms for next season. The program has about 27 athletes enrolled, and it plans to attend several competitions next season.
Doors open at 10:30 a.m. today. In addition to the $2 tickets, donations will be accepted.


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There are signs that the recovery in the TV advertising market may continue into the final months of 2010, with 8% year-on-year revenue growth predicted for October.
While the market has shown solid double-digit growth for most of 2010, fuelled in part by increased spending around the World Cup, the industry has quietly feared that the recovery might run out of steam in last three months of the year.
The last quarter is a critical bellwether of the state of the market because these months were the strongest in 2009, meaning the impact of very weak year-on-year growth comparatives is in effect stripped out, giving a true gauge of advertiser confidence.
Total UK television ad spend market is forecast to be up by about 8% year on year in October, according to industry figures, as media buying agencies reach what is known as the advanced booking deadline with TV sales houses for placing advertising campaigns.
ITV's family of channels, including its digital services such as ITV2, are expected to outperform the market and be up about 11% year on year. The flagship network ITV1 is expected to be up 11.5%.
Channel 4 is also forecast to continue its healthy run, with its main network on target to increase ad sales by 12.5% year on year. Channel 4's portfolio, including digital services such as E4, will be up 12.2%.
BSkyB is forecast to perform in line with the market at 8%. Channel 5, which in September is expected to buck the market and report an ad revenue fall, will see the slimmest of growth in October with TV ad sales up 1% at the main network. Channel 5's portfolio, including digital networks Fiver and Five USA, is expected to be up just 0.5%.
"The fourth quarter was always going to be the litmus test, I think we conclude that TV 'works' and delivers return on investment, so marketers have got back into bed with it," said a senior executive at one media buying agency. "We expect TV to do well v other media in the next year or so."
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email email@example.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.
• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".


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Murad Man Razor Burn Rescue clears clogged follicles and prevents breakouts with an enhanced formula of healing antioxidants and redness reducing anti-inflammatories.
Murad Man Razor Burn Rescue combines Glycolic Acid and Tea Tree Oil to clear irritating dead skin and debris from clogged hair follicles and removes bacteria to combat blemishes and promote healthy-looking skin. A unique complex of Neem, Vitamin E and Panthenol provides a soothing, moisture-rich antioxidant infusion.
Murad Man offers advanced skincare just for men, with Beard Softening Complex, ultimate hydration and antioxidant protection. Murad Man reduces redness, bumps, ingrown hairs, and irritation to leave skin smooth, soft and younger-looking.
How to use Murad Man Razor Burn Rescue 40ml
- Every day after shaving, apply a small amount onto face and neck.
- For severe razor burn use twice a day until the area clears, then proceed to use only after shaving.
- For optimal results, follow with Face Defense.
FREE Standard UK delivery available on orders over £20.
Rush Shop ships internationally, as well as to the UK and Ireland. Services include:
- Standard UK Delivery: £3.00
Royal Mail Standard Delivery service: 2 - 5 working days
- Next Day UK Delivery: £3.99
Interlink Express Tracked Courier service: next working day
- Standard EU Delivery: £6.99
Royal Mail Standard Delivery service: 2 - 10 working days
- Standard International Delivery: £9.99
Royal Mail International Delivery Network: 5 - 21 working days


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Help us to be there for older people in Wales
Sign-up for our monthly e-newsletter called The loop / Y ddolen
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Author: Age Cymru
Published on 15 June 2012 10:30 AM
Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
An estimated 39,000 older people in Wales have experienced abuse in their own homes.
Yesterday, Age Cymru handed in the Rule Out Abuse charter which has been signed by nearly 6,000 people and organisations to Gwenda Thomas AM, the Deputy Minister for Social Services.
The Rule Out Abuse charter is calling for a new law to be introduced to force local authorities to investigate cases of abuse or potential abuse.
Age Cymru's Rhea Stevens says:
"World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is an important opportunity to remind society that elder abuse any way, shape or form is wrong.
"You do not have to tolerate harassment, intimidation or being talked down to by anyone.
"If you are being mistreated in any way then you have a right to speak up, or make a complaint.
"If you feel abused or know somebody else who is being mistreated, call your local council adult protection team.
"If you are in immediate danger you should call the police on 999."
For more information:
Call Age Cymru Advice:
08000 223 444


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When you purchase a digital subscription to Cake Central Magazine, you will get an instant and automatic download of the most recent issue.
My eye doc ordered cupcakes for his wife featuring figures of himself and their 2 dogs. These are jumbo chocolate cc with vanilla buttercream "grass" and fondant figures/flowers.
Twins Birthday Cakes
50Th Birthday Cakes
Birthday Cakes Zuleima
(if this is a private computer)
Yes please, register now!


text: Here is the current combo:94 GT Vert w/56,500 miles (sorry this is long!!) Engine: Stock H/C, Cobra Intake, BBK 65mm TB, PD BD-11a w/ 9lb Pulley, Custom cold air/power pipe with Stock MAF located in fenderwell, FMS Ceramic Shorties, Bassani Hi-Flo X, Borla Cat Back, Crane HI6-S & MSD super conductor wires, MSD cap/rotor, 255lb FP and Adj FPR at 38lbs w/FMU 10:1, and stock 19lb injectores - Trans: Built AODE, Transgo, Tru-Cool Cooler, Stock TQ Cnv., FMS Aluminum Driveshaft, FMS 3.73's, Steeda Ultra Cool Radiator Mustang Dyno numbers w/blower are 242RWHP and 286RWTQ - this seems a bit low to me for the combo? I am seeing 7.9 - 8.0lbs of boost at 5500 when it shuts down and it's at 98mph. (I hit rev limiter in all gears at 5500rpm) - I had a custom burned chip for my combo after a safe tune - sent in the dyno sheets....lost 5hp, so no chip w/ the above dyno #'s Tuning - I can't rev past 5,500 - After reading many posts, I believe this is the factory rev limiter I need to override by installing either a chip or tuning software because of the 3.73's and the VSS. As I lost HP with the custom chip, and my A/F ratios are ok - I just want to get rid of the rev limiter (and use the Crane for rev limit), and adjust the fan? Should I chip or get and EEC tuner or Tweecer or? I have the factory TQ Converter and stock MAF...H/C could be in the future, so I want to tune w/o those at this point. Are these realistic numbers on this combo so far? and what should be next? Thanks much.


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Come at Me, Bro!: What Do 20-Somethings See in 'Jersey Shore'?
Twenty-something students opine about their love-hate relationship with GTL, smooshing and the gang that's always DTF at Jersey Shore.
For the recently comatose, Jersey Shore is a reality show on MTV that rounds up eight young, boisterous Italian Americans and tosses them into a house on the New Jersey beachfront. The cast is heavily tanned and made up, their hair secured with epic amounts of product and no shortage of glittery accessories. Add plenty of alcohol, unlimited access to nightclubs and remove most inhibitions and responsibilities -- then follow them around to see what drama stirs up -- and you've got a potent mixture for a reality TV hit. This magic mixture has earned the highest ratings ever for an MTV series. Season three opened to 8.4 million viewers then crept up to 8.9 million people watching on January 20. That episode outdid The Mentalist, The Big Bang Theory, and The Office in its target 18- to 49-year-old demographic the same night.
The series exists at the pinnacle of a genre that didn't exist 20 years ago. Academics and media critics have yet to consider all the implications of putting strangers with larger than life personalities in a house together, turning a camera on them and forgetting to turn it off.
Arguments spring up when dynamic and diverse 20-somethings are thrown together a la The Real World , while verbal battles are mandatory to manage turbulent alliances on competitions like Survivor and Big Brother. Any drunken drama crops up as a symptom of the stress caused by the outrageous setting. But Jersey Shore lacks either trigger for antagonism and instead relies solely on the ever-flowing river of alcohol and the cast's massive personalities to drive the plot. They never actually do anything, and their alleged cultural similarities of being Gen-Y Italian-Americans (or as they're termed on the show guidos and guidettes) are what forms the show's foundation. So what's the pull?
Turning to their target audience may give a clue. Fans in college explain that the biggest draw of the show is the excessive conflict.
"Their fights are so funny, so over the top," said Logan Graves, 20. "I like to watch just to point and laugh."
Graves considers the show a "waste of humanity", but uses the same label for most entertainment television. For him, the series is essentially the documentation of a paid party for crazy people.
But it's that unreasonable drama that keeps viewers coming back. The genre has been popular for long enough now that the producers know what boosts ratings and what doesn't, and how to manipulate the situation for their own agendas. It's all in the editing. Fights and senseless conflicts pull numbers like nothing else, so the show is pared down to these raw elements.
"All reality television is manufactured," said Laura Finmand, 20. "It's pretty clear to me that there are producers and editors. I don't buy that all of it is original. Real life is quite boring when it's not poked at."
True. Even the casual watcher will recognize that the show is not pure documentary and some would call it fake. But how fake? It is impossible to know how many producers are standing just off camera encouraging Snooki, Vinny and the rest to knock back just one more drink or to stand up and respond to an offhand comment made by a housemate. There's nothing in the final cut to tell the viewer how much time elapses between scenes, or even if conversations are replayed in the original order. Somehow, the spectacle is still compelling, despite the blatant lack of transparency.
Finmand stumbled upon the show while looking for a bedtime story. She and her roommate have a habit of falling asleep to the sound of the television. One Wednesday night Jersey Shore was the only option, and their fascination grew from "Oh look, Jersey Shore is on," to "Hey, is Jersey Shore on tonight?" to "The new episode comes out tomorrow!"
She says there's a human element to the show that draws her in and keeps her coming back.
All too human.
Jackie Phillips, 20, doesn't love the Jersey Shore. She calls it a waste of time. "I feel as though my IQ has dropped," she said. "If there's really people like that, I'd be concerned."
The fist pumping lifestyle has accelerated to everyday culture, even permeating the minds of preteens. One young boy approached Phillips and her boyfriend as they left his work, asking if they planned to "smoosh" (a sexual hook-up) later that night. She was shocked, and found it hard to understand why anyone would want to mimic the lives and habits of people without accomplishments.
What's really interesting is what happened when sources were faced with the show's jargon. Everyone knew the definitions. Even a young woman who felt physically uncomfortable while watching her first episode knew that GTL was a to-do list (gym, tan, laundry) and that if a girl was DTF, an inquiring male could count on some smoosh-smoosh later that night.
Yet, the fact is the cast of Jersey Shore, and especially its creators and producers, have tapped into something real, something that connects with viewers, as proved by the record ratings. In keeping with those inflated numbers are the increasing paychecks per episode for the cast. They each pulled five grand per show in season one and doubled it to ten thousand dollars a pop for the second season. In round three, the more popular Snooki, Pauly D, JWOWW and Mike managed $30,000 for each episode, while the rest earned slightly less. That's before their lucrative personalities tally the bankroll from their side projects. Pauly D gets offers of $40,000 a session for DJing and Snooki makes tens of thousands of dollars to simply show up on red carpets and at tanning salons. Three books have come out of the franchise, along with two spinoff shows set to air in 2012.
Hurricane Jersey will close in on Florence, Italy for season four and the town government has already issued a decree in an attempt to limit the shenanigans. The mayor has decided that the cast will not be filmed in bars or clubs that serve alcohol, while drinking in public, or in any manner that doesn't serve to promote Italy and its culture. Perhaps these restrictions will give the cast a chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of scores of Italian-Americans who bemoan the destruction of their identity.
To an extent, the critics have a point, once the discussions move past the ongoing fakery. At least two cast members aren't even Italian. Snooki is actually Chilean and Jenni "JWOWW" Farley claims a mixed heritage of Spanish and Irish. But the group identity is Italian-American, and these young people are not depicted as human beings growing into their civic or societal responsibilities. Instead, it's as though they are guests at an all-expense paid house party and the weekly show is a highlight reel.
The hows and whys of some production choices are murky, but what audiences know for sure is that no one is making a show about college students going to class and preparing for careers. Jersey Shore captures a glimpse of what life might be like if students could, in the prime of their youth, throw out all responsibilities for one summer and do whatever they want.
A pair of 20 year old guys profess to be haters, but a quick chat proves that they are closeted fans. They try to brush it off, saying there's nothing else on or that they watch it just for the laughs. Jay Zarate says he'd rather be watching infomercials.
But when a cable box is programmed to record every episode and the roomies are staying up 2 a.m. to just finish this one scene, someone's a fan. No matter the intention, watching that often opens the mind to the messages from the show.
With these bros, it's sinking in and the results are mixed. According to Andrew Meiswinkle, nothing annoys him more than individuals rising to fame on the coattails of their own celebrity. Somehow, he doesn't place blame on the shoulders of SallyAnn Salsano, the show's creator, but instead admires her success and intelligence.
"If [her] goal was money, then [she] is smart," Meiswinkle explained. "[She] didn't set out to make something intelligent."
Graves was impressed with the work ethic of the four guys on the show.
"The work they get done; they are pulling so many girls," said Graves. "Their goal is to get laid, and they are accomplishing that goal."
To an extent, people that live together and party together are a kind of family. Several sources mentioned the episode when the girls hide cheese in Mike's bed or when Snooki's stuffed crocodile is hung outside by its snout. These pranks are common. Brothers and sisters have a tradition of waging petty wars on one another in that manner which will continue to the end of time. But when the fights get personal, and the fighters have have a few drinks, it gets ugly.
Ronnie and Sammi are the rollercoaster relationship of the set. Within a span of two or three episodes, the couple might have three fights and two break ups, with a short make up in between because they are horny. Ronnie's battle cry of "Come at me, bro!" is now printed as a T-shirt motto. Romantic relations with outsiders aren't any prettier. When the young woman Vinny brings home from the club decides that she doesn't want to put out, he sends her off in a taxi and turns to Snooki instead. They end up on the back patio with Vinny holding the tiny girl up against the wall trying to persuade her to cuddle with him.
The group lives without consequences for actions that would probably get normal people evicted from their homes. Fights break out in the living room or on the back patio that would, in the real world, have neighbors calling the cops. Mike (or "The Situation," if the moniker must be used) fell asleep in the dressing room of the Shore Store and no one noticed for hours. There may be downfalls, but the viewer doesn't see them.
Instead, these college students who catch every episode are learning different lessons. The series exists as one voice in a larger machine teaching viewers that it's okay to blow one aspect of life out of proportion while brushing another under the rug. There's a subtle shift in priorities promoted by shows like this. When something so depraved and vapid ranks this level of attention and the accompanying payroll, people take notice. Maybe it's not such a bad idea to hit the local bar crawl and get crazy, or gain a reputation for an obnoxious personality. Hey, these kids are only young once. Live it up. Repercussions and hangovers never make it to the primetime slot.
Viewers know there's something amiss.
"It makes me upset. Why should eight terrible people get to live without any other worries but smoosh smoosh?" asked Finmand.
Because they were willing. Willing to take a vacation from their lives with an undetermined return date. Willing to have the minutia of their relationships filmed, edited, examined and broadcast. Willing to create facsimiles of themselves to be ridiculed and revered. Would you do it? Would you set aside your original plan and reduce yourself to a character?
"I'd throw all my morals out for millions of dollars. No question," said Zarate.
Duly noted. But he hasn't. He's working on a degree. In the meantime, he can spend an hour a week watching what happens when someone else does.


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- Country
- Language
- English
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius (France)
Black-and-white and mostly silent, this Cannes crowd-pleaser is an homage to the movies when the screen was still silver. Mixing French stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo with an American cast (John Goodman, James Cromwell and Penelope Ann Miller), this twenties-set fantasy follows a Douglas Fairbanks-like dashing movie star, George Valentin (Dujardin), adored by women and accompanied by his clever Jack Russell terrier. But George becomes a has-been when the talkies arrive, until he's helped out by an ingénue, Peppy Miller (Bejo). With elements of A Star Is Born and Singing in the Rain, The Artist is a rarity, an ingenious crowd-pleaser.
Sept. 9, 6 p.m., Elgin; Sept. 10, 10 a.m., Lightbox 2


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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 | 4:45 p.m.
LVH Superbook odds to win East Region
- Michigan State: 8-to-5
- Virginia: 3-to-1
- Villanova: 3-to-1
- Iowa State 7-to-1
- North Carolina: 10-to-1
- UConn: 10-to-1
- Cincinnati: 20-to-1
- Memphis: 30-to-1
- Harvard: 30-to-1
- George Washington: 50-to-1
- Providence: 60-to-1
- Saint Joseph's: 75-to-1
- Delaware: 500-to-1
- North Carolina Central: 1000-to-1
- Milwaukee: 1000-to-1
- Coastal Carolina: 5000-to-1
2014 NCAA Tournament East Region
- Which of these bets would you place on which team wins the East Region?
- Michigan State 8-to-5 — 48.4%
- Virginia 3-to-1 — 24.7%
- Iowa State 7-to-1 — 19.4%
- Villanova 3-to-1 — 7.5%
This poll is closed, see Full Results »
Note: This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
2014 NCAA Tournament West Region
- Which of these bets would you make on who wins the West Region?
- Arizona Even money — 32.5%
- Wisconsin 7-to-2 — 28.6%
- Creighton 9-to-2 — 18.2%
- Oklahoma State 12-to-1 — 11.2%
- San Diego State 10-to-1 — 7.3%
- Oklahoma 20-to-1 — 2.2%
This poll is closed, see Full Results »
Note: This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
2014 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region
- Which of these teams would you bet to win the Midwest Region?
- Louisville 5-to-4 — 41.9%
- Wichita State 4-to-1 — 20.0%
- Michigan 4-to-1 — 15.2%
- Duke 3-to-1 — 14.4%
- Kentucky 10-to-1 — 8.6%
This poll is closed, see Full Results »
Note: This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
2014 NCAA Tournament South Region
- Which of these teams would you bet to reach the Final Four?
- Florida Even money — 49.9%
- Kansas 3-to-1 — 18.5%
- Syracuse 6-to-1 — 15.2%
- UCLA 8-to-1 — 7.5%
- Ohio State 8-to-1 — 5.7%
- VCU 12-to-1 — 3.2%
This poll is closed, see Full Results »
Note: This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
More Coverage
- NCAA Tournament by the odds: How Vegas sports books see the West Region
- NCAA Tournament by the odds: How Vegas sports books see Midwest Region
- NCAA Tournament by the odds: How Vegas sports books see the South Region
- Vegas oddsmakers scathe seeding of this year's NCAA Tournament
- Las Vegas' opening NCAA Tournament lines: Lots of close first-round games
- Madness crowds have calmed at sports books on Selection Sunday
- Consider these trends before placing your NCAA Tournament bets
- Talking Points Blog
- NCAA Tournament odds from the South Point
- The Sun's sports betting section
Note: This is the final of four region betting previews from Talking Points. Make sure to check out the South, Midwest and West too.
Let's desert the NCAA Tournament's East Region to the sports wasteland where events like the first two months of the 2011-2012 NBA season and UFC 151 reside.
Call it off; cancel it. No reason to waste time with 15 games to determine which team gets to the Final Four in Dallas when everyone already knows the result.
Because everyone does already know the result, right? Feels that way. Feels like the lone people picking against No. 4 seed Michigan State in the East Region are those handicapping by mascot who inevitably come up with the No. 16 seed Coastal Carolina Chanticleers cock-a-doodle-dooing their way to Dallas.
ESPN's famed panel of analysts harvested the sprouting love for the Spartans when all five of them picked the team to win the national championship on Selection Sunday. By Tuesday night, more than half of the brackets in the nation submitted to Yahoo! Sports had Michigan State at least in the national semifinals.
It seemed as safe of a bet as the national deficit that President Barack Obama would follow suit on his Wednesday ESPN special and, viola, the commander in chief declared Michigan State would leave its path of opponents barren en route to the crystal trophy.
Las Vegas sports book patrons are planting their seeds just as heavily on the Spartans. In less than a week, Michigan State has gone from 8-to-1 to win the national championship to 4-to-1.
Michigan State surpassed Florida, the South Region's No. 1 seed, as the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament Tuesday at the LVH Superbook.
The public's dependence on the Spartans is settled, but oddsmakers are a little more scattered. While some local sports book directors dote on Michigan State as a favorite against any team in the tournament, other odds-based evidence subsists that exercising temperance is shrewd.
The Don Best Advantage power ratings have Michigan State as the third best team — in the East Region. The Superbook still favors the Spartans to win the East, but only at a clip of 8-to-5.
That equates to a 28.5 percent chance when calculating out the house's hold, or less than the favorite in any other region. The region futures will cease from betting boards when the tournament begins in a few hours, but the market could cause one last push in Michigan State's direction to lower the 8-to-5.
Discounting any potential pro-Michigan State move in the lines at this point sounds imprudent. There's too much support to quell.
And it's not as if it miraculously rose from beneath the soil. To an extent, the Spartans deserve their showering of praise.
It's more than difficult for one of the most injury-ravaged teams in the nation to finish 26-8 straight-up and 20-11-2 against the spread in the conference Las Vegas pegs as the most superior. The Spartans pulled it off in part because they might have the country's best coach in Tom Izzo, whose teams aren't exactly known for wilting in the NCAA Tournament.
Izzo has participated in March Madness for 16 straight years, advancing to at least the Sweet 16 in all but five tries. He's also reached six Final Fours and won a national championship while compiling a sterling 32-20-2 against-the-spread record in the tournament.
This is one of Izzo's best teams with Adreian Payne, Gary Harris, Keith Appling and Branden Dawson all healthy. It just hasn't happened much this season, as all four have missed an assorted amount of time — a total of 23 games — to injury.
The Spartans have played excellently with all four in the starting lineup, going 14-2 straight-up and 9-4-2 against the spread. The one-game difference in the records is because sports books didn't line their opener, a 98-56 victory over McNeese State.
The Spartans' next game traces back as the origin for college basketball fans' obsession with them. A record television audience tuned in for the Champions Classic in Chicago, where Michigan State beat exhaustingly hyped Kentucky 78-74 with Payne, Harris, Appling and Dawson chipping in 83 percent of its scoring.
The victory may have looked like a special moment to the audience, but not the sports books. The Spartans did exactly as expected as a 4-point favorite over the Wildcats.
Even with its Big Four, for a lack of a better term, Michigan State hasn't lambasted many opponents this year. The Spartans have only beaten the spread by double-digits with their electric quartet three times.
Their closest cousin in the tournament, fellow No. 4 seed Louisville, has pulled it off three times in the last four games by comparison. That's an example why a Superbook proposition wager has Louisville as a minus-155 (risking $1.55 to win $1) favorite over Michigan State at plus-135 (risking $1 to win $1.35) to get more victories in the tournament.
The strength of this year's No. 4 seeds is unprecedented because of the Spartans and the Cardinals. The chance of a No. 4 seed winning the tournament is 27 percent, based on Vegas odds calculated by Pregame.com. A No. 1 seed is just barely higher at 31 percent.
The spectacle created by the No. 4 seeds has taken away from some of the tournament's more compelling stories, like the Killer Vs at the top of the East Region.
No. 1 seed Virginia and No. 2 seed Villanova both spent time at above 100-to-1 odds to win the tournament on the Superbook's betting board early in the season. They're now 12- and 25-to-1, respectively, to remind everyone forecasting college basketball is an inexact science.
The Cavaliers and Wildcats each possess an 18.5 percent chance of making the Final Four, according to the Superbook's region odds. That means the chances of either Michigan State, Virginia or Villanova coming out of the East are set at 65 percent — the highest share among three teams in any region other than the Midwest.
Villanova was one of the best teams to bet on in the nation this season at 21-9 against the spread. The Wildcats amazingly had four separate runs of at least four straight covers throughout the season.
Most of their games also went over the point total, and it's not hard to figure out why as the Wildcats rate only behind Creighton and Eastern Kentucky in three-point percentage among teams to make the tournament. Three of their four leading scorers — James Bell, Darrun Hilliard III and Ryan Arcidiacono — can light it up from beyond the arc.
Bell, Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston all average 14 points per game.
Virginia might be the only other elite team in the country that can claim that kind of balance. Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris are the only Cavaliers who average double-digits, but three more players contribute at least seven points per game.
Virginia's defense, which ranks third in the nation according to the Pomeroy Ratings, is what has mostly prompted its historic season. After winning the ACC regular-season championship, the Cavaliers earned the conference tournament title for the first time since coach Tony Bennett was 7 years old in 1976.
They started the season with a 9-4 straight-up and 3-6 against the spread record in nonconference, but then transformed torridly at the beginning of ACC play to cover nine in a row. Virginia finished 19-2 straight-up, 15-4-2 against the spread versus its conference.
Virginia and Villanova get the easiest round-of-64 tests, according to the point spreads, out of any teams with their seeds. No. 3 seed Iowa State fans are jealous.
The Cyclones have the toughest No. 3 seed vs. No. 14 seed game of the tournament by a rather large four points as they are minus-8 against North Carolina Central Friday in San Antonio.
Perhaps Cyclone Nation is simply on edge by this year's team getting called the best Iowa State group since 2001. That was the No. 2 seed group, led by Jamaal Tinsley, that lost 58-57 to No. 15 seed Hampton as a 17.5-point favorite in the first round.
The stunner held as Vegas' biggest point-spread upset in the tournament for more than a decade until No. 15 seed Norfolk State bumped No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84 as 21.5-point underdogs in 2012.
North Carolina Central is the second-most experienced team in the tournament, according to Pomeroy, but it would take a shimmering showing to knock off Iowa State. Although sports books aren't particularly enthralled with the Cyclones — their 9 percent chance to reach the Final Four at the Superbook is the lowest among No. 3 seeds — their offense can paralyze opponents.
They lead the nation in assists with DeAndre Kane dishing six per game. Kane adds 17 points per game, but trails Big 12 Player of the Year Melvin Ejim with an average of 18 as Iowa State's leading scorer.
Iowa State joins Michigan State and Virginia in coming off a conference tournament championship, making the East the only region with three of its top four teams entering the tournament a few days after hoisting a trophy.
The Cyclones' fan base could ask No. 5 seed Cincinnati's followers for information on where to find the complaint box. The Bearcats can't celebrate their draw, which played into the Superbook's odds giving them just a 3 percent chance to win the East.
Not only is Michigan State possibly on deck, but Cincinnati must first get through No. 12 seed Harvard. Las Vegas rates the Crimson as closer to a No. 9 seed, according to Don Best, than a No. 12.
Four of the top six players from last year's No. 14 seed Harvard team that eliminated New Mexico 68-62 as a 10.5-point underdog are back. The Crimson get just three points from the Bearcats, which cause matchup problems for any team with seniors Sean Kilpatrick and Justin Johnson forming the best duo in the country according to at least one statistical measure.
Odds figure both No. 6 seed North Carolina and No. 7 seed Connecticut as more than twice as likely to get to the Final Four over Cincinnati. The Tarheels and Huskies have a 6.6 percent chance.
They have nearly identical challenges in their first games, too. North Carolina and UConn take on red-hot conference-tournament champions Big East and Atlantic 10, respectively.
Saint Joseph's, which is plus-4.5 against UConn, and Providence, plus-4 versus North Carolina, each won outright as underdogs in two of three games during their conference tournament runs last weekend.
The Tarheels are a riot to watch this season, what with their breakneck pace and bizarre results. North Carolina plays with the sixth fastest tempo in the tournament, according to Pomeroy, but extra possessions haven't cut down on its volatility.
North Carolina is 9-10 against the spread since the New Year. Sounds pretty normal, right? Not at all. The Tarheels covered nine in a row in the middle of the stretch, with five against the spread losses to bookend the streak. It's a mini-mystery every time they're on the court.
On second thought, dismiss the earlier motion to parch the East of all its games. There's enough sustenance from top to bottom to allow the bracket to play out.
Pick: Virginia at 3-to-1 The way I see it, three teams have about an equal chance to reach the Final Four from this bracket — Michigan State, Villanova and Virginia. The price on the Spartans is too chalky, so it's between the Cavaliers and the Wildcats for the bet. I'll lean to the one that can take any opponent out of their element with smothering defense.
East Region Picks Against The Spread (in order of confidence)
Note: It's unprofitable to bet every game, but I'll pick all of them throughout the tournament here and track the record. Can't do much worse than last year's 32-34-1 record. I did wind up 4.5 units ahead on last week's conference tournament preview.
No. 14 seed North Carolina Central plus-9 over No. 3 seed Iowa State
No. 5 seed Cincinnati minus-3 over No. 12 seed Harvard
No. 9 seed George Washington plus-3 over No. 8 seed Memphis
No. 10 seed Saint Joseph's plus-4.5 over No. 7 seed UConn
No. 2 seed Villanova minus-16 over No. 15 seed Milwaukee
No. 16 seed Coastal Carolina plus-21 over No. 1 seed Virginia
No. 6 seed North Carolina minus-4 over No. 11 seed Providence
No. 13 seed Delaware plus-14.5 over No. 4 seed Michigan State
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.


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Copyright © University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.
'Not Another NAND!' printed from http://nrich.maths.org/
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A good way to start these problems is by experimenting with logic gate combinations.
Start by looking at ways to link up two NAND gates using either 1 or 2 input switches.
You will clearly need to understand how the target output gates AND, OR, NOT etc. work before attempting this problem!
The sort of thinking used in this problem is typically formally found in Decision Mathematics Modules, but can be attempted with only a simple knowledge of logic gates and truth tables


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Dounia, Team Leader at the Paris/Montparnasse call center for ENGIE
Dounia is a team leader for ENGIE at the Montparnasse call center in Paris. Her daily challenge? Doing her best to answer the questions of 11 million domestic customers.
It is in Paris, in one of ENGIE's 13 French call centers, that Dounia manages a team of 15 customer services advisors, who take more than 500 calls every day. "On a day-to-day basis, I feel useful by being there for my team of advisors, so that they are best equipped to deal with customer requests", Dounia explains.
Starting out as a customer services advisor at ENGIE, Dounia climbed the ladder and has been a team leader since 2009. In 10 years, the role of a customer services advisor has changed enormously as face to face meetings have given way to phone calls. The challenge lies in making customers want to get in touch. A ratings system was created to guarantee quality service, and at the time of writing, Dounia's team receives an average grade of 4/5 stars, as one of her team members proudly confirms.


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Classic Rocker David Bowie Goes Upscale With Music + Wardrobe [VIDEO]
It's enough to instill "road rage", but my jaw just dropped when I heard the David Bowie museum exhibit is hitting the "road".
What kind of artifacts could ANYONE want to view on this tour? For what it's worth (not much!), the Victoria and Albert Museum in the U.K. will be ground zero, followed by stopovers in Canada and Brazil.
Now the "Woodstock" exhibit is one thing, the "Monterey Pop Festival" exhibit is another, heck even a glimpse into the eyes of Janis Joplin may grab my attention, but David Bowie, really?
This exhibit will feature stories behind nearly 300 Bowie items! Nuts!
I just have one thing to add….Ground control to Major Tom – are you on 'shrooms?


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A Howard County jury convicted a former aide at the Maryland School for the Deaf on Wednesday of sexually abusing two middle-school girls.
The jury cleared 38-year-old Clarence Taylor III of one count of sexual abuse on its third day of deliberations, but was unable to reach a verdict on four of the seven counts of sexual abuse.
Taylor denied the girls' allegations that he touched their breasts or buttocks, and kissed two of them on the lips, while working as a boys' dormitory aide in Columbia from 2008 to 2011.
Prosecutors said Taylor used hugs and elaborate handshakes as opportunities to brush his hands and arms across the girls' private parts.
As the guilty verdicts were read and relayed to Taylor by an American Sign Language interpreter, he slowly shook his head back and forth. His bail was revoked and Taylor was handcuffed and taken to the county jail. Sentencing was tentatively scheduled for Jan. 31 and a retrial on the four counts the jury deadlocked on was set for May 12.
The jury appeared to struggle Tuesday with deliberations, sending three notes to Circuit Judge William Tucker. The contents of the messages weren't disclosed. After the third note, Tucker instructed the panel to work toward a unanimous decision.
The state's case lacked physical or video evidence of the alleged abuse, and prosecutors said investigators could no longer retrieve text messages from cellphones. The prosecution relied largely on the girls' testimony and a videotaped police interview with Taylor.
One girl testified that Taylor exposed himself to her in the school library, but she hadn't mentioned that to police.
In his December police interview, Taylor, a married father of four, seemed to acknowledge he touched some of the girls' buttocks and breasts by accident in a crowded hallway. But at the trial, Taylor, who is deaf, testified that ASL interpreters failed to accurately relay his answers to investigators. On the witness stand, he denied ever touching any of the girls' private parts. He said the girls had lied.
Defense attorney Brandon Mead suggested the girls conspired to get Taylor in trouble. In his closing argument, Mead said the state hadn't shown that Taylor derived any sexual gratification from the alleged acts.
During the trial, which began Oct. 28, prosecutors dropped charges alleging Taylor had asked three of the girls for naked pictures of themselves. Assistant State's Attorney Lisa Broten said prosecutors weren't sure they could prove that occurred in Howard County.


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Sophie, who lives next door, is a happy baby. In fact, though I might tend to be prejudiced, I have never known a happier baby.
She seldom cries, unless something hurts, such as an abrupt fall, or when she is unduly frightened - like a door suddenly slamming. Her smile is constant and enduring. She can be playing on the floor, and if a family member walks in the room and speaks, she breaks out with a wide smile.
When you see Sophie in the morning, she wakes up with a generous smile. Any time of the day when you see her, she is always smiling. At the end of her day, when she is tired, restless, fussy, and ready for bed, you can tickle her tummy, and she breaks out with a lively smile and infectious laugh.
Sophie seems to be unusually curious, which, to this observer, is a good sign. Maybe she will grow up with an interest in books. When her grandmother, Gammie, reads books to her, she sits quietly and listens as if she is familiar with the book's contents. Often, she will walk into a room, point and say, "Book." This means that she is ready for reading, which is a reminder that kids grow up today exposed to more technology than they do books. While I am not clairvoyant, I am hoping that she will become more interested in books than in iPods. Read more and watch television less.
I often wonder if you are born with a curiosity or if it is developed. Certainly curiosity can be cultivated and developed. Books trump mindless television.
Sophie alertly takes note of all sounds, her dark brown eyes dancing as she checks out the origin of what she hears. She is a bit of a busy body, often extending her hands toward everything in reach and strains for objects not within her reach. She wants to touch what she sees.
She never lacks for attention, which brings about concern. She'll grow up with doting grandparents always hanging around. How will she handle crisis? How will she manage relationships when there are those who are not nice to her?
I have hope that she will become comfortable and secure in her environment so that she will be able to mature and manage the vicissitudes of life. One thing is certain, she won't be one of the abused child statistics - at least not on the home front.
Not yet 2, the amusement and fun she brings to the forefront is learning to talk. She is not yet into sentences, except she spoke her first sentence to our neighbor last week, "Hey Mike."
Now, as we relax in late afternoon, we often sound forth with, "Hey Mike," and await her to repeat her first sentence. Lately, she has learned about her elbow. You ask her where her elbow is, she grins and reaches for her elbow. Just a simple exercise that delights parents and grandparents.
One of her favorite words is Kroger. You say Kroger and she points to the car. Riding the grocery cart at the grocery store is an exciting venture. Friendly clerks know her and call out to her. Sophie is very much at home in Kroger's neighborly environment.
There is nothing more comforting than a happy baby, but for every happy child, we are reminded that there are many who don't know happiness, and those who abuse little children should indeed have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea.
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Today I decided to spend some time stumbling and I came across a site with this picture:
Is this the new wave of the future are we really going to end up going this "green"? I love the idea, but maybe not inside, outside this would be awesome. Inside it may make for a uncomfortable nights sleep, but since these rocks or living stones are actually made from 100% virgin wool. That means they are soft and ready for anyone to sit and relax on. I would recommend though that you keep the real ones outside and the wool ones inside or you can buy them for inside or outside, they sell both.
If you want design ideas for this check out these few tips and feel free to leave a comment with your own.
Children's rooms
Play rooms
Teen bed room (perfect if they like rock climbing)
clubs or play type areas
I would appreciate your thoughts on this post, why not comment?


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Francona tabs Dice-K for ALCS opener
Beckett, Lester and Wakefield will follow 18-game winner
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who went 18-3 for the Red Sox this season, will take the ball in Game 1 on Friday night at Tropicana Field, marking the first time he's opened a postseason series in his two years with the team. For Matsuzaka, the start will come on six days of rest following his no-decision against the Angels in Game 2 of the AL Division Series on Friday.
Josh Beckett, who has one of the most impressive October resumes of any active starting pitcher, draws the Game 2 assignment on Saturday. Beckett, who had been shut down by a right oblique injury, was rusty in Game 3 of the ALDS, pitching five laborious innings on 12 days of rest. This time, he will pitch with five days of rest.
Jon Lester, Boston's hottest pitcher, will take the ball in Game 3 at Fenway Park, where he was a dazzling 11-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 17 starts. The lefty posted a 0.00 ERA in 14 innings in the ALDS and could have pitched Game 2 on four days of rest. But Francona felt it was better for both Beckett and Lester -- who will have six days' rest -- to go this route.
Veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield will make his entrance into this year's postseason when he pitches Game 4 on Monday.
Road warrior
|Daisuke Matsuzaka's 2008 home-road splits
"It gives people rest," Francona said. "Not too much rest, not too little. It's probably the best way where we don't have one guy going on eight [days' rest], one guy going on regular [rest]. [It will] keep everybody somewhat in line. Rest at this time of year is huge, and we'll take advantage of it while trying not to give too much. And the guys that pitch [Game] 1, 2 and 3 are lined up for [Game] 5 6, and 7. Nobody's going to throw three times, so having those three twice is really what's important, regardless of how it's lined up."
Against Boston's right-handers in Game 1 and 2, Rays manager Joe Maddon will likely have left-handed bats Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd in the mix. Right-handed-hitting Rocco Baldelli, the Rhode Island native, could get a crack against Lester in Game 3.
The Rays will counter with a rotation of James Shields, lefty Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine.
Dice-K vs. Rays in 2008
Look for Sox center fielder Coco Crisp to get the call in Game 3 against Kazmir, with one of two left-handed bats (J.D. Drew or Jacoby Ellsbury) going to the bench.
The rotation has been a strength for the Red Sox all year long, and they hope that will continue to be the case in this series.
"As far as any one of our starters that gets the ball, I have confidence in all of them," said Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. "They've been part of this team winning all year."
One big question entering the series is how healthy and effective Beckett can be. The Sox's ace had right elbow problems during August, but seemingly got over them before the oblique injury cropped up.
However, the Red Sox maintain that Beckett is fine, and that his problems in Game 3 against the Angels (nine hits, four runs) were mostly due to rust.
"The strength in Josh's pitches was there," said Varitek. "He hadn't been on the mound in a while. It just led to a little bit of a sharpness issue more than anything. If his breaking ball didn't have any tightness to it, if his fastball didn't have any life to it, then I'd worry. But I didn't see that."
If the series goes the distance, the Red Sox like their setup, having Beckett available for Game 6 and Lester ready to go in Game 7.
What went into Francona's decision to tab Wakefield (10-11, 4.13 ERA) as the Game 4 starter over Paul Byrd (11-12, 4.60)?
"We considered everything but when it comes down to what serves the ballclub best, Byrd can probably be used with more flexibility out of the bullpen," said Francona. "Then when you line up Wake, you put him with [catcher Kevin] Cash, you see how far you can go and then you can make your determinations with how to go with the bullpen as opposed to trying to bring in Wake in the middle of the game knowing that he's possibly throwing to a catcher that you haven't had. It's an easy decision when you look at all the dynamics of it."
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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On a picturesque spring evening in the Rose City, the Portland Timbers took on the Columbus Crew at Providence Park. Getting things started early, Will Johnson made a great steal at midfield before dribbling down the left channel. He passed to Steve Zakuani on the wing who then slipped a ball past the Crew defense to forward Maximiliano Urruti. Urruti took a touch on the spin before firing top shelf and giving the Timbers a 1-0 lead.
The Crew, however, found a goal in nine minutes later as midfielder Frederico Higuaín carried down the right side before lofting a long shot over goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and into the back of the net to make it 1-1.
After going down to ten men in the 34th minute due to a straight red card against Timbers defender Alvas Powell, Portland went down 2-1 late in first half stoppage time following this penalty kick from Columbus' Frederic Higuain.
The Timbers kept driving and driving late into the second half and were rewarded in the 80th minute as Jack Jewsbury gamely stayed with the ball before crossing into the box to Will Johnson. Johnson fired the ball home with tenacity to pull the Timbers back 2-2.
On the ensuing kickoff and just into match, Crew's Ethan Finlay finds himself with space outside the area, fires a hopeful shot on net which deflects off a Timbers defender and into the back of the net. Crew jump back up 3-2.
Tenacity. That's the word that comes to mind as the Timbers kept pushing late into the second half. In the 85th minute, Diego Valeri served in a free kick that new Timbers forward Fanendo Adi headed on frame. As ball bounced, Gastón Fernández does what La Gata does and pounces to to poke it into the back of the net. Timbers and Crew even again at 3-3.


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Resistor network delivers ultra-high precision
Post a comment
Malvern, Pa. Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. has released the SMNZ ultra-high-precision Z-Foil four-resistor network, which provides a low absolute temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of ±0.05 ppm/°C from 0°C to +60°C and ±0.2 ppm/°C from 55°C to +125°C, an excellent power coefficient of resistance (PCR) tracking of 5 ppm at rated power, and a tolerance match of 0.01%.
The SMNZ device also offers a load-life stability of ±0.005% for 2000 hours at 70°C, a resistance range of 100 ohms (Ω) to 10 kΩ per resistor, a power rating of 0.4 W (or 0.1 W per resistor) at 70°C and current noise of less than -40 dB. It also delivers a fast rise time of 1.0 ns without ringing and features a non-inductive, non-hot-spot design. The SMNZ device can withstand electrostatic discharges exceeding 25 kV for increased reliability.
The SMNZ resistor network combines four independent Bulk Metal Z-Foil resistors in a single, surface-mount JEDEC MS-012 package with a 50-mil lead pitch. A large variety of resistance ratios is available. Offering better performance and more efficient use of board space than discrete resistors and matched sets, the SMNZ can be used independently or as divider pairs. Applications include instrumentation and differential amplifiers, bridge networks, radio arms in bridge circuits, medical and test equipment, and military and aerospace systems.
Availability: Samples and production quantities are available now via Vishay's Fastlane Prototype Service ( email@example.com), with lead times from two to five days for prototype samples and six weeks for production orders.
Datasheet: SMNZ series
Vishay Intertechnology, www.vishay.com


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Feliz over shoulder tightness, to start Tuesday
Feliz over shoulder tightness, to start Tuesday
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers manager Ron Washington said Neftali Feliz will start Tuesday against the Padres in Surprise Stadium. Washington made the announcement shortly after Feliz threw 43 pitches in a bullpen session on Sunday morning, and said he had no problems with his right shoulder. Feliz said he is over the tightness that forced him out of his last start on Tuesday against the Cubs. "I feel fine," Feliz said. "It feels good ... a lot better. I was able to throw all my pitches. I will take tomorrow off and be ready to go on Tuesday."
The goal on Tuesday will be to throw 65-70 pitches. He would have one more start after that in Arizona that could get him up to 80-90 pitches. Washington said that would be sufficient to have him ready for the regular season if there were no further setbacks. "He felt good today and the ball came out of his hand well," Washington said. "If he comes in tomorrow without any problems, we're going to get him out there on Tuesday." Feliz is expected to be the Rangers' fifth starter. That means he'll make his first start of the season on April 10 against the Mariners at the Ballpark in Arlington. He would likely pitch a simulated game between his last start in Arizona and his first start of the season. The Rangers haven't officially announced their rotation to start the season, but Washington did acknowledge Feliz will start the fifth game. Colby Lewis is expected to be the Opening Day starter, and this spring he has been followed by Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Yu Darvish in that order. But the Rangers are still considering the possibility of having Darvish move up between Holland and Harrison. That would mean Darvish would pitch the third game of the season on April 8 against the White Sox rather than April 9 against the Mariners. "We haven't made the decision on when we're going to announce the rotation, but it's coming soon," Washington said. Lewis is supposed to pitch on Tuesday, but he'll likely get his work done in a Minor League game. The Rangers want to start Feliz on Tuesday rather than having him wait around to pitch. Feliz, who is being switched to the rotation after two years as the Rangers closer, has made three starts this spring. In eight innings he has allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out seven.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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How's this for an unlikely pairing: Jimi Hendrix and George Frederick Handel. In the late 1960's, Hendrix rented a small attic apartment in Central London, which happened to be right next door to where Handel lived more than 200 years earlier.
The London odd couple of Handel and Hendrix will finally live together -- in the same museum.


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The Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board of Education voted Thursday to extend the tentative agreement with the union representing the classified school employees through 2015.
The Board of Education ratified the extension to the collective bargaining agreement after it had already been unanimously approved by the members of the California School Employees Association.
"The highlight of the agreement is this extends the contract to June 2015," Murrieta Valley Unified School District Spokeswoman Karen Parris said.
She said the tentative agreement was arrived at in December.
The three-year contract expires June 30, 2015. It takes effect retroactive to July 1, 2012.


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"From EatingWell Magazine: January/February 2011 -- Chicken thighs cook in a simple herb-infused tomato-and-wine sauce. The bone-in thighs give it plenty of hearty flavor, and because you cook them without the skin, it keeps the dish healthy. There's plenty of sauce, so serve it over noodles or rice."
Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken -- Crock Pot
1 recipe photo
READY IN:6hrs 30mins
Ingredients Nutrition
- 10 chicken thighs (about 3 3/4 pounds, bone-in, skin removed, trimmed)
- 4 slices bacon (cooked ~ reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat)
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine (Or, substitute 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice)
- 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (with juice, coarsely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped ~ optional, for garnish)
- Place the skinless, bone-in chicken thighs in a 4-quart (or larger) crock pot.
- Cook bacon ~ drain well ~ crumble bacon over chicken in crock pot.
- IF YOU HAVE THE TIME, cook onion, over medium heat, in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.
- Pour the tomato-wine mixture over chicken.
- IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME, place the following into crock pot over the chicken: crumbled bacon, sliced onion, garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper, bay leaf, wine, tomatoes and their juice, and salt!
- Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 3 hours on High, or 6 hours on Low. Remove the bay leaf.
- Serve chicken and sauce over cooked noodles, or rice ~ garnish with chopped parsley.
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Trucella Proven Effective in a Clinical Study!
An eight-week consumer perception study was conducted in a
clinical setting to determine the anti-cellulite effects of Trucella™
The majority of subjects reported in questionnaire
results that they believed:
- Its use "showed marked improvement in the look of firmness of
the skin on the thigh area"
- The skin on the thigh area felt "significantly firmer, & tighter"
- The skin's "elasticity/flexibility & overall appearance" were
significantly improved
- The skin's "looseness and bagginess" was diminished.
- The skin on the thigh areas felt "significantly toned &
Real Results of Trucella
In addition, visual grading results evidenced:
- Decreased appearance of cellulite at evaluations conducted after two, four, six, and eight weeks of application
- Decreases in surface roughness after two and eight weeks of application
The claims above were supported by the associated
data at eight weeks, questionnaire responses,
subjective data:
- 85% of subjects reported marked improvement in the look of
skin firmness in the thigh area
- 75% of subjects reported skins feels significant smoother
- 70% of subjects reported skin feels significantly tighter
- 80% of subjects reported skin feels significantly toned
- 5% of subjects reported skin looseness and bagginess
- 85% of subjects reported improved skin elasticity
- 90% of subjects reported improved overall appearance
Visual grading data at eight weeks:
- 51.2% decrease in appearance of cellulite
- 33.5% decrease in the Visioscan parameters associated
with surface reductions
It's Hard to Hide Cellulite
The truth is not all our imperfections can be covered up or disguised. Some areas may be easier than others, but cellulite is very hard to hide. Unfortunately, this fact has kept many individuals from enjoying themselves and may account for unnecessary low self-esteem and confidence.
Trucella™ can help visibly diminish the look of cellulite. Cellulite can appear on multiple areas of the body such as the arms, thighs, stomach, and buttocks.
If you are self-conscious about your cellulite, order Trucella™ online today, and within a few weeks you may see a dramatic difference in the look of your cellulite!
How Trucella Works
Trucella™ contains safe (Dermatologist tested), beneficial
ingredients that are of the
quality. The ingredients
Trucella™ not only
work to reduce the appearance of
cellulite, but they
also help to enhance the skin
the cellulite
which may result in smoother,
firmer, toned
skin. In the clinical study,
results were seen in as little as two weeks.
However, for optimal and longer-lasting results, we
recommend continued directed use for eight weeks.
Once desired results are achieved, continue to use
Trucella™ as directed.
Our Formula
Trucella™ targets cellulite with key ingredients and combinations to help promote the appearance of smoother, firmer looking skin.
|Caffeine and Elderberry: Promotes a smoother appearance of the skin by helping skin release trapped fluids, which also may reduce the appearance of dimpled skin.
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My friend Connie wrote a great post this week about Needs vs Wants. Her husband is currently laid off and they are doing everything they can to keep current on their mortgage and provide the basic necessities.
I found it interesting to read the comments because people were discussing what is a need and what is a want. I think it is easy for "wants" to become needs. With the economy still recovering it never hurts to take a look at your expenses and see if there are some wants you could cut out of your budget.
Have you looked at your budget lately? Have you fallen into the trap of thinking your wants are actually your needs?
A few years ago I wrote out our needs and wants. It's probably time to do it again.
Photo credit: gennie catastrophe


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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- A search is underway in Thousand Oaks, California for an albino monocled cobra got loose that got loose after biting a dog late Monday afternoon.
The greyhound, that was bitten on the neck was taken to a veterinarian and is expected to make a full recovery.
A picture of the five-foot-long venomous cobra was taken by the dog's owner and reported to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control on Tuesday. Neighbors were not told of the attack until Wednesday.
The albino monocled cobra is a deadly, poisonous snake.
It is not known who owns the snake, but a company that rents out exotic animals for film and TV shoots is just 10 miles away from the neighborhood where the attack happened. Authorities are looking into if the company owns the cobra.
International snake catcher Jules Sylvester said the snake is unlikely to go unnoticed. "He'll probably glow in the dark, he's that white," Sylvester said. "I'm sure we'll spot him again."
Until the snake is caught residents are being asked to watch their pets and keep their small children indoors.


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A native of Sydney, Australia, Tim Cox pitched in the Red Sox organization from 2005-2007.
What had started as just a game became a passion and led ultimately to a profession. It was only at this point did I truly appreciate the saying "Baseball is a way of life". This is not to say one must play over 100 games in a season for such an understanding to occur, however for an Australian, the experience of professional baseball is an eye-opener.
The existence of baseball in Australia has few similarities to America. While American sport is conducted through schools and colleges, sport in Australia is managed by amateur organizations ("clubs") situated and named after the respective suburb/district. Games are played once a week on Saturdays against teams from other nearby clubs. If you have visited a major city of Australia and ventured into the suburbs, you will know how busy it is on Saturdays. As with all sports, junior (i.e. under the age of 18) baseball teams are based on age. I cannot speak for the formats of the other states but in New South Wales (therefore Sydney) it begins at under 11's (or U/11) and continues up to U/18. However, ages 13, 15 and 17 are skipped. This is predominantly driven by the fact that there are not enough numbers to field teams in each age group. Representative teams for each age group (excluding U/11) are selected and compete in a state-wide competition where games are played on Sundays. Following the same pattern, a team is selected to represent each state which competes in the national tournament played over a two week period in January.
It is at this national tournament, as well as the academy set up by MLB, where the best young talent of Australia are seen by scouts from professional clubs. The academy is a program which runs for 6-8 weeks, starting in June, and is designed to mimic spring training. It is only at the academy where a player will experience a glimpse of life as a professional baseball player.
To say that perceptions, expectations and knowledge of the minor leagues are varied in Australia is an understatement. Unless you know someone personally who is experiencing — or has experienced — the professional baseball lifestyle, knowledge of baseball in the USA is very limited. Over the past five years there has been a growing number of Australians making their way over to America. This has certainly helped the Australian baseball community gain a better understanding of the life of a professional baseball player.
Prior to 2003, my knowledge of professional baseball in the USA was almost nonexistent. I knew of the Yankees and the Red Sox, and a couple of the high-profile players, but nothing more. This was due to the fact that baseball games were rarely televised and never reported in the news. The year 2003 changed all that for me. I flew to America to get Tommy John surgery by Dr. James Andrews (a big decision at 16 years of age) and it was during this trip that my education began. Before I flew to Birmingham, Alabama for surgery, I went to see an Angels game and was fortunate to sit next to a baseball fanatic. It was he who was able to explain it all.
I signed with the Red Sox in July 2004, 14 months after my surgery. By this time, I thought I had a good understanding and expectation of what I was about the experience in the coming year (2005). Oh how wrong I was! Looking back, I don't think anything could prepare an 18 year old for a full year of pro ball. After the first week or so of spring training, the body adjusts but this is not the biggest hurdle; toward the end of July it becomes just as much a mental battle as a physical one. Is it still enjoyable? Certainly, but by this time the monotony does get to you. I firmly believe it is this aspect, the "Groundhog Day Effect" if you like, which separates the men from the boys.
Throughout my first year of pro ball I saw a number of players fall victim to "the grind" (as most call it) and consequently had their careers cut short. I'm sure you could guess the kinds of incidents that can occur which result in a player being released. Is it culture shock or lifestyle related? Maybe. I think the ability of a player to survive the monotony acts as a "natural selection" for an organization.
As mentioned above, it is by far the biggest obstacle encountered each year, and observing how a player handles himself throughout this time provides a unique insight into their character. A prime example is a teammate of mine from 2005. Was he talented? Of course, but his professional career was cut short as his inability to keep sober caught up with him. One particular night after a game he had had too much to drink and ended up with alcohol poisoning. He was discharged from hospital the following morning and summoned by the coaches who were demanding answers. What I found most remarkable about the incident wasn't the fact that he became so drunk so quickly after the game, but rather his attitude the next morning. He was quite blasé about it all and thought it was a little funny. This certainly highlighted his level of maturity. The Red Sox were about to release him but ended up trading him a couple of days later.
The first trip over for any Aussie is certainly a daunting yet exhilarating experience for all the right reasons. The easy-going nature of Australians and the hospitality of Americans makes the first days much easier than expected. Once settled in, rumours of Australia become the topics of discussion. It was at this point when I planted a seed for a hoax which lasted the whole season. I think all Australians have told their teammates of the drop bear. It's something that is guaranteed to get a reaction. For those of you who don't know, it's an animal that lives in the treetops and attacks prey by dropping onto their heads from above. There are many techniques to prevent an attack, the most effective being forks in your hair or holding a screwdriver above your head while walking through the bush. Once most hear this part, they realize you're just messing with them, however, if you are persuasive enough, it is surprising how many players walk away thanking you for the tip.
My prank did involve an animal but not a drop bear; it was a kangaroo. For most of the season, I convinced many of my teammates that I had a pet kangaroo which I rode each day to and from school. I am not the first and undoubtedly not the last to try this prank, however I was able to provide "photo evidence" which gave me some credibility. My house in Australia backs onto a large national park. Many visitors have said that our house is a zoo due to all the animals that appear each day. This is more apparent during the summer season when there is little rainfall. Various animals appear on our land to eat the green grass and/or search for water. Kangaroos are frequent visitors during the summer and consequently I have many photos. Any attempt to get close is generally unsuccessful as they are very alert, but on occasion up-close photos are possible. This is far from what happens at the zoo where the kangaroos are very tame. So using photos from home and the zoo, mixed with some propaganda (ok maybe a lot of gibberish), I had somewhat of a compelling story. Every couple of weeks I'd produce some photos emailed from home and add a story or two to keep the hoax going. Near the end of the season I confessed to them all with interesting reactions. There were some who suspected things weren't quite right however most were either really disappointed it wasn't true or didn't believe it was made up.
Should anyone have the opportunity to play professional baseball, I urge them to jump at the chance. There is no question that some personalities are not suited to the lifestyle, however I do believe it is a life changing experience and one that I wish all to have — whether you are an Australian or not.


text: firefly: > General > ------- > Bytestrings are faster than haskell strings. This is good and expected. > But their memory use, ouch! There seems to be a grave memory bug in 6.9. Bug report -- since the bytestring library hasn't changed between 6.8.2 and head, that sounds like a bug report. > Lazy bytestrings are slower than strict bytestrings -- this was completely > unexpected for me. Which programs should I look at? Is there a specific program or two where lazy bytestring performance is entirely out of whack (against 6.8.2?)? If so, please forward it to me and Duncan. > > I/O > --- > The I/O patterns seen in the various programs are: > 1) strict bytestrings = read increasingly large chunks (they double every > time). I don't know if the already-read data have to be copied around or > if the memory allocator can handle extending existing blocks (if they are > at the "front" of the heap, say) like realloc() can. if you're reading from stdin, and we don't know the size, bytestring getContents uses realloc. > Even if the blocks do get copied around, that's not where the performance > limiter is (speed-wise). It does seem to be a bit unwise in terms of > memory pressure. > > Does the gc kick in every time the heap has to expand? Does it do a full > collection then? If no other allocations have happened since the last > collection than the allocation that caused the heap to expand, then perhaps > skip the collection? (or some criteria similar to that) > > 2) lazy bytestrings = read blocks of 32K-8 bytes, as expected. The C > benchmarks show that there's no penalty for reading 32K-8 vs. 32K. > > 3) native strings = read blocks 8K. > > The C benchmarks show that it barely matters if the block size is 4K, 32K, or > 32K-8 bytes. In any case, the small differences due to block size are > completely in the noise. Reading very large blocks, though, as the strict > bytestrings do, actually has a cost (38-70% slower, depending on the CPU and > kernel and RAM and busspeeds, etc -- see email 10 in the series). It is still > peanets compared for almost all the benchmarks. Useful information, thanks. > Backend > ------- > The backend turns out to be rather bad. It is generally very easy to improve > the generated code by hand without doing anything in terms of sophisticated > analysis. One can rewrite inner loops using heroic code (load four characters > at a time together into a 32-bit register or even use MMX to handle eight > characters in parallel) but it isn't really necessary to do that to gain a > good improvement and start being competitive with C. > > The backend is probably what is costly on some of the lazy bytestring and > native string code because there are too many tests to see if the buffer has > been exhausted (I think). Some simple hoisting and common subexpression > elimination would go far here. There may be things we can do at the library level too. We changed the lazy bytestring representation in the last release cycle to remove a number of tests. If you've a specific example would help though. > Thoroughness > ------------ > It really is necessary to benchmark more than one ghc/library combination, > otherwise the bad memory bugs wouldn't stand out so clearly or I would have > believed, as Don Stewart did, that he had fixed the memory allocation bug. I fixed a particular issue with the library. But please make a bug report if there are other issues wrt. ghc head in particularly. > Action Items > ------------ > Suggested short-term actions: > o Can the allocator expand blocks? If not, see if it can be implemented. > o Find out why lazy bytestrings "by hand" are that slow - is it due to > lack of hoisting in the backend? Example please! > o Improve backend, mainly by not hiding information from register allocator. > Alternatively, by using an assembly-to-assembly transformator that > improves the register allocation. Some nice examples that could help motivate the native gen hackers would be useful. > o Fix -sstderr. > o perhaps even let the RTS print out /proc/self/maps or /proc/self/status > or "peak RSS" returned by getrusage() in the ru_maxrss field? > o Find memory leaks in ghc 6.9 code. Bug report time. > o ghc should allow round-tripping of the C-- code it generates. > o would be awfully nice if the backend didn't sometimes throw the recognizable > labels away. > o can the core/stg code be made easier to read? Can you ensure these points are summarised and directed to the ghc bug tracker, http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/newticket?type=bug to this work isn't lost on -cafe at . -- Don


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Sunday - September 14, 2008 - 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Important Information: Sessions are rated: novice for those in the industry less than two years; intermediate for those in the industry for two to five years; and advanced for those in the industry for more than five years. Sunday Workshops are schedule for 1:30pm - 4:30pm.
Sunday Workshop 1
Tonya York, CBCP - EVault
Building a Business Continuity Organization
When most people get assigned the job of business continuity, they immediately jump into the task of writing plans, conducting tests, and implementing mitigation strategies. Seldom do they try to build an infrastructure to support an ongoing and effective BCP for their organization.
This presentation helps participants first look at the corporate culture of their organization to determine what approach will work the best, and dealing with the realities of funding and culture, build an infrastructure to support the program. And to have an effective program an organization needs policies, metrics for measuring and reporting success for that the business continuity program will thrive.
So, you have just been targeted to run the business continuity/disaster recovery organization, now what? You need to create accountability, responsibility, and metrics for measuring success. You have to get executive management on board and plug the program into the overall business processes.
Learn how to draft the business continuity organization for your company, create metrics for measuring success, create a policy on business continuity, create a roadmap for connecting into existing processes at your company, and will have a game plan for getting your executive management on board. You will walk away with a template for your organizations business continuity policy; Metrics for measuring the progress of your business continuity program; and a business continuity organization for your company to manage the program moving forward
Tonya T. York, CBCP, is business continuity management practice director for EVault Business Continuity Professional Services. As senior consultant at Symantec/VERITAS, York was responsible for creation, sales, and delivery of business continuity services to Fortune 500 customers.
Sunday Workshop 2
Steve Goldman, Goldman Mgmt. Consultants
The One-Inch BC or DR Plan: How To Reorganize Your Business Continuity (Or DR) Plan To Fit In A One-Inch Binder
Is your business continuity plan or disaster recovery plan so big that you need a 3-inch binder to contain it all? Does it seem to take forever to download? Do your responders joke about the forests you use to publish the plan?
Then this course is for you. Size does matter, especially when responder efficiency and your credibility are on the line.
This hands-on workshop will show you strategies to reorganize your current BCP or DRP to fit in a 1-inch binder.
Your program documentation does not lose any content; the documentation is organized and distributed for maximum efficiency.
Start slimming down your document today.
Steve Goldman is a leading crisis management and BCP consultant and former global BCP manager for a Fortune 500 company.
Over his long career he has developed, conducted, and evaluated drills and exercises ranging from one-hour tabletops to massive three-day exercises involving hundreds of responders from dozens of companies and government agencies.
Goldman has been involved in crisis management since 1978. He has written or improved many corporations' crisis plans and procedures and trained all levels of response staff, from CEO's on down.
He has developed, conducted, or evaluated scores of exercises, ranging from two-hour table-tops to massive three-day full-scale exercises involving hundreds of responders.
Sunday Workshop 3
Sally Fitzgerald & James R. Mitchell, CBCP, eBRP Solutions
Incident Ready Planning
Incident ready planning requires plans to be created addressing various elements such as human resources (people), infrastructure, supply-chain and technology components. Additionally, the crisis manager requires a decision support system to allow them to make knowledgeable and informed decisions. The plans should provide structures to establish command, control the flow of activities and foster collaboration between various responders.
This workshop conducted by a team of seasoned planners and incident responders will showcase best practices in creating viable, exercisable and maintainable incident ready plans.
The facilitators will utilize industry standard tools to showcase their approach.
Sally Fitzgerald is an engagement manager with eBRP Solutions with a focus on training and development. Her experience includes 20+ years in the software industry in the areas of management, training and implementation and analysis.
A founding partner of eBRP Solutions, Jim Mitchell has been active in the Business Continuity field for 15 years, as both a corporate Planner (at Barclays Bank and GE Capital) and as a Consultant. Jim is a Certified Business Continuity Professional, with considerable emphasis on planning for the continuity of mission-critical Business Processes. He has extensive risk assessment, business impact analysis, planning and Crisis Management experience with small, medium and Fortune 500 Companies, in financial services, real estate, pharmaceuticals, technology, manufacturing and public sector institutions.
As a Planner, he has had practical experience in executing Business Continuity Plans as a result of both common, minor disruptions (power and Application failures) as well as unexpected, major disruptions (fire, flood, blizzards, work stoppages and an air quality emergency). Jim presently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Sunday Workshop 4
Barbara Citarella, RBC, Ltd.
Impact of Panic: Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercise
Businesses around the world are planning and conducting exercises in order to prepare for the next pandemic influenza. How prepared an organization is can determine the difference between staying in business or going out of business. Critical thinking and cool heads are paramount to a successful resilient continuity of operations plan. But drilling on a regular basis as well as conducting tabletop exercises is also very important.
This tabletop exercise focuses on a very different aspect of a pandemic. It focuses on the impact of panic. As much as one prepares, the reality is that in some situations processes may not happen smoothly or calmly. This scenario will:
• stimulate creative thinking
• utilize the Incident Command System
• require on the feet thinking
• quickly identify the leaders
• quickly identify the critical thinkers.
At the end of this exercise participants will be able to discuss the incident command system strengths, discuss the need for being able to think outside the box and identify the problems that occur when social panic and social disorder occur. This is an exercise that will be conducted in groups and will assist organizations in identifying some key aspects necessary for business continuity.
Barbara Citarella is the founder of the award-winning company RBC Limited, a healthcare and management consulting business. In addition to consulting in all areas of health care, RBC Limited has worked extensively with law enforcement, government agencies and the private sector with regard to business recovery planning, protection of personnel assets, infrastructure protection, exercise observer, all hazards planning and the Incident Command System.
Sunday Workshop 5
Barney Pelant, MBCP - Barney F. Pelant & Assoc.
Developing the Recovery Strategy: The Next Step
Once the business impact analysis (BIA) has been completed, the next logical step in the development of a business continuity program is the formation of the business recovery strategy.
The results of this effort provide us the infrastructure for carrying out the successful recovery of the organization in case of a disastrous event or business interruption.
This infrastructure is also the foundation for the procedures that we develop next, a.k.a. our business recovery plan.
This session is a former breakout session that has been expanded by popular request to a workshop.
During the workshop we will examine a proven methodology for taking the findings of the BIA and developing successful strategies.
Learn important and logical steps to take when structuring the business recovery strategy. You'll take home answers and solutions that you can implement immediately.
Barney Pelant, MBCP, is owner and director of Barney F. Pelant & Associates. His professional background includes more than 30 years focusing on business continuity planning, disaster prevention and recovery. Pelant's technical experience ranges from the design and development of domestic and international business centers, to the development of contingency plans to ensure their ongoing viability. His consulting experience includes roles as consultant and director of contingency services (consulting services) for SunGard Recovery Services, and senior manager – business continuity planning for Ernst & Young.
Sunday Workshop 6
PPBI Mock Disaster Exercise: Disastrous Health Emergencies Impact Business Resiliency
Limited to 200 participants
It finally happens! Are you prepared? The Mock Disaster will test your capabilities for responding to a public health emergency impacting businesses and government agencies across the globe.
Here's your chance to test your pandemic response preparation and to coordinate your response knowledge with other businesses, community responders, educational institutions, the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), local health departments, health care facilities and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Though many organizations have focused on the Pandemic Flu, this Mock Disaster may involve other public health threats, seriously interrupting normal business conditions. Your pandemic planning may be your best tool for response. The Mock Disaster will utilize the HHS publication, "Public Health Emergency Response: A Guide for Leaders and Responders."
All participants will be provided with a copy to keep. The emphasis will be on partnering with other businesses and government agencies as we will all be impacted together.
There will be no role playing by participants – you will respond in your real role. Actors may simulate the media, customers, regulators, HHS and CDC personnel, and EMS responders. Come prepared to take immediate action using your plan, policies, and the guidebook provided. Be prepared to partner with others who must also respond.
Facilitators: Dr. Tom Phelan and other PPBI Board Members.


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Modern weapons and military equipment cannot be made or maintained without parts and components that are sourced and traded around the world. Without regulating this trade alongside the trade in complete weapons, it will be impossible to reduce the impact of irresponsible arms transfers on human rights, security, and development. Between 2008 and 2011, the global trade in parts and components was worth at least $9.7bn. This vast stockpile of weapons parts ranged from high-end components for aircraft to parts for small arms and light weapons. Weapons are assembled from components sourced from all corners of the world – frequently from countries without any effective arms transfer controls.
Without global regulation of the trade in parts and components, it will be impossible to effectively regulate any part of the arms trade, as companies will be able to circumvent the rules by shipping weapons in pieces from multiple countries around the globe. The Arms Trade Treaty represents a unique opportunity to regulate the specialised parts and components used in the arms trade and, indeed, will be fatally flawed if it does not do so.
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Our Duct Cleaning Services in Willoughby North Are you a homeowner needing air duct cleaning? Have you investigated the quality of your heating and cooling system? Are contaminants clogging affecting your air duct cleaning? Our duct cleaning company has all solutions to those numerous questions on air duct cleaning at your home, workplace, or school. […]Read Full


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LONDON -- The Honeynet Project, a non-profit security research and development organization, joint effort with the UK Honeynet Project today announced the release of Honeysnap 1.0.1. Honeysnap is the first in a line of analysis tools being designed to answer the Who? and Why? of network attacks.
Typical internet security analysis tools answer the What, How, and When? of network attacks, the Honeynet Projects Honeysnap tool is the first to moving organizations towards completing the resulting questions of Who? and Why? of network attacks.
Honeysnap is a command line tool for parsing single or multiple packet capture data and producing a first-cut analysis report that identifies significant events within the captured in the network attack. Honeysnap provides security analysts with a prepared menu of high value network activity, enabling manual forensic analysis and saving significant incident investigation time. Honeysnap is highly suitable for batch mode operation and automation via the security analysts choice of operating systems.