text: In part one of a two-part series, William G. Schubert, the new U.S. Maritime Administrator (MarAd) speaks with H. Clayton Cook, Jr. about the current standing and future direction of maritime activities in the United States. Mr. Administrator, this interview is being conducted for a piece that will be published in the August 2002 issue of Maritime Reporter and Engineering News, the largest magazine of general circulation in the maritime community. So, we have a good many readers who are interested in what you are doing. Your interview will be headlined on the magazine cover. And, we are very pleased that you have agreed to speak with us today. Cook: Would you tell our readers about yourself and life in Washington as the Maritime Administrator? Schubert: It is great to be in Washington, serving the President of the United States. It's a great honor and opportunity that I never imagined when I graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) in 1974. After I left Kings Point, I went to sea for 12 years, sailing as an officer aboard U.S.-flag vessels. Also, I served 10 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Reserve. I then worked at the Maritime Administration for nine years, spending four years in Washington (1986-1990) as an offshore industry expert advising the Maritime Administrator in policy development for the management, maintenance and liquidation of assets acquired through defaults under the Federal Ship Financing Program. The following five years (1990-1995), I served as MarAd's regional representative for all of the Agency's program interests in the southwestern region of the United States. During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, I monitored the Port Readiness Program, vessel load-out operations, and interagency planning meetings for the Port of Houston. I have dedicated my entire career to the Maritime industry. And, I believe in the Maritime Administration and in the importance of the MarAd mission Cook: Do you miss Texas? Schubert: Of course of I miss Texas. My home is in Texas. President Bush recently said something that made a lot of sense to me. "My address may have changed, but my home remains in Texas." I was very happy in Houston with my business, International Trade & Transportation, Inc. (IT&T), however, when the President asks you to serve in his Administration, you don't say "no." My son is in college in Texas. My wife Gail is here in Washington with me. Cook: Tell us about the business you left behind in Houston? Schubert: At IT&T we provided transportation consulting services to ocean carriers, project exporters, freight forwarders and lending institutions. We dealt with major international infrastructure projects, which over the course of the last half dozen year aggregated over $7 billion in value, which generated over $50 million in revenues for U.S.-flag ocean carriers. Cook: How have your experiences as a transportation consultant, MarAd regional representative and sailing as a Master mariner shaped your leadership style? Schubert: I believe that I have seen all sides of the picture, from operational to management to government. There is one overriding issue that plagues every aspect of the U.S. maritime industry — a lack of public understanding of the importance of the U.S. shipbuilding and the U.S.-flag merchant marine. We all need to do a better job promoting ourselves, our mission, and expressing the importance of the U.S.-flag merchant marine and U.S. shipbuilding, for protecting our economic and national security. Cook: Many of our readers are not from the United States and may not be familiar with MarAd's mission. Can you explain your agency's mission? Schubert: The mission of the Maritime Administration is to promote the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce. Our merchant marine must also be capable of serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency. MarAd must also ensure that the United States enjoys adequate shipbuilding and repair services, efficient ports, effective intermodal water and land transportation systems, and reserve shipping capacity in the event of a national emergency. Our mission is important and I hope to take it one step further by enhancing the visibility of the U.S.-flag merchant marine worldwide and making MarAd a better agency than when I arrived. MarAd is a great agency with great people who have dedicated their lives to its mission. However, we can do more as a promotional agency to support our existing U.S.-flag fleet as well as looking ahead into the future in developing a U.S.-flag presence where one does not already exist. For example, there are niche markets where the U.S.-flag can succeed, such as carriage of Export Import Bank cargoes and other government preference cargoes. Cook: How have the events of 9/11 changed the Maritime Administration? Will MarAd be included in the new Department of Homeland Security? Schubert: We have had a greater post 9/11 role in the area of training. At the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy we are working on developing opportunities for our graduating midshipmen who do not go to sea or cannot find jobs at sea. Our midshipmen are ideal candidates for the Transportation Security Administration because of their familiarity with the marine environment. Also, they have already obtained training in important related areas, such as small-arms training and anti-piracy safeguards. A year at sea is already a part of their training, so they make great candidates for the new TSA and the Coast Guard. The Global Maritime and Transportation School at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is being considered as a training center for port personnel. In fact, the State of Florida is sending over 20 of its law enforcement personnel for port security training. The school, also known as GMATS, is a valuable resource to train port managers and other people in critical specialties who are charged with ensuring the safety and security our Nation's ports. MarAd will remain at the Department of Transportation under the President's proposal and the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration will fall under the Department of Homeland Security. Cook: You mentioned earlier that MarAd seeks to ensure that the United States enjoys adequate shipbuilding and repair services as a part of its mission. What do you foresee in this regard? Schubert: Let me begin by reiterating MarAd's mission — it is absolutely essential that we maintain sufficient infrastructure to build and maintain vessels to meet our military and commercial requirements. That means we must be certain that we are able to domestically build and repair our own vessels during peacetime and declared national emergencies. The trends in U.S. Shipbuilding over the past twenty years has not been positive. Since the early 1980s it is estimated that shipyard employment has decreased by over 50 percent. During the same time frame, U.S. shipyards have: • Lagged in productivity compared to other U.S. industries, • Have not had sufficient Research and Development resources to keep pace with world shipbuilding practices, • Experienced difficulty in retraining an adequately trained supply of production workers. This is especially critical in a labor-intensive industry such as shipyard repair and construction, and • Been in the almost impossible position of competing in an international shipbuilding environment that is notoriously heavily subsidized and has significant over capacity. So, the world shipbuilding market is such that U.S. shipbuilding opportunities are limited. Now, having said that, I nevertheless believe that there are existing and near-term U.S. domestic transportation needs which will provide significant building opportunities for our U.S. commercial shipbuilders. Cook: Would you expand on this? Schubert: Certainly. The Jones Act and the Passenger Vessel Services Act reserve the carriage of cargo and passengers between U.S. ports to vessels built in the United States. The most important shipbuilding opportunities are those, which are resulting from the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and the requirement for double hulled vessels in our U.S. coastwise and Gulf of Mexico services. The OPA 90 and other petroleum related requirements should provide shipyard employment for yards across the entire spectrum of shipyard size. Of perhaps equal importance for our larger shipyards, the ocean-going container and RoRo tonnage fleets in our non-contiguous trades, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, are going to require near term replacement. And, there may be opportunities for construction for coastwise container operations. For our smaller yards, perhaps the single most important subject matter may be vessels to meet the expanding passenger and passenger/vehicle ferry service needs. Cook: Could you explain the importance of OPA 90 for our readers? Schubert: OPA 90, The Oil Pollution Act of 1990, requires the replacement of all single hulled tank vessels used in the U.S. petroleum crude and product carrier and related trades in five-year intervals at the end of 2005, 2010 and 2015. The current U.S. flag tanker fleet is comprised of approximately 100 vessels; roughly two-thirds product tankers, and one third crude carriers. Only ten of these vessels are double hulled and of recent construction. The remaining 90 plus vessels will be phased out at the five-year intervals that I've mentioned. The replacement of Alaska crude carrier tonnage by the major energy companies involved in North Slope production is well underway. The replacement of product carriers, the greater number of which are owned by independent operators, has hardly begun. Cook: What about the "non-contiguous trades"? Would you explain the importance of these? Schubert: The container and RoRo vessels of our U.S. citizen carriers serving Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are old and inefficient. While none of these trades is experiencing rapid growth, the involved vessels are expensive to operate and increasingly expensive to maintain. Replacement buildings have been gotten underway. Totem Ocean Trailer Express, which serves Alaska, will be replacing three 1970's vintage RoRo vessels with two newly commissioned 600 trailer vessels now being built at National Steel & Shipbuilding Company. Matson Navigation Company, the predominant carrier in the Hawaiian trade, has recently announced that it will purchase two new 35,000-dwt container vessels from the Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard. If Kvaerner is successful with this delivery, it appears that Matson may be prepared to move forward with Kvaerner for two more vessels of the same Kvaerner design. If so, this would certainly a major step forward for everyone involved in this transaction and for U.S. shipbuilding more generally. Cook: I see that we are running out of time, what do you believe MarAd should do to support the shipyard and ship repair industry? Schubert: MarAd is committed 100 percent to working with the Navy, our U.S. shipbuilding and repair yards, labor, our U.S. commercial vessel operators, and Congress to develop a unified long-term strategy to maintain our shipyard capacity. We must address the issues of shipyard productivity, modern shipyard infrastructure, R&D investment, manning and training sufficient skilled workers. To the extent that we expect to be concerned with building for export, we may need to address issues related to international business practices involving subsidies. On the commercial side, MarAd will work to identify and assist our U.S. shipyards in opportunities in our domestic trade. Everyone agrees that our shipyards need to identify vessel designs that they can build in series in sufficient numbers to reach adequate economies of scale. The Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard may be headed in that direction with its container vessel design. I believe this can be done with other vessel designs and I am up for the challenge. Cook: I have one more question. There has been a great deal of concern expressed about port security focusing on non-citizen owned foreign flag vessels and their cargoes entering our ports. However, I have not read anything concerning the monitoring of movements of U.S.-flag vessels entering or already in our U.S. ports that might be chartered to non-citizens. I see that the House Armed Services Committee report accompanying the FY 2003 MarAd authorization urges MarAd to review its post 1992 policy of "blanket" approval of "time charters and other forms of temporary use agreements" to non-citizens and requests a report back to the Committee by November 1. Would you comment? Schubert: Yes. We believe that these charters to non-citizens present a potentially serious problem. MarAd has had the problem under study for sometime. The House Committee report request comes, as it were, mid-stream in MarAd's work on the problem. The world is a different place today from what it was in 1992. A time charterer determines what cargoes will be loaded and discharged, and directs the vessel's schedule and its ports of call. We are concerned. And, we will wish to have the benefit of the Maritime community's thinking on the problem. We will be publishing a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comment through written submissions.


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Hopped Up Beer Glass
When they pour themselves a beer using this glass, their guests will do a double take. It's a hilarious quick illusion that makes it look as though they're drinking a glass of beer in a bizarre, completely mad way.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lyle Bauer says the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are at a "decided disadvantage" when it comes to Canad Inns Stadium.
The Bombers president and CEO admitted yesterday that the Bombers and their 51-year-old home are in third place when it comes to Winnipeg's three pro sports teams and their facilities.
The Northern League's Goldeyes play baseball in the five-year-old CanWest Global Park, while the Manitoba Moose will begin playing hockey in the brand-spankin' new MTS Centre next week.
Now, according to Bauer, it's time for the Bombers to catch up.
"I've said before: There's a very nice ball park and a very nice new arena," he said. "People get accustomed to those new types of amenities and then that becomes the standard.
"We probably don't want to be at a decided disadvantage, which we are now."
The Stadium has its charms, but its age is beginning to show. There are rumblings that the Bombers are talking to the Red River Exhibition about building a new stadium near Assiniboia Downs, on the western edge of the city.
Bauer didn't squash that rumour yesterday, nor did he add any fuel to the fire.
"The only thing I'll tell you is we're looking at a variety of things, and first and foremost is what we're currently in and potentially the cost of upgrade," Bauer said. "That's something that we've talked about for some time, and we want to investigate all options."
Bauer said the Winnipeg Football Club, which took control of the Stadium just last year, feels its fans deserve something better than what they have.
"Obviously we want to be able to provide our fans with improved amenities on a go-forward basis," he said. "We owe it to them to try to see what we can do with the existing facility, see where that all falls in and cost out other options."
LATE HITS: Bauer believes the Montreal Alouettes and B.C. Lions will emerge victorious from their respective division finals on Sunday against the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders, respectively. However, the Blue and Gold boss said he will be rooting for Winnipeg's arch-rival to the west. "That would be good for the people in Saskatchewan," Bauer said. "It would be great for them. If we can't be there, the fans of Saskatchewan may as well have some fun." ... Bauer was asked if he had any room in the organization for Tom Higgins, who resigned as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos on Wednesday. "He's certainly a proven head coach," Bauer said. "But I think right now that (GM) Brendan (Taman) is walking the line as far as talking to Jim (Daley) and seeing what happens in that regard. If we elect to go elsewhere, then he might be potentially worth considering."


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THESE images show the 'horrendous' damage that has been done to the iconic former school on Lea Road in Gainsborough - sparking concern and anger from local residents.
Thousands of Gainsborough residents will remember the historic school which was built in 1906 and was a infants and junior school until it was closed and converted to a business centre in the early 1990s. It has been empty for a number years.
Now, the listed building has been targeted by intruders and vandals and its future looks uncertain.
"It's truly heart-breaking," said chairman of Gainsborough's South West Ward Residential Group Alan Frost. "The damage is absolutely disastrous. The outside may look fine but on the inside, nothing is safe."
Alan said that he has heard from many local residents who share precious memories of the former school and are 'devastated' that it has fallen into such a state of disrepair.
"My daughter and my late son used to go to that school, which makes it especially upsetting for me to see it like this," said Alan. "What makes it worse is that the people getting in there on these dark nights could seriously hurt themselves. My fear is that someone will get in there and have an accident or be killed and no one will know that they are in there."
West Lindsey District Council chairman Jessie Milne agreed that it was a tragedy to see the Lincolnshire County Council-owned building in such a state.
"I think it's really rather sad that such a beautiful building has been empty for so long but what really upsets me about Gainsborough is that we don't take care of our heritage," said Coun Milne. "We let things go to ruin and we are losing old Gainsborough. Our history is being destroyed and soon there will be nothing left."
She continued: "I'd like to see more done to protect the little bit of our past that we still have left before we see it all raised to the ground."
South West Ward councillor Trevor Young agreed that Lincolnshire County Council should be doing much more to protect the old school.
"It's really shocking because this particular building is of great architectural and historical importance," said Coun Young.
"The local authority have absolutely allowed it to be vandalised - even though it has been brought to their attention numerous times."
He continued: "The extent of the damage and the fact that the future of the building is uncertain is a sad indictment and a poor reflection of Lincolnshire County Council."
"Gainsborough's council tax payers deserve better than this."
Jim Hogg from Lincolnshire County Council's property manager operations responded by saying: "There have been numerous incidents of vandalism at the old school."
"Our contractors regularly return to re-secure the site, but it is difficult to keep people out."
"Unfortunately, the building is in a conservation area, and we've not been allowed to demolish it."
Jim added: "We have recently met with concerned residents and representatives from the town council who are campaigning to have the building taken down."
"This would make the site more attractive to potential buyers."


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What the heck is a Trail Sloth?I can't really explain why I thought of this subject for an album, other than for pure fun and comical reasons. We've all had hiking partners of different styles and personalities. Sometimes these traits can be somewhat irritating, and at the same time, pretty dang funny. My hiking partner, John, inspired me to create this page. He calls himself a "Trail Sloth". He's slow but steady. But, it's not only his "slowness" that makes him enjoyable to hike with. It's his whole demeanor. You never know what you're going to get when you start the day. Heck! For all I know, I would be considered a "Trail Sloth" if I hiked with some of the animals here on SP!
So, this page is dedicated to those special buddies who drive us nuts, but the trip wouldn't be the same without them. Please feel free to contribute. I only have one request for those who post; make sure you don't belittle your friends too much. And, use your imagination when describing pictures of these special friends. I'll add more as I get time.
Have fun with it!


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Enhance Life Foundation
Address: 4568 So. Highland Dr. #180
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Phone: 801-251-0258
Toll Free Phone: 888-304-9452
Service Categories:
Eligibility: Children with special needs
Wheelchair Accessible: yes
Services Provided: A nonprofit foundation offers grants for therapies, equipment or procedures to help children with special needs achieve more function and independence.
Provider Profiles: Associated with Intensive Physical Therapy Institute (IPTI)
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Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has revealed Emmanuel Adebayor could make his first appearance of the season at his former club Manchester City on Sunday. The striker played in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the club's training ground last week and Villas-Boas liked what he saw from the former Arsenal man.
"Our likely approach is to go with one up front (at City)," Villas-Boas said.
"They (Soldado, Adebayor and Jermain Defoe) are very near each other at the moment and it could be a possibility that even Ade could play that game.
"These are all decisions that we have to take. We don't have enough reasons at the moment not to trust Soldado and Defoe because they've been excellent.
"Hopefully it's a decision that's best for the team and best for the strategy."
For breaking stories and all the great banter like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tribalfootball


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Bringing Out Your Inner Beauty
Bringing Out Your Inner Beauty
Gratitude!! We all go through spells of not feeling great about our bodies or our skin, and I realized I have been in that rut far too long. It's easy to do everything for our kids and let ourselves slip into the comfort of feeling like an old tired mom. And, oh so easy to concentrate on the new gray hairs that have sprouted, the puffy eyes and the few extra pounds always needing to be shed.
So today, I have decided to change my inner appearance, I know from past experience that putting in the mental work on the inside, helps to transform negative emotions into positive ones. I am vowing to be kinder to myself about how I feel, I am going to appreciate one body part a day, even if I have to repeat a body part over and over, and I will say gratitudes… I am grateful for my family, I am grateful for my tea on crazy Saturday mornings and grateful for my tea on slow Sunday mornings, I am grateful for the messy house that needs cleaning and the dishes that need to be done, and yes, I am grateful even when the kids are arguing. I know I have a lot to be grateful for, so it's time to put all that into practice and make some mental changes to get myself out of this rut.
By saying gratitudes to yourself it changes your thought patterns, so instead of thinking, "I hate getting up in the morning.", change it to, "I am so grateful for this morning, to get to share another morning with my family!" This will actually change the way you think and feel about the mornings, it's difficult as first but if you practice gratitudes, it will become second hand in no time, and you'll find yourself thinking them automatically, with no effort at all! I am a way happier person all thanks to gratitudes! Along with all that mental work, I will remind myself to take the time to wash my face twice a day, drink more water and eat less gluten! So that's it for today, I hope you find the beauty in yourselves today, as I work on mine! I already feel lighter and stronger!
Justine Whitehead: Justine lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. As a former petite model she understands the world of being criticized for weight, height, and looks within a extremely competitive industry. Now, she is a freelance graphic designer and writer, but her most important job is as a mom.


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This product was discontinued November, 2012 and is no longer available. Please consider one of the Customer-Recommended Replacements above, or try a new search.
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When you try to uninstall Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services from the server, you may receive the following error message:
An error has occurred:Note Drive_Letter refers to the disc drive into which the SQL Server installation media is inserted.
Access to the path 'Drive_Letter:\WINDOWS\system32\perf-ReportServer-rsctr.dll' is denied.
Access to the path 'Drive_Letter:\WINDOWS\system32\perf-ReportServer-rsctr.dll' is denied.
This problem occurs when another process or application, such as Performance Monitor, may be running and using the Report Server performance counter (perf-ReportServer-rsctr.dll).
To resolve this issue, close or stop any process or application that may be using the Report Server performance counter, and then try to uninstall Report Server.
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
Article ID: 956173 - Last Review: Mar 19, 2009 - Revision: 1


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Shai Wosner - In Recital
45 Bleecker St.
New York, NY, 10012
Doors 7:00 PM / Show 7:30 PM
Watch & Listen
Pianist Shai Wosner has attracted international recognition for his exceptional artistry, musical integrity and creative insight. His performances of a broad range of repertoire from Beethoven and Mozart to Schoenberg and Ligeti, as well as music by his contemporaries, communicates his imaginative programming and intellectual curiosity. Mr. Wosner's virtuosity and perceptiveness have made him a favorite among audiences and critics, who have praised him for his "keen musical mind and deep musical soul" (NPR's All Things Considered) and for exemplifying a "remarkable blend of the intellectual, physical and even devilish sides of performance" (Chicago Sun Times).
Mr. Wosner has been widely praised for his interpretations of Franz Schubert's solo works, both in concert and in recording. Following a recent Schubert-themed recital at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, the Washington Post called his performance "enthralling" and "technically remarkable," and after his recital debut at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival in an all-Schubert program, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times wrote, "In Schubert Mr. Wosner is not afraid to employ an enormous dynamic range. His pianissimos are uncommonly delicate and beautiful. But when the music moves him, his fortissimos can be steely and terrifying…" Mr. Wosner will continue to present Schubert works in recital throughout the 2013-14 season, with performances at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Cal Performances in Berkeley, in Fresno CA and Schenectady NY, at Wigmore Hall in London, and at the Festival de Musica de Camara in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Mr. Wosner's most recent recording, released by Onyx in October 2011, features a selection of solo piano works by Schubert that incorporate elements of folk music. In its review of the album, Gramophone magazine wrote," With this recital Shai Wosner declares himself a Schubertian of unfaltering authority and character." Mr. Wosner's 2010 debut recording, also released by Onyx, juxtaposed works by Brahms and Schoenberg and was called an "inventively conceived and impressive recording" by The New York Times. His next recording, with frequent recital partner violinist Jennifer Koh, featuring works by Janáček, Bartók and Kurtág, will be released by Cedille Records in the fall of 2013.
This season, Mr. Wosner's orchestral engagements include Mozart piano concertos with the Hamburger Symphoniker conducted by Jeffrey Tate, the BBC Scottish Symphony led by Andrew Manze, and the Discovery Ensemble led by Courtney Lewis at Boston's Jordan Hall. He plays Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto with the Pasadena Symphony conducted by Jajha Ling and the German premiere of Michael Hersch's concerto "Along the Ravines" (a work he commissioned and premiered with the Seattle Symphony in 2012) with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie–Saarbrücken led by Tito Muñoz. Additional concert highlights include a performance with the Miró Quartet at Baltimore's Shriver Hall, a duo recital tour with violinist Veronika Eberle including a performance at Wigmore Hall, a duo recital with cellist Matthew Barley at the Concertgebouw featuring standard rep as well as free form improvisation, and a third Wigmore Hall concert with cellist Ralph Kirshbaum.
Mr. Wosner made his highly acclaimed subscription debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2010 and was invited to return later that year to perform with the orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. He has appeared with numerous major orchestras in North America including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Berkeley, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. He performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in a concert that was broadcast on American Public Radio. In Europe, he has appeared with the Bournemouth Symphony, Staatskapelle Berlin, LSO St. Luke's, Gothenburg Symphony, Barcelona Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Orchestre National de Belgique and Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, and at Cardiff's Hoddinott Hall, among others. In 2006, he debuted with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Salzburg, during the 250th anniversary celebrations of Mozart's birth. He has worked with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Jiří Bělohlávek, James Conlon, Alan Gilbert, Gunther Herbig, James Judd, Zubin Mehta, Peter Oundjian, Donald Runnicles, and Leonard Slatkin.
Wosner is widely sought after by colleagues for his versatility and spirit of partnership. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with numerous esteemed artists including Martin Fröst, Lynn Harrell, Dietrich Henschel, Cho-Liang Lin, Christian Tetzlaff, and Pinchas Zukerman. He is a former member of Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society Two and performs regularly at various chamber music festivals, including Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Piano Aux Jacobins festival in France, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Recent chamber music engagements include a duo recital with baritone Wolfgang Holzmair at the 92nd St. Y in New York, a performance with members of The New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, a performance of the Mozart concerto for three pianos with Joseph Kalichstein and Alon Goldstein and the New York String Orchestra with Jaime Laredo at Carnegie Hall, collaborations with the Tokyo, Miró and Parker string quartets, and an appearance with the Georgian Chamber Players at Atlanta's Spivey Hall. He has performed at summer festivals including the Ravinia Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. For several consecutive summers, Wosner was involved in the West-Eastern Divan Workshop led by Daniel Barenboim and toured as soloist with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
Mr. Wosner is a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. He was in residence with the BBC as a New Generation Artist, during which he played frequently with the BBC orchestras, including appearances conducting Mozart concertos from the keyboard with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He also returned to the BBC Scottish Symphony in both subscription concerts and performances at the Proms with Donald Runnicles, and appeared with the BBC Philharmonic in a live broadcast from Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. His performances in recital, chamber music, and with orchestra continue to be broadcast on Radio 3.
Born in Israel, Mr. Wosner enjoyed a broad musical education from a very early age, studying piano with Emanuel Krasovsky as well as composition, theory and improvisation with André Hajdu. He later studied at The Juilliard School with Emanuel Ax. Mr. Wosner now resides in New York City with his wife and two children.
For more information on Mr. Wosner, please visit his fan page on Facebook and go to www.shaiwosner.com.
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My Nonprofit Reviews
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Review for Hacienda De Los Milagros, Inc., Chino Valley, AZ, USA
This organization cares for animals in ways that I could only wish to. They are in need of donations and I send them money when I can. When I contact Wynne he responds quickly to my emails. It would be great if they could have enough money to feed these animals and make sure their veterinary care is kept up.
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Nothing makes me want to show off a country more than when it impresses a girl. Especially when the girl is my fiancée, on her first visit to South Africa, hoping to understand the country where I was born and raised. With this in mind, I borrowed my grandmother's old Toyota for a one-week, 3,700-kilometre road trip I had carefully designed to make her fall in love with the beloved country and, by extension, further in love with me.
My plan would forgo the tourist favourites of Cape Town and the Kruger National Park for my secret wild cards. Since we'd be driving in long stretches, this would also ensure she'd develop a taste for biltong (unprocessed jerky), my favourite junk food purchased at gas stations, and conversations about the country's history and national religion, by which I mean sports.
Explaining the rules of cricket occupied most of the four-hour drive from Johannesburg to Kwa-Zulu Natal. South Africa was playing a test match against India, and she couldn't get her head around a five-day game that could still end in a draw. The Highveld bush had morphed into flat, yellow shrub, stretching on for hours, finally running into the mountains at Van Reenan's Pass. I knew she'd love the thrill of safari, but not the side effects of malaria pills, strongly advised when visiting Kruger Park. So I took her to Nambiti, a 10,000-hectare private reserve outside Ladysmith, surrounded by Boer War battlefields, and containing lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo and leopards. These are known as the Big 5, an old hunting term for animals that seek revenge if you miss.
Of the five lodges in the reserve, I selected Nambiti Hills, an elegant, romantic getaway with a wonderful view of the bush. High tea, red-flame sunsets, Pimms with ginger at the fireplace, friendly banter with tourists – safari is always the most social of occasions. On our first night, we fell asleep in a four-poster bed to the sound of a lion roaring in the distance. On the second, a wild lightning storm enveloped us, as if nature turned on its disco lights.
Our game drives yielded antelope, zebra, giraffe, elephant, hippo, white rhino, wildebeest, warthog, a pride of lions and a rare spotting of three cheetahs. Safari virgins quickly learn that animals in the wild are not animals in the zoo. Each drive offers something new, even for the friendly game rangers. Leaving the Land Rover, we tracked some rhino, walking single file, staying close to the ranger with the rifle.
I tell my future missus the Rule of the Bush: "I don't have to run fast. I just have to run faster than you." She is not amused. Less so when I discover I had miscalculated the drive to the Eastern Cape, which would take about 12 hours in Grandma's old car.
Cue the Road to Nowhere by the Talking Heads. The highway rarely diverted from its clinically straight line through the Karoo, an arid, semi-desert region of South Africa. Eventually, we reached Kirkwood, a citrus-growing centre, where we stayed with the Dutch owners of Magnolia, a homely guest house. The drive was necessary to get us to a roadside attraction I knew she would love. The Daniell Cheetah Breeding Project rehabilitates and reintroduces cheetahs into the wild, while also rearing several tame big cats for movies and television. In an enclosure, Ola, a mature female, quietly stalked up to us. My fiancée didn't know whether to run or cry. It can be an overwhelming experience, meeting a purring big cat. We petted Ola's coarse fur and let her rough tongue lick our hands as we learned about the fastest animal on Earth, so vulnerable in its ever-decreasing habitat.
I knew my girl loves elephants, and just a few kilometres away stood the main gate of Addo Elephant National Park. With more than 500 elephants and all the Big 5, we could drive slowly in our car, experiencing a different type of safari. When a large herd of wild elephant walked right in front of our headlights, she practically melted. Two points for Esrock.
Both points were deducted when we got lost in the Alexandria Dunes, the longest and widest coastal dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. I thought we'd follow our footprints back to the suitably named Elephant Footprint Lodge, unaware that the late-afternoon wind was covering them up behind us. On the plus side, getting lost in a coastal dune desert sounds kind of romantic.
Then we headed out along the N2 for a cage dive with Great White Sharks in Mossel Bay, and up to Outshoorn, where we could take another cage dive, this time with Nile crocodiles. We crammed into a small circular cage, were hoisted by crane into a clear pool containing three massive beasts. "If you survive this, our marriage will be a cakewalk," I told her, eye level with a large croc that seemed particularly interested in our body parts.
The adrenaline helped with the 1,200-kilometre drive back through the Karoo to Johannesburg, loaded up on bright green soda pop, MSG-caked corn chips and kudu biltong chunks. By the time we arrived back in Johannesburg, I had put more miles on Grandma's car than it had seen in 10 years. We had covered two types of safari, close-up animal encounters, endless beaches, historical towns, striking landscape and more than one bottle of wine.
Does this explain a little where I come from? " I asked her.
"Yes," she replied. "But please don't ask me to explain the rules of cricket."
Catch up with Robin on the OLN/CITY-TV series Word Travels or at www.robinesrock.com
Special to The Globe and Mail


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De La Soul – Live and New Songs
Flying under the radar due to the hype of the NBA playoffs, Cassie vs. Rhianna, "Motherlover", and the Relaspe leak; De La Soul has been making moves and noise with the signature quality music. They just got back from Australia where my favorite mixtape DJ, J. Period, was opening for them. Then they released last week the stellar mix for Nike, which the homie, Dukes, took the time to chop up the mp3 for 2 new songs.
After the jump are some vlogs of J. Period's trip to Australia and De La discussing the Best of Q-Tip mixtape.
*** UPDATE: I haven't visited Cold Rock Da Spot in awhile but I am glad I did today because they dropped a great post on De La's rare songs and remixes then proceeded to give them to you, the hip-hop loving public. Now stop reading and go check it out!


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CafeMom Veteran
We would like to invite you to join us at $$The Money Club$$. Whether you have a business, or are looking to make extra money, moms are uniting there to help each other succeed in business. We can do so much more as a team, than each one on our own. Hope to see you there.
dropping by to say thank you being part of our wonderful group!
Just dropping in to let you know that we are doing a Happy Birthday sign up post for our little ones. Hope to see ya there. :) http://www.cafemom.com/group/112775
Happy Birthday! Take lots of pictures on this special day. Learn how to take better pictures by entering in contests, do a showdown, and have some help you along the way. Join us at
Hi! Thank you for the add:) I look fwd to getting to know you and becoming good friends, so come chat anytime! ~Ttys, Ari
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Arsene Wenger has confirmed Aaron Ramsey will miss Arsenal's visit of Chelsea on Saturday because of a hamstring injury.
The Gunners chief lifted the lid on the Wales international midfielder after he returned to training in the hope of being involved against the Blues in the early evening kick-off at the Emirates Stadium.
But Ramsey has suffered a light setback and is now set to be out until after next month's international break.
There is better news for striker Olivier Giroud, who is back in training and possibly in line to play some part against Chelsea, while Gabriel (ankle), Per Mertesacker, Danny Welbeck and Carl Jenkinson (all knee) are still out.
"We have no new injuries, Aaron Ramsey is still struggling with his hamstring and will be not available for Basel (on Wednesday in the Champions League)," said Wenger on Friday.
"He has a small grade one (tear) hamstring but he is not completely free to push at the moment and he has a little bit of pain. He is in the last days of his rehabilitation."
Looking ahead to the Chelsea game, Wenger is hoping his side can end a run of nine Premier League games without a win against their London rivals – stretching back to a 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge in 2011.
However, he feels the Blues will be tough opponents under new boss Antonio Conte despite them failing to win their last two league games.
"He is doing well, because they have started very strong," added Wenger. "They slowed down against Swansea (2-2) and lost (2-1 at home) to Liverpool, but he has done well.
"For me it (Arsenal v Chelsea) was always just a big game, the personal rivalry was never in my head. Chelsea in the last 10 years have very strong teams and you realise that again today.
"We feel we are progressing and we can change what I call the inconvenient facts of recent history."


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Army speaks on duties of new Division in Niger Delta
The Nigerian Army have revealed that its new 6 Division in Port Harcourt was created to improve internal security operations in four states of the Niger Delta.
While speaking to newsmen on Saturday in portharcourt, Maj.-Gen. Kasimu Abdulkarim, said the military had recorded success in the war against terror and was committed to combating emerging security threats in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
According to him, the Division will cover army 2 Brigade Akwa Ibom; 16 Brigade Bayelsa and 63 Brigade in Delta, respectively, with divisional headquarters in Port Harcourt. In his words;
This arrangement will help to curtail activities of militants, banditry, inter-communal clashes, illegal bunkering, kidnapping, robberies, Niger Delta Avengers and pipeline vandalism prevalent in the area.
Insecurity in these states negatively impacts on our national economy resulting from sabotage by criminal entities within the region.Everything must be done to protect and defend our fledgling democracy with focus to prevent insecurity in the area of our responsibility
Abdulkarim said his mission was to structure and enhance the operational capability of the division and improve combat readiness of the troops. According to him, the task included a review of existing intelligence architecture; accountability; inclusiveness; rule of law; troops discipline and respect for human rights.
Officers and soldiers of 6 Division must collectively evolve media management skills in the exploit of mass and social media's growing power instead of fighting it.Our personnel must be honest, trustworthy and professional in their conduct to earn public confidence in our internal security operations
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Email: Politicsngr[at]gmail.com


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Red Hot Poker
In Red Hot Poker, you use the cards that are given to create poker hands within the grid. Your score is based on the poker hands that you create. So, better poker hands give a bigger score. You can create a hand both vertically or horizontally and the cards don't have to be in order to create a hand.


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Beam Pinion Gear (12T)
This item is discontinued and no longer available for purchase. You may want to search our site for a similar item.
|Low Price:
Discontinued Online
This is a replacement Beam 12 Tooth Pinion Gear, and is intended for use with the Beam AvantGarde 600 class helicopter.
This product was added to our catalog on December 23, 2011.


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A little while back, Denny's unveiled the Fried Cheese Melt. . . a grilled cheese sandwich with fried mozzarella sticks stuffed between the cheese and bread. We called it GENIUS . . . but gut-busting at 895 calories.
Well . . . this sandwich makes that sandwich look like a garden salad with no croutons and low-calorie dressing on the side.
Denny's has officially unveiled their new Mac 'n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt. This is a patty melt featuring a burger, cheddar cheese . . . and MACARONI AND CHEESE on top of it.
And this checks in at 1,690 calories . . . almost DOUBLE the calories of the Fried Cheese Melt.
There's more. You can order it with, quote, "extra ooze" . . . meaning for 69 cents more they'll put even MORE CHEESE on your sandwich.
The price on the sandwich varies by restaurant, but can start as low as $4.99. It looks pretty good!


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The board of directors for Athens First Bank & Trust recently promoted several banking staff members.
Philip E. Bettendorf Jr. was elected to senior vice president. He began his career with the bank in 1994 working in the main office. Bettendorf also previously served as the operations and call center manager and the retail branch administrator.
Currently, he is the chief operations officer. Bettendorf graduated in 2002 from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He received both his bachelor's and master's degree in public relations from the University of Georgia.
In addition, Bettendorf has been selected to serve as the 2007 chairman of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce's board of directors.
Leslie Williams was elected to banking officer. She also was recently promoted to cash management sales representative in the business banking department. Williams graduated from the University of Georgia in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in business management.
She started her banking career with Athens First in June 2003 as a commercial lending assistant.
Jessica A. Marra also was elected to banking officer. After completing the bank's management associate program, she currently serves as an assistant branch manager at the Atlanta Highway branch. Marra graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in international business in 2005.
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401 91 666 (Sat-Thu : 7AM to 5PM) 600 54 00 48 (Sat-Thu : 8AM to 6PM) 22052622 (Sat-Thu : 9AM to 7PM) 22034034 (Sat-Thu : 8AM to 6PM) (00973) 17558320 (Sat-Thu : 9AM to 7PM) 920022330 (Sat-Thu : 8AM to 6PM)
Just like a coach, Forerunner 220 provides the motivating feedback you need to guide your training. You can even get post-run encouragement from friends and fans, thanks to the 220's connected features like real-time live tracking and social media sharing via the Garmin Connect Mobile app.
A Coach in Every Watch
Forerunner 220 measures essential running data including distance, pace and heart rate. It's like having a coach on hand, providing constant feedback and recording all your stats so you can focus on your run. In addition to using GPS to calculate distance and pace, the 220 has a built-in accelerometer. So you know distance and pace data when you're running on an indoor track or treadmill, with no need for a separate foot pod. The accelerometer can also track distance when GPS is unavailable, such as when you run through a tunnel. It's compatible with free training plans from Garmin Connect, which you can schedule and send to your watch, for real-time coaching.
Easy to Use
The 220 has a color display, which makes it easy to interpret your data at a glance. It also features simple button operations and a sturdy, hinged wristband that's comfortable for any size wrist.
Extra Training Features
You can set up alerts for heart rate, pace or run/walk intervals to help you stay in the desired range. The 220 features vibration alerts and audible alerts, and you can customize it to provide both or just one type of prompt. When your run's done and saved in your watch's history, a post-run summary appears so you can see how you did. The 220 also notices if you hit any personal records on that run, such as your fastest mile, 5k, 10k, half or full marathon, or your longest run to date.
Get Connected
Forerunner 220 automatically uploads your data to Garmin Connect even when you can't get to a computer. Get the free Garmin Connect Mobile app on your smartphone² and then pair it with your watch. When you save your completed run, it will automatically upload to Garmin Connect when you're in range of your phone.
Only GCC cards accepted.
While every care has been taken to ensure the product information represented is correct, Luluwebstore.com cannot guarantee the content displayed in terms of ingredients etc. is correct at all times. Products are constantly being reformulated so ingredients, nutrition content, dietary and allergens may change. Luluwebstore.com recommends you to always read the product label and not rely solely on the information provided on the website.If you have any queries, please contact customer service at email@example.com


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Cree revenue up 24% in fiscal second quarter
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SAN FRANCISCO Light-emitting diode (LED) maker Cree Inc. posted a 24 percent year-over-increase in revenue for the fiscal second quarter, the company said Tuesday (Jan. 20).
Cree (Durham, N.C.) posted a GAAP net income of $10.7 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $147.6 million for the period, which closed on Dec. 28, 2008.
Net income was up from $6.6 million, or 8 cents per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2008, Cree said.
Revenue included $5.6 million in patent licensing fees which were not factored into previously announced targets, Cree said. Net income included approximately $4.4 million, or 5 cents per diluted share, related to the patent licensing fees, as well as a franchise tax benefit, Cree said.
"In the third quarter of fiscal 2009, we expect that lower demand for our products in consumer, mobile and automotive applications will be partially offset by growth in LED sales for commercial lighting applications," said Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO, in a statement. "As we look ahead to calendar 2009, we are targeting that LED lighting adoption will continue to gain momentum as product availability increases and recognition of the benefits grows from new installations like the Federal Reserve and the planned Pentagon renovation.''
For its third quarter of fiscal 2009, which closes March 29, Cree said it is targeting revenue of $128 million to $135 million and GAAP net income of 2 to 5 cents per diluted share.


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Syrians facing starvation as aid fails to get through
The Vatican's envoy to Syria, Archbishop Mario Zenari, reports that the ongoing conflict has left many people facing starvation.
Speaking to Vatican Radio on Easter Monday, Archbishop Zenari described how in the Yarmouk district of the Syrian capital Damascus, where the Vatican's embassy or Nunciature is located, many of the 18,000 residents are either starving or showing signs of severe malnutrition.
"Aid is ready: [it is] there at the gates of these villages and neighbourhoods, and because of a lack of security, humanitarian agencies are unable to enter," Archbishop Zenari explained.
"This is something we cannot accept. This is something the international community cannot accept."
The Yarmouk district is home to a Palestinian refugee camp which is dangerously close to running out of food. Reports have emerged of camp residents eating leaves and animal feed out of desperation.
In order to keep the camp's population fed, the UN Relief and Works Agency says it needs to deliver at least 700 food parcels per day. Since April 9, however, no UN food supplies have been delivered.
Speaking at the weekend, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said: "Given that an UNRWA food parcel lasts for a maximum of 10 days, from [Easter Sunday] there will be no UN food in the camp.
"UNRWA demands that all parties cease hostilities and seek to resolve their differences exclusively by peaceful means. UNRWA also demands that continuous, substantial and safe humanitarian access is ensured."
Abu Issa, a 60-year-old resident of the camp, told the Observer: "The Syrian army do not allow anything to get in unless the rebels leave the camp and the rebels refuse to leave and we are stuck between."
The Pope once again spoke of the need for peace in the region, using his Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi address to pray "that all those suffering the effects of the conflict can receive needed humanitarian aid and that neither side will again use deadly force, especially against the defenceless civil population, but instead boldly negotiate the peace long awaited and long overdue".


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Actelion will not develop Tracleer for melanoma
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drug maker Actelion said on Monday it would not develop its bosentan medicine, sold as Tracleer, as a treatment for metastatic melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Actelion said in a statement on Monday that preliminary efficacy data generated in the proof-of-concept study evaluating bosentan in metastatic melanoma did not support a full clinical development program.
Bosentan is sold as Tracleer as a treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare form of high-blood pressure. The firm said it would continue studying whether the medicine could be effective in other forms of cancer.
(Reporting by Tom Armitage)


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AGEING Australians risk wasting thousands of dollars a year paying for life insurance products they don't need.
Insurance experts say most life insurance is linked to inflation rises, and premiums also increase as people get older - so a policy costing less than $500 at age 30 or 40 can cost almost $4000 by age 60.
For most people, getting older means they don't need as much cover, as their assets increase and their children leave home.
"It's likely the level of life insurance cover needed will reduce over time, as you pay down your debts and increase your retirement savings," Astute Investing director Simon Wotherspoon says.
He says to work out how much life insurance you need, determine your net wealth and then subtract:
* An amount to clear all debts;
* A lump sum to provide ongoing income for dependants and fund children's education costs and expenses such as weddings; and
* A lump sum of money to cover funeral costs.
"If the result is a negative amount, this is your life insurance need," he says.
Impact Financial Coaching director Allan Ward says people who cancel their excess life cover often redirect it to super or the mortgage.
He says most people have life insurance through super.
"It's a good way to structure it, but you may not notice the expense every month because it's not coming out of your bank account. My experience is people take out cover and don't review it any more.
"Your life insurance is there to cover a gap between your current level of assets and what you want in the future. As that gap diminishes your need for cover possibly reduces."
But reducing cover should only be done after careful thought and advice, as health issues could prevent you from getting it reinstated in the future, Ward warns.
"If you haven't looked at your insurance cover recently, you should," he says.
"Depending on your health, you may find better value cover or may have too much cover."
Wotherspoon says a big issue affecting life insurance costs is commissions paid to advisers.
"Having commissions in insurance is a perverse incentive for this to continue. There's no reason for an adviser to adjust insurance down because it's going to reduce their payment," he says.
"Commissions are built into your premium cost and most people don't realise they're paying it. Commission can be up to 130 per cent of the first year's premium and 20 per cent of the premium in subsequent years.
"A commission-free adviser may be more likely to match your cover to your changing needs. They charge a fee for service rather than being paid by the product provider from your premiums, and have no vested interest."
Originally published as Aussies wasting thousands on insurance


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January 14, 2013 – Delfmems, developer of RF MEMS switching solutions for mobile handset, has today announced the completion of a €8.2 m equity round with FSN PME, Iris Capital, Vives, Capitalaria and early investors of the company. The funding will enable DelfMEMS to accelerate the industrialisation of its products. The company also announces the appointment of Guillaume d'Eyssautier as CEO.
Accelerating innovationSubmit your project


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"Everything's at your fingertips, and you can even rejigger as a smartphone stand."
"Many of the tools you EDC need to be durable and lightweight"
"…awesome and affordable accessories that are sure to give you wood in more ways than one."
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Custom made plywoods out of walnut, rosewood and zebrano.
Due to 7 layers of different type of woods, carabiners can hold up to 10kg.
So light, you will berely feel them.


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A 19-year-old woman was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for her role in four bank robberies in May. She wore a floppy-brimmed white hat during the heists, earning her the FBI nickname "Sun Hat Bandit."
Victoria Wilkerson was also placed on five years' probation by San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser.
Wilkerson had pleaded guilty to robbing a bank and credit union in Rancho San Diego, and trying to rob a bank off College Grove on May 10. She will have to pay back the estimated $7,000 she stole in the robberies.
A second person arrested in the spree, Kevin High, is to be sentenced Nov 9.


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In this era of sharp political and religious divides, we can surely agree on one thing. Constantly watching the mileage measurements on the Prius's little video screen is really a mobilized video game. It's NOT simply driving a car.
How long can I coast and keep the mileage at "99.9?" If I use engine-braking down this slope, how much can I re-charge the battery? I did 48.9 MPG the last time I drove to Oregon, can I beat it this time?
Admittedly this is a bit of a cerebral game. No droids or monsters. No explosions or body count. And I have the advantage of living in San Francisco with its extreme topography. Perhaps this game would a little less exciting if I were in a flat place like Ottumwa. But it would be even more subtle and challenging. Prius is surely the most expensive, biggest gaming machine built...so far.
How to get even more mileage out of that slope? What's the best acceleration or braking? Driving a Prius regularly makes you very conscious of your "score" or mileage. For Prius gamers there's a website that aggregates the wisdom of the crowd. It can help your score.


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NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Even as school officials continue to assess damage from last week's flooding, they already are looking ahead to preventing it in the city's new $58 million middle school.
"We're meeting with the architects today and we'll be talking about a number of things, including improved drainage, to make sure this does not happen again in the new building," said Bill Greene, assistant superintendent of building services for North Ridgeville Schools.
"Knowing there's a brighter future for us helps make this flooding more tolerable," Greene said.
District officials had been working prior to Thursday's meeting with representatives of Then Design Architects, the Willoughby company chosen to design the new school for third through eighth grades, to discuss installation of sewer lines and drainage at the new school to prevent the kind of flooding that caused damage at the current middle school and high school last week.
"It's one of the most expensive I can remember," Greene said Thursday of the amount of materials and equipment damaged or lost in the May 12 and 13 storms that left the two schools with from 18 inches to several feet of water damage.
The original estimate of $10,000 in damaged textbooks, supplies and labor cleanup costs has more than doubled, according to Greene.
Part of the increased costs will be going to cleaning and refurbishing band instruments at the middle school, which was built in 1923 and sustained considerable water damage to lower level classrooms and the cafeteria.
"It looks like it could be over $10,000 to effectively repair instruments," Greene said. "It's going to be quite expensive."
Teachers in the high school's woodworking department knew they had sustained damage within hours of the storm. But closer inspection led to a longer list of damage to a number of hand drills and other hand power tools, as well as damage to stationary equipment like band and table saws.
"Technicians (from firms supplying the saws) are coming out to verify they're OK," Greene said. "They run, but they don't sound right.
"They need to be dried out and may need to be re-packed," he said. "We're not calling them a total loss. They will be salvageable with some work."
School staff were still compiling lists of damaged materials, but losses of laptop computers, textbooks and power tools was said to amount to several thousand dollars.
Custodial and cleaning staffs put in as much as 36 hours to sanitize and disinfect floors, furniture and walls in the middle and high schools.
Crews worked into the early morning hours May 14 to get the middle school open later that day.
Middle school head custodian, Steve Esber, and Roger Fleming, Esber's counterpart at the high school, agreed the rainfall, which measured up to 6 inches in some parts in town, produced the worst flooding they had experienced in some time.
Frozen water pipes at the middle school during last winter's extreme cold produced extensive flooding that left another $20,000 cleanup bill, Greene said.
Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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An ambitious effort to ensure that Dallas County voters have the proper identification to participate in the November election has generated an underwhelming response.
For the past week, county officials have been teaming up with the state to set up temporary locations where residents can determine if they have one of the forms of voter ID required under a new state law, and if not, get one.
Through Wednesday, only six election identification certificates — special photo IDs — had been issued at the Dallas County mobile sites.
Democrats, many of whom opposed the voter ID law as onerous and discriminatory, admit that the turnout has been dismal. They blame the poor showing on a low-profile November election and a lack of awareness about the law's new requirements.
But Mike Cantrell, the lone Republican county commissioner, said the numbers show that concerns about the law are baseless. He said the response also casts doubt on Democrats' estimate that 220,000 Dallas County residents who should be eligible to vote lack the necessary photo ID.
"That number is clearly so inflated, it's just ridiculous," said Cantrell, who represents much of northern Dallas County. "Some people were trying to create a little bit of hysteria."
Texas' voter ID law took effect this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way.
Texans could previously go to the polls with just a voter registration card, which has no photo. The law now requires voters to present one of seven photo IDs, ranging from a driver's license to a U.S. passport.
The election ID certificate is needed only if a voter doesn't have any of the other permissible forms of photo ID.
Republicans who supported the law say it will combat voter fraud. They note that photo IDs are already required for many more mundane activities.
Democrats say such laws disenfranchise voters by adding more bureaucratic hurdles. They also argue that the laws target minorities, elderly and young voters in particular, and that claims of election fraud are overblown.
"This has been a solution in search of a problem," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, a Democrat.
County commissioners last month voted 4-1 — with Cantrell opposing — to spend up to $275,000 to fight the state voter ID law in court. The county is one of 15 parties, including the U.S. attorney general's office, pursuing the lawsuit.
The county has taken other measures to ensure that voters don't get their ballots tossed for failing to have the correct ID.
Election officials are scanning driver's license and other ID records to flag voters with potential issues. Commissioners also agreed to spend up to $145,000 to mail notices in the coming weeks to those affected.
The first step in that outreach was the mobile sites, which wrap up in Dallas County on Friday.
Since late June, eligible voters across Texas have been able to get free election ID certificates at driver's license offices. Around 20 such certificates have been issued statewide in that way, with many more voters inquiring about their status, officials said.
But some said that process was burdensome.
So the Texas secretary of state and the state Department of Public Safety agreed to open several temporary registration sites.
The effort is statewide, but Dallas County is unique in also having representatives from the county clerk's office on site. That allows any native Texans living in the county to get free copies of their birth certificates, which in turn can only be used to obtain an election ID certificate.
Teams have been in Dallas County since Oct. 3.
As meager as the total of six certificates is, Dallas County is doing better than most. It accounts for about half of the certificates issued at mobile sites in Texas.
And Dallas County officials say they've been able to answer questions from many more residents concerned about the new law.
One day this week, seven officials sat at tables in the lobby of Irving City Hall, waiting for something to do. The only activity during one 25-minute span came when a man stopped by to update his address on his voter registration card.
"It hasn't been busy," said Maria Vera, a clerk with the county elections office.
Toni Pippins-Poole, the county's elections director, said she was a little surprised by the low turnout. But, she said, there was limited time to get the word out. She added that the November election isn't top-of-mind for many. The ballot contains nine proposed state constitutional amendments and, in some cities, a handful of races and propositions of limited interest.
Nonetheless, Cantrell said that if Democrats were correct about the number of voters impacted by the law, then surely more would have come forward. He said the tepid public response supports his view that the county is wasting money by being involved in the lawsuit to stay the voter ID law.
Jenkins said the negative effects of the new law won't become apparent until more elections are held. And no matter if it's tens of thousands or a single person "being denied their right to vote," it's important to make a stand, he said.
"I will not sit idly by while the voting rights of African-Americans, Latinos and other minorities are taken away," Jenkins said. "It's a bad law."
Follow Tom Benning on Twitter at @tombenning.


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Study: No evidence consolidation will spur health insurance innovation
AHA News Now
Feb 25, 2016
There is no evidence that insurance market consolidation leads to greater innovation, according to a study by health economists highlighted in the Health Affairs Blog. "Given the history of slow innovation in health insurance, one could argue that a change in insurance markets is necessary to stimulate more," the study authors write. "To date, there is no evidence that consolidation will be that catalyst." Their study looked at variation in physician network breadth as a measure of product innovation in the Health Insurance Marketplaces, and found no evidence of greater innovation in more concentrated markets. "The 'innovation' of today – 'limited,' 'narrow' or 'high-performance' networks – is actually a variant on the well-worn strategy of 'selective contracting,'" they note.
Topic: Access and Coverage
Tags: consolidation, Coverage
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This Tech Note explains how to implement
the various control, programming, and monitoring functions of the "HVA" Series
Precision High Voltage Amplifier.
Remote Programming
To program the Unipolar Version of
the HVA High Voltage Amplifiers a 0 to +10 VDC is required. A 10VDC reference
voltage is provided at pin 1 of the DB15 female connector mounted on
the front of the HVA. It can be used to source the programming circuitry.
In the case of a fixed (non-time varying) output, the programming circuitry
could simply be a potentiometer connected to pin 1 and pin 6, with the
wiper terminal connected to pin 3 (non-inverting) or pin 2 (inverting)
Voltage Programming Pin.
In the following sections, we outline
programming of the unipolar versions of the HVA followed by programming
of the bipolar versions of the HVA.
As depicted in Figure 1 and in the
subsequent illustrations, programming is performed by the appropriate
connections to pins 2, 3, and 6 of the input connector. As depicted,
the programming input is applied to an internal differential amplifier
within the HVA. The inputs are tied to the signal ground within the HVA
by 10MΩ resistors. Pin 6 is the signal ground and is connected
to the power ground, internally.
Programming Unipolar HVAs — Positive
Voltage Excursions
For positive voltage excursions (as
depicted in Figure 1), the 0 to +10 VDC source is connected as shown
in Figure 1 with pin 3 tied to the internal ground in the HVA at pin
Programming Unipolar HVAs — Negative
Voltage Excursions
For negative voltage excursions (as
depicted in Figure 2), the 0 to +10 VDC source is connected as shown,
with pin 3 tied to the internal ground in the HVA at pin 6.
Negative voltage excursions can also
be programmed with a -10V signal into the Vprog(+) — pin 3 — with
pin 2 tied to the signal ground at pin 6.
Programming Bipolar HVAs
For a bipolar HVA, a 0 to ±10
VDC source is connected (as depicted in Figure 3). The (-) terminal may
be grounded at pin 6 (see note 1). If a waveform is required, a bipolar
programming signal will yield a bipolar output voltage.
Current Limit Adjust
To establish current limiting, a 0 to +10 VDC source
is connected to pin 13 and pin 6 (signal ground) as shown in Figure 4. Be
sure to observe the polarity of the applied signal. The voltage is always
positive because the current limiting circuitry seeks the absolute value
of the current and limits the value — without regard to polarity. The
input characteristic is high impedance with a 10MΩ pulldown to ground.
A TTL output can be connected to pins 11 and 6 (as
shown in Figure 5) to enable or disable the HVA. Please note, when no TTL
output is connected, the HVA defaults to Disable via the 10MΩ resistor
shown in Figure 5, which pulls the TTL input to ground. As a matter of
convenience, the Enable can be brought to the Vref at pin 1.
Voltage and Current Monitoring
As depicted in Figure 6, monitoring voltages corresponding to the voltage and
current delivered between the High Voltage Connector and the 6-32 High Voltage
Return stud are supplied at pins 4 and 12, respectively, versus the signal
ground at pin 6. Both of these pins are buffered and can provide currents
of 1mA, maximum. When the HVA is sourcing current, the current monitoring
voltage will be positive; when sinking current, this voltage will be negative.
An accurate representation of the
voltage waveform can be viewed with an oscilloscope at pin 4. Please
note, the current monitoring circuitry is narrow band, so waveforms at
pin 12 are accurate at frequencies of 15Hz or less. The voltage monitor
employs a compensated voltage divider and, therefore, has an extended
Reference Voltage
The HVA supplies 0 to +10 VDC ±0.05%
at pin 1 versus the signal ground at pin 6. The maximum delivered current
must be limited to 5mA or less.
There are two LEDs located just to the left of the DB15
Connector on the front panel. The green POWER ON LED illuminates when power
is applied to the HVA. The yellow HIGH VOLTAGE ON LED illuminates when
the HVA is enabled.
High Voltage Connections
Connect the high voltage load to the High Voltage Connector
and the High Voltage Return. Do NOT connect the High Voltage Return stud
to the signal ground at pin 6. The High Voltage Return stud and the signal
ground are connected internally to avoid ground loops.
Rev. B


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There's a substantial list of LDS Church members who have been on a national reality show. This list includes David Archuleta, Carmen Rasmussen and Brooke White on "American Idol." Don't forget Tyson Apostal on two seasons of "Survivor." Not to mention members who have been on "So You Think You Can Dance," "The Biggest Loser" and "America's Got Talent."
And now the list grows.
ABC's new summer series "Expedition Impossible," which premieres June 23, will include LDS competitors: Nicholas Coughlin, an Internet marketer from Clinton, Miss.; and his cousin, Jason Cronin, a business owner in Pensacola Beach, Fla.
On the show, 13 teams of three members will compete in 10 different phases of competition taking contenders across deserts, through rivers and over mountains in Morocco.
Coughlin said his sister practically forced him into the car to go to an open casting call for a different show, "The Apprentice," last year. He came close but ended up being cut from that reality series.
"It was a bummer to say the least," he said.
Then he got a call in November from a casting director.
He was told this new show would be right up his alley. He pitched the idea to Cronin, and it didn't take much to convince him.
"Heck, yeah," Cronin said. "I'm always up for an adventure. I needed a month away."
Cronin is not only adventurous, he's already a survivor. He has survived cancer, West Nile virus and has had Crohn's disease, an often painful disorder that causes inflammation in the digestive tract.
For the third team member, Coughlin called his best friend, Chad Robinson, who considers himself a Christian and hails from Bolton, Miss.
"I was half asleep and I think that's kind of how he got me to agree to it," Robinson said, laughing. He said his response was something along the lines of, "Whatever, man, all right." He simply trusted his lifelong friend and went for it.
"I didn't know what I was getting into," he said.
It seems none of them did. Coughlin described their challenges with crossing the Sahara, climbing in the Atlas Mountains, swimming through rivers and riding camels. For example, the challenges were often to travel from point A to point B, except they were supposed to go over the mountain for a checkpoint instead of around.
Mark Burnett, the creator of "Survivor," is the show's producer. It has been described as an "Indiana Jones"-type adventure and compared to the likes of "The Amazing Race."
Robinson said that when he first started the challenge, he kept saying to himself, "What am I doing? What is this? This is crazy."
"I would say I probably expected it to be a little more Hollywood. There was no Hollywood involved. It was an all-out race," Cronin said.
"Reality TV is extremely real," Coughlin said. "I don't know about other producers, but for Mark Burnett, it is. What you see is what you get."
Sometimes the team would travel 20 or 30 miles a day. They'd sleep in tents and get up as early as 3:30 a.m. New stages of the competition were not revealed to competitors until the week of the challenge. Even the preparations for this physically and mentally challenging competition required a psych evaluation with more than 800 questions and a swimming test.
The trio, dubbed "The Country Boys" by the show's producers, started working out and preparing as much as possible the moment they found out they were going to be on the show. Coughlin and Robinson worked out together, running 6 to 7 miles and hitting the gym daily. Cronin daily ran about 5 miles, on the beach to prepare for the desert, and swam about a mile. All of them agree that their preparation wasn't nearly enough.
"I wasn't enjoying myself while I was there (in Morocco)," Robinson said. "It was torturous."
"I expected it to be physically challenging, not brutal," Coughlin said.
It sounds like "Expedition Impossible" just might live up to its name.
Coughlin and Cronin didn't hide their membership in the LDS Church.
"Everybody knew we were Mormon, just by the way we carried ourselves," Cronin said.
"There's a unique feeling about the church," Coughlin added, suggesting that that "feeling" around him and his cousin was one of many things that prompted questions from others in campfire discussions and over the course of the competition.
"Jason and I, it wasn't like we gave the first discussion to people," he said. They simply refrained from drinking when the others pulled out the alcohol and responded to questions.
"We didn't have time to bring up much of anything, except just run," Cronin said.
However, the cousins had the unique opportunity to share things with people they now consider to be friends.
"In other shows, people hate each other. But I felt like I left with some good relationships," Coughlin said.Comment on this story
Impossible, grueling, torturous or brutal as it may have been, the Country Boys built good relationships, and it was an experience they were all happy to have had.
"I'm glad he called me," Robinson said about Coughlin putting the team together. "I feel accomplished." He added that he would even do it again, but only if he could be teamed with Cronin and Coughlin again.
So far, mum's the word about the details of the competition results. On the night of the first broadcast, Cronin plans to gather family and friends at a local restaurant.
Cronin said his kids are "super excited" about seeing the show. "They want to see what their daddy did."
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Home › Learn › Getting on With Your Life › Know Your Limits
Know Your Limits
- Develop "tools" to find ways around your limitations. It could be using a wheelchair or a walker to get around, or using a day timer or schedule to remind you of what you need to do during the day. This way your limitations can be changed into abilities.
- Get the support you need so you can be safe at home, and do the things you want to do. It will help you have the best quality of life possible.
- Use the resources, support groups, services and programs in your community. Browse the Find section to find out about your local resources.
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Join Us
The mission of Brainstreams.ca is provide 24/7 access to information and resources for the thousands of people who experience brain injury in BC and beyond each year.
We are actively seeking collaborators who share our vision to build Brainstreams.ca into a world-class online knowledge hub.
To explore partnership opportunities with Brainstreams.ca, contact Sarah Lowis at Sea to Sky Management at email@example.com.
A project of:
We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Brainstreams.ca is an online education and networking site for the Brain Injury Community in B.C. and beyond.
The material on this web site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.


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Group S Challenge
Group S Challenge delivers high-performance circuit racing with realism and fast action. In one of more than 50 street machines by a variety of car manufacturers, you'll circle the globe in real-world cityscape courses, including Tokyo, Monaco, and Australia. In Circuit mode, you'll race against challenging competitors for money to upgrade your car. You can even watch your highlights in the Replay Theatre, and then challenge your friend to a split-screen multiplayer race.
Game News
Game List Statistics
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1 User
Hot List
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Where We Live: Southern Erie County
Southern Erie County
A prescription drug dropoff and town hall meeting are scheduled Wednesday in Elma Town Hall, 1600 Bowen Road, to combat prescription drug abuse in the Southtowns.
Prescription medicine can be dropped off at the Town Hall kiosk throughout the day. The meeting is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. and will include presentations by the Erie County Mental Health Association, Kids Escaping Drugs, Linda Modin Andrews, owner of Larwood Pharmacy in East Aurora and Ben Pisa, School Resource Officer.
The event is sponsored by the It Takes a Community Task Force, made up of representatives form Iroquois Schools, the Iroquois community, town officials, local churches, businesses and healthcare providers.
Also this week:
• The Angola Town Board will not meet this week because of the Columbus Day Holiday. Its next meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 21 instead.
• The Eden School Board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Jr./Sr. High School cafeteria, 3150 Schoolview Road.
• In Elma, there will be a joint meeting and in-house workshop of the Planning, Zoning, Conservation and Town Boards hosted by the Planning Board on Tuesday at Elma Town Hall, 1600 Bowen Road to discuss "The Past, Present and Future" of the town. Refreshments will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting to follow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The public is invited.
• The Elma Senior Citizens will hold their annual Fall Fest at the center, 7006 Bowen Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
• Marilla United Methodist Church will hold a spaghetti dinner from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the church, 1910 Two Rod Road. Dine in or take out.
• The Marilla Planning board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in Town Hall, 1740 Two Rod Road Thursday.
• People interested in joining efforts with The Correspondents, a newly formed group to keep Quasar effluent out of Marilla, are welcome to attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Community Center, 1810 Two Rod Road.
• A Meet the Candidates Night will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Wales Center Fire Co. Candidates opposed or unopposed as well as County and State candidates for the November election have been invited. Questions will be accepted from the audience that evening. The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
• Also in Wales, the Town Board this week accepted the resignation of Deputy Town Historian Norma Lynch due to retirement. Linda Hausauer was appointed to replace her.
• The Kiwanis Club of Wales will host a chicken and rib barbecue featuring BW's Barbecue at the Wales Center Fire Hall, 12300 Big Tree Rd. from noon to sold out Sunday. Proceeds to benefit community youth programs.


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Biogenesis simulates in a visual fashion the processes involved in the evolution of unicellular organisms in nature. It tries to be a didactic approximation to the ideas of mutation or evolution, and can be enjoyed also as an entertainment. It's intended to serve as a support to show students some basic biological facts. The idea of Biogenesis is taken from Primordial Life, but it's an independent project.
|education Games/Entertainment Simulation Scientific/Engineering Bioinformatics
|Operating Systems
|OS Independent
|Spanish Catalan English
Release Notes: There are a few improvements such as better file management, keys to start and pause the game without using the menu, and the ability to import genetic codes directly into the laboratory. Moreover this release has the missing icons needed to complete the toolbar.
Release Notes: Many more different organisms can appear, since now they can have any symmetry value from 1 to 8. It's much easier to edit genetic codes at the laboratory: you will see how the organism will be while you are editing it.
Release Notes: This release improves the organism's state and genetic codes visualization, and organisms get smaller when they have little energy.
Release Notes: This release increases performance by using OpenGL where available, has new network capabilities, and includes new toolbars to access most used commands easily.
Release Notes: This version includes a complete Spanish translation, a new genetic laboratory to modify genetic codes, some more options to control even more your world (change the amount of carbon dioxide, take a photo of an organism...), the option of saving genetic codes in XML format, and an increased execution speed. This version can also act as an applet.
A Fluent OpenStack client API for Java.
A TWiki appliance that is easy to use and lightweight.


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The brilliance of American Idiot: Thank you so much for standing up for Green Day's latest album in SF Weekly ["Sunrise on a Green Day," Music, Nov. 24]. With this stupid and hateful war in Iraq tearing this country (not to mention Iraq) apart, this era's first relevant protest album was long overdue. While most so-called artists have been content to keep their views to themselves for fear of having Clear Channel deny them royalties by pulling them from the airwaves, let us not forget how courageous Green Day's critical album is in our current corporate/political climate.
As a rocker, I was getting seriously bummed that only the Dixie Chicks were generating any controversy. Sure there was also John Mellencamp and Living Color, but Clear Channel and MTV found the efforts of older groups and singers easy to ignore as long as they aren't the surviving members of the Who, Beatles, or Stones. Speaking of those Summer of Love icons, where have they been through all of this? Townshend has been content to just rake in the money from SUV commercials while McCartney has just been singing that jingoistic "Freedom" song. Once Lennon and McCartney were the de facto presidents of the hippies, but now the surviving member of that once-explosive songwriting duo stands silent -- content to eat his vegan diet and think that he is saving the world in the process.
American Idiot may just be the Sgt. Pepper's (or maybe the What's Goin' On) of the happy punk genre. As silly as this may sound to our fellow San Franciscans, maybe they should remember just how banal the Super Suckers and so many other bands that everyone in this town seems to love really are. Green Day tries something, and they more than succeeded with their new record, and no amount of hipster eye-rolling will take that away from them.
Also, in one last note, it felt really good when I went to the record store and bought AI and the new Shatner record. In years past, I used to love nothing more than going to the record store and picking up a pile of newer records, but for the last few years, the things that everyone around me was getting all excited about just fell flat. Nothing lived up to the hype in the weeklies, let alone the mainstream music press or what passes for it. The Green Day album has more than lived up to the hype (as did the Shatner disc), and I was glad that I could take home a new release and play it multiple times without wondering why I bought the thing in the first place.
Count Dante
Brugmann, Murdoch, Smith: peas in pod?: As a longtime reader who is usually provoked in a positive way by your regularly provocative column, I am moved to respond to your most recent effort regarding the 38 Geary ["Bus Stopped," Matt Smith, Nov. 24]. A glaring omission is neither your habit nor style, but maybe Bruce Brugmann and Fox [News] have won you over to the factually deficient school of activist journalism. Any rider of the 38 Geary knows this fact: the Limited.
The 38L [an express bus] does just what your pencil-pushing David suggests ... and it does so without removing those stops that the poor, the tired, and the infirm of the Tenderloin apparently require. While those healthy enough to walk a few blocks get a faster ride, the local riders have their needs met, too. How egalitarian of those Muni bastards, serving more than one constituency.
John Ryan
Treacle, treacle, little bus: Matt Smith writes an article that oozes treacle about how great it would be to give up five Muni stops going out Geary in the Tenderloin. "Those people in the TL are soooo selfish to not want to give up their stops for the greater good" or some such.
Yeah, right.
They don't have to give up the stops; Muni just needs to make a higher percentage of the Geary line into express buses. Why the all or nothing?
Alan Freberg
Lower Haight
Roused rabble seeks direction: Your article on the 38 Geary dealt with an issue I've been irritated by for 15-plus years. Is there any site that has a counterpetition to oppose the stupid obstructionism? Maybe you don't want to list such sites in your column, but could you maybe list them as supplemental info in your column in the online version? You can also list sites opposed if you want fairness, but sheesh, this rabble is roused. Now I need a direction.
For management's purposes, a roused rabble -- with readers e-mailing each other your column with action points -- is a great grass-roots marketing tool for the paper.
David S. Wright
Editor's note: Management believes the best marketing tool for SF Weekly is quality journalism of the sort Matt Smith consistently provides.
Harmie? Harmie!!?: Harmon Leon has been thinking inside a box so narrow that all essential brain matter is squeezed out ["Wake Up, America!," Infiltrator, Nov. 24]. Take a deep breath, Harmie old boy, and don't take yourself so seriously. Here is a news flash: The issue that animates such a large portion of our population is illegal immigration, not legal immigration. No better demonstration than our recall of Gov. Davis. Exit polls show that 70 percent of the general population, 60 percent from union households, and 40 percent of Latino voters ousted Davis because he "pandered to illegals." More data from the racist, xenophobe, nativist front: A poll in Hispanic magazine asks the question, "Are There Too Many Immigrants?" Sixty-six percent of Cuban-Americans, 75 percent of Mexican-Americans, 79 percent of Puerto Ricans, and 74 percent of non-Hispanic white respondents said "yes."
It is no great achievement to "infiltrate" groups that are so widely dispersed along the ethnic, political, and economic divide, because all are welcome. Check out www.slowcaliforniagrowth.com to see what Sens. Feinstein and Boxer, President Clinton, columnists Walters and Lopez have to say about unrestrained immigration -- legal and illegal -- on every infrastructure upon which our quality of life is built.
Barbara Vickroy


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Bears vs Saints: TV Schedule, Live Streaming, Radio, Game Time and MoreSeptember 14, 2011
The Chicago Bears will travel to the beautiful city of New Orleans to face off with the Saints for what should be a much better test for the Bears than the Atlanta Falcons were.
The Saints were torched by a potent Green Bay Packers offense, and they will look for redemption against a Bears defense that tortured Matt Ryan and the Falcons.
Against each other, the Saints and Bears will both look to prove that they are the real deal, and this should be one of the most exciting games of Sunday.
Where: Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
When: Sunday, September 14, 1:00 PM EDT
Watch: FOX
Live Streaming Audio: NFL.com Audio Pass ($29.99 for year, $27.99 team specific, $9.99 a month)
Listen: New Orleans-870 AM/105.3 FM, Chicago-WBBM AM 780, Sirius Satellite Radio
Betting Line: Over/Under—47, Spread—New Orleans -6.5
What's at Stake?
The Chicago Bears trounced what was thought to be one of the best teams in the NFC in the Atlanta Falcons, and the New Orleans Saints lost to the defending Super Bowl champions.
Both teams will be looking to prove that their teams aren't flukes, and unfortunately for one of these squads, they will be exposed as overrated.
Bears Injury Report
Marion Barber, RB, Out
Sam Hurd, WR, Questionable
Corey Wootton, DE, Questionable
Saints Injury Report
Garrett Hartley, K, Out
Lance Moore, WR, Out
Adrian Arrington, WR, Questionable
Tom Johnson, DT, Questionable
Fantasy: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em and Sleeper
Start 'Em: Matt Forte, Bears
If you have Forte in your fantasy league, the Green Bay Packers' dismantling of the Saints offense should lend itself to a similar kind of thrashing from the Bears, and Forte will be the biggest benefactor of New Orleans' subpar defense.
Sit 'Em: Marques Colston, Saints
After fumbling the first pass thrown his way, Marques Colston was the reason the Saints lost that Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers. Brees will look to other receivers more often than Colston until he feels he has learned his lesson about being sloppy with the ball.
Sleeper: Jay Cutler, Bears
There is no way that I am saying that Cutler is Aaron Rodgers, but the way Rodger carved up the porous Saints secondary will give hope to Cutler that he could do the same damage on Sunday.
What They're Saying
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a family emergency may keep Pro-Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher sidelined for the Bears' Week 2 matchup with the Saints.
Brian Urlacher rushed out of town Tuesday to attend to a family emergency in Arizona involving his mother, the Tribune has learned. Urlacher is expected to be away from the Bears for several days and his status for Sunday's game against the Saints is unclear. Teammates, the coaching staff and members of the front office are aware of Urlacher's situation but no further information was available Tuesday night.
The New Orleans Examiner is as also reporting on the one-sidedness of the matchup, and how the Saints can overcome that trend:
It will be seen by many as a conference game between two foes that are quite familiar with one another. It will be seen by many as a test for the Saints to even their record. But for those in New Orleans...it will also be seen as a chance for revenge.
The Saints have lost the last four meetings with the Chicago Bears and each of them has been in the not-so-friendly confines of Soldier Field. Well, except for 2005 which was at LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge thanks to Katrina.
Bears Player to Watch: Chicago's Offensive Line
The Chicago Bears have had a terrible time taking care of their quarterback, and the New Orleans Saints will be bringing pressure to try and force Cutler into making mistakes. If the offensive line can't protect him, expect a long day for the Bears and Cutler.
Saints Player to Watch: Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas
After one of the most pass-happy games in recent NFL history, the matchup with the Bears will be much more of a ground-and-pound for both teams, and the Saints need to see more out of rookie running back Mark Ingram and veteran Pierre Thomas for New Orleans to have a chance to win.
Key Matchup: Jay Cutler vs. New Orleans Secondary
The New Orleans secondary will walk onto their home field with a huge chip on their shoulders after being picked apart by Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, and they will not be allowing Cutler to burn them as bad as the Packers did. If the Bears want a chance to win, they need Cutler to make smart passes and capitalize on the porous Saints secondary.
Prediction: New Orleans Saints-34—Chicago Bears-17
Check back for more on the NFL world as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report's Football Page to get your fill of the NFL.


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Street Fighter X Tekken
PS3, Xbox (£39.99, 12+)
For video game fans this is the holy grail of fighting games. Finally, the two biggest brawling titles have combined into one almighty festival of punch-drunk fun.
The cartoon graphics are stunning and the tag-team game play is well balanced, allowing you to mix and match your favourite characters from either Street Fighter or the Tekken universe.
Use of the new Gem System also allows for tactical customisation of your fighters to boost attacks or defence when playing against others online. Get ready to hadoken.


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Two Worlds II - Pre-E3 Interview @ Two Worlds Vault
Two Worlds Vault sent in this pre-E3 interview with Topware's Jake DiGennaro:
TWVault: Yay, can't wait! But speaking of E3 TWII presentation, what does TWII have that no other RPG or free-roamer shown at E3 can boast?
Jake: I think Reality Pump has done an amazing job brainstorming and developing new approaches to classic RPG mechanics. While the card-based magic system is always the easiest feature to point to as it takes spellcasting in a very unique direction, features such as the crafting system, character advancement system, and alchemy systems are all designed in a way that affords players a scale of customization that is fairly uncommon in games within the genre. Also we have the Oculus, and who doesn't like the idea of cruising around the world as a floating eyeball that can explode!
Thanks also to Omega.
Information aboutTwo Worlds II
SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released