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DRIVING rain and strong winds failed to dampen the enthusiasm of golfers at the annual Captain's Drive-In ceremony at Windwhistle Golf Club on Saturday, writes Steve Sowden.
The annual ceremony saw new men's captain Paul Bennett lead the drive-in followed by senior section representative Norman Markby, ladies captain Rosa Atkinson and junior captain Alex Manley.
They all held their nerve to fire their shots down the fairway in the traditional New Year opener.
Club members and supporters braved the elements to watch the drive-in before quickly heading back to the dry comfort of the Windwhistle clubhouse.
Men's captain Paul Bennett said it was a 'real honour' to captain the club.
"I know most people here as friends," he said. "I really think we are the friendliest club in the county, if not the UK."
Paul thanked outgoing captain Peter Hamilton-Walsh for all he had done for the club in the previous year and said he was looking forward to getting the support of the club committee.
He told members that Ian Munro was stepping down from leading the junior section after a successful nine years and the club was now looking for someone to take over the role.
Norman Markby, who was the 2012 seniors captain, was unable to attend last year's drive-in and was deputised by Alan Chance, the 2013 senior captain, so Saturday was Norman's chance to shine at the tee.


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Russia: Measures implemented to fight police corruption, including the procedure for filing a complaint against the police; the witness protection program
|Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
|Publication Date
|8 November 2011
|Citation / Document Symbol
|Related Document(s)
|Russie : information sur les mesures mises en place pour combattre la corruption au sein de la police, y compris la marche à suivre pour déposer une plainte contre la police; information sur le programme de protection des témoins
|Cite as
|Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Russia: Measures implemented to fight police corruption, including the procedure for filing a complaint against the police; the witness protection program, 8 November 2011, RUS103792.FE, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/5072b3af2.html [accessed 21 November 2017]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
According to the media, the Russian police are at the centre of [translation] "scandals of corruption, kidnapping, murder, torture and falsifying evidence" (France 2 2 Sept. 2010; AFP 13 Jan. 2011). A report published by Transparency International (TI) indicates that, in Russia, 1,500 respondents to a survey carried out in 2010 considered the public service and the police to be the sectors most affected by corruption (TI 2010, 10-11, 36). The organization TRACE noted that approximately 42 percent of all demands for bribes in Russia that were reported anonymously online to it between 1 July 2007 and 31 December 2008 involved the police (TRACE 2009, 1, 4). TRACE is a non-profit association that helps businesses fight corruption (TRACE n.d.). Also, the media indicates that, according to official statistics from an unspecified source, the police were responsible for one third of corruption offences committed in the country (AFP 1 Apr. 2011; RFI 1 Apr. 2011). In March 2011, La Russie d'aujourd'hui, an information source created by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the official newspaper of the Russian government (La Russie d'aujourd'hui n.d.), indicated that [translation] "mediocre salaries and the lack of social benefits push most police officers to accept the bribes offered to them (or to ask for bribes)" (ibid. 16 Mar. 2011).
According to Radio France internationale (RFI), members of the police force and the army had committed more than 9,000 offences in 2010, including embezzlement, bribery and fraud (RFI 11 Feb. 2011). Some media sources note that, in 2010, 950 senior officials of the controlling forces and the Russian army were accused of corruption (ibid.; AFP 11 Feb. 2011). According to an RFI article published in January 2011, such was the case of a police general in charge of the organized crime division, who was charged and arrested for a confidence racket (RFI 22 Jan. 2011). Corroborating reports of the arrest of the general or additional information on the fate of accused persons could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
Measures taken against police corruption
The new law on the police came into effect in March 2011 (La Russie d'aujourd'hui 16 Mar. 2011; The Other Russia 25 Aug. 2011; Russia 2011, art. 56). This law provides, among other things, for a raise in salary for members of the police force (The Moscow Times 2 Aug. 2011; Politika.lv 3 Mar. 2011; Reuters 7 Feb. 2011).
The new police law also requires officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to submit to an assessment in order to determine whether they can remain in the organization (Russia 2011, art. 54.3-54.5). Similarly, in an article published on 1 March 2011, Voix de la Russie indicated that, according to the director of the Duma Security Commission, the police law specifically requires [translation] "an interview and a complete personality assessment of citizens who work on the police force." Voix de la Russie is a radio station that has broadcast in French from Moscow since 1929 (Voix de la Russie n.d.). In a meeting held on 29 July 2011 with leaders of law enforcement organizations, President Dmitri Medvedev stated that, in addition to undergoing an assessment of their personal and professional qualifications, police officers must also disclose information about their income and their property (Russia 29 July 2011). Approximately 227,000 employees lost their jobs (ibid.; The Moscow Times 2 Aug. 2011), out of the nearly 875,000 people who were assessed (ibid.; The Other Russia 25 Aug. 2011). According to the Moscow Times, the president of the assessment commission that dealt with senior police officials also stated that "most were dismissed for reaching the mandatory retirement age, not misconduct." (2 Aug. 2011).
An article from the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS) cites the minister of the interior as noting the launch of a telephone hotline in July 2011, which was aimed at informing citizens of the new police law and enabling them to make suggestions or voice complaints that can later serve as the basis for recommendations to improve the law (ITAR-TASS 25 July 2011). In an article published on 7 July 2011, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti indicated that, in a report published that month, the Presidential Human Rights Council stated that the police law had a number of loopholes that could in fact increase corruption. According to authors of the report,
[a] major problem is that the legal status of policemen to a large extent is defined by classified subordinate acts or internal documents which remain outside of the public domain. Experts insist that without these acts, it would be difficult to discover whether or not some articles are actually likely to increase instances of corruption. (RIA Novosti 7 July 2011)
After reviewing the report, the president of Russia recognized the shortcomings of the law and expressed his willingness to improve it (ibid.). The director of the Public Verdict Foundation, a Russian non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides legal assistance to victims of police abuse of power, also noted that the Russian president had admitted that the law must be reviewed and that the law could be amended in the fall of 2011 (17 Aug. 2011). In February 2011, the Reuters news agency also examined the text of the law and noted that [translation] "it has no mechanism for independent control of corruption within the controlling forces" (7 Feb. 2011), even though in 2010, the president of Russia had wanted an anti-corruption mechanism implemented within police organizations (RIA Novosti 18 Feb. 2010). Moreover, the vice president of the Duma Security Committee noted that the proposal for [translation] "more substantial public monitoring through organizations in the field" was rejected (cited in La Russie d'aujourd'hui 16 Mar. 2011).
Procedure for filing a complaint against the police
According to the 2010 report by Global Integrity, an organization that provides public and private sectors with expertise on fighting corruption (Global Integrity n.d.), citizens can file complaints against the police with the Prosecutor General's Office, the Federal Security Service and the Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of the Interior (Global Integrity 2010, indicator 84a). As well, in correspondence sent to the Research Directorate on 17 August 2011, the director of the Public Verdict Foundation states that the Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of the Interior and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation are the organizations that receive complaints against police officers. The Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of the Interior carries out investigations and decides the penalties to be imposed in cases of disciplinary infractions (Public Verdict Foundation 17 Aug. 2011). The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, which was separated from the "procuracy" and is now an independent organization, processes complaints about crimes committed by police (ibid.). According to Global Integrity, citizens can file complaints via the Internet site of the Ministry of the Interior by filling out a form online (Global Integrity 2010, indicator 84a). As well, various NGOs, like the Public Verdict Foundation, help citizens file complaints against the police (ibid.). Information on other NGOs that provide help to victims of police abuse of power or on the procedure for filing a complaint against police with organizations could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In June 2010, chief of the Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of the Interior stated that "[i]n 2009 alone, over 27,000 citizens submitted complaints to internal security subunits' [of the Internal Security Department of the Ministry of the Interior]" (ibid., indicator 84d). In 2010, the number of complaints had increased by 50 percent (ibid.). According to the chief, "[i]n five months, 41,000 offenses committed by policemen have been exposed,'" which represents a 16 percent increase compared with the same period in 2009 (ibid.). The chief added that more than 2,000 crimes committed by policemen had been exposed (ibid.). Global Integrity did not specify the nature of the complaints made against the police or of the crimes committed by them. The Paris daily newspaper Le Figaro reported on 22 February 2010 that, according to the president of Russia, 15,000 complaints of corruption were made against the police in 2009, which is only the [translation] "tip of the iceberg.'"
According to the chief of the Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of the Interior, 2,156 crimes committed by policemen had been solved in the first five months of 2010, which is about 6.5 per cent more than in the same period in 2009 (cited in Global Integrity 2010, indicator 84d). An article published in 2010 by France 2 indicates that, on average, [translation] "only one out of every 25 corruption cases reported results in the conviction of an officer of the state and that this situation has not changed since 2007," according to a study conducted by an anti-corruption centre under the Russian Ministry of Justice (2 Sept. 2010).
According to Global Integrity, neither the Prosecutor's General's Office nor the Federal Security Service is "transparent or accountable to the public and/or the State Duma" (2010, indicator 75g). Similarly, the director of the Public Verdict Foundation noted that attempts made by NGOs to increase transparency and accountability of the police force have failed (17 Aug. 2011). The Global Integrity report added that the Prosecutor's General's Office and other internal security bodies of Russian law enforcement agencies "are repeatedly accused of enforcing anti-corruption policy on a selective basis, either against low-level officials or for political reasons" (Global Integrity 2010, indicator 84d). According to Country Reports 2010, government anti-corruption activities focus mostly on lower-level officials (US 8 Apr. 2011, Sec. 4). According to Global Integrity, most of the police officers prosecuted for crimes receive suspended sentences or are acquitted (2010, indicator 84b). Additional information on that topic could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, Global Integrity noted that Russian citizens "are not eager to press charges against law enforcement agencies, and if they do it, they are often motivated by political reasons" (ibid., indicator 84b). The director of the Public Verdict Foundation states that one of the reasons why people do not make complaints against the police is fear of pressure, but she did not specify the nature of that pressure (17 Aug. 2011).
Le Figaro indicates that police officers who report the misconduct of their colleagues encounter legal problems (22 Feb. 2010). In 2010, France 2 reported that a number of police officers who had posted videos online exposing crimes committed by controlling forces were prosecuted (France 2 2 Sept. 2010). Moreover, a senior regional official of the police was dismissed for having reported the corruption (ibid.). A spokesperson for the police in the city of Sverdlovsk in Ural told the online newspaper Gazeta.ru that the police official's dismissal was due to [translation] "a week's absence from work without valid reason'" (ibid.). However, considering that these were [translation] "repercussions," the police official had considered taking his case to court (ibid.). Additional information on this topic and information on the developments of this case could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, various media reported in 2009 that a Russian policeman was dismissed after he published a video online in which he denounced working conditions and corruption in the police force (L'Express 15 Dec. 2009; AsiaNews 19 Nov. 2009; France 24 9 Nov. 2009). Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2010, published by the US Department of State, explained that, in January 2010, the authorities did not investigate the officer's allegations and charged him with "abuse of office and fraud" (US 8 Apr. 2011, Sec. 4). However, according to France 24,
Reaction was swift: two days after the video was published on the Internet, the Russian Ministry of the Interior announced that it had launched an investigation: "The facts exposed in Mr. Dymovsky's message were checked over two days. Those facts have not been confirmed," said the Ministry's spokesperson. (9 Nov. 2009)
Witness protection program
In October 2009, the Russian government adopted a witness protection program for the period of 2009-2013 (Council of Europe 14 Apr. 2010, 8; HRHN 21 Jan. 2010). The program is administered by the Ministry of the Interior (RT 2 Feb. 2010; LA Times 2 Aug. 2009; Channel One TV 14 July 2009). It is designed to protect witnesses, investigators, lawyers and even accused persons-anyone who is threatened during the proceedings (ibid.).
According to daily newspaper The Moscow Times, the new witness protection program allows witnesses to relocate with new identities and jobs; they also have access to bodyguards and plastic surgery (14 Oct. 2009). Similarly, Channel One TV, a Russian public television network (Channel One TV n.d.), reported that a witness has the right to be protected and to change his or her name, history, place of residence, and appearance (14 July 2009). In February 2010, the RT television network, a general information network based in Moscow that broadcasts in over 100 countries (RT n.d.), indicated that the Russian police have admitted to using new strategies in their witness protection program, which include staging the deaths and burials of witnesses in order to "confuse" criminals (RT 2 Feb. 2010). According to the director of the Ministry of the Interior's witness protection program, there are also secret rooms in Russian courts that enable witnesses to testify without being seen by the defendant and his allies (ibid.). The program director stated that "only one person is aware of the security measures taken, even the personal bodyguards from the subunits do not know who the real person is, only what they look like" (Channel One TV 14 July 2009).
According to police data, 10 million people are called on to testify every year in criminal proceedings (The Moscow Times 24 June 2009; LA Times 2 Aug. 2009; Interfax 20 May 2009). Of these, 5 million are reportedly threatened (ibid.; LA Times 2 Aug. 2009; The Moscow Times 24 June 2009). On 2 August 2009, the Los Angeles Times stated that, of those 5 million, only 20,000 are protected. According to other media, 700 people involved in criminal proceedings were protected in Russia in 2009 (ibid.; Chanel One TV 14 July 2009). The director of the Public Verdict Foundation states that, in order to protect a number of victims from [translation] "torture and other police abuses of power," NGOs and not the government have helped them to move to another region (17 Aug. 2011). Additional information on that topic could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the witness protection program is ineffective because many Russians are afraid of the police (2 Aug. 2009). According to a survey conducted by the Levada Institute that was cited by Le Figaro in 2010, 67 percent of Russians claim to [translation] "be afraid of" the police (Le Figaro 22 Feb. 2010). Moreover, the public knows very little about the witness protection program (Interfax 20 May 2009; US 8 Apr. 2011, Sec. 1.e). Country Reports 2010 indicates that the authorities "dionot provide adequate protection for witnesses and victims from intimidation or threats from powerful criminal defendants" (ibid.).
The Los Angeles Times notes that the Russian legal system is so corrupt that testifying at trial is fraught with danger, such as "kidnapping, arson, break-ins, attacks" (2 Aug. 2009). Such was the case for a former police officer who was caught and killed in 2009 near the Prosecutor General's Office in the town of Pushkino (LA Times 2 Aug. 2009). He was to testify in a corruption case against a former mayor (ibid.). Additional information on this topic could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Agence France-Presse (AFP). 1 April 2011. "Russie : le président Medvedev limoge 10 généraux de la police." (Le Point)
_____. 11 February 2011. "Corruption : les Russes invités à cesser de proposer des roubles à la police." (Le Point)
_____. 13 January 2011. "Medvedev : peu de succès dans la lutte contre la corruption.'" (La Libre Belgique)
AsiaNews. 19 November 2009. "Dymovsky Effect Against Corruption of Putin Police.'"
Channel One TV [in Russian]. 14 July 2009. "Russian TV Reports on Witness Protection Programme." (Factiva/BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union)
_____. N.d. "Channel One Russia / History."
Council of Europe. 14 April 2010. Commissioner for Human Rights. Thomas Hammarberg. Annual Activity Report 2009. (CommDH(2010)8)
L'Express [Paris]. 15 December 2009. Axel Gyldén and Alla Chevekna. "Rien ne va plus dans la police russe."
Le Figaro [Paris]. 22 February 2010. Pierre Avril. "Un policier russe emprisonné pour l'exemple."
France 2. 2 September 2010. "Moscou face à la police corrompue."
France 24. 9 November 2009. "Corruption, pots-de-vin et fausses enquêtes au sein de la police : le ras-le-bol d'un officier russe."
Global Integrity. 2010. "Russian Federation - Scorecard." Global Integrity Report.
_____. N.d. "Our Approach."
Human Rights House Network (HRHN). 21 January 2010. Vadim Vileita. "Russian Ratification of Protocol 14 is Good News, but More Is Needed."
Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS). 25 July 2011. "Almost 400 Calls Come to Police Law Hotline - Minister (Adds)."
Interfax. 20 May 2009. "Half of Witnesses in Criminal Cases in Russia Subjected to Threats, Violence - Official." Russia & CIS Military Weekly. 23 May 2009. No. 20 (396).
Los Angeles Times (LA Times) . 2 August 2009. Megan K. Stack. "In Russia, Witnesses Risk Their Lives."
The Moscow Times. 2 August 2011. "Police Tests Over, Only 21 Generals Flunk Out." (Russia Profile)
_____. 14 October 2009. "Witness Protection Program Gets $53M."
_____. 24 June 2009. "Police Protect 700 of 10 Million Witnesses."
The Other Russia. 25 August 2011. "Russian Police Corruption Officially In the Past'."
Politika.lv [in Latvian]. 3 March 2011. Andis Kudors. "Latvian Commentary Analyses New Russian Law on Police." (Factiva/BBC Monitoring European)
Public Verdict Foundation. 17 August 2011. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate by the director.
Radio France internationale (RFI). 1 April 2011. Madeleine Leroyer. "La purge se poursuit dans les rangs de la police russe."
_____. 11 February 2011. Anastasia Becchio. "Corruption en Russie : 950 responsables des forces de l'ordre inculpés l'an passé."
_____. 22 January 2011. "Un haut responsable de la police russe inculpé pour une escroquerie colossale."
Reuters. 7 February 2011. Alexeï Anichtchouk and Jean-Stéphane Brosse. "La milice' devient police' en Russie." (L'Express)
RIA Novosti. 7 July 2011. Iya Pitalev. "Law on Police Poses Risk of Increased Corruption - Expert Report." (RT)
_____. 18 February 2010. "Eradiquer la corruption au sein de structures policières (Medvedev)."
RT. 2 February 2010. "Police to Bury' Important Witnesses."
_____. N.d. "Corporate Profile."
Russia. 29 July 2011. Official site of the President of Russia. "Meeting with Heads of Law Enforcement Agencies."
_____. 2011. Federal Law No. 3-FZ of February 7, 2011 on the Police. (VisaLink)
La Russie d'aujourd'hui [Moscow]. 16 March 2011. Artem Zagorodnov. "Adieu la milice, bonjour la police et vive la réforme!." (Le Figaro)
_____. N.d. "Qui sommes-nous."
Trace. 2009. Business Registry for International Bribery and Extortion (BRIBEline) 2009 Russia Report.
_____. N.d. "What Is Trace?"
Transparency International (TI). 2010. Global Corruption Barometer 2010.
United States (US). 8 April 2011. Department of State. "Russia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2010.
Voix de la Russie. 1 March 2011. "Russie : une nouvelle police proche de la population."
_____. N.d. "A propos de nous."
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts made to contact representatives of the following organizations were unsuccessful: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of Harvard University, Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Human Rights in Russia, Moscow Helsinki Group, SOVA Center for Information and Analysis and Working Group for the Police Reform.
Internet sources, including: Amnesty International; The Economist; Euronews; European Country of Origin Information Network; Freedom House; Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption; Global Security.org; The Guardian; Human Rights in Russia; Human Rights Watch; The Independent; International Federation for Human Rights; Internet Center for Corruption Research; Interpol; Kommersant; Levada Center; Moscow Helsinki Group; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Regnum News Agency; Russian Law Online; Russia — Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation; Le Soir; U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre; UN Office on Drugs and Crime; World Bank.

subset: commoncrawl


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Should Josh Brent Have Been Allowed on the Cowboys' Sideline? — Sports Survey of the Day
Tragedy hit the NFL a week ago when Dallas linebacker Josh Brent was involved in a car crash that took the life of a teammate.
Tragedy hit the NFL a week ago when Dallas linebacker Josh Brent was involved in a car crash that took the life of a teammate.
Boxing, UFC and a storied NFL rivalry highlight the upcoming sports schedule. Here's what to watch this weekend:
Three weeks remain in the 2012 NFL season. Four more teams can clinch a postseason berth this week. Here's a preview of this week's games:
The New England Patriots have not lost a game since mid-October and seem like a lock for the postseason. Will they get another Super Bowl victory this year?
When you get the kind of national attention that Mark Sanchez gets, you would think it's because his team is successful. Not the case.
Dramatic comebacks highlighted the action in Week 14 of the 2012 NFL season. Here's a recap of this week's games:
While all eyes in the college football world will be on Saturday night's presentation of the Heisman Trophy, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o holds a big lead in postseason hardware after taking home three trophies—including two national player of the year awards—during last night's college football awards show. He has now won six major awards since the end of the regular season.
We could soon see some big changes in the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to do away with kickoffs to reduce head injuries.
Knowshon Moreno ran for 119 yards and a touchdown, and the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders, 26-13, in Oakland on Thursday night.
One of the biggest boxing matches of the year, the return of UFC to Fox and a storied college football rivalry highlight the upcoming sports calendar. Here's what to watch this weekend:
While many coaches are gearing up for bowl season, it's that time of year when many other underperforming college college coaches get their walking papers. This year, some big names--including the winningest coach in Cal history and a guy who won a national title less than two years ago--headline the list of coaches who have been fired.
There are just four weeks left in the 2012 NFL season. Four playoff spots have already been filled, but two more teams can clinch this week. Here's a preview of this week's games:


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The annual Dakar Rally is on again in January and SBS will broadcast daily highlights following the cars, trucks, motorbikes and quads as they race through over 8,000 kilometres of merciless terrain from Peru to Chile.
Australia will again have a strong contingent in the Dakar Rally. In the bike category, nine Australians will take to the starting line including Simon Pavey, who will be competing in his ninth Dakar and Rod Faggotter. In the car category, Dakar veteran Bruce Garland will be competing as well as Geoff Olholm and Adrian Di Lallo. Paul Smith will feature in the quad category and Richard Hayes will compete in the truck category.
The 2013 Dakar Rally will begin in Lima, Peru and travel through Argentina to the finish line in Santiago, Chile. For the first time, the desert stages will make an appearance in the first few days of the rally. Both amateur and professional drivers take part in Dakar Rally, which sees them navigate particularly tough terrain, including dunes, mud, camel grass rocks and ergs. The mix of physical toughness, technical performance and spectacular backdrop makes the Dakar Rally one of the highlights of the motor sport calendar.
SBS will also provide coverage online through its SBS On Demand player at www.sbs.com.au/dakar, featuring catch-up highlights of every stage and every class – cars, bikes and trucks, and the SBS On Demand app for iPhone and iPad to keep track of the race on the go.
6 January to 21 January at 5:30pm on SBS ONE.


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December 14, 2011, 02:48 AM
I'm in the market for a bolt gun in 308. I'm dead set on the Rem. 700 SPS Tactical. I can read all day long about people shooting 100-200 yds with the 20" but i'm curious to know if it can reach out to say longer distance up to 800-1000 yds. Everything I've read so far is that it is very accurate out to 100-200 yds. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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STEVE CHIOTAKIS: The World Bank is making its predictions for the new year. In a new report today, it says unemployment will stay high in economies hit hardest by the global recession. And rising food prices could also be a major problem.
Marketplace's Stephen Beard is with us live from London with the latest. Hi Stephen.
STEPHEN BEARD: Hello Steve.
CHIOTAKIS: Why is this World Bank report so gloomy?
BEARD: Because the bank is saying that while the emerging economies will grow strongly this year, they won't grow strongly enough to lift some of the hardest hit countries like the U.S. and much of Europe out of their malaise. As you say, unemployment will continue high in the West says the bank, and other problems like high household debt and fragile banks will continue to dog western economies. We should say though Steve, that not all economists are this gloomy. Ian Campbell of the BreakingViews Financial website says, we're all much better off now, than we would've been without the currently low interest rates in the U.S. and Europe.
IAN CAMPBELL: I would say that the ultra-loose monetary policy that we had in the U.S. that we had in the U.S. and which we still have in the U.S. and loose monetary policies also in Europe have actually precipitated quite a substantial global recovery.
CHIOTAKIS: Alright so Stephen, what about food prices going forward?
BEARD: Yes, the World Bank says this is a worry. It notes that a sharp rise in food costs triggered riots in a number of poor countries in 2008, and it says there are strong similarities between then and now. But on a slightly more optimistic note, the bank says grain stocks are much higher now than in 2008.
CHIOTAKIS: Marketplaces Stephen Beard reporting from London. Stephen, thank you.
BEARD: OK Steve.


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XIAO Ru spent her last year of high school studying from morning until late at night. That didn't help her complete one particular assignment in her first year of college: a 1,500-metre run.
With two friends setting the pace beside her, she finished the university fitness requirement - barely. Moments later, she doubled over and vomited.
"The weather got cold, so I haven't been training much," she murmured.
"Then suddenly today I had to do this run ... and I just ... couldn't do it."
Clad in a purple wool sweater to fend off the winter morning chill, the 18-year-old student collapsed in the arms of her friends after the run at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University. They held up each of her elbows as they escorted her from the track.
Such dramas are increasingly common on the tracks and fields of China, which, despite its formidable performance in recent Olympic Games, has seen the fitness of its young people decline.
"Our economic power has grown while our people's physiques have not only failed to improve, but have deteriorated. That's unacceptable," said Sun Yunxiao, deputy director of China Youth and Children Research Centre in Beijing.
"This is something that worries the nation."
The government has urged schools, especially K-12, to beef up their physical education following an outcry touched off by a series of events late last year.
Two Chinese college students collapsed and died when they were testing for an annual, mandatory 1000-metre run in late November.
Another two runners in their early 20s died in 5000-metre and 10,000-metre races during a sporting event in the southern city of Guangzhou.
The sudden deaths were considered accidental, but the spate of them was enough to trigger a nationwide retrospection on its physical education.
And several Chinese universities canceled their men's 5000-metre and women's 3000-metre events from their fall sports meets, for reasons including fear of liability, lack of interest and scheduling conflicts.
"This is a dangerous sign," Mr Sun said.
"Physical education is important in that it helps youth to develop social skills and to build a healthy character. But we are at a historic low in our neglect."
Mr Sun attributes the decline to an obsession with academic testing scores in China's cruelly competitive environment for college admissions, as well as a proliferation of indoor entertainment options like video games and surfing the internet.
Though air quality in many Chinese cities has deteriorated in recent years, physical educators have discounted air pollution as a major deterrent for outdoor activities.
Mr Sun said an overwhelming majority of Chinese young students cited their academic performance as their parents' top priority, with a chunk of the population saying it was the only thing that mattered to parents.
The results are clear from the annual fitness tests that Chinese university students are required to take. Education Ministry data show that in 2010, male college students ran 1000 metres 14 to 15 seconds slower on average than male students who ran a decade earlier. Female students slowed by about 12 seconds in running 800 metres.
Students also fared worse in other physical tests, jumping shorter distances and completing fewer sit-ups.
Meanwhile, obesity rates among Chinese college students have gone up. In 2010, 13.3 per cent of urban male students were obese, compared to 8.7 per cent a decade earlier. Still, that compares with rates in the US of 19.6 per cent for males aged 12-19, and 33.2 per cent for males aged 20-39 for the same period.
The dismal state of fitness in the younger generation prompted well-known and hawkish military officer Major General Luo Yuan to bemoan the prospects for China's future in a recent editorial in the state-run Global Times newspaper.
"Femininity is on the rise, and masculinity is on the decline," Major General Yuan thundered.
"With such a lack of character and determination and such physical weakness, how can they shoulder the heavy responsibility?"
Citing busy schedules, both China's Education Ministry and its general sports administration declined AP's requests for interviews.
Wang Fangchuan, a sports professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, sees the disregard of health as the "mark of a society in pursuit of academic achievements."
"We are walking on one leg," Prof Wang said.
The pressure for academic excellence begins early in Chinese grade schools, which do not have a tradition of competing in sports against neighbouring schools. The national goal of earning Olympic gold medals further separates sports from ordinary schools, because promising young athletes and resources are siphoned off to special sports schools nationwide.
"We have this strange phenomenon. Outside, we are showing off muscles, but at home we are panting," popular blogger Li Chengpeng wrote last summer, when China's Olympic athletes in London raked in 38 gold medals - second only to the US.
"Outside, the red flags are flying. At home, the red lights are going up," Mr Li wrote.
In Wuhan, 24-year-old police officer Yu Meng said he gave up on college and went to the police academy instead after his passion for soccer cost him academically in high school.
"On the playing fields are those with lackluster academic scores. Those with excellent scores are all in classrooms," Mr Yu said.
"Under the current education system, you cannot have both, and most prefer studies to exercising."
Ms Xiao, the Tsinghua student, constantly did schoolwork while a high school senior in northern China's Shanxi province, rising at 7am and going to bed after midnight every day, to better prepare herself for college entrance exams.
"The school no longer required us to run in the senior year," she said, adding that her weekly physical activity consisted only of a bit of badminton with friends.
The long hours of studying paid off. School officials awarded her family 20,000 yuan ($3029) and an LCD television when she scored high enough in the exams to get into the prestigious university.
Sports educators at Tsinghua say they feel obligated to make up for missed opportunities in high school by planting the habit of exercise.
"We have elite education here," said Ma Xindong, the university's head of physical education.
"If you live longer, you can contribute more to the society."
Tsinghua goes beyond the standard requirement of a 1000-metre run and makes its male students run 3000 metres for its fitness tests.
Sophomore Xu Sicheng, who had never run such a long distance before coming to Tsinghua, said he and his classmates were "shocked" to learn of the school's gruelling requirement.
"We thought it was a mission impossible!"
Originally published as China frets over youth fitness crisis


text:
Sorry I haven't been posting much over the last few days guys but hubby had the flu and then passed it on to me. I am still dying from it but am doing much better than a couple of days ago. Seems like the worst part of it is over.
Anyway, to make a long story short. I had to go out today to get wet food for Vixen. The traffic was crazy as was the store. So I was gone about an hour. Guido stayed home and slept as he is working nights this weekend so his brother took me. Usually I lock the door when we leave but this time I didn't cause Guido was home and I was only going to the pet store.
Like I said we were gone about 1 hour. When I got home. Here was Vixen sitting OUTSIDE at the bottom of the step. I almost passed out. How in god's name did she get out? I asked myself. As soon as she seen me get out of the car she ran for the door of the house to get back inside. She must have been out about 20 minutes or so cause she was cold.
I cannot believe she didn't go anywhere. We still can't figure out how she got out. The door was closed. There were no windows open. There are no holes to the outside she can crawl through. Guido had been sleeping maybe 30 minutes when we got back. So she had gotten outside somehow in the 10 or 15 minutes after he fell asleep cause when he laid down she was asleep on her cat tree.
We are completely baffled as to how she got outside. And once I got inside I just scooped her up and cuddled her so hard. I cannot believe how lucky we are she didn't go anywhere. What a good girl. And since I came back she is tight to me. She is a velcro kitty. I guess she was reallu happy that meowmie came home and got her back in the warm house and away from the scary cold outside.
I am counting my blessing today knowing that she could have wandered or anything could have happened to her. My God how lucky were we that she was fine and that we came home when we did.


text:
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financial research; negotiation and execution of private placements and public offerings; portfolio management
Business in Toronto, Ontario, CA


text:
|No airtimes found.
Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders
Series Premiere Available For Free
|No airtimes found.
Celebrated for his wry, darkly comic, twisted rock songs, British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock is profiled in this Sundance Channel original documentary, directed by John Edginton. Hitchcock and the band Venus 3 — featuring REM veterans Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin — are observed recording an album of new material at Hitchcock's London house. Later, Hitchcock is seen performing live in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Seattle. With appearances by musicians Morris Windsor, Nick Lowe, John Paul Jones and Gillian Welch.


text:
METALLICA will be performing at a private party for the film "The Darwin Awards", set to take place immediately following the movie's Sundance Film Festival premiere on Wednesday, January 25 at Harry O's on Main Street in Park City, Utah. The party is scheduled to begin at 11:00 p.m. and is not open to the public."The Darwin Awards" stars Joseph Fiennes and Winona Ryder and is described as "a twisted comedy about people accidentally killed in idiotic ways." METALLICA themselves appear in a scene that includes footage shot at a November 22, 2004 concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lukas Haas plays a drunken fan who attempts to sneak into the show, with tragic results (based on a 1998 urban legend). As previously reported, METALLICA will travel to South Africa in March to headline the country's biggest international music festival ever. The Coca-Cola Colab Massive Mix festival will take place on March 18 in the city of Centurion, March 21 in Durban and March 25 in Cape Town. The shows will mark METALICA's first visit to the continent. Other artists confirmed to appear at the 12-hour concerts include SEETHER, COLLECTIVE SOUL, SIMPLE PLAN, FATBOY SLIM and a number of local artists.
METALLICA To Perform At SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
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Artist description:
I feel like I'm in zombieville... need sleep.... Hugs X
Canvas Draw Created Apr 18, 2012 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Catarsetrophy.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
This is really nice! I'd hang this on my wall :) 5h and fav
wow, the coloures and the shapes look great! 5 :)
Very nice drawing... (even if you found it in zombieville!) Rest well... 5/5!!! :-D
this is intriguing, human forms almost floating..great...5/5..
I know what you mean, I have school tomorrow and it is almost 2a.m- oops. But I hope you rest well. I love the colors and the design in this drawing! The orange, green and purple look surprisingly good together. I like the design. 5/5h and favorites.
Sooo sooo beautiful!!! I sure love your artwork!!! 5/5!!!!
amazing this is so creative and fun :)
Cool draw!
Nice draw! Very artistic! 5/5


text:
The Global Environment: HR...Discussion Question
150 words minimum:
Please respond to the following:
- Many organizations are increasingly becoming global through the assistance of the Internet and virtual work arrangements. Determine if this scenario makes it easier or more difficult to manage the HR function.
- Imagine you are part of an HR team discussing the building of the organization's first expatriate program. A small team of employees is being sent to an international assignment, for at least two years, due to a recent merger with an international company. Outline the considerations and protocols the team would be discussing to determine if this is the direction the organization should venture into.
Tutor Answer
Brown University
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text:
The seven ages of kettling
To anyone who knows, or has ever been, a child, the news that three North London teenagers are challenging the police's right to "kettle" them at a tuition-fee demonstration last November will be baffling. This has nothing to do with the legality of the situation. It's simply astounding that they thought to complain, since their entire life has been one long series of kettle-style containments:
1 Cottling At this stage, there's no argument: caging is for the child's own good. They have no idea what they're doing, but those bars should be a taste of what's to come.
2 Stairgating Once they can crawl, new techniques come into play. More bars on stairs and around playpens; doors are shut; audiovisual observation equipment is introduced. The…


text:
Revoydia Jones
Harper Woods, MI 48225
Ph: (313) ***-****
Objective Over 11 years experience in the field of Legal Administration Affairs. Seeking a rewarding and challenging position where I may utilize my skills and training to the fullest potential.
Work Experience Law Offices of Brian Muawad Detroit, MI
Personal Injury/Workers Comp & Social Security 3/10-10/2011
• Gathered and filed legal documents throughout various court systems.
• Composed and drafted all pleadings, inclusive of Motions, Briefs, Judgment, correspondence, ect.
• Conducted interrogatories involving clients and witnesses.
• Maintained daily, weekly, and monthly calendar using the Tickler System.
• Scheduled Depositions and Independent Medical Evaluations.
• Provided legal research and writing reports using the computer application West Law.
• Case file management, including gathering and organizing exhibits, documents, trial data materials.
Shakoor, Grubba, & Miller Law Offices Detroit, MI
Paralegal/Probate/Civil Litigation 08/02-02/07
• Provided assistance in the preparation and drafting of legal memoranda.
• Provided assistance to the representing attorney at various depositions.
• Provided assistance in the preparation of trail exhibits and notebooks.
• Conducted legal research as assigned to provide legal documentation,
• Developed and maintained litigation support database.
• Provided coordination for demonstrative evidence for trials.
• Review and analyze will and trust provisions.
• Draft petition for probate and supporting documents.
• Notify heirs, devisees and creditors of probate proceeding.
Mel Farr Automotive Group Corporation Ferndale, MI
Paralegal/Civil Litigation Collections 10/1998-02/02
• Provided legal research using the computer application West Law.
• Conducted factual research and investigations.
• Provided assistance in maintaining logs and current projects assigned by department personnel.
• Draft, file and serve summons and complaint.
• Draft, file and serve answer or other responsive pleadings.
• Conduct or supervise fact investigation (i.e., local interview witnesses, site inspection, locate and pr, material evidence).
• Draft correspondence.
Northwood University Troy, MI
Major: Business Administration, BA/ Human Resource
Bachelor Degree
Academy of Court Reporting/Institute for Legal Studies Southfield, MI.
Major: Paralegal
Associates of Business Administration/Legal Studies
West Law Group Detroit, MI
Major: West Law Computer Application
Certificate of completion awarded
Wayne County Community College Detroit, MI
Major: Business Administration
Crockett Vocational Center Detroit, MI
Major: Medical Assistant
Certificate of completion awarded
Software and Skills
• Microsoft Office (Word, Power Point, Excel, Outlook, Access) West Law, Lotus Notes, Adobe PhotoShop etc.
• Excellent communication skills, Team skills, Leadership skills, Goal oriented, Motivated, Ability to Multi-Task, Problem solving skills.
• Notary Public
References available upon request


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VIDEO: Obama: "We have come close to goal of dismantling al Qaeda"
President Hamid Karzai says the number of troops to remain in Afghanistan will be decided by the U.S. during a meeting with President Obama at the White House. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)
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Originally published Sunday, January 12, 2014 at 5:32 AM
When it comes to politicians, Americans are a forgiving bunch — probably to a fault.
Lawmakers of all flavors have managed to survive bouts of corruption, boozing, absconding, skimming, lying, pardoning, diddling, groping, abusing, parsing, trafficking, bribing, extorting, conniving, wide-stancing, sexting, cheating and other indiscretions that would send regular people to the hoosegow — or at least out onto the freeway onramp holding the obligatory "Anything Helps" cardboard sign.
But we do have limits. And demonstrating one of them beautifully was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, R-Lack of Institutional Control, who reminded us of what may be the lone remaining area of bipartisan agreement in America today:
You can get away with almost anything. But stopping traffic in any way, shape or form is a capital political offense. And justifiably so.
More unshakable truths:
May we Suggest Canyonlands: Rampant confusion reigns for newlyweds after court decisions left same sex-marriages unrecognized in Utah, but suddenly recognized by the federal government. What does it mean? In the short term, people can stay married, but can only have legal same sex inside a federal office building, in a National Park, atop an FAA radar array, inside a TSA body-scan booth, or on an interstate highway.
Limelight Seizure: Nice moment of levity the other day when Blitz, the Seahawks mascot, appeared to take over the podium at a news conference about to be hosted by Gov. Jay Inslee at the state Capitol. Oddly enough, even Blitz was smart enough to make it clear he respected both recent contract votes of the Boeing Machinists union.
Speaking of Inslee: He now says it's just wrong for corporations to pit one state against another in tax-break beauty contests for manufacturing jobs. But given Boeing's recent jackpot, Mr. Wrap surmises it's apparently still OK if they do it here.
Sniffing Out the Solution: Boeing is being all secretive about how it successfully repaired the burned carbon-fiber shell of an Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamsmoker that caught fire at Heathrow Airport. Here's the thing: We know some Boeing people and, at the risk of being investigated for insider trading, can confidently suggest that now would be a good time to buy stock in the extra-big tubes of Testors model-airplane glue.
Titular Grandeur: In honor of recent weather events, we are officially renaming the imaginary "Seattle Freeze" the "Seattle Polar Vortex."
This Week's WSDOT Outlook Reminder: Normally, you wouldn't think it would be necessary to remind state workers to remove the steel shafts from all those wells they currently are drilling in an attempt to remove the steel shaft they left in the ground years ago, and is now blocking the downtown Seattle tunnel-boring machine. Then again ...
Boom, There it Was: Federal officials are downplaying concerns about exploding rail cars carrying crude oil, saying it's really only a concern when they move very slowly through populated areas where tracks are crisscrossed by highways and city streets.
And Finally: All you people — especially in news media — atwitter about the "seismic readings" taken at CenturyLink Field football games are aware you could get similar results by placing sensing equipment next to a truck dumping gravel, a ferry bumping up against a dock, or a half-million other normal, daily human activities, right? Just checking.
Ron Judd's column appears each Sunday. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com or 206-464-8280.
About The Wrap / Ron Judd
"The Wrap" appears on Sundays, highlighting the absurd and providing the punch line to the week's news headlines.


text:
Bad Move Greg
This qualifies as exercising incredibly poor judgment, IMO.
Greg is a dick. Jealous if you ask me.
I'll even bet he was using something back in his day.
Greg LeMond was the last clean winner of the Tour de France period. He probably shouldn't have confronted Armstrong at Interbike, but he's angry and Armstrong is a fraud...
Lemond is turning into a stalker. He has spent the last 8 years officially staking his claim that Armstrong was doping. Well....he hasnt proven it and now he is bordering on just being a pathological stalker. Its time Lemond gave proof or shut up and let it go. Is Lemond going to spend his entire life stalking Armstrong with unproven allegations ?
Lemond is a 3 time Tour De France winner but now he has turned into an 8 time stalker loser.
I suggest Lemond show some dignity and walk away from this obsession.
I understand that you like to worship Lance, but it took a while to topple Marion Jones too....
Can any of you enlighten on the history of this confrontation, for those of us who have not followed it? I know LA had some allegations from the French(?), and he was cleared. I never heard from Lemond until this news flash. It is a flash, to me, and I think to many people who don't follow TDF.
It seems Lemond is convinced LA is dirty. But even if, is this the way, the time, to address it? Wouldn't the smart and classy move be to let someone else prove it?
I never believed Pete Rose or Barry Bonds; they struck me as poor liars (huge Pete Rose fan; I WANTED to believe). But I am inclined to believe Armstrong, from what I have seen and heard from him. What does Lemond have on him, if anything? You all might have some strong opinions, but what are the facts, if any, surrounding this? thanks
I really think it's time for Lemond to move on. We cannot say for certain that Lance was guilty of doping without elevating our own opinions to the status of fact, which is arrogance. But I do think that Lemond is very insecure about himself (perhaps as a result of childhood sexual abuse experiences) and needs to let go of this.
Greg, if your listening you need to let go of this because it is obvious that it is turning you into a less than whole person and will eat you up. You need to find yourself something healthy that you can do outside of cycling and then just go ride your bike to express your love of cycling.
If Lance could have found 10 people that would testify that you used EPO then obviously there are several cyclists or insiders who believe that you doped also. Regardless if you did or not.
Greg, you've got to get over your own self centeredness. You can't do that by trying to make Lance a good guy or forcing him to humiliate himself in public. You've got to develop more inner integrity in yourself instead of trying to force others to be honest. This need to "purify" cycling is misguided. You need to focus on purifying yourself.
Wow, this guy just goes further off the cliff with every statement. I really liked him, thought he was a great competitor, but this is just an amazing situation and really, really baffling. He really needs to have someone he trust to tell him to see someone and talk this out before he does something stupid.
"If it doesn't show up in the drug controls, then it's not doping," Ferrari was quoted as having said (a statement he has since characterized as a misquote), reportedly also adding that if he were a rider, he just might take whatever he could get away with. And by the way, he informed the French sports daily L'Equipe and a handful of Italian newspapers, "EPO is not dangerous, it's the abuse that is. It's also dangerous to drink 10 liters of orange juice."
Kaboom. It was as if he'd tried to toss a hand grenade at his critics from a car, but forgot that the windows were rolled up.
He said that in '94, and LA stayed with him until '04, when the Dr. was convicted of doping. Yikes!
But another quote from the LA Wik link:
Throughout his career only one test showed indications of the presence of doping products: in 1999, a urine sample showed traces of corticosteroids, but the amount was not in the positive test range. He later produced a medical certificate showing he used an approved cream for saddle sores which contained the substance.
It is possible LA used the Dr. only for nutrition, altitude training, etc. Perhaps he trained with banned substances and then raced clean (reportedly a common practice in horse racing). Is it against the rules to do this? Reading through many links, I couldn't see any real evidence against him. And he has the tests on his side, unlike Barry Bonds. I am still inclined to believe Armstrong, but there is a shadow of doubt, guilt by association, at least.
You also have to remember that the French accusation came out at a time when Lance was totally dominanting the race for years. That was something that was just not allowed in the minds of many Frenchmen. How dare this roughneck, rowdy American dominate over the long recognized superior Eurocyclist snobs? I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that the mission was to try and pin something....ANYthing on Lance. I also wouldn't be shocked if some French lab person may have looked the other way to allow for some sample shenanigans.
As for Greg...he's just reallly sad. You would think the guy would be comfortable with his place in American cycling history. He's still the first cyclist I could have ever remembered by name.
He's just not the best...that would be Lance. Sorry Greg.
greg lemond is a crazy old man.
Defining "clean" and "doping" differently are the major sticking point of any doping debate. Thy hypocracy is overwhelming. For example, in a sport that has some of the top endurance athletes in the world I am supposed to believe that the majority has asthma? Give me a break- their TUE's may allow them leeway on prohibited substances but they are still cheating.
I am not defending Armstrong but merely pointing out how lame your assertion is. This rule hair splitting of rules isn't just a problem for just cycling or even just for sports but for so much more.
... Brad
wow, after reading about Lemond's behavior, i believe *he* should be a doper - and a heavily medicated on at that...
stay on your meds, greg!
no one will ever topple Lance. He bounced back from brain, lung, and ball cancer for craps sake. even if he did dope he did the greatest feat of showing the world that cancer is not a death sentence, and that with determination and some luck but mostly hard work you can do anything.
no one can ***** that armor.
most of you posting here, if you went though 1 round of chemo you'd want to shrink up and die and forget doing anything ever again...it is brutal. like drinking gasoline and injecting bleach but with doctor supervision to bring you to the edge of death and back.
what it did for Lance was strip off a lot of weight and push his pain threshold past everyone elses.
no...Lance is too good. plain and simple.
The time is soon arriving where we will feel sorry for Greg Lemond in his downward spiral.
You should ask some "Eurosnobs" how do we feel about Armstrong. He's pretty popular and well respected in Europe, regardless of whether he doped or not.
Podcast interview with Greg Lemond
Regardless of your position on Greg or Lance, here is a very interesting interview with Greg Lemond shortly after his "heckling" appearance at Lance's press conference at Interbike. At least you can hear some of his motivation, for what it's worth.
And here is the actual press conference, but the audio isn't good enough to hear Greg's comments - you can however, hear Lance's responses!
I was there at IB but I missed the press conference!
I actually led a bike tour with Greg to the 1999 Tour de France - and I can tell you, this guy enjoyed his champagne! He was a very nice and fun person back then. I haven't seen him since then, so I had to remind him who I was when I spoke to him at Interbike (he was there the whole time at the Lemond booth, not just for the press conference or to discredit Lance). He did recognize me (after being reminded...), and we had a nice 20 minute chat about that Tour. I didn't have the nerve to ask him about why he is so adamant about LA. I am saddened with the position he's taken, and think he's doing cycling a disservice.
lemond also stalked floyd landis if you recal...tried to get floyd to recant. :eek:.
ed rader
I agree, Brian. someone should really tell Lance to go and see a shrink. or get a reality check/ego-deflator.
Spiraling down in ever decreasing circles, so maybe he will eventually disappear up his own orifice?
|All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:07 PM.


text: [JURIST] In a sure sign that Republicans are prepared to spend all night debating the filibuster, workers Monday set up dozens of cots in the Strom Thurmond Room of the Capitol. The session to decide President Bush's nomination of Pricilla Owen, a Texas Supreme Court justice, to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals has been scheduled through Tuesday. If Owen's nomination is blocked, Republican leaders are expected to strip Democrats of their ability to utilize the filibuster [JURIST report] to block up or down votes of judicial nominees. Senate minority leader Harry Reid [official website] stated Monday that the prospects of something being worked out are very remote. Colorado Senator Ken Salazar [official website], a Democrat who has been trying to arrange a bipartisan deal to avoid a filibuster showdown, stood side by side with Reid and gave his own pessimistic view, saying a last-ditch compromise was now only "a remote possibility". In a rare public appearance, Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, whose health has been deteriorating in recent months, made a visit [MSNBC report] Monday to Capitol Hill in a wheelchair. Rehnquist's visit serves as a reminder that the current debate could have implications on an expected upcoming Supreme Court nomination. Reuters has more.


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'B&W: Film, Paper, Chemistry' started by darkroom_rookie, Feb 24, 2012.
Was this batch of R09 made by Connect Chemicals Production & Services in Vaihingen/Enz?
This, along with all other RO9 one shot/adox versions of Rodinal is made by Agfa and re packaged for the seller. It is rodinal in all respects bar the name, sp use Rodinal times/instructions.
And do remember that time and instructions should be considered starting points rather than unbreakable laws. When using R09 I'm usually overexposing by 2/3 of a stop and underdevelop by 15-20% of the recommended time. Works for me.
So, no matter where it comes from (Calbe or Vaihingen/Enz) it is reddish and not yellowish as the Agfa Rodinal from the 90s? Does the color simply change from re-bottling and re-packaging or is there a more subtler, chemical difference? I am asking all of this in order to choose the best developer with original APX 100 in 120 format intended for sharpest possible 45x45" RC prints.
No Calbe's version is an older formulation as Calbe were once part of Orwo. RO9 was the Agfa forlual number Recepte 09, R10 is also a p-Amininophenol based developer.
The Calbe formulation is sold as APH09 by Adox, and is the pre war formula of Rodinal, as is the Foma ro9, and is reddish brown, but it is just as good and keeps just as long, use the same time/dilution as Agfa product, the earlier aph09 was diluted at 1/40, but is now 1/25/50.
My head hurts, so much confusion. Old formula, original formula, but not the same. ????
It's all because John of J&C registered the Rodinal trade name in the US, he then tried to pass off rebottled Calbe R09 as Rodinal in packaging that mimicked the Agfa newer formulation, even the colour & typeface matched. As a result no-one can use the trade name in the US.
Old formula means the one published after WWII. Agfa has changed the composition in the course of years. The last Agfa formula is the "original formula", Calbe produced using the "original formula".
I think you mean the last Agfa formula is the modern newer version, it's not the original.
Yes. But I found no differences in my films using either formulas.


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Hi, guys, I'm playing on SIMULINK recently but have come across a bit problems. To tune a PID controller using Zeiglur-Nichols Method, we need to set Ki Kd to 0 and keep changing the value of Kp(Kcu) until it starts "oscillating". My first question is what does "oscillating" mean. Cz I realize that no matter how much the Kp(Kcu) is, the shape of the scale is always oscillation.
And then, after we determine the oscillating Kcu, we use the table, Kp=0.6Kcu, tauI=Pu/2, tauD=Pu/8. My second question is what is tauI, and tauD? Do they just mean Ki and Kd? Is it OK for me just type the calculated Kp, tauI and tauD into the P,I,D controllers as the final values? Or, do I need to multiply the value of tauI and tauD by Kp, to get Ki and Kd as final ones?
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|04 Nov 2012
Static electricity concerns
Hi there, i'll be installing a new hard disk and a memory card. I've heard about static electricity damaging electronic components.
I've heard that touching the metal case or any metal object earths you. Any tips i can get, and i can't buy antistatic wrist band cause they are not available here.
Thank you.
|My System Specs
|04 Nov 2012
Windows 7 Ult. x64
|My System Specs
|04 Nov 2012
I use a static strap, it goes around your wrist and clips to the metal on the case, but then the strap does get in the way a lot.
|My System Specs
|04 Nov 2012
Windows Home Premium (64)
Just wonderin' - would it be OK to put the strap round an ankle? If it's long enough and you don't try to walk away.
But there is one thing that does confuse me. Info for antistatic straps refers to connecting the other end to something that is groiunded. If that is the computer case, then surely it is grounded only if it is plugged in to the mains supply. And, if so, then there is 240V (in the UK) flowing into the box and the power supply capacitors are charged.
Or is the purpose of the strap to keep the potential the same between me and the computer case only?
|My System Specs
|04 Nov 2012
What happens is when you touch something static electricity travels from your main body to an object your hand touches, so you want the strap there in the path to attempt to channel/divert that Static Electricity to something else instead of your brand new Hard Drive. They are not 100% as nothing to do with electricity is, even grounding rods on houses fail at least 5-10% of the time.
|My System Specs
|04 Nov 2012
Just glad we could help, if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
|My System Specs
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I tried Googling and searching Sevenforums for methods on how to ground yourself without a wristband (I don't want to buy one). So basically all you have to do is touch the metal part of the case with your hand and your screwdriver before touching another component? Thanks for the help. (oh,...
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Paul's Letter to the Romans
chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
chapter 10
chapter 11
chapter 12
chapter 13
chapter 14
chapter 15
I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,
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E3 2013 Hands-On: The RetroN 5 Brings the Past Into the Future
Over the years, manufacturers have been trying to bring back the old school by making game systems compatible with classic cartridges for the NES, SNES and Sega Genesis. On the one hand, this is a much more affordable – and convenient – way to play old school games without having to hunt down older, less reliable hardware. But on the other, you don't really have too many details about the company that made the console, and those controllers can just feel… weird.
Hyperkin is one of the better manufacturers of these consoles, as it proved with the RetroN 3 a little while back. However, it's opted to skip RetroN 4 in an attempt to go right to the RetroN 5, the latest – and perhaps greatest – console from the team yet. We recently paid a visit to its booth at E3 this past week to give the system a test drive.
First off, the controllers included with the system don't actually feel too weird this time around. Sure, there's nothing that beats the classic SNES and Genesis controllers, but for a default, wireless pad, it's actually not bad when it comes to response and performance with a game. However, the RetroN 5 does give you the option to plug in whatever controller you feel like, so if you own some of the older ones, have at it.
The system also supports several formats. The slot on the front allows you to load Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games with ease; and the up-top slots let you play Famicom, NES, Super NES, Super Famicom, Sega Genesis, and Mega Drive games. That's a lot of support, and though the system does appear to resemble a high-tech toaster with all those slots, the games load up with ease, without you even needing to blow out the cartridges – unless they've been gathering dust over the years, obviously.
But the thing that really makes the RetroN 5 stand out – you ready for this? – is the addition of an HDMI port. Prior systems have allowed for connection to S-Video and component, and have gotten decent video quality, but we're calling it now – the HDMI is a game-changer.
Granted, the games may appear ugly at first, as they should, because 80's games weren't really built with high definition in mind. However, in the game's interface menu, which can be accessed with a simple tap of the control pad, you can tweak a number of options, smoothing over the emulation service that gives each game the highest quality possible, as well as the option to remove scanlines.
Wait, what?!
Scanlines, it seems, were a huge factor with older games. You could see them pretty clearly on NES and Genesis titles, as they were made that way to kind of fit the format of the TV at the time. However, with this option to turn them off, the picture becomes much clearer, as if they're prepped for high-definition. We took on a round of Punch-Out!! and were so mesmerized by the improvement of the visuals, we almost lost a fight to Glass Joe. (Almost. We're not stupid.)
The fact that the system will provide the option to do this with ALL games may make you a collector of classic games yet. It even manages to provide better options than most classic services available – we're looking at you, Virtual Console.
The RetroN 5 will be on sale later this year for $99.99, and it appears to be Hyperkin's ultimate system yet. Between its awesome options, decent control set-up and deluxe build, it could be just the hardware you need while you toil over whether to get the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
Read more on the RetroN 5 on the official Hyperkin page!


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Cricket, is a sweet gentle 12 yr old mare that has been used for a lesson horse and on trails. She's laid back if you want her to be, will stand still sitting on her, but if you want her to go faster she will. She's neck reins, backs up, just wants to please you. Cricket would make an wonderful addition to anyone's family. This is a 7 year old boy riding her in this picture and most of the videos. So you can see how she handles with him. And I have a couple videos to show you with an experience rider how she handles when asked to speed up.... (read more)
We charge a small fee to deliver her, if this will help you decide to buy her.
We raise/train/buy/sell horses for a living. We start a young horse first with ground work and decentize them to be calm, safe and not spooky. And continue on with ground work all the way to breaking them to ride to a finished horse with no buck, rear, or bolt. For the horses that are broke we work with them on whatever issues they may have from decentizing to tune ups. Before we put them up for sale.... (read more)
Avoid Scams and Fraud - Potential areas of fraud: wire transfer, moneygrams, money orders, cashier checks, shipping, escrow, "transaction protection", "guarantee". Check out the Buyer Safety section for more info.


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|November 14, 2009, 10:08 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 18, 2006
Location: Peoples Republik of Kalifornia
Posts: 144
Went Shooting, K31 7.5x55 and AG-42b 6.5x55's
I have not been shooting my rifles much lately since I'm worried about getting ammo in the future. Said screw it yesterday and went and had some fun and got in a little iron sight practice. I seriously don't know how people hit anything with irons >100 yards. I mean I can hit a person sure, but "groups" are out of the question. You guys brag about 1" groups, I'm happy if I get five rounds in a pattern the size of my hand. No head shots over 100 yards with irons for me.
My K31 in 7.5x55 is just a work of art. This damn thing will flat shoot. Even as bad a shot as I am I can get 3 out of five holes touching at 100 yards with GP11. Got a few (8) rounds of round nose ammo made in 1924 at a gun show a while back and decided to shoot them. It was like shooting a flintlock. Click, fizzz, BANG! I also shot some Hornady Custom / Grafs 150g SST rounds and some of my handloads. Everything shot very well, even the 1924 stuff. Hell two of the 1924 rounds, consecutive shots, had holes that touched!
The AG-42b is a kick in the pants to shoot! Shot some of the SAMCO tarnished stuff I posted about a week or so ago. I tend to shoot this gun a little faster since I'm having too much fun, so accuracy was not so great, but that was my fault. When I slowed down it shot minute of bad guy just fine. Shot some PMC FMJ that cycled perfectly.
I had one of my M96 6.5x55 with me and tried some Norma 156g TSX rounds in it, wholly moley! Those things kick like you would not believe for a 6.5x55. My 140g SST pushed by 44g of RL22 handloads are mild by comparison.
|November 14, 2009, 10:21 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 14, 2007
Location: CT
Posts: 325
great fun......
and neither actually went to war.
my k-31 &1911 share bullets, primers & powder with the 308 family
mm96 is equal fun (with less recoil) to my 30-30's
ag-42 is on my wish list
hand loaders keep things well in hand
NRA Instructor -- NRA Basic Pistol & Re-Loading
Make a fire for a man and you warm him for the night
Light him on fire and you warm him for the rest of his life
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Is there a Way to Reduce Printing in the Office
This resource provides tips on how to reduce paper and printer ink usage in the office.
Reduce Margins
The standard default margins for documents developed in word processing software (i.e., Microsoft Word®) are 1" on all sides. Reducing the default margins to 0.75" or 0.5" can save a significant amount of paper. When printing on a standard sheet of 8 ½" x 11" piece of paper, there are 93.5 square inches available for typeface. With a 1" margin on all sides, the usable space is reduced to 58.5 square inches; reducing your available print area to 63%. If you change your margins to 0.75", you increase the print area to 71%, and further reducing your margins to 0.5" increases the print area to 80% of the available space on the paper.
To change margin settings in Microsoft Word 2010:
- • Select the Page Layout tab
- • Click on the Margin drop down menu
- • Select the margin size (the "Narrow" option will set the margins at 0.5").
To change the margin defaults in Microsoft Word 2010:
- • Select the Page Layout tab
- • Click the Page Setup menu at the bottom of the tab
- • In the dialog box, confirm or set the margin size
- • Click the Default button at the bottom and click "Yes" in the pop-up confirmation box
Changing default settings will apply these settings to any document that uses the standard template. This document has 0.5" margins.
Reduce Line Spacing
In most word processing software, the line spacing is set to single spacing at 1.0 by default. If you change it to 0.95, you gain an extra line every 20 lines, and make your document 5% shorter.
To change line spacing settings in Microsoft Word 2010:
- • Select the Home tab
- • Click the Paragraph menu at the bottom of the tab
- • Within the dialog box, select "Single" from the dropdown box for "Spacing"
- • To the right of the dropdown box, type in "0.9" in the "At:" box
Reducing Paper and Printer Ink Usage
To change the line spacing defaults in Microsoft Word 2010:
- • Select the Home tab
- • Click the Paragraph menu at the bottom of the tab
- • In the dialog box, confirm or set the line spacing settings
- • Click the Default button at the bottom and click "Yes" in the pop-up confirmation box
This document has single line spacing set at 0.9.
Reduce Font Size and Change Font Type
The default font size in most word processing software is 12 point. You can change it 11.5 point to shrink
your document about 5%.
There also may be an opportunity to save paper and ink by using different fonts. An analysis performed
by the University of Wisconsin's IT Department concluded that Century Gothic, Size 11 was the best for
saving ink and toner.iii Other ink saving fonts include:
- • Times New Roman, Size 12
- • Calibri, Size 11
- • Verdana, Size 11
Of note, although Century Gothic has a thinner letter and used less ink, the letters themselves are wider
which may lead to more paper use thereby negating the ink savings due to increased paper purchases.
To change font settings in Microsoft Word 2010:
- • Select the Home tab
- • Select the font type and size in the drop down boxes
To change the font setting defaults in Microsoft Word 2010:
- • Select the Home tab
- • Click the Font menu at the bottom of the tab
- • In the dialog box, confirm or set the font type and size
- • Click the Default button at the bottom and click "Yes" in the pop-up confirmation box
This document has Verdana 10 point font.
Use Specialty Fonts
There are also special fonts designed to use less ink, by including very small, blank holes in the font
that are not visible when documents are printed with typical font sizes. These specialty fonts are
designed to look the same as commonly used fonts, such as Arial, Times New Roman and Verdana.
Although these fonts need to be purchased and installed for use on a particular computer, the vendors of
these fonts have calculators to help calculate your toner savings and the payback period for purchasing
the fonts. One vendor estimates a savings of 50% on ink and toner in typical printing environments.
The steps for using some of the features described below may vary between printers. Check with your IT support if you need assistance finding these settings when printing from your computer.
Duplexing/Double-sided Printing
Duplexing, or double-sided printing, is a common way that most employees can immediately decrease their paper usage. As noted above, enabling automatic duplexing on agency imaging equipment and computers is required by Executive Order 13514. Most federal agencies are working to implement these settings. If this default has not been set at your facility, you can set it for your own computer. Consider your printing requirements; very few documents need to be printed single-sided.
Print Preview
One of the most useful tools in your printer options is Print Preview. Viewing a document in Print Preview allows you to see what will be printed on each page - you can see if there are blank pages containing only headers or footers, or pages with content that otherwise does not need to be printed. You can choose to save paper by selecting just the pages you need to print.
Shrink to Fit/Shrink One Page
When printing an article or any information directly from the internet there may be blank space on a page, or unnecessarily large text. Most internet browsers have an option called "Shrink to Fit" in their Print
Reducing Paper and Printer Ink Usage
Case Study:
- • We cut our margins to 0.5 inches,
- • We reduced unnecessary spaces in the document,
- • We changed the font size to 10 point font, and
- • We reduced the line spacing from 1 to 0.9
Using conservative estimates, we have calculated that the FEC is saving our partners that print our resources 170,000 sheets of paper this year. To put that in context, saving 170,000 sheets of paper saves 62 40-foot trees. The energy saved was approximately the amount a typical Australian household uses in a year or the equivalent of two cars' annual carbon dioxide emissions.
If reducing the margins and font sizes of the pages of a single website can save you all this, imagine what you can save in your home or office by simply implementing some or all of the best practices described in this document.
Preview dialog boxes which will often shrink the content down to fit on fewer pages. You can also choose a custom zoom level to fit even more on a single page.
Other software programs may have similar functions. For instance, Microsoft Word also has an option called "Shrink One Page" which will attempt to shrink the document by one page by reducing the size and spacing of the text.
Additionally, many printers allow the user to print more than 1 page per sheet. Experiment with software and printer options until you find a combination of settings that works for your printing needs.
Delete Excess Advertisements/Banners from Internet Articles
Many internet browsers have plugins which can help the user reduce unwanted printing. These plugins clean up the unwanted banners, and surrounding pictures or advertisements before printing a page. You may also be able to view how the page was created, and delete information block by block if it is unnecessary for your printing needs.
There may be restrictions at your facility on downloading or installing these plugins. In that case, you can cut and paste information from an internet browser into a blank document, delete the unwanted material, and print the document.
Utilize Specialty Printing Software
There is software which helps reduce the amount of ink used during printing. These programs use mathematical algorithms to reduce the number of pixels in a particular print job, while maintaining the readability of the item being printed. The developers of these software products have calculators to help determine the ink and cost savings in using their program.


text: January 25, 2014 SHARE Heyman Discusses Lesnar vs Undertaker Paul Heyman appeared on Mark Madden's Pittsburgh based radio show yesterday, and spoke on a number of topics, including Brock Lesnar being a legitimate athletic entity in pro wrestling, and rumors of Undertaker vs Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Below is complete audio from the interview: Piper Comments on a Possible Piper's Pit Segment at 'Mania Roddy Piper has posted the following on Twitter: WMXXX PUT HOGAN IN PIPER'S PIT, FREE FORM! ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO RUN IN?? BRING IT ON!!! A NIGHT YOU WON'T FORGET!! @PROMISE — Rowdy Roddy Piper (@R_Roddy_Piper) January 23, 2014 SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER What Are the Top 6 Rumored WrestleMania 30 Matches?, TNA Shopping Around Dixie Carter Reality Show The Latest on TNA's April & June PPV Events, Jericho Stirs the Royal Rumble Rumor Pot Brock LesnarHulk Hoganmark maddenRoddy PiperThe UndertakervideoWrestlemania 30WWE Have a news tip? Attended an event and want to send a live report? Submit it now!


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Merge some forums!
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April 7th, 2009, 05:27
We would add Australia if there were any RPG developers. Not counting those living in a bunker.
The big chunk of the western RPGs are either made in Germany or funded with German money (Divinity 2, NWN 2, Two Worlds) nowadays. Add Poland and not many developers of interesting RPGs are missing. More precisely only the few AAA studios.
We had quite a few dead forums at RPGDot. We decided to be a bit more careful here. As a rule of thumb I think a forum with a chance to pass 1000 posts within a short time is worth opening.
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Mid-Day Market Update: Verint Shares Jump On Upbeat Results; Medicines Co. Falls
Midway through trading Tuesday, the Dow traded up 0.25 percent to 16,498.20 while the NASDAQ surged 1 percent to 4,240.83. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.26 percent to 1,877.13.
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Technology stocks gained Tuesday, with Ku6 Media Co (NASDAQ: KUTV) leading advancers. Among leading tech stocks, gains came from Rubicon Technology (NASDAQ: RBCN), Bitauto Holdings (NYSE: BITA) and Sify Technologies (NASDAQ: SIFY).
Utilities shares dropped by 0.37 percent in the US market today. Among the sector stocks, Consolidated Water Co (NASDAQ: CWCO) was down more than 2.3 percent, while Pepco Holdings (NYSE: POM) tumbled around 1.5 percent.
Top Headline
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) reported a 3% gain in its US vehicle sales in March. Ford's sales surged to 244,167 in March, versus 236,160 vehicles in the year-ago period.
Equities Trading UP
Balchem (NASDAQ: BCPC) shares shot up 15.27 percent to $60.08 after the company announced its plans to acquire SensoryEffects for $567 million.
Shares of Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) got a boost, shooting up 8.83 percent to $476.67 after the company announced the FDA clearance and U.S. introduction of the new da Vinci Xi Surgical System.
Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT) was also up, gaining 4.33 percent to $48.96 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued a strong full-year forecast. Verint reported its adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share on revenue of $257.1 million.
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of The Medicines Company (NASDAQ: MDCO) were down 14.64 percent to $24.26 after the company provided an update on Angiomax patent litigation.
Kandi Technolgies Group (NASDAQ: KNDI) shares tumbled 1.95 percent to $16.08 after gaining 1.61% on Monday.
McDermott International (NYSE: MDR) was down, falling 6.65 percent to $7.30 after the company announced a public offering of 10 million tangible equity units, each with a stated value of $25.
In commodity news, oil traded down 1.47 percent to $100.09, while gold traded down 0.23 percent to $1,280.80.
Silver traded up 0.09 percent Tuesday to $19.77, while copper rose 0.12 percent to $3.03.
European shares were lower today.
The Spanish Ibex Index rose 1.19 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index gained 1.03 percent.
Meanwhile, the German DAX surged 0.50 percent and the French CAC 40 jumped 0.80 percent while U.K. shares gained 0.82 percent.
The ICSC-Goldman's same-store sales index gained 3.6% in the week ended Saturday versus the earlier week.
Home prices climbed 0.8% in February, according to data by CoreLogic.
The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index dropped 0.5% in the four weeks of March versus February.
The final Markit PMI came in unchanged at 55.5 in March, versus 57.1 in February.
US construction spending rose 0.10% in February, versus economists' expectations for a 0.00% gain.
The ISM manufacturing composite index gained to 53.70 in March, versus a prior reading of 53.20. However, economists were expecting a reading of 54.00.
Posted-In: Earnings News Guidance Eurozone Futures Forex Global Econ #s
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Home. The very word can mean so much. Often our highest aspirations for life, family and living are all wrapped tightly around home. Entertaining, hospitality, rest, safety...both emotional and physical, and the creating of timeless memories all come to mind as well. Simply put, it is our desire to help you realize and experience all of what home means to you.
Bella Castilla
2670 Via Del La Valle A230
Del Mar, CA 92101


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'RHOC' Season Finale Recap: Vicki's Loyalty Is Tested
Can the real Vicki Gunvalson please stand up? There must be a reason why this pod person has invaded Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County star this past episode. All season, we've seen Vicki dish out the zingers, just as she's received them from her fellow co-stars. During the show's finale, Vicki seemed to morph… More »


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HOLLYWOOD (AP) -- As the presence of casino gambling increases in Florida, an adult school in Hollywood has become the first to offer a state-approved course in slot machine repair.
The Sheridan Technical Center's first nine-week class has 25 students, and the next session starts in October. Students, who pay $651, must be at least 21 and have clean criminal records.
Gary Bitner, a spokesman for the Seminole Indians, says the tribe's casinos already have thousands of slot machines, with plans to install a total of 15,000.
School officials say the demand for qualified technicians will be high, with graduates of the program earning as much as $18 an hour.
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DEAR AMY: I am a 37-year-old mother of two. My youngest child is 6. His father and I were never a couple, and we never had a plan for a future together. He is just a big kid who has never grown up and taken responsibility financially to help me with our son.
He also hasn't put his name on our son's birth certificate, for fear that child support services will garnishee his wages.
When we went to court, they came up with a good-faith figure of $180 a month for child support. In the six years of our son's life, he has given me about $15 to $30 every two weeks, which is quite short of the amount he's supposed to pay.
My family and friends keep telling me to go to child support services, start a case and play hardball because he's taking advantage of my kindness.
We get along — my son has never seen us fight, and we've even taken family vacations together as friends. I am scared that will change as soon as his wages are garnisheed.
On the other hand, I work full time and provide so much for my kids that a little help with groceries and bills would be a blessing.
What should I do?
Hard-Working Mom
DEAR MOM: Surely when you deal with your own children, you expect them to take responsibility for their actions and face consequences. You should expect at least as much from the father of your son.
Officially acknowledging that he is the father of this child is necessary. This is not for you or for him, but for your son. You two have been to court before and have managed to keep things friendly (this speaks well of both of you). Obviously, he needs to pay child support, but you still have matters to negotiate, and if you do so successfully you will not need to play hardball.
Ask the court to assign a mediator to work with you. The matters on the table at this point are his requirement to acknowledge paternity and the amount of child support he realistically can/will provide. Reducing the amount from $180 to $125, for instance, might encourage him to actually make his payments in full.
Otherwise, if he is able to pay but is refusing to do so, or if he is forgetting to make this very modest support payment, then he is both a deadbeat dad and a baby, and he should have his wages garnished.
DEAR AMY: Here's a solution for "Tug of War," who wanted to have a private destination wedding and not include family.
They should secretly have their dream beach ceremony, then invite everyone to celebrate locally, wear the dress again and have the ceremony re-enacted. Let everyone think it is the "real" wedding.
Marriage is about the joining of two people; marriage is not a performance.
DEAR READER: Lying about your wedding seems like the ultimate performance.
Send questions to email@example.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.


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Broken City
As I see it, this movie employs two archetypes reoccurring in movies over the course of cinematic history. One, is a character we also see in our own world. The other is something a bit more dramatic and manufactured, rarer in our reality. Let me describe them and you tell me which is which. First there is the well-coifed, power-hungry, narcissistic, sociopathic, douchebaggy, egomaniac politician with a blood thirsty craving for more control and influence. The other is the good-looking, streetwise rogue cop looking to "clear his name". Which do you think we see more in America? Let me give you a hint: most of the cops I see are rocking speed traps at the corner of Central and South.
The politician as evil powerbroker isn't a new theme. Frankly I'd like to see more of it to expose the system for what it is: uh disastrously broken. But at the risk of already getting too "political" I'll cut it off by jut saying, "Go get em Marky Mark." Russell Crowe is annoying enough as it is. Russell Crowe as a politician? That [email protected]#$er needs to go down. Hard.
Broken City follows Billy Taggert* (Wahlberg) as a cop-turned-PI working for Mayor Crowe on a sting to catch the latter's cheating wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), only to get embroiled in whatever controversy keeps this movie moving for one hundred minutes.
*It can't be a coincidence that this character combines the names of the two greatest detectives in movie history, Beverly Hills Cop's Detective Billy Roseweood and Sergeant John Taggart. This happened on purpose right?
Directed by Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli-48%, From Hell-57%), this flick doesn't look too different than the hundred other evil-politician/ rogue cop productions we've seen over the years. The cast is strong but the story looks like we've been-there-done-that. I think critics fall somewhere near the middle. The Rotten Watch for Broken City is
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Sisters killed in Morocco crash
Two sisters have been killed in a car crash in Morocco, police said.
Pippa and Tara Darlington were on an "adventure of a lifetime" when they died.
Wiltshire Police said Pippa, 21, and Tara, 23, from Whiteparish, Salisbury, Wiltshire, were killed in the road accident in the early hours of Monday.
Their friend Joshua Stump, 21, also from Salisbury, was seriously injured and is in a coma in hospital.
The sisters' parents, Patrick and Emma, said in a statement released by police: "We are, as a family, completely devastated at the loss of both our daughters, Tara and Pippa, in a car accident in Morocco.
"They were two of the most beautiful, dynamic, energetic and fun-loving girls who brought light and laughter to whoever met them. They made a difference to so many lives and they lit up every room on entering.
"This trip was to be an adventure of a lifetime for which they had planned, worked hard and saved together for months to be able to do.
"They were joined on this adventure by Josh Stump who is currently in a coma fighting for his life in Rabat Hospital. Our thoughts and prayers are for him and his parents and little sister Emily."