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ou are Here >>> Dogs in care >>> Case Histories >>> Natalia - RSPCA Cruelty Case -
|Border Collie Rescue - On Line - Natalia - RSPCA Cruelty Case
|This video is the story of Natalia, a Border Collie seized by the RSPCA after a tip off and referred to BCR for re-habilitation
|Border Collie Rescue took Natalia in from the RSPCA in February 2008. This Border Collie had been seized by the RSPCA, along with another dog, after a tip off.
|The husband and wife who confined their two pet dogs to the kitchen for two years, with one running round in circles for so long it wore a groove in the lino, have been banned for life from keeping animals. Magistrates at Harrogate heard how the couple caused unnecessary suffering to Charmaine, a tan coloured Dobermann who was starved to the point of death and neglected Natalia, a Border collie which, as well as constant circling, had tried to claw her way through the kitchen door to freedom.
|Each pleaded guilty to four charges brought by the RSPCA under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.
|They admitted two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to Charmaine and two charges of failing to ensure the needs of both dogs were met to the extent that they exhibited normal behaviour patterns. Prosecutor Stuart Berry said RSPCA Inspector Mike Pugh went to the couple's home and found Charmaine, who was sunken-eyed, collapsed and lying on her side in the kitchen with faeces on the floor, to be so emaciated a vet had to put her down. She had been unable to stand without assistance, her spine, ribs and pelvic bones were clearly visible and she had weighed 19.6kilos rather than the norm of 33kilos.
|Natalia, the Border Collie, who had been exhibiting abnormal behaviour, constantly running round in a tight circle, had gone to Border Collie Rescue after a week of intensive veterinary care and her behaviour had improved. She had had smelly, scabby sores on her body, was underweight and agoraphobic.
|The prosecutor said: ''The floor in the kitchen was worn, simply by the continual passage of the dog round and round in the same circle, indicating that this behaviour had been going on for some time.'' Marks on the door indicated attempts by the animals to claw their way out and the Forresters said they had not been outside for perhaps as long as two years.
Investigators were told that
when Natalia was taken out she did not like noise or traffic and pulled on
her lead. She got exercise by chasing a ball round the kitchen.
They were told of Charmaine: ''We did all we could. I didn't intentionally want to cause distress. I did my best and in hindsight I wish I could have overcome fear, bitten the bullet and taken her to the vet.''
|But the couple had been frightened about her condition and how others, particularly a vet, might react.
|In mitigation, the court was told the dogs had been bought seven or eight years ago, Charmaine for Ł500 and Natalia for Ł80, as pets for the couple's three children who had all now left home. Both were upset and sorry at what had occurred and added that apart from the kitchen, the rest of the house had been out of bounds to the animals. Both dogs had been ill with diarrhoea for some weeks and the couple chose to treat it by not feeding them. Then each time they tried food the problem recurred. They realised now that they should have got help a lot earlier but believed they would be in trouble if they called in a vet, and so shut their eyes to the problems.
After reading probation
reports on the couple the court chairman told them their dogs had suffered
substantial harm and distress over a period of time. They were each
ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and to abide by a 9pm to 6am curfew
daily for a month. A lifetime ban on keeping animals was ordered on the
couple who will also face a bill of Ł500 in prosecution costs.
|Border Collie Rescue had been asked to provide a statement for the prosecution -
Border Collie bitch, black and white, medium coat, right wall eye, part harlequin face. Standard markings.
Name - NATALIA . D.O.B. – 4th August 2000 - now 7.5 years of age. Now fully vaccinated, wormed, frontlined, microchipped.
Natalia arrived, to be boarded at Border Collie Rescue at the above address, on 5th February 2008.
Natalia displayed circling / spinning behaviour particularly found in dogs that have been kept in confined areas over a long period. She was in very poor general condition and was underweight with scald marks on her chest, abdomen and quarters caused by continued contact with urine. Her pads were worn and sore from repetitive circling. She had very little muscle on her hind legs due to lack of exercise.
RSPCA Inspector, Mike Pugh advised us that for a period of approximately two years she had been kept shut in the kitchen of a residential house. She shared this space with a dominant and hostile Doberman dog.As requested by the RSPCA, Border Collie Rescue provided regular care, a balanced diet, water, regular exercise to assist in replacement of muscle mass and administration of medication provided by RSPCA.
Training was also given to curb spontaneous circling behaviour and socialisation in the form of affection and care in a regular daily routine with introduction to new people and dogs under controlled conditions. Further veterinary examination indicated that her teeth and gums were in need of remedial dental treatment. Descaling and the removal of five teeth has helped improve her condition and digestion.
Natalia has immediately responded to care and is now steadily gaining weight and muscle mass and tone. Her wounds, caused by urine burns, are healing under treatment and her pads are also responding rapidly and there are no longer indications of soreness. She has become calmer, less stressed and now seems to be enjoying life. Her spontaneous circling is now easily controlled by verbal intervention and is less easily triggered and less intense.
In our opinion, all the veterinary and behavioural problems Natalia has suffered from could have been avoided by normal care and properly applied animal husbandry practice.
|After sentencing Border Collie Rescue was asked by a reporter - "What can we learn from this?" - we replied -
The main thing we can learn from this is that it need not ever have happened and need never happen again. The new 2006 Animal Welfare Act now makes the keepers and owners of animal more responsible for their care. It imposes a duty of care on all of us.
There is no excuse to let an animal suffer and action needs to be taken at the first sign of any ailment or problem. There is abundant help from a wide range of charitable organisations who can offer advice, in confidence, and direct help under a wide variety of circumstances.
If you think your animal is sick and cannot afford vets fees, seek assistance from the PDSA. If you have a behavioural problem, seek advice from a charity for the type of animal involved. If your circumstances change and you find it difficult to keep or care for an animal go to a re-homing charity. We are all here to help.
But think ahead, don't leave it too late, don't wait until the last minute or until the situation worsens. No-one will condemn a person for trying to do the right thing for the animals they have charge over, so do the right thing and get assistance. Seeking help is not an admission of failure or guilt, quite the opposite. Failure is doing nothing, hiding the problem and causing suffering.
Prosecution is a last resort, but in circumstances like this, unavoidable.
Don't let it happen to you.
Natalia's recovery
Natalia was re-named Tia once in BCR care. It was felt that even her name should be left behind her with the rest of her past and a fresh start made. Much of her early care and rehabilitation is touched on in the video at the top of this page, but that is only a fraction of a very long period of time which was necessary to bring her out of the conditioning her two years+ of incarceration and neglect had created.
More serious
were her psychological issues. She had been conditioned into a number of
compulsive/repetitive problems by her long ordeal, one of which was
constant circling, to the point of exhaustion. The other dog that had
shared her ordeal had bullied her into a state of fear of other dogs and
she was very sound sensitive, loud noises scaring her and even small
sounds setting her off into a spinning spasm.
Bleeping sound like those made by electric alarm clocks, microwaves, washing machines, etc. would set her off. We surmised that this may have been an association with the microwave in the kitchen 'pinging' to alert the end of its cycle. This would have probably been accompanied by the smell of cooking food which, to a hungry dog, would have been very exciting and frustrating.
She had to be taught to eat slowly and she would drink for England, given the opportunity and would empty every water bowl she came across. Eventually she learned that water was always there and she could drink whenever she wanted.
It took
around 6 months of careful feeding and exercise to turn Tia into a good
looking and well muscled dog again. Initially it was walking on a lead,
then a long line, then running on a line followed by running free, once we
were sure she would recall. When she was fit enough to run without gasping
for breath we started doing a little bit of basic agility which helped her
concentration, stamina and co-ordination.
All in, Tia's recovery took nearly as long as it had taken her previous owners to reduce her to the condition she came to us in and she was not felt to be fit for re-homing until 2010. By that time most of the residue signs of her ordeal had disappeared, but she still had an inclination to spin when she became excited, although this was now a single circle which could be stopped by prediction at the point it started, usually with her looking at you with the expression of 'sorry, don't know what came over me then' on her face. Like many humans with compulsive repetitive disorders, she had become aware that she was doing it.
Jess had quite a different background and had been loved and well looked after, but was inclined to be a bit possessive around humans. Many BC's can over-bond with their owners which can cause problems when their owners are absent. We encouraged this friendship as we saw mutual benefit in it for both dogs. Jess needed to relate to dogs and have a constant doggy companion so she would not develop an unhealthy obsession with her next owner in her next home. Tia needed a friend she could relate to and would keep her on the straight and narrow. An opportunity arose to place both dogs in the same home and they have not looked back since.
They still keep in touch and we see them from time to time when they visit.
A happy ending for all involved.
|ou are Here >>> Dogs in care >>> Case Histories >>> Natalia - RSPCA Cruelty Case -
Copyright - Border Collie Rescue - 3037504
Border Collie Rescue is a UK based charity, working Internationally to Rescue and Re-home Border Collies and Working Sheepdogs and promote a better understanding of the breed and its Welfare.
border collie rescue, border collie, border, collie, rescue, dog, puppy, canine, sheepdog, sheep, animal, animal testing, animal welfare, animal abuse, animal cruelty, welfare, uk, society, charity, trust


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|15 Oct 2009
Won't enter my computer
Hey, i've got this problem with Windows 7. i've installed it yesterday, played a little bit around, and a few hours ago, i was trying to change the themes, but the windows wouldn't show up. it wouldn't start, and i can't figure out why. so i've restarted the pc, but after that not even the explorer window worked. sorry for my twisted words, english is not my strong point, and it seems windows 7 isn't either.
So now, i can't start any explorer window, or preference window, surprisingly, control panel works, but from there, i can only open keyboard and mouse settings. I don't know what to do. it would be nice if you could help me somehow.
|My System Specs
|15 Oct 2009
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
Can you try booting into safe mode (F8 while booting). If you are able to and it looks normal this may be nothing more than a video driver.
Let us know
|My System Specs
|19 Oct 2009
got it :)
as it turns out, the theme engine was the problem, because all i had to do was to open task manager, goot thing that worked, and closed the theme service. but thanks for the feedback.
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Fox's 'Animation Domination;' Remembering Toonami
Post-Game: The Simpsons 20.1
Once upon a time, Bill Cosby ruled Thursday nights from his platform on NBC.There was one episode where he was looking for his youngest daughter, who was hiding behind the couch. When Cos "caught" her, she popped up wearing a mask of Bart Simpson. That goes to show you how smart a man Bill Cosby was. That little bit showed he had a good idea what was in his future. At that time, Fox had moved The Simpsons from its original Sunday evening slot to Thursday against Cosby. Much to everyone's surprise, and by that one suspects even Simpsons fans, the show survived, even thrived. Fox saw the error of their ways and moved Matt Groening's enduring creation back to Sunday. Further, Fox started populating The Simpsons with similarly more mature themed programs. Some didn't make it. There's a scene in a past episode of the show where a graveyard is populated with these shows, including The Critic and The PJs. Groening's own other creation, Futurama proved there is a way around it too. Still, Fox did manage to build a block around the show. They recruited Mike Judge, who was already a name thanks to his work on Beavis & Butt-Head, and he came up with King of the Hill. They got another up-and-comer, Seth McFarlane, who responded with Family Guy, and later American Dad. About a year or so back they tied all this together as a block under the name of "Animation Domination." This Sunday Animation Domination returns with all-new episodes, with a few surprises in the works for 2009, too. As it stands, the block starts off pretty much as it should (all times eastern): 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 King of the Hill
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 American DadAs for what to expect, let's get it started: • The Simpsons Just the title of the debut episode alone, "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes," should warn you. Groening and company are kicking off their 20th season in classic fashion. As always, there's an A plot and a B. The log line describes them as Homer being sent to jail after a haphazard, booze-free brawl at the Springfield St. Patrick's Day parade. When he goes to get his bail bond, Homer meets Lucky Jim (guest voice Robert Forster) and Wolf the Bounty Hunter and decides to try his own hand at the lucrative profession. The new and improved Homer the Bounty Hunter soon teams up with Ned Flanders to create quite the unlikely bounty-hunting duo, but when Homer's new no-mercy attitude gets the best of him, Flanders is less than impressed. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Marge begins working at an erotic bakery. Future episodes include "Lost Verizon," featuring Dennis Leary and Brian Grazer. It revolves around Bart winding up with Leary's cel phone, but Leary will get his revenge. Also in the works is an episode called "Homer The Whopper," which not only guest stars Seth Rogen, but is also co-written by him. It revolves around Homer becoming an all-new superhero named Everyman. Isn't it great to see the show never forgets its comic roots? Maybe they'll have the likes of Alan Moore do another guest appearance. Also in the works is "The Good, the Bad and the Drugly" with everyone's favorite princess, Anne Hathaway. In this episode, Hathaway turns Bart into a Good Samaritan and Lisa, unable to cope with the world anymore, goes on anti-depressants. That isn't the only show involving Lisa either. Another one is called "Four Great Women and a Manicure," where the adult Lisa is played by Jodie Foster. For some reason, it kind of makes sense that Lisa would grow up to be Foster, doesn't it? • KING OF THE HILL This year marks a keynote event for Mike Judge's enduring creation. Fox will air King of the Hill's 250th episode. That isn't all. Hank's going to have a new member to his family, thanks to Luanne. The series will start in classic KotH style, too. Entitled "Dia-BILL-ic Shock," the episodes centers on Hank Hill's long suffering neighbor Bill gives up all hope after being diagnosed with diabetes and starts using a wheelchair thinking it will soon be his fate since he is not willing to change his eating habits. When Hank and the guys see Bill's distress, they pull together to make Bill's life easier and wait on him hand and foot. Then he meets a crippled rugby player named Thunder, and the tables will be quickly turned. Future episodes include "Earthy Girls are Easy," where Dale starts acting like he's Green in order to get some much needed action. From there, the next episode is entitled "McMansion," which has the neighbors using nature to their advantage when a new owner attempts to tear down the late Dotty Dwyer's home. As always, the series features the voice cast of Mike Judge as Hank Hill & Boomhauer; Kathy Najimy as Peggy Hill; Pamela S. Adlon as Bobby Hill; Brittany Murphy as Luanne; Tom Petty as Lucky; Johnny Hardwick as Dale and Stephen Root as Bill • FAMILY GUY/AMERICAN DAD One gets a feeling this is going to be a critical year for Seth McFarlane. The Animation Domination block kicks off with its usual 9:00 p.m. block of Family Guy and American Dad. Come January though, his FG spin-off The Cleveland Show will enter the schedule. Is McFarlane stretching himself too thin? More on that in a bit. In the meantime, the latest season of Family Guy will kick off with a Brian falling in love with another human, until he loses her to Cleveland Brown. So Brian counters with, of all people, Cleveland's ex, Loretta. As for Stan and family, they face a double whammy of their own in the form of Roger's "Sweet 1600" while son Steven does the nigh-impossible, enter puberty. Still, it's the two surprises that can help Fox's animation block maintain its life for some time to come. Come January, two new shows will enter the fray, the first being the aforementioned Cleveland Show, the other being based on an Australian live-action series entitled Sit Down, Shut Up. SDSU is being produced by Sony with Rough Draft US as the primary studio. Comedy writers Michael Hurwitz (who also worked on Arrested Development) as well as Eric and Kim Tannenbaum (2 ½ Men) are leading the creative team. The series revolves around a group of teachers who realize that education is only a side product of their occupation. It will feature the voices of Henry Winkler, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Kenan Thompson, Tom Kenny and Maria Bamford. Based on the advance word Fox has put out, this is a truly cynical look at the education system and will feature the animated characters against photographed backdrops. Getting back to The Cleveland Show, the series will have Family Guy's favorite door mat leaving town for Stoolbend, Virginia. His new family will include a daughter too mature for her own short skirts, a five year-old boy who can teach Cleveland a thing or two about the ladies and a new beginning with his former high school crush. If that isn't enough, his neighbors include a couple of rednecks, another family that still thinks it's the Victorian era, and a family of bears. That's right, bears. In all, it looks like Bill Cosby was a very smart man. He made his money with his old NBC show, attempted a few other projects, then basically got out of Dodge where the groundbreaking comic can sit and live handsomely off his royalties from The Fat Albert Show. Based on everything seen, Fox's Animation Domination block is the new sheriff on Sunday nights. Don't be surprised if it stays that way for a few more years. TOONAMI JETTISONED As is being reported around the 'net, Cartoon Network has confirmed that last Saturday's Toonami block was the last ever of the long-running group of programs. For those who don't remember, the block started in 1997 with reruns of past great action-adventure shows such as Thundercats and Reboot, where it aired on weekday afternoons. It hit its stride though a few years later when CN acquired the rights to Batman: The Animated Series and a little phenomenon called Dragonball Z. Near the end of the decade Toonami was moved to Saturday evenings, and initially anchored by the series Naruto. According to various sources, CN will continue to air Naruto for some time to come, at least until the end of what many anime fans call the "filler" seasons of episodes. As for Toonami? The aforementioned inside source says a new block will be launched shortly. What it will be called is still up in the air, but should be announced in the next day or two. We'll follow this story as it develops. NEXT COLUMN: Secret Saturdays or Superjail? Find out this Thursday.
Twitter activity Tweets by @Newsarama


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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Medium Cinch Top Portable Red Dog Bowl
Ruff Wear Inc
Their pooch spends all day staring outside at the squirrels running around his yard. So when it's time to go on a vacation, he's super excited to head outdoors and bask in the freedom of the open sky. For a traveling mutt.


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Warren Buffett & Marc Faber & Egon von Greyerz: Another 'Market Meltdown', 'Huge Recession' Is Guaranteed. Storm Clouds Gathering Everywhere. We Have Currency Storms, Economic, Political, And Geopolitical Storms, Which Will Create An Enormous Hurricane In 2013
Time bomb to market meltdown ticks louder.Prepare for zero growth, no recovery, resource wars.
Mr. Buffett, "do you think there will be another bubble leading to a huge recession?" asked the interviewer. Oh yes, in fact, "I can guarantee it." Guarantee it.
The interviewer shook his head: "Why can't we learn the lessons of the last recession? Look where greed has gotten us." Then with one of his familiar impish grins, the great master replied, "Greed is fun for a while. People can't resist it." But "however far human beings have come, we haven't grown up emotionally at all. We remain the same."
Warren Buffett made that prediction shortly after the 2008 Wall Street banking meltdown. The world's third-richest billionaire personally guaranteeing another bubble … guaranteeing America another market meltdown … guaranteeing the world another "huge recession." Now here we are four years later, and the ticking time bomb gets louder as we keep watching an avalanche of predictions echoing Buffett's warnings.
Deepak Chopra mentions Buffett's on-air prediction in the "Shadow Effect," a brilliant bit of psychology that helps explain why the investor's brain is trapped in denial, incapable of hearing a warning of a market and economic collapse.
Uncle Warren must be chomping at the bit, sitting on a cash hoard, more than $20 billion, waiting to rush in, buy when the bottom drops, exposing millions of investors lulled back by those pre-2008 delusions about a new long-term bull market.
Greyerz – A frightening series of global storms which are set to collide, which will create an enormous hurricane in 2013
Today Egon von Greyerz told King World News he is now seeing massive shortages of silver. Greyerz went on to warn about a frightening series of global storms which are set to collide, which will create an enormous hurricane in 2013. He also spoke about gold and included a tremendous chart that all KWN readers will want to see.
Here is what Greyerz, who is founder of Matterhorn Asset Management in Switzerland, had this to say in this remarkable, exclusive interview: "Eric, I see storm clouds gathering everywhere. We have currency storms, economic, political, and geopolitical storms. But short-term we may see some optimism in the economy as global stock markets make their final top."
Global Recession 2013 is 100% – Marc Faber
The World Is In Trouble
Via Mark J. Grant, author of Out of the Box,
The United States is in Trouble
We make more than we've ever made, we owe more than we've ever owed, and we have less than we've had in decades which is distributed to those that did not earn the money. This is a working definition of Trouble. The stock market is at an all-time high while the financial condition of the country has seriously deteriorated. We are printing $90 billion a month of little green pieces of paper while the Democrats yell at the Republicans to up the debt ceiling as they want to spend even more money to promote social welfare programs. We cannot afford the bills that we have now and we are being asked to add more to them. This is a recipe for disaster and I am reminded of those months right before the financial crisis of 2008/2009 where no documentation loans for Real Estate flourished and easy money was the normal course of things.
Perhaps the landscape has shifted from "money for nothing" for property to "money for nothing" for our national debt. Fiscal responsibility has evaporated in a grand scheme to get voters and Obama has put the Chavez Plan in place which appeals to the poorest of citizens, hands them money and expects their support at the polls. Hard work and earning a living are the ethics of past generations that are slowly being ground to dust in the flurry to socialize America and re-distribute wealth and having succeeded and having money is now thought of as a crime not far behind rape and arson. The White Knight is walking backwards and the Red Queen has lost her head and the Mad Hatter is in charge of the tea party.
"The trouble with practical jokes is that they very often get elected."
-Will Rogers
Europe is in Trouble
The sovereign debt accounting is a fraud. Liabilities are not counted, contingent liabilities are not recognized and the balance sheet of the ECB is worse than America's. Collateral considerations are a joke and loans are disguised, hidden and placed in various locked drawers and central bank vaults. The economies of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland continue to deteriorate as their sovereign yields fall due to the Draghi put and the creation of their little pieces of blue paper which must be used somewhere for something. There is, once again, easy money in the United States but easier money in Europe and so the game continues as anyone with any common sense begins to wonder how it all will blow up and when. Is it to be Inflation or Valuation and will Gold be the next currency or are there going to be other answers.
Asia is in Trouble
Japan, once thought to be an ascending power, has drifted into a nightmare of insolvency and no growth where Deflation rules and the debts of the country now exceed the ability of their citizens and institutions to own them. The push is on for Inflation as the only way out as they argue with China over some islands that might have some oil reserves. In China growth is slowing, their one party system will not allow outside investment past a certain point, their banks are a shadow of the demands of the country and in disarray as political/economic scapegoats and the numbers that China provides for growth make no sense and so are discounted as maybe-maybe statistics….


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Aberdeen Glacier
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I found a line that went right of the bergshrund and allowed me to protect a potential fall in the bergshrund via three exposed ice patches. The line constantly angles back left out of harms way until you reach rock that can be easily scrambled up. This line eats up about 6 ice screws, two per ice patch and involves some traversing on snow/ice. The traditional line to the left crosses the bergshrund at much broader gap and puts you directly below rock fall. We witnessed fresh rock fall in July, 2007.
Ascent of the Aberdeen Glacier, Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies, July, 2007
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Mount Aberdeen (Mountain/Rock)
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Aberdeen Glacier, II (Route)
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Image Type(s): Alpine Climbing


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A public reception will celebrate the beginning of the new academic year and the three shows filling the galleries at Herron School of Art and Design on Friday, August 29 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Continuing through September 10th in the Berkshire, Reese and Paul galleries is the 2014 Faculty Exhibition. This year's exhibition is an exercise in eclecticism with faculty members exhibiting from a variety of departments. All tenured and tenure-track faculty, lecturers and program technicians were invited to participate
The Moment of Conception? is in the Marsh Gallery through September 19th. Phil O'Malley, B.F.A. '07, has planned a "making of" exhibition, The Moment of Conception?, as a companion to the mid-August unveiling of his, 20' x 40' Finding Your Way: From Wander to Wonder, a monumental installation which will hang in the front lobby of Clowes Memorial Hall. The work is the pinnacle creation in a series called Deep Down. Its creation and installation is also being documented by local National Public Broadcast Service station, WFYI.
Katie Hudnall's exhibition of current work, in the Frank and Katrina Basile Gallery through September 19th, blurs the lines between woodworking and furniture techniques and media and those of sculpture and drawing in a search for new and compelling ways to reach the audiences for these forms.
"The language of furniture, and of utilitarian objects in general, has greatly influenced these hybrids as I search for ways to directly interact with my viewers," Hudnall said.


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And in the end...
Oh, and I don't need a name... just a mailing addy... spots are almost gone!
Fuck it. I'm gonna PR this fall. Let's do this.
uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
Just a boring Blue Moon, but I like it. Bonus: It did not cost $90 for a six.
I am drinking a Dr Pepper because tomorrow is the Bakers Dozen half marathon formerly known as the Hostess half and I gotta get my sugar on.
Fear is a Liar
Party at my house tonight and the the spirits are flowing smoothly. Red wine for me tonight (and chocolate mousse cake!).
I'm so vegetarian I don't even eat animal crackers!
Vodka and cranberry x3. I'm on vacation from school. This calls for celebration. I'm a lightweight.
Running is my mental-Ctrl-Alt-Del.
I'm working, someone drink one for me!
Running for two!
Pre-Preggo PRs--5k 23:00, 10k 49:07, HM 1:57:40
Post-Preggo PRs--5k TBD, 10k 54:45, HM 2:28:05
Old , Ugly and slow
What is wrong with dr pepper. All my wife and I drink is diet dr pepper
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2018 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
I'm drinking this. It's really good.
It's bloody good. Down here it's summer, you see. I just went for a run (at 7pm local time) and am now just finished a beer and watching the sun get lower in the sky. Good times.
Oh dear, the pic isn't working so I'm trying to insert a link.
"It's not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves."
~ Sir Edmund Hillary
YAYpril - B-Plus
Wickedly Average
Is the party over? Did I miss anything?
Here's a holiday liquor you might (or might not) want to try - Crown Royal Maple!
I bought it for the little felt bag, but couldn't resist a taste. This stuff is rich - I mean, you could put it on pancakes! Very tasty in small amounts, just like maple syrup. Syrup with a kick!
Tom (formerly known as PhotogTom)
Nothing for me last night than a big bowl of pasta and some water.
Do you even run?
Nothing for me last night than a big bowl of pasta and some water.
I bought a 12 pack of Sam Adams Winter Lager- I got home with it and was tired.....went to sleep. Maybe here in a lil while I will start drinking.
"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."
I bought a 12 pack of Sam Adams Winter Lager- I got home with it and was tired.....went to sleep. Maybe here in a lil while I will start drinking.
I've been buying their hop tour six pack lately which has two each Noble Pils, Latitude 48, Whitewater IPA and ya know, for eight bucks it's not that bad.


text:
Some of the friendly staff:
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Vung Tao beach ~ Mon. March 10
First a couple pictures of the Evergreen Hotel lobby:
Some of the friendly staff:
Some of the friendly staff:
We hired the car and driver from the hotel to take us to a beach for the day. The closest beach was in Vung Tao, about 2.5 hours away.
William finally gets to feed the baby on the way to the beach:
It was lunchtime when we arrived in Vung Tao, so we stopped at this very casual Vietnamese restaurant right on the beach. Not a soul there spoke English, which made ordering our food interesting! Here's the name of the restaurant, if you happen to be in town--the food was pretty good, and cheap!
The kids all like to use chopsticks, but some are better at it than others:
Thomas demonstrates the "poke & stab" chopstick technique:
Anna and Lauren were quite adventurous with their orders of plain white rice:
We were all excited to take a dip in the South China Sea, but once we walked down to the beach from the restaurant, we were very disappointed in how dirty and littered the beach was. We rented (got taken) some beach chairs and umbrellas and the kids had fun anyway.
Not too thrilled with the idea of going in.
(Pssst, Don! You missed a spot with that sunblock!)
These poor guys were digging for *something*, (clams maybe?) but not having any luck. They were plowing the sand in the shallow water with a shovel-thing with a net attached, then washing out the sand and finding their nets empty. I suspect they were hoping to find some sort of critters.
Little old lady selling peanuts out of her basket:
On the drive home--she's really starting to look for me now and will play with others contentedly for a while, but then she'll start reaching for me. This is supposed to be a good sign for attachment in adopted children, that she singles out one person (usually mom) and looks to that person for safety and comfort.
After we got back to the hotel and decontaminated ourselves, we took a very short taxi ride to a shopping center, the Diamond Plaza. Without kids, I'd say you could walk here from the Evergreen fairly easily. This place has department stores and a bowling alley along with a KFC and a Pizza Hut. Much to William's dismay, Pizza Hut won tonight. They had good fruit fizzy drinks here, and plenty of food options in addition to the usual pizza.
***Note: Lauren has been complaining about me taking all of the restaurant/food pictures. I like to do this because eating out is a big part of my vacation experience, and remembering where and what we ate helps me to remember the trip better. And I like pretty food. So there.
I have to get to bed so will try to catch up more later. We arrived in Hanoi this morning and are at the Somerset Grand.
5 comments:
- Alana said...
I was thinking going to the beach would be fun too.. but maybe I will save my water trip for Ha Long bay ... I am making lists of all the palces you go so I can check them out too
- March 12, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- Mary said...
Oh I loved the Somerset Grand! I'm sure the kids will love the pool. Enjoy it!
AP to Emelia, 9 mos, TN
- March 12, 2008 at 2:56 PM
It looks like you are all having fun. We are enjoying your pictures and stories. Are we any closer to naming little Miss Sweet Pea. She is adorable!!!
Mary Ann
- March 12, 2008 at 4:55 PM
- william K said...
This all seems...somehow...very foreign to me.
- March 12, 2008 at 10:27 PM
- Kim said...
Sue you are a great story teller...thanks for sharing your journey with those of us waiting.
Cant wait to hear about the Somerset.
Awaiting Victoria...finally filing I600!
- March 13, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
A Jacksonville Beach developer wants to build 4 million square feet of industrial, warehouse and commercial space -- plus 1,055 homes -- on what is now a timber forest off State Road 206 and Interstate 95.
This will instantly create the largest industrial park in the county and provide sites for job-generating companies coming here.
Dubbed "St. Johns Ridge," the 1,963-acre project would sit on the southwest corner of S.R. 206 and stretch down I-95 to end south of the interstate's southbound rest stop.
This is the first designated Regional Activity Center (RAC) in St. Johns County.
RACs are "compact, high-intensity, high density, multi-use areas designated as appropriate for intensive growth by a local government of jurisdiction."
Paul Z. Fletcher, developer of Marsh Landing and Palencia, is also developer for this project. He's requesting the industrial use be placed closer to S.R. 206 and the residential portion be in the south part.
Allowed in RACs are retail, office, cultural, recreation, entertainment, hotel, motel or industrial activities. They must follow specific criteria, such as being consistent with the county's comprehensive plan and future land use map, and by providing service or being used by a "significant number of citizens from more than one county."
Nick Sacia of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council said the county identified intersections like S.R. 206 and I-95 as places good for businesses because of access to transportation.
"We visited the site with folks who were interested," Sacia said. "Companies want places that are site-ready. If someone comes along who wants 40 acres, it's ready."
Benefits of RACs
The developers envision this as a job center for St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam county residents. They cite studies showing that 35 percent of the county's workers drive to work in Duval County.
This issue will come before the County Commission in six months, when the developer will ask for a land use amendment to change the property's rural silviculture designation to mixed-use district.
The plans include a 1.25 million square feet industrial park, 2.65 million feet of warehouses, 90,000 square feet of commercial space and the private homes.
In addition, 518 acres of recreation and open space and another 250 acres of lakes, utility easements and infrastructure are requested.
County Commission Chairman Ben Rich said Friday that he met with Fletcher and his attorney, George McClure, of McClure & Bloodworth, St. Augustine.
Rich said he wouldn't support residential development.
"I was intrigued by the industrial nature of it," Rich said. "But I told them that any residential would have to be far less intense than what they were proposing."
Moses Creek Water Management Area straddles S.R. 16 and touches the Intracoastal Waterway, and both abut Faver-Dykes Park. Those thousands of forested acres contain numerous horse trails and connect to Princess Park, 1,000 acres in northeast Flagler County set aside for horseback riding.
"Northeast Flagler and southeast and southwest St. Johns is basically horse country, along with recreation and hiking," Rich said. "I suggested that the residential component might be a Planned Rural Development, where people can have horses. I told them to cater to that consumer."
The Fishtail Branch part
McClure said the development actually proposes two projects, totaling 7,700 acres.
Fishtail Branch Planned Rural Development and Conservation Area equals 6,100 acres and includes 5,200 acres of wetlands and upland restoration.
"The 1,600-acre St. Johns Ridge is the economic vehicle that will contribute to the developer's ability to preserve the 5,200 acres of Fishtail," McClure said in a summary.
The tract has been heavily timbered over many years.
Invasive species would be removed, the area drainage would be restored, native plants would be replanted and it would provide a home for "native species with larger ranges," presumably bear, panther and deer.
However, McClure said, a small portion of Fishtail Branch "would be used as a low density rural type development, likely with an equestrian theme, although the specifics of the site plan and theme of the project are still in the planning stages."
A plan for environment
Rules regarding RACs such as St. Johns Ridge are less stringent than those guiding developments of regional impact, meaning fewer environmental impact studies are required.
"This will be 5,000 acres of restored habitat, but it also will be publicly accessible land," McClure said.
That sounds wonderful to Sarah Owen, Florida Wildlife Federation's representative in St. Johns County.
The area is already home to bears and panther and also contains a north-south greenway adopted in June 2004 for wildlife and recreation use, she said.
"I'm glad that it will be part of a mitigation bank," Owen said. "That may work. It's definitely a vital wildlife habitat for a number of species. (The project) will definitely cause an impact, but what it will be I don't know yet."
But, according to environmental activist Pat Hamilton of Crescent Beach, the project will change the character of southern St. Johns County.
"The impact on Crescent Beach of all those people will be devastating," Hamilton said. "There also will be hundreds of semis on S.R. 206, mixing with the 500 16-year-old freshmen driving to Pedro Menendez High School each year.
"It's a bad mix and certainly sounds like a safety issue."
Hamilton added that there are houses for sale on every street in St. Johns County.
"Clearly, there is no demonstrated need for 1,000 additional houses," he said. "This will be (pure) urban sprawl. To urbanize the rural part of the county is the worst thing I can think of."
At a glance:
St. Johns Ridge
1,963 acres south of S.R. 206, west of Interstate 95
1.25 million square feet industrial park
2.65 million square feet warehouses
90,000 square feet commercial space
1,055 homes in southern part of project
518 acres of recreation and open space
250 acres of lakes and easements
Fishtail Branch
7,700 acres west of St. Johns Ridge
6,100 acres will be conservation land
1,600 acres will be low-density rural residential development, probably with equestrian theme
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


text:
Injured Crain making progress
Injured Crain making progress
CHICAGO -- White Sox reliever Jesse Crain said he threw 10-15 pitches off flat ground Thursday and felt like his strained left oblique is "working its way out." It was the second time Crain, who is on the disabled list, retroactive to April 21, has thrown since going on the DL. He also threw on Tuesday. "The other day, when I was done throwing, it felt pretty tight and sensitive, but today it doesn't feel quite like that," Crain said. "I think it's a step forward."
Crain said he plans to throw off flat ground again on Friday and perhaps throw off the mound on Saturday. He's eligible to come off the DL on Sunday, but Crain and manager Robin Ventura said that's unlikely to happen, adding the the right-hander will need one or two Minor League rehab appearances before returning to the White Sox. "With the DL and everything else, you make sure he's going to be healthy when he comes back here," Ventura said. "I don't want him to do something here and then get pushed back another 15 [days]." Although Crain said he's disappointed he won't be able to return Sunday, he said he's pleased he's now throwing and nearing a return. "It's definitely changing every day, and I think I'm close," Crain said.


text:
May 24, 2005
v No. 253023
Monroe Circuit Court
LC No. 02-028201-DM
Before: Neff, P.J., and Owens and Fort Hood, JJ.
Plaintiff appeals as of right a judgment of divorce. We affirm.
Plaintiff first argues that the amount and duration of alimony awarded by the trial court is
inequitable. We disagree.
Whether to award spousal support is in the trial court's discretion, and we review the trial
court's award for an abuse of discretion. On appeal, we review the trial court's findings of fact
concerning spousal support for clear error. The findings are presumptively correct, and the
burden is on the appellant to show clear error. A finding is clearly erroneous if we are left with a
definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. If the trial court's findings are not
clearly erroneous, we must then decide whether the dispositional ruling was fair and equitable in
light of the facts. The trial court's decision regarding spousal support must be affirmed unless we
are firmly convinced that it was inequitable. Gates v Gates, 256 Mich App 420, 432-433; 664
NW2d 231 (2003).
The award of alimony is in the trial court?s discretion. Gates, supra, p 432. The plain
language of MCL 552.13 permits a trial court to award spousal support that it determines to be
?just and reasonable.? Factors to be considered by the trial court in determining whether an
award of spousal support is just and reasonable include: (1) the past relations and conduct of the
parties, (2) the length of the marriage, (3) the abilities of the parties to work, (4) the source and
amount of property awarded to the parties, (5) the parties' ages, (6) the abilities of the parties to
pay alimony, (7) the present situation of the parties, (8) the needs of the parties, (9) the health of
the parties, (10) the prior standard of living of the parties and whether either is responsible for
the support of others, (11) contributions of the parties to the joint estate, and (12) general
principles of equity. Gates, supra at 435-436.
The trial court looked at the past relations and conduct of both parties and found that both
parties had affairs and were unfaithful. The trial court looked at the length of the marriage,
eighteen years. The trial court found that both parties were in good health and that they were
"fairly" close in age. The trial court also found that both parties had the ability to work.
Regarding ability to pay, the trial court found it appropriate to grant defendant?s request for
alimony because of the income disparity between the parties. Regarding the present situation of
the parties, the trial court found that plaintiff earned significantly more money than defendant.
The trial court also found that defendant contributed to the joint estate by working ?very hard?
and raising the children while plaintiff went to school. Regarding standard of living, the trial
court found that defendant and the children were living in low income, less desirable housing,
while defendant lived in an apartment.
The record reflects that the trial court carefully considered all the relevant factors when it
made its determination regarding the amount and duration of spousal support. Further, the trial
court?s findings of fact are supported in the record and, therefore, are not clearly erroneous.
In addition, the alimony award is not inequitable. Defendant?s expenses were
significantly lower than plaintiff?s because she lived in low-income housing. In fact, the trial
court stated on the record that it was fashioning the alimony award to help defendant and the
children move out of the low-income housing and allow defendant to attend school to achieve a
higher income level. In addition, the trial court deferred plaintiff?s payment of alimony until he
paid the full obligation to the IRS. We conclude that the trial court?s alimony award is neither
inequitable nor unjust.
Defendant?s second issue on appeal is that the trial court erroneously placed excessive
weight on the concept of fault in awarding alimony. We disagree. The conduct of the parties
during the marriage may be relevant to the trial court?s consideration of alimony, but the trial
court must consider all the relevant factors and not assign disproportionate weight to any one
circumstance. Sparks v Sparks, 440 Mich 141, 158; 485 NW2d 893 (1992).
Plaintiff contends that the trial court placed too much emphasis or excessive weight on
the concept of fault in determining the alimony award. While it is true that the trial court
considered fault, the trial court considered many other factors in its alimony award
determination. The trial court looked at the length of the marriage, eighteen years. The trial
court noted the health and age of both parties and found that both parties were in good health and
that they were "fairly" close in age. The trial court also found that both parties had the ability to
work. Regarding ability to pay, the trial court found it appropriate to grant defendant?s request
for alimony because of the parties? income disparity. Regarding the present situation of the
parties, the trial court found that plaintiff earned significantly more money than defendant. The
trial court also considered defendant?s contribution to the joint estate. Specifically, the court
noted that defendant worked two jobs and took care of the children while plaintiff was in college
earning an aeronautical degree.
The trial court stated that alimony was important to allow defendant to increase her
earning potential by allowing her to attend school. Based on the above noted factors the trial
court determined that alimony was appropriate in order to balance the income of the parties. In
addition, the trial court specifically stated on the record that evaluating the past conduct of the
parties was not assigning fault, as is done in child custody cases. The trial court used plaintiff?s
past conduct as a factor in deciding the alimony award, but did not give it excessive weight.
Plaintiff?s third issue on appeal is that the trial court erred in failing to attribute an IRS
obligation to defendant. We disagree. The goal in distributing marital assets in a divorce
proceeding is to reach an equitable distribution of property in light of all the circumstances.
Gates, supra at 423. The division need not be mathematically equal, but any significant
departure from congruence must be clearly explained. Id.
Plaintiff accrued a $15,000 debt with the IRS regarding income earned in 2002 and health
insurance benefits paid. Both parties lived in the marital home during this time. Defendant filed
taxes for 2002 and claimed both children as exemptions, despite the fact that the parties received
joint legal and physical custody in November 2002. Although acknowledging that the tax filing
could have been handled differently, the trial court found that plaintiff would be solely
responsible for the tax payment. Given the trial court?s concern with the disparity in the parties?
incomes and the finding that defendant resided in low income housing with the children, the
record supports the trial court?s finding that plaintiff would be solely responsible for the IRS
debt. Therefore, the trial court?s finding is not clearly erroneous. Id. at 436. The trial court?s
view of the evidence is plausible, therefore, its findings of fact are presumptively correct. Id. at
Further, there is no indication that the trial court?s decision was inequitable. The trial
court ruled that plaintiff would not be responsible for alimony payments to defendant until he
finished paying the IRS obligation. This period was approximately nine months. The trial court
stated that, ?I have given him some basis otherwise alimony would be longer and start sooner,
but I think that gives him a time to get rid of that.? The trial court recognized the disparity in the
parties? income and fashioned a decision accordingly. In fact, the trial court afforded plaintiff an
opportunity to pay off tax obligations to the IRS before he began alimony payments. This was a
fair and equitable ruling in light of the facts. Id. at 432-433.
/s/ Janet T. Neff
/s/ Donald S. Owens
/s/ Karen M. Fort Hood


text:
Get an alert when new Dollyman dates are announced
An avant-garde chamber jazz collective based in East London. Their music, written by all members of the band, takes in jazz leanings, wild and free improvisation, adventurous classical and delicately weird pop. Sounding like a mixture of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew period, the Cinematic Orchestra's eerie soundscapes, anarchic John Zorn-esque classical/rock tear-ups and throwing in some spine-tingling chamber pop songs, Dollyman are electric to watch.
See more info at facebook.com/DOLLYmanUK
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text:
• Extreme Machines – Incredible Robots
A review of the robot episode by Discovery Channel's Extreme Machines.
A review of the robot episode by Discovery Channel's Extreme Machines.
Beyond Human is another excellent documentary that looks at robotics and transhumanism, circa 2001.
A documentary from 1998 serves as a snapshot of robotics development at that time.
A review of the 1988 sequel to Short Circuit.
Set in Alexandria, circa 400 A.D., this film explores the relationship between religion, science, and politics.
A review of the classic '80s movie Short Circuit.
A review of Transcendent Man, which looks at inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil and his predictions.
It's hard to believe this movie was made two years after Blade Runner, hitting theaters two months after the original Terminator.


text:
Czech PresidentZeman urges strong national currency and criticizes the national bank's weak-currency policy for making Czechs poorer in euro terms.Posted at 9:55 pm on January 28, 2016 by Martin Straka
Czech President Milos Zeman expressed his opinion that the country should support strengthening of the national currency. According to his statement, strong koruna is a prerequisite for competitiveness and labour productivity.
Zeman refuses currency weakening comparing the rate-setting to a "pillow" which gives Czechs a false sense of comfort while losing motivation for innovations. Zeman also points out that the advantages of weak currency for exporters are only short-termed.
The Czech leader suggests that the interventions should not be ended at once as it would probably lead to a sharp change in a course as happened in Switzerland.
CNB performs interventions in foreign exchange markets since November 2013 and is considering to end their usage in 2016 or 2017.
According to Jiří Rusnok, who is a CNB Board member and who repeatedly backed reasons to maintain a cap on currency gains, the bank will not allow significant course fluctuations after the intervention regime ends.


text:
THQ Thriving with Saints Row
November 3, 2006 - Saints Row and Company of Heroes are largely to thank for THQ's substantial profit increases. In its quarterly financial statement released today, THQ noted the exceptional sale of both titles directly lead to positive readjustments of the company's financial outlook. With high expectations for upcoming releases including WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2007 and the Sopranos, THQ raised its fiscal 2007 projections from $900-950 million to $925-$975 million.
Disney/Pixar Cars: The Video Game
June 12, 2006 - It's licensed, but still fun? Is that even possible?
Cars Rolls Out
June 6, 2006 - THQ today unleashes Cars, a tie-in game invasion based on Disney/Pixar's latest feature film.
E3 2006: Disney/Pixar's Cars
May 10, 2006 - We take this endearing racer for a spin. Read how it went.
Pre-E3 2006: THQ's Stock for the Show
May 4, 2006 - This morning THQ announced its largest line-up to date of various games across all platforms to be flaunted at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.


text:
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Strong dairy markets, coupled with the looming demise of production quotas, are reversing long-running shrinkage in the European Union herd, encouraging higher milk output – which is helping undermine the price rally.
The dairy herd in the EU, the world's top producer of cows' milk, grew by 0.6% last year, US Department of Agriculture staff said, ditching an estimate of stable herd numbers.
And this year, it will expand by 1.3% to 23.5m head, marking the first time in 30 years the herd in the bloc's 28 countries has seen two successive years of growth, countering a trend of contraction which has seen cow numbers halve from a 1968 peak.
"The EU dairy herd's long-term contraction trend appears to have stopped," the USDA staff said in a report, attributing the reversal to "strengthening farmgate prices for milk, and market expectations associated to the EU's discontinuation of its milk quota system.
"Dairy cow numbers are growing as farmers expand operations to generate higher overall milk production."
The EU is in 2013-14 raising milk production quotas by 1%, and will next year ditch them altogether, a factor which is seeing large investment in dairy industries in countries such as Ireland, where the mild and wet climate, encouraging pasture growth, favours cost-effective milk output.
However, stronger dairy prices, until the last three months, have also encouraged production, which the USDA staff forecast rising its forecast for EU milk output this year by 1.5m tonnes to a 20-year high of 141.5m tonnes.
"More favourable weather conditions, improved feed availability, along with continued efforts to enhance genetic stock in national herds are expected to generate higher per-cow milk yield averages in 2014."
The extra production will be snapped up in part by stronger EU consumption of dairy products, encouraged by the bloc's economic recovery.
"Growing supplies and improving economic situations in some member states are expected to stimulate cheese consumption further leading to an increase in overall consumption relative to 2013," the report said.
However, much is of the product is finding its way onto export markets too, adding to the supply response viewed as behind a drop of more than 20% in values at GlobalDairyTrade, the benchmark auction, since February.
The briefing highlighted that EU output of skim milk powder "will increase significantly", underpinned by the extra milk supplies and increased drying capacity in Germany, with exports seen rising 16.4% to 475,000 tonnes.
"In the first two months of 2014, EU exports of [skim milk powder] were 50% higher than in the same period of 2013," driven by a seven-fold rise to 13,162 tonnes in Chinese purchases.
Skim milk powder led the price decline at the latest GlobalDairyTrade event, on Tuesday, after which one broker, Dave Kurzawski at INTL FCStone, highlighted to Agrimoney.com that Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand, was "flush with milk".
Exports of butter too have proved strong, rising by 16% in the first two months of the year, helped by a drop in regional prices which has made EU product "competitive on the world market".
However, the increase was largely down to imports by Russia, which soared by nearly 50%, but which remain a question market for the future, given deteriorating political relations between the West and Moscow, and the weakened rouble.
"Russia keeps implementing import bans for certain EU member states or individual processing plants," the report said.
By Agrimoney.com


text:
dCS Debussy D/A processor Specifications
Description: Multi-input D/A processor with digital volume control and upsampling of CD data to proprietary Ring-DAC format. Digital inputs: 2 S/PDIF, (1 RCA, 1 BNC), 2 AES/EBU, USB. Word clock in on 75-ohm BNC jack. Analog outputs: balanced (XLR), unbalanced (RCA). Maximum output level: 2V or 6V (selectable). Output impedance: 3 ohms balanced, 52 ohms unbalanced. Frequency responses (Sharp filter): 10Hz20kHz, ±0.1dB (Fs: 44.1 or 48kHz); 10Hz20kHz, ±0.1dB, 3dB at >38kHz (Fs: 88.2 or 96kHz). Channel separation: >80dB, 20Hz20kHz. Noise: below110dB, 20Hz20kHz. Power consumption: 19W typical, 25W maximum.
Dimensions: 17.6" (445mm) W by 2.6" (65mm) H by 15.5" (392mm) D. Weight: 19.4 lbs (8.8kg).
Finish: Silver.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: DDC7237.
Price: $10,999. Approximate number of dealers: 24. Warranty: 3 years, parts & labor, from date originally shipped from dCS; nontransferable.
Manufacturer: Data Conversion Systems Limited, Unit 1, Buckingway Business Park, Anderson Road, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4AE, England, UK. Tel: (44) (0)1954-233950. Web: www.dcsltd.co.uk. dCS America, PO Box 544, 3057 Nutley Street, Fairfax, VA 22031. Tel: (617) 314-9296. Fax: (703) 940-2442. US distributor: Tempo Sales & Marketing, PO Box 541443, Waltham, MA 02454-1443. Tel: (617) 314-9296. Fax: (617) 336-3486.


text:
Every sales department and company makes sales plans. However all the plans do not necessarily meet with success. Small businesses need to have sales plans just like established players do. A sales plan outlines sales goals, deadliness to meet the sales goal as well as the process to achieve the targets. By not planning, small businesses are setting themselves up … Read more
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Tips to Creating a Healthy Relationship between Sales and Marketing
One of the many challenges that a business can face is the friction between the Sales and the Marketing departments. Though these two generally work towards increasing the revenue of the company, oftentimes, they are at odds with one another. These internal problems can be detrimental to the company, and result in wasted revenue and time. However, there are a … Read more
The Big Marketing Duh- it's all about sales
If you had a surefire way to increase qualified leads and help sales close more business, why wouldn't you do it? What if it was an easy, proven way that doesn't always require you to acquire and learn new software, blog/tweet/or otherwise use social media or even be numbed by analytics. I bet I could sell you this painless marketing … Read more
3 Steps to Marketing
Everyone knows that Marketing is key to succeed with your business, and in many cases even the mere survival revolves around how well you market your products and business. So, what is marketing? There are many definitions, but I like this one – Marketing makes selling superfluous. Obviously marketing and selling go hand in hand and we know that sales … Read more
How should you use the scarcity effect to your advantage while negotiating?
Recently, I was flying on a plane and saw an ad for the Lamborghini-Aventador pen in airline's inflight magazine. I know Lambo = expensive, but thought their pens may be affordable. So, checked out the price – it was a whopping $995. Sure, it must've been made using expensive materials, but that didn't sound like the main reason for such … Read more
Negotiation – How to get started?
I visited my development center in India recently and took my team out for dinner to a decent restaurant. We had some nice food and then started talking about all the things that are in front of us. Our goals, milestones and the likes. Finally, I said, "Guys, lets get these things done and meet here for dinner in a … Read more
Apptivo Customers App Demo for CRM
Managing your customer database is one of the most essential duties of any small business leader. Without your customers, your company does not exist! Apptivo offers a Customers App within its CRM suite of Small Business Apps. You are able to track all contact information, activities, sales leads, and orders related to your customers; and integrate with nearly all of … Read more
How do I create custom contact categories in the sales module?
To create custom contact categories in the sales module, please follow the steps given below Login to your Apptivo account by using this link www.apptivo.com/site/applogin/ Navigate to Sales section. Click on any Apps under Sales, find Configure Icon on dashboard -> top right. Click on Configure Icon and navigate to Contacts -> Contacts Categories. Click on the Add button on … Read more
How do I create custom contact types in the sales module?
To create custom contact types in the sales module, please follow the steps given below Login to your Apptivo account by using this link www.apptivo.com/site/applogin/ Navigate to Sales section. Click on any Apps under Sales, find Configure Icon on dashboard -> top right. Click on Configure Icon and navigate to Contacts -> Contacts Types. Click on the Add button on … Read more


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I followed these instructions, Got the constant red light.
soldered the clock jumper, got blue light, and now I reading disks.
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I followed these instructions, Got the constant red light.
soldered the clock jumper, got blue light, and now I reading disks.
After doing the D2pro + wii clip install, and shorting the clock jumper I can only read disks from a hard boot (removing power from back of console, then reinserting), both original and backups. I was able to use the d2pro update disk to flash the chip, I thought maybe this would correct it but I its still only works from hard boot.
Does anyone have a clue on how to fix this?
I recently modded my own wii that i just bought. got the d2pro for d2c on mine, and wii clipped it. that one works fine cuz i have a d2c in mine.
my little cuzin had his wii for a while, his chip is a d2b. i bought the same chip presoldered from canadamods again. when the chip is installed the drive does not work and i get a red light.
i unclocked the clip and soldered the j points. i get a blue light from the chip, but the drive still just does nothing.
did i get the wrong chip for the d2b? i thought that this chip worked on all of the wiis?
for the record, i openned up my wii again, put the chip i bought for him in, and it was working. it just doesn't work in his wii...
please help me, thanks,
Well its quite easy actually.
If you look at the D2pro official diagrams you will see that for the non-d2c chipsets you only solder the points G, H, j, GND and 3v3.
So on the wiiclip for these chipsets you make sure that only these are soldered too.
If you bought a presoldered one you will have to desolder the not needed points.
Thanks rizz, I just tried that. it worked on boot up and as soon as i put in a disc it stopped working and just froze. my chip came from canadamods so it's pretty safe to say that it's good. I just don't know wat to do to make it work for my cuzin's d2b tho.
does anyone have any other ideas?
Try unsoldering the CLK jumper and soldering the wire supplied with the wii-clip directly to the mainbord.
No clock signal(J) gives a dead drive.
The wii-clip diagram also states that if the clk jumper doesn't work that you have to desolder it and connect point J on the mainbord to point J on the chip.
I only had the H,I,J, Gnd, Pwr soldered when I got this problem.
I am just going to get rid of the wii clip and solder the chip directly.
i've already desoldered clk and soldered the j point and it did not work. i'll wait a little longer for more ideas before i desolder the whole thing and try just soldering it directly to the board.
If hes definately got a D2B and you are sure your not soldering points to wrong places then you need to look closely for shorts or poor solder joints. Obviously something is wrong if it works in other wiis.
Hi all!
My question.
I have d2b drive. I bought v4c-9 d2pro chip. Intall it, but the drive does not work.
Please help.


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Morris Area's FIRST Robotics team just misses nationals, advances to state
MORRIS, Minn. - As a culmination of their most successful season to date, Morris Area's FIRST Robotics team, The Plaid Pillagers, are headed to the first ever state robotics competition in May.
Since January, the team has worked to design, build, test and re-test their robot, The Plaiding Mantis, in preparation for two regional competitions - coming within a single match of qualifying for the national tournament.
At their first regional in March, the Lake Superior Regional in Duluth, the team won seven of their nine qualification matches and were seeded fourth of eight teams going into the final rounds. Unfortunately, the team was eliminated during the quarterfinals in three close matches.
Between Duluth and their second regional last weekend, the Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, the team worked to improve and fine-tune the mechanics of the robot, but maintained their overall strategy to "keep it simple."
The team also developed a more sophisticated scouting system to help build alliances later in the competition. Part of the strategy in FIRST Robotics is developing alliances with competing teams. During each round of this year's came, "Rebound Rumble," alliances of three robots compete against one another to toss as many basketballs as they can into four hoops during a two minute and 15 second match. At the end of each match, the robots will attempt to balance on bridges in the middle of the 27 by 54 foot field. Each basket and each balanced robot earns the alliance points.
After the first rounds of qualifying matches, the top eight teams are seeded and have the opportunity to pick teams that were not seeded to join their alliance to compete in the final rounds of the tournament. During the Duluth regional, the Pillagers scouting system proved to be ineffective.
"We didn't have a central person memorizing what these robots did, which ones were good, which ones were bad," explained Jacob Erickson, construction team leader.
"The first regional was so focused on the scouting system, no one was really paying attention to the robots," said Mitchell Finzel, who took charge of scouting for the second regional. The new strategy involved taking photos of each of the robots and developing a more concrete system that was useful for the team when they had the opportunity to choose their alliance at the end of the competition.
Unlike Duluth, where everything seemed to go right until the robot broke down during the quarterfinal match, the Twin Cities regional started out looking bleak. The team spent all of their first day working on making final changes to the robot, but nothing seemed to work. When they left the arena Thursday night, the Plaiding Mantis wasn't functional.
"It was very gloom and doom," said advisor Eric Buchanan. Fixes only began to emerge within the half-hour before the team's first qualifying match on Friday morning.
After unexpectedly winning seven of nine qualifying matches, the Pillagers were part of the fourth-seeded alliance. At this point, the extensive scouting and strategy sessions paid off, as the team was able to pick effective teams for their alliance - Inconceivable from Rochester Public Schools and Deus ex Machinea from Anoka High School.
"The night before, when we were talking about what teams we were thinking about picking, we were very convinced that we would have to do a triple-balance, which is the hardest objective in the game," said Finzel. "We've never seen anyone ever do it on the field. We were thinking we'd have to do that in desperation."
The team's strong alliance was easily able to win its quarterfinal bout in just two matches, winning 65-16 and 44-17 against the fifth-ranked alliance. The 65-point match also set a regional record for most points scored in a single match.
The Pillagers' most difficult competition came in the semifinals when they were pitted against the first-ranked alliance which included Nordic Storm, a team from Saint Peter High School that won the Duluth regional and was already set to go to the national FIRST Robotics competition in St. Louis.
"The number one alliance usually just paves their way to the finals," said Team Captain Kevin Viratyosin.
In the first match of the semifinals, the Pillagers' alliance won 74-70, breaking their recently-set high score. They were then able to break the record again, winning the second march 83-70 to move on to the finals, in the process setting the highest score recorded in Minnesota this year, said Field Coach Jackson Boever.
"There was a point right after we balanced the bridge, after we beat the first-seed alliance, where Mr. B., Jacob, and I [saw the other team] look up at the points, turn around, and then just look down with a wave of disappointment," said James Aaronson, mechanical team leader.
"We were just in disbelief," said Programming Team Leader Mickey Cotter, who also drove the Plaiding Mantis during the competition. "They were shocked that we had taken them out. ... It really felt like the finals, everyone was going crazy."
At that point, the entire team was convinced they would win the regional and be eligible to compete at the national tournament. However, a series of small mechanical problems throughout the day finally caught up with the team - chains slipped off, the mechanisms that helped the Plaiding Mantis climb the bridge twisted, the spacers between the wheels shifted and the transmission needed to be reattached. The robot was in trouble.
"Towards the end of the tournament, it's a big matter of attrition and who's robot is actually going to break," said Cotter.
The alliance called a six-minute time out to try and make repairs, but in the end the transmission was just barely attached. As the match started, the transmission slipped, leaving the Plaiding Mantis unable to drive much at all. Despite a "valiant" effort on defense to prevent the other team from scoring points, the Pillagers' alliance lost the second match of the final, coming in second overall at the regional.
"I think everyone's robot was failing, [the other team's] just failed a bit less," reflected Caleb Sanderson, electrical team leader. "Everything was just breaking down."
"For semifinals, everything went right, and then for the finals all the robots on our team started breaking down; it was just not good," said Finzel.
Despite just missing a chance to qualify for the national tournament, the team's successful season is not quite over. For the first time this year, the Minnesota State High School League will be hosting a FIRST Robotics state tournament in May. The team is ranked 14th in the state, so will compete against 27 other teams at state.
The team is also planning a community dinner to thank sponsors and show off the robot sometime after the state tournament. The Plaiding Mantis will also be on display during Prairie Pioneer Days and participate in demonstrations at the State Fair in August.


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This is Reamia Finished!!!! it took me a while coz i didnt have time to finish her
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When the NHL announced they were going to supplement the Winter Classic with five more outdoor games known as the Stadium Series, many took issue with the NHL diluting what was a pretty cool thing. It seemed a petty cash grab, an attempt to get even more money from fans via ticket sales, cool new merchandise, and rich TV deals.
That's pretty much all true. However, while the Stadium Series will steal some of the Winter Classic's thunder, the revenue generating sibling games solve a pressing issue unique to the Canadian/U.S. dynamic found only in the NHL.
Simply put, the NHL was in a tough spot. When it had only one outdoor game there was pressure to make it as highly watched as possible. There's a reason the Penguins, the Flyers, and come this January, the Red Wings will have played in two Winter Classics, while many teams have yet to participate in one. NBC wants teams that generate national interest among Americans, which not only eliminates smaller U.S. markets from contention (although oddly enough, Buffalo hosted the original Winter Classic), but also virtually denies any non centre-of-the-universe Canadian franchise a chance as well.
For Canadian teams, this led to the rebirth of the Heritage Classic, which was a huge success back in 2003. The problem with the Heritage Classic is that there are only seven Canadian teams meaning there are only so many matchups available (21, if my grade 12 data skills are to be trusted), while American markets sit and wait for their turn at the Winter Classic. The novelty would surely wear off, and having the Heritage Classic once every five or so years would just be odd.
Putting an American team in the Heritage Classic could work, but you'd just be upsetting a Canadian fan base that already feels slighted by a league where teams that play in empty rinks could sell out if they were moved up north. Canadians know that a disproportionate amount of revenue comes from their teams, but many fail to realize how important NBC money is to the future of the league.
So the NHL has created the Stadium Series, a way to have their Super Bowl style Winter Classic, which is only available to markets that reach a certain criteria, while keeping the fans in smaller markets happy and included in the whole outdoors novelty. HBO 24/7 will still get to be awesome, and with the new NHL Revealed, fans will get a chance to watch more of that all-access footage narrated by a deep voice that makes for great entertainment and league exposure.
For fans, the greater supply of outdoor games gives them more of an opportunity to see one. No one is being forced to buy a ticket, a jersey, or watch the games, but they might appeal to some and that's not a bad thing. The NHL doesn't have to worry about losing a significant audience by having a game in the Pacific Time Zone, and more games spread out gives more opportunities to attract new fans who might not have made the trip all the way to the Northeast.
Let's also not forget that the Stadium Series has allowed the NHL to show off its fancy new chrome logos. I've always said that if there's one thing NHL logos need, it's more chrome. We weren't ready for it back in 2002 (sorry Flyers), but the technology now exists to do it right. And do it right they did.
It is possible that people will get sick of outdoor games, or that fans will stop paying to sit in the cold with a limited view of the action. But that might have happened without the five extra games. Now, instead of having a Canadian outdoor game once every five years, the Canadian teams can still partake in a proportionate amount with one a year. Now teams that aren't apart of the NBC Seven (i.e. Bruins, Rangers, Flyers, Red Wings, Blackhawks, Penguins and Capitals) can join in on the frosty fun. Or balmy fun if a southern team hosts. And then there's still all that money. Lots and lots of money. Bring on the Stadium Series, it can't possibly be the worst thing the NHL has ever done.
Thanks for reading. Please give our Hockey Department a follow on Twitter – @lastwordBKerr, @RickW10, @TheHockeyMitch, @LastWordBigMick, @crimsonskorpion, @CMS_74_, @TwoTurtleDuffs, @d_rocchi, @dasimonetta, @ddmatthews, @CanuckPuckHead, @NKonarowski2, @LarryScotti, @PurpleRocktober, @jaynichols11, @meaghannn_, @LastWordOnNHL, @LWOSDanRussell, and @darrinharmy and follow the site @lastwordonsport and like our Facebook Page.
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Spectrum Voice
Yes. You can block calls from specific numbers using the Selective Call Blocking feature.
With Selective Call Blocking, you can use your My Services account to block calls to your home phone from phone numbers that you specify. Find out more.
Call Return (*69) stores the number of the last person who called you and gives you the option of returning the call automatically.
Three-Way Calling enables you add a third party to an existing phone conversation without operator assistance.
Anonymous Call Rejection (*77) enables you to block all incoming calls labeled on your Caller ID display screen as Anonymous, Private, or Blocked for as long as you want.
Press *77 on your home phone. The feature remains active until you cancel it.
Press *87 on your home phone.
You can reduce calls from telemarketers using the Anonymous Call Rejection (*77) feature and the Do Not Call registry.
Call Forwarding (*72) enables you to redirect calls made to your home phone. Find out more about your options.
Find out how to forward calls from your home phone and from your computer.
Related Topics
- Spectrum Voice
- Anonymous Call Rejection (*77)
- Call Forwarding (*72)
- Call Return (*69)
- Call Waiting
- Call Waiting ID
- Caller ID
- Caller ID on TV
- Directory Listing and Assistance
- International Calling
- Long Distance Callling
- Repeat Dialing (*66)
- Second Line
- Selective Call Blocking
- Speed Dial (*74)
- Star Codes
- Three-Way Calling
- Voicemail


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Visit my official website: www.whatisyourpoison.co.uk
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bubbling with new ideas... just a couple more weeks until I shoot my next set!
Sorry for the absence... I am taking a bit of a break for now. It turns out caring for a new-born is much more demanding than I anticpated!
Little Peanut was born on 11/11/11... what a lucky boy!


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Camren Williams has visited Chapel Hill roughly ten times. Easily more than more than any other prospect from Massachusetts in recent memory. But that doesn't mean he's a lock to become a Tar Heel.
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By: Dave Abrahams
Cape Town – It's a concept that motorcyclists have made very much their own, that of having a good time for a good cause – and the ninth annual Emergency Medical Services Blood Run, hosted by the Straw Dogs motorcycle club at Youngsfield military base on Saturday, was no exception.
The convenors took this year's event way beyond the usual 'biker bash' by inviting a number of local car clubs as well. Any gathering of this type soon becomes a reason to polish your machine within an inch of its life and brag just a little – so they formalised the show by offering prizes for the best, the trickest and the just plain outrageous.
From a slow beginning at about 11am, the trickle of bikes – and cars – gradually became a flood, as both individuals and club responded to the call. By the time the hard-worked Western Province Blood Transfusion Service crew packed up at about 4pm, more than 130 units of blood had been donated.
Meanwhile, outside, some of Cape Town's most impressively customised machines, from superbikes to cruisers, were lined up next to the VIP area - home to a superbly customised Suzuki Hayabusa, a Lamborghini Aventador Spyder and an ultra-rare 1832cc, six-cylinder Honda Rune.
The Subaru club had lined up an impressive squad of Imprezas, there were a number of VW Golfs - from mild to wild – Toyotas by the ton and even a very neat fifth-generation Ford Cortina in impressive plain white.
And everywhere you looked there were motorcycles parked, of every type, size and vintage, from dazzling Sunday Specials to weekday workhorses, and their riders, greeting old friends and making new ones, were just as varied.
But late in the afternoon, when the WPBTS staff carried out several large containers full of blood-donation units, they were all the same for a moment, glad to be making a difference even though none of them would be individually recognised, doing something remarkable purely for its own sake.


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We are pleased to present below all posts archived in 'May 2012'. If you still can't find what you are looking for, try using the search box.
TORONTO – The Western Catholic Reporter has won four first place awards in the annual competition among Canada's Christian newspapers and magazines put on by the Canadian Church Press.
Read the rest of entry »
Exhausted from his busy schedule as a palliative care doctor in Ottawa, Dr. Jose Pereira arranged to walk the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, last September.
For 40 years, Cardinal Donald Wuerl has been a prominent force in promoting Catholic education in the faith of both young and old.
The message of salvation through Jesus has always been and will continue to be the most important message ever.
EDMONTON – The Association of Roman Catholic Communicators of Canada (ARCCC) is aimed at fostering a common purpose among Catholic communicators across the nation.
The Christian presence in the Middle East is a presence of dialogue, especially with the Muslim faith, says the new worldwide head of the Maronite Catholics.
EDMONTON – Discussion of the rights of conscience in last month's Alberta election campaign was overly truncated, Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith told local media May 14.
TORONTO – There's only one union in Ontario demanding layoffs, willing to accept a wage freeze and hoping to be declared obsolete.
Msgr. William Irwin lived downtown, in Edmonton's historic Oliver community, and cherished its natural beauty during many evening walks.
Alcoholism plagued Melvin Alyward's upbringing. He grew up in Baie Verte, Nfld., one of 16 children in a poor Irish Catholic family. His family home was without running water, no lights and sometimes no food on the table.


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Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al-Qassimi, the crown prince of Ras Al-Khaimah, recently visited the Dubai eGovernment and met with Dubai eGovernment senior officials to gain a greater perspective of the project.
Salem Al-Shair, director of services for Dubai eGovernment, conducted a presentation on the challenges faced by Dubai eGovernment, which is fast achieving its stated objective of providing more than 70 percent of Dubai government services via electronic channels by the year 2005.
His Highness Sheikh Saud expressed great interest in boosting the areas of cooperation between Dubai eGovernment and the Ras Al-Khaimah government, including sharing expertise that would develop the eServices of the emirate. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com [1])
[1] http://www.menareport.com
[2] http://www.albawaba.com


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David Derbyshire
UK Daily Mail [1]
Monday, Dec 14th, 2009
Tony Blair turned up in Copenhagen yesterday to preach to world leaders about the dangers of climate change.
In a speech – which the former Prime Minister insists he did for free – he said it would be 'grossly irresponsible' not to sign a deal curbing global emissions of greenhouse gases.
But his appearance will raise suspicions that he is planning to cash in on global warming.
It comes just weeks after he registered the internet name 'Low Carbon Capital Fund' – thought to be a way of making money out of the demand for green technology.
In his speech, Mr Blair said there was a 'huge amount of scientific support' for the idea of man-made global warming.
"When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." – Fall Of The Republic – Buy the DVD here [2]


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to cut the amount of interest you shell out over the duration of the loan? Keep in mind that whatever the amount of your original mortgage, you'll likely pay two to three times that amount if you stay in the house for the entire life of a 30-year mortgage.
For example, for a $150,000 loan at 7.5%, you'll pay a whopping $377,561 over 30 years-$150,000, the principal amount, plus another $227,561 in interest. If you're worried primarily about interest charges, you might think about getting a shorter loan, say for 15 years, or doubling up on payments-instead of refinancing.
That's exactly what William and Cheryl Brown did when they refinanced their four-bedroom custom-built home in Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. They bought the house in early 1996 and originally had an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) that fluctuated when interest rates changed. With the ARM, their rate went from a low of 8.5% to a high of just over 12%. They refinanced, however, in 1998 and obtained a 15-year mortgage at a fixed rate of 9%.
The Browns, who adopted their nephew Eric but are expecting their first baby in February, plan to live in their home for many years to come. They calculated that refinancing will save them more than $100,000 over the life of the loan. Cheryl, 34, who works in the healthcare field, says refinancing has given the Browns more money to do other things-like save for their new addition to the family. "We've made a nursery for the baby," she says.
The couple's mortgage payment, excluding taxes and insurance, ranged at first from $1,500 a month to as high as $1,800 a month. Now they pay $1,300 a month. "Our refinancing worked out very well," says William, 38, a software engineer.
As the Browns' experience illustrates, refinancing can save you a good chunk of money. But if you're not careful, you can also wind up paying a hefty price-too hefty a price in some cases-when you go to refinance your home. How can you lose out if you're getting a lower interest rate? By getting dinged with a ton of lesser-known fees.
Here are the most common costs associated with refinancing. Taken alone, many of these items aren't that costly. But together, they quickly add up:
- Application fee: A payment to the lender for processing the loan. Cost: varies and may be waived when refinancing with the lender who holds the current mortgage.
- Appraisal: An appraisal of the home is required by the lender to establish the property's value. Cost: $200 and up.
- Credit report: A lender will examine your finances and charge a credit report fee. Cost: $30-$45.
- Legal: New financing requires a new title search, document preparation, and other legal and paralegal services. Cost: plan on paying for specific services according to local regulations and the requirements of your lender.
- Loan origination fee: This is a charge the lender levies to grant the loan. The cost is usually 1% of the loan.
- Points: A point is equal to 1% of the value of a mortgage.


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In the military, the term surgical strike refers to an attack which results in only dealing damage to the legitimate military target. This is achieved by months of much strategic planning to make sure that only the intended target is damaged and collateral damage be brought down to a bare minimum, or have none at all. In marketing, we can say that we can achieve surgical strikes when we make use of targeted business sales leads.
Marketing should be strategic as to make sure that our marketing messages hit their intended targets, much like when executing a surgical strike. However, such "attacks" are difficult to execute when your leads don't help you identify who your targets should be. In the end, launching a strategic marketing strategy all falls down to the type of leads your lead generation campaign gets you. Continue reading