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Check out JJ's last two posts on this thread.
This is the kind of information that needs to be in a sticky. What say guys?
I guess I have built several packs in a non-conducive way to test individual cell voltages. I squirt hot glue around solder terminals to provide a solid, sealed, imapact resistant pack. Also, shrink wrapped. Now there is no way to test individual cells or even a safe way to disassymble the pack.
Just put out a fire myself!
I had a batter fly out of my flying wing. It hit the ground in tall grass and was fine. The speedcontrol howeverwas not. One lead to the deans connector came off. I repared it on the field with a butt connector and all was fine. The following day I chargedthe lithium poly Kokam 1020 3 cellpack and installed it. within 5 seconds the cell burst into jet like flames and hissed, puffing white smke and proceeded to burn a hole into my work bench.
I quickly tore the battery (by its small connnector) off the speed control and the "Jet type flame stopped" I imagine if I left the room after installing the battery my apartment would have burned down.
lesson learned. Its not just the battery we must be concerned about, but the integrity of the speedcontrol is also of equal importance. there was a slight short between the but connector and the second pin of the connector. I flew the plane 2 times and the short never occured.
These batteries are great, but are totaly different in their "hazzerdous" charecteristics. I have shorted NM, Ni-Cads, even while in my pocket. No battery in my experience is as volitile and hazardous in our hobby as these little l-poly bombs!
Be attentive guys!
Thank you for posting your experience, Mike-A. This one is yet again different from all the others I've read about. As a matter of course, I never connect the battery to the ESC until I'm in the field and ready to launch. This is a good reminder of why that's a good policy.
Re: Just put out a fire myself!
Mike I dont think that Li-Po cells are alone in there destructive nature. Last fall I had just completed a flight with my HL Dynamic and had no idication of a problem I proceded to load up a freshly charged pack still no problem other then I noticed I had very little power when I attempted to take off, I aborted the take off and inspected the motor and gearbox which reveled the problem. My motor had heated the loctite on the MP-jet planitary gearbox enough to let the motor unscrew it self thus twisting the wires from the esc to the motor. Still not a problem, once I returned home I retightend the motor gear box and decided to try it out before reinstalling it in the plane. I didnt notice that one of the wires from the esc to the motor had partaily broken free and was resting against a heat sink that was directly soldered to the negative bus on the board. The Fire that came out of the battery a 10 cell 1700mah NICD was quite a shock as it sat on the carpeted floor in my living room luckily no damage was done but it was quite a wake up call. the fire burnt a nice hole through the plastic end cap on the pack and I'm sure it would have continued had I not been right there to unplug it.
I'm not trying to minimize the potetial risk involved with Li-Po but trying to show that any energy storage devise weather it be a can full of gasoline or a nicd battery is potentialy dangerous and should be reguarded as such.
RE: crash damage to lipo cells, during a cell ballance check this spring I noticed that one cell in a 3s pack was under voltage compaired to its pack mates upon further investigation I found the cause the cell had a cut in it. I think it was caused by falling through the prop disk on my IFO during one of many failed hover attempts during our indoor season. this makes me question just what it takes to damage these cells in such a way that they can cumbust?? I have also seen pictures of cells that have been shot with lead pellets from an air gun without ignighting. So what does it take to damage a pack so severly that it will cause a fire??
Another Lipo Fire -
Once again - these cells are dangerous. Handle with care.
I'm still working to replace all I lost in the car fire.
I now charge all batteries with my charger, power supply, and batteries being charged all in one of those small fireproof safes. Then I store all my batteries in an ammo box. Call me paranoid, but I am paranoid-after having a NIMH pack explode shortly after I was able to pull over and throw it out of my car.
I've also had another NiMH pack short out, and it probably would have caught fire if I hadn't ripped the cells apart and pulled the wires immediately.
As a manufacture of hobby products it is very difficult providing information to any forum. Some consider it to be just a marketing ploy to get exposure for ones products. But, when it comes to a safety issue I believe one is obligated to inform and stimulate others thinking so research can be done and each can make his assessment. I will attempt to keep my post nonpartisan.
The Lithium Polymer battery used in the hobby and in most commercial applications is really a Lithium-ion battery that has had the internal power generating materials folded to be flat instead of rolled up to fit in the cylindrical can, it is then installed in a light aluminum container that was original designed for food storage, works great. The good news is that the Lithium Polymer battery is light and has the ability to support higher loads because of the better heat distribution and the ability to dissipate that heat under higher loads (5C to 8C), this is the good part. The other side of the coin is that under the charging process the Lithium Polymer cells dont include any of the safety systems that are part of a Lithium-ion cylindrical cell, so the cell has no way of protecting itself. This then requires control of the charging cycle imperative. There was/is a false presentation in the hobby that the Lithium Polymer Battery is completely safe and wont create an unhappy experience.
The liquid electrolyte found in the hobby Lithium Polymer batteries is very flammable and when the battery is overcharged (voltage) it gets very hot, the liquid expands, the battery puffs up like a balloon, the cell packaging fails, the liquid electrolyte spreads over the area, and the possible result is a very exciding fire. The Hobby is experiencing an unacceptable number of failures with the Lithium Polymer hobby batteries caused by the use of an inappropriate charger, malfunctioning charger, or an incorrectly programmed charger.
We have known from the beginning that the only safe way to present this technology to the hobby was to supply batteries with protection in the pack to prevent overcharge (voltage). This is the only sure way to protect the end user during the charging cycle. The only draw back is the cost of the safety circuit and its weight (3 to 4 grams), a small price to pay for the piece of mind that you eliminate the possibility of a catastrophic failure during charging. Yes, we include this protection in our packs and now many of the other major hobby battery suppliers are evaluating ways to include this safety circuit. All of us make every effort to supply a safe charger for the Lithium batteries but for many reasons its not always sufficient protection. Taking a chance that something wont go wrong is a bad philosophy.
Knowledge is an important ingredient.
Have a great weekend,
This is very useful information, especially the electrolyte being flammable. What you don't addres, however, is what happens when the cell is damaged as from a crash.
That's what happened to me - a crash damaged the cells, they shorted internally, and poof - a nasty car fire.
Emory, the safety part of your messages on this subject are always welcome. You and your company deserve all the credit in the world for pioneering the use of safety circuits on your Li-poly packs for R/C use. No one should criticize you for talking about safety mechanisms that you have implemented. There's nothing wrong with marketing safety.
Your definition of lithium polymer is a separate issue and highly controversial. It appears to be a minority opinion accepted by only a few people in the business. Since you've elected to raise the issue here, I'm sure that it will be hotly debated. After all, you are essentially accusing Kokam, FMA Direct, Thunder Power, E-Tec and a host of others of false advertising when you say that their cells are not true Li-polys. So I hope you aren't too sensitive about being questioned on the definition you've elected to promote.
The Energy Storage Association recognizes two LiPoly technologies - one uses liquid electrolyte, the other a dry electrolyte.
This is the question I would like to see answered.
As I stated I have had a prop cut into a cell and I have seen pictures on this forum where a cell had been shot with an air gun and had a lead pellet lodged in it with no resualting fire.
On the pack that caused your fire is it possible that the tabs shorted causing the fire. Most of my packs are home built so I can get to the tabs to do balance checks and inspect for damage but I did order two prebuilt packs that had the terminal end covered with duct tape so it is impossible to inspect the tabs for damage or to check pack balance and possible shorts.
Hoppy, that's a good find. It lists the major classifications of cells, and has two major classifications for lithiums: lithium ion and lithium polymer. Within the lithium polymer classification, it notes that "lithium ion polymer has liquid electrolyte" and "dry polymer technology uses polymer as electrolyte."
Emory has presented one person's opinion that most of the cells being sold as Li-poly are not "true" lithium polymer cells. Yet the Energy Storage Association lists both liquid and dry technologies under lithium polymer.
That indicates to me that when either the liquid or dry proponents claim that they are the only "true" lithium polymer, that it's nothing but marketing talk.
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hire Rogers as the pitching coach and Todd Jones as the bullpen coach..both know how to make the most out of what you have
The Tigers announced after today's game that pitching coach Chuck Hernandez and bullpen coach Jeff Jones have been let go.
The Tigers pitching was dreadful this year and someone was going to take the hit. I don't know that firing Hernandez is going to instantly make the staff better, but keeping him around this season certainly didn't seem to help.
The coach relationship is always kind of a fuzzy thing to evaluate because as fans we really don't know what goes on behind the scenes. So the best we can do is judge based on the results on the field, and outside of Armando Galarraga and to a lesser extent Bobby Seay, there wasn't a lot of stuff to put in the positive column this year.
To be fair, Hernandez was the pitching coach over that wonderful 2006 staff that saw career years for Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson and a dominant bullpen. But things have gone down hill, and rapidly so, ever since.
In addition to a 3rd worst league ERA, there were some other things that at the very least go into the questionable column. Chief among them was Justin Verlander dismal year. There was much tweaking of mechanics but it never led to results. Also, there was the matter of Jeremy Bonderman's elbow last year. An injury he pitched poorly with, and yet managed to hide from the coaching and medical staffs.
To Hernandez's credit, he didn't seem to be a believer in abusing the young arms that he had and there wasn't a clear case of injury due to abuse.
One thing I won't miss however is when pitchers hold a runner on with that whole, snap the ball out of the glove and hold it over your head thing.
Jeff Jones presided over a bullpen that continually struggled. Jones was the pitching coach at Toledo before getting the promotion when Don Slaught left the staff after the 2006 season. He's been up and down within the organization in the past, and I could see him continuing to be in the employ of the Tigers.
I'm sure we'll hear quotes from the pitchers about how Hernandez was great, and how it wasn't his fault. That's all well and good, but it became clear that changes need to be made in the pitching staff, and with 5 starters with favorable club control contract status or under long term contracts, it is obvious that the change is going to come at the top.
hire Rogers as the pitching coach and Todd Jones as the bullpen coach..both know how to make the most out of what you have
I almost wonder if the Rogers influence was part of the problem for some of our young guys…JV, Robertson & Bondo would all get into trouble at times in trying to nibble at the strike zone instead of attacking hitters. The result was often high pitch counts and favorable hitting counts.
They need to go out and get a guy with a track record of developing young arms.
Mark Wiley?
This is the most promising act of the season: accountability. These Tigers are not the Lions.
Umm, I'm shocked by the timing. We have another game tomorrow.
All I've seen the last two years is Chuck over tweak mechanics which has lead to crappy pitching. Is there a chance AJ Sager (I think that's his name, the Mud Hens pitching coach) might get the job? He seems to do a pretty good job down there.
Also, the conspiracy theorist in me thinks Jim was crying last night 'cause he got word from above that Chuck would be fired after Sunday.
Who gets fired because of the 14 (or is it 15?) shutouts?
I think I remember seeing several times that Hernandez's philosophy was to pitch exclusively away to righties. Seems like this was responsible for all the comfortable at-bats I've seen this tear. With Kenny and Nate presumably not in the rotation next year, it seems like a good time to get a more aggressive pitching coach. I'm not even going to pretend that I know enough to name anyone I'd like to see, but there has to be a good choice out there.
It was time for Hernandez to go. The life a pitching coach is usually short with a given organization since it usually only takes one bad year to lose your job. The Tigers clearly need to head in another direction, should be interesting to see who they go after.
this seasons failures were not Chuck's fault …that being said not one of the 2006 pitchers where Chuck was king of the world pitching coach is better in 2008 NOT ONE……he has to go
"Who gets fired because of the 14 (or is it 15?) shutouts?"
Marcus Thames.
"They need to go out and get a guy with a track record of developing young arms"
I developed 2 young arms myself. Maybe I could help.
I hear Leo Mazzone is looking for work.Look what he did for the Braves for all those years.He has my vote!
Pingback: The Spot Starters » 2008 season Chuck Hernandez » That Was Quick

subset: commoncrawl


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Thanks for thy present! None sweeter or better.
A poem for Thanksgiving Day
John Greenleaf Whittier 9 p.m., Nov. 22
(Page 3 of 5)
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, Cameron has football practice from 5:30 to 7:30, and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Bailey has cheer practice. So immediately after work, Cherise races home to pick up the kids, drops them off at practice, drives back home to start dinner, picks up the kids again, feeds them, and gets them going on their homework. Then it's bath time and bedtime.
Saturday means football games, one for each kid, up to three hours each, though sometimes in different cities so that Cherise has to choose one and send the other child with another team parent. Sundays are reserved for church, housework, and getting ready for Monday.
All that seems like more than enough, but Cherise is determined to maintain the same lifestyle her children have when their father is home. And so, in addition to everything else on the weekly schedule, she also hosts the occasional precompetition hair party, with 30 girls from Bailey's cheerleading team, and, during this past cruise, a slumber party with 13 nine-year-old boys for Cameron's ninth birthday.
Cherise's comfortable posture and easy laughter belie the military precision she employs in her husband's absence. Order, she says, is the key to keeping on top of the finances, the housework, the children's schoolwork and extracurricular activities, and her own job.
"I have a system in place and where I like things," she says. "While [Donovan] is out at sea, that's just how I adjust. I have to have things a certain way."
She wasn't always like this. She's had to learn. The first time Donovan went away, the children were six months and three and a half years old. "One on the hip and one in the hand," she says. She was also in school full-time.
"I didn't know what to expect. It was hard because you're used to seeing your spouse all the time, and then all of a sudden, they're never there, and there's all these bills. It was completely overwhelming. I cried so many times, I can't even tell you."
Cherise's small, curvy frame and the dainty manner in which she pulls out one Craisin at a time, eating with polite femininity, might give the impression that she is a delicate woman, perhaps even prone to crying. But her voice is strong, clear, and full of laughter as she details the difficulties of her life as a military spouse. Sitting across from her and listening to her story, it's hard to imagine that there was ever a time when she broke down because she couldn't handle the pressure.
"When I got married, I never thought I'd be a single parent. But what you realize is, when they leave, you are basically a single parent. You do have the benefit of the second income, so that's good, but other than that everything else is your responsibility. If one of the kids gets sick, you have to take off work and go to the doctor. There's no one to cover for you," she says. "You just put one foot in front of the other, and you get it done. I think that's how it is for a lot of moms when they have everything riding on their shoulders because their partner isn't there — or if they don't have a partner."
On Harbor Drive, at G Street Mole Park, a bronze sailor stands in a frozen embrace with his wife and child. The statue is called Homecoming. A few yards away, a 25-foot-tall sailor kisses an equally gigantic nurse. Though sculpted to replicate a photo taken on V-J Day, at the end of World War II, it, too, has come to represent that blissful moment of homecoming we see on the news when Navy ships sail into port.
All the hoopla is reserved for the reunion, which is the second stage and the part that everyone looks forward to. And though the most energy is directed toward the reunion stage, it comes and goes the fastest. News cameras zoom in on a kiss, a hug, a cheering crowd, and a sailor holding his newborn baby for the first time. Then the cameras shut off, the news blurb ends, and it's over.
The adjustment phase begins.
On February 9, 2010, in response to a friend's inquiry about how her own reintegration process was going, Rebekah Sanderlin wrote, "We're past the honeymoon part, and now we're in the pushy-houseguest-who-has-outstayed-his-welcome-and-doesn't-understand-kids part. But that's just my take on it. If you asked him, he'd probably tell you that we're at the bossy-b*@ch-who-won't-share part."
From the number of comments that each of Sanderlin's postings receives, it's clear that others relate to her and appreciate the opportunity to talk candidly about the issues she brings up.
Mary Kirby, of Fleet and Family Services, calls this final phase "the renegotiation of the family contract." Stanley Beason, in his more plainspoken manner, likens the adjustment phase to a new marriage.
"Everybody looks forward to the wedding," he says, "but then you wake up the next day and all of a sudden you're married."
Both Beason and Kirby agree that this stage is when their work is most critical.
Fleet and Family Services provides Return and Reunion workshops to help couples deal with exactly the kinds of stresses and anxieties that Sanderlin refers to. These are 45- to 60-minute classes with titles such as "Reunion: Returning to Intimacy," "New Parent: Returning to Your Bundle of Joy," "Stress & Anger Management," and "Returning From Combat/Hazardous Duty."
Each command chooses the workshops it thinks will help its sailors most. The classes are taught on board the ship while it sails from its last port to San Diego. Some command posts make certain classes mandatory; others merely recommend classes.
And not only are special workshops available to Family Readiness Groups, or families awaiting the arrival of a service member, an abundance of comic and activity books, DVDs, pamphlets, and brochures are available to help toddlers, teens, spouses, and other family members cope with the stresses of deployment and homecoming.
Great story.
great story and insight into what these families go through for our freedoms.


text: Hi all I am new to this forum and new to playing bass too. I've been playing the drums for about 2 years and decided I'd like to branch out. So I tend to play root notes to songs at the moment, preferring this to learning bass tabs off by heart as I can pick up and play a song pretty quickly this way (to a basic standard). My problem comes when the sheet music has an instruction for a capo to be put on, say, the second fret. If the sheet music then has a B chord, and I play a B (say 2nd fret of A string) it doesn't sound like the right note. So I guess this is because a guitar player would have the capo and this would change things. What I need to understand is how to transpose the chords that are written to the notes I need to play bearing in mind I don't have the capo. Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks Matt


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CORAZÓN Has Heart, Will Propagandize
At the risk of sounding like a Sundance mouthpiece, I must say that the festival has long been a champion of Latin American cinema. This year is no different, with around a dozen films either made by Latin Americans or which pertain to their experience. CORAZÓN DEL TIEMPO, an entry in the world dramatic competition, falls into both categories.
Having spent half my adult life in Latin America (that assumes I became an adult upon graduating from college, which isn't entirely true), I've long had an affinity for the region and its culture. So I'm about as sympathetic a gringo viewer as a film like CORAZÓN DEL TIEMPO can expect to have. And not only was it the first Spanish-language film I was going to see at the festival, but also the first dramatic entry, world or otherwise.
Point is, I really, desperately, wanted to like it.
(Hey, Stop wincing. I'm not about to trash the movie—not exactly.)
The film, set in an indigenous village in a Zapatista-controlled region of Chiapas, Mexico, concerns a young woman who has been betrothed (for the price of a cow) to a fellow villager whom she doesn't love. The woman, Sonia, falls instead for an insurgente, which naturally disrupts the traditional order. Meanwhile, the Zapatistas are trying to bring electricity to the village without alerting the federales who patrol the area.
To its credit, the screenplay presents the village's social complexities with subtlety rather than oversimplification, and never takes the easy route. (Sonia's fiancé, for instance, isn't demonized to justify her love of the insurgente, nor is armed conflict inevitable.) Unfortunately, the same can't be said of its political complexities. CORAZÓN DEL TIEMPO often feels like Zapatista propaganda: Only once are the insurgents characterized as anything less than angels from heaven, so I was unsurprised when the film ended with several paragraphs proclaiming unabashed support of the EZLN's armed struggle.
Okay, fine. So it's a partly a message film made by Zapatista sympathizers. Big deal. I still wouldn't have minded that much had the film not been poorly edited and acted. I can forgive the latter; the actors, as the movie's concluding paragraphs suggest, weren't professionals. But I can't find a reasonable excuse for the editing, which was maddeningly inconsistent. Jump cuts served no purpose except to disrupt an otherwise effective, meditative mood. The fact that I'm even addressing the editing—something I've never, ever done before—should indicate how egregious it is.
There are films that people want to see, for entertainment purposes. And then there are films people feel they should see—those well-intentioned works, made with a miniscule budget, that portray oppressed peoples somewhere else on Earth. I saw CORAZÓN DEL TIEMPO for another reason entirely, but if you must choose one of the above, then choose the former.


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I didn't see that as egotistical as much as being hard on himself. While it may sound like a slight to Stephanie, the truth us she (like so many Top Chef winners) seems to have dropped off the radar. Meanwhile, Blais has managed to leverage his time on Top Chef into a higher profile career as a chef and TV star. I would bet twice as many people remember Richard as they do Stephanie, even though she won.
He is a big geek, and his wheels are always turning, and he tends to express a lot that's going on in his head. But I've never seen him as being hostile, arrogant or dismissive.


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If getting embarrassed by two god awful teams in back to back games isn't enough to influence an owner to speak publicly about the terrible job that his head coach has been doing than I don't know what else could have an influence on him.
As a Knicks fan, I'm so tired and disgusted of hearing the excuses that D'antoni makes for himself and the excuses that his supporters have been making for him.A team that is nearly twice as talented as they were last year has no excuse for playing crappy basketball to teams that everyone else in the NBA has been beating.
I have a problem with Knick fans who will defend D'antoni to the very end because they don't want any negativity to take away from the Kool-Aid that they drink.What more wrong can a coach do to prove that he isn't qualified to coach a winning team?
I've said it many times before, when you can't beat teams with losing records...you yourself are either doing something the wrong way or you're just as bad as the losing teams that you play.How many teams that get into the playoffs with the 8th seed lose to bad teams on a consistent basis?
If the Knicks can't finish the first 25 games of the season with a record that is above 500 than D'antoni definitely needs to either resign or get fired.Many Knick fans did not wait 2 years to see a reenactment of the last decade.The Knicks were suppose to at least be competitive when D'antoni first took this job and all was excused when D'antoni didn't have the pieces to compete but there is no more excuses for him now that he has a roster which consists of a superstar power forward, a legit point guard, and a talented bench.


text: Johannesburg - The JSE, which made a strong turnaround on Tuesday afternoon, continued this recovery on Wednesday morning and by midday most significant indices were higher. The market was however fairly volatile and by midday some of the early momentum seemed to be lost.The recovery on Tuesday afternoon was sparked by an even more dramatic turnaround in the oil price in New York, which also pushed Wall Street higher.The oil price has been highly volatile over the past few days, with swings of $3 to $4 a day. The massive oversupply in the market still causes jitters, but the price jumped on news of talks of possible coordination between major producers to slash output.By midday on Wednesday the All-share index on the JSE was 0.69% higher at 47 862 points and the Top 40 index traded 0.62% stronger at 42 892 points. The All-share index was at one stage just above 48 000 points and the Top 40 index above 43 000 points, but by midday the intraday graph of both indices were pointing down again.What happens on Wall Street will determine how the JSE ends the day.The local market is also waiting for the announcement on local interest rates by the South African Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee. The rand was slightly firmer on Wednesday morning at R16.39 to the dollar, as the market is discounting a hike of 50 basis points. Such an increase would hurt economic growth in the short term, but economists say it may be necessary to stabilise the rand and release inflation pressure.The firmer rand supported the Financial index, which was 0.70% higher by midday with Standard Bank [JSE:SBK] 0.91% up at R103.40 and Barclays Africa Group [JSE:BGA] gaining 0.67% to R129.87. FirstRand [JSE:FSR] was however 1.47% softer at R40.75. Among the insurers, Sanlam [JSE:SLM] rose 1.21% to R53.68 and Old Mutual [JSE:OML] gained 0.33% to R36.81.The loss in momentum on the JSE was mainly due to the resources sector, which was virtually unchanged by midday after being more than 1% higher in earlier trading.The big dual-listed commodity conglomerates all gave up early gains. Anglo American [JSE:AGL], which at one stage was more than 4% higher at R60.50, at midday traded 2.09% down at R56.59. BHP Billiton [JSE:BIL] was 1.39% softer at R150.10 after reaching an intraday high of R155.65. Glencore [JSE:GLN] reached R12.10 but by midday was only 0.10% stronger at R20.07.The commodity sector is still hampered by concerns about the slowdown in China, and the Chinese stock market fell sharply over the past two days on news of poor company results in the world's second-biggest economy. Disappointing Apple sales in China contributed to concern.Some of the oversold commodity companies which made strong recoveries over the past few days fell victim to profit-taking. Assore [JSE:ASR], which gained 29.7% over the previous seven days, by midday was 2.73% higher at R82.68. Kumba Iron Ore [JSE:KIO] lost 3.98% to R31.35 after gaining 28.5% over the previous seven days. African Rainbow Minerals [JSE:ARI], which gained a massive 43.63% over the past week, was only 0.33% softer at R51.68. Gold shares also took a breather on Wednesday morning on the back of a stronger rand. At midday the Gold index was 0.94% lower. Two of the high flyers of the gold rush, DRDGold [JSE:DRD] and Sibanye Gold [JSE:SIB], however reached new 52-week highs by midday. DRDGold, which gained 87.66% over the past 30 days, was 0.63% higher on a new high of R4.83. Sibanye, which is more than 50% higher than a month ago, gained 0.83% to R37.66.The Industrial index was 0.81% up as the five biggest companies on the JSE, which represent more than half of the market's value, were all higher. The world's two biggest beer companies, SABMiller [JSE:SAB] and Anheuser-Busch InBev [JSE:ANB] both reached new intraday highs.SABMiller traded 0.10% up on a new high of R884.94. AB InBev at R2 004.00 was only 0.20% stronger at midday, but the share earlier traded at an intraday high of R2 025.00. The beer giant gained almost 3% since its listing on the JSE earlier this month.Naspers [JSE:NPN] was 0.62% higher at R1 859.00 and British American Tobacco [JSE:BTI] gained 0.55% to R861.00. Richemont [JSE:CFR] traded 0.4% stronger at R103.21.


text:
With nearly 90% of Adult Americans admitting to drinking a cup of coffee everyday, there is no doubt that coffee is a must have item for you. Some drink it to start their day, some drink it to get a leg up over a mid morning slump.
Whatever your reasons, what is the best time to have a coffee and moreover, how much coffee should you be having?
A research by Harvard Medical School in 2004 revealed that instead of taking your coffee in one big gulp in the morning, it would be better if you took it in bite sized dozes throughout the day.
The bite size translates to about 2 oz. (quarter cup) of coffee every hour.
That amount will give you the maximum benefits of drinking coffee for the whole day!


text:
NRDC reports that 70% of water utilities in California do not submit the legally required plans
Twenty-four of California's agricultural water districts have submitted agricultural water management plans, leaving 55 districts out of compliance with the requirement of the Water Conservation Act of 2009, according to a new joint analysis issued by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Pacific Institute. This represents a 30% compliance rate, meaning there is much work to be done to ensure sustainable water management for the state.
"California is a dry state, expected to only get drier, yet we're also the leading agricultural state in the nation," said Claire O'Connor, agricultural water specialist for NRDC. "It's critical that agricultural water suppliers lead the way in planning for a drier future and encourage customers to be smarter about their water use."
Implementation of the Agricultural Water Management Planning Act: A Review of Agricultural Water Management Plans offers recommendations for those 55 water districts to participate in and comply with future legally required planning cycles, including: 1) California's Department of Water Resources (DWR) should offer peer-to-peer workshops to assist districts with the planning process; 2) DWR should create an online clearinghouse of plans and draft plans to facilitate public comment; and 3) DWR should hold non-compliant districts accountable, and, per the Act's mandate, refuse to consider grant and loan requests until districts submit a plan.
"When water suppliers prepare plans, the public and other stakeholders can participate in important decisions, like how water efficiency measures should be implemented," said Juliet Christian-Smith, senior research associate at the Pacific Institute. "Fortunately, we do have some good actors who are leading the way – they are setting the standard for other water districts to follow."
For example, the analysis highlights exemplary plans and activities, such as:
Agricultural water district water management plans for the 24 districts can be found here.


text:
RP FA 5 years ago
According to CSN New England's Sean McAdam, Koji Uehara's one-year deal is worth about $4.5 million.
A pretty slick grab for the Red Sox. Uehara battled a lat injury in 2012 but was among the more dominant relievers in the league when healthy, posting a 1.75 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 43/3 K/BB ratio in 36 innings. If he can stay off the disabled list, he will be great for the Red Sox.


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The Colburn Orchestra
The Colburn School
Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Yehuda Gilad, Music Director
Claire Brazeau, oboe
Jack Peña, bassoon
Danielle Belen, violin
Vardan Gasparyan, cello
Mozart Symphony No. 29
Haydn Sinfonia Concertante
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Ticketing Options:
Premium Seating: Offers priority entrance and exclusive access to the best seats in the house.
General Admission: Offers priority entrance and guaranteed entry into the hall. You may sit in any unreserved section.
Free Tickets: Seating is limited and not guaranteed, available only on a first-come, first-served basis. You must reserve a ticket in advance for free admission.
METRO Riders: Present your TAP card, Metro Employee ID, or LA County Employee ID, at the event and receive a $5 rebate at the door.
Visit Metro Trip Planner to find out how you can use public transportation to get to this event: http://socaltransport.org/tm_pub_start.php
Performance Policies:
Seating begins approximately 60 minutes prior to the concert. In consideration of our artists and patrons in the hall, late seating will take place at the discretion of management. Certain programs are performed without intermission; therefore, no late seating can be offered at those concerts.
As a courtesy to the musicians and your fellow patrons, please turn off all pagers, mobile phones, watch alarms, or other electronic devices prior to the concert, and refrain from making noise (talking, coughing, unwrapping candy) during the performance. Everyone in your party, regardless of age, must be able to sit quietly through a 2 hour concert without disturbing other patrons or the artists. Ushers will ask parents whose children are noisy or uncomfortable to take them outside of the hall. If there is repeated disruption, The Colburn School reserves the right to revoke admission and refund your ticket price.
All patrons must have a ticket to enter the hall. Information about accessibility is available by calling 213-621-1050.
When & Where
Ambassador Auditorium
131 S St John Ave
Address Line 2
Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
The Colburn School
The Colburn School is a world-class performing arts school committed to offering the highest level of instruction to students from across the globe.
Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the Community School for Performing Arts (CSPA), provides outstanding faculty and facilities to create an optimal environment where nearly 2,000 students of all ages and backgrounds can excel to their highest potential.
The school presents its students, faculty and guest artists in more than 300 performances each year, many of which are free.
For a full list of events, visit our calendar at http://www.colburnschool.edu/events.


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Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 121.1
- Total Fat: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0.4 mg
- Sodium: 272.1 mg
- Total Carbs: 17.5 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Biscuit calories by ingredient
Submitted by: WIEBS47
Number of Servings: 12
2 c flour
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
4 tbs crisco
1 c skim milk
Mis dry ingredients together. Add shortning and work in with a pastry cutter or with your fingers. Stir in milk just until dry ingredients are incorporated. do not beat or the biscuits will be tough. Drops by large rounded tablespoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serves 10- 12.
Number of Servings: 12
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WIEBS47.
Number of Servings: 12
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WIEBS47.


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This convenient 30-minute audiobook is the perfect place for you to start learning about your baby's teeth. A quick question and answer format gives you important information fast. Perfect for the caring mom on the go. Addresses forty three questions about your baby's teeth including "When should I start brushing my baby's teeth?" and "Do pacifiers make teeth crooked?"
©2013 Trout Lake Media (P)2013 Trout Lake Media
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Get Discount Lift Tickets and Ski Passes for Any Utah Resort
Take Advantage of Discount Prices for Your Next Mountain Adventure
Scheduling a winter trip can be hard, especially when the price of getting on the mountain seems out of reach. The experts at Utah Ski & Golf can help by providing passes and lift tickets at discounted rates at their many locations around Salt Lake City. They can fulfill the desires of locals and travelers alike with their amazing demos and rentals as well as saving you the expenses at the resort. Their staff is expert at knowing exactly which resort has the best deal and how to help equip you for that location's terrain and weather conditions. These deals are unique to Utah Ski & Golf because of our relationships with the local resorts. We also buy in bulk and pass the savings on to you . Thrill seekers will get their adrenaline kick more often by utilizing these special discount offerings for lift tickets and ski passes only available at Utah Ski & Golf. Call today to find out our latest offerings and deals.
Discount Lift Tickets and Ski Passes
Much of the hassle with skiing is deciding how to afford the expense of this wonderful pastime. People enjoy the thrill of accelerating down the mountain at maximum speeds in the brisk air but can be quickly intimidated by the sticker-shock when they shell out the dough for a single day pass. For this and many other reasons Utah Ski and Golf of Salt Lake City has made arrangements with the local resorts to provide discount lift tickets and asses to locals and travelers, providing an affordable and exciting day on the mountain.
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Utah Ski & Golf has a great way for visitors and locals to enjoy the resorts this winter season. By offering the opportunity to buy discount lift tickets and passes for the resorts around Salt Lake City, Utah Ski & Golf lets you buy more fun during your ski adventure. You can buy everything you need to enjoy the day skiing. Supplying everything from rentals to lift tickets, our trusted professionals can ensure you're fully prepared for your day on the slopes.


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DoubleTree by Hilton Denver - Aurora
Select your stay dates to check availability
DoubleTree by Hilton Denver - Aurora
About the hotel
Property Location
With a stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Denver - Aurora in Aurora, you'll be in the suburbs and close to Cherry Creek State Park and Town Center at Aurora. This hotel is within close proximity of Aurora History Museum and Kennedy Soccer Complex.
Make yourself at home in one of the 248 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. 32-inch LCD televisions with premium TV channels provide entertainment, with wired and wireless Internet access available for a surcharge. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and complimentary weekday newspapers.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a 24-hour fitness center. Additional amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, gift shops/newsstands, and wedding services. Getting to nearby attractions is a breeze with the complimentary area shuttle that operates within 5 mi.
Enjoy a meal at a restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, express check-out, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Planning an event in Aurora? This hotel has 14,000 square feet (1301 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center, conference space, and meeting rooms. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary (available on request), and a train station pick-up service is also provided at no charge.
Hotel Facilities
- ATM/banking
- Spa tub
- Conference center
- Bar/lounge
- Free airport transportation
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (meters) - 1301
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Free area shuttle
- Total number of rooms - 248
- Restaurant
- 24-hour front desk
- Free self parking
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Multilingual staff
- Wedding services
- Free WiFi
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Free train station pickup
- Conference space size (feet) - 14,000
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Conference space
- Number of meeting rooms - 12
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Indoor pool
- Meeting rooms
- Express check-out
Room Facilities
- Wired high-speed Internet access (surcharge)
- Private bathroom
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Desk
- Climate control
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Phone
- Iron/ironing board
- Premium bedding
- Refrigerator
- Hair dryer
- Free weekday newspaper
- Microwave
- Coffee/tea maker
- Premium TV channels
- Video-game console
- Cable TV service
- Daily housekeeping
- MP3 docking station
- Room service (limited hours)
- Air conditioning
- WiFi (surcharge)
Hotel Policy
Know Before You Go
- Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: USD 12.95 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
- Fee for in-room high-speed Internet (wired): USD 12.95 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.00 per stay
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy


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Joydeep Bakshi wrote: > I have this card and Xfree86-4 server. I select x11 as driver with mplayer > like 'mplayer -fs -vo x11 .........' but can't get the fullscren. then I try Try mplayer -vo x11 -fs -zoom -- Cheers, Sven Arvidsson http://www.whiz.se PGP Key ID 760BDD22
Description: Digital signature


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Buffalo school officials should refrain from signing any documents until after the election
Buffalo School Board members should not sign any document, unless it's urgent, until after the May elections, and maybe not until a new board is seated in July.
Superintendent Pamela C. Brown's judgment is untrustworthy. Better to wait for a newly elected board in less than a month, when it is likely that she will be replaced. Indeed, with all that has occurred in recent weeks, it shouldn't have to wait until then. Surely one of the board members who voted to retain her last year has, by this time, seen the light.
But people become locked into their positions. That's a fact of life. For that reason, barring critical matters – legally required documents, urgent matters of safety, etc. – the board should take no significant actions until after the elections. To do otherwise is to risk ensnaring the district in a contract that is the product of the superintendent's unseemly manipulation.
Here's the latest: The consulting firm that once employed three high-ranking and controversial school administrators, two of whom were fired Wednesday, could make as much as $90,000 from a new contract. This is despite the fact that the district's own review team rated it in the middle of the pack of 11 firms competing for the job.
The Arizona-based Evans Newton Inc. has become one of the familiar names associated with the district and its troubles. It once employed Interim Deputy Superintendent Mary Guinn, Yamilette Williams and Faith Alexander.
Williams and Alexander were fired this week because they lacked the required certifications to do their jobs. Guinn's appearance in the school district as a highly paid consultant under another firm and then reappearance in the district as interim deputy without the board's knowledge caused its own stir.
However coincidental, or not, the thread that connects all three traces back to Evans Newton. The educational firm is back in the news. It was also recommended to be the "turnaround specialist" at nine of the city's troubled schools. Problem is, School Board members say the documents presented to them for a vote never listed the company. They say the name of the turnaround specialist was left as "TBD," or to be determined, on the documents they approved, but that Evans Newton was inserted by the time the forms were submitted to the state for approval.
Evans Newton was one of several organizations that responded to the request for proposals, according to Brown, who said it indicated it could provide services in leadership coaching. The superintendent went on to say that the district was looking at bids with respect to different coaching leadership models. Evans Newton not only had the model the district deemed most beneficial, but it also had the lowest qualified bid.
There's still time. Brown said that the district is in the process of determining which organization would provide leadership coaching for administrators in the nine schools. The board voted on preliminary recommendations.
This all has to do with a request for proposals for a company to serve as a "turnaround specialist" to train teachers at these nine trouble schools: D'Youville Porter Campus, Early Childhood Center, East High, Frank A. Sedita Elementary, Hamlin Park, Harvey Austin, Lafayette High, West Hertel Academy and Stanley M. Makowski Early Childhood Center.
Evans Newton was among 11 companies that responded to the request, and the district's review committee rated it in the middle of the pack. Board members were supposed to vote on the documents Feb. 12 but thankfully hesitated because the members had not been given the applications beforehand for review. They said they received the applications before a special meeting Feb. 19, but none of those school improvement grant papers had the name Evans Newton on them.
Brown continues to engage in subterfuge with the School Board and public. When does it stop? That's right, when the new board gets seated. Brown's ouster should come sooner.


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* Prices may differ from that shown
I absolutely adore my Sony KDL-26S3000U - I bought it to replace an ageing Samsung 17 inch LCD, and it's been fantastic. It's actually completely outshone the £700 Toshiba we have in our living room.
First, let me start with the ease of use. The remote is excellent - a great button arrangement, nice to hold and with a reasonable range. It's the menus on the TV its self that are brilliant though. The EPG is fantastically easy to use, even offering a 'VCR' mode that, when set, automatically switches the channel over to the desired program so your VCR can record it. It'll also remind you of when a desired program is about to start - something that, bizzarely, my £180 Humax freeview box doesn't do.
Also included is a 'timer', which automatically switches the TV on at a desired time. I've found this particularly handy and use it as a sort of clock-radio. You can set this to come on just once, every day, or for Monday-Friday. A superb idea.
The KDL-26S3000U has a wide range of inputs - there's a couple of scarts, 2 HDMIs, Component, Composite, VGA, S-Video, you name it. It's also got a handy phono output that allows me to directly connect it to your hifi or surround sound system (which I have done). Speaking of which, there's also a handy 'sound offset' feature in the menus to ensure that sound matches to the picture even if your hifi system delays the sound slightly (which mine does). Very thoughtful.
Surprisingly I haven't actually connected this to anything hi-def yet- I'm yet to make the upgrade to Sky HD or Blu-Ray. However, I have connected my laptop through the VGA port and the quality has been excellent. It makes for excellent gaming, I'll give it that.
The only niggle I have is that there's no manual 'off' switch. The digital button on the top actually takes it out of standby and makes it unresponsive to the remote (and stops the alarm clock function from working), but I'm not entirely sure if it actually kills the power completely. This is a little annoying, but it's still more than most LCDs offer you.
Sound quality is actually surprisingly good. I usually send the audio through my hifi, but for the alarm clock function I set it to go through the speakers (purely because my hifi doesn't have an alarm clock function to get it to turn on at the same time). And it's quite impressive. Obviously it's not all that bassy, but still perfectly adequate for watching normal TV.
An excellent all-rounder, basically :) I've been converted to Sony!
The Sony KDL-26S300 is a 26 inch flat panel LCD HDTV that is part of Sony's Bravia S-Series. It cost £370 from www.directtvs.co.uk - over £100 cheaper than on Amazon at the time proving that it really does pay to shop around for a new TV. It was very east to set up with everything more or less happening automatically as soon as you switch it on or plug them in. The set is a well built and sleekly designed right down to the stylish remote control. It perhaps doesn't possess the aesthetic qualities of a Samsung or of Sony's more expensive Bravia models, but it does have a lustrous streamlined finish often associated with the Sony Bravia range and certainly adds an element of style to my already ultra modern lounge area.
The Sony KDL-26S300 comprises full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution which is still quite unusual on 26" screen televisions. Unlike most 32" models, there are only two HDMI inputs on this set which might prove problematic for some people. There are also two scart sockets along with composite, component and s-video inputs. This model offers full digital audio and video integration. The set features HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) and PC connectivity that lets you easily hook up to your PC and other components.
Picture Quality
This television produces a picture with very fine detail and a clear and sharp image, especially when in High Definition (HD) mode. In the past I have often been disappointed in the contrast range of many LCD televisions on the market. The 26S3000's seems to have moved forward a notch and produces strong black levels in the shadows and importantly it lacks the drab grey cast that seems to overlay darker images on many earlier LCD screens. According to Sony, it is the combination of the Bravia engine and WCG-CCFL backlight technology that enables this set to produce truer and more accurate colour tones for enhanced picture depth and clarity. Overall I was impressed with the depth of colour range and colour contrast. As is often associated with many Sony visual products, the colours produced retain an impressive vibrancy that is often lacking in cheaper brands. This is no doubt due to the Bravia engine full digital video processor.
The TV has both a 800:1 'on screen' contrast ratio and a 6000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Both are more than adequate in producing excellent image quality. I found the viewing angle of 160 degrees on this set more than satisfactory. There is some reduction in colour quality if you view at an extreme angle with the image becoming paler and there is some acute darkening of the screen if viewed from and angle above or below. However, as my room seating arrangements are such that the screen can only be viewed more or less straight on and level with the viewer's eye line when seated, this is never a problem. One nice feature I like is the innovative inbuilt light sensor that monitors the ambient light of your living room so as to automatically adjust screen brightness.
Unlike some higher range models, this S-series model does not include a digital amplifier for enhanced sound. It relies solely on Virtual Dolby and BBE ViVA HD3D technology. However, as I, like many I imagine, use an external surround sound speaker system, the sound quality has never been an issue. Although even without external speakers the sound is more than satisfactory. In my opinion the sound quality is much better than that on Samsung BDX series TVs that I've heard.
This could be considered an entry level LCD TV, not top of the range, but ideal if you are intending to make your first purchase of an LCD TV. There are better TVs out there if you're prepared to fork out more cash and you will also find similar sized LCVD TVs selling in Tesco's for a lot less, but I would argue in terms of all round value for money the Sony KDL-26S3000 is a fair deal to be had in today's saturated TV market place.


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Thousands of anti-capitalist demonstrators have taken part in a second day of protests at the World Economic Forum summit in Melbourne, Australia. A police spokesman said that the situation was under control and all of the delegates had gained access to the meeting. The chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates, was earlier forced to cancel an address to 4,000 Australian schoolchildren because of fears that the event would be disrupted.
The demonstrators have taken to the streets over concerns about the impact of globalisation on the poor. The opening of the Asia-Pacific WEF meeting at Melbourne's Crown Casino Monday was marked by violent protests, during which at least four demonstrators and a policeman were hospitalised. Protesters have claimed that more than 100 of their number were injured by baton-wielding police.
All 850 delegates managed to get into the conference, unlike on the first day when pickets blocked entry to almost a quarter. Police baton-charged protesters today, after deciding that tougher tactics were needed to break the siege and get delegates into the summit. Among the protesters were two New Zealand Green MPs who were trampled as they sat with hundreds of other anti-globalisation demonstrators. Protest organisers said that, of those injured, 11 needed hospital treatment because of what they claimed was police brutality and heavy-handed tactics to break up a "peaceful" protest demonstration.
Protest organisers complained to the ombudsman for Victoria state accusing police of inappropriate use of batons, hazardous use of horses, misusing fire hoses and driving vehicles at high speed through demonstrators. Protesters, for their part, threw urine, ball bearings, rocks and other missiles at police and their horses and threw nails under car tyres. Five police officers and a horse received minor injuries in the scuffle. However, Victoria's state premier Steve Brack praised police tactics and restraint. Conference delegates had no complaints.
Almost 10,000 protesters, including Trotskyists, anarchists, students, gay rights activists, environmentalists and even school children, began the blockade yesterday. Their numbers had dropped by two thirds on Tuesday morning, but were swelled again by 5,000 trade unionists rallying in support of the campaign.


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Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for most, but for some it only brings back hurt. It's hard to be hopeful when the memory of a lost loved one is ever present. Through this song, my goal has been to provide a little bit of hope to those hurting during the Holiday season. Merry Christmas, everyone! Enjoy!
Stream on Youtube:
Download free on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/micah-…/when-...ristmas-single
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MicahGreaneyMusic/
Enjoy, guys! Hope everyone is doing well.


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B B X R T: A Preview to Astronomical X-ray Spectroscopy in the 90's : Journal Papers and Selected Conference Contributions
Peter J. Serlemitsos, Sandra J. Shrader
X-Ray Astrophysics Branch, Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 1993 - X-ray spectroscopy - 595 pages
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accretion disk arc minutes Astro-D Astrophysics background BBXRT data BBXRT observation best fit blackbody bremsstrahlung Broad Band X-Ray calibration central pixel cluster column density consistent continuum cooling flow count rate Crab detected detector edge effective area Einstein emission line equivalent width ergs EXOSAT Fe abundance Fe K line Figure fraction Galactic Gaussian High Energy ionization parameter ionized absorber iron line keV band line emission line energy low energy luminosity measured mirror MNRAS Mushotzky nucleus off-axis optical depth outer pixels oxygen partial covering Perseus cluster Petre photon index photons pixels plasma power law radius ratio redshift region ROSAT scattering Serlemitsos Seyfert Seyfert galaxies shows soft component soft excess soft X-ray solar spatial spectral fitting spectroscopy starburst galaxies stars supernova remnants temperature thermal upper limit variability X-ray Astronomy X-ray binaries X-ray emission X-ray spectrum


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If you're going out of town for Thanksgiving, using smart packing techniques can help you save money, especially if you're flying.
Many airlines are charging a fee for your checked luggage on flights, but you can also be billed more if your bag is too heavy.
Follow these tips from Mori Luggage & Gifts to prevent overweight fees at the airport, spokeswoman Jayme Schwartz said.
10 Tips for Packing Smart and Light:
1. Wear items that can be worn more than once and wear your heaviest/bulkiest shoes instead of packing them.
2. Try to take only one or two pairs of shoes.
3. Transfer beauty products and toiletries from glass or heavy containers to smaller plastic ones.
4. Make a list of everything you think you will need, lay the items in front of you, then force yourself to take at least one-third fewer than what you've laid out.
5. Take clothes in basic, versatile colors (black, navy, etc.) that coordinate well into several outfits.
6. Use packing folders and cubes to maximize space and keep your suitcase organized. The organizers have see-through mesh covers so that if your bag needs to be searched by security, they don't necessarily have to rifle through your clothes.
7. Space Saver compression bags are another great packing tool. These bags squeeze the air out of clothing, which is especially good for bulky items such as sweaters and jackets. They are also great for packing dirty clothes.
8. Remember the 3-1-1 rule about liquids in carry-on bags: 3 ounce bottle or less ; 1 quart-size, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin.
9. Squeeze the extra air out of bottles to prevent them from exploding from the air pressure.
10. Pack a travel luggage scale if you're worried about increased weight on your return flight. They are compact and range in price from $9.95 to $29.95.
More ways to save: If you have a tight travel budget, you can fund your trip with hotel rewards points.
Hotel rewards programs are becoming increasingly popular and flexible. However, it's important to check the details.
According to The Associated Press, customers are redeeming their Hilton HHonors points at an all-time high since Hilton Hotels Corp. announced in January that it would eliminate blackout dates.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced in September that its members could choose rewards from a dozen different options through the end of the year. These options include free nights, bonus points and gift cards.
Marriott International Inc. will eliminate blackout dates under its Marriott Rewards program Jan. 15. Under Marriott's new system, members will be able to redeem points for free nights at 2,900 hotels every day of the year. For every four-night stay redeemed, members can extend that stay by one day free.
If you missed The Pinch last week, here are some highlights:
PACK YOUR OWN LUNCH: If you eat out for lunch every day, you're spending a lot of extra money on food. At most fast-food restaurants, value meals are priced, on average, about $5. That's $25 each week if you eat out for five days, and for an entire month, it totals $100.
If you eat at dine-in restaurants, you can easily spend much more. What's the remedy? Take your own lunch.
Before you sigh wearily, consider your options. There are plenty of tasty, low-cost meal choices for lunchtime. You can take leftovers from dinner, a sandwich or one of many frozen entrÃe options.
Packing your lunch might also help you to eat more healthfully. In many instances, the foods that we enjoy the most might not be the best choices for our bodies.
ASK FOR A RAIN CHECK: If a store is a having a great sale and runs out of merchandise, you can ask for a rain check to still take advantage of the savings.
Many grocery stores will offer rain checks if they run out of sale items. Simply go to the customer service desk to request the rain check, which is a small slip of paper that includes the name of the item, sale price and date of receipt.
At Kroger, for instance, the rain check must be redeemed within 30 days of the date listed.
WIN FREE PARTY SPACE: Do you want to hold a party but your funds are low? Casa Blanca, a new coffee cafà in the White's Building in downtown Augusta, is holding a drawing for free space for a group party or special event.
The winner will be selected Sunday, Nov. 30, at Casa Blanca, 936 Broad St. Entry forms must be received at the cafe by Saturday.
For entry forms, go online to casablancatime.com or stop by Casa Blanca. There is a $20 entry fee for the drawing, and participants must be 18 or older. For more information, call (706) 495-4356.
Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
READ LATINA EMERSON'S blog on saving money and shopping smarter in Augusta at blogs.augusta.com.


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Students shine at sales and marketing national conference
Student participants included Rachael Nissim, Matthew Kolbusz, Devon Downs, Jon Sanchez, Eric Marion and Andrew Gordon.
For the first time ever, Rider students competed at the Pi Sigma Epsilon National Conference, where they earned scholarships and accolades for their hard work while also networking and learning from top professionals in the marketing industry.
The mission of Pi Sigma Epsilon is "to develop the sales and marketing skills of its members through experiential learning and professional opportunities."
Rider's Zeta Psi chapter included six student delegates, who ranged from first year marketing majors to a senior focused on finance. The conference, held in Miami from April 8 to April 12, allowed them to both learn and compete against other chapters from across the country in the Pro-Am Sales Competition, the Recruitment Fair Challenge and the Case Study Competition.
Rider students did well in the Pro-Am Sales Competition, competing individually among 150 other students. Rachael Nissim placed in the top 30 against students from the College of New Jersey, Ohio State and Virginia Tech among others.
In another challenge, participants were asked to create new marketing materials for Southwestern Advantage. The Northeast Regional team to take first place included Jon Sanchez from Rider University. Sanchez was also one of five team finalists for the Regional Conference Marketing Challenge Award.
In addition, the PSE National Education Foundation recognized freshman Andrew Gordon from Rider with a scholarship that allowed him to attend the PSE National Convention and awarded him with a travel scholarship for this year. Gordon was also one of only eight students who was asked to be part of the PSE 2014 Future Leaders Team.
Finally, the top scholarship available at the conference is the Whan Memorial Scholarship given by Dorothy Whan in memory of her husband, Jake. Rider student Matt Kolbusz was this year's recipient of this prestigious $1,500 award.
Students also had numerous opportunities to meet other competitors with similar career interests and to attend seminars and lectures focused covering topics such as "Beyond the 7 Steps to a Sale: Relationships and Overcoming Rejection" and "Branding Yourself for Success" among others.
They were also invited to take part in a career fair and to network with others over the course of the conference.


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All Android applications categories
Brand new Physics Puzzler!
Touch the screen to place new piece, it will fall down, keep making pieces until the stack reaches the target square.
Last piece must keep touching the square for 3 seconds to advance level.
Need brains and speed to beat the stack.
Stack random pieces up to the target!
Realistic gravity and physics!
Very simple and very addicting.
Gets progressively harder until near-impossibility!
Can you make the ultimate tower up to level 22?
**Touch to place new random shape.
Difficulty increases gradually.
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Family Business, Employment, and GDP
We analyze the proportion of family business and its contribution to employment and gross domestic product (GDP). Our analysis adds to the literature by including all listed firms and by investigating a longer period than has heretofore been reported. The main contribution is to extend the analysis to include all firms in the economy using census data. Our study is devoted to the case of Sweden. Family business makes up half of the listed firms, and three quarters of all firms, accounting for one-fourth of total employment, and one-fifth of GDP. Their importance has increased during the period studied.
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|25 pages
|Date of creation:
|17 Nov 2009
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: The Ratio Institute, P.O. Box 5095, SE-102 42 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 08-441 59 00
Fax: 08-441 59 29
Web page: http://www.ratio.se/
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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Shower Radio in Blue
It's more fun showering with a partner, especially if that partner is a Conair SR11 shower radio. With AM and FM reception, you can hear your favorite music, listen to talk shows, and catch up on the news.


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At Gemvara, we believe that the rose gold multistone trillion emerald jewelry you wear should be precious because it's personal. Every beautiful Gemvara design is made just for you, in your choice of gems and precious metals. Your child's birthstone in palladium. Your favorite gem in platinum. Add your own meaning to every design, creating beautiful memories and brilliant reminders. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from a wedding or Valentine's Day to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your rose gold multistone trillion emerald jewelry with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Our wide selection of rose gold multistone trillion emerald jewelry by Randy Dixon, Damon Washington, Carl Ansley, and other talented designers means you can find jewelry that's just your style. Our gemstone jewelry designs are beautifully hand-crafted with each of the individual gems set by hand. Emerald shimmers with the rich, verdant color of spring. The three sides of trillion cuts arc gracefully, allowing the cutter to create more facets and more brilliance. The most popular rose gold alloy, 14-karat rose gold is 58.5% pure gold with copper added for color. Its rosy glow flatters skin tones. Clean your rose gold multistone trillion emerald jewelry with mild dish soap: use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality rose gold multistone trillion emerald jewelry is designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
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Monthly office visits expensive ???
I am new to the pain management world and i have a question. i need to see the pain mgmt people every month to get a refill for my NUCYNTA. The office there said it should not be as expensive as a regular office visit since it would be with a physician assistant. Anyone here know the deal with these visits??
my insurance is with Medical Mutual of Ohio.:dizzy:
Re: Monthly office visits expensive ???
Some medications can only be filled for 30 days because they are not allowed to be refilled, this forces you to go to the doctor every 30 days. It's up to the doctrine on what she wants to charge, a lot of the times will charge level III or level IV for your appointments. The difference is about $50 where I live. The different levels is based on the amount of time the doctor spends with you in the amount of stuff he discusses with you.
Hope this helps.
Be well,
Re: Monthly office visits expensive ???
The cost will depend on your insurance plan. Mine is the same co-pay regardless of whether I see a Dr., a PA, or a NP. The best way to find out is to call your insurance company and ask, the phone number should be on your insurance card. The co-pay's for mine are printed right on the card.
Re: Monthly office visits expensive ???
if i call my insurance what do i ask? do i ask for what they charge for a level 3 or 4 office visit?:confused:
Re: Monthly office visits expensive ???
the doctor's office can charge 50 bucks or 500. the insurnace company has nothing to do with what the docs office charges. the insurance company will tell you how much of that doctor visit they will cover. i would expect that if you are goibg in for one script to be refilled then they will charge the same or slightly less than a regular office visit. call the doc's office and ask for the billing department and ask them your question and they will tell you exactly what they will charge you.
|All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:34 AM.


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Welcome TO TN Computer Technology
TN Computer Technology is determined to be the leading provider of computer and networking related services in middle Tennessee. We strive to provide our clients with the highest quality services, and exceed expectations. Our integrity, honesty, and continuously expanding skills will provide us with a competitive advantage over our competition.
Our office is located in Franklin, TN. We offer both onsite and remote IT services. We service a wide variety of clients in the legal, financial, real estate, medical, retail and construction fields, as well as others. TCT has several technicians on staff that can service nearly all your computing and networking needs, from basic help desk support, to Cloud integration, to multi-site redundant server implementations, we can help. We offer both Managed Service Provider comprehensive maintenance agreements, as well as billing based on time and materials to best accommodate your IT needs and budget.
Feel free to call us for more information or to arrange a service call or free business consultation.
Latest News
MayTCT is hiring!
TCT has an immediate opening for Tier 1 Information Systems Technician. Candidates should submit their resume to firstname.lastname@example.com. Read more..
AprR.I.P. Windows XP. 2001-2014
Windows XP and Office 2003 support from Microsoft ends today. Read more..
DecTCT Announces Online Backup Service for 2014
TCT will begin providing online backup services in 2014. Read more..
DecTCT Maintenance Agreements Now Available
TCT announces unlimited help desk support for clients. Read more..
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We provide solutions for all your technology needs. Computers, Servers, Networking, Software, Cloud.
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IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY DAY… no complaints here!!!
The water is a lovely shade of blue today yet the beach looks lonely
and in need of more carefree footprints on it.
School will be letting out soon. There are still a couple weeks to enjoy SPRING RATES and receive your return or senior discounts OR come midweek and receive a 10% off midweek rate.
It's so easy – just give a call OR browse online and reserve – and you can enjoy a relaxing beach front get-away while letting your cares drift away.
Stay at the Beach.
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4676 Glidden Dr Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(888)281-1127 (920)746-3900 firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Severe Weather seen this morning across the area is now over. We did see numerous reports of downed trees and power lines across the Carolinas. Scattered showers and a few storms will remain through midday, with high wind gusts over 40 mph possible. Skies will begin to clear this afternoon.
Believe it or not, the concern this evening shifts toward cold weather as temperatures dropping into the mid 30's could cause problems for certain plants.
Nice warm weather returns late-week.
– Meteorologist Tim Buckley


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If you are trying to get out of debt and you're savvy enough to be reading personal finance blogs then you've probably heard of "The Debt Snowball". I'm sure Brad has you all well aware it. If not, I'll explain it really quickly.
A debt snowball is when you line up all your debts and the organize them from smallest balance to largest balance. You make the minimum payments on all debts except the one with the smallest balance. On the debt with the smallest balance you pay the minimum payment plus every single extra dollar you can get your hands on. Once that is paid off you move on to the next smallest balance and so on until your debt is gone.
Simple enough.
There is some controversy about the debt snowball because it doesn't take the debt's interest rate into account. Which is a valid concern. If you pay off your debts using the same method as above but organize them from highest to lowest interest rate instead then you will have your debts paid off a bit sooner. This method has come to be known as "The Debt Avalanche".
So which is better?
Well, as with pretty much everything in personal finance, it depends. Your personal situation is, well… personal. So to help you get a handle on your debt elimination plan I wanted to share this very cool Debt Snowball Calculator. It's an Excel spreadsheet and totally free to download. I like it better than other ones I've seen for a couple of reasons. One, it does up to 20 different loans. Two, you can choose to use the debt snowball, the debt avalanche, or any other order. It will allow you see how much difference it really makes between all the different ways to pay down your debt.
You might like the snowball method for it's motivation and quick results but feel like you are wasting money keeping high interest rate loans hanging around. Well, with this calculator you can really see exactly how much extra interest you're paying. It might be worth it, it might not. Or maybe you really want to get rid of your big car payment before you concentrate on other debts. You can see how that will affect things too!
Another really neat feature about this spreadsheet is that you can also add in some "snowflakes". Snowflakes are one time payments to your debt that aren't part of your regular monthly snowball. On the second tab of the spreadsheet you can plug in these snowflakes and see what an impact they make.
I think being able to see your future progress all laid out is extremely motivating. With this you get to see the exact date of your freedom from debt and all the little miles stones along the way. When you see it in black and white how can you not follow through? It's easy to ignore when it's a foggy idea. When it's just an idealistic concept you can pretend it's not for you. But when it's laid out step by step, month by month, with freedom just hanging there waiting for you to grab it, you can't just walk away. You have to go for it!
Image courtesy of Randy Cox


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The image was one I found on line originally. Maybe I'll post that tomorrow so you can see what I made the kaleidoscopes from.
Thank you both PJ and Kirsten.
Such lovely colours. Thanks Gail. :)))
That must be a lovely garden - to give such a nice puzzle.


text: I have a Raidmax ATX-568WBP case, and Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU. Yet, i still hear something noisy. I've ruled it down to the Q6600's fan. The BIOS shows the RPM at over 3200. It's a 4-Pin fan, and i have 'CPU Quiet Fan' enabled in BIOS, but it does NOT cut the racket. Does the stock fan of the Q6600 have PWM? Is the fan on it sleeve bearing, do i need one that's Rifle or Ball bearing? What's a good alternative quiet fan (>21 dBA) for under $30? Preferably, NOT with push-pin clips, since they're a pain to put on. Some help would be great.


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June PS Plus: Here are your free PS4, PS3 and Vita games for the U.S.
Sony has just announced the lineup of free PlayStation Plus games for the month of June in the United States, and it's quite similar to what they are getting in Europe. Similar to across the sea, Sony is changing up certain parts of the PlayStation Plus service. For starters, every PlayStation platform (PS4, PS3, and Vita) will get two free games per month, beginning in June. Additionally, Sony is also adjusting the length of time each title will be available. Starting in July, every title in the Instant Game Collection will be available on the first Tuesday of the month, and will be free for the month, until the first Tuesday of the following month, essentially removing the guesswork of how long the game will be available for free.
"In the coming weeks, you'll see that several of the titles that have had a nice, long stint in the Instant Game Collection will be phased out, so if you're new to the service and haven't had a chance to download all of the titles available through PS Plus — or if you've been thinking about subscribing but haven't yet — now is the perfect time to get all the great games available with PS Plus," said SCEA's John Koller, VP of Platforms Marketing.
Now, on to your free PS Plus games for the month of June:
PlayStation 4 (PS4)
Trine 2: The Complete Story: A puzzle platformer set in a gorgeous fantasy world. While playing, you'll switch between three different heroes (a thief, warrior, and mage) to complete the journey.
Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate: A twin stick shooter that involves blasting things, exploration and puzzle-solving. Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate combines the campaigns of Shooter 1 and 2 into a single package with new features (cross-play and cross-save) and optimizations.
PlayStation 3 (PS3)
NBA 2K14: It seems like an odd time to release this for free, given that we are so close to the end of the 2014 NBA season (and a few games away from the Heat claiming their third championship). Perhaps Sony is thinking the playoffs have gotten everyone in the mood to play some basketball. We all know the only way the Pacers are making the finals is in a video game. If anything, this will hodl you over until the release of NBA 2K15 in October.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time: The pages fo the Thievius Raccoonus are disappearing, and now Sly Cooper and the gang must get back together to save the Cooper Clan legacy from being destroyed forever. Since this is a cross-buy title, downloading it for free on PS3 also means you'll get it for free on the Vita next month as well.
PS Vita
Terraria: Dig, fight, explore, and build. Featurin gover a dozen environments and hundreds of items to craft and enemies to defeat, the precedurally generated world of Terraria is your 2D canvas. Make it your own.
Mutant Mudds Deluxe: Mutant Mudds Deluxe is a spin on the traditional 2D platformer. That's because Max, the game's 2D sprite, can leap into the third dimension by jetting between the background and the forground playfields using his jetpack. If you love pixels, platformers, or the 8-bit or 16-bit eras, then you'll probably love Mutant Mudds Deluxe.
As usual, there's some overlap between the PS Plus games in the U.S. and Europe. See what PS Plus members in Europe are getting for free in June here.


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Bernanke: About That Housing Crisis Being Contained…
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke may never be allowed to forget his onetime expectation about how the subprime housing mess would affect the broader economy.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), asking about the housing crisis during a Senate hearing Tuesday, cited Mr. Bernanke's March 2007 comment that "the impact on the broader economy and financial markets of the problems in the subprime market seems likely to be contained."
Replied Mr. Bernanke wryly, invoking Capitol Hill terminology: "Of course, I would like to revise and extend my remarks."
The Fed chairman noted that the subprime crisis triggered much broader, unexpected trouble in financial markets. The housing market "is still under considerable stress," he said, with construction still declining even though stabilization is expected later this year or early next year.
House prices reaching an equilibrium would relieve uncertainty that's "generating a lot of stress and risk-aversion in financial markets," Mr. Bernanke said. With stabilization in the housing sector, "I think you would see a very strong bounce back" in the economy.
For that reason, Mr. Bernanke continues to stress the value of legislation to address the housing downturn over other efforts to stimulate the economy.
Asked about a second stimulus package by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.), chairman of Senate Banking Committee, Mr. Bernanke said it would take "a bit more time" to know whether additional economic stimulus would be needed. The Fed chairman's endorsement of a stimulus package at the start of the year helped push that $168 billion package onto a fast track to passage. More than $100 billion worth of direct government payments to consumers from that effort are a key reason the economy is still growing despite worries surrounding the troubled housing sector, weak employment, fragile financial markets and rising oil prices.
Many lawmakers, particularly Democrats, are calling for federal investment in infrastructure as a key part of a second stimulus package. While Mr. Bernanke said spending on infrastructure would be "well justified" to support the economy, he suggested that such projects should be "evaluated on their own merits" rather than in a short-term stimulus package. Any near-term stimulus, if it were to be considered, should include programs that are "timely, temporary and targeted" — similar to the first package — to guide money into the economy relatively quickly, Mr. Bernanke said. –Sudeep Reddy


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If you've been paying attention to right wing media lately, then you're well aware that a sinister communist plot is close to unravelling in Washington today. A supposed "ban" on incandescent light bulbs in the US is up for repeal – led by representative Joe Barton (R-TX). Voting may take place as soon as tonight.
The bill in question (HR 2417) would backtrack on 2007 legislation which, among other things, established higher efficiency standards for light bulbs. The 2007 legislation did not directly ban anything, but by raising efficiency standards, it would stop the manufacture of some present-day incandescent bulbs – a "de-facto ban" on the cheapest and most inefficient types. You'd still be able to buy more advanced incandescents, CFLs, LEDs, and other types of bulbs.
Oddly, the original 2007 bill was introduced by fellow Republican Fred Upton (R-MI) and was signed into law by President Bush without a lot of opposition from anyone. So what's changed in the past 4 years?
Barton and supporters argue that the impending "ban" is an assault on personal freedom and an infringement of "big government" into our lives – bordering on an insipid communist plot to control us all. They also argue that compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) offer inferior lighting and contain mercury which poses an environmental risk (debunked here). Finally, they argue that the increased cost of newer bulbs amounts to forcing consumers to cough up more money during hard times – although that argument is preposterous in the long term in almost all cases. It's also argued that Barton's new legislation would cost consumers upwards of $12 Billion.
Meanwhile, major light bulb manufacturers are supportive of the original legislation as they have put much effort in recent years into improving bulbs of a great many types in anticipation of their required use. Likewise pretty much anyone advocating for energy efficiency or the environment, or even American jobs (cheap bulbs come from China) is similarly aghast at losing reasonable efficiency standards.
So what's the deal?
The real question has nothing to do with saving money, or energy, or even making people's lives brighter. Rather, it's about the role that government has in regulating the free market. Although everyone agrees that some level of government regulation is required to keep the economy fair and forward thinking, it is currently very fashionable to despise anything the government mandates, whether it's a good idea or not. Let's hear it for cheap political points.
I can sympathize with the free market argument on many grounds. For example, if we correctly priced the negative externalities of our electricity production (especially burning coal) then energy would simply cost a lot more up front. This would naturally lead consumers to gravitate toward more efficient lighting and the cost of LEDs and so on would go down as technology improves.
The reality is that we live in a complex, profoundly irrational, politically charged world where raising the price of the most polluting of energy to represent it's real free-market cost simply isn't going to happen any time soon. So we need occasional government nudges to accomplish what ought to happen naturally.
Ultimately, the only purpose of this legislation is to create a frenzy of rage among Americans to dishonestly win votes. Doing so will stall innovation, waste money and energy, and build paranoia where none should exist.
I like small government. I like freedom. But I don't think mandating better light bulbs in an energy constrained world is an affront against anything other than human stupidity.
Vote wisely.


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FORT WORTH — Striking Lockheed Martin Corp. machinists will vote Thursday on a new labor deal.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Fort Worth went on strike April 23. Union members earlier rejected an offer that would have raised health care costs and eliminated pensions for new hires.
Leaders of Machinists Local 776, which represents about 3,600 striking workers, announced a tentative deal Saturday after four days of talks.
The four-year agreement, outlined Monday, says workers would get $2,000, plus annual pay increases starting at 3 percent the first year. Current basic health care plans would not change.
Workers hired after July 2, the deadline for ratification, would not get traditional pensions but instead would have a retirement savings plan and contributions from Lockheed Martin.
Madison Square Garden Co. buys L.A. Forum for $23.5M
NEW YORK — The Madison Square Garden Co. says it bought the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., for $23.5 million.
The historic arena opened in 1967 and was home to both the NBA's Lakers and NHL's Kings until they left for the Staples Center in 1999.
The venue also hosted generations of pop music acts, including Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith and Nirvana. It's currently owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which uses it for services as well as concerts.
Madison Square Garden Co., which owns the namesake New York arena along with the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's Rangers, says it plans to start renovating the Forum later this year.
Shares of MSG closed down 35 cents at $36.76.
SBA Communications buys towers in $1.45B deal
BOCA RATON — Communications tower operator SBA Communications Corp. is buying 3,252 towers in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $1.45 billion.
The transaction with affiliates of TowerCo includes $1.2 billion in cash and 4.6 million shares of SBA common stock.
The towers are in 47 states and Puerto Rico. SBA says the towers will be in great demand for future cell-splitting needs of U.S. wireless carriers.
SBA and rivals such as American Tower Corp. and Crown Castle International Corp. make money by leasing towers and other equipment to wireless carriers.
"We believe the TowerCo assets are high quality, well located and have ample capacity for additional tenants," SBA President and CEO Jeffrey Stoops said in a statement.
SBA said Tuesday that it will pay for the cash portion of the buyout with available cash, existing credit facilities and up to $900 million in financing commitments from J.P. Morgan.
The transaction comes a little more than four months after SBA announced that it would buy more than 2,300 antenna tower sites in the U.S. and Central America from Mobilitie LLC for $1.1 billion in cash and stock.
SBA, which is based in Boca Raton, Fla., said that the deal with TowerCo will immediately add to its adjusted funds from operations per share.
The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Heinz appoints new head of North American business
PITTSBURGH — H.J. Heinz Co. announced Tuesday that it has appointed Dave Woodward as executive vice president in charge of Heinz North America, its largest business segment.
Mr. Woodward, 47, was formerly the executive vice president of the company's segment that includes Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. He will assume his new role immediately.
Mr. Woodward succeeds Scott O'Hara, who is leaving Heinz to pursue other opportunities.
Heinz said it plans to name a new leader for Mr. Woodward's previous position shortly.
The company, based in Pittsburgh, makes products including Heinz Ketchup, Ore-Ida potatoes and Smart Ones entrees. Its shares fell 28 cents to $52.95.
• From wire dispatches and staff reports
Copyright © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC.


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More than 100 people attended a forum on the federal government's proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act. The meeting, called by the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council, was held in Northcote Town Hall on April 24.
Attorney-general George Brandis was invited to attend, but did not show up.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus told the meeting the government's planned changes amount to scrapping the existing law against racial vilification. He said this would give a "green light for racism".
Dreyfus said the government has misrepresented the existing law. Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate" people because of their race, but section 18D protects free speech on racial issues, provided that it is done "reasonably and in good faith".
Dreyfus said most complaints to the Human Rights Commission are resolved by compulsory conciliation. The commission can order an apology or retraction. There are no costs.
Former president of Liberty Victoria Spencer Zifcak said the current law should be amended. He said it should not be unlawful to "offend". He quoted former judge James Spigelman, who said: "The freedom to offend is an integral part of freedom of speech."
However, Zifcak said he disagrees with the government's proposed changes to the law, which would mean that racist vilification would be permissible in nearly all circumstances.
The government's proposal removes the requirement for discussion of racial issues to be carried out "reasonably and in good faith". Zifcak said Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt, who was found to have violated the Racial Discrimination Act in 2011, failed this test because his articles attacking nine Aboriginal people contained serious errors of fact.
As a result, the nine people targeted by Bolt were successful in the court case that occurred after conciliation attempted by the Human Rights Commission failed.
Zifcak suggested some possible amendments that would make the law less restrictive, without making it completely ineffective.
Hugh de Kretser, from the Human Rights Law Centre, said free speech is not an absolute right. Laws against defamation, abusive language and false advertising all limit free speech. In 1999, Tony Abbott, today the prime minister of a government that uses "free speech" as a reason for changing the Racial Discrimination Act, won a defamation case against a book publisher.
De Kretser said the Racial Racial Discrimination Act as it stands is working well. The alternative mediation process is much easier and cheaper than using the courts.
De Kretser said the nine Aboriginal people who took Bolt before the Human Rights Commission could also have sued him for defamation. However, defamation cases are very expensive.
In discussion, several audience members drew attention to the role of politicians, both Coalition and Labor, in creating hostility to Aboriginal people, refugees, and Muslim and Middle Eastern people. They noted that the existing Racial Discrimination Act had not prevented this.