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International Journal of Atmospheric Sciences
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 130786, 9 pages
Concerning the Lower Atmosphere Responses to Magnetospheric Storms and Substorms
Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics SB RAS, Lermontov Street, 126 a, P.O. Box 291, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
Received 31 January 2013; Revised 22 April 2013; Accepted 25 April 2013
Academic Editor: Helena A. Flocas
Copyright © 2013 P. A. Sedykh and I. Yu. Lobycheva. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The issue of existence and physical mechanism for solar-terrestrial couplings has rather a long history. Investigations into the solar activity effect on meteorological processes in the lower atmosphere have become especially topical recently. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of geomagnetic activity on meteorological processes in the atmosphere. We analyze the data on magnetic storms and tropical cyclones that were observed in the North Atlantic, East Pacific, and West Pacific to understand the mechanism for magnetospheric disturbance effects on complicated nonlinear system of atmospheric processes.
1. Introduction
There exist statistical correlations among geomagnetic activity, atmospheric pressure, and temperature [1–3]. Authors in [4] suggested that the observed climate response to solar variability is caused by a dynamical response in the troposphere to heating predominantly in the stratosphere.
According to [5], a tropical cyclogenesis may be "a mechanism for effective discharge of the surplus heat in the atmosphere under the conditions when the routine mechanism effect becomes insufficient." Between the solar-terrestrial disturbance parameters, on the one hand, and the cyclogenesis characteristics, on the other, various researchers endeavor to trace hard-to-detect statistical associations. In [6], the correlation between tropical cyclones and the Cycle-23 storms was investigated. The revealed coincidence between the time of origin and evolution of the 2005 August 23-24 Hurricane Katrina with the powerful geomagnetic storm main phase [7] also boosted the research in this area.
The issue of physical mechanism for solar-terrestrial couplings has long interested researchers. Many geophysicists were almost prepared to reject the idea about a solar activity effect on the lower atmosphere condition as absolutely unacceptable. And, first of all, the matter was that the atmospheric process power enormously exceeds the solar-wind input energy flux into the near-Earth space. Due to this, it seems most unlikely that solar activity could significantly affect the lower atmosphere condition. However, the research done over the last years allowed us to find a clue to overcome this inconsistency. The main objection to a possibility of the solar activity effective influence on the lower atmosphere condition and on weather, based on insufficient power of the solar wind, appears quite surmountable; see, for example, [8]. Also, like the computations in [9] show, the energy necessary to create the atmospheric optical screen (shield) is incomparably lower than the variation amplitude in the screen-induced solar energy flux arriving at the lower atmosphere.
According to [8], variations in the atmospheric ionizing radiation flux observed during geomagnetospheric disturbances cause a noticeable variation in the chemical composition and contents of small components, as well as in the atmosphere transparency. The main types of such variations are [8] (1) galactic cosmic ray intensity short-term depressions (observed during geomagnetic disturbances (Forbush decreases)) caused by dispersion of energetic charged particles by the magnetic fields transported from the solar atmosphere by the solar wind high-velocity streams; (2) solar cosmic ray flux bursts caused by solar flares.
This paper aims to investigate geomagnetic activity effects on meteorological processes and a possible effect of magnetospheric disturbances on the tropical cyclogenesis evolution character. Usually, researchers considered magnetospheric and atmospheric problems in separate papers. This paper is an attempt to combine consistent parts taken from the meteorology ionospheric and magnetospheric physics.
2. Principal Results
A magnetospheric storm is a 1–3 day long phenomenon spanning all the magnetosphere regions, and it features sharp depressions in the magnetic field. During storms and substorms, the ionosphere undergoes rather significant Joule heating with a great power of precipitating energetic particles. Huge energy increases the ionosphere temperature and causes large-scale ion drifts and neutral winds.
We used magnetograms from ground-based stations, AE-indices, Dst-indices for each magnetospheric storm, and calculated some parameters characterizing energetic aspects of magnetospheric disturbances. The aim was to investigate a possible effect of powerful magnetospheric storms on the evolution character of meteorological processes in the atmosphere to study the correlation between magnetospheric disturbances and meteorological background variations. We also address the meteorological data for 10-day periods after these disturbances.
The power of the ionosphere's Joule heating is either calculated through the Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) [10] or estimated based on empirical formulas as the AE-index function [11]: , where is in GWatt and the AE-index is in nT. The power of the energetic particles precipitating into the ionosphere can be also estimated based on empirical formulas [12]. We also used the databases for hurricanes at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml, http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hurricane_tracks, and http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/ushurrlist18512007.txt. To study the surface pressure, the temperature, and other characteristics, we used the data at ftp://ftp.cdc.noaa.gov/. The information on tropical cyclones was obtained from http://russian.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp?region=at.
The 1986 May 3 magnetospheric storm over the (0000-1100) UT interval was studied within the international CDAW9C (Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop) Project and represented a 4-substorm chain [13]. This event refers to magnetospheric storms that occurred during solar Cycle-21. It featured the AE-index reaching the values of about 1400–1500 nT, whereas the Dst-index reached only −70–80 nT (see Figures 1 and 2). Because this storm comprised 4 substorms, we detected the substorm phases by timing each of the 4 substorms. Following [14, 15], we will term these phases the growth phase (1), the actively-convective phase (2), the expansion (explosive) phase (3), and the recovery phase (4).
In summary, the data on the 1986 May 3 event (Figures 1 and 2) could be used to trace each substorm phase contribution (energy loading-unloading) to the composite set of processes in the lower atmosphere.
The 1989 March 13-14 magnetospheric storm refers to one of the strongest magnetospheric storms observed since the space era onset and occurred during solar Cycle-22, see, for example, [16, 17]. The geomagnetic storm reached the maximal intensity on 1989 March 13 when the Dst-index reached a record value of about −600 nT [16, 17]. To save space, we do not give the illustrations for the 1989 March 13-14 event here. There are many papers describing this storm.
The 2003 October-November solar activity sharp burst led to strong magnetospheric storms with the 2003 October 28–31 high AE-index values and Dst-index of about −400 nT [18]. For the reasons above, we do not give the illustrations for this event here.
3. Discussion and Conclusions
As one can see (Figures 1, 3, and 4), the ionosphere underwent rather a significant Joule heating with a great power of precipitating energetic particles. Nevertheless, there were no abnormal variations in the lower atmosphere meteoparameters. The variations in physical characteristics of hurricanes (wind velocity, temperature, and pressure distribution) were not associated with high magnetic activity both in the high-latitude regions and in the mid-latitude ones (Figures 5, 6, and 7). We have used a lot of data for the analysis; some examples are illustrated in figures. There is no principal difference in plots for the periods of magnetospheric disturbances in comparison to nonstorm days. The atmospheric process power incomparably exceeds energy flux from the solar wind into the geomagnetosphere and the power of extremely strong magnetospheric disturbances. The energy flux from the magnetosphere into the atmosphere during the strong storm was about , which is by 2-3 orders of magnitude less than the atmospheric process power whose values are in [19]. Investigations into the solar activity effect on atmospheric processes have become especially topical recently [7, 20]. But, if there is a mechanism for the magnetospheric disturbance effect on meteorological processes in the atmosphere, it supposes a more complicated series of many intermediates and is not associated directly with the energy that arrives at the ionosphere during storms.
The main result of our investigation (see Table 1) is that the 1989 March magnetic storm did not directly affect the tropical cyclogenesis evolution character (Figures 8, 9, and 10). As for the 2003 October-November storms, one cannot answer unambiguously, either, because 5 plus intense and long-lived cyclones were observed then. The 13 October–1 November strong storm in the North Atlantic had existed extremely long (19 days), taking into account that the cyclone life average duration in Atlantic is 9 days. In 2003 October, 3 tropical cyclones were observed in the East Pacific: Hurricane Nora (October 1–9, the maximal wind being 41 m/s); Tropical Storm Olaf (October 3–8, 30 m/s); Tropical Storm Patricia (October 20–26, 31 m/s). However, all of the strong storms in the East Pacific were observed prior to the magnetic storm onset.
Cloud layers play an important role in Earth's radiation balance [21–23], affecting the amount of heat from the Sun that reaches the surface and the heat radiated back from the surface that escapes out into space. One should pay special attention to the effect of the solar wind electric field sharp increase (via the global electric circuit during magnetospheric disturbances) on the cloud layer formation. It is necessary to test the assumptions that this layer may function as a screen decelerating radiative cooling of the air located on the Central Antarctic ice dome (as a result, there would be warming in the ground atmospheric layer and cooling above the cloud layer [24]). Authors in the paper [24] suggested that the interplanetary electric field influences the katabatic system of atmospheric circulation (typical of the winter in the Antarctic), via the global electric circuit affecting clouds and hence the radiation dynamics of the troposphere.
Let us briefly address the problem of the extraneous electric field penetration into the Earth's magnetosphere. More than five decades ago, Dungey [25] suggested the following model for the magnetospheric electric field generation. The solar wind magnetic field partially permeates inside the magnetosphere therefore, the polar cap field lines leave for the solar wind. In the solar wind, there is the electric field , where is the solar wind velocity and is the interplanetary magnetic field. Because the conductance along field lines is very high, the electrical potential associated with the field in the solar wind is transported into the polar cap ionosphere. In the polar cap, a Sun-away convection originates, and, for that convection to be closed, reverse motions on closed field lines of the inner geomagnetosphere are necessary. Two-vortex convection was assumed to be obtained. Through multiplying the solar wind electric field value by the geomagnetosphere size towards dawn-dusk being about 25–30 Re (Re~6371 km) and through assuming the solar wind velocity as ~450 km/s, we will obtain the potential difference between the dawn and the dusk sides of the magnetosphere , (kV) which is manifold less than the well-known experimental formula [26] (nT) provides.
The penetration of the electric field and the current into the geomagnetosphere is a two-stage process and may be presented as follows (see Figure 11). Let an electric current component towards the magnetosphere appear at instant T. A potential value will be established at the magnetopause segment. In the thin near-side layer of the thickness (where is proton plasma frequency and is the speed of light), the charge division process will start, and the displacement current will appear. Also, there will appear Ampere force that will start accelerating plasma. The only force that withstands the Ampere one is the inertia force. Under the conditions of a homogeneous medium, the inertia force is :
Taking into account that , where is the Alfven velocity, upon integrating we will have that is, the classic equation for the electric drift velocity (it is important for us to express the dynamic process in this case).
When the plasma is accelerated in the layer up to the drift velocity (and it happens during the gyroperiod), then there will be no field in the plasma coordinate system, and it appears at the boundary between the moving and stable plasmas in a stable coordinate system (see Figure 11). The boundary moving velocity separating the moving plasma from the stable one will be, consequently, , where is the proton gyrofrequency. Taking the values and into the equation for the phase velocity, we see that it is the Alfven velocity like we expected. Thus, the external electric field penetrates into the magnetosphere without any limitations of the Alfven-wave type, and the electric current is only in a form of the displacement current. The electric current flows through the system under consideration only when there is a transitive process. In the stationary regime, there is no electric current. If the magnetic field is inhomogeneous according to an axis , then the gas pressure gradient will be originated independently due to the flow nonuniformity. The electric field establishment time in the system here is , and the current establishment time is , where is the system size, is the phase velocity for the electromagnetic signal propagation across the system, , and is the plasma convection velocity. An approximate estimate applied to the magnetosphere gives the time of the electric field establishment to be hundreds of seconds and the electric current establishment time to be about an hour. Thus, the electric current penetration into plasma is a two-stage process. Initially, the polarization field that penetrates into plasma "layer by layer" is produced. Or, to be more exact, the momentum corresponding to this field penetrates into plasma. Here, if the system is inhomogeneous, the flow can redistribute pressure so that an electric current arises in plasma because of the appearance of gradients. This electric current is necessary to maintain plasma convection in the magnetosphere [27, 28].
Indeed, there is no simple global electric circuit via which a sharp increase in the solar wind electric field during magnetospheric disturbances would be possible. The solar wind electric field penetration process is complex and nonlinear. Field-aligned currents connect the magnetosphere and the ionosphere in the united electric circuit. The plasma convection generation in the geomagnetosphere is associated with the processes at the bow shock front [27]. The combined action of plasma convection and pitch-angle diffusion of electrons and protons leads to the formation of plasma pressure distribution in the magnetosphere. As known, steady electric bulk currents are associated with the gas pressure distribution. The divergence of these bulk currents causes a spatial distribution of field-aligned currents, that is, magnetospheric sources of the ionospheric electric current systems [29]. The atmospheric conductivity sharply declines between the polar ionosphere and the layer at h~10 km.
The geomagnetospheric disturbance effect on the troposphere is weak compared with a multitude of other factors affecting it. However, the existing works on a high correlation between tropical cyclones and magnetic storms may evidence either the existence of another mechanism for the effect (that was not addressed in this study) or a random coincidence rather than a physical essence. A very interesting mechanism suggested by Troshichev and Janzhura [24] needs further considering and improving. Authors in the paper [24] noted that the solar wind dynamic pressure effect on the cloud layer would be opposite to that of the interplanetary electric field. Thus, now we can note that, probably, there is some connection between processes at the bow shock front region and meteorological processes at the lower atmosphere, because the magnetospheric plasma convection generation is associated with processes at the bow shock front (e.g., see [27]).
A further study of geomagnetospheric storm effects on tropical cyclogenesis is necessary, because the character of some influence has regional peculiarities (see Figures 8–10). In the next paper, we are going to investigate a probable effect of such magnetospheric disturbances as sawtooth events, extraordinary powerful magnetic storms, and some others on meteorological processes in the lower atmosphere.
This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project no. 12-05-31096 mol_a. The authors are grateful to creators and developers of the following websites: (1) http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml; (2) http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hurricane_tracks; (3) http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/ushurrlist18512007.txt; (4) http://russian.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp?region=at; (5) ftp://ftp.cdc.noaa.gov/; (6) http://www.kosmofizika.ru/; (7) http://www.viems.ru/asnti/ntb/ntb502/oboc5.html for providing observational data.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Nicolas Schott's dad had never seen him wrestle or play football in person, and the high school senior thought his dad wouldn't see him graduate in person either.
He was wrong.
"He's never seen me wrestle in person," Nicolas told WCIV-TV. "That was a big thing for me because I'm the captain. He's never seen me play football. It's fine because of the fact it's the thing he does."
Nicolas' dad is U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jamie Schott, a dedicated military man who served four tours in Iraq and one in Kuwait.
Nicolas thought his father wouldn't make it to his high school graduation Friday, but that didn't stop him from delivering a speech on the importance of military service.
He had no idea his dad was waiting in the wings.
The elder Schott had found out he'd be able to make the nearly 7,000-mile journey home for the graduation in South Carolina months ago, but he kept it a secret and enjoyed a tearful reunion with his son onstage.
As befits a soldier and his athletic son, the pair told WCIV-TV that their first post-graduation stop would be for a bite to eat.
Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter


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New Mexico Business Weekly, July 17, 2009
UnitedHealth Group Inc. has announced a partnership with Cisco Systems Inc. to launch a telehealth network which will use video technology to facilitate remote doctor-patient visits. The "Connected Care" program is intended to expand healthcare resources into underserved rural and urban areas. The health provider is currently developing six Connected Care programs around the country.


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Photos: Jimmicane
Isn't it funny how everyone has that little voice inside their head? And how that voice talks with you, back and forth, all day long? Just a tiny little dialogue from a tiny little voice. Sometimes it's a delusional rant, but other times, it takes spectacular shapes of pure honesty between you and, well, yourself. These bits and pieces define what we see and perceive as humans. And we saw plenty on our trip to the Caribbean, but the perception, well, that's up to you…—Dane Gudauskas
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JHaines6.wordpress.com – MUST GO VIRAL!!!!! BLOCKBUSTER: THIS IS ACCURATE AND NOW 100 PERCENT CONFIRMED: HIJACKED IBM ENGINEER SUCCESSFULLY DIALED OUT OF DIEGO GARCIA
This sounds more like the truth to us at RH, if it is the truth and turns out to be the truth,will you ever be able to watch or read anything the Corporate News (Views) Media says or does in the Future ?
The picture posted with the following text: "I have been held hostage by unknown military personal after my flight was hijacked (blindfolded). I work for IBM and I have managed to hide my cellphone in my ass during the hijack. I have been separated from the rest of the passengers and I am in a cell. My name is Philip Wood. I think I have been drugged as well and cannot think clearly."
Happy Days


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Style.IsSealed Property
[ This article is for Windows Phone 8 developers. If you're developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation. ]
Gets a value that indicates whether the style is read-only and cannot be changed.
Assembly: System.Windows (in System.Windows.dll)
Property ValueType: System.Boolean
true if the style is read-only; otherwise, false.
You can change the values of individual properties that have been set within a style. For example, you can set the Template property at run time even if this property has been set by a style. Or you can add setters to the collection in Setters. However, as soon as that style is placed in use by a loaded object, the Style should be considered sealed. You can detect this state by checking the value of IsSealed for the Style. A style is considered to be in use as soon as it is referenced by a loaded object that is connected to the object tree and the root visual. This point in time can be detected when the object where the Style property is set raises its Loaded event.


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Crawford fans one in Major League debut
Crawford fans one in Major League debut
Crawford, who was promoted to the big leagues on Friday, struck out one and allowed one hit in the ninth inning.
"Just getting to come out on the field is a euphoric feeling," said Crawford, who was selected in the eighth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. "It's one of those things that you've always looked forward to, and you're not sure if it's real when it happens, but it was awesome."
Crawford was called up while Sergio Santos was away on paternity leave to attend the birth of his third child. At the time, Crawford wasn't sure how long his stint in Toronto would last, but he found out on Saturday it likely will be for at least one more week.
Santos officially returned on Sunday, but to make room on the 25-man roster, left-hander Aaron Laffey was sent back to the Minors. That kept Crawford in Toronto for now, and while he likely will be sent down on April 21 -- when the Blue Jays need another starter -- he's going to enjoy the moment.
"I guess I don't think too much, because I just come to the yard to pitch and I'll keep doing that until they tell me not to," Crawford said with a big smile.
"It's exciting, just to be able to go out there and compete on any given day is exciting."


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December 15, 2009
(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)
It's been an interesting decade for hockey fighting. The lower-line fight specialists (some call them "goons") became an endangered species. Fights were demonized by critics, especially after the death of 21-year-old Don Sanderson. At the same time, fights were still in the rise in the NHL as we reached the end of the 2000s.
Those are the politics; what about the pugilists? We've seen some absolute slobber-knockers in the 2000s; fights that stood on their own merits without a carnival barker like Jack Edwards upping the intensity from the announcer's booth.
What's the best fight? We called in an expert: David Singer, the man behind the gold-standard fight site HockeyFights.com, who offered his Top 10 and some commentary on the following clips.
Here's David Singer of HockeyFights.com with his top 10 fights of the last decade ...
10. Krys Barch vs Brad May, Jan. 15, 2008
This was the third fight of 2007-08 between Brad May(notes) and Krys Barch(notes) and it was a great one. NHL rivalries rarely produce so many good tilts as quickly as this one did. (Dallas Stars vs. Anaheim Ducks)
9. Garet Hunt vs James McEwan, Feb. 3, 2007
It'd be a shame not to dip into the juniors at least one for this list, and where better than the Western League? Garet Hunt and James McEwan have already fought a total of 12 times between the juniors and minors, with a few great ones between them. May they always play in the same league. (Vancouver Giants vs. Kelowna Rockets)
8. Riley Cote vs Shawn Thornton, Oct. 27, 2007
Boston and Philadelphia are two towns that need players like this. The crowd feeds off of them, and the players feed back off the crowd. Shawn Thornton(notes) may not have P.J. Stock's wave, but he certainly has his heart. (Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins)
7. Daniel Carcillo vs Derek Dorsett Nov 26, 2008
Light heavyweights? Middleweights? Who cares. These two rack up the PIMs year after year, but each earn five the old fashioned way with this dust-up. Only Daniel Carcillo(notes) vs. George Parros(notes) might be able to up the hair factor. (Phoenix Coyotes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets)
6. Jim Vandermeer vs Aaron Downey Nov 2, 2005
A lengthy battle, that the linesmen couldn't get in the way of. (Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues)
5. Jon Mirasty vs Jeremy Yablonski - always
This fight is from Dec 19, 2008, but there are five others just like it. Jon Mirasy and Jeremy Yablonski(notes), friendly off the ice, trade punches like few other pro hockey players can on it. (Syracuse Crunch vs. Binghamton Senators)
4. Graham Dearle vs Fraser Filipic, April 25, 2007
Mixing it up some, let's travel over to the Central Hockey League for a moment. Toe-to-toe and a huge KO, this minor league scrap is among the tops of any league. (Oklahoma City Blazers vs. Colorado Eagles)
3. Jesse Boulerice vs Aaron Downey Feb 11, 2003
The greatest NHL knockout of the past ten years. Something that only happened in JCVD movies and video games before, Aaron Downey(notes) landed the best, and luckiest punch of his career. (Carolina Hurricanes vs. Dallas Stars)
2. Craig Rivet vs Bryan Marchment, Feb. 21, 2004
Another toe-to-toe beauty. A fight in the classic NHL rivalry ending with a roaring crowd and bloody jerseys. (Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens)
1. Stephen Peat vs P.J. Stock Jan 5, 2002
The toe-to-toe fight of the decade. PJ Stock was a huge fan favorite everywhere he played, but no NHL city gave him the love Boston did, and this fight is why. Stand, throw and wave to the crowd when it's done. Stock and Stephen Peat had two other great fights. (Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins)
Gary Bettman's unlikely musical tastes
Posted Jun 21 2012
Yakupov says he's ready for NHL
Posted Jun 25 2012
Canada's Stanley Cup curse explained
Posted Jun 21 2012
Edited By Doug Farrar
Edited By 'Duk
Edited By Kelly Dwyer
Edited By Greg Wyshynski
Edited By Matt Hinton
Edited By Jeff Eisenberg
Edited By Jay Busbee
Edited By Jay Busbee
Edited By Steve Cofield
Edited By Chris Chase
Edited By Chris Chase
Edited By Brooks Peck
Edited By Andy Behrens
Edited By Cameron Smith
Edited By Mark J. Miller


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Wireless technologies used at PEMEX Tula Refinery
Representaciones y Montajes S.A. de C.V., a system integrator, worked with Belden field engineers to develop an industrial wireless implementation at the PEMEX Tula Refinery despite physical challenges. Technologies used include...
Representaciones y Montajes S.A. de C.V. (RYMSA), a system integrator located in Mexico City, worked with Belden field engineers to develop a solution that would provide for strong, clear signals at the PEMEX Tula Refinery despite physical challenges.
To provide the solution, signals from monitoring devices within the cooling towers are transmitted through Rosemount wireless devices deployed in a star topology into an Emerson Wireless Gateway 1420 located in the satellite room. The gateway is connected to a Hirschmann BAT54-F X2 Bridge/Access Point via a PoE Layer 2 Spider Switch. The signals pass through an industrial Ethernet point-to-point 5.8 GHz wireless link to another BAT54-F X2 Access Point located near the operations center located 500 to 600 meters away. Other BAT54-F X2 Access Points are installed in various locations around the refinery to provide a communication backbone that supports point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless Ethernet connections. Dual-radio design allows the BAT54-F X2 Access Point to act as a repeater or bridge as necessary as Figure 3 shows.
RYMSA used Hirschmann's Industrial HiVision and LAN Monitor network management software with managed Hirschmann switches to evaluate signal quality and strength measurements during the process of positioning and aligning the antennas.
Using a variety of Hirschmann IP65-rated antennas (omnidirectional, directional, and sector antennas) covers the performance and bandwidth needs of the facility.
Using Hirschmann network management and monitoring software (see Figure 4), RYMSA installers and PEMEX operators easily discovered and configured network components, and thus reduced overall project costs; RYMSA estimated that use of the tool reduced the amount of programming time required to develop and configure the network by 30%, when compared to traditional command-line interface (CLI) configuration through a serial console.
- Ricardo Velázquez Espinosa is Industrial Networking Solutions Manager, Mexico & CA, at Belden Inc., and Rafael Montandon Spinoso is project manager at RYMSA. Velázquez can be reached at email@example.com. Montandon can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager CFE Media, Control Engineering, Plant Engineering, and Consulting-Specifying Engineer. Hoske can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Wireless monitoring, asset protection... has additional diagrams and photos. See link below.
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Annual Salary Survey
Before the calendar turned, 2016 already had the makings of a pivotal year for manufacturing, and for the world.
There were the big events for the year, including the United States as Partner Country at Hannover Messe in April and the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago in September. There's also the matter of the U.S. presidential elections in November, which promise to shape policy in manufacturing for years to come.
But the year started with global economic turmoil, as a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing triggered a worldwide stock hiccup that sent values plummeting. The continued plunge in world oil prices has resulted in a slowdown in exploration and, by extension, the manufacture of exploration equipment.
Read more: 2015 Salary Survey


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Happenings in the insect world
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Published on: September 8, 2009
Pollen-packing honey bees dangling from gaura (Gaura linheimeri) are a joy to photograph.
Gaura, native to Louisiana, Texas and Mexico, is a long-stemmed plant with a burst of pinkish-white petals that resemble whirling butterflies.
A member of the Onagraceae family (think primroses, fireweed and fuchsias), it's a perennial that needs little care.
Gaura! Gaura! Gaura!
Tags: gaura (3), Gaura linheimer (1), honey bee (186), pollen (24)Comments: 0


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Photographer's Note
In Sfax's gate
Bab Diwan, Kasbah, Sfax
Avenue Hedi Chaker in Sfax runs north to the main gateway of the Medina, Bab Diwan, built in 1306. The walls, originally built in mud brick by the Aghlabids in the ninth century, were later strongly fortified. The Kasbah at the southwest corner was built in the 17th century; the fortifications at the east end date from the 12th century.
In short, a Kasbah is an official fortified residence, often defended by armed guards. It can be the dwelling of a sovereign (for example the Tunis Kasbah, not much of which has survived) or that of the representative of authority in a province. By extension, the word has come to designate the quarter adjoining the building.
In fact, all North African towns have their Kasbah. Their use spread in the XIIth century under the Almohad dynasty established in present day Morocco. In time, they were integrated into larger defensive works comprising fortifications and ramparts. This is the case, particularly, of the Sfax Kasbah that today is a monument flanked by two towers and an artillery bastion dating to the XVIth century and is located in the continuity of the city walls.
The Kasbah was painstakingly restored and has now recovered its original majesty.
Sfax (Arabic: صفاقس, Safaqis, or /sfa:qs/ in Tunisian Arabic, whence the French name) is a city in Tunisia, located 270 km (168 miles) southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax governorate, and a Mediterranean port on the Gulf of Gabes. Sfax has population of 340,000 (2005), and is an industrial center for processing phosphates. The city is often described as Tunisia's Second city, because only Tunis has more inhabitants.
By the end of the 10th century Sfax had become an independent city state. The city was conquered by Roger of Sicily in 1148 and occupied until it was liberated in 1156 by local forces, and was briefly occupied by European forces again, this time by the Spanish, in the 16th century. Sfax became an integral base of the Barbary piracy, prompting an unsuccessful invasion by Venice in 1785. In the late 19th century Sfax and the rest of Tunisia were conquered by France and incorporated into the French empire. During World War II, the Axis powers used the city as a major base until they were defeated by British forces. After World War II, Tunisia was returned to France only to gain independence in 1956. (Source: patrimoinedetunisie.com & wikipedia)
Critiques | Translate
npecanhuk (79319) 2009-09-16 1:51
Hello George!
That type of architecture is truly beautiful and interesting and it has influenced many other styles all over the World... I really like it and I'm glad it did it so!
Your picture is excellent, with superb sharpness, exposure, dof, pov and colors! The composition is simple but effective and attractive!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
snunney (113572) 2009-09-16 1:58
Hello George,
A fine presentation of this magnificent gateway. Very good colours and sharpness. The visitors offer a sense of vitality and a good sense of the scale. Thanks for sharing.
portmanndominic (2400) 2009-09-16 2:47
Bonjour Georges
une photo bien animé par la foule et un beau point de vue sur les portes de Sfax
avec cette belle lumiére les couleurs sont bien rendus
John_F_Kennedy (43763) 2009-09-16 2:53
Hello George,
What a magnificent image of the gate. The colour and composition are all excellent. I like the large plazza in the FG. Well done.
Best wishes,
lousat (103110) 2009-09-16 4:39
Hi George,the tunisian trip arrive in Sfax whit this beautiful pic of the walls of the Kasbah...excellent quality as usual,i like a lot your colors!!Thanks another time for your work,have a nice day,LUCIANO
TopGeo (38216) 2009-09-16 10:18
Hi Gerge! One still picture of your line impressive City good frame and interesting architecture a beautiful scene of daily life Tunisia that has interest
john1 (4028) 2009-09-16 12:25
Hello George,
Once again, great architecture view of the castle.
Wonderfull sharpness and colors, beautifull light.
Good composition my friend.
Best wishes.
vasilpro (41699) 2009-09-16 14:51
Hello George,
Very nice and this composition from Tunisia, a photo with interesting architecture full of life.
I wish you a fine evening, Vasilis.
berek (50508) 2009-09-16 22:40
Hi George,
nice atmosphere with interesting architecture. I like your composition .
Friendly Regards.
jjcordier (79297) 2009-09-16 22:51
Je retrouve Bab Diwan quasiment comme je l'ai connu il y a près de quarante ans (j'ai vécu un an là bas). Tu as réalisé une très belle photo de cet endroit qui me tient à cur.
Graal (103038) 2009-09-16 23:32
Jó napot George,
another nice presentation from Tunesia. Good quality of photo and interesting history and informations in note. Well photojob.I like it.
Gr., Aleksander
gildasjan (43824) 2009-09-17 2:01
Bonjour George
j'aime ce rendu des teintes et la bonne composition sur la scène vivante de cette place.
Bonne journée
Photo Information
- Copyright: George Rumpler (Budapestman) (82620)
- Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2009-07-08
- Categories: Castles, Daily Life, Architecture
- Camera: Pentax K10D
- Exposure: f/6.7, 1/350 seconds
- More Photo Info: view
- Photo Version: Original Version
- Theme(s): Discovery of Sfax [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2009-09-16 1:37


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Will VEE migrate to .NET?
VEE Pro Revisions: All
Currently, Agilent has no plans to migrate VEE to become a native .NET language, but we do plan to make the connection between VEE and .NET better. For example, Agilent has made a significant investment in the VEE Wrapper Wizard for the T&M Tookit. This application makes it very easy for you to use existing VEE Pro UserFunctions from within Visual Studio. In addition, beginning with VEE Pro 7.0, you can now access some .NET technology, such as the .NET Framework, from VEE Pro.
Last Updated: 26April, 2006


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Phyllis' Fixin's
Having had no brilliant ideas for a column this week, I'm just going to pass along some recipes that you might like to try for your next picnic. The first one is from "Taste of Home" magazine.
Deluxe Cheeseburgers
1 egg
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. ground beef
8 slices Cheddar cheese
8 hamburger buns, split
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight 3/4 inch thick patties. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Top each burger with a cheese slice. Grill 1-2 minutes longer or until the cheese begins to melt. Serve on buns.
Killer Bacon-Cheese Dogs
8 slices bacon
8 all-beef hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
8 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 C. barbeque sauce, or amount to taste
1 small red onion, diced
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grate and set 4 inches from the heat. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Place hot dogs on grill; cook until browned, 5-8 minutes, turning once or until done to your taste. Lightly grill hot dog buns. To assemble sandwiches, place a slice of cheese and bacon on each bun. Add a hot dog; top each with 1 T. barbeque sauce, or desired amount, and red onion.
Ramblings of a Retired Mind:
I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it!
I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age, and calling it "Pumping Rust"
Various application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write, "A Good Doctor!"
Onion Cucumber Salad
7 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into thin rings
2 T. salt
1 T. celery seed
2 C. sugar
1 C. white vinegar
In a large serving bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion and green pepper. Sprinkle with salt and celery seed. Combine the sugar and vinegar; pour over cucumber mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Three Bean Salad
1 (15 oz.) can green beans
1 (15-16 oz.) yellow wax beans
1 (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
3/4 C. sugar
2/3 C. white vinegar
1/3 C. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Mix together all ingredients. Let set in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit."
"And why not, dear?"
"You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning."
Have a great week!


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Position to stand out and stay strong
February 4, 2010,
With your company/product name established, it is time to tackle another wordy task: Creating a Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
When a customer says, "50 other companies sell the same products and services as you do. Why should I do business with you rather than one of your competitors?" your USP gives the answer.
Every product, business or service needs a positioning statement that makes it stand out from the competition. It is up to you to discover this element of uniqueness. If you can successfully differentiate yourself, your business and products from your competition, the road is clear to a flood of prospective buyers and a tidal wave of profits.
While most business owners understand they need a USP, they just do not know how to develop one. It is a shame because the process is fairly simple, although you will have to put on your creative "thinking cap." The following four-step approach should help you create an effective USP without too much mental wear and tear:
Step 1 – Get to know your competitors' USP
Seek out potential competitors online, in the phone book and in newspaper/magazine ads. Select three to 10 businesses that are doing well and try to determine their USP. Some will not have a clear USP, of course. If they don't, try to identify the features or services that they stress in their messages.
Now comes the tricky part: Look for the gap in their products or services that you can bridge. What area of the market is not being serviced where you can make your mark?
Believe it or not, you may be able to sit down with a competitor and talk. You need to always be thinking of new ways to get information about your competitors.
Step 2 – Get to know yourself
Sit down and brainstorm with your staff, family and friends about elements that should be included in your USP. Don't judge the ideas, just write them down. Stimulate discussion with questions like:
* What do we do better than our competition?
* What have our customers said about us?
* What praise do we often get from our customers?
* What endorsements from celebrities or well-known organizations do we have or could we get?
* How does our business model differ from our competition?
* What market category or niche is not being served by our industry?
It is helpful at this stage to interview and survey your current and past customers. Ask them why they bought from you rather than your competition. What are they looking for in a provider of your product or service? What is important to them when making a buying decision? What feature or benefits do they value most or would like to see added to your product or service?
Step 3 – Record your ideas
Write down the key points of your USP concept. Focus on the benefits to your customer. Develop a list of five to 10 possible positioning statements.
Once you've created some concepts, show this list to your staff, friends and current customers. Get their input and use suggestions and comments to narrow your USP concept down to a single main differentiating concept. Less is sometimes more.
Once you have settled on the unique and compelling feature of your product or business, begin to distill it down to one paragraph that clearly communicates and sums up why your customers should buy from you. This paragraph can be used on your Web site and in your marketing materials where you have more room to explain the unique benefits you bring to your customers.
Step 4 – Integrate your USP into everything you do
Once you have carefully constructed your powerful positioning statement, put it on your letterhead, business card, answering machine message, Web site and in all advertising and marketing. Every time you talk to your customers, employees or suppliers, you should mention your USP.
Proven USP categories to emulate
As varied as positioning statements may be in tone and content, they generally fall into one of 10 main categories:
1. Low Price
Guaranteeing the lowest price has been used as a USP for many merchants. However, cutting profit margins too deeply is rarely healthy for a business or product. So unfortunately many who have chosen low price for a USP are no longer in business. The philosophy is low margins, but high volume.
If your business is small, however, you run the risk of setting off a price war. Larger players in your market who, due to economies of scale, can afford to match or beat your prices short term can easily force you out of the market long term. So think twice before focusing on price.
Wal-Mart: Always Low Prices. Always.
Kmart: Where Smart Shoppers Shop.
2. High Quality
The quality USP is based on a high margin, lower volume philosophy. This USP is often found hand-in-hand with other USPs such as Superior Service and Strongest Guarantee.
One brand that immediately comes to mind when you think about quality is the international watch leader Rolex. Rolex also has a short USP statement that communicates volumes.
Rolex – Quality Takes Time
Haverty's—Furniture built for life
3. Superior Service
Customer service is a wonderful way to add value as well as develop long-term loyalty so superior service is an excellent USP. What I am talking about here is the "above and beyond" type of customer service. To surpass the competition, you must go beyond simply satisfying customers. You have to amaze them.
A good example is the Web-based business Rackspace Managed Hosting. Rackspace sums up its USP statement in two words. Rackspace – Fanatical Support
4. Size/Selection
Providing the largest selection of items can be a powerfully effective USP.
The classic example of this is Amazon.com. For years Amazon's USP was: Earth's Biggest Bookstore & much more Now! Even though they were not the first and today they have intense competition from both online and brick-and-mortar bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, Borders and B. Dalton, Amazon.com still leads the pack in online bookselling because they clearly differentiated themselves early on by being the biggest.
5. Convenience
By removing as many obstacles to ordering, receiving or using your product or service as possible, you are placing the customers' convenience at the center of your business model. The convenience USP is based on centering your business on your customers' needs.
A good example of the convenience USP is Schwan's, a purveyor of frozen foods. Schwan's USP statement sums up their commitment to customer ease and convenience. Schwan's – Shopping should be easy. Cooking should be fun
6. Knowledgeable advice, recognized authority
This type of USP communicates the idea, "I am the top in my field. You can trust my knowledge and experience." It works well for professionals and other skill-or service-based organizations.
You have probably seen the wild infomercials for Mathew Lesko's book, "Government Grants and Giveaways." His USP statement makes his claim to be the leading expert.
7. Custom/Most Options
Personalized is a powerful option in a mass market world. That makes the offer of more options and custom-building to individual specifications powerfully alluring in a USP.
One company that made a name for itself by using customization is Ping Golf Clubs. Ping's USP statement reflects its commitment to custom fitting their products to their customers' needs. Ping – "The leaders in custom fit, custom built golf clubs"
8. Speed
The speed at which your product or service is delivered can be a powerful USP in today's fast-paced world. Offering overnight or second-day shipping as your standard service can give you a strong competitive advantage.
Federal Express changed the shipping world when it began guaranteeing overnight delivery of packages in this powerful USP: FedEx – "When It Absolutely Has To Be There Overnight"
9. New and Unique
Sometimes your product is so new and unique that the product itself is the USP. Being the original or first mover in the market is a USP nobody can duplicate. An online example of this is OilOnline.com. OilOnline.com – "The Original Online Source for the Oil Industry"
Inevitably, a competitor will emerge with a knock-off or copy of your product, but until then you can promote the newness and uniqueness of your product as the USP.
Do not become too attached.
When the competition heats up, you can switch your USP so that it positions your business as the first or original one of its kind.
10. Strongest Guarantee
A clear, strong guarantee turns what is assumed into what is assured. Your goal is to make your guarantee so strong that it makes what your competition offers seem stingy by comparison.
Craftsman Tools is a prime example of this USP category. Like all carefully crafted USP's, the Craftsman statement leaves no doubt what their main advantage is. Craftsman Tools – "Hand tools so tough, they're guaranteed forever"
The 'U' is for ubiquitous
Once you have determined your USP, it becomes of paramount importance this message is communicated in all of your advertising and marketing.
* If you run media ads, your USP can be illustrated in the headline and in your ad copy.
* If you do telemarketing, then the telemarketers or your salespeople can communicate it.
* If you have salespeople, your USP must be in their sales presentation.
The same headlines can be used in radio ads, television commercials and magazine display advertisements.
Once is not enough
You may find it valuable to have more than one USP. This would depend upon the markets that you go after or the mix of products you carry. For example, if you offer casual furniture in the summer and fireplace or Christmas in the winter. Sizzling Summer Sales — It's Time to Cash-In!
Watch out for words
Beware of positioning statements that may express double meanings. In the example above, using the words "cash in" with seniors could sound like you're talking about death.
After you have collected as much information as you can gather, it's time to ask yourself:
* What can you offer that your competitors don't?
* What can your business do now that fills a void or offers something no one else in your industry offers?
* What are the reasons people do business with you?
USP Think Tank
Selection, price, guarantee ... these can all be part of your USP and your extended "brand identity." Create a benefit-rich positioning statement that zeroes in on a key need of your target market. These may include a USP based on size/selection, your guarantee, service, pricing or discounts.
Every successful USP has three characteristics:
1. The appearance of uniqueness. The feature you decide to promote in your USP does not have to be unique to your product, but it has to seem like it is.
2. Usefulness. The appearance of uniqueness is not enough. If the distinguishing feature of the product is not desirable, no one will want it. In deciding on your product's USP, it is better to select some feature that isn't entirely original and make it seem unique than it is to select a feature that is unique but useless.
3. Conceptual simplicity. It's good to remember that you have to sell the USP -- and nothing sells that is difficult to explain.
What about your USP?
Is it unique, useful and simple?
Does it clearly define what sets you apart from your competition?
Can you prove it to your customers and prospects?
Brad Lloyd, owner of Brad Lloyd & Co. Ltd., has more than 20 years of experience as a retailer and sales representative for some of the top manufacturers in the casual furnishings industry.
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Don't miss the November digital edition of Casual Living! In this month's issue, we look to the future of retail with a spotlight on technology. Assistant Editor Alex Milstein breaks down the basics of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) and how they're changing the furniture shopping experience. We also explain how building engagement on social media channels can boost business for retailers.
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You've waited two years, and it's finally here! Casual Living's biennial Universe Study offers a comprehensive snapshot of the outdoor category, highlighting its growth across all segments from furnishings to shade to grills.
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• Designer Viewpoint: A Beverly Hills backyard gets a glam makeover, thanks to renowned designer Christopher Grubb.
• Market Report: Our editors give you the inside scoop on all the new outdoor introductions at the High Point Market. Can you say Cobonpue?
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November Digital Edition


text:
Super-popular iOS strategy game Clash of Clans has received a major update — most notably adding a slew of new Hero abilities.
Version 5.172 also features numerous gameplay enhancements involving flyers, freezers, boosts, clan co-leaders and gem overgrowth. On top of that, there are various interface improvements, balance tweaks, performance improvements, and the usual unspecified bug fixes.
The game — which allows you to build a village, train troops, and then battle thousands of other players around the world — is available for free from the App Store.
A full list of improvements covered by the new update is reproduced below:
All hail new Hero abilities!
– Both Heroes have acquired special abilities that can be activated once per battle, after they have been deployed.
– Iron Fist: The Barbarian King and nearby Barbarians become enraged for a short time, moving faster and dealing more damage (does not stack with the Rage Spell).
– Royal Cloak: The Archer Queen hides from and becomes invisible to all enemy defenses for a short time.
– Both Hero abilities will instantly call in a group of Barbarians or Archers to reinforce their King or Queen.
– Hero abilities unlock for free at Hero level 5 and improve in strength every additional 5 Hero levels!
Flyers, freezers and brand new boosts
– Level 6 Minions are here to wreak havoc on enemy bases!
– Level 5 Freeze Spell leaves defenses on ice for longer than ever before.
– Get your Heroes back into battle faster by boosting their recovery 4x while sleeping.
– Boost cost and duration of Barracks and Spell Factory now reduced from 4 hours/20 gems to 2 hours/10 gems.
Clan Co-leaders take charge
– Clan Co-leaders can now be appointed by the Clan Leader or other Clan Co-leaders.
– Clan Co-leaders have all the privileges of Clan Leaders, except for the ability to demote or kick other Co-leaders.
– Clan Elders are now less powerful to prevent abuse, no longer able to promote or demote and only able to kick normal members.
Gem overgrowth
– New plant growth is being found with more gems inside than ever before!
– Mysterious boxes packed with gems are being reported all throughout the realm. Keep an eye out for them!
Interface improvements
– Chat is now available even when away from your village, such as when visiting and watching replays
– Army Camps, the Spell Factory and Clan Castle now display used capacity next to their name when they are selected.
– Friends List has been moved to the Leaderboard menu, on the last tab, replacing the Search Clans tab (Search Clans is still available from the Clan Castle menu).
– Rage Spell info now correctly indicates damage percentage increase (e.g. 30% instead of 130%).
– Obstacles can now be cleared in edit mode.
Balance tweaks
– Decreased the upgrade cost and time of Freeze Spell levels 3 and 4.
– Decreased Rage Spell level 5 damage bonus from 80% to 70%.
– Increased Hog Rider training cost by about 30% on all levels.
– Increased Valkyrie hitpoints by about 20% on all levels.
– Increased Pekka hitpoints from 3400 to 3500 on level 3 and from 3800 to 4000 on level 4.
Many more bug fixes, tweaks and performance improvements
That's a whole lot more hours you'll be losing to iOS games in 2014, then.
Source: iTunes


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For any seasoned marketer, the answer is obvious (especially if they're well-versed in the marketing art of localization). When a B2B organization expands its reach and starts setting up base in different part of the world, going global and going local go hand-in-hand.
On the other hand, some lead generators might think that working on a purely online basis is enough to keep you from the responsibility of localized marketing.


text:
This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Matte Gunmetal and Chrome Pen and Pencil Set
Perfect for anyone determined to pick up the lost art of letter writing, this handsome set includes a luxurious pen and pencil made of matte gunmetal and matte chrome. Personalize both with their name for an extra fee.


text:
Bio & Incident Details
Age: 47
Tour: 18 years
Badge # 707
Cause: Gunfire (Accidental)
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Sergeant Paul Stuckey was shot and killed while responding to reports of night hunting in West Feliciana Parish.
Sergeant Stuckey had notified his supervisor at approximately 2:15 am that he had received a report that someone was hunting near St. Francisville. A fisherman located his body at daybreak at an old ferry landing along the banks of the Mississippi River suffering from a shotgun blast to the chest.
Investigators believe that his own shotgun may have accidentally discharged and struck him in the chest.
Sergeant Stuckey had served with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 18 years. He is survived by his wife and three sons.


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Chicago Bears offense: Jeremy Bates, Charlie Weis on candidate list?
Charlie Weis to the Chicago Bears?
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ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Cosplayer Crimson Brotus > Costume of Heero Yuy (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing)
- Most Recent Photo
- 09-20-2012
- Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
- Character
- Heero Yuy
- Year Completed:
- Construction Difficulty:
- Very Easy
About this Costume
- Construction Details:
The shirt and the shorts are actually sewn together. I did this so I could get that 'shirt going over the shorts' look without having to constantly check and retuck it in. So it's more like a jumpsuit!
- Personal Thoughts:
- I kinda did this as a joke because my friend said I should. Yeah. I dunno
Wig Details
- Wig Brand
- Cosplay-Wig
- Wig Name
- Short Layered
- Original Color:
- Brown
- Styling Time
- none
- Styling Notes
- I kinda wore the wig as is. I cut a few parts and styled some chunks together but for the most part I figured Heero would kinda have hair like this IRL.
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Kumud Ranjan
Love Never Makes You Happy - Poem by Kumud Ranjan
Love never makes you happy
A feeling, kind of insecurity
To lose someone, you want to be with
An impatience to love someone selflessly
Love the way that it becomes to myth
Love never gives you victory
Itself it happens when you're lost
One forgets herself and loves him most
How one can win, when his identity vanishes
Don't you think love only gives sobs!
You wait for someone, he doesn't come
Your eyes moistens and you feel ignored
Expect a lot from him, amused by fantasies
Mind knows it's not true but uncertainty
Even one request he can't fulfils low you feel
Don't you think love is how mean!
Waiting for your love and curse his sincerity
You can't say a word to him cause you love
Want not see him stressed, though you're in agony
And burning always, still you want him to smile
You know now how much love is fragile
A tear from your beloved and you feel aghast
Wish to keep him happy always, no way possible
Want to prove love as heavenly, that's horrible
One feels love as everything an imaginary portal
You're mortal, then how can love be an immortal
You are hurt, your heart breaks so your expectation
Feel solitary, curse yourself as you are insane
You're scattered, your fancy dreams are shattered
In love only you love still may be you're not loved
In love don't you feel you have blundered! !
Comments about Love Never Makes You Happy by Kumud Ranjan
Aastha Uppal (12/19/2009 4:18:00 PM)
beautifully expressed the truth which everyone tries to escape from.
great work here..so plainly explaining the irony of how painful love can be and how painful it is not being loved...
great work! ! ! ! (Report) Reply
Cecilia Nicoletti (10/11/2009 3:22:00 PM)
This is Beautiful Kumud!
And your words are wise for yur age.
You re quite right.
But dont forget those who love and re love in return...and are united and mixed
by a love who s bigger than they are.Some people are that luckly an find the everlasting. devote, faithful love we all look for through our lives.
Tell them Love is not real! But tell someone never truly loved that love is real! ! ! !
Anyway, this poem its TEN. (Report) Reply
Nikunj Sharma (9/1/2009 1:11:00 AM)
love is not a state of being...you are right when you say that love is an imaginary portal...tangible yet not real....yet to be in love and to be loved is a bliss...nice write Kumud (Report) Reply
Kristi . (8/19/2009 9:02:00 AM)
Wow, this is so true. I really like this part:
You can't say a word to him cause you love
Want not see him stressed, though you're in agony
And burning always, still you want him to smile
You know now how much love is fragile
Absolutly love this poem! =) (Report) Reply
Read this poem in other languages
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
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Kumud Ranjan's Other Poems
Famous Poems
Phenomenal Woman
Maya Angelou
Still I Rise
Maya Angelou
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
If You Forget Me
Pablo Neruda
Langston Hughes
Annabel Lee
Edgar Allan Poe
Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
Rudyard Kipling
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You
Pablo Neruda


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I can imagine wonderful smell and soft fur puppy. thank you Bookish
Can you imagine the wonderful puppy smell! Thanks Jana.
Thank you Denise, I'm doing a puzzle for the joy to all good people
Awwww so beautiful all in a row . thanks Jana .You are finding some wonderful pictures


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If you wind up at Sarah Schneider-Zuro's house for a visit, chances are you'll end up talking about education. The mother of three has two master's degrees under her belt, and her yen to learn and teach appears to be as natural as breathing for this Ohio native.
"I think I'm the only candidate this year that brings first hand experience in the classroom," said Zuro, who is seeking one of three available openings on the Darien Board of Education this year. "I've been a teacher. I've been a school administrator. I have walked the walk in the educational world."
The Board of Ed race — the first in nearly two decades — finds Zuro battling three others for the available seats. Zuro, a Republican, was appointed to the board in May when board member Amy Bell stepped down to become executive director of the Darien Community Association.
For Zuro, Darien's greatest educational challenge is also its greatest asset.
"Our district routinely jumps into very large, complicated educational issues," Zuro told The Darien Times. "Learner-centered instruction, program development, student achievement data… As a team of administrators, faculty, the school board, we run right into the field and tackle those challenges. That's a lot of work, and it's a big challenge, but at the same time, that is what puts us ahead of the curve. That is what makes our district so great.
"I think our willingness to get involved with those challenges takes us to a uniquely high level," she continued. "As a board member, I plan to roll up my sleeves and bring my expertise to the table and work right alongside" the decision makers and the community.
As a relatively new face on the board, Zuro said the community has had a chance to see how she interacts with her fellow board members.
"I've now been on the board long enough to build trusting and collaborative relationships with my colleagues, but I'm new enough on the board that I'm still bringing a fresh perspective," Zuro said. "In a sense, the community has had a little bit of trial run with me to get a chance to see how I act amongst my board colleagues… I think I've shown that I'm a collaborative board member."
Zuro, an 11-year Darien resident, is a graduate of Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and holds both a master's degree in arts and in education from Columbia University's Teachers College.
She is a former teacher and school administrator in the Ossining, N.Y., school district and has been a Council of Darien School Parents budget rep for the past three years — first at Holmes and then at Royle.
She has served on the Parent Awareness Board and other Parent Teacher Organization roles throughout the schools. During the recent school budget talks, Zuro spoke in favor of the Spanish program in the elementary schools, although she declined to say whether she would have voted for the program had she been on the board.
What brought her into the public eye originally was the full-day kindergarten proposal, which the school board approved unanimously in 2009 for the 2010 school year.
"To this day I think it was one of our most successful initiatives," Zuro said. "I knew we would be successful in the program, so I wasn't afraid to step up."
Speaking about other issues, Zuro didn't say whether she was in favor of permanent field lights at the high school and she didn't offer an opinion on whether the burden of proof should be put on parents instead of the school district in special education court proceedings. She also didyn't convey her opinion on whether she supported an open campus at the high school. Last year, the board shot down a proposal with a 4-3 vote that would have allowed high school seniors more freedom.
Zuro said she worked in a school district that had an open campus, which meshed well with that school, but regarding the Darien proposal, she said, "I think it's a good discussion."
"I think what's important is that people understand how I'm thinking," she said. "We have a great big picture. When we're faced with an issue, we need all the pieces of that picture to be able to make a decision that is right for the Darien community.
"There are lots of pieces of that picture," she continued, adding that the administration, the school board and the community all play roles in that decision-making process.
Turning away from hypotheticals and focusing on the issues, Zuro discussed ways Darien can deal with rising enrollment and increasing special education costs.
"Millions of people are choosing Darien these days," Zuro said. "It's a real testament to the quality of our administration and our schools system."
"We monitor [enrollment] carefully," she said. "It requires ongoing monitoring so we can best apply our resources in the most efficient way."
Zuro said she was "very encouraged" by the directions special education is taking in town, noting that aide positions have been left open to allow for more special ed teachers to be hired.
"We reach kids on a whole variety of different levels," Zuro said. "The fact that we have a whole team of people surrounding a child, we can get to the best possible road for that child."
Recent district initiatives have created a push for more collaborative between general education and special education teachers, which Zuro said blurs "the lines between the two fields," ultimately helping all children succeed.
"Having these services closer to the classroom is something that will promote independence for students, and that's really our goal," Zuro said.
What would Zuro change in Darien Schools?
"Unfunded mandates," she said. When asked to specify which unfunded mandates she was referring to, she reflected for a moment.
"When we're deploying limited fiscal resources, that's just a frustration," she said.
Zuro talked at length about the positive aspects of Darien Schools, which, in her opinion, are many.
"I guess the simple answer is, we hire great teachers," she said. For Zuro, the process of public decision making is something she admires and respects.
"Our process is a good one," she said. "The fact people don't shoot from the hip, and take their time, do their homework… there's a value in that process. The value is that a town comes together. Do we always agree? No, but [everyone] gets a chance to opine and eventually it goes to RTM.
"It's a community process, and as a Board of Education member, I'm very proud of that," Zuro said, "It's one of the great things that makes me proud to live in this town."
"That is why I'm one of those crazy people that loves to follow [the budget process] every year," she said. "I myself find tremendous satisfaction in that…. People say, 'Is it fun?' Well, 'fun' isn't the first word. There is a deep sense of personal reward."
Zuro added that hundreds of people have helped her family over the years, and as a third generation school board member, she thinks she has what it takes to continue educational excellence in Darien.
"When I think about the fact that every single snow closing in this school district, that a PTO mom calls my house to make sure our kids get home safely, that we do that across the district. That PTO parents are planning enrichment in my school so that my kids can meet a world class author."
"This is my small way of taking my professional experience and my educational experience and giving back and saying thank you, and sharing," she said.
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Jewels of the Earth BakingLong Island, New York
480 Rutgers Road
West Babylon, New York 11704
West Babylon, New York 11704
Jewels of the Earth Baking
Jewels of the Earth is a wholesale vegan baking company. It has a wide selection of vegan cakes, cookies, muffins, brownies and other specialty items. All of our products are made on dedicated equipment.
Our products can be found in area health food stores, farmer's markets, restaurants and colleges.
Jewels of the Earth is Vegan-certified by Vegan Action and OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher Pareve.
Added by Very Vegan on Aug 10 07 (last updated Jan 11 08)
Mark this place closed (permanently).
Two blocks north of Sunrise Highway (Rte 27) between Hubbard's Path and Rte 231 (Deer Park Avenue).
Wheelchair Accessible
Cash Only
- Kosher
9am - 6pm


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IMF Survey: U.S. Unemployment: Matching Skills to Jobs
May 5, 2011
- U.S. unemployment rates have been slow to decline
- Structural factors account for some of the continued high unemployment
- Targeted policies to better align jobs, skills are prudent response
With the onset of economic recovery in the United States, unemployment has started to fall, but quite slowly, and long-term unemployment remains alarmingly high. During the Great Recession of 2007–09, the U.S. unemployment rate doubled, from 5 percent to 10 percent.
Now unemployment hovers around 8¾ percent and the slow pace of labor market recovery has sparked concerns about whether deeper structural factors were behind some of the unemployment increase during the recession and are now impeding the recovery.
Structural factors refer to underlying mismatches between supply and demand for jobs and skills. Such mismatches have risen in the U.S. economy as a whole and even more in some states.
Moreover, housing markets have behaved quite differently across the country, often interacting perversely with mismatches to raise unemployment. House price declines may have impeded some mobility of out of high-unemployment states.
IMF research suggests that these structural factors likely account for about 1½ percentage points—or only about a quarter—of the increase in the U.S. unemployment rate during the Great Recession. So, on the one hand, there is reason to be optimistic that the recovery of the economy will continue to push unemployment below the present rate of 8¾ percent. But, on the other hand, pushing the unemployment rate below 6½–7 percent may take more targeted structural policies.
Structural mismatch
It is common in the economic literature—though neither factually nor politically correct—to refer to people with high educational attainment as "high-skilled" and those with lower educational attainment as "low-skilled".
Nevertheless, using these broad categories to equate educational attainment with skills, Marcello Estevão and Evridiki Tsounta measure the mismatch in each U.S. state between the demand for workers of various skills and the supply of those skills.
Skill demand is gauged by the composition of high-skilled, semi-skilled, and low-skilled workers in the state's employment. Skill supply is determined on the basis of the educational attainment on the state's working-age population. If the skill composition of a state's workforce is very different from the skill composition of its population, that shows a mismatch.
Several states have seen large increases in skill mismatches over the course of the Great Recession (see Chart 1). These include Delaware—a financial hub; Hawaii—with large reliance on tourism; and Michigan—an auto hub. Skills mismatches continued to rise in almost all states even after the recession has ended, partly explaining the stubbornly high unemployment rate. Reflecting these mismatches, the unemployment rate for low-skilled workers increased disproportionately during the recession.
With the onset of the recovery, demand for high-skilled labor has been on the rise. In coming months this mismatch might intensify further as housing construction remains lackluster for a while, while sectors that use more high-skilled labor (the export and health sectors, for example) see a surge in investment and activity.
Chen, Kannan, Loungani, and Trehan measure the extent of industrial mismatch using data on industry stock returns. Increased dispersion in stock market returns across industries is also signaling an increase in structural unemployment.
When underlying shocks to the economy have disparate impacts on the fortunes of industries, stock market returns vary more widely across industries. This was the case, for example, in 1974 when the oil price shock altered comparative advantage across industries, and in 2000 with the bursting of the dot.com bubble.
During the Great Recession, dispersion in stock returns reached historic highs, partly reflecting the hits to the financial and construction sectors. This indicator explains about a quarter of increases in the unemployment rate, with bigger impacts on long-term unemployment (see Chart 2).
Housing woes
The difficulties in the housing market are well known. House prices are 30 percent below peak levels, one in 12 mortgages is delinquent for at least 30 days, and 4½ percent of outstanding mortgages are in foreclosure. These numbers are particularly staggering in certain states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Nevada.
How U.S. states performed economically shows up more clearly once information on state-level housing market conditions and skill mismatches is combined. Some states (California, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona) have been hit by the double whammy of skill mismatches and high foreclosure rates. Others (notably Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas) have not fared as badly.
How to respond
Mismatches and regional differences in housing markets will dissipate with the recovery. But a prudent approach would be to complement macroeconomic policies with targeted measures to raise hiring and clear the housing market. Of course, their cost and effectiveness should be closely evaluated given fiscal challenges in the United States.
Against this background, the job bills enacted in response to the recent crisis, which extended unemployment insurance while providing subsidies to net hiring for small businesses, were welcome. The Congressional Budget Office suggests that such tax credits are effective in terms of employment creation per dollar. And as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the amount of money for training was doubled.
Ways to pay for it
More action to reduce structural problems could be paid for by reducing tax expenditures or enacting a forceful entitlements reform. Priority could be given to subsidies to net hiring, as research has shown they are more effective in raising employment rates than other active labor market policies, although the subsidies would need to be well targeted to avoid redundancy and waste. One alternative would be to condition the subsidies to the hiring of longer-term unemployed.
The U.S. government has already undertaken numerous measures to support the housing market, including temporary tax incentives for home buyers and measures to mitigate the foreclosure epidemic. Additional measures were introduced last fall, including temporary foreclosure forbearance to the unemployed and some assistance to underwater mortgage holders—a long-standing recommendation by the IMF.
Measures to raise the number of mortgage modifications and "cramdowns" could also be important, as they would help to clear the housing markets more quickly, while restoring households' balance sheets, thus also tackling cyclical unemployment.
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Retinoic acid plays a critical role in development, cellular growth, and differentiation. Additionally we are shipping RAI2 Proteins (5) and many more products for this protein.
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We specified the role of the RAI2 protein to function as a transcriptional regulator that controls the expression of several key regulators of breast epithelial integrity and cancer.
Retinoic acid plays a critical role in development, cellular growth, and differentiation. The specific function of this retinoic acid-induced gene has not yet been determined but it may play a role in development. The chromosomal location of this gene designates it to be a candidate for diseases such as Nance-Horan syndrome, sensorineural deafness, non-specific X-linked mental retardation, oral-facial-digital syndrome, and Fried syndrome. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants.
retinoic acid induced 2
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I think a maximum of £1200.00 is about sensible, anything over that and I think you're into the realms of ether diminishing returns or gilding the lilly.
what do you think?
I think a maximum of £1200.00 is about sensible, anything over that and I think you're into the realms of ether diminishing returns or gilding the lilly.
what do you think?
and it lands tomorrow.
Hardtail - £800
Full suspension....I'd buy my Mojo at full price if my current one broke. Other than the Mojo? - £1100
Ton - What did you buy? - 29er? Ti? On-One?
ventana el capitan.
What's the most i'd spend on a frame.
Depends how much I wanted it....
Depends how much money you've got I suppose.
My whole bike cost less than your upper limit for a frame. I personally couldn't imagine paying more than about £500 for a frame, but then even that seems ridiculous to most ppl I know.
£1,100 on my road bike and that was reduced
£250 on my hardtail and that was reduced
£0 on my full sus
ooooppps i just blew £2000 on a mojo SL
although £1500 was provided by the insurance company so it was only £500 really
Just shelled out £1895 for a DW Turner 5 Spot. That is about the limit (and when I mentally committed myelf to the frame it was £1695, but that's another story).
Forking out for another Nicolai soon - a hardtail - will be around the £900 mark. I tell myself that is about the limit for a hardtail frame, but if something came along I really liked I'd probably pay more.
i do not have a limit
if i want it i will buy it
if i dunny like it i will then sell it.
life is too short to worry about things like saving a few quid.
speshially when you consider what we pay for mortgages and cars.
go for it if you want it.
Just got my £1695 DW 5 spot today, should have bought from Rutland Cycles auric!
I don't think i could ever justify spending more than £500 on a frame, thankfully there's a lot of other people who are daft enough to and i buy their hardly used frames when the next must have model comes out.
£1500 on a Moots frame. 6 years ago
£200's the most so far
Glad it arrived safe Douglas!
Hope you like the size/colour
I love it!
bigdugsbaws - quite possibly, but my LBS kindly gave me some free finishing kit to make up for the price gouging I suffered from silverfish - I think they felt a little guilty about the price hike, and they are a good bunch of guys, so I wasn't out of pocket. Plus, I generally get 15% off everything (bar frames) with them, so I'm not complaining (particularly since I had a 36 TALAS off them at the same time).
i also like being in the situation that i can buy what i like, then if i think it is shyte, to be able to sell it on to some of the lesser advantaged on the forum.
it's my way of giving to the poor and neady.
ton, when is this on one bike appearing?
£950 for a hardtail. It broke/got broken, I'm pretty disinclined to spend as much again.
cough cough..shedfire...soon i hope.
get my chameleon bought then Tony
Tony, dibs on the Ventena let me know when its available and what colour
£100 so I have enough left over to buy the Shimano groupset..............
To be fair bigdug got the last one of the £1695 spots. Next 2 we sell will be £1795 then up to £1895. It doesnt feel right profiteering from price rises so just selling the first few at the RRP related to what we paid at the time.
Glad you like it - definatly my favourite colour of the 3 now ive seen it in the flesh.
Most i ever spent on a frame was my Intense Socom with a Digi Camo wrap (which cost intense $450) CCDB and Ti Spring... dont think ill ever spend that much again!
£1.3k for a DH bike, (Nicolai).
About a grand providing the rest of the bike comes free with it
Never gone over a grand, but about £1250 at a push I suppose.
Like to think I have an eye for a bargain.
I tend to buy frames 2nd hand, so maybe £5-600 tops for a full suss
I'd rather have 3 £1,000 bikes than one £3,000 bike
£360 is the most Ive spent, on my Dialled Alpine. I would have tried to go 2nd hand but there werent many about at the time.
Id struggle to justify spending anymore I would say, since I know I will be having fun on any bike, regardless of how much the frame cost.
Ideally I'd buy it 2nd hand anyway, so say £300 for a hardtail and about £600 for a full sus (although I probably wont buy one of those again)
Saying that, guess it relates to how much you earn. I could do alot with £1800 but I guess if your income is say £50k per year then it aint that much.
Spending loads on dh bikes seems the biggest waste, because you will probably only ride them for about 30minutes per month or so.
More than some but not as much as others Bought some of my bikes as frames:
Spot brand
And my new custom **************
spent £1700 on my first DH frame and that was trade price.
wouldn't spend more than £300 on a hardtail frame - there's simply no need, no idea what I'd spend on a DH frame doubt I'll buy another one for a quite while (got 3 DH bikes).
This topic has been closed to new replies.


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Everyone agreed the violence in Tripoli over the weekend was related to the more intense fighting in the Syrian city of Homs. The nature of that relationship, however, depends on whom you ask. Sunni gunmen in Bab al-Tabbaneh insisted their Alawite neighbors in Jabal Mohsen were dead-set on creating in Lebanon another Baba Amr, a neighborhood in Homs hit hard by a Syrian army offensive against its opponents that has been ongoing for over a week now. Rifaat Eid, head of the Arab Democratic Party that holds sway in Jabal Mohsen, was equally adamant in a phone conversation with NOW Lebanon that Salafists in Tripoli were trying to create problems with the army here just as "they are in Homs."
For decades the two neighborhoods, separated by a road named Syria Street, have been at each other's throats. Indeed, in the early 1970s, late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad's brother founded the Arab Democratic Party in Jabal Mohsen. The party's now-disbanded militia fought hard against Isalmists in neighboring Bab al-Tabbaneh (and other parts of Tripoli) in the early 1980s. Eid's party still has strong ties to the Assad regime, and whenever fighting between the two neighborhoods flares up (as it frequently does) Syria's critics in Lebanon are quick to claim the Alawites instigated it on orders from Damascus.
Tensions have been high between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh since protests against Bashar al-Assad began last March. There have been several demonstrations for (Jabal Mohsen) and against (Bab al-Tabbaneh) Assad in the neighborhoods since then. In June, street fighting also broke out between them and left seven dead.
The two sides had wildly differing accounts of the most recent violence. Some 15 Bab al-Tabbaneh residents—all of whom refused to provide their real names—took NOW Lebanon reporters into a garage in the neighborhood to explain their side of the story.
It started on Friday, they said. People gathered in Tripoli's Nour Square to demonstrate in solidarity with the Syrian uprising. They then marched to Bab al-Tabbaneh. When they arrived, Energa grenades rained down from Jabal Mohsen, an adjacent neighborhood at a slightly higher altitude. Residents responded by grabbing their guns, and the shooting continued more or less without halt until late Saturday afternoon.
Eid completely disagreed. In fact, he said, people from Jabal Mohsen barely even fought.
"We're not shooting at all," he said. "The Salafists are shooting at the army, and the army is shooting at the Salafists."
"All that's happening now is because of what's happening in Homs. The Syrian army is killing Salafists in Homs," he said, offering a variant of the Syrian president's claim that problems in Syria are the workings of "armed terrorist gangs." Eid argued that Salafists in Lebanon are responding and that they are actually keen to fight the Lebanese army.
He did admit that Jabal Mohsen residents "in some situations" fired back at Bab al-Tabbaneh, "but directly we stopped them. When we hear [people in Jabal Mohsen shooting], immediately we go and put our hands on them."
NOW Lebanon was not able to get close enough to the dividing line of Syria Street to confirm. However, while sitting with the fighters in Bab al-Tabbaneh, one man who was on his mobile interrupted the interview to put the call on speaker phone.
"The army's shooting at us," the voice on the other end said. People in the room said the man who called was fighting on the front line. The men were suspicious as to why the army had not yet intervened to stop the fighting. They denied firing at the army.
They also rejected Eid's claim they were all Salafists. Of the 40 or so men NOW Lebanon saw holding guns in Bab al-Tabbaneh, fewer than half had the full beards and shaved moustaches typically worn by Salafists.
One man joked, pointing to another, "He looks like a Salafist, but he goes out to Gemmazye," a Beirut neighborhood packed with bars.
A clean-shaven fighter NOW Lebanon ran into when approaching Bab al-Tabbaneh who gave his name as Abu Youssef said Eid's party is accusing Sunnis of smuggling weapons into Syria.
"Are you?" NOW asked.
"If I could smuggle weapons and go blow myself up there I would," he said. "But we're not."
From Trump's America to Putin's Russia to Lebanon, the marriage of business with politics is closer than ever
December 22, 2016
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December 11, 2010
The skiing has been fantastic! The powder has been dry, light and plenty of it. You can ski the same run over and over again and get fresh tracks every time. It's a great time to book your stay with us at our Park City Hotel. We provide Park City lodging's best value and you walk to the lifts. Take a look at our Park City Lodging Specials we are offering and call us today.