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Boy, 10, accused of shooting mother
A boy of 10 accused of shooting dead his mother may have argued with her about carrying firewood into the house.
Deborah McVay, 46, was found dead in her living room from a single gunshot wound to the head on Sunday in Big Prairie, Ohio.
Joseph McVay may have argued with her over household chores, sheriff's deputy Nathan Fritz said on Tuesday.
He said: "There may have been an argument over whether he should bring firewood into the house and possibly it escalated from there."
Four weapons were found in the boy's bedroom. On his bed were the .22 calibre rifle believed to have killed his mother and a 12-gauge shotgun. On a gun rack mounted to the wall hung two more .22 rifles. Police were called to the house, in rolling farmland, after a neighbour called to say the boy had come to her home and said he had just shot his mother.
"I'm her neighbour. I'm over here. She's bleeding from her head," the neighbour told an operator. When she was asked "Is she breathing?" the neighbour answered, "no, she's bleeding."
"The neighbours came over and got me and said the mom got shot in the head," the neighbour said.
Family members have told authorities that the guns were a present from the boy's late grandfather. "It's not unusual for boys of that age to hunt and shoot," said Mr Fritz. "I think it's unusual that those weapons were permitted to be in the boy's bedroom."
The boy lived with his mother and 15-year-old sister - who was present at the time of the shooting - in the small one-storey dwelling. Several relatives live nearby, including Deborah McVay's mother.
The investigation has unearthed previous disciplinary problems in the 10-year-old's life, but no serious violence. In September 2007, the boy was disciplined for hitting his elementary school principal in the face and chest with a dustpan. The principal had been escorting the boy to the gym for a "time-out" after he had been disruptive in class.


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Enhanced power integrity tool claims 2X speedup
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SAN FRANCISCO Power integrity EDA tool provider Apache Design Solutions Friday (June 30) released an enhanced version of the company's RedHawk-EV full-chip physical power integrity tool that claims to deliver at least a two-fold improvement in runtime speed and 40 percent less memory utilization compared to the preceding version.
According to Apache (Mountain View, Calif.), the tool's speedup and capacity improvements increase with the size and complexity of a chip design. In a recent tapeout support, the dynamic simulation run-time was reduced from 14-and-a-half hours to about under seven hours on a 65-nanometer design with 8 million gates, the company claimed. On a larger design with 110 million gates, RedHawk-EV version 5.3 delivered an even more significant runtime speedup with a total run-time reduction from 58 hours to 12 hours running on a 64-bit machine, according to Apache.
"As design size and complexity increases, the tools used by customers to validate their designs need to keep pace with their demands," said Dian Yang, vice president of product management at Apache, in a statement. "In spite of our significant competitive lead in runtime and capacity, Apache continues to enhance our products and technologies to meet the needs of our customers' most challenging designs."
Andrew Yang, Apache CEO, said the latest enhancements in performance and memory are obtained from upgrades to the tool's core physical database, extraction engine and simulation kernel and have no impact on waveform accuracy. "The new version improves customers' productivity by significantly reducing the overall turnaround time of deploying full-chip dynamic solutions to SoC [system-on-chip] designs at 65-nm and below," Yang said.
RedHawk-EV version 5.3 is immediately available for customer use, Apache said. All existing RedHawk-EV customers will automatically receive version 5.3 as part of their maintenance, according to the company. Pricing information was not disclosed.
Apache will be demonstrating RedHawk-EV, along with the company's other power integrity and noise management solutions at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) here July 24-27, the company said.

subset: commoncrawl


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Real Madrid [2] boss, Carlo Ancelotti [3] has said that he will fight 'tooth and nail' to keep Cristiano Ronaldo [4] at the club to prevent Manchester United [5] from sweeping in to buy the player.
There has been heavy speculation regarding Ronaldo's future ever since it was revealed the winger was pining for a return to Old Trafford last December.
According to The Sun, the former Paris Saint-Germain manager expressed his excitement on the prospect of working with Ronaldo and put him in the same league alongside greats like Zidane and Ronaldinho, adding that Ronaldo is central in his plans for winning a 10th Champions League for his club.
The Italian manager said Ronaldo was a fantastic player and it was a dream to work with him.
Although Real president Florentino Perez had earlier announced that Ronaldo would sign a new deal, however, the reports said that news about the Portugal star meeting United's top management to make a switch soon came to the front.
When asked about former manager Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti said that his style was totally different from his predecessor and cannot be compared with each other.
Stating that he wants to have a good relationship with the players, the Italian said that he does not think that Madrid needs a pacifier. (ANI [6])
[1] http://www.syndigate.info
[2] http://www.realmadrid.com/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Ancelotti
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo
[5] http://www.manutd.com/
[6] http://www.aninews.in


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National asthma observational survey of severe asthmatics in Israel: the no-air study
© Izbicki et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012
Received: 1 March 2012
Accepted: 1 June 2012
Published: 1 June 2012
Asthma is considered a global public health issue requiring a significant medical expenditure as a result of its high prevalence and the low rate of disease control.
This is the first nationwide survey of severe asthma patients carried out in Israel. In this study we aimed to assess health resources utilization, compliance with treatment and disease-control in a subgroup of patients with severe asthma in Israel.
Material and method
One hundred and twenty-three patients with a diagnosis of asthma for more then one year, as well as a hospitalization during the last 12 months due to asthma exacerbation or maintenance systemic steroids therapy, were included in this non-interventional observational study.
Asthma was uncontrolled in 43.9%, partly controlled in 50.4% and well controlled in only 5.7%. The majority of the patients (83%) were compliant with drug treatment.
The fact that 83% of the asthma patients included in this study were compliant with their asthma therapy was not manifested in asthma control. Therefore concrete tools are required for achieving and maintaining asthma control, especially in the treatment of the most severe asthmatic patients.
Asthma represents a major public health concern, with increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide [1]. Asthma affects over 300 million people all over the world and is one of the most common chronic diseases [2, 3]. Estimates of the prevalence of asthma range from 7% in France and Germany, to 11% in the USA and 15-18% in the United Kingdom [2]. Approximately 20% of these patients have severe asthma, of which 20% are inadequately controlled [4]), and these patients are at particularly high risk of exacerbation, hospitalization and demise often suffering from a radically impaired quality of life. The medical expenditure related to asthma deriving from work absences, missed school days and increasing healthcare costs has raised this disease to high priority in terms of finding new therapeutic as well as improved compliance modalities.
Various studies indicate that the burden of illness is not necessarily associated with asthma itself but with the lack of asthma control [5]. The unfavorable effects of inadequate asthma control range from increased risk of exacerbation and emergency visits, to hospitalization and death [6, 7].
The aim of this survey was to assess health resources utilization, compliance with treatment and disease-control in a subgroup of patients with severe asthma in Israel.
Material and methods
Study population and procedures
This is a non-interventional observational study based on a single patient visit conducted in 12 Israeli centers by pulmonologists, all members of the Israeli Pulmonary Society. The patients completed Hebrew-translated standard, international used questionnaires regarding asthma control, therapy compliance and quality of life, and the pulmonologists completed questionnaires with regard to severity, disease-control, comorbidities and treatment. More specifically, questionnaires were divided into five parts: 1) demographics 2) health resource utilization 3) compliance to treatment based on the standard Asthma Compliance Test [8], 4) level of asthma-control based on the standard Asthma Control Test [9]) and 5) asthma history and treatment. The first 3 parts were completed by the patients and the last 2 parts by the physicians. Patient's questionnaires were self-administered and completed in the out-patient clinic waiting area while physicians completed their questionnaires just after the patient's visit.
Patients above the age of 18 were included in this study after signing informed consent. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of asthma (based on the ATS and GINA guidelines) for more then one year together with either a hospitalization during the last 12 months due to asthma exacerbation, or maintenance systemic steroids therapy for at least 50% of the year. Total IgE level from up to 12 months before visit 1 until one month after visit 1 was obtained. All patients fulfilling inclusion criteria were asked to participate in this survey, during a 12 month period of time. Asthmatic patients who were hospitalized for reasons other than asthma, or patients with a diagnosis of COPD, were excluded from this survey. Asthma-control was assessed for every patient according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) update of 2006 [10, 11].
Ethical considerations
This observational survey was performed according to the principles of Good Clinical Practice, the Helsinki Declaration, and national laws and regulations for clinical studies. This survey received extraordinary approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health which authorized the participation of all affiliated pulmonologists in this study based upon the approval of the Independent Ethics Committee of Kaplan Medical Center (Rehovot) and receipt of the patients' written informed consent.
Demographics, socio-economic and medical history
Demographics – Socio-economic and medical history
Total Number of recruited patients
*Age median (range)
52 (19-87)
80 (65%)
Completed high school
76 (62%)
36 (29%)
Living in urban areas
97 (79%)
38 (31%)
Diabetes Mellitus
22 (18%)
Asthma-related information
Asthma related information
Diagnosis of asthma below the age of 40
93 (75.6%)
Allergic rhinitis
68 (55%)
Food or drug allergy
24 (19.5%)
Atopic dermatitis
16 (13%)
Never smoked
98 (80%)
22 (17.9%)
#Positive Skin test/RAST
32/46 (69.5%)
Exacerbations, Hospitalizations & Intubation
Median number of exacerbations within the last 12 month (0-25)
Median number of exacerbations over the past 5 years (0-100)
History of hospitalization in ICU and intubation
Ninety percent of the patients were treated with short-acting beta-2-agonists (mostly salbutamol/albuterol), 19.2% with long-acting beta-2-agonists (LABA) (formoterol preferred among other LABA), 15% inhaled corticosteroids (budesonide preferred), and 83.7% inhaled combination therapy (salmeterol/fluticasone preferred). Other drugs included montelukast (n = 37, 30%), theophylline (n = 29, 23.6%), and omalizumab (n = 26, 21.1%). No patient received LABA alone. The majority (68%) of the patients receiving LABA did so on-top of inhaled combination therapy while the rest (32%) were treated with separate LABA and inhaled corticosteroids. Amongst patients treated with inhaled combination therapy 87% received the maximal dose (salmeterol/fluticasone 500 mcg two times per day or formoterol/budesonide 320mcg two times per day and only 13% received a smaller dose (salmeterol/fluticasone 250 mcg two times per day or formoterol/budesonide 160mcg two times per day. Forty-three percent received corticosteroids systemically (prednisone preferred) as a maintenance therapy. The most common treatment-associated adverse events included osteoporosis, obesity, and hypertension.
Quality of life and compliance
Quality of Life: results expressed as median (range) or percentage of total
Visits to the ER
2 (0-24)
Hospitalizations within last 12 months
1 (0-20)
Hospitalizations in last 5 years
5 (0-60)
Duration of hospital stay
4 (1-25)
Working days lost due to asthma
15 (0-365)
Asthma attacks daily
Woke up 4 or more times a night per week
Compliance and asthma-control
Use steroids daily
Afraid/very afraid of side effects
Stated they were always compliant with treatment
Aware of the need for continuous treatment
Thought lack of compliance would have a negative impact on their disease
Thought treatment with tablets was more efficient than inhalation.
Denied the last statement
Stated asthma was partially or not-at-all controlled
Stated asthma was well controlled
This is the first nationwide survey undertaken in Israel concerning severe asthma patients. In this study we found that the majority of the patients (83%) were compliant with drug treatment. However this high self-declared compliance did not translate into asthma control. According to 2006 GINA assessment, 94.3% of patients had partially-controlled or uncontrolled asthma in this study. The median number of exacerbations within the last year was four. The results of this survey are based on questionnaires filled in by patients and physicians, and differ somewhat from the results of the telephone survey performed by Chapman et al. [7] in Canada, although both surveys confirmed the high prevalence of uncontrolled asthma. Forty-nine percent of all 123 patients stated that their asthma was not at all or only partially controlled. Forty-three percent of the patients did not answer this question, but taking into account other answers (i.e., 65% of patients stated they had daily asthma attacks) we can evaluate that the percentage of patients with partially or non-controlled asthma is very high. This assumption is also based on the fact that only 8.3% of the patients thought that their asthma was fully controlled. The pulmonologists found that only 5.7% of the patients had well-controlled asthma, which is quite consistent with the patients' self-evaluation of well-controlled disease. In the Reality of Asthma Control (TRAC) study [12] 53% of adults who reported having asthma were uncontrolled. In the INSPIRE study [13] 51% of the patients had uncontrolled asthma, as assessed by the Asthma Control Questionnaire. Although study populations and methodology are very different in these two studies the percentage of uncontrolled asthma is quite similar. In 2009 Demoly et al. published a cross-sectional study of 37,476 adults in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK in which 50.4% of asthma patients reported having partially-controlled disease [2]. Severe persistent asthma causes a substantial morbidity and mortality burden and is frequently inadequately controlled despite intensive guideline-based therapy. The high percentage of patients with asthma under little or no control in our study is partially due to the extremely restrictive inclusion criteria of our survey. Nevertheless, according to GINA guidelines, asthma control can be achieved and maintained amongst the majority of asthmatics. In our study, although 83.7% of the patients used combination therapy (inhaled steroids and LABA) only 30% used montelukast and 21% omalizumab, despite the severity and poor control-level of their disease. Although there was a trend amongst better asthma control in the subgroup of patients treated with corticosteroids systemically or Omalizumab, this difference did not reached statistically significance as compared with the total population. As many as 83% of the patients reported constant compliance with their prescribed treatment. We had no possibility to reconcile the patient's reports concerning the high compliance to treatment, with prescriptions refills or other more objective measure. There are more objective methods to assess compliance with treatment but as this was a non-interventional, observational survey, we were limited to the use of questionnaires only. Although this information is based on patients report only, authors believe that there is room for improvement of current treatment regimens in the subset of patients presented in this study.
The limitations of this survey are firstly the small size of the study group. The relatively small size of the group can be explained by the restrictive inclusion criteria. It is not a general survey of asthma control in Israel but a survey of a severe asthmatic population. Moreover, as participation to this national survey was on a volunteer basis, not all the hospitals and pulmonologists, took an active part in this survey. Nevertheless we do think that this is a representative sample of the sub-population of patients with severe asthma. It should also be stressed that since there is no uniform definition of severe asthma, the results of this study are limited to the recruited population and not to all severe asthmatics. Secondly, we did not analyze the association of asthma control with other diseases, health attitudes (obesity, smoking,) or treatments. The third limitation is the use of the questionnaire to assess compliance with asthma medication. The patients' questionnaires were self-administered and completed. There are more objective methods to assess compliance but as this was a non-interventional survey we used validated questionnaires. Finally it might be argued that surveying patients in hospital facilities would be biased towards including mostly uncontrolled asthma patients since such patients are more likely to require care in a hospital setting.
In this survey, asthma impaired quality of life and was a major cause of hospitalizations, emergency room visits and absence from work/school. Although most patients surveyed in this study (83%) declared full treatment compliance, this overwhelming number did not translate into satisfactory disease control, as only 5.7 - 8.3% of the patients (physicians' versus patients' evaluation), claimed well controlled asthma. Several studies, including this survey, show that the illness burden is not only associated with the severity of the disease but mostly with the lack of asthma control. More concerted efforts in achieving and maintaining control are needed. Other treatment options for severe asthmatic patients should be considered since most of the severe patients were not well controlled.
Appendix 1
List of centers participating in this trial who recruited more then 5 patients, Name of PI (and number of patients they recruited).
Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Dr. G. Fink, (30).
Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Dr. G. Izbicki (15)
Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, Dr. Z. Weiler (11)
Macabi and Meuhedet Sick funds, Jerusalem, Dr. A. Grossman (11)
Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Prof. Y. Ben-Dov (10)
Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Prof. R. Breuer (10)
Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zrifin, Dr. D. Stav (8)
Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Dr. M. Bekerman (7)
Haemek Medical Center, Afula, Dr. M. Yunis (7)
Poria Medical Center, Tiberias, Dr. C. Sismolo (5)
Three other centers recruited a total of nine patients together.
This study was supported by an unrestricted grant from Novartis Israel to the Israeli Pulmonary Society. Novartis was not involved in the data acquisition, data analysis or drafting of the manuscript.
Authors' Affiliations
- Eder W, Ege MJ, von Mutius E: The asthma epidemic. N Engl J Med. 2006, 355: 2226-2235. 10.1056/NEJMra054308.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Demoly P, Paggiaro P, Plaza V: Prevalence of asthma control among adults in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Eur Respir Rev. 2009, 18: 105-112. 10.1183/09059180.00001209.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Pereg D, Tirosh A, Lishner M: Prevalence of asthma in a large group of Israeli adolescents: influence of country of birth and age at migration. Allergy. 2008, 63: 1040-1045. 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01661.x.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Gaga M, Zervas E, Chanez P: Update on severe asthma: what we know and what we need. Eur Respir Rev. 2009, 18: 58-65. 10.1183/09059180.00001009.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Peters SP, Ferguson G, Deniz Y: Uncontrolled asthma: a review of the prevalence, disease burden and options for treatment. Respir Med. 2006, 100: 1139-1151. 10.1016/j.rmed.2006.03.031.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Bousquet J, Clark TJ, Hurd S: GINA guidelines on asthma and beyond. Allergy. 2007, 62: 102-112.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Chapman KR, Boulet LP, Rea RM: Suboptimal asthma control: prevalence, detection and consequences in general practice. Eur Respir J. 2008, 31: 320-325. 10.1183/09031936.00039707.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Walewski KM, Cicutto L, D'Urzo AD: Evaluation of a questionnaire to assess compliance with anti-asthma medications. J Asthma. 2004, 41: 77-83. 10.1081/JAS-120026064.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Nathan RA, Sorkness CA, Kosinski M: Development of the asthma control test: a survey for assessing asthma control. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004, 113: 59-65. 10.1016/j.jaci.2003.09.008.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). 2005,www.ginaasthma.com,
- The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2006 update. 2006,www.ginaasthma.com,
- FitzGerald JM, Boulet LP, Mclvor RA: Asthma control in Canada remains suboptimal: the Reality of Asthma Control (TRAC) study. Can Respir J. 2006, 13: 253-259.PubMed CentralPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Partridge MR, van der Molen T, Myrseth SE: Attitudes and actions of asthma patients on regular maintenance therapy: the INSPIRE study. BMC Pulm Med. 2006, 6: 13-10.1186/1471-2466-6-13.PubMed CentralView ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Touring training not going as planned.
Some may remember that i intended on doing some touring training for when I did self contained tours this year.
The training I was intending on doing was to load my B.O.B. trailer up and do my normal after work and weekend rides.
I have not done any yet because I got such a late start in the season due to weather and do not know when and if I'll be able to.
So this leaves me to wonder should I just take off and do a self contained tour on a weekend with out worrying about trainng for it?
I am doing fine at riding with out the trailer albeit I had a accident today.
My self contained tour would go as follows:
1. Leave on a Saturday morning, ride to a state park with campground in either Nebraska, Iowa or South Dakota.
2. Set up camp, shower, ride into nearest town & eat @ a local resteraunt (sp).
3. If possible so a little sight seeing.
4. Return to camp and sleep.
5. Wake up on Sunday morning, break camp.
6. Ride into nearest town for breakfest.
7. Then head home returning sometime Sunday afternoon/ early evening.
The most weight I'll be carrying is about 35 to 40 pounds & 10 to 15 pounds of that is the B.O.B. trailer and bag & another 10 to 15 pounds is my tent.
Sounds fun right? I hope it is when I accomplish this.
But should I just do it or train for it first?
Advice please.
If you can do the ride unloaded, just do it. Drop your pace a bit and you should have no problems as long as you have some kind of base mileage. My only concern would be leaving my stuff at a campsite, but I am Mr. Paranoid, just ask the guy looking over my shoulder.
Most people know my story from my tour of Italy- absolutely zero training time, less than 5 hours total time on my bike before I left, a new bike on top of all that, very overweight, and totally scared witless. I struggled for a bit, but after a few days, I felt like I was fine.
I say just go for the practice runs loaded- know it will be slow going for a few days, but as you get more accustomed to riding with gear, you'll be ok.
If I can do it, I swear- anyone can do it!
My major adjustment with a loaded bike came in the first few miles getting use to the balance issues .Other than the initial adjustment just view an overnight trip as training and go for it.Besides the thieft issue which I agree with Rev.Chuck on and not knowing too much about your riding I am a little concerned you may be trying to schedule too many centuries and long tour distances without putting in enough base miles at more moderate distances.I did alot of daily rides in the 30-35 miles range before I did a tour where milages were 60-80.And I did the tour distances of 60-80 miles and more training rides of 40-60 miles before I ever attempted a century.You can learn as you go along and I don't want to discourage you from setting out on an overnight trip but you may want to initially keep the milages reasonable to avoid becoming discouraged with cycling before you develop the fitness to do big miles.
Definately keep the initial mileage down! In the beginning, I was doing shorter mileage- like 9- 10 miles a day. I gradually increased my miles as I became more conditioned. I ended up doing like 60- 90 km a day at the end with no problems.
Load it up, start by doing short trips, and as you get more conditioned and confident, you can build up to longer trips and more mileage.
Hey guys thanks for the advice. After reading it I'm planning on a 2 day , 1 night self contained trip either the 2nd or the 4th weekend of June.
There are 4 choices that I have in my geographical area that I'm interested in camping at.
There are actually more but these 4 are the ones that are worth riding the distance to. The otheres are only about 10 to 20 miles away.
The closest is about 30 miles away, the 2nd & 3rd closest is about 45 miles and the furthest is about 135 miles away. More then likely I'll do one of the other 2 and save the long one for later in the year.
Again thanks.
I would suggest doing a training ride with the trailer or watever you are using, and pack a big picnic, and meet some mates out there and have a feed then come home! sounds good.... might have to try it myself!
I did an overnighter as preparation for my first tour a few years back. I basically loaded the bike up with everything I intended taking on the tour and just went. I camped at a spot relatively close to home so I could get back easily if there were any problems I couldn't deal with. I got more than I bargained for when the temperature hit 47 degrees C, but it wasn't so bad as I was camped next to the Coomera River (in which I spent most of the afternoon). I definitely recommend an overnighter as a way to prepare for longer tours in the future, and the overnighter is fun in itself.
Re: the earlier comment about leaving things at a campsite. I've done this a few times in various places and got away with it. The most important thing is to ensure your immediate valuables (wallet, camera etc) are carried on your person at all times. You should also get a spanky lock for your bike if you intend leaving it unattended at any stage. Beyond that, well, most thieves probably wouldn't bother stealing a heap of daggy clothes - they'll move on and target someone else.
If you can train, do it to whatever capacity time will allow, but otherwise just go on a tour when you can. You will just have to work harder to get to your destination.
Living gear unattended at campsites is a scary thing to do, and I am always worried when I do this. I have heard many tails of people losing stuff while camping, but mostly in the developing world. Fortunately, I have never lost anything to thieves, only to animals, but I have had people check my tent out while I was in it! My hiking partner had washed his tent and set it up in his yard to dry and when he returned home from work his tent stolen from his yard!
|All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:47 AM.


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You are here
Rally stalls at resistance
Wheat markets spent much of the week in a positive mode, bouncing off of the contract lows established last week. A couple strong rally days quickly took prices to pre-report levels and up to the very strong resistance of the 40-day moving average, which once again managed to stall the rally.
USDA released their monthly supply/demand report on Friday; the trade was''t expecting any major adjustments for wheat but there were some surprises in the report. Of particular interest for wheat was the increase in export projections. After all of these months of struggling to compete in the export arena and the numerous times USDA had lowered their estimates, now here we see them take the projections back up as we head into the last two months of the marketing year.
While exports had been holding steady, they were''t ahead of the pace of projections, but apparently USDA sees them picking up in the next couple of months. While the crop report was positive and futures reacted strongly initially, the board couldn't hold the gains and retraced after testing the 40-day moving average.
Cash markets are showing strength despite the weaker futures, especially the higher protein spring wheat at the PNW. Just in the last week 15% pro spring wheat basis surged 35 cents, and hi-pro values have rallied $1.75 since harvest. The low protein crop from last year is finally spurring higher quality prices higher, basically following the normal seasonal time window for these types of year. Typically, high pro winters will tend to peak in early May, and high pro spring tend to top in early June. It would seem to me that the market will follow this normal seasonal tendency.
That said, unless the northern Plains runs into production problems the odds are very high that summer price action will be weak as the large crop from last year is forced into the market to make room for this year's crop. This is a normal reaction in bear markets, and usually happens right about the same time that the US harvest is under way in the central Plains. Production problems in the Midwest could change the price action to positive if corn and beans move higher.
But so far, wheat prospects look quite good in the southern and central Plains. Crop condition ratings continue to be very impressive for most of hard red winter wheat country, with Kansas ratings at 69% good/excellent and the other states not far behind. The Midwest is more mixed with Ohio and Indiana looking good but Illinois still looking poor.
Other Northern Hemisphere regions also show a mix of production possibilities. Most of Europe looks very good after a mild winter and having abundant moisture. Ukraine and Russia both are reporting higher than normal winter kill and a slow start this spring due to cold temps. China is also experiencing severe drought in the southern reaches of their winter wheat area; it's not expected to make much of a dent in total production for wheat however, since it's a low yielding region.
However, China's spring wheat country is a different story. They do have very dry conditions across much of that region and projections are already being lowered for total spring wheat production. If that is indeed what happens, we would likely see China import more high quality wheat through the next marketing year.
While we're keeping a close eye on the Northern Hemisphere, we're also watching the Southern Hemisphere gear up for their planting season. Australia has had very good moisture lately, particularly in the east and producers are hopeful for an easy planting time window. Early projections don't suggest that more wheat acres will get planted, however, due to the lower prices.
This publication is strictly the opinion of its writer and is intended solely for informative purposes. It is not to be construed, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or trade in any commodities or securities herein named. Information is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is in no way guaranteed. Futures and options trading always involve risk of loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Wheat markets spent much of the week in a positive mode, bouncing off of the contract lows established last week. A couple strong rally days quickly took prices to pre-report levels and up to the very strong resistance of the 40-day moving average, which once again managed to stall the rally.


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In 2004, the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) published Summative Assessment Manuals (SAM) for teachers, developed by Grazyna Pawlikowska-Smith, the author of the CLB 2000. Funded by the Government of Alberta and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the 2004 version of SAM came in two separate volumes.
Based on the results of a survey conducted in 2009 with practitioners who use SAM, the CCLB, with funding from the Government of Alberta, has re-formatted SAM to make it more user-friendly. The revised version consists of a printed manual containing important information on using SAM and includes two CDs: one with the SAM tasks and an electronic version of the manual, and the other with the audio files for the CLB 4 tasks. The new version is compact, printable and lighter than the previous two-volume set. Cost of the revised SAM is $45 plus HST and Shipping and Handling.
SAM provides made-for-classroom assessment tools and supports for CLB-based programs at CLB levels 1 - 4 in four universal themes:
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567 Vt. Rt, #30Newfane, VT 05345MLS Number 4637310
- Price: $239,000The price has recently decreased
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Est. Mortgage: $/month
Federal 30-year interest rate: 4.03% last updated on 2017-07-13
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- 0.5Acreage
- resid.Zoning
- 96Road Frontage
Two family located on busy Route #30, could be converted back to single family home, walk to store, bank, post office and all of the village activities.
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2004 Williston Road
South Burlington VT, 05403
Office: 802-862-9106
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Call: 8005578186 8028629106 or send a message:
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Location Information
- Elementary SchoolNewbrook Elementary School
- High SchoolLeland Gray
- Junior HighLeland Gray Union Middle/High
- Zoningresid.
- Road Frontage96
- Acreage0.5
- APX Fin AG Sqft2500
- FoundationFieldstone
- Heat FuelGas - LP/Bottle, Oil
- Property TypeMulti-Family
- RoadsPaved, Public
- Square Feet2500
- Electric100 Amp
- WaterDrilled Well
- Heat SystemForced Air, Wall Furnace
- Sewer1000 Gallon, Leach Field
Basic Information
- # of 2 Bedrooms2
- StatusACT
- Units2
- StreetVt. Rt, #30
- Building Number567
- TownNewfane
- Zip05345
- CountyWindham
- Flood Zone Y/NYes
- Lot DescriptionLevel, Open, Sidewalks
- StateVT
- ExteriorClapboard
- RoofSlate
- Exterior Colorwhite
- Parking Spaces
- AVMYes
- Unit 2 Rent Amount$825
Basic Information
- Date Listed05/30/2017
- List Price$239,000
- MLS Number4637310
- Seasonal Y/NNo
- Bathroom2
- Total Baths2
- Year Built1860
- Water HeaterElectric
- BasementDirt Floor, Stairs - Interior, Sump Pump
- StyleApartment Building
- Unit 1 Bath1
- Unit 1 Bedrooms2
- Unit 1 Total Rooms5
- Unit 2 Bath1
- Unit 2 Bedrooms2
- Unit 2 Total Rooms4
- Broker NameBarrett and Valley Associates, Inc
- Agent NameMorrison
- bloggingYes
- Page204
- Book82
- Delayed ShowingsNo
- Number of Photos1
- View Count30
. 0 Bathroom 1750 Square Feet 0.08 Acreage Year Built in 1930.
. 0 Bathroom 2360 Square Feet 0.28 Acreage Year Built in 1906.
TRIPLE TREAT>LIVE IN THIS DELIGHTFUL 3 BEDRM 1 1/2 BATH MAIN FLOOR 1520 SQ. FT. HOME & HAVE THE OTHER TWO 1 BEDRM APTS. PAY ALMOST ALL OF YOUR HOUSE DEBT. ($1075 INCOME EA. MO. & BOTH PAY THEIR OWN UTILITIES, HAVE THEIR OWN ENTRANCES AND PARKING AREA SINCE THERE IS A DRIVEWAY ON WOODLAND & MEMORIAL DRIVE. THE MAIN FLOOR RADIATES QUALITY & CHARM WITH A DELIGHTFUL OPEN CONCEPT WITH 7 SPACIOUS ROOMS, SOLAR LITE SOLARIUM OFF THE FORMAL DINING RM. NICE SIZE CORNER LOT WITH A 2 STORY TWO CAR GARAGE. PLUS OWNER WILL PAY A PORTION OF YOUR CLOSING COSTS. AT JUST $144,900 YOU CAN LIVE IN STYLE FOR WAY LESS THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED WOULD BE POSSIBLE. TOTAL SQ. FTAGE INCLUDING 2 APTS. = 2,360. TRULY A SPECTACULAR OWNER OCCUPY SITUATION WITH GREAT FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY REQUIRE THAT YOU WILL ONLY NEED HALF A % OF YOUR OWN MONEY!!! More
. 0 Bathroom 2260 Square Feet 0.13 Acreage Year Built in 1908.
Convenience at its best ... Located in close proximity to all of the downtown amenities, this well maintained duplex is fully occupied offering a spacious apartment with its own covered porch on each floor. Off street parking, a 2-car garage and a storage room in each unit. A great investment property and/or ideal for owner occupants to subsidize your living expenses! More
. 0 Bathroom 3918 Square Feet 0.12 Acreage Year Built in 1906.
Four Unit Rental property in Barre City. Good, steady rental income. Well maintained. Newer roof and siding. Units include (3) 2 bedroom/1 bath units and (1) 3 bedroom/2 bath unit. Separate utilities. City water/sewer. Landlord pays heat and electric on the 3 bedroom unit More
. 0 Bathroom 0 Square Feet 8 Acreage Year Built in .
Development rights to construct 24 units in Montpelier in a very desirable area. 12 units were built in the early 90's and 24 units remain to be built. Call for permit status. Span # for just the units are not known as this parcel doesn't show up on the city tax map as separate from a recreation easement area. Book & page are partial information for how the parcel's development rights were obtained. Other deeds may be relevant. Square footage, garage, # bedroom units, etc are not accurate but are mandatory fields. More
. 6 Bathroom 4000 Square Feet 0.46 Acreage Year Built in 1920.
2- 3 unit buildings on 1 parcel of land. Village water from Granville, NY. 2 septic systems (1 for each house) If you are looking for investment property in VT you may want to check this out. Many updates have been made. Blown in insulation. 2 house meters for electric (1 for each house for furnaces). Tenants pay own electric and hot water. Heat is included in rent. More
. 0 Bathroom 1748 Square Feet 1.02 Acreage Year Built in 1971.
This two family chalet situated on a 1 acre lot is perfect as an investment or owner occupied home. Entertain easily in both units, with open concept living on the first floor and nice indoor/outdoor flow and spacious deck on the second floor. Relax and enjoy this light-filled home with beautiful views of Haystack Mountain and Wheeler Farm. Just minutes to Mount Snow and the Hermitage Club Resorts and convenient to downtown Wilmington. More
. 2 Bathroom 3000 Square Feet 1.8 Acreage Year Built in 1910.
Very reasonably priced duplex. Live in one side and let the other pay the mortgage. There is a 3rd unit that had a fire and would make a good project for the handyman. More
. 3 Bathroom 3091 Square Feet 1.05 Acreage Year Built in 1981.
Income producing commercial/residential flex property centrally located in Southern Vermont. Let this property go to work for you to include the front building with 2 apartments, 4 garage bays 2 with offices and half baths, a 45x32 rear building with 3 garage bays, a loading dock, two heated offices, 2 floors of work/storage space and a 16x14 shed. All this just 4 miles south of Mount Snow and 4 miles north of the Village of Wilmington. Great Rt 100 visibility, on the Moover route with VAST trail access just across the street. Priced to sell! More
. 0 Bathroom 7000 Square Feet 0.5 Acreage Year Built in 1970.
Copyright 2017 Northern New England Real Estate Network, Inc. All rights reserved. This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX Program of NEREN. Subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice. This web site is updated daily.


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The 30th annual Bowl for Hospice was held on Saturday February 23rd, 2013 in
Benson, Montevideo, Graceville, Granite Falls, New London, Ortonville and Willmar. Paynesville sponsored their event on Saturday, February 16th 2013. There was a total of 436 bowlers between all the towns, with a total of $30,759.00 donated in the one day event.
The traveling trophy went to Thompson Auto Glass from Dawson. They raised $6914.00 in donations. Joy Thompson alone raised over $6731.00
All of the money raised is used for services to assist terminally ill hospice patients in the entire Rice Hospice area, which includes: Appleton, Benson, Dawson, Granite Falls, Montevideo, Ortonville/Graceville, Paynesville and Willmar area. A BIG thank you to all the businesses whose donations covered all of the Bowl for Hospice expenses, the participating bowling alleys who donated their facilities for the day and to all the bowlers and hospice volunteers who made the success of the 30th Bowl for Hospice possible.


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What is Domestic Abuse
What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is when a person hurts, bullies or takes away the choices of someone they have a close relationship with. They might be dating, living together, married or have children together. It can involve someone a person used to be with.
In all relationships there can be difficult times. People can argue, disagree and say or do things that can be hurtful. What's different about domestic abuse is that it causes one person to be scared of the other. Also, it doesn't just happen once.
What does domestic abuse involve?
Abusers can hurt others in many different ways:
- Physically - by hitting, kicking, punching, pushing, slapping
- Emotionally - by threatening them, making them feel bad about themselves, stopping them from seeing friends and family
- Financially - by not giving them any money, not letting them work or controlling all the money
- Sexually - by forcing them to have sex or watch sexual behaviour and touching them against their will.
Why does domestic abuse happen?
Mostly, women and children are the people who are hurt by domestic abuse and men are the people who abuse. But some men do experience domestic abuse as do people in same sex relationships. The reason that more women experience domestic abuse may be that until quite recently it used to be acceptable (and even legal) for men to hurt their wives if they did not obey them.
People choose to be abusive. Some abusers say they were drunk or had taken drugs. But drinking or drugs do not cause domestic abuse, although they can make it worse. Some people say they were feeling stressed at the time or that the other person was 'asking for it'. This is not true. These are just excuses. No one makes someone else abusive. No one deserves to be abused. Any type of abuse is wrong. The person it is happening to is never to blame.
There are lots of myths about domestic abuse.
How does it affect children and young people?
People often think that domestic abuse doesn't affect children and young people. Adults sometimes think that they can hide what's going on. But children and young people often hear or see what's happening. They might hear shouting and hitting, or see their mum upset or injured. Often they are nearby when it's happening. Some children and young people are also hurt by the abuser.
If this is happening to you, you may feel scared, angry, upset, depressed, guilty or confused. Whatever you feel is OK. There are no right or wrong feelings.
Domestic abuse is not your fault. The person who abuses is responsible - not you or anyone else.
Did you know?
- One in five women experiences domestic abuse
- 100,000 children in Scotland experience domestic abuse
- Nine out of ten children are in the same or next room during incidents of domestic abuse .
Nearest SWA Group
Find your nearest Women's Aid group
Current Activities
Non-consensual sharing of intimate media (NCSIM) is a form of abuse
Read the results of our survey on NCSIM (otherwise known as "revenge porn")
Facts & Figures
On one day in Scotland in 2013, 37 women and 22 children and young people asked for refuge accommodation, but Women's Aid were unable to find suitable spaces for 19 women and five children and young people (SWA 2013)


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Quote of the Day
"You would have to have been a real, real, real optimist to think that both sides were going to move enough at this point to get a deal done in a couple of days."-- Jazz G Raja Bell, on the current NBA CBA negotiations. (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 11/7)
Top Stories
Lesser Of Two Evils
The NBA owners over the weekend "issued an ultimatum and a deadline for a labor deal, leaving union officials with no palatable options and a running clock." The players "have until Wednesday afternoon to accept a deal they find objectionable, or see it replaced with one that is objectively worse."
Feeling The Heat?
Blazers, Grizzlies pressuring sponsors and employees involved in charity games?
Penn State Stunned
Penn State AD Curley steps down in wake of sex scandal.
Eyes On The Tigers
LSU's win over Alabama draws CBS' highest rating, viewership in more than 20 years for college game.
Back To Square One
Alex Meruelo's deal to buy the Hawks fails.
Seeking Coverage
The Hartford not renewing NCAA sponsorship after eight years.
Slower Track Conditions
Breeders' Cup handle at Churchill Downs down 5% from record-setting '10.
No Candy Coating
M&M's says Busch's actions "not consistent" with company values.
Born To Run
SBD readers share their experiences running yesterday's ING N.Y. Marathon.


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Fab Site: Daszign.com
A cool online boutique and personal shopper program rolled into one? I don't know about you, but I love two-for-one deals! Over at Daszign.com, you can shop for Betsey Johnson, Malandrino, and more, while filling out a form detailing your favorite labels, style preferences, and price range. Then, they'll send you a looks they think you'll like as soon as they arrive in-store. Done and done.


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Protocol Title: A Phase I/II Single-Centre Double-Blind, Randomized Study of the Safety and Tolerability of Dapivirine Vaginal Microbicide Gel (TMC 120 Gel-002) vs. HEC-Based Universal Placebo Gel in Healthy HIV-Negative Women
Status: Completed
IPM 005B is a Phase I/II trial that assessed the local safety of twice daily dapivirine gel on vaginal mucosa, systemic toxicity and tolerability in 36 healthy, HIV-negative women for 42 days. Product acceptability and adherence were also assessed.
The trial demonstrated that dapivirine gel administered twice daily for 42 consecutive days in healthy, HIV-negative women for 42 consecutive days was safe and well tolerated, suggesting that continued development is warranted.
Participating Research Centers
- SGS Life Sciences Services — Antwerp, Belgium
Publications, presentations or other scientific data
- IPM 005B abstract (AIDS)


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For years, teens across the country could call a toll-free hotline if they had embarrassing questions about AIDS and safe sex. Dial the same number now, and you get a recording of giggling women offering to talk dirty to you – all you have to do is enter a credit card number.
Those naughty misdials – and countless others like them – appear to be no accident.
According to the Associated Press, Philadelphia company PrimeTel Communications located near the Liberty Bell has quietly gained control over nearly a quarter of all the 800 numbers in the U.S. and Canada, often snatching them up the moment they're relinquished by previous users. As of last month, PrimeTel administered more 800 numbers than any other company – including AT&T and Verizon.
And many, if not most of those 1.7 million numbers appear to be used for one thing – redirecting callers to phone sex service.
Dial 1-800-Chicago and instead of reaching a tourism hotline for the Windy City, you'll hear a woman offering "one-on-one talk with a nasty girl" for $2.99 per minute. A similar thing happens if you punch in the initial digits of 1-800-Metallica, 1-800-Cadillac, 1-800-Minolta, 1-800-Cameras, 1-800-Worship or 1-800-Whirlpool.
All those numbers contain messages redirecting callers to erotic chat lines operated by National A-1 Advertising, a company that shares a Philadelphia office building with PrimeTel.
The companies have common ownership and list many of the same people as executives or business contacts.
Over the years, though, PrimeTel has been hit with lawsuits and complaints alleging that it is violating federal rules banning toll-free service providers from hoarding digits. Federal Communications Commission rules say that "routing multiple toll-free numbers to a single toll-free subscriber" is usually considered hoarding.
The FCC has never taken formal action against PrimeTel or
National A-1, although federal authorities have expressed renewed interest lately in companies that handle toll-free numbers. In the fall, authorities sent subpoenas to several, including PrimeTel, asking for information on how they acquire numbers and why.
In October, federal agents and Philadelphia police spent two days removing records from National A-1's office suite, although it is unclear if the action was related to the phone business.
Nothing was amiss and the lawyer for both companies says that PrimeTel isn't breaking any rules or engaging in prohibited practices such as selling numbers or obtaining ones it doesn't intend to use.
Helein said the raid last fall was not aimed at PrimeTel.
National A-1 and its owners have a variety of business enterprises headquartered at the same address, including a website sometimes used by prostitutes to advertise their services.
People in the telecommunications industry who are familiar with PrimeTel say that in addition to snapping up familiar 1-800 numbers, the company may be trying to capitalize on people's fat-finger dialing mistakes by acquiring numbers that are just a digit or two away from a major company's number.
Helein denied PrimeTel was trying to capitalize from misdials or engaged in a strategy to intercept calls made by customers of other businesses.
The lawyer claims that PrimeTel has been the target of complaints from other industry players who are "jealous" of the company's computer systems.
For the complete Associated Press report, click here.


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"Avant Blue" is a throw back to another era. The sixties featured some of the greatest soul jazz ever. Artists like Don Paterson, Charles Earland and Jimmy Smith burned the keys with inspired soul injected performances. Nagel's funk based organ sound is rich with rhythmic fire and a low down kind of feel. Moretti weaves in and out of the melody with committed passion and drive.
The New Orleans sound is alive and well in "Kooksville." This second line-based number is a group effort featuring fine performances from Moretti, Nagel, and the rhythm section. One listen and you are up on your feet grooving to the beat.
"Poydras Street" is reminiscent of the Horace Silver sound. This groove-based piece features an infectious melody along with Nagel's funky piano, Ballou's rich bass sounds and Moretti's smooth delivery. There is much to enjoy.
Shorter's "Virgo" features Moretti's reflective side. This melancholic and rather intriguing version is dedicated to the Virgos in his life. Moretti works with extended lines at some points tentative, at others, reassuring. Bartlett's haunting guitar work creates an atmosphere of wonder and mystic.
"Compared To That" is an upbeat number featuring the band at it's best. Bartlett takes his guitar on a funk-infested journey. His fingers glide effortlessly with plenty of melodic overtones. Nagel's piano work demonstrates how versatile and fluid his playing can be.
If there were one word to describe Passing Place, it would be variety. Throughout the session we are treated to a level of musicianship heard only on the finest of jazz recordings. Everyone is here to play. This is clearly the case on every selection. Inspired performances and solid arrangements add up to one heck of a listen.


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In Reply to: Hi, New Here. posted by Daniel on November 13, 1999 at 16:04:36:
As an LVN in a nursing home I have cared for many with lupus. I myself have discoid lupus. I have never heard of this as a treatment but it seems to have worked in your mom's case. But to me it seems rather drastic. I hope she is okay now and will continue to improve. Best of luck.
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Ang Thong National Marine Park
The reasons why Nang Yuan Island is one of the most famous islands of the world are privacy and beauty. Nang Yuan Island is renowned around the Gulf of Thailand because of the clean white dunes linking three small islands together. Read more
Located in Thansadet-Koh Pa-ngan National Park in Surat Thani, Koh Pa-ngan is a magnificent island with a rich marine ecological system. Read more
Khao Sok National Park is the richest source of natural wealth in southern Thailand. Read more
It is a fantastic world-renowned destination. Hinta Hinyai on Ko Samui (or Samui island) is a natural wonder has been passed on by word of mouth for a long time. Read more
Extraordinary scenery of limestone cliffs towering 900 feet above the emerald water of the lake, surrounded by verdant rainforest, this is the gigantic Ratchaprapa Dam or Chiew Laan Dam. Chiew Laan of Thailand and Kui-Lin of China are similar by their incredible enormous mountains. Read more
The Ang Thong National Marine Park is 32 kilometers to the northeast of Samui Island. Consisting of 42 small islands it was designated the Ang Thong Island National Park in 1980. Ang Thong National Marine Park is considered one of the most beautiful archipelagos in Thailand as the name "the gold basin (Ang Thong) of the gulf of Thailand" demonstrates. Read more
The name Klong Roi Sai (a hundred canals) comes from the fact that there are many canals that eventually meet at Tapee River in Surat Thani province, where the traditional riverside lifestyle perfectly meets modern culture. Read more
Originally called Wat Bang Riang, Wat Rat Upatum is one of the most aged temples situated at the top of Lan Mountain of Tub Pood District. The temple can be reached by taking Tub Pood road, Panom District, Surat Thani. Read more
Prabarommatad Chaiya reflects the genuine style of Srivichai art. The layered stupa is similar to a castle in the Java style. Read more
The Ang Thong National Marine Park is 32 kilometers to the northeast of Samui Island. Consisting of 42 small islands it was designated the Ang Thong Island National Park in 1980. Ang Thong National Marine Park is considered one of the most beautiful archipelagos in Thailand as the name "the gold basin (Ang Thong) of the gulf of Thailand" demonstrates. Although there are 42 small islands, Koh Wua Ta Lub is the most popular among travelers. There is a significant amount of wildlife living on the islands including the Asian long tailed monkey (langur), hair nosed otters, pacific reef egrets, white bellied sea eagles, ashy drongos, tortoises, sea turtles, lizards and pythons. It is the foremost spawning ground for the short bodied mackerel. The best time to visit the park is from the end of January until the end of October.
One-day boat excursions are long established and very popular. A typical trip will take in the islands of Wua Ta Lub Mae Koh, Sam Sao and Tai Plao. Prices usually include lunch and drinks, lifejackets and snorkeling gear. The touring program depends on the weather and the sea.
Wua Ta Lub Island. This island is where the Ang Thong National Park Office is located. There are beautiful views that travelers should not miss. A long-tailed boat will take the travelers to Aow Ta beach, where you can choose to swim, sunbathe, kayak or go hiking in the forest.
The route up to the Pa Jarudchan viewpoint, the most beautiful viewpoint of the Surat Thani Sea, is quite challenging as the walk includes a 500 metre climb up a limestone cliff. On the way up to Pa Jarudchan, you will pass the Pah Salad Dai viewpoint, which is 100 meters from Aow Ka Peang beach, another viewpoint that is very beautiful and worth seeing. Climb up the mountain by using the rope provided because the route up is very steep and dangerous. At the peak of the mountain, you can see the view from the wooden porch built by the Ang Thong Island National Park Office. Many of the islands on the north of Wua Ta Lub Island can be seen from here. What is more, there is also a beautiful view of the sunset and sunrise for those who stay overnight. There is basic bungalow accommodation and an area to put up tents or rent the tents from the office.
Mae Koh Island is situated to the north of Wua Ta Lub Island. The topography of this island consists of soaring limestone peaks surrounded by beaches. A must see is the emerald lake. This wonderful feature was caused by the collapse of limestone caverns creating a salt-water lake.


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The early ratings are in and it seems a lot of people were watching TV last night. While Lost drew in an impressive audience, it wasn't enough to beat out Fox's American Idol and Kitchen Nightmares.
According to Variety the Lost premiere took in 12.1 million viewers. That's well above the 9.5 million viewer average for last season and about 700k more than the audience for the previous season premiere. Those are some good numbers, however Fox won the night, bringing in 24.4 million viewers for the American Idol episode that aired and 9.2 million for Kitchen Nightmares.
If you didn't get the chance to check out last night's two back-to-back episodes of Lost, we've embedded them below for you. And if you did catch the episode, check out Katey's in depth reaction to the premiere here.
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The Lord, being pūrṇam or all-perfect, there is no chance of His becoming subjected to the laws of material nature. One should therefore be intelligent enough to know that except the Lord, nobody is the proprietor of anything within the universe. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
The Lord is the original creator.


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PRESS RELEASE : UNESCO celebrates World Water Day
"Water, water everywhere, only if we share"
Today UNESCO celebrates World Water Day, as part of the 2013 United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation and guided by the slogan "water, water everywhere, only if we share".
The potential for water cooperation is great and its benefits, whether in economic, social or environmental terms, are considerable. Cooperation however remains crucial to ensure the sustainable and equitable distribution of water, but also to foster and maintain peaceful relations within and among communities.
2013: the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation
The objective of the International Year is to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services. During the Year successful water cooperation initiatives will be highlighted and burning issues on water education, water diplomacy, trans boundary water management, financing cooperation and legal frameworks will be identified.
UNESCO as coordinator
Water challenges are complex and solutions must be equally multi-faceted. UNESCO's coordination in the International Year of Water Cooperation is in view of the Organization's multi-dimensional mandate in natural and social sciences, culture, education and communication. UNESCO pursues a wide angle, drawing on its International Hydrological Programme as well as its 29 water-related Chairs and 18 water-related centres, such as the UNESCO IHE-Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands, which has trained 15,000 water professionals from 160 countries since 1957.
Water cooperation is not only a technical or scientific issue. It is also about fighting poverty and protecting the environment. It is about laying the foundations for sustainable development and lasting peace.
Additional information:
- United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation: www.unwater.org
- UNESCO media contact: Agnès Bardon, firstname.lastname@example.com Tel: +33(0)1 45 68 17 64
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Relations between the Alberta and Ontario governments have seen ups and downs in recent history. But after Kathleen Wynne got the nod this week as Ontario's next premier, initial signs are Alberta's top brass want to keep that relationship friendly.
"I look forward to working with Premier-Designate Wynne and the leaders of all provinces and territories to build a stronger Canada," wrote Alberta Premier Alison Redford on her Facebook page Saturday.
Redford painted a symbiotic picture of the east-west relationship with economy as a shared interest.
"Alberta and Ontario represent two convergent economies whose oil and gas and manufacturing sectors reap enormous benefits from a strong partnership," she said, adding the next 25 years should have Alberta purchasing up to $63 billion worth of goods and services to support oil sands production.
Redford was unavailable for further comment but a spokesman from her office said she will be in Toronto next week and hopes to meet with Wynne briefly to offer her congratulations in person.
"She's hoping the strong Ontario-Alberta working relationship continues," said Stefan Baranski, spokesman for the premier.
He said regardless of who is in power, building a relationship with Ontario's government is important.
The two provinces have not always seen so eye-to-eye.
As recent as Alberta's last provincial election, Ontario's then premiere Dalton McGuinty was blaming high energy prices for his province's economic problems and the Albertan oil sands became a target for his criticism.
McGuinty spent a good portion of his time in office pushing against oil sands development in an attempt at a greener Ontario.
But as Ontario's debt grew, the differences became overlooked in place of a more Alberta-friendly tone.
Redford is not the only one hoping to stoke the fires of friendship with Wynne.
Not to be outdone by the party in power, opposition leader Danielle Smith released a statement to the news of Wynne's appointment.
"Ontario and Alberta share many things in common, such as mutual prosperity and jobs linked to the success of natural resource development, as well as the desire for clean air, water and land," said Smith in a rare moment of agreement between herself and Redford. "We hope the provinces of Canada continue to work together in the spirit of economic partnership for the betterment of country and the strengthening of the national economy."
The next Ontario provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2015, but may come sooner as Wynne's Liberals were only able to maintain a minority government during the election in 2011.


text: Thomas PCath Lab Gets Runner Back on His Feet When Thomas Piccoli, 62, woke up in the middle of the night with severe chest pain, he thought it was anxiety. Even with a family history of heart disease, it never occurred to Tom that his pain could be heart related - his family members didn't take good care of themselves. Tom, on the other hand, never smoked, didn't eat meat and had been a runner for nearly 50 years, completing a total of 10 to 12 miles each week. After two hours, the pain moved into Tom's jaw and down his arms, so he knew it was time to see a doctor. When Tom called 9-1-1, the emergency responder told him the ambulance would only take him to the nearest hospital, and it wasn't an RWJBarnabas Health facility. "I hung up the phone, and my spouse drove me 45 minutes to Monmouth Medical Center in a snowstorm," says Tom, of Manasquan. "Even though people should never drive themselves to the hospital when they are having a heart attack, I work as the chief medical physicist and radiation safety officer at Monmouth Medical Center, so I know its cardiac program is one of the best around." When Tom arrived at the hospital, the cardiac team immediately completed an electrocardiogram. The test results determined he was experiencing a type of heart attack known as a STEMI or ST-elevation myocardial infraction, which is caused by a prolonged period of blocked blood supply that affects a large area of the heart. In order to prevent further damage to his heart, the Code STEMI team, led by Monmouth Medical Center cardiologist Jason Litsky, DO, immediately moved Tom to the catheterization lab to place a stent and open the blocked artery. "My left anterior descending artery was completely blocked," says Tom. "The surgery was a weird experience. Since I've worked at Monmouth Medical Center for 25 years, I felt like I knew too much. The Cath team was using equipment I calibrate and using terms I hear every day at work. But I knew these doctors are the best in the business, so I felt very comfortable." After three stents, Tom's artery was finally opened, but there was residual damage done to the heart because he waited too long to seek medical care. His heartbeat was irregular, and his ejection fraction, which determines how well your heart is functioning, was only at 28 percent when the normal is between 50 and 60 percent. Tom enrolled in Monmouth Medical Center's cardiac rehabilitation program and after 12 weeks, his ejection fraction rose to 60 percent, and he was cleared to go back to work, go to the gym and start running again. "I'm back to my active lifestyle, and I've been running up to six miles a week with no shortness of breath," says Tom. "I can't thank the Cath lab team enough for getting me back on my feet. They were amazing, and I wouldn't want to go anywhere other than Monmouth Medical Center for heart conditions. They are the reason I am still alive, and I am very grateful."


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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for MaleSurvivor: National Organization Against Male Sexual Victimization, New York, NY, USA
When I needed help in the Summer of 2008, I quickly discovered that there were almost no real resources for male survivors of sexual violence. While searching online, I was referred to MaleSurvivor and joined the forum. The postings, community spirit and free online resources were of great assistance to me as I began my healing. MaleSurvivor is an incredible resource and I highly recommend it to other male survivors in need of assistance.
More Feedback
How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
A lot
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?


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Set Up your Own Call Centre At Home ( 0 - 1 yrs)
Unique Outsourcing Solutions
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You can try these similar gifts instead.
Indo Mir Wool Rug
5' 7 x 8' long 100% wool rug. Featuring the colors of red, ivory, brown, tan, and black. Hand knotted with 70 knots per square inch. Made in India.
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OFNA Hard Anodized Aluminum CNC 3.0° Rear Toe Block
This item is discontinued and no longer available for purchase. You may want to search our site for a similar item.
|Low Price:
Discontinued Online
This is a replacement hard anodized aluminum CNC 3.0° rear toe block for OFNA buggies, and fits the Jammin X1 RTR and X1 CR buggies. This is the stock part that come with the X1-CR buggies, and is an optional upgrade for the X1 RTR buggies. You can use this toe block to fine tune the amount of straight line traction that your buggy has. For slicker and looser track conditions, use the 3.0° or 3.5° toe block. For high traction conditions use the 2.5° rear toe block.
This product was added to our catalog on August 1, 2005.


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Less than two weeks before Election Day, NBC's Brian Williams will sit down with Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin. The interviews will air next Wednesday and Thursday on Nightly News. Williams is the last of the big three anchors to be granted a sit-down with Palin. The first was ABC's Charlie Gibson who interviewed Palin five weeks ago in Alaska.
This leaves CNN as the only news network not to be granted an interview with Gov. Palin.


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Total War: Arena full access for everyone for the next week
Start playing in this free week and get access to the closed beta when the free week concludes.
Some weeks EA sell a lot of games, other weeks their dubious business practices invite close scrutiny from gambling regulators.
Start playing in this free week and get access to the closed beta when the free week concludes.
Licensing, terrible management decisions and the console version put pay the to the ARPG.
It looks like the promising looking VR headset will never appear.
Humanoids getting more stuff to enhance their strategy experience.
A large update for the reboot of the classic footy game.
Take some cars for a spin and also test the VR mode.
New Tower of London map Castle will be with you soon and a new Merc is incoming.
The Oculus Rift is now even cheaper but you'll have to hurry.
Gazillion to pull the plug on the ARPG ahead of schedule and all staff let go with no severance pay.
Time to shoot some Nazis with the free demo.
3.0 will be out in some form for more testing before the end of the year.
Open those wallets, Steam is waiting for your money and votes.
Dystopia 2025 is the location for this upcoming FPS. Grab a key right now!
More free stuff and fixes from Frontier.
Chinese gamers' version will stick to socialist core values.
There's more nuance to the story of Plants vs Zombies creator George Fan being fired by EA for his stance against microtransactions.
Belgium will take a stand against loot box gambling but it won't be easy.


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Milwaukee Talks: Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris
Life is good for Devin Harris.
It might get better very soon. Harris, the 23-year-old Milwaukee native who played his high school basketball at Tosa East and his college basketball at the University of Wisconsin, is considered a rising star in the National Basketball Association. Entering his third season with the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, Harris was one of the big reasons why the Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history in June. In the championship series, Dallas was up on Miami, two games to none, and led by 13 late in the third game. It looked like a possible sweep. But, the Heat came back to win Game 3 and the title, four games to two.
Harris' athleticism helped the Mavericks get past San Antonio in the playoffs, but he's not a finished product. His shooting is still a work in progress. Harris was at the Bradley Center Saturday night, resting his hamstrings as the Mavericks lost a preseason game to the Bucks. Before the contest, Harris reflected on his young pro career and what motivates him.
Enjoy this Milwaukee Talks interview with Devin Harris.
OMC: You might have been the difference in the Spurs series. How much did you grow from the whole playoff experience?
DH: It helped me tremendously, my confidence and just understanding that playoff basketball is a whole different level. To learn that on that stage and being in only my second season, it really helped me blossom and take a positive step.
OMC: How do you compare playing in the NBA Finals with playing in the NCAA tournament?
DH: You got one game in the NCAA tournament. In a series, you got best of seven. Even if you lose a couple of games, you got a chance to rebound. We came out really strong in the Finals but we faltered in the last four.
OMC: Do you still have flashbacks form the NBA Finals?
DH: Game 3 and Game 5. Those really stick out as games we could have won. We really didn't execute toward the end. Until you start the next season, it's something you continue to think about.
OMC: This year, is it a matter of "win it all or bust?" Is anything less than a title a disappointment?
DH: Pretty much. We've focused in on all of the goals. We completed every one last year besides the ultimate one and we just really want to finish what we started. That's the motto of the season.
OMC: Do you feel like now you're no longer a young pup or the young kid, that you're an established pro now?
DH: I would hope so but I'm still learning. I'm only in my third year and hopefully I'm going to get a lot better. Obviously, I took some positive steps in the right direction.
OMC: I read somewhere that this summer you spent a ton of time practicing shooting.
DH: Yeah, just really focusing in on the shots that I get in the game to make sure that I'm comfortable with those shots and be comfortable that I can make them at any time at any point in the game.
OMC: How do the Mavericks view using you this year? I know Avery Johnson has talked about using Jason Terry more at shooting guard so the starting point guard job is open.
DH: We're an up-tempo team and when Jason and I are in the game, we really can push the tempo. We're two of the quickest guards in the league. But we have a deep team and we have a lot of options.
OMC: How often do you stay in touch with Coach Ryan? (Bo Ryan at Wisconsin)
DH: I just got off the phone with him not too long ago. We talk probably once or twice a week.
OMC: What do you talk about? Is it more 'How are you doing?' or is it basketball?
DH: Both. Check in with the family, see how they're doing. This summer, we talked a lot about how to handle his situation and what I think about him running certain things, changing up a little bit. He kind of trusts me with my basketball IQ, about making different changes.
OMC: When you come back here, I'm sure you spend a little bit of time in Wauwatosa. You're a big deal now. Is that uncomfortable or do you like that feeling?
DH: I don't even worry about it. I just go out and do what I do. I can't worry about feeling uncomfortable. I'm comfortable with myself, so I just really live and don't worry about the things that are around me.
OMC: How do you not change when the circumstances change so much around you?
DH: You just gotta stay focused as a person and know what you're about and not lose yourself. Just be yourself.
OMC: What advice would you give to young kids playing basketball in this area? They're wearing your jersey and they want to be the next Devin Harris. What would you say to them?
DH: Just continue to work hard. Believe in yourself. Focus in on what you gotta do. It takes a lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work.
OMCreader | Oct. 20, 2006 at 6:51 p.m. (report)
Skippy said: The real question: how did "Coach" Haas fail to get the Tosa East team that had Harris and Scott Merritt to state?
|Rate this:
OMCreader | Oct. 18, 2006 at 8:57 a.m. (report)
Chris said: Devin Harris was also an All State volleyball player while at Tosa East.
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Omega Assault
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Facebook Watch Lands D-Wade Docu-Series ESPN Unveils New Shows, Podcasts Set For '18 Danica Patrick Retiring As Full-Time Driver Blaney Nabs REV As Primary Sponsor For Two Races Speedway Expects Sellout For NASCAR Finale QH Earnhardt Jr. Documenting Last Race SNY Goes Heavy On UConn Hoops Saints, Pelicans Sign Deals With SeatGeek ManU Hopes To Raise Profile In U.S. With Event
SBD/Issue 86/Sports MediaPrint All
NFL Continues To See Ratings Jumps Despite Lopsided Playoff Games
Fox' telecast yesterday of the Vikings-Cowboys NFC Divisional playoff game earned the weekend's best NFL overnight Nielsen ratings, and it is up 14% from the comparable Eagles-Giants last year. Vikings-Cowboys also marks the best early-window Divisional game since Eagles-Cowboys earned a 25.8 overnight in '96, and the first time in a decade that an early Sunday Divisional game has outrated the late game. The game earned a 48.4 in Minneapolis-St. Paul and a 40.4 in Dallas-Ft. Worth. CBS also scored a 23.1 overnight for yesterday's Jets-Chargers in the late-window AFC Divisional game, marking the best Sunday AFC divisional game since a 24.3 for Patriots-Colts in '05. Jets-Chargers peaked at a 27.3 rating in the 7:30-8:00pm ET window. CBS Saturday earned an 18.7 overnight Nielsen rating for the Colts-Ravens AFC Divisional game in primetime, up 18.4% from the 15.8 overnight for Cardinals-Panthers primetime game on Fox last year, and up 10.0% from CBS' Ravens-Titans in the '09 Saturday early window. Meanwhile, Fox earned a 17.9 overnight for Saturday's Saints-Cardinals NFC Divisional game, up 13.3% from Cardinals-Panthers in '09, and up 5.3% over Ravens-Titans (THE DAILY ).NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAMES OVERNIGHT NIELSEN RATINGSNETDAY/
TIME (ET)'10 GAMERAT.NET'09 GAMERAT.% +/-FoxSat./4:30pmCardinals-Saints17.9CBSRavens-Titans17.05.3%CBSSat./8:00pmColts-Ravens18.7FoxCardinals-Panthers15.818.4%FoxSun./1:00pmVikings-Cowboys23.9FoxEagles-Giants20.914.4%CBSSun./4:30pmJets-Chargers23.1CBSSteelers-Chargers21.47.9%
ON TOP OF THEIR GAME: In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes CBS' broadcast crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms "turned in a first-rate performance" during Jets-Chargers, as they made the "thriller even more compelling." Simms was "as aggressive as the Jets' defense, first-guessing with flair throughout the game," and his opinions were "pointed and original" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/18). Also in N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes under the header, "Simms Shows Why He's Best." Mushnick lists four reasons why Simms is "football's best analyst" (N.Y. POST, 1/18).
OFF THE MARK: In St. Petersburg, Tom Jones wrote it is "startling just how wide the gap is between Fox's top NFL broadcasting team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and the No. 2 crew of Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa." The No. 2 team, which called Saints-Cardinals, is "average at best," due to the "analysis of Johnston and Siragusa, whose remarks are too often after-the-play second-guessing" (TAMPABAY.com, 1/17). In Denver, Dusty Saunders writes Albert, Johnston and Siragusa "may have set a broadcasting record for the constant use of the 'he does a nice job' bromide in covering plays and players" (DENVER POST, 1/18). Meanwhile, SI.com's Peter King writes he did not like Fox "going to a commercial with a compelling closeup of Kurt Warner laying on the ground, being tended to by trainers, in what might be the last game of his career" (SI.com, 1/18).
OTHER BOOTH OBSERVATIONS: In Dallas, Barry Horn writes Buck and Aikman during Vikings-Cowboys "gave up on the Cowboys" with the Vikings leading 27-3 and six minutes remaining in the game. At that time, Aikman said, "Make no mistake this is a big win for Brett Favre." Buck added, "This is the first time Brett Favre will get a playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys." Horn: "I'm not saying they were premature or they were wrong. It's just unusual for network announcers to tell their audiences a game they are working is over so early" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/18). Meanwhile, in Baltimore, David Zurawik wrote there were "too few replays [and] questions of calls" during CBS' telecast of Colts-Ravens. There "wasn't enough time for adequate replays of pivotal and/or controversial moments" during the game. Zurawik: "It was maddening not to be able to see some of the calls in slow motion or to watch replays shown from more than one angle" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 1/16).
Writer Says Fox Reporter
"Slobbering" Over Favre
STUDIO CHATTER: The DAILY NEWS' Raissman wrote it "sure looks like CBS has already targeted" recently retired LB Junior Seau, "if not for a role on 'The NFL Today' then as a game analyst." Seau during an appearance on Showtime's "Inside The NFL" Wednesday was "glib, funny, insightful." CBS owns Showtime, and it "sure looked as if this was an audition for Seau." Raissman: "If it was, Seau didn't just pass. He stole the show" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/17). Meanwhile, the N.Y. POST's Mushnick wrote just because CBS studio analyst Dan Marino was a "terrific quarterback with the Dolphins doesn't mean he's unable to confuse the game to a national audience." After the Ravens-Patriots AFC Wild Card game, Marino noted Ravens QB Joe Flacco had "only 10 attempts for 34 yards passing." Marino: "And they win a playoff game in the NFL. That's amazing!" But Mushnick wrote there was "no logical reason to pass much" in the Ravens' 33-14 victory, and it "only made sense to run the ball and the clock" (N.Y. POST, 1/17).
McGwire Chose MLB Network For Costas; Experts Analyze Strategy
Mark McGwire's decision to grant MLB Network the first television interview after his admission to using steroids was driven by Bob Costas' role with the network, according to a source familiar with McGwire's strategy. "If Bob had been on HBO, they would've had the first interview," the source said. "If Bob was on, name your station, they would've had the first interview. So it was the host that drove that decision." The decision to go with Costas was part of a PR strategy that focused first and foremost on getting the news out and in the open to allow McGwire to get to work as hitting coach for the Cardinals, according to the source. The strategy -- which included a statement and simultaneous AP story on Monday afternoon, followed by the Costas interview that evening -- has been lauded by some in PR circles for its targeted approach but criticized by others for its brevity. Sports and entertainment marketing and communications consultant Joe Favorito praised the decision to lead with the AP and follow with Costas. "It was a very good way to manage the news cycle and get the main message -- about the use of steroids -- out very clearly," he said. But MGP & Associates President Mike Paul disagreed with the approach. "I don't think a one-day-and-done strategy ever works," he said. "Not in politics and especially not in sports and entertainment. If McGwire were my client, I would have had the exact opposite strategy."
Most Public Relations Experts Agree With
McGwire's Choice Of Costas, MLB Network
MISSING THE MARK? Some observers disagreed with the decision to lead with MLB Net. Communications consultant Vince Wladika, who spent years at Fox Sports and MLB, said McGwire's first public interview should have been in the form of a press conference. "I'm a little old school," he said. "To me, the right forum was a press conference -- that is the 'fairest' way to not play any favorites with the media." But Wladika said he believes McGwire's reps likely were worried about his ability to handle the forum of a press conference. "By doing Costas," he said, "McGwire and his advisors were counting on -- and trying to take advantage of -- Bob's extremely strong credibility as an interviewer to bolster McGwire's believability to the media and public." MGP's Paul said McGwire's reps likely chose MLB Net because they "believed they would go easy" on McGwire, as the league-owned network "has a biased interest in his future." Paul also pointed to MLB having previously worked with sports communications consultant Ari Fleischer, who advised McGwire ahead of his admission. "No coincidence there," Paul said.
NO RESTRICTIONS: No restrictions were set prior to the interview with Costas, according to the source, who added that McGwire wanted it to be "no restrictions, take what comes, explain it all." Of the hour-long interview, the source added, "There was an initial consideration of doing it shorter, but the more it was thought through, the decision was the longer the better; the more time for Mark to just tell his story." Meanwhile, McGwire has been criticized for refusing to admit that steroids enhanced his performance. But he truly believed everything he told Costas, according to the source, who added there was a consensus among his reps not to "put words in someone's mouth that they don't believe because you think it will lead to better PR." The source added, "It has to be authentic; it has to be genuine." That did not mesh with most observers, who criticized McGwire's performance in the interview for his refusal to admit that steroids enhanced his performance. Wladika said McGwire's assertion that his records are "completely legit" was a "travesty." He stated McGwire was "either poorly prepared by his PR handlers -- or he didn't listen" to their advice. Paul believes McGwire is "giving only a half-truth, which is one of the most hurtful types of lies," and his assertions showed he is "not fully humbled himself and he is lying about portions of his story." Paul added, "As a result, McGwire's reputation is still in crisis."
DON'T FORCE IT: Several execs noted the importance of not forcing McGwire into a scripted story. Ketchum Sports & Entertainment Managing Director Ann Wool said an athlete's handlers can "make suggestions on how to approach an answer to a question, but the best media training comes when advice is given, not a script." McGwire "clearly articulated his guilt, which was the goal of the interview, not the anecdotes surrounding it." Favorito said you "can't force anyone to say what they do not want to say." He added, "All you can do is advise and counsel. The main message, which was an admission of steroid use, was the one that needed to be conveyed and was conveyed pretty clearly." Seibel agreed, saying well-crafted messaging "will quickly unravel if, at some level, it's not a reflection of what the newsmaker actually believes -- and the media will quickly recognize and dismiss this as spin, not substance."
McGwire Has No Plans To Further
Discuss His Admission In A Formal Setting
See tomorrow's issue of THE DAILY for more commentary from our panel regarding various aspects of McGwire's admission strategy.
Puttin' On The Hits: BeRecruited.com Sees Big Traffic Growth In '09
BeRecruited.com Benefiting From Economic
Recession; Traffic More Than Doubles In '09
Atomic Moguls Launches New Soccer-Themed Facebook Game
Media Notes
In Chicago, Lewis Lazare cites a source as indicating that the Blackhawks are "close to inking a new three-year contract" with WGN-AM. WGN is "currently in the middle of the second year of its first three-year broadcast deal with the Hawks," and the source said that the two have "established an extremely good working relationship." Lazare writes the Blackhawks have, "in just a matter of a couple of years, become a hot broadcast commodity again" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/18).
CLOSING IN ON A DEAL? SI.com's Allan Muir noted a report by SI.com's Josh Gross last week cited a source as indicating that an agreement ending the DirecTV-Versus dispute "was expected by March." However, a Versus source earlier this month said, "I know (talks are ongoing), but it's pretty quiet. I don't think anyone at DirecTV is losing any sleep over this" (SI.com, 1/15). ESPN.com's E.J. Hradek noted NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Thursday said that the Versus and DirecTV have "started talking again," though he "stopped well short of saying the groups were anywhere close to an agreement" (ESPN.com, 1/15).
REPLAY RULES: In N.Y., Klein & Hackel noted the NHL two weeks ago, in response to a FSN Pittsburgh producer witholding a replay during the January 7 Flyers-Penguins game, "issued a memo to all the holders of television rights, saying that 'replays from all camera angles [should] be shown in a timely sequence' to enable replay officials to rule accurately on disputed goals." The memo added, "In the case of video review, producers and their crews have an obligation to the game, the teams and our fans to provide any and all replays of the play in question." But Klein & Hackel noted nothing in the memo "indicated that penalties would result if another producer hid evidence from replay officials" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/17).


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Vu Televisions [pronounced "view"] is a Television brand established in 2006 between California, USA and Mumbai, India which was started with the vision of building high-tech products for the burgeoning urban youth.
The development of Vu's Television products was inspired by the human factors approach of New Product Development pioneered by MIT Media Lab, Boston and innovation labs across the world. Each television produced by Vu's factories worldwide is built from the highest A+ grade panels, with the fastest processors, RoHS-grade materials and energy efficient power solutions. Vu works closely with consumers to understand their entertainment preferences and content choices to develop user-friendly interfaces for their interaction with the TV.
All Vu Televisions are designed to operate for over 100,000 hours in normal circumstances and provide the best picture quality even in brightly-lit environments. Vu's NPD Labs have pioneered in television technology with award-winning innovative products such as the Iconium range, the Play range, the Intelligent TV, the Waterproof TV, the Netflix-integrated TV, the rose gold 85" 4K TV, the Digital Home, the Office TV and more.
The consumer experience of a Vu TV extends to world-class and personalized customer relations after purchase, for which Vu set up the first ISO 9001 Certified Customer Support center for televisions in the country. Therefore, the brand has been constantly rated 5/5 on multiple consumer forums, received TV of the year from the media and is the fastest growing TV brand in various segments.
For information on jobs at Vu Televisions, contact us at [email protected]
For information regarding media queries, contact us at [email protected]


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Fun-filled week at Rockland library
Rockland — Come to the Rockland Public Library and participate in a week of fun filled free programs.
Friday, April 18, at 10 a.m. come to Baby Storytime for little ones ages 2 and under. This is an opportunity to meet other families, learn finger plays, rhymes, and try out new stories.
Saturday, April 19, at 1 p.m. come to the movies. Free family movie matinee featuring "Field of Dreams," part of The Arts…for Kids & their Families series.
In addition to ngoing storytimes and art activities, as a special treat for April vacation additional events are planned as part of The Arts…for Kids & their Families series.
Wednesday April 23, at 2 p.m. The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers will wow visitors with their popular puppet show, "Everybody Loves Pirates!" Plan to come early as this is on a first come basis.
Friday, April 25, at 2 p.m. all young builders come to the library to make "A Treasure Box" with local craftsman Peter Proeller. This program is intended for children 8 years old and up with all materials provided.
All of the programs at the library are free. For more information, contact Jean Young, Children's Librarian, at 594-0310 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Gold Prices Show Notable Decline Amid Dollar Strength
30.11.16 20:46
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gold prices moved notably lower over the course of the trading session on Wednesday, extending the modest drop seen in the previous session.
The price of gold for February delivery slid $16.90 to $1,173.90 an ounce after dipping $3 to $1,190.80 an ounce on Tuesday.
The decrease by the price of gold came as the value of the U.S. dollar saw some strength on the day following the release of a slew of economic data.
Payroll processor ADP released a report this morning showing stronger than expected private sector job growth in November.
ADP said private sector employment jumped by 216,000 jobs in November following a downwardly revised increase of 119,000 jobs in October.
Economists had expected employment to climb by about 160,000 jobs compared to the addition of 147,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.
A separate report from the Commerce Department showed that personal income rose by more than expected in October, although the report also said personal spending increased less than anticipated.
The National Association of Realtors also released a report showing a slight uptick in pending home sales in October. NAR said its pending home sales index inched up by 0.1 percent.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX


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Oakland police arrested one suspect in a drive-by shooting outside a hospital that seriously wounded a 22-year-old man, and they're looking for more people involved.
Officers arrested the alleged gunman, 19-year-old Malvin Bell, on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a firearm shortly after the shooting around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Police told the Oakland Tribune that several men inside a car began shooting at two men walking to a bus stop near Highland Hospital's emergency entrance. The two men apparently had been visiting a patient at the city's main trauma center.
Police have not released a possible motive behind the hospital shooting.
The victim was shot in the abdominal area and underwent several hours of surgery. The second man targeted ran away before police could interview him.
Information from: The Oakland Tribune, http://www.oaklandtribune.com