text:
Eurogamer.net • Android DS iPad iPhone Mac Wii • DF Hardware Digital Foundry Investigations MMO Patches Podcast Retrospective
Popular now
Is this the best cheap phone for Pokťmon Go?
Meet the £60/$99 smartphone that actually plays the game rather well.
In Theory: Could NX bring Wii and GameCube games to Virtual Console?
Emulation tests on Nvidia Tegra hardware show promising results.
Samsung Galaxy S8 review
To Infinity and beyond.
Tech Evolution: 25 years of Super Mario Kart
Nine games analysed across nine consoles: Digital Foundry charts the evolution of the classic series.
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Tech Evolution: 25 years of Super Mario Kart
Nine games analysed across nine consoles: Digital Foundry charts the evolution of the classic series.
Sunday, 30 July 2017
Samsung Galaxy S8 review
To Infinity and beyond.
Sunday, 31 July 2016
In Theory: Could NX bring Wii and GameCube games to Virtual Console?
Emulation tests on Nvidia Tegra hardware show promising results.
Saturday, 23 July 2016
Is this the best cheap phone for Pokťmon Go?
Meet the £60/$99 smartphone that actually plays the game rather well.
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Apple iPhone SE review
Can the most powerful small form-factor phone on the market tempt a 5S hold-out?
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Digital Foundry: Hands-on with PS4 Remote Play on PC
Any improvement over PS Vita playback?
Sunday, 3 April 2016
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Face-Off: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
How the Wii U version stacks up against the originals - with some surprising results.
Friday, 15 January 2016
Digital Foundry: Hands-on with the Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster
UPDATE: Xbox One/PlayStation 4 comparison video added.
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Performance Analysis: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance on Android
The Platinum classic is out now on Nvidia's Shield micro-console - so how does it shape up?
Sunday, 20 December 2015
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Saturday, 29 August 2015
ArenaNet explains Guild Wars 2 going free, and the addition of raids
"It's a rare opportunity to do it when everything is going really well."
Thursday, 6 August 2015
World of Warcraft: Legion expansion adds new Demon Hunter class
Artifact weapons, The Broken Isles, new level cap of 110, more.
Monday, 6 July 2015
Square Enix pulls Mac version of Final Fantasy 14 from sale
Offers refunds.
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Guild Wars 2 community reacts angrily to Heart of Thorns expansion pricing
UPDATE: A bit of clarification on that ArenaNet statement.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
World of Warcraft's Fury of Hellfire patch out 23rd June
New raids, features and progression tools out next week.
Friday, 15 May 2015
Makers of infamous World of Warcraft bot Honorbuddy admit defeat
"You thought that we are unbeatable..."
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
WOW: Leeroy Jenkins happened 10 years ago
A video that became a meme that became legend.
Thursday, 7 May 2015
Hearthstone and Diablo make up for World of Warcraft subscriber slide
Blizzard respecs for the future.
Friday, 1 May 2015
Elder Scrolls Online and the turbulent topic of text chat on console
Zenimax tells us it's looking into a "quick chat" system.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
World of Warcraft and the battle against black market gold
Is the WOW Token working?
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Thursday, 9 April 2015
$20 WOW Token gold value drops nearly a third in a day
Handy web-tracker plots graph in real-time.
Sunday, 22 March 2015
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
WOW: player reaches level 90 as neither Horde nor Alliance
UPDATE: And four months after Draenor launches he's 100.
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Friday, 27 February 2015
Crowfall MMO Kickstarter campaign begins
UPDATE: Ding ding ding - $800k goal reached in three days.
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns expansion adds new skill mechanics
How they affect the new Revenant class and more.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
World of Warcraft patch 6.1 brings colourblind support
That was an Epic item?!
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Guild Wars 2 will never raise level-cap or add higher-tiered gear
How expansion Heart of Thorns begins an endgame revolution.
Guild Wars: Heart of Thorns expansion screenshots
All twisted and spiky.
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Friday, 23 January 2015
Possible Guild Wars 2 expansion Heart of Thorns trademarked
UPDATE: ArenaNet's PAX talk tomorrow, Twitch embed within.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
H1Z1 unplanned downtime stretches on
Whoopsie DayZ.
Monday, 5 January 2015
Is Nvidia Tegra X1 the next big thing for mobile graphics?
iPad Air 2, Shield Tablet and last-gen console effortlessly bested according to initial benchmarks.
Friday, 28 November 2014
World of Warcraft, nine years later: Can I get a res?
A guild leader and raid leader returns.
Recently popular
digital foundry
The story behind Concrete Genie, PlayStation's next wistful wonder
How the devs behind Driveclub plan to bring the arcade racer back to life
If Monster Hunter: World doesn't get you into Capcom's incredible series, nothing ever will
The Shadow of the Colossus remake retains the original's clumsiness while doubling its majesty
I'm a bit worried about Ni No Kuni 2
Pokťmon Go region exclusives - how to catch Tauros, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, Farfetch'd, Heracross, Corsola, Plusle, Minun, Zangoose and Seviper
Pokťmon Go best Pokťmon - Best Attackers, Best Defenders and highest HP, Stamina and overall stats ranked
Pokťmon Go Weather effects system explained: Benefits and boosts you can expect during Sunny, Cloudy, Snow, Fog, Rain and Windy weather
Pokťmon Go Gen 3 Pokťmon list: Every creature from Ruby and Sapphire's Hoenn region you can catch right now
Pokťmon Go baby Pokťmon - how to get Togepi, Pichu, Magby, Elekid, Igglybuff, Smoochum, Cleffa, Azurill and Wynaut


text:
Alvin Anderson, Delavan, WI (1931-2013)
July 21, 1931 - November 12, 2013
Alvin Andersen, 82, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, at the Union Grove Veterans Home surrounded by his loving family. Alvin was born on July 21, 1931, in Chicago, IL, to parents, Theodore and Esther (Martinsen) Andersen. On Dec. 4, 1954, he was united in marriage to Virginia Birky. He was a proud Navy Veteran and served during the Korean War. Alvin was a co-owner of Coated Fabrics, Inc. of Burlington, WI. Alvin was a member of the Burlington Masonic Lodge, also a Charter member of Lake Geneva Country Gentleman's barbershop chorus, Al was also a charter member of the Norseman of the Lakes Sons of Norway. He was an active member at the Lutheran Memorial Church in Delavan, WI.
In addition to his loving wife of 59 years, Alvin is survived by his children: Craig (Margaret), Alan (Kari), Keith (Feng-xiao), and Kristin (Ralph) Agner; grandchildren: Megan, Martin (Katrine), Robert, David, Christoffer, Thea Andersen and Keith (Marlee) and Emily Agner. Al is also survived by his four beautiful great-grandchildren; and a sister, Lois Krakofsky of Burlington. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Don Andersen.
Visitation will be held at the LUTHERAN MEMORIAL CHURCH in Delavan, WI, on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, from 9 until 11 a.m. with a funeral service at 11 am. Burial will be held at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Tuesday Nov. 19, 2013. MILLER-REESMAN FUNERAL HOME assisted the family.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Standard Features
Model Year
Request a Quote
Length (feet)
Length Overall
27 ft. 1 in.
Length at Waterline
25 ft. 6 in. pontoon length
Length (deck)
26 ft. 6 in.
8 ft. 6 in.
25 in. Tubes: 2,884 lbs.
ESP Performance Package: 3,649 lbs.
32 in. Elliptical Tubes: 3,020 lbs.
ESP Performance Package: 3,649 lbs.
32 in. Elliptical Tubes: 3,020 lbs.
Hull Type
Hull Material
Number of Tubes
25 & 32 in. Tubes: 2
ESP Performance Package: 3
ESP Performance Package: 3
Tube Diameter
25 in.
32 in. elliptical
ESP Performance Package: 25 in. outside, 32 in. center
32 in. elliptical
ESP Performance Package: 25 in. outside, 32 in. center
Tube Gauge
25 in. Tubes: 0.090
32 in. Elliptical Tubes: 0.100
ESP Peformance Package: 0.090 / 0.100
32 in. Elliptical Tubes: 0.100
ESP Peformance Package: 0.090 / 0.100
Engine & Drivetrain
Engine (Max)
150 hp
ESP Performance Package: 350 hp
ESP Performance Package: 350 hp
Fuel Type
Fuel Tank Capacity
23.2 gal.
Drive Type
Maximum People
25 in. Tubes: 13
ESP Performance Package: 16
32 in. Elliptical Tubes: 15
ESP Performance Package: 16
32 in. Elliptical Tubes: 15
Bronze, Smokey Granite, Regatta Blue, Midnight Black, Matador Red, Champagne
Standard Features
|2 portable cupholders with teak trim
|2 stern facing super lounges with enhanced headrests and grab handles
|25 gal. fuel tank, 23.2 gal. usable capacity
|3 wide berth chaise lounges with fold-down armrest / cupholder
|Duraframe seat bases
|Fire extinguisher
|High performance carpet
|Icon� soft-touch upholstery vinyl
|6 illuminated Kicker speakers
|Monochromatic interior
|Pillow-Top Q upholstery
|Powder coated seat hinges
|Privacy enclosure
|Pure comfort reclining helm chair with integrated headrest
|Stainless steel cupholders
|Teak trapezoid table
|Waste container
|0.25 in. thick bow and stern cross channels
|16 in. on-center mid-ship crossmembers
|25 in. pontoons
|Aft Marine Tuff-Ply vinyl floor
|Anodized raised rails
|Custom Bennington stainless steel cleats
|Dimensional chrome logos and badge
|Enhanced LED docking lights with stainless steel light housings
|Extended aft deck with wide tread telescoping ladder and stainless steel boarding handles
|Fiberglass compound radius bow
|Full length extruded anodized skirting
|Laser-cut Bennington thresholds
|Mid-ship spring line mooring eyes
|Quick release 10 ft. bimini top with Surlast embroidered boot, 1.25 in. frame and trailering struts
|Stainless steel corner castings
|Stainless steel deck bolts
|Stainless steel rub rail
|Stainless steel stern gate and rails
|Streamline rail system
|Surlast playpen cover
|Underdeck spray deflectors
|1-piece fiberglass body with integrated chaise lounge and armrest
|Console footrest
|Custom Sterling Gauge Package:
|Tach / hour meter
|Speedo with compass heading (GPS antenna driven)
|Custom wheel with teak accents and etched center cap
|Echo 100 Garmin fish / depth graph
|Fiberglass door with easy open and close stainless steel hinges and latch
|Illuminated rocker switches with dash mounted breakers and master power switch
|Sony M6 stereo behind console door with dash mounted remote, USB port, 12V outlet and MP3 recess
|Storage compartment with soft-side cooler
|Tilt steering
|Special Pre-Rigs
|Mercury Verado DTS with Power Steering:
|3 tube models with 25 in. transom
|175 - 200 hp
|Smartcraft gauges
|Power steering
|Mercury Verado DTS with Power Steering:
|3 tube models with 25 in. transom
|225 - 350 hp
|Smartcraft gauges
|Power steering
|GPS antenna
|No special pre-rig
|Yamaha Command Link Gauges:
|Includes water fuel separator, large
|GPS antenna
|Yamaha Command Link with D.E.C.:
|XCA only
|Digital gauges and shifter
|Replaces custom Bennington gauges and includes GPS speedo, GPS antenna and water fuel separator, large
|Speed readout comes off engine pressure sensor
|Gauges will run off GPS if optional Garmin GPS is ordered (Command link is wired to Garmin for more accuracy)
|Yamaha D.E.C. with Bennington analog gauges
|Battery, dual with switch (port)
|Battery, dual with switch (port / starboard)
|Battery, power distribution panel
|Battery, single switch
|Center tube fuel tank (50.1 gal.)
|Center tube fuel tank, declined
|In-floor storage (2 - 25 in. tubes)
|In-floor storage (3 tubes)
|In-floor storage (ESP)
|Lifting strakes (twin elliptical)
|Lifting strakes - sealed (ESP / SPS)
|Lifting strakes - sealed (Exp Ctr)
|Solid keel (2 tubes)
|Solid keel (3 tubes)
|Steering - power assist hydraulic
|Steering - power assist hydraulic, declined
|SeaStar hydraulic steering
|Twin elliptical wave shield
|Underdeck wave shield
|Water fuel separator, large
|Panel Color
|Matador Red
|Midnight Black
|Regatta Blue
|Smokey Granite
|Canvas Color
|Matador Red
|Midnight Black
|Regatta Blue
|Accent Panel
|Matador Red
|Midnight Black
|No accent
|Regatta Blue
|Smokey Granite
|Base Vinyl
|Fawn Soft-Touch
|Ivory Soft-Touch
|Java Soft-Touch
|Sand Stone Soft-Touch
|Interior Accent
|Baja (Ivory)
|Baja (Java)
|Blade (Ivory)
|Blade (Java)
|Deselect graphic
|Dimensional chrome logos and badge
|Shatter (Ivory)
|Shatter (Java)
|Furniture Style
|Diamond Pillow-Top upholstery (Fawn)
|Diamond Pillow-Top upholstery (Ivory)
|Diamond Pillow-Top upholstery (Java)
|Diamond Pillow-Top upholstery (Sand Stone)
|Standard furniture
|Furniture Add-ons
|Bow gate seat
|Coffee table
|Ottoman with cooler
|Recliner upgrade, extra wide recliner
|Carpet, Mocha Matrix
|Carpet, Mocha Palm
|Carpet, Platinum Matrix
|Carpet, Sand Palm
|Seagrass aft flooring
|Seagrass full flooring
|Snap-in carpet, requires vinyl floor
|Snap-in Seagrass, requires vinyl floor
|Teak aft flooring, Black accent
|Teak aft flooring, Ivory accent
|Vinyl full floor upgrade, Marine Tuff-Ply
|Helm - Stereo
|Elevated helm (console / chaise)
|Garmin color GPS
|Stereo - amp / sub wet sounds
|Stereo - remote pad
|Stereo - Sirius� satellite radio
|Stereo - Sony blue tooth
|4 pole rod holder
|20 in. galley refrigerator upgrade (bow)
|Chaise galley (port bow)
|Tops - Enclosures
|Bimini Blue Ice LED lighting
|Bimini electric top with Blue Ice LED lighting
|Camper enclosure, half
|Playpen cover, delete
|Playpen cover, quick clip
|Playpen cover storage bag
|American flag
|Blue Ice LED cupholder lighting (6)
|Blue Ice LED side illumination
|Blue Ice LED underwater illumination
|Porta Potti
|Privacy delete
|Shark hide tube protectant
|Ski pylon (46 in. removable)
|Ski pylon (52 in. removable)
|Ski tow bar, extended aft deck with rub rail
|Stainless steel 4-step extended aft ladder
|Washdown, 8.5 gal.
*Price, if shown, is Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) and does not include government fees, taxes, dealer freight/preparation, dealer document preparation charges or any finance charges (if applicable). MSRP and/or final actual sales price will vary depending on options or accessories selected.


text:
Whitewater kindergarteners tell us how to cook a turkey
WHITEWATER—To cook a turkey, start with a dash of salt. Then add a bit of pepper,� stick the turkey in the oven and watch it shrink for two hours.
At least that is how Jacob Mueller of Washington Elementary School in Whitewater describes the process of cooking his Thanksgiving bird.�
The students in Michelle Kuhlow's kindergarten class shared how they think the holiday meal's main entree is prepared, how long it takes for the turkey to turn golden brown and what savory taste it reminds them of.
"It tastes like waffles," said Jacob, who really likes waffles.
Some of Jacob's classmates disagree.
"It tastes like peanuts," Charlotte Hajewski said.
"It's like you're eating a chicken," Tyler Housel added.
The students also debated how long it takes to cook a turkey.
Tyler's method takes 50 minutes.
"You put it in the oven, and when it's done making, you put it on an oven and then cut it in half and then eat it," Tyler said.
Before Tyler and his family eat, his father pokes the turkey so it is easier to cut in half. Tyler's favorite part of eating the turkey is throwing away the bones because "we don't eat bones."
Accompanying Tyler's turkey are pears and strawberries to add variety to the meal.
Miranda Dahle agrees with Tyler that the turkey tastes like chicken, but inside her bird are stuffing and mashed potatoes. Her total cook time is five minutes.
Miranda's favorite part of helping her family cook the turkey is putting stuffing in the turkey.
"It felt like warm stuff, like fuzz," Miranda said.
In the past, while her parents have cooked the turkey, they have taken "their pointy thing and stabbed it in there … to check how hot it is."�
Curtis Rossmiller said inside his turkey is "fruity stuff to add the flavor."
If he had a choice, he wouldn't put anything inside the turkey. Curtis likes to keep the flavors simple, like his cooking method.
"You have this square thing, and you put needles on it, and then you cook it," Curtis said.
The needles are used to keep the turkey, or the square thing, in place while it cooks in the oven for five minutes.
Skip the fruit, stuffing, salt and pepper, Melinda Dow said.
As the turkey cooks, you add a special sauce and "put the stick in it," Melinda said.
The stick is used to check the temperature, and once that is checked, the turkey "cooks up" for 50 minutes in the oven, Melinda said.
Nothing goes inside the turkey, but you do mix the turkey and gravy together when you eat. And that is one of Melinda's favorite parts of the meal.
While Danika Larson is unsure how to prepare a turkey, she thinks it takes one minute to cook.
Danika's favorite part is watching the turkey in the oven transform before her eyes, however rapidly.
"It makes me want to eat it," Danika said.
Not everyone eats turkey for Thanksgiving.
Keeriauna Winscom, 5, describes turkey as "gross" and said there are things in a turkey that aren't healthy for kids.
Instead of eating a turkey, she and her family eat Thanksgiving suckers, she said.
"They're with hearts and hats on them," Keeriauna said. "They taste like raspberries."
Last updated: 7:40 am Wednesday, November 27, 2013


text:
Google wins the Alexander Hamilton Award for Overall Excellence for the first time this year, having collected awards in six of the seven categories, including two Golds for Best Green Strategy and Financial Risk Management.
The most notable thing about Google's awards, aside from the sheer quantity, is the range of endeavors represented. Some of its winning projects involve such typical treasury activities as hedging investments, integrating the treasuries of acquisitions and streamlining treasury technology. But Google also won for its investments in renewable energy and for the credit card it is testing as a way of supporting the small and midsize businesses that buy ads.
Brent Callinicos, Google's treasurer, and Patrick Pichette, the Internet giant's CFO and senior vice president, say the range of work reflects the culture of the company as a whole and the premium it puts on innovation.
While the treasury group handles the traditional obligations of overseeing cash and managing risk, Pichette says, "every element of Google is expected to innovate and I expect the same out of the treasury group. It's treasury-plus."
Callinicos says part of what attracted him to Google was that the company rejects doing things a certain way just because that's the way they've always been done. "Whatever's logical is what we'll do." he says. "Logic I always say is the filter of what happens here, along with passion."
One of the areas Callinicos is passionate about is clean energy, and for the second year in a row, Google has taken the Gold Award in the Best Green Strategy category. Its award last year was for an innovative method of purchasing energy from a wind farm. Now Google has moved on to investing in green energy generation, with commitments to date of $915 million.
Investing in renewable energy projects makes use not only of Google's balance sheet, but its energy expertise, Pichette notes. "Because we have an engineering team at Google that understands these technologies very, very well, we have in a way a great advantage to analyze like very few people can, the real risk profile for these projects."
The green investments are in line with Google's desire to be carbon-neutral and to facilitate new technologies, Pichette says, but they're also a financial plus, providing the company with power at favorable rates and investments that are likely to yield a higher return.
With regard to the credit card project, Callinicos notes that at a time when financial institutions are wary of lending, Google has a healthy balance sheet, as well as lots of data on its customers. "This is a good way to leverage treasury expertise," he says, adding, "Treasury needs to think more broadly about what treasury can do for a company, whether they have large amounts of cash or not."
Innovation can mean that the lines between different units of Google blur, Callinicos acknowledges, noting that in addition to overseeing treasury, he's also responsible for accounting and tax. "At this point in time, I have the treasurer title and the chief accountant title. You wouldn't see that at most companies," he says.
Callinicos recalls that when he joined Google in 2007, treasury had seven employees and no systems, a situation he characterizes as starting with a "blank sheet of paper."
"The goal of the journey was to start out by building out a world-class treasury," he says. "We said we wanted to be world class in systems. We went through area by area, cash management, portfolio operations, foreign exchange, you name it, and said here's what we want to do, with the type of systems and the people we need."
The hard part was doing everything at once, Callinicos says. "We did try to swallow a watermelon versus taking a big bite of apple, in terms of doing everything concurrently, but it's worked out well for us."
Google's treasury staff now numbers 60, an amount of people power that would be the envy of many other companies. But Callinicos argues that the success of Google's treasury isn't about having a big budget.
"What we have done hasn't been based on writing huge checks," he says. "Honestly, when you're managing $40 billion in cash, when you have tens of billions in foreign exchange, the amount of money we're spending on people and systems is rounding error vs. the risks associated with not having the right resources."
When it comes to funding treasury projects, "everything has an ROI and treasury resources are hard to come by just as any resources are hard to come by," he notes. "We say, 'Here's what we want to do, let's talk about what the value of that is.' The good thing about treasury is that most things are pretty measurable, and success is not debatable."
Google is also notable for its huge cash position, which totaled $43 billion at the end of the second quarter. Treasury manages about 70% of the cash internally, with a team of about a dozen handling investments such as Treasuries, agencies, mortgage-backed securities and foreign government bonds, while 14 external managers oversee the remainder of the investments, including any that require credit research.
Asked about the challenges he faces, Callinicos says it's choosing among all the innovative ideas the treasury staff produces.
"It's Google, so everybody has a slightly entrepreneurial nature to their DNA. Everybody's coming up with good ideas, and this is a place that values them," he says. "There are so many good ideas, so prioritization. It's a nice problem to have."
Another challenge is "building flexibility and optionality into everything."
"The industry we're in is unpredictable and it's in its infancy to a large extent—not so long ago, the Internet didn't exist," Callinicos says. "Treasury can never be a hurdle to anything the company wants to get done. We want to be sure that we're always available to help, but also build optionality in such that if we need large amounts of money, it's there."
Read about Google's winning projects in Best Green Strategy, Cash Management, Financial Risk Management, Liquidity Management, Working Capital Management and Technology Excellence.


text:
Muscular dystrophy inheritance question
Discussion of all aspects of biological molecules, biochemical processes and laboratory procedures in the field.
Moderator: BioTeam
8 posts • Page 1 of 1
Muscular dystrophy inheritance question
"The figure shows a family with muscular dystrophy showing autosomal recessive inheritance. Genomic DNA was sequenced and the two mutations are shown for the affected. The corresponding control sequence for that region of the gene X is also shown.
Describe the mutations in gene X in this family and its effect on the protein?"
I have gotten this question with the attached diagram. The two sequences to the left correspond to the affected female, and the two sequences to the right correspond to the unaffected male. I can see that there is a G -> N mutation in the bottom sequences and I also understand that the second mutation lies in the N's of the upper two sequences. But I do not understand what the N's tells me about the kind of mutation and how the disorder is inherited. We were told that we need to figure out why we were given two sequences and what this tells us about the inheritance. I was also told that "for a dominant disorder if there is a mutation then you will see two peaks at the same position on the gel of the same height and the computer wont be able to tell what the nucleotide is and that nucleotide is then assigned as N". How can it be a dominant disorder if the question tells us that it is an autosomal recessive disorder?
Any help is much appreciated.
Re: Muscular dystrophy inheritance question
This might get you partway there. Dystrophin is a sex-linked disease carried on the X (sex) chromosome. It behaves as a recessive in females (who have two alleles for dystrophin) and as a dominant in males (who have only one dystrophin gene on their single X chromosome).
Thank you. So does that mean that the unaffected male does not carry a mutation at all (since it's dominant in males he would be affected if he had a single mutation)? But in that case where is the second mutation located (the one in the upper sequences)?
Yeah the two upper sequences are identical, but as we have been told there are 2 mutations there must be a mutation in the upper sequences as well. This must in turn mean that the unaffected male has a mutation as well.
Does anyone know how there can be 2 nucleotides located on 1 position? (As there are 2 peaks at the positions located "N", while all the other positions only have 1 nucleotide). That really confuses me.
Re: Muscular dystrophy inheritance question
The lower sequence shows one trace for the male but for the female there are two traces at one nucleotide position (labelled N). That looks like the allelic difference; since the female has two copies of the dystrophin gene that differ slightly, this can give rise to the two traces in the sequence (it's a single-nucleotide polymorphism). This suggests the female may be a carrier with a DMD allele and a wild-type allele for dystrophin, but the pedigree makes it look like she is expressing the DMD phenotype. That confuses me; normally if a female has a DMD allele and a wild-type allele for her dystrophin gene, she is a nonsymptomatic (or mostly nonsymptomatic) carrier.
I've not figured out what the upper sequences represent. They appear identical to me too.
Re: Muscular dystrophy inheritance question
I think the female has 2 mutant alleles though as the question specified that the disorder is AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE. Therefore I am guessing that the female has 2 mutant alleles (1 mutation in the upper sequence and 1 mutation in the lower sequence), whereas the male only has 1 mutant allele (upper sequence) and 1 wildtype (lower sequence) and is therefore unaffected as it is recessive. I am not sure if muscular dystrophy actually shows this type of inheritance or if my lecturer made that up, but based on the fact that we were told it's autosomal recessive I'm guessing the woman must have 2 mutations and 2 affected alleles, could that be right?
Re: Muscular dystrophy inheritance question
Right - this is autosomal, therefore it is not Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and is not a mutation of the dystrophin gene. Thanks, I had missed that.
The upper sequences look identical, while the lower sequences show two different sequences for the female (due to the N position, which shows two traces) and one sequence for the male. It appears the male is a homozygote and the female is heterozygous (at least over the sequence given in the lower traces). The female might have a splice site mutation, as the sequence across the polymorphism is either ATGTGAAG or ATGGGAAG and a GT, present in only one allele, is the canonical start of an intron sequence (other factors such as splice regulatory proteins can also affect whether a potential splice site is recognized by the splicosome, so this is not a sure thing). The male shows the sequence ATGGGAAG, matching the female allele that does not contain the possible splice site. This appears to be a recessive allele.
I am still puzzled by the top trace. Is it possible that this is representing the sequence of cDNA across a splice site that is spliced alternatively, where downstream of the AAAAAAA the sequence is spliced to different sequences depending on the allele? Why, though, would the male show alternative splicing if he is homozygous?
I've clearly not worked out this problem correctly. As you learn more about this one, please post it here.
8 posts • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest
© Biology-Online.org. All Rights Reserved. Register | Login | About Us | Contact Us | Link to Us | Privacy Policy |


text:
Janesville Web broadcaster Local Vision TV signs off
JANESVILLE—The owner of Local Vision TV, an Internet news channel, signed off Monday, saying aspects of his company might have been before their time.
"We gave it everything we had," owner Tony Huml said Monday of the three-year venture.
"But the economics just aren't working out."
Huml said his vision was to bring video news to Janesville and Rock County. The county gets only a bit of coverage from Madison and Rockford, Ill., stations, and he wanted to fill that void in video format.
Over the years, the viewer numbers grew, especially when the station last year launched a daily morning news program, he said.
"That really helped build our audience on a daily basis," Huml said.
The station went mobile earlier this year, and that also increased viewers, Huml said.
Once he had built the blueprint, Huml's goal was to take the concept to other communities that do not have television news coverage.
"Traffic continued to build, but the economics didn't follow the growth patterns we had planned," he said.
At the end, the station had about 1,500 views per newscast.
Huml employed nine people at the company's peak. At the end, he employed 3�.
"We cut expenses the best we could, but it didn't work, unfortunately," Huml said.
Possibly, some advertisers are not yet comfortable with the new medium, he said.
"Many businesses turned out not to be ready for us," Huml said. "But we had some great advertisers along the way that could see the vision.
"I think we might be a little ahead of our time as far as … accessibility to our content."
Huml said he'll focus more on his family.
"I've been going pretty hard for three years," he said.
Huml will continue producing videos for businesses from his Janesville home.
"I have no regrets," Huml said.


text:
Would you like a Whopper… or maybe just a donut and a grilled Panini? The merger of U.S.-based fast food giant Burger King and Canada-based doughnut and coffee chain Tim Hortons seems like a match made in food heaven, but it's taxes that are taking center stage of the deal.
On August 27, Burger King announced that it was purchasing Tim Hortons for roughly USD$11 billion, merging two of the largest food chains in North America. The deal, which was completed with the help of $3 billion in financing from Berkshire Hathaway, creates North America's third-largest "quick service restaurant company," behind McDonald's and Yum! Brands, owners of Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
However, the new combined company will not take over Burger King's previous corporate headquarters in Miami. Instead, the company will be moving its headquarters to Ontario, Canada. The nominal corporate tax rate in Canada, by the way, sits at 26 percent, while the rate in the U.S. sits at 39 percent, the highest of all 34 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries.
Burger King claims that moving the company's headquarters is a decision not based in lower taxes. "This is not a tax-driven deal," Alex Behring, Burger King's chairman, said to the Wall Street Journal. "It is fundamentally about growth and creating value through accelerated expansion."
Working toward a global anti-corruption framework
Being an effective inside counsel for your company's tax department
The Stop Corporate Inversions Act of 2014 aims to prevent 'inversions' tax loophole
The company further said in a statement, "A key driver of these discussions is the potential to leverage Burger King's worldwide footprint and experience in global development to accelerate Tim Hortons growth in international markets."
Burger King, though, wouldn't be the first company to recently follow this trend, but it is one of the largest. According to data from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), 46 companies have undertaken U.S. tax inversions — changing a company's corporate citizenship — since the beginning of 2007. That's more than double the number of companies who completed inversions in the 25 years prior.
As noted by the Washington Post, President Barrack Obama said in a sentiment echoed by many others in Congress in July: "We don't want to see this trend grow."
That's why it's not surprising to see Burger King experience some backlash, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, "I'm disappointed in Burger King's decision to renounce their American citizenship. With every new corporate inversion, the tax burden increases on the rest of us to pay what these corporations don't."
It remains to be seen what comes of the deal, or whether Burger King will experience any regulatory issues in its path to acceptance. But one thing remains clear: The public relations battle begins now.


text:
Page Not Found
Unfortunately, the page you were trying to retrieve does not exist on http://www.wvu.edu/. You can use the A-Z Site Index or our search engine to find web resources at our University. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Have questions? You can e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com and tell us what page you were trying to reach.


text:
If pension plan de-risking is a priority for your company in 2014, you should be aware of a potential pitfall. You may have researched your options and decided on the right program for your company under the assumption that communication channels will be reasonably clear. Yet what you don't know about your past employees may have a substantial and costly impact on your efforts.
The quality of a company's data on retirement plan participants may not seem like a responsibility of the finance department, but the issue presents a very real threat to de-risking strategies such as lump-sum distributions or annuity buyouts.
Even worse, when plan participants have gone "missing," the company's out-of-date records create uncashed-check liabilities and increase the risk of fraud. As scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Labor grows, corporate finance and treasury teams can no longer ignore the issue of missing participants in their pension and other benefits plans.
Out of Sight, Not out of Mind
Lifetime employees are few and far between in today's workplace. Younger workers are more likely to change jobs frequently, but older professionals are also much more willing today than in previous generations to change employers in order to advance their careers. And companies can easily lose touch with workers who have left. A former employee may move from state to state, or may relocate internationally to accept a new position. Workers may not remember that they're owed pension or other retirement benefits, so they may not think of updating their records with a former employer every time they relocate.
The problem can be exacerbated in companies that go through mergers, sales, divestitures, or bankruptcy, particularly if that event results in a change in benefits providers or oversight. Meanwhile, marriage, death, name changes, and other milestone events in the lives of former employees can complicate the process of tracking down missing pension participants or their beneficiaries. The issue is more prevalent in industries with high turnover, such as retail, and young workers are especially vulnerable.
The advent of auto-enrollment in defined-contribution plans has led to a situation where even some current employees may not realize they are enrolled in benefits programs. The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) has predicted that there will be more than 20 million missing-participant accounts in defined-contribution plans by the year 2020.
Many sponsors of pension and other benefits plans rely on their recordkeepers to determine the best methods for locating and communicating with missing participants, as well as for the day-to-day management of plan data. However, recordkeepers are sometimes unaware of how many missing participants a plan may have. RCP worked with one large pension plan sponsor that was offering a lump-sum distribution to 29,000 of the company's retirees. In advance of the offering, the organization asked its recordkeeper how accurate its data was. The recordkeeper believed it had correct contact information for more than 90 percent of the retirees, but closer analysis uncovered new addresses for 47 percent.
Despite the significant challenges, it's imperative that companies find, and periodically communicate with, any former employees who may still be due retirement and/or healthcare benefits, either now or in the future. Losing contact with a former employee creates a number of challenges for a plan sponsor.
Caution: Confusion Ahead
Companies are tasked with maintaining annual communications with participants about retirement and healthcare benefits. For example, plan sponsors must meet regulatory disclosure requirements around annual funding notices, summary annual reports, and plan descriptions. However, the industry lacks guidelines on the specific steps necessary to comply when plan sponsors' attempts to communicate with missing participants are unsuccessful.
The rules are no clearer for communication around pension plan de-risking or other substantial changes to benefits. An organization is required to make a "good faith effort" to locate and notify participants of benefits they're due, yet there is no definitive rule clarifying which actions are sufficient to pass the "good faith" threshold. The stakes are high. Missing retirement or health-plan participants may prevent a company from successfully implementing programs that would improve benefits, or from changing the way benefits are delivered. For example, in a defined-contribution plan termination, all assets must be distributed for the termination to be complete—but the plan sponsor cannot finish distributing assets until every participant has communicated whether she wishes to take a cash payout or to roll over the funds.
Likewise, a company that wants to move forward with de-risking its pension plan, through a lump-sum distribution or other means, must communicate with participants and elicit a response before dispersing funds. Plan sponsors have a range of options available to fulfill this fiduciary responsibility; they often select an approach based on the advice of their Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) counsel, the company's tolerance for risk, and its risk culture. Whatever course of action it chooses, a company's attempts to contact plan participants may fail if it doesn't have accurate data. At best, misdirected communications slow down the process; at worst, they may undermine the success of the program if a substantial proportion of participants fail to respond.
Although the ERISA Advisory Council recently recommended guidelines for de-risking, the U.S. Department of Labor did not take any formal action, and there is no indication that specific guidelines will be adopted in the near future. With this lack of formal regulations, the industry will likely continue to operate under a cloud of confusion, leaving corporations struggling to weigh the best options for resolution. Nevertheless, the de-risking trend is expected to continue, especially as plan funding levels have improved significantly.
Risky Business
Another issue, which further raises the stakes for plan sponsors, is the uncashed-check liability that missing participants can generate. When a company mails checks to plan participants, some may be returned, while others may simply not be cashed. Perhaps an individual is deceased and his beneficiary does not even open the envelope because she is not aware of the benefit. Under new federal accounting regulations, corporations must decide how to handle assets that are held outside of the plan, including uncashed checks.
Typically, when a check is returned or remains uncashed, the company will deposit the assets into a holding account. Uncashed checks will remain on the company's balance sheet until the company locates and communicates with the intended recipients. Over time, if an organization does not deal with the issue of missing plan participants, this holding account may accrue a large balance, and it may eventually attract the attention of regulatory agencies. Uncashed checks also raise numerous other questions for corporations, including:
- Where is the cash held?
- Who is receiving the interest?
- Are the funds still considered ERISA assets?
- Are taxes withheld?
- What options does the plan sponsor have if a participant fails to deposit the check, even after a successful search and subsequent effort to communicate?
Moreover, when a company is mailing checks to the wrong address, it is creating security risks for plan participants, including the threat of identity theft. And if it fails to seek out missing pension participants, a company may be exposing its plan to risk of fraud. For example, if a participant is deceased, a relative or friend might receive and cash benefit checks in the participant's name. Recovery of the funds in this type of situation is extremely difficult, and the effort often involves hefty legal fees.
Weighing the Options
For all of these reasons, many companies that are considering pension de-risking or other changes to their benefits programs are turning their attention to finding missing plan participants. Their options for doing so are shrinking. Some free and low-cost solutions that were once available to help locate missing participants, such as the IRS's letter-forwarding service, have disappeared. For a small fee, the IRS used to search its database for missing and lost participants and forward communications. It discontinued that service last year. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers a similar service, but it costs $35 per participant and can take up to 12 months. In addition, the SSA service does not include a report providing participants' updated addresses, resulting in an incomplete audit trail.
Some plan sponsors attempt to find missing participants by researching them one at a time using phone calls, public databases, and other methods. This approach can be time-consuming. An alternative is to work with a third-party raw-data search provider, which can speed up the process. In any such search, result accuracy will vary depending on how the search process accounts for possible name variations, marriages and divorces, and other factors. Specialized firms can help plan sponsors set a course of action based on the extent of the missing-participant problem, the particulars of the organization's benefits programs, the demographics of its participant population, and the company's risk culture.
Organizations that embark on an initiative designed to find missing plan participants need to keep in mind that the goal isn't just locating participants, but also getting them to act. Plan sponsors may want to work with a third party for assistance with coding undeliverable mail, confirming current addresses to update participant databases, communicating with participants in ways that convince them to take the required action, and providing audit trail reporting.
Confirming—and, if necessary, improving—contact information for participants should be the first step in any pension plan de-risking program. Data problems have the potential to undermine de-risking, and the de-risking strategy may be crucial to the organization's financial health. By resolving up front any issues around missing participants, a plan sponsor can avoid costly delays and reduce risks as it moves forward.
Mary Steigerwalt is the chief operating officer for Risk Compliance Performance Solutions (RCP), a risk management and compliance firm with a focus on retirement plan management, specializing in customized risk mitigation and compliance, communications, and outreach programs. Mary's 25-plus years of experience as a practitioner and solutions provider gives her a comprehensive perspective on retirement plan management.


text:
Bradley Zane Downing, Janesville, WI (1963-2013)
September 26, 1963 - December 6, 2013
Bradley Zane Downing, 50, of Janesville, passed away on Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, following a long illness with diabetes. He was born on Sept. 26, 1963, in Janesville, the son of Charlie and Dolores (Goodremote) Downing. He was employed by Accudyne Corp. for 20 years in the maintenance department until he was forced to retire due to ill health. Bradley loved to ride his Harley and enjoyed following baseball, football and basketball. He was also an avid reader.
Surviving are his parents, Charlie and Dolores Downing with whom he had resided the past few years due to his health issues; his brother, Nathan of Newville, too whom he was very close and had much in common; his nephew, Ernest Dwight Downing; his niece, Natasha Downing; numerous other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his nephew, Benjamin Downing.
"Bradley was greatly loved and
will be surely missed by all who knew him."
Private services will be held. Condolences may be sent to the family at 2215 Linden Avenue, Janesville, WI 53548. HENKE-CLARSON FUNERAL HOME assisted the family.


text:
Compare great Ssangyong Air-Con, Heating and Cooling prices in Shoreditch with Who Can Fix My Car.
Enter your registration, compare quotes, and find a great garage near you. Get your competitive local prices now!
Compare great Ssangyong Air-Con, Heating and Cooling prices in Shoreditch with Who Can Fix My Car.
Samet has been very professional and has fixed the problem very quickly and at the right price. Will use his services again. Thanks
One star because you did not write the report I asked and you don't respond to my messages.
Didn't really do much to the car they couldn't fix it told me I needed a new engine I asked them to put it back as it was and when I checked the car bitspares wer left off and a bolt is missing
Fantastic! The guys from yourmobilegarage were brilliant! Arrived at a convenient time, completed the job efficiently and I have had no problems in almost a year. Fabulous value and great service- delighted!
Never come back to me after taking £49.
Did an excellent job, Lukasz is very creative as a mechanic and I would happily use him again.
Did everything that was asked, no problems.
cost more than written and end up buying extra parts which we didnt needed!
Every aspect of this experience was positive. Excellent customer care from start to finish. Work completed very promptly with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency. Costs were reasonable. Diagnostics run prior to price quote, work carried out only after checking with me that the quote was acceptable. A brilliant outcome. Thankyou.
My Saab 9-3, which I bought second hand 5 months previously, needed a service, I was quoted £190. However, I had a feeling it would cost more as lot of work needed doing. After accepting the quote and dropping off the car, F and G rang me requesting that I come in so they could show me what was wrong... I was shown worn tyres, broken suspension, dodgy exhaust and many other faults. They would not proceed with servicing or repair work without having my express permission for each single item, which I gave. I had a suspicion that the bill would be hefty, and it was - a fully itemised £1400. They also gave it a thorough clean and polish, which it needed, free of charge
Truly excellent work, and completed in record time. I am mightily impressed, and the car looks like new. I have no hesitation in recommending F and G to anyone who has invisible mending to be done.
Great service, top job.
great service
My wife dropped the car off. The staff were friendly and she didn't feel patronised. The price was reasonable too. The DPF received a clean.
Great guy, good service good price.
The service provided was fantastic, reasonable in price and timely. I was explained about the work being completed with politeness and superb competence. All latest equipment was utilised to provide a best in class service and identify faults and any repairs to be made. Would definitely recommend this service provider and will certainly utilise again in the future.
Clive came to my doorstep to repair an alleged leak in my smart A/C.He explained in easily understandable words what needed to be done, and what the min max cost would be. The job was carried out in my street. The diagnostic was right. And the cost very reasonable. It does not come better than that.


text:
Your Views: Four reasons to say 'no' to Common Core education
Common Core standards do not allow teachers or parents to help students learn fully. Actually, the standards undermine educational quality as well as choice. Allow me to explain.
1.) Local communities know their students and can much better understand and set standards for their students than can the government.
2.) Not only do parents have less say about what goes into their children's education with Common Core, but they also are not able to provide their children with a better education in a different school district with different standards because all standards will be the same between districts.
3.) Students are constantly at different levels of learning. Common Core holds back some students from their potential while pushing other students beyond their pace of learning. A good education policy recognizes that each student has a different learning pace as well as a different learning style, and allows educators the freedom to recognize and tailor their approaches.
4.) With Common Core, I do not believe there is enough room for improvement in our educational system. Schools do not have the opportunity to try new methods or systems of education because they are required to develop their approach around the Common Core standards.
The reality is that education cannot be successful with a "one-size-fits-all" type of policy. Do not allow Common Core standards to defeat our schools; stand up for the unique educational needs of Wisconsin students!


text:
This series, "It isn't easy being green," will provide a brief overview of the major legal issues associated with "green" marketing claims and offer a practical framework for analyzing and reducing risk.
The color of the new millennium is definitely green. Over the past 10 years there has been a veritable explosion of the "green machine," spawning a whole lexicon of green language, green expectations and green statements. Indeed, the green movement has hit mainstream USA in a tangible way—at the current pace it is projected that "green marketing" will account for more than $3.5 trillion in spending by 2017. Major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., have reported a strong uptick in consumer demand for "green" and "organic" products even in a flagging economy, while the number of green products has skyrocketed virtually overnight, with growth of as much as 500 percent since 2009.
The question is, at what risk? When do green promises or representations cross the boundary from being aspirational statements to enforceable promises? And when does a clever marketing turn of phrase create litigation or regulatory risk? Opting out of the green revolution is not an option for most companies. Opting in responsibly is a business mandate.
The transparency imperative
Riding sidecar to the growing demand for green products and services is an insistence on greater transparency and meaningful substantiation of green claims. The rallying cry suggests a growing intolerance for greenwashing and related "sins."
The term "greenwashing" is not a new one. It was coined in 1986 in reference to the hotel industry practice of encouraging reuse of towels as a green initiative, even though many hotels were making little to no effort to reduce energy waste.
In broad terms, "greenwashing," "greenpuffing" and the "green sheen" refer to the practice of inflating the stated green benefit of an act, product or practice, typically for the purpose of achieving a marketing, public relations or profits goal. The exponential increase in "green claims" (including claims that products are natural, biodegradable, eco-friendly, non-toxic, carbon-neutral, sustainable and "certified green")has sparked corresponding skepticism about the accuracy of those claims. While certain product categories (i.e., paper products, beauty products) are now seasoned players in the green game, other product categories, such as cleaning supplies, are relative newcomers to the field.
Neophytes to the green marketing world should expect heightened scrutiny of green claims. Newer entrants into the field, including toys and electronics, have received poor marks on reliability and accuracy of allegedly green attributes from watchdog organizations, suggesting an evolving rigor with respect to product review.
A subspecies of the broader category of false advertising claims, "greenwashing" claims typically center on exaggerations—and in some instances outright fabrications—of a product's green characteristics. Over the past few years, "seven sins" of greenwashing have emerged as the touchstone for evaluating overly ambitious green claims.
- Sin of the hidden trade-off: One of the most common greenwashing sins, this refers to the practice of highlighting one purportedly green attribute of a product, while ignoring equally or more important qualities that, when considered in totality, would prevent the product from claiming the title "green". For example, paper manufactured from a sustainably harvested forest may not qualify as "green" if the production process itself resulted in high rates of water and air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. The result is an exaggerated and unsubstantiated green claim.
- Sin of no proof: Companies should be able to prove all green claims (like all marketing claims) by referencing specific and accessible supporting data. Products that are touted as "green" without the benefit of appropriate substantiation are guilty of this sin.
- Sin of vagueness: Making sweeping statements such as "The product is 'all natural,'" when there is no reasonable basis for a consumer to understand any limitation on the designation falls under the heading of overly vague.
- Sin of irrelevance: This occurs where a product touts some attribute that is meaningless to consumers attempting to make environmentally preferable product selections. For example, touting a product as "chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-free" sounds like a good thing, but is rendered meaningless with the understanding that all products are CFC-free, since CFCs are banned by law.
- Sin of lesser of two evils: Classic examples of the "lesser evil" sin include the "fuel efficient" SUV or the "organic" cigarette. Although these products might do well in a head-to-head comparison in their narrow product category, these "green" claims ignore the environmental impact of the category as a whole.
- Sin of fibbing: This is perhaps the least frequent and most aggressive type of green claim—the one that is simply made up.
- Sin of worshipping false labels: A developing area of concern, this sin refers to products that implicitly or expressly reference third-party endorsements where no such endorsement exists.


text:
Highway 14 opened after accident
Gazette staff
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
EMERALD GROVE—Officials have opened Highway 11/14 East near Emerald Grove.
An accident that included a semitrailer truck on fire led to the closing of Highway 11/14 East at about 8:50 a.m. Wednesday.
As of 9:30 a.m., the closure of Highway 11/14 in both directions was expanded. The highway now is closed between the 11/14 intersection near County MM at Janesville and the Walworth County line, according to the Rock County 911 center. Officers are rerouting traffic to bypass that highway segment.
The accident, which included injuries, occurred at 8:35 a.m. on Highway 14 between Emerald Grove and Highway 140.
It was not immediately clear how many vehicles were involved.


text:
Proposal would increase retail liquor licenses
Three Janesville City Council members disagree so strongly with a proposal to increase the number of Class A alcohol licenses that they tried to stop a public hearing on the issue.
The unsuccessful maneuver at the March 10 council meeting has not happened in council chambers in at least 16 years.
City economic development staff suggested eliminating or amending the existing quota to remove barriers for new business. No Class A licenses are currently available. A retailer must have a Class A license to sell packaged alcohol.
Councilman Brian Fitzgerald at the March 10 meeting said increasing the number of licenses would put existing merchants out of business. He especially complained about "big-box stores."
DuWayne Severson and Sam Liebert also voted against introducing the proposed change.
Fitzgerald even voted against approving the minutes of the city's alcohol advisory committee meeting that included a positive recommendation on the change.
Four council members—Kathy Voskuil, Jim Farrell, Doug Marklein and Matt Kealy—voted to introduce the proposal, and a public hearing is scheduled Monday.
The city's alcohol license advisory committee recommended 5-0 that the quota be amended to one license per 2,500 residents compared to the current one per 3,500 residents.
The city now has 19 licenses. The change would make another five available.
In addition, staff proposes:
--The city use annual population estimates rather than 10-year census figures.
--The council create a process to issue temporary licenses on an individual basis if no licenses are available.
The current quota does not allow economic development staff to compete for new developments on an equal basis with other communities, and going after such projects is a stated goal of the council, according to a city memo.
The quota has served to either delay or deter potential new developments or expansion of existing businesses, staff said.
Of 11 cities surveyed, Janesville was one of four that has a quota. Its quota is also the most restrictive.
For example, without the change, Meijer, a super center that just announced plans to open in Janesville, would not be able to get a license to sell package alcohol.
Fitzgerald said he is concerned because alcohol sales represent a fixed amount.
�"I just don't see spreading these sales out over more licenses makes sense," Fitzgerald said at the last council meeting.
"If you understand business, if you lose 10 to 20 percent of your sales, you're not profitable anymore. You'll go out of business.
�"I fear what would happen, several big box stores—Target, Pick 'n Save, Wal-Mart, whoever—will get these licenses."
Wal-Mart and Pick 'n Save already have liquor licenses.
"The way they operate, they will lower the price until all the local vendors are out of business, and then they charge whatever they want.
�"Quite frankly, I think Wal-Mart, Pick 'n Save, these larger stores, they're doing just fine without alcohol licenses. … I'm not anxious to put local vendors out of business by watering down the dollar amount of their sales just so we can have more licenses.
"I'm tired of big box stores," Fitzgerald said. "I just got my gut full. They're just running everybody out of business. Pretty soon the downtown is going to be empty.
�"A change like this needs careful consideration. It can be catastrophic for these businesses and local merchants who have been here for years and years."
Councilman Matt Kealy, who is also on the alcohol license advisory committee, noted most peer communities have no quota.
Kealy wondered where Fitzgerald would stop in protecting existing businesses.
�"As far as economic development goes, do we not allow new home builders in town, restaurants, taverns, new car dealerships, because they're taking the same pie and spreading it out?" he asked.
"I just don't think we really need more liquor stores and more liquor licenses," Fitzgerald said. "I don't see this as economic development at all."
Said Kealy: "Except for the person who wants to build a new establishment and sell liquor."
Kealy also noted competition is good for the consumer.
"I think we've got plenty of competition," Fitzgerald said. … "I certainly don't think we need any more alcoholics."
Severson made the motion to deny the introduction of the proposed ordinance, and Fitzgerald seconded, saying: "I guess I would just like to go through the public hearing and get a little more input."
At that point, President Kathy Voskuil noted that denying the introduction of the ordinance also meant there would be no public hearing.
"Oh, well, that's fine, too," Fitzgerald said.
Said Severson: "I guess I'm always concerned that we're looking to just throw more alcohol out there, more opportunities to buy it … I just question how much more business can be created.
"I'm not sure I agree with the correlation between home building and new business," he said. "There's only so much you can drink."
Liebert said he agreed with Fitzgerald and Severson.
"I just don't think more alcohol licenses are going to somehow magically make jobs fall from the sky."
He did say he might support the process that would allow the council to consider licenses on an individual basis if a business was to create 50 jobs, for example.
Marklein said he would look forward to the public hearing so he could make his decision after hearing public comments.


text:
God vs Evolution
Discussion of everything related to the Theory of Evolution.
Moderator: BioTeam
God vs Evolution
I believe God created the universe and everything in it. And that evolution is an incorrect 'THEORY' made by the human race to neglect God. I want your argument about why you believe that human existence is a freak accident or if we were created for a purpose.
Last edited by jeremiah_1990 on Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Fair enough. Care to elaborate? I assume you did not just create an account here to preach that one thought?
"What are humans if they don't learn at University? Animals, yes."
^^One of my ex-girlfriends said that. I stress the ex part.
Im just tying to get people to start thinking about what they belive. not what a text book says or their professor
Why do you assume that Scientists are atheistic? The best professor I ever had told me to question everything she said...if a professor or textbook is presuming to make one's mind up then they are not worth a light.
Both should simply present the so-far-proven facts and allow their subjects to make up their own mind.
I actually thought Science and Religeons' slandering of the other was very out of date now.
Can one not have Science AND Religeon in their lives?
"What are humans if they don't learn at University? Animals, yes."
^^One of my ex-girlfriends said that. I stress the ex part.
Furthermore, just because a text book or a professor has given you information, if you chose to accept it as tue, it doesnt mean that you have done it because they have told you - you most probably have taken it to be the most logical explanation available. Personally I sway to the evolutionary side - to me it makes sense. But the idea of a greater being/God does not seem impossible - but its always going to be a highly debated issue isnt it?
Re: God vs Evolution
Agent Smith: But, as you well know, appearances can be deceiving, which brings me back to the reason why we're here. We're not here because we're free. We're here because we're not free. There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist.
[Several Agent Smith Clones walk in]
Agent Smith Clone 1: It is purpose that created us.
Agent Smith Clone 2: Purpose that connects us.
Agent Smith Clone 3: Purpose that pulls us.
Agent Smith Clone 4: That guides us.
Agent Smith Clone 5: That drives us.
Agent Smith Clone 6: It is purpose that defines us.
Agent Smith Clone 7: Purpose that binds us.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
On a logistical note, jeremiah_1990, please stop editing your original post - successive posts do not make sense if they refer to a post that has changed.
For reference sake, this was your original post:
"I believe God created the universe and everything in it. And that evolution is an incorrect 'THEORY' made by the human race to neglect God."
Last edited by kotoreru on Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
in the bible the world is only a few thousand years old, therefore the evindence around us points us in the direction that god in fact, does not exist, now if you want to beleive in god that's fine but i really don't see how your post has anything to do with biology, religion is not what this forum is about. But our fossils prove that your bible, if not your god, is wrongful thinking and needs to be tested and revised.
No wait, the Bible was never written in English, or even Latin, to begin with. The Bible is all about interpretation.
What you read (in the King James version at least) is a translation from three languages, and a bad one at that [other language versions of the Bible are a translation from English so therefore must be even worse!].
For example, Methusalah lived for approx. 800 years according to the Bible (correct me if I am wrong). This is probably a mistranslation of the lunar and solar cycles. Using the solar cycles, he actually lived for around 70 years - a far more realistic figure.
I really cannot stand the 'us and them' argument. Please, can we just debate in a sensible, and humanistic, manner?
This post is perfectly relevant to Science - Jeremiah_1990 contests the paradigms we work by and therefore it is up to us to defend them.
"What are humans if they don't learn at University? Animals, yes."
^^One of my ex-girlfriends said that. I stress the ex part.
Evolution, to me, makes almost perfect sense; God, to me, makes completely perfect sense. I believe both.
Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.
#2 Total Post Count
Here is science for you
Coyp of another blog.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest
© Biology-Online.org. All Rights Reserved. Register | Login | About Us | Contact Us | Link to Us | Privacy Policy |


text:
Ronan Park
3000 W. Argyle St. Chicago, Illinois 60625
(312) 742-7516
Fee: $0.00
Age Range: Any
Bring your family and friends, grab a blanket, and pack a picnic basket for a delightful evening at Ronan Park listening to World Music.
The North River Commission will once again sponsor a series of summer concerts at beautiful Ronan Park. This series brings together the diverse community of Albany Park.


text: Want to get your hands on the hottest horny mom sex pictures? Well, look no further cause it's all right here at Milf Mom Porn! Every day we're bringing you the nastiest and most cock-hungry nude moms you have ever seen and they surely love showing off their carnal side in front of the camera. This is the ultimate collection of naked moms xxx galleries and Moms Lingerie Pics, so don't hesitate to bookmark us if you want regular treats of the hot moms stuff around! They will suck and fuck cocks like crazy and you will get to see what these sexy milfs are capable of!


text:
Loading ...
Access easily searchable nanoscience data, synthesis methods and literature
Image only illustrates the order and placement of components as described in literature.
|Nanomaterial Variant
|scanning transmission electron microscopy
More information available to subscribers only.
Or, view sample content
PbS colloidal quantum dots
Size: not specified
Medium/Support: none
To view content please choose from the following:


text:
What Internet of Things needs to become a reality
32 comments
Depending on who you talk to, the Internet of Things (IoT) is defined in different ways, and it encompasses many aspects of life from connected homes and cities to connected cars and roads (yes, roads) to devices that track an individuals behavior and use the data collected for push services. Some mention 1 trillion Internet-connected devices by 2025 and define mobile phones as the eyes and ears of the applications connecting all of those connected Things. Depending on the context, others give examples that are less phone-centric, speak of a class of devices that do not exist today or point to Google Goggles as an indication of things to come.
Everyone, however, thinks of the IoT as billions of connections (a sort of universal global neural network in the cloud) that will encompass every aspect of our lives. All of this public discussion suggests the IoT is finally becoming a hot topic within the mainstream media. Many recent articles point to the IoT as the interaction and exchange of data (lots of it) between machines and objects, and now there are product definitions reflecting the same concept. Hence, from a technology perspective, the IoT is being defined as smart machines interacting and communicating with other machines, objects, environment and infrastructures, resulting in volumes of data generated and processing of that data into useful actions that can command and control things and make life much easier for human beings similar to the world envisioned in The Jetsons, only better.
Estimates of the future market size for the Internet of Things cover a broad range, but most pundits agree that it will dwarf any other market. In mature markets today, the ultimate, pervasive consumer device is a mobile phone. Consider your own household, and count the number of mobile phones you currently have. Then count the number of windows, doors, electrical outlets, lights, appliances and heating and A/C units you have. Youll quickly see why the IoT market will significantly surpass the mobile phone market, at least in the western world.
Making things smart
Do an IOT-related web search, and youll quickly notice the overuse of the term smart. So, what does it really mean when something is smart, and what makes an object smart? How would a refrigerator or a toaster oven that hasnt been considered smart become a smart appliance?
Today, we are seeing the electrification of the world around us. Almost any manufactured good now includes an embedded processor (typically a microcontroller, or MCU), along with user interfaces, that can add programmability and deterministic command and control functionality. The electrification of the world and the pervasiveness of embedded processing are the keys to making objects smart.
Your old toaster that mechanically controlled the color of your toast now has an MCU in it, and the MCU controls the color of your toast. The toaster completes its task more consistently and reliably, and because it is now a smart toaster, it has the ability to communicate with you electronically using a touch pad or switches.
After a device becomes smart through the integration of embedded processing, the next logical step is remote communication with the smart device to help make life easier. For example, if Im running late at the office, can I turn on my house lights for security reasons using my laptop or mobile phone?
Communication capability and remote manual control leads to the next step how do I automate things and, based on my settings and with sophisticated cloud-based processing, make things happen without my intervention? Thats the ultimate goal of IoT applications. And, for those applications to connect with and leverage the Internet to achieve this goal, they must first become smart (incorporate an MCU/embedded processor with an associated unique ID) then connected and, finally, controlled, and ultimately deliver a new class of services that makes life easier for the users of those services.
Lets look at some categories for IOT-related applications. While there are literally hundreds of applications being considered and identified by different industries, they can be categorized in a simple, logical way.
Category one encompasses the idea of millions of heterogeneous aware and interconnected devices with unique IDs interacting with other machines/objects, infrastructure, and the physical environment. In this category, the IoT largely plays a remote Track, Command, Control and Route (TCC&R) role. As with all aspects of the Internet of Things, safety and security are paramount. These applications are not about data mining of peoples behaviors (along the lines of big brother watching) but rather they extend the automation and machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-to-infrastructure (M2I) and machine-to-nature (M2N) communications that can help simplify peoples lives.
The second category is all about leveraging the data that gets collected by the end nodes (smart devices with sensing and connectivity capability) and data mining for trends and behaviors that can generate useful marketing information to create additional commerce.
Credit card companies and membership shopping clubs already track and use peoples behavior, to an extent, to come up with offers that may promote incremental sales. Now, the question is how far will this data mining go? Use cases could include a store tracking which aisles you visited, where you spent the most time within those aisles and even what type of items you lifted and browsed. This scenario is easily possible using a mobile phones GPS capability, RFID and smart tags in stores and wireless tags. The result could be as simple as providing email offers or push services at the point of sale. Or, it could go farther, with your car insurance company tracking your driving habits and places traveled to assign risk factors that help determine your monthly premium, for example. You can see how this category can become a slippery slope, and how IoT can allow data collection from every aspect of ones everyday life, assign a category to a person, with pleasant or alternatively unpleasant consequences.
When others become aware of the context associated with an entity, a person or a group (hence, knowing identity, location, activity, and time), to what extent can that data be used, and to what extent should the entity, person or group have a say in how that data gets used? This second category, especially, spurs discussions about privacy, security, governance and the social responsibility that comes along with such a self-aware, connected world.
For now, well focus on category one specifically, the technologies and devices required to enable the IoT for tracking, command, control and routing (TCC&R) purposes.


text:
Honeymoon experience with chauffeur collection, Hayfield Manor's VIP welcome. 3 nights accommodation in a luxury Suite. Dine on one evening in the privacy of your suite & on another evening at the renowned Orchids Restaurant. Unwind with your choice of treatment from the Elemis Spa Therapy range. Enjoy Hayfield Manor's luxury movie night package. Depart with a chauffeur driven car to the airport & exclusive access to the airport VIP lounge.
Description: Grand Suites are the ultimate in luxurious accommodation. With an average size of 750sf, Grand Suites have a classically styled private living room, spacious bedroom with king-size bed and large marble bathrooms with double vanities & separate power shower. Each is individually decorated with beautiful antique furnishings. Most feature scenic views. • Spacious private sitting room with working fireplace & workspace• Orthopaedic king-size beds• Marble bathroom with double vanity and some with Jacuzzi bath• Elemis bathroom products• Air-conditioning• TV, DVD & CD player• Plush terry robes & slippers• Complimentary Wi-Fi access• Nespresso Coffee machine• Tea making facilities• Safety deposit box• 24-hour in-room dining• Hair dryer• Iron, ironing board & trouser press• Evening Turndown service • Golf putterThis rate is based on a maximum occupancy of 2 adults. One child under 12 years of age is eligible for accommodation and breakfast free of charge when staying with two full rate paying adults in a Grand Suite.
Kindly let us know your children's' names and ages in the 'Special Requirements' field on your reservation. This will allow us to allocate you the most appropriate bedroom and to make your children's stay a little special.
Description: The magnificent Master Suite offers the ultimate in luxury here at Hayfield Manor. This exclusive suite is 1,200 square feet in size, lavishly decorated with beautiful antique furnishings and tasteful décor. Private Dining is available to the Master Suite along with a complimentary minibar with wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks.
A King Size Bed with traditional canopy ensures a great nights sleep. Plush textiles, silk drapery, and an open fire all enhance the enchanting ambience of this most exquisite room. The Master Suite includes a separate Drawing Room ideal for relaxing or for private meetings. Floor to ceiling windows bathe the room in natural light, affording stunning views over Cork City and beyond. Original artistic impressions, marble fireplace and antique dining table add to the splendour of the room. Incorporated into the Master Suite are two distinctly designed "His and Hers" bathrooms. The utmost in extravagant luxury, both bathrooms feature heated towel rails, Elemis products and oils, and fresh robes and slippers. 'Her' bathroom is lavishly decorated to augment the aura of relaxation, with the central feature being a deep Jacuzzi Bath. 'His' bathroom is decorated for a more masculine appearance, featuring a state-of-the-art Steam Power Shower.


text:
Walworth County mourns loss of Coroner John Griebel, Wisconsin's longest-serving elected official
ELKHORN�— No matter the time or the temperature, the late Walworth County coroner dressed to impress.
"There would be times I would go to homicide scenes and it would be 3 in the morning, and I'm all blurry-eyed and there is John, every single time, in a coat, tie and dress pants," said Phil Koss, former district attorney and now judge. "I don't care if it was 10 below, raining, 85 degrees out, John was always dressed to the nines."
John Griebel, 79, died Dec. 20 at Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn.
Griebel, the longest-serving elected official in the state, was in his 26th term as coroner. He was elected in 1960 after starting his career as a Walworth County deputy sheriff in 1956.
As coroner, he investigated more than 18,000 deaths, according to Gazette archives.
When Griebel started, the caseload was 85 deaths per year. It increased to about 1,100 per year in 2009.
Koss described Griebel as a devoted and professional man who worked and collaborated with the district attorney's office. Koss' friendship with Griebel began when he started as an assistant district attorney in 1985.
"Maybe it's corny, but I knew he believed in serving the public," Koss said.
Griebel never appeared rattled or panicked by the cases he handled.
"He did his job and didn't allow circumstances to change that," Koss said.�
Griebel served on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Coroners and Medical Examiners Association before he became the association's president.
In 1979, Griebel was appointed to the Wisconsin Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Project Community Council. The organization is responsible for coordinating SIDS investigations and providing services to the parents of SIDS victims.
While Griebel worked to give back to the state as a whole, he remained rooted in the Elkhorn community.
He graduated from Elkhorn High School in 1952, served as secretary for the Elkhorn Area Fire Department for 24 years and owned a local shoe company, John's Bootery of Elkhorn.
Griebel's cause of death has not been made public.
He had been recovering from an October car crash, Koss said.
His death "certainly must have stemmed from this," Koss said.
Griebel had no children and is survived by his wife, Barbara Brand-Griebel.
The governor's office called Griebel's death an "unfortunate passing" in a news release issued Monday.
Gov. Scott Walker is accepting applications at walker.wi.gov for the Walworth County coroner position.
Chief Deputy Coroner Thomas Miller will take over coroner duties until Walker picks a replacement.
The new coroner will complete Griebel's term ending January 5, 2015, according to the release.
Applicants must live in Walworth County when beginning the job.


text:
Spring 2014 Election
Parkview presents referendum plans to residents
FOOTVILLE--In a school district where voters have turned down four of the last five referendums, Parkview officials and supporters said they hope this is the time that will be remembered as a shining moment in the district's history.
Parkview officials laid out their case for a $17 million facility referendum and a three-year, $350,000 operational referendum Tuesday night at Parkview Primary School. The event was the first in a series of information meetings that continue tonight and Thursday.
"I feel strongly that this effort is, 'We are Parkview.' This isn't me and some administration and board members sitting in a corner trying to come up with a plan that we think is a good idea," Superintendent Steve Lutzke said. "This was vetted through lots and lots of people over many, many months to try to come up with a plan that the community felt confident would be good for our district."�
Several members of a "Vote Yes" committee were on hand to offer information. More than 30 residents attended, and comments ranged from how now is the time to support students to frustration over the burden taxpayers face in funding everything from schools to roads.
The referendums ask voters for:
--$17 million to swap the schools in Orfordville and renovate/add-on, creating essentially a new junior/high school at the existing elementary school and a renovated elementary school at the existing junior/high school. The primary school in Footville would close.
The new high school would include new science labs, agriculture education and technology education labs, new band and choir rooms, a library/media center and a three-station gym.
--$350,000 each year for the next three school years to pay for operating expenses that include technology and curriculum materials, classroom materials, professional development training and special education costs.
The district anticipates a $2.2 million deficit during the next three years, Lutzke said.
If both referendums are approved, the tax effect on a $100,000 property would be an additional $360 for each of the first three years and $270 annually in years four through 20.
Members of the long-range planning committee that gathered community input and developed the plan felt strongly that the district's facilities are hurting enrollment, Lutzke said. They've heard from parents who wish the district had better facilities, and they've also overheard the surprise parents have about conditions when visiting from outside the district.
This year 110 students open enrolled out of the district while 60 open enrolled in, Lutzke said.
Like it or not, public education is a competitive business, he said, and "we need to make sure we continue to provide an education that is desirable by our own community first and foremost, but then hopefully we can even attract some kids from other school districts."
The district wouldn't be coming to taxpayers for another facility referendum for about 20 years because it essentially would have two new schools, Lutzke said. With improved facilities, the goal is to attract more students, which would bring in more state aid and hopefully eliminate the need to return to taxpayers in three years, he said.
The school in Footville needs nearly $1.1 million in repairs and upgrades, which would still leave the district with a 53-year-old building, he said.


text:
Your cart is empty.
How do I get started?
FREE SHIPPINGOn Every Order
Already own it?
The Sanity of Madness
Konnilyn Feig
Their Email:
Already own this item?
Sell Yours and earn some cash.
It's fast and free to list! (Learn More.)
You can earn a 5% commission by selling Hitler's Death Camps: The Sanity of Madness on your website.
It's easy to get started - we will give you example code. After you're set-up, your website can earn you money while you work, play or even sleep!
Are you the Author/Publisher? Improve sales by submitting additional information on this title.
This item ships from and is sold by Fishpond World Ltd.
Fishpond's Best Deals Delivered to You Every Day
Thanks, your email was successfully added
You will receive special offers to your inbox daily.
© 2004-2017 Fishpond Ltd. All prices include GST and are in New Zealand dollars.


text:
State Views: Gov. Walker's bill misses chance at real property tax relief
Last week I voted for a property tax relief bill that was conceived in haste as a political gimmick. Tax relief has bipartisan appeal, but the minority had no opportunity to improve this bill. That's too bad.
The bill won't provide real property tax relief and will contribute to the 2014 budget deficit.
Still, most of us voted for it. The bill passed 85-12. I can't speak for my colleagues, but I voted "aye" because it does slow the rate of tax increase and was the only tax bill the Assembly would get to consider.
We could have done much better. The way this bill was produced and passed is a black mark against a Legislature more concerned with political advantage than public good.
Special Session Senate Bill 1 doesn't deliver a property tax cut. It slows the increase by an average of $13 the first year and $20 the next. That's 25 cents a week the first year. The average will be $13, but many homeowners will receive nothing. The drop in the ocean will be paid for with $100 million over two years.
Gov. Scott Walker's last budget increased property taxes on the average home by $31. His bill merely reduces the increase for some.
Cuts in state shared revenue have forced cities and counties to hike property taxes. Under Rock County's proposed budget, taxes on a $100,000 house will rise $14.32 in 2014. The city of Janesville budget proposal calls for a 2.5 percent increase in the levy. Despite the governor's claim, property taxes here will rise.
The governor proposed the bill Oct. 10. Seven days later, the bill had passed both the Senate and Assembly—a $100-million-dollar package in seven days from conception to law. Some say the governor devised the hasty plan to divert attention from Mary Burke, who announced her candidacy for governor.
I don't care about his motives. I care about the process and the product. Any debate over property tax relief would have produced a better product. Democrats obviously were willing to approve a tax relief plan. We approved this one. We were locked out of the process, and the result is flawed law.
The strictly partisan approach to everything has crippled state government. Democrats offered a substitute amendment on the Assembly floor that would have produced real property tax savings. The majority dismissed it without serious consideration.
The Democratic plan would have produced actual tax savings. Under the bill we passed, the typical homeowner will see an increase of $11 in property taxes. Under the Democratic alternative, the typical bill would have actually gone down $14. Everyone would have received the benefit.
The Democratic plan would have reduced the pending structural deficit by $53 million and would have put $100 million in the rainy day fund.
When the Republican majorities refused to consider this proposal, they were voting to increase your taxes. If they had subjected SSB1 to rational debate and consulted Democrats the result would have been a tax cut.
Rep. Debra Kolste, D-Janesville, represents the 44th Assembly District. Readers can contact her at P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708; phone 888-947-0044; email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
© 2015-2016 Compile Heart, Idea Factory International. All rights reserved.
Sunday, December 17 • 10am PST/1pm EST
Monster Hunter: World beta
Monday, December 11 • 6pm PST/9pm EST
Vandal Hearts
Tuesdays • 12pm PST/3pm EST
Final Fantasy VI
Thursdays and Fridays • 3pm PST/6pm EST
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Tues-Wed-Thu • 7pm PST/10pm EST
Saturdays • 5pm PST/8pm EST


text:
A Six-Word Memoir® is the story of your life—some part of it or all of it—told in exactly
six words.
In classrooms and boardrooms,
churches and synagogues, veteran's groups
and across the dinner table, Six-Word Memoirs
have become a powerful tool to catalyze
conversation, spark imagination or simply
break the ice.
Here on Six Words,
we offer a simple platform to share the short,
sharp story of your life, as well as provide daily
prompts to share your six-word takes on the topics of
our times.
More than half a million short stories have
been shared here.
Read more about six.
So give six a try—and make your words count.
by tonyglim on January 2, 2013 |
©2005 - 2017 Six Words, LLC


text:
The Securities and Exchange Commission's awards for corporate whistleblowers haven't had much impact on the tips that companies receive via their internal hotlines, according to a recent survey by the Institute of Internal Auditors.
In August 2011, the SEC started a program, mandated by Dodd-Frank, which awards whistleblowers from 10% to 30% of any financial recovery the agency makes as the result of information the whistleblower provided. Companies fretted that the prospect of an award might cause employees to bypass internal procedures for reporting fraud and other problems and instead head straight to the SEC.
But 84% of the IIA's respondents say they've seen no change in the number of tips or complaints received by their hotlines since the SEC award program took effect in August 2011, with 11% saying volume has increased and 5% citing a decrease.
When the SEC kicked off its awards, "there was a lot of concern that there was going to be some sort of chaos out there because people might be lured by the attractiveness of the reward money from the SEC and that was going to cause people to go around corporate processes to investigate allegations of fraud," says IIA CEO Richard Chambers. "The survey results would indicate that at least so far, that's not proving to be true."
The IIA's survey of 545 chief audit executives and internal audit directors found 78% say they have little or no concern that employees will bypass internal reporting processes to take their complaints directly to the SEC, with 20% citing "some concern" and just 2% saying they were concerned or highly concerned. The levels were a little higher for executives from Fortune 500 companies, where 41% cited some concern and 1% said they were concerned to highly concerned.
Luis Ramos, CEO of The Network, which provides governance, risk and compliance solutions, including hotlines, agrees that the SEC's award program isn't stopping employees from reporting problems internally. "We continue to see very active use of internal hotlines," he says. "We're getting a comparable, if not higher, level of reports through our whistleblower lines, and we're seeing employees prefer that method rather than going outside the existing compliance programs."
Ramos notes that in response to the SEC awards, companies made a push to ensure that their employees were aware of internal reporting processes. "Many of these companies really redoubled their efforts to communicate about their existing programs and made these programs much more visible to their employees," he says.
Companies also took steps to educate employees about anti-retaliatory policies concerning whistleblowers, he says, and they tightened up their investigative processes and their methods for reporting back to whistleblowers. In the past, while companies were investigating complaints that had come in, they often didn't keep the employees who had notified them of the problem informed, Ramos says. "What we heard from employees was that when they didn't hear back, they thought the organization wasn't doing anything about the issue and it made them less likely to report in the future." Companies have started to use hotline follow-up mechanisms to let employees know that they're taking action, he says.
The IIA survey shows the vast majority of calls to company hotlines don't involve the financial reporting fraud or insider trading of interest to the SEC. Thirty-eight percent of the complaints that come in on IIA respondents' hotlines involve personnel management, while 18% have to do with violations of company or professional codes and another 6% allege violations of employment law. Just 8% involve accounting or financial fraud and 9% misuse of assets.
The IIA's Chambers says those numbers are similar to what he saw as an inspector general for federal government agencies with hotlines. "In my experience, [hotlines] tended to be used for personnel management and professional conduct code violations more so than for reporting fraud," he says.
Meanwhile, the SEC reports that it received 3,001 submissions from whistleblowers in its 2012 fiscal year ended in September, the first full year in which awards were available.
While that sounds like a lot of tips, Chambers points out that it's just six per Fortune 500 company, and far fewer than the tens of thousands of companies operating in the United States. Ramos compares the SEC numbers to the Network's statistics: The hotlines it operates for 3,500 companies received about 129,000 tips last year, and roughly 23% of those tips involved financial fraud.
For previous coverage, see SEC Pays First Whistleblower Award, Regulators Challenge Confidential Internal Investigations, and SEC Bounty Hunters.


text:
Expert Test and Lab Equipment Repair and Calibration Services
ACS Industrial Services, Inc. is not affiliated with nor an authorized distributor or representative of any manufacturer, brand or product listed. Designated trademarks, brand names and brands appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.
Home > Services > Test Equipment Repair > Supported Manufacturers > Agilent > 34931A
Expert Repair for Agilent Model 34931A
Quick and Reliable Service
ACS Industrial Services provides expert Agilent Laboratory and Test Equipment Repair and Calibration services for model 34931A . Each Agilent device is expertly evaluated, tested, and repaired by trained, experienced technicians. In addition, we offer Rush Repair, and we warranty each repaired item for a period of two years, unless otherwise stated.
Schedule Your Free Evaluation Today!
One of our knowledgeable customer service reps is here to answer your questions and provide professional electronic repair solutions. Please contact us using our Contact Page or call 800-605-6419. Or click here for our free Test and Lab Equipment Service Form.
Questions about Pricing? Try our Repair Pricing Page.
Need Fast Turn-Around? Check out our Priority Service Page.
Copyright © 2001-2017 ACS Industrial. All Rights Reserved.
Phone: 800-605-6419, 410-771-1152
Fax: 443-836-9171, 855-252-5363
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
12/18/2017 06:13 -0500 DX v171216.0


text:
Which new features do you want the most?
An optional list only of tea's in your cupboard so that you can print it.
Vendor Kudos/ratings, somewhere to leave feedback like we can for tea shops on shopping experience.
It would be cool if we could attach an image to our tasting notes if we happened to snap a shot of the tea we are enjoying.
I agree since I find myself doing this quite often. I think it'd be cool to see others teaware and where they like to drink tea most often also.
I agree! I would love this. Plus some teas, like those from 52 teas, don't have photos. Sometimes the look of the tea (leaf and in a cup) is what makes me want to check it out.
Mobile app.
Just one thing (trying not to offend anyone/vendors) is trying to limit vendors posting their "deals" or offerings in the discussion messages – like when someone asks about a certain tea or best place to get X tea and a bunch of vendors jump on the post. Not really a feature but I think it would make the site more useful.
This might have been mentioned before, but it would be nice if the tea pages could include an "owned by" or "in these steepsters' cupboards" function, so you could see who has a tea/how many people. It'd be a nice way to see the most-owned teas, as well as looking for swap partners for teas that aren't super popular.
I think Steepster would benefit greatly from creating some kind of social share button for websites. Or even perhaps a wordpress plugin!
I agree! :)
I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but being able to search in others cupboards and through their ratings (unless this is already a feature?). Sometimes people mention teas that they've reviewed before and I want to go find them but it can be a bit tedious when they have hundreds of tastings/reviews.
A marker for teas that we are willing to swap in our cupboard would be cool.
Perhaps an option to see the numbers as we rate. I realize this may be intentional but I like to round to 5's or 10's purely for aesthetic reasons.
Not sure if it's been said yet… but it would be nice if there was a way to have personal tasting notes linked to social media. For example, once you add a tasting note on Steepster it would automatically add a link to your facebook or tumblr – so that people could click and read your review on Steepster. Is also a great way to advertise your site and tea in general!